Shinobi World No. 1, Konoha Headquarters.
Ruins.
Scorched earth, collapsed houses, and the smell of blood and burning filled the air. In the distance, the Medical Team was busy carrying the wounded. Cries, groans, and screams mingled into a living hell.
Hashirama Senju stood before the ruins of the Hokage Building, staring fixedly at the village he had built with his own hands, now changed beyond recognition.
"What happened here!"
His voice was low, filled with irrepressible anger and disbelief.
"How... did Konoha end up like this?!"
No one answered.
Beside him, Orochimaru stood quietly, a trace of complicated emotion flashing through his golden serpent eyes.
"Lord First, Madara Uchiha attacked Konoha."
Orochimaru spoke, his voice hoarse.
"The Fifth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, led Konoha's ninja... in a desperate resistance."
"Madara..."
Hashirama Senju clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.
"He... he's still alive?"
"Yes."
Orochimaru nodded.
"And he seems to have mastered some kind of... forbidden technique capable of reversing life and death."
"Izanagi."
A glint of cold killing intent flashed through Hashirama Senju's eyes.
"The Uchiha's forbidden technique... rewriting life and death at the cost of a Sharingan."
"He used it twice. He lost both eyes, but... escaped."
"Escaped?"
There was a hint of disbelief in Hashirama Senju's voice.
"Madara... fled?"
"He had no choice."
Orochimaru's tone was calm, yet held the chill of someone who saw through the ways of the world.
"A Genin named Might Duy used the Eighth Gate of the Eight Gates: Gate of Death, along with the Akimichi Clan's secret medicine, and nearly beat him to death."
"Although he revived himself with Izanagi, he had lost both eyes, and his strength was greatly diminished."
"If he had stayed, death would have been his only fate."
Hashirama Senju fell silent.
The figure of that Genin