Senju Hashirama: I'm Dying

In the end, Tobirama still did not teach Impure World Reincarnation to Yuya.

Instead, he granted Yuya the highest level of access to the Konoha Secret Technique Room.

Tobirama kept all the ninjutsu he had created within this Secret Technique Room, where they remained sealed away.

Only those possessing the seal he provided or the Hokage's seal could enter to temporarily lift the restrictions.

Tobirama carved a transparent seal onto the palm of Yuya's hand; as long as that hand remained, Yuya could travel to the Secret Technique Room without obstruction.

Yuya was very satisfied and immediately handed over thirty kilograms of gold to Tobirama.

Having secured the gold, Tobirama didn't waste any words and slipped away with clean efficiency.

He had to carefully consider where to utilize this massive fortune of 150 million ryo.

However, just like last time, Senju Tobirama would not give this money to any single clan.

Well, if anyone asked where the money came from, he would just say it was what remained from last time, never mentioning the new thirty kilograms of gold he had just acquired.

Senju Tobirama had suspected whether this kid Yuya might have hidden a portion of the gold, but upon second thought, several dozen kilograms was already a significant amount. Furthermore, as Yuya had said, this gold couldn't have been mined; after all, during the war, the entire land had been turned over, and if there were a gold mine, how could it have gone undiscovered?

At the very least, someone would have found scattered gold.

Besides, these were the fruits of a child's labor, and Tobirama already felt it was shameful enough to take this from Yuya, let alone go digging to see if there was anything left.

The most important thing now was to quickly convert this gold into benefits for Konoha.

Senju Hashirama expressed no opinion on this; he had been spending less and less time at home lately, preferring to soak in the gambling dens whenever he was free. Yuya had even used his own abilities to turn stones into gold for him, allowing him to fleece those gambling house operators.

In any case, those guys in the gambling dens were no good, so Yuya felt no pressure in scamming them.

However, one month later, on the first day of the New Year, an accident occurred.

It wouldn't be accurate to say that Konoha lacked entertainment; it was more that there was absolutely no entertainment at all.

Well, after all, ordinary people were struggling with all their might just to stay alive, unable to even guarantee a full meal, so naturally, they couldn't spare the energy to develop any cultural or recreational industries.

Therefore, the New Year held no special meaning for the current Konoha.

Work was even continuing at the Wetland Bridge, and as the bridge gradually neared completion, no one was willing to rest.

Because they didn't know when the next opportunity like this would come.

So they wanted to grab whatever they could while they still had the chance.

On that very night, while Yuya was sleeping in a daze, he suddenly felt the ground shake. Thinking it was an earthquake, he scrambled up and ran into the courtyard in a panic.

Only then did he realize there was no earthquake; instead, a towering tree had sprouted from within the mansion.

Yuya was full of question marks; he certainly knew whose handiwork this was.

Senju Hashirama's Wood Release was famous throughout the ninja world.

But what the heck was this?

Using Wood Release right inside his own home?

Yuya stroked his chin, wondering if his cheap master and mistress had started fighting again.

Soon, Uzumaki Mito arrived at his room, clearly worried that Yuya might be hurt.

Seeing Yuya standing in the courtyard in his pajamas, Mito let out a sigh of relief and beckoned to him.

Yuya walked over and said with a smile, "I thought it was an earthquake, but it was just Master's Wood Release. Why would Master use Wood Release inside the house?"

Uzumaki Mito's expression dimmed slightly, and she said to Yuya, "Come with me. Your master has something to tell you."

Yuya was full of confusion—why be so serious?

Then, Yuya went to Senju Hashirama's room.

As soon as he arrived, he saw Senju Hashirama scratching his head, looking somewhat embarrassed at the tree—which was thick enough for six people to wrap their arms around—that had appeared in his room.

However, seeing Yuya arrive, he maintained a look as if it weren't a big deal: "Oh, you're here, Yuya."

Yuya nodded, though his gaze couldn't help but drift toward the giant tree.

Senju Hashirama coughed awkwardly, then knelt on the floor and said to Yuya with a serious expression: "Yuya, there is something I must tell you. Your master... is dying."

Yuya had been lost in thought looking at the tree and didn't react at first, nodding perfunctorily before his eyes widened as he looked at Senju Hashirama...

"What?! Master, you're joking, right?!" Yuya stared at Senju Hashirama in bewilderment. "You, you, you look like you're dying right now?!"

Indeed, at this moment, Senju Hashirama was full of vigor and his face was ruddy; how could he look like he was dying?

Senju Hashirama scratched his head and laughed, "I knew you wouldn't believe me. Well, even if you don't want to believe it, it is the truth..."

As he spoke, Senju Hashirama signaled for Yuya to kneel down as well.

Yuya knelt before Senju Hashirama, looking at him with suspicion: "Master, did you owe someone money again and want to trick me into helping you pay off the debt?"

Senju Hashirama's face darkened. Is that the kind of person your master is?

But after thinking about it, it seemed he really had made this kid help him pay off quite a few debts.

Clearing his throat, Senju Hashirama said with a solemn expression, "Do you know Madara Uchiha?"

Yuya was slightly taken aback; who didn't know Lord Madara?

Nodding his head, Yuya's eyes grew even more suspicious; this guy wasn't trying to change the subject, was he?

Senju Hashirama lowered his gaze and suddenly began to recount the story of himself and Madara Uchiha...

"Madara and I met when we were children..."

"Later, as we grew up and became the strongest warriors of our respective clans, we were forced to accept mercenary missions from feudal lords and wealthy merchants just to keep our kin alive. Because our strength was so evenly matched, whenever someone hired the Senju clan, the other side would inevitably hire the Uchiha clan..."

"Eventually, Madara's younger brother died at the hands of Tobirama, leading to a war between us that claimed over a thousand lives."

"Both he and I grew weary of it."

"Thus, creating a village where all clans could coexist in peace became our shared ideal."

"As for what happened afterward, you already know..."

"Madara harbored deep-seated hatred for Tobirama, after all, Tobirama had killed his brother."

"And since not a single person voted for him in the election for the Second Hokage, he felt he didn't belong in the village, so he left and fought that final battle against me..."

After speaking for over half an hour, Senju Hashirama suddenly pulled open his kimono, revealing the skin beneath.

Yuya stared, dumbfounded, at the muscles on Senju Hashirama's chest that were bulging and writhing as if they were alive...

"In that battle, I killed him, but in return... I also suffered grievous wounds. However, due to the nature of my body, I recovered."

"It seems, however, that something went wrong—or perhaps, as they say, things turn into their opposites when they reach the extreme. My recovery was so absurd that my body has now begun to consume itself, and so..."

Senju Hashirama smiled at Yuya: "I am going to die."