第23章 走吧,跟我去一趟火影大楼

The entire forest came alive. Branches and vines grew wildly, and thick tree trunks erupted from the ground, wrapping Kakuzu into a cocoon in the blink of an eye. Two wooden spikes pierced through his chest with a wet thud; Kakuzu didn't even groan before he went completely still.

Hashirama hadn't even had a chance to speak when things went wrong—as soon as Hibari's Adamantine Sealing Chains faltered, Hiruzen let go, and with Sarutobi Sasuke's sealing technique failing, the Seven-Tails Chomei roared as it broke free and began to rampage again.

Hashirama frowned. He didn't have time to check if Kakuzu was truly dead; he kept his hands pressed together, and his aura surged violently.

Once Sage Mode was activated, the pressure radiated outward like a physical force. Even the Seven-Tails stiffened, eyeing that figure with newfound wariness.

Hashirama was fuming. If he had arrived even half a step later, his grandson would have been gone. What grandfather could stay calm after that? He needed somewhere to vent his rage, and wasn't there a perfect punching bag right in front of him?

He didn't care about the cause or effect; he simply felt that if this tailed beast hadn't drained Hibari's chakra, his grandson wouldn't have been unable to dodge a sneak attack.

Fine, you'll do.

Without another word, Hashirama unleashed the full might of his Sage Mode, making the air in Insect King Valley feel heavy.

Senju Hashirama let out a furious roar, and the Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands manifested instantly. The ground shattered as a giant Buddha rose from the earth, incidentally scooping Hibari and Sarutobi Hiruzen up onto the Buddha's head.

He didn't give the Seven-Tails a moment to react. He changed his hand seals, his gaze locked onto the tailed beast that looked remarkably "miniature" by comparison: "Top Transformed Buddha!"

The expressions on Hibari and Hiruzen's faces turned ghost-white. The entire statue instantly came to life, its countless arms clenching into fists and raining down upon the Seven-Tails.

The earth in Insect King Valley shook violently, and the ground was hammered into countless fissures. The Seven-Tails' miserable shrieks echoed intermittently from the dust, sounding almost pitiful.

The tailed beast that had left Sarutobi Sasuke and the others helpless just moments ago was now like a sandbag in the hands of the God of Shinobi, being pummeled without a single chance to struggle.

Even accounting for its previous exhaustion, the disparity in power was truly absurd.

Seeing that Hashirama had no intention of stopping, Sarutobi Sasuke appeared from somewhere and hurriedly shouted, "Lord Hokage! Have mercy! You'll kill it if you keep going!"

Hashirama's movements slowed, and the speed of the raining fists eased.

At the same time, Hibari hurriedly chimed in, "Grandpa Hashirama... this is my first mission. Please, save some face for me, or all my hard work will have been for nothing."

Hearing this, and looking at Hibari's pale little face, Hashirama thought of how the boy had risked his life to complete the mission, and his anger finally subsided a little. The giant Buddha, which had nearly pounded the Seven-Tails into a meat patty, finally came to a halt.

"Do you have any idea how close that was?" Hashirama stared at Hibari, his tone reproachful, though anyone could hear the lingering fear beneath it.

Hibari grinned, though the smile was a bit forced. "I knew you wouldn't be late..."

In the courtyard of the Senju Residence in Konoha Village.

Three people sat in a small pavilion, the atmosphere quite harmonious. Hibari was gesturing wildly, spitting as he spoke to little Tsunade and Uzumaki Mito.

"It all happened in a flash! Seeing Hiruzen about to be in trouble, how could I just stand by and watch?"

Hibari slapped his thigh, looking incredibly smug. "I immediately formed the seals, shouted 'Adamantine Sealing Chains,' and four chakra chains swished out and bound the Seven-Tails tight!"

Little Tsunade's eyes went wide as she asked curiously, "Brother Hibari, what happened next? What about the Seven-Tails?"

Uzumaki Mito watched him with a smile. Although she knew the boy was likely bragging, his vivid storytelling was amusing, so she didn't call him out, choosing instead to enjoy the show.

"Need you ask?" Hibari's tail was practically wagging. "Who do you think I am? I'm Senju Hibari! Once my chains came out, the Seven-Tails couldn't move an inch.

Hiruzen caught his breath and quickly coordinated with me; the two of us took that tailed beast down in no time.

By the time Grandpa Hashirama arrived, there was nothing left for him to do but help Grandpa Sarutobi escort the Seven-Tails to Takigakure. Counting the time, they should be back by now."

Perhaps carried away by his own tall tale, Hibari sighed with feigned profundity after finishing. "Sigh, it's a good thing I insisted on going, otherwise what would have happened to Hiruzen? I think he won't be able to leave my side in the future."

As he said this, Uzumaki Mito kept smiling at something behind him. Hibari found it strange, then heard little Tsunade point behind him and shout, "Uncle Hiruzen! Are you here to listen to the story too?"

Hibari's smug expression froze instantly, and his neck felt stiff as he turned around. Sarutobi Hiruzen was standing behind him, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot, glaring at him with a very unfriendly look.

"Yo! Uncle Hiruzen, you're here?" Hibari reacted quickly, a brilliant smile instantly plastered on his face. "What a coincidence! I was just telling them about your brilliance and heroism on the road! I've learned so much from you, truly benefited a great deal!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, face still dark, reached out and smacked the back of Hibari's head. "You brat, I heard every word you said standing back there! What's this? According to you, I can't go on missions without you anymore?"

Hibari didn't mind the hit, instead grinning and leaning in. "Oh, come on, Uncle Hiruzen, if you really want to form a permanent team with me, I certainly wouldn't object! What do you think of that proposal? Sounds solid, right?"

Although Hiruzen had caught him red-handed, he wasn't actually angry; he found the boy's thick skin amusing. He shook his head, too lazy to dwell on it, and asked, "Enough, I'm done bickering with you.

On a serious note, how are you feeling? Any better?"

"Better than ever!" Hibari patted his chest, his voice ringing out. "With my constitution, I'm as strong as an ox. What could possibly be wrong?"

That was what he said, but the reality was far less relaxed than he made it sound. To seal the Seven-Tails, he had pushed himself to use the Adamantine Sealing Chains, and later suffered Kakuzu's sneak attack, nearly losing his life in Insect King Valley.

If Senju Hashirama hadn't arrived in time to use that exaggerated "True Several Thousand Hands" to beat the Seven-Tails half-dead and flatten the valley in the process, he wouldn't even have the strength to brag right now.

Because of the massive exhaustion, Hibari had been weak ever since, and Hiruzen had carried him back to Konoha the whole way.

The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had personally treated him, while the First Hokage, Hashirama, had gone with Sarutobi Sasuke to drag the miserable tailed beast to Takigakure to "deliver the goods"—a display that was less about completing a mission and more about "flexing their muscles."

It was strange; a normal person losing that much vitality would be bedridden for at least half a year, perhaps even shortening their lifespan or damaging their cultivation.

Yet, after only a few days of rest, Hibari's depleted energy had slowly replenished itself, leaving both Hiruzen and Tobirama stunned.

In the end, they could only attribute it to his innate talent, which was a good thing.

Hibari knew the truth: it was likely the deceptive "Human-Human Fruit" at work. Zoan types were famous for their recovery, after all.

But thinking about how this useless ability still hadn't shown any real benefit made him angry—he was already a human; what was the point of eating a "Human-Human Fruit"? He would have preferred a dog form over this!

Hiruzen had visited him often over the last two days, so he knew his recovery status well and had just asked out of habit. Seeing him bouncing around, he nodded and said, "As long as you're fine. Let's go, come with me to the Hokage Building."

"What for?" Hibari was startled, then his eyes lit up. "Is Grandpa Hashirama back?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage and my father are both back. The mission is officially concluded, so we should go report in." Hiruzen smiled. "Although the process was twisty, it was completed in the end. The merits you're owed won't be forgotten."

Hibari didn't care much for merits as a member of the Senju clan.

But this was his first official mission, so he was a little excited. He sprang from his chair. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

He grabbed the teacup from the table, downed it in one gulp, and turned to grin at Uzumaki Mito and little Tsunade. "Grandma Mito, little Tsunade, I'm off to handle business! When I get back, I'll tell you an even better story!"

Little Tsunade nodded obediently. Uzumaki Mito smiled gently. "Go on, don't delay your business."

Sarutobi Hiruzen bowed respectfully to Uzumaki Mito. "Lady Mito, we shall take our leave."

Hibari followed Hiruzen out of the Senju estate and headed straight for the Hokage Building.

The Hokage's office was bustling. Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Sarutobi Sasuke were all there, looking as if they had just met and were still in the middle of a conversation.

"Tobirama, how is that boy Hibari doing?" Sarutobi Sasuke spoke first, his tone filled with clear concern.

Since he was the nominal leader of the mission and had let a half-grown child push himself to that point, he had been feeling guilty, and asking about him was the first thing he did upon returning.

Just as he finished asking, Hashirama, who had slumped into a chair nearby, chimed in, "Exactly! Is the kid alright? I remember there are still some energy-replenishing herbs in the family storehouse. No matter how precious, use them, give them to Hibari..."

"Brother, you're overdoing it." Before Hashirama could finish, Tobirama interrupted him. He waved his hand, his tone steady. "Would I neglect our own child?

Rest assured, the boy has innate talent; he's slowly replenishing his lost energy on his own. He's fine.

He just needs to rest for a while. It's a good opportunity to have him learn a few things from me and grind down that impulsive temper of his."

The topic of Hibari ended there. Tobirama shifted his focus to Sarutobi Sasuke, his expression turning serious. "Are you certain Kirigakure of the Land of Water was involved in this?"

"No doubt about it." Sarutobi Sasuke nodded. "Hozuki Reigetsu of the Hozuki Clan disguised his identity to participate.

He was eventually decapitated by Hibari and Hiruzen working together. If he hadn't relied on his Hydrification Technique to save his life, he would have died on the spot. That completely exposed his origins."

"These people... they really never stop." Tobirama sighed softly upon hearing this.

He paused, tapped his fingers on the desk, and continued, "But then again, we didn't suffer any losses; if anything, they lost some men.

Peace is hard-won, so let's suppress this for now and keep a tally. When the time is right, we'll settle the score with interest!"

At this, Tobirama thought of something and a faint smile appeared on his face. "I suspect... that boy Hibari is probably thinking the same thing."