Konoha Village wasn't prosperous.
At least, not in this era.
Many buildings were roughly constructed, likely due to the villagers being too preoccupied with daily affairs to focus on craftsmanship.
Emiya Shigen paid no mind to the village's simplicity. He instead looked around curiously, interested in the sights of this world after his resurrection.
"This is the village we live in," said Senju Tobirama as he issued instructions to the Anbu to secure the area. He then glanced at Emiya Shigen and began explaining the current era. "It has been over a thousand years since your time…"
"A thousand years?"
Emiya Shigen sighed softly, a trace of melancholy in his expression. "No wonder the architecture is so different from what I remember…"
After commenting on the village's buildings, his eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "Now that a millennium has passed, medical ninjutsu must have advanced tremendously! After all, we never had resurrection techniques back in my time. The wisdom of later generations is truly remarkable."
"…"
Tobirama's expression became awkward.
"Not quite…"
He sighed, bracing himself to manage the legendary medical ninja's expectations. "The technique that resurrected you is a forbidden jutsu meant for battle. It's pure luck that you've retained your consciousness. As for medical ninjutsu, it hasn't advanced much since your era."
"Is that so?"
Emiya Shigen's enthusiasm visibly dimmed. His expression darkened as if his ideals had been shattered. "So, humans have ultimately continued to use chakra as a tool for warfare…"
For a medical ninja, war was undoubtedly the worst thing imaginable.
Since the Senju clan had preserved Emiya Shigen's crystal coffin for generations, Tobirama had grown up hearing many stories about him. He understood Shigen's ideals but knew he had to help this ancient saint see reality.
"Everything we've done has been for survival."
"In the brutal Warring States era, we had no choice but to refine our combat abilities through chakra to stay alive."
Tobirama recounted the chaos of that time and took the opportunity to praise his elder brother, hoping Emiya Shigen would understand the significance of his brother's contributions.
"Fortunately…"
"The war finally came to an end."
"My brother, Senju Hashirama, used his immense strength to bring peace to the Warring States era. He established a system of nations and ninja villages to prevent further bloodshed."
"We invited various ninja clans to form Konoha so that those who once fought each other could now become comrades living in a shared village."
"And in the future…"
Tobirama paused, using the moment to paint a hopeful vision for the future. "If my brother's injuries heal without affecting his lifespan, his influence will undoubtedly maintain peace in the ninja world. With peace, medical ninjutsu will flourish."
"…"
Emiya Shigen's expression became complicated.
Still, he chose not to shatter Tobirama's optimistic vision. Instead, he sighed softly. "Don't worry. I've never abandoned a patient. And since you carry the Senju name, I'll do my best to help."
"…"
Tobirama showed no embarrassment at his blatant attempt to manipulate Shigen's goodwill.
After all, as Konoha's acting leader, Tobirama never cared about appearances. His only concern was achieving his goals.
However…
Tobirama sensed that this ancient saint might have a deeper story.
Noticing Shigen's familiarity with the Senju name, Tobirama decided to probe further.
"Emiya-sama, it seems you share some history with our Senju clan. Our children grow up hearing your stories."
"Indeed," Shigen replied casually. "If you are the descendants of Asura…"
"Asura?"
"That's right."
Shigen walked alongside Tobirama, reminiscing as if recounting old times. "I had a friend named Asura. He couldn't use his father's surname, so I gave him two new surnames to pass down to his descendants."
"One was Senju."
"And the other was Uzumaki."
Shigen's gaze fell on Tobirama, a wistful expression on his face. "It seems Asura's descendants chose to carry the Senju name…"
"…"
Tobirama's eyes widened in shock.
He hadn't expected the origins of his clan's name to be tied to such a story!
It wasn't a lie.
Both surnames—Senju and Uzumaki—existed, and both clans had continued to this day. The two clans shared the same distant ancestor, which explained their familial connection.
"In fact…"
"Both surnames were used."
"The Uzumaki clan, who share our bloodline, also survived."
Taking a deep breath, Tobirama said solemnly, "It's astonishing to learn that the surnames Senju and Uzumaki originated with you, Emiya-sama."
He thought to himself that his brother, once healed, would likely have a lot to say about this revelation.
After all, Tobirama had used a forbidden jutsu to resurrect a legendary figure, only to discover that this figure had direct ties to their clan's history.
"Time flies, and the world changes," Shigen said with a sigh, his voice filled with nostalgia. "I never imagined Asura's descendants would still exist after all these years…"
"…"
Tobirama remained silent.
It was clear from Shigen's tone that he and Asura had been close friends.
That was a good thing.
At least Tobirama could be confident that Shigen's intentions were friendly.
Even so, Tobirama's cautious nature made him wary. He couldn't fully trust any power he couldn't control.
For instance…
The Uchiha clan.
Although they were part of Konoha, Tobirama remained distrustful of them.
After all, just days ago, Madara Uchiha, the former Uchiha clan leader, had attacked Konoha with the Nine-Tails, gravely wounding Hashirama.
That incident only reinforced Tobirama's decision to tighten surveillance on the Uchiha.
Even though Madara was dead, Tobirama couldn't be certain that no other dangerous figures would emerge from the Uchiha clan in the future.
After all…
Hashirama was a rare exception among the Senju.
But Madara was not an anomaly among the Uchiha.
The Uchiha's Sharingan, a powerful and unpredictable kekkei genkai, could evolve in ways that were difficult to predict. It was only a matter of time before another Madara appeared.
This was a hidden threat.
Suddenly, Shigen spoke again.
"I wonder…"
"Are there any descendants of Indra left?"
Tobirama's brow furrowed at the unfamiliar name, prompting Shigen to explain.
"Indra and Asura were brothers."
"Our ideologies clashed."
"Asura and I believed chakra should be used to connect and heal people. Indra believed chakra was a tool for ruling the world."
"In the end…"
"We parted ways."
"I don't know what surname Indra's descendants use now," Shigen added. "But they would have inherited a powerful kekkei genkai, one that manifests as a unique chakra in their eyes and evolves into formidable ocular techniques…"
"Sharingan."
Tobirama interjected with the name of the bloodline limit.
His gaze darkened as he connected the dots.
The Uchiha were Indra's descendants.
The ancestors of the Senju and Uchiha clans—Asura and Indra—had been brothers.
But one embodied peace, while the other sought domination.
"Evil is truly in the Uchiha's blood," Tobirama thought bitterly.
Compared to the just and compassionate Asura, the Uchiha clan's ancestor, Indra, had harbored ambitions to rule the world.
Even Emiya Shigen, a man of noble character, had distanced himself from Indra and his descendants.
No wonder Tobirama couldn't trust the Uchiha.