"You did it for Konoha?! You think I am an Idiot?!" Tobirama slapped the Third Hokage once again, leaving him completely bewildered.
Why was it not working?
Obviously, every time Danzō used that sentence to contradict him, he left the other party speechless.
Hiruzen couldn't understand why such a heartfelt and morally righteous answer didn't work with Tobirama. Perhaps he had forgotten what kind of character his sensei had, given that Tobirama had been dead for so long. This is where the Third Hokage falls short compared to Tobirama.
Comparing his weak and indecisive character to the Second Hokage Tobirama was simply insulting! During Tobirama's time as the leader of Konoha, he suppressed the entire village, including the Uchiha clan, under his orders. They even had to accept assignments knowing they were walking into traps.
What was he relying on? Strength was one aspect, but more importantly, it was his character, wisdom, decisiveness, and ruthless methods. That was his style.
And what about the Third Hokage? Although he was young and not as strong as the First and Second Hokages, he also faced opposition from many people. However, once the Senju and Uchiha clans lost the strength to oppose him, with the support of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, his position became very firm.
Under such circumstances, he allowed Danzō to build up a powerful organization, Root, that could rival Anbu. He even made decisions that went against Utatane Koharu's advice, due to the constraints imposed by Mitokado Homura.
Fortunately, Konoha's foundation was solidly established; otherwise, it would have been vulnerable to siege in a potential Third Ninja World War.
This demonstrates the character of the Third Hokage. In times of peace, he could manage as Hokage, but when faced with pressure from the outside world, he couldn't handle it. Moreover, the Third Hokage was still greedy for power and position. Even if his authority was shared with Danzō, simply holding onto the Hokage seat was enough for him.
Therefore, he didn't express his opinion on matters such as the White Fang's actions or the Uchiha genocide; he silently supported them.
So people like the Third Hokage and Danzō want to deceive the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, with a simple sentence like "I did all this for Konoha"? Isn't this a joke?
Did they think Tobirama hasn't experienced everything in his life?
So for all the mistakes the Third Hokage made in the past, was it okay to seek forgiveness without honesty and try to dodge responsibility? That's an insult to Tobirama's intelligence!
They were just asking to be beaten!
"Saru, you have truly disappointed me!"
"Danzō, Koharu, Homura—none of them have shown up after all this time!"
"Why is it that the older you get, the more afraid of death you become?! If I had known this, I would have just let you die at the hands of the Cloud Shinobi!"
"I should have made Uchiha Kagami the Hokage!"
"You have humiliated me!" Tobirama is on the verge of exploding!
He thought he had no regrets before his death, but little did he expect that after being reincarnated and brought back to life by the enemy, his four disciples would tarnish his legacy.
He estimates that he won't be able to rest even when he returns to the Pure Land. His mind will be tormented by thoughts of his actions.
He was filled with regret.
I am also a sinner of my clan! If it weren't for my mistakes, the Senju clan and the Uzumaki clan wouldn't have perished!
Tobirama's anger continues to grow!
Just as he was about to approach and strike Third Hokage again, he was stopped by someone.
It is the surrounding Jōnin and the leaders of several prominent families.
They understand that the Third Hokage is currently leading Konoha, and if the Second Hokage were to truly harm him, who would take charge of the village? They haven't even had a chance to address the chaos caused by Orochimaru today!
For the sake of the greater good, they had no choice but to step forward and intervene.
"Second Hokage, please calm down and talk it through."
"That's right, Second Hokage. Now is not the time to dwell on past crimes. We must focus on resolving the immediate issue."
"Second Hokage, remember that Third Hokage is also the leader of Konoha. Let's preserve some dignity."
"Show him some mercy, Second Hokage!"
The collective persuasion from everyone managed to calm down the Second Hokage. If it weren't for the fact that the Third Hokage was his disciple, his anger wouldn't have been so intense.
Senju Hashirama, who originally thought he was dead and should not interfere in worldly matters, found the actions of the Third Hokage and Danzō truly shocking. If this were the Sengoku era, anyone who dared to destroy a clan would face retaliation and the destruction of their clan. However, it was Konoha itself that committed these actions, and it involved his own younger brother's apprentice.
Therefore, all Hashirama feels now is a profound sense of disappointment and doubt regarding his past actions. He questions if he made mistakes or if Madara's perspective was right. Perhaps with different choices, these tragedies could have been prevented.
So when Tobirama attempted to teach the Third Hokage a lesson, Hashirama did not intervene. If it were him, he would have personally delivered a powerful slap that could have ended the matter.
It seems that some believe they can behave like an imposing ninja god without controlling their temper.
"I will deal with you later!" The Second Hokage cast a fierce gaze toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was lying on the ground in panic.
"What did you just say?" But then, he questioned the ninja who had just spoken.
"I... I didn't say anything." The ninja became extremely nervous under Tobirama's scrutiny. He was unsure of what he had said wrong and why the Second Hokage took notice.
"You mentioned that Hiruzen is Konoha's Hokage, didn't you?"
"Yes, that's correct..." The ninja answered, thinking, "What's the issue?"
"But isn't the current Hokage Minato? Why is Hiruzen still in that position? Isn't he retired?" Tobirama asked with a puzzled expression.
"The Fourth Hokage died more than ten years ago, and we don't know how he was resurrected. After his death, the Third Hokage continued to hold the position of Hokage..." The ninja explained cautiously.
"Dead? Fourth Hokage... how did you come back to life?!" Tobirama looked at Minato in astonishment. The vibrant vitality emanating from him was completely different from Tobirama and his elder brother. It was a true resurrection!
"Uh, well..." Minato hesitated. He couldn't disclose Naruto's secret directly, but he also struggled to find the right explanation. He turned his head to look at Naruto, hoping for assistance.
"This is a Forbidden Technique I developed based on the Impure World Reincarnation. It can revive two people simultaneously, but the cost is exceedingly high. After its use, there is a ten-year waiting period before it can be activated again," Naruto calmly explained.
Upon hearing this, everyone felt extreme curiosity, but their interest quickly waned. A ten-year waiting period after each use?
Isn't this similar to Shisui's Kotoamatsukami?
Indeed, they recalled Shisui's pupil technique, the secret of the Kotoamatsukami. Some high-ranking officials were aware of this jutsu following Shisui's death and the Uchiha clan's massacre.
Therefore, they had no doubts about Naruto's words. After all, resurrection jutsu comes with a cost. If it could be used without consequences, the world would plunge into chaos.
Hence, Tobirama's curiosity was merely fleeting, and he admired Naruto's ability to devise new jutsu based on the Forbidden Technique he had created.
As for Hashirama, his heart was shattered by the actions of the Third Hokage. He felt exhausted and longed to return to the Pure Land.
…