Senju Hashirama covered his head, pouting slightly in dissatisfaction. "But what I said is obviously the truth! There is no real point in being Hokage! If you have that kind of time, you might as well go play with Madara…"
Uchiha Madara sighed, shaking his head in exasperation, yet the faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips betrayed his amusement. Then, without warning—
Bang!
Hashirama recoiled, rubbing his forehead where Madara had just smacked him. "Did you hit me too?!"
"Shut up, you idiot! Do you still want the Rinnegan or not?!"
At the mention of the fabled Rinnegan, Hashirama's expression shifted instantly. His head bobbed up and down furiously, resembling a chicken pecking at rice. "I want it! Of course, I want it! Madara!!! I want to fuse with you!!!"
Madara's face twisted into horror as he instinctively took a few steps back, remembering a rather traumatizing incident from their time in the psychic space.
Back then, Hashirama had declared his intention to "fuse" with him right away—attempting not only to bite him but even going so far as to try and remove his own clothes. The memory sent shivers down his spine.
The other people in the room, particularly the younger generation of Konoha, were staring at the First Hokage in sheer disbelief. Did they hear that correctly? Fusion?
Each member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja exchanged bewildered glances.
Wait a minute. The First Hokage… had a wife, didn't he?
And this so-called fusion… was between two men?
Was this really happening?
Even Senju Tobirama, who had up until now been listening in silence, felt his eyelid twitch uncontrollably. His elder brother's eyes were gleaming with unsettling enthusiasm.
Curse these evil Uchihas!
First, Uchiha Madara had completely ensnared his foolish elder brother, stealing his heart like a malevolent siren. Then there was Uchiha Izuna, who had been persistently following him around for days now. And worst of all—his own father, Butsuma Senju, had been seen strolling through the village alongside Uchiha Tajima on multiple occasions!
It was all the fault of the Uchiha!
At this moment, the Twelve Ninja of Konoha suddenly felt like they had seen something eerily familiar. Slowly, their eyes shifted toward a certain duo.
Their gazes landed on Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke.
And then, in perfect unison, their expressions grew strangely… ambiguous.
Naruto, being as oblivious as ever, paid no attention to the unusual looks. But Sasuke, ever perceptive, stiffened slightly.
For some reason, an image flashed through his mind. A certain familiar figure… Uzumaki Naruko.
He shook his head. Just an illusion. Nothing more than a fleeting dream…
Orochimaru's deep, eerie voice interrupted the bizarre atmosphere.
"I have conducted extensive research on the cells of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara. The results are… quite fascinating," he said, his golden eyes gleaming with intrigue.
He paused for a moment to let his words sink in before continuing.
"The cells within their bodies are unlike any others. They do not merely exist independently; they actively seek one another. It is as though they recognize each other at a fundamental level. This is highly unusual, even among direct blood relatives."
The room fell into a contemplative silence.
"Chakra, as we understand it, originates from the same source—the Sage of Six Paths. However, the chakra of these two individuals… it is far closer than that of ordinary humans. If one were to simplify it, their chakra is more akin to that of brothers born from the same mother."
He let the statement linger in the air before elaborating.
"More importantly, Uchiha Madara's body has perfectly fused with the cells of the First Hokage. There was no cellular rejection, no complications. In fact, rather than opposing one another, their cells have combined to create something entirely new. An entirely new form of energy was born from their union."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a knowing smirk.
"I believe that this is the reason Uchiha Madara was able to awaken the Rinnegan."
At this, the room collectively held its breath.
Hashirama's eyes widened in shock. "So… you're saying that if I were to transplant Madara's cells into my body, I might also be able to awaken the Rinnegan?"
Orochimaru's smile deepened. "That is my hypothesis, yes. But of course… we would need to conduct further testing to be sure."
With that, he turned toward Madara himself.
"Senior Uchiha Madara, would you mind sharing any peculiar sensations you experienced after fusing with the First Hokage's cells? Did you feel any changes in your chakra, your body, or… perhaps… in a particular part of your anatomy?"
The room collectively turned toward Madara.
Madara Uchiha, the man feared as the strongest of the Uchiha, suddenly tensed. His face turned an unusual shade of red, and he subconsciously adjusted his collar.
"Ahem." He coughed lightly. "No strange changes. Just a normal fusion."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him closely. He could tell that Madara was hiding something.
Hashirama tilted his head in confusion. Normally, Madara wasn't so reserved. Could there be some secret he wasn't telling them?
Souta Kazuki, who had been observing the entire scene unfold, suddenly let out a quiet chuckle. Then another. Until, finally, he burst into full-blown laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha…"
The entire room turned toward him.
Hashirama blinked in confusion. "Souta, what's so funny?"
Souta wiped a tear from his eye, his lips curving into an amused smirk.
"Oh, it's nothing, really. It's just… I was just thinking about what the First Hokage might look like after transplanting Madara's cells."
His smile widened.
"After all, when Madara fused with your cells, a certain… interesting tattoo appeared on his body."
The entire room went silent.
Hashirama froze. Madara's eye twitched. Orochimaru's smirk grew. And then—
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Souta's laughter echoed through the chamber once more.