It was finally time to harvest the results.
Since it was "harvesting," naturally, one used either hands or tools.
Sasuke didn't get into any argument with Naruto. Trapped inside the genjutsu these past few days, Naruto had nothing to do but wait helplessly.
Sasuke's illusion was just an ordinary genjutsu, not Tsukuyomi, so there was no way to alter the flow of time.
However long passed inside the illusion, the same amount of time passed outside.
No matter how much Naruto tried talking to Sasuke from inside the illusion, Sasuke refused to tell him why he was using genjutsu on him.
In the end, Naruto compromised.
He said if it had to be genjutsu, then at least Sasuke could put something nice into the illusion.
For example, some limited-edition ramen to try, or a few manga and novels to pass the time.
Sasuke refused all of it.
According to Orochimaru's theory, he had to ensure that when Naruto provided Asura's power, Naruto remained focused on him alone!
So even inside the illusion, there could be no other elements distracting Naruto's attention.
During these days, Orochimaru sent over various things from time to time.
For example, fur from the Two-Tails, a fragment of the Three-Tails' shell, slime from the Six-Tails, and a packet of scale powder from the Seven-Tails.
After Nohara Rin was revived, her body got examined, and she turned out healthy with no defects.
Based on an earlier idea, Orochimaru adjusted the fusion-evolution device Hanabi used to enter Tenseigan Mode and made a new one for Rin.
This new Tailed Beast fusion-evolution device could use Naruto Uzumaki's body as a Tailed Beast transfer hub, allowing Rin to use the powers of the other Tailed Beasts.
That included Baryon Mode, which could also be powered by other Tailed Beast chakra to extend its duration and increase its power.
But to achieve that, the prophecy first had to be fulfilled—Naruto needed to simultaneously contain the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts.
Naruto already had the original Nine-Tails inside him, and later, the chakra of the Eight-Tails and the One-Tail got added as well.
The cat fur and similar items were all physical materials from the Tailed Beasts that could actually be collected.
Orochimaru handed them to Sasuke and had him shove them into Naruto's body along the way.
As for the Four-Tails and Five-Tails—the two from Iwagakure—unless they specifically went looking for them, they wouldn't be obtainable for the time being.
Iwagakure was one of the earliest villages to form an alliance, but that didn't help.
Those two jinchūriki were basically in a semi-defector state and didn't listen to the Tsuchikage at all.
Besides the Tailed Beast materials, Orochimaru thoughtfully sent Sasuke a few tools.
As mentioned earlier, the act of "harvesting" used either hands or tools.
What Orochimaru sent Sasuke were tools.
A gentleman isn't different by nature, he's simply skilled at making use of things.
If you wanted to drink milk, then naturally, you needed a cup.
Since inserting Tailed Beast material was rather like clearing a clogged pipe, Orochimaru also provided a special implement for pushing the Tailed Beast samples in.
And just like that, Sasuke finally got what he wanted, full of youthful satisfaction.
But that was only the beginning.
Orochimaru made it very clear: even Uchiha Madara, who bit off a piece of the First Hokage's flesh and grafted it onto himself, only awakened the Rinnegan when he was on the verge of death.
So the odds of activating it all in one go were extremely low.
But unlike Madara, Sasuke had the advantage of turning quantitative change into qualitative change.
He could use high-dose replenishment therapy. That is, continuously sucking in Asura's chakra!
The efficiency of that method would be way higher than Madara's!
...
Speaking of Uchiha Madara, over these past few days, Senju Tobirama worked without rest—though, of course, a reanimated body didn't actually need to eat or sleep anyway.
Tobirama was flying all over the shinobi world using Flying Thunder God, solely to gather materials for Madara's reanimation vessel.
Tobirama promised his older brother that after Madara was reanimated, he personally would do nothing to Madara.
So if he wanted to do anything at all, it had to be done before the reanimation!
After working and experimenting alongside Orochimaru for so long, Tobirama picked up a great deal of knowledge related to genetics.
With Orochimaru's current level of genetic tech, it was already possible to achieve something like what would later be seen in the Boruto era: creating an individual with a perfect Sage Mode physique.
That was the power of genetic refinement.
And Tobirama intended to do the exact opposite.
From Akimichi Ryoko, the fattest member of the Akimichi clan, Tobirama extracted high blood lipids, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.
From Rock Lee, he extracted the inability to use ninjutsu.
From sample cells left behind from the once-ailing but now fully healthy Kurama Yakumo, he extracted her body weakness.
Likewise, the illnesses found in sample cells left by Kaguya Kimimaro and Ringo Ameyuri got extracted too.
Tobirama even personally went to the Kaguya clan's mass grave and found the most severely osteoporosis-ridden remains there, extracting that trait as well.
Then he went to find Jiraiya, who was currently training in Sage Mode, and extracted kidney deficiency and... certain physical strain.
He found Ōnoki, who was now half-retired, and extracted a decline in mental sharpness.
At first, as a former Tsuchikage, Ōnoki rejected Tobirama's request to extract mental decline from him with righteous indignation.
But once Tobirama mentioned it was for preparing a body for Uchiha Madara, Ōnoki agreed immediately.
And so Tobirama traveled far and wide, tirelessly moving all across the shinobi world, and at last completed his terrible collection.
Moreover, every material was prepared in duplicate.
One set would be used to cultivate the reanimation sacrifice body itself, and after the Impure World Reincarnation was performed, another set would be implanted into it again to ensure the effects took hold!
"Tobirama, you've worked hard."
Deeply moved by his brother dedication, Hashirama patted him on the shoulder.
He watched with his own eyes all the effort his brother put into reanimating Madara these past few days.
Even if an Impure World Reincarnation body didn't feel physical fatigue, the heart could still grow weary.
Even when Tobirama previously did experiments with Orochimaru, he at least balanced work with rest. But these last few days, he didn't stop even once!
And yet that little Hyūga girl named Hanabi actually slandered his brother, saying things like, "When people are doing bad things, they don't feel tired!"
How stupid of her! His little brother clearly already let go of hatred and conflict!
'He's wholeheartedly preparing a suitable body for Madara so I can properly talk things through with him and guide him back onto the right path!'
...
Outside the village—in another stretch of open ground.
Senju Tobirama took a deep breath and slapped one hand down onto the dirt.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
A coffin slowly rose up from beneath the earth.
Senju Hashirama stared at the coffin with eager anticipation.
Makoto, Nagato, and Konan were watching from the side. As were a number of kids who came to watch the excitement.
Nagato came in person with his real body.
He wanted to see with his own eyes this legendary shinobi whom he never actually met, but who still influenced his entire life.
At the same time, he also wanted to see what expression this legendary shinobi would make when he discovered that Nagato himself could use Limbo!
Thunk.
A sound came from inside the coffin, like someone just tried to kick the lid open.
The coffin trembled slightly, then went still again.
"He was trying to kick the lid open, right?"
"Yeah. Looks like he failed."
"Was the coffin lid made with the First Hokage's Wood Release?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
"..."
-----
LMAOOOO Tobirama is the greatest hater of all time!