In the forest, Hikaru swept his gaze across his surroundings.
Only after confirming that his seals were still intact did he walk inside with a faint smile.
He knew checks like this sometimes seemed unnecessary. After all, his current strength had already reached an unimaginable level.
But caution was never a mistake.
Especially when this place concerned the very source of his power.
He would never allow himself to be careless here.
The war against Kumo had brought Hikaru gains beyond imagination. Aside from displaying his personal strength to the world, the seeds he had obtained from Kumo were also enough to put him in an excellent mood.
Lightning Release.
This was the seed Hikaru had never managed to obtain from beginning to end.
But this time, he had collected all of it in one go.
"And I really didn't expect my Wood Release to cooperate with my system like this."
This time, Hikaru had not gone around collecting seeds one by one.
After he woke from his sleep, his system had kept sending him notifications.
At first, even Hikaru was a little confused. But after spending some time examining the situation, he finally understood.
His Wood Release had absorbed those powers.
The Wood Release Hikaru used manifested in the form of trees. Whether it was Advent of a World of Flowering Trees or Deep Forest Emergence, both appeared as vast forests descending upon the battlefield.
And those two techniques shared one common trait.
They absorbed chakra.
Not every Wood Release technique possessed that ability.
Many Wood Release techniques simply relied on the hardness and force of wood to crush enemies. Others leaned more toward sealing or support.
Wood Release covered a very wide range.
It was not limited only to large-scale, wide-area techniques.
The reason people misunderstood it was simply because the memories Hashirama Senju left behind were far too overwhelming.
For Wood Release, techniques capable of absorbing chakra were basically high-level techniques.
And by coincidence, Hikaru had used exactly those kinds of techniques against Kumo.
Advent of a World of Flowering Trees. Wood Dragon. Kumo shinobi. The Eight-Tails.
All of them had been caught in high-level techniques capable of absorbing chakra.
Hikaru was a little puzzled as to why nothing like this had happened when he used Deep Forest Emergence in the past.
But after realizing that he had only obtained three seeds, he could not help but suspect that perhaps he simply had not killed enough people with Wood Release before.
If that was the case, then it was not hard to understand.
After all, he had never relied too heavily on Wood Release in battle before.
The number of people who had died directly under his Wood Release had not been that high.
This time, however, he had unleashed his full might and used Wood Release to lock down everyone on the battlefield.
Just how much chakra had he absorbed from those eight thousand Kumo shinobi?
Even Hikaru could not say for certain.
"If that's the case, then quantity really is a key factor. Just like the Ōtsutsuki planting trees. They wipe out entire planets to complete the process."
Wherever the Ōtsutsuki went, only deathly silence remained.
Their so-called "tree planting" left no survivors.
Rather than saying they were planting trees, it would be more accurate to say they were ending worlds.
In some ways, Hikaru felt that his system really did resemble the Ōtsutsuki a little.
If viewed from that angle, then quantity truly was an extremely important factor.
But the moment that thought crossed his mind, Hikaru's expression turned strange.
Was he supposed to imitate the Ōtsutsuki and launch a world-ending package deal?
Maybe he could ascend on the spot, unlock his genes, and directly become one of the legendary Ōtsutsuki?
"Forget it. I'm not that cold-blooded."
The moment that idea appeared, Hikaru could not help shivering.
Leaving aside whether he even had that kind of technique, even if he did, he might not dare to use it.
In a certain sense, this shinobi world was his home now.
He knew he likely had no way to return to that blue planet from his previous life.
And in this world, he had already formed many bonds.
He admitted that he had struck hard internally more than once, but he was still not deranged enough to become terminally insane.
If he destroyed an entire planet just to strengthen himself, completely ignoring everyone living on it, even if those people included his own friends...
"If that leader from the Third Reich saw me, he'd probably say he wasn't extreme enough compared to me."
Hikaru chuckled softly and stopped thinking about it.
Since he was not going to do it, there was no point dwelling on it.
He continued forward, and before long, he arrived in front of a tree.
Inside this tree was the newest sample he had planted before the war with Kumo began.
Kimimaro's bone.
Several months had quietly passed. Hikaru wanted to see how this bone had developed.
Kimimaro was doing fairly well in ANBU now.
ANBU already had quite a few rooms, and it had also taken in many orphans.
That boy's life in ANBU could now be considered decent.
Not only had he made some friends, he had also received careful instruction.
In other words, after Hikaru took him away from Kirigakure, the trajectory of his fate had already changed.
However, the evolution speed of that boy's bloodline truly left Hikaru speechless.
Hikaru felt that not forcing things along was already extremely merciful of him.
"There really aren't many people in the shinobi world as kind as me."
Hikaru shook his head and sighed, then placed his hand on the tree.
In an instant, his expression darkened again.
Then he fell silent.
He no longer knew how many times this had failed.
All he knew was that ever since he brought Kimimaro back, he had never once successfully obtained what he wanted from him.
This made Hikaru wonder whether he had been too kind to Kimimaro.
Perhaps he should start putting some pressure on the boy's progress.
After thinking it over, however, Hikaru eventually let it go.
There was no need for him to rush right now.
After all, he still had plenty of things to deal with.
His Yin and Yang Release were still in the middle of fusion.
In addition, he had obtained the Eight-Tails' seed this time, along with three Lightning Release seeds.
Hikaru knew that with the prestige he had gained from his overwhelming performance, he could directly fill the progress bars of all these seeds.
But what about after that?
His Jōgan still needed to be developed.
Obito and Black Zetsu had yet to come "deliver goods."
He still had not collected the chakra of the other tailed beasts.
Aside from improving his strength, the struggle for the Hokage position was also nearing its final stage.
Not only did Hikaru need to fight for the Hokage seat, afterward, he would also need to carry out a series of reforms to stabilize the situation.
In other words, he really did have quite a lot on his plate.
"So Kimimaro really is lucky. There truly aren't many people as merciful as me..."
...
"Another failed experiment?"
In another forest within Konoha, Orochimaru looked at the test subject in front of him and could not help shaking his head.
He no longer knew how many times he had failed.
But even though it had failed, he was still rather pleased.
Because with every failure, he could see some progress.
And that progress made him feel that he was getting closer and closer to completing the technique.
He had to admit, this technique was truly profound.
Even now, he still had not fully understood it.
That made him feel a little disappointed, but it also stimulated his motivation even further.
"Did you record everything?" Orochimaru looked at the test subject and asked.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied softly from behind him. "The start time and time of death have both been recorded."
Kabuto had already been with Orochimaru for quite some time, and he had changed greatly.
Orochimaru was not exactly a good person, but he could absolutely be considered a good teacher.
Since Hikaru had specifically requested that Orochimaru train Kabuto properly, Orochimaru had indeed done so.
The Kabuto of today was vastly different from the timid child who had first been sent over.
The cowardice from before was gone.
Now, he was calm and intelligent, and when handling various matters, he carried a composure that had not existed before.
That kind of mentality was not common.
Even Orochimaru felt that the boy was worth nurturing.
Because of that, Orochimaru taught him seriously.
To a certain extent, Orochimaru had already begun to view Kabuto as his own disciple.
"Good." Orochimaru nodded. "Observe the corpse carefully. Pay attention to as many details as possible, both inside and out..."
Orochimaru's tone was calm.
But as he spoke, he suddenly frowned.
Then he could not help licking his lips.
"I'll leave this place to you. I need to go meet your superior."
"Hm?" Kabuto's hand trembled slightly when he heard that. Then he asked with visible surprise, "Lord Hikaru is here?"
"Yes. That newly born 'God of Shinobi.'"
Orochimaru nodded, his gaze becoming rather complicated.
His feelings toward Senju Hikaru had always been complicated.
The same could be said for their relationship.
Hikaru had indeed given him tremendous protection, but Orochimaru had paid a heavy price in exchange for that protection.
Although he had also unexpectedly obtained the benefit of a resurrection technique, he still had to research that technique himself.
Orochimaru shook his head and walked outside.
He truly did not want to think too much about Hikaru, because that man was far too dangerous.
Orochimaru did not go out much, but he was still aware of what had happened in the outside world.
From the beginning of the war between Konoha and Kumo to its end, Orochimaru had been paying attention.
And when he learned that Konoha's commander was Hikaru, his interest became even stronger.
Orochimaru knew Hikaru was powerful.
After all, he had personally seen Hikaru fight that mysterious man with the Rinnegan and flatten an entire valley.
This time, Hikaru had faced eight thousand Kumo shinobi, the Fourth Raikage, and the Eight-Tails jinchūriki.
That was an exceptionally powerful lineup.
Even if Orochimaru were still in Konoha, such a force would have made his scalp tingle.
Even though Hikaru's strength was terrifying, Orochimaru did not think he could casually annihilate all of them.
Of course, he had never doubted that Hikaru would win.
But when Hikaru's terrifying battle record reached him, Orochimaru was still shocked.
At that moment, he realized that Hikaru's power was not as simple as he had imagined.
That man had truly become the same kind of existence as the God of Shinobi from the past.
"Sage Arts, Wood Release, and those strange eyes called the Jōgan."
Orochimaru silently pondered.
Hikaru had too many secrets.
His bloodline was also far too powerful.
In Orochimaru's eyes, Hikaru's bloodline potential had already surpassed Hashirama Senju's.
After all, Hashirama Senju did not possess a pair of eyes like that.
Most importantly, how old was Hikaru now?
At his current age, he had almost already displayed the same battle power Hashirama Senju possessed at his peak during the Warring States Period.
That kind of potential was truly not something Hashirama Senju could compare to.
"If only I could study your bloodline. How wonderful that would be."
Orochimaru sighed inwardly.
At this point, he had completely lost interest in Uchiha blood.
Looking at historical records, Hashirama Senju had basically suppressed Uchiha Madara.
Although the Senju Clan declined sharply after Hashirama and Tobirama passed away, it could not be denied that the Senju Clan had fought the Uchiha Clan for a thousand years.
Throughout history, they had rarely fallen behind.
And now, the Senju Clan had produced a monster like Senju Hikaru.
Even if the Senju Clan was currently in decline, its resurgence was already inevitable.
As for the Uchiha Clan, Orochimaru could not find anyone capable of comparing to Senju Hikaru.
That made him lose even more interest in Uchiha blood.
Aside from researching Living Corpse Reincarnation, he was now putting all his effort into cracking the secrets of the Senju Clan.
"Minister Hikaru, it truly has been a long time."
When Orochimaru arrived in the hall and saw Hikaru, he licked his lips and bowed slightly with rare respect.
Such a gesture was something rarely seen from Orochimaru.
"You're too polite, Lord Orochimaru."
Hikaru turned to look at Orochimaru, then smiled.
"You acting like this makes things difficult for me. After all, we're partners.
Even if I wanted Lord Orochimaru to become my subordinate, I would still need to consider whether Lord Orochimaru was truly willing."
"Minister Hikaru sees things very clearly."
Hearing Hikaru's words, Orochimaru smiled and straightened.
Making Orochimaru sincerely become someone's subordinate was no simple matter.
Orochimaru had indeed been impressed by Hikaru. Hikaru's strength truly amazed and frightened him.
But Orochimaru had always been a proud man.
Deep down, he still believed that his current inability did not mean he would remain unable in the future.
So even though Orochimaru was currently serving Hikaru, he only viewed their relationship as cooperation.
Hikaru stating it so directly actually made their relationship seem more harmonious.
Perhaps one day, Orochimaru would be truly convinced.
After all, Orochimaru did have such a precedent.
But not now.
Because Orochimaru was still working hard.
"Tell me, then. How is the technique I asked you to research?" Hikaru stood there with his arms crossed and asked calmly.
"The technique is extraordinary. Its design concept is almost unbelievable."
The moment Living Corpse Reincarnation was mentioned, Orochimaru's eyes lit up faintly.
But soon, he sighed again and became serious.
"However, this technique clearly has not been fully completed. I do not know whether that woman Chiyo deliberately gave an incomplete version, or whether she herself only reached this stage.
For this technique to truly have practical value, many adjustments are still necessary.
Whether it is chakra release, chakra usage, or connecting chakra to that mysterious and empty Pure Land, all of it requires a certain amount of experimentation.
Right now, I am constantly adjusting the precision of chakra release to determine how to reach the target more accurately.
At the same time, I must also study how to achieve the best conversion efficiency for chakra, so that the chakra is not wasted and the caster does not die before the target is revived."
Hikaru listened to Orochimaru and nodded silently.
Hikaru had actually suspected from the beginning that Chiyo would not give him the complete version of this technique.
Of course, the incomplete state might have been due to time.
Perhaps Chiyo herself had not finished researching it yet.
After all, in the original story, she truly used this technique thirteen years later to save Gaara by exchanging her own life.
Thirteen years was enough time for many things to change.
Not to mention Hikaru had obtained the technique more than three years ago.
Aside from timing, another possibility was also very likely.
Chiyo might simply not have handed over all of her research results.
Hikaru could understand that.
If he were in her position, he might not hand everything over either.
Anyone with the slightest insight could see how valuable this technique was.
In truth, Hikaru had never quite understood why Kakashi did not think of some way to obtain it after seeing it in the original story.
There was no point expecting much from Naruto and the others.
But Kakashi, the future Sixth Hokage, a man who had personally killed countless enemies, had somehow gone blank over this?
Not only him.
Even Tsunade had acted rather foolishly.
She had actually allowed Living Corpse Reincarnation to slip away for nothing.
With a few tricks, whether by using bonds to pressure Gaara, or by demanding compensation for that rescue operation, it would have been completely reasonable.
At worst, she could have used the Sand's invasion of Konoha three years earlier as grounds to demand reparations.
Hikaru refused to believe Sunagakure could withstand that pressure.
Yet the matter simply ended there.
The technique never appeared again.
That really made Hikaru feel it was unbelievable.
He could not tell whether his own heart was too black, or whether everyone in Konoha had been infected by Naruto and turned into naive fools.
But all of that belonged to the original story.
With Hikaru here, he would naturally never allow something like that to happen.
Of course, in a certain sense, such a thing could no longer happen anyway.
Because the technique was already in Hikaru's hands.
Although the technique was currently far from ideal, he still had Orochimaru.
Hikaru believed that with Orochimaru, the greatest scientific mind in the shinobi world after Senju Tobirama, it did not matter what Chiyo had intended.
Her plans were destined to fail.
"Then take your time. There's no need to rush this matter."
Thinking of that, Hikaru smiled.
"I trust Lord Orochimaru's ability. I always have."
"Then thank you for your kind words, Minister Hikaru." Orochimaru nodded lightly. "This may still take some time. I cannot say exactly how long. I hope Minister Hikaru will not blame me."
"Don't worry. I have time to wait." Hikaru said casually. "You can proceed slowly. And perhaps in the future, I can provide you with some materials."
The moment Orochimaru heard that, his pupils contracted slightly.
With his sharp mind, he instantly understood the meaning behind Hikaru's words.
There was only one way to provide materials.
Hikaru did not allow him to target innocent civilians of the Land of Fire, and Hikaru himself would naturally not do such a thing.
Suitable materials within the Land of Fire would most likely be enemy shinobi village spies, or death-row prisoners within the Land of Fire.
Those prisoners were basically thrown into jails after being caught.
If Hikaru wanted to provide Orochimaru with materials, he would naturally need those prisons to release people.
But to make those prisons release prisoners, he would either need to fully control the places that owned the prisons...
Or become the actual ruler of Konoha.
Hikaru was the ANBU Minister.
Ordinary prisons were under the Police Force's jurisdiction.
For Hikaru to dare say such a thing, either he had already obtained control of the Police Force, or...
"It seems Minister Hikaru's ambition is quite large."
Orochimaru licked his lips.
"Should I start calling you Hokage-sama after some time?"
"To be precise, the Fifth Hokage. Or Acting Hokage."
This time, Hikaru did not hide anything.
He admitted it directly.
His admission made Orochimaru fall silent once more.
After a long while, Orochimaru nodded.
"Indeed. Whether in prestige, strength, or achievements, Minister Hikaru already has enough.
And the vast ANBU has remained so stable in your hands. If Minister Hikaru advances one step further, then you will be Hokage."
"Feeling sorry for your teacher?" Hikaru raised a brow and asked with a smile.
"Not really. He is old. It is time for him to rest."
Orochimaru took a deep breath and said in a low voice.
"Then allow me to congratulate Lord Hikaru in advance."
"Then I thank Lord Orochimaru for the blessing."
Hikaru returned Orochimaru's words exactly as they were.
Hikaru could tell that Orochimaru still had feelings for Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Although Orochimaru killed Hiruzen in the original story, was that not also a way of helping Hiruzen?
Hiruzen was old.
Rather than letting him continue living in confusion, it was better to let him die in a spectacular finale.
And before he died, he displayed the responsibility a Hokage should have.
He allowed the younger generation to experience the cruelty of war.
He let them understand what the Hokage truly carried.
He also made them understand how precious the current peace truly was.
In a sense, that was the most perfect ending for Hiruzen Sarutobi.
In the Naruto world, it was truly difficult to say who was good and who was evil.
Because every named person, whether good or bad, had their own beliefs and was willing to fight to the end for those beliefs.
One could only say that differences in belief created so many stories of "justice and evil."
And every person's story was, in its own way, a legend.
...
In the Land of Rain, Nagato silently watched Black Zetsu leave.
Only after the rain swallowed Black Zetsu's presence completely did Nagato's gaze gradually turn cold.
During this period, he had been receiving Black Zetsu's guidance.
He had to admit, Black Zetsu was a very good teacher.
The things he taught had truly benefited Nagato greatly.
And during this time, Nagato had appeared to show enough trust in him.
But only Nagato himself knew that he had become increasingly wary of Black Zetsu.
Even Black Zetsu himself likely had not imagined that the Nagato who seemed foolish in front of him, who seemed to have completely believed in fate and destiny, would actually harbor such thoughts.
"Nagato."
Just then, Konan's worried voice sounded from behind him.
"Konan."
Nagato turned around and sighed softly.
"So it's you."
"Nagato, you finally stood up again..."
Konan looked at him, her eyes gradually growing wet.
Nagato's crippled body and Yahiko's death were nightmares Konan could never forget.
Now that Nagato had stood again, how could she not be moved?
But while she was moved, she was also deeply worried.
Because Nagato's current state was extremely strange.
Or rather, compared with his condition during this period, he seemed very different.
During this period, Nagato's behavior had been far too abnormal.
She had never expected Nagato to trust that half-black, half-white man so much.
She had never expected Nagato to believe his talk about fate and destiny.
What she found most unbelievable was that Nagato had actually felt responsible for the eight thousand Kumo shinobi killed by Konoha's Nightingale, Senju Hikaru.
Nagato had been deceived and controlled.
That was Konan's first thought.
But she did not know what to do.
Especially when Nagato seemed to trust that man so much, Konan could do even less.
Now, however, things seemed more complicated than she had imagined.
"Nagato, if it's inconvenient to say, then don't say it. After all..."
"He's gone. Don't worry."
Nagato cut Konan off before she could finish.
His gaze turned toward the distance, growing even colder.
"I was pretending before. Because..."
At this point, Nagato paused slightly.
Then he almost gritted his teeth as he continued.
"Because that damn thing wanted to control me!"
Konan froze when she heard that.
She had never expected there to be such a situation behind all of this.
Not only her—even if Black Zetsu were standing here, he would likely be stunned as well.
Because he never imagined that Nagato had seen through him.
In truth, Nagato had never trusted Black Zetsu from the beginning.
Even though Black Zetsu's words had helped him regain his conviction, Nagato had still noticed a problem afterward.
Why did this black creature know far more than that so-called Uchiha Madara?
Nagato remembered the situation clearly.
That so-called Uchiha Madara had clearly known nothing, but Black Zetsu understood many hidden secrets.
From that moment on, Nagato began to doubt him.
He even began doubting every word Black Zetsu said and everything he did.
He felt there was definitely a major problem there.
Even that so-called theory of fate became something he doubted.
Was Senju Hikaru his destined enemy?
Perhaps.
After all, the power displayed by those eyes had truly made Nagato's heart tremble.
Or perhaps not.
Because Nagato had truly never heard such a legend involving the Sage of Six Paths.
But at the time, Nagato's condition did not allow him to voice any of those doubts.
He had been too weak.
If he had shown suspicion, his eyes might have been taken.
If it had only been his eyes, that would have been one thing.
But Nagato was completely certain that those two would definitely have acted against Konan as well.
Therefore, he had to bury his doubts.
He had to see what those people truly wanted.
To his surprise, Black Zetsu had indeed been helping him heal his body.
And his body had indeed been recovering.
However, during that recovery process, he was shocked to discover that the man had tampered with his body.
Even Black Zetsu probably had not expected that the curse mark he left behind while helping Nagato fuse with White Zetsu's power had already been discovered.
With the help of the Rinnegan, Nagato's fusion had proceeded extremely well.
That was why Black Zetsu had been worried about whether his curse mark would be effective.
But Nagato did not know what Black Zetsu was thinking.
All he knew was that the man had planted something in him.
He wanted to control him.
After discovering that, Nagato knew he had to find a way to solve the problem.
He did not know what effect the curse mark had, but he could not take the risk.
So he could only pretend with Black Zetsu.
To make the man believe he had fully accepted the theory of destiny, Nagato forced himself to act foolish.
He acted stupid enough to be convincing.
Although Nagato did not know whether it had worked, the man had left for now.
"Control you?" Konan's face changed immediately when she heard this. "Are you all right? What exactly did he—"
"I'm fine for now. But I need to think of a solution."
Nagato said calmly.
"I will not simply surrender. And someone like him should not dream of controlling me!"
"Because I am the same as Senju Hikaru."
"A god walking among men."
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