"That guy named Nagato is really strong. Just looking at his chakra, he's almost half as strong as me."
Hashirama Senju turned to look at the mirror.
"Hey, Jing, do you know him? Could he really be my grandson?"
Kagami Uchiha smiled faintly and said, "Want to go have some fun?"
Nagato was slightly stronger than he had expected; it seemed that his Wood Release was more advanced than Obito's.
No wonder they have the bloodline of the Uzumaki.
Most importantly...
The White Zetsu Cells enhanced Nagato's physical strength, allowing him to further develop the Rinnegan.
That last Shinra Tensei was a targeted, super- Shinra Tensei level attack, yet Nagato didn't seem to struggle much.
With some skilled fighters, Nagato could potentially rival Hashirama Senju.
Hashirama Senju, then shook his head.
"Forget it, I'm not interested."
"By the way... are you planning to hold the second match here again? If Nagato's attacks come a few more times..."
"There are too many rift valleys around Konoha, that's not a good thing."
"I've arranged the location for the second match, as for the sabotage..."
"It doesn't matter. I'll use Earth Release: Fusion Technique when the time comes, and you can plant the trees."
"This was also a consideration when we called you here. Even I acknowledge your talent in landscaping."
"Haha... Haha... This is really rare. I finally have something that you, Jing, can approve of."
Kagami Uchiha looked at the numerous teams that had hidden themselves in the Death Forest because of the great battle between the Akatsuki and the Fire Team.
Some people planned to simply wait until the three days were over, taking a gamble on whether they would be one of the ninety survivors.
It's a bit boring.
Kagami Uchiha extended a finger forward and murmured softly.
"Buru Buru Yurara."
Old Man —
A colossal Mahoraga, tens of meters tall, appeared, its eyes on either side of its head each as tall as several people.
"This is the monster you raised..."
Hashirama Senju pondered, and by getting closer to the situation, he gained a clearer understanding of the Mahoraga.
Its energy attribute leans towards Yin Release, but it's a little different.
In terms of strength, it has been clearly demonstrated that it is about the same as the Nine-Tails.
If this weren't Kagami Uchiha's, such a ferocious demon would definitely have been sealed away by Hashirama Senju.
"What are you up to?"
"To add some visual appeal to the game."
Whoosh!
The enormous body of the Mahoraga was placed in a corner of the Death Forest.
Some perceptive ninjas noticed it from afar.
The next moment, Kagami Uchiha's voice rang out within the barrier.
"Add a rule temporarily."
"The Mahoraga will begin its sweep from the edges, to put it simply..."
"You either gather at the center, or prepare to kill Mahoraga."
Kagami Uchiha's words carried a hint of a smile.
"You can give it a try. No matter what means you use, as long as you kill Mahoraga once, I will give the last person to kill him an extra final reward."
"What about the bonus! Is the bonus doubled?!"
Kagami Uchiha was slightly taken aback when he noticed Kakuzu shouting from atop a large tree.
The two communicated remotely.
"Kakuzu, where does your confidence come from?"
"Never mind that, I just want to ask you if the bonus is doubled."
Kagami Uchiha remained silent.
He originally thought that Kakuzu's love of money had its limits, and that it was merely a way to fill the emptiness in his heart.
You can't portray him like a comedic character who only cares about money, can you?
But now...
In Kakuzu's eyes, he saw a pure will similar to that of Orochimaru.
I see...
Kagami Uchiha smiled.
"Alright then, Kakuzu."
"I'll give you five billion if you can kill Mahoraga."
"Very well, it's a deal!"
After thinking for a moment, Kagami Uchiha finally asked the question that had been bothering him.
"Kakuzu, aren't you afraid I'll steal your money again?"
Kakuzu remained silent for a while.
"Just because you might rob me, does that mean I should stop making money?"
"If you've got the guts, then kill me."
"In my long life, the only time I've felt emotional is when I'm counting money."
"Well then, good luck, Kakuzu."
Hashirama Senju also noticed Kakuzu and recognized him as the Takigakure who had once tried to assassinate him.
"That green eye... I remember him. He's still alive? He's really lived a long life!"
Aside from Tsunade, this was the first time Hashirama Senju had ever seen a living person he had met in his previous life, and he was very happy.
Kagami Uchiha remembered something amusing and turned to laugh.
"I heard that Kakuzu attempted to assassinate you. What happened?"
Hashirama Senju fell into reminiscence and slowly said, "There were many people who tried to assassinate me in that era. Establishing a new system was no easy task."
"I tend to forgive those who are not inherently bad; they are just pitiful people who have been forced into this situation by those in power."
"Kagami, Madara and I have dedicated our lives to the cause of peace."
"I don't know his method, and I can't think of a better one."
Hashirama Senju attempts to continue the conversation that was interrupted by Tobirama years ago.
"Mirror, do you know what Madara is going to do?"
"Genjutsu that covers the entire Shinobi World."
"Oh, okay, you don't want to..."
"Ah!!!"
Hashirama Senju's eyes were wide open.
He had no expectation of getting an answer from Kagami Uchiha.
"What did you say?! What is Madara going to do?!"
Kagami Uchiha smiled faintly, "Simply put, he wants to kill everyone. Do you understand?"
It took Hashirama Senju quite a while to process this enormous amount of information.
His expression was extremely serious.
"Mirror... you know the future, why didn't you stop Madara?"
How do you know I didn't stop him?
"Because of you..."
"Does it really take searching the whole world for Madara to stop it?"
Kagami Uchiha said calmly, "The future is unpredictable. I have never believed in predetermined fate. With my existence, the future has already been completely different."
"What I want to do is not to follow the original trajectory."
"As long as I am the strongest, possessing the ability to face any situation..."
Kagami Uchiha looked into the barrier, but not at the people and events there.
It was as if I had seen through the barriers of time and space, looking at the future as I saw it.
"Whether it's Madara or the Sage of Six Paths, I won't care about their schemes."
"The only person I need to surpass is myself."
In that indifferent gaze, Hashirama Senju saw determination and unwavering resolve, which deeply moved him.
There was a long silence.
Hashirama chuckled softly.
"Mirror, I'm starting to want to have a fight with you."
"Unfortunately, my body is too weak right now."
Who is Hashirama Senju?
The man who ended the thousand-year Warring States Period and was revered by the world as the God of Shinobi.
He can grovel for peace.
He was a loving older brother and a devoted husband...
He was the kind Hokage in everyone's eyes when Konoha was first founded.
Even setting aside these identities, he still has one purest identity.
That was the strongest of an era!!
Madara Uchiha, who had awakened the Mangekyo Uchiha Madara, was no match for him, nor was Uchiha Madara, who possessed the Eternal Eyes.
Uchiha Madara still had something to pursue.
There was really no one above Hashirama Senju.
The strong are not necessarily alone.
But the strong are always those who crave battle.
Fighting against nature and fighting against people—that's the nourishment for the growth of the strong!
Kagami Uchiha's words stirred up Hashirama Senju's long-dormant fighting spirit.
Sensing the change in Hashirama Senju's attitude, Kagami Uchiha's lips curled up slightly.
"Just wait and see."
"I don't want the grand opening act to be missing your interesting character."
"I hope you are qualified to be a stepping stone for me to cross this world."