Hearing that Yami had actually pulled his soul back from the Pure Land for personal reasons, Senju Tobirama immediately frowned and scolded sternly:
"You've abused a soul-blaspheming technique this way. Who are you to act so recklessly?"
"Who is the current Hokage? How are you even qualified to access the Forbidden Technique, Impure World Reincarnation?"
"My name is Shimura Yami, grandson of Shimura Danzō."
Yami introduced himself. "As for how I accessed Impure World Reincarnation, let's put it like this—nowadays in Konoha, every kunai that falls from the sky belongs to the Shimura clan."
"It's just a Forbidden Technique. I've read all the Scrolls of Seals."
Senju Tobirama was shocked.
What an arrogant brat!
Even when his older brother founded Konoha, he never said such arrogant things. He treated the villagers with courtesy and was beloved by all.
And even Madara, though not exactly a good person, usually kept a low profile under his brother's pressure.
Where did this kid get his arrogance from?
"Danzō is Hokage? No, I distinctly remember entrusting the position to Monkey. Kid, you'd better explain yourself. Who gave you the confidence to be this arrogant?"
Senju Tobirama was already doubting his own memory and wasn't even focused on Yami's abuse of Forbidden Techniques. He just wanted to understand Konoha's current situation.
[Host has established 'Anger' bond with Senju Tobirama. Reward: Water Release Chakra Talent (Limit Break).]
"That's not it."
Yami shook his head. "The Third Hokage is over sixty now, yet he still clings to the Hokage seat and refuses to step down. He's like a plague that never goes away."
Senju Tobirama's expression darkened. "Yami, regardless of your grievances, Monkey is your elder given his relationship with Danzō. How can you speak of your elder like that?"
"We've already fallen out."
Yami said bluntly, "That old man tried to suppress me. He didn't want my reputation growing too fast, so he sent me to Anbu and even tried to disband Root. Now he's pushing Kakashi to compete with me."
"At this point, isn't he just a roadblock?"
Senju Tobirama hadn't expected so much bad blood and was left speechless.
Why would Sarutobi Hiruzen suppress a child who wasn't even an adult yet? How shameless could he be?
And Root... wasn't that supposed to be the Hokage's Anbu force?
Thankfully, Yami proceeded to explain Konoha's current power structure in detail.
After listening, Senju Tobirama frowned even deeper.
"Ridiculous!"
"Anbu is the Hokage's direct power, used to restrain the ninja clans and high-ranking Jōnin. What is Monkey doing? Isn't he just weakening his own authority?"
Yami chuckled and countered, "Do you even know what the situation was like in the village at the time?"
"If that old man hadn't relied on underhanded methods to manage those clans, how could he have secured his position as Third Hokage? Wanting people to work without giving them benefits—who would agree to that?"
Senju Tobirama understood, but still stubbornly said, "It's all for the good of Konoha. Danzō should've known his limits. He went too far."
Clap, clap, clap.
Yami clapped mockingly. "I used to think my grandfather was your most loyal disciple, but I was too naive. This shameless Will of Fire was clearly inherited by Sarutobi Hiruzen from you."
Senju Tobirama's expression turned completely cold.
In the past, only Uchiha Madara dared to scold him like this. Now, even his disciple's grandson dared to mock him.
Senju Tobirama suddenly erupted with chakra, intending to teach Yami a lesson so he'd understand what superiority and hierarchy meant.
But the moment he flared up, an even more terrifying chakra surged from Yami, suppressing his momentum completely. Senju Tobirama looked at him in shock. He hadn't sensed it before, but now he could feel it—this kid's chakra was monstrous!
Dust rained from the ceiling, and the steel-structured room trembled slightly.
Yami smiled and patted Senju Tobirama's shoulder.
"Don't get agitated. Lies don't hurt people, but the truth cuts like a blade."
"Your reaction just proves I'm right."
"And don't even think of fighting me. Even if I don't use Impure World Reincarnation to control you, your current body can't utilize your full power. Don't embarrass yourself."
Senju Tobirama calmed down a bit. "Enormous chakra and impressive vitality… Is your mother a Senju, or from the Uzumaki clan?"
Yami counted on his fingers. "By relation, I should call you Uncle, Second Hokage."
"My grandmother was Senju Momoka."
From Tsunade, Yami had learned quite a bit about his mother's lineage. As for why he mentioned his grandmother instead of his grandfather—Senju Tobirama's changing expression said it all.
"Momoka… is your grandmother?" Senju Tobirama's arrogance disappeared.
Senju Momoka, a top-tier kunoichi of the Senju clan, had exceptional talent in genjutsu.
Back when the Senju and Uchiha were at odds, she had stood just behind Tobirama, showing her elevated status.
According to Tsunade, Senju Tobirama had once had feelings for her. But Yami's grandfather had married her first. After the founding of Konoha, Tobirama poured himself into the village and cut off ties.
"Since you're a descendant of the Senju, I won't bicker with you."
"As for the village's internal affairs, they're not something a dead man like me should concern myself with. Tell me why you summoned me."
Though his attitude softened, his tone remained firm.
"Let's not talk about that yet. Decades have passed. I'll take you to see the current Konoha."
Without waiting for a response, Yami retrieved a black cloak and mask from Root and disguised Senju Tobirama before taking him out of the base.
Senju Tobirama didn't resist. Since he was here, he might as well see the village he and his brother built with their own hands.
Once outside, the first thing Tobirama looked at was Konoha's iconic Hokage Rock.
When he saw the four faces, he was momentarily stunned.
"Kid, didn't you say Monkey is still Hokage? Who's the fourth face?"
"Him? Namikaze Minato. The Fourth Hokage. Died less than a year into his term."
"He's dead? How?"
"He died sealing the Nine Tails."
Thankfully, Senju Tobirama wasn't his brother and didn't say something like, "You can die from sealing the Nine Tails?" Instead, he simply sighed.
"To give his life for the village… He must've been a good young man. What a shame."
"Yeah. The Fourth's Flying Thunder God made the entire ninja world tremble."
Senju Tobirama frowned. "Watch how you speak. That's my Flying Thunder God."
"No, it's mine now."
Yami answered casually, "The Fourth is dead, and I'm the only one who can use Flying Thunder God now. Well, there is a weird copy version, but that doesn't count."
Just thinking about Kakashi's version gave him a headache.
If that could be called Flying Thunder God, it would be an embarrassment.
"You learned my Flying Thunder God too? You really are a Senju descendant…" Senju Tobirama grumbled, still holding onto his pride.
As they walked through the streets of Konoha, Yami introduced the village's layout.
"That's my home. Past there is the Shimura clan's territory. To the east is the Sarutobi clan's area. Beyond that are the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans. The Nara family fenced off a huge forest outside the village to raise deer and grow medicinal herbs."
"Venison tastes great… oh, never mind, I'm not supposed to eat it."
"You've eaten it? The Nara treat their deer like treasures."
"Yeah, I just snuck a little. Only a few times a year."
"You're something else."
Senju Tobirama was impressed. Along the way, he noticed many villagers visibly tense when they saw Yami. Some greeted him then ran off, others turned and left without a word.
Clearly, this kid was hated in the village—but no one dared to provoke him.
No wonder he was so arrogant earlier.
As they walked, Senju Tobirama felt like something was missing. He just couldn't put his finger on it.
Until they reached the village outskirts, and it hit him.
"Wait, you've been talking about the clans all this time, but never mentioned the Uchiha. What's their situation?"
Yami pointed ahead. "That used to be the Uchiha district. Two years ago, a massacre occurred, and the entire clan was wiped out. It's now just a commercial street. Each family claimed a piece, and only the ancestral hall remains."
"The Uchiha… were massacred? By who?" Senju Tobirama was wide awake now.
Yami glanced around, then leaned in and whispered into Tobirama's ear.
After listening, Tobirama was silent for a few seconds, then finally muttered:
"Senju Itachi… No, Uchiha Itachi did inherit the Will of Fire. He gave up the narrow mindset of the clan, but his actions were a bit… extreme."
"Go ahead and laugh."
Yami, seeing the corner of Tobirama's mouth twitch through the mask, used Flying Thunder God to teleport them to a cliff he often visited.
Senju Tobirama removed the disguise and revealed his true form.
"I've seen what I needed to and understood enough. What do you want from me?"
"Do you want my help becoming Hokage? Let me say upfront—I'm a dead man. I won't interfere with the current Hokage's decisions."
At this point, Senju Tobirama had a good grasp of who Yami was.
A genius who had clearly inherited his legacy.
Flying Thunder God, Shadow Techniques, even Impure World Reincarnation—they were all his jutsu.
His chakra volume surpassed that of tailed beasts. Though not yet on par with Hashirama, Yami was only fourteen. He had endless potential.
Truthfully, Tobirama also thought Yami was a good Hokage candidate.
But not the next one. He was too young, too unpredictable. Youth meant impulsiveness and uncertainty. Plus, this kid had both the first and second personalities of a madman, no one could predict what he'd do.
The village couldn't afford to pay that price.
"I've looked around. What do you think of the current world?" Yami asked.
No reply.
"Not impressed?" Looking out at the village below, Tobirama's eyes were full of emotion.
"This is the world my brother and I dreamed of. No war. Everyone united, working to build the village. So that tragedies like the ones we lived through would never happen again."
Senju Kawarama—Tobirama's younger brother, died in battle against the Uchiha at the age of seven.
"But I don't think it's good at all." Yami sat on the cliff's edge, just ahead was a canyon with a sheer drop.
"Yes, thanks to Konoha's solid foundation, kids rarely go to the battlefield at six or seven now. But the wars haven't stopped."
"Second Hokage, my father died in battle. My mother was seriously injured in secret missions."
"What's the point of opening orphanage after orphanage in the village?"
The wind tousled the boy's hair, and Tobirama could clearly see the mockery in his eyes.
"When has this world ever truly been at peace?"
"Only three to five years after your death, the Second Great Ninja War began. It lasted more than twenty years, consuming an entire generation."
"All of them were meaningless wars."
"The five great nations are still the same five great nations. The moment they recover, they fight again. Where do you think my nickname, Konoha Shinigami, came from?"
Yami turned around and asked, "Was Senju Hashirama brain-dead? He had the power of the God of Shinobi and the support of the Ninja World's Shura."
"If fire gives birth to leaves, then cover the world in leaves. Wouldn't that have been better?"
"Why did he distribute the Tailed Beasts and plant the seeds of ambition in other villages?"
"Yami!" Tobirama snapped. "Watch your tone! My brother isn't just Konoha's founder, he's also your great-grandfather!"
Yami spread his hands. "Second Hokage, let's get back to the real issue. I didn't summon you to talk about family ties. Just tell me, aren't all the future wars rooted in Hashirama's actions?"
…
Tobirama fell silent. A high-IQ, high-EQ shinobi like him understood all too well that what Yami said was true.
Hashirama distributed the Tailed Beasts to balance power among the five major villages, hoping to avoid them ganging up on Konoha and maintain peace.
But it was naive.
When armed with deadly power, killing intent naturally arises.
Each village became greedy. They wanted more power, more Tailed Beasts.
Without the Senju to suppress them, the Ninja World War broke out not long after Hashirama's death.
The battles between countries and villages became even more brutal.
Tobirama realized the problem when he became Hokage, but it was already too late.
He didn't have the strength to fix the situation. All he could do was strengthen Konoha to protect it.
But that only made the other villages more cautious and widened the divide, forming a vicious cycle.
Still, as a brother with deep respect, Tobirama defended Hashirama.
"You don't understand my brother's ideals."
"He wanted to build a world where people could truly understand each other."
"It just takes time. That day will come."
"Then our generation is destined to be sacrificed?"
"For a dream that will never be realized?"
Yami spread his arms. In Tobirama's shocked eyes, a transparent barrier burst forth, flattening the mountain across from them.
"This ninja world makes me sick."
"But it doesn't matter."
"I'll clean up the mess you all left behind."
"The world isn't that big."
"One ninja village is enough."
(To be continued.)