Natsuhiko truly wanted very, very much to understand just how Senju Hashirama's strength at his peak would appear.
After all, in the original story, he was the only person who had defeated Uchiha Madara again and again.
Even if Natsuhiko liked Uchiha Madara's arrogant, self-centered bearing, he still had to admire this man who looked somewhat ridiculous and dramatic.
According to Senju Hashirama himself, his current general level of strength was extremely high no matter how one looked at it, so naturally, that also made Natsuhiko interested.
After all, there was truly not much cost in sparring with Senju Hashirama, so why would he not properly try it?
He could see the power of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, who was close to his peak or perhaps already at his peak in overall strength, and at the same time, he could properly understand his own current condition.
Since both sides had already agreed to this matter, neither of them was the type to delay things.
Natsuhiko was curious about Senju Hashirama's power, and the two brothers were likewise extremely curious about what Natsuhiko's power was truly like.
Although they had felt Natsuhiko's aura, understood his current physical condition, and even seen those eyes of his, Natsuhiko had not actually fought in front of them.
When they were summoned by Natsuhiko, the situation was already a battlefield left in ruins.
They could only learn some things from those surviving Ōtsutsuki, and aside from that, after returning to the shinobi world, they could read records to understand Natsuhiko's performance in the previous war.
Now that they could observe Natsuhiko fight up close in the true sense, they naturally had no intention of missing this opportunity.
However, the battle between the two of them naturally would not be so careless, because their strength was truly too powerful. Therefore, some necessary preparations still had to be made.
For example, they had to properly think about the location of their battle. Aside from that, they also needed to give advance notice to avoid causing misunderstandings in the village because of the destruction their battle might create.
Moreover, for this battle, Natsuhiko also planned to gradually let some trustworthy people inside Konoha know about Konoha's current situation.
He truly did not intend to expose Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama all at once, but in the future, they would eventually appear before the world again.
Giving some information to trustworthy people would not only increase Natsuhiko's cohesion, it would also help him win even more hearts. How could Natsuhiko possibly miss such an opportunity?
Besides, he had also promised Kakashi, so this time, awakening Rin was also an inevitable matter. Natsuhiko was too lazy to keep waiting.
"You two go find a suitable location. I will bring some people over with me. After all, you two will truly be active in Konoha in the future, so not everyone can remain unaware."
Natsuhiko had considered things in detail, and his words made Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama feel happy, but also somewhat troubled.
"Should we forget it? I am afraid our appearance might have some effect on you."
"If I cannot even handle the influence brought by you two, then what kind of Hokage would I be?"
Natsuhiko was confident when facing this question, and that confidence made Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama even more satisfied.
Because of that, the two of them did not say anything more. What they needed to do was simply show their stance, a stance of absolute support for Natsuhiko.
After discussing these matters properly, the three of them separated.
With Senju Hashirama providing coordinates, Natsuhiko was not afraid of being unable to find them. Very quickly, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and directly returned to his home.
It did not take him long to find Senju Shōma, who was resting at home. Natsuhiko did not say much to him, only telling him to come with him.
Senju Shōma was still somewhat confused, not knowing what Natsuhiko meant.
However, when facing this new pride of the Senju Clan and the new generation Hokage of Konoha, Senju Shōma basically obeyed everything he said.
Perhaps to him, the thing most worthy of pride right now was that he had raised Senju Natsuhiko.
Of course, he was also clear that Natsuhiko's growth path truly did not necessarily have much to do with him, but this pride was real and solid.
After bringing Senju Shōma to the Hokage's office, Natsuhiko then had Sora and Renge notify Kakashi and his father, Nara Shikaku, and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Kakashi and Nara Shikaku could be considered Natsuhiko's most important right and left hands within Konoha's system, aside from Sora and Renge.
Sora and Renge gave Natsuhiko the greatest help in his work, while Kakashi and Nara Shikaku were people who could provide support and assistance in all aspects.
It could be said that Natsuhiko trusted them. As for Kakashi and his father, they already knew of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama's existence, so it was also normal to let Nara Shikaku know now.
As for Sarutobi Hiruzen, Natsuhiko purely wanted to unsettle him a little. Whether it was Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, or Hatake Sakumo, all of them could strongly stimulate him.
Of course, it was also not impossible that this could let him see some hope, and then work even harder.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's working ability was still very strong. Natsuhiko had always been clear about this, even though this man's way of thinking was truly very different from his own.
Moreover, this man had lost his wife and one son, and the future Konohamaru could already be said to be gone.
Now, Natsuhiko letting him see some hope could naturally stir up even greater work enthusiasm in him.
Even if Natsuhiko might not necessarily help him, hanging a carrot in front of a donkey would still make the donkey keep chasing after the carrot.
When people saw hope, no matter what, they would not easily let that hope slip away.
...
"Everyone is here, right? Then I will announce a few things first."
After Sora and Renge had brought everyone over, Natsuhiko also had the two of them stay. Only then did he slowly speak to everyone with serious expressions.
"In a while, I will take you to a place. As for where it is, do not ask. Whatever you see, do not speak of it either.
"And all of you must keep today's events properly secret. Can you do that?"
Natsuhiko had always shown people a gentle attitude. Even if he displayed another side in private, such scenes were still relatively few.
But being as serious as he was today was truly the first time, and this made everyone present realize that the situation was probably different.
Therefore, aside from Senju Shōma and Sarutobi Hiruzen, the other five all knelt on one knee and answered loudly in unison.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
"Get up. Prepare to depart."
Facing this scene, Natsuhiko truly wanted to shout, "No kneeling," but the world of ninja did not talk about "fairness, fairness, and still fairness."
After making everyone stand up, Natsuhiko silently began waiting for Senju Tobirama's signal, while the others had no idea what Natsuhiko was thinking, and they did not dare speak up to ask.
About ten minutes later, Natsuhiko suddenly used the Shadow Clone Technique.
His shadow clones arrived beside Kakashi and the others, and in the next moment, when the shadow clones placed their hands on them, all of them felt the world spin.
The feeling came quickly and left just as fast, and everything before their eyes had already changed.
At this moment, they had arrived above a canyon. At this moment, they already knew that Natsuhiko's Flying Thunder God Technique had brought them here.
And at this moment, they also noticed that there were two figures waiting ahead in the canyon.
Looking over from a distance, aside from Kakashi, Sakumo, Sora, and Renge, everyone's bodies stiffened.
Because they had already recognized them. Those two were Konoha's First Hokage and Second Hokage.
The once twin pillars of the Senju Clan, Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama!
"That… that is…"
Senju Shōma looked at the two people not far away in disbelief, and his body could not help trembling slightly.
This was excitement. He truly had never dreamed that he could still see these two people who had once brought endless glory to the Senju Clan!
Tears had already appeared in his eyes, and he felt as though he might be dreaming. Otherwise, how could such a thing happen?
As for Sarutobi Hiruzen and Nara Shikaku, their situations were not much better. They also had never expected Natsuhiko to bring them here to see these two people.
One had to know that the influence these two had over Konoha was something that remained from beginning to end, even though Sarutobi Hiruzen had tried every possible way to continuously weaken it. Legends of them still existed in Konoha.
However, compared with Shōma and Shikaku's excitement, Sarutobi Hiruzen had a deeper layer of thought and consideration. He had indeed been frightened by the two people before him, but he also immediately thought of something.
The revival of the dead, something that seemed unbelievable, was actually not something impossible.
That blue-and-white figure standing there with pride was the very person who had created a technique that could make the dead live once again.
Is it Edo Tensei?
Sarutobi Hiruzen silently muttered this in his heart. In the end, he had once been Hokage as well, so he naturally knew about this technique.
However, he did not say anything more, because this was Natsuhiko's own matter. At this moment, he was no longer Hokage.
Moreover, when facing the Second Hokage who had been brought back by Edo Tensei, Sarutobi Hiruzen truly felt somewhat afraid inside.
Because the things he had done after becoming Hokage truly could not be called worthy of his teacher.
"Natsuhiko, this… this is…"
After a long while, Senju Shōma looked at Natsuhiko with some excitement. Right now, he had to understand what was going on.
And at this moment, Senju Shōma had also calmed down slightly. He had once served as the head of the Senju Clan, so naturally, he also remembered a certain technique.
However, that technique had not been recorded in the clan's ninjutsu scrolls. Moreover, he had never truly believed that such a technique—one that could make the dead rise again—existed. Over time, he had gradually forgotten about it.
But now, in this situation, he naturally recalled these matters. He only still needed to confirm it.
Unfortunately, Natsuhiko merely smiled at him. Then his figure flashed slightly and disappeared before their eyes.
"I really did not expect you to bring Saru along as well."
When Natsuhiko appeared again, he was already beside Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, while Senju Hashirama looked into the distance and could not help feeling somewhat emotional.
"Not just Sarutobi Hiruzen. There is also Senju Shōma."
Natsuhiko smiled slightly, and he also turned his head to look over there.
"Elder Shōma is the one who raised me. Although many of his ideas are different from mine, I am very grateful to him."
"Shōma?"
When Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama heard this name, they could not help thinking for a moment. In the end, it was Senju Tobirama who remembered something.
"It is that kid. He once served in the Anbu. I did not expect him to be that old now."
"Did you not say it yourself? Time is a ninja's greatest enemy." Natsuhiko shook his head slightly, then looked toward Senju Hashirama. His expression became much more serious.
"Hashirama-senpai, are you ready?"
"Do not worry. I have long since prepared."
Not much seriousness could be seen on Senju Hashirama's face, or rather, no matter what kind of opponent he faced, his expression always seemed to be like this.
Even if there were times when he became serious, such situations were still rare for him.
Senju Tobirama glanced at the two of them, then immediately used the Body Flicker Technique and arrived at the place where Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others were.
For the battle between these two, even in his Edo Tensei state, Senju Tobirama did not want to be caught up in it.
Moreover, Natsuhiko had brought so many people here. Whether out of trust or because of some strange amusement of his, Senju Tobirama had to protect these people's safety.
Senju Tobirama's arrival immediately caused a slight stir, and when Senju Shōma saw him arrive, he became extremely excited.
After all, he had once served under Senju Tobirama. Compared with Senju Hashirama, he was closer to Senju Tobirama.
Aside from him, Sarutobi Hiruzen was also somewhat excited, though while excited, he also seemed rather awkward, because some things he had done in the past had indeed been very terrible.
"Sensei."
"Second Hokage-sama!"
However, whether they were excited or awkward, the two of them immediately greeted Senju Tobirama after he came over.
Senju Tobirama merely swept his gaze over them, and especially when his eyes fell on Sarutobi Hiruzen, he could not help releasing his sharp aura.
In an instant, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Fortunately, Senju Tobirama also noticed that his emotions had gone somewhat out of control, and he quickly restrained himself.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, was covered in cold sweat. It was not as if he had never studied the Edo Tensei technique.
He naturally knew that this technique was still fine when summoning ordinary ninja, but if it summoned ninja like Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, the effect would probably be extremely poor.
Yet the feeling Senju Tobirama gave him now was just like his peak state back then, which truly made him unable to understand.
"Be careful later. Although I will protect you, there are some problems that even I may find hard to handle properly."
Senju Tobirama calmly spoke to everyone. After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze toward Kakashi.
"Kid from the Hatake family, have you prepared the materials Natsuhiko asked you to prepare?"
"They are already prepared, Second Hokage-sama."
Kakashi immediately nodded. He seemed to realize something, then quickly took out the materials he had prepared.
Senju Tobirama received the materials, and then his figure flashed slightly and disappeared from the spot. Only a moment later, he appeared once again.
And this time, when he appeared, he was carrying a woman in his hand. Kakashi immediately understood that this Second Hokage had gone to the prison.
Kakashi had some memory of this woman as well. After all, he was the Anbu Commander, and when it came to the death-row prisoners in the Anbu prison, he was far more responsible than Natsuhiko.
Is he going to awaken Rin?
Kakashi silently thought this in his heart, and right at this moment, Natsuhiko and Senju Hashirama in the distance also moved.
Natsuhiko and Senju Hashirama stood facing each other on opposite sides of a river at the bottom of the canyon. A gentle breeze swept past, and neither of them showed any intention of attacking.
However, even without making a move, the chakra within their bodies had already begun to surge.
Buzz!
Suddenly, two vast waves of chakra burst outward, and two powerful auras instantly swept across both sides of the entire canyon.
"S-so strong… such powerful chakra…"
Not far away, although Kakashi and the others had been drawn in by what Senju Tobirama was doing, at this moment, all of them looked toward Natsuhiko's direction at the same time.
They saw that between Natsuhiko and Senju Hashirama, one had a faint layer of blue chakra appearing around his body, while the other had chakra that leaned slightly toward purple.
These two waves of chakra erupted outward. Even though the two of them had not truly begun fighting yet, sand and rocks were already flying around them, and the ground beneath their feet had begun to crack.
"Ninja Art: Edo Tensei!"
However, at this moment, Senju Tobirama had already quietly completed Edo Tensei. In only a moment, Rin, whom Kakashi and Obito had both longed for, appeared before them.
Rin's strength was very weak, so there were no strict requirements for the choice of materials, and she awakened very quickly. However, she was now utterly confused by everything before her.
"Rin!"
Kakashi was the first to react. Even though the chakra spreading from not far away made him feel extremely uncomfortable, he still walked toward Rin.
"You are…"
Rin was slightly wary. She stared at Kakashi for a long while, then suddenly asked in confusion.
"You are… Kakashi?"
Boom!
However, just as she finished asking, a piercing roar accompanied by a powerful tremor swept violently toward them.
Not far away, the instant a withered leaf was unintentionally affected by Natsuhiko and Senju Hashirama's chakra and drifted down leisurely from the tree, the two of them moved at the same time.
From stillness to motion, it happened in only an instant, and at this moment, the two of them had already crossed paths.
At the beginning, neither of them used any special fighting method. Instead, as if by agreement, they used taijutsu, or more directly, swordsmanship.
After all, both of them were from the Senju Clan, and the powers they controlled also overlapped greatly, so their fighting styles would naturally have a certain degree of similarity.
Since that was the case, they naturally began with the most basic and simplest method. Only, their "basic battle" was anything but ordinary in the eyes of others.
Buzz!
The ninja blade carrying deep blue chakra flashed with a cold light, quietly cutting past Senju Hashirama's neck.
The blade was sharp, and its speed was like rushing thunder.
But Senju Hashirama's speed was also extremely fast. He did not treat himself as someone brought back by Edo Tensei at all, so he absolutely would not let Natsuhiko wound him easily.
He also drew his blade quickly, and the instant he blocked Natsuhiko's ninja blade, his left hand shot forward, driving a kunai fiercely toward Natsuhiko's abdomen.
However, just as Senju Hashirama had expected, Natsuhiko also drew a kunai at the same time and thrust it fiercely toward Senju Hashirama.
As a result, the two kunai stabbed hard into each other in midair. The sharp tips crossed and scraped out little sparks, and in the next moment, the two of them pulled away at the same time.
The two looked at each other from a distance, and for a moment, both seemed somewhat silent.
A ninja's battle was extremely frightening, and this was even more true for powerful ninja.
Because powerful ninja controlled timing, methods of attack, and technique with near flawless precision.
If either side was distracted for even an instant, or accidentally left even the slightest opening, the other would seize that chance without hesitation and strike fiercely.
Moreover, ninja were beings who would use every means available. Sneak attacks were common for them, and even at the level of Kage, this was still the case.
Just like what the two of them had done just now.
"So fast…"
Not far away, Kakashi and the others watched Natsuhiko and Senju Hashirama's battle and could not help swallowing.
This kind of high-intensity battle made them feel that if they were standing across from either of these two, they probably would not even be able to endure the first exchange.
Rin had only just been revived, and now she was even more confused. She had already recognized many of the people present, such as Kakashi, who had somehow grown up beside her.
There was also the Third Hokage, who looked even older, and Nara Shikaku. Aside from them, she also noticed a girl not far from her, one who looked very much like Uchiha Sora from their class back then.
Besides that, she also noticed that the man standing in front of them, wearing old-style armor and with silver hair, seemed to be the Second Hokage.
What exactly is going on?
Rin's head was full of questions. The battle not far away made her feel even more terrified, because she could not see anything clearly. She could only see one blue and one purple chakra colliding.
However, now she could finally see clearly, and after seeing clearly, she became even more stunned.
Because one of the people over there was wearing the Hokage robe, and he looked somewhat like their former classmate, Fukami Natsuhiko.
He seemed to have grown up just like Kakashi, and besides that, he had become Hokage?
Not only that, but the person fighting him, with that appearance and that outfit, seemed to be Konoha's First Hokage-sama.
Rin now felt that her mind was already a mess. She felt that either she had gone mad, or the world had gone mad.
Wait, wasn't I already…
Suddenly, Rin seemed to remember something, and at this moment, her memories also became clearer and clearer.
She remembered that because of the Three-Tails, she seemed to have finally chosen to die by Kakashi's hand.
But she had clearly already died, so why was she standing here?
Rin's mind was now completely muddled, and there were far too many questions in her heart. If she had not seen that the First Hokage and Second Hokage were both people who had died and somehow come back to life.
She would probably now be suspecting whether someone was doing something terrifying to target Konoha.
Of course, she had not completely relaxed either. She still needed to slowly observe and understand, and gather more information.
The changes in Rin's expression naturally fell into many people's eyes. After all, Rin was truly not a ninja who was good at hiding her emotions. Whatever she thought was almost always written on her face.
However, at this moment, even Kakashi did not temporarily explain things to her, because the most important thing right now was to let her first adapt to the fact that she had already come back.
Aside from that, the battle between Natsuhiko and Senju Hashirama could absolutely be said to be a scene that they might not be able to see again in their entire lives.
Who was Senju Hashirama? He was the First Hokage who had brought an end to the chaotic era and was called the God of Shinobi by the world.
And although Natsuhiko was Senju Hashirama's descendant, he was also the Fifth Hokage.
Moreover, Natsuhiko had once displayed astonishing power. Relying on his strength alone, he had ended a war. In their eyes, such strength was truly not inferior to Senju Hashirama.
In fact, within the shinobi world, a small number of people had already begun to place the title "God of Shinobi" on Natsuhiko as well.
Now, two Senju, both Hokage, both skilled in Wood Release, and both connected to the title "God of Shinobi," were fighting.
Even though Natsuhiko's title was still very faint, no matter who encountered such a battle, they would neither be able nor willing to miss it.
Even if they knew this was only a spar between the two, if they missed even a spar like this, they would absolutely regret it for the rest of their lives.
...
What a shameless guy.
While everyone else was focusing intently on watching the two spar, Natsuhiko and Senju Hashirama cursed the other in their hearts almost at the same time.
In their eyes, the other side looked like a good person, so how could he still use such underhanded methods?
If they had not also happened to think of launching a sneak attack themselves, would the other party not have succeeded just now?
Although they thought this in their hearts, neither of them felt that there was anything wrong with such actions. Even when sparring, ninja had to show their cunning side.
Otherwise, when facing a true enemy, the one who suffered would be themselves.
They silently watched each other. However, in the next moment, the two moved at the same time once again, and this time, their speed was even faster, while their attacks also became more ruthless.
With a flash, Natsuhiko's ninja blade carried an enormous amount of chakra and stabbed directly toward Senju Hashirama.
Senju Hashirama did not show the slightest weakness either. He met it head-on without hesitation. Along with the clear sound of metal colliding, the two ninja blades crossed in the air.
And this time, Senju Hashirama had already prepared. Almost at the instant he met Natsuhiko, the kunai in his other hand had already reached out.
His strength was great, and even when holding the blade with one hand, his power was still terrifying. The instant his blade crossed with Natsuhiko's, he pressed fiercely forward.
In an instant, Natsuhiko's ninja blade was forced back uncontrollably, and after that, he could only keep it close to his chest to defend.
This was exactly the effect Senju Hashirama wanted, because only this way could his left hand move faster and more fiercely, giving Natsuhiko no chance to react as he stabbed directly toward his abdomen.
"Hmm?"
However, in the next second, he discovered that the space in front of him had suddenly become empty, and his entire body involuntarily leaned forward.
He only glanced once before immediately realizing that the Natsuhiko before his eyes was now nothing more than an afterimage.
Such a fast Flying Thunder God Technique!
Senju Hashirama silently thought this in his heart, and at that very moment, the sound of a kunai cutting through the air suddenly came from behind him.
That sharp and piercing chakra, along with the kunai, had already stabbed fiercely toward him. He knew this was his younger brother's proud technique, Water Blade Slash.
However, he did not seem to take this attack too seriously, and the corner of his mouth even rose slightly into a smile.
Poff!
Natsuhiko's kunai struck Senju Hashirama directly without the slightest surprise, but Natsuhiko's brow lifted slightly.
Because he had already discovered that the feeling was wrong, and the sound coming from Senju Hashirama's body after being struck also proved that what he had stabbed did not seem like a human body at all.
Of course, the feeling of striking someone brought back by Edo Tensei would not be the same as striking a living human body. That was inevitable.
However, Natsuhiko's sensory ability had already detected the real Senju Hashirama's position.
"Wood Clone, huh? It really is worthy of being a technique even the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan cannot see through."
Looking at the wooden clone before him, which had already begun returning to its true form, and sensing the enormous chakra suddenly coming from behind him, Natsuhiko did not hesitate in the slightest.
He did not pull out the kunai stabbed into the wooden clone at all. Instead, he formed a hand seal with one hand and quickly turned around.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Biting Explosion!"
Two ninjutsu were cast one after the other. Aside from Yin Release, which Senju Hashirama was not very skilled in, he had at least some mastery over every other nature transformation.
In particular, his mastery of Earth Release and Water Release was exceptionally high.
Since he had not yet decided to use Wood Release for the time being, he chose Earth Release without the slightest hesitation.
Natsuhiko was similar to him, except that because of the system, Natsuhiko could also use Yin Release. However, between Earth Release and Water Release, he leaned more toward Water Release.
Under Senju Hashirama's powerful chakra, the earth began to tremble in an instant, and at that moment, countless huge and sharp rocks rose from the ground.
They spread across every corner beneath the canyon and rushed wildly toward Natsuhiko.
Natsuhiko's water dragon was also incomparably huge. After letting out a roar, the water dragon directly followed the continuously spreading earth spikes and crashed toward Senju Hashirama.
Those enormous earth spikes kept breaking under its destruction, while the water dragon's body also began shrinking as the spikes wore it down.
Under such impact, cracks appeared all over the canyon walls, and the people standing above the canyon naturally felt just how unstable the earth was at this moment.
They knew that this was only the beginning. The two had only carried out a clash of taijutsu and an initial clash of ninjutsu.
Yet this most basic clash had already reached a height that many ninja could never reach in their entire lives.
Moreover, with only this basic clash, this place was already somewhat unable to hold on, as if it might collapse at any moment.
What kind of monsters are these two?
Aside from Senju Tobirama, this thought involuntarily appeared in everyone else's mind.
However, when they thought that one of these two was the First Hokage who founded Konoha, while the other was the Fifth Hokage who ended a war by himself.
They also felt that perhaps this was perfectly reasonable. After all, they were both terrifying existences, yet also existences capable of protecting Konoha's peace.
"Looks like the recovery is quite good." Senju Hashirama silently felt his own power, then could not help nodding.
He could only feel the general degree of his recovery, while the specific situation was something even he could not grasp accurately.
Likewise, he also could not grasp Natsuhiko's condition, and Natsuhiko seemed to have the same concern. Because of that, the two of them had tacitly started together from the "basics."
But now, there was no need for them to be so cautious anymore.