The Fire Temple late at night was tranquil and serene.
In the meditation hall, beneath an image of the Thousand-Handed Kannon, a single candle flame illuminated a white-bearded old monk.
By the flickering, dim yellow candlelight, Abbot Kaigyō looked down at a Buddhist scripture.
The Sage of Six Paths once said that chakra was a tool to connect people. What countless shinobi failed to achieve, the Fire Temple had accomplished.
The believers, pilgrims, and ascetics around the Fire Temple came to worship. When they knelt beneath the Thousand-Handed Kannon, burned incense, silently recited sutras, or chanted the Buddha's name, they would generate a special kind of chakra.
This special chakra cultivated before the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion and Mercy, Avalokiteśvara, was called the Karma of Compassion by the shinobi monks of the Fire Temple.
When the monks resolved the doubts of believers and helped them escape suffering, their bodies would also generate the Karma of Compassion.
The more believers there were, the more chakra the Fire Temple monks possessed.
For this reason, Abbot Kaigyō had made a special trip to the capital, managing to gain the Daimyō's trust.
As long as the Daimyō supported the Fire Temple and allowed it to gain more followers, the strength of the Fire Temple's shinobi monks would grow increasingly powerful.
The Daimyō's considerations were practical; he was willing to enshrine the Fire Temple as the national temple, but he needed the monks to serve as his Guardian Ninja.
The Fire Temple was very willing to send monks. The problem was the attitude of Konoha Village.
Abbot Kaigyō looked at the scroll, which recorded the connection between the First Hokage and the Fire Temple.
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, possessed a wisdom root. He attained sudden enlightenment regarding the words 'Thousand-Handed' – not the 'Thousand-Hands' of the Senju clan, but the 'Thousand Hands' represented by the Thousand-Handed Kannon, symbolizing the protection of all living beings.
Senju Hashirama ended the Warring States period's chaos and established a new order.
He attained enlightenment beneath the statue of the Thousand-Handed Kannon, realizing that his actions were themselves compassion, were salvation. His spiritual power underwent a fundamental, qualitative leap, breaking through its limits in one go to become the God of Shinobi.
Kaigyō wanted to start from Senju Hashirama, to find a point of entry for negotiations with Konoha.
Whether the Fire Temple could become the national temple of the Land of Fire was extremely important to them.
They needed believers, needed pilgrims.
Just then, a black sword suddenly appeared beside the candle flame!
The candlelight could not illuminate the black sword.
The black sword seemed to Devour the light.
Drops of blood reflected the candlelight, hanging from the black blade, finally allowing one to see its outline.
The black sword pierced through Kaigyō's chest from behind.
Kaigyō's heart tightened; the black sword had pierced his lung!
A golden light erupted from his entire body, and a Thousand-Handed Kannon image suddenly appeared.
Raignei: Senju Kill! Forming a golden Thousand-Handed Kannon from chakra, it slammed into the person who had sneak-attacked him from behind.
The black sword remained pierced through his chest.
Kaigyō looked down at the black blade protruding from his chest, then glanced at the scroll.
The scroll had recorded that among Senju Hashirama's Five Ninja Swords, there was a black sword, born specifically for assassination.
Konoha?
Was Konoha trying to kill him?
Kaigyō turned his head and saw an ANBU wearing a mask.
Yōkō looked in surprise at Kaigyō's Raignei: Senju Kill.
Kaigyō's strength was formidable, extremely formidable.
This golden Kannon actually had a presence somewhat similar to Susano'o. Both were entities condensed from chakra, both possessing considerable strength.
The heritage of the Fire Temple had some substance.
Yōkō charged forward again.
The Raignei: Senju Kill instantly transformed, becoming a blood-red Vidyārāja.
The Thousand Hands of the Kannon, protecting all, transformed into the wrathful Buddha-fire of the Vidyārāja. The Buddha-fire turned into crimson fists, rushing straight at Yōkō.
Blocking two punches head-on, Yōkō thought to himself that the Fire Temple's abilities indeed had some merit, worthy of becoming part of his collection.
The two fought fiercely for over ten minutes, leveling four or five nearby temple halls to the ground.
Seeing that Kaigyō had no other abilities, Yōkō dropped his defense and was pummeled to death by the Ninja Art: Fierce-Eyed Vajra.
[Detected host's death. Mochizuki's Arc system starting up...]
Yōkō's vision went black, and he returned to several days prior.
He had just entered the Land of Fire's border, sent to assassinate the Fire Temple's Abbot, Kaigyō.
He knew nothing of the events in the Land of Hot Water. The plot developed according to his previous life's knowledge: Sarutobi Shinnosuke was killed.
Even if Yōkō knew Sarutobi Shinnosuke had been killed, he wouldn't rewind time for him.
[Mochizuki's Arc Activated!
Between two full moons, the host has only one resurrection opportunity. Upon death, you will resurrect on the night of the previous full moon.
Reward: One draw opportunity:
1 - Ninja Art: Raignei Senju Kill;
2 - Ninja Art: Fierce-Eyed Vidyārāja;
3 - Sealing Iron Wall.]
The Sealing Iron Wall was useless to Yōkō; the Fire Temple's sealing techniques couldn't even hold Kakuzu and Hidan.
Raignei: Senju Kill... Yōkō hesitated, then eliminated this option.
The abilities of the Raignei: Senju Kill, True Several Thousand Hands, and related techniques required comprehending the Thousand-Handed Kannon's compassionate intent to protect all living beings.
Yōkō had not a shred of compassion in his heart. Even if he learned it, he wouldn't be able to unleash much of its power.
Given the sins he had committed, if he entered the cycle of reincarnation, his next life would probably have to start from the Animal Path at a minimum.
It was the second option, the Fierce-Eyed Vidyārāja, that appealed to Yōkō.
As the saying goes, even a Bodhisattva has a trace of wrath.
The Buddha has a compassionate aspect, and also a wrathful aspect.
Compassion is cultivation, wrath is also cultivation.
When it came to wrath, Yōkō felt he had some talent.
Yōkō thought this reward, like the previous ones, would slightly enhance his strength. However...
After choosing the Fierce-Eyed Vidyārāja, Yōkō instantly mastered the Fire Temple's Vidyārāja cultivation method.
Eight crimson Buddha images suddenly appeared before his eyes, representing the Eight Vidyārāja Methods passed down by the Tōkai Master.
Trailokyavijaya Vidyārāja, Yamāntaka Vidyārāja, Mahācakra Vidyārāja...
Among the eight Vidyārājas, Yōkō's gaze snapped sharply towards the Trailokyavijaya Vidyārāja.
Fate seemed to connect him to this particular Vidyārāja.
The Trailokyavijaya Vidyārāja, subduing the past, present, and future lifetimes, transcending the three realms of life/death, reincarnation, and nirvana.
Subduing the three lifetimes and three realms into one state of freedom, that is the Trailokyavijaya Vidyārāja...
Yōkō had transmigrated, obtained the golden finger Mochizuki's Arc, constantly dying, constantly reborn.
Each death was a subjugation of a past life, a retreading of the present life, a welcoming of a future life.
The first life, Yōkō died in the Tsurugetsu Izakaya.
After his death, originally, Kyōi would have been discovered by the ANBU for killing him and ultimately died tragically at their hands. However, his rebirth changed everything.
The second life, Yōkō died in the wheat fields of the Land of Whirlpools.
After his death, originally, his teammates like Purple Cat and the others would have died, and Uzumaki Yuka would also have died. However, his rebirth changed everything.
The third life...
The fourth life...
...
The repeated deaths and rebirths of the past became Yōkō's most profound memory and comprehension of past lives, the present life, and future lives.
Among the Eight Vidyārāja Methods, cultivating the Trailokyavijaya Vidyārāja was extremely demanding, requiring the experience of true death and rebirth, true near-death experiences to comprehend.
However, Yōkō's golden finger was special. He had experienced 50 deaths and rebirths.
His golden finger allowed him to transcend life/death, reincarnation, and nirvana.
The cycles of death and rebirth now brought a terrifying boost to Yōkō's spiritual power.
Just as Senju Hashirama had attained sudden enlightenment of the power of the Compassionate Thousand Hands, Yōkō's spiritual energy greatly increased at this moment, attained sudden enlightenment of the power of the Three Worlds Vidyārāja!
Yōkō brought his palms together!
"Three Worlds Vidyārāja Form!"
A crimson Vidyārāja form appeared around Yōkō.
The Three Worlds Vidyārāja Form had three heads and six arms. Each Buddha head had a ferocious countenance, representing the past, present, and future lives respectively.
The Vidyārāja method he cultivated was different from Kaigyō's, and the form was also vastly different.
The Vidyārāja Form indeed resembled Susano'o to some extent; both were manifestations of materialized chakra.
The Vidyārāja Form's wrathful Buddha-fire fists were very powerful and much more flexible than ordinary taijutsu.
Yōkō continued to gather chakra.
"Wood Release: Three Worlds Wood Human!"
The combination of the Vidyārāja Form and the unique vitality of Wood Release greatly increased the strength of the Wood Release!
A unique Wood appeared Human!
This Wood Human was different from the one used by Senju Hashirama in the original story. It was a Three Worlds Wood Human with three heads and six arms, representing the Trailokyavijaya Vidyārāja.
Like Senju Hashirama's Wood Human Technique, the Three Worlds Wood Human could also catch a Tailed Beast Ball with its bare hands.
And there was more!
"Wood Release! Top Transformation: Buddha! Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja!"
The ground beneath him trembled, and a colossal Buddha statue erupted from the earth.
This Buddha statue was hundreds of meters tall. It was not Senju Hashirama's Thousand-Handed Kannon form, but a wrathful Vidyārāja.
The Vidyārāja's face was terrifyingly ferocious, as if it had just emerged from a hell filled with torture, wearing an expression of loathing.
The Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja colossus, like the True Several Thousand Hands from the original story, had palms the size of a complete Tailed Beast.
Yōkō had transmigrated, experienced 50 deaths, and subdued 50 lifetimes.
The past, present, and future of each lifetime, each transcending life/death, reincarnation, and nirvana, generated nine hands per lifetime.
After 50 lifetimes, Yōkō's Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja Wood Release Buddha statue grew 450 hands.
Although it was called the Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja, the number of reincarnations he had experienced was still relatively small, not yet reaching a thousand hands.
Yōkō's chakra reserve instantly broke through the Kage-level limit, entering the Super Kage-level.
After entering the Super Kage-level, the sheer amount of chakra became somewhat irrelevant.
In battle, it was now impossible for his chakra to be exhausted.
As long as he continued to use the system to accumulate cycles of life and death, the power of the Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja would grow stronger and stronger.
Not only that, but a clear understanding arose in Yōkō's heart.
From now on, he didn't need to deliberately die by someone's hand. He had subdued the three lifetimes. Each month, he could decide for himself how to retread the three lifetimes.
If he needed a specific ability, he could use the system to die at that person's hands and acquire the ability.
If he didn't need an ability, he could enter the cycle on his own. Each additional subjugation of the three lifetimes and three realms would increase his strength.
Yōkō stood atop the head of the Three Worlds Wood Human, which in turn stood atop the head of the Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja.
He had finally approached the level of strength Senju Hashirama possessed in the original story!
The feeling of his spiritual energy undergoing qualitative change was truly wonderful.
If he wished, the Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja could reach over a thousand meters in height.
Yōkō looked around. Fortunately, they were in a remote wilderness, and no one had seen his Top Transformation: Buddha.
Dispelling the Thousand-Handed Vidyārāja, Yōkō prepared to see what other changes, besides Wood Release, came with his entry into the Super Kage level.
Yōkō suddenly frozen rigid.
His consciousness vanished from his body, forcibly pulled into a vast, empty Spirit Realm.
This is...
The place where Naruto and Sasuke met the Sage of Six Paths in the original story!
In the infinitely silent darkness was a shallow pool stretching as far as the eye could see.
Floating in the shallow pool was an old man.
The Sage of Six Paths!
Yōkō frowned. This feeling of being forcibly summoned was extremely unpleasant.
He didn't know what the Sage of Six Paths wanted to say or do.
***
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(Chapter End)