As an Uchiha I became the Jinchuriki of Senju Tobirama

Tobirama gave Hiruzen, whose face was now deathly pale, a puzzled glance.

Why did it seem like Hiruzen was unhappy to see him revived?

Hiruzen had just been rambling nonsense earlier.

As for Shisui, Tobirama naturally intended to take good care of this talented young Uchiha.

First of all, because he was Kazuki's younger brother...

And through daily interactions, Tobirama had also judged that Shisui possessed a dazzling, unwavering Will of Fire—the kind of talent Konoha truly needed.

After a brief moment of thought, Tobirama quickly understood the situation.

It must be that the monkey felt guilty about his mismanagement of Konoha and now feared that his sensei would harshly punish him. Hence, he was being overly anxious.

To be fair, Tobirama did intend to thoroughly settle accounts with Hiruzen.

Starting with that zero-point performance on the Will of Fire examination, then moving on to the Root organization under Shimura Danzō and finally addressing the ambitious and treacherous Orochimaru—there were many things that needed to be harshly criticized.

However, given the urgent matter concerning Kazuki, Tobirama had no intention of wasting time on such trifles with Hiruzen right now.

"Monkey," Tobirama said, "Shisui is a rare and exceptional talent. He's not like the typical Uchiha..."

In order to prioritize Kazuki's affairs, Tobirama deliberately softened his stance and explained, "I intend to nurture him carefully. You can rest assured."

Hiruzen's expression only darkened further.

Exceptional talent. Careful nurturing.

Those words might have sounded fine coming from anyone else.

But coming from Tobirama...

It was practically no different from saying he was going to dissect Shisui!

Can you please act a little more human, Sensei?!

Must you truly squeeze every last drop out of Kazuki's family—and grind the Uchiha Clan down to nothing but marrow—before you're satisfied?!

Kazuki and the Uchiha—they're part of Konoha too...

You're the Second Hokage! Can't you even understand something that simple?!

Hiruzen roared silently in his heart, and for a fleeting moment, an unthinkable idea crossed his mind.

A man who should have stayed dead, now meddling once more in the affairs of the ninja world, plunging both Konoha and the entire shinobi world into chaos—

Perhaps Tobirama should no longer be allowed to exist.

If Tobirama had not taken over Kazuki's body...

Konoha would have been so much better off!

Tsunade and Kazuki could have been together, solving once and for all the deep-rooted tension between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan...

Even this was only a small part of it.

Kazuki's talent, personal charm, and cohesion had transformed the once dark and dreaded Root into a thriving new force within the village, admired by all.

Kazuki himself carried the purest, most outstanding embodiment of the Will of Fire and was undoubtedly the rightful candidate to become the Fourth Hokage.

Even Jiraiya and Minato, both strong believers in the Child of Prophecy, who had initially harbored doubts about Kazuki, were gradually changing their views and seeking to communicate with him more.

Sakumo, Kakuzu, Hiruko, Shikuro...

These powerful figures—some who once lingered at Konoha's margins, nearly falling into ruin, or who arguably didn't belong to the village at all—

Along with the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara clans, whose secret techniques had been improved, and other shinobi clans like the Kurama,

All had become loyal supporters of Kazuki.

What a wonderful situation it was!

Even if Kazuki hadn't possessed terrifying strength, through his leadership alone he had already raised Konoha's military power by several levels.

But once Tobirama took over Kazuki's body—

Hiruzen didn't even dare to imagine what would happen to the village, which was now flourishing and vibrant like a fire blazing against the night sky!

For a long time, Hiruzen had constantly worried about a potential rebellion from the Uchiha Clan, believing that internal strife would drastically weaken the village's strength, leading to uncontrollable consequences—such as invasions from other hidden villages who would seize the opportunity to strike.

But what Tobirama was doing now...

Could trigger a disaster far more terrifying than a simple Uchiha rebellion!

The Uchiha were obvious enough.

Those crimson-eyed shinobi would surely go mad and fight Tobirama with everything they had.

And under Kazuki's leadership, Root now possessed the latest war tools, with powerful shinobi as numerous as rain.

Even if Tobirama still commanded considerable prestige in Konoha, and might rally some supporters through the inertia of having once ruled the village for twenty years—

The Uchiha Clan and Root would certainly not stand with him.

Worse yet, even some shinobi once loyal to the Hokage line might choose to oppose Tobirama, in defense of the Will of Fire and the ideals of justice and righteousness within their hearts!

By then, if both sides clashed, the scale of the conflict would far exceed anything the Uchiha rebellion alone could have caused.

In Hiruzen's view—

If it came to that, Konoha would be utterly shattered.

Even more terrifyingly, the Will of Fire—the very belief that had bound Konoha's hearts together—would become nothing but a joke.

There would no longer be any unity among the people.

When the Hokage himself had stooped to such despicable acts, how could anyone still feel secure in this village?

Hiruzen absolutely could not allow such a future to unfold!

"I don't know if Kazuki has been completely devoured by Sensei... or if there's still a chance to save him."

"Given Sensei's methods and temperament, the fact that he's appeared here most likely means Kazuki is already gone..."

While imagining the terrifying scene of Konoha splintering apart, a surge of courage gradually rose within Hiruzen's heart.

He could no longer continue to submit passively to his sensei...

Even if it was Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage—if he had committed a grievous wrong, then it had to be corrected!

Though some mistakes could never be undone, and Kazuki had already been destroyed by the greed of the former Hokage—

If Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, gave his life and used the strongest sealing technique—the Dead Demon Consuming Seal—to drag Tobirama down with him...

Then maybe, just maybe, the shinobi of the village would be able to accept it.

As this thought surfaced, Hiruzen recalled Shimura Danzō, who had been crippled by Tobirama.

"Sensei... you're no longer the Hokage we once admired—the one who stayed behind so we could escape..."

"I am not just your student. I am also the Third Hokage of Konohagakure. I have a responsibility I must bear!"

Silently, Hiruzen began to recall the hand seals for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, his brow furrowing tightly.

The jutsu required too many hand signs!

If he attempted to perform it right in front of Tobirama—especially after he had seized Kazuki's formidable body—

Even facing Tobirama himself would be daunting enough.

With the Flying Thunder God Technique at his disposal, Hiruzen had absolutely no confidence that he could finish weaving the seals in time, under his sensei's watchful eyes.

Hiruzen was certain: Tobirama would see through the forbidden technique he was preparing to unleash with just a single glance.

So then—

What should he do?

He still needed help...

And just at that moment—

Tobirama spoke up.

"Monkey, the situation is urgent. I don't have time to explain everything to you right now," he said. "I need to meet Kazuki's subordinates. Take me to them. After we speak with them, we must mobilize the entire village back into a wartime state. We can't afford any more delays!"

Hiruzen's heart trembled.

Starting by seeking out the shinobi loyal to Kazuki...

The intention was obvious.

Tobirama-sensei was planning to eliminate any potential threats one by one!

Having seized Kazuki's power and now wielding both the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Sharingan, Tobirama was practically invincible in one-on-one combat.

While Kazuki commanded the hearts of many in Konoha...

As long as they were prevented from gathering into a unified force capable of facing Tobirama head-on, he could simply pick them off individually—

And they wouldn't pose any real threat to him.

But if things came to that, Konoha would surely descend into an even bloodier, more terrifying version of the Bloody Mist Village...

Hiruzen's mind raced like lightning.

Suddenly, he remembered something Asuma had once told him:

That Kazuki's closest and strongest allies had gathered at Kazuki's house, waiting to surprise him with a birthday party.

That's it!

Hiruzen realized he had found a way to break the deadlock.

If he led Tobirama straight to Kazuki's home, they wouldn't be isolated targets picked off one by one!

Especially since Kazuki's home was located within the Uchiha District.

Once Tobirama appeared, with just a single call to arms, they would immediately have a massive force of reinforcements.

And as long as someone could stall Tobirama for even a moment, Hiruzen was confident he could successfully unleash the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

With everyone's combined efforts, they could seal away this former Hokage—this sensei who had strayed down the path of darkness!

"I understand, Tobirama-sensei," Hiruzen said, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Please, come with me. Everyone should be gathered at Kazuki's home right now."

Unnoticed, fine beads of sweat formed on Hiruzen's palms.

Plotting against Senju Tobirama—

This was the first time he had ever done such a thing.

But it was something he had to do—for Kazuki, for the village, and for the Will of Fire burning within his heart!

Tobirama nodded and followed Hiruzen, quickening his pace as they headed toward Kazuki's home.

Meanwhile—

Elsewhere—

After a day and a night of hesitation and sleeplessness, Tsunade was also on her way to Kazuki's house.

Her earlier hesitation had stemmed from the awkwardness she felt.

Although her feelings for Kazuki had evolved from simple emotional attachment—the kind felt toward someone who had filled the emptiness in her heart—into something much deeper, into love, she struggled with appearances, feeling uncertain and insecure.

When Kazuki had taken the initiative—embracing her and trying to push their relationship forward—

Tsunade had found herself overwhelmed, unprepared, and even doubting herself.

Was she just imagining things?

Did Kazuki truly like her?

He certainly didn't dislike her...

But what gnawed at Tsunade's heart was that Kazuki treated everyone with such gentleness and warmth.

She didn't feel especially different from the others...

However, after a full day of reflection—

Tsunade thought back to the first time she met Kazuki.

How, thanks to him, she had broken free from a life of self-destruction, indulgence, and emptiness.

How she had rediscovered the taste of family and fulfillment.

A simple bowl of hen soup.

The acceptance of Kakuzu.

The establishment of the Medical Division within Root—

Kazuki had done so, so much for her.

More than she could ever hope to repay.

And so, when their relationship had reached its final, crucial step...

Tsunade decided she should be the one to take the initiative this time.

She couldn't expect Kazuki to do everything.

Acting shy and reserved wasn't the style of Senju Tsunade!

Thus, Tsunade hurried toward Kazuki's house, determined to wait for Konoha's hero—her hero—to return.

During the grand celebration they had prepared for Kazuki's birthday,

She would find the right moment to confess her feelings.

No matter what the outcome would be—

Tsunade knew this was something she had to do.

Otherwise, if everyone was there welcoming Kazuki home and she alone was missing—

It would feel far too wrong.

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