"Spiritual power… I didn't expect the Shinobi World to have turned into such a state."
"For the dead to continue existing—what a terrifying thing."
"Hahahaha! Wonderful! I knew my life wasn't over yet! I will definitely become a Shinigami!"
On an island off the coast of Kirigakure, countless spectral figures were gathering, their voices buzzing with noisy excitement.
Their forms were faint and ghostly—pure soul bodies—but their clothing revealed their origins from different eras.
Some wore the battle armor of the Warring States Period; others were dressed in samurai armor; still others donned the elegant robes of noble clans.
Without exception, all of them were figures whose names had gone down in the history of the Shinobi World.
And now, after endless ages, with the breaking of the Pure Land, their consciousnesses had reawakened.
Confused and aimless at first, they wandered through the Shinobi World, until some unseen force guided them here—where they learned of the existence of "Shinigami."
Thus began their second life.
"I don't care who you were when you were alive—but if you wish to become a Shinigami, there are three steps you must take."
Facing the noisy crowd before her, Ringo Ameyuri spoke sternly, "Awaken your Spiritual power. Test your spiritual pressure level. Then you'll be assigned to your academy. After graduation, you may choose freely—join the Gotei 13, or act independently."
"Assessing talent, assigning schools"—to the gathered souls, these words sounded almost like a joke.
In life, every one of them had been a mighty figure who had shaken the world.
And now, they were being told to enroll in school again? To take entrance tests?
It was almost absurd.
Yet not a single soul voiced an objection.
On the contrary—they were filled with excitement, eager to see the results of their Spiritual power tests.
"Never thought I'd return to the Shinobi World in a way like this."
In one corner among the many souls, several figures gathered together.
At their head stood a man wearing an iron Konoha forehead protector, clad in red-layered armor. His expression was complicated.
"For someone like me, who's already dead… I shouldn't be interfering with the affairs of the living.
Let alone through something like resurrection…"
"You're still the same as ever, First Hokage, Senju Hashirama."
A sudden, gravelly voice interrupted him.
An elderly man with long white hair and beard approached, his left eye blind, a long scar running across his face.
Though aged, his presence commanded the utmost respect from any shinobi of Kirigakure—
It was none other than the First Mizukage, Byakuren!
"This isn't a matter of us interfering with the living, Hashirama," Byakuren said gravely.
"It's that the world of the living now needs our power. The Fourth has already explained the current situation to you, hasn't he?
At this rate, against enemies of that level, the current Shinobi World has almost no chance of victory."
"I don't know what you intend to do," he continued, "but I, for one, cannot stand by and watch the village I built be destroyed by those monsters."
"Byakuren…"
Hashirama furrowed his brow deeply, at a loss for words.
According to his own principles, once one had died, one should entrust everything to the future generations.
For the dead to meddle with the living world was a grave mistake.
But the problem was—the existence of the Ōtsutsuki was like a sword of Damocles, hanging over the Shinobi World.
The descent of a single Ōtsutsuki would mean utter devastation for the world of shinobi—for Konoha itself.
And when that happens… what future, what descendants would remain?
"Big Brother, Byakuren is right — we must return to this world again!"
The white-haired Senju Tobirama spoke coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"I've already looked into Konoha's situation over the past few decades. If it doesn't receive proper guidance soon, even without the threat of the Ōtsutsuki, Konoha's future looks… grim."
"What!?"
Senju Hashirama stared at him in shock.
"Konoha's situation… has become that bad? But the last time—didn't Konoha still…"
"Hiruzen and Danzō both made a series of disastrous decisions," Tobirama sighed softly.
"Under their control, Konoha strayed from the right path.
If not for Yuki Yoru's intervention, Konoha might not even exist in the Shinobi World today."
"What? Tobirama, is that true!?"
Hashirama turned sharply toward him, eyes wide.
"Konoha… in danger of collapse!?"
"It's my own fault for misjudging people, Brother."
Tobirama exhaled heavily.
He had once entrusted the Hokage's seat to Sarutobi Hiruzen, never expecting that the man would nearly become the executioner who brought Konoha to ruin.
And Danzō…
"Also, according to the latest reports," Tobirama continued quietly, "there are people in the village pushing for Tsunade to return and serve as the Seventh Hokage.
You know her temperament better than anyone."
At that, Hashirama's expression froze.
After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh.
"…I understand. If this is all for the sake of the village and its future—then I am willing to accept becoming a Shinigami."
Hearing those words, Tobirama finally relaxed.
With both him and Hashirama restored as Shinigami, Konoha would once again rise to the top-tier of the great villages.
And if they could find one or two outstanding young talents, the future of Konoha would surely flourish.
Even if it couldn't yet rival Kirigakure, it would definitely surpass the other three great villages.
"A wise decision," Byakuren said with a faint smile. "Though, given your strength, perhaps it's best if you seek out the Fourth personally."
No one could truly gauge how much power Senju Hashirama, once revered as the God of Shinobi, would wield once transformed into a Shinigami.
After all, Ringo Ameyuri only assisted in awakening and measuring spiritual pressure — a far cry from the might of Yuki Yoru, the very master of souls himself.
"Then, First Mizukage, I'll have to entrust this matter to you."
"To witness the God of Shinobi become a Shinigami… isn't that, in itself, quite the extraordinary honor?"
Byakuren departed silently.
Not long after, a figure draped in the Mizukage's divine robe appeared beside White Zetsu.
All eyes turned toward Yuki Yoru — the strongest being in the current Shinobi World.
The gathered predecessors watched intently, eager to see what kind of person this peerless existence truly was.
Many of those present even took the initiative to speak with Yuki Yoru, asking him all sorts of questions about Spiritual power.
Yoru didn't put on any airs. Instead, he patiently explained the nature of spiritual power and what changes occurred before and after becoming a Shinigami. In just a short while, the strongest existence in the Shinobi World had gained a large group of devoted admirers.
Then, his gaze settled on Senju Hashirama.
"So this is our first true meeting, isn't it, Lord First Hokage, Senju Hashirama?"
"Yuki Yoru, is it?" Hashirama said quietly. "I've heard quite a bit about you — about Madara, and about Konoha as well… Fourth Mizukage, there's something I wish to ask you."
"Go ahead," Yoru replied calmly.
"What do you think… true peace really is?"
"Oh?"
Yoru blinked, a little surprised that such a question came from him.
"I've always believed that true peace exists," Hashirama continued, "and I've devoted my entire life to seeking it. I even founded Konoha together with Madara for that very dream."
"To be honest, I was truly happy — seeing the villagers smiling, my clansmen living in stability, the dream of peace becoming real, everyone living in harmony… it filled me with joy. And so I made a secret vow: no matter who it was — friend, brother, even my own child — if they dared to threaten the village, I would never forgive them."
"I wanted everyone, and Konoha itself, to continue living happily like that forever."
"But now… the village stands, and yet conflict continues. Internal power struggles for the Hokage's seat, wars breaking out across the Shinobi World, even to this very day…"
As Hashirama spoke, he slowly lifted his hand, as if reaching for something.
A single leaf drifted down, landing in his palm.
He stared at the small notch in the leaf and then looked back up at Yoru.
"Fourth Mizukage, you've had many interactions with Uchiha Madara, haven't you? I don't know where he is now… but tell me—was I wrong?"
"…The self-reflection of the God of Shinobi, huh?"
In contrast to Hashirama's heavy tone, Yuki Yoru appeared remarkably calm — even making a dry joke.
He looked at Hashirama for a moment, then at the other gathered souls, before shaking his head slowly.
"Your ideals are beautiful. But the limits of your era, and of your understanding, have made everything you did… tragically laughable."
"You were wrong, Senju Hashirama."
Hashirama's body trembled violently, nearly losing his balance.
Beside him, Senju Tobirama glared sharply at Yoru, his expression dark with anger.
But Yoru didn't care.
"Your vision was noble — to use balance of power to restrain war, to preserve peace with the least possible bloodshed. But tell me—do you truly think such a thing is possible?"
"The world's resources are finite, but human desire is infinite.
Unequal distribution of those resources will always ignite conflict.
That, Hashirama, is the inescapable flaw of humankind itself."
"True, with your peerless power, you could intimidate the world—force it into restraint while you yet lived, preserving the Shinobi World and bringing about peace through your presence alone. But once that restraining force disappears… what do you think will happen to the world then?"
"To block is never as effective as to guide. If you truly wish for peace, the worst method is to suppress war.
Senju Hashirama, you were gravely mistaken."
Yuki Yoru spoke fluidly, his voice calm but cutting, leaving everyone around him momentarily dazed. Even the seasoned First Mizukage, Byakuren, could barely contain his excitement.
This was Senju Hashirama—the God of Shinobi, the man who once dominated an entire era!
And now he was being criticized—even corrected—by Yuki Yoru before their very eyes. To witness such a thing was nothing short of a miracle.
But the more they thought about it, the more sense it made.
Hashirama might have been the God of Shinobi in his age, but Yuki Yoru… was a being whose strength now rivaled that of the Sage of Six Paths himself.
"Is that so…"
Hashirama's figure wavered slightly.
The idealistic dream he had cherished for so long was being stripped bare by Yoru's words—its hollow core fully exposed.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized… even Madara's vision might have been more realistic than his own.
If the Shinobi World had followed Madara's path from the beginning instead of his… would things have turned out differently?
Hashirama didn't know.
"There's no need to look so defeated, Senju Hashirama," Yoru said evenly.
"In my view, while you were wrong, in your era, you weren't truly mistaken. Your policies gave Konoha—and the entire Shinobi World—decades of stability. The peace born from mutual restraint and balance of power was, for that time, the right approach."
"Every era has its own nature. Just like me now—I've no idea how people will judge me thousands of years from now.
By then, I won't even know where I'll be. So rather than waste time worrying about such distant things, it's better to simply do what must be done now."
"Do what must be done now…" Hashirama took a deep breath, then nodded heavily to Yuki Yoru.
"I understand. Truly worthy of being called the Mizukage whose power rivals the Sage of Six Paths."
"I wish to become a Shinigami," Hashirama continued solemnly. "Before those so-called Ōtsutsuki arrive, I want to give everything I have left to protect this world. Until then, I'll obey your command, Lord Mizukage."
"No need to be so formal," Yoru replied softly. "Rather than take orders from me, what you should do after becoming a Shinigami… is sit down and have a good talk with your granddaughter.
A little 'Hokage family discussion' between grandfather and granddaughter—how does that sound?"
"…Thank you."
"No need for thanks."
One by one, the gathered souls began undergoing spiritual power assessments, including the former Kage themselves.
Unsurprisingly, these paragons of their eras displayed extraordinarily high spiritual pressure—each Kage-level soul possessed power fit to serve as a Division Captain.
And when Senju Hashirama's spiritual pressure erupted, it was unmatched—boundless, overwhelming.
Even though this was only his first measurement, it was already comparable to a Bankai-level captain's might.
That—was the true charisma of the God of Shinobi!
One by one, the souls of the old generation awakened their Spiritual power. Without exception, all chose to attend the academy's spiritual arts classes, formally beginning their training anew.
Whether they would one day join the Gotei 13 hardly mattered.
What truly mattered was that, from this very moment onward—
Yuki Yoru's power would begin to surge dramatically.
The feedback of all that awakened Spiritual power would make the one already standing at the summit… grow even stronger—
until he shattered the limits of the peak itself!