Inside the coffin Akira had opened, a pitch-black, unknown fluid slowly undulated.
Madara stepped closer, took one look, and frowned.
"What is this?"
"Where did you get so much asphalt? And you even stuffed it into a coffin. Isn't that unlucky?"
Hearing this, Obito walked over with curiosity written all over his face.
He examined it for a moment, then grabbed the edge of the coffin and shook it a few times.
"Glug, glug, glug."
The "asphalt" inside churned thickly as it sloshed around.
Obito shook his head.
He still couldn't make sense of it.
Madara folded his arms and looked at Akira.
"You're telling me the secret of the Rinnegan is hidden in this pile of asphalt?"
"Of course," Akira replied with an innocent smile.
"Because this isn't asphalt."
"It's your corpse, Uncle Madara."
"Oh, I see… Wait, what did you say?"
Akira's tone was so casual that Madara almost didn't react.
He pointed at the evenly mixed black substance in the coffin.
"You're saying… this is… my… corpse?"
"Yes." Akira nodded honestly.
"Your corpse."
"..."
Beside the coffin, Obito lowered his head.
His shoulders began to tremble violently.
As someone who had undergone professional training, he didn't burst out laughing on the spot.
But inside, his soul was roaring with bronze-bell-like laughter.
I thought being blown into fragments was already tragic enough…
Madara, you turned into a puddle of asphalt! Hahahahahaha—!
Madara scratched his wild long hair.
His expression turned extremely awkward.
For a moment, he didn't even know how to respond.
Lowering his hand, he nodded toward the coffin.
"Well… it may not matter anymore, but logically speaking…"
"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
"Of course."
Akira straightened his clothes and composed himself.
"After the Fourth Shinobi War, your remains were recovered by Konoha."
"Then, there were two opposing views on how to deal with them."
"On one side were Konoha's senior advisors—Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, disciples of the Second Hokage."
"They strongly advocated destroying your body, to prevent another Orochimaru or Kabuto from abusing it."
"On the other side was the Forbidden Techniques Division, established after Kakashi became Hokage."
"Its predecessor was the Hashirama Cell Research Lab."
"They argued that a shinobi's corpse is a treasure trove of intelligence—bloodlines, techniques, secrets."
"Let alone yours."
"You were the only man who ever stood shoulder to shoulder with the First Hokage."
"You even awakened the Rinnegan."
"Destroying your body would be equivalent to destroying the greatest treasure in shinobi history."
"The two sides were deadlocked."
"So your remains were preserved and frozen after special treatment."
"Later, when Naruto became the Seventh Hokage, Sasuke formally proposed something."
"He suggested preserving your body permanently."
"And building an underground 'Corpse Containment Vault' in Konoha."
"Your coffin would be guarded there by a special ANBU unit."
Madara was surprised.
"That was Sasuke's idea?"
"Yes."
"He once considered reviving you with Edo Tensei if necessary."
"Back then, Sasuke was extremely far-sighted."
"He not only wanted to keep your body…"
"He also suggested sealing the Tailed Beasts' chakra into Naruto."
"That way, the Beasts would be protected, and Naruto would gain power close to a Ten-Tails Jinchūriki."
"Naruto refused."
"He didn't want to restrict their freedom."
"He only fused Yin and Yang Kurama and returned the others to their lands."
"I won't judge that decision."
"At the time, the world really was thriving."
"Later, through an insider in ANBU, I learned about the vault."
"Back then, I hadn't fully committed to this path yet."
"But after repeated disappointments dealing with Konoha…"
"I made up my mind."
"I broke into the vault and took this coffin."
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"And if you hadn't gotten my body?"
"I had other ways to revive you."
Seeing the smile at Akira's lips, Madara snorted inwardly.
Almost got led around by this brat.
"Akira, you little fox!"
"I'm not just asking where my corpse came from!"
"I'm asking where this 'asphalt' came from!"
Ah.
So he'd seen through it.
Akira sighed.
"Alright…"
"I refined your body using Yin–Yang Release."
"I turned it into something similar to Black Zetsu."
"Yin–Yang Release?" Madara's eyes narrowed.
Most people thought Yin–Yang Release was exclusive to Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.
That was a misconception.
That was high-level Yin–Yang Release.
The basic form, Madara had mastered long ago.
Before his death, he had passed it—along with Six Paths techniques and Uchiha forbidden arts—to Obito through genjutsu.
"I taught Obito Yin–Yang Release and Six Paths techniques," Madara said slowly.
"You weren't there. How could you learn it?"
"Yes," Akira replied.
"I wasn't even born then."
"I was born the same year Obito caused the Nine-Tails incident."
Madara turned to Obito.
"Did you teach him?"
Obito replied honestly, "I never met this guy while I was alive… Pfft!"
Madara ignored the laughter.
"Then how did you learn it?"
Akira smiled.
"You taught me, Uncle Madara."
"???"
This wasn't a joke, was it?
Akira finally stopped dodging.
"In deep Samadhi meditation…"
"The version of you in my mind taught me Yin–Yang Release, Six Paths techniques, and Uchiha forbidden arts."
Madara froze.
"…An imaginary me… taught you?"
For a moment, he thought he'd misheard.
"Yes."
Akira spoke firmly.
Madara was speechless.
Did that monk teach you meditation like this?!
Akira continued.
"Of course, it's not pure imagination."
"There are prerequisites."
Madara sighed.
"At least there are limits…"
He looked down at the black substance.
"Still, be careful."
"Don't let anything strange mix into me again."
Once bitten by Zetsu, ten years afraid of asphalt.
"Don't worry," Akira said seriously.
"I tested it thoroughly with Shinzō."
"I disintegrated it first, then restored it with Umotoryū."
"If there were even the slightest impurity, it wouldn't pass."
"Good."
Madara thought quietly.
If my useless body can become his foundation…
That counts as inheritance, doesn't it, Hashirama?
"Do what you want, Akira."
"Thank you."
Akira nodded solemnly and formed seals.
Bzzz—!
From the chest of the Hashirama artificial body above, black Six Paths rods extended downward.
They branched like roots and plunged into the coffin.
Bzzz—!
The black substance surged upward through the rods.
It spread across the artificial body's skin.
Until…
The coffin was empty.
Completely dry.
Madara smiled faintly.
So Hashirama and I truly become one now.
A perfect Hashirama body.
My refined remains.
Asura's power and Indra's power…
The conditions for the Rinnegan are fulfilled.
Madara already knew—
Through Akira—
That he and Hashirama were reincarnations of Indra and Asura.
So the real question was—
Akira, how will you integrate this external power into yourself?
He didn't ask.
He wanted to watch.
Crack.
Akira snapped off a segment of the black rod.
He lifted it and stabbed it into his own shoulder.
Using it as a conduit—
Replacing physical contact.
At that moment, the pattern in his left eye trembled with unprecedented brilliance.
Madara's pupils shrank.
This chakra…
Not Poer-Nyus… not Midōhanō…
Is this his final, unused Mangekyō ability…?!
Akira whispered softly:
"This is the dōjutsu my brother unlocked for me with his life…"
—Twin Blossom.
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