The arm was split in two. Uchiha Shion placed the forearm section back into the storage scroll.
"Cough, cough…"
He scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Activate."
[Intelligence Exchange successfully initiated][Rule Copy function successfully initiated][Medium detected][Available targets: Senju Hashirama (Pure Land), Uchiha Obito]
Just as expected.
Shion smiled faintly. One piece of Obito's arm could serve two purposes? Not bad.
Wait… what if…
He pulled out his kunai again.
Snap!
A crisp sound rang out as the forearm was cut again.
Shion paused, then raised the kunai once more, chopping down onto the already divided fragments.
Knock, knock, knock!
The door rattled under sharp knocks.
"Shion, what are you doing in there?"
His mother's voice drifted in from outside, making Shion jolt. In a rush, he shoved the pale fragments of flesh under his bed.
"I'm coming in."
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Uchiha Hazuki, ever respectful, paused two whole minutes before gently opening the door. She glanced around the room, then spoke softly: "Keep your voice down. Izumi's already asleep."
With that, she turned to leave, but stopped at the threshold. "And Shion—don't stay up too late. You're still only six years old."
Bang.
The door shut. Midnight had long passed; it really was late. Time to get this over with.
Target lock: Senju Hashirama (Pure Land)
???
No reaction.
Shion frowned at the small lump of flesh before him.
…
So, only a quarter of the forearm worked? Did that mean he had four uses?
[SS-Rank shinobi locked: First Hokage, Senju Hashirama (Pure Land)][Time-flow in Exchange Dimension adjusted][Enable Shadow Mode?]
Shion hesitated, then selected "No." But for caution's sake, he entered using the appearance of his shadow clone, Kuu.
…
Within the Exchange Dimension, atop the great cliff carved with the Hokage faces, two figures stood overlooking a silent, lifeless Konoha below.
"This is… Konoha?"
The voice of awe came from beside him. Shion turned to regard the spiritual form of the First Hokage.
"It's much bigger than in your era, isn't it? This is Konoha decades after your time. The Konoha I live in now."
At that, Senju Hashirama tilted his head, studying Shion's crimson hair. After a long pause, his eyes lit with realization. "Red hair? Red hair…! Oh! You're from the Uzumaki clan—Mito's kin!"
Shion kept his gaze on the village below. His tone was calm. "There's no Uzumaki clan anymore. Uzushiogakure was destroyed… while your wife, Lady Mito, was still alive."
Hashirama's expression froze. "After my death… there was another war? Mito must have been… so heartbroken…"
Shion shook his head lightly. "I wouldn't know. I never met Lady Mito. But tell me, Lord First—aren't you curious about your own situation?"
Hashirama tapped his spectral forehead, his fingers slipping straight through. "You mean this… Exchange Dimension? I understand the rules. No lying. And exchanges… but I'm just a dead man. I've no business making deals."
He looked back at Shion's red hair, eyes full of sincerity. "Even if it's meaningless, I still want to apologize. The Senju and Uzumaki were the staunchest of allies. Since Konoha's founding, Uzushio and Konoha shared the strongest bond. The spiral on the flak jackets of Konoha's jōnin is the symbol of that friendship. I don't know why my descendants failed to come to your aid, but as the First Hokage, I must apologize!"
He bent low, bowing a full ninety degrees.
Shion felt awkward at the sight. He had intended to pass himself off as Uzumaki for the sake of manipulation, but here stood the very same earnest, straightforward man he remembered from the anime.
"…Madara isn't dead."
The words made Hashirama snap his head up, eyes wide.
At that moment, a gust of wind surged through the night sky. Leaves swirled into the kanji for Truth.
Hashirama shook his head. "I killed him with my own hands. Pierced his heart. His body was buried by Tobirama."
Shion shook his head in return. "Izanagi. A secret Uchiha technique. It turns any misfortune, any death, into mere illusion. If delayed… it grants resurrection."
Hashirama's eyes darted back to the sky, where once again the leaves spelled Truth. His spectral form trembled.
To the God of Shinobi, many things were precious—but two above all else could never be compromised.
One was peace.The other… Konoha.
And really, the two were one and the same: Konoha's peace.
For that peace, he had once driven a blade through the heart of his childhood friend, the boy with whom he had once competed in silly contests.
Shion's voice cut back in. "Madara didn't just return. Think of what he said before the Uchiha stone tablet: When two powers unite, all creation bends to your will."
…
Silence stretched across the cliffside. Hashirama's gaze lingered on the still, lifeless Konoha below.
"Hah…"
He exhaled softly, rubbing his face—only for his hand to slip through. Lowering it, he muttered, "I'm already dead. Even if I trade with you for information, what would it matter?"
Shion lifted his hand. Below them, the village shifted.
"RAAAH!!"
Chakra thick with hatred and malice flooded Konoha. The Nine-Tailed Fox rampaged, destroying everything.
And in those monstrous eyes gleamed the scarlet tomoe of the Sharingan.
Cries and screams filled the air. Ninja after ninja charged the beast, only to be struck down. Corpses littered the streets.
"This was the original history," Shion said, then swept his hand. The vision dissolved.
He turned to the First Hokage. "Your brother, Tobirama, created a jutsu—Edo Tensei. The Reanimation Jutsu, to summon souls from the Pure Land back into the living world. He likely never told you. But if anyone could unravel its secrets… the God of Shinobi could."
His voice hardened. "So, Lord First—let's make a deal. For Konoha's sake."
Hashirama remained seated, staring at the broken remnants of the village below.
"…Hah."
He let out another breath, shoulders slumping as he sat cross-legged. After long silence, he finally asked: "Then what about you? Your identity, your true purpose—what are they, oh so-called intelligence broker of the Uzumaki?"
Shion smiled faintly, looking out at the endless darkness beyond.
"My purpose? I just want to live. If I'm strong enough, I'll live well. Rest when I'm tired. Go out for yakiniku or ramen when I'm hungry. Even dango, though I don't really like sweets."
He touched his chin thoughtfully. "And if… I'm saying if I had the power, I'd make this world peaceful. No wars, no bloodshed. Sleep until I wake naturally, eat and play as I please. What do you think of that goal?"
His smile deepened. "As for my name… Uzumaki Kuu. That's what I go by."
…