In the vast reaches of the multiverse, the divine beings and sages at his age had long since attained godhood or founded entire sects.
The primary issue was that Hiruko did not yet possess a true method for eternal life. His current magnum opus, the ritual, required the perfect alignment of three factors: the right timing, the geographical advantage of Mount Shumisen, and the third, most elusive condition—the occurrence of a solar eclipse.
As he realized that the next solar eclipse was still a distant point on the horizon—potentially decades away—Hiruko's expression darkened further. By that time, Naruto and Sasuke would be fully grown, while he would still be desperately clawing for a scrap of immortality.
While a solar eclipse wasn't a rare astronomical event globally, occurring two to five times a year, they were only visible from specific, narrow corridors of the earth. To witness one again in the exact same region often required a wait of ten years or more. And Mount Shumisen, an immovable pillar of heaven and earth, wasn't going to follow the eclipse around the globe.
Life was fleeting. How many decades did he have to squander?
What if I fail once? Hiruko pondered grimly. Would I have to end up like Orochimaru, surviving by constantly hopping from one meat-suit to another?
And how would that solve the eventual decay of the soul?
He was certain that he was the original master of this vessel; his soul from his previous world had transmigrated, consumed the original consciousness of this body, and claimed the identity. This body was his most compatible container.
Switching bodies? Out of the question.
His soul and flesh were tightly knit; a forced transition would lead to unpredictable spiritual dissonance. One day, when the mismatch reached a breaking point, he would find his path forward utterly blocked. "Unity of Soul and Flesh" was the only true path. At the peak of power, even a 0.0000001% mismatch could be the flaw that caused his entire existence to stall.
The thought of the soul-withered husks in his memories—neither human nor ghost—made him feel a surge of revulsion. The "Five Signs of Decay" were the inevitable trials on the road to spiritual immortality. He hardened his resolve. He had to obtain true, immutable soul-power.
Chimera Technique!
He chanted the name in his mind. He couldn't afford to be complacent. To achieve true eternity, he needed more contingencies, more comprehensive backup plans to ensure he stayed on the path.
Seeing Hiruko lost in thought, the Old Man, Hiruzen Sarutobi, smiled kindly. "Hiruko, I've watched you and Tsunade grow up. I'm at peace knowing she has someone like you."
He drifted back into idle chatter, but Hiruko's mind had already wandered far, barely registering the Old Man's rambling. New directions for his future development were already taking root. Hiruzen assumed the younger man was merely contemplating a future with Tsunade, but in reality, his words had acted as a fuse, detonating Hiruko's deep-seated obsession with immortality.
After making small talk for a while longer, Hiruzen sighed and stood up to leave. He truly wanted to play matchmaker for the two. Originally, he had high hopes for Jiraiya and Tsunade, but then Hiruko—a far more refined candidate—had emerged.
Between a gentle, handsome genius and a lecherous, greasy wanderer with similar "stats," it wasn't hard to guess who a woman would choose.
Moreover, Hiruko's value to the village was skyrocketing. Without strong emotional ties, Hiruko might one day leave if Konoha could no longer satisfy his ambitions. Thinking of his eldest disciple, Orochimaru, Hiruzen felt a dull ache in his head. Orochimaru's affection for the village was thinning by the day.
If Hiruko and Tsunade married, their shared love would act as an anchor, tethering Hiruko to the collective of Konoha. After all, the village was the most important thing to Tsunade.
He also hoped Hiruko could heal Tsunade's heart and restore her mental state. A depressed Tsunade and a Tsunade at full capacity were two entirely different strategic assets. A marriage would mitigate the risk of Hiruko becoming like Orochimaru—a man who viewed life with cold indifference and hovered on the fringes of the village.
To the Third, Hiruko was an honest, responsible lad. Though he had been socially awkward and solitary as a child, it was understandable—he had seen his parents die before his eyes. His nature wasn't wicked, and he and Tsunade were effectively childhood sweethearts. For years, he had quietly supported her.
The only thing left was to tear down that final paper-thin wall between them. To Hiruzen, if there was a foundation of feelings and they weren't getting any younger, why wait? Once a man marries, his heart changes. Once there are children, the sense of responsibility and the warmth of family would melt away any lingering coldness.
While the Third didn't know exactly why Hiruko felt like he had an invisible barrier between himself and the rest of the world, he believed a family would change that.
And he was right. As a transmigrator, how could Hiruko not feel a gap between himself and these "NPCs" from an anime? When he first arrived, he viewed everyone as characters following a set script.
Hiruzen and Danzō operated on opposite ends of the spectrum. Danzō was cold, demanding his subordinates discard all emotion to become "perfect" shinobi tools. Hiruzen, however, understood the complexity of the human heart. He used emotion to bind people together, knowing that no matter how much you brainwash or suppress someone, you can never truly erase their feelings. It was better to lean into that humanity, using those bonds to ignite the "Will of Fire."
"I did come here today for a specific reason," Hiruzen said, taking a puff of his pipe as his tone shifted. "It's about the Wood Style."
"You mentioned to Minato that achieving Wood Style isn't the hard part; the difficulty lies in replicating the sheer power of the First Hokage."
"Then there is Kushina Uzumaki. She is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, a woman... and she has been pregnant for a long time now."
"I was thinking..."
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