"What's this?"
Ayane found herself confronted with a scene that surpassed her comprehension.
She had witnessed numerous jutsus, but Orochimaru's current use of the "summoning jutsu" stood out, fundamentally different from the normal summoning methods. Because what Orochimaru summoned wasn't a living being but 'dead people.'
As the two figures emerged from the coffin, Ayane recognized them, the most popular names from her days as a Konoha ninja . However, in her understanding, these two had passed away at a very young age, leaving behind only ethereal legends.
The two bodies now exposed to the sun, showing cracked bodies like a cracked which was joined together.
They slowly opened their eyes, they moved with a slight stiffness that suggested an unfamiliarity with their revived state. Afterwards, their movement flexibility wasn't much different from that of a living person.
In their opened eyes, there was a strange dark erosion, a symbol of ominousness.
The man on the left, with long black hair, wore a black ninja outfit, paired with a red armor on the outside, and the Senju clan's insignia tattooed on his left shoulder. The wrists of the hands were also protected with red iron wristbands. His calm eyes surveyed the surroundings, seemingly oblivious to the situation. Wasn't he supposed to be dead already?
The familiar breath confirmed the undeniable existence in the world of the living.
On the right, a silver-haired man with red pupils and three red marks on his cheeks.Like the first man, he wore a black ninja outfit with blue layered armor outside.His cold and wise demeanor, sharp eyes, and ruthless expression differentiated him from the other. Unlike the man on the left, he immediately understood the situation.
"Is it the Edo Tensei... the jutsu was actually used on me, the creator..."
He had died in a battle in the Land of Lightning by those two who not only possessed chakra of the Nine Tails, but they could also transform to the Jinchuriki's cloaked state. They also had the ability to control the powerful artifact of the renowned Sage of Six Paths.
During the battle, in order to let his subordinates safely escape for Konoha's furure, he chose to attack them both without hesitation. But.during the battle, after killing Ginkaku, Kinkaku had also killed him. He had no idea how things developed afterwards.
Now, he had returned to this world of living, his spirit was in a trance for a moment. He turned his head back, there was no one behind him. Then he turned his head again and looked at the woman who was stood not far from him. Her white pupils were particularly eye-catching to his eyes.
"Byakugan... the Hyuga clan... sorry, young woman, I seem to have caused you some trouble..."
He didn't know who the Hyuga woman was battling with, but since someone had summoned them, it was very obvious what it meant.
The surrounding terrain had changed. Before they were summoned, there had been a fierce battle here. A large number of trees were fallen, with the ground ravaged. Even in his era, ninjas with such strength were rare.
Ayane remained silent, just observing the two resurrected figures.
Founders of Konoha... the First Hokage Senju Hashirama and the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama.. Both pinnacle of the ninja world during their time.
Now, reanimated and standing before her, Ayane felt a shadow in her heart... Orochimaru, what a troublesome ninja.
Compared to Jiraiya and Tsunade, he posed the most difficult challenge among the Sannin, with his disgusting forbidden jutsus.
Even ignoring his weak attacks, his body seemed nearly indestructible.
This forbidden jutsu of summoning the dead to fight... A jutsu that touches the delicate balance of life and death, no matter from which perspective, it wasn't an easy task.
"No matter what era you're in, you can't escape battles... Really Tobirama?, I've told you countless times to stop studying those strange forbidden jutsus. Now, even in death, you're causing problems for the younger generations in the village."
The black-haired man at his side, Senju Hashirama, the god of ninjas, also reacted, understanding his situation. He already already knew the summoning jutsu. He complained to his younger brother Tobirama.
"I didn't expect things would turn out this way. Moreover, I did it to give the village a way to deal with enemies. They were too young to deter the rest of the ninja villages."
If they fully utilized the ninjutsu in coordination with the explosive tags he left behind, they could deliver a decisive blow to their enemy.
Unlike his heartless brother, who freely offered the Tailed Beasts, Tobirama believed he work hard tirelessly for the village's development.
"Since you're dead, you shouldn't cause trouble for the living. Our era has come to an end."
"Brother, be silent!"
Tobirama's countenance turned ominously cold as he sternly rebuked his elder brother.
"Yes..."
Hashirama became dejected, which further fueled Tobirama's anger.
However, Ayane didn't entirely agree with Hashirama's approach within her heart. He should have prohibited Tobirama from studying these forbidden jutsus from the start. It seemed like his younger brother secretly conducted human experiments behind his back.
The Hokage's orders seemed useless.
"It's all because of your naive ideas I worked so hard. I warned you before that giving the rest of the ninja villages tailed beasts wouldn't earn their gratitude. Not long after your death, Kumogakure used the power of their two tailed beasts to declare war on Konoha, and I also died in that war," Tobirama snorted coldly.
"Is... is that so?" Hashirama touched his face in embarrassment, not knowing how to explain properly to Tobirama. "... i just wanted everyone to sit down and have a good talk..."
"Idiot."
Hashirama lowered his head and sighed.
Ayane glanced back and forth between the two. The First Hokage lacked the majesty, unexpectedly, while the Second Hokage represented a realistic faction, he was pragmatic
After some contemplation, Ayane realized she had more important things to do, and these two didn't seem eager to fight after they had been summoned. What the h*ll was Orochimaru up to?
So, Ayane steadied and jumped, ready to break through their defense line to continue her chase for Orochimaru and the other two.
'That snake is so disgusting, his needs to be skinned and cooked.'
Immediately she took action, the bodies of Hashirama and Tobirama immediately responded, they jumped blocking Ayane's path.
Tobirama's displeasure wasn't intentional, because his body followed the programmed responses to confront the enemy.
Once the enemy moved, their bodies would device corresponding strategies to counter. And the summoner wasn't even here, they were certainly insidious.
The three engaged in combat, with Hashirama's fist blocked by Ayane's palm. On the other side, a sharp water blade formed on Tobirama's hand, slashing towards Ayane's neck.
Seeing this, Ayane twisted her body, releasing chakra.
"Rotation!"
Thud.
The water blade burst.
Hashirama and Tobirama were thrown out instantly. They settled on the ground, carefully watching Ayane.
"So weak,"
Ayane commented after the short surprise. Even the basic jutsu put her on par with them, which significantly reduced her expectations towards them.
Having witnessed Uchiha Madara's formidable display, the full body Susano'o, with one swing which could could flatten mountains and split forests.
As for the god of ninjas on the same level, or even stronger, it seemed far too unreasonable for his attacks to be easily blocked using only rotation.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama, was no exception. Much like his elder brother, he was a renowned ninja in the warring states era. Even known as the fastest ninja in the ninja world.
Moreover, Tobirama was the developer of the various ninjutsu in Konoha. The Fourth Hokage Minato's annoying flying thunder god jutsu was also developed by him.
"Our strength isn't at its peak... While in that situation you were able to use the rotation freely. You're different from the Hyuga clansmen I've seen... It appears the current Konoha is thriving with an excellent ninja like you." Tobirama praised without hesitation.
The Hyuga Clan held strategic importance on the battlefield for Konoha with their distinctive eyes. Ayane, possessing the Byakugan, was naturally perceived as a Konoha ninja. Examining the situation closely, with such a skilled ninja in the Hyuga clan, Konoha seemed to be flourishing.
"Konoha... Flourishing?"
Ayane had an odd smile on her face. If this statement were made ten years ago, it would be accurate. However, today's Konoha had aged significantly.
Her sensei, Sakumo Hatake, committed suicide, the Fourth Hokage and his wife died in battle; Orochimaru, one of the Sannin defected, Tsunade was currently traveling around the world, and Jiraiya also left sadly due to the Nine Tails Jinchuriki. Now, the old Third Hokage was once again supporting Konoha, forming roots that couldn't be easily severed. It didn't resemble a flourishing development.
"What, is there a problem?" Tobirama asked with surpris..
"There is indeed a big problem, Second-sama."
After Ayane spoke, an icy air flickered in her pure white pupils, and she charged towards the two of them.
Hashirama's expression changed, he clasped his hands together.
"Wood Release - Nativity of a World of Trees!"
Countless trees surged from the ground, growing rapidly. These hideous trees swiftly maneuvered and entwined around Ayane's body.
Ayane charged straight ahead.
Cracking sounds echoed, and the trees touching Ayane were crushed, turning into sawdust that scattered in the air.
Amid Hashirama's astonished eyes, Ayane landed in front of him like a ghost, placed her palm on his forehead, and she slapped him lightly.
Hashirama's upper body disintegrated, turning into paper scraps with a decaying smell, which scattered all around.
"The body looks real yet not real. It feels like a body but not quite... This jutsu is really strange. But, with First-sama gone, you're the only one left, Second-sama."
To defeat Hashirama effortlessly, in Ayane's view, wasn't a challenging feat. The strength of these two was 'weak.' As Tobirama mentioned earlier, they were resurrected in such weak state, not at their prime.
Bringing the dead back to life must have some restrictions, otherwise, the jutsu would be far too terrifying.
"What do you mean by 'big problem'...?"
Tobirama didn't care about Hashirama's death, his elder brother wasn't alive after all. All he cared about was Ayane's remark, 'a big problem.' Did he make a mistake in his judgement?
"I left Konoha eight years ago, so you should understand. Currently, i'm not a Konoha ninja." Ayane smiled faintly.
"What!?"
Tobirama's eyes widened. Indeed, he understood her statement. A rogue ninja. However, the defection of a ninja from Hyuga Clan seemed inconceivable to him.
"Are you from the main house?"
"No, I'm from the branch."
How could a member of the branch house with the caged bird seal defect from the village?
"Don't speak nonsense, young woman. How could a ninja from the branch house defect? Or... Did you release the caged bird seal?"
The voice came from behind.
Ayane turned her head, witnessing countless confetti gathering together. The body of the First Hokage was recovering in a strange manner.
"You're not dead yet?"
"The problem with the jutsu is that the resurrected person has an immortal body and infinite chakra... they can only be dealt with using sealing jutsus and Yin-Yang release. That was why I forbade the study of this jutsu at the start. It's too evil. If misused, it would bring great trouble to the living," Hashirama kindly explained to Ayane.
"Oh, is that so?.. thank you for your answer."
"No, it's nothing. Speaking of which, we are the ones who have caused you trouble. However, you haven't answered my question yet." Hashirama stared at Ayane.
"Indeed, I am a ninja of the branch house, but I released the caged bird seal."
"That is... really impressive. Even Mito thought it was impossible to release the caged bird seal. The seal is closely connected to the brain. Mito mentioned it can only be lifted by triggering the 'death' condition."
Hashirama expressed admiration. While Tobirama felt tired for his stupid brother who failed to understand the gravity of the situation.
Someone from the Hyuga branch family defected with the caged bird seal released.... That Freedom will probably be like an addictive poison to those from the branch and it would surely cause division within the Hyuga clan.
The Hyuga clan was an indispensable force for Konoha. With this development, Konoha's situation appears to be dangerous.
"You two, it's time to end our talk. I still have business to attend to."
Allowing Orochimaru to escape would further complicate matters.
"However, if you don't defeat us, you won't be able to find the summoner at all," Hashirama stated seriously.
Though they weren't at their peak, the strength of the two of them was enough to stop her indefinitely. Thanks to their immortality and infinite chakra, unless they were sealed.
Ayane remained silent, looked up and scanning her surroundings.
Hashirama followed her line of sight, observing numerous people amidst the densely packed trees. About dozens of people. None exhibited strong chakra fluctuations.
A red-haired man with a golden chakra chain extended from his back moved through the air coming closer, which made Hashirama want to dodge subconsciously.
However, Ayane reached Hashirama first, swiftly cutting a large hole in his chest.
Hashirama lost mobility for that short moment. The golden chain touched his body, continuously absorbing and suppressing his chakra, rendering him immobile even after recovering from the cut.
"This is the same adamantine sealing chains as Mito... Aren't you a ninja from the Uzumaki clan? Why..."
Hashirama looked at the golden chains wrapping around his body with doubts in his eyes. Why would the Uzumaki clan get involved with the Hyuga clan? As far as he knew, there was no close relationship between the two clans.
And the woman wasn't even currently a ninja from the Hyuga clan, she was rogue ninja from the branch house, How could the Uzumaki clan, who had always trusted Konoha, align with Konoha's traitors? What exactly had happened in the ninja world now?
Hashirama suddenly felt that the times were developing too rapidly, and it was no longer the era he once knew.
"Not only that, but the rest are ninjas of the Hyuga... and Uchiha."
Tobirama wasn't restrained, using his perception, he dodged the attack. He turned his head, scanning the surrounding crowd, and keenly noticed another ninja from the Hyuga clan.
In the crowd, there was also a ninja from the Uchiha clan with the three-tomoe Sharingan activated.
This mixed force made Tobirama feel increasingly uneasy. What happened to Konoha after he died?
The Uchiha clan aside, why does even the Uzumaki clan with a close relationship with Konoha associate with a traitor from the Hyuga branch and seem to respect her?
This situation completely shattered Tobirama's understanding.
Ayane wasn't interested in answering Tobirama's doubts, she still wanted to pursue Orochimaru.
"Leave 20 people, remember to use the sealing jutsu on them. The rest will follow me."
Although Hashirama mentioned that, besides the sealing jutsu, Yin-yang release could also deal with the forbidden jutsu.
Unfortunately, Yin-yang release was a legendary secret, and even Shiraishi failed to understand such secret. Even shiraishi's created clones were a combination of pure Yin release and Yang release, blended with natural energy, adding his own soul fragments. It fundamentally differed from Yin-yang release.
"Yes!"
Ayane's figure disappeared from the spot, and half of the surrounding crowd also left, following Ayane to pursue the three enemies.
The moment Ayane left, Tobirama's body moved again, attempting to stop Ayane. His body had received such an order, and it couldn't decide independently.
As he made some moves, the ninjas surrounding them showed no signs of cowardice.
"Fire Release - Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The Uchiha were the first to use Fire release to attack.
Tobirama deliberately avoided the Sharingan. His state isn't favorable for dealing with the Sharingan. If he fell under the genjutsu of the Sharingan, things would get troublesome.
Hashirama was blocked and restrained by the Adamantine sealing chiand of the Uzumaki clan, preventing him from fighting. He could only rely on himself to overcome the difficulties.
Instantly performing eeals with both hands, a stream of water was released instantly to extinguish the fireball. The power of the water flow which had extinguished the fireball remained undiminished and spread to the surroundings.
Immediately after, he gathered chakra in his mouth, spat lightly, and a large number of water needles flew out, causing the ninjas trying to attack him to panic.
The attack ninjutsu he displayed didn't cause any significant damage, and Tobirama roughly knew the strength of these ninjas. Dealing with them alone would be too challenging for him.
Over the other side, a ninja from the Uzumaki clan retrieved a piece of tag from their ninja bag, approached Hashirama, pressing it onto his chest.
Hashirama felt a powerful binding force, suppressing the chakra in his body and firmly immobilizing him.
This tag contained a powerful seal.
Observing the effectiveness of the seal, the Uzumaki ninjas removed the golden chains from Hashirama and turned their attention to the battlefield where Tobirama was struggling.
Under the relentless siege of the ninjas, Tobirama was merely managing to cope. His strength was significantly restricted, and many secret jutsus were rendered unusable.
Seeing this, the Uzumaki ninjas skillfully manipulated the golden chain, attacking Tobirama to prevent any unforeseen events.
In the field, Tobirama was the only one with weird jutsus, which was why Ayane chose to keep him here.
"As an ally of Konoha, why would you assist a ninja who defected from Konoha?"
Ayane, having released the caged bird seal, led some of the branch ninjas in a collective defection. From Tobirama's perspective, it seemed like an anticipated move.
The inclusion of the Uchiha clan suggested that the situation was even more serious than he imagined. But why was the Uzumaki clan involved? This was something Tobirama couldn't understand.
"It seems that Hokage-sama still doesn't understand the truth of the situation. The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed after your death."
As the Uzumaki clan ninjas attacked Tobirama, they explained the situation, attempting to disturb his mind.
"How is that possible?" Tobirama exclaimed in disbelief.
The Land of Whirlpools, being a neighboring country of the Land of Fire, could receive support from Konoha in less than half a day. Even if they faced a catastrophe, Konoha would have sufficient time to assist the Uzumaki clan.
Hashirama, wide-eyed, had his thoughts in chaos. He had always been grateful to the Uzumaki clan. While his Wood Release could suppress the Tailed Beasts, the sealing jutsus for the Jinchuriki were adopted from the Uzumaki Clan.
Additionally, most of Konoha's sealing jutsus were taught by the Uzumaki clan. In gratitude, he insisted on engraving the Uzumaki Clan's insignia on Konoha's ninja uniform, representing the never-fading alliance between Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan.
But the Land of Whirlpools, where the Uzumaki clan was situated, had been destroyed, it left Hashirama bewildered.
"That's how it happened. The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, and the surviving Uzumaki wandered in the world for years, hiding themselves in its dark corners like mice... It was the Uchiha clan who rescued us."
Observing Tobirama's suddenly complicated expression, the Uzumaki ninjas were also deeply moved. Konoha, however, was no longer the Konoha of the past.
"The current Konoha... who's in charge?" Tobirama gritted his teeth and asked.
"Your good student Sarutobi Hiruzen. Under his leadership, Konoha has experienced the second and third ninja world sars in a row for nearly 30 years, resulting in heavy casualties... their current situation isn't good."
Continuing to disturb Tobirama's mind, the Uzumaki ninjas sought to expose any weaknesses.
Suddenly, an unknown fire lit in Hashirama's heart. But he sighed.
"Alas... war..."
The second and third ninja world Wars had taken place. That meant, after his death, the first ninja world war occurred, and Tobirama likely died in that war.
Judging from the information provided by the Uzumaki, it had been decades since his death, and three large-scale ninja wars have broken out.He felt the illusion of returning to the warring states era.
"Hmmm?"
Suddenly, Hashirama noticed something; he lowered his head and observed his body as a white light emerged, enveloping him.
"This feeling... Has the jutsu user cancelled the summoning..."
There was a sense of relief. While it was reassuring to learn that Konoha hadn't been eradicated from the great era, Hashirama couldn't help but worry about the current state of the ninja world. However, this concern was swiftly erased from his heart.
He was already a dead person. The world of the living should be dominated by those still alive. He had already done his mission, letting go of any regrets or remorse decades ago. He wasn't supposed to harbor any nostalgia for the world of the living.
Tobirama also examined his glowing body at this moment.
"Hmph, it seems that the user didn't fully understand the jutsu. Was he treating us and that young woman as test subjects for the forbidden jutsu? What a disgusting feeling."
Unlike Hashirama, Tobirama knew that it wasn't that the user had voluntarily canceled the Edo Tensei, but rather that the jutsu itself was inherently imperfect.
Forbidden jutsus were not easily mastered, especially those that tread in the boundary between life and death. The user had only completed the most basic part initially, and there was still a long way to go before achieving the finished product.
But... Tobirana glanced at the crowd around him, and his eyes flickered. Konoha's situation left him somewhat anxious. Should he return?
As the developer of the jutsu, Tobirama knew all the secrets of the jutsu. He had even made preparations for a situation like today. The purpose was to avoid becoming a puppet in the hands of others as the developer. Releasing himself from the jutsu was easy for him.
He just had to release the jutsu and then using the spiritualization jutsu to ensure immunity from being summoned by the world of the dead. Just as the idea crossed his mind, a voice reached his ears.
"Tobirama, don't take unnecessary actions."
Tobirama turned to look, and his elder brother who was staring at him with a terrifying look, which seemed to imply a warning.
"Brother..."
"We are dead people, don't cause trouble for people living in this world. We did everything we were capable of doing during our time. Even if the village is destroyed, it only shows their shortcomings, it can't be blamed on others."
"But…"
"Tobirama, why don't you listen to me?"
Hashirama continued to stare at him with that cold gaze, which made Tobirama tremble subconsciously. He knew Hashirama was angry.
"I understand, brother. Don't suddenly make such a frightening expression, it might scare people to death..."
Tobirama sighed, put down his raised hands, watching as the confetti flew away from his body, ultimately doing nothing.
The ethereal light and shadow of the spirit separated from the confetti-covered body. Toikama, with complicated eyes, gazed at this strange yet familiar place, soared into the sky, vanishing into green smoke.
"Sorry to trouble you. I apologize to that young woman on our behalf... Konoha..."
The spirit of Hashirams flew into the air as he sighed faintly. All they could do was hope that the living could manage on their own.
As the dead, they had already fulfilled the promise made at the time. If the future generations couldn't live up to their expectations, even if they helped them overcome the difficulties this time, they would perish due to other things in the future.
For those already dead, silent blessings were all they could offer. This world wasn't where they belonged, after all.
As Hashirama's spirit flew, it also turned into a green smoke, disappearing.
After the confetti scattered, two strange corpses lay on the ground, leaving the ninjas bewildered.
The ninjutsu was extremely weird. However, it was apparent that this forbidden jutsu also had significant limitations.
"A Sannin really shouldn't be underestimated... Leave two people to deal with the corpse, the rest will assist Ayane-sama in surrounding and suppressing Orochimaru. By the way, how is the barrier holding up?" An Uzumaki ninja asked.
"It's already been arranged. Next, we just need to catch the turtle in the urn. The three of them can't escape."
Ayane was responsible for the bait, and they were responsible for setting and pulling the fishing net.
But Orochimaru had somehow noticed this, so he took the other two, running away without hesitation, not daring to stay. What a sinister and cunning snake.
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