Crack!
Suddenly, a series of shattering sounds echoed.
The test tubes containing Hashirama's cells all shattered like lightbulbs being smashed.
The droplets of green liquid connected together, climbing up towards Hashirama's fingers.
In an instant, all the green droplets were absorbed into his body.
Buzz!
Hashirama's body trembled slightly. He felt an intense surge of vitality, and each pure droplet contained an overwhelming sense of life.
"As expected from the First Hokage!"
Orochimaru's narrow, snake-like eyes sparkled with excitement. He couldn't help but be thrilled as he watched this scene.
He had conducted countless experiments on Hashirama's cells!
Hashirama's cells possessed extraordinary vitality and an equally strong exclusivity.
These traits were what excited Orochimaru the most.
Senju Hashirama's cells remained alive even decades after his death, and his face would manifest no matter where the cells were injected.
This is why almost all of the babies used in experimental subjects were unable to handle the strength of Hashirama's cells.
Of course, there was one exception.
Orochimaru thought of this and subtly glanced at the white-robed Anbu leader standing not far away, a playful smile curling on his lips.
"Orochimaru, now it's clear how foolish our experiments were back then!"
The Third Hokage said in a deep voice.
He clearly saw that all the stored Hashirama cells had been absorbed into Senju Hashirama's reanimated body.
As expected of Hashirama himself!
However...
Hashirama could no longer hear the thoughts of Orochimaru or the Third Hokage.
At this moment, Hashirama's body was overwhelmed by a terrifying life force.
This force surged through his entire body.
The cracks in his body sealed wherever it flowed, and even his skin became more vibrant and pure white.
A few moments later, all of the Hashirama cells accumulated around his heart and turned into a fist-sized ball of liquid.
The green liquid then transformed into strands of blood, forming blood vessels and generating flesh, eventually becoming a fully formed heart.
Thump!
In an instant, Hashirama's heart gave a powerful beat.
The sound wasn't loud, but the silence in the room made the sudden heartbeat reverberate, causing everyone's expressions to change.
However, this was a reanimated corpse from the Edo Tensei!
How could a dead man have a heartbeat?
Their suspicions seemed confirmed, as the heartbeat did not occur again, and it was just a fleeting beat, like a flower blooming for only a moment.
This made everyone think it was simply an illusion caused by their nervousness.
Puck fluttered her wings and flew to Hashirama's front with a pink flip phone, and her chubby little fingers were tapping on the phone.
"Detected an increase in the host's Hashirama cells!"
"Current Hashirama cell level: 23%!"
"Host, you absorbed such powerful energy!"
"The system managed to take a bit of energy too. It's possible some functions might be restored. I'm going to power down for now!"
"Good luck, Host!"
Puck struck a cute pose toward Hashirama, then pressed the power button on the phone.
Whoosh!
She transformed into a stream of light and entered Hashirama's body, disappearing without another sound.
"This..."
Hashirama was entirely amused by the antics of this Puck system.
Just a moment ago, he was hoping the system might recover enough to let him draw some sort of prize.
But he never expected this, and the system actually powered down!
When will it restart?
'She didn't even give a timeframe!'
Hashirama felt a bit helpless.
He thought he had ended up with a system that hadn't passed proper certification.
Aside from being cute, she was practically useless.
Now...
She couldn't even do the cute stuff anymore.
He stopped thinking about her because she had reminded him of something important.
The harvest was bigger than he thought it would be now that twenty-three percent of his body was composed of Hashirama cells.
He withdrew his hand, and his movements felt smoother and less restricted by the sensation of being made of paper.
"Orochimaru!"
He suddenly turned around with his pitch-black eyes fixed on Orochimaru and spoke in a commanding tone.
"Take me to your laboratory!"
Whoosh!
As soon as Hashirama turned, everyone widened their eyes, filled with shock.
The cracks on Hashirama's reanimated face had completely healed.
Although he still had no color in his cheeks, he no longer looked like a corpse.
Incredible!
Everyone's breathing became more rapid, deeply realizing that a monster from a Warring State era had been brought back.
"Yes!"
Orochimaru suppressed his smile, fully aware that the pressure radiating from the First Hokage had become even stronger.
After absorbing the Hashirama cells, the First Hokage's body began to regenerate!
Orochimaru's heartbeat quickened as if he could glimpse the hope of immortality from this legendary figure.
"Hokage-sama, what are your plans for the future?"
The Third Hokage cautiously asked.
"Plans?"'
Hashirama paused momentarily, gazing at his old face while contemplating.
Then, Hashirama gave a response that left them speechless.
"I haven't decided yet."
Afterward, there was complete silence in the room.
No one dared to respond, nor did anyone dare to laugh. The atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward.
"But…"
Hashirama's words shattered the quiet again, prompting everyone to hold their breath and strain their ears so they could hear his words.
"I love peace, and that much you all should know. I founded the Village of Konoha to put an end to the wars between clans. But now, with so many villages, it's like each one has become a larger clan. Because of that... War will never truly end."
Hashirama spoke casually as if discussing something simple, but his words sent chills down everyone's spine.
"What do you mean by that…?"
Sarutobi easily picks up on the underlying message.
It was too vast, involving the entire shinobi world.
"We'll talk about that later. I have more important things to deal with right now. Of course… You can arrange a Five Kage Summit if you want. I'm curious to hear the thoughts of the other Kage. But…"
Hashirama said casually, but the moment he finished, his demeanor shifted abruptly, becoming stern.
The air around him seemed to freeze, and the tension skyrocketed.
"I might not accept their opinions!"