Chapter 24: The Sparks of the God of Shinobi Reignited Once Again!

Hashirama was holding the scroll with a solemn expression. 

He just saw the extermination mission Seimei was assigned to and wondered if his younger brother had finally gone mad from researching Forbidden Jutsu.

Uzumaki Mito also noticed the shift in the atmosphere.

She walked to Hashirama and asked, "What's wrong, Hashi?"

Hashirama finally took his eyes off the scroll and stared at his brother, who was standing with a calm expression, his hands folded in front of his chest.

Tobirama's whole demeanor screamed "The world can go to hell, I don't give a damn!," which irked Hashirama even more.

"What's wrong? Just take a look at the mission Seimei was assigned and you will understand what's wrong!"

Hashirama finally snapped, and he handed the scroll to Mito, who took it and immediately started reading the mission details.

Hashirama then turned to Tobirama and demanded, "Have you finally lost it, Tobirama? How could you do this?"

Tobirama maintained his signature "As calm as water" attitude and replied, "I don't know what you mean, brother!"

"You don't know what I mean? You literally threw an 8-year-old kid into the jaws of a B-rank Chakra Beast and its pack, and you dare to say you don't know what I mean?"

"I still can't see what's wrong with that."

"You're still denying it? Is Seimei not your son anymore? Is it because he's just your foster son?"

Tobirama finally had enough. His face instantly darkened. The chakra pressure around him intensified.

"I'm warning you, brother. Do not slight my care for my son."

"Foster or not, it doesn't matter to me. Senju Seimei is my son. Nobody can question this."

"As for your accusation of me throwing him into the jaws of Chakra Beasts, that's pure nonsense."

"I assigned him this mission precisely because I understand his strengths and weaknesses well."

"Anything less than a B-rank Chakra Beast won't be a challenge to him at all."

"Otherwise, it won't be a combat mission to give him real-life experience anymore. It would be a joke."

Tobirama blurted everything in one breath, giving Hashirama no room to argue back.

After taking a deep breath, Tobirama continued, "I even assigned two capable Jonin to protect him from a life-threatening situation. And you say I don't care about my son."

"If that's the case, I might as well stop him from being a Ninja."

"The life of a Shinobi is full of thorns, blood, slaughter, and cruelty."

"We established Konoha to ensure children no longer have to die on battlefields."

"But what about when they grow up?"

"If they don't face life-and-death trials and grow stronger, they will be killed. Sooner or later."

"I refuse to hear the news of Seimei's death from some distant land just because I went easy on him during his training phase."

"I would rather make him sweat and bleed right now than have him bleed to death against some random enemy Shinobi or Chakra Beast."

With that, Tobirama stopped talking and stared right at his brother.

Hashirama was speechless and struggled to find any words to rebut.

Just then, Mito put a hand on his shoulder.

Hashirama turned to Mito with a lost look and muttered, "Mito?"

Mito shook her head and smiled at him.

"What Tobirama said is true, Hashi."

"The world is a cruel place."

"Since Seimei wants to become a Shinobi, we must ensure that he becomes the very best there is."

"Only this way can we ensure his survival in future battles."

"For a Shinobi, weakness and lack of experience will only lead to death. You know that, Hashi. Otherwise, we wouldn't have faced so much tragedy and watched so many of our kin die during the Warring States Era."

Hearing this, Hashirama finally calmed down.

Seeing his expression relax, Mito also smiled and mentioned, "Besides, Tobirama was right about C-rank beasts not being a challenge for Seimei."

"He even played the B-rank beast like a fiddle and eliminated it and its pack without even a single scratch."

Mito said and handed the scroll back to Hashirama.

Hashirama read the mission details for ten whole minutes before putting the scroll down.

"It's true. Seimei, my nephew, has become strong."

"Maybe the years of peace weakened my mentality and resolve. I forgot my ninja way. I forgot who I am."

"I am the God of Shinobi. A ninja above all else. I protected the clan, and now, it's my duty to ensure the entire Konoha's prosperity and protect it from harm."

Hashirama murmured as his gaze hardened and once again filled with determination.

The spark of the true God of Shinobi that had once dimmed ignited once more. 

Hashirama looked toward his brother and apologized, "I'm very sorry, Tobirama."

"You had to witness such an ugly spectacle."

Tobirama smirked at him, "No worries, brother."

"As long as you can stand on your feet again, that's all I ask for."

"Please focus on recovering from your wounds. It may take a few decades. But I'm sure you will pull through."

Hashirama nodded and said, "Yes, I understand. Thank you, Tobirama—my brother."

Then he turned to his wife again, "And thank you too, Mito."

"You had to deal with a man with a weakened spirit—a far cry from the indomitable Shinobi who you admired so much."

"This won't happen anymore."

"I may be weak now."

"But I will recover, eventually. And when I do, I will once again return to the battlefield."

"I will once again become the God of Shinobi whom the enemies of the Land of Fire feared and dreaded all these years."

Hashirama's vitality surged. The spirit that had been weakened for so many years began to shine again.

Chakra was a miraculous supernatural energy.

It could make people stronger, sharper, and more resilient, and help them live longer.

It could create miracles—make impossible things possible.

This supernatural energy could make plants grow in scorching deserts, create mountains, mend wounds, and do many, many things that would have been impossible otherwise.

Chakra. This miraculous energy is formed by combining the physical and spiritual energy of the living beings.

That was exactly why Shinobi, who utilizes chakra, must have a mind of steel. Their determination must never shake.

Because the moment their spirit weakens and they become depressed, it would affect their chakra negatively.

And the result?

 • Weakened physical capabilities

 • A drastic decrease in combat power

 • A sharp reduction in regeneration and rejuvenation capabilities

 • Decreased lifespan

Senju Hashirama was suffering from the same problem.

His close friend, Uchiha Madara, died in his own hands. For the safety of the village and his loved ones, he was forced to kill his lifelong friend.

A person he probably cherished even more than his own brother.

For a relatively soft-hearted person like Senju Hashirama, such an event was devastating.

He began having frequent nightmares of his dead friend, Madara.

He succumbed to self-blame and depression.

And the peaceful atmosphere of the village created an illusion that made him think that the world didn't need him anymore, further weakening his spirit.

But not anymore!

Although it was unexpected, the extermination mission of Seimei and the after-talk ignited the spirit of Hashirama once again.

An unexpected windfall indeed.

The God of Shinobi is back!

Just by sensing the surge of vitality and chakra in his brother's body, Tobirama could confirm that Hashirama is surely bouncing back from his weakened state.

Although it wouldn't heal his internal wounds immediately, the total time needed for recovery would be reduced by at least one or two decades.

For Tobirama and Mito, it was indeed good news.

Mito hugged Hashirama happily, and Hashirama hugged her back.

Seeing things escalate, Tobirama quickly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and escaped.

Senju Tobirama was now outside his home.

Gentle air brushed past his face as he watched birds flying and chirping happily in the bright blue sky.

Tobirama turned toward his home and broke into a gentle smile that he rarely showed to anyone.

He took a deep breath. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.

Tobirama then turned to gaze into the sky and said with a faint voice, "Welcome."

"Welcome back, my brother!"

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