At two o'clock in the afternoon, Ryoma slowly woke up.
Beside him, Kushina Uzumaki lay nestled against his chest, her cheeks glowing a soft pink.
Ryoma smiled faintly. Startled, Kushina pouted and gave him a light punch with her small fist.
Normally, she was fiery and outspoken — the kind of woman who'd explode at the smallest provocation.
But in Ryoma's arms, that fierce temper melted away. She looked more like a shy little bird than the fiery redhead of Konoha.
Then Ryoma remembered — there was still a special package he hadn't checked.
He opened it.
[Ding! Congratulations, host — you've obtained a Role-Playing Template!]
"Role-playing template?" Ryoma murmured, scanning the description that appeared before him.
The explanation was simple but astonishing:
The more accurately one behaved like the selected character card, the faster the fusion rate increased.
If the imitation was perfect, it could even reach full synchronization within a single day.
In some rare cases, the system noted, when one's acting was so convincing that it surpassed the original, the fusion rate could exceed 100% — granting powers beyond those of the source character.
Ryoma's eyes widened.
"So if I perform well enough… I can actually surpass the original character!?"
He quickly opened his status panel.
[Name]: Ryoma
[Strength]: Super Kage-level
[Position]: Fourth Hokage
[Character Cards]:
SSS-Rank: Hashirama Senju (Fusion 100%)
S-Rank: Original Mizukage, White Lotus (Fusion 10%)
S-Rank: Ashina Uzumaki (Fusion 100%)
[Unfused Cards]:
S-Rank: Tobirama Senju
S-Rank: Itachi Uchiha ×2
SSS-Rank: Madara Uchiha (Reanimation)
[Bloodline Limits]:
God-Tier Wood Release (Mokuton)
Six Paths Power (10%)
[Ninjutsu]:
Flying Thunder God Technique – Lv.3
Reanimation (Edo Tensei) – Lv.3
Chidori – Lv.3
Rasengan – Lv.3
Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu – Lv.3
Sexy Technique – Lv.3
Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique – Lv.3
Ryoma exhaled deeply, excitement flickering in his gaze.
"How about I start by role-playing as the First Hokage — Hashirama Senju?"
He got up from the bed, determination replacing his earlier calm.
Kushina stirred, groaning softly as she woke. "Mmm… Ryoma…" she whispered, a faint wince crossing her face.
Ryoma helped her sit up gently.
"Take it easy, Kushina. You should rest for now."
Her blush deepened. She nodded obediently but couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt. I should be doing more as his wife… she thought quietly.
Ryoma smiled, brushed a strand of red hair from her face, and tucked her back under the blanket.
Then he turned and walked out of the room.
"All right," he muttered to himself, his eyes glinting.
"Let's see how good my acting really is… First Hokage, Hashirama Senju — time to begin."
After all, the wife of the First Hokage, Uzumaki Mito, lived within the Uzumaki Courtyard.
As soon as Ryoma stepped outside, he ran straight into her.
"Grandma Mito!"
Uzumaki Mito smiled gently. "Ryoma, you're awake already?"
Ryoma nodded respectfully. "Yes, Grandma Mito."
She gave him a knowing look. "Don't forget about your Hokage duties."
"Of course not," Ryoma replied.
"Actually, Grandma Mito, I wanted to ask you about the First Hokage."
Mito paused, slightly taken aback. "You want to know about Hashirama?"
"Yes," Ryoma said earnestly. "I want to understand what kind of person the First Hokage truly was."
Only by knowing who he really was could Ryoma properly role-play him.
Mito studied Ryoma's face in silence, her wise eyes glimmering with recognition. Finally, she nodded.
"So… you wish to learn from Hashirama?"
Ryoma nodded once more.
And so, Mito began to tell her story.
The first time she met Hashirama Senju, he had visited Uzumaki Ashina, the patriarch of the Uzumaki Clan, alongside his father. That meeting had changed everything — for her, and for the shinobi world.
Later, she married into the Senju clan, standing beside the man who would go on to reshape the world of ninjas.
After the Battle of the Valley of the End, Hashirama subdued all nine tailed beasts, distributing them among the major villages — ushering in the current era of the Five Great Nations.
Mito spoke in calm, measured tones, recalling the ideals, beliefs, and mannerisms of the First Hokage — his words, his bearing, his love for peace, and his deep, complicated bond with Madara Uchiha.
From her perspective, Madara had always been proud and self-reliant — perhaps too much so. Compared to Hashirama's warmth and selflessness, Madara's pride had isolated him from others.
Ryoma listened intently, jotting down notes with focused precision.
Mito watched him quietly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Perhaps the Will of Fire truly can be passed on… she thought, feeling a rare warmth in her chest.
But Ryoma's thoughts were burning with something else entirely.
I'm going to play the role of Hashirama Senju himself!
Leaving the Uzumaki Courtyard, Ryoma headed straight for the village tailor.
He purchased a custom Hokage robe, modeled after the one Hashirama had once worn — red with black trim, bearing the markings of the First Hokage.
He even commissioned a red forehead protector, identical to Hashirama's.
The shopkeeper was stunned when Ryoma explained what he wanted. His father had once made the original robes for Hashirama himself.
"Lord Hokage!" the man exclaimed, bowing deeply.
"I'll have it ready for you before the day ends — even if I have to work through the night!"
Ryoma smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
The tailor tried to refuse payment, but Ryoma still pressed a thousand ryō into his hands before leaving.
That evening, after finishing his paperwork at the Hokage's office, Ryoma returned to the tailor.
"Lord Hokage!" the shopkeeper said eagerly, holding up the completed robes.
Ryoma's eyes lit up. "Perfect. I can finally begin my role-play!"
Instead of returning to the Uzumaki Courtyard, Ryoma went back to the Hokage's office.
Forming the seal with both hands, he muttered:
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Several shadow clones appeared, spreading throughout the office to ensure his privacy. After all, the last thing he wanted was for some Anbu to walk in during his transformation.
With a satisfied grin, Ryoma closed the door and began.
He slipped into the red-and-black Hokage robe, tied the red protector around his forehead, and sat down behind the Hokage's desk — mimicking Hashirama's exact posture from the famous Five Kage Summit photograph.
He glanced at his reflection in the glass window. "How's that?"
A crisp chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host — Role-play as Hashirama Senju successful! Similarity: 10%.]
Ryoma cleared his throat, straightened his back, and declared loudly into the empty room:
"The people of Konoha are a part of me! I believe in them, just as they believe in me. That… is what it means to be Hokage!"
[Ding! Similarity increased to 30%! Role-playing success continues to improve!]
Ryoma's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Let's see just how far I can take this."
Ryoma raised his voice to the empty room, his tone deep and resolute.
"I want to protect our—no, my village! No matter what happens, I will always believe that by protecting the village, I protect its people, its shinobi, and its children!"
His eyes hardened as he continued, voice filled with conviction.
"No matter who the enemy is — friend, brother, even my own child — if they threaten the peace of the village, I will not forgive them!"
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host — successful role-play as Hashirama Senju. Similarity: 50%!]
Ryoma blinked, a flicker of disappointment flashing across his face.
"Only fifty percent…?" he muttered.
But the next moment, the system's voice rang again — calm, mechanical, yet filled with a weight that made his heart race.
[Since the fusion rate of the character card: Hashirama Senju has reached 100%, the fusion level has now surpassed the limit — reaching 101%!]
[Ding! Ninjutsu upgrade: 'Wood Release — Wood Dragon Technique' has evolved into 'Wood Release — Three-Dragon Technique!']
Ryoma froze for a second, then grinned.
"The fusion rate actually surpassed one hundred percent… and even one of Hashirama's Wood Release techniques evolved!"
He could hardly contain his excitement as he examined the details flashing before his eyes.
The Wood Release: Three-Dragon Technique — an evolution of Hashirama's original Wood Dragon Jutsu.
Using the same amount of chakra, Ryoma could now summon three Wood Dragons at once — tripling the strength, defense, and suppressive power of the technique!
His heart pounded as realization struck.
"So this is what it means to surpass the original…"
Ryoma clenched his fists, a powerful aura stirring around him. For the first time, he could truly feel the weight and will of the First Hokage — the man who built Konoha from nothing.
And now, that same spirit was awakening within him.
...
TN:
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