Chakra is a mysterious force.
In the ninja world, it seems to be the fundamental power of everything, and its effects go beyond just combat.
One of its more unusual aspects is its connection to the soul.
When someone nears the end of their life, chakra's special properties can be used to preserve their consciousness forever, achieving a kind of immortality.
In the ninja world, there is also a place where souls are kept.
It is known as the Pure Land, the resting place of the dead. Normally, as long as a soul isn't trapped in the living world, it will drift to the Pure Land after death, wandering endlessly until its turn for reincarnation.
But this cycle had already been disrupted.
The reincarnation process of the ninja world had become incomplete. The existence of Edo Tensei, which allows people who died long ago to be revived, proves that some souls were never given the chance to reincarnate.
This phenomenon seemed to start a thousand years ago—when a certain powerful soul entered the Pure Land and caused an abnormality.
Someone had been manipulating the reincarnation of the dead.
Or perhaps, they had been absorbing the Pure Land's pure soul energy to maintain their own eternal power.
The world was gray and lifeless.
In this timeless realm, only black raindrops fell to the ground, washing over the wandering souls lost in confusion.
In a corner of this world, amidst the white emptiness, a small courtyard stood, out of place yet oddly fitting.
"Asura and Indra's latest reincarnations have already appeared. Hamura, are you still going to stop me?"
Within the courtyard, two floating spirits, both missing their lower halves, faced each other.
The one standing in the way was none other than Hamura, whom Hyuga Hitoshi had just addressed.
"You know how important they are to me. Whether Asura and Indra can be revived depends on them. I won't give up this chance."
"And besides—"
A staff appeared in his hand. Otsutsuki Hagoromo, the man who spread chakra across the world, the founder of ninjutsu, the legendary Sage of Six Paths, pointed toward the ground—toward the shinobi world below.
"My duty is to maintain the stability of this world. It's a responsibility I was born with, something I cannot turn away from. But now, this world has strayed from its path. It must be corrected."
"And the cause of all this is your descendant—the one you chose to help."
He seemed to be trying to make his brother feel guilty, but Otsutsuki Hamura remained unfazed, still standing firmly in his way.
"Brother, reality has proven that your old way of thinking was wrong. Controlling the cycle of the shinobi world all by yourself, rather than allowing it to follow a natural cycle, is not the right path."
"If you know you were wrong, why don't you try to understand the world as it is now? Instead of insisting that the world is broken, maybe it's your beliefs that are flawed. You should learn to accept the new order."
To him, the world his descendants had built, the system they had created, and the divine nation they had established—at the very least—had prevented the constant cycle of great wars. The worst-case scenario wasn't any worse than before, so why not give it a chance?
"Peace is nothing but a lie. When the world is stable for too long, wealth becomes unevenly distributed, resources are hoarded by a few, and conflict will break out again. And when it does, it will be even more brutal. Human nature drives people to fight each other—it's unavoidable."
Hagoromo spoke with a hint of mockery.
"Hamura, it's been a thousand years. Have you still not realized this? When the population grows too large and resources are controlled by a small group, the world is doomed to destruction. What will happen to your descendants then?"
"By stopping me from solving this problem—by stopping me from eliminating that 'disease'—you're actually harming the world they've worked so hard to build."
This was why he had always watched over the shinobi world from the Pure Land, why he orchestrated the rise of 'saviors' time and time again.
On one hand, he could control the population, keeping it at a sustainable level. On the other, he could let these saviors lead the world to temporary peace. The shinobi world was a cycle.
The difference was that, as the one in control, Hagoromo could harvest the souls of those who died in war, slowly absorbing their power to strengthen himself. One day, he would fully transcend the limits of the soul and truly come back to life.
The soul was a mysterious thing, and in the Pure Land, he was its master. When he realized that the energy of these souls could be absorbed, he became more and more satisfied with his plan. He even discovered a pattern—
Fresh souls released the purest energy, making them the most 'satisfying' to absorb. Meanwhile, older souls, unable to reincarnate due to his interference, would slowly fade away. Even these could be absorbed.
He was the true disease of this world. But he would never admit it.
Controlling the Pure Land, using this power to strengthen himself—he had turned the shinobi world into his personal property.
That was his real goal.
Everything had gone smoothly until a single 'disease' disrupted the shinobi world's natural cycle. This 'disease' ended the wars, stopped the cycle of death, and slowed down his soul-absorbing process. Worse, this person even killed the reincarnations of his two sons, ruining his carefully laid plans.
How could he tolerate that?
But just as he was about to act, his brother somehow found his way into the Pure Land and stood in his way, refusing to let him make a move or 'fix' the shinobi world.
Just like a thousand years ago, when he had sided with their mother, Hamura was once again standing against him.
And now, he could only watch as that 'disease' grew stronger and stronger, becoming even harder to deal with.
It was time to put an end to this.
Hagoromo lifted his gaze, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
A thousand years ago, he had killed his own brother.
Now, he could do it again.
It would cost him some of his soul's energy, but those reserves had originally been set aside for reviving Asura and Indra anyway.
In the end, he was still just a soul. If he wanted to affect the real world, he needed a medium. But since the last reincarnations of Asura and Indra were different from before, he wasn't planning to approach them directly.
Using the faint soul fragments of their own sons, they planned to revive the real Asura and Indra. Only these reincarnating souls could remove the cancer of the ninja world. They had been plotting this for a long time, and even had the sacred lands maintaining the ninja world's order prepare the necessary sacrifices.
Now that Indra's previous reincarnation had appeared, there was no need to wait any longer.
There was no other way.
Looking at the path that Hamura's descendant had taken, even the Sage of Six Paths himself found it unbelievable. If he didn't act now, he might never get another chance.
As the power of his soul grew, Otsutsuki Hagoromo once again bared his fangs at his younger brother.
But in the end, he still wasn't as strong as the Sage of Six Paths, who had ruled over the Pure Land for a thousand years. Hamura's already weak soul began to turn transparent, on the verge of disappearing completely.
Yet Hamura showed no fear.
He had lived long enough.
Before fading away, he had already bought enough time for his descendant to grow strong enough to face his brother. In a way, he had already succeeded.
But he still had one last question.
"Brother, you must have noticed those watching us from the shadows. If you truly care about the ninja world's safety, shouldn't we be working together with my brilliant descendant to fight the real threats from outside? Why are you so obsessed with who gets to control the ninja world?"
They had existed for thousands of years, and naturally, they had sensed strange soul fluctuations in the ninja world. The source felt eerily similar to their mother.
Compared to their descendant, wasn't that the real threat?
"I have my own plans."
The Sage of Six Paths crushed his younger brother without hesitation.
But this time, a mocking smile appeared on Hamura's face.
"Well, I shouldn't have asked.
It seems power is more important to you than the ninja world's safety.
Just like my descendant said, you and that scheming old man, Sarutobi Hiruzen, are exactly the same."
Annoying!
Otsutsuki Hagoromo's disguise was ripped apart, and rage exploded from him. His soul's energy surged and swallowed Otsutsuki Hamura.
But Hamura's mocking voice still echoed in the air.
"You're even worse than Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At least he took care of some of his threats through internal struggles.
But you? You'll never be a match for my descendant.
In the end, you're the ignorant one!"
That bastard!
How dare he compare me to that worthless Sarutobi Hiruzen?
Furious, Otsutsuki Hagoromo waved over the wandering soul of Sarutobi.
Sarutobi, confused, walked over—only for the Sage of Six Paths to swing a powerful slap at him.
But the hand passed right through.
A wasted effort.
A soul was still a soul.
Unless he used his own soul's core, even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't physically touch them.
He could only slowly absorb the energy of those who couldn't reincarnate.
Still, even an empty swing helped vent his anger.
Taking a deep breath, the Sage of Six Paths narrowed his eyes and scanned the ninja world.
His expression turned cold.
All of the Ninja Tools he had left behind to absorb chakra and stabilize his soul—were gone!
Hamura had no idea.
Hagoromo didn't care what happened to the ninja world.
His personal grudge with Hyuga Hitoshi was far beyond the role of a so-called "guardian of the ninja world."
There's a saying—cutting off someone's source of wealth is like killing their parents.
And Hyuga Hitoshi had just cut off his energy supply from the ninja world.
This grudge was far worse than having his parents murdered.
After all, in his eyes, his parents didn't matter.
He had sealed his own mother without hesitation.
"My things aren't so easy to take."
The time had come.
Muttering to himself, the Sage of Six Paths sensed a summons from the lower world.
After a moment's thought, he closed his eyes and let himself be pulled away.
The great conspirators of the ninja world were making their moves.
But Hamura was absolutely right.
Compared to the true threats lurking in the shadows, the Sage of Six Paths was nothing more than an appetizer.
Sarutobi had spent his life fixated on power struggles within a single village.
Hagoromo was a step above him—he didn't take the hidden Otsutsuki threat seriously.
He assumed Isshiki was just another Kaguya, a weak goddess that could be easily sealed.
But neither he nor Isshiki realized…
To Hyuga Hitoshi, they were nothing more than tools to help others unlock their hidden potential.
Still, one thing was certain—
With these old schemers making their moves, the ninja world was spiraling further into chaos.
Meanwhile, in another place—
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, stood over the burning body of Shimura Danzo.
Their expressions were grim as they analyzed one thing—
Why had Danzo smiled so strangely, so crazily, in his final moments?
At the Graveyard of Hills—
Leaning back in his chair, one hand resting against his chin, the other foot pressing down on the Second Tsuchikage—
Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes as he read the letter in his hands.
Then, he started laughing.
The Second Tsuchikage had truly been unlucky.
The moment he saw the man before him, his first instinct had been to run.
But against this monster, he never even got the chance.
He was caught instantly and forced to serve as a footrest.
Uchiha Madara was still the same as ever.
Aside from Senju Hashirama, the world meant nothing to him.
But after carefully watching Madara's expression, the Second Tsuchikage noticed something strange.
For the first time, after reading Danzo's letter—
There was something else in Madara's eyes.
As his manic laughter faded and he fell into deep thought, the letter from the First Root Shadow slipped from his fingers, landing on the ground.
The Second Tsuchikage, Mū, finally had a chance to see what the First Root Shadow had written.
[To the Second Root Shadow, Uchiha Madara:
By the time you read this letter, your predecessor—or rather, your successor—Shimura Danzo, might already be dead. But don't doubt it, I was the one who revived you. I was also the one who cast the Reanimation Jutsu. But for you, this should be good news.
The caster of the Reanimation Jutsu is dead, which means you are now free from anyone's control. You have unlimited chakra, a body that cannot die, and I even made sure to enhance your vessel with Hashirama's cells. I trust this arrangement will satisfy you. I hope you can make full use of this body and live up to the title of the Second Root Shadow and the honor of Root Village.
As for why I revived you? Heh, I'm well aware that I have no right to command *you*, Uchiha Madara. Even I know my limits. Your body parts were supplied by that masked man who calls himself Uchiha Madara. It seems the two of you were planning something, but he didn't share many details. He only kept talking about creating a 'great world.' Anytime I questioned him, he'd lose his mind, so I never really figured out what he meant.
But one thing was clear—he desperately wanted my Reanimation Jutsu. Since we've worked together for so long, I left the scroll with you before I died. I hope you and the masked man won't tarnish the name of this jutsu. It's one of Root Village's greatest secrets. With this technique, you are now the Shadow of Root Village. Remember the responsibility that comes with it.
I don't know what your goal is, but if you succeed and have the time, I ask that you go to Konoha and seek justice for me. Lend me your name as Hokage, even if it's just for a short while.]
The first part of the letter explained why Danzo resurrected Uchiha Madara and his connection to the masked man. It also mentioned why he passed down the Reanimation Jutsu and what he hoped Madara would do.
But that last part—asking Madara to be Hokage for a few days—completely baffled the Second Tsuchikage.
Wasn't he already the Root Shadow? What would be the point of becoming Hokage?
Besides, even if Uchiha Madara returned now, could he really control the current situation?
It wasn't that the Second Tsuchikage looked down on Madara. After all, they were from the same era. He had once personally traveled to Konoha to discuss an alliance, and Hashirama had warmly agreed—only for Madara to reject it outright.
Madara thought Konoha didn't need allies.
And honestly, he wasn't wrong.
Hashirama just didn't realize it himself. With his overwhelming power, Konoha back then could have taken on all four other great nations at once and unified the ninja world. If he had done that, true peace might have lasted a long time.
After all, how long had the ninja villages existed?
Barely fifty years, and already there had been three world wars.
If they had built an empire instead, would the battles have been this brutal?
But then, the Second Tsuchikage remembered what he had seen back in Konoha—the battlefield where Hashirama had fought Hyuga Hitoshi. Just recalling that scene sent chills down his spine.
Even if Hashirama and Madara teamed up, could they really stand against *that* kind of power?
[As the First Root Shadow, it is my duty to warn my successor about the dangers of today's ninja world. What I'm about to say may sound exaggerated, but I swear on my name that it is not. Even the masked man can confirm this.
The world has changed.
The five great ninja villages are no longer the main players. Instead, the Sun God Kingdom and its allied nations have reshaped the balance. Though they refuse to acknowledge it, the truth is clear—ever since Hyuga Hitoshi led the Hyuga clan to single-handedly defeat the entire ninja world, he has become the undisputed number one. Under his rule, there are almost no wars anymore.
If you travel through the ninja world, there is one group you *must* never provoke—the Hyuga clan members with golden forehead marks. They are the Sun God Kingdom's elite guards, and their strength is beyond imagination.
But even among them, their leader—Hyuga Hitoshi, the current Sun God—stands at an entirely different level. I know you won't believe me, but let me give you a point of reference.
You know how powerful the First Hokage was. I don't know exactly how strong the Hashirama I revived with Reanimation Jutsu is, but I do know one thing—Hyuga Hitoshi crushed him in a single move. And that move seemed capable of destroying the entire ninja world. Just watching it sent shivers down my spine.]
This was no exaggeration.
The Second Tsuchikage's face was frozen in shock.
A true warrior has a *sixth sense* beyond the ordinary five.
Most common people only felt a vague sense of despair. The people of the Land of Water saw an enormous tidal wave rising to consume everything. Others, gazing at the moon, suddenly noticed it was drifting farther away.
But those with chakra—those who had fought countless battles—saw something else.
In that moment, they *saw* death.
Their minds were filled with visions of the world crumbling to dust.
Honestly, Mū had no desire to fight against such a being. When Madara was resurrected, his first instinct was to flee.
Too bad he didn't get the chance.
[To my successor—be cautious, stay low, and build your strength slowly. Only strike when you are absolutely certain of victory. Do not repeat my mistakes.
—Shimura Danzo, First Root Shadow.]
For all his flaws, Danzo had been responsible in his own way.
He had made sure to warn the next generation about how the ninja world had changed and why it was no longer wise to act recklessly.
But just from Madara's attitude, it was clear he hadn't taken a single word seriously.
He tossed the letter aside like trash, barely glanced at the Reanimation Jutsu scroll, and then carelessly threw it onto the table beside what was once his throne.
Then, right before the Second Tsuchikage's eyes, Madara pressed a hand to his forehead.
"A Hyuga brat who can beat Hashirama?"
"A so-called 'peaceful nation' ruled by this Sun God?"
Interesting.
Very interesting.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
And then—
"Hahahahahaha!"
Madara burst into wild, manic laughter.
He had never feared a challenge.
Being resurrected into *this* kind of world was the best surprise he could have asked for.
A world that never changed would be far too dull.
He was Uchiha Madara, and he thrived in chaos.
But—
"This body still isn't good enough."
He gazed into the distance.
It felt like he could see his Rinnegan.
Since the plan had changed...
It was time to take it back!
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