Inside the moon, Natsuhiko sat slumped weakly on the ground. His entire body was wracked with intense pain, and the sensation was truly awful
He couldn't even remember the last time he had been in such a state. Even during his most brutal days in the ANBU, the injuries he had suffered back then couldn't compare to what he was dealing with now.
Taking a deep breath, Natsuhiko quickly mobilized the chakra inside his body and began recovering.
Although his chakra had already hit rock bottom, his recovery ability was still there.
Relying on the chakra in his body to recover, then using it to drive Yang Release and heal his injuries, was the only thing Natsuhiko could do right now.
"That damned bastard..."
Natsuhiko cursed inwardly. In the previous battle, he had used True Several Thousand Hands at the final moment.
And that technique had truly drained Natsuhiko completely.
Whether it was his own chakra, the Tailed Beasts' chakra, the Jōgan, senjutsu, or Yin–Yang Release, every one of them had now reached the bottom.
Otherwise, Natsuhiko would still have been able to mobilize Yang Release to help himself recover, instead of lying here like a dead dog.
"But no matter what, I still survived." Natsuhiko thought with a quiet sigh. His dark eyes swept across the surroundings.
At this moment, the interior of the Moon had completely changed.
Flames and thick smoke spread wantonly into the distance.
The sky was filled with all kinds of debris, and the originally bright sun now appeared exceptionally dim.
The temple standing above the clouds had also lost the protection of its barrier.
It looked so precarious now, constantly swaying with the wind.
There did not seem to be any other survivors inside the Moon anymore. Aside from Natsuhiko himself, everyone else seemed to have died in the previous collision.
Whether it was Ōtsutsuki Shinya or the clansmen of the Ōtsutsuki clan, all of them had vanished without a trace within Natsuhiko's perception.
However, Natsuhiko did not completely relax. In a place like this, he truly could not afford even the slightest carelessness.
Therefore, he continued using his perception to observe his surroundings. He had already killed Ōtsutsuki Shinya, and he really did not want to stumble at the final step while collecting the spoils.
He did not know exactly how long he lay there, but Natsuhiko finally managed to recover quite a bit.
He forced himself to stand up, and the moment he moved, intense pain spread through his body once more.
However, he could still endure this level of pain. As a qualified shinobi, Natsuhiko naturally possessed a strong tolerance for suffering.
Taking a deep breath, he immediately began coughing. The air was filled with strange dust everywhere.
These particles entered his nose and mouth along with the smoke and dust, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
But he did not complain. After all, when all was said and done, he had contributed to this mess as well.
Unless the situation was special, Natsuhiko would honestly acknowledge the things he had done.
This had nothing to do with whether he was honest or not. It was merely Natsuhiko's own habit.
Raising his head and looking at the temple in the sky, Natsuhiko suddenly frowned.
Because he abruptly realized something. With his current chakra level, trying to get up there was nothing but wishful thinking.
He did possess the ability to fly, but that ability came from the Jōgan's control over gravity.
With his current chakra reserves, forget activating the Jōgan—whether he could control anything after activating it was a problem in itself.
In the end, the consumption had simply been too great, and Natsuhiko was genuinely helpless about it.
Sighing softly, Natsuhiko now had to properly think about what he should do next.
Clearly, he could now be considered to have conquered the Moon. Even though everything had been reduced to complete ruin, he had still accomplished his objective.
It was just that the heavily damaged Moon was truly far too hostile to Natsuhiko.
What he wanted was still hanging in the sky, and if he wished to reach it, he would first need some time to recover.
The most fatal issue was that Natsuhiko had also noticed that, seemingly because he had killed Ōtsutsuki Shinya, the situation inside the Moon had begun to change as well.
Everything inside the Moon was controlled by the Tenseigan, and Natsuhiko had some guesses about how Ōtsutsuki Shinya had controlled it.
During the previous battle, he had discovered that the shakujō in that man's hand was the truly crucial item.
That shakujō seemed to be a product materialized through Yin–Yang Release, and there was also a special chakra within it.
If nothing unexpected had happened, that chakra should have been the Tenseigan's chakra.
By using that chakra to truly communicate with the Tenseigan, he could ultimately make his own chakra resonate with the Tenseigan and achieve the effect of controlling it.
But as for where that shakujō had gone now, Natsuhiko had absolutely no idea.
After all, the battle had been so intense that even Natsuhiko himself had been beaten into a miserable state. How could he possibly have taken care of every detail?
And now, the problem had arrived. Without that damned shakujō, Natsuhiko had no way to deal with the environmental changes inside the Moon.
Putting that issue aside, as a shinobi, Natsuhiko could still endure these environmental problems.
But as a human being, how could Natsuhiko possibly survive properly without eating or drinking?
He had not brought any rations at all this time, because to him, he had never felt that he needed to stay in this cursed place for very long.
Moreover, even if he did need to stay for some time, there were people living here, so he did not have to worry about having nothing to eat during that period.
But in this damned situation, even if Natsuhiko wanted to eat dirt, it would be difficult.
Because the ground had already been scorched black. There was no need to heat it any further, but was that really something he could eat?
This situation truly left him incomparably helpless. He even discovered that he could not return the way he had come.
Space had already recovered. There was no mistake about that. Natsuhiko could already use the Flying Thunder God Technique again.
But another problem had appeared. With the Tenseigan having turned into this wretched state, Natsuhiko truly was not certain whether those spatial passages were still effective.
Putting aside the issue of the teleportation formations, Natsuhiko might not even be able to investigate the situation right now.
Because of the destruction caused by the previous battle, he genuinely could not be certain whether the protective barrier outside the Moon was still functioning.
If he rashly ran to the lunar surface and the barrier had already failed, then his ending might be becoming trash drifting through space.
Thinking of this, Natsuhiko felt an even greater headache coming on. He knew there was also a teleportation formation inside the Moon — the same one Naruto and the others had once used.
The problem was that the Moon's interior was truly enormous. Searching through it one place at a time was no easy task.
Especially now that the inside of the Moon had been reduced to such a miserable state, while Natsuhiko himself was also in poor condition. Accomplishing it would be anything but easy.
"Sigh. I should find a relatively safe place first and recover as much chakra as possible."
After thinking it over, Natsuhiko could only let out a faint sigh in the end.
Flames had already begun spreading around him, so naturally, he could not continue staying here.
Moreover, this place was still very far from the majestic temple in the sky. If Natsuhiko wanted to get there by walking alone, it would probably take quite some time.
Therefore, Natsuhiko simply set off now. After all, his goal was precisely to get up there.
His speed was not fast. After consuming such an enormous amount of chakra, even if he wanted to move quickly, he could not.
But as he walked, he suddenly sensed that there were still living people not far away from him.
This immediately made him become alert. He slowly walked over, and then he let out a breath of relief.
There were only two enemies. Their eyes were sunken in, which meant their eyes had already disappeared.
Their faces were somewhat twisted, and one could imagine how much pain they had suffered earlier. Although they were still alive, they were already on their last breaths.
Seeing this, Natsuhiko took out a kunai, intending to put them out of their misery.
However, just as he stepped in front of the two of them, he suddenly paused.
Because he abruptly realized that they might still be useful.
What use could two blind, heavily injured people — utterly unable to move and already on the verge of death — possibly have?
Strictly speaking, they were indeed useless. But for someone who had mastered the Edo Tensei, that was not necessarily true.
And Natsuhiko was clearly one of those people. He had even once used the technique alongside Hidan to resurrect Hatake Sakumo.
However, the Edo Tensei required certain specific sacrifices in order to revive the dead.
But this matter was not much trouble for Natsuhiko. If it were other things related to daily necessities, he might truly not have them.
But if it was material needed to resurrect a specific person, he really did have that.
He had always kept Senju Hashirama's materials on his person. Those were given to him by that good Samaritan, Danzō.
Even though Natsuhiko had already obtained what he wanted through the system, he had not thrown away those pieces of flesh.
Apart from that, Natsuhiko had also already prepared Senju Tobirama's materials. After he resurrected Hatake Sakumo, he had begun making preparations.
For someone whose neck was getting closer and closer to the rope hanging from the chandelier, resurrecting the dead and making them work properly had long since been part of his plan.
Therefore, preparing the materials in advance was only natural.
If he had not been worried that he could not beat him, or rather that he simply could not control him well enough, Natsuhiko would even have planned to get his hands on Uchiha Madara's materials.
One had to know that Uchiha Madara really was dead.
No matter how difficult his materials were to find, with someone like Orochimaru around, did Natsuhiko need to worry about not finding them?
"This really is a gift delivered right to my door."
Thinking this, Natsuhiko directly put the kunai away.
Right now, he was surviving alone inside the Moon. He could endure loneliness and the like.
But his current injuries made it impossible for him to search for an exit, or to deal with trouble if he encountered any.
By summoning the Edo Tensei and relying on the immortal bodies of those revived through it, Natsuhiko could still have them help him with quite a few things.
"Besides, I'm also a Senju, and I'm also the Fifth Hokage. Isn't it perfectly normal for these two previous Hokage to come out and help?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Natsuhiko directly took out two scrolls from his pocket, then tore open the sealing scrolls.
Stored inside these scrolls were the "materials" of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. These were the truly crucial items.
Moreover, his movements had to be fast now. After all, the two people in front of him clearly could not hold on much longer.
It was rare to encounter two living people. If they died right in front of him, that would be a huge loss.
Right now, he still needed to use Yang Release chakra to recover himself. How could he possibly use such precious chakra to save these two?
"Ninja Art: Edo Tensei."
After completing all his preparations, Natsuhiko immediately began forming hand seals.
At that moment, his already meager chakra rapidly drained away once more.
Two summoning formations instantly spread out beneath his feet. As countless strips of Edo Tensei paper emerged, Natsuhiko knew the technique had succeeded.
The papers wrapped around the two bodies with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, they had already been completely enveloped.
They did not even have time to scream before their forms began to change.
A moment later, the two figures that had originally lain limp on the ground slowly rose to their feet.
Their eyes were dull and lifeless. However, that emptiness soon gave way to confusion.
Then a trace of awareness appeared in their eyes, quickly transforming into vitality as their consciousness rapidly returned.
"Where... is this?" Suddenly, Senju Hashirama moved. He raised his head, looked around, and let out a puzzled sound.
"The human world? And a battlefield?"
"Elder Brother!"
At that moment, a voice sounded from behind him. Turning his head, he saw the figure of his younger brother, Senju Tobirama.
However, his expression soon became strange, because Tobirama did not look like a living person at all.
His body appeared to be covered in a layer of Edo Tensei dust, yet beneath it was clearly someone else's body.
"Looks like it's the Edo Tensei. Tch. To think I was summoned back to the human world by my own ninjutsu. How ironic."
Seeing Senju Hashirama's gaze, Senju Tobirama immediately lowered his head and checked himself. Then he snorted coldly.
Raising his head, his gaze swept across the surroundings once before finally landing on Natsuhiko.
"Did you do this, brat... wait, your clothes?"
"Aren't you reacting a little too slowly, Tobirama?"
Senju Hashirama suddenly revealed a joyful smile. He slapped his younger brother heavily on the shoulder, then laughed loudly.
"That's the Hokage's ceremonial robe. You only noticed it now?
"Looks like you've been dead for too long. Even your reactions have slowed down."
"Elder Brother!" Senju Tobirama shouted at Senju Hashirama through gritted teeth. Only then did he let out a helpless sigh.
Facing this unreliable elder brother of his, he truly had no particularly good method to deal with him.
Therefore, he simply turned his gaze toward the man wearing the Hokage's ceremonial robe. At this moment, he truly had far too many doubts in his heart.
He had also already released his perception. However, when his senses swept over Natsuhiko, his expression changed slightly.
Because he sensed his elder brother's power, or rather, a power similar to his elder brother's, yet somewhat different.
"Who are you?"
At this moment, Senju Tobirama became somewhat vigilant.
"And where is this place?"
"What's wrong, Tobirama?"
Senju Tobirama's condition left Senju Hashirama somewhat puzzled. However, after he carefully observed Natsuhiko, he also froze for a moment before smiling.
"Not bad at all, child. But I think it would be better for you to introduce yourself."
"Of course, First Hokage, Second Hokage."
Natsuhiko forced a smile. Although he was currently exhausted, he could still hold on.
"I am Senju Natsuhiko, the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure."
Senju Natsuhiko?
Hearing that name, both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama froze for a moment.
Then the two reacted almost identically and smiled. Tobirama completely lowered his guard at that moment.
As for Hashirama, he burst into hearty laughter and heavily slapped Tobirama on the shoulder once again.
Tobirama was clearly displeased by this, but Hashirama did not care in the slightest.
Another Hokage had emerged from the Senju clan. To them, this was unquestionably good news.
Perhaps Hashirama had not thought too deeply about it yet.
But Tobirama's thoughts were somewhat different. After all, before his death, he had personally passed the position of Hokage to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Natsuhiko, was it?"
Hashirama appeared extremely cheerful at that moment. Although he could guess that they were currently on a battlefield, he did not seem to care about it at all.
"The Fifth Hokage, huh? Looks like Konoha has developed quite well!
"By the way, the Second Hokage is Tobirama. Who came after that?"
"The Third was Saru."
Senju Tobirama stood to the side with his arms crossed, casually answering.
"I was ambushed by people from Kumogakure and was too heavily injured to leave, so I handed the position of Hokage to Saru."
"You really acted recklessly."
Senju Hashirama raised his brows, seeming somewhat unhappy.
"I told you before, the Hokage is chosen by everyone, not decided by you alone. For you to do this..."
"Be silent, Elder Brother!"
Senju Tobirama seemed to have finally had enough of Senju Hashirama and directly interrupted him.
"The situation was urgent back then, and I also gave him my test.
"He passed. He was a suitable Hokage. Besides, the position has already reached the Fifth Hokage now, which proves Konoha is doing fine.
"And our successor is watching right here, so could you please shut up?"
Senju Tobirama's rapid-fire words directly left Senju Hashirama's expression stiff. In the end, Hashirama could only lower his head helplessly, looking incomparably dejected.
Clearly, he knew that he could not win against his younger brother when it came to this kind of matter. Or rather, he had no energy to argue over such things.
He understood very well that the greatest difference between him and his younger brother was that he was an idealist, while his younger brother was a realist.
When he had been Hokage, everyone respected him. Apart from his overwhelming strength, another reason was that he treated others with sincerity.
But he also knew clearly that without his younger brother's help, his time as Hokage would absolutely not have been peaceful.
He would not use power to rule Konoha. He had never done such a thing before, because he regarded everyone in Konoha as his family.
Moreover, he also knew that if he used power to rule Konoha, no one knew how many problems it would create and leave behind.
Therefore, when he was Hokage, he chose to listen to Senju Tobirama on many matters.
And Senju Tobirama had also displayed his ability to govern, as well as methods far beyond ordinary people.
Even though they held completely different views on many things, his younger brother had also proven that he was right about many matters.
"Good. The annoying guy has shut up."
Looking at Senju Hashirama's dejected appearance, Senju Tobirama did not pay him any mind at all. He turned his gaze back to Natsuhiko.
"The Third was Saru. What about the Fourth?
"And what year of Konoha is it now? Has war broken out in the shinobi world again?"
"The Fourth Hokage was named Namikaze Minato. He was seriously injured, so I became Hokage."
Natsuhiko was not surprised by the behavior of the two brothers. He spread his hands and spoke.
"As for the current year, it is Konoha Year 52. And this can't really be considered a war. The battle has already ended."
"Huh? The battle has already ended?"
Senju Hashirama's previously incomparably dejected appearance instantly vanished. He raised his head in surprise and looked at Natsuhiko.
"Then why did you summon us out? Also, how is it only Konoha Year 52? Five Hokage have already changed in just over fifty years?"
"Kid, what exactly is going on?"
Senju Tobirama's expression also changed slightly. He truly had not expected that, in just fifty short years, Konoha would have already gone through five Hokage.
This gave him a very, very bad premonition. Could it be that something major had happened to Konoha, causing the Hokage position to constantly change?
In Senju Tobirama's view, this situation could have been caused by war, or it could have been internal conflict.
Senju Hashirama's thoughts, however, were much simpler. In his view, this was probably caused by war.
Especially considering the environment they were currently in, this made him sigh helplessly once again.
"It's actually not that big of a deal. Let's walk while I explain."
Looking at their expressions, Natsuhiko knew what they were thinking. He could not help but sigh slightly, then began explaining simply.
Along with Natsuhiko's explanation, the expressions of the two brothers kept changing.
When they heard that Sarutobi Hiruzen had become the longest-serving Hokage, had carried forward the things Senju Tobirama left behind, and had allowed Konoha to flourish, both of them could not help but smile.
After all, Konoha was the result of their painstaking effort.
But when they heard what Sarutobi Hiruzen had done after taking office, both their expressions changed.
However, Natsuhiko had no intention of filing endless complaints against Sarutobi Hiruzen. He very straightforwardly explained the old man's situation at the time.
This immediately made both Hokage fall silent, especially Senju Tobirama, who helplessly closed his eyes.
Of course he understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's approach, because if he had stood in that position himself, the choices he made probably would not have been much better.
Understanding was one thing, but anger was still anger.
Fortunately, when Senju Tobirama heard how Natsuhiko had risen to power through a series of calculated moves, successfully retaliated against Sarutobi Hiruzen, and thoroughly suppressed them, he could not help but laugh.
Yet even as he laughed, he felt an indescribable bitterness in his heart.
Without exception, every person Natsuhiko had struck back against had been his own disciple.
That feeling was truly unbearable. If possible, he would rather never have learned any of it at all.
Compared to Senju Tobirama's complicated feelings, Senju Hashirama was much calmer.
Perhaps it was because he had already accepted the fact that he was dead.
Although he was also angry and furious, after learning that Natsuhiko had already taken his revenge, he ultimately let it go.
What he cared about more now was Natsuhiko's strength. Natsuhiko had said that he had single-handedly dealt with Kumogakure's eight-thousand-man army.
And the technique he had used was Wood Release. Especially after hearing that Natsuhiko could even use True Several Thousand Hands, Hashirama's eyes began to shine.
That was Wood Release.
Those were his own ultimate techniques.
Natsuhiko said he had accidentally awakened Wood Release five or six years ago, and his chakra aura was so similar to Hashirama's. Did that not mean...
"You've worked hard, child."
Thinking of this, Senju Hashirama smiled and patted Natsuhiko on the shoulder.
"But you're the Hokage now. You have to do your best!"
"I understand, Lord First."
Natsuhiko smiled and nodded. He was truly exhausted now, but fortunately, everything had been explained.
"However, I have a question I want to ask you."
Senju Hashirama's smile remained, but for some reason, Natsuhiko felt that his smile seemed a little strange.
"Please ask, Lord First."
"You're Tsunade's child, right? Then why don't you call me Great-Grandfather?"
"????"
Hearing Senju Hashirama's words, Natsuhiko was genuinely filled with question marks.
Although, in terms of age alone, it did seem to fit, how could he possibly have any connection to Tsunade?
One had to know that Natsuhiko had even admitted in private that he did not wish to see Tsunade return.
How could someone who said something like that possibly have any connection to her?
Looking at Senju Hashirama's expression, Natsuhiko could only sigh helplessly. He seemed to understand why the man would think that way.
In the end, it was still because of Wood Release — or more precisely, the power within him that resembled Senju Hashirama's.
After all, the power that had allowed Natsuhiko to rise was called the "Fragmented Power of Ashura," while Senju Hashirama was the inheritor of the most complete power of Ashura.
How could their chakra not be somewhat similar?
If Natsuhiko's power had not been overly complicated, causing his chakra to undergo considerable changes, then even saying they were identical would have been perfectly reasonable.
However, Natsuhiko would never reveal such a miraculous matter. This was Natsuhiko's own secret. No matter who the other party was, he would absolutely not disclose anything about it.
Of course, what needed to be explained still had to be explained.
Speaking of which, whether his own parents had any connection to these two before him was something Natsuhiko himself did not know either.
If judged by hair color, Natsuhiko felt that he should be closer to Senju Tobirama.
"About that, Lord First, you've misunderstood."
Natsuhiko laughed awkwardly, spread his hands, and explained.
"Lady Tsunade has never married and has no children. I have no relationship with her."
"What?"
A trace of astonishment appeared on Senju Hashirama's face.
"You're not her child? Then your power is..."
"I don't know what happened either, but I did indeed awaken this power."
Natsuhiko looked confused as well, and at the same time, extremely tired.
"And didn't I say earlier? Aside from Wood Release, what I'm best at is actually Water Release and the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Also, isn't my hair white? That makes me seem more like Lord Second, doesn't it?"
Natsuhiko's words made Senju Hashirama's expression turn slightly bitter, but not because Natsuhiko was not his direct bloodline.
The reason for his bitterness was that Tsunade still had not married even now.
Judging by age, Tsunade should already be in her forties by now, right?
In their war-torn era, someone in their forties would already be old enough to be a grandmother.
Yet Tsunade was still alone. This truly made Senju Hashirama feel somewhat unable to accept it.
As for Senju Tobirama, he raised his brows. He had long since noticed the issue of Natsuhiko's hair color.
Likewise, in Natsuhiko's previous explanation, he had also said that he was extremely skilled in the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Looking at these two aspects, it seemed this brat was more like his descendant.
Most importantly, this brat had extremely sharp political instincts, and his methods were also very flexible.
When it was time to be tough, he was absolutely tough. Otherwise, how could he have killed the former ANBU commander in front of everyone?
There was also the matter of forcing Sarutobi Hiruzen into abdication and directly killing Shimura Danzō alive.
Temperament, methods, and ability—Natsuhiko possessed them all. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, Natsuhiko's political enemy, had been completely convinced by him.
He had even acknowledged that this brat was the Hokage, and at the most critical moment, he had switched sides.
Of course, Senju Tobirama could be certain that even if Sarutobi Hiruzen had not switched sides, Natsuhiko still would have won.
Because the feeling this brat gave him was practically that of another version of himself, or perhaps even a more outstanding version.
Suddenly, Senju Tobirama's expression became strange, because he realized that this brat was practically a fusion of himself and his elder brother.
"He has my political sharpness and sufficiently strong methods, while also possessing Elder Brother's strength. This brat is simply..."
Senju Tobirama knew very well that both he and his elder brother had their own flaws.
Hashirama's flaw was that he was far too kind and overly idealistic.
Perhaps the only idea from Uchiha Madara that Tobirama had ever agreed with was one thing: unifying the entire shinobi world.
But that proposal had been rejected by Hashirama, which left him feeling deeply helpless.
As for Tobirama's own flaw, it was just as obvious. His strength was still considerable compared to most people.
But when placed beside his elder brother and Uchiha Madara, the gap was truly vast.
If he had possessed his elder brother's strength back then, he would not have been killed by those two lunatics from Kumogakure.
But now, Konoha had actually produced such a person. How could he not feel delighted? How could he not feel happy?
Especially since this brat was also from their Senju clan.
"Forget it. Let's not talk about these things."
While Senju Tobirama was deep in thought, Senju Hashirama spoke with a gloomy expression.
"Natsuhiko, although you are our descendant, you are already the Hokage, and we are all from the same clan. So there's no need to be so formal. Just call me by my name."
"Is that so? Understood, Hashirama-senpai,"
After thinking for a moment, Natsuhiko simply nodded.
"Very good. At least this makes me feel like I'm not that old yet, even though I wasn't old when I died either."
Senju Hashirama laughed loudly once again, while Senju Tobirama helplessly covered his face with one hand.
"By the way, Natsuhiko, what is the situation with you summoning us?
"At first, I thought it was because of war, and I wanted to remind you that the current us cannot display much strength.
"But I remember you said this isn't a war. Then what is this place, and what exactly is going on?"
"This place..."
Natsuhiko sighed faintly, then slowly spoke.
"This is the Moon. As for summoning you two, on one hand, I hope you can protect me. On the other hand, I need people to help me."
...
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