novelraw Chapter 485 The Order of the Pure Land
Chapter 485 The Order of the Pure Land
Tobirama Senju's eardrums are being relentlessly ravaged.
"Tobirama! How many times have I told you! Don't develop those dangerous forbidden techniques! You just won't listen!" Hashirama Senju's booming voice, with its soul-piercing power, poured directly into his brother's auditory system.
"And then what? They even invented that kind of blasphemous art! Look at that! Now they're getting their comeuppance!"
Hashirama's finger almost poked Tobirama's still bright red "3.8" mark on his head. His tone was a mixture of heartache, disappointment, and a hint of regret for his brother's self-inflicted suffering.
Tobirama Senju expressionlessly covered one of his ears with his palm. Then he covered the other ear.
...It's so noisy.
He silently recited it in his heart, and the character "井" (well) that he had been holding back for a long time appeared between his brows.
His "Will of Fire," which embodies compassion for all living beings and has a broad vision for the world, is fundamentally different from that of his elder brother, Hashirama Senju.
Tobirama always adhered to a colder, more pragmatic logic—if you want to become Hokage and protect the village, you must abandon unnecessary sentimentality at certain times and make necessary decisions, even if those decisions are not morally perfect.
It is precisely because he is the Hokage that he must maintain a ruthless attitude.
Whether it was the Impure World Reincarnation, the dangers of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, or the development of other forbidden techniques... he never regretted it.
These techniques do indeed carry risks and could be misused, but they are also Konoha's trump cards in times of crisis. They are the fuses he left for the village under limited conditions, enough to turn the tide of battle.
As for how one will be evaluated after death, or how much sin they will be given—that doesn't matter.
While using his powerful mental strength to forcefully block out Hashirama's continuous condemnation, Tobirama turned his gaze to the grassland in the distance.
His keen observation had never diminished with death. Soon, he noticed two distinctly opposing groups of souls, their atmosphere as tense as a taut bowstring.
On one side were ninjas, mostly with dark or bronze skin, and resolute, even fierce, expressions. Their foreheads—some intact, others bearing the scars of battle along with parts of their soul outlines—were uniformly adorned with scratched headbands, the inscriptions of which Senju Tobirama had etched into his very bones during his lifetime.
Hidden Cloud Village. Ninjas from the Land of Lightning.
Opposing them was another group of souls with a more composed and profound demeanor, their skin tinged with an earthy yellow hue. They wore headbands.
Iwagakure (Hidden Rock Village). Ninja from the Land of Earth.
The two sides were clearly separated, as if a wall of burning hatred separated them. They had not yet made a move, but every word uttered by the ninjas on both sides was like poison, carrying a cruel and sharp edge that wanted to tear the other's soul apart once again.
Tobirama Senju subtly shifted his attention away from Hashirama's sonic attack and listened intently.
"...Despicable and shameless Iwagakure! They actually used that underhanded human wave tactic! It caused our Third Raikage to be shot at from the shadows by you bunch of cowards hiding in the crowd..."
"Ha! Ridiculous! That giant covered in lightning was just stupid! To cover the retreat of his mere subordinates, he actually dared to face ten thousand of our ninjas head-on! His death was purely because his brain was all muscle!"
"What did you say?! You're asking for it—!"
"What, want to die again? We Iwagakure aren't afraid of your Kumogakure!"
The verbal battle between the two sides escalated rapidly, with profanities and old grudges intertwined, and the air was thick with a murderous intent that seemed to solidify into reality.
The Third Raikage... huh?
Senju Tobirama lowered his eyes thoughtfully.
It seems that after his death in the Second Shinobi World War, other ninja villages outside of Konoha also produced "Kage" who were remembered by later generations and revered as legends.
Fighting against ten thousand men, dying from exhaustion... While this way of dying in battle might seem overly idealistic to someone who values efficiency and results, it undeniably carries a certain dignity for a "shadow."
So, here's the question.
Tobirama's gaze shifted between the two groups of souls on the verge of losing control, then he raised his eyes and swept over the "new pure land" that had been transformed into a grassland and had an artificial sun hanging there.
Based on the common sense that had previously flooded into consciousness, this world already had administrators and had established basic rules of order—the [Sin Index] and the [Mirror of Cause and Effect].
These adversaries, who are ready to fight at the first sign of trouble, clearly haven't grasped the situation. Or rather, they have, but their hatred outweighs their reason.
Tobirama Senju calmly analyzed the situation.
If left unchecked, a conflict between these two ninja groups, each with hundreds or even thousands of souls, would not only turn this newly created sanctuary into a battlefield, but could also trigger a chain reaction, drawing in other ninja village souls with similar old grudges to join the melee.
So, what will the "managers" who have taken over the Pure Land do?
It finally started.
In the air, the chakra of Earth Release and Lightning Release began to gather wildly.
The Iwa ninja formed hand seals, and the grass beneath their feet shimmered with a yellowish-brown light. The Kumo ninja were surrounded by dazzling lightning, and blue-white arcs of electricity crackled. There was not a trace of hesitation in their eyes—they would fight to the death. This was a blood feud that had lasted for decades and was etched into their very bones.
Just as these two ninjutsu techniques, powerful enough to blast a giant crater into this pristine land, were about to collide—
"roar--!!!"
A sharp screech suddenly exploded in the very center of the battlefield!
What appeared out of thin air was not any ninjutsu, nor any familiar summoning beast, but—
A group of giant lizards, reaching waist height, covered in mottled scales, with strong hind limbs and sharp, hook-like forepaws...?
No, that slender figure, that alert posture, and those distinctive, scythe-like claws—it was clearly—
"A velociraptor...?!"
Tobirama Senju unconsciously uttered the word; with his vast knowledge, he certainly recognized this ancient creature from the distant Cretaceous period. It was the most formidable hunter of that era.
And these hunters were now cutting into the battlefield with incredible agility. A velociraptor leaped up nimbly, using its claws, sharp enough to rip open bellies, to precisely knock away a lightning ball that was about to slip from its grasp.
On the other side, he bent down and flipped over three Iwa ninja who were halfway through forming hand seals, controlling the force perfectly—making them dizzy and disoriented, but without causing any real damage.
In just a few breaths, the Cloud Ninja and Rock Ninja, who were originally on the verge of exchanging blows, were completely suppressed by this group of prehistoric guards who suddenly appeared.
They were either pinned to the ground or surrounded by a dense circle of velociraptors, unable to move, their faces filled with shock and bewilderment.
"These dinosaurs...are they...guardians of the Pure Land?" Tobirama's confusion deepened.
But why dinosaurs?
The question swirled in his rapidly working mind, but he couldn't find any logical answer.
What connection do dinosaurs have with the Pure Land and the order of the dead?
Then--
"call--"
A heavy breath, warm and fishy, suddenly sprayed onto the back of his neck.
The airflow was so thick that Tobirama could feel the immense lung capacity contained within it, as well as the oppressive feeling of a top predator so close at hand.
He and Hashirama turned around abruptly almost simultaneously!
A colossal creature had silently appeared behind the two of them.
It has a huge head that could swallow an adult man whole, a mouthful of dagger-like white teeth, and—in a comical contrast to its massive body—short but strong forelimbs.
Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The true apex predator of the Cretaceous period, standing at the very top of the food chain.
It silently gazed down at the two, its amber vertical pupils reflecting the frozen figures of the Thousand Hands brothers. Then, its massive, scale-covered jaws opened and closed slightly, uttering a low, steady human language.
"Hashirama Senju... and Tobirama Senju... the rulers of the Pure Land..."
It can talk.
Tyrannosaurus Rex could talk.
Tobirama Senju's pupils contracted violently. His brain received too much information beyond his comprehension in that one second, causing his usually proud analytical abilities to momentarily go blank.
"terribly sorry--!!!"
But suddenly, Hashirama Senju beside him unleashed a deafening roar, his voice filled with a desperate resolve that even caused the Tyrannosaurus Rex in front of him to take a slight step back.
Hashirama bowed deeply, at a ninety-degree angle, in a humble posture.
"I know! Tobirama developed many forbidden techniques, which had an immeasurable impact on later generations! Some of these techniques even desecrated the dignity of the dead!"
Hashirama's voice trembled with pleading, without the slightest hesitation, "But he did all this for Konoha! To ensure the village could protect itself in times of crisis! I know such an explanation is insufficient to absolve him of his sins—but please! Please forgive Tobirama!"
"I will stay with him to atone for his sins! No matter how many years it takes, no matter what punishment we have to endure, I will bear it with him! So—please, don't send my brother to hell!"
"..."
Tobirama Senju stood there, the color draining from his face at a visible speed, only to be replaced by a deep crimson tinged with shame and anger.
"...Big brother." His voice was extremely low, "Shut up first."
"What?! Tobirama! Didn't you see I was pleading for you?!" Hashirama suddenly straightened up, his face a mixture of grievance and urgency. "Do you want to go to hell?! That's hell! I've heard there are mountains of knives, fiery cliffs, tongues licked with oil—!"
"I didn't ask you to plead for me!" A vein throbbed on Tobirama's forehead. "Besides, you don't even understand the situation! It hasn't said anything yet, and you—"
"It'll be too late by the time it speaks! Didn't you see how big its teeth are? It could swallow us both whole in one gulp! By the time we get to hell, it'll be too late!"
"Then let it swallow us! We're already dead anyway, one more swallow won't make us any worse—!"
"How could you say such a thing! You're my brother!"
"So you can portray me in front of outsiders as an incompetent fool who needs his brother to kneel and beg for mercy to avoid hell?!"
The Tyrannosaurus Rex lowered its massive head, its amber vertical pupils reflecting the two arguing, thousand-armed brothers.
It blinked.
……hell?
It was merely following the command of its creator, bringing these two people to see their master. What are "mountains of knives, fire, altitude, tongue, and oil pot"?