In the space between life and death,
Between the Pure Land of the Netherworld and the mortal realm,
This liminal region was filled with strange and lonely souls.
Some souls lingered because of unresolved regrets in the mortal world; others were bound by unspoken farewells left to the living. These spirits, tethered by their attachments, could neither pass on nor return to the mortal world. Only when their inner burdens were lifted would they willingly journey to the Pure Land.
Each spirit remained in its own isolated corner, like faint flickering candlelights in the dark. Though they seemed to be close, an invisible chasm as vast as the heavens kept them forever apart. None of these wandering souls realized there were countless others like them.
But amidst this liminal space, there hovered a single figure radiating faint light.
This figure sat in the void with closed eyes, clad in a white robe of the Sage of Six Paths. A monk's staff rested on his back, and nine pitch-black orbs floated below him.
The Sage of Six Paths.
Or rather, the remnants of his chakra.
As a legendary figure of ancient times who inherited part of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, the Sage of Six Paths wielded godlike power. Even after his death, his chakra persisted in the world in this form, stubbornly safeguarding the ninja realm.
It was precisely because of this lingering chakra that Shigen Emiya had always been cautious. He remained on guard, wary that the Sage's remnants might intervene in the mortal world and disrupt his plans.
In ancient times, Shigen had intentionally disguised himself as a benevolent sage, creating a vision of medical ninjutsu far grander than the ideals of the ninja sect. This lofty vision was meant to deceive the Sage of Six Paths, cloaking Shigen's true motives under a guise of noble intent.
After all…
The Sage of Six Paths was not someone to be judged by ordinary standards.
Shigen, who had never been fully confident in his ability to contend with the Sage, had always chosen to avoid contact. He had never met the Sage face-to-face. Even when the Sage's ally, Gamamaru, extended invitations, Shigen used his mission of healing and saving lives as an excuse to decline.
It wasn't until after the Sage's death that Shigen dared to take a risk—stealing the Sage's remains. That moment was Shigen's only direct encounter with the Sage of Six Paths.
And yet, Shigen did not hesitate to take immediate action to erase any lingering traces. He destroyed the ninja sect for humanity's sake but later resurrected its members as an act of repentance following Asura's plea. This duality served to deceive both Black Zetsu and the Sage himself.
When Shigen died, his chakra was so powerful that his soul could roam freely between the Pure Land, the mortal world, and the liminal space between life and death.
During these wanderings, Shigen had observed the Sage of Six Paths' residual chakra many times. But he had never approached, fearing detection. To maintain this distance, he occasionally even helped lost souls in this liminal space find peace and return to the Pure Land.
Sometimes…
Shigen felt like he was genuinely a good person.
From ancient times to the present, whenever questioned about his actions, Shigen could truthfully say he had never committed a truly evil deed. Even the combined benevolent acts of the Sage and his descendants paled in comparison to Shigen's lifetime of selfless service.
Sure, a few deaths here and there…
But those were simply the necessary actions of someone enforcing order during chaotic times.
From any perspective, Shigen's actions shouldn't have drawn the Sage's suspicion. Yet he remained vigilant.
After all…
Shigen was a transmigrator.
As someone from another world, no amount of caution was excessive. To safeguard his plans, he needed a final test to determine whether the Sage of Six Paths would intervene in the affairs of the modern world.
That test was Hashirama Senju.
A man standing at the brink of death…
Hashirama was the perfect subject for this trial.
If the Sage of Six Paths were still concerned about Shigen—a figure wielding the power of the Six Paths—then he would surely intervene to save Hashirama when the latter approached death. But if the Sage remained indifferent to the affairs of the world, focused only on Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's resurrection, then Hashirama would die of natural causes.
Currently, however, Hashirama didn't look like someone nearing the end of his life.
When Shigen arrived at Hashirama's home, he found the First Hokage sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing dice with a chubby, fair-skinned little girl.
A mat was spread out beneath them.
Hashirama, sitting upright with an unusually serious expression, gripped a dice cup tightly in his hand. He seemed even more focused than during his battles with Madara Uchiha.
"Tsunade! Big or small?"
"Umm…"
The little girl sitting across from him, her face scrunched up in deep thought, hesitated. She bit her finger nervously, then clutched her pocket money tightly in one hand.
"Big!"
"Alright, I'll reveal it!"
Hashirama lifted the dice cup in a flourish. Beneath it, three dice showed only one dot each.
"Three ones—small!"
Hashirama burst out laughing, clearly delighted by his win. "Hahaha! Little Tsuna, you lost again!"
"You cheated, Grandpa!"
The little girl pouted angrily.
"Grandpa doesn't cheat…"
Hashirama spread his hands innocently, ruffling her forehead with a laugh. "Little Tsuna, once you sit at the gambling table, you have to accept whatever happens. That's the rule. If you lose, you can only blame yourself!"
"But I haven't won even once!"
The girl fumed, frustrated with Hashirama's so-called "rules of gambling." "I've been practicing so much, but I still keep losing even when the dice sound small!"
"Maybe it's just bad luck…"
Hashirama chuckled, clearly amused by the situation. For him, playing against someone with such terrible luck was a rare joy.
Still, Tsunade's terrible luck seemed to be souring her mood.
Knowing his granddaughter well, Hashirama handed her a stack of money from the mat, smiling indulgently. "This is a loan from Grandpa. No interest! Now that you've got money again, do you want to keep playing?"
"Play!"
Tsunade immediately beamed and started counting the money.
"…"
Tobirama Senju, standing at the doorway, wore a complicated expression. His face alternated between disapproval and quiet acceptance.
As someone who had admired his elder brother all his life, Tobirama couldn't help but be exasperated by Hashirama's antics. Yet he also understood that his brother's life was nearing its end. Tobirama didn't have the heart to disrupt what little joy remained to him.
"Hmm?"
Hashirama noticed the visitors and turned to see Tobirama and Shigen standing nearby. His face lit up.
"Lord Shigen, you've returned?"
Hashirama greeted Shigen warmly. Over the past ten years, the two had often crossed paths across the ninja world and had grown into old friends.
Hashirama eagerly motioned for Shigen to join the game, introducing the little girl across from him. "This is Tsuna—Tsunade, my granddaughter…"
Then, leaning closer to Shigen, Hashirama whispered conspiratorially, "She has the worst luck! You'll always win against her!"
With a gleam of mischief, Hashirama extended an invitation. "Lord Shigen, why not join us for a round? Winning feels amazing!"
"Big Brother…"
Tobirama sighed, clearly exasperated.
As if someone like Shigen, with his discipline and wisdom, would ever stoop to gambling.
After all, Shigen had spent the past ten years traveling the world in pursuit of three goals: finding the remnants of the Divine Tree, healing the sick, and documenting medical cases.
Someone like him…
Would never indulge in such frivolity.
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Powerstones?
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