Legendary Objects

Li Ke was a little stunned. He had been trying to figure out how to "accidentally" discover that Madara Uchiha was still alive, then get Senju Tobirama to fight alongside him.

But how had Senju Tobirama figured it out on his own?!

No, wait!

Li Ke's mind raced. In the next instant, countless possibilities flashed through his head.

"Madara Uchiha must have sensed the chakra from Senju Tobirama inside me!"

Chakra in the Naruto world was a fascinating thing. It could basically be considered part of the soul.

Senju Tobirama's soul was attached to him. When it used Li Ke's body to mold chakra, the resulting chakra still carried Senju Tobirama's distinctive presence.

While Senju Tobirama was inside him, he was no longer bound by a physical body. He wouldn't age or suffer any adverse effects from his body, and he could help Li Ke fight at any time.

So Senju Tobirama could use both his own power and the power of Li Ke's body.

If not for Li Ke's meager chakra reserves, the power Senju Tobirama could unleash would be far greater than this!

As they traveled, Senju Tobirama began to explain.

"That is undoubtedly Madara Uchiha's chakra! I could never mistake it! Madara Uchiha is definitely plotting something. Kid, get ready to fight!"

Senju Tobirama's tone was grave. He could clearly see Madara Uchiha's chakra moving rapidly beyond the reach of their Flying Thunder God Marks.

But they couldn't simply forgo investigating. This concerned Madara Uchiha, and it was impossible to be too cautious!

"Understood. But, Senju Tobirama, I have a bad feeling about this... Please tell me the hand signs for a jutsu."

Li Ke quickly activated his Byakugan. Though the intense dizziness continued to weigh on him, a living person, he did his best to adapt.

Senju Tobirama paused. He had a good idea what Li Ke was planning, so he fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"Wasting chakra at a time like this... Kid, if you're really uneasy... summon my older brother. I suspect that summoning him will further awaken the power of your bloodline."

Senju Tobirama voiced his strongest suspicion and explained his reasoning.

"Your body is unusual. It can activate almost every gene in a positive way. It can even adapt to and control the information carried by chakra. Your body has adapted so well to Water Release that you're already no weaker than this old man, despite all the forbidden jutsu I've used. If your opponent is Madara Uchiha, you can't afford to be short on chakra..."

Li Ke still didn't have enough chakra.

With the power Li Ke already possessed, all he needed was enough chakra, and sweeping the entire Ninja World would only be a matter of time.

The problem was that Li Ke was still too young. His body hadn't fully developed, and his awakened Kekkei Genkai could even end up holding him back.

He needed at least another two or three years to grow to his full potential.

But now, he had to give the boy a push.

"Okay!"

Li Ke closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had already begun chanting the summoning incantation.

"Forebears who founded the village, protectors who watch over Konoha, elders of the Clan of Love who would face any enemy for the village! Please help me fight Madara Uchiha!"

Li Ke activated his ability again. In the next instant, a portion of the chakra inside him was occupied, and an unfamiliar, heavy sensation settled over his body.

He was in the middle of a Body Flicker when the sudden weight nearly made him fall flat on his face. But then—

A gentle voice sounded inside him.

"Are you my descendant? Where's the enemy? Hm? Is this Impure World Reincarnation? Why are you here too, Tobirama? See, Tobirama, I told you. A jutsu like Impure World Reincarnation is just..."

"Shut up, big brother! Madara Uchiha is still alive!"

"Huh? That's great! Wait, he's still alive?"

"Big brother, you..."

But Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama's conversation didn't matter much to Li Ke. He was feeling something completely different!

His body was adapting!

He could clearly feel his body rapidly adapting to the unique effects and power of Senju Hashirama's chakra!

At that moment, he could clearly sense the Natural Energy around him. All he had to do was breathe and let his heart beat, and the Natural Energy around him would rush into his body, quickly transforming into chakra!

The vast majority of his chakra had been occupied when he summoned Senju Hashirama, but his reserves were rapidly increasing. In that brief moment, they had already doubled!

Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama sensed the change in Li Ke as well.

"That's incredible chakra. You've already got about as much as I had when I was eight..."

Senju Hashirama couldn't help praising him.

"Big brother, most people wouldn't take that as a compliment."

Senju Tobirama couldn't resist taking a jab at his older brother. He let the remark slip right out.

"Besides, Madara Uchiha is far more important. I suspect he fought you using eyes that weren't his own, then used a delayed Izanagi to bring himself back to life. What a terrifying man..."

Senju Tobirama's attention remained fixed on Madara Uchiha. At that moment, Senju Hashirama, using Li Ke's Byakugan and his own sensory abilities, also detected Madara Uchiha's faint chakra.

"That is Madara's chakra. Did he show himself to lure out your chakra? Does that mean he still intends to do something in this world?"

Senju Hashirama quickly grasped what Senju Tobirama meant, and his tone grew serious. Senju Tobirama swiftly filled him in on the situation.

"Exactly. I suspect he may have been secretly manipulating Kirigakure. The Uchiha shinobi had a poor relationship with Kirigakure even long ago. Also, I'm very impressed with this boy. No one can match his talent for Kekkei Genkai. Big brother, you've sensed it too, haven't you? Your chakra alone caused this boy to awaken Senjutsu automatically."

Senju Hashirama could feel Li Ke's body and chakra continuing to grow, and he couldn't help agreeing.

"Indeed. He's already got as much chakra as I had when I was ten, and he's even better at Senjutsu than I am..."

"I told you, that's not a compliment! And don't joke like that about the village's future!"

Senju Tobirama once again lashed out at his older brother.

But just then, Senju Hashirama spoke.

"Now, young man who summoned me..."

Senju Hashirama wanted to ask Li Ke's name, but Senju Tobirama quickly supplied it.

"His name is Murata Qingtan."

"Oh, oh! So you're a kid from the Murata Clan! Come to think of it, that makes you one of us Senju, too! Though the Senju Clan doesn't exist anymore, hahaha! I disbanded it myself, hahaha!"

Li Ke: "..."

He'd known the First was a bit of a free spirit, but he hadn't expected him to be this irreverent. Li Ke still wasn't sure he could handle it.

But Senju Hashirama's next words surprised him.

"I know what I'm about to say might seem heartless, but I hope you won't rely on our wisdom to solve your problems in the battles ahead. I won't step in until you're on the verge of death."

Senju Hashirama spoke with complete seriousness, but Senju Tobirama wasn't having it.

"Big brother!"

However, Senju Hashirama's resolve was firm.

Li Ke had nearly blurted out, "I'm fighting Madara Uchiha? For real?"

But—

"We're already dead, Tobirama! The dead can't interfere too much with the choices of the living! This boy has this kind of power, so he absolutely mustn't follow in our footsteps! He has to forge his own path. Besides, Madara's current strength can't be all that great. He needs to learn to fight on his own! We can teach him jutsu, but we absolutely mustn't walk his path for him!"

Senju Hashirama's words left Senju Tobirama speechless. He was reluctant, but his older brother was right.

They could serve as a safety net, but Li Ke would still have to handle the actual battle himself.

Li Ke needed to make his power his own.

"Tch... Anyway, kid, here's one of my jutsu."

Senju Tobirama began explaining his ninjutsu with some annoyance. Senju Hashirama also passed on his own techniques, but unlike Senju Tobirama, he didn't teach them verbally. Instead, he brought his chakra into contact with Li Ke's.

In the next instant, Li Ke felt as if he were looking at a smiling, middle-aged man extending a fist toward him. He understood what to do and extended his own fist in return.

The moment their chakra touched, Li Ke learned the Senju Clan's Nintaijutsu, Wood Release, Senjutsu, and all the other ninjutsu Senju Hashirama himself had mastered!

Aside from Summoning Jutsu, which he couldn't perform, a single fist bump had given Li Ke mastery of everything else Senju Hashirama knew!

Even his experience fighting Madara Uchiha was passed on to him.

Li Ke also understood why Senju Hashirama wanted him to fight for himself.

Senju Hashirama had sensed Li Ke's ability to communicate through chakra with other people, and wanted him to forge a completely new path of his own! As a Konoha Ninja, he could put an end to Madara Uchiha's last attachment to this world!

"This is..."

Senju Tobirama sensed it too. He was a little surprised, but since his older brother was the one who'd done it, he could accept just how extraordinary it was.

"Thank you, First, and Second Hokage."

Li Ke took a deep breath. The Senjutsu Chakra inside him now felt familiar. Though this was his first time properly using Wood Release and Senjutsu, he had seen a long-haired man clad in armor with his Byakugan. He brought his hands together and performed Senju Hashirama's signature ninjutsu!

Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!

The instant Li Ke landed, countless trees burst to life and shot up from the ground. Madara Uchiha watched this familiar sight, the forest imbued with potent Yang Release and Senjutsu Chakra, and the chakra of Senju Hashirama appearing on Li Ke as he landed. His eyes widened.

"Hashirama!"

Hearing that voice, Senju Hashirama inside Li Ke instinctively shouted back.

"Madara!"

The echoes of the past stirred in both their hearts. Madara Uchiha had used Yin-Yang Release to restore himself to a younger state for a short time, and at that moment his heart was surging with emotion.

When he sensed Senju Tobirama's chakra, he'd already suspected he would run into Senju Hashirama. That was why he was so overwhelmed.

So Li Ke quickly drew his Ninja Sword. Under Madara Uchiha's excited gaze, he took on Senju Hashirama's stance and clashed fiercely with the Ninja Sword Madara Uchiha had drawn!

Sparks flew from the blades. Li Ke's eyes transformed, revealing a Mangekyo with a sharp Four-pointed Star pattern!

But the voice that came from him was Senju Hashirama's. Seeing the Mangekyo's ocular power in Li Ke's eyes, however, brought something else into Madara Uchiha's excitement at seeing his old friend again.

"Senju Tobirama! You really are a despicable little man! You can't even rest in peace!"

Madara Uchiha's face was full of fury, and the Mangekyo in his eyes spun wildly.

In truth, the moment he sensed Senju Hashirama's chakra, the Three Tomoe in his eyes had begun spinning wildly. And now, they had transformed into the Mangekyo!

Not only that, but his Mangekyo continued to change, defying all logic as it began to approach the form of the Eternal Mangekyo!

"Well... I don't know what happened to make you so angry, but we're enemies now, Madara, so I can't tell you what's going on. Besides, Madara, we belong to a bygone era. We should leave the future to the young."

Senju Hashirama was still respecting Li Ke's privacy, but his words enraged Madara Uchiha.

"You want this kid to fight me?! You underestimate me, Hashirama! He doesn't even know what true power is!"

Madara Uchiha was getting angry, but Senju Tobirama spoke up.

"That may not be true, because..."

There was a note of delight in Senju Tobirama's voice.

"No one is willing to follow you, so of course you don't understand what it means to pass something on!"

Madara Uchiha's face, still full of joy, twisted in an instant. His voice brimmed with boundless resentment and fury.

"Senju Tobirama!!! You despicable little man!"

As the words left his mouth, countless blue tendrils of solidified chakra emerged from Madara Uchiha's body. A Giant began to take shape at incredible speed!

Li Ke: "..."

His Second Hokage always found ways to crank up the difficulty!

But Li Ke didn't say anything. He slammed his palm against the ground. The chakra inside him was rapidly drained, but Natural Energy also rushed into his body, replenishing it.

The Natural Energy was entering too quickly, though, and faint purple markings inevitably appeared around Li Ke's eyes.

Then a Great Buddha appeared before Madara Uchiha's Susanoo!

Madara Uchiha stared in astonishment at the Senju Great Buddha, formed from nothing but the chakra of the kid before him, with no trace of Senju Hashirama's chakra left. He couldn't help but be amazed.

But Li Ke's words surprised him even more.

"I'm sorry, Madara Uchiha. I agree with your ideal of unifying the Ninja World, but your current aims must go beyond that, don't they? So I'm sorry, but if I can't agree with your goal, I have to destroy you right here!"

Li Ke was still being polite. After all, once he killed Madara Uchiha, he was going to try summoning him into his body!

And though Madara Uchiha had defected, Li Ke had to admit that without Madara Uchiha's efforts, Konoha wouldn't be what it was today.

Madara Uchiha looked at the Wood Golem, both familiar and strange, and narrowed his eyes as he got serious.

"You're quite capable for a kid..."