Luckily, he was already dead; otherwise, Tobirama Senju felt he would have been driven to high blood pressure by this.
After hearing the report from the two advisors, he was so frustrated that he could almost grind his teeth to dust.
The veins on his forehead throbbed intensely, and he even considered using the Flying Thunder God technique to teleport straight to the hospital and smack the unconscious Hiruzen Sarutobi lying in his bed.
But, considering that Hiruzen might be the only remaining "Hokage," Tobirama forcibly pushed that thought away.
He couldn't kill him—if he did, there'd be no one left.
"You guys... forget it, just hurry up and wake Sarutobi up."
Tobirama was out of options. The others absolutely refused, and he couldn't exactly hold a sword to their throats and force them to take the Hokage position.
As for the upcoming post-war compensation negotiations, it seemed he would have to attend them himself.
"Can't you two show a little backbone?" Tobirama pointed at Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, his hands shaking with anger.
"I've been dead for decades, and yet you still drag me out of my grave to act as Hokage. If I'd known, I wouldn't have researched the Impure World Reincarnation!"
Anyone would be furious being pulled out to work overtime after being dead for decades.
Facing their teacher's fury, Koharu and Homura felt a deep sense of grievance that they couldn't express.
What could they do? They'd said all the nice things a thousand times, even begged and offered to give up their authority, but still, all they got was, "Find someone else."
Honestly, if they could have found a third person, they would've done it already. Why else would they be bending over backwards, lowering themselves like this?
"Um... Teacher, there's one more thing."
Afraid of being scolded again, Homura cautiously asked, "It's about the Fourth Hokage. Does he need a face carved on the Hokage Rock?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tobirama stepped forward, raising his knee and bracing his hips, and delivered a solid kick, sending Homura flying.
*Bang!*
Homura was knocked back, crashing into the wall.
"How could I have such foolish disciples?!"
Tobirama was completely enraged, veins bulging on his forehead, and he shouted, "Have your brains been numbed by power? Or clouded by prejudice? Who is he? A hero of the Leaf! The Fourth Hokage! And yet you dare to ask me this? Do you think this will erase his achievements?!"
He was truly angry. All four of his disciples, each one more troublesome than the last.
Even at a time like this, instead of thinking about the village, they planned to hide the fact that Uchiha Sogetsu was once the Fourth Hokage.
How foolish could they be?
If they really went through with this, how would the entire Konoha view the village?
A village that treats its heroes with such coldness would lose any sense of unity. It wouldn't even need an external force to crumble—it would fall apart on its own.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were brought back to their senses by a harsh kick to the chest.
Homura, now seeing stars, was terrified and dropped to his knees, "I'm sorry, sensei. I was just momentarily confused."
"Get out!"
Tobirama Senju's eyes were cold as he said in a frosty tone, "If you dare to act on those little schemes of yours again, don't blame me for being merciless!"
"Yes, yes."
From the look in their teacher's eyes, Koharu and Homura could feel a genuine 'killing intent.' Terrified, they scrambled out, stumbling as they ran.
Tobirama's chest heaved, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Why… did it come to this?"
The current state of Konoha had decayed to the point where it made him feel sick.
The ideals he and his brother had when they founded the village had been twisted beyond recognition in just a few short decades.
Watching as his dreams were destroyed, Tobirama found himself, inexplicably, harboring a violent thought: since it had already decayed, maybe it would be better to destroy it and start over.
"No, no, I can't!"
Tobirama shook his head violently, forcing that terrifying thought out of his mind.
He calmed himself down and took a deep breath. Even though he was in a reanimated body, he felt exhausted.
Minato Namikaze, holding a bouquet of flowers, arrived at the gravestone of his dear friend.
He stared at the gray stone, engraved with the name, then slowly bent down, placing the bouquet in front of the grave. Without saying a word, he seemed lost in his memories.
However, the moment of silence was suddenly broken by an unexpected voice.
"So this is the grave of Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Uchiha Sogetsu?"
The unfamiliar chakra instantly put Minato on alert. His brows furrowed, and his eyes grew sharp as he followed the direction of the voice.
He saw a mysterious figure, shrouded entirely in a black robe, who had appeared nearby without him noticing.
"Who are you?"
Minato Namikaze asked cautiously while his right hand moved to the kunai at his waist.
"I happened to pass by and came to collect something that was left behind."
The mysterious figure in the black cloak spoke in a stiff, raspy voice, like a torn piece of cloth.
"Collect what?"
Minato pressed forward, his tone carrying a hint of warning.
"This is Konoha. You are not welcome here. Please leave immediately."
"By the command of my Lord, I am here to collect the body of the Fourth Hokage."
The cloaked figure removed his hood, revealing a strange face with a pale complexion. Faint bluish veins were visible, and his eyes glowed an abnormal red, exuding an eerie aura.
"Could you please hand over his body? It is a gift from my Lord."
"Your target is the Fourth Hokage!"
Minato's pupils shrank, and a killing intent surged on his face.
"So, you're working with Danzo?!"
"In a sense, that's accurate."
The cloaked figure looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"Let me introduce myself. You can call me Mr. A. I am currently a member of the Aurora Order. I wonder if you are interested in learning about the 'True Creator'? He is the true god we worship and the one who offers redemption."
Swish—!
A specially made kunai flew through the air, interrupting Mr. A's words.
Immediately, a figure appeared before him with the kunai, and before Mr. A could react, a fierce kick swept toward him.
The powerful kick struck Mr. A's waist, sending him flying to the ground. He shook his head, only to find a sharp kunai pressed against his neck.
"Don't move!" Minato brought the kunai closer to his neck, drawing a trickle of blood. "Now, you will answer my questions. Tell me, where is Danzo? What happened to the Fourth Hokage? What is your connection to the Aurora Order?"
"Yellow hair, very fast. You are Minato Namikaze?"
Despite the kunai cutting into his neck, Mr. A remained calm, showing no sign of panic. "I've heard about you. The Flying Thunder God Technique, right? I finally got to see it in action today. It really is fast."
"Answer my question!"
Minato Namikaze pressed down hard on the kunai and said coldly, "I don't want to hear another useless word. Otherwise, I'll cut your throat!"
"Exactly as you think," Mr. A admitted openly. "The Fourth Hokage's death was done by us, the Aurora Order."
"Where's Danzo? Where is he?!" Minato pressed on.
"I don't know," Mr. A shook his head. "We in the Aurora Order value our freedom and rarely stay in contact. Why don't you join us? Then you'll naturally see him."
Not getting the answer he wanted, disappointment flickered in Minato's eyes. "In that case, it starts with you!"
Swish!
He slashed the kunai, cutting Mr. A's throat.
Blood gushed out, and Minato's expression was cold as he stood up, eyes filled with killing intent. "You're the first. I won't spare the Aurora Order or Danzo!"
But just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard a rustling sound behind him.
"Don't go yet; let's talk some more."
Minato's pupils widened in shock as he turned back, only to see Mr. A, whose throat was cut, standing up as if nothing happened, amidst the pool of blood.
"Are you interested in joining the Aurora Order?" Mr. A grinned, revealing a creepy smile. "I think you're a decent person, much more reliable than Danzo. Why not consider it?"
********
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