Chapter 388: Chapter 284 : Proposal!!
"You really have created something incredible!"
After reviewing the data on Hollows and learning about what kind of power they possessed, Tobirama Senju was completely stunned.
For the first time in a long while, he truly felt how unpredictable the world could be.
Since his resurrection, the information revealed by Kagetsu and Orochimaru, along with the technologies they had developed, had repeatedly shocked him.
But along with that shock came a strange kind of joy.
It was a pure, uncontrollable excitement—like a hunter spotting rare prey.
Even during his reign as the Second Hokage, Tobirama had never stopped researching and developing forbidden jutsu.
And now, after being revived, he no longer bore the responsibilities of Hokage.
With more time and freedom at his disposal, of course he wouldn’t abandon his pursuit of jutsu.
Now, a new kind of power—and an entirely new power system—was slowly unfolding before his eyes like a magnificent painting.
And even just glimpsing the tip of the iceberg filled him with awe.
This power came with something similar to a kekkei genkai, but it was even more unique—something that awakened differently for each individual.
That uniqueness stirred his curiosity and desire to study even more.
He was eager to find out: once he mastered this power, what kind of unique ability would awaken in him?
For a moment, Tobirama couldn’t decide whether he should continue searching for Madara’s whereabouts or stay and study the fusion of ninjutsu and Hollow powers.
This kind of hesitation... it was something he hadn’t felt in a very long time.
In fact, ever since he had witnessed the death of his brother Hashirama and so many of their clansmen—since he’d become an adult and gone through the trials that followed—Tobirama had always been able to stay calm and make decisions with clarity.
Even in the face of death, he could choose between his own life and the village’s future without a second thought.
"The power of Hollows is destined to spread in the future. Neither I nor Orochimaru-sensei plan to stop it," Kagetsu said calmly.
"Because this involves the expansion and growth of Hueco Mundo. But right now, the way it’s being used is still quite shallow."
"Currently, the power of Hollows—or rather, the root-level aggregation of spiritual particles—resembles how the Sage of Six Paths spread chakra a thousand years ago. Strictly speaking, there’s no established ’ninjutsu system’ tailored for it yet."
Kagetsu looked at the Second Hokage with clear anticipation.
"You want me to create a new system—one based on Hollow power, but functioning like ninjutsu?" Tobirama Senju’s eyes flickered slightly. In that moment, Kagetsu’s words tilted the scales in his mind.
It was indeed a hard temptation to resist. Especially in his current state after being resurrected—it couldn’t be more suitable.
He didn’t need to worry about politics or war anymore. Instead, he had something to occupy his time that aligned with his interests.
And not just busywork—this was near-creation from nothing, the opportunity to build an entirely new jutsu system!
It was "near" creation because, according to the intelligence he had reviewed, there were already a few techniques that combined Hollow power with existing ninjutsu.
If they wanted regular shinobi to use this power, the first step would be teaching them how to harness Hollow energy, then how to apply it using specialized techniques—similar to senjutsu.
But the barrier to entry was incredibly high.
And if one was in a purified soul state after death, completely saturated with Hollow energy, then using these hybrid techniques didn’t quite fit.
Clearly, Kagetsu wanted him to handle both aspects: one system designed for pure Hollows, and the other for shinobi who had gained Hollow powers—to create suitable techniques for both.
Just like how he once created those unimaginable forbidden techniques for the Hidden Leaf Village.
"I see someone has already started walking this path. So why not continue down it?" Tobirama Senju pointed at the intel he was reading and turned to ask Nara Kagetsu.
From the techniques recorded in the documents, it was clear that the creator had already lowered the threshold as much as possible.
Even chakra users could now utilize these techniques—though the cost in chakra was rather high.
But without a doubt, even the simplified and more accessible versions didn’t lose their brilliance.
The true essence lay in the structure and thought behind the techniques—that was the most important, the core.
As a master of forbidden jutsu creation, Tobirama understood this better than anyone else.
The hardest part was starting with no path at all.
But once there was a goal and inspiration, as long as the creator kept moving forward and refined that creativity into something teachable, it was only natural that countless successors would rise up to build on it.
It was just like the hand seals of ninjutsu or the seals of sealing jutsu—once you mastered the "language," you could write a piece that was entirely your own.
Tobirama had already seen the beginnings of such a framework written on the scroll.
"Not enough manpower. Or more precisely—not enough talented manpower," Kagetsu sighed and began counting on his fingers as he explained to Tobirama.
"Tsunade, Orochimaru-sensei, and I all have our own duties and research to manage. Those projects have higher priority, and we simply don’t have the energy to spare. Even though the economy of the village has greatly improved under various policies, we still can’t afford to waste funds carelessly."
"There are people in the Technology Development Department studying and developing the power of the Hollows. But progress has been... slow, influenced by many factors."
"Before you came, the best candidate was the retired Third Hokage. But he’s only just stepped down and started enjoying his retirement. Orochimaru-sensei doesn’t plan to bother him."
"Besides, as a fellow researcher, you should understand. On the road of research, there are always things that are hard for others to accept."
"Many of the Technology Development Department’s studies would be considered heretical—or even taboo—by villagers and the rest of the shinobi world. Like resurrection techniques!"
"There are many similar taboo studies. Even I, the head of the Technology Development Department, can’t say I fully understand every single current research project."
"For example, take Orochimaru-sensei. I’m sure he’s conducting his own forbidden research—probably involving the soul. But since he keeps it so secret, I can’t really dig too deep into it."
"Now that you’ve been revived, and considering you were the teacher of the Third Hokage, I believe you’re actually a better candidate than him. If you were to take the lead, I think the development of this new power system could make a breakthrough."
"But Madara..." Tobirama Senju was almost convinced by everything Kagetsu had laid out, but just the thought of Madara made it hard for him to decide so easily.
"Madara isn’t as big of a threat as he once was. Even if something unexpected happens and he somehow gets resurrected, Konoha still has enough power to suppress him.
That’s why, although Orochimaru-sensei and I have been secretly tracking his whereabouts, we haven’t been in a rush or panicking about it.
If it still bothers you, you can always spare a little time from your research and have Orochimaru-sensei help you create a soul clone. That way, it can search for Madara in your place."
Kagetsu offered his final suggestion calmly.
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