"Tobirama, I'm leaving the position of acting Hokage to you. Don't disappoint me."
"Put peace first in all things. Remember to remain restrained and cautious. No matter what happens, wait until I return."
After finishing his final words with Tobirama, Hashirama Senju summoned Katsuyu and had them use the Reverse Summoning Technique to transport him to Shikkotsu Forest.
When Hashirama opened his eyes again, he found himself in Shikkotsu Forest.
The scale of Shikkotsu Forest was even more exaggerated than Konoha's Forest of Death.
Rows upon rows of trees shot straight into the clouds.
There were no leaves on their branches. The bare trunks and limbs were covered in sticky white mucus, and merely looking at it made him feel as though he could smell hawthorn flowers.
"That's the corrosive fluid secreted by slugs..."
Hashirama recognized the white mucus for what it was.
Although it looked awful, the forest was unexpectedly filled with moist, refreshing air. In terms of air quality alone, not even Konoha could compare with Shikkotsu Forest.
With every breath, he could sense the natural energy permeating the air.
Hashirama merely took a deep breath and felt his strength surge.
"So this is Shikkotsu Forest? No wonder it's a sacred place for cultivating Senjutsu. It would be great if we could transplant it to Konoha."
Hashirama sighed.
No matter when it was, he was always thinking of the village.
Just then, blue-and-white slugs of varying sizes poked out their heads and looked toward Hashirama standing on the ground.
"His life energy is so abundant. I've never seen anything like it..."
"It's so warm. Getting close to him feels like basking in the sun."
Before long, a slightly larger slug wriggled over to Hashirama and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Lord Hashirama, you've come."
"Katsuyu, it's been a long time since we last met. About... ten years?"
Hashirama vaguely remembered that the last time he had come to Shikkotsu Forest was before Konoha had been founded.
"Eleven years, Lord Hashirama."
"Ahaha, there's been too much going on outside. I nearly forgot." Hashirama said carelessly, "Come to think of it, did something happen? Why did you need to see me so urgently?"
His reason for coming to Shikkotsu Forest was not as simple as what he had said in Konoha.
Last night, he had sensed a message from Sage Katsuyu asking to see him.
It had been eleven years since anything like this had happened, so at daybreak, Hashirama arranged everything and hurried to Shikkotsu Forest.
"I'm not entirely sure of the details either. The Sage instructed me to summon you immediately, regarding the matter of having you learn Senjutsu."
"Sage Katsuyu..."
Hashirama's expression turned solemn as he followed Katsuyu deeper into the cave at a brisk pace.
Inside the vast, magnificent cavern, he looked straight ahead and saw an enormous slug resting directly opposite the entrance.
That was Sage Katsuyu.
Every slug possessed its own independent consciousness, but in essence, they were all incarnations of Sage Katsuyu and shared their senses.
No one knew how many years Sage Katsuyu had lived. When Hashirama Senju had first received the summoning blood contract from his father, Butsuma Senju, and come to Shikkotsu Forest, Sage Katsuyu had already seemed to look exactly the same.
The large slug bowed toward Sage Katsuyu. "Sage, I have brought Hashirama!"
"Oh, Hashirama. Sorry, I fell asleep."
"Sage Katsuyu, what exactly is so urgent that you summoned me here?"
"What? Yes, there is something... a new prophecy."
Hashirama's expression became extremely serious.
Knowing Sage Katsuyu's abilities, he could only feel awe toward such power. Back in the Warring States era, when he had first met Sage Katsuyu, the Sage had foretold that he would establish a village that brought peace...
And later, he truly had founded Konoha.
Just as ordinary people found shinobi ninjutsu unbelievable, shinobi also found a Sage's abilities incomprehensible.
Sage Katsuyu spoke slowly. "Hashirama, starting today, you must cultivate Senjutsu."
"Ah, Senjutsu. It sounds like it'll be troublesome."
Hashirama had not lied about the reason he gave Toji, but there was another reason as well. He felt that even without Senjutsu, no one in the Shinobi World besides Madara could be his opponent.
Just thinking about learning Senjutsu sounded time-consuming.
"This time is different." Sage Katsuyu said, "I sense that you will go through a great battle. In that battle, you will encounter an unprecedentedly powerful enemy and use Senjutsu during the fight."
"A great battle..." Hashirama understood at once. "It's Madara, isn't it? The only one who could fight me fiercely enough to make me use Senjutsu would be him. I never expected Madara to grow even stronger after leaving the village. As expected of Madara."
"I saw you die."
Sage Katsuyu's abrupt words sent the atmosphere plunging to freezing point.
"I died?" Hashirama froze briefly, then said open-mindedly, "Everyone dies eventually. I'm no exception, and I've long been prepared for that. But... did I die fighting Madara, or at some other time?"
"I cannot see that clearly. I only sense that the bond between us will disappear at some point in the future."
"I see..." Hashirama scratched his head. "Then I probably died of old age. Madara has never been able to beat me."
"All right! No matter what, since Madara has become stronger than when he left the village, I need to keep up with him too. Starting today, I'll seriously cultivate Senjutsu!"
Hashirama Senju struck his fist into his palm and declared passionately.
At forty, he was at just the right age to charge ahead with youthful fervor.
"Don't rush." Sage Katsuyu spoke slowly. "There is one more matter, and it may also be related to the Senju Clan."
"I dreamed that besides you, someone else used Wood Release."
"Someone else can use Wood Release?" Hashirama was greatly shocked, then smiled in sudden realization. "Haha, the Sage must be confused! Anyone capable of using Wood Release must be a member of my Senju Clan."
"After all, throughout the history of the Senju Clan and even the entire Shinobi World, no one besides me has ever possessed Wood Release. Who could it be? That's hard to guess... Could it be one of my grandchildren who has yet to be born?"
"Takayuki isn't bad! He may not have inherited my Wood Release, but he actually passed the Bloodline on to his child."
"My Senju Clan is truly getting better and better..."
"Thriving and flourishing!"
Hashirama looked delighted.
This had always been an unspoken worry weighing on him. He knew how powerful his Wood Release was. If a clansman could inherit it, the Senju Clan and Konoha could flourish for generations.
Yet Takayuki, the son in whom he had placed such high hopes, had inherited neither Wood Release nor his constitution.
It was as though it foretold that the Senju Clan's peak would end with him.
That was precisely why Hashirama wanted to quell all conflict within his lifetime and bring lasting peace to the Shinobi World. That way, even if the Senju Clan lost him in the future, it could still endure in stability.
Now.
Sage Katsuyu had told him that another Wood Release user would appear in the Senju Clan. How could he not be happy?
And with that happiness came even greater motivation to cultivate Senjutsu.
He allowed the slugs to cover him in intensely corrosive acid. Even as his skin was eaten away, his powerful constitution repaired it at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Hashirama closed his eyes and focused, quietly sensing the natural energy.
Sage Katsuyu remained silent beside him and did not offer any warning.
Though the Sage could not see the appearance of the person who would inherit Wood Release in the future, the Sage could clearly sense the ominous, unusual aura surrounding that person.
Only because the Sage did not wish to interfere with the Senju Clan's family affairs.
Sage Katsuyu chose silence.
Before you continue