Aoba had never expected to face the Sage of Six Paths in such a direct confrontation. Of course, the current Tobirama couldn't possibly wield Hagoromo's full power.
That old schemer was likely in the middle of some crucial stage in his plans and couldn't afford to act personally.
But that didn't mean he was powerless.
In the original story, he was able to grant Naruto and Sasuke the power to seal Kaguya, proving that he was at least on par with her at that time.
He just preferred staying in the shadows.
Now, his approach toward Aoba was no different. His real body didn't appear, he merely possessed Tobirama and engaged in psychological warfare.
However, Aoba soon noticed something strange behind Tobirama.
The previously broken and battered body of Hashirama had somehow been completely restored.
And at this very moment, it was overflowing with an unsettling, immense chakra.
Tobirama no longer bothered to pretend. He stood up and stepped aside, fully revealing what he had done.
He had implanted the chakra core from the lab into Hashirama's body.
Under normal circumstances, this should have been impossible, the core had a diameter of over two meters.
But if both Senju brothers worked together, then it was entirely feasible.
Especially now, when Hashirama's mind appeared clouded. His body was covered in crude, hastily-stitched wounds.
Clearly, Tobirama had used extremely inhumane methods to complete this procedure in such a short amount of time, so brutal that even Hashirama himself was barely able to withstand it.
But given their current location, this state of his was even more dangerous.
Because right now, Hashirama had been turned into a walking bomb.
Aoba didn't even want to imagine what would happen if Hashirama detonated right here.
Half of Konoha would be completely erased.
All of Aoba's efforts over the years would be wiped out in an instant.
It was clear now, the Sage of Six Paths was a master of ruthless, high-level scheming.
He wouldn't act directly, but when he did make a move, it would strike directly at Aoba's weakest point.
And to make things worse, he controlled Tobirama and positioned him as an additional fail-safe.
"Hashirama Senju was my favorite Asura reincarnation," Hagoromo mused.
"His body exhibited certain atavistic traits, making him closer to our mother in terms of physical composition.
That is why he became the most powerful ninja of his time.
In fact, if not for his existence, another one like you might have appeared decades ago."
Aoba actually agreed with this statement. It aligned exactly with his own deductions.
Decades ago, before the ninja villages were established, the great clans constantly waged war against each other.
During that time, many figures must have attempted to unify the Shinobi World.
Among them was Madara Uchiha.
But who could have predicted that this era would give birth to the complete anomaly known as Hashirama Senju?
Not just a political anomaly, someone who rejected unification and instead favored a decentralized system.
But more importantly, nobody could defeat him.
It was absurd, but it became reality.
And because of him, the path to unifying the Shinobi World was cut off.
Thus, the world was doomed to decades of endless war.
In a sense, Hashirama single-handedly ensured that the Shinobi World remained divided.
And now, the Sage of Six Paths was trying to do it again.
Trying to undo all of Aoba's efforts.
"You really think you can destroy me from the inside?" Aoba asked staring at Tobirama, or rather, Hagoromo calmly.
"Of course," Hagoromo replied with absolute certainty.
"I know you always like to prepare contingencies.
I know that you left self-destruct mechanisms in every chakra core.
I know that you placed multiple Flying Thunder God seals in them as well.
But Tobirama is well aware of all your tricks.
Every single one of your contingencies has already been disabled.
Even though I am far away, there are still certain things I can do.
I personally verified it, the chakra core's failsafes have been completely erased.
Now, Aoba Kamikawa, this is the end.
Yes, you can wield some natural energy, but it is not easy to control.
You have sealed away all of your chakra. That means you have lost your past combat capabilities.
You were too confident, so confident that you walked in here alone.
That is why you have failed.
From this moment forward, you and Konoha will cease to exist.
Everything will return to its proper course."
If you would like to read more...
The novel has be completed (Chp. 362) on the patreon -> SaintXI