"With this kind of 'puppet,' do you really think you have a guaranteed chance of victory?" Hagoromo asked Orochimaru before him.
As long as someone was being "controlled"—damn it, even those two characters get censored?—Hagoromo did not believe that a shinobi revived through Edo Tensei could possess the same strength they had in life. The stronger the individual, the more this was true. For a shinobi on the First Hokage's level, putting aside the gap in chakra between when he was alive and after being revived by Edo Tensei, his strength could only truly be brought out under the premise that he possessed "autonomy." Otherwise, Hagoromo felt that describing him with the word "puppet" was extremely accurate.
"Whether I have that kind of confidence is irrelevant in itself. In truth, I have no intention of fighting you directly. Otherwise, it would be terrible if I accidentally got killed." Orochimaru was completely frank about the current difference in strength between himself and Hagoromo. Shinobi were like this. Strength and age had no necessary connection. In any case, he had previously lost once to Uchiha Itachi as well.
In his battle with Uchiha Itachi, Orochimaru had tried fighting him and then discovered that he was no match. As for Hagoromo, he had no intention whatsoever of personally experiencing it for himself.
What he said was indeed the truth.
Victory or defeat did not matter. What Orochimaru valued was the process of the battle. As a researcher, he clearly understood what the important point was.
As Orochimaru spoke, he sank into the ground through Earth Release. It seemed he truly had no intention of directly participating in the battle. Not only that, he also hid himself away, because he really was somewhat worried that Hagoromo might casually give him a hit.
After Orochimaru completely concealed himself, the sound of armor clashing rang out… The First Hokage opened his eyes, then walked out of the coffin.
Orochimaru should not have left completely. Hagoromo felt certain he was crouching somewhere nearby, peeking from the grass. But there was no helping it. He first had to deal with the big guy in front of him—truthfully, Hagoromo was also interested in what level of strength the First Hokage could display.
In fact, he had thought of the Edo Tensei too simply. Orochimaru had not summoned multiple beings to deal with Hagoromo. He had summoned only the First Hokage precisely so that, while maintaining his control, he could grant the First Hokage sufficient "autonomy permissions."
Therefore, "First Hokage Ver. Opening His Eyes Again After Many Years" was definitely not as simple as a puppet.
"Time. Place. Who are you?"
The First Hokage, who had just walked out, had already assumed a combat stance. However, the lines coming out of his mouth seemed a little out of sync with his posture.
This concise inquiry would help him understand the current situation. Hagoromo even felt that, as expected of the famous First Hokage, he was rather aloof.
"Time… In short, after you spent many years eating dirt underground. Place, this is Konoha. As for me? How should I put it? I should count as your disciple's disciple's disciple's disciple." Hagoromo actually answered him sentence by sentence, but no matter how one listened to it, it sounded like a tongue twister.
And so…
"Huh?"
The First Hokage's aloofness lasted less than thirty seconds in total. Immediately afterward, he revealed a confused face.
What a waste of that long, straight black hair! Do you know your hairstyle is exactly the same as Akiyama Mio's?
"Lord First Hokage, you have already been dead for a very long time. Do you still remember that?" Although the First Hokage had only been handsome for an instant, out of respect for the old man, Hagoromo continued explaining.
If the Hokage had forgotten that he was already dead, that would be amusing.
"That, I do remember." The First Hokage had not short-circuited to that extent.
"To put the current situation simply, you were revived by your disciple's disciple using a technique called Edo Tensei. The purpose is to use you against me, your disciple's disciple's disciple's disciple…"
The First Hokage froze for a while. Then his reaction was…
"Huh?"
Hagoromo was absolutely doing this on purpose. He was testing exactly what the intelligence level of someone revived by Edo Tensei was like, and whether their reaction speed could keep up. After all, even vegetative patients who woke up were confused in all kinds of ways, let alone someone who had been dead for so long… That was why he had added so many "disciples" into the relationship.
And judging from the current situation, it seemed that the Hokage had not sorted out such a simple ethical relationship. So the question was… had Edo Tensei lowered the Hokage's intelligence, or had he always been at this level?
"I understand. In other words, I've been reincarnated by Edo Tensei?"
"…It's those boring techniques developed by Tobirama again." Still, the First Hokage understood his current situation. And in the eyes of someone with his strength, Edo Tensei did indeed belong to the category of boring techniques.
As though deliberately allowing the conversation to continue, Orochimaru was not in a hurry to attack.
"One final question. Boy, are you on Konoha's side?"
Hagoromo was depressed. I'm already twenty-eight, and you're still calling me boy? But even if he were forty-eight, in the eyes of someone who did not know him, he would still look like a boy.
"For the time being, I still count as a Konoha shinobi."
"That's good. Although I don't quite understand the current situation, since I'm being controlled, it seems I have no choice but to attack you. But it's fine. While my consciousness is still here, I'll tell you my weakness."
"…All right."
Although it was not one hundred percent necessary, Hagoromo felt that he should not waste the old man's kindness.
"…" But the First Hokage stopped speaking.
"Lord First?"
"Well… after thinking about it for a bit, I suddenly realized there doesn't seem to be anything to say."
Hagoromo: "…"
"I should be pretty invincible. No obvious weaknesses… Ahahaha, this is bad. Haha!"
Hagoromo slapped his own forehead. Damn it, so you were messing with me after all? Is this a competition to prove who has the strongest clown skills?
However, this also seemed to prove that when the First Hokage was alive, he had already been a very distinctively… goofy person. Uncle Snake and Edo Tensei were innocent.
So… someone like this once ruled over this world? That was simply too terrifying.
"Come, boy! If you're a man, grow stronger for the people you want to protect!"
Orochimaru seemed to realize that allowing the First Hokage to continue spouting nonsense was not the correct choice, so he finally assumed an attacking posture.
"Understood. Women are the same. Nothing will change if you merely stand by and watch."
The First Hokage: "You must grit your teeth and desperately endure until the very end."
Hagoromo: "It's no big deal if you fall. You just have to stand back up again."
…Facts proved that Hagoromo was also a goofy person.
Unfortunately, this goofy time could not continue forever. At this moment, the First Hokage's hands had already clasped together, fingers interlocked.
Either he did not start at all, or once he started, he opened directly with a big move.
The hand seal before him represented the technique that was the First Hokage's most iconic power and move.
"Ninja Art: Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The ground beneath their feet began to soften. Fresh branches started to sprout. Immediately afterward, countless vines shot toward Hagoromo like arrows, carrying extreme speed and momentum!
This was not Wood Release. This was a tentacle monster. Fortunately, Hagoromo had abundant experience fighting tentacle monsters.
He spread both arms out flat. Then Chidori Sharp Spears extended from both hands. Deep Forest Emergence could not shake Hagoromo, because Wood Release simply could not touch his body.
What it met was an impenetrable mass of lightning. In the next instant, it shattered into section after section.
The technique Hagoromo used was one he had used when he first stepped onto the battlefield. Now, using it again, it was already completely different from back then.
What intercepted the First Hokage's signature Wood Release ninjutsu, Deep Forest Emergence, was the White Yaksha's signature Lightning Release nin-taijutsu:
Chidori Sharp Spear: Shadow Leaf Dance.
The First Hokage had called out the name of his technique as a warning to Hagoromo, so as a return courtesy, Hagoromo also announced the name of his own move.
Fine, what Hagoromo was using right now could indeed count as dual wielding, and the scene was fairly fitting. But what kind of ridiculous name had he announced? Konoha absolutely refused to acknowledge ever having such a ninjutsu.
Hagoromo's voice was not quiet, either. Through the lightning of the Chidori Sharp Spears and the tangled, constantly growing forest, it could still reach the First Hokage's ears.
And so, the Hokage heard the name of this "ninjutsu":
"Starburst Stream!"
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