"If Kakuzu attacks you, Aomi and I won't save you; instead, we'll seize the chance to kill him first!"
"In other words, he'll see you as a weak spot to target, but in reality, you're the bait!"
Asuma listened to Tsunade's extreme plan, but he nodded calmly: "Tsunade-sensei, I figured it out just now, as long as I have a breath left, Aomi will find a way to revive me!"
Nohara Rin still looked a bit scared, but her expression soon turned resolute: "I understand, Lady Tsunade!"
And as they approached the valley where they had come from, silent fear quietly descended into their hearts that had just been ignited with fighting spirit...
The green land had turned into dark scorched earth; the valley had collapsed in half, and the ground was littered with stones still carrying moisture...
It was brutal as a Ninja World War!
Yet there was no sign of Chakra fluctuations, instead replaced by a deathly silence.
Asuma's face turned pale in an instant, muttering to himself: "No, Aomi won't lose!"
Blood-colored images once again surfaced in Tsunade's mind: She seemed to be too late, about to see the body of an important person once more...
Without even the chance to see the body, as Kakuzu wouldn't spare Aomi's corpse, this farewell was without a final parting glimpse.
Tsunade and the others were full of fear in their hearts; as ninjas, they seemed to have anticipated Aomi's death!
And as they entered the valley, the fear intensified.
Aomi was not here...
Tsunade collapsed powerlessly to the ground; the courage that had just surged from her heart shattered piece by piece in this instant!
Asuma's eyes went dark, half-kneeling on the ground, painfully clutching his chest as tears flowed uncontrollably.
Nohara Rin found it hard to breathe, almost suffocating; her first lesson as a ninja was beyond what she could bear...
[From matchup target Tsunade: You have obtained Fuinjutsu: Yin Seal!]
[From matchup target Asuma: You have obtained Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning Jutsu!]
[From matchup target Nohara Rin: Your Medical Talent has slightly increased!]
Senju Tobirama looked at Tsunade with some pain: "Kid, why haven't you shown yourself yet, what are you waiting for?"
Aomi, lurking within the earth, shook his head and slowly said:
"Tobirama, pain is one of the sources of a ninja's power. If one cannot face such emotions, if one dares not face even one's own heart, they can never truly become strong..."
Senju Tobirama frowned, though Aomi's words made sense, they vaguely carried a hint of bewitchment.
Originating from the unique allure of the Uchiha Clan...
Senju Tobirama sighed, where this allure came from, he already had an answer in his heart.
In fact, Aomi was just speaking casually for the sake of rewards.
Without deeply stirring their hearts, where would the emotional fluctuations come from?
But in Senju Tobirama's eyes, Aomi, who had been possessed by Uchiha Izuna's Chakra, spoke and acted differently than usual, fitting his own logic perfectly.
If it had been the Aomi of the past, he would have already appeared.
But there was no choice; within Aomi, it wasn't just Senju Tobirama's Chakra...
So, Senju Tobirama did not urge Aomi to show up, but changed the subject: "Aomi, in the future, don't try to negotiate with ninjas like Kakuzu, or let such enemies go."
"It's very dangerous; human nature can't withstand such tests. I know you feel pity for him, but it may bring disaster to you. Eradicating the root is the best approach."
Aomi sighed, a rare hint of confusion in his tone: "Tobirama, I know what you mean, but I really like his story, a story about the reality and falsehood of the Ninja World, so I don't want to harm him..."
"I love reading the historical books of the Ninja World, but I feel an ingrained falseness within them, as if an invisible hand has cursed this world with a tragic fate, preventing anyone from transcending."
"On this land, gifted ninjas always appear, but they always appear in pairs."
"Peace seems not allowed in this world, as all ninjas eventually divide into two factions, choosing their leaders, fighting for a result, yet there never is one."
"Tobirama, I feel as if the millennium-old Ninja World actually has no history, just repeated cycles of reincarnation that no one can escape, be it you and me, or Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, all just part of the cycle..."
Senju Tobirama gradually furrowed his brow, even forgetting about heartbroken Tsunade, starting to ponder Aomi's words...
This interpretation of history was terrifying upon close consideration!
But the more he thought about it, the more Senju Tobirama felt a sense of agreement.
Take the example of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, with whom he was most familiar; if either of them was born fifteen to twenty years later, perhaps the Ninja World would see at least a century of peace...
But just as Aomi said earlier.
Historically, the Ninja World truly seems to have an invisible hand that constantly uses a terrible matching mechanism, letting each ninja who could bring peace and unity to the Ninja World face an opponent they must use their life to defeat.
As soon as both sides perish, everything restarts a new cycle.