There's something strange about him. The first few strikes felt like they hadn't landed at all… even though he'd clearly been hit.
No matter which era they come from, any ninja who has earned a reputation must indeed possess real skill.
Well, that statement isn't entirely accurate. In fact, even an ordinary ninja could become a legend—as long as he lives about ninety years.
Actually, it seemed as though Orochimaru had somehow gained an upper hand in their battle, though the truth was quite the opposite... Right now, Orochimaru was drenched in blood and gasping for breath.
This underground chamber had been completely devastated. Many of Orochimaru's accumulated research facilities and materials had been destroyed due to collateral damage from the fight. Orochimaru felt deeply pained by this loss, but this was certainly not the time to dwell on it.
Although Orochimaru's body really was as slippery as a snake—blunt force seemingly ineffective—the First Hokage's approach was surprisingly simple… If the "small hammer" didn't work, just switch to the "big hammer." It was just a matter of applying more force.
When brute force won't do, just bring more of it. A powerhouse's battle logic really is simple—and boring.
Orochimaru barely managed to steady his breath; he had already been fighting at his absolute limit. Yet, the First Hokage was clearly just toying with him.
However, now that he realized Orochimaru's goal was to seize the Nine-Tails, the First Hokage made sure not to reveal the Nine-Tails' chakra during their fight.
At this moment, not even the slightest flaw in the Seals could be revealed, or it would mean his defeat.
"Impressive indeed, a ninja praised as godlike—his strength far surpasses mine. Facing you, it seems I have no real trump card left. Still… I do have several interesting little tricks up my sleeve."
It was only after the clash that Orochimaru truly grasped the First Hokage's strength—and he meant every word of his praise. After all, losing to the First Hokage wasn't shameful at all.
Calling him "a god" wasn't quite precise. A more accurate description of the First Hokage would be…
More like a demon than a man.
Therefore, what followed couldn't really be considered a fight anymore—it was more like a demonstration, or perhaps a "showcase" for what he could do.
As long as Orochimaru could still pull off a surprising move, he hadn't truly failed.
Orochimaru paused briefly, thinking, before continuing to form hand seals.
"Ah, this technique is merely…"
The First Hokage naturally recognized the seals Orochimaru made—they weren't particularly unique.
"Do you think this is [Summoning Jutsu], Lord First? You're not entirely wrong, but not quite right either."
It looked like [Summoning Jutsu], and technically it was still [Summoning Jutsu], but hidden within this technique was… [Impure World Reincarnation].
Orochimaru didn't expect such a technique to fool the eyes of the First Hokage. Even if the techniques appeared identical, the summoned entities sometimes still brought about a few surprises.
For instance...
Reunited brothers, master and apprentice meeting again.
"Brother… and Sarutobi too."
Orochimaru was undeniably irritating. He hadn't lost unfairly in battle — he simply couldn't accept defeat gracefully. Why did he insist on resorting to such a creepy technique?
Would these two additional Pieces really be enough to stand against the First Hokage? This time, it's the Second and Third taking on the First — not the First and Second going after the Third. Considering Orochimaru's personality might have been influenced by external factors, his real motivation for doing this was probably just to provoke others.
"The First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and Sarutobi-sensei — three long-gone figures reunited in this bizarre era. Isn't that fascinating?"
"This is the miracle of ninjutsu."
Blood smeared across Orochimaru's face as he grinned darkly, every inch the picture of a despicable villain. He was about to get beaten to death soon, yet somehow seemed especially delighted.
"Pity I couldn't get my most coveted piece. It's a minor disappointment. Otherwise, maybe there'd actually be a chance to fight back."
Although current-day Orochimaru wasn't particularly obsessed with collecting, everyone had one special "collectible" they wanted. Admittedly, sometimes Orochimaru secretly wished Haseo would die sooner rather than later.
In the entire world, those who shared such thoughts weren't exactly rare — because for most people, it wasn't just "sometimes" they wished Haseo were dead — it was practically a given.
But since Orochimaru was actually Haseo's friend, his hopes were a little milder — less "I hope he dies," and more "I wish he'd learn some self-awareness."
"Information from a deceased body, a living person as sacrifice, and the soul of the dead... [Impure World Reincarnation] is nothing more than a technique used to summon the deceased into the living world as mere tools. It certainly isn't something praiseworthy."
The reincarnation technique raised unpleasant ethical issues — it was essentially just 'a numbers game,' and for some people, it was utterly useless aside from filling up space.
As Hashirama Senju finished speaking, he couldn't help but grimace slightly — no matter how reasonable his words sounded, he still had to admit that the reincarnation technique was impressively good at being disgusting.
Then, Tobirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened their backs, flexed their fingers, and opened their eyes — consciousness returning to them.
"This is... the living world?"
Tobirama flexed his hands; the sensation in his limbs convinced him he was no longer just a "corpse"... Well, technically he was still dead — just not fully so anymore.
Then he turned his gaze toward the opposite side.
"Big brother, you're still alive?
Why are you still alive?"
For a moment, it didn't feel like he'd been summoned to the distant future, but rather reborn into an earlier era — the days when Hashirama still lived, when the Senju clan thrived, and Konoha had yet to be established.
"Brother, what do you mean by that? You talk like I'm supposed to be dead."
Within their sibling dynamic, with Hashirama being as thickheaded as ever, Tobirama must have wanted to kill him countless times… unfortunately, he never stood a chance in winning.
"That's not what I meant, it's just that..."
"Actually, it's *you* who should be ashamed—not me. I told you long ago not to develop this taboo kinjutsu that messes with life and death. Look at you now!"
"Hmph, Tobirama, how does it feel being controlled by your own jutsu?"
"...Is that so? So the technique that brought me back into this world is Impure World Reincarnation?"
"In that case, my awakening can be understood within reasonable limits. But how about you, big brother? You died before I did, yet now you're alive and well. There's no way your current state is Impure World Reincarnation—am I right?"
"Even with *your* brain, you've actually gotten involved in some sort of resurrection conspiracy? That doesn't suit you at all."
"Stop pretending, Tobirama. The moment your consciousness returned, you already knew you'd been controlled by Impure World Reincarnation. You're just too stubborn to admit your mistake."
There wasn't a single trace of warmth in their reunion. Right from the start, they went straight into a bitter argument. Even Third Hokage, who wanted to figure out what was going on, didn't even get a chance to speak.
So yeah, this is it—this is Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, along with their childish squabbles.
Orochimaru realized he'd been completely ignored. The First Hokage's attention seemed entirely focused on the Second, so he started slowly inching backward, hoping he could sneak away unnoticed if possible.
Then, next came an actual "miracle"—Orochimaru truly slipped right out of the cavern.
He then began controlling both the Second and Third to launch attacks against the First Hokage, hoping it would keep the First distracted longer.
However, the moment Orochimaru let his guard down even slightly, a huge shadow suddenly loomed over his head. Before he could react at all, his body had already been slammed heavily into the ground.
"This must be... [Torii Seal]?"
It wasn't just physical suppression; more importantly, Orochimaru felt that he could no longer channel chakra smoothly through his body.
Well then, no matter how laid-back someone might be, as long as they're still a ninja, there's absolutely no way they'd ever lose sight of their "mission objective."
Indeed, miracles don't really exist in this world.
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