Hashirama Senju held his palm above the future Tobirama's soul form. Dense green chakra, almost tangible, flowed down slowly like warm liquid jade. This was no ordinary Medical Ninjutsu chakra, but an essence imbued with his life force and the power of Asura's legacy. Wherever its light reached, even the natural energy drifting through the surrounding air grew more active, as though rejoicing.
The moment the green light touched the future Tobirama's nearly transparent soul form, a fierce, searing pain erupted from the very core of his soul! It felt as though cold metal were being branded directly into its depths. Even with Tobirama's unyielding will, he could not suppress a grunt. His soul form fluctuated violently, and faint signs of dissolution even appeared along its edges.
"Endure it." Hashirama's expression was solemn, his gaze focused. "Your soul is in an unusual state, and it rejects the fundamental nature of my power on a space-time level. I have to brand the imprint directly into your soul's core to ensure it remains effective after crossing time."
Like countless tiny roots, the green light forced its way into the structure of the future Tobirama's soul, searching for its most fundamental, most stable core node. The process was long and agonizing, as though his soul were being torn apart and reconstructed every second.
Beside them, the young Tobirama watched with a cold gaze, pushing his sensory abilities to their limit as he analyzed the green energy's composition and workings, along with every minute change in his future self's soul as it endured that power. Beyond wariness, his eyes held growing curiosity and contemplation. The future enemy... the "Sacred Lord"... had driven his otherworldly self to travel back through time for help. That alone spoke volumes about how terrifying he was. His brother's healing