"What exactly is going on here?"
Sasuke listened intently to every word the Soul Reaper said, his brow furrowing deeply. The confusion in his eyes faded, replaced by suspicion on his handsome face.
His Mangekyo Sharingan flared to life as he stared intently at the Soul Reaper. The latter's nostalgic expression made it obvious he knew something.
Fugaku was the same. Hearing Ren's words, he glanced at his son out of the corner of his eye, a strange sense of trepidation washing over him.
"My Lord, the two sons of the Sage of Six Paths... what do they have to do with Sasuke and Naruto?"
"Did I not tell you before?"
Ren looked at Fugaku, who shook his head slightly with a look of bewilderment.
"Oh, I must not have gotten around to it then."
Recalling the plot from his past life, Ren organized his thoughts. His low voice rang out clearly in the night.
"A millennium ago, the Sage of Six Paths had two sons named Ashura and Indra. The Sage passed his Ninja Creed to the younger son, Ashura, which incited the resentment of the elder son, Indra. A feud broke out between the brothers."
"The descendants of Indra became your Uchiha clan, while the descendants of Ashura became the Senju clan over there."
Ren reached out and pointed toward the two brothers who were the First and Second Hokage.
The four Hokage were still arguing, though their voices had softened. Hashirama and the others looked conflicted but seemed somewhat convinced, clearly on the verge of being swayed by Tobirama Senju.
While they conversed, they never stopped paying attention to the Soul Reaper's side.
Seeing the enigmatic Soul Reaper point at them, the four lowered their voices further, casting discreet glances to monitor his movements.
Ignoring the Hokage's subtle actions, Ren kept his eyes on Sasuke and continued.
"The brothers fought during their lives, and after death, their chakra remained, possessing their descendants and influencing them to continue the struggle even today."
"This is the reason for the thousand-year conflict between the Uchiha and Senju clans."
"The previous incarnations were Hashirama of the Senju and Madara of the Uchiha."
Hearing this, Fugaku looked at Sasuke, his expression growing complex.
"So in this generation, it is Sasuke and Naruto..."
"Exactly."
Ren nodded slightly, confirming Fugaku's suspicion.
Bewilderment welled up in Fugaku's eyes as he stared blankly at his only remaining son.
Just a moment ago, he had been proud of his son's growth. Now, he learned that his son wasn't just his son, but the son of the Sage of Six Paths—the reincarnation of the clan's ancestor.
This was simply beyond belief!
Countless thoughts raced through Fugaku's mind, yet he found himself at a loss for words.
Sasuke maintained a calm exterior, but alongside his shock, a sense of realization dawned on him. He whispered under his breath.
'Naruto and I... actually share such a bond.'
'No wonder he refuses to give up on me no matter what.'
'And no wonder I feel differently toward him than others. This is the reason.'
The four Hokage had been listening. Hashirama Senju blinked, his brow furrowing before gradually relaxing as a spark of joy appeared in his eyes.
"So Madara and I were brothers in a past life. No wonder I could never stop worrying about him."
"Brother, I am your actual blood brother!"
Tobirama Senju looked displeased.
"Besides, you heard him. That Madara fellow existed solely to fight you his entire life."
"He couldn't beat you back then, and even after reincarnating, he still refuses to let go."
Tobirama's gaze shifted to Sasuke, filled with scrutiny.
To think he was the reincarnation of the Uchiha ancestor just like Madara. It explained why he possessed such eyes at such a young age.
But after a thousand years, the struggle still hadn't ended. Just how deep did the grudge between these brothers go?
Minato Namikaze stood stunned, his expression shifting through various dark emotions.
He never expected to hear about Naruto's special nature here.
Even less did he expect his son to harbor such a secret.
"Naruto... are you like this too?"
Although Minato's voice was quiet, Tobirama still heard him.
He looked at his successor, seeing the complex look on his face, and asked, "Fourth, what are your thoughts?"
"I..."
Minato opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and said, "The Naruto the Soul Reaper mentioned is the son born to Minato and a descendant of the Uzumaki clan."
"The Uzumaki clan..."
A look of understanding appeared on Tobirama's face.
The Uzumaki clan were distant relatives of the Senju, sharing a common ancestor. This fit the criteria for bloodline descendants.
Minato's gaze gradually steadied. With an apologetic look toward the three Hokage, he used Body Flicker to appear beside the Soul Reaper.
Glancing at Sasuke before focusing on the Soul Reaper, he spoke with a hint of pleading in his voice.
"Lord Soul Reaper, is there any way to help these two children remove this chakra from their bodies?"
Fugaku also asked, "Please, my Lord, guide us."
Ren looked at the two fathers and sighed.
"Chakra is not exactly my area of expertise."
"These two strands of chakra are deeply rooted and heavily entwined. Any reckless attempt to remove them might harm the children themselves."
Hearing this, a look of disappointment crossed Minato's face as he trailed off into thought.
Fugaku glanced at Sasuke, his gaze darkening.
"If even you cannot solve it... must we simply let it be?"
"Not necessarily."
Just as the two were at a loss, Ren spoke again.
Both looked up sharply, hope reigniting in their eyes. Fugaku asked hastily, "Does my Lord have a way?"
Ren held up two fingers. "There are two methods available right now."
"First, have them reconcile. Though I am unsure if the chakra will remain entwined even after reconciliation."
"Second, let the children die. Upon death, the chakra will naturally leave and seek new incarnations, just as it did with Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha."
Fugaku looked at Sasuke and gritted his teeth, a look of resolve crossing his face.
"Since even you are unsure of the outcome, it would be better for Sasuke to die. His soul can then live with us in the Soul Society."
This decisive stance left Minato completely stunned.
"Fugaku, you..."
Even if he was possessed by foreign chakra, he was just a teenager with a bright future ahead. There was no need to be so extreme, was there?
Perhaps once they reconciled, the chakra would simply depart.
"Wait!"
Sasuke's voice rang out suddenly. He stepped forward, staring at his father and the Soul Reaper with a cold expression.
"Even if you are my father, you have no right to decide for me."
"I will handle this matter myself. I don't need any of you interfering."
Fugaku was about to speak, but Ren raised a hand to stop him.
Looking at the rejection on Sasuke's face, he said gravely, "This matter concerns you personally. What you do is your choice; no one else has the right to interfere."
"But what is your plan?"
After thinking for a moment, Sasuke said, "I will go find Naruto and speak with him clearly."
"If it truly comes to that, I will be the one to kill Naruto."
Fugaku's face darkened. "A war is breaking out where Naruto is. Do you intend to join that conflict?"
"While the war has nothing to do with me, I have matters to settle with Naruto from before. Combined with this, I might as well resolve everything at once," Sasuke said.
Seeing the determination on Sasuke's face, Fugaku sighed internally.
Through their recent interactions, he knew that once his son made up his mind, no ordinary person could change it.
Even as his father who had been dead for years, he found it difficult to intervene.
He could only look at Ren for help, asking softly, "My Lord, regarding Sasuke..."
"The boy is no longer a child. Since he has his own ideas, let him go."
Ren interrupted Fugaku and looked at the handsome youth, his voice carrying a tone of absolute certainty.
"Sasuke, whether you die in this war or reconcile with Naruto is entirely up to you."
"However, let me make one thing clear beforehand. If you die in this war, or even in the years to follow, I must take your soul."
"If Indra's chakra remains within you even after reconciling with Naruto, I will grant Fugaku's request, kill you, and take your soul then."
"Do you understand?"
Sasuke met the Soul Reaper's gaze without flinching and gave a slight nod.
"I have no one left to miss in this world. Being with my parents and clan after death is exactly what I desire."
"But before I leave, I have a question for you."
His gaze moved past the Soul Reaper to Fugaku and Shisui.
"Father, Shisui, you were the ones collecting the souls of powerful figures in the ninja world."
"You must have watched my fight with Itachi. Is his soul... in your hands?"
Shisui nodded and said in a low voice, "I have it."
"What will you do with him?"
A flicker of grief crossed Fugaku's eyes before he suppressed it.
"Itachi... he committed a grave sin in life. He must face the punishment he deserves. The clan will not let him off."
"..."
A complex expression appeared on Sasuke's face. After a moment of silence, he spoke clearly.
"I see."
Without another word, he turned and headed toward the battlefield.
"Jugo, Karin, Suigetsu, let's go."
Hearing Sasuke's call, the three followed him, despite their varying expressions.
Watching the four figures disappear into the night, Fugaku sighed repeatedly.
Orochimaru hesitated for a moment before gathering his courage to ask Ren softly, "My Lord, Sasuke has gone to the battlefield. I wish to go and keep an eye on him..."
"No, you don't."
Ren cut Orochimaru off before he could finish.
He stared at Orochimaru. "I have a task for you. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Under Ren's gaze, Orochimaru felt the pressure mount instantly. He immediately suppressed his previous thoughts.
"Yes. I will certainly not disappoint you, my Lord."
It was a pity. He had wanted to see just how far the wind named Sasuke could blow.
Now, it seemed he wouldn't witness it.
"May I ask what you require of me, my Lord?"
"We'll discuss that later."
Ren waved him off and turned his attention to Minato Namikaze and the three Hokage behind him.
"Tobirama, what have you decided?"
"Will you submit to me, or will you be my enemies?"
Minato turned back to look at the three Hokage. They shared a glance and nodded slightly.
Tobirama Senju stepped forward solemnly and stated their position.
"Lord Soul Reaper, we heard you say that the Sage of Six Paths has not yet been dealt with. If you were to lose to him, any talk of submission or loyalty from us now would likely be unbelievable to you."
"Conversely, if you defeat the Sage of Six Paths and take control of the Pure Land, we will be nothing more than wandering souls in the palm of your hand, subject to your whims regardless of our choice."
A faint smile played on Ren's lips. "Tobirama, those are honest words."
"You must have already been aware of this, Lord Soul Reaper."
Tobirama's expression remained unchanged.
"The power to decide was never in the hands of minor figures like us. It lies between you and the Sage of Six Paths."
"However, the fact that you asked for our opinion was a sign of respect for mere spirits like us. We are deeply grateful for that."
"Tobirama, you really are quite impressive."
Ren was extremely satisfied.
As Tobirama said, Ren had deliberately mentioned the Sage of Six Paths to test their attitude.
If they had agreed on the spot, it would have been suspicious.
Ren wouldn't have believed them for a second.
Even if he eventually took over the Pure Land, no matter how much he liked these four Hokage, he would never have entrusted them with important duties.
At most, he would have treated them as treasures to be collected.
Fortunately, Tobirama was sensible enough not to lie. His blunt honesty had earned Ren's favor.
"Since you are so reasonable, even if I lose my contest with the Sage and have to retreat, I will certainly take you with me."
"It is an honor to be held in such high regard by the Lord Soul Reaper."
Tobirama bowed without changing his expression, his gaze lingering on Orochimaru for a split second before he made a request.
"Since your conflict with the Sage of Six Paths has not yet begun, and a great battle is unfolding in the mortal world, we four are currently free. May we have permission to act on our own?"
"As you wish."
Ren spread his hands indifferently, offering no resistance.
"Much obliged."
Tobirama glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Ultimately unable to bear it, he asked, "Regarding my student—though he made mistakes in life, he is now dead and only a lingering soul. Could you let him go?"
"You are asking the wrong person. I cannot decide that."
Ren pointed to Fugaku and the others beside him.
"I have left this matter to the Uchiha clan. How they deal with the Third is their business."
"I understand."
Hearing this, Tobirama's expression relaxed significantly.
The Soul Reaper hadn't explicitly forbidden it, meaning he didn't care about Hiruzen's fate and had delegated it entirely to the Uchiha.
As for the Uchiha clan...
Again, no one in the world understood the Uchiha better than he did.
He had plenty of ways to get them to agree.
With Ren's permission, the four Hokage immediately set off for the battlefield.
Tobirama deliberately slowed down as he passed Fugaku and the others.
"Setsuna, Fugaku, right?"
"If this Lord Soul Reaper succeeds in claiming the Pure Land, I would like to talk to your clan about the Monkey."
Facing the legendary Second Hokage, Setsuna's expression turned solemn. He looked at Fugaku after some consideration.
Receiving a nod from Setsuna, Fugaku said quietly to the Second Hokage, "Very well."
Having received a positive response, Tobirama gave a subtle nod. With a flash of Body Flicker, he vanished from the spot.
Watching the four Hokage depart, Ren motioned to Fugaku and Setsuna.
"Fugaku, Setsuna, you go as well."
"If any special circumstances arise, you are permitted to release your power."
"As you command!"
The two nodded quickly in agreement.
The two were skilled even among Soul Reapers—especially Fugaku, whose strength was undoubtedly at the Captain level.
If they released their full power, nothing living in the vicinity of the battlefield would survive, and souls would be crushed into nothingness by the pressure.
Receiving such a ruthless order suggested that unexpected events might occur on the battlefield.
The two immediately shed their gigai and followed the four Hokage to the battlefield in their spirit forms.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]