Thus, in less than half a year, Hashirama had collected the chakra of all nine tailed beasts, all stored within Wood Dragon created by Wood Release.
“Sage Art: Yin-Yang Release!” Hashirama activated Sage Mode.
Red markings appeared around his eyes as he used Sage Chakra to cast the Six Paths Yin-Yang Release Technique, applying it to Wood Dragon.
Wood Dragon created by Wood Release was essentially a puppet with Wood Release vitality.
But after Hashirama cast the Six Paths Yin-Yang Release, a glimmer of intelligence appeared in Wood Dragon’s eyes, and it even sprouted limbs.
*Hah…* Hashirama consumed almost all the chakra in his entire body.
But the results were remarkable.
After being modified by the Six Paths Yin-Yang Release, Wood Dragon’s body now possessed Wood Release cells similar to Hashirama’s cells.
In other words, it had become a living creature.
Moreover, it possessed the chakra of the nine tailed beasts.
This Wood Dragon was equivalent to a Mini Ten-Tails without the Rinne-sharingan.
In a certain sense, this was the first Artificial Tailed Beast in the modern Shinobi World.
Kakuzu’s experiments were failures, but Hashirama’s Artificial Tailed Beast succeeded.
Because Wood Dragon itself possessed the power to convert tailed beast chakra into Hashirama’s chakra, this force stripped away the resentment and will within the tailed beast chakra.
Therefore, even though Wood Dragon possessed the chakra of the nine tailed beasts, it could not connect with the consciousness of the nine tailed beasts.
*Roar!*
Wood Dragon raised its head and howled at the sky, as if declaring its birth to the world.
Hashirama laughed, then sighed, “Making Wood Dragon into a living creature is difficult enough.
The Sage of Six Paths creating nine Tailed Beasts back then was truly terrifying…”
Wood Dragon looked down at Hashirama.
Without a word, it charged at him.
Although Hashirama had consumed a massive amount of chakra, he could still dodge easily.
But he sensed no hostility from Wood Dragon, so he stood motionless.
In the instant Wood Dragon made contact with him, its body abruptly shrank, transforming into dark ink-like tattoos that attached to Hashirama’s skin.
“Something has changed within me…” Hashirama closed his eyes to sense it carefully, then snapped them open.
His body was instantly enveloped in light green chakra.
“Chakra Mode!”
He felt that the current him was even stronger than his past self at full power.
“Madara, this power, even you with Rinnegan, cannot overcome it!”
Hashirama’s current relationship with Wood Dragon was unique.
Their bond resembled that of a Jinchuriki and their beast, but the death of one would not affect the other.
‘How does that brat Hashirama know the secret technique the Sage of Six Paths used to create the Tailed Beasts?
I should have already destroyed that legacy,’ Black Zetsu muttered in the shadows.
“Hmm?” Hashirama in Chakra Mode snapped his gaze toward Black Zetsu’s location.
“There…
is someone there.”
“He found me?!”
Black Zetsu felt a surge of anxiety and swiftly melted into the ground.
Ever since Hashirama became proficient in Chakra Mode, Black Zetsu no longer dared to get close to him.
Hashirama’s sensory capabilities in Chakra Mode were too strong, Black Zetsu had nowhere to hide.
Left with no choice, he could only go check on Kakuzu, or perhaps observe Madara.
There was nothing interesting to see with Madara lately.
He was pursuing the history of the Uchiha clan, essentially excavating the past, excavating his own family’s past.
Those ‘histories’ had already been modified by Black Zetsu, so he was not worried.
Therefore, he shifted his focus to Kakuzu.
This was, after all, his chosen ‘savior.’ Though his origins were unremarkable, as long as he could become the force in his plan, that was enough.
A year had passed since Hashirama Senju left Konoha.
Half a year ago, after borrowing the chakra of the Nine Tailed Beasts, Hashirama vanished without a trace.
Some suspected Hashirama was dead.
Tobirama had served as Hokage for a year.
Both were Hokage, each with their own strengths.
Tobirama fell short of Hashirama in combat, but Hashirama couldn’t match Tobirama’s administrative and political skills.
Under the Second Hokage’s administration, Konoha ran with precision.
The Ninja Academy expanded vigorously, and its teaching model had already been adopted by other shinobi villages.
Tobirama also established the Anbu, directly commanded by the Hokage to centralize authority.
This framework, too, was copied by the other villages, pushing the village system toward its peak.
In canon timeline, Tobirama also established the Konoha Military Police Force, composed entirely of the Uchiha Clan.
It trusted the Uchiha’s capabilities while keeping the clan under surveillance.
But Hashirama’s warning made him wary of doing so now.
The Konoha Military Police Force still existed, but the Uchiha didn’t have sole control.
Instead, the Hokage Faction, the Uchiha Clan, and the Hyuga Faction instituted a tripartite separation of powers.
A triangle is always the most stable structure.
“The current Hokage is certainly quite interesting.”
Kakuzu, as Konoha’s wealthiest man, observed the village’s transformations, a developmental path entirely different from canon timeline, and sighed.
Black Zetsu knew nothing of canon plot.
He assumed Kakuzu was simply reflecting on Tobirama’s tactics.
Tobirama’s tactics were formidable.
Even with a millennium of experience, Black Zetsu could count on one hand those who achieved such a level, and every one was a hero of their generation.
“Is there anything left in Konoha worth your attachment?” he asked Kakuzu.
Kakuzu’s enterprises outside the village were already thriving.
The businesses he kept in Konoha were merely a fraction of his total assets, even abandoning them wouldn’t affect him.
“True, there is nothing left to miss.”
Kakuzu smiled faintly.
“Konoha is a shackle to me now.
It is time to leave.”
He turned and walked downstairs.
Black Zetsu smiled in response.
Downstairs, Midori and Orochimaru researched together.
Although Orochimaru was a student at the Ninja Academy, the curriculum could no longer satisfy his thirst for knowledge.
The moment classes ended, he came to Kakuzu to learn knowledge he had never encountered before.
Here lay another deviation from canon timeline: Orochimaru’s parents were still alive.
The First Shinobi World War had yet to break out.
It never started because Hashirama and Madara were both still alive, no one in the shinobi world was dumb enough start a war openly.
“Sensei.”
Given the knowledge Kakuzu imparted, Orochimaru calling him Sensei was perfectly reasonable.
Kakuzu nodded and said to Midori, “Midori, pack our luggage and wait for me at the village gate.”
“Yes.”
Midori nodded and began organizing the documents on the desk.
“Are you going out?”
Orochimaru asked.
To his knowledge, Kakuzu had never left the village.
“One must aim higher.
The village is no longer suitable for me.” Kakuzu spoke flatly, then looked at Orochimaru.
“If one day you understand my words, try to come to me.”
Orochimaru froze.
Despite his precociousness, he still had no idea what Kakuzu meant.
Or rather, he dared not think about it.
Kakuzu ignored him and left, heading for Training Ground 44: Forest of Death outside Konoha.
A moment later, a man wearing the Hokage’s ceremonial haori appeared in the distance.
Tobirama had rushed over using Flying Thunder God.
“Teuchi, what are you doing here?” Tobirama asked, his face blank. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
He sensed Flying Thunder God mark on Kakuzu, not within Konoha Village, and hurried to investigate.
“Just Kakuzu.
It’s the codename I prefer.”
Kakuzu turned to face him.
“Over the years, your suspicion of me has only grown.
No matter what I do, you doubt me.
Konoha has become unsuitable for me.
I will leave, but I cannot leave with this Cursed Seal you planted on me.”
“You are betraying me!” Tobirama’s expression went cold.
Kakuzu shook his head.
“Tobirama, you are mistaken on one point.
Betrayal requires loyalty, and I have never been loyal to you from the start.”
Tobirama narrowed his eyes.
It was true.
They were not master and servant but collaborators.
Without loyalty, there could be no betrayal.
Their relationship was simply mutual exploitation.
Kakuzu understood this too.
“When I leave, we can still be friends.
Still collaborators.
This does not affect what exists between us.”
As a merchant, one more friend was always better than one more enemy.
Making an enemy of Tobirama was entirely avoidable.
Maintaining this relationship of mutual benefit was sensible.
“But you know far too much.”
Tobirama formed hand seals.
Kakuzu’s mind held too many of his research results.
He could not allow this data to leak.
In this world, nothing kept a secret better than a dead man.
*Thump thump.
Thump thump.*
Kakuzu felt immense pressure on his Fire-nature heart.
The Cursed Seal was taking effect, a hand covered in sharp spikes frantically crushing it.
The agony would strip anyone of their ability to resist.
But Kakuzu remained calm and unhurried.
Surprise flickered in Tobirama’s eyes.
Even if someone could endure the pain, they could not keep their expression completely unchanged.
Kakuzu smiled.
“It is useless, Tobirama.
Your Cursed Seal means absolutely nothing to me.”
The pain nerves on his Fire-nature heart had already been relocated using Earth Grudge Fear.
Even if his heart were crushed to pieces, he would feel nothing.
“It seems this battle is unavoidable.
Come, Tobirama.” Kakuzu spread his arms casually.
Tobirama felt anger surge within him at being so underestimated.
On the surface, he remained impassive and did not attack immediately.
He was cautious, and after years of working together, he knew Kakuzu was equally so.
For Kakuzu to face him so brazenly, he had to have a trump card hidden somewhere.
And he wasn’t even affected by the Cursed Seal…
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