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Chapter 208 The Dragon, the Reaper, and the Uzumaki Heir
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"What do you know about the Uzumaki clan's rite of passage?"
Naruto said while pulling out a book. "Most of what I know about the clan's culture comes from this." He flipped it open and showed her the first few pages. "It's Tobirama's journal."
Mito's brows furrowed as she leaned forward.
Naruto turned a few pages for her, and the old matriarch's frown deepened. Her lips pressed into a thin, pale line. "This… this isn't Tobirama's journal."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I'm sure. I knew Tobirama personally. I know how he wrote, how he thought, how he felt about every subject he ever touched. Whoever wrote this imitated him well... frighteningly well, but it's not him."
Naruto felt his chest tighten. The book had been his anchor as the one thing that helped him understand who he was, where he came from, and what he was meant to be. He had trusted it completely. Maybe too completely.
He glanced down at the text description of this item.
[ Item: The History of the Uzumaki Clan ]
[ Description: An aged journal supposedly authored by Tobirama Senju during his stay among the Uzumaki. Records his studies, experiences, and observations of Uzumaki culture. The tone wavers between admiration and calculation, as though every word hides an experiment. Yet one must wonder: why title a personal journal as the history of another clan? Information is the sharpest tool of control. ]
Even the book's system description felt like it was mocking him.
Naruto closed it slowly, his mind racing.
If Mito was right, and he knew she was, then that meant everything he'd learned about the Art of Runes, the Hanged Man, and the supposed pride of the Uzumaki clan had been… lies.
The realization hit him like a cold wave.
The Hawk, who claimed to be a friend of his parents, had lied and manipulated him.
"Gran-Gran-Gran… I think someone's been feeding me half-truths. Someone pretending to be my parents' friend."
Mito's eyes softened. "Unfortunately, that's the world we live in, child. Deception wears many faces, even those of kindness." She glanced back at the journal. "Let me read it again."
Naruto nodded and began flipping through the pages while Mito's glowing form scanned the text, muttering under her breath.
After a few tense minutes, she exhaled sharply. "Yes. I can say with confidence, this is part of some kind of elaborate scheme."
"Hn?"
"A lot of what's written here is a patchwork," Mito said. "Bits and pieces of what outsiders thought they knew about our people, mixed in with fragments of real information... almost like someone had secondhand accounts from Tobirama himself. There's just enough truth to make the lies believable. Whoever created this journal didn't do it to teach you, Naruto. They did it to mold you into something they could control."
"How?"
"First of all," Mito said with a sharp exhale, "the story of the Hanged Man that you read is only half true. And this so-called Art of Runes the book mentioned?" She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Utter nonsense. It doesn't exist. The Uzumaki were masters of fuinjutsu. We refined it beyond anything the other villages could comprehend, but there was never any separate branch called the Art of Runes. Whoever wrote that is deliberately lying."
"Is that all..."
Mito went on, her tone sharpening. "And another thing: the journal claims the Uzumaki looked down on Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Technique. That's ridiculous. The Flying Thunder God isn't even fuinjutsu. It's a space-time ninjutsu that utilizes sealing formulas to lock onto a destination. And Tobirama was many things, but he was never arrogant enough to flaunt his power. He kept his cards close, even from allies."
Naruto rubbed his temples as everything clicked together in his head. "So that was the point…" he muttered.
"The point?"
"I get it now. Whoever the Hawk really is wrote this book to make me believe the Uzumaki clan had some unique, secret sealing art that only I could rediscover. Something to dangle in front of me. Then they made it seem like Tobirama was mocked by the clan, like there was some rivalry, to give me a sense of superiority. That way, when the time came, they could use this fake Art of Runes to control me."
"They tried to use your thirst for belonging against you."
Naruto nodded, his expression grim. "Yeah… and it worked for a while, but not anymore."
"Good. I am sure there are plenty of scrolls in both the Uzumaki and Senju clan libraries that describe what our people were truly like. The day-to-day life, the festivals, the teachings… not just the battles or jutsu."
Naruto smiled faintly as he picked up Oscar, who blinked lazily on his palm. "Guess I'll have to hit the books again when I get back to Konoha. Gotta re-educate myself, huh?"
"Indeed," Mito said, her voice carrying a touch of humor. "Then let us begin with the tale of the Hanged Man. The first part was accurate enough. Most clans have some kind of founding legend as half history, half fairy tale. You should hear the Inuzuka clan's story of Princess Momonosuke. It's quite a thing."
"I'll ask Kiba about it next time. Oscar, remind me, alright?"
Oscar shook his head with a chirp that clearly meant no.
Mito laughed softly. "Naturally, most of these stories are seen as folktales, bedtime stories to make the young feel connected to something greater. But over time, many clans have either forgotten or hidden their own myths. The Senju and Uchiha, for instance, no longer remember that their line began with the sons of the Sage of Six Paths."
"Wait, not the Yin and Yang gods?"
"'Gods' is just a title, my boy," Mito said with a light snort. "Power is what gives you that name. Be strong enough, and the weak will worship you. Be clever enough, and they'll write your name in history."
Naruto and Oscar both sweatdropped, quietly wondering if that same rule applied to the so-called gods of Lordran too.
"Now, unlike most clans, the Uzumaki took a different approach. We etched our stories into stone tablets so the truth wouldn't vanish with time. In fact, it was our clan that reintroduced the tale of the Yang 'god' to the Senju, claiming him as a shared ancestor. Which is one reason I believe this 'Hawk' who gave you that false journal might have been someone close to Tobirama."
Her tone grew dark for a moment, and Naruto could almost feel her suspicion hanging in the air.
"Alright then, what's the real story behind Oden?"
Mito's expression softened again. "The truth is simple. Oden was one of the two sons of the Yang spirit. One son founded the Senju, the other became the founder of our Uzumaki clan. He didn't abandon the throne out of peace or wisdom like the journal claimed. No, he fought for it. Tooth and nail. But he was defeated by his brother, who was far stronger. And in that defeat, Oden's pride shattered. He wandered. He searched. He schemed. He traded, stole, and sacrificed for knowledge and power… even when it cost him his own humanity."
Naruto frowned. "That's not what I expected at all. Kinda makes him sound like a madman instead of a hero."
"It should," Mito said firmly. "Because Oden was just a man. Not a god, not a saint. A man who made choices and lived with the weight of them. Our people remembered his brilliance, but also his flaws. He was the one who sought meaning beyond the world, and he paid dearly for it."
Naruto nodded quietly. "Guess that makes him a little more real."
"One of the most famous stories says that Lord Oden sacrificed his own eye to gain the power of Senjutsu," Mito continued.
"Sounds a little… extreme."
Mito gave a sad smile. "Knowledge and madness walk the same path, child. Oden believed knowledge and power were worth any price."
"Alright. So the guy's half genius, half lunatic like me... dattebayo! But what does any of that have to do with the Rune? And the whole… hanging thing?"
"Tell me, Naruto. Do you know what nature energy is?"
"It's that energy that exists everywhere, right? In the air, the earth… basically in all living things?"
"Correct." Mito nodded. "When someone learns to draw that energy into their body and mix it with their own chakra, they create what's called senjutsu chakra. Those who master that balance are known as Sages."
Naruto tilted his head. "You said Oden sacrificed his eye to learn senjutsu. So he was one of those Sages?"
"Yes. But senjutsu is dangerous. The energy of nature is pure and vast. If you can't balance it with your own chakra perfectly, it begins to take over. It turns your body into stone… or something worse."
Naruto gave a small nod. "Right. So Oden tried to master it and what... just went too far?"
"No. Lord Oden wasn't satisfied with understanding the body. He wanted to know how senjutsu affected the soul."
"But that doesn't even make sense. The soul doesn't have a chakra network."
"That's true," Mito replied, folding her hands behind her back. "But the soul reacts to and can be affected with chakra. Oden theorized that if the body could use senjutsu, then the soul could too. And so, he made a plan."
"I'm afraid to ask."
"Oden hanged himself. He sought to bring himself to the edge of death, close enough to draw the Reaper's attention. When the Reaper came to take his soul, Oden made him an offer."
Naruto couldn't help it; he let out a short laugh. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Our founder wasn't one for moderation. He told the Reaper that if he could survive nine days and nine nights without dying, then the Reaper would have to accept a summoning contract with him."
"He challenged the god of death?"
"And he won." Mito's tone was proud but laced with awe. "With the Reaper's aid, Oden Uzumaki learned how to seal senjutsu chakra directly into his soul. The fuinjutsu became known as the Rune."
Naruto and Oscar both made a low sound of amazement. "So… what does it actually do?"
"The Rune stores senjutsu chakra in perfect balance. It slowly releases that power into the soul, awakening what we call an individual's dormant potential."
Naruto sucked in a breath. "That sounds incredible and dangerous. What happens if the chakra isn't balanced right?"
"The soul crystalizes."
Naruto and Oscar exchanged a glance. "That sounds like something straight out of Lordran. But you said it brings out potential, right? I don't get what that means exactly."
"Think of it like this. Every person is born with a certain potential. The body shapes that spark through bloodline, training, and experience. But the soul… the soul decides how brightly it can burn. If your soul is strong, your potential runs deep."
Naruto made a face. "That sounds kind of lame, though. Like you're saying you have to be born special to be special."
Mito's eyes narrowed, and she made a flicking motion toward his forehead out of habit before remembering she couldn't actually touch him. "Naruto, don't twist my words," she scolded. "Potential isn't everything. The world's full of people born ordinary who became extraordinary. A person with little potential might meet the right teacher, find the right reason to fight, or simply refuse to give up. Determination, creativity, and heart can push a person far beyond their limits. That's what separates strength from greatness."
"Yeah, that sounds more like something I can get behind."
"The Rune simply awakens what already lies within. For most Uzumaki, that means a longer life with greater vitality and chakra so dense it feels alive. But in rare cases," she said, her voice dipping low, "the Rune reaches deeper. It stirs something buried in the soul itself. Something that can change a person entirely."
"Like what?"
"They awaken special gifts," Mito said. "Abilities that reshape the world around them. Abilities that others would call kekkei genkai."
Naruto swallowed hard. "Do you have an example?"
"Hashirama Senju!"
Naruto blinked a few times, trying to process everything. "Wait a sec. I know the Senju and Uzumaki are like distant cousins, right? So does that mean the Senju can get a Rune too?"
"No. Only one ever did."
"Huh? Why him?"
"That was Clan Head Ashina's decision. No one really knows why. Even Hashirama himself didn't understand it. He was still a boy when he received his Rune, but it awakened the power of Wood Release."
Naruto frowned. "Yeah, I can't imagine everyone was happy about that."
"You're right," Mito said. "The younger Uzumaki didn't take kindly to the decision. But the elders… they all agreed. It was as if they knew something the rest of us didn't. Whatever the reason, Hashirama's Rune took to him perfectly. His bond with nature was pure and effortless. The world itself seemed to bend toward him."
She smiled faintly. "And yet, for all that strength, he never let it make him arrogant. He never forgot he was human. That humility… that was his real strength."
"You really loved him, didn't you?"
"Of course I did. To everyone else, he was the God of Shinobi. But to me…" Mito let out a light laugh, wiping at a tear that wasn't really there. "To me, he was a reckless fool who could never stop smiling. A fool I was lucky enough to love."
"Sorry, Gran-Gran-Gran. I didn't mean to bring up something painful."
"It's alright, Naruto," Mito said gently. "You're curious. That's nothing to apologize for. He would've liked that about you."
Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, "Kinda awkward to ask, but how did he really die? The academy only says he died protecting the village, but they never explain it."
Mito's smile dimmed. "You see, one of Hashirama's greatest gifts was his ability to heal himself without a single hand sign. His body would knit itself back together faster than most could blink. It made him nearly unstoppable in battle, as he could fight for hours, even days, and walk away looking untouched."
She paused, her eyes distant, as if watching the memory unfold. "But that kind of power comes with a cost. During his final fight with Madara and the Nine-Tails, Hashirama pushed himself too far. He regenerated again and again, forcing his body beyond what any human should endure. Every heal came at a price, as he shortened his lifespan."
She exhaled softly, a wistful smile touching her lips. "In the end, it wasn't an enemy that claimed him. Hashirama succumbed to the wounds he earned protecting the village."
The silence stretched between them.
Finally, Naruto looked at the rope hanging from the ash tree. "Alright," he said, exhaling. "So… what exactly is this 'astral plane' I'm supposed to visit?"
"The astral plane is a realm between life and death. It's where the soul travels before it moves on to the Pure Lands. Every soul passes through it, but few can return once they've crossed over."
"So I gotta go there… to get my Rune?"
"Precisely," Mito said.
He took a step toward the rope. "And the way to do that is by hanging myself. Great."
He started looping the noose around his neck when Mito suddenly shouted, "Your ankle, you fool!"
Naruto froze mid-motion. "What? My ankle? How in the world does hanging upside down help with anything?"
Mito pinched the bridge of her nose. "Because, my dear boy, the goal is to alter your state of consciousness, not kill you! Hanging by your neck would just make you a ghost I'd have to lecture for eternity."
Oscar made a distressed noise, clearly agreeing with Mito.
"So… upside down," Naruto said, turning the rope in his hand. "You couldn't have started with that?"
"I assumed you had some sense," Mito replied dryly.
"Well, that's your first mistake."
As he tied the rope around his ankle. "So, what now?"
"The fuinjutsu in the altar will release once your body enters an altered state of consciousness. That will project your soul into the astral plane, where you'll face your trial and claim your Rune. Once it's done, the altar will bring you back."
Naruto dangled upside down from the branch, arms crossed, expression unimpressed. "So… am I doing this wrong, or is this thing just broken?"
"It might be working. Eventually."
Naruto frowned. "Can you check?"
She raised an eyebrow and waved her translucent arm through the air. "I would, dear, but as you might've noticed... I'm a ghost."
"That's not an excuse." Naruto pulled a dagger from his inventory and tossed it to her.
Mito caught it on reflex, blinking in surprise as her fingers wrapped solidly around the hilt. "How… how am I touching this?"
"It's a ghost blade," Naruto said casually. "Got it in Lordran after fighting a bunch of ghosts."
Mito just stared at him, her expression flickering between disbelief and exasperation. "If I didn't see it for myself, I'd think you were either lying or completely insane."
"You wouldn't believe half the stuff I've done, Gran-Gran-Gran."
"Try me," she said, turning the dagger curiously in her hand as she prodded at the lines of the altar's fuinjutsu.
Naruto took that as his cue to start bragging. "Well, for starters, I may or may not have accidentally convinced a minor daimyo to give up their title and start a democracy."
Mito froze mid-motion, head snapping up so quickly it was almost comical. "You what?"
Naruto chuckled and kept rambling on about fighting knights, wyverns, demons, arguing with undead, befriending an old blacksmith, a senior knight, and a princess from the past. Mito listened with the patient smile of a grandmother humoring a grandchild's wild imagination, even though she understood maybe one word in ten.
"That's lovely, dear. And Minato and Kushina found this place before you?"
"Yeah," Naruto said with a sigh. "Hopefully I'll get some answers when I go back to Konoha and get their stuff."
Mito nodded, but her gaze lingered on the altar, her brow furrowed.
"Something wrong?"
"That's just it. Everything looks perfect. The seals are stable, the array's intact… I can't find a single flaw."
"Maybe it's because of me? I'm tougher than your average Uzumaki kid. Might take more to trigger it."
"That's… possible," Mito admitted slowly.
"So how did Oden do it? I doubt hanging upside down is going to summon the Reaper."
"Lord Oden hanged himself and impaled himself with his spear."
Naruto nodded thoughtfully.
The sound of tearing flesh broke the silence.
Mito spun around so fast, you could hear her nonexistent bones crack, her eyes wide. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Naruto was still dangling upside down, but now with a spear lodged through his stomach. Blood dripped down in slow, lazy rivulets.
"I think it's working," he said woozily. "Feeling kinda… floaty."
"That's blood loss, you lunatic!" Mito shouted, clutching her head. "You're going to send me to a second death at this rate!"
"Relax, Gran-Gran-Gran," Naruto mumbled, pulling an Estus Flask from his belt and tossing one to Oscar. Another ghost dagger spun through the air and landed neatly in Mito's hand.
"I'm counting on you two to take care of things out here."
Oscar gave a nervous chirp.
Mito nodded.
Naruto gave one last grin, then closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, his pulse softened until finally, his consciousness slipped away, drawn into the unseen pull of the altar.
For a brief moment, Mito and Oscar watched his body sway gently.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure Naruto isn't in any danger," Mito said with a reassuring smile, though her eyes flicked toward the boy's hanging form with growing unease.
Oscar chirped in response.
Mito glanced at it curiously. "So… what exactly is that flask used for?" she asked. Even as a spirit, she could feel a strange warmth radiating from it. Something that soothed her very soul.
"It is used, milady," Oscar began in a dignified tone, "to mend the grievous wound in Master Naruto's belly and restore unto him the vigour of life."
Mito blinked once.
Then twice.
"...YOU CAN TALK?!"
"No," Oscar replied immediately, shaking his head solemnly while still very much speaking.
Before Mito could begin to process that, the air around them shifted violently. A deep crimson light surged from the altar, flooding the ruins in a blinding glow.
Mito turned sharply.
Naruto's body was trembling, his head hanging low as the strange seal on his palm—the eye—snapped open. It rolled wildly, the slit pupil darting like a trapped animal.
"Step back, milady," Oscar warned, spreading his claws as the ground rumbled beneath them. "Summat foul stirreth 'twixt the worlds."
Mito felt her spirit quiver as a massive dragon claw from Naruto, its black scales gleaming like obsidian, wreathed in ghostly flame.
"What... what is happening? We have to stop it!"
"Aye," Oscar said grimly, his voice steady despite the chaos. "But that be no beast to seal away."
Mito turned toward him, frantic. "What are you talking about? If that thing breaks through, it'll tear a hole between the physical and the astral realm!"
Oscar's beady eyes met hers, calm and certain. "Nay, milady. That creature be no invader."
He pointed one claw toward the writhing form of the boy hanging from a tree.
"That dragon is Naruto Uzumaki."
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Author Note:
And with that, I leave you with today's chapter. I hope you all liked it. Now for everyone's favorite section: the Q and A!
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Q: Did you retcon the Art of Runes?
Yes, I did. For those of you who remember, way back in the earlier chapters, Naruto received what was supposedly Tobirama's journal from Danzo. That was the first time I introduced the concept of the Art of Runes, which was my own fanfic idea where the Uzumaki clan drew some inspiration from Norse mythology.
Originally, I planned for the runes to be Naruto's unique form of fuinjutsu, something that would blend traditional sealing with Norse runes. It sounded cool on paper and gave me a thematic link between the Uzumaki and Naruto's journey through Lordran.
But as the story developed and the Uzumaki clan's history began to expand more naturally, the idea of the Art of Runes started feeling unnecessary. In my early drafts, it served as a situational gimmick that was honestly not that important compared to other stuff, but it didn't fit well with how I wanted to portray the deeper lore of the Uzumaki and what being an Uzumaki meant to this version of Naruto.
So instead of scrapping it entirely, I decided to rework it into the existing narrative. The "Art of Runes" from the fake journal became a manipulation attempt. A clever trap set by Danzo to control Naruto by feeding him false information about his heritage. That not only fixed the early inconsistency but also made sense within the story since, let's be honest, Danzo would absolutely do that.
Now, runes still exist in my story, but in a much more subtle form. Rather than being a separate branch of fuinjutsu unique to the Uzumaki, they are one of the Four Heavenly Treasures of the Uzumaki Clan.
A Rune, in this context, is a seal placed upon the soul itself that holds senjutsu chakra in perfect balance. It strengthens vitality, lengthens lifespan, and increases chakra reserves. However, in rare cases, a Rune can awaken something far greater depending on the individual.
For example:
Hashirama gained Wood Release from his Rune.
Kushina developed chakra so dense that she could suppress the Nine-Tails' power and had the best endurance of the Uzumaki clan.
Karin inherited the Healer's Body, capable of restoring others who bite her.
And as for Naruto... well, I'm sure many of you can guess what his Rune will awaken. I've been hinting at it for quite some time now. Here is a hint: let's just say it ties directly into the lore of everlasting dragons and mushrooms.
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Q: Why did you connect Hashirama's Wood Release to the Runes?
Because, let's be honest, in canon, Hashirama is as much a character as he is a plot device. I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone of Kishimoto's favorite fix-it button: Hashirama cells.
Every time the story needed a new power-up or a convenient way to justify something big, the answer was always, "Oh, it's because of Hashirama cells." It became so common that Hashirama's legacy started feeling less like a person's and more like a narrative bandage.
Now, if we actually stop and think about Wood Release, it's an odd kekkei genkai. None of the other Senju clan members had it. Not Tobirama, not Tsunade, not even distant relatives. So it clearly isn't a standard Senju inheritance.
If you want to be technical, you could say Wood Release was a unique genetic mutation that appeared in Hashirama alone. Great, fine, but then none of his direct descendants inherited it, which makes that explanation a little weak.
Some fans (and the anime fillers) try to link it to Ashura Ōtsutsuki, implying it's part of the Ashura reincarnation line. But that theory falls apart when you remember that Naruto, who is Ashura's reincarnation, never gained Wood Release naturally. So that doesn't hold water either.
Now, there is one other character who supposedly has Wood Release: Moegi Kazamatsuri.
If you don't know, she is that orange-haired girl who followed Konohamaru around.
Apparently, according to the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Databook Volume 4, she's listed as a Wood Release user.
My reaction?
A deep, disappointed sigh.
It's important to take databook info with a grain of salt, especially when it contradicts established lore or adds random power-ups with zero buildup. In Moegi's case, it feels like a tacked-on piece of trivia that doesn't add anything meaningful. She's never shown using Wood Release in the series, and she's not a major character. So as far as I'm concerned, if it hasn't been shown, it doesn't exist.
And honestly, if Tsunade, the granddaughter of Hashirama, doesn't have Wood Release, then no random side character should either. I don't care what Ikemoto or Boruto says, as I'm not following that nonsense.
If I were Kishimoto, I'd have just made Wood Release a Senju clan ability, with Hashirama being its absolute pinnacle. That would've kept things simple, consistent, and still impressive.
But since my fanfic aims to be canon-adjacent—meaning I work within canon's framework but expand or fix what's left vague—I decided to patch that hole by giving Hashirama a Rune, and it solved multiple canon issues at once:
Why did only Hashirama have Wood Release? Because his Rune manifested that ability uniquely within him.
Why didn't his descendants inherit it naturally? Because the Rune was his alone, as it wasn't passed genetically.
Why didn't Naruto have Wood Release despite being Ashura's reincarnation? Because in canon, he never received the Rune.
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Q: What about Hashirama's Death?
First off, let's get this out of the way: none of this is canon. But that's kind of the fun part of writing fanfiction, right? Filling in the blanks that Kishimoto left behind with ideas that actually make sense or add emotional weight.
So, in my version, I went with the fanon-accepted theory that Hashirama's death was the result of his insane regeneration shortening his lifespan.
Shizune mentioned back in Part 1 that rapid regeneration damages the body's cells and drastically reduces lifespan. That concept fits perfectly with Hashirama as a man whose healing ability was so broken, it basically defied biology. It makes sense that his body would eventually burn itself out.
Now, the second thing I added was when Hashirama died, and this is where things get interesting. In my story, Hashirama dies shortly after the Valley of the End battle against Madara.
I know some people like to imagine that Hashirama lived long after founding Konoha, but I've got a few solid reasons (and bits of canon evidence) that point to his death happening soon after his fight with Madara.
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Evidence A: Tsunade's Words in the Manga
Tsunade says in canon: "They say both my grandfather and the Second Lord wanted an end to hostilities more than anything... and yet in the end, they died in vain for the village, while still in the midst of pursuing their dreams."
Let's unpack that.
Hashirama's entire dream was to build a village where children didn't have to die in war. That dream culminated with Konoha's founding, but Madara's betrayal shattered it.
So if we take Tsunade's words literally, Hashirama died still chasing that dream, which means his death happened while the village was still young—likely soon after his battle with Madara. He died protecting what he built, just like Madara died trying to destroy it.
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Evidence B: Hashirama's Edo Tensei Appearance
In canon, Edo Tensei resurrects shinobi in the form they were in when they died.
Look at Edo Hashirama:
He's wearing his battle armor, not Hokage robes.
He looks exactly as he did at the Valley of the End.
That alone heavily implies he died not long after that battle since there's no visual difference between his living and Edo forms.
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Evidence C: Kurama's Memory
This one's easy to miss, but it's there.
When Kurama remembers Hashirama, he recalls him looking severely wounded, his right eye closed, blood dripping from his mouth and forehead. That scene suggests Hashirama had to fight Kurama directly after his battle with Madara.
Think about that: he'd just fought his lifelong rival to near death and then immediately had to handle the Nine-Tails on top of it. Even with his legendary stamina, that's pushing it.
It's not hard to imagine that the combination of near-fatal injuries and overuse of his healing abilities finally caught up to him.
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So, that's why I like this headcanon.
Plus, in canon, the rivalry between Hashirama and Madara often feels one-sided.
With this headcanon—and making the Valley of the End battle Hashirama's last—it restores balance to their rivalry. Hashirama "won," but at the cost of his life.
So yeah, my headcanon is that Hashirama died shortly after the Valley of the End, succumbing to injuries and the toll of his own regeneration.
Let me know what you guys think and if you prefer this interpretation or have your own theory on how the God of Shinobi met his end.
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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 95, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.
To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!