Holy shit, Tobirama Senju, have you got a fucking death wish?!
Watanabe Ichiro's heart clenched as he hid off to the side, and he instantly unleashed Wood Release to help.
He had assumed Tobirama Senju would be summoned away by the Wood Clone he had stationed somewhere safe.
His real body had only stayed here as a precaution.
He had not collected any material for Tobirama Senju's [Impure World Reincarnation], so there was no backup in his System Inventory.
If that Tailed Beast Bomb hit Tobirama Senju square on and blasted him to pieces, he really would have no way to save him.
But in the next second, water erupted beneath the Tailed Beast Bomb like a river bursting its banks, washing away the Wood Release Watanabe Ichiro had sent to help.
[Water Release: Water Shockwave]
[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique]
[Water Release: Water Formation Wall]
[Water Release: Wave-Riding Strike]
Four Technique Formulas were unleashed in succession.
Water Shockwave slowed the Tailed Beast Bomb slightly, its waters spiraling rapidly upward like a tornado to form the first buffer.
A dragon formed from water charged at the Tailed Beast Bomb, becoming the second buffer.
Water Formation Wall spun in a circle to create a defense with no blind spots, its waterfall-like volume forming the third buffer.
Finally, he activated Wave-Riding Strike, which allowed him to move freely through water at tremendous speed, and sped through the water with Hashirama Senju's body.
The Tailed Beast Bomb exploded, much of its power already canceled out by the enormous volume of water, and countless sprays of water shot outward.
The aftermath was spectacular, but its power had indeed been greatly reduced, and it dissipated without causing much further trouble.
Was he still alive?
There should at least be some remains, right?
Watanabe Ichiro directed his Wood Clone to rush over at top speed. While the aftermath of the Tailed Beast Bomb's explosion still lingered, he switched identities to act as Uchiha Ichiro.
He had not removed the Mangekyo he had installed earlier to fight Hashirama Senju. The moment the Tailed Beasts went berserk, he had used it to bring them under control, and now he searched the shattered battlefield for any trace of Tobirama Senju.
At last, he spotted a pale pink trail-the result of blood diluted by water.
Here!
Watanabe Ichiro followed the blood trail, which grew redder and darker as he went.
Finally, he found Tobirama Senju.
The Tailed Beast Bomb had been far too close. In the end, Tobirama Senju had still been caught in the blast's aftermath.
Unlike Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju was not particularly good at taking a beating. The tremendous impact had caved in half his chest. As for his internal organs, there was no need to even think about it-they were undoubtedly all wrecked.
Yet both his hands still gripped tightly. In his right was Hashirama Senju, whom he had protected without a scratch; in his left was a fragment of Wood Release.
He struggled to raise his left hand. The tiny piece of wood was soaked, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.
He could not have been mistaken. Just before the Tailed Beast Bomb arrived, as he unleashed Water Release, that familiar Wood Release had appeared for an instant.
But his Water Release had quickly swept it away, and it vanished as if it had been nothing more than a beautiful illusion.
But it had not been an illusion.
Tobirama Senju's hand trembled as he clutched that tiny fragment. He had grabbed it even at the cost of being injured by the Tailed Beast Bomb.
There was no mistake. It was Wood Release. My big brother's Wood Release!
What was this supposed to mean?
Was my brother's spirit protecting me?
I feel like my entire scientific worldview is falling apart. What even is this...?
The sudden appearance of Wood Release had robbed him of his ability to think. He had completely forgotten that [Black Zetsu] could also use Wood Release.
But subconsciously, he did not believe [Black Zetsu] would use Wood Release to protect him, so he immediately assumed Hashirama Senju had somehow activated it to shield him from harm.
Could my brother's Wood Release be like a frog's reflexes, something his body activated on its own?
Ha, you idiot. If you're dead, just stay put in the Netherworld. Don't go wandering out like this. You make me feel as though you're still... alive.
"Teacher?"
Watanabe Ichiro found Tobirama Senju with his left arm covering his eyes for some reason.
He called out to let him know who it was, then immediately crouched down to check his injuries.
His internal organs were all ruptured, and his heart was failing too. Taking a Tailed Beast Bomb head-on was clearly far too much for someone like Tobirama Senju, who relied on speed.
He should have left a Flying Thunder God Formula on him during the fight. Fighting Hashirama Senju had been so exhilarating that he had accidentally forgotten.
Only when Watanabe Ichiro saw that Tobirama Senju still had not used Flying Thunder God to leave did he suddenly realize, and he immediately had the Wood Clone in the safe location activate [Reverse Flying Thunder God Technique].
But why had Tobirama Senju not teleported away?
This Technique Formula did not exist in the original Naruto story. It was an invention unique to Tobirama Senju in this world, and Watanabe Ichiro really did not know much about its restrictions. He had focused most of his efforts on learning the more familiar-looking Forbidden Techniques.
Watching Tobirama Senju take a Tailed Beast Bomb straight to the face gave Watanabe Ichiro the same heart-stopping feeling as seeing his team's low-health carry leave a team fight only to get killed by a passing enemy super minion.
If Hashirama Senju had still been alive, saving Tobirama Senju from these injuries would have been easy. He could simply flood him with Medical Ninjutsu. Did anyone think being Asura's reincarnation was just for show?
Unfortunately, Hashirama Senju had logged off, and at this point in the timeline, there really were no medical ninja capable of saving him.
Medical Ninjutsu was genuinely not something just anyone could master. Even Watanabe Ichiro, who had studied hard for a long time, had never gotten the hang of it or even grasped the basics.
He could only turn to the all-purpose system skill ["Coincidence"].
Watanabe Ichiro touched the arm Tobirama Senju had draped over his eyes.
"Teacher, are your eyes injured?"
"...No."
Tobirama Senju lowered his arm. The corners of his eyes were slightly red, as though the rushing water had struck them.
He looked up and met a pair of glowing red eyes, their red background overlaid with neatly arranged rings of black markings.
"I say your injuries aren't fatal."
["Coincidence"] glowed faintly gold. The fate points had been paid, and the wish to "make Tobirama Senju's current injuries nonfatal" came true.
Tobirama Senju felt his heart, which had nearly stopped beating, regain its strength in an instant. His ruptured organs were also slowly healing. Though his injuries were still severe, he no longer felt as though he was about to die.
What was this?
Could it be Uchiha Ichiro's Mangekyo ability?
"Urgh!"
Watanabe Ichiro gave a muffled grunt and covered his eyes, pretending that using his Mangekyo put a tremendous strain on them, while inwardly letting out a sigh.
["Coincidence"] was certainly useful, but its activation requirement of deducting double the fate points really hurt. At this rate, this Disguise would probably be spent after just two or three more uses.
Watanabe Ichiro kept his eyes covered while he took a moment to recover, then slowly lowered his hand and met Tobirama Senju's probing gaze.
"Your Mangekyo..."
"Teacher!"
Watanabe Ichiro cut him off before he could ask.
Don't ask. I haven't figured out how to bullshit you yet...
Ah, no, I mean introduce my Mangekyo ability. Let me stall a little while I make something up.
Honestly, Tobirama Senju was just too clever. Even saving him required finding a way to make it plausible. Unless he passed ["Coincidence"] off as a Mangekyo ability outright, Watanabe Ichiro could not think of a good explanation.
"Are you trying to make me become the Third right away?"
The question left Tobirama Senju bewildered.
"Why else didn't you answer my summons?"
Watanabe Ichiro removed a small patch from Tobirama Senju's waist. [Reverse Flying Thunder God Technique] was inscribed on it.
Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, he himself, and even the late Madara Uchiha each had one. Attached to the body, it could sense another person's summons at any time and allow its wearer to respond depending on the situation.
"Did Lord Hashirama's passing make you want to die?"
"Instead of retreating, you faced the Tailed Beast Bomb head-on and ended up this badly injured."
"If I hadn't awakened these eyes..."
Watanabe Ichiro stared into Tobirama Senju's eyes, his gaze full of sorrow and incomprehension.
Ah! I forgot to explain the flaw in [Reverse Flying Thunder God Technique] to this kid.
Tobirama Senju averted his gaze, feeling strangely guilty.
Before you continue