A completely unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed from Kyusei's chest, making his scalp go numb.
Was there a third person here?!
Hiruzen Sarutobi froze on the spot as well. His gaze snapped to Kyusei's chest, all the anger from moments ago instantly forgotten. His voice trembled as he spoke:
"Could it be… Lord Hashirama?"
Kyusei felt his brain short-circuit.
What?
Hashirama Senju?
Inside the necklace?!
Before he could even process it, the Nine-Tails inside him reacted violently.
That voice—Kurama would never forget it.
It was him.
No doubt about it.
Kyusei hurriedly pulled the necklace from around his neck, staring intently at the crystal as it began to emit a faint green glow.
"Uh… yeah. It's me, Monkey."
The necklace spoke again.
The moment the voice confirmed it, Hiruzen's eyes instantly welled up.
How many years had it been?
How many years since he'd last heard his teacher's voice?
Hiruzen had originally been Hashirama Senju's disciple, though Hashirama's teaching skills were… hard to describe. Tobirama Senju had eventually stepped in, worried Hiruzen would be ruined if things continued, and took over his training himself.
In truth, both the First and Second Hokage had been teachers to the Third.
"Lord Hashirama… how are you…?"
"…Inside this necklace?"
Hiruzen wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes as he spoke.
"Oh, this?"
"It's just a tiny fragment of my original chakra. I've been staying in here all this time."
"I woke up after sensing Mito's chakra."
Kyusei twitched slightly at that explanation.
So… his entire situation had basically been observed from start to finish.
An awkward silence fell between the old man and the young one.
"Don't look so stiff."
Green light pulsed from the necklace in Kyusei's hand. A figure slowly took shape before their eyes.
Black hair flowing like a waterfall, a broad and honest face, thick brows, large eyes—someone who looked trustworthy at first glance. The crimson armor only made him appear even more imposing.
There was no mistaking it.
Hashirama Senju.
Hiruzen's eyes went wide, his mouth hanging open—wide enough to fit an egg.
"Chakra is a fusion of physical and spiritual energy," Hashirama explained casually.
"The most obvious examples are clone techniques. They're made entirely of the caster's chakra, yet they possess independent awareness."
He scratched his head, then gestured toward the necklace in Kyusei's hand.
"This necklace was originally a containment tool made by Mito using Uzumaki sealing techniques. I simply injected a small portion of my chakra into it."
"You can think of me as a clone—just a fragment of the original."
Kyusei reached out and poked at him.
His finger passed straight through.
A projection—no physical body at all.
"My chakra is limited, so I used a basic clone technique from the Three Basic Arts," Hashirama said.
"That way, you can at least see me."
"But chakra dissipates over time," Hiruzen said, immediately grasping the core issue.
"Lord Hashirama, how long can this state last?"
"Hmm~ If I stay inside the necklace…"
"…probably another forty years or so?"
"Hahaha—"
Watching Hashirama laugh sheepishly, Hiruzen's mouth twitched.
Even when he tried to estimate conservatively, it was still absurd.
Truly worthy of being Hashirama Senju.
"But right now," Hashirama continued,
"it seems a young man in the village has lost his way."
His gaze shifted toward the silent Kyusei.
Ever since Mito's residual chakra inside Kyusei had accidentally awakened the chakra stored in the necklace, Hashirama had been quietly observing the outside world.
He knew full well that the current holder of the necklace was Kyusei—the village's second Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
He had watched Kyusei for four years.
Hashirama had awakened fully around the time Kyusei first entered Nine-Tails Mode.
What surprised him most was that even a being as unruly as the Nine-Tails had come to acknowledge a human.
Hiruzen finally remembered why they were even here in the first place.
Unbelievable.
The First Hokage and the Third Hokage…
working together to solve a kid's love troubles.
Ridiculous.
Hashirama looked out over Konoha beneath the night sky, his expression tinged with nostalgia.
"Konoha was meant to be a village for children."
"The reason we founded it was so children wouldn't have to fight on battlefields anymore."
"Monkey, you've done well."
He first praised Hiruzen, then turned to Kyusei.
"Now, a child burdened with great expectations is lost."
"As Konoha's first 'village head,' it's only right that I guide him."
Kyusei stared at Hashirama.
He'd always known the necklace contained Hashirama's chakra—but he never imagined chakra could be used like this. The Uzumaki really had taken sealing techniques to terrifying levels.
World-hopping seals through ley lines.
Preserving consciousness through chakra.
This necklace itself.
"All Uzumaki handiwork," he muttered inwardly.
"Uncle Hashirama," Kyusei said lazily, resting his chin on his hand while looking at the sea of lights below,
"then what do you think I should do?"
Hiruzen paused at the way he was addressed, glanced at Hashirama—who still looked in his prime—then at his own wrinkled hands.
…Fine. Call him whatever you want.
Hashirama didn't mind in the slightest. He, too, looked out over Konoha, the night wind lifting his long black hair, making Kyusei briefly wonder if this really was just an ordinary clone technique.
"Honesty and sincerity are the most basic forms of trust between partners," Hashirama said calmly.
"Deception and concealment solve nothing. The longer you drag it out, the bigger the problem becomes."
"You like Kaoru."
"And you also like Naori."
"That is your fault."
"But because of who the three of you are, what should have been a simple matter has turned into a major crisis."
"So…"
"Be honest."
To Read advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon
patreon.com/DarkVerse146