"Lord Hashirama, you must have lost agai... huh? You won? You actually won!"
Inside an underground casino hidden in Konoha, the croupier let out a smug, scheming chuckle through his nose. After glancing at the black-haired gambler across from him, who was holding his breath as he awaited the result, he confidently lifted the wooden cover over the dice, ready to claim his fiftieth consecutive victory of the day.
Who in the casino didn't know that the renowned First Hokage was actually a once-in-a-millennium prize sucker?
There was no need to cheat, or even know how to gamble. Simply sit across from him, and money would come rolling in. Losing was impossible.
Hashirama Senju had proven that truth with his unbroken string of gambling losses. Who could have imagined that the legendary God of Shinobi would love gambling so much, yet have such atrocious luck?
Then again, miracles did occasionally happen in this world, however rare they might be.
When the cover came off and the numbers on the dice revealed Hashirama as the winner, the smile froze on the croupier's face. He could hardly believe his eyes.
He blinked in disbelief, then blinked again, but the numbers remained the same. His head began to buzz. Surely even the heavens falling and the earth splitting could feel no worse than this.
At that moment, the croupier's faith crumbled and shattered. Nothing in this world was worthy of his trust anymore-
The once-in-a-millennium prize sucker had actually won at the gambling table. Was there no justice left in the world?
"H-how is this possible?!"
"What? I actually won!"
Staring at the two troublesome dice on the table, Hashirama Senju's eyes widened in utter astonishment too. For several seconds, he even stopped breathing. Unpleasant memories replayed in his mind, and an ominous premonition surged up from the depths of his heart.
This isn't right. Something bad must have happened!
At that thought, the goofy grin vanished from Hashirama's face, replaced by stern vigilance. He pushed aside the dice and chips on the table, brought his hands together, and unleashed his signature Wood Release Ninjutsu.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique!"
More than a dozen Wood Clones swiftly split off behind Hashirama.
Identical to Hashirama in both build and appearance, the clones charged through the cramped underground casino alongside the original, nimbly dodging the people and furnishings as they raced out into the village.
"Lord Hashirama, your money!"
After staring dumbfounded at the spectacular sight for a long while, the bewildered croupier finally remembered that Hashirama hadn't even taken his money. He hurried after him, calling out several times.
Yet not one of the dozen or so Hashirama Senjus, who soon vanished from sight, turned back to acknowledge him. Utterly baffled, the croupier poked a villager beside him who looked equally stunned and asked:
"Has something happened in the village?"
The villager rubbed his head and thought carefully before answering:
"No."
Then why did Lord Hokage run off without even taking his money? He never ran like that when he lost so much he nearly had to hand over his underwear!
Deeply puzzled, the croupier sighed and gathered up the abandoned chips and winnings, intending to return them to Hashirama the next time they met.
On Konoha's streets, passersby were startled by the Hashiramas suddenly emerging from underground. They knitted their brows and swiveled their eyes in astonishment as the dozen or so Hashiramas raced off in different directions toward different destinations.
With such a frantic rush, they were impossible to ignore.
The Senju Clan Compound, the Hokage Building, the Uchiha Clan Compound, the Ninja Academy... Hashirama and his Wood Clones surveyed the village as they ran toward the places he thought might be under attack. With their astonishing speed and Taijutsu, the crowd of Hashiramas soon reached their destinations.
"Tobirama, something terrible has happened!"
Inside the Hokage Building, Hashirama Senju kicked open the office door with a bang.
Inside, Tobirama Senju, who had been driven half-mad by reviewing documents, glared with fierce red eyes at Hashirama Senju-the man who had landed him in this predicament, then gone off gambling himself. He wanted nothing more than to use the Flying Thunder God Slash to cut his bastard of an older brother to pieces on the spot!
But Hashirama's next words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly bringing him back to his senses.
"What? You won?!"
Tobirama froze for a moment, undisguised astonishment filling his red eyes.
Others might not understand, but as Hashirama's younger brother, he knew his gambling luck all too well. The last time this fellow had won a bet in front of him had been the very day their father died!
"I've already sent Wood Clones out on patrol..."
"How long will it take to find anything like that? Come with me!"
Tossing aside the document in his hand, Tobirama closed his eyes and pushed his sensory abilities to their limit. Finding no abnormal chakra flow nearby, he decisively placed a hand on Hashirama's shoulder and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, heading to the various places around the village where he had previously left chakra marks.
Meanwhile, Hashirama Senju's original body rushed into the Ninja Academy and found Madara Uchiha still grading assignments in the teachers' office.
Seeing Hashirama Senju, who had skipped work and sneaked off to gamble, Madara Uchiha glared viciously with his blood-red Sharingan. Grading assignments had left him wanting to go on a murderous rampage, and he was sorely tempted to summon his Perfect Susanoo right there and stab straight through the bastard!
But when he heard that Hashirama Senju had actually won a bet, even Madara Uchiha's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You actually won? How is that possible?!"
As his closest friend, Madara knew Hashirama's downright miraculous gambling luck all too well. Whenever this fellow won a bet, something bad was bound to happen. Someone close to him would always suffer terrible misfortune!
Oh no, Shingetsu!
Remembering that Shingetsu had gone to the Orphanage after school with only Chinatsu accompanying her, Madara Uchiha's heart trembled with burning unease. The pen slipped from his hand, spattering chaotic black scribbles across the white paper, like an ill omen steeped in gray-black bitterness.
"Hashirama, come with me!"
With those words, Madara raced toward the Orphanage like a madman. Hashirama Senju hurried after him, and the two swiftly vanished from sight.
At the same time, in the Uchiha Clan Compound and the Senju Clan Compound, Hōkaku and Tōka went on alert after Hashirama's Wood Clones informed them of what had happened. They led large groups of clan Shinobi through Konoha, searching and questioning people. When their searches proved fruitless, they expanded the search area.
The Shinobi's speed and tracking abilities were astonishing. Before long, they independently narrowed their focus to the Orphanage on Konoha's outskirts. From different locations, the Shinobi now converged on the same destination.
"Brother, a powerful enemy has invaded the Orphanage!"
As soon as they approached the village outskirts, Tobirama Senju's exceptional senses detected the abnormal chakra flow inside the Orphanage. He immediately tried to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique, only to discover that the chakra mark he had left there had already been destroyed.
"Who is it?"
The thought that the Orphanage he had painstakingly built with so much love and effort had been invaded by an enemy, and that its kind director Yakushi and those innocent, adorable children might have come to harm, sent waves of cold through Hashirama Senju's chest. The sudden surge of grief and anger reddened his eyes, yet his expression turned cold with startling speed.
At that moment, Hashirama Senju was furious beyond measure.
His gentle nature and naturally good temper meant that people always remembered his generosity and kindness. But once he became enraged, he was as terrifying and violent as thunder and surging seas. Anyone who provoked him would inevitably taste the bitter consequences, as though they had incurred the wrath of a god.
Even Tobirama did not want to provoke Hashirama in this state, and he was equally furious at these despicable invaders.
To attack ordinary people and children who had no chakra at all-what a vile, shameless act. It was sickening!
Even if Hashirama did nothing, Tobirama Senju would show them exactly what hell looked like.
Yet just as the Senju brothers were about to reach the Orphanage, both stopped in their tracks. In an instant, shock completely overwhelmed their anger. Their pupils contracted sharply, their jaws tightened, and for a long time, neither recovered.
In theory, very few things in this world should have been capable of shocking them so deeply. But clearly, Wood Release would always be among them.
Before them, a forest now occupied the place where the Orphanage should have stood. Apart from a few broken walls, almost nothing remained.
The ancient-looking forest was lush and green, radiating an unusual vitality. Had it not been for the faint Wood Release chakra steadily emanating from it-chakra that was unmistakably not Hashirama's-no one would likely have thought it the product of Wood Release Ninjutsu.
Yet that faint Wood Release chakra startled and captivated Hashirama Senju. The feeling of intimacy surpassed even a blood bond, like an echo originating from the soul. It left him dazed and bewildered, drawing him closer against his will.
He had only ever sensed such a feeling from one person, and that person was...
Tobirama Senju closed his eyes, then opened them again a moment later. His vivid red pupils dilated sharply. With his powerful sensory abilities, he had already identified the source of that unusual chakra.
But how was this possible? Why was it...
"Susanoo!"
A blue chakra giant seemed to descend from the heavens. Holding four long blades in its four hands, it precisely cleaved open the forest and carefully lifted out the girl hidden in its deepest depths.
"Shingetsu!"
Cradling the blood-soaked girl, Madara Uchiha's Sharingan blazed scarlet. The anguish and fury in his eyes seemed ready to become an unending inferno that would burn everything in the world to ashes.
He had once wished day and night for Shingetsu to awaken Wood Release as soon as possible. Yet now that his wish had finally come true, all he felt was endless agony and regret.
If this was the price of awakening Wood Release, he would rather Shingetsu never have to endure such pain!
Before you continue