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The group walked in sequence into the grand mansion formed by Wood Release.
The mansion looked imposing and majestic from the outside, enough to leave everyone in awe.
Upon entering, the interior revealed an even more stunning sight.
Each room appeared meticulously decorated, with walls adorned in various patterns and furniture that was not only complete but also stylish and varied.
This...
This is incredibly detailed!
Standing at the entrance of the mansion's grand hall, everyone was mesmerized by the dream-like scene before them, their thoughts racing.
"Impressive, truly worthy of the First Hokage!"
Onoki spoke first, expressing his awe. Given his age and extensive experience, he understood that constructing such a house with chakra was no simple feat.
It's not just about having Wood Release!
It requires an enormous amount of chakra to support it!
Though he hadn't encountered other Wood Release users, he firmly believed not all of them could achieve this level of mastery.
"Absolutely breathtaking!"
Koyuki followed with her astonishment, increasingly finding Senju Hashirama more enigmatic. When she first attended the Five Kage Summit, she hadn't given it much thought.
Even now,
Koyuki had never seen Senju Hashirama in action and had no idea of his true abilities, but the indirect displays of his power continued to astound her.
"Listen up, everyone!"
At that moment, Tsunade spoke, her face bright with joy. After all, everyone here, including herself, admired and revered her grandfather.
As Senju Hashirama's granddaughter,
Tsunade felt a deep sense of contentment.
Whoosh!
In an instant, all eyes were on Tsunade, including those of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Everyone present knew Tsunade's special status.
No one dared to cross her!
Crossing Tsunade was equivalent to crossing Senju Hashirama.
"This house is quite large. Please assign yourselves to rooms quickly, then reconvene here."
Tsunade spoke without any pretense, fully aware that her grandfather's legacy granted her authority.
Since she had the authority,
She intended to use it wisely!
"Why are we coming back here?"
Onoki frowned, an uneasy feeling surfacing, as though something was about to happen.
With Onoki's words.
Everyone looked at Tsunade with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
No one understood what Tsunade meant.
"Of course, we're here to play cards!"
Tsunade, with a beaming smile, reached into her cloak and pulled out a deck of warm cards. She shuffled them in her hands with a fondness that was unmistakable.
This woman...
She really loves gambling!
"..."
For a moment, the entire room fell silent.
Every face was marked with an exasperated expression!
None of them wanted to play cards anymore.
It was pure torture.
Considering that the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, was watching nearby, and Tsunade kept losing, they were at a loss for how to handle the situation.
But...
There was no way to refuse Tsunade!
It was as if they were merely playing companions.
For the dignified Four Kage to be reduced to mere players—if this got out, it would leave many people dumbfounded.
"Stop dawdling and move quickly!"
Tsunade waved her hand, urging them on. She was impatient, feeling a void when she couldn't play cards, and was desperate to fill it with a game.
The group exchanged glances.
You look at me.
I look at you.
Each could see the resignation in the other's eyes.
What could they do?
They scattered, each searching for a suitable room, but they couldn't rest; they had to return and continue playing. It was a grim prospect.
Being relentlessly pursued by her grandfather during the day and then being mercilessly demanded by his granddaughter at night was no way to live.
Even oxen have their limits!
...
Hashirama's room was on the third floor of the villa.
It was the top floor of the villa.
Reclining on a lounge chair,
A cute little sprite fluttered around him.
"The current Raikage must be the Fourth Raikage."
Hashirama muttered to himself,
His gaze fixed on the darkening sky outside the window.
He was quite displeased.
If it hadn't been for the Raikage's lack of respect, he wouldn't have had to travel all the way to the Land of Lightning.
But...
Since you're here!
Let me show you how difficult it is to send a god away once you've called them!
"Eh?"
Hashirama made a soft sound of surprise as his dark eyes fixed on a particular tree in the distant forest outside the window. He sensed an unusual disturbance coming from that direction.
Within this area,
The ground was covered with intertwined tree roots,
Filled with chakra.
It could be described as a special domain created by Hashirama. Anyone who entered would be immediately detected, similar to the way rainwater is detected in the Land of Rain.
Someone has arrived!
And it's a familiar face!
Hashirama quickly got up, leapt to the window, and with a powerful push of his legs, shot out like a missile toward the forest.
Whoosh!
Hashirama's body, cutting through the air with a whooshing sound, sped toward the forest at an alarming rate.
In the forest,
A dark figure flashed by,
Showing no hesitation whatsoever.
The instant the figure saw Hashirama emerge, the first reaction was to flee, diving into the ground.
"If I let you escape this easily, I'd lose face!"
Hashirama's indifferent voice rang out, though it wasn't loud, and didn't carry into the mansion, it was clear enough for the dark figure to hear.
Immediately after,
Hashirama performed a graceful flip in mid-air, landing firmly on the ground. His immense chakra surged through his feet and into the earth.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant,
The ground shifted with a series of rumbling noises, cracks spreading out from under Hashirama's feet.
This wasn't Earth Release.
Nor was it a brute-force opening.
It was simply Wood Release.
Hashirama controlled the vines underground, using the most straightforward and forceful method to upheave the stones on the ground.
Suddenly,
The dark figure emerged.
With wide, orange eyes filled with shock.
"How did you find me?"
The deep voice was tinged with disbelief. He couldn't believe that his masterful disguise had been uncovered so quickly upon arrival.
Is this really Senju Hashirama?
The dark figure was Kaguya Otsutsuki's Black Zetsu.
At this moment,
Black Zetsu's mind was filled with question marks. He had previously tracked Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, and neither had detected his presence.
Even further back, Asura and Indra hadn't noticed him.
Going even further back...
Otsutsuki Kaguya and Otsutsuki Hamura hadn't discovered him either.
How is it that he's been found out so quickly now?
"Next time, if you come from the sky, I might not notice you. But since you're here, let's have a chat."
Hashirama's mouth curled into a knowing smile, suddenly feeling that Black Zetsu might be an S-rank mission.
(End of Chapter)