Compared to the Byakugan, the Sharingan, and even the Rinnegan, the power Hagoromo possessed—Mystic Eyes of Death Perception—was undoubtedly more fundamental in nature.
Or rather, the very concept behind it was entirely different.
The Tomoe Sharingan was "direct," and the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception were also "direct," yet the two shared no true similarity.
The Sharingan excelled at observation and analysis. Its ocular power leaned heavily toward the physical realm, while its aptitude for genjutsu—though formidable—was not its strongest aspect.
The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, on the other hand, did exactly as their name implied.
They allowed one to see death.
Anything that had a beginning must have an end. Thus, all things could be returned to nothingness. Under the laws of reality, cause precedes effect—decapitation leads to death.
But in the vision of the Mystic Eyes, the relationship was reversed.
It was because death existed as a result that decapitation became possible.
The cause and effect were inverted.
What connected these inverted causalities were the Lines of Death.
Taken to an extreme, atmosphere, willpower, language, space, time—even such abstract concepts—could all be reduced to things the eyes could erase.
In fact, these eyes had already erased predetermined futures, making events that should have occurred simply cease to exist.
However, the requirements imposed upon the wielder were extraordinarily high.
Many conceptual phenomena were almost impossible to perceive Lines of Death within. A fixed future could be erased—but what about a future filled with infinite uncertainty and possibility?
That was something Hagoromo would likely never be able to accomplish.
According to the activation conditions of his eyes, the first awakening required a near-death experience. Subsequent usage also demanded extreme circumstances.
Thus, rather than being an S-rank ultimate skill unlocked at the brink of death, it was more accurately described as an emergency measure used when he was about to die.
Even so, this was a source-level ability, one of the highest-tier powers in existence.
Unlike his lightning-based abilities—which were practically teach-and-use—the Mystic Eyes could only be explored through Hagoromo's own trial and error.
And compared to their orthodox wielders, who could use them as naturally as breathing, Hagoromo experienced a tangible mental burden whenever he employed them.
If one had to draw a comparison, it was somewhat similar to Kakashi's Sharingan.
Not very "S-rank" at all.
If anything, it felt more like "M-rank."
This left Hagoromo slightly frustrated—but he quickly came to understand that this was only natural.
If he could freely unleash the eyes' full potential, then this world would have been reduced to a mere game instance.
After all, in theory, whether standing before Kaguya or Saitama, he could kill either with a single finger.
Clearly, such unreasonable convenience did not exist.
Ryougi Shiki's Mystic Eyes could be opened and closed at will. Tohno Shiki's seemed permanently active.
Hagoromo's, however—
They were simply difficult to open.
His ocular power was extreme, but due to its usage conditions, Hagoromo classified it as non-standard combat power.
Which, inevitably, led him to ask—
Why couldn't he just have been given a Death Note instead?
…Complaints aside, the true value of these eyes lay in killing things that could not die.
That alone was more than sufficient.
While he needed time to explore the eyes, what mattered more was strengthening his conventional combat ability.
And for that, he occasionally needed to visit Shikkotsu Forest.
His lightning-based abilities had already reached their ceiling. Further upgrades were nearly impossible—at best, he could only refine them.
But as a shinobi, there was still plenty he could improve.
The electromagnetic Lightning Release technique remained his most lethal technique, but he had no intention of ever firing something like Rashōmon again.
Throwing something appropriately sized would suffice.
Launching Rashōmon carried too great a cost.
That said—
He likely would never again face such desperate circumstances.
Setting aside his unique abilities, Hagoromo's greatest flaw as a shinobi lay in his endurance.
Calling him fragile wasn't quite right—most ninja were glass cannons anyway. But even among glass cannons, there were differences.
Others at least had massive chakra reserves.
Hagoromo did not.
Although he wasn't fundamentally a chakra-dependent fighter, strengthening his reserves would still be beneficial.
So how to solve that problem?
Hagoromo already had an idea.
At present, the Third Hokage seemed to have no intention of sending him back to the battlefield. The investigation into missing ninja was mere formality, and he had no real role in caring for the twins.
Which meant—
He had time to visit Shikkotsu Forest and research something he had been interested in for a long time.
...
Judging purely by scale, although Hagoromo had never visited the other two sacred lands of senjutsu, Shikkotsu Forest felt intuitively the most expansive.
The air was hot and humid, mist drifting through the atmosphere. The terrain rose and fell gently, while towering broadleaf trees blocked out the sky, creating a vast windless zone.
It was not a comfortable place to be.
Year-round, it felt like a tropical rainforest at two in the afternoon—oppressively humid.
Hagoromo arrived via reverse summoning.
Despite its name, there was more "damp" than "bones" here.
In the distance, a milky-white "mountain" could be seen.
That was no mountain.
It was Katsuyu's true body—the highest point in the entire region.
If Katsuyu could be fully summoned into the outside world in one go, then Manda and Gamabunta wouldn't stand a chance.
Naturally, Katsuyu sensed Hagoromo's arrival, but did not move. A body of that scale could not relocate easily.
At most, she would send a split body.
As for the occasional roaring sounds—
Hagoromo recognized them.
They came from the "little dog" he kept.
These summoned beasts were unquestionably apex predators of this ecosystem.
They ate whatever they pleased.
But Hagoromo's purpose here had nothing to do with summoning beasts.
He followed the stone steps beneath his feet, walking steadily upward.
Every thirty meters or so, a weathered vermilion torii gate stood along the stairway. Far in the distance, beyond the limits of sight, loomed a cluster of imposing man-made structures in the same color.
Along both sides of the stone path stood grotesque iron gates carved with demonic faces.
Rashōmon.
How many were there?
Hagoromo had never counted.
If someone possessed absurd levels of chakra—and didn't mind excessive defense—they could probably summon fifty layers at once.
Though they existed in the same location, Rashōmon and Katsuyu belonged to entirely different summoning systems.
Hagoromo had learned Rashōmon from the Scroll of Seals, and the gates he used were summoned from Shikkotsu Forest.
These man-made structures—including the buildings—were most likely connected to the Senju Clan, though Hagoromo neither knew for certain nor particularly cared.
In terms of power systems, Hashirama Senju's true strength emerged only when senjutsu and Wood Release were combined.
Senjutsu without Wood Release lacked that overwhelming suppression.
Wood Release without senjutsu was roughly equivalent to what the reincarnated First Hokage demonstrated when fighting the Third Hokage.
Only when senjutsu and Wood Release merged did Hashirama become truly Hashirama.
Hashirama had his way of being strong.
And Hagoromo—
Had his own.
After climbing the final step, Hagoromo emerged onto a square stone plaza.
Compared to the surrounding dense forest, this elevated area felt open and spacious.
And standing before him now—
Were towering wooden spires, each infused with a peculiar, tangible energy.
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