HSU: Ch. 310

As the most hardcore and solid sealing technique in the entire Naruto world, Six Paths - Chibaku Tensei was a jutsu that constantly reminded one whether they were serving a regular sentence or life imprisonment.

After being imprisoned for over a thousand years, Kaguya finally found a chance to breathe. But once she took that breath, there was no going back.

At first, she was content just "watching videos online."

Masashi was like a "video library," with a vast and rather entertaining collection. Some were a bit obscene, sure, but in the solitude of eternal confinement, she eventually grew to enjoy them.

But soon, watching wasn't enough.

She wanted to stand on that land again and breathe fresh air.

Through Masashi, she learned that there were descendants of the Ōtsutsuki clan still on Earth. After some maneuvering, she found a girl through whom she could connect her chakra.

And just like that, she managed to breathe again, and even had a face-to-face encounter with Masashi. Through that encounter, she was also able to project her spirit directly onto him.

After comparing the experiences, she concluded: recorded broadcasts have their flavor, but live broadcasts are just more thrilling.

Right now, in her mindscape, she lay sprawled across a bed in a very alluring pose, watching a "screen" in front of her.

It showed everything that could be seen from Masashi's perspective.

Six Paths - Chibaku Tensei, in principle, sealed everything, not just chakra, but also the target's consciousness. It was an ultimate sealing technique that "froze" everything, even time itself.

But clearly, it couldn't seal Kaguya's spirit.

Which made sense. Hagoromo and Hamura, the original wielders of this technique, were her sons. In terms of chakra mastery, she surpassed them both. Black Zetsu, after all, was something she hastily created while being sealed.

Normally, once someone was hit by Chibaku Tensei, they could no longer use chakra.

But Kaguya, in her mindscape, built everything herself.

Most people viewed the mindscape as illusionary, but to someone who had consumed the chakra fruit, spirit was reality.

She was still technically imprisoned, sure, but that didn't stop her from living with dignity.

Watching the live stream of those humans, she felt bored.

Ōtsutsuki don't waste time with words, they're all people of action.

If she says she'll hang someone from a tree, she'll hang them, fewer bodies hanging means she loses.

What drew her to Masashi, aside from his lineage, was that he was someone who solved problems. He could talk trash, sure, but he didn't waste time with pointless trash talk.

Bored of watching, she decided to go on mic.

Masashi, just kill them already. I want to see what the previous Asura was capable of.

She initiated a void communication to speak directly to Masashi.

Thanks a lot, came Masashi's annoyed voice in his mindscape. I'm in a meeting here. Keeping a serious face takes effort.

Kaguya was displeased and started kicking her feet. Having been sealed for so long and spent her time self-entertaining in her mindscape, she had long since become a quirky and unrestrained woman.

After all, who was there to impress?

The fact that she wasn't running around naked in her mind was already a sign of strong willpower and self-control.

Why bother talking so much with ants? You already have me backing you, there's nothing to fear.

Kaguya believed that Masashi didn't understand how rare and precious it was to be favored by her.

---

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Masashi, sitting stiffly at a meeting like a statue, was being mentally bombarded and getting seriously irritated.

More annoying still, everyone was staring at him.

What is this? A budget meeting?

Are you people addicted to squeezing me dry?

He glared back at them one by one with a stern face.

Look carefully! I'm your opponent today, not your budget manager!

Tobirama had been watching. Though he was a composed man, he nearly laughed at the sight.

But to others in the room, his expression meant something else entirely.

The old folks from Tobirama's original team were thrilled.

Kakashi had to be protected, absolutely nothing could happen to him.

In this generation of jonin, the Sarutobi group only had two who could potentially rise to Kage-level: Kakashi and Guy. No one was blind, everyone could see the difference in potential.

To be fair, even the Sarutobi group believed that returning the Mangekyō Sharingan was the right thing. Kakashi's strength had clearly declined since he got that eye.

Copying countless jutsu was impressive, but there was no qualitative leap.

Old-school Kakashi? He used to shock everyone.

People once thought he had peaked, but then they realized it was the Mangekyō dragging him down.

Carrying that thing 24/7? Of course you'd be drained.

Based on chakra levels alone, he was now almost at Kage-level.

Kakashi looked troubled by Tobirama's question. But he understood the rules of political survival: If your idea won't satisfy the leader, better not offer one at all.

"I'll leave it up to you, Nidaime-sama," he said.

Tobirama's expression stiffened slightly.

Masashi just shook his head.

Wrong answer.

"I can't decide for you," Tobirama said. "The decision-making principle in Konoha is consensus, no one has the authority to decide for someone else."

Kakashi froze, then realized his mistake. He lacked experience in meetings like this and wasn't yet used to Konoha's political culture.

His hesitation had just backed him into a corner.

But he was still a jonin, and not helpless. After a moment of thought, he presented his solution.

"If that's the case, I would like to resolve this through combat."

"Oh? Are you sure?" Tobirama caught on quickly.

That was a fast pivot.

"Yes, I'm sure. No matter who the opponent is, I accept."

The room filled with murmurs as people began discussing.

Fugaku also looked at Kakashi more closely.

The kid had some talent, this was indeed the best option for him, and the only card he could play. But only superficially favorable.

The Uchiha wouldn't lose out either.

He looked toward the present Hokage.

Hiruzen frowned.

Tobirama smiled silently.

Hashirama was deep in thought.

The founder of the ninja village system hadn't said a word so far.

This is great! I support it too! came Kaguya's voice once more in Masashi's ear. Masashi, accept it, and kill him. I'm so incredibly bored.

What was she, a Roman gladiator?

Masashi tried to pacify the restless woman in his head and then spoke to Kakashi, "Your proposal is acceptable to the Uchiha clan. But you know the rules, right?"

"I do, mutual equivalence." Kakashi nodded. "I'll duel another person who has a Mangekyō Sharingan. The winner gets to keep Obito's eye."

"Then based on that principle, only Shisui and I are qualified to fight you. Pick one." said Masashi.

"Wait a moment," someone interrupted.

It was Hashirama. And only he could speak up.

Minato, as Kakashi's teacher, had to avoid any conflict of interest.

Hiruzen faced similar constraints.

Only the two reanimated Hokage had the standing to speak.

But Hashirama wasn't the kind of man to pull cheap tricks.

"I just want to confirm, have you both agreed to resolve this this way?" His face turned serious.

"Yes. I truly can't think of any other solution."

Kakashi wasn't the kind of person who could shamelessly dodge the issue or argue for the sake of it. That just wasn't in his nature. He hoped to keep the eye, and he couldn't and wouldn't accept an exchange, that would be a betrayal of Obito. So, a duel was the only option he could accept.

"Even though it's a Mangekyō Sharingan, you can't bring out the eye's true power. So having Masashi or Shisui as your opponent still isn't fair," Hashirama said.

His words made complete sense, and Fugaku nodded in agreement.

No joke, if Masashi were to fight Kakashi, Fugaku would be the first to object, he was afraid Kakashi would end up joining Obito in the afterlife.

He wasn't the only one who thought that either.

Everyone felt that if Masashi got even slightly serious, Kakashi wouldn't survive.

Just look at Kakashi, he'd definitely throw everything he had into the fight, and that was a straight path to getting himself killed. But even if he chose Shisui instead, it was hard to come up with fair restrictions.

At least Masashi's attacks were visible. You might have a chance to make a face before you died. But Shisui used genjutsu, too subjective, no clear way to impose fair rules.

And what if Kakashi didn't have strong enough mental resistance? What if the genjutsu scrambled his brain?

Many enemies who died to Shisui didn't even know what killed them. Some were elite ninjas.

Hashirama took in everyone's expressions. He had the most experience fighting Mangekyō Sharingan users among all present. He knew exactly how dangerous their genjutsu could be.

Anyone who could fully wield the Mangekyō Sharingan was a true genjutsu master.

Back in the Warring States period, many had died to Sharingan illusions, most of them not even knowing they'd been caught in one.

Izuna, for example, could use genjutsu to drive enemies mad until they died of exhaustion.

Hashirama continued, "But if you were to face someone with an ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan, that would also be unfair. Even if you can't use the Mangekyō's full power, its basic abilities far surpass a normal Sharingan. Most tactics wouldn't work on you. The principle of equality never existed in the first place, unless…"

He suddenly stopped, piquing everyone's curiosity. But then he didn't continue. He was thinking about how to phrase it without offending anyone. After all, throughout his ninja career, he'd always believed that, aside from the Senju and Uchiha, most other clans were a step behind.

They couldn't even handle a normal Sharingan…

"Unless what?" someone finally asked, unable to hold back.

Tobirama looked at his brother's expression and knew it was time to stop him from speaking, so he cut in and added, "Unless there's someone who can demonstrate abilities at the Mangekyō level while still at the three-tomoe stage," he said. "Is there such a person in the Uchiha clan now?"

Then he noticed everyone looking at Masashi again.

"…"

You again?

"If it's Masashi, then it goes without saying," he added. "He doesn't count."

"Without the right conditions, it's hard to proceed," Hashirama sighed. "But dragging this out isn't the right attitude either. We're all comrades here. The Mangekyō Sharingan concerns the Uchiha's core interests, and their demands must be respected. My personal suggestion is that we reconvene in three days for a dedicated meeting on this matter. Until then, both sides should communicate privately. Even if the original plan stands, it must be something everyone can agree with."

The Uchiha side all nodded in agreement.

From Masashi's perspective, there actually was someone suitable: Itachi.

In this timeline, he hadn't awakened the Mangekyō, but his strength was firmly the best among all Uchihas below that level.

Masashi himself was never compared like that, because people didn't use that metric for him anymore. He didn't even have a Mangekyō, but had jumped straight to the Rinnegan. He was in a completely different category.

"Since everyone agrees, let's vote," Hashirama said.

Those with voting rights raised their hands, unanimous approval.

With the vote concluded, Masashi and Shisui stood to leave. They were here only for this issue. No need to waste more time.

"Please wait a moment," Tobirama said. "The second agenda item requires your participation too."

Masashi paused, recalling the look Tobirama had given him earlier at the start of the meeting.

So he sat back down with Shisui.

If he guessed right, this next topic was likely about the status of the four Edo Tensei individuals. And the one who initiated it was almost certainly Hashirama.

No one despised Edo Tensei more than him.

In fact, Hashirama was against any form of resurrection. To him, any kind of reincarnation technique was unnatural and shouldn't exist.

Once Masashi and Shisui were seated again, Hashirama spoke once more.

"This war brought us, and Madara, back into the world through Edo Tensei. But this state is unnatural, against the laws of nature. Now that the war is over, we should return to the Pure Land. However, before we go, there is something we must discuss with you all."

The faces of the Sarutobi faction changed.

They had expected this, but hearing Hashirama say it out loud still left them feeling lost and anxious.

They no longer had any true leaders who could support them. Konohamaru might be a promising talent, but he was still too young.

Their recent comeback had been entirely due to the two First Hokages.

"The dead should not linger in the living world," Tobirama added. "It's time for us to go. Though we've been glad to work alongside you all again and see the village thriving, we are satisfied now."

Of course, that wasn't entirely true.

But Tobirama had seen the connection between Masashi and Muzo, so he was truly at ease.

No one knew Muzo better than he did.

In balancing the demands between Kakashi and the Uchiha clan, he and Hashirama had already settled on a compromise plan in their hearts.

Muzo's approval had created the Sarutobi faction.

And through the efforts of another person, their vision for Konoha's ideal future was now close to realized.

The opportunity for the next step had arrived.

Once upon a time, the ancient Ninshū evolved into the Senju clan, which gave rise to Konoha.

Now, it was time for the Uchiha clan to produce a Hokage. That was the only way to truly integrate them into the village.

And now, was the best opportunity.

This would be the final task they completed before departing.

At that moment, the meeting hall was silent, everyone listening closely to what the two Hokage would say next.

This wasn't just about the former Hokage.

It also concerned a being of pure power.

"Before we speak of ourselves, I want to mention Muzo," Hashirama said. "Though he has many flaws, his loyalty to the village has always been pure. He has already decided to return to the Pure Land first. But before he goes, he will pass on his chakra… to Masashi-kun."

The hall erupted in shock.

After this war, everyone had come to deeply understand the power of this Muzo.

And now that man was going to give his chakra to an Uchiha?

Everyone knew what could be contained in chakra.

An already powerful Masashi was about to inherit all of Muzo's jutsu!

The Sarutobi faction was in turmoil.

They were the students and grandchildren of the Senju!

Meanwhile, in the mindscape, Kaguya also stopped kicking her feet.

Her eyes sparkled.

Muzo was Masashi, but his chakra from before reincarnation held much more complete memories.

Was this a new show for her to watch?