Konoha: Offer your heart to the Hokage!

Mito Uzumaki understood his intentions and, after his death, firmly upheld the policy of "restricting Tobirama."

Mito remained calm and said, "So, you can also use shadow clones, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you will temporarily use your shadow clone to impersonate Hashirama and stabilize the situation. I believe you can grasp the right timing to ensure Konoha smoothly transitions to an era without Hashirama."

"The villagers of Konoha cannot live in a false illusion of peace for long."

Huh? I'm going to be Hashirama?

Shen Er was silent for a moment, never expecting to receive a Hashirama trial card.

But from Mito's perspective, his temperament was more suited to this job than Tobirama's.

“Well… alright, leave it to me,” Shen Er agreed.

The time spent impersonating Hashirama won't be long, it might even be over in a few days. After all, it's just a stand-in, and it's impossible for him to actually issue any crucial orders as Hokage in front of Mito and Tobirama.

At most, he would appear in Hashirama's form to send official letters to the four great ninja villages, maintain relations with their second-generation leaders, and then make an appearance in front of the Hokage Building to give a few speeches to unite people.

Tobirama had no objection to this arrangement.

He realized that even on his deathbed, his elder brother was still thinking about the taboo things he had broken.

But it doesn't matter anymore...

Having Shen play the eldest brother is the same as having yourself play the eldest brother.

Next, they discussed the disposal of the remains of the main body.

"My brother's body cannot be disposed of according to the agreement on the consent form," Tobirama emphasized. "Perhaps even my brother himself did not realize that his cells were as poisonous as poison to ordinary ninjas. If his organs were transplanted to others, it would not only fail to save them, but would also kill them."

"That's true."

Mito Uzumaki is the most qualified to speak about the characteristics of Hashirama cells. Perhaps it is because she possesses the special bloodline of the Uzumaki clan that she is able to barely neutralize and counteract the toxicity inherent in Hashirama cells.

“Let him be buried secretly in the Senju clan’s territory,” Tobirama said.

"This is not good."

Shen Er immediately objected, as he had been anticipating this move, and it turned out he had caught him off guard: "Hashirama emphasized that he hoped his remains could still do something for Konoha, and we should follow his will."

Tobirama frowned: "But..."

"It's not for transplanting organs to an individual, nor is it for medical students to practice on; it's for the entire 'Konoha'. I can't bear to see Hashirama, who dedicated his life to Konoha, suffer any more after his death."

Shen interrupted him and slowly explained, "The Gospel Hospital has high-purity crystal coffins and a mature system of corpse preservation."

"The village can build a [Shadow Spirit Hall] to bury Hashirama and other ninjas who will make significant contributions to Konoha in the future. This will greatly enhance the cohesion and sense of honor among Konoha ninjas."

"The Shadow Hall symbolizes that Konoha ninjas can stay with the Hokage in the Pure Land after death."

"The first lesson at the Ninja Academy is to tell the children: the path of the ninja is dangerous. Since you have chosen this path, you must regard dying in battle and entering the Shadow Spirit Hall as the highest honor."

"A Konoha ninja who doesn't want to enter the Konoha Spirit Hall after death is not a good ninja."

hiss

Tobirama couldn't help but exhale, inwardly sighing that Shinji always managed to offer such constructive and imaginative suggestions at crucial moments. Despite being refuted repeatedly, Tobirama wasn't annoyed; instead, he genuinely felt that every word Shinji said made perfect sense.

"I really want to know how Shinji's brain works," Tobirama thought to himself.

As a fellow "ninjutsu development type" ninja, why doesn't he have as many ideas as Shen'er?

It's no wonder that Tobirama would have such thoughts.

Although ninjas possess superhuman strength, they also carry the cultural heritage of another world spanning thousands of years.

He knew perfectly well that Konoha would have a large cemetery in the future, specifically for burying ninjas, and that Black Zetsu had easily stolen the corpses of Konoha ninjas from that very cemetery.

The exact construction date of that large cemetery is unknown; at least at this time, such a place did not exist. Ninja clan members were buried in their own clan's territory after death, while commoner ninjas had to handle their own funeral arrangements.

Now that the great Hokage Hashirama has passed away, it's the perfect time to build a Shadow Hall.

"Hashirama's remains will make him the first ninja to enter the Spirit Hall of Shadows."

"After his body was embalmed, it was placed in a crystal coffin and sent to the Hall of Shadows for future generations of Konoha ninja to view and remember. Let everyone remember Hashirama's contribution to ending the chaos and creating peace."

"As for the specific details, I will have Chiri draft a charter to regularly organize students from the Ninja Academy to go to the Spirit Hall to receive education on the Will of Fire."

"Lord Mito, what do you think?"

Mito Uzumaki had no reason to refuse.

This arrangement not only unites the villagers but also fulfills Hashirama's wish to do his last bit for Konoha, making it far better than Tobirama's suggestion of a secret burial in the clan's territory.

Konoha cannot accept Hashirama's passing so suddenly. The existence of the Spirit Hall is a necessary measure during this transitional period.

Hashirama wasn't mistaken...

In terms of both temperament and methods, he currently appears to be superior to Tobirama. This is both his strength and weakness; he lacks the mindset of a Hokage.

"I'm entrusting this matter to you and Zhili," she said softly.

"I remember kindness received for a thousand years. My parents taught me this. Hashirama gave the Yin Seal to my wife. This kindness is profound. I and Jiri will do our best to handle this matter properly."

Even with her eyes slightly red, she perfectly displayed her sincerity, once again establishing her image as a loyal and devoted person in front of the two of them.

"Having you is a blessing for Konoha." Mito looked at Jin and said sincerely, "Then it's settled."

She solemnly concluded, "Keep the news of Hashirama's passing a secret from the villagers for now. Furthermore, secretly send Hashirama's body to the Gospel Hospital, have it embalmed, and properly place it in a crystal coffin."

"During this time, you will also take on the form of Hashirama to stabilize all sides and ensure that Konoha can smoothly transition and adapt to life without Hashirama. Tobirama, all the responsibilities of the Hokage Building are now entrusted to you."

She paused, her gaze sweeping sharply over the two of them: "We must carry on Hashirama's will and continue forward."

"We must ensure that the glory of Konoha continues from generation to generation!"

Shen Er and Tobirama exchanged a glance and replied in unison:

"Yes!"

Chapter 102 Devouring! The Power of the Wood Release Heart

The second basement level of Gospel Hospital.

It was so quiet that the only sound was the movement of the air.

There was only one person and one corpse here, one standing and one lying down, in an exceptionally deathly silence.

Shen Er stood beside the experimental table, his gaze fixed on Hashirama's remains, his face devoid of all the sincerity he had shown in the Senju clan's territory.

Finally, he could no longer suppress it. He raised his hand to brush aside the black hair on his forehead, his eyes flashing with a terrifying red light, and he threw his head back and laughed wildly.

"Hehehehehe!"

The overhead incandescent light cast Shen'er's shadow on the wall, making it both eerie and terrifying.

Laughter echoed in the small laboratory.

The laughter subsided after a short while.

He lowered his head, and his wicked and manic aura subsided, transforming him back into the doctor whom everyone admired.

He spoke, muttering to himself in the calmest tone, "Glory passed down through generations? Lady Mito, that's too far-fetched. I can't do that."

He had already ordered the area cleared out and layered with barriers. Even if the Byakugan of the Hyuga main family were to peer through with all its might, it would be impossible to see through the barriers and know anything about what was happening there.

With utmost vigilance, no hidden dangers will be left unaddressed, and every matter will be handled flawlessly.

He clapped his hands, and a wisp of smoke from a spirit medium rose up, revealing a corpse from the underground laboratory of the Zen temple.

They even went so far as to remove the experimental subject's heart. This way, there was no need to use the hospital's cadavers for research, avoiding any discrepancies in the records and leaving no traceable evidence.

Shen'er's gaze locked onto Hashirama's chest. She raised her hand, and the Heavenly Compassion Line effortlessly sliced ​​open Hashirama's chest.

Even though Hashirama once possessed superhuman self-healing abilities, this incredible power disappeared after his death.

The person died...

It's heartbreaking to be subjected to anything.

Hashirama Senju's heart was exposed before my eyes. I even took it out completely, then implanted the experimental subject's heart into his chest cavity, and then carefully sutured the chest wound with Tenji Thread.

The plan to switch the prince with a cat was successfully completed.

Even with the Byakugan's X-ray vision, nothing unusual could be detected. Afterwards, Hashirama's body will be moved to the Revenant Hall, where the Anbu will be responsible for its daily guarding, while the care of the body will be entrusted solely to Jin.

Who would have thought that Shen Er would steal from his own post?

Of course, not all clues were left undetected. In the most extreme case, if Hashirama's body were exhumed and examined, his heart would be found to contain no Hashirama cells; it would have been replaced with a fake.

But who dares?

Who dares to be so rebellious as to desecrate the corpse of Hashirama, who is sleeping in the Shadow Spirit Hall?

Shadow Spirit Hall.

On the surface, it appears to be a sanctuary to unite the hearts of the Konoha ninja, but in reality, it is a true cage-like coffin that Shen prepared for Hashirama.

Even if an intuitive underworld detective ninja like "L" suspects Shinji, in order to find evidence to expose Shinji's true nature, he must be prepared to break taboos and blaspheme the heroic spirits first.

If that day ever comes, perhaps public opinion will be like this.

Even if Lord Shen did something to the First Hokage's remains, he must have had his reasons! But you, the whistleblower, for desecrating the sleeping First Hokage, aren't you completely without fault?

He could even secretly manipulate Tobirama into turning against his own brother in order to develop the Edo Tensei. At that point, Tobirama would be blamed for everything, and Tobirama would be branded with all the blame.

Even so, she remains the same pure and virtuous person in everyone's eyes, a good person who is devoted to Konoha.

He considered every possible future step by step, even calculating all the possibilities for the future of Hashirama's corpse, before finally turning his attention back to the experimental table.

Shen Er did not rush to devour the Wood Release heart.

He first meticulously performed a full set of embalming procedures on Hashirama's remains, and then placed them in a crystal coffin.

Even though he secretly plotted against Hashirama, it must be admitted that he took the appearance of propriety and pomp to the extreme.

The crystal coffin, costing a million taels, serves as a testament to Hashirama's noble status during his lifetime.

His understanding of corpses is beyond doubt, making him a prime example of "experience makes perfect." Having handled numerous experimental subjects, he naturally became adept at preparing morticians. His exquisite mortician techniques preserved Hashirama's dignified demeanor to the greatest extent possible, leaving his voice and smile still vivid in memory.

Its inner workings are rotten but no one knows it, while its outward appearance is glamorous and impeccable.