Konoha Village, Hokage Building.
Tobirama Senju stood with his back to the desk, gazing out the window, where the smooth glass reflected a face clouded with sorrow.
After several days of rest, his injuries had partially healed, yet his complexion remained ashen, as if he had aged decades overnight.
In truth, he had already learned everything from Kagami—knowing that Kamihane wouldn't target Konoha for the time being, he had returned to the village from the secret base.
A few days ago, Kagami teleported to the base using the 'Flying Thunder God Technique' and reported the current battle situation to Tobirama.
Apart from the matter of the five-year agreement, he documented everything that happened between him and Kamihane in the mission report, including the details of their confrontation and the words exchanged between them.
Of course, matters involving the deal with Kamihane, voluntarily offering his eyes in exchange for five years... such things were glossed over by Kagami.
Such a simple explanation naturally couldn't fool Tobirama. Therefore, regarding the reason for Kamihane's retreat, Kagami's explanation was:
Kamihane's true objective was never to destroy Konoha, but to obtain his own Mangekyō Sharingan.
Tobirama nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, for he knew that back then, Madara had only gained such formidable power by transplanting his deceased brother Izuna's eyes.
Kagami explained that due to the nature of his ocular jutsu, Kamihane was powerless against him. Attacking lightly wouldn't subdue him, but striking too hard would risk damaging the eyes he coveted so much.
Thus, even with the power to annihilate him in an instant, they were still constrained by their own concerns, left in a tight spot.
Tobirama, ever astute, grasped the crux of the matter almost immediately and voiced his doubt:
"Didn't he threaten you with the village?"
Kagami's answer was:
"He did, but I would have destroyed my own eyes right then, leaving him no choice but to retreat in frustration."
In response, Tobirama first praised his disciple's Will of Fire in sacrificing oneself for justice, then solemnly cautioned:
"Proceed with utmost caution. Kamihane will not give up on stealing the eyes, so from now on, you must stay vigilant and leave no opening for him to exploit."
Tobirama was a cautious man. He read the mission report submitted by Kagami over a dozen times, scrutinizing every word and sentence, attempting to discern Kamihane's intentions and analyze the intelligence.
Then, he came to a terrifying conclusion.
With his current strength, appearing within Kamihane's line of sight would mean certain death.
Apart from that, there was another piece of news that deeply concerned him.
It was during the battle between the two brothers at the Valley of the End when Kagami was accidentally punched by Kamihane into the chest of the Madara Uchiha statue, and Kamihane unintentionally blurted out:
'Ah, how inauspicious—this piece of flesh took Lord Madara six years to grow back.'
Flesh?
Wound?
What kind of injury takes six years to heal?
Speaking of which, after that great battle back then, Tobirama rushed to his elder brother's side and noticed a scab of blood on his shoulder.
That wound wasn't caused by any blunt or sharp object—it looked more like... a bite mark.
But at the time, he was too focused on dealing with Kamihane to pay it much mind, merely sneering internally at Madara—a man who had spent his whole life pursuing elegance in battle, now revealing such a beastly side.
Could it be... that Madara actually bit off a piece of his elder brother's flesh back then?
He vaguely sensed that there was something deeply eerie about this matter—Uchiha Madara... had most likely transplanted his elder brother's flesh and blood.
This couldn't help but arouse his intense suspicion.
Why would Madara do such a thing?
Could it be that by combining the powers of the Senju and Uchiha, one could awaken an even greater strength?
On that rainy night six years ago, Madara faked his death and disappeared from everyone's sight. What exactly has he been scheming in the shadows?
He remained silent for a long time, utterly perplexed.
But now he had no time to think about these matters, because there was a more serious situation awaiting his attention.
On the day he returned to the village, he also brought back a corpse and a piece of devastating news.
His elder brother, Hashirama Senju, had fallen.
He himself was severely injured beyond recovery, left with chronic ailments. Whenever he unleashed chakra, his heart would feel as if pierced by knives, his life hanging by a thread—effectively losing his Kage-level combat abilities.
This is a very serious internal injury. To fully recover, it will take at least eight to ten years.
That night, all the top officials held a meeting, and the conference room in the Hokage's office erupted into fierce arguments.
80% of the people believed that the news of the Hokage's death should not be announced, especially under such dire circumstances with Sarutobi Sasuke dead and Senju Tobirama severely injured.
The new generation has yet to mature, and the village is severely lacking in Kage-level combat power. Announcing this now would be tantamount to showing weakness to the other four great shinobi villages!
Meanwhile, the 20% of representatives led by the Senju clan argued that Hashirama Senju had dedicated his entire life to service—not only founding Konohagakure but also pioneering an era that ended the Warring States period. Such monumental achievements deserved a grand funeral to allow the entire world to mourn him, rather than letting him pass away in obscurity.
Both sides held firm to their views, and the debate remained unresolved. In the end, Mito Uzumaki intervened, insisting on holding the funeral but without announcing it to the world—only notifying all Konoha villagers would suffice.
To this, Tobirama could only frown in agreement.
He was actually on the side of reason—this method of burying one's head in the sand wouldn't deceive anyone for long.
Thus, three days later, the Hidden Leaf Village held a grand funeral for the 'God of Shinobi,' with all its villagers coming to mourn in silence.
As the mournful and solemn eulogy was slowly recited, everyone was in tears, mourning the 'God of Shinobi' who had brought peace to the chaotic world.
The true cause of his death was classified by the higher-ups, who only publicly claimed it was due to exhaustion and the end of his natural lifespan.
But Tobirama knew all too well—that night, when Kamihane attacked Konoha, the Kage from the other four great shinobi villages were all present!
Once the news leaks out, anyone with eyes will see that it was Kamihane who killed the 'God of Shinobi.'
But this isn't necessarily bad news.
Tobirama once used the intelligence that 'Madara faked his death abroad' to intimidate the other four great nations for a full six years. Now, Kamihane's infamy must also be put to use.
He pressed his temples, but the exhaustion in his eyes remained unresolved.
On the night of Hashirama's burial, he was unanimously elected by the high council to become the 'Second Hokage' of Konoha Village.
Although the work he did now was no different from when his elder brother was still alive, only when he truly sat in this position could he understand the responsibilities and pressures that came with being the Hokage.
The village's current situation is far from optimistic, with only a handful of Kage-level powerhouses remaining as its strongest combatants.
The three most formidable fighters are either dead or incapacitated, while the clan leaders, having grown complacent over time, have long neglected their training and devoted more energy to power struggles. Apart from Hyuga Harukaze, none of them retain their former Kage-level strength.
The strongest of the new generation, like Hiruzen and Danzo, only possess mere Jonin-level abilities at best.
The old waves cannot be surpassed, the new ones have yet to rise, surrounded by formidable foes, beset with troubles within and without!
No!
Tobirama suddenly raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
And one more... Uchiha Kagami!
In the Uchiha clan's territory, Kagami suddenly sneezed, startling the girl in front of him. The tri-colored dango in her hand fell to the ground with a 'plop'.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Yuko. Let me buy you another one."
The girl shook her head, her black ponytail swaying slightly, her face flushed. "No need, Kagami-kun. You've been under a lot of stress lately, so take care of yourself."
Kagami scratched his head awkwardly. "Taking care of you is the task the clan leader assigned to me. After all, you're his little sister."
"Actually..." Uchiha Yuko clasped her hands behind her back, shyly rising onto her tiptoes. "You don't have to treat this as a mission, Kagami-kun..."
Her beautiful eyes widened, a flash of courage passing through her dark pupils as she lifted her head. She planted a quick peck on Kagami's cheek before blushing furiously and dashing away.
Leaving Kagami standing there, utterly dumbfounded...
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