Haxilama

Qianyu swiftly moved through the sleeping spectator stands and found where Konoha's young elites were. Using gentle chakra, he stimulated and woke the nearest ones: Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten.

"Neji, listen. The genjutsu has been lifted, and the village is under attack." Qianyu spoke at a rapid pace. "I need you to act immediately. Neji's team, prioritize helping unconscious civilians and moving them to safe areas. At the same time, watch out for anyone wearing Hidden Sand or Hidden Sound uniforms, as well as anyone with abnormal chakra. Kill without mercy!"

Neji instantly activated his Byakugan and swept his gaze across the entire venue. "Understood!"

Qianyu then woke Shikamaru, who had been pretending to sleep. "Shikamaru's team, you're responsible for temporarily directing the evacuation and defense of this area. Protecting civilians comes first. Don't try to fight powerful enemies head-on—stall for time and wait for reinforcements!"

"What a pain... but got it." Shikamaru rubbed his temples, his eyes immediately sharpening.

Next, he found Hinata, Kiba, and Shino and gave them similar instructions. Finally, he came to Naruto and Sakura, who had just been awakened and still looked somewhat dazed.

"Naruto, Sasuke." Qianyu grabbed Naruto by the shoulder and pointed toward Gaara, whose terrifying killing intent filled the arena. "See that red-haired kid from Hidden Sand? There's something extremely dangerous inside him. We absolutely can't let him lose control here! Naruto, your mission is to lure him out of the village and fight him somewhere far away from the crowds! Sakura, you go with Naruto and support him with your medical knowledge and calm judgment!"

"What? Lure him out of the village? But..." Naruto looked at Gaara's unapproachable demeanor and felt a little intimidated.

"There's no time to hesitate! Remember, if you can't beat him, or if that thing inside him is about to come out..." Qianyu leaned close to Naruto's ear and whispered quickly, "Shout 'Pervy Sage' at the top of your lungs toward the sky! He's definitely watching somewhere nearby! If he hears you, he'll show up!"

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Pervy Sage? Right! Okay! Leave it to me!"

"No time to waste, move now! Be careful!" Qianyu gave them a push.

Watching Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke quickly sneak toward Gaara while the other young elites also sprang into action, Qianyu let out a breath.

Konoha's new generation was no longer a flock of fledglings that needed complete protection. They were capable of shouldering responsibility.

His gaze shifted toward the Four Red Yang Formation that had already risen in the center of the arena. The situation inside the barrier was completely sealed off.

It was time to face the real protagonists.

Qianyu moved like a ghost along the edge of the chaotic grounds, rapidly approaching one wall of the Four Red Yang Formation.

Qianyu arrived at the position guarded by Sakon and Ukon. Seeing him suddenly appear, both Sakon and Ukon revealed startled expressions.

"Konoha brat? What do you think you're doing?" Sakon shouted. He was unable to attack right now.

"Orochimaru is inside, right?" Qianyu asked calmly. "Let me in."

"Huh? Are you insane? We're enemies!" Ukon found the request utterly absurd.

Qianyu could not be bothered to waste words. He simply raised his voice and shouted into the barrier, "Orochimaru! Let me in!"

His voice seemed to be partially blocked by the barrier, but a moment later, Orochimaru's slightly hoarse voice clearly carried through it. "Let him in."

Sakon and Ukon exchanged glances. Though they did not understand, they did not dare disobey Orochimaru's command. Sakon reluctantly formed a hand seal, opening a temporary gap in the dark-red barrier wall.

Without hesitation, Qianyu slipped inside.

The gap rapidly closed behind him.

The sight within the barrier was entirely different from the chaos and clamor outside. Beneath his feet lay the shattered floor at the center of the arena. The air was filled with dust, the lingering fresh scent of vegetation from the First Hokage's Wood Release, and Orochimaru's distinctively cold, sinister presence.

Several people stood facing one another in the arena.

On one side was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just summoned Enma. His beard and hair bristled as he stood like a furious guardian deity.

On the other was Orochimaru, an eerie smile on his lips, his golden vertical pupils glinting with icy light.

And standing before Orochimaru were two figures that made Qianyu's breathing hitch slightly.

One had wild black hair and wore layered red armor. The other had spiky silver hair and a stern, cold face.

Two legendary shinobi had returned to the world in the form of Reanimation.

Only, the atmosphere at the moment was somewhat strange.

Hashirama seemed to have just flown into a rage. The Wood Dragon extending from beneath his feet still carried residual chakra, and he was glaring at Orochimaru with anger and confusion in his eyes. Tobirama, meanwhile, stood slightly turned to one side, seemingly saying something to Hashirama.

The instant Qianyu stepped into the barrier, everyone's gaze snapped onto him.

Both Hashirama and Tobirama's pupils contracted at once!

The anger on Hashirama's face was instantly replaced by utter shock, and he blurted out, "Madara?!"

But in the next instant, he violently shook his head. "No... no, that's not right! You're not Madara! You look so much like him... too much like him, but your age is wrong, and your chakra feels..." He stared fixedly at Qianyu's face, then sensed the strange fluctuations of chakra around him. His eyes were filled with disbelieving scrutiny.

Tobirama immediately assumed a guarded stance, his tone full of vigilance and disgust. "An inherently evil Uchiha brat... that revoltingly familiar feeling... Madara Uchiha actually left behind descendants?"

Qianyu: "..."

The reactions of these two Hokage left him somewhat speechless. Tobirama especially—he really tossed around that label of "inherently evil Uchiha" without a second thought.

He did not immediately respond to the two Hokage. Instead, he first glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose expression was bitter.

Then, he did something no one present had expected.

He walked straight toward the guarded Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Tobirama's eyes sharpened as chakra surged through him, as though he were preparing to strike. But he found that Orochimaru had completely restricted his movements. Qianyu's actions were natural and carried no hostile intent. He merely walked up to him, then... turned sideways and gently pressed his back and arm against Tobirama's raised arm.

"Hey, white-haired." Qianyu's tone carried a trace of helplessness. "Don't jump to conclusions. Use your sensory abilities and properly feel the chakra in my body before you say anything else."

The gesture and form of address caught Tobirama off guard. White-haired? Very few people dared call him that. He instinctively restrained his hostility and concentrated his chakra perception on the area where he was in contact with Qianyu.

In the next instant, Tobirama's pupils abruptly widened!

"What is... this?" For the first time, obvious shock entered his voice. "So pure... vast... warm and brimming with life... as though... the source of all things? No, that's not right. It isn't merely Yang Release, nor is it Yin Release... It's a kind of chakra I have never encountered before, perfectly unified, closer to its very essence! It lacks the distinct chill and corrosiveness of Uchiha chakra... You... who exactly are you?!"

He abruptly pulled back his hand and tried to retreat half a step, but could not. The way he looked at Qianyu was no longer simple disgust and vigilance, but an intense, overwhelming mix of inquiry and suspicion.

Only then did Qianyu turn around to face the First Hokage, Hashirama, whose expression had likewise grown grave and curious, as well as Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose face was even more conflicted.

"My appearance was indeed inherited from that man—Madara Uchiha," Qianyu said slowly, his voice calm. "Even the materials used for this body of mine, in the beginning, came from his cells, and..."

He looked at Hashirama. "...your cells, fused by some forbidden method to cultivate an embryo."

Hashirama and Tobirama both jolted! The brothers exchanged a glance and saw the shock in each other's eyes. Madara Uchiha's cells fused with Hashirama Senju's?! That was simply absurd!

"But those were only the materials," Qianyu continued. "As I am now, both my genetic makeup and the nature of my chakra have been completely altered. I am no longer a simple hybrid of Uchiha and Senju."

Qianyu secretly sighed in relief. Fortunately, his future self had covered every base. Otherwise, he and Tsunade would have violated...

At that moment, Orochimaru, who had been silently observing from the side, suddenly spoke in a low voice. "It was the effect of that Otsutsuki Pill, wasn't it? The primordial power from Urashiki completed and transformed your life level."

Qianyu glanced at Orochimaru in some surprise, then nodded. "That's right. Urashiki may not have been among the strongest of the Otsutsuki clan, but his primordial power still far surpasses the understanding of ordinary shinobi. My body's current genetic makeup is closer to that of a juvenile Otsutsuki. Its essence is fundamentally different."

He tried to explain it as simply as he could.

The amount of information in those words was overwhelming, plunging everyone within the barrier into a brief silence.

Hashirama stroked his chin, wearing an expression that said he did not quite understand but thought it sounded impressive. His gaze roamed over Qianyu's face. "So... you were made using materials from me and Madara, then processed by something even stronger? Does that mean you're... Madara's and my... descendant now?"

His logic was simple and direct, and he even seemed a little eagerly excited. "That's amazing! What's your name?"

Seeing Hashirama's undisguised delight, Qianyu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "My name is Cangshu Qianyu. Madara Uchiha gave me the name."

Tobirama cut in directly. "Impossible. Cells can only create a body. A soul can only be nurtured through the mystery of the womb."

Qianyu had not expected Tobirama to have such an explanation. As expected of Tobirama. He offered no explanation.

"Cangshu Qianyu..." Hashirama repeated under his breath. Then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he slapped his hands together. "I get it! 'Cang' corresponds to Madara's blue Susanoo! 'Shu' is my Wood Release! 'Qian' is Senju! 'Yu' is Uchiha! Madara really was pretty good at naming things! Hahaha!"

He began analyzing it on his own, and his analysis was actually quite coherent. A proud expression appeared on his face, as if to say, Just as expected of my best friend.

Qianyu rubbed his forehead speechlessly and decided not to correct the First Hokage for now. He looked at Orochimaru, asking with his eyes: What did he think of this situation?

From the moment Qianyu admitted his connection to Madara Uchiha, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression had kept changing. Now, he let out a long sigh, his voice full of exhaustion and conflicted emotions. "So it is true... you are connected to Madara. Back then, Danzo repeatedly advised me that you were a tremendous hidden danger and should be strictly controlled, or even... I considered your young age, and Tsunade's protection, and always held onto a measure of hope..."

"Wait." Qianyu interrupted him, frowning. "Lord Hokage, this old generation's habit of putting a label on someone before passing judgment is going too far. Let me ask you this: in the thirteen years since I entered Konoha, have I ever done anything that harmed Konoha, or hurt any of its comrades or civilians?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze at the question. He opened his mouth, only to find that he could not answer immediately. Thinking carefully, aside from his mysterious origins and overly rapid growth in strength, Qianyu had always obeyed the rules in the village, carried out missions earnestly, maintained good relationships with his peers, and had even stepped forward in critical moments several times. There truly was no evidence that he had caused harm.

"See? You can't answer. So how could you talk about guarding against me, or even eliminating me? Is no evidence needed for a conviction? Or is anything that fails to meet your expectations or remain under your control automatically wrong?"

His words were not heated, yet they were like a needle piercing something deep within Hiruzen Sarutobi that he had been unwilling to face. He thought of the Uchiha clan, of Hatake Sakumo, of so many others... His face turned pale, then red, and his gaze struggled.

Although Hashirama was rather blunt by nature, he could still hear the grievance and accusation in Qianyu's words. He scratched his head and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Monkey, what this kid said... seems to make some sense. You can't just think he's a bad person because he looks like Madara, right? His chakra seems pretty clean to me."

Although Tobirama harbored deeply ingrained prejudice against the Uchiha, as a top-tier sensory shinobi and researcher, he trusted data and facts more. The chakra he had sensed from Qianyu just now was indeed pure and vast, brimming with vital, righteous life force. He snorted without speaking, but the hostility in his eyes had already diminished by more than half.

Orochimaru, meanwhile, looked as though he had just witnessed the collision of the most fascinating experimental data. His slit pupils swept back and forth among Qianyu, Hashirama, Tobirama, and Hiruzen, while the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened. This was far more interesting than simply killing the old man.