"Hm? This old monk… there's something off about him!"
Perched atop the Wood Human's head, Senju Hashirama's gaze sharpened as he watched Master Bunpuku's body begin to change. The monk's form swelled, growing larger and larger—until he stood eye-to-eye with the towering Wood Human itself.
Wait a minute… why does this look so familiar?
As the transformation finished, the features came into focus: purple curse marks, a massive tail, razor-sharp claws and fangs, and those unmistakable coin-like eyes.
"You're the One-Tail, Shukaku!"
Hashirama recognized the beast instantly. So the old monk was a jinchūriki after all. No wonder his chakra felt so familiar. And from the looks of it, the monk had mastered his tailed beast's power—he could channel Shukaku's strength directly.
After all, from Shukaku to Kurama, every tailed beast had caught these hands from Hashirama at some point.
Shukaku craned his neck, trying to look intimidating. "That's right! It's me, the great Shukaku!"
Hashirama just gave a cold, measured smile. "Very good. Very good…"
Before the words had even faded, a dozen thick vines erupted from the earth, snaking straight toward Shukaku to bind him.
Oh crap! Shukaku's tail shot straight up in alarm. He remembered all too well how these vines not only squeezed painfully tight but also sucked away chakra. Along with Jinghang's iron whip and Kurama's taunts, Hashirama's Wood Release was an eternal trauma for him.
But then Bunpuku's voice echoed in his mind, steady and resolute: "Old friend, don't be afraid! He's not as strong as he used to be—fight him!"
The old monk's confidence gave Shukaku a jolt of courage.
Shukaku gathered his chakra, opened his jaws wide. "Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
A sphere of densely compressed wind chakra rocketed forth.
Wind Release was the sharpest of chakra natures, perfect for piercing defenses. The bullet shredded through the vines, scattering splinters everywhere.
Hashirama didn't even blink—more vines erupted from the ground, endless and relentless.
Shukaku grit his teeth. If this guy wasn't going to stop, neither would he. Drilling Air Bullet after Drilling Air Bullet, he blasted the vines apart, leaves and branches flying in every direction.
The more he fought, the more fired up he got—until suddenly, the Wood Human, hidden by the chaos, slipped in close.
Damn, if only I was at full power. Dealing with a One-Tail used to be child's play…
From atop the Wood Human's head, Hashirama extended his left hand, gripping his wrist with his right. "Wood Release: Hotei Technique!"
The vines abruptly stopped, replaced by a dozen gigantic wooden hands bursting from the ground, encircling Shukaku like the grasping claws of hungry ghosts.
"Monk, what now?!" Shukaku's bravado faltered, panic creeping in.
"Use a Tailed Beast Ball! Hit him with everything you've got!" Bunpuku's voice rang out.
A pitch-black Tailed Beast Ball spun from Shukaku's maw, smashing through the wooden hands like a bowling ball through pins.
"Haha!" Shukaku crowed, delighted by his own power—until the Wood Human's massive hand snatched the Tailed Beast Ball out of the air, rolling it in its palm like a child's toy.
"What are you waiting for? Run!" Bunpuku shouted.
And so, an absurd scene unfolded: Shukaku, like a mischievous kid who'd just smashed a window, bolted across the battlefield, while the Wood Human chased after him, Tailed Beast Ball in hand like a mother after her wayward child.
"Monk, this isn't working! I really can't take him! Your formation drains him too slowly—I can't hold out much longer!" Shukaku called out, desperation creeping in.
Bunpuku fell silent.
"Hey, monk, you still there?"
No answer.
"Monk! Did you fall asleep?!"
Finally, Bunpuku's gentle voice sounded in his mind. "Alright, old friend. Leave the rest to me."
Shukaku let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, okay—just be careful."
"Mm." Bunpuku's tone was calm as ever.
Shukaku's giant form shrank, shrinking down until only the monk remained.
The Wood Human, suddenly left without a target, swung and missed. The Tailed Beast Ball scraped violently against the ground; as the Wood Human let go, it detonated with a thunderous boom. The ground shook, the entire Abyss prison rattling as if struck by a bolt of lightning.
When the dust settled, a crater over ten meters wide yawned in the earth.
"Monk, I'll say this one last time. Out of respect for your vows, I don't want to kill you. Dispel the barrier now—or don't blame me for what happens next!" Hashirama's voice was cold, steel underlying every word.
Master Bunpuku straightened, expression solemn. "That is absolutely impossible. I can't stop the wars of the world, but I know this one is almost over. I cannot allow your presence to throw everything back into chaos and cause more deaths. And I absolutely cannot let Impure World Reincarnation—this jutsu that violates the cycle of life and death—continue to exist. Please, let go of your attachments, and return to the Pure Land."
Hashirama hesitated, torn. He knew, deep down, the monk's words were right. But how could he let go of the village he'd built with his own hands?
Bunpuku waited, giving him space to think, but his hands quietly shifted into a complex demon-subduing seal, preparing for whatever might come.
Suddenly, something seemed to click in Hashirama's mind. He let out a long, weary sigh.
"Monk… you're right."
The Wood Human slowly sank back into the earth. Hashirama's own body began to glow, motes of light flickering around him.
"How can a dead man like me go against the order of heaven and earth? If Konoha's descendants are worthy, the village will thrive. If not, even if I help them this time, what about the next? Enough. Let the future belong to them."
At these words, Bunpuku released the demon-subduing seal, pressed his palms together, and bowed deeply to Hashirama.
"Well spoken, well spoken. Hashirama-sama's enlightenment is a blessing for all the living."
Just then, Pakura arrived, carrying Kageyan in her arms.
Bunpuku smiled, turning to Hashirama. "Look—there's your great-grandson."
"Oh? Then I must see him."
By now, Hashirama's body was already half-translucent. He hurried toward Kageyan, gazing at the adorable child through the barrier.
"So cute…" Hashirama murmured, a gentle smile on his lips.
His soul scattered into the air, his body collapsing into a heap of ash. Amid the remains, a corpse wearing a Konoha forehead protector lay still.
"Phew! That's one resolved," Bunpuku exhaled, relief flooding his face.
(Originally, I wanted to have the old monk die here, but thinking about it, he really was a tragic figure in canon. I'll grant him a peaceful end. Question for readers: Can the Flying Thunder God Technique escape the Amber Purifying Pot's seal?)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📚 BOOK COMPLETED ON PATREON!📚
This story has reached its conclusion on my Patreon!
🔥 Full story available now
💎 Exclusive bonus content & early access to new books
👉 Join my Patreon community today!
[✨patreon.com/DarkGolds]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━