"Then that single chip… whatever you choose to take from me, it shouldn't be like Madara—something meant to destroy the world."
Hashirama Senju suddenly looked a little sentimental.
"In truth, Madara and I both wanted peace. He was actually the first to speak of that dream."
"We both lived through the Warring States Era. We both experienced loss, so…"
"That idiot…" Hashirama sighed. "He was being used and never even realized it."
He glanced at Yun with a faint smile.
"But tell me, Kong—am I being used by you right now?"
Yun only smiled, offering no answer.
Hashirama waved it off generously.
"It doesn't matter. Like I said before, your dream proves that you're not Madara—and not someone who wants to destroy the world."
"What is a shinobi? Why does a village exist? What meaning does a shinobi's life have?"
"Madara and I were wrong about many things… yet even now, we don't know where the correct answer lies."
"That's something you'll have to verify. To refine. To build."
"One day," he said softly,
"I believe this world will no longer know war—and children won't have to walk onto battlefields."
With those words, the First Hokage departed.
This wasn't like the release after Edo Tensei, when one lets go of lingering regrets.
Hashirama had never let go.
He always cared—for Konoha, for the world.
Standing atop the Hokage Monument, Yun looked down at the Konoha that had been materialized within the space.
He raised a hand.
In an instant, the village scattered like sand in the wind.
"Humans are social creatures."
"When they gather, conflict arises. Conflict breeds resentment."
"As hatred accumulates, interests and resources force people to band together."
"And that… is how villages are born."
"If one day," Yun murmured,
"I can grant your wish… First Hokage."
[Simulating future changes for Senju Hashirama (Netherworld)]
[Status: Deceased — unchanged]
[Konohagakure fate altered]
[World mainline altered]
[Nested Layer 3: Uchiha Madara fate altered]
[Senju Hashirama (Netherworld) — Fate Change Rate: 50.2%]
[Earth-Attribute Chakra (Bloodline-Compatible)]
[Water-Attribute Chakra (Bloodline-Compatible)]
[Sage Body (Bloodline)]
Only three options appeared.
The degree of change caused to Hashirama wasn't particularly large this time.
In fact, if Yun hadn't warned him of the crisis—and offered the possibility of future revival via Edo Tensei—the change rate would have been even lower.
No secret scrolls.
No senjutsu.
No Wood Release.
Fortunately, Sage Body (Bloodline) was preserved due to exceeding the fifty-percent threshold.
Otherwise… choosing Obito would've been better.
As for Asura's chakra…
Yun wasn't sure whether Hashirama still possessed it after it reincarnated into Naruto—or whether the Exchange could replicate power someone had once held.
A surging vitality flooded Yun's body.
This was power inherited from the Sage of Six Paths—or Asura himself.
Enough to completely erase Yun's current chakra deficiency.
No—not just erase it.
It far exceeded his previous limits.
As he sensed the overflowing life force, Yun suddenly felt something strange.
He raised his palm and focused.
A faint breeze spun briefly above his hand… then dissipated.
Wind Release?
Did Hashirama have Wind-attribute chakra?
Asura did—later even wielding all seven elements in Six Paths Mode.
So just how much did this Sage Body actually include?
A thought flashed through Yun's mind.
He sprang up and began rummaging through the room.
"Bang—thump!"
The noise was a little too loud.
"Yun…"
His mother's voice came from outside. Yun froze and immediately quieted down.
If he got misunderstood again, tomorrow would be social suicide.
After a while, Yun sat back down, holding a small slip of paper.
Chakra paper—made from a tree that fed on chakra.
He had tested this before.
Back then, he only possessed Fire Release affinity.
Now—
"Fwoosh!"
One corner burned—Fire.
Another edge sliced cleanly—Wind.
A third crumbled—Earth.
The last became soaked—Water.
Four elements.
Only Lightning remained missing.
This Sage Body, replicated from Hashirama, seemed to carry not only his talent—but part of Asura's inheritance.
So then…
Wood Release was a Kekkei Genkai formed by fusing Water and Earth chakra.
But Hashirama couldn't pass it down genetically.
Which meant Wood Release itself wasn't hereditary—
it was tied to the Sage Body.
What was the hand seal for Deep Forest Emergence again?
Did Hashirama need seals?
Did Madara?
Yun's thoughts scattered—until he suddenly remembered a certain meme.
…
On the outskirts of Konoha, Uzumaki Kong also felt that sudden surge of vitality.
"If I'd had this much chakra earlier, I wouldn't have died three times…"
With this life force, even getting stabbed clean through the stomach wouldn't be fatal.
Kong muttered a complaint, then turned his gaze toward a building in the distance.
Konoha Orphanage.
Ever since Minato's fate changed, Kong had spent most nights watching this place.
Danzo—Konoha's eternal scapegoat—had practically changed his surname to turtle, hiding in his shell and refusing to surface.
ROOT was still untouchable at Yun's current strength.
Low chakra meant suicide—and exposing resurrection abilities wasn't worth it.
So Kong waited.
Because this was one place Danzo had to come to.
The place where Yakushi Nono was found.
Where Kabuto entered ROOT.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Three figures stood before the orphanage gate.
The orange-haired one stepped forward and knocked.
Moments later, the door opened, and they entered.
The woman who welcomed them—Nono—had looked worried from the very beginning.
"Snake stench…" Kong murmured.
"The target's here. The turtle finally stuck its head out."
"One clean strike is best."
"Whoosh."
In the next instant, Yun appeared atop the orphanage roof.
Below, the conversation began.
"So the wandering shrine maiden has become a nanny now,"
Danzo's voice sounded.
"It's been a long time. You look exhausted, Nono."
"I abandoned that title long ago," Nono replied, frowning.
"And the matter of funding has already been settled with Konoha."
Danzo rested his chin on his hand.
His heavy gaze made the woman tense.
"As a former member of ROOT, you shouldn't be ignorant of certain matters."
"About Iwagakure."
"In truth," he continued,
"I didn't come here just for funding."
"I came… for you, traveling miko."
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