~ 💎 WEEKLY POWER GOALS 💎🔥 60→1ch | 100→2ch | 200→5ch ⏰ Resets Monday! Thanks!
Orochimaru was out of danger. Their focus shifted to the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, also unconscious on the ground.
Earlier, in the cave, the Curse Body had explained the circumstances of its original body's encounter. Hashirama, who hadn't been present, cocked his head curiously. "And this young man is…?"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Kakashi Hatake. The Sixth Hokage of Konoha."
"Oh~! So a descendant of the Hatake family became Hokage, did he!! Wait!!! You said… which number???"
"Sixth," Kabuto repeated.
Six?
Hashirama counted on his fingers, confirmed that six was indeed five plus one, then dropped his hands. His expression turned grave. "I recall… after Orochimaru brought me back with the Impure World Reincarnation, I saw Hiruzen, still alive and well. In the blink of an eye, the Hokage is already the Sixth?"
"Yes."
The Curse Body's gaze grew distant. "In my perception… it has only been a year or two."
Speaking of which… why are there two Orochimarus?
Hashirama kept that thought to himself and asked aloud, "Who were the Fourth and the Fifth?"
A faint smile played on the Curse Body's lips. "The Fourth was Minato Namikaze. He died young. Hiruzen-sensei resumed power for over a decade… Therefore, after my teacher met his end because of me, the Fifth who took office… was your granddaughter. Tsunade!!!"
"Wha—what!?"
Hashirama's soul nearly left his body. Images of Tsunade's… colorful childhood flashed in his mind. His shoulders slumped. "Then… then the Leaf Village… is it… still there???"
Kabuto pushed his glasses up. His tone was flat. "Unfortunately, you've hit the mark. The Leaf Village… is no more…"
Hashirama burst into loud laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA! Young man, you do know how to joke! That's not a funny one to make…" But his laughter faltered and died as he saw the looks on their faces. No one was smiling. "…It's really gone?"
"Gone. But its living forces remain. They've already chosen a new location and are rebuilding."
"Who did it?"
"Madara."
That single name carried the weight of a mountain.
Hashirama might be simple, but he wasn't stupid. He clenched his fists tight.
"Madara… when he makes a move, he doesn't leave survivors as a rule. Who stopped him?"
Kabuto and the Curse Body exchanged a look… then simultaneously turned their gazes to Sasuke.
Sasuke: "…"
When Hashirama looked at Sasuke again, his eyes burned with even fiercer curiosity… and gratitude. "Young man! You continue to amaze me! To have the power to stop Madara… aside from myself, you are the first. And you are far younger than I was. Remarkable. Truly remarkable!"
Sasuke didn't dwell on the topic. He bent down, slinging the unconscious Orochimaru over his shoulder. "Let's leave this place first. Settle the wounded. Then we can talk."
"My thoughts exactly."
Kabuto hoisted the unconscious Kakashi up. The group retraced their steps, exiting Katsuyu's Summoning Realm.
They used Futodama to warp back to the cave.
Jūgo sat silently beside the unconscious Anko.
Hashirama looked around. "So this is your base of operations?"
Kabuto replied, "No. This is merely a transit point. Our true headquarters is on Azure Moon Island."
As the God of Shinobi who had pacified the Warring States era, Hashirama prided himself on his knowledge of the world's geography. But he racked his brain and found no information on any 'Azure Moon Island'.
"This island… it's not within the borders of the current Five Great Nations?"
Kabuto recited the facts like a textbook. "It's located in the outer seas. Naturally isolated from the world. It is our most secure headquarters. Without knowing its spatial coordinates, entry and exit are impossible. Only my Futodama, and Lord Orochimaru's Flying Thunder God Technique, can reach it directly!"
Impressed, Hashirama glanced at the Curse Body. "Oh~! Orochimaru, you've mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique as well?"
The Curse Body said, "I have not. My currently unconscious original body has."
Hashirama could no longer contain his curiosity. "Speaking of which… your original body has lost consciousness. Why hasn't a clone like you dispersed?"
The Curse Body's smile was cryptic. "That is a long story. If you are interested, once we reach Azure Moon Island, I can tell you. Though… there are a few other matters where we might require your assistance…"
Hashirama brightened like a child. "Oh~! Then we mustn't delay! Let's depart at once~!"
The taciturn Jūgo helped Anko up and moved to join the others.
Kabuto prepared to activate Futodama once more.
Hashirama suddenly said, "Hm? Aren't you bringing your other companion?"
Kabuto frowned. "Other… companion?"
"Over there!" Hashirama pointed to a patch of deep shadow in a corner of the cave.
Zzt!!
Sasuke's pupils instantly transformed into… the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan!
"Show yourself. I see you now!!"
Hashirama was stunned. "Those eyes… they radiate light even in the darkness… their ocular power rivals Madara's!!!"
Swish-swish-swish!
A hidden white figure emerged from the shadows!
A White Zetsu!
Kabuto's brow furrowed deeper. How could this be…? We're intimately familiar with White Zetsu's detection methods. How did we miss this one?
"GRAAGH!!"
The White Zetsu, seemingly aware escape was impossible, charged at them like a moth to a flame!!
Sasuke's left eye gave it one cold glance.
—Amaterasu!!
FWOOM…!!
Black flames erupted. Engulfed him. The Zetsu shrieked as it fell, its body rapidly burning to ash…!!!
Hashirama blinked, processing. "Ah. So… not a companion."
Kabuto pushed his glasses up, his voice cautious. "Any other stragglers?"
Sasuke swept his gaze across the cave.
"None."
Kabuto sighed in relief. "Fortunately… Lord Hashirama sensed it. Had that intelligence leaked, it would have been disastrous."
Sasuke said, "Let's go."
And so, the group vanished into the swirling vortex of Futodama.
Rustle… rustle…
However… no one could have predicted that ten seconds later, the pile of ashes on the ground would rapidly coalesce, reforming into the White Zetsu's original shape!!!
It was… one of the over forty Impure World Zetsu created not long ago, born from Shikaku!!!
Ten minutes later, at a deserted Akatsuki hideout.
The Impure Zetsu arrived and reported everything it had seen and heard.
The explosive nature of this intelligence even startled Obito.
"Sasuke awakening the Eternal Mangekyō… that was within my expectations."
"But Orochimaru suffering a setback… that was not."
"Azure Moon Island. In the outer seas. Isolated from the world. No wonder…" Obito's voice was low. "No wonder the White Zetsu army conducted a carpet search of the entire shinobi world for over half a year and found no trace of their hiding place!!"
The Zetsu said, "Even knowing the island's name is useless without the spatial coordinates, right?"
"Heh… it's fine."
Shun!
Using Kamui, Obito transported himself and the Zetsu to the cave from earlier.
The Zetsu pointed. "Right there!"
Obito narrowed his right eye, peering intently. "As I thought!!"
The Zetsu asked, "What is it?"
Obito explained, "Shikaku reminded me. My eye and Kabuto's… the mechanisms of our dōjutsu are very similar. The possibility of some connection cannot be ruled out!"
"When I use Kamui… it leaves behind an "Anchor" in space for a short time. This anchor records spatial coordinate information. If his Futodama is indeed connected to my Kamui in some way… then an anchor should exist here too!!"
His bloodshot right eye… focused on a faint, flickering 'black dot' in the empty air!
A savage grin split Obito's bitter, hate-filled face.
—"Hahaha! Indeed! An "Anchor" exists! And it just so happens… I can still observe it! I will imprint this anchor into my eye. Within two days… I will decipher it. The spatial coordinates… of Azure Moon Island!!!"
————————————————————
🔥 This story has reached its conclusion on my P a t. r e o n! 400+ chapters
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 Join on -
patreon(.)com/BingeInk