"Sensei, aren't you being a little too hasty? Even if we've made mistakes, this isn't the way to address them."
Hiruzen spoke earnestly, his tone humble.
In his heart, he believed that Tobirama's intentions were clear: reclaim the power that rightfully belonged to the Hokage. Naturally, this would mean eliminating those of the old era like himself.
What he hadn't expected was how ruthless Tobirama would be.
"Sarutobi, I've heard that after my death, the Senju Clan was persecuted by those of you in power. Is that true?"
Tobirama turned to him, ignoring Hiruzen's defense, and instead posed a question that left him no room for escape.
"Sensei, as the clan of both you and the First Hokage, the Senju inherited the Will of Fire. On the battlefield, they were the first to volunteer for the most dangerous missions. I tried to dissuade them, but their hearts burned too brightly with that will… How could I dampen their resolve?"
Large beads of sweat slid down Hiruzen's thin face as he spoke. Even he wasn't confident in his own answer.
"Utter nonsense!"
"Are you saying every member of the Senju Clan was a ninja? Did you send even their civilians to the battlefield?"
Tobirama roared, releasing a powerful wave of blue chakra that rippled through the room.
The elderly Hiruzen trembled under the intense pressure, nearly collapsing to his knees. In desperation, he stammered:
"Sensei, I'll confess! It—it was all Danzo's doing! He coveted the First Hokage's Wood Release abilities and took most of the Senju civilians for his experiments in Root!"
He hurriedly shifted all the blame onto the deceased Danzo, fearing Tobirama might kill him on the spot.
"Sensei, Tsunade is still my disciple. How could I act against the Senju Clan? Those who remain have settled peacefully within the Land of Fire!"
Tobirama's sharp gaze didn't waver. His voice cut through Hiruzen's excuses like a blade:
"When Danzo was doing all of this, where were you?"
"I… I…"
Hiruzen faltered, his thoughts betraying him.
I wanted the Senju and Uchiha to destroy each other. With clans like those gone, no one would rise to threaten my position.
But he couldn't dare speak his true feelings. Struggling for words, he resembled a student caught fabricating excuses.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, you've lived a comfortable life as Hokage, haven't you?"
Tobirama's tone was laced with contempt.
"Since you've stopped short of crossing the final line, I'll spare your life. From now on, you are under house arrest. An ANBU will guard you until your death. Your title of Hokage will not be stripped, but your power ends here."
"Y-yes… Thank you, Sensei…"
The frail old man bowed, his body slumping further as if he had aged another decade in an instant.
And so, the era of Konoha's old leadership came to an end.
The era of Tobirama Senju began anew.
In just one week, the events in Konoha had spread across the ninja world like wildfire.
Tobirama Senju had returned.
The Konoha Council had been dissolved.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had stepped down.
The Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure had been killed by Orochimaru.
The One-Tails Jinchuriki was in Konoha's custody.
Jiraiya had returned to the village.
These revelations rippled across the Five Great Nations and smaller countries, shaking them to their core.
Who was Tobirama Senju?
While not as legendary as his older brother, Hashirama Senju—the God of Shinobi and founder of the ninja villages—Tobirama was no less a figure of immense renown. His title as a master of ninjutsu was well-deserved, with innovations like the Shadow Clone Jutsu still widely used by all villages.
The ninja world marveled: this Second Hokage had not only been resurrected but had immediately stripped his former student of power, imprisoning or executing others.
In response, many nations issued orders to avoid provoking Konoha, unwilling to test the waters with this unknown variable. Meanwhile, emissaries were dispatched to investigate one pressing question:
How did Tobirama Senju return to life?
In the Land of Rain, inside a dimly lit meeting room of Amegakure, shadows began to appear one by one, forming vague silhouettes in the seats.
This was the Hologram Jutsu, allowing Akatsuki members to communicate via the chakra-infused rings they wore.
At the center of the room, a figure with spiky orange hair waited silently.
As the last member appeared, a voice broke the silence.
"Leader, what's the mission this time? I've got a 50-million-ryō bounty to collect, and I'm on a tight schedule."
"Idiot! Hidan and I are running around chasing money all day while he's losing his faith in Jashin! Leader, I'm requesting a new partner!" shouted a boisterous voice, bringing a lively energy to the room.
"Tch. My latest masterpiece is almost complete. I don't have time for this."
"Indeed."
Despite the murmurs of complaints, the orange-haired figure, Pain, remained expressionless. This was typical of Akatsuki's eccentric members.
When the room quieted, Pain turned to a figure resembling a carnivorous plant:
"Zetsu, explain the situation."
"Understood." Zetsu's dual-toned voice spoke with a nod.
"Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage of Konoha, has been resurrected. He retains all his power from life, has executed Danzo, and reclaimed leadership of the village."
Silence fell over the room.
For a moment, the shadowy figure with Sharingan flinched upon hearing of Danzo's death.
"So what? Resurrections aren't that rare. I'm immortal, after all!" Hidan laughed arrogantly.
Zetsu spoke again, his tone grave.
"Tobirama is incredibly powerful—his strength surpasses the Kage of any Great Nation. I recommend suspending all missions related to Konoha. For now, avoiding him is our best course of action."
The room descended into deep thought.
Hidan and Deidara scoffed, dismissing the warning as overly cautious. What did it matter if Tobirama was strong? Each member of Akatsuki was Kage-level themselves.
But Kakuzu, the elder mercenary, narrowed his eyes. He said nothing of money now. As someone who had survived since the Warring States Period, he knew better than anyone what Tobirama's name meant.
In the end, Pain broke the silence.
"As Zetsu advised, we will halt all operations involving Konoha for the time being. Dispatch scouts to monitor the village's situation. For now, focus on gathering funds to prepare for our ultimate goal."
With that, Pain vanished. One by one, the silhouettes flickered and disappeared.
The last to leave was the Sharingan user, whose gaze lingered as his mind raced with hidden schemes.
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