Chapter 13: Cornering the Author
Tobirama spoke directly. "The Ninja Academy is opening in a few days. Any child of the appropriate age can sign up to become a ninja. You should ask for something else."
"Then I want to learn ninjutsu."
Madara put down his teacup. "You passed my test. I will teach you ninjutsu in the future. Pick something else."
Yamamoto Ryusei thought carefully. He now had someone to teach him ninjutsu, and the path for Yamashita So and Komiya Yuki to become ninja was also settled. For the time being, there were no other problems.
Ryusei shook his head. "Then there's nothing else I want for now."
Hashirama nodded. "Then we'll keep it on credit for you. If you want something in the future, just let us know. You should head back and rest for now."
Hearing this, Ryusei bowed to the four leaders and went home, leaving Liu Maoxing and his mother to continue their work.
Hashirama looked at Mito, who had been silent the whole time, engrossed in a book. "Mito, what are you reading?"
Without lifting her head, Mito replied, "It's a new novel that just came out called Journey to the West. The story it describes is very interesting."
"What's it about? A story about ninjas?" Hashirama asked curiously.
Mito kept her eyes on the book. "No, the people in here are much more powerful. Not only can they ascend to the heavens and enter the earth, but they can also move mountains and overturn seas. However, the magical arts within do have some shadows of ninjutsu."
"Oh... let me see."
"No. Go buy your own copy." Mito gave Hashirama no face at all.
"Lord Hashirama, I'll go buy it for you," Senju Miyuki offered, trying to curry favor.
Hashirama took out some bills and handed them to her. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Miyuki. Hmm... buy three copies."
A short while later, Miyuki returned with several books. Journey to the West had just released its fourth volume, which ended with Tang Sanzang arriving at the base of the Five Elements Mountain, preparing to release Sun Wukong.
The three men took the books and began to read. Before long, they were completely captivated. Two hours later, after they had finished reading, they finally came back to their senses. Mito and Miyuki had both gone to the kitchen to learn how to cook.
Hashirama looked at the sky. "So much time has passed already. But this book is really good."
Tobirama agreed. "Indeed. The systems and policies within are very interesting. Some of these things could be applied to Konoha."
"That author is quite a knowledgeable person," Madara said, a rare compliment. "The Celestial Court in the story commands the entire world and suppresses the three realms and six paths. How peaceful. It seems that only by unifying the ninja world can true peace be achieved. Hashirama, let's go attack the other ninja villages."
And... will one really become a ghost after death? he thought. I really want to see Izuna just one more time.
Tobirama retorted, "It's just a novel, you can't take it seriously. And if it was truly peaceful, why would Sun Wukong rebel against the heavens and wreak havoc in the Celestial Palace?"
Madara was unconvinced. "That was nothing more than a minor squabble. He didn't even see the Jade Emperor's face before he was cast down to the mortal realm and pinned under the Five Elements Mountain. Besides, he's just a monkey. How dare he call himself the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven? Such arrogance."
In truth, Madara was just annoyed. Look at how resounding and domineering the title 'Great Sage, Equal to Heaven' is! And what about me, Madara Uchiha? 'The Asura of the Ninja World.' It sounds a whole class lower just by hearing it. It's all the fault of those uncultured people from the other villages. If you have no culture, don't just go making up random names!
Hashirama pointed at the novel. "If he dares to fight the heavens and battle the earth, then he is worthy of being called the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven. But the magical arts in here do have many similarities to our ninjutsu."
Madara nodded. "That's right. The ability to grow to a giant size is a bit like the Akimichi clan's Expansion Jutsu. Erlang Shen's Howling Celestial Dog was probably inspired by the Inuzuka clan. His Celestial Eye and Sun Wukong's Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils were likely inspired by the Kekkei Genkai of the Hyuga and Uchiha."
Tobirama looked puzzled. "However, the author must be a commoner. He might know a little about the ninja world, but not everything. He got the five chakra nature transformations of our world wrong, changing Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, and Wind into the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. He excluded Wind and Lightning but included your Wood Style, Big Brother. And the immortals in the story have lifespans of tens of thousands of years. Not even the Sage of Six Paths lived that long."
Hashirama and Madara both nodded. This author didn't even know these basic facts; he definitely wasn't a ninja.
(If Ryusei were here, he would be complaining furiously. It was clearly Kishimoto who mindlessly plagiarized Chinese mythology, making it now seem as if Ryusei's Journey to the West was the copy.)
Tobirama's mind began to wander. "Many of the magical arts in the story provide good guidance for ninjutsu research. The Ruyi Jingu Bang's ability to change its size and weight can be replicated with ninjutsu. Changing size can be done with the Transformation Jutsu, and changing weight with the Light/Heavy Boulder Jutsu."
"But the Somersault Cloud is a bit more difficult. One can't stand on a cloud. However, it might be possible to create a ninja tool for flight. As for the various magical treasures used to cast spells, we could try creating ninja tools like those."
Hashirama nodded. "Indeed. The 72 Transformations must be a form of the Transformation Jutsu, and the Indestructible Diamond Body is probably referring to Steel Release."
Hashirama formed a hand seal. With a poof of smoke, he transformed into an eagle. The Hashirama-eagle flapped its wings but found it still couldn't fly. In another puff of smoke, he dispelled the transformation.
He sat back down. "It seems transforming into an eagle doesn't grant flight. And when you're transformed into something else, you can't use ninjutsu, only taijutsu. It's not very useful."
"No," Madara said, having watched Hashirama's movements with his Sharingan active the entire time. "Your movements are different from a real eagle's. When your movements become identical to theirs, you should be able to fly. This jutsu is worth researching. It could be useful in the future."
Hashirama nodded in agreement. "Then as for the Buddha's giant palm, I can try to replicate it with my Wood Style."
The corner of Madara's eye twitched. Is that hand meant for me? He then recalled the Buddha from the story and asked, "Are the monks in the ninja world that strong?"
Hashirama shook his head. "No. While the monks of the Fire Temple have a Sage Art that allows them to attack with many chakra arms, they don't have a Five Elements Mountain."
Madara's eyes lit up. He mentally resolved to get his hands on that Sage Art.
Tobirama continued, "The elixirs and healing magic in the story are worth studying. We could develop specialized medical ninja and healing potions from them."
Hashirama sighed with emotion. "I never thought this book would be so useful. Should we prohibit its sale? If other ninja villages find out, they'll start developing these things too."
Tobirama shook his head. "There's no need. Those who would research it will do so regardless, and it's already too late now. But I would really like to meet the author and ask him if he has any other ideas."
"That's simple," Hashirama replied excitedly. "We can just go to the bookstore and ask!"
At the Bookstore
The owner, Yagyu Kuraaki, was breaking out in a cold sweat as he stood before the three great leaders. He was especially terrified of Madara's gloomy gaze, afraid that one wrong move would get him killed.
"I-I don't know what business the three lords have at my humble shop?" Yagyu Kuraaki stammered.
Hashirama said with a kind expression, "It's nothing major. We just want to ask where we can find the author of Journey to the West, Miyamoto Musashi."
Hearing that they weren't here to cause trouble, the owner let out a huge sigh of relief. "Miyamoto Musashi... I don't know where he is either. He always delivers the manuscripts himself."
"Then what does he look like?" Tobirama asked.
Yagyu Kuraaki recalled, "He's a middle-aged man, about thirty years old. He looks quite fierce, with a scar on his right cheek, and he wears a ninja forehead protector. However, I suspect 'Miyamoto Musashi' isn't his real name at all." He sold Ryusei out completely.
Tobirama looked troubled. "In that case, his appearance is likely fake as well. It will be hard to find him."
"You could wait here and corner him when he comes to deliver his manuscript next Monday," the owner suggested, continuing to sell out his client.
Tobirama shook his head. "What if he uses a clone to deliver it? We still wouldn't be able to catch the real one."
Yagyu Kuraaki was speechless. You ninjas have so many tricks up your sleeves. "Then just follow him. He's coming next Monday to collect last month's royalties anyway."
Tobirama's eyes lit up. "Then it's settled."
The three leaders left, satisfied. The poor, pitiable Yamamoto Ryusei had no idea he had just been targeted.