Chapter 46: The Secret of Shirou Emiya (Seeking Votes)
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No...
What does it matter if my mouth is dry or not!
Is it even about whether my mouth is dry right now!
Just as young Jiraiya wanted to loudly retort, Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his hand to gently press down on his head and even took him along with a group of children to a shop to buy a cup of chestnut juice.
“All right, all right.”
“I am a ninja of the village.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked young Jiraiya’s white hair with a gentle expression as he handed him the chestnut juice, casually chatting with the children: “It sounds like you haven’t gone to the village’s ninja academy yet. You haven’t turned five this year, have you?”
“I’m already five!”
Clutching the chestnut juice in his arms, young Jiraiya shouted indignantly, “I’m starting school this year and I’ll definitely pass the entrance exam!”
It must be said,
Sarutobi Hiruzen was quite approachable.
No, rather, he was humble and willing to lower his guard to blend in with these children, quickly earning their respect.
Especially when the children learned that Sarutobi Hiruzen was a ninja who had traveled for ten years, their eyes were full of admiration.
“Hmph...”
Youth Danzo glanced disdainfully at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Right now, what they needed was to hurry to the Hokage’s office to report back, not to linger here wasting time playing house with children. A ninja was not meant to babysit kids!
Fortunately,
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not delay them too long.
He simply used the opportunity to gather some information about recent changes in the village from the children, learning that Konoha was preparing to appoint the Second Hokage.
It seemed...
The First Hokage’s health was indeed deteriorating...
Just then,
The people sent to greet them arrived.
Upon hearing of Emishi Hiyori’s return to Konoha, Senju Tobirama immediately sent someone to welcome them. He was well aware of the results of Emishi’s journey because he often communicated with Hiyori and his group.
“As expected...”
“Even Lord Emishi...”
“Did not find any remains of the Divine Tree?”
When Tobirama met Emishi Hiyori, there was no special disappointment on his face because over the past ten years, he had privately sent people to search for the Divine Tree’s remnants as well.
All of Konoha’s ANBU had been tasked with searching for the Divine Tree’s remains, but none ever knew exactly what constituted those remains. The items brought back were often strange—usually some odd flowers or plants.
Unfortunately...
None of them were the actual Divine Tree remnants.
When one is disappointed too many times, it becomes impossible to hold onto hope for the future—even someone like Senju Tobirama was no exception.
“It seems the Divine Tree’s remains have been completely cleared by the Ninja Sect...”
Emishi Hiyori sighed, somewhat downcast over the fruitlessness of his journey, despite having achieved its most important purpose.
“Then...”
“Is there no other way?”
Tobirama furrowed his brow and gestured for others to leave. His expression turned unusually serious: “Lord Emishi, recently my elder brother’s health has become strangely vigorous; he looks full of life, but I fear he is nearing his limit because this year he no longer leaves Konoha in pursuit of Madara’s whereabouts...”
By habit, Senju Hashirama never stayed in Konoha for long. He was always tracking down Uchiha Madara in the ninja world, rarely even returning when his descendants were born.
Yet this year, Hashirama’s behavior had become very strange. Since returning to Konoha, he no longer went out. He even indulged in gambling—something he liked—every day, sometimes accompanied by his little granddaughter.
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This was abnormal.
Anyone could sense the strangeness of the situation.
“His body is like a tree.”
Emishi Hiyori had long anticipated Hashirama’s condition and spoke softly: “On the surface, he always appears vibrant and full of life, with every leaf green and thriving.”
“But this tree draws upon its own life force to maintain its verdancy, keeping its power at a peak...”
“Exactly so. This has prevented him from ever returning to a normal human state. His unparalleled regenerative abilities make him impossible to kill, but the limitless growth and cellular division drain his lifespan, dragging him to the end of his life with immense power...”
“A tree of longevity.”
“To wither and flourish every year is normal.”
“Humans are like trees; they can never remain lush forever.”
“As I have said before, whether it’s the Divine Tree remnants or the power of the sun, these are forced external means to compensate for his lifespan, used to sustain this vibrant state of life...”
“Is there truly no other way?”
Tobirama’s eyes dimmed slightly.
In these ten years, Tobirama had done much to ensure that after his elder brother’s passing, Konoha could continue to endure.
But since his brother had cared for and protected him since childhood, Tobirama, cold as he was, found the thought of losing a close relative unbearable.
“...”
Emishi Hiyori fell silent.
But his silence made Tobirama realize something, for if Emishi truly had no way, he certainly would have said so plainly!
“Lord Emishi!”
Tobirama’s voice deepened, eager to ask. His heart raced with a certain suspicion: “You must still have a way to save my elder brother’s life, don’t you?”
“I cannot be certain.”
“This is not a medical method.”
Emishi Hiyori chose not to speak directly, unwilling even to share with Tobirama: “This is a last resort—with a high chance of failure. I cannot tell you, for it is a top secret of the Netherworld’s Pure Land. It concerns the secrets of the dead...”
“!!!”
Tobirama’s expression changed abruptly.
As the creator of the Reanimation Jutsu, Tobirama knew much about the fate of departed souls. He knew the souls of the dead usually returned to the Netherworld.
But...
The Netherworld was not inhabited only by the dead.
This knowledge about the Netherworld came from the Uzumaki clan.
As distant relatives, the Senju and Uzumaki clans maintained close ties, always allied and relying on each other.
Tobirama, who had spent his life studying mysterious and unfathomable jutsu, naturally researched the Uzumaki clan’s forbidden arts. From these, he learned that there existed strange Grim Reapers in the Netherworld.
He also knew that Uzumaki warriors could borrow the power of the Grim Reaper, sacrificing their own souls to perform a strange sealing jutsu called “Dead Demon Consuming Seal,” capable of imprisoning powerful enemies within the Grim Reaper’s body.
This sealing technique was a bane to the Reanimation Jutsu, as it sealed the soul inside the Grim Reaper.
In that case...
The Reanimation Jutsu could not summon souls that were sealed.
As the inventor of the Reanimation Jutsu, Tobirama understood some of the strangeness surrounding the dead and was deeply curious about the mysteries of the Netherworld’s Pure Land.
His power could not reach the Netherworld, but he wished to know more secrets. This was his nature—always wanting to grasp everything within reach.
“Perhaps I can still be of some help?”
Tobirama’s brow furrowed slightly as he spoke casually: “If it concerns the Netherworld’s Pure Land, I at least have some understanding...”
“For example...”
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“I was able to resurrect Lord Emishi because I could summon his soul—because after death, his soul returned to the Netherworld’s Pure Land.”
“Some souls do not reside in the Pure Land but are sealed within the Netherworld’s Grim Reaper, never to return.”
“...”
A flicker passed through Emishi Hiyori’s eyes.
Tobirama actually had the nerve to say such a thing...
Disturbing the peace of the dead’s souls—is that a good thing?
Did he think the Reanimation Jutsu never brought harm to the souls of the deceased?
If it weren’t for the strength of his own soul, perhaps other reanimated individuals would have long been sealed away, asleep in coffins, to prevent soul disturbances.
Still...
This fellow was truly a genius...
To have delved so deeply as to discover the Netherworld’s Grim Reaper...
Unfortunately...
The last resort method did not come from the Grim Reaper.
Emishi Hiyori did not care for the Grim Reaper, which humans feared.
Having obtained the power of the Six Paths, his soul and chakra were not always confined to the Netherworld; indeed, his soul could move freely.
Among them...
He inevitably encountered the Grim Reaper.
The Grim Reaper, who should have governed souls, had no consciousness at all.
This Grim Reaper of the Netherworld did not even perform the basic task of reaping souls. Occasionally, when encountering Emishi’s wandering soul, it would charge forward, only to be beaten back and instinctively flee—then, upon next meeting, it would rush at him again, unaware.
No wonder...
Such a mindless existence...
Often allowed its power to be exploited by ninjas in the living world. Despite being used, it was a rare moment of joy for the Grim Reaper to harvest souls.
However...
Its lack of consciousness was a fatal flaw.
The ninja world was full of geniuses; sooner or later, someone would discover how to escape the Grim Reaper and likely learn how to exploit it for perfect evasion.
“You even know about the Grim Reaper of the Netherworld?”
Emishi Hiyori sighed deeply and spoke softly: “But the Grim Reaper will not save lives...”
“Not the Grim Reaper? Then is it...”
Tobirama’s curiosity deepened.
“Don’t try to pry secrets from me.”
Emishi frowned, his expression growing serious: “In these ten years of this era, I have seen too much deception and concealment. Some secrets simply cannot be spoken aloud.”
“I will only tell Hashirama.”
“Only him, and only when he is near death.”
“I will never tell any other living person.”
Because...
This was his final attempt.
Emishi’s eyes grew lifeless—this was his last test of the deity caught between life and death.