As night fell, under the glow of the incandescent lights, Kakashi looked at the towering stacks of documents piled up in front of him and couldn't help but stretch.
"You've worked hard, Lord Kakashi," the Slug Sage, Katsuyu, said softly from the side. "Overworking yourself is ill-advised; you should get some proper rest."
"I have nothing else to do anyway. I'm trying to improve my strength right now, but I feel like I've reached my current limit."
"By reading through more material, I'm hoping to find a spark of inspiration so I can forge a new path forward on my own journey."
"Regardless, reading more books can never hurt," Kakashi said with a touch of nonchalance, looking at the dense sea of information before him.
"I see..." Katsuyu sounded thoughtful.
Kakashi could feel that he had developed this body's natural talents to their absolute limit.
The five basic nature transformations, Purple Lightning, Kenjutsu, Senjutsu, Yin Release, and Lightning Release Nintaijutsu.
If Kakashi wanted to progress any further, he needed to read extensively. As he was trying to develop a simplified Sage Mode, he hoped these records would provide the inspiration he needed.
Inspiration to take another step forward.
How could he possibly be satisfied if he simply stopped here?
Truth be told, Kakashi was already incredibly strong. With his vast arsenal of techniques paired with his massive chakra reserves, he was more than capable of facing any enemy.
However, compared to the original Susanoo Kakashi wielding the dual Kamui trial card, he still fell somewhat short.
Therefore, Kakashi needed more knowledge to find the path ahead.
"But it seems that not even the Uchiha clan's library has what I'm looking for." Gently setting down a book filled with Sealing Jutsu notes on the desk, Kakashi sighed.
Right now, he wasn't in the Senju compound, but the Uchiha compound.
Compared to the Senju clan, the Uchiha possessed a rather unique understanding of Sealing Jutsu. The Uchiha Flame Formation was one of their masterpieces, combining Sealing Jutsu and Barrier Ninjutsu.
The library also contained records on how to forge special ninja tools, similar to the Uchiha's gunbai fan.
Although the Uchiha library's materials didn't give Kakashi exactly what he wanted, they did elevate his understanding of Sealing Jutsu to a new level. The Five Elements Seal, which once required careful, step-by-step execution, could now be performed effortlessly at his fingertips.
"Lord Hokage, please have something to eat." A figure walked into the library carrying a tray of food.
"Itachi, didn't I tell you before?" Kakashi smiled helplessly at the young boy holding the tray. "You don't need to deliver this personally; I could just go out and find some food myself."
"Since Lord Hokage is a guest of the Uchiha clan, it would be terribly rude of us to let you go hungry." Itachi Uchiha smiled, not dwelling further on the subject.
Kakashi couldn't argue with him and could only accept the meal.
"What have you been searching for lately, Lord Hokage?" Itachi asked with a hint of curiosity, glancing at the pile of Sealing Jutsu documents in front of Kakashi.
"I suppose there's no harm in telling you. I'm trying to simplify Sage Mode. By inscribing it onto a ninja's body using Sealing Jutsu, even those without the aptitude for Sage Mode would be able to use it."
Hearing Kakashi's words, Itachi immediately felt a surge of profound respect.
As expected of the Hokage.
Kakashi's goal in creating such a technique was obvious: to allow other Hidden Leaf ninja to harness Sage Mode. If he could successfully develop it, the mysteries of Senjutsu would be deciphered, and the overall strength of the Hidden Leaf Village would reach a whole new level.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" As a member of the Hokage Guard Platoon, Itachi naturally felt he couldn't just stand by. Furthermore, Itachi considered himself fairly intelligent when it came to ninjutsu; perhaps he could be of some assistance to Kakashi.
"It seems the duties of the Police Force Captain and the Uchiha Clan Head aren't too demanding for you." Looking at the eager Itachi, Kakashi smiled and didn't refuse.
"But if it's just you..." Kakashi stroked his chin thoughtfully, looking at the upright young Uchiha.
Although Jiraiya was still out executing the mission Kakashi had given him, Kakashi had no intention of putting everything on hold to wait for his return before assembling the village's experts to research the technique.
"In that case, wait for me in Meeting Room Three tomorrow morning."
In Kakashi's eyes, having just Itachi wasn't enough.
The retired Hiruzen Sarutobi was living a much too leisurely life at home; Kakashi figured it would be good to find something for the old man to do.
Tsunade would have originally been an excellent choice as well, but she was dead set on writing her medical memoirs, so Kakashi had to drop that idea.
However...
There was one more person Kakashi was extremely interested in.
It was just that bringing him out would likely cause Tsunade to blow a fuse.
Taking a small bite of the bread Itachi had brought, Kakashi made his decision. Let her blow a fuse; the worst that could happen was taking a beating from Tsunade. If she still wouldn't let it go, couldn't he just run away?
With that thought, Kakashi bid Itachi farewell and headed straight to the Hokage's office.
Kakashi had always been a decisive person; since he wanted to do it, he was going to do it. He retrieved a thick scroll from his desk.
The Impure World Reincarnation recorded within the Scroll of Seals.
He would use the Impure World Reincarnation to summon the very creator of the technique: Tobirama Senju. This was Kakashi's goal.
Ignoring the messy array of S-Rank jutsu like the Flying Raijin Jutsu, Tandem Paper Bombs, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, and the Reaper Death Seal, Kakashi located the final technique: Impure World Reincarnation.
The technique itself wasn't difficult. With Kakashi's learning ability, he only needed to understand the chakra pathway routing and the hand signs.
After all, he was just copying someone else's homework. And it wasn't for actual combat.
Memorizing the chakra flow and hand signs for the Impure World Reincarnation, Kakashi returned the Scroll of Seals to its place and applied an additional layer of sealing.
This was the convenience of being the Hokage. No matter the jutsu, as long as the Hidden Leaf had a record of it, Kakashi could read it at his leisure.
The most difficult aspect of the Impure World Reincarnation was the requirement of a relic carrying the deceased's DNA, preferably a piece of their actual corpse.
Furthermore, a living human was required to serve as a sacrifice for the summoned soul.
Neither of these requirements posed a challenge for Kakashi. Tobirama Senju's grave was sitting quietly in the Konoha Cemetery. If Kakashi wanted to, he could pry open Tobirama Senju's coffin lid at any time.
As for the sacrifice, he could just pick a random death row inmate.
They were scum anyway; they might as well contribute to the development of the Hidden Leaf. Kakashi felt zero psychological burden regarding this.
It was a dark and windy night.
Kakashi arrived alone at the desolate Konoha Cemetery.
Looking at the tombstone bearing Tobirama Senju's name, Kakashi chuckled.
"Don't blame me for this. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself for being too smart and inventing this jutsu in the first place."
Kakashi placed a small white flower in front of Tobirama's grave. It was a wildflower he had casually picked on his way there.
"If you agree to let me summon you, then turn this flower to ashes."
Watching the little white flower lying perfectly still in the dark night before the tombstone, Kakashi smiled.
"Just as I thought. You want to come out and take a look around too."
Kakashi nodded in satisfaction. At that moment, two figures appeared beside him.
"Lord Hokage, here is the death row inmate you requested." Hayate Gekko unhesitatingly shoved the tightly bound and unconscious prisoner onto the ground.
"Mm, good work. Go back and rest, Hayate." Kakashi nodded, looking down at the trembling prisoner who didn't dare lift his head.
Hayate Gekko immediately obeyed the order and departed.
"L-Lord Hokage..." The death row inmate naturally recognized Kakashi and immediately flashed a fawning smile.
Kakashi paid the man no mind, simply forming a hand sign for Earth Release.
As the earth churned, the coffin housing Tobirama Senju's corpse was squeezed open just a crack by the Earth Release. Pushed up by the rolling soil, a single phalanx bone emerged before Kakashi.
Picking up the pale white finger bone, Kakashi looked at it briefly before tossing it onto the death row inmate without hesitation.
"What do you need me to do, Lord Hokage?" The inmate was completely bewildered but still tried to curry favor.
Lacking any intention of exchanging even a single word with the man, Kakashi directly began forming the hand signs for Impure World Reincarnation.
With such a distinct "holy relic," it was practically a guaranteed, targeted summon. Right in front of Tobirama Senju's grave, Kakashi performed the Edo Tensei on the spot.
As the final hand sign fell into place, Kakashi's eyes sharpened slightly as he looked at the man in prison garb.
"Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Along with Kakashi's words, countless pieces of paper materialized out of thin air, swarming and adhering to the man's body!
Seeing the scraps of paper clinging tenaciously to his skin, the inmate tried to scream in terror. But the moment he opened his mouth, countless more pieces of paper flew inside, gagging him and leaving him to cast desperate, pleading looks at Kakashi.
Kakashi remained entirely unmoved by the man's silent begging, coldly observing the process unfold before him.
As the dark clouds in the sky parted, silvery-white moonlight cascaded over the earth, illuminating Tobirama Senju's tombstone and revealing a brand-new figure standing before Kakashi.
The man was no longer the death row inmate who had just been begging for mercy.
Wearing deep blue armor over black clothing, his snow-white hair shifting without wind, the man stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His exposed skin bore the distinctive cracks characteristic of those resurrected by Edo Tensei. As the soul of the deceased was pulled back from the Pure Land, the man gradually opened his eyes.
"Who dares to disturb my slumber? I shall..."
His eyes fully opened, revealing a sharp, piercing crimson gaze. But his words were abruptly cut short.
He saw the caster of the Impure World Reincarnation standing before him, but...
"...It's actually the Hokage."
Staring straight at the Hokage cloak draped over Kakashi, the newly summoned Tobirama Senju gritted his teeth slightly.
"Good eye, Second Hokage. I am the Fifth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake." Kakashi immediately chuckled and extended his hand toward Tobirama.
Looking at the offered hand, Tobirama had absolutely no intention of shaking it. Instead, he stared intently at Kakashi and demanded:
"What enemy is so formidable that the Hokage needs to summon a dead man to deal with them?"
In Tobirama's view, though he didn't know exactly why this person had used the Edo Tensei to summon him, there was only one logical explanation.
The Hidden Leaf must be facing a life-or-death crisis, forcing the current Hokage to disregard the sanctity of the dead and resurrect his predecessors to fight off a massive threat.
If that were the case, Tobirama naturally wouldn't mind lending his strength. But if it was true, it also proved that the man before him lacked the true ability and caliber required of a Hokage.
"Er, accurately speaking, there is no enemy." Withdrawing his hand in a way that was awkward yet polite, Kakashi replied.
Tobirama remained silent, glaring at the self-proclaimed Fifth Hokage with profound dissatisfaction etched into his features.
His peripheral vision swept casually over his surroundings. Tobirama caught sight of the tombstone bearing his own name.
Using the Impure World Reincarnation on me right in front of my own grave?This current Hokage is truly... insolent!
"If that's the case, why have you resurrected me without cause? What are you plotting?" Tobirama glared coldly at Kakashi.
His first impression of Kakashi was that of someone who utterly lacked respect for his elders. Summoning him in front of his own grave meant the medium used—without a doubt—had to be a piece of his own body.
This bastard dug up my grave!
"There is a matter for which I require the Second's power," Kakashi said seriously.
"Before that, answer me this." Since there was no external threat, Tobirama had little interest in why Kakashi had resurrected him. Instead, he pointed at his tombstone and demanded, "Before you summoned me, did you ever consider the basic principle of letting the dead rest in peace?"
Hearing the reprimand in Tobirama's voice, Kakashi smiled and replied, "Before I did this, I actually asked if the Second Hokage would be willing to come out and take a look around."
"And you agreed."
???When the hell did I agree to that?! Tobirama shot Kakashi a deeply hostile look.
"You see, right before summoning you, I asked that if you didn't want to come out, you should turn this flower to ashes." Kakashi pointed to the perfectly intact white flower sitting before the tombstone.
"Is this supposed to be a funny joke?" Tobirama stared coldly at the little white flower.
"It seems I'm not cut out for telling jokes." Kakashi gave the man a placating look, his expression returning to its usual calm.
"Lord Second, I need your wisdom."
"You possess foresight beyond ordinary men, and an intellect few can hope to match."
"I need your abilities. Does that answer satisfy you?"
Hearing the man's words, Tobirama narrowed his eyes.
This guy...
"If that isn't enough to persuade you to help me, then..." Kakashi reached a hand out toward Tobirama, his tone even but leaving no room for refusal.
What is he trying to do? Watching Kakashi's movements, Tobirama remained unbothered, curious to see what the man intended to show him.
As for whether his summoner would attack him? That question hadn't even crossed Tobirama's mind. If Kakashi had wanted to attack him, he wouldn't have waited until now, and he certainly wouldn't have used Impure World Reincarnation to bring him back in the first place.
Does this guy have some sort of trump card that will compel me to help him? Tobirama thought inwardly.
Natural energy from the surroundings suddenly converged, funneling into Kakashi's body...
The next second!
Kakashi's dark eyes were masked by a brilliant golden glow, shining like pure gold as he stared straight at the cross-armed man before him. At the same time, an inexplicable aura erupted from Kakashi...
!This sensation!There's no mistaking it!It's Elder Brother's Sage Mode! Feeling the familiar chakra radiating from Kakashi, Tobirama was internally startled.
As Hashirama Senju's younger brother, even though he had never learned Hashirama's Sage Mode himself, he was still very familiar with it.
While the aura of Kakashi's Sage Mode felt slightly different from Hashirama's, there were no signs of animalistic physical mutations. It was entirely distinct from the Sage Modes taught in any of the three great sage regions.
Therefore, there was only one possible answer...
"Have you already resurrected my brother as well?" Tobirama's gaze became instantly razor-sharp.
"Not quite. I simply utilized the First Hokage's chakra contained within Tsunade's necklace, Tobirama Senju."
"When it comes to understanding chakra, I dare say I am not inferior to you." Kakashi looked at the Second Hokage, his tone filled with total self-assurance.
"Oh?"
"In that case, why don't you explain exactly what's going on with my brother to demonstrate this 'understanding' of yours."
"If you manage to earn my acknowledgment, I wouldn't mind lending my wisdom to a junior like you." Tobirama looked at Kakashi, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
Radiating such fierce confidence was certainly a good thing... but wood that is too rigid breaks easily.
A Hokage like this... If he could truly remain steadfast and bulldoze through every obstacle, it would be a boon for the Hidden Leaf. However, if he were to crash and burn, the entire village would have to pay the price for his mistakes.
"That really does sound like your style." Kakashi offered a faint smile at Tobirama, who hadn't given an inch.
He didn't really like this guy's personality. It felt a bit too similar to his own.
Although Kakashi was perfectly comfortable being hardheaded himself, he didn't appreciate it when someone else was hardheaded with him.
It was the classic case of... like repelling like.
"Before extracting Hashirama Senju from the necklace, one first has to understand the true nature of chakra..."
Kakashi briefly explained the concept of chakra and the process he used to draw Hashirama out of the necklace.
But no matter how brief he tried to make it, the underlying theories regarding chakra were impossible to skip.
Explaining the core principles of chakra left Kakashi feeling a bit dry-mouthed.
If he hadn't critically needed this man's intellect, when had Kakashi ever accommodated someone to such a degree? Help or don't help; if you won't do it, someone else will.
But that mindset only worked on others; it would never work on Tobirama Senju. If Tobirama refused, Kakashi genuinely wouldn't have any way to force him.
So, Kakashi could only endure.
The hidden restraint in Kakashi's eyes was not lost on Tobirama. As he listened quietly to Kakashi's explanation of Hashirama's manifestation and their conversation on the Hokage building's rooftop, even though Tobirama somewhat disliked this junior, he had to admit the man possessed an impressive breadth of mind and a profound understanding of chakra.
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