After the effects of Shinra Tensei finally faded, a massive crater one kilometer in diameter lay upon the earth.
At its center was the once-dark underground cave, previously hidden beneath a lush forest, now fully exposed to sunlight.
Everything inside the cave—forest, snakes, rocks—had been obliterated, replaced by layers of compressed earth.
Amidst the swirling dust, Hashirama Senju, his body covered in cracks, stepped out from the wooden mask created by his Wood Release jutsu.
A bit further away, a battered Orochimaru emerged from the dirt, his body split and dripping with mucus as a new version of him crawled out, fully healed but covered in sticky fluid.
Descending slowly from above, Gensou glanced at Orochimaru before turning his attention to Hashirama.
He wasn't surprised to see Hashirama's return, having learned from Kabuto's memories that Orochimaru had restored his own hands. Since Orochimaru had managed to reclaim his soul from the Reaper, it wasn't surprising that he would resurrect other previously sealed Hokage.
"We meet again, Hashirama," Gensou greeted him calmly.
After so many battles against the unfinished versions of Hashirama summoned by Edo Tensei, he had grown too familiar with him. Only if this were the peak version of Hashirama from the Valley of the End would Gensou feel any true excitement.
As it was, their meeting felt nothing more than a polite exchange between old acquaintances.
"Gensou…"
While Gensou remained calm, Hashirama's emotions were far more complex, especially upon noticing Gensou's unusual Rinnegan, marked by a purple swirl.
It seemed familiar somehow, but he couldn't recall exactly where he had seen it before.
At that moment, Orochimaru stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with greed as he explained to Hashirama, "That is the Rinnegan, the legendary eyes of the Sage."
Hashirama's face registered shock.
"The Rinnegan… I never imagined such legendary eyes actually existed. And Gensou managed to develop them!"
Given Gensou's exceptional talent, Hashirama's initial thought was that he had awakened the Rinnegan himself.
Hearing this, Orochimaru chuckled and shook his head. "Developed? Oh no, Gensou didn't develop those eyes. He took them from someone else."
"Not only has he seized the Rinnegan, but he now intends to take Konoha, the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and the entire ninja world as his own!"
Since Hashirama was beyond his control, Orochimaru seized the opportunity to paint Gensou in the worst possible light, doing whatever he could to influence Hashirama against him.
And, in a sense, he wasn't entirely lying.
Hashirama, however, remained largely unfazed. From the moment Gensou had broken free of Edo Tensei and achieved true resurrection, he knew the ninja world would face upheaval.
It appeared that upheaval had already begun.
"Gensou, may I ask what your goal is?" Hashirama asked earnestly.
Gensou did not answer directly. Instead, he simply replied, "Boring."
He genuinely felt bored.
Every battle ended up being against the same people.
He had fought them in life, and now even in death, they were back.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
Unlike him, who continued to improve, his opponents had stagnated, some even growing weaker. The fights lacked any real thrill.
Shaking his head, Gensou remarked, "Hashirama, if you were thinking of a way to bring yourself back to life, I'd be interested in talking. But since you're content with being dead, there's no need for you to concern yourself with the affairs of the living."
"Return to where you came from… or rather, I'll send you back myself."
Realizing the conversation was unlikely to progress any further, Gensou raised his hand:
"Bansho Ten'in!"
A powerful force of attraction burst from his palm.
Hashirama and Orochimaru were pulled toward Gensou before they could even resist.
"Gensou…"
Feeling a significant change in Gensou's aura, Hashirama's gaze sharpened.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Thick wooden stakes extended from Hashirama's body, anchoring him to the ground and halting his movement.
Beside him, Orochimaru quickly grabbed hold of the nearest stake, managing to stop his own momentum.
Gensou observed this but continued without concern, switching the force in his palm:
"Shinra Tensei!"
Boom!
A violent repulsive force swept over them.
First the pull, then the push.
The combined forces twisted Orochimaru's organs as if he were in a blender, causing him to vomit blood as he was flung backward like a broken doll.
Hashirama fared better.
Though he was forced back, he remained capable of observing Gensou's movements.
Seeing Gensou step forward, Hashirama clasped his hands together and invoked a jutsu:
"Wood Release: Flower Tree World!"
Massive trees sprouted from the ground, and enormous flowers bloomed, releasing a cloud of paralyzing pollen that threatened to blanket the entire area.
As Shinra Tensei was still cooling down, Gensou kept walking forward. Blue eye markings appeared at the corners of his eyes.
"Sage Art: Frozen Impact Technique!"
Crack! Crack!
Instantly, waves of freezing energy radiated from Gensou, flooding the area like a surging tide.
Not only did it freeze the pollen, but even the unseen bacteria and viruses in the air were frozen solid.
In moments, the once lush Flower Tree World was transformed into an icy realm, helpless before the cold.
"Is that… Sage Mode?!"
From a distance, Hashirama stared in astonishment.
As a master of Sage Mode himself, he easily recognized the sage chakra within Gensou's technique.
He glanced at Gensou.
Sure enough, there was a blue marking around his eyes, different from Hashirama's own, yet unmistakably Sage Mode.
"As expected of Gensou," Hashirama muttered with admiration.
(End of Chapter)
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