"It seems pretty successful. Do you feel any discomfort?"
After leaving the training ground and returning to the treehouse, Tsunade asked Haseo this. She had already examined his body thoroughly. The result? From a physiological standpoint, Haseo was now completely fine.
The critical erosion phenomenon had vanished entirely, as if it had never existed at all.
"Not a trace of discomfort—quite the opposite, actually. I've never felt this relaxed before… How should I describe it? When that massive energy surged back into my body, it felt overwhelming—like being squeezed into a space way too small for me. But then my body started changing in ways I can't even describe—it was indescribably soothing."
Tsunade: "..."
She didn't know what to say, so she stayed silent. She definitely understood—but wished she didn't.
Compared to before, aside from his now pure white hair, Haseo looked slightly younger and thinner than usual.
Also, there was a bright red handprint on his right cheek, clearly left by someone striking him with considerable force. Strangely though, only his right cheek bore the mark; logically, they should have been balanced on both sides.
"Haseo, you really should've undergone another forced erosion before trying to obtain the Sage's Body... That chance is long gone now."
Tsunade opened her mouth, finally saying this... although she knew her previous warnings had long been rejected by Haseo, and retrospective advice changed nothing at all.
Haseo's actual age was already over forty, but since he had suffered from a severe case of erosion during his youth—which caused physiological aging regression—and later claimed the power of 'Shinigami' for himself, which further rejuvenated him due to the increased strength, his appearance made him look no older than thirty.
What Tsunade meant was that before absorbing the "Shinigami," Haseo had the chance to reduce his apparent age even further—twenty, even sixteen, were within reach.
"Look, it's not like I could just choose how old I wanted to look with precision. That was impossible from the start. Second, it would've been pointless anyway. A long life... how boring is that?"
How long Haseo could live wasn't just about him—it also directly affected Tsunade.
Life is the most precious thing one has, and its value comes precisely from its extreme finiteness.
An extended lifespan equals endless loneliness. That kind of raw deal was never something Haseo would accept.
So he simply smiled, brushing off the topic lightly. "Forget that—help me take care of my hair first. It's grown out of control. Looks less 'artist,' more 'performance art nightmare.'"
Even if Haseo cracked bad jokes, getting slapped once was plenty of punishment. His sharp tongue was just who he was—it said more about how he looked at life than anything else.
"Your hair can wait. First, confirm your body has no issues—that comes first."
"Did your body show any rejection after integrating the new power?"
Haseo could've become younger, yet he chose not to; Haseo could have chosen to become younger, but didn't — even though both options were possible, the mere contrast between them gave Tsunade completely different impressions. Only at moments like this—when making those core decisions—could you truly see into someone's deepest thoughts.
What Haseo claimed he had placed inside the treasure chest was indeed put there... unimaginable, this guy actually possessed a romantic side.
"Rejection? Not really. After all, what I accepted was pure energy, not a physical part.
And speaking of rejection, compared with physiological problems, what troubles me more now is psychological discomfort... how should I describe it? It feels like eating a 'dead child.'
Whenever I recall Shinigami's gaunt face and skeletal frame, knowing that it has become part of me... I feel a chill run through my mind every time."
"Can't you overcome this yourself? You keep talking about it, now I'm getting anxious too."
"There's another thing too. Although the Six Paths Sage's Body completely resolved my issue and enhanced my power... Forget about power, since I don't need it anyway.
More importantly, my chakra control capability has jumped to an entirely new level. My situation seems even more complex — actually, I feel like I've nearly reached the level of Kekkei Mora."
As he spoke, Haseo extended his right hand forward, slightly closing his fingers. Suddenly, a crystalline human ice sculpture appeared on his palm.
"What is this..."
"Yeah, yeah—it's Ice Release."
"Then… what, you can use Wood Release too?"
"That one? Wood Release is an exception, seems like I can't use it... I can't tell whether Wood Release is a Kekkei Genkai or Secret Arts, but at least it's not merely a simple Kekkei Genkai. Apparently, making trees grow isn't as easy as sprinkling water and soil around — seeds are also needed.
Pity, though—I only have a piece of lifeless timber on me."
Though Haseo didn't think gaining more power still held any significance for himself, the grafting of the "Sage's Body" had fundamentally changed him — he had exceeded the limits of ordinary ninjas and became a true overpowered being.
Haseo's purpose was to resolve the corruption within himself. Now having solved this problem and gained far more power than expected... Haseo's thinking felt a bit like buying the box and sending the jewel back — the thing that mattered most had somehow become the thing he valued the least.
The world may belong to you and me—but in the end, it always ends up with the silver-topped crew.
Although Haseo's white hair arrived slightly later than usual.
...
Haseo further strengthened himself. However, since this strengthening wasn't something intentional, nor did he plan it thoroughly, this incident couldn't really be considered as "preparation."
In the Land of Birds, a quiet village, an aloe plant, and a nameless stranger stood.
"We searched for a long time, finally found you, hehe."
Black Zetsu, for his part, remained quite relaxed. He hadn't lost his mind from the information shockwave unleashed by Hagoromo, nor had he fallen into despair over Madara's defeat and the setback suffered by the God Tree Resurrection Plan.
That was only natural. Over countless years, Black Zetsu had lost track of how many times he'd tried. And every time he tried, he failed — this was just another failure in a long string of them… If he were going to give up, he would've done it long ago.
In fact, this wasn't even a complete failure.
Despite having suffered the most severe losses this time.
"Konoha ninja? No way. Who exactly are you people?"
I'm just a failure who's scraping by in disgrace. No matter what your goals are, seeking me out is pointless."
He was someone who had even stolen someone else's name — and yet, a man so utterly broken he no longer had the will to fight back; all he wanted now was peace.
"Not at all. No matter how big or small, everyone still hopes for something from life and dreams of a future.
What I want to tell you is this: your wish can indeed come true through your own hands."
As he said this, Black Zetsu opened his palm, revealing a mysterious eye embedded within.
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