With the necessary matters handled and arrangements made, Hibari inquired about the recent situation, gaining a rough understanding of the current state of affairs.
"So, Hokage-sama, you're preparing to head to the front lines?" Hibari asked softly.
"Yes, the combat forces at the front have been arranged, Kumogakure has also increased its military strength, and your 'mission' here was also executed very well. The Land of Water's fleet has already set sail; they're about to go to war with the Land of Earth. So the time is ripe. As Hokage, once war begins, I naturally must go to the front to oversee and command!" Tobirama nodded, stating this.
Then, he looked at Hibari and the others, smiling as he said, "What about you all? Any thoughts?"
Hibari's eyebrows raised at this, and he said with a smile, "We're planning to rest a bit. After all, two consecutive high-intensity missions... our bodies can handle it, but our minds can't..."
At this point, Hibari's expression turned slightly somber, and he continued, "Moreover, we lost two subordinates this time. We need to arrange their funerals."
Hearing Hibari's words, Tobirama nodded and said, "As for the compensation, we will allocate it as quickly as possible..."
"Yes, this is also the fate of a shinobi. We've long been prepared for it," Hibari said, forcing a smile.
"Since you need to rest, take a vacation for now. When I need you on the field, I'll give you orders. Alright, you're dismissed. Hurry back and see. Tsuna talks about her 'Hibari-nii' every day, and your Mito-obaa misses you dearly. Oh, right, go see Nawaki too; you haven't met him yet, have you?" Tobirama said with a smile.
"I was just about to take my leave. Alright, if there are no other arrangements, we'll go on vacation then," Hibari said with a chuckle.
Afterward, the three of them handed Reigetsu over to Harano, then swiftly departed the Hokage's office. They didn't say any unnecessary words, each eager to get home, rest, and report their safe return. Thus, they quickly dispersed and headed home.
The moment Hibari stepped into the main residence of the Senju clan, he saw little Tsunade waiting for him, as if she had received news of his return. Upon seeing him, the little girl's face lit up with joy. She scampered forward, her feet pattering quickly, and in a flash, she darted to Hibari and launched herself into a sudden hug.
Hibari smiled and opened his arms. The next second, little Tsunade crashed directly into his embrace, her force making Hibari stumble back two steps.
"Oh my goodness, my Tsunade-hime, have you gained some weight in the month we haven't seen each other?" Hibari asked with a chuckle, holding little Tsunade.
Tsunade, upon hearing Hibari's words, replied shyly, "Whenever I miss Hibari-nii, I go eat some snacks. Maybe I did gain a little... But only a tiny bit!!!"
"Hahahaha, you're truly a clever little imp..." Hibari said, walking into the inner courtyard of the Senju clan's main residence while holding little Tsunade.
"Hibari-nii, where have you been for the past month?" Tsunade asked curiously, hugging Hibari's neck.
"Isn't there going to be a war? Your Hibari-nii had a difficult mission and went into the Land of Hot Water to fight a great battle with those bastards from Kumogakure who wanted to invade us..." Hibari said with a chuckle, not mentioning anything about the Land of Water.
Such was the life of a shinobi. Even if they achieved monumental feats, they sometimes gained nothing. This was true for Hibari, and it was true for the members of his Anbu squad. Throughout Konohagakure, there were countless such unsung heroes.
"Did you win?" Tsunade quickly asked.
"Of course! I'm the invincible Hibari Senju, hahahaha! Come on, let's go see Mito-baasan and little Nawaki. Tsunade, you haven't been bullying your little brother, have you?" Hibari said, laughing loudly, then carried little Tsunade to Mito Uzumaki.
The next morning, Hibari woke up promptly, stretched, feeling much better. All the fatigue from the past month quickly dissipated. This was due to several reasons: first, Hibari naturally possessed strong physical capabilities; second, he had finally gotten a good night's sleep.
After getting up and tidying his bed, he casually ate some pastries that had been prepared in his room. Hibari then eagerly left his small room and headed toward the research lab his grandfather had given him.
When he returned yesterday, Hibari had gone to see his never-before-met younger brother, Nawaki.
There wasn't much to say; the little guy was 'strong.' While not as gifted as Hibari himself was in his youth, he still had Senju clan blood flowing through him.
However, at less than two months old, he was still an infant who understood nothing. Hibari played with him for a while, and then the baby became sleepy. So, Hibari didn't disturb the little one further. Afterward, he chatted with Mito about many things, and only returned to rest after dinner.
His urgent visit to the research lab this morning was because Hibari was brimming with curiosity. His trip to the Land of Water wasn't in vain; the Kaguya clan corpses might be his biggest gain!
Opening the barrier and door of the research lab, he stepped inside to find a thick layer of dust covering many surfaces. It seemed his grandfather hadn't set foot in here once since he left the village.
But then again, it made sense; this lab had been given to Hibari, and as Hokage, Tobirama was incredibly busy. Where would he find the time to wander around here?
Quickly, Hibari first tidied the room, clearing away all the dust. Then, he took out his prepared large scroll, unsealed it, and a small puff of smoke instantly burst forth from the ground. When the smoke cleared, several Kaguya clan corpses appeared on the floor.
Each corpse was tightly wrapped in a shroud, a piece of black technology that effectively preserved bodies. Hibari slowly unwrapped a shroud. The Kaguya clan head's corpse was still as 'fresh' as it was when sealed, its bloodstains not even dry.
He moved the corpse onto the operating table. Then, Hibari once again pressed his palm onto the corpse. As expected, a restless sensation instantly spread throughout Hibari's body, even making his bones itch...
"Hiss... What a strange feeling," Hibari whispered softly.
He then quickly examined the corpse, finding no other particularly special areas. At the same time, he was also somewhat confused. The corpse was brought back, and there was an unusual reaction, but the problem was, where should he start? How to take the first step? He couldn't just take out all of its bones, then take out his own, and then swap them, right?
That would be too much trouble, not to mention whether it would be disgusting. He couldn't complete bone-replacement surgery of this magnitude by himself. Could it be that he had to get that kid Hiyoko involved too?
But if he got Hiyoko involved, he'd definitely complain to him, considering he'd just been killed by a hydrogen bomb once. Hibari had also truly experienced that 'exhilarating' feeling mentally.
"First, let's cut it open and look at the bones..." Hibari thought to himself, murmuring.
He then went to prepare all the specialized 'dissection' tools in the research lab. After that, he put on a lab coat, donned a mask and cap, and even formally put on a pair of medical gloves.
After stripping all the clothes off the corpse, Hibari took a small scalpel and made an incision along the corpse's chest cavity. Immediately, it was like piercing a volcano; a large amount of foul blood spurted directly out of the small opening, almost drenching Hibari in blood and covering the entire operating table in it. A strong metallic scent also assailed him.
"What the hell?! There's no reason for this! Even if I haven't done it myself, theoretically, three dead people shouldn't gush blood like this!" Hibari cursed incredulously.
The next second, he understood what was happening. This was still Hitenn's fault for not holding back. He had struck the corpse hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Gentle Fist blows when it was alive, shattering all its bones. The entire interior had turned into a fleshy pulp, and there was strong internal pressure, like a balloon.
When Hibari made that cut, it was like opening a hole in the balloon, and all sorts of messy things spurted out with it.
"Damn it..." Hibari couldn't bother with such details. He applied more force to his hand, slicing the corpse open directly from the chest cavity to the lower abdomen. Then, with both hands, he pulled open the belly.
Looking inside, there was no longer anything human-like; it was all bloody pulp and shattered bones.
"What a tragedy, Hyūga clan..." Hibari murmured with some emotion, then reached in and retrieved a small piece of shattered bone.
As soon as he held the bone, the restless sensation in Hibari's body intensified. It seemed that this close contact made his reaction even more violent.
Especially the two fingers gripping this small piece of shattered bone, his finger bones continuously itched, as if his own bones wanted to break through his flesh and grow out to touch this shattered bone.
Hibari dropped the small piece of shattered bone into a tray, which slightly alleviated the unusual sensation in his body.
'How strange... But ultimately, how should I deal with this? I can't possibly eat it raw, can I? That's too disgusting. I haven't fallen that low yet...' Hibari thought to himself, rubbing his chin.
Then he raised his hand and looked at his two fingers, murmuring softly, "The closer I get, the more intense the restlessness... Could it be?"
Thinking of this, a ruthless glint flashed in Hibari's eyes. Then he reached for a new scalpel, placed his hand on the tray, and with a flash of cold light in his hand, a spurt of blood erupted from his hand.
Hibari felt a sharp pain, but his movements didn't stop. The scalpel in his hand swung again. Before long, that ruthless Hibari had completely removed all the flesh from his index finger, revealing his bloody finger bone.
Enduring the intense pain, Hibari gently touched his finger bone to the small shattered bone retrieved from the Kaguya clan head's corpse.
This touch instantly caused an unexpected change. The small piece of shattered bone rapidly transformed into a gelatinous liquid, then merged into Hibari's finger bone.
"What the hell? It really is like this..." Hibari muttered to himself in surprise. Before he could even savor the feeling, his vision went black, and he collapsed, falling straight onto the research lab floor. The bloodstains on the ground quickly stained his lab coat red.
——————————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]
There are 50+ advance chapters available for you to read!