Naruto: Naruto started the Fourth Shinobi World War for me

Chapter 85 A Fateful Encounter

"When did you get here?!"

Madara was stunned for a while before she realized that even without the Sharingan, she was capable of dealing with several Jonin with her own Ninjutsu Genkan panel.

Moreover, she has a habit of not being able to eat when anyone other than Ningxia stands behind her, so how could it suddenly stop working?

"It smells so good... so much better than the braised pork at home..."

Hashirama couldn't help but swallow as he smelled the aroma of braised pork. Originally, braised pork was just a delicacy that was popular within the Uchiha clan.

Although other clans have been trying to find out the formula and the truth behind the Uchiha's high morale, they have not succeeded.

Ultimately, during a mission conflict with the Uchiha clan, the Akimichi clan successfully captured a Uchiha clansman's... lunchbox.

That night, the battle cries of the Akimichi tribe never stopped.

Then the Akimichi clan cracked the recipe for braised pork, but the taste was never as good as the original. Nevertheless, it eventually spread.

People are already fighting tooth and nail for food, so now that there's good food, they're naturally even more motivated.

Hashirama really liked the braised pork from his clan, but compared to the bento boxes of his peers, it was far inferior.

"Hello!!!"

Madara urged him impatiently, and Hashirama belatedly realized what was happening, scratching his head and apologizing to Madara.

"Excuse me, I came here to relax."

"You too... never mind, then just leave me alone."

Madara turned his face away with feigned indifference, preparing to enjoy his solo meal, while Hashirama, seeing that the fire was still burning brightly, shamelessly rubbed the fire to warm up his own bento.

Looking at the greasy braised pork in his lunchbox, he thought that in such a chaotic world, such oily food should be considered a delicacy.

Unfortunately... Madara on the other side looks more tempting!

Hashirama glanced at it furtively, noticing the large, oily, white, fatty meat in her lunchbox.

Ban's braised pork is rich and dark in sauce, with a strong meaty aroma, but without any porky smell, and it's also garnished with a few chestnuts.

Ban likes to mix the sauce with the rice until it becomes sticky, which further enhances the aroma.

"Phew~ I'm going to start eating."

"Gulp..."

The sound of swallowing beside him made Madara pause. He turned around and looked at Hashirama, who was drooling, with disgust. They were both ninjas, weren't they? How come he didn't even have this much self-control?

But unable to withstand Hashirama's gaze, Madara finally tossed the smallest piece of meat to Hashirama.

"Enjoy it, my chef only cooks at home."

Madara proudly raised his head. Although any ninja clan can make braised pork now, the best-tasting one will always be from the Uchiha clan.

The Akimichi clan tried several times to buy the recipe but failed, after all... they didn't know anything about it, such as spices, blending, and proportions. They could just leave it to Ningxia.

They were in charge of providing the food.

"It smells so good..."

Hashirama carefully took a bite, and the meat juices instantly burst in his mouth, filling it with a rich, meaty aroma that made him completely blissful.

"Is it...is it really that exaggerated...?"

Madara felt even more disgusted as he watched Hashirama cover his face and writhe. What was the background of this guy?

They inexplicably approached, inexplicably freeloaded food and drinks, and inexplicably became engrossed in their activities.

"tasty!!!"

Hashirama praised her sincerely, but Madara, seeing the overly familiar girl, simply pushed her away.

"Don't spit on my food, and... forget about it, I'm not sharing any more with you."

Madara kept her promise, and even though Hashirama was staring at her with teary eyes, she still finished eating everything on her own.

Seeing Hashirama's pitiful appearance, Madara suddenly had a mischievous urge. He waved the last piece of braised pork in front of her and then stuffed it directly into his mouth.

In an instant, Hashirama, who had been full of hope, froze, squatting down and drawing small circles.

"Um... don't be like that, I... I don't even have enough to eat for myself."

Madara was somewhat at a loss. For some reason, she felt a strange familiarity with Hashirama, as if they were long-lost sisters.

After digesting their thoughts, the two women sat by the river and started a skipping game, tacitly avoiding mentioning each other's surnames.

The long-awaited reunion with peers made them feel relaxed, and Ban also remembered what Ningxia had said: children like Izuna's age should not die.

At this carefree age, they should have more worthwhile things to do, such as playing games.

The two began to chat spontaneously, and Hashirama remarked that Madara's words were very similar to those of an older brother she had met three years ago.

Although she couldn't understand much of it, she felt that this was the right thing to do, and if she could, she wanted to become that kind of person.

"Haha, he's the most important teacher in my life."

Madara revealed a smug smile. Like Izuna, she was unwilling to openly admit the facts that she had already established.

"Sigh...he must be a very gentle person, right?"

"Yes, very gentle..."

Ban blushed slightly. At fifteen years old, she should have been married off to someone from within or outside the clan long ago, but thanks to her powerful strength, she could refuse such a request.

Moreover, Ningxia once said that he has a wife and family, but they live in a very, very far place.

This tactful rejection left Ban feeling bewildered; she didn't know if she could accept this reality.

"..."

Why have you suddenly stopped talking?

Hashirama found it strange, but Madara gently shook his head, indicating that he was fine.

"Hey, hey~ You're not doing this because you're not as good at skipping stones as me, are you~"

Although he didn't know why Madara was feeling down, Hashirama knew he should try to distract himself.

"Hey! Don't get too cocky, you bastard! I'll kill you!"

Hashirama instantly fell into a slump, sitting on the ground with his knees drawn up to apologize. This made Madara feel a little guilty, and he quickly changed his tune, saying that he didn't mean it that way, and that Hashirama was very good at skipping stones.

"Hehehe~ You finally admit you're not as good at skipping stones as me, huh? Hehehe~"

"I kill you!!!"

After parting ways, the two agreed to meet again at the same place next time.

But as soon as Ban returned to his clan, he learned that he was to go to the battlefield.

"..."

Silently donning his armor, Madara looked at his excited younger sister beside him and couldn't help but remind her not to stray too far from him.

"I understand, sister."

Izuna has matured a lot since three years ago. Witnessing the deaths of her younger siblings made her realize the cruelty of war.

This fueled her hatred for the Senju, who she saw as irreconcilable, a fight to the death.

Ningxia looked at the two women. This war involved many families, and even he had to go on the battlefield as a medic. However, Madara and Izuna would protect him as guards.

"War..."

Ningxia sighed softly, "Whether it's the Warring States period or the ninja world, it's always like this."