Chapter 25: Living Surveillance! (Please Bookmark)
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Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just as the drooping giant tree appeared, three identical figures emerged behind Hashirama.
Wood Clones!
Three Wood Clones!
These three Wood Clones leaped up and seamlessly merged into the trees above.
The sudden appearance and operations dumbfounded Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Is this still ninjutsu?
It seems to have entered another realm!
Swish!
However, right after Hashirama completed the Wood Style jutsu, a sharp sound of breaking wind echoed, and a chilling voice pierced through everyone's ears.
Instantly.
A shuriken, originating from an unknown source, zoomed towards Hashirama's head.
Snap!
Hashirama swiftly raised his right hand and caught the finely crafted shuriken.
The shuriken showed no signs of rust, with a razor-sharp edge and exquisite craftsmanship, clearly not cheap.
The system was surprisingly generous!
Hashirama casually tossed the shuriken aside; he had no use for such things.
Orochimaru and Kabuto's gazes immediately locked onto the shuriken.
Deep fear shimmered in their eyes.
Kakuzu's power was ridiculously exaggerated!
That a shuriken could even be shot here...
How was it possible?!
Both Orochimaru and Kabuto were utterly perplexed.
This was the laboratory of the Northern Stronghold.
Not even an ant could sneak in!
Yet somehow, a shuriken had been thrown in!
Neither of them said a word, but silently vowed never to underestimate Kakuzu again.
"See you in three months."
Hashirama grinned at Orochimaru and Kabuto, then strode towards the original stone door of the laboratory.
Orochimaru and Kabuto kept their eyes fixed on Hashirama's movements, sensing that his departure this time was related to Kakuzu.
They couldn't help but feel curious.
The battle between Kakuzu and Hashirama must have been incredibly intense!
In the next moment.
Something unexpected happened.
As Hashirama approached the wooden-sealed wall, it suddenly bent at an incredible angle.
Hashirama simply stepped through.
As soon as he was outside...
The wood swiftly reverted to its original form, each piece incredibly solid, akin to steel.
"Lord Orochimaru, are we now trapped inside the lab?" Kabuto, seeing Hashirama leave, couldn't help but exhale with relief. His injuries were almost healed, but the memory of that punch still made him feel like coughing up blood.
"Strictly speaking, it's more like house arrest!" Before Orochimaru could respond, Hashirama's voice echoed throughout the laboratory, startling Kabuto to the point of almost vomiting.
The source of the sudden voice was the hanging tree on the ceiling.
In an instant, both Orochimaru and Kabuto turned their gaze towards the tree, where they saw three faces on the branches.
All of them were the face of the First Hokage!
In that moment, both of them understood.
The First Lord had left, but he had left behind three wood clones!
These three wood clones had merged into the hanging tree, a living tree with vitality that could easily sustain itself for three months.
This was clearly a living surveillance system!
If anything were to happen here, all Hashirama needed to do was destroy one wood clone, and no matter where he was, he could easily grasp the situation here.
Terrifying!
Thinking of this, Orochimaru immediately felt that all the rumors he had heard were wrong.
If the First Lord didn't have any tricks up his sleeve, how could he have conquered Madara Uchiha, and how could he have secured the position of Hokage?
Suddenly...
Orochimaru's face changed dramatically!
He remembered something.
Something recorded in the archives of the Hokage's history!
Before the founding of Konoha.
Hashirama Senju defeated Madara Uchiha.
In order to secure peace with the Uchiha clan, Hashirama Senju prepared to commit suicide with a sharp kunai...
It was all a setup!
Orochimaru now understood everything; this First Hokage was full of tricks.
Perhaps even this resurrection was part of the plan!
"Phew!"
Orochimaru took a deep breath, then glanced at the tree branch acting as a monitor, immediately walking towards the direction of the laboratory bench.
"Kabuto, if your injuries are fine, come and assist me. Our mission is very urgent!"
Orochimaru's expression turned very serious as anxiety began to gnaw at him.
Three months.
One-third.
This mission objective felt like a mountain weighing down on his shoulders, leaving no room for complacency.
The inverted tree hanging from the ceiling was like a sharp sword, ready to strike at any moment.
"Yes!" Kabuto got up immediately. Unlike Orochimaru, he didn't have the courage to even look at Hashirama's face. Just seeing it made him feel like coughing up blood.
Without any hesitation, Orochimaru and Kabuto began dedicating their efforts to cultivating Hashirama's cells.
…
After Hashirama exited the room, he found himself in a pitch-dark corridor.
The hallway was filled with eerie noises.
It was gloomy.
Cold.
Terrifying.
It looked like something straight out of a horror movie.
But...
Hashirama wasn't scared at all.
He was no longer the small-time streamer he once was. With his newfound power, everything before him seemed trivial.
Hashirama began walking.
He headed straight for the exit of the northern stronghold.
Tap, tap, tap...
After taking just a few steps, he heard heavy footsteps coming from the front of the corridor, like a tank charging forward.
Moments later.
A massive dark figure appeared before Hashirama. Its body was dark red, resembling a mountain demon.
This was the second state of the curse mark.
Hashirama recognized it immediately!
Swish!
The figure leapt at Hashirama, its powerful arms reaching for his neck in an attempt to overpower him.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a vine shot up from the ground, instantly wrapping around the person in the curse mark state.
"W-What?!" The person's crimson eyes flashed with confusion. In this state, he felt incredibly strong, almost invincible.
But...
Why was this wooden vine so strong?
He couldn't break free!
As he watched Hashirama casually walk past him, tears of frustration welled up in his eyes.
He had planned to overpower Hashirama!
How did he end up being overpowered instead?
And...
Now that he was tied up, why wasn't Hashirama doing anything else? Where was he going?
Gradually.
Hashirama disappeared from the person's sight, leaving only darkness and silence behind.
"???"
The person looked after Hashirama, three question marks forming in his mind. It wasn't that he thought he had a problem; he thought Hashirama did.
(End of Chapter)