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Hashirama was candid as he shared a lot with Yoichi, including the fact that the Sage of Six Paths had given him chakra and taught him certain techniques.
Though he was the previous incarnation of Asura's chakra, he was not actually Asura. Hashirama was genuinely kind-hearted, and Yoichi was now married to his granddaughter, Tsunade.
Asking him to go against his own kin, Tsunade's husband no less, was unthinkable.
Seeing the changes in Konoha, how under Yoichi's leadership it had become the most desirable place to live in the Land of Fire, with people outside the village even eager to buy property there, this was Hashirama's dream village come true.
After seeing this, Hashirama knew he couldn't possibly follow through with attacking one of his own, even if the Sage of Six Paths demanded it.
"So, that's the situation, Fifth Hokage. I won't interfere with future matters. After all, I am already dead. The future of the village should rest on the shoulders of the younger generation. But I must say, you have far surpassed us, haha…"
Hashirama laughed but then his expression turned slightly serious. He continued, "Although I believe that with your strength, you won't fear Madara, it's still wise to be cautious. He operates in the shadows, making it hard to track his movements. Oh, and thank you for reviving Nawaki. That kid was far too reckless."
Yoichi smiled in response, "No need to thank me. Nawaki is family."
For those who bore goodwill, Yoichi didn't mind returning that goodwill.
Tsunade, seeing Hashirama speaking as if he were delivering his final words, couldn't help but ask, "Grandfather, you're not planning to return to the Pure Land, are you?"
"I'm already a dead man, Tsunade. Even if I am here through Edo Tensei, I can't stay long," Hashirama replied with a smile. "But before I leave, I want to take a good look at the village. With all the changes it has undergone, it would be too regretful to return to the Pure Land without seeing it all."
"First Hokage, would you like to be revived?" Yoichi suddenly asked. This wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment question. Hashirama had been upfront about all the information from the Sage of Six Paths, and this idea had formed in Yoichi's mind.
Hashirama's Wood Release could greatly aid in reforestation efforts. Besides, he was like Sakumo, loyal to the village and Tsunade's grandfather. A man like him, with just a bit of coaxing and the interests of the village at heart, could work tirelessly.
If Yoichi hadn't been involved with Tsunade so early on, he might have considered using Edo Tensei to bring Hashirama back to work.
Even now, the ninja he killed from the Cloud Village continuously used the Heavenly Transfer Technique to transport goods all over the ninja world, which had significantly contributed to the rapid growth of the Uchiha Commerce Guild. The Heavenly Transfer Technique played a considerable role in this success.
...
"Third Hokage, we may have to compromise. We're sorry."
Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza sat across from Hiruzen, with Shikaku speaking up first, his face full of apology.
Leaving Konoha was simply not an option for them; it would mean becoming a rogue ninja clan, which was unacceptable. To remain within the Land of Fire, they had to align with Konoha.
Defecting to another village wasn't a feasible option either. Even if another village welcomed them, what about their businesses and families? What if Konoha attacked during wartime? What if the lower-level shinobi of the other villages didn't accept them? What if there was unrest within?
Establishing their own ninja village in a small country was even less viable. Such a village would be a prime target during the next war, just like the Village Hidden in the Waterfall, which was stronger than the Ino-Shika-Cho clans combined and had a Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. Yet, Yoichi alone had subdued them, forcing them into a treaty that nearly sold out their village.
Hiruzen tapped his pipe and, after a sigh, asked, "Shikaku, what do you plan to do?"
"After the inauguration ceremony, we'll apologize to the Fifth Hokage," Shikaku replied. "What he wants is obedience. Even the Hyuga Clan has allowed branch family members to join the police force and accept village management. We… were naive before and ended up attracting his retaliation."
"This is too much!" Jiraiya exclaimed in frustration, though he couldn't specify exactly what was wrong with Yoichi's actions. It was a given that shinobi should obey the Hokage, yet Jiraiya felt Yoichi's methods were overbearing.
Regardless, he thought it wrong to pressure comrades from the same village like this.
Shikaku shook his head, sighed, and said, "Currently, our clan members can't even take on village missions. I apologize, Third Hokage."
The Ino-Shika-Cho alliance had always been witnessed by the Sarutobi Clan. This tradition had continued for hundreds of years, but now, to ensure the survival of their families, they had to go against this alliance and turn their backs on Hiruzen.
Shikaku understood that Hiruzen was at odds with the Fifth Hokage and the Uchiha Clan, but the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had no leverage to resist.
"I understand, Shikaku. You've done nothing wrong," Hiruzen replied. He suddenly felt as if he had aged a decade. There was no longer any ground left for him to stand on.
He had once used the authority of the Hokage to suppress the Uchiha. Now, Yoichi was using that same authority against him.
"I'm sorry, Third Hokage," Shikaku apologized again before standing up to leave with Inoichi and Choza.
With the situation as it was, the three clans had no choice but to bow to the Hokage. They would send all their children of age to school and have their clan members apply to join various departments in Konoha.
While they had previously held some authority as clan leaders, starting from the day after the inauguration, they would be leaders in name only, with the Hokage's orders superseding theirs.
At least this way, their clans would survive. Without it, they would be forced to roam the ninja world, and who knows? In a few decades, there might be no Ino-Shika-Cho left.
After the trio left, Jiraiya fell silent, unsure of what to say. Hiruzen, too, remained quiet, sipping tea from a cup Jiraiya had given him, thinking of his old friends. Danzo was now worse off than dead, lacking even his own consciousness and spending his days sweeping the streets.
Koharu and Homura, unwilling to relinquish power, were constantly busy with tasks and didn't dare to pull any stunts. They worked diligently, like old oxen.
Even Torifu Akimichi, who had retired, found his entire clan in danger. Though he had met with the resurrected Second Hokage, it had yielded no significant outcome.
Hiruzen feared that if he continued to resist, he might bring down the Sarutobi Clan with him. In reality, the Sarutobi Clan was already receiving the same treatment as the Ino-Shika-Cho, though their strong foundation had allowed them to hold out longer.
"Are you okay, old man?" Jiraiya asked, noticing how Hiruzen suddenly appeared frail.
Hiruzen shook his head. "I'm fine, Jiraiya. Go on, I'd like some time alone."
"Alright, old man… I'll go. If you need me, just let someone know."
Jiraiya left, feeling lost. Orochimaru was either in his underground lab or training his students these days.
Tsunade… Jiraiya's heart ached once more. He would rather be a wandering writer in the ninja world than face these issues within the village.
But ever since Yoichi became Hokage, he had imposed strict control over Konoha's shinobi, making it difficult for Jiraiya to roam freely. And Tsunade's dreams seemed to have changed too, making his persistence feel hopeless. As Jiraiya wandered aimlessly, he found himself near Minato's house and subconsciously headed that way.
Whenever he felt troubled, Jiraiya used to visit Minato. Though Minato had long passed, his son had grown up. Maybe he could visit, and while he was there, talk to Kushina about taking on a student.
When Jiraiya arrived at Minato's house, he was about to knock on the door when he sensed someone approaching quickly from behind.
"Hey, old man! What are you doing in front of my house?"
Turning his head at the voice, Jiraiya saw a blond-haired boy rushing toward him. With a few hops, the boy leapt onto the nearby wall, landing between Jiraiya and the door.
'This must be Minato's kid. He looks like he has the makings of a ninja,' Jiraiya thought as he crouched down and asked, "What's your name, little guy?"
"Uzumaki Naruto. Who are you? Are you here to see my mom?" Naruto asked. He wasn't afraid of the stranger. He had just learned some shuriken techniques from Itachi earlier at Yoichi's house and was eager to find someone to practice on.
"Well, I guess you could say that—"
"Naruto, you shouldn't run so fast next time!" a voice interrupted Jiraiya. He turned to see Kushina approaching.
"It's you, Jiraiya-sensei," Kushina greeted him, though their relationship didn't have the closeness it once had. She opened the door for Naruto and let him in before staying outside herself.
Before Jiraiya could speak, Kushina asked, "Jiraiya-sensei, I have something I want to ask you. Is it still possible to retrieve Minato's body?"
"His body… It's unlikely. From what I've gathered, Nagato had reanimated Minato's body as one of his Rinnegan paths. I don't even know if Nagato is still alive…"
Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head. After learning from the Second Hokage that Nagato's Rinnegan originally belonged to Madara, who intended to have Nagato resurrect him, Jiraiya knew Nagato wouldn't survive much longer.
"Is there really no hope?" Kushina asked.
"It's unlikely, given our current lack of information. But Kushina, why do you need Minato's body?"
"Because we could—" Kushina started but stopped herself. If she revealed that Yoichi could revive Minato, it might arouse Jiraiya's suspicions. Reviving someone was no simple task. If Yoichi initially refused, how had Kushina convinced him otherwise?
Unable to come up with a plausible excuse, Kushina didn't want her relationship with Yoichi to be exposed. Thinking quickly, she said, "If we had Minato's body, we could use Edo Tensei to bring him back. That way, at least Minato could see Naruto."
"Perhaps… But when Naruto grows up, it might make him miss Minato even more," Jiraiya said, not fully endorsing the idea. Disturbing the deceased didn't sit right with him unless it meant fully resurrecting them. Still, he didn't outright oppose it, understanding Kushina's feelings.
"Kushina, Naruto is about the right age to begin training. I'd like to take him as my student. What do you think?" Jiraiya barely finished his sentence before a puff of smoke engulfed him, and he vanished.
Kushina quickly realized that Jiraiya had been reverse-summoned, but she had already found her answer.
"Better not. Naruto will have a different teacher," she murmured to herself. As she turned to go inside, a memory of Yoichi teaching Naruto surfaced.
She stood still for a moment, shaking her head in frustration and muttering under her breath, "Minato should be the one to teach Naruto. Once Minato is resurrected, he'll take over."
Inside the Hokage's office, both Hashirama and Tobirama, along with Tsunade, were taken aback by Yoichi's question.
Tsunade was the first to respond, "Yoichi, reviving powerful shinobi could be a huge risk for you, couldn't it?"
Her words barely left her lips before she realized she might have sounded too eager to keep her grandfather from being revived. Still, her concern for Yoichi was genuine—he was the father of her unborn child, after all.
"Fifth Hokage, I know the Rinnegan can revive the dead, but it might be a life-for-life technique. I've already lived through one era, so—"
"Hold on, First Hokage, you and Tsunade have misunderstood," Yoichi interrupted. He wasn't interested in hearing another long speech from Hashirama. "Before, reviving someone of your caliber would have been a great strain on me. But now, it's not."
He paused, gesturing to his Rinnegan before continuing, "I've awakened a new ocular power. Reviving you would only consume a bit of my chakra. It's hardly a cost at all. Plus, having you back would benefit the village's development. Considering everything, that's why I'm asking."
"So, First Hokage, do you want to be revived?"
(End of Chapter)