Chapter 279: Resurrection, Mobilization
Senju Hashirama was pulled by Tsunade into another ward. Inside were two hospital beds, each occupied by a young man in his twenties.
On the left lay one with long black hair, while the other had short blond hair.
As soon as Hashirama entered, he noticed how weak their breathing was. Their condition was clearly critical, injuries so severe they were on the verge of death.
"Who are they?"
"One is the current head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku. The other is Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage's aide."
"They were both gravely injured while fighting Madara… My medical ninjutsu couldn't heal their wounds."
Tsunade lowered her head, ashamed.
She knew full well what her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, was capable of.
Beyond his famed Wood Release Bloodline Limit, Hashirama was also a top-tier medical ninja. His medical ninjutsu, whether in his own era or now, was among the very best in the entire ninja world.
After hearing Tsunade's explanation, Hashirama said nothing. His face grew serious as he stepped forward to examine Uchiha Fugaku and Namikaze Minato's injuries.
When he was done, his expression had become even graver.
"These aren't ordinary wounds…"
Even Hashirama himself had never seen injuries like these.
"Were these really caused by Madara?" he muttered to himself.
"So they say," Tsunade replied.
Seeing her grandfather hesitate, she asked, "With your medical ninjutsu… does that mean even you can't save them?"
Hashirama stroked his chin in thought, then smiled. "You'll never know unless you try."
With that, he began treating Uchiha Fugaku first.
Tsunade, watching closely, couldn't help thinking: So Grandfather truly does favor the Uchiha clan. Even though both men are equally wounded, his instinct was to begin with the clan head, Fugaku…
Just then, Hashirama frowned.
Noticing this, Tsunade quickly reminded him, "I already tried healing them with Katsuyu from Shikkotsu Forest, but it didn't work. My Creation Rebirth also had no effect on these wounds…"
"Mm, that's to be expected. These injuries weren't caused by ordinary ninjutsu."
Hashirama nodded.
"Not ordinary ninjutsu?" Tsunade was taken aback. "I know that much—but they clearly aren't the result of some common Bloodline Limit either."
As the foremost medical ninja of the current era, second only to her grandfather, Tsunade had treated countless injuries in her life. She had seen every sort of wound imaginable, which was why she could speak with such certainty.
Hashirama nodded again.
"This isn't normal ninjutsu, nor the power of a Bloodline Limit. This is Yin–Yang Release."
"So Madara wasn't lying after all… He really has obtained the Sage of Six Paths' power."
Hearing her grandfather's words, Tsunade's face grew solemn. "If even you can't save them, then there may be no one in this world who can."
"Don't be so pessimistic, Tsunade. Life is always filled with unexpected hope—you must believe that."
Hashirama smiled, resting a hand on her shoulder, before raising his palm and channeling chakra into Fugaku and Minato.
This chakra was unusual.
It was red.
And it radiated with the breath of nature itself.
A vigorous, overflowing vitality emanated from the two masses of chakra.
Tsunade's eyes widened in astonishment.
She recalled the rumors—that the Wood Release Bloodline Limit could convert chakra directly into an endless, powerful life force.
That very vitality was what allowed Hashirama to wield the boundless powers of Wood Release.
Hashirama smiled as he explained, "Though I can't heal their wounds, my Sage Chakra can keep their lives from fading away."
Tsunade snapped out of her daze and looked at Fugaku and Minato. "But even so, they won't wake up. The moment your chakra support is gone, they'll still die."
"Someone will come to save them," Hashirama said with a mysterious smile.
His secretive tone left Tsunade puzzled. But since it was her grandfather, she didn't press further. She simply chose to believe.
Meanwhile, every move the grandfather and granddaughter made within Konoha Hospital was being watched clearly by Ōtsutsuki Isshiki through his Tenseigan.
He had already been wary of Senju Hashirama, whose vast chakra eclipsed all other shinobi, as this sudden power in Konoha might jeopardize his plans.
But when he saw that even Hashirama couldn't heal wounds caused by Yin–Yang Release, Isshiki smirked in disdain.
"So that's all he amounts to."
Losing interest in Hashirama, Isshiki shifted his focus toward tracking down Uchiha Madara.
But then—his pupils contracted sharply.
The next instant, an expression of excitement spread across his face.
"This chakra… the Ten-Tails?"
At this very moment, Isshiki sensed a chakra presence so immense it surpassed every being in the shinobi world.
Neither Hashirama in Konoha, nor Madara before, nor any of the Tailed Beasts from One through Nine possessed chakra on this level.
This chakra felt like all Nine Beasts combined—and magnified at least tenfold.
Such power could only belong to one being—the Ten-Tails!
"Heh… So Madara really pulled it off. As expected of the one I favored. But it seems you've ignored me, haven't you? Planning to hog the Ten-Tails' power all to yourself?"
Confirming that Madara had resurrected the Ten-Tails once sealed by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Isshiki could no longer remain idle.
Without hesitation, he abandoned the moon and descended toward the shinobi world.
At that very same time, in a hidden underground chamber, Uchiha Madara had just finished sealing all Nine Tailed Beasts, successfully reviving the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as the Ten-Tails.
As he looked upon the beast before him, its body swelling larger and larger, radiating terrifying waves of chakra, Madara's face could barely contain his excitement.
"So it's about to grow into the Divine Tree, is it? Hah… too soon for that! I still haven't reclaimed my Rinnegan!"
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslations. Thank you for your support!)