Jiraiya and Minato turned their heads, and the gently smiling Senju Hashirama smiled at the two of them.
"Tobirama, this is your forbidden jutsu, right? I didn't expect you really managed to develop it successfully!"
Senju Tobirama folded his arms across his chest, his whole body cold as he stared at Orochimaru:
"What do you want by summoning us from the Pure Land to the living world?!"
"Gulp!"
Orochimaru swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Although the quality of the Edo Tensei vessels for Hashirama and Tobirama wasn't very high, they could still display seventy percent of their power, and they weren't being restricted.
Just these Senju brothers merely standing there brought a huge sense of oppression.
Orochimaru fell silent, and Jiraiya and Minato didn't speak either.
They really couldn't say it was the Senju clan leading troops in rebellion, and you two Senju ancestors came to help us for the sake of the bigger picture!
"Hmph!"
Tobirama snorted coldly. The fact that these three said nothing told him they were hiding something.
Hashirama raised his head and suddenly said in some surprise:
"Wow! Susanoo, and a complete body—who is this outstanding member of the Uchiha clan?"
Jiraiya replied softly: "He is… from the Senju clan!"
"Uh… (⊙_☉)"
The Senju brothers were stunned.
...
In the distance.
Tsunade's brown eyes held only those two towering figures.
Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama—the two pillars of the Senju clan, and in the era of Konoha's founding, the village's two pillars.
When Tsunade was little, she had even been carried around by these two grandfathers, so she naturally felt very close to them.
Now that the two relatives had returned from death, Tsunade couldn't hide the excitement in her heart. With a single leap she bounded forward.
"Grandpa Hashirama, Grandpa Tobirama!"
The affectionate call came from afar, and Hashirama and Tobirama instantly saw an oversized granddaughter jumping down from the sky.
Hashirama carefully sized up Tsunade: "You are… little Tsuna?!"
Tsunade nodded: "That's right! Grandpa Hashirama, it's already been 30 years, I've grown up!"
"Thirty years!!" Hashirama sighed with emotion.
The past was like smoke, scene after scene echoing through his mind—great changes of time, yet in the end unable to withstand erosion by time.
The reunion of loved ones was naturally joyful, but Tobirama turned the topic back to the main point.
With sharp eyes he asked Jiraiya: "You said… that Uchiha up there is from the Senju clan—what is going on?!"
Tsunade stepped forward and said: "Let me say it! Kairen's situation is very special. His chakra is immense, his recovery ability astonishing, and I discovered him on the battlefield."
"After investigation, I found he carried Senju blood, so I bestowed the Senju name upon him."
"But not long ago, Kairen awakened the Mangekyō. His existence truly leaves me unable to understand it!"
Tobirama listened quietly. The first thing that came to his mind was bloodline experiments.
He had once led bloodline experiments, but the progress was extremely poor. The independence between Kekkei genkai was too strong; fusing them led straight to collapse.
Hashirama glanced around at the surrounding ruins and rubbed his hair.
"What happened here? Is this a war?"
"..."
Everyone fell silent. The two former Hokage had finally asked the key question.
Tsunade clenched her fists and said: "This is a revolution. I launched a revolution against Sarutobi Hiruzen and the entire village!"
"Monkey?!" Hashirama continued in confusion.
"What did he do wrong?!"
Tsunade shifted her gaze to Tobirama and slowly began telling of the ninja world after the deaths of the two Hokage, and of Konoha's heavy darkness.
...
And in the distance, the huge orange fox from earlier had disappeared.
Kairen's cannon found it hiding behind Wolon and Fenchu, having turned back into that petite form from before, as if trembling.
"Kurama, you're scared!"
Hearing someone call it cowardly, the Nine-Tails immediately refused to accept it, pricking up its ears and replying:
"Impossible! How could I possibly be afraid? I am the strongest tailed beast—the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!"
"Then why are you hiding here?"
"I'm tired. Can't I rest for a bit?"
The Nine-Tails would die before admitting it was scared inside—but it truly had chickened out.
There weren't many people in the ninja world who frightened it, but Senju Hashirama was definitely one of them.
One great Senju Buddha could grab it and seal it up, and it had been sealed for so many years.
The charge was that its power was too strong and would bring great harm to the world.
Kairen stayed in the crystal above with arms folded, holding the "Sasuke" pose.
The pose was handsome, yes—but tiring! With no one watching, it could only be a solo performance.
He dispelled Susanoo and leapt down alone from the sky.
Hashirama and Tobirama had just finished listening to Konoha's post-their-era history.
The two stayed silent all along, and the usually cheerful Hashirama's face was full of seriousness.
Tobirama's face was cold, as though everyone had encroached on his rights, misused his jutsu, and even stamped his trademark on it.
When Tsunade spoke of his own cause of death, Tobirama's pupils shrank slightly.
No wonder? No wonder?!
Back when he fought the Gold and Silver Brothers, he couldn't extract chakra to use Flying Thunder God—so he'd actually been drugged.
Guard all you want day and night—yet it's the family thief that's hardest to guard.
After listening, Tobirama cursed: "Hmph! Sarutobi and Shimura were just two clans on the verge of extinction in the Warring States era. If big brother hadn't gone easy and saved their lives, how could they possibly have what they do today?"
Tsunade consoled: "Grandpa Tobirama, don't be angry. They're all dead now, so it counts as revenge."
Tobirama's expression still didn't soften.
"And those old geezers who secretly joined forces to frame our Senju clan—they all deserved to be killed!"
Hashirama sighed: "Ay… I really saw people too simply! The monkey wasn't like this at first—and neither was Danzō!"
Tobirama snorted: "Isn't it all because you pushed that assimilation plan of yours?"
"I did it for the village, didn't I? The clans' adults were almost all dead in the Warring States era—merging with commoners would let us reproduce faster!"
"Ay… forget it! Forget it! We're already dead; don't worry about the affairs of the living."
Just then, Kairen suddenly appeared.
The seriousness on Hashirama's face switched back to a smile: "I heard you can use Wood Release—could you let me see it?"
Kairen nodded.
He and Tsunade had gone back and forth in the dark of night; in any case, Hashirama and Tobirama were his elders.
Kairen didn't even form hand seals. Not far in front of him, a flower sprang up out of thin air, blooming brilliantly and releasing a fresh fragrance.
Tobirama narrowed his eyes: "It's indeed Wood Release, and it's even a no-seal jutsu."
Hashirama was somewhat delighted: "Haha… Wood Release finally has a successor."
Orochimaru was sneaking around behind the Senju brothers.
A hand reached out, taking a kunai with a talisman attached, preparing to stab it into the backs of the brothers' heads to control them.
Such petty tricks couldn't fool the Senju brothers at all.
Hashirama smiled and formed a single hand seal.
Hard wooden vines appeared under Orochimaru's feet, binding him tight.
Hashirama smiled at the upside-down Orochimaru: "Young man, what are you trying to do?"
Orochimaru gave an awkward smile.
"Just a small gift for the two Hokage."
Tobirama shot Orochimaru a cold glance: "Being able to learn Edo Tensei, your talent isn't bad—but you shouldn't have used us brothers."
"Senju brothers, may I say something?" A toad's voice suddenly sounded.
Fukasaku moved on Jiraiya's shoulder.
As a sage who had lived for hundreds of years on Mount Myōboku, he was getting anxious now.
Three minutes had already passed, the time limit of Sage Art tags was almost up—are you going to fight or not?
If not, we'll just go back and eat bugs.
"Mount Myōboku's Toad Sages?!"
The Senju brothers turned their gaze to Fukasaku and Shima.
The three great sacred places had long histories and resounding reputations—they naturally knew of them.
Moreover, the Senju clan had long maintained a contract with Shikkotsu Forest, so they naturally knew of the Toad Sages of Mount Myōboku.
Fukasaku Sage said gravely: "Senju brothers, the Great Toad Sage prophesied that this child beside you will be an anomaly of this world—he will bring boundless darkness to it."
Hashirama fell silent; his expression was unreadable.
Tobirama frowned. As one of the few ninjas who actually used his brain, what he hated most was this kind of ambiguous talk.
Solve everything with a prophecy—then why should society even develop? Just give up entirely.
And he also felt prophecies were bluffs—self-contradictory by nature.
If the future has already been foretold, can it still be called the future?
Parallel universes? Multiversal space-time?!
Seeing the two unmoved, Fukasaku Sage pointed at Kairen and continued: "A thousand years ago, an outsider almost destroyed the entire ninja world—and he has the same origin."
The Senju brothers turned their gaze to Kairen.
Kairen smiled. Although he was from beyond the heavens, at first he hadn't possessed the power to destroy the world.
He had no interest in destroying it either—his hobby was seeding worlds, being the human race's father-god.
Hashirama looked at Kairen and felt he resembled Madara's younger brother—Uchiha Izuna.
He looked again at Fukasaku.
Not knowing whom to believe, he scratched his head and asked Tsunade beside him:
"Little Tsuna! Which side do you think I should believe?"
Tsunade had been riding Kairen last night—of course she sided with Kairen.
"Of course Kairen. This bunch of warty toads spout empty words—pointing at anyone and saying he's the great demon who'll destroy the world, without producing a shred of evidence!"
Fukasaku pointed at Tsunade to scold her: "Human, you—"
Tsunade struck first, cursing at him: "A bunch of warty toads—why don't you just stay home and eat bugs quietly? And why are you so concerned with ninja business anyway?"
With just one line, Tsunade nearly finished them off, choking both Fukasaku and Shima speechless.
Indeed! The life and death between ninjas had nothing to do with toads—why were they so concerned with the ninja world's historical development?
"Hmph! The Great Toad Sage is a great sage—he and the Sage of Six Paths saved the world a thousand years ago. He cannot be wrong."
Kairen yawned. What he had been waiting for so long had, unknowingly, turned into a round-table talk.
He was a bit sleepy; it seemed last night's movements were too advanced.
Though "hanging golden hook" left all parties satisfied, he was the one exhausted.
Fukasaku kept trying to persuade the Senju brothers to deal with Kairen; his toad mouth was almost dry, yet the Senju brothers still showed no reaction.
Tobirama stood with arms folded, his face cold, making one suspect he was a robot.
Hashirama wore an embarrassed smile. Even if he wanted to act, he had to look at Tobirama's expression.
Kairen stepped forward, stopping Fukasaku: "Enough talking—you're about to lose your voice. You want my life, right? I'm standing right here—if you can send me away, that'll be impressive!"
Fukasaku, somewhat tired from speaking, hurriedly paused to take a couple of breaths.
Hearing Kairen's bold words, he said disdainfully: "Young man, don't boast."
Kairen walked with hands behind his back, slowly approaching Jiraiya and Minato.
"Now… come take my life!"
The closer Kairen came, the more Jiraiya and Minato retreated.
Fukasaku and Shima' pupils were full of gravity, staring at Kairen in shock and uncertainty.
They didn't know what he intended to do.
There were about three meters between them.
Kairen stopped: "Come on, cut me!"
Minato and Jiraiya looked at each other.
Neither moved.
They had said they'd fight Kairen, but both knew—even together they weren't his match.
Infinite resurrection, infinite chakra, infinite ultimates…
Such an enemy—tell me, Jiraiya and Minato, can he fight?
He can't—he simply doesn't have that ability.
So their bold declaration of battle was nothing more than stubbornness, wanting to be brutally beaten by Kairen.
Even if I can't beat you, Moku Kairen, I won't submit—so what?
When the opportunity was right in front of them, Jiraiya and Minato hesitated.
What was the purpose of this confrontation?
To demand an explanation?!
Fukasaku patted Jiraiya's shoulder: "Don't be cowardly, little Jiraiya—just do it! Eliminate him and the ninja world will return to peace!"
Even Fukasaku didn't believe his own words, yet he wanted Jiraiya to believe them!
But Fukasaku had no choice—this was the leader's arrangement; he was just a messenger.
Shima likewise cheered on Minato: "Minato, go—let him taste Mount Myōboku's power!"
Jiraiya suddenly felt a bit tired.
Earlier they had quarreled because of Orochimaru's grave robbing, then were shocked again by the two Hokage's resurrection—his previous hot-blooded zeal had cooled into silence.
For it to fire back up… he'd have to drag Teacher Sarutobi out again to die in front of him and add a revenge buff.
Minato was the same—not really wanting to fight.
The main thing was—the two Hokage were right there.
He'd grown up listening to the legends of the two Hokage—he was a die-hard fan!
Now that the village's situation was set, going against the tide would only make the two Hokage look down on him.
The two toads kept cheering, listing Kairen's crimes.
They dawdled and dawdled, until the toad eyes faded from Jiraiya and Minato.
Fukasaku and Shima' throats were dry from talking, yet the battle still didn't start.
"Sigh… useless. Great Sage gifted Sage tags are just wasted like this—you master and disciple are really disappointing!"
Even Hashirama in the distance was getting bored: "Are you going to fight or not? Everyone's still waiting!"
Hashirama pointed behind him; Kairen had used Wood Release to create a huge spectator stand, where a big crowd was eating popcorn waiting for the great battle.
Tobirama snorted: "So these are Konoha's juniors? They can't even get things done—not surprising for Sarutobi's teaching."
Jiraiya and Minato felt a bit embarrassed.
With the two elders beside them, whatever they did would feel constrained.
Hashirama suddenly became interested and earnestly asked Tobirama:
"How about I fight Kairen? After sleeping for so many years, my body's getting stiff—I should loosen up!"
Death in the ninja world was like a sleep for the dead—there was no impression of death at all.
Tobirama nodded: "Go!"
He also wanted a fight, to test Kairen's strength.
Most importantly, his hands were itching—ninjas not fighting were like gamblers not gambling.
"Haha…"
Receiving Tobirama's approval, Hashirama laughed heartily, jumped out, and said to Kairen:
"Let me see how strong you are!"
Kairen nodded: "Come on!"
Fukasaku and Shima brightened up.
After all that effort, this big guy was finally making a move.
Kairen and Hashirama widened the distance between them.
In a flash of lightning and fire, an odd old man holding a tin staff appeared in the arena.
"Visitor from afar, let me join as well!"