Chapter 110: Soul, Madara's Body, and Formless Power

Facing doubts and a lack of recognition, especially from a child who had seemed so close to him at first glance, was difficult.

If Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't already introduced him as the Fourth Hokage's son, and if the Fourth Hokage hadn't mentioned that his wife's name was Kushina from Uzumaki Clan, he might have thought this child was his great-grandson.

With blonde hair like Tsunade's and such a strong life force, it would have made sense for him to be his great-grandson.

The First Hokage was overshadowed by a low mood, appearing dejected, yet his emotions and inner state remained stable. "You all think I'm wrong, don't you?" he asked.

Naruto and the Second Hokage simultaneously shook their heads and uttered the same word: "No."

The two exchanged surprised glances.

The Second Hokage waved his hand and turned his head away.

Naruto continued, "I don't think your approach was wrong. Concentrating uncontrollable violence and organizing it under management is indeed one way to solve the problem. During your reign as the First Hokage, wasn't the world peaceful for a time?"

The First Hokage nodded. After the establishment of Konoha, until Madara's attack, those few years were the happiest and proudest of his life. World peace, with children not having to step onto the battlefield.

"But as I just said," Naruto added, "to whom did you entrust the power to wield this blade? First Hokage, you were the God of Ninja. As long as you were alive, no one dared to defy you. But the moment you died, war broke out again. Ninja are instruments of war. This fact doesn't seem to have changed because of your actions."

The Gotei 13 is also a "violent organization." However, the Captain-Commander possessed enough strength to suppress all those with ill intentions. There is darkness in the Soul Society as well. But at least, in the hearts of ordinary squad members and even most captains, they believe their mission is to maintain the stability of the Three Realms. A sufficiently established and deeply felt sense of duty unites the Shinigami, preventing them from abusing their power.

The First Hokage lowered his head, remaining silent.

"My brother was particularly naïve in this regard," the Second Hokage began, his tone less calm than before. "He thought the world could change through the example set by him and the Senju clan."

"Isn't that true?" the First Hokage retorted.

The Second Hokage didn't even glance at him. "He handed over power and strength to others. For example, he indulged in trusting that naturally evil clan."

The First Hokage shouted angrily, "Tobirama, how many times have I told you not to speak of the Uchiha that way!"

"Brother, I'm the one talking to him now," the Second Hokage responded dismissively.

After a slight pause, he continued speaking to Naruto, "My brother even wanted to give away the Tailed Beasts to other ninja villages for free. He thought that if everyone had similar power, they would balance each other, and war would never break out. But..."

He clicked his tongue, leaving the sentence unfinished and changing the topic. "Naruto, right? You make a good point. If ninja can't shed the label of being instruments of war, then war will never disappear. Unless my brother could live forever."

The Second Hokage crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. "So, is that why you no longer want to be a ninja? You don't want to live as an instrument of war anymore. But... what do you intend to do? Do you plan to destroy Konoha, destroy the ninja villages, and establish a new order?"

The more he spoke, the lower his voice became. Even as a spirit, he exuded a terrifying presence, his chakra surging, almost as if it could swallow the young man before him.

This presence...

Naruto smiled and shook his head, releasing a bit of his energy.

The First Hokage's expression changed slightly.

The Second Hokage's face began to twist.

This kid is so powerful? He even gives me a "fatal" feeling. Not inferior to my brother at all. And extremely effective against spirits like me. If the pressure were increased any further, I might very well "vanish completely."

"You don't really understand me," Naruto said softly, raising his hand. "Konoha, to me, is a very fragile and weak place. If I wanted to destroy it, it would have ceased to exist when I first chose to leave. As for what I want to do?"

At this point, the ground shook violently. Within the crystal mountain, cracks began to appear. The power beneath began to corrode, threatening to break the third and final barrier.

Naruto frowned, pausing his words. He smiled at the Second Hokage, "When we meet again in the Pure Land, you will know what I want to do. But for now, I have something I want to say to my father."

Namikaze Minato looked at him.

The transmission of the other half of the Nine-Tails was nearing its end, the last bit of power flowing into Naruto through their connected arms.

Naruto raised his hand, bringing his two fingers together, and touched his father's hand. A small sealing technique was immediately formed.

Minato looked at the seal, sensing a force within that was entirely different from chakra.

"When we meet in the Pure Land, Dad, you can break the seal," Naruto continued. "What's inside will tell you what I want you to do."

Namikaze Minato pondered, "Is it related to them?" He was referring to the group of Shinigami in the "Soul Society."

Naruto nodded.

He had left a trace of "Shinigami power" within this seal, along with some information related to "Shinigami" and "chakra."

Back in the Soul Society, research had already shown that if a portion of Shinigami power was given to a human with spiritual energy, it might be possible to create a human Shinigami.

Before preparing to undo the "Reaper Death Seal" technique, Naruto had considered how to turn his parents into Shinigami.

Stabbing them wasn't realistic.

His father was now in a spiritual state.

If Naruto were to stab him, he feared that his father would be completely obliterated by the attack before he could even receive the Shinigami power.

Moreover, a soul becoming a Shinigami doesn't require someone else to instill power.

It's the soul with spiritual energy that undergoes training and becomes a Shinigami.

So, it's best to stick to the most straightforward method—unless his father lacked the talent for "spiritual energy," which was almost impossible.

Although there were only two examples, both he and Nine-Tails had demonstrated that the more chakra one possessed, the stronger their talent for spiritual energy.

"I understand," Minato nodded, smiling slightly. "Is this what Naruto is thinking?"

"Then I'll have to work harder in the Pure Land."

The mountain crystal was on the verge of collapsing from repeated impacts.

"Goodbye," Naruto waved to them.

The Second Hokage tilted his head.

The Third Hokage looked guilty.

The Fourth Hokage smiled with pride.

The First Hokage stood with his hands on his hips and laughed heartily. "Naruto, I don't know what you're planning, but it seems you're a young man full of ideas."

"I look forward to our next meeting in the Pure Land!"

"When that time comes, tell me what kind of changes you've brought to this world."

Upon hearing the word "meeting," Naruto suddenly thought of something and withdrew the chakra he was about to use to dismantle the mountain crystal. "By the way, First Hokage, there's one more thing I want to ask you."

"What is it?" The First Hokage asked, puzzled.

Naruto inquired, "In the Pure Land, have you seen Uchiha Madara?"

The mention of "Madara" caused the First Hokage to lose focus for a moment.

The Second Hokage replied coldly, "No, I haven't."

"However, someone like him probably wouldn't dare show up in front of my brother and me again."

Naruto's expression became serious. "Thirteen years ago, an Uchiha infiltrated Konoha, unleashed the Nine-Tails, and caused my parents' deaths."

"According to some intelligence..."

"That person might have been Uchiha Madara."

The First Hokage shook his head decisively. "It couldn't have been Madara!"

"Back then... I killed him with my own hands."

"Although I haven't seen him in the Pure Land, as Tobirama said, he probably doesn't want to see me."

"Madara couldn't possibly still be alive."

The Second Hokage gave Naruto a deep look. "The Sharingan does possess strange powers, but it doesn't seem to have the ability to resurrect the dead."

"If you're still uneasy..."

"You can go search in the mountains behind Konoha."

"I stored Madara's body there."

The First Hokage turned back, surprised at his brother. "Tobirama! What did you do with Madara's body?"

"Of course, I wanted to uncover the secrets of the Sharingan," the Second Hokage said righteously. "I wanted to understand why their clan became so cursed."

"Only by understanding the cause can we solve the problem of their clan."

As the two discussed this matter, the Third Hokage turned his head aside uneasily.

Konoha had always been researching the First Hokage's body.

The First Hokage still didn't know about this.

"However, I never told anyone about this research," the Second Hokage said, turning to Naruto. "Even Hiruzen and Danzo knew nothing about it."

"I was planning to continue the research after the war ended."

"Unfortunately..."

He had only had Uchiha Madara's body for two years, and most of that time was consumed by war, leaving little time for research.

"I set up some preservation mechanisms there."

"If you go there, you should still find Madara's intact body."

Naruto looked at him, smiling as he repeated a phrase, "Someone who plays with the dead can hardly be a good person."

The Second Hokage snorted. "I've never considered myself a good person."

"Besides..."

"I'm Senju Hashirama's brother."

Before he could finish his sentence, Naruto pressed his palms together and unleashed "Adamantine Sealing Chains."

The brilliant blue mountain crystal was completely shattered.

A formless power rose from underground, wrapping around the four souls, transforming them into an "invisible" state, and quickly pulling them underground.

The preemptive golden chains lashed out at this formless power.

~~~

Sage of Six Paths need to work hard.

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