Sage Mode brought an all-around increase to the user's physical "hardware." In this state, if Hagoromo really fired off a Mikazuchi Raien Jūkoku, then factoring in his own growth over the years, he probably would not collapse on the spot like last time. Of course, that did not mean he would feel good afterward.
But in reality, the Third Hokage's worries were a little unnecessary. Hagoromo had never actually planned to fire one here. Other things did not matter. Even demolishing Konoha could be put second. But if Mirai and Naruto got dragged into it, then he would have nowhere to cry.
As for whether one shot could blast the First Hokage flat? Without any necessary real-world reference, no one could be certain. But when it came to ultimate moves clashing against ultimate moves, Hagoromo had a strange, inexplicable confidence in himself. He felt that he could tear this giant toy to pieces.
In truth, what he wanted to do was summon this oversized brick, magnetize it first, then really swing it around like a forty-meter-long blade and have a head-on clash with True Several Thousand Hands.
After all, if one were talking about actual practicality against an enemy, he would be better off forcing out the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, or stacking a few more Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Techniques. Those would be much stronger than directly opening fire. Dropping an ultimate move at the slightest disagreement was really inappropriate. Although the scene looked rather terrifying right now, Hagoromo and the First Hokage's battle had only remained at the level of a "contest." It was not at all what Orochimaru had imagined.
If the First Hokage were still alive now, then for the sake of his own goals, Hagoromo might indeed have considered dealing with him. But since the other party had already faceplanted decades ago, all necessity now seemed unnecessary.
There was also one more point that had to be mentioned. By this point, Uncle Snake had long since called finished. Once the First Hokage went wild, it far exceeded his expectations.
Orochimaru finally understood what tailed-beast-level chakra meant. He simply could not control that kind of power. Releasing the First Hokage's consciousness had absolutely not been a good choice.
In the end, the current situation was only that the First Hokage himself had gotten high from fighting… After all, he had not been let out for N years. Even when he had been alive, the only opponent who could fight him evenly had been Uchiha Madara.
The specifics were impossible to know, but based on his own feeling, Hagoromo believed Orochimaru had lost control of the First Hokage starting from the Wood Human Technique. Who knew whether he had also taken Hagoromo's Fire Release: Kirin?
But the Third Hokage naturally did not know that Hagoromo wanted to use Rashōmon as a giant hammer. All he saw was Hagoromo summon such a thing, then noticed that the special formulas engraved on it looked more and more familiar the longer he looked. Add to that Hagoromo crouching behind this gate…
Wasn't that terrifying?
What stood in front of Hagoromo was indeed the First Hokage's True Several Thousand Hands, but behind True Several Thousand Hands were those genin participating in the Chūnin Exams. As for the barrier hastily set up by Konoha's sealing teams… if Hagoromo's ultimate move really broke through True Several Thousand Hands' blockade, what use would those barriers be?
Hagoromo had no intention of using that move, nor did he have any reason to use it. Suddenly, he lightly shifted his feet and took a step backward. Then something blocked his path.
The person had not yet arrived, but the staff came first. What blocked Hagoromo was the Third Hokage's freely extendable summoning weapon, the Adamantine Staff… Honestly speaking, this name was even more embarrassing than the long string of naming Hagoromo had just used.
"Hagoromo, don't move recklessly. Leave the rest to me," the Third Hokage said as he arrived in front of Hagoromo. He was finally about to join the battle as well.
Hagoromo: "…"
Of course, he did not like this kind of abrupt stop. But thinking about it carefully… fine, the Third Hokage's actions made a lot of sense. Letting Hagoromo continue messing around and scaring everyone like this would be what made no sense. After all, both the time and place were wrong.
In other words, no matter what ultimate move Hagoromo had been holding back, he now had to keep holding it back.
Of course, no matter what move the Third Hokage intended to use against the First Hokage, he would not get to use it either.
"Oh, Sarutobi?"
The Third Hokage climbed up onto Rashōmon in just a few movements, replacing Hagoromo in the standoff against the First Hokage… But reality was this cruel. From now on, whenever Hagoromo used the Summoning Technique, it could all be directly renamed Ninja Art: Footstool Technique.
"Looks like I really have been dead for many years."
The First Hokage's first reaction upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's appearance was actually this.
Tsunade's appearance could not give the First Hokage an accurate concept of how many years he had been dead, but the Third Hokage's withered old face was different. After all, he had not preserved his beauty and youth.
But Hashirama-sensei's reaction clearly left the Third Hokage a little stunned. Wasn't the other party supposed to slap down with a barrage of palms at a time like this? Why was his tone full of emotion?
"Er, Lord First, you… the Edo Tensei…"
This person seemed to be completely uncontrolled, didn't he?
"Haha, I unknowingly broke free of the restraints? If you hadn't mentioned it, I really wouldn't have noticed. Hahaha…"
Third Hokage: "￥%#%￥!"
Do you know what kind of resolve I came up here with, ready to fight to the death? And you actually raised the operating difficulty to this level again?
Although you are lovely and charming, you bring death, you know? Go dance.
No matter how full of complaints the Third Hokage's heart was, after seeing his own disciple, the First Hokage's arms dropped again. Although Hagoromo felt somewhat unsatisfied, Hashirama suddenly felt that he had caused enough trouble… In any case, being able to "come back to life" once was something worth being happy about, but that was all.
"Sarutobi is here, Tsunade is here, Konoha is here, and there's even a young man with that kind of strength…"
The Third Hokage fell silent. Hagoromo was not exactly a young man anymore. When he had been Hagoromo's age, he had already been Konoha's number one leader for several years.
"Although it seems the village still faces some problems, as long as you are still here, that is already very good… Being able to meet again truly makes me happy…"
That Konoha had some problems was something the First Hokage could easily judge from the fact that he had been summoned. He was not actually stupid.
"No one who has passed on is without attachment to the present world, but sure enough, the dead should not exist in this world. Being able to come out and take a breath of fresh air can already be counted as an unexpected lucky draw…"
"No, perhaps I should call it misfortune?"
The First Hokage's gaze swept over the traces of destruction he had just caused. Fortunately, what he had demolished was only a primeval forest.
"Grandfather!"
"Lord First!"
The meaning behind the First Hokage's words was naturally easy for the two of them to understand. Their voices only made his hands, which he had raised again, pause slightly. Still, he clasped them together once more.
"Tsunade, one day, you must gamble all over the world." The First Hokage did not know that Tsunade had already gambled all over the world. In this respect, she was even more amazing than he was. "And Sarutobi… you have worked hard as Hokage all these years."
The Third Hokage's old eyes were almost brimming with tears. This was truly what it meant to say, "Long live understanding." Only a Hokage knew the suffering of being Hokage: being a Kage was hard, being Hokage was harder, and being an old Hokage was… hard.
Although he really wanted to see what the current Konoha was like, the more naturally instinctive and simple-minded a person was, the more irresistible their own reason often became once they decided to follow it. So even now, after breaking free from the control of Edo Tensei and gaining the ability to act freely, the First Hokage's first choice was still to immediately release this technique himself.
Fine, that explanation was too rational. To put it in a more "self-centered" way, the First had already come out, had his fun, and now it was time for him to go back.
Although both were taking part in a grand magical tournament, although both were First Masters, and although both were characters who had died long ago, Hashirama was much more enlightened than Mavis.
Layers of fragments fell from the First Hokage's body. This was the so-called "reincarnated earth," revealing the completely different face beneath.
The person who should not have appeared disappeared again, as though he had never appeared at all.
Although the First Hokage was a goofball, at this moment Tsunade and the Third Hokage should have been carrying sadness in their hearts. It was just that another goofball, seemingly unable to read the atmosphere, walked over.
"Um, you two, what should we do with this giant ornament the First Hokage left behind? Move it back to Konoha? True Several Thousand Hands has a lot of commemorative value."
After all, this was a craft piece personally made by the First Hokage. Although it was enormous, the details were truly perfect. And because it had not been used in battle, the condition of the piece had not suffered any damage.
Look at the face of this Buddha statue. It was practically a wrathful vajra that could subdue all things. If they placed it at Konoha's entrance, who would dare come to the village and cause trouble in the future?
But Tsunade directly shot Hagoromo a glare, then said in an irritated tone:
"Then you move it!"
Hagoromo: "…"
If it were made of iron, he could move it. But such a huge wooden product? Move his ass.
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