It was gloomy.
The damp air, carrying the fishy smell of earth and rock, entered his nostrils.
Senju Tobirama stood in the center of the massive Jutsu, his silver-white hair reflecting a metallic sheen under the dim candlelight.
His breathing was steady, but his heartbeat pounded like a war drum.
Beneath his feet, intricate black runes extended like living things, covering the entire floor of the underground laboratory, finally converging on the dark coffin in front of him.
Every line was imbued with forbidden power, emitting a chilling Chakra fluctuation.
This was the crystallization of his life's work.
Edo Tensei.
The ultimate Jutsu that transcended the boundaries of life and death, toying with Souls.
After countless bloody experiments and improvements, today would be the moment of its true completion.
What he sought was not simple resurrection.
Instead, it was the creation of the ultimate weapon: absolutely loyal, possessing all of its former strength, immortal, and perfectly controllable.
A piece that could awe the Five Great Nations and bring peace to Konoha Village.
Inside the coffin lay his carefully chosen sacrifice—a powerful Ninja who had risen to prominence in war but had unfortunately perished.
The strength of his Soul and the power of his body were both perfect experimental material.
Senju Tobirama clasped his hands, forming the last hand Seal.
“—Rise.”
His deep voice echoed through the empty stone chamber, carrying undeniable authority.
Buzz—
The Jutsu on the ground suddenly lit up, the black runes seemingly infused with life, emitting a faint glow.
A vast amount of Chakra surged wildly along the lines towards the central coffin.
Grayish-white dust and debris began to peel off the coffin's surface—the medium connecting life and death.
The coffin let out a muffled “creak,” as if unable to bear the weight.
Senju Tobirama's red eyes stared intently at the coffin lid.
He could feel it.
A powerful Soul was being forcibly dragged back into the present world, confined within this body formed of dust.
It was a success.
The Jutsu was flawless.
Next, it was time to witness the birth of the weapon.
Rumble!
The heavy coffin lid suddenly stood upright under an invisible force, slamming heavily onto the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Senju Tobirama took a step forward, his gaze sharp.
He had already prepared the Talismanic Incantation for control.
As soon as the figure inside emerged, he would immediately apply the Talismanic Incantation, completely erasing its remaining consciousness and turning it into a Puppet that only knew how to obey.
The dust slowly dissipated.
A hand rested on the edge of the coffin.
The hand was very clean, with long fingers and neatly trimmed nails, without any calluses or scars typical of a Ninja.
Senju Tobirama frowned slightly.
Something was wrong.
Then, a figure slowly sat up from the dark coffin.
It was not the battle-hardened Ninja he had imagined, nor was it a legendary, renowned powerhouse.
It was a young man who looked to be only in his early twenties.
He was wearing a strange white outfit, his short black hair was a bit messy, with a few strands sticking up.
The young man rubbed his eyes, let out a long yawn, and, still groggy, looked around blankly.
His gaze swept over the eerie stone walls, the flickering candlelight, and the strange black runes on the ground.
Finally, his eyes landed on Senju Tobirama.
In those black eyes, there was no fear, no anger, only the confusion of someone who had just woken up.
The air was deathly silent.
All the words and responses Senju Tobirama had prepared were stuck in his throat.
He had envisioned countless possibilities.
The summoned Soul might be enraged at being disturbed from its rest.
It might be ecstatic at being reborn.
It might collapse, unable to accept reality.
But he had never imagined this scene before him.
This young man seemed to have just woken up from his own bed.
“...”
Senju Tobirama's brain raced, trying to analyze the bizarre situation.
The Jutsu was correct.
The sacrifice was correct.
The flow and feedback of Chakra were also perfectly fine.
So where was the problem?
This Soul... who was it?
Just as Senju Tobirama fell into a state of grave vigilance, the young man finally became a little more awake.
He moved his body, seemingly wanting to get out of the coffin, but his movements were a bit stiff from lying down for too long.
He looked down at the dark “box” he was lying in, then looked up at the serious-faced, white-haired man in blue armor before him.
Then, he spoke.
His voice was a little hoarse from just waking up, but his tone was unexpectedly polite.
“Excuse me, may I ask...”
The young man awkwardly rubbed his stomach, which was unsuitably rumbling.
“...Is there anything to eat? I’m starving.”
Senju Tobirama's expression completely froze in that instant.
A crack appeared on his face, which was always known for its sternness and coldness.
What?
Hungry?
An Edo Tensei body composed of dust and Soul, a “dead person” who theoretically didn't need to eat and had no physiological needs, actually asked him for food?
Absurd.
Senju Tobirama's eyes instantly became icy cold.
He no longer hesitated.
No matter what this thing in front of him was, he would never allow any unexpected event to occur that was beyond his control.
His figure flickered, appearing before the young man like a ghost.
Extremely fast.
Su Yu only felt a blur before his eyes, and the white-haired man's face was already within reach.
He could even clearly see the ruby-like eyes beneath the other's silver eyelashes, and the undisguised killing intent and wariness in them.
A yellow paper, drawn with strange runes, was held by the other's two fingers and pressed swiftly towards his forehead.
“!”
Su Yu instinctively wanted to dodge, but his body couldn't keep up with the reaction at all.
The cold paper accurately stuck to his forehead.
Senju Tobirama snorted coldly in his heart.
It was over.
As soon as the Talismanic Incantation took effect, this bizarre Soul, which had appeared out of nowhere, would be completely... However, one second passed.
Two seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
The expected signs of Soul deprivation and consciousness erasure did not appear at all.
Su Yu just blinked, looking at him innocently.
The much-anticipated Talismanic Incantation, like an ordinary sticky note, was loosely stuck to his forehead, and with his blinking, it even seemed to be on the verge of falling off.
“Uh...”
Su Yu reached out and carefully peeled off the yellow paper from his forehead.
He held it in his hand, turning it over and over.
“Is this... some kind of welcome ceremony? Or is it a meal ticket?”
Senju Tobirama's pupils suddenly contracted.
His body stiffened for a moment due to extreme shock.
Ineffective?
His personally developed Jutsu, used to erase the consciousness of an Edo Tensei body, was actually ineffective?!
How was this possible!
This unprecedented situation made the Second Hokage, known for his calm and decisive nature, feel for the first time that events were spiraling out of his control.
Senju Tobirama retreated without hesitation, forming hand Seals instantly.
“Seal!”
Accompanying his low shout, dense black Jutsu suddenly appeared on the walls, ceiling, and the only exit of the entire underground laboratory.
Iron chains shot out from the walls with a “clatter,” completely locking down the entire space.
It was completely isolated here.
Su Yu was startled by this sudden change, almost dropping the “meal ticket” in his hand.
He looked at the black runes on the surrounding walls, which glowed with an ominous light, and then at the white-haired man, who looked as if he was facing a formidable enemy, finally realizing belatedly... that something seemed very wrong.
He wasn't dreaming.
He looked down and pinched his thigh hard.
No pain.
Only a strange, alien sensation of touching dirt, not his own body.
【Immortal Edo Tensei body】
A cold piece of information abruptly appeared in his mind.
Su Yu was stunned.
Edo Tensei?
This word... was so familiar.
He looked up blankly, staring at the white-haired man again.
Silver-white short hair, blue armor covering half of his face, the leaf symbol on his forehead protector, and those legendary red eyes... A name, like lightning, split through his confused memories.
Senju Tobirama.
Second Hokage.
Great Master of forbidden Jutsu.
One of the founders of Konoha Village.
This was... the world of Naruto?
And he had become... the thing summoned by Edo Tensei?
Su Yu's mind went blank.
He remembered being a psychological counselor, dying from overwork in front of his computer, his last thought before death being that he hadn't yet tried the new Japanese ramen shop downstairs.
How did he end up on the Naruto set as soon as he opened his eyes?
And he became a product of a legendary forbidden Jutsu?
“Who exactly are you?”
Senju Tobirama's cold questioning voice interrupted Su Yu's thoughts.
All his Chakra was in a state of high alert, as if he was about to launch a thunderous strike at any moment.
“I...”
Su Yu opened his mouth but didn't know how to answer.
Should he say he was a Transmigration from another world? That his Soul accidentally connected to his Wi-Fi signal after death?
He'd probably be sliced and studied on the spot.
He looked at Senju Tobirama's stern and cold face, and his survival instinct made him decide to remain silent for now.
Seeing him not speak, Senju Tobirama's gaze grew even more serious.
He couldn't sense any trace of Chakra on the young man in front of him.
Not even a little.
Like a complete ordinary person.
But how could an ordinary person resist his Talismanic Incantation?
This in itself was the biggest contradiction.
“Answer me.”
Senju Tobirama's voice grew a few shades heavier, and an invisible Aura enveloped Su Yu.
“Your Soul does not belong to any Ninja I know. You are not the target of my summoning. Tell me your origin, otherwise, I will have no choice but to destroy you on the spot.”
Destroy?
Su Yu's heart sank.
Although a 【Immortal】 entry had inexplicably appeared in his mind, he had no desire to personally verify the authenticity of this thing.
He tried to force out what he considered to be the most harmless and sincere smile.
“Um... Great Master, I think there must be some misunderstanding.”
“My name is Su Yu, and I'm an ordinary person.”
“I also don't know why I'm here; I just opened my eyes and was lying in this box.”
His explanation was pale and weak.
Senju Tobirama clearly didn't believe a word of it.
“Ordinary person?”
He sneered, a hint of mockery flashing in his red eyes.
“No ‘ordinary person’ can emerge unscathed from my Seal Jutsu.”
He advanced step by step, his powerful Aura making it difficult for Su Yu to breathe.
“Your Soul is very special; it doesn't belong to this world. No, more precisely, it doesn't belong to the ‘Pure Land’.”
Senju Tobirama's gaze was so sharp it seemed to want to pierce through Su Yu's Soul.
“So, I'll ask one last time.”
“What exactly are you?”