Chapter 152: The Hokage's Talk Jutsu Target Today is the Nine-Tails, A New Direction for Physical Enhancement via Sealing Jutsu
Senju Ancestral Estate.
Mito Uzumaki sipped her tea, her tone indifferent. "What other Izuna Uchiha could it be? Naturally, it's the one who fought Tobirama to the death..."
"You must have heard Tobirama talk about him when you were a kid, right?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded numbly. Of course he had heard. Flipping through his memories, he could easily recall Tobirama's awkward evaluations of Izuna—clearly wanting to brag about winning, yet always making sure to emphasize how formidable his opponent was right at the end.
"I've heard it. I remember when Danzo was young, he once gave a sharp critique of Izuna, and Tobirama-sensei scolded him for it," Hiruzen said, shaking his head.
"He deserved to be scolded," Mito nodded. "That is a matter of the previous generation. You are the juniors; you shouldn't rashly evaluate them."
"However, you are different now, Hiruzen. You have inherited Hashirama's will. As long as the reputation and resources of the predecessors are beneficial to the village, you can utilize and publicize them according to your own PR strategies."
Mito smiled. "Yamato and I listened to your 'Fireside Chat' in the village a few days ago from beginning to end. Yamato kept saying, 'Lord First is so amazing, so strong and wise!'"
When Hiruzen claimed that Hashirama had seen the shortcomings of the Will of Fire and possessed the foresight to look fifty years into the future... not only could Tobirama not hold back his reaction, but Mito had also laughed out loud.
How did she not know her own husband was so smart?
If he truly had Hiruzen's brains, he wouldn't have had such an unpleasant falling out with Madara Uchiha back then... At least it wouldn't have ended in a death match.
"Sigh! To be honest with you, I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that Lord Hashirama possessed great wisdom." Hiruzen quickly picked up the teapot and steadily poured tea for Mito.
With the old lady's words, he could confidently spin more 'Hashirama stories' in the future. This was basically official authorization!
"It's just that the bloody winds and rains of the Warring States period meant Lord Hashirama grew up in constant warfare since childhood, so he wasn't able to systematically expound on the Will of Fire."
"What I have done is nothing more than filling in a bit of flesh and blood over the framework Lord Hashirama already built."
"The one-country, one-village system changed the inherent structure of the ninja world that had lasted for hundreds of years. The Will of Fire laid the foundation that distinguishes Konoha from other hidden villages."
Hiruzen said seriously.
He truly thought so. In this deranged ninja world, simply having the Will of Fire and the idea of ending the chaotic times was already incredibly impressive. Hashirama's Will of Fire was certainly not perfect, but one couldn't demand absolute perfection from a pioneer.
Everyone is bound by the limitations of their era.
Mito Uzumaki was taken aback. She slowly took a sip of tea and let out a faint sigh.
"Once, Madara Uchiha told me that I didn't understand Hashirama at all."
"I didn't care at the time, but looking at it now, those words might make some sense."
"Men really do understand men better. Whether as opponents or comrades, the fierce clash of ideals, bonds, and obsessions... you are the ones truly on the same wavelength."
Hiruzen blinked. He didn't really know how to respond to that. It sounded a bit weird.
He understood Hashirama better than Mito? That was giving himself way too much credit.
"Hey, hey, Mito, was Hashirama Senju really that wise?" Inside Mito's body, the Nine-Tails' ears twitched as it asked in disbelief. "He was absurdly strong, sure, but he looked like a total idiot at first glance."
Listening to the Fireside Chat in the Senju Ancestral Estate wasn't just Mito and Yamato, but also a fox.
And listening to Hiruzen's understanding of the Will of Fire, and remembering the pure goodwill and compassion it felt when he commended Root, a sense of familiarity arose in the Nine-Tails' heart.
A bit like the Old Man?
And a bit like Asura...
But the Nine-Tails merely pondered it for a moment before tossing the idea to the back of its mind. After all, Hiruzen was Sasuke Sarutobi's son, completely unrelated to the Senju or Uzumaki. Even the Nine-Tails had heard of Sasuke Sarutobi's name.
But because of this, the Nine-Tails paid even more attention to Hiruzen, unknowingly developing an indescribable fondness for him.
This Hokage might be different from other humans!
"I don't know. Although Hashirama is my lover, I might not understand him that well." Mito's tone carried a rare hint of sourness. "It seems Madara and Hiruzen both understand him better than I do."
"When I reach the Pure Land, if I have the chance, I must ask him properly if he was just playing the fool to tease me all these years!"
The Nine-Tails' fox face broke into a human-like, mischievous grin. "Then remember to be strict and get revenge for me!"
Its current relationship with Mito, although far from a true reconciliation, could be considered a relatively happy cooperation.
The Nine-Tails released a portion of its chakra and malice-sensing permissions. In exchange, Mito Uzumaki no longer sealed off its five senses, shared her vision most of the time, and provided a relatively comfortable spiritual space.
The Nine-Tails was surprised to find that, actually, one could live quite comfortably inside a Jinchuriki's body.
"Mito, tell me more stories about Hiruzen Sarutobi later."
The Nine-Tails coughed lightly, pretending to bring it up casually. "I'm idle anyway, I'm too bored every day!"
Mito let out an "oh," studying the Nine-Tails' expression, and chuckled.
She was all too familiar with this reaction.
"Do bonds between men also work on foxes? The Nine-Tails is indeed male." Mito was helpless against the ultimate bonds of the ninja world.
With just one look, this fox was already getting reeled in!
Maybe later, after getting engrossed in Hiruzen's stories, it might even reach a higher state of Jinchuriki synchronization with her.
"Mito, what's with that expression!" The Nine-Tails roared angrily.
But Mito had already vanished from the spiritual space, leaving the Nine-Tails to rage incompetently alone.
"Lady Mito, what's the matter?" Hiruzen asked curiously.
He saw Mito suddenly zone out with her eyes empty.
"The Nine-Tails said it is interested in you and asked me to tell it more of your stories," Mito said with a chuckle.
The Nine-Tails felt its face flush slightly. Was that what it meant?!
"Oh?" Hiruzen was taken aback. Tailed Beasts could actually take an interest in humans?
"Nine-Tails, thank you for taking an interest in me. Taking this opportunity, as the Hokage, I sincerely thank you for your contributions to Konoha!"
Hiruzen slipped smoothly into his PR persona. "You and Lady Mito acting as our malice-sensing radar is a great merit."
"These words might sound like deceit to you, but I firmly believe that one day in the future, Konoha will be able to live in peace with you, possessing the confidence and foundation to no longer need to keep you sealed!"
The Nine-Tails froze. What was this guy talking about?
Talk about climbing up the pole when given an inch—was he trying to Talk Jutsu it now?
"Mito, I want to talk to Hiruzen Sarutobi! Does he really think he's that eloquent?" the Nine-Tails shouted loudly.
Mito smiled slightly. "Alright then, I hope you can out-debate Hiruzen."
In Mito's view, this was just the Nine-Tails accelerating its own self-conversion process.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! You don't need to hypocritically say nice things to me! You shinobi, even Konoha shinobi, only treat Tailed Beasts as weapons. There is absolutely no possibility of reconciliation with us!"
A furry fox head popped out from Mito's shoulder and spoke sharply, "You only covet the power of the Tailed Beasts!"
Hiruzen smiled.
"Nine-Tails, I know you have lost your freedom by being sealed, and you have many grievances in your heart."
"But can you let me explain my thoughts first? If there are any logical fallacies, please point them out."
The Nine-Tails sneered dismissively. "Heh, speak!"
"According to the records in ancient texts, you are a creation born between heaven and earth a thousand years ago, inherently possessing tremendous power and immortal characteristics."
Hiruzen said slowly, "In ancient times, people feared you and called you a natural disaster. Of course, there were also ambitious people who coveted you. And in countless conflicts, you also took the lives of many people."
"Who started this conflict is no longer verifiable."
"But I think, in that era akin to the law of the jungle, you wouldn't care about right or wrong either. After all, what mattered then was 'winner takes all, loser loses everything'."
"Do you accept my putting it this way?"
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes, seriously considering Hiruzen's words.
It slowly nodded.
When it was young, it did have many conflicts with humans. Sometimes humans wanted to capture it, but sometimes it was also because it couldn't control its own power.
Or rather, its power was too overwhelming, and occasionally when it was bored and wanted to shoot a few small Tailed Beast Bombs just to hear the boom, it would cause weak humans to lose their lives.
After clashing countless times, neither side could distinguish right from wrong anymore.
And just as Hiruzen said, both Tailed Beasts and humans possessed intelligence back then, but who would care about the life or death of the weak at that time?
It was like a lion hunting a hare; the strong possessing everything was the most natural logic.
"If we follow this logic, then you actually shouldn't complain."
"Because Lord Hashirama was stronger than you. He beat you, so as the loser, you naturally had to give up everything," Hiruzen said softly.
The Nine-Tails glared angrily at Hiruzen, opening and closing its mouth repeatedly, finally only managing to blurt out: "How is that the same! Aren't you preaching the Will of Fire? Does the Will of Fire just mean comparing who has the bigger fist?"
Mito kindly stroked the fox's head. "Oh my, if you live long enough, you truly get to see everything. Nine-Tails, you can actually preach the Will of Fire too?"
The Nine-Tails shook its head impatiently, trying to shake off Mito's hand.
But when it couldn't, it just let it be, letting Mito rub it while staring intensely at Hiruzen.
It wouldn't bicker with a woman right now; the key was the conversation between men!
"Yes, using the law of the jungle to communicate with you is naturally incorrect."
"Because you have intelligence, wisdom, and can communicate. Aside from your different appearance, I am treating you as a 'person'." Hiruzen looked directly at the Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails froze. Treating it as a 'person'?
"I know the dissatisfaction in your heart."
"Your attack on Konoha was executed while you were being manipulated under the control of Madara Uchiha. Fighting Lord Hashirama was not your original intention, and you believe it is incorrect for the village to imprison you."
Hiruzen said slowly.
The Nine-Tails' eyes lit up. It didn't expect Hiruzen to speak on its behalf!
"Exactly! Hashirama Senju went too far! He was so ridiculously strong..."
The Nine-Tails paused, then said with overwhelming resentment, "And he actually said my power was too terrifying and he had to seal me!"
The Nine-Tails wanted to say that Hashirama at his peak was difficult to defeat even if all nine of them combined into the Ten-Tails.
But the Sage of Six Paths had repeatedly told them never to mention the Ten-Tails.
"There's no need to belittle yourself. The fact that Madara Uchiha brought you to the battlefield against Lord Hashirama proves that your power was enough to influence a battle at the pinnacle of the ninja world."
Hiruzen chuckled. "Would Madara allow a useless asset to appear in his duel with Lord Hashirama? That is absolutely impossible."
"You are very strong, there is no doubt about that."
The Nine-Tails subconsciously pricked up its ears, feeling greatly satisfied in its heart.
He knows what's good.
"But you are also not strong enough." Hiruzen suddenly shifted the topic. "Even though you were forcibly controlled by Madara Uchiha, your attack on Lord First is an established fact, and taking coercive measures against you is only proper."
"You might want to say that you can guarantee you won't attack Konoha again. But please forgive my bluntness: there are many hidden villages in the ninja world right now that have the capacity to capture you."
"The Tsuchikage who masters the Kekkei Tota Dust Release which can dismantle anything, Iwagakure which possesses multi-person military formation jutsu..."
"Kumogakure with the Sage of Six Paths' Treasured Tools, and a Raikage whose physical body can tank a Tailed Beast Bomb head-on..."
"Even Sunagakure and Kirigakure, if you are ambushed in their familiar ocean or desert territories, you might not necessarily defeat them."
"Against elite shinobi troops with a clear division of labor, if you want to unconditionally crush them as an individual, unless you are Lord First or Madara Uchiha, it's impossible."
Hiruzen said indifferently.
Initially, the Nine-Tails wanted to retort in a furious rage, but it eventually fell silent.
It knew this clearly as well.
In the past few decades, ninjutsu had advanced explosively, and strong shinobi had emerged like the stars.
In the past, it only had to pay attention to the Old Man's descendants.
But now, it couldn't afford to do that anymore.
"In other words, even if you didn't subjectively intend to attack Konoha, if we release you, you will just become a weapon for other hidden villages to attack Konoha."
"Please excuse my presumption, but you are currently like a massive, unstable bomb. Suppose in ancient times, such a bomb appeared in your territory."
"Would you seal it away, or throw it out and wait for an enemy who would attack you to pick it up?"
Hiruzen said calmly.
The Nine-Tails pondered this scenario and fell silent.
It wasn't stupid. How could it let an enemy get a weapon to attack it?
It would definitely claim it for itself, and if it couldn't control it, it would seal it away.
This seemed to be an unsolvable dead end.
"So this can only be my fate?"
The Nine-Tails laughed dryly. "It really is infuriating!"
"That is not the case."
"I am only using a bomb as an analogy. You are not an object or a beast, you are a special 'person'."
"Being a 'person' means you have the ability to change yourself and learn."
Hiruzen looked straight at the Nine-Tails. "I hope that in Konoha, and in your communication with Lady Mito, you can find a way to not be controlled by the Sharingan or other ninjutsu, continuously improve yourself, and achieve a state where you cannot be violated in the ninja world as soon as possible."
"Based on this, I also ask you to provide your power to Konoha, to be used solely for protection."
"I think this is a fair contract with a great ROI for both sides."
The Nine-Tails blinked hard.
Hiruzen's earnest look as he persuaded it to learn reminded it of the Sage of Six Paths!
The way the Old Man taught us ninjutsu back then is actually so similar to this mortal...
Thinking of this, the Nine-Tails deeply regretted its past actions!
Why did it have to curl up its tails and sleep back then?
Even that stinky tanuki became a top student! The octopus also understood a bit of Sealing Jutsu.
From Hiruzen's perspective, there was a practical reason why it was difficult for Tailed Beasts to learn ninjutsu.
Their chakra was violent and chaotic, much like when he activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Releasing ninjutsu required extremely precise chakra control abilities.
Unless one put in immense effort to master it, it was better to just fight relying on physical bodies and innate talents.
"Hmph. You make it sound nice!"
"Will Mito and Konoha teach me ninjutsu? Stop joking!" The Nine-Tails turned its head away, but its heart felt a long-lost itch.
"Why not? If you want to learn, I'll teach you," Mito chimed in seamlessly, following Hiruzen's lead.
"Really?"
The Nine-Tails snapped its head back, its fox eyes fixed tightly on Hiruzen. "Then aren't you afraid I'll become extremely strong? That I'll learn your ninjutsu, pretend to cooperate with you, and then kill you all later?"
Hiruzen looked at the Nine-Tails in confusion.
This fox had a very strange personality!
A bit tsundere.
If the Nine-Tails hadn't said this, Hiruzen would indeed have to consider the risk management of this project.
But since it actually said it out loud, it instead gave off the feeling that it was waiting to be coaxed.
"Alright, stop acting high and mighty here. I don't sense any malice from you at this moment." Mito patted the fox's head and said with a chuckle. "Why do you have to act spoiled after securing a good deal? I really don't know who taught you that."
"Are you so certain about your sensing? Let me tell you, this Great Uncle could have easily deceived you long ago!" The Nine-Tails forcibly tried to salvage its pride, complaining incessantly in its heart.
Who keeps malice sensing activated during a negotiation? Unfair, completely unfair!
"First of all, I believe in Lady Mito's judgment."
"Taking a step back, even if you deceived Lady Mito and did exactly as you said..."
"I would stop you."
Hiruzen started laughing. "Nine-Tails, I know your power is incomparably mighty, so you are very confident. If you don't agree with the Will of Fire, I actually have another way to make a deal with you."
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes. "Speak!"
"I will have Lady Mito slightly loosen the seal and let your true body out."
"We will find a place for a one-on-one duel. If I lose, then after Lady Mito passes away, I will not find another Jinchuriki for you, but will let you return to the ninja world."
"Regarding this promise, I can swear upon the title of Lord Hashirama's successor."
Hiruzen said with a smile. "But if you lose, then you must unconditionally obey all of Konoha's commands. I won't ask you to swear an oath, but if you don't comply, I won't treat you as a 'person' anymore."
"If there's no clear winner, we just maintain the status quo."
"How about it, want to try?"
Hiruzen's hands had been incredibly itchy lately; he was eager for a fight!
How could he improve without practical combat?
It was just that Tsunade and Orochimaru were doing scientific research, Jiraiya was training in Sage Mode, and Minato was settling down after losing to Tobirama.
Hiruko, Hizashi, Danzo, and the others couldn't put any real pressure on him in a one-on-one fight.
And calling all the Konoha High Commissioners to train with him at once would disrupt the village's operational efficiency too much. The loss outweighed the gain.
In Hiruzen's view, he didn't dare say he could definitely defeat the Nine-Tails.
But given the impoverished attack methods of Tailed Beasts, he absolutely wouldn't lose either; a draw was his absolute floor.
The Nine-Tails sneered coldly. A mortal actually dared to underestimate it!
It originally wanted to agree out of sheer stubbornness, but it kept its wits about it and carefully activated its unique beast senses, sizing up Hiruzen.
The smiling Hiruzen made the Nine-Tails feel very uneasy!
Why did this person look so eager to try?
Hold on, I am the Nine-Tails, a natural disaster!
Although this level of chakra volume can't compare to mine, it's still massive enough...
He probably knows some ninjutsu, right? After all, he is the Hokage.
The Nine-Tails pondered, whispering to Mito in its heart: Let's make a deal! You tell me how many types of ninjutsu he knows, and I'll give you some more chakra in the future!
The Nine-Tails wasn't afraid of Mito lying; after all, it was the source of the malice-sensing ability.
Mito said lightly: "I don't know either, but Hiruzen previously synthesized Kekkei Genkai, specifically Ice Release and Boil Release."
"Lately, he's been researching Sealing Jutsu. We were originally supposed to talk about it after chatting..."
"It's just that you suddenly popped out and interrupted."
Hearing the words "synthesized Kekkei Genkai" and "Sealing Jutsu," the Nine-Tails' heart sank.
It wasn't completely ignorant.
If he could even synthesize Kekkei Genkai, his conventional elemental jutsu must be highly proficient, right?
Aside from Hashirama and Madara, who were absolute anomalies that shattered all techniques with pure force, this type of shinobi was the absolute hardest to deal with!
And Sealing Jutsu... practically the nemesis of Tailed Beasts!
Moreover, the Nine-Tails thought of Hiruzen's reputation.
Being publicly recognized as Hashirama's successor, how could he be a weakling?
This wasn't it being a coward, it was just practicing proper risk management!
"No fighting, no fighting! What's there to fight about? We are 'people' reasoning things out and talking about the Will of Fire!"
The Nine-Tails waved its paws repeatedly. "Hmph, I'll trust you for a while! But, I reserve the opportunity to duel you one-on-one in the future!"
"Mito, take this chakra! I've also opened up the malice sensing... Tomorrow or the day after, bring me to learn ninjutsu!"
Mito nodded with a chuckle. "Alright, I understand."
In Mito's view, as long as the Nine-Tails gave her chakra, and actively filtered chakra at that...
She could easily remain on standby until Yamato got married and had kids! And that was the most conservative estimate.
As for what would happen after she died...
Mito wasn't worried at all, because ever since the Nine-Tails took an interest in Hiruzen, she understood.
A strange, modern bond was beginning to form.
Hiruzen looked regretful. Why did it run away?
Such a good live combat target! The exceedingly rare kind!
"I get the feeling he really wants to fight. Are all the Hokage of your Konoha like this?"
The Nine-Tails returned inside Mito's body and grumbled incessantly. "This is bad, very bad!"
Mito smiled noncommittally.
What a cowardly fox!
"Lady Mito, I have two concepts regarding Sealing Jutsu. Please help me evaluate them."
Hiruzen handed over a scroll.
Mito nodded, opened it, and read it carefully. A moment later, she looked up in astonishment.
One was a structural concept for a Spatial Sealing Jutsu.
This was the result of Hiruzen's hard work and sweat, plus a little help from the sudden inspiration of "Konoha Performance Metrics," forming a semi-finished product.
The framework was already built, just waiting to be perfected.
The rough effect was to form a sealing domain, stabilizing the space it covered.
The second one gave Mito an extremely strong sense of déjà vu!
It was very similar to a failed forbidden jutsu developed by her father, Ashina Uzumaki.
Its name was the Myriad Seals Body Integration Mark!
"Hiruzen, I will help you perfect your first concept of the Spatial Sealing Jutsu."
Mito said with some confusion, "However, the only famous spatial ninjutsu currently in the ninja world is the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. Do you still need to worry about this aspect?"
It felt like it was designed specifically to counter the Flying Thunder God.
But there was no need for the Hokage to do that!
"Lady Mito, spatial ninjutsu is too domineering, and the ninja world has geniuses as numerous as raindrops."
Hiruzen said seriously, "If other hidden villages develop spatial ninjutsu, we must have a way to counter it. We cannot pin our hopes on others failing to research it. That is bad infrastructure planning."
Mito blinked.
She finally knew where those kids at the Ninja Academy got their "insufficient firepower phobia" from.
It was instilled right from the root, which was Hiruzen!
"Your second concept... my father once thought of it as well, but this is a dead-end path." Mito sighed emotionally. "He called it the Myriad Seals Body Integration Mark and once wanted to use this jutsu to put the Uzumaki clan ahead of all ninja clans, but he ultimately failed."
After researching Sealing Jutsu, Hiruzen highly valued this branch of ninjutsu.
The domineering aspect of Sealing Jutsu lay in its priority.
As long as the chakra difference wasn't too massive, Sealing Jutsu possessed incredibly powerful countering capabilities against corresponding ninjutsu.
For example, the Fire Sealing Method; one unit of chakra driving this formula could seal at least five units of Fire Release chakra.
But Sealing Jutsu also had drawbacks.
The structures were too precise, making them difficult to utilize in real combat against equally matched opponents.
They also required special scrolls as mediums and had to be prepared in advance, presenting numerous disadvantages.
This was also the inspiration Hiruzen got from Danzo engraving the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Jutsu onto his body.
Sealing Jutsu could permanently reside on the body.
So, if it acted like the Yin Seal, keeping the Sealing Jutsu in a standby state inside the body, capable of being seamlessly and rapidly released in actual combat, it could eliminate most of the drawbacks.
But Hiruzen was only harboring a 'give it a try' mentality; his relationship with Sealing Jutsu was mostly just mastery.
To create a new Sealing Jutsu required long-term investment coupled with sudden strokes of inspiration to achieve a realizable concept.
Therefore, Hiruzen chose to consult Mito Uzumaki.
But he didn't expect that Ashina Uzumaki once had a similar idea, and even deemed this path unviable.
"Lady Mito, can you explain this jutsu to me?"
"About the Myriad Seals Body Integration Mark," Hiruzen said in a deep voice.
Mito nodded and spoke slowly.
"My father also realized the drawbacks of Sealing Jutsu requiring mediums and being difficult to release in same-level combat, so he boldly wanted to merge the seal and the physical body into one."
"The so-called Myriad Seals Body Integration Mark uses the human body as a formation array. Over a long period of adaptation, it grants the physical body the characteristics of a Sealing Jutsu."
Hiruzen's eyes lit up. "Isn't this great?"
This was even more powerful than his concept!
"But it's a dead end."
"My father did research and develop this jutsu formula, but a jutsu formula is ultimately meant to be used by people."
"If the threshold is too high and no one can use it, then no matter how good the idea is, if it can't be implemented, it is meaningless."
Mito said softly, "After the Myriad Seals Body Integration Mark is constructed in the physical body, the formed array core is like a new organ, but it is as fragile as a newborn's internal organs."
"Only during the stage of rapid cell division and meridian growth can the array core grow along with the body, deeply integrating into the human body and completing the constitution modification relying on the equipped Sealing Jutsu."
"But herein lies the problem."
"To meet these conditions, the shinobi practicing it must be in their youth, and the array core requires a continuous, stable, active supply of chakra to maintain."
"Even the geniuses of the Uzumaki clan couldn't withstand this kind of long-term depletion. Delaying their training and physical development just to supply energy ultimately turned them into cripples."
"By the time a shinobi reaches adulthood and has sufficient chakra, their body has completely finalized its shape. No matter how much energy is supplied to the Sealing Jutsu, the body cannot fuse with it, merely wasting chakra in vain."
Hiruzen understood.
This forbidden jutsu of Ashina Uzumaki, while ingeniously conceived, was almost impossible to implement.
At the age when it could produce effects, one couldn't afford the chakra tax; at the age when one could afford the chakra tax, it wouldn't produce effects!
After all, shinobi didn't have a second developmental period, and true reverse growth didn't exist.
But he was an exception!
"In order to research this jutsu formula and make the Uzumaki clan the strongest in the ninja world, my father neglected sleep and meals."
"This might also be one of the reasons why he refused to let the Uzumaki clan merge into Konoha, instead remaining independent in the Land of Whirlpools. If this jutsu could be perfected, the Uzumaki clan would be exceptionally powerful."
"Hashirama strongly disliked this jutsu, believing it was harming the children's futures."
"But this was ultimately my father's fantasy. I've repeatedly verified it over the years; this jutsu formula cannot be perfected."
Mito Uzumaki let out a long sigh.
Shinobi were paranoid creatures. And when powerful shinobi became paranoid, their stubbornness was even harder to persuade.
"Theoretically, only Hashirama could practice this jutsu formula."
"From the time I met him until he reached middle age, Hashirama was constantly rapidly getting stronger, as if he had no bottlenecks. But Hashirama had no need to practice this jutsu."
Mito shook her head. "He possessed the ability to heal without signs. Why would he need to use this jutsu to temper his physique? He could even rapidly regrow internal organs. Even I couldn't comprehend why his life force was so vigorous."
Thinking of Hashirama's abilities, even after all these years, Mito couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
He was overly formidable!
Hiruzen took a deep breath.
Hashirama didn't practice it because his healing abilities were maxed out, so there was no need to divert his energy.
But he had to practice it!
As the inheritor of Hashirama's will, how could he not figure out a way to catch up with Lord First?
His healing ability naturally couldn't compare to Hashirama's; lacking that talent, it would be hard to match up in this lifetime.
But he could stack physical defense! Rounding up, it could be considered paying tribute to Hashirama Senju in another way.
The mysterious person who attacked Yashiro gave Hiruzen quite a bit of pressure.
The ninja world truly hid crouching tigers and hidden dragons!
He didn't know how many more psychopaths like that were hiding across this land.
What if there were many more?
He always had to be fully prepared, otherwise, it would be a major crisis if a bunch of them popped up all at once.
"Lady Mito, do you know this jutsu formula?"
Hiruzen asked extremely seriously.
"Of course I do. This jutsu formula was co-developed by me and my father. I've also been thinking about helping him perfect it over the years, it's just..."
Mito suddenly froze. "Hiruzen, you don't want to try it, do you?"
Mito believed she had already explained it very clearly just now.
This was a jutsu formula blocked at both ends!
"Lady Mito, I know my own physical condition."
"Please believe me, I will not rashly attempt a ninjutsu that I have no possibility of mastering!"
Hiruzen said sincerely, "As Hokage, I must become strong enough. Lord Hashirama is certainly an unreachable peak, but as a descendant, I ought to try and climb it!"
"If I cannot master it, I will decisively abandon it and will not waste excessive time on it."
Mito remained silent for a good while before nodding.
Powerful shinobi were always stubborn and paranoid; it seemed even Hiruzen was no exception.
Persuasion was useless.
As an elder, she could only do her best to construct the best Myriad Seals Body Integration Mark for Hiruzen.
As for whether he would hit a wall, or if there was a one-in-ten-thousand chance of a breakthrough...
That would be up to fate.
A moment later, Hiruzen took off his upper garment, turned his back to Mito Uzumaki, and brought his hands together.
Mito's expression was solemn.
"Nine-Tails, I need to borrow some more chakra from you."
Mito said softly, "I want to give Hiruzen the best array core, even though doing so holds little meaning."
"Hmph. Take it! I've understood the principles of this jutsu; it's impossible to successfully practice it. It seems he's an idiot too!"
The Nine-Tails spoke in a strange tone that sounded very much like hating iron for not becoming steel: "Let him waste his time! Meanwhile, I am making real progress, that way the gap will widen!"
Pure Nine-Tails chakra surged into Mito's body.
Several Adamantine Sealing Chains rose from her back, their tips as sharp and thin as needles, steadily piercing into the center of Hiruzen's spine.
But to Mito's surprise, the Adamantine Sealing Chains didn't pierce the flesh and blood as easily as she had thought.
Hiruzen's physical strength is different from ordinary people.
Mito concentrated her attention and increased the magnitude of chakra.
As if tattooing, the needle tips broke through the skin and muscle, stroke by stroke, stitch by stitch, solidly embedding the sealing array deep into Hiruzen's flesh.
The top anchor point landed on the base of his neck, the middle section followed down the spine, and the bottom end concluded at the lumbar vertebrae.
Using the chakra of the Nine-Tails and Mito, combined with Ashina Uzumaki's crazy concept, a new direction was forged for Hiruzen's path of physical enhancement.
After a long time.
As the final array link was sketched out, the golden glow suddenly surged inward, and the entire sealing array sank entirely into his bones, blood, and meridians, following his muscle texture.
The body surface instantly returned to normal, leaving no trace behind.
And beneath Hiruzen's heart, a pale golden array core quietly formed, becoming one of his new 'organs'.
Mito wiped her sweat. "It's done, Hiruzen!"
Hiruzen put on his upper garment, stood up, and bowed deeply and respectfully to Mito. "Thank you for your hard work!"
He had arrived early at the Senju Ancestral Estate today.
Originally, Mito Uzumaki asked him to come together to research the Izuna chakra inside "Seisui".
Hiruzen arrived much earlier, thinking to chat about family matters with Mito and foster family ties, but unexpectedly obtained such a forbidden jutsu by a stroke of luck!
"Hiruzen, take this."
Mito handed him a quaint booklet. "This contains detailed explanations on how to equip Sealing Jutsu onto the array core. However, you must remember."
"This jutsu formula is a dead end. I understand wanting to try it, but do not waste too much time on it."
"In my father's concept, even if growing children had a sufficient supply of chakra, achieving a qualitative change would require a minimum of ten years!"
Hiruzen nodded, indicating he understood.
Regarding the ten-year timeframe, he didn't really care.
Because compared to ordinary youths, the speed of his physical reverse growth was much faster.
Much faster.
After going back, he planned to first equip the Fire Sealing Method into the array core. This was a Sealing Jutsu he was familiar with.
To try and increase his fire resistance.
For the Professor of Ninjutsu, being proficient in all five nature transformations wasn't enough; being impervious to all five would be best!
Hiruzen and Mito sat down and continued to chat about the major and minor affairs of the village.
The Nine-Tails pricked up its ears to listen.
Until evening.
At the agreed time, Isshin brought Tobirama to the Senju Ancestral Estate.
And the moment the Nine-Tails saw Tobirama, the fox head popped out from Mito's shoulder: "Mito, I've turned malice sensing to the maximum! Use my chakra however you want today!"
"I insist on seeing what is going on with Madara Uchiha's brother!"
"I see that he definitely harbors intentions of harming Konoha. We must thoroughly eradicate him until his soul dissipates! This is also a part of the Will of Fire, right, Hokage!"
The Nine-Tails hadn't listened to the idle chatter for nothing.
It heard clearly that Izuna was Madara's brother and was inside "Seisui".
If it couldn't beat Madara, could it not beat Madara's brother?
Today, it, the Nine-Tails, was going to step in and exact revenge for the past!
A massive question mark appeared above Tobirama's head.
What did he just hear?
Not only were Isshin and Fugaku talking to him about the Will of Fire...
Even the Nine-Tails was doing it now?!
Is this a genjutsu? Tobirama muttered to himself in his heart.
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