32. Senju Hashirama's Request

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Uchiha Izuna's emotions were a whirlwind of complexity as he observed the scene before him. The sight of Ishigami Hara using Wood Release left him utterly shaken.

What was Wood Release to him?

It wasn't just a technique—it was the ultimate counterattack, no, the power that could utterly crush the Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan. In Uchiha Izuna's mind, Wood Release represented absolute strength, a force that only Senju Hashirama had ever wielded.

And now, this kid—this outsider—had mastered it silently. How could Izuna remain calm in the face of that?

"Young man, you truly are a genius. I never imagined you could wield Wood Release—a power that even the Senju clan has never fully mastered," Senju Hashirama remarked, his voice filled with astonishment.

Hashirama's words carried the weight of truth. In the long history of the Senju clan, he was the only one who had ever mastered Wood Release. Now, seeing that power in the hands of an outsider was nothing short of miraculous.

Yes, it was a miracle.

As the master of Wood Release, Hashirama knew better than anyone how difficult it was to awaken this bloodline power. Despite teaching others, including members of the Senju clan and even his closest allies, no one had ever truly grasped it. This made the sight of Ishigami Hara's success all the more astonishing.

"You flatter me," Ishigami Hara responded humbly, though his joy was evident as he gazed at the sturdy tree he had just created.

Though outwardly pleased, Ishigami Hara remained calm within. He had long suspected that reviving Senju Hashirama's soul might lead to unlocking Wood Release. Now, that premonition had come true.

This led him to a deeper realization: if Wood Release could be awakened within him, did that mean he could unlock other bloodlines he possessed in the future?

However, if this awakening of bloodlines depended on the presence of other people's chakras, it could present certain problems. The idea of allowing various souls of the deceased to possess him was not something Ishigami Hara found particularly appealing.

While the abilities of bloodlines like Wood Release and the Sharingan were desirable, the prospect of awakening other bloodlines—such as Ice Release or Boil Release—felt less necessary to him.

It wasn't that these bloodlines were weak; rather, Ishigami Hara had begun to sense a way to awaken these powers on his own. Whether he could achieve it yet was uncertain, but the feeling had grown stronger since unlocking Wood Release.

"Kid, you now possess both the Sharingan and Wood Release. In the entire ninja world, you're far from weak. Why do you still cling to Konoha?" Uchiha Izuna asked, his voice low and probing.

Senju Hashirama immediately interjected, "Don't say that, Izuna-kun. Konoha was founded by Madara and me, and the Uchiha clan contributed greatly. Only the village can bring peace to the ninja world."

"Peace? Heh..." Uchiha Izuna scoffed, his voice dripping with bitterness. "You don't know, do you? Since your death, two great wars have broken out across the ninja world, each more devastating than the last! Hundreds of thousands have died. Is this the peace you envisioned?"

"What?" 

Senju Hashirama was visibly stunned. The disbelief in his voice was palpable.

"How could that happen?"

Ishigami Hara seized the moment to explain. "Shodai, your goal in founding Konoha was noble. You united the clans, centralizing power around the village. Your intentions were good, but you overlooked one crucial thing—the human heart."

Uchiha Izuna laughed darkly. "This kid sees it clearly. Yes, human hearts are greedy! You had the strength to suppress conflict during your time, but after your death, Konoha no longer had that confidence. War became inevitable."

Izuna paused, a gleeful expression crossing his face.

"What's more, while you united people through the village, you also drove many more into the flames of war. My elder brother left the village because he foresaw this. That's why my brother is greater than you!" Uchiha Izuna exclaimed, still fiercely loyal to his brother, Uchiha Madara, and eager to prove him right.

"No!" Senju Hashirama responded firmly. "There's nothing wrong with building a village. The real problem is the lack of open, honest communication between people. All conflicts can be resolved through proper communication."

Hashirama's conviction was unwavering, and he wasn't going to let Izuna's words sway him. He then turned to Ishigami Hara, changing the subject. "Young man, Madara and I once ended the chaos of the Warring States era. Now, you possess both Wood Release and the Sharingan. If possible, use this power to stop the wars that plague the ninja world."

Ishigami Hara remained silent, deep in thought, neither agreeing nor rejecting Hashirama's request.

"Kid, power can bring peace. He's right about that," Uchiha Izuna said, though his meaning was different from Hashirama's.

"Hey, that's not what I meant!" Hashirama quickly countered. "Power shouldn't be used to wage war. Instead, it should be used to stop it. Use your strength to communicate and bring understanding, not conflict."

"Hmph, hypocritical!" Izuna scoffed. He had no faith in Hashirama's idealistic view.

Seeing the two locked in their disagreement, Ishigami Hara finally spoke up. "I don't like war either, but I believe fear is the most effective way to stop it, more than communication."

"Did you hear that? Hahaha!" Uchiha Izuna laughed, pleased with Ishigami Hara's response.

"Boy, don't be fooled by the allure of power," Hashirama said, clearly worried. "I don't want you to fall into that trap."

"Don't worry, Shodai. I won't lose myself to power. I have my own goals," Ishigami Hara replied with certainty. As a time traveler, he knew well what true peace looked like and how to achieve it.

"I'll bring peace to the ninja world, but I'll do it my way."

"Very well, young man, go ahead," Hashirama said, suddenly flaring his chakra. Before Ishigami Hara could process it, his vision blurred, and he found himself in a special space.

The space was vast and beautiful, like a starry sky, but Ishigami Hara wasn't surprised. He understood this was the realm of souls—his soul space.

In front of him stood two figures. One was a man in red armor with long black hair, unmistakably Senju Hashirama. The other, dressed in black with arms crossed, was Uchiha Izuna.

Hashirama grinned, extending his hand into a fist. "I'll teach you everything I know about Wood Release. Come, let's connect our chakra with a fist bump."

Long before the Warring States period, chakra's original purpose was to connect people's hearts, and a fist bump was the simplest way to share chakra. Ishigami Hara knew this well.

"Alright," Ishigami Hara said, extending his fist and bumping it with Hashirama's.

"Hmph, kid, don't forget about me." Uchiha Izuna also extended his fist, wanting to make sure his presence wasn't overlooked.

Ishigami Hara smiled slightly and bumped his fist with Izuna's as well, completing the connection.