"Hiruzen Sarutobi… wake up."
Hmm?
Hiruzen Sarutobi had just finished securing the forbidden scroll and scolding his wayward son for staying out late. He'd finally climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep. He never expected his dreams to hold…this.
"Sensei?"
Before him crackled a bonfire, its orange flames illuminating the white-haired figure sitting across from him. It was Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, the ninja who had influenced his jutsu style more than anyone.
"Monkey," Tobirama said, "it's been a while. How is Konoha?"
"I…"
What was going on? How was he seeing his sensei again? Could this be… the Pure Land, a place only the dead could reach? Had he died? Hiruzen sat up abruptly, shock etched on his face.
Wait, perhaps not yet.
Composing himself, he addressed the Second. "Thanks to your guidance, Sensei, Konoha is flourishing." Then, cautiously, he added, "Sensei, where are we?"
"A dream. And my jutsu. You have a few months left before you die." Tobirama saw right through him. "My jutsu has a time limit. I summoned you here because…"
"So I'm dreaming of you because of your jutsu?" His sensei's forbidden techniques were truly remarkable. Though still slightly skeptical, Hiruzen was almost convinced. The figure in his dream spoke and acted exactly like his old teacher. But if this dream truly was Tobirama's jutsu, then what he'd said earlier… he only had a few months to live? Hiruzen's mind raced.
"Enough small talk. I won't dwell on you and Danzo annihilating the Uchiha clan. But there's something that has bothered me even in death."
"What is it, Sensei?" He even knew about the Uchiha annihilation. Could his sensei still be watching them, even now? Hiruzen's expression grew grave.
"The unification of the shinobi world!" Tobirama's words, sharp and deliberate, sent a tremor through Hiruzen.
"Unify the shinobi world?" Hiruzen harbored similar ambitions once, but the years had worn them down. Besides, Konoha currently lacked the strength to…
"I foresaw that you and Danzo wouldn't be capable. So, before my death, I used a forbidden jutsu to glimpse the future. I recorded those visions and buried them within Konoha." Tobirama's voice grew urgent, as if his jutsu truly was running out of time. "You'll know the location when you wake. Use what I've left you wisely. Fulfill my will. Let Konoha reign supreme! Now, you must go. I hope our reunion as teacher and student won't be too soon."
"Wait, Sensei!" This was preposterous. A jutsu to foresee the future? His sensei had accomplished such a thing before his death? Hiruzen desperately wanted to ask more, but as Tobirama faded, the dream dissolved into nothingness. He awoke in his bed, a sense of loss hanging over him.
A dream? Or reality? Hiruzen stared at his aged hands.
---
"That should do it." The one impersonating Tobirama in Hiruzen's dream was, of course, Uchiha Ying.
"Hopefully, this will keep those old geezers, Hiruzen and Danzo, preoccupied with matters outside Konoha." Even if Hiruzen doubted the dream, the "future" Ying had buried would surely fool them. And if it didn't, he could always try again later. Still, two Bond Points for such a short dream… this Dream Infiltration ability had its limitations. But the level of control within the dream was impressive. His disguise hadn't been detected.
"As a villainous Uchiha, it's my duty to sow chaos in the shinobi world." Only in chaos could he gather high-quality ninja fragments to strengthen himself. Of course, that depended on surviving the chaos.
Now that he'd sparked Hiruzen's ambition, he needed to grow stronger quickly.
"Two Action Points left. Time to try the dungeon." Conquering a dungeon featuring Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths was unlikely, but even failure guaranteed Naruto and Sasuke fragments. A worthwhile gamble.
"Enter dungeon!" Once he restored his Mangekyo Sharingan by absorbing ninja fragments, he wouldn't have to worry about self-preservation.
---
"Father."
Hinata's small, bare feet padded softly across the polished wooden floor. She had changed into her training clothes immediately upon returning home and headed straight for the family's indoor dojo. A stern, middle-aged man stood waiting in the center. Hiashi Hyuga, the Hyuga Clan Head, and Hinata's father.
"I hear you defeated an Uchiha today."
"No, I…" Hinata instinctively touched her chest. She didn't know if she'd won or lost.
"There is no in-between. You either won or lost. Don't stammer." Hiashi's face was severe, but a flicker of tenderness softened his gaze as he looked at his daughter. His eldest trained diligently, but she lacked talent, falling far short of Neji. Coupled with her shy and somewhat timid nature… the position of Clan Head was likely beyond her reach. But Hiashi still wanted to give her a chance.
"Come. Show me your progress."
"Yes, Father." Hinata took her stance and charged, her Gentle Fist at the ready.
---
"Sister… are you alright?"
Hinata awoke in her bed, bruised and sore. Beside her, a small girl with worried eyes watched over her. It was Hanabi, her younger sister.
"Hanabi?"
A sharp pain reminded her of the dojo, of attacking her father again and again, only to be flung back by his powerful Gentle Fist. His scolding echoed in her ears. *"I thought you'd improved, but you're worse than before! Such weak Gentle Fist is unworthy of the Hyuga name!"*
She had disappointed him again…
"What time is it?" Pushing aside thoughts of her father, Hinata remembered her promise to play with Hanabi after school. But now, it was almost dark.
Ignoring the ache in her body, she climbed out of bed.
"Dinner will be ready soon, Sister. Rest a little longer." Hanabi's face was etched with concern as she looked at Hinata's injured hands.
"No, I'm fine." Hinata shook her head and took her sister's hand. "I promised to play with you today. Let's go to the courtyard."
"Okay!" Reassured by her sister's words, Hanabi's face brightened.
But Hanabi's joy was short-lived. They had barely reached the courtyard when Hinata, sitting on the wooden steps, fell asleep.
"Sister…"