Chapter 15: Tsunade, You're Dead Too?
Orochimaru began to calculate. In the world of Naruto, if one set aside the Otsutsuki Clan, those capable of defeating Kaidou—other than Madara Uchiha—could be counted on one hand. Chief among them was Hashirama Senju.
The problem, however, was that both of those men were long dead.
Beyond them, Nagato certainly possessed the raw ability to trade blows with Kaidou, but whether he could actually secure a victory was a massive question mark. If Nagato were in his prime, he could undoubtedly fight Kaidou to a standstill.
But the current Nagato was far too weak.
More importantly, the Rinnegan Nagato wielded weren't his own; they belonged to Madara Uchiha. Because of that, there were many miraculous abilities he couldn't tap into, making a fight against Kaidou feel like a desperate stretch. Furthermore, his relationship with Nagato wasn't exactly warm. Nagato wasn't about to do him any favors.
So, who else was left to help him?
At that moment, a flash of inspiration struck Orochimaru. He turned to Tsunade and said, "Saving the Shinobi world is a heavy burden to bear. Relying on just the few of us will be quite troublesome. Perhaps... we should call upon the First and Second Hokage."
Tsunade's eyebrows shot up. She instantly saw through Orochimaru's line of thinking and sneered. "You're planning to use the Edo Tensei on Grandpa Hashirama and my second granduncle just so they can help you hold off Kaidou, aren't you?"
Orochimaru didn't bother defending himself. Instead, he countered with a question: "Don't you want to bring them back? If the First Hokage is resurrected and his power is augmented even further, he might very well be able to stand against the Otsutsuki Clan."
Tsunade was forced to admit that Orochimaru's point was valid. Her grandfather Hashirama's strength was indeed extraordinary—he stood just a single tier below the Six Paths themselves. If his power could be pushed further, fighting an Otsutsuki wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Seeing that Tsunade was starting to waver, Orochimaru continued his persuasion. "Didn't the Second Hokage leave behind the Edo Tensei technique precisely for a moment like this?"
Kabuto Yakushi, sensing Orochimaru's intent, chimed in from the side. "Lady Tsunade, we know you are reluctant to disturb the souls of the deceased, but we can simply ask for their opinion first."
"If the First and Second Hokage both refuse, we can completely release the Edo Tensei jutsu."
Yumesaki rolled his eyes and remarked, "That's total nonsense. Hashirama Senju might not agree, but Tobirama Senju is highly unlikely to say no. I see you guys are really just trying to play on Tsunade's weakness."
Orochimaru let out a soft, dry chuckle. "We are doing this for the sake of the Shinobi world as well."
What else could Tsunade do? Could she really say she didn't want to see Grandpa Hashirama and her second granduncle again? Those words felt impossible to utter. Moreover, if they truly returned to life, the crushing pressure resting on her shoulders would lighten significantly.
And even if she refused, would Orochimaru actually cancel the plan?
Not a chance.
She knew Orochimaru far too well.
Seeing that Tsunade remained silent, Orochimaru knew he had her tacit approval.
"Very well. Let's not waste any time. Let us begin immediately."
Orochimaru stood up and headed back through the door into the Shinobi world, with Kabuto following close behind. Tsunade followed as well, her consent given with a half-reluctant heart.
One day later.
Yumesaki's group arrived at one of Orochimaru's secret hideouts.
Orochimaru had been researching the Edo Tensei for a long time. He had acquired the cells of both Hashirama and Tobirama Senju even before he defected from Konoha. Reanimating the two of them was no challenge at all.
After the necessary rituals and processes were complete, the "God of Shinobi" Hashirama Senju and his brother Tobirama Senju returned to the land of the living within their Edo Tensei vessels.
As the two of them opened their eyes, they were immediately met with the sight of Tsunade, Orochimaru, Shizune, Kabuto Yakushi, and Yumesaki.
"Tsunade? Is that little Tsunade?"
The moment Hashirama opened his eyes, he saw a blonde woman with a generous bust whose face was a whirlpool of emotions. Looking closely, wasn't this his own granddaughter?
Incredible. He never expected that after being dead for all these years, he'd still get to see little Tsunade. She had grown so much, and she was even more beautiful than before.
However, as his memories settled, he remembered that he was supposed to be dead. Why was he suddenly seeing little Tsunade?
"Could it be... that you've died too?" Hashirama blurted out the first possibility that crossed his mind.
Tsunade, who had been feeling quite emotional, felt her face sour instantly. The heartfelt reunion she had imagined vanished without a trace.
Who could possibly understand her? She had gone through so much trouble to see her first grandfather again, only for him to open his mouth and practically curse her to the grave. Any sense of sentimentality was dead on arrival.
Yumesaki thought to himself: This is classic Hashirama Senju. The man was undeniably pure-hearted and straightforward to a fault.
"Calm down, Brother."
Tobirama noticed something was off. "Tsunade isn't dead. We are the ones who have been summoned back to the Shinobi world via a Summoning Technique."
Hashirama blinked, quickly realizing that this place was indeed not the Pure Land, and the sensation of his body felt wrong.
"I should have known. It's your doing again, Tobirama! I told you not to play around with the souls of the dead, but you just wouldn't listen..."
Seeing that his elder brother was about to launch into a lecture, Tobirama swiftly changed the subject.
"Little Tsunade, why have you called us? Has something happened to Konoha?"
The reason he had left the Edo Tensei technique behind—wasn't it so the future generations could call upon him in times of crisis?
Hearing the possibility of Konoha being in trouble, Hashirama stopped scolding his brother and looked urgently at Tsunade. Even in death, there were certain things he could never let go of. Konoha was one of them.
Tsunade shook her head. "It's not Konoha that's in trouble, Grandpa, Second Granduncle. It's the entire world."
Tobirama looked puzzled. "The Shinobi world is in trouble? What kind of trouble could the world be in?"
Wasn't the Shinobi world always in some kind of mess?
Tsunade glanced briefly at Yumesaki.
Yumesaki nodded. He found a random door and led Hashirama and Tobirama through it, back to his own world. There was no other choice; if they didn't pass through that door, the two of them would have no way of understanding the Naruto manga.
The main reason was that the manga was written entirely in Chinese.
Only by passing through that door would they receive a "buff" from the door itself, allowing them to understand the language and script. Only then could they comprehend the Naruto manga—and even Mandarin Chinese.
This was one of the unique quirks of Yumesaki's ability.
"What?! The Uchiha Clan was actually wiped out?!"
The moment Hashirama opened the Naruto volume, he was struck with shock. The Uchiha were a great clan of the Shinobi world, just like their own Senju Clan. They had survived for thousands of years. Why would they be annihilated so shortly after joining Konoha?
"Who? Who could possibly have the power to massacre the Uchiha Clan right inside Konoha?"
Hashirama subconsciously looked toward his younger brother.
Tobirama snapped back immediately, "Don't look at me! I didn't take any such action against the Uchiha!"
Even though he was always talking about the "cursed Uchiha," he knew they were incredible fighters—a fine, sharp blade for the village. A man like him would never discard such a weapon. He wasn't the type to cut off his own arm.
Even when someone like Setsuna Uchiha from the hawk faction tried to overthrow Konoha's leadership, Tobirama hadn't dealt a lethal blow; he had simply thrown him in prison for some self-reflection.
In truth, he was also quite curious. How could the Uchiha be wiped out entirely? When he died, the Uchiha were still immensely powerful.
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