[Deep in a hazy consciousness, sinking into—…]
"Drip… drop…"
"First" Hashirama opened his eyes and found himself lying atop the surface of the water. With each breath he took, ripples spread outward in gentle rings.
"I shall bring peace—"
"…Never mind, oh well."
Hearing an unfamiliar male voice, Hashirama lifted his gaze. "Hmm?"
"I am Hagoromo," said an old man with horns, clad in a white robe, looking quite helpless. "The founder of Ninshū, also called the Sage of Six Paths."
"Ohh, ohh!" Hashirama sat up cross-legged, bringing his fist to his palm as though having a sudden realization, then burst out laughing. "So that's it… I'm dreaming!"
He really was that kind of simpleton; no help for it.
The Sage of Six Paths didn't seem surprised. Though he didn't watch every single generation of reincarnation, the upheavals in the Pure Land lately had been impossible for him to miss.
Take, for example, what happened last night. If not for him using Yin-Yang Power—relying on the Net's immense spiritual energy to seize control of the Ten-Tails' "shell," dissolving its natural energy bit by bit, forcibly separating the Tailed Beasts and thereby weakening the final explosion—then that mindless monster would likely have blasted half the ninja world to oblivion.
"So… why would I dream of a Sage of Six Paths I've never even met…?" Hashirama scratched the back of his head, laughing. "Could it be because we're about to achieve world peace or something?"
"As if." The Sage of Six Paths couldn't help a retort. He wasn't some relic stuck in archaic ways. But bridging eras to speak with people always brought some awkwardness about dialects and slang.
Thanks to that odd little brat, he'd been able to gather much of what happened in the living world through the Pure Land's Net, so he was somewhat used to modern mannerisms.
"Ah, then it must be a dream!" Hashirama reaffirmed, nodding confidently. "No way the mighty Sage of Six Paths would speak like that brat."
Hagoromo sighed. He already knew the previous Asura reincarnation was a bit of an idiot, but still, this was… quite something.
He could only hope the next reincarnation would have more common sense.
"Anyway," Hagoromo said, "about that Ten-Tails experiment you all attempted last night—please do not repeat it."
Originally, he'd felt pleased seeing these reincarnations walk a new, unprecedented path. But after witnessing them gather Tailed Beasts from a parallel world to form the Ten-Tails and nearly blow everything up, well… he was done.
"That power alone can destroy the entire world."
"Mhm, mhm." Hashirama nodded vigorously, still convinced this was all part of a dream.
"Additionally…" The Sage of Six Paths' staff rose from his side, floating behind him. "You are my son Asura's—"
"Previous-generation reincarnation, right?" Hashirama cut in. Right then, the water's surface reflected some unknown man's silhouette, and Hashirama happily stirred it with his hand, as if disappointed there were no stones nearby to skip. He babbled out the entire backstory of the Ōtsutsuki clan that Link had told him, thinking, It's just a dream—might as well speak freely.
Hagoromo's impassive expression gradually turned to astonishment, finally showing both regret and relief.
He didn't bother asking how Hashirama knew so much. Considering that "future" reincarnations had shown up in this era, it wasn't surprising that the living might know even more. He was aware they intended to fight Kaguya, but not the specifics of her modern-day revival. Indeed, the world's tides always had secrets that rendered even prophecy incomplete.
"Thank you for telling me all of that," the Sage of Six Paths said. "Seems you know more than I do."
As the water rippled, eight Tailed Beasts from that other world rose into view.
"I have a favor to ask," Hagoromo said, his tone calm.
Seeing the Tailed Beasts showing fear—taken from parallel-world Jinchūriki, then sealed or stuffed inside the Ten-Tails, tortured—Hashirama realized that whether in Kaguya's body or the Ten-Tails, they'd still been aware, and the Five Elements Seal had been agony.
No matter how aloof or proud they might have been, in front of the Sage, after all these beatings, they were as meek as could be.
"They're all living creatures, even if they hail from another world," Hagoromo said. "I hope you'll treat them well."
"So… this isn't a dream." Hashirama eyed the kindly old man sitting cross-legged before him.
Hagoromo pressed his hands together, then parted them. His palms glowed blank.
"I'm lending you my power. All you need to do is get both hands on Kaguya, and you can complete the seal. I hope you succeed."
Hashirama glanced at the crescent mark forming on his other palm, blinking. "But… why don't you handle it? Wasn't it you who blocked the Ten-Tails' explosion last night, reducing its force?"
"I can't," Hagoromo answered calmly. "If not for the Pure Land's Net collecting countless souls, plus the Ten-Tails' presence surfacing in the living world, there'd be nothing I could do."
"Then reincarnate," Hashirama said matter-of-factly.
"Then reincarnate," Link said matter-of-factly.
The Sage of Six Paths beheld two different mental spaces. Each figure uttered the same line at the same time.
He gave a wry smile. It was rare for him to meet the father-and-child reincarnations so simultaneously—and that strange kid was someone he'd long wanted to see.
"I'm already dead. I shouldn't interfere too heavily in the living world's affairs," he said mildly.
"But you did interfere last night," Link pointed out. "If you truly refused all involvement, you wouldn't have stopped the Ten-Tails from blowing itself up."
He'd spotted the "sun" mark on Hashirama's palm and suspected the old man's intervention. But since there was no direct way to contact Hagoromo, it hadn't mattered before. He was half expecting a scolding, but instead the Sage was here to say thank you.
"Look at that. He's thanking us," Link thought smugly.
Hagoromo fell silent for a while, pondering.
~~~
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