Chapter 15

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What is it like after death?

As someone who had experienced it, Gensou honestly didn't know how to describe it.

Perhaps, it was like the world seen by a blind person.

Not darkness, but void.

To put it specifically, it was similar to the void one sees when closing one eye while the other remains open.

Time had no reference after death and seemed to pass by quickly.

One moment, Hagoromo closed his eyes, and the next, he felt like he had opened them again.

It was only when he saw the familiar sight of Konoha Village and the aged face of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, that he realized he had truly come to the present, over fifty years later.

Time flies so fast.

Unsurprisingly, he had been resurrected by Orochimaru using the Reanimation Jutsu.

Hagoromo looked at his cracked hands with some emotion, feeling the body that didn't actually belong to him.

'The quality of the sacrifice body I'm in is too poor.'

After examining himself, he shook his head inwardly.

The reason why Madara was so overwhelmingly powerful when reanimated during the Fourth Great Ninja War was that Kabuto had prepared a high-quality sacrifice, allowing him to exert his full strength.

The quality of the sacrifice Hagoromo was in was far inferior even to ordinary White Zetsu, indicating the level of power he could exhibit.

No need to say, the same likely applied to Hashirama and Tobirama beside him.

No wonder the declining Third Hokage could fight two of them and leave behind a somewhat impressive record before his death.

At this moment, Hashirama and Tobirama also realized what was happening.

Hashirama looked at Hiruzen in front of him, his eyes full of memories. "Long time no see, Monkey."

"You've aged, Sarutobi," Tobirama added calmly.

As the Hokage he had personally chosen before his death, Hiruzen had been quite young at that time.

Seeing him now, Hiruzen had grown old.

'Has it been thirty or forty years?'

While assessing, Tobirama glanced at Hagoromo, who seemed slightly out of place, and instinctively frowned.

'Why is this guy here too?'

Facing the two former leaders of Konoha, whom he respected deeply, Hiruzen felt both nostalgic and guilty. He said, "I never expected to see the two of you in such circumstances. I'm sorry for disturbing your eternal rest."

"Reanimation Jutsu, huh?"

Tobirama had already figured out the situation and turned to look at Orochimaru behind him, saying coldly, "Is this young man the one who used the forbidden technique to summon us? Impressive, to have completed my jutsu to this extent. It's a pity he's gone astray."

"Didn't I tell you long ago not to develop those dangerous forbidden techniques? It seems you didn't listen," Hashirama sighed beside him, then turned his head and noticed Hagoromo watching everything silently. His eyes lit up, and he greeted, "Long time no see, Hagoromo."

"Hashirama."

Hagoromo turned his gaze to Hashirama.

Compared to himself, this guy had lived a few more years.

Hagoromo smiled and asked, "For you, it's been a long time. For me, it's just been a blink of an eye. By the way, I said before that Madara was more radical than me. So, what interesting things happened after I died?"

Hashirama's expression fell as he recalled the Battle of the Valley of the End, and he said in a low tone, "Madara…"

"Just as I expected."

Seeing Hashirama's expression, Gensou felt relieved knowing the ninja world had developed along its original trajectory.

Feeling good, he continued to rub salt into the wound, "Not just Madara, but the peace you Kage kept preaching about was also the same."

"Hashirama, if the ninja world had remained peaceful after my death, why would Konoha need to change Hokage so frequently within just a few decades?"

Hagoromo pointed towards the Hokage Rock not far away.

If the ninja world had indeed been peaceful, Konoha wouldn't have needed to frequently add new Hokage.

Hashirama followed Hagoromo's direction and looked at the four huge heads on the Hokage Rock, his expression tightening.

Though somewhat naive, he was not stupid.

"Tobirama, is it true?"

Hashirama asked his brother, who had also gone to the afterlife.

The ninja world had indeed remained peaceful during his lifetime.

But after his death, he didn't know.

Tobirama glanced at the gloating Gensou beside him and was about to answer.

Orochimaru, who had been standing as a backdrop, walked over and said indifferently, "Old men chatting can stop now. It's time to get down to business."

Hearing this, Hagoromo's lips twitched.

'Old men?'

Having always been regarded as a young prodigy, he found it hard to adapt to the modern terminology.

Seeing Orochimaru approaching him first, Hashirama could only put down his questions and sighed, "So, no matter what era it is, we have to fight?"

To the legendary God of Shinobi, Orochimaru replied courteously, "You enjoy it, don't you?"

Hiruzen, seeing this, became furious and yelled, "How dare you mock the dead, Orochimaru! Those who toy with time will face dire consequences!"

Orochimaru sneered, took out control tags, and demonstrated his stance through action.

Sometimes, having poor-quality sacrifices for the Reanimation Jutsu wasn't a bad thing.

Like now.

With limited power to exert, Hashirama couldn't break free from Orochimaru's control like he could with White Zetsu's body during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

The same went for Tobirama.

As the creator of the Reanimation Jutsu, he could break free from its constraints like Madara Uchiha, but with the current body's limited strength, he couldn't escape Orochimaru's control.

So, all they could do was watch Orochimaru insert the control tags into their brains, dimming their eyes and sealing their souls.

Seeing his two old friends lose consciousness shortly after meeting again, Hagoromo shrugged and, without concern, suggested to the approaching Orochimaru:

"You're Orochimaru, right? Since you know who I am, you should understand I'm different from these two."

"No need to control me; I'm quite willing to help destroy Konoha."

Though unable to break free from the Reanimation Jutsu's constraints, Hagoromo had backup plans. He didn't mind negotiating and cooperating with Orochimaru.

After all, an aware reanimation was far more powerful than one with suppressed consciousness.

Hearing this, Orochimaru extended his long tongue, examining the legendary man before him who stood shoulder to shoulder with gods, the most talented man who had ever existed.

Such a famous figure, unlike the others he had summoned from the afterlife who constantly berated him for desecrating them, seemed willing to join his side.

How…

Interesting, old man!

(End of Chapter)