Blue Spider Lily × the Senju of the Uchiha Clan
Amidst the tremor of spiritual energy, he gave the Sun-Earring Boy a strange look.
With a clear mind, he realized that the "father" in Roy's words was not "that father," at least not the Tanjuro in front of him. He shook his head, chuckled, and shut up.
Even though the mysterious Sun-Earring Boy, like him, "grows towards the sun," his understanding of "Sword Path," "the sun," and "life" is completely different from his.
Sometimes, even someone as long-deceased as him can't help but crawl out of Hell to take a second look at him, to see how far he might end up, and what kind of face he might have...
A cool breeze stirred Roy's long, fiery red hair, causing it to sway and dance in the wind.
As night deepened,
This return home felt like having endless things to say and countless tender moments with my parents.
But parting is inevitable, a natural part of life... Sensing that Tanjuro looked exhausted and his cough was getting worse, Roy forced himself to stay awake and said goodbye to the two elders.
She rose, bowed deeply to Tanjuro and Kie, and then turned to leave.
Footsteps sounded... Suddenly, Kie called out to his retreating figure in a trembling voice, "Eiichiro, will you come back?"
Roy paused, reached out and caught a sliver of Moonlight, as if grasping a thread of homesickness. After a moment of silence, he turned to the woman and smiled warmly, saying, "Of course, this is my home too."
"It's also my Cognitive World," the Sun-Earring Boy silently added in his heart, then said wistfully, "It's as if I've never come, and never left." He looked up again, watching the bright moon climb to its zenith, then released his grip, letting the Moonlight drift away.
He gave Tanjuro and Kie one last, deep look, then, with a thought, unleashed his [Light Release] technique, instantly merging into the moonlight and soaring deeper into the dense forest...
"Whoosh!" The wind was whistling in my ears.
The night was deep.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi's voice echoed in his ears as Roy flew by.
He said, "They can't bear to part with you."
"Just like how I can't bear to part with Shi and Ryota."
Roy paused for a moment, then realized that Ryota must be referring to his child who had been eaten by a demon before he was even a year old. The Sun-Earring Boy, bathed in Moonlight, stood high in the sky, his long, fiery red hair flying wildly in the air, just like the day he was hailed as a god, only now the background was the moon instead of the sun. His voice was slightly low as he said, "I know."
"I've always known."
"There's just no other choice."
"The enemy is strong?" Tsugikuni Yoriichi somewhat surprised. "Muzan dead, and no one in the world can rival you... Kamado Eiichiro, why the rush? Why the worry?"
"Because there are heavens beyond heavens." Roy channeled a layer of warm "Nen" into Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who resided within his Sword Path enlightenment, preventing his last vestige of true spirit from being blown away by the gale. He squinted at the distance, and in the depths of the dark forest, a patch of eerie blue swayed proudly, like a bud about to bloom, before accelerating its descent.
One more glance,
Amidst the turbulent emotions in Tsugikuni Yoriichi, he stepped out from the Moonlight and appeared beside a very inconspicuous little mound. The mound was covered with a layer of green weeds, showing signs of age, having endured sun, rain, frost, and snow. But as Roy landed, Tsugikuni Yoriichi recognized it at a glance: it was the grave of [Shi] and [Ryota].
With a flick of his wrist, using the last vestiges of his true spirit, he emerged from Roy's body and floated lightly to the Sun-Earring Boy's side. He silently gazed at the grave, saying nothing, seemingly lost in reminiscence, or perhaps savoring fond memories. After a moment, he calmly asked, "Could you help me remove the weeds?" "Poetry likes flowers, not weeds,"
She always said that although flowers can't be eaten, at least they're pretty.
"The grass is completely useless, and it's always squeezing out the dealers..."
Talking on and on... Tsugikuni Yoriichi tilted his head, looking pleading. Roy nodded, reached out, casually picked up a wooden stick from beside the grave, and lightly waved it at the grave. [Wind Breathing] roared out, whipping up countless tiny wind blades that swept straight across the grave.
Grass clippings flew everywhere.
It was cleaned up instantly.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi's eyes flickered, and he instantly recognized the origin of [Wind Breathing], saying gratefully, "Thank you."
The man had long, fiery red hair cascading down his back. His demeanor was gentle, his sharpness concealed. He pointed towards a patch of deep blue flowers swaying in the wind before the grave, their buds already open and teetering on the edge of bloom. With a complex and enigmatic emotion, he said, "This is the Spider Lily, the Spider Lily that Kimu has been searching for with Muzan Spider Lily for a thousand years."
On the day of Muzan's Muzan, Tsugikuni Yoriichi learned everything through a man's fleeting image.
For a moment, I couldn't quite describe my feelings about this expanse of "deep blue" before me...
Too many people have died because of "them," because of the Demon that Muzan and secretly cultivated through Oni Dance, who frantically searched for them and perished... And yet, they themselves are unaware, blooming alone, beautiful in this obscure mountain forest—truly... a tremendous irony!!
Another gust of wind blew in, Tsugikuni Yoriichi 'Youyou spiritual energy to tremble and become unstable.
Roy followed the man's gaze as he surveyed the flowerbed Tsugikuni Yoriichi cast another layer of Nen upon Yoriichi Tsugikuni, helping him stabilize his stance.
But Yoriichi stopped her with Yoriichi wave of his hand. "I'm just a dead man anyway. The sooner I disappear, the sooner I can reunite with Shi and Ryota." Tsugikuni Yoriichi lowered his eyes, his gaze filled with tenderness, and said with a bitter smile, "I swore I would kill Muzan and avenge them, but... this wait has made them wait for me for hundreds of years. I'm truly ashamed..."
A few minutes before midnight, when the Spider Lily would be in full bloom... a strange fragrance wafted through the air, silently drifting towards one's nostrils... Roy listened quietly, without interrupting, but just as he was enveloped by the fragrance, he heard a notification sound.
The Sun-Earring Boy immediately glanced at the control panel without showing any emotion.
[Hint:... Detecting plant-based monsters... [Monster Compendium] has been expanded...]
[Monster: Spider Lily]
[Rank: S]
[A "world-class" monster born from the "world's will" and "Sun Power" of the Demon Slayer world... It lies buried deep underground, absorbing the "World Power" and "Sun Power." Once it has finished absorbing them, it will bloom on a full moon night when the yin energy is at its peak.] [Blooming period: one minute (blooms only once a year at midnight, and the bloom lasts for only one minute before it withers.)] [Because during its bloom, it releases all the "World Power" and "Sun Power" it has collected throughout the year... Recommendation: Collect it!] S-rank?!
The notification tone ended.
The [Monster Compendium] has been completed... A small, pale blue flower clung to it, blooming proudly... This startled Roy, who couldn't contain his emotions, and the Nen Qi he naturally released above his head trembled, attracting the attention of Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Ultimately, he was born with Demon Slayer Mark, a natural-born prodigy of Sword Path... The man's long, fiery red hair swayed in the wind as he silently awaited the blooming of the Spider Lily. He suddenly glanced at Roy and asked, "Eiichiro, what happened?"
Roy struggled to pull himself out of his thoughts from the numerous words like "S-rank," "World Power," and "Sun Power," gazing intently at the Spider Lily before him, their buds gradually opening and petals unfurling. He slowly shook his head...
Tsugikuni Yoriichi's gaze flickered slightly, then he looked up again.
The Sun-Earring Boy crouched down, picked up a Spider Lily, and gently stroked it from root to bud, whispering, "Teacher, do you think... there really is an afterlife?"
"If it existed, what would it be like?"
Will it be like the Spider Lily lily, blooming and fading, absorbing and exhaling the "World Power" and the "Sun Power" in Infinite cycle, never reaching... the end of the other shore...? Or is it truly like death... death is like a lamp going out, all is over...?
Roy, transformed into Kamado Eiichiro, uttered a single word at that very moment.
Deeply reflected in Tsugikuni Yoriichi's eyes, which were etched with the marks of time, he was momentarily stunned!
The darkness was profound... only the fragrance of flowers carried by the wind gently touched one's senses.
A long while passed Tsugikuni Yoriichi came to his senses. Unusually, he winked mischievously at Roy, a playful wink that seemed more like his deceased son, Liang Da, who was less than a year old and already trying to crawl around everywhere...
"I don't know, but I'll find out soon enough... unfortunately, I won't be able to tell you anymore..."
Yes, Tsugikuni Yoriichi is dying... He's going down to see his wife and children. He will eventually know the answer. But as he said, he can't tell himself.
Wait, Edo Tensei?! Roy suddenly realized something, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he smiled...
The Sun-Earring Boy released the Spider Lily, stood up, and nodded to Tsugikuni Yoriichi: "Teacher, you can die in peace. I have my own way of finding the answer." Tsugikuni Yoriichi: "?!"
Aba aba, it felt like tens of thousands of fleas were crawling all over my body and mind, an unbearable, uncontrollable itching...
He opened his mouth, about to ask if there was any solution, when... Roy abruptly interrupted him, waving his raised hand at him and saying, "Teacher, the flowers are blooming, goodbye!"
Tsugikuni Yoriichi:..."
At midnight, as the moon reached its highest point in the sky and a faint blue light suddenly burst forth, the last wisp of true spirit gradually faded... faded... and faded again...
Finally, he chuckled helplessly, gave Roy a deep look, and disappeared into the vast expanse of eerie blue light...
"Pop!" The true spirit shattered like a broken mirror... In the deep, desolate forest, occasionally one or two birds would pierce the night, chirping softly, offering Tsugikuni Yoriichi Moon Elegy.
Roy, positioned himself amidst a patch of Spider Lily, watched him disappear. Then, he lowered his hand, crouched down, and, with Nen Qi swirling around his hands like a butterfly flitting among the flowers, seized the fleeting moment when the Spider Lily lilies bloomed and began frantically harvesting Spider Lily.
One... two... ten... a hundred... afterimages appeared before each Spider Lily. Soon, a minute passed. Roy withdrew his hand, pulled out the [Sumeru Mustard Seed], attached [Zhou] to all the Spider Lily, and placed them all inside, leaving only one to play with in his hand. He straightened up and looked around... the grave was now bald...
"Very good,"
Not a single flower was wasted.
The Sun-Earring Boy smiled slightly, then withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.
His gaze shifted, landing on the Spider Lily in his hand. With a thought, he opened a Aura Nodes of Nen Qi that transformed into [True Meaning of Scorching Heat], forming a flame imbued with [the Sun Essence], which "whooshed" and ignited the Spider Lily, consuming it... Then, a pure "Sun Power," carrying with it a profound understanding of the [world] encompassing multiple dimensions such as [space], [time], and [life], surged into Roy's brow.
Panel prompts
[Yang Release: +1000]
[Nen Ability Nature Transformation: Yang: Iv4 (49451/100000) → Iv4 (50451/100000)][Space-Time Ninjutsu Talent: +100]
[Space-Time Ninjutsu Talent: 1v3 (742/10000) → 1v3 (842/10000) (Note: Based on Namikaze Minato)][Namikaze Minato, Space-Time Ninjutsu Talent: 1v3 (5000/100000)]
[Number of remaining Spider Lily: 1745]
Roy closed his eyes, savoring the moment, gradually sinking into deep thought and reflection, like a stone statue, meditating and immersed in the story... Hokage world,
As evening fell, the sunset painted half the sky a poignant red.
The Hokage Building, located in the heart of Konoha,
Inside that spacious Hokage's office,
Amidst the billowing smoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned against the window, the Hokage Rock clearly visible across the shopping district. As usual, he sat behind his desk, smoking his pipe.
On the large desk in front of him, Hokage Hat lay in one corner, while another corner was open. There was a long scroll, the words "Uchiha Jin" faintly visible, followed by densely written intelligence and information roughly scribbled out with a brush...
It shows... Sarutobi Hiruzen is very worried lately.
He was worried about the war, worried about the village, worried about his disciples who were either too attentive or too enthusiastic, and one of them was simply giving up, spending his days either gambling in casinos or drowning his sorrows in taverns. Of course... he was even more worried about... how to deal with the problem of Uchiha Jin!
A Wood Release Ninja has emerged from the Uchiha clan?!
If he hadn't been certain that Roy hadn't participated in Orochimaru's First Hokage cell research project, he might even have suspected... that his disciple's defection might be secretly connected to the Uchiha.
However, the reason for Orochimaru's defection has been clearly investigated over the past few days: he disobeyed orders, secretly conducted human experiments, and fled out of fear of exposure... In other words,
Uchiha Jin developed Wood Release through his own talent!
This was unprecedented in Konoha since the First Senju Hashirama, Hashirama Senju... Add to that his status as the Young Clan Head Uchiha clan leader, and those iconic Sharingan... Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned, forced to write the words "[Top Secret]" on the scroll, and forcibly ordered Shizune to carry the drunken Tsunade back from Tanabata Street... He wanted to properly question her about [Wood Release] and [Yang Release], and also inquire about the promotion plan for [Arm Regeneration], after all...
She is the only "Senju Clan descendant" left in the world by Uzumaki Mito Senju Hashirama after Mito Uzumaki's death and the death of Nawaki in battle!
Moreover, Sarutobi Hiruzen had consulted with the Jonin of the medical team and also conducted in-depth research himself... The [Severed Limb Regeneration Technique] developed by Uchiha Jin and presented by Fugaku bears a striking resemblance in certain aspects to Tsunade's research, or perhaps...
It's quite similar to... [The Strength of a Hundred Technique].
Just as the three battles were in full swing,
If promoted and applied properly, it would undoubtedly be a huge boon to Konoha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, deep in thought...
The office door was pushed open from the outside in...
"Hiccup~ Old man, you were looking for me?"