Hinata savored each bite of food, as if wanting to prolong the rare warmth she could feel in every moment.

Her movements were slow and deliberate, as if bidding farewell to the banquet—treasuring the fleeting peace and warmth.

However, beautiful moments are always short-lived.

No matter how much she wished time would stop, the banquet was destined to come to an end.

When the last dish was cleared, Hinata left the dining hall with a trace of reluctance.

She stood at the doorway, looking at Hikaru with a face full of expectation.

Hikaru understood the meaning in her eyes—it was about what he had told her before: giving her the chance to confront Ōtsutsuki Isshiki herself.

He walked up beside Hinata and said softly, "Don't worry. I'll make sure you get that opportunity."

Hearing this, Hinata's expression turned firm, and she nodded vigorously. "Mm!"

Then, Hikaru turned to Tsunade and the other two women and said:

"Madara Uchiha has already been captured by me. I'm heading off now to inform Mito and the others."

He paused briefly and added, "Would you like to come with me?"

Tsunade and the others immediately nodded in agreement, tightly following behind Hikaru to indicate that wherever he went, they would follow.

Afterward, Hikaru briefly greeted Fūka Seiyuki and informed her that they would need to leave for a while.

Once all matters had been arranged, Hikaru signaled that everyone was ready, and then used his Body Flicker to teleport the group instantly back to Konoha.

At this moment, Mito Uzumaki was discussing important village affairs with Tobirama Senju.

She and Hashirama were about to leave Konoha, so even if she wanted to slack off, there were some matters she had to personally explain to Tobirama in detail.

Just then, Hikaru suddenly appeared in front of them with Tsunade and the others in tow, immediately drawing their attention.

Tobirama's heart tensed slightly at the sight of Hikaru.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, he clearly understood Hikaru's nature: someone who never showed up for no reason.

His appearances always heralded something important.

So he immediately asked, "Has something serious happened again?"

Meanwhile, Mito Uzumaki looked at the group and felt a rising sense of unease.

It was as if she could already foresee an unpleasant event about to unfold.

This intuition caused her to raise an eyebrow, but she said nothing, quietly waiting for developments.

"There is indeed something going on. That's why we've returned," Hikaru said, pausing for a moment before glancing deliberately at Hashirama and Mito.

Then he continued, "Madara Uchiha has been captured by me. He's currently being held in my personal space."

Hearing this, Hashirama leapt to his feet, visibly shaken. "Madara! Let me see him! I want to ask him directly what he was thinking!"

Mito sighed and gave Hashirama a resentful look. Then she noticed the mischievous glint in Hikaru's eyes as he watched from the side—and immediately understood his intention. He clearly wanted to observe the tangled relationships between her, Hashirama, and Madara.

Realizing this, Mito didn't hold back. She slapped Hikaru hard on the head with a resounding smack.

Stunned by the blow, Hikaru could only stare in confusion—until Mito's next words told him his thoughts had been seen through.

"You can watch, but no recording. Got it?"

Rubbing the sore spot on his head, Hikaru gave a sheepish smile. He knew he'd been caught.

He nodded to show he understood, then waved his hand to conjure a spatial gate and said to Hashirama:

"Madara Uchiha is inside. You can go meet him now."

Hashirama immediately strode toward the portal without hesitation, while Mito followed close behind, shooting a warning glare at Hikaru as she passed.

Hikaru shrugged helplessly, signaling that he wouldn't record anything.

As they stepped through the space gate, Hashirama and Mito entered another dimension—the one where Madara Uchiha was being held.

When Madara's gaze met Hashirama's, a flash of deep surprise passed across his face.

But the shock was quickly replaced by something else—an understanding glimmered in his eyes.

'Is this Edo Tensei?' he thought to himself. 'Tobirama, you old fox… You really went and developed a jutsu that disturbs the peace of the dead!'

Madara's heart brimmed with resentment toward Tobirama, but he knew what mattered most right now was facing Hashirama and Mito directly.

Unlike what Hikaru had imagined, there was no intense emotional outburst. Instead, Hashirama remained unusually calm.

He simply stared at Madara, and silence fell between them, heavy and suffocating.

"You came, Hashirama," Madara finally broke the silence.

"Madara, why did you do it?"

Hashirama looked at him, eyes filled with both confusion and anger.

"We were once best friends. You betrayed Konoha—fine, maybe that was for your ideals. But what about the children? Was hurting them also part of your ideals?"

Madara was silent for a moment before slowly replying:

"Hashirama, this world is too dark. I wanted to change it in my own way. Maybe my methods are extreme, but I believe they're the fastest and most effective."

"And your way is to kidnap children?" Mito coldly questioned.

"You talk about changing the world, but in truth, you just want to satisfy your own ambition."

Madara scoffed and replied dismissively:

"You're just a woman. What do you know? Get lost and don't interfere in my conversation with Hashirama!"

His voice dripped with arrogance and disdain.

Mito was enraged by Madara's attitude and was about to argue back, but Hashirama raised a hand to stop her.

He shook his head at her—only for Mito to immediately bind him with the Adamantine Sealing Chains.

The sudden development left both Madara and Hashirama stunned.

They locked eyes, neither able to react for a moment.

"You dumb log, how dare you stop me?!" Mito shouted furiously. "Today, I'll make sure you and your boyfriend ascend to heaven together!!"

With her declaration, over a dozen Adamantine Sealing Chains burst out from behind her, lashing violently toward both Madara and Hashirama.

The two had faced countless storms in their lives, but this scene was truly something new.

As the chains came crashing down, both men tried to escape.

But one was completely immobilized by Mito's bloodline-level sealing technique.

The other? Bound tightly by a powerful formation set by Hikaru—the kind only a cheat-character could deploy.

There was no escape.