"Yaaaaaah!"
"Yes! Yes! Finally, I'm free again!!!"
As the crimson chakra fully took shape, each of the Tailed Beasts formed their complete forms.
Shukaku's ecstatic shriek was the first to resound across the entire area.
"Shut up, you dumb tanuki! You're ruining my good mood!"
With a heavy thud, the Nine-Tails slammed down onto the ground and turned to shout furiously at Shukaku on the other side.
"What did you say, you damn fox?!" Shukaku flared up. "Fine! This place is big enough—watch how I beat your ass!"
"Alright, that's enough! Can't you see our jinchūriki are on the verge of collapse?!"
The Two-Tails, its body wreathed in blue fire, hurriedly stepped in front of Shukaku to hold it back.
On the other side, the Eight-Tails also warned the Nine-Tails to settle down.
Only then did the Tailed Beasts, who had just reemerged, finally turn their attention to the several unconscious figures lying on the ground—clearly in bad shape.
No matter what, after so many years of living together day and night, a bond had inevitably formed among them.
Well… all except for Chōmei, the Seven-Tails.
After all, its jinchūriki was just a White Zetsu without even a Philosopher's Stone.
"Hey, old man, what's wrong? You're not dying on me, are you?!"
Shukaku panicked as it looked at Bunpuku's shriveled, nearly lifeless body. Suddenly, it raised its head and roared at everyone around: "What the hell are you all waiting for? Help the old man already!"
Though it always acted like it scorned Bunpuku's ideals, in truth, it had long accepted this old monk who, in its heart, bore a striking resemblance to the Sage of Six Paths.
"Shut it. One more word and I'll beat you senseless."
Just then, Aramaki swaggered forward with an arrogant stride.
"You—who the hell are you?!"
Shukaku looked up at Aramaki's towering frame and the pitch-black Justice coat draped over him. A familiar figure suddenly surfaced in its mind, making its expression falter with uncertainty.
"I'm Lieutenant General Aramaki of the Army Headquarters. Remember that! Soon, I'll be General of the Army!"
Aramaki burst out laughing wildly, eyes gleaming with excitement for the future.
Only… he seemed to have forgotten something important.
"Army Headquarters Lieutenant General... just like that guy..."
Shukaku instantly realized this wasn't someone it could mess with, and its belligerent tone immediately toned down.
Meanwhile—
Aramaki paid no mind to the anxious and hopeful gazes fixed on him from all sides.
With both hands still in the pockets of his black trousers, he gently tapped his right foot on the ground.
Suddenly, from the soil beside Kushina Uzumaki, Bunpuku, Yahiko, and the others, sharp green vines burst forth.
In the next instant, those vines shot into the bodies of the jinchūriki.
The vines began writhing, as if injecting something inside.
The scene looked rather eerie and unsettling.
But then, as Kushina and the others' bodies began to glow with a verdant light—
On the sidelines, Minato, the Third Mizukage, Terumi Daichi, Konan, Nagato, and the rest watched in shock and delight as the people they cared for visibly began to recover, their conditions rapidly improving, and even their complexions becoming visibly rosier.
—Meanwhile—
Just as the Tailed Beasts were regaining their freedom in Roran, and the concept of the jinchūriki was being consigned to history—
Over in the Land of Fire, at Konohagakure—
Almost every villager and ninja left behind in the village…
Saw a pale green beam of light descend from the sky above the Hokage Rock.
This immediately put many shinobi on alert. One after another, they began leaping across rooftops and dashing toward the source over the Hokage Rock.
At that moment, Senju Tobirama stood in the midst of that descending green light, eyes closed, quietly basking in the changes occurring throughout his body.
Just last night, the Sage of Six Paths had appeared to him in a dream, instructing him to come here to welcome two individuals.
But now, it seemed there was more to it than that.
He himself had been granted a gift—
A second life!
As the green light gradually faded, Tobirama slowly opened his eyes, and in his field of vision appeared three familiar figures, along with the massive body of someone lying at his feet, sound asleep.
It was one of the sacrifices Orochimaru had used in the Impure World Reincarnation ritual—Raijin.
Still, compared to Raijin—
What mattered more to Senju Tobirama were the three figures now standing before him.
"Big Brother!"
Senju Tobirama stepped forward with a smile, greeting Senju Hashirama—who had also been restored to life.
As for the Uchiha Madara standing beside his brother, Tobirama didn't even spare him a glance.
Madara didn't care in the slightest. He was busy examining his new body, occasionally flexing his limbs.
"It's been a while," Hashirama said cheerfully. "I must say, this whole experience has been utterly bizarre—hahahahahaha!"
As he spoke, he began to laugh heartily, unable to hold it in as memories of everything he'd been through came flooding back.
Originally, he had planned to visit the World of Titans—or even the Starfish Homeworld itself.
But as soon as he stepped through the Dimensional Gate, his Impure World Reincarnation was dispelled in an instant, and his soul was cast into the Underworld of the Titan World!
After that strange detour, he somehow ended up back in the Shinobi World—this time, with a flesh-and-blood body!
Tobirama, however, paid no attention to his brother's laughter.
Instead, he respectfully turned to the third figure dressed in white and bowed slightly. "Hamura-sama, I never expected even you would descend!"
"Mmm. I came this time to rebuild the Shinobi Sect here in Konohagakure. I hope you'll stay and lend me your strength."
Hamura's tone was calm and gentle, and it was clear he held great regard for Senju Tobirama.
"But the World Government plans to turn Konoha into some sort of combined ninja academy…"
Tobirama's expression turned serious as he spoke.
"I'm aware," Hamura replied with a light chuckle, unconcerned. "When the time comes, I'll negotiate with them and propose relocating the school—perhaps to the capital of the Land of Fire. I doubt there'll be any major objections."
As for why the Shinobi Sect had to be established in Konoha—he didn't really have a solid reason.
It was simply that he liked the feel of this place.
"So… Big Brother and… that guy—are they joining the Shinobi Sect too?"
Tobirama glanced sideways at Madara, who was now talking with Hashirama.
Hamura shook his head. "No. The two of them are headed to Umigakure. They'll be participating in the World Government's interworld conquest campaigns."
"What?!"
Tobirama's heart skipped a beat.
Senju Tobirama was shocked at first, but then quickly realized it wasn't all that surprising.
After all, whether it was his elder brother or Uchiha Madara, both of them were battle maniacs by nature.
Faced with the powerful allure of fighting otherworldly beings, there was no way they'd agree to stay behind in the Shinobi World.
"Fine. But are you two really okay with being bound by all sorts of rules and regulations?"
"The World Government isn't something like Konoha—or even any single shinobi village. Even if all the villages combined, they still wouldn't come close in scale."
"That kind of massive system is bound to have an overwhelming number of rules. Whatever you do, you'll have to follow orders. I suggest you mentally prepare yourselves."
Tobirama patiently pointed out an issue they had definitely overlooked.
Ōtsutsuki Hamura nodded in agreement upon hearing those words.
But Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama merely exchanged a glance—then scoffed.
"Rules," Madara sneered, "are made for the weak. As long as we're strong enough, most of those so-called rules will just fade away on their own."
Back when they were in the Pure Land, the two of them had chatted with Roger many times about the World Government.
So they already had some grasp of the power level on the Starfish World's side.
Given the strength of both him and Hashirama—even if they weren't quite at the very top—they still wouldn't be far behind the military Generals.
That alone should be enough to earn them treatment far superior to the average person.
Naturally, the number of rules they'd have to abide by would also be far fewer.
And in that case, compared to the benefits that the Myriad Worlds could bring them, those remaining restrictions might be tolerable—maybe even worth adapting to.
"Alright, if that's your stance, I'll say no more."
Tobirama shook his head, then turned to Hashirama and said seriously, "Brother, when you get there, no matter what happens, stay calm. And don't be the first to charge onto the battlefield. You've already learned by now, haven't you? That there's always someone stronger out there."
In that moment, he didn't bother hiding the concern in his voice.
"Relax. I've lived two lifetimes by now—I know what I need to know. Besides, even if you're not by my side anymore, Madara is. Right, Madara? Hahaha!"
Hashirama gave Madara a hearty slap on the shoulder, laughing boisterously.
"Tch. Just don't drag me down," Madara scoffed, turning his head away with a huff.
But Tobirama didn't argue back. Instead, he simply nodded with a blank expression.
He really did loathe Uchiha Madara.
In fact, he hated every Uchiha except for Uchiha Kagami.
But at this moment, even he had to admit—there were many aspects of Madara that could compensate for his brother's shortcomings in both personality and strategy.
In a massive organization like the World Government, the two relying on each other was the right move.
Which is why Tobirama didn't want to provoke Madara any further, lest it affect their relationship moving forward.
In this lifetime, he had already lost far too many loved ones and clansmen.
Now, only his elder brother remained.
The last thing he wanted was to someday receive word that his brother had fallen in battle in some foreign world.
So at this point, all Tobirama could hope for was that Uchiha Madara would be able to support Senju Hashirama within the World Government.
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---