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In the ninja world, there are not only chakra-wielding ninjas but also countless other bizarre beings.
In ancient times, the Sage of Six Paths sealed his mother and wandered the world for a long time, dealing with many powerful spirits and demons, creating some of the Six Paths tools in the process.
However, these spirits and demons were not completely eradicated.
For example, the Moryo, continually sealed by the priestess of the Land of Demons; the evil god worshipped by the immortal Hidan; and the Shinigami that appeared before Gensou.
These entities all seemed to have some limitations, preventing them from easily manifesting in the real world.
The Shinigami was no exception.
Even though it had been outsmarted by Gensou, without the contract, it seemed unable to take direct action.
Gensou had a fleeting thought of devouring the Shinigami whole.
However, his success earlier had been because he was within his modified Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
Now that the seal had ended, harming the Shinigami again would be nearly impossible.
Gensou thought the matter would end there, with the Shinigami's anger merely manifesting in a glare.
To his surprise, the Shinigami did not stop there.
Infuriated by its unprecedented humiliation over millennia, the Shinigami raised its remaining arm and opened its mouth wide. Four beams of soul light shot out from its belly.
Under Gensou's astonished gaze, the four beams swiftly descended into the real world.
Amidst the dazzling white light, four familiar figures appeared before Gensou.
"This is..." Gensou's pupils contracted slightly.
The Shinigami's actions were not finished.
The prayer beads on its only intact hand quickly separated, transforming into four beams of light that entered the four souls.
Every time the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was used, the Shinigami not only took the caster's soul but also drew their remaining life force.
The prayer beads in its hand were the condensed life force.
By injecting this life force into the four souls, they were granted temporary corporeal bodies. Without this, as mere wandering spirits, they couldn't wield much power.
The Shinigami's intentions were clear.
It was reviving these souls, giving them the strength to deal with Gensou, the traitor who had broken their pact.
Even if this meant losing control over these delicious souls afterward, it was a price worth paying.
Normally, the Shinigami couldn't control the wills of souls that had left its belly.
However, it had chosen souls connected to Gensou.
Recalling the scene during the Chunin Exams, the Shinigami gave Gensou a cold, final smile, having done all it could. It hoped to see Gensou in the afterlife soon.
The Shinigami then dissipated.
Gensou redirected his gaze from the departing Shinigami to the four souls that now had physical forms but were still disoriented.
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama!
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama!
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen!
The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato!
Yes! The Shinigami had released all four Hokage at once.
Gensou was both surprised and alarmed.
He had never paid much attention to this fact before, but now he realized that all the Hokage, from the First to the Fourth, had ended up in the Shinigami's belly.
Were they playing a game of mahjong in there?
"What's going on?" Gensou's old friend, Hashirama, looked at his hands in confusion and muttered.
"Back in the living world again?"
Already somewhat familiar with the sensation, Tobirama immediately noticed the unique nature of their forms—neither fully physical bodies nor mere souls.
However, when he saw Gensou in front of him, his eyes narrowed sharply.
Did Hiruzen fail in the end? "First, Second, and Fourth Hokage."
Hiruzen, surprised to be back in the living world after using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, quickly greeted his fellow Hokage before focusing on Gensou.
"Good to see you again, Monkey!" Hashirama responded enthusiastically.
"Uh, hello, First, Second, and Third Hokage," a somewhat shy voice called from behind Hiruzen.
Tilting his head, Hashirama finally noticed the young man partially obscured by Hiruzen and asked curiously, "Who are you?"
In response, the blond-haired Minato turned around, showing the words "Fourth Hokage" prominently written on the back of his Hokage robe, and politely said, "I am Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha."
"Oh, the Fourth Hokage!" Hashirama clapped his hands in surprise. "I didn't recognize you at first, sorry about that. So, you're dead too?"
"Uh, yes," Minato said, scratching his head in embarrassment and explained, "I used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal during the Nine-Tails incident and passed away before the Third Hokage."
"The Nine-Tails..." Hashirama's face showed shock, almost blurting out his thoughts.
Fortunately, he wasn't entirely tactless. He quickly yawned, looked around, and said, "With the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage here, who is the Fifth Hokage of Konoha?"
"Brother, why not ask your old acquaintance?" Tobirama, without turning his head, replied while staring intently at Gensou.
Following his brother's gaze, Hashirama finally noticed Gensou standing there.
"Gensou! We meet again so soon!"
Hashirama exclaimed in wonder, not expecting to see an old friend again so quickly after dying for a second time.
Gensou was equally surprised by the Shinigami's decision.
He looked at Hashirama with a sense of nostalgia and said, "For you, it was just a blink, but for me, it's been over six months. I even visited your grave half a year ago to pay my respects."
"Is that so? Thank you," Hashirama said, feeling something was off but expressing his gratitude nonetheless.
"By the way, the Fifth Hokage is Tsunade," Gensou added.
"Tsunade?!"
Hashirama's expression changed dramatically. He couldn't imagine his gambling-addicted granddaughter, who lost everything every time, ever becoming Hokage.
Wouldn't she bankrupt the village?
(End of Chapter)