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The long-neglected Orochimaru finally appeared.
Just now, Kitahara Hitoshi suddenly stepped on Shukaku and stunned him.
The soul damage from being crushed by Tobirama's raw strength hadn't healed, so Shukaku had been in a daze.
But now, he had fully recovered.
He opened his mouth, revealing his signature long tongue.
"One Tail Shukaku is so easy to deal with."
"Looks like I still underestimated you."
"But right now…"
"The Second Hokage trying to abolish Impure World Reincarnation just now really surprised me."
"But…"
"Second Hokage, I know you can see and hear me."
"So I want to tell you this."
"It's useless."
"You did develop Impure World Reincarnation, but so what?"
"There's nothing you can do about it."
"You're a Hokage, but you're only fit to be a tool," Orochimaru said boldly.
Tobirama remained silent.
His Edo Tensei body seemed to be under control, his arms falling limp, unable to resist.
This was the real tool mode.
"Really," Kitahara Hitoshi muttered in understanding.
"So you dug up the Second Hokage's research."
"But because of the First Hokage's Wood Style cells, he can't break free from control."
"Exactly," Orochimaru nodded. "The First Hokage's Wood Style cells are incredibly valuable."
"I studied the Second Hokage's data, continued his experiments, and improved them."
"He never finished the Wood Style cell research, so I did."
"Though it ultimately failed."
"I couldn't replicate the First Hokage's true power."
"But…"
"I was planning to search the entire world for you."
"And in the end…"
"You delivered yourself."
"Let's begin."
"Second Hokage Project."
Orochimaru raised his left hand, extending his index finger.
This was a control command.
Immediately, the Second Hokage's body moved, rushing toward Kitahara Hitoshi.
His speed was astonishing, flashing in front of Hitoshi in an instant and pulling a kunai from the pouch on his leg.
"Be careful!"
Only then did the Third Hokage realize this wasn't the time to speculate on his old teacher's thoughts.
If they didn't act now, the next moment they might be fighting the Second Hokage.
And not just him.
Orochimaru had already said he needed Kitahara-kun for Living Corpse Reincarnation.
In other words…
He could use the Second Hokage to attack and kidnap Kitahara Hitoshi.
This was the worst-case scenario.
If Kitahara Hitoshi, who possessed the Rinnegan and the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline, fell into Orochimaru's hands, it would be a disaster for the ninja world.
So the Third Hokage had no choice but to summon the Monkey King Enma, transforming him into the golden staff.
A defensive counterattack was his only option.
"Hm?"
Kitahara Hitoshi raised a hand, slapping the Second Hokage on the shoulder. Then he twisted and elbowed him in the neck, flipping and pinning him to the ground.
Then he froze.
Was the Third Hokage trying to warn him?
Orochimaru was stunned too.
"Senju Tobirama… Is that all your power?"
He had been controlling the Second Hokage directly in Taijutsu. Edo Tobirama's physical stats were strong, with exceptional speed and reaction time far beyond current shinobi.
But when Orochimaru controlled him to engage in close combat, he was immediately overpowered and pinned to the ground by Kitahara Hitoshi.
That scene left Orochimaru speechless.
In the ninja world chat group:
Big Pillar Hanhan: Although Kitahara Hitoshi restrained you, Tobirama… Looking at it this way, you are definitely falling behind.
Senju Tobirama: …
Senju Tobirama: How would I know?
Senju Tobirama: First off, my Edo form is only 65% as strong as my peak.
Senju Tobirama: And since I'm being controlled, Orochimaru can't use me at full power.
Senju Tobirama: The loss rate should be 50%.
Tobirama's Record: So overall, it's like only 30% of your power?
Senju Tobirama: Pretty much.
Senju Tobirama: So Orochimaru really is an idiot.
Senju Tobirama: Even with all that power loss, he still thinks he's in control.
Duiko Black Zetsu: …
Big Pillar Hanhan: What's up, Black Zetsu?
Duiko Black Zetsu: Nothing.
Takako Black Zetsu: By the way… Shukaku's already been handled, so does that mean the fight with the Ninja Rabbit is over?
Black Zetsu starts reading.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Yeah, just finished.
Big Pillar Hanhan: It ended in like a second. Super fast.
Big Pillar Hanhan: But really shocking.
Takako Black Zetsu: Shocking?
Big Pillar Hanhan: Super shocking.
Thinking Black Zetsu missed everything, the Big Pillar began explaining.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Just before you logged in, Kitahara Hitoshi filled the Ninja Rabbit with chakra.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Then it began to transform.
Big Pillar Hanhan: It turned into a beautiful woman.
Big Pillar Hanhan: She had pale skin and long bluish-white hair.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Hair that reached past her whole body.
Big Pillar Hanhan: No eyebrows, but a beautiful face. Two horns on her head.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Wearing a white robe with a black tomoe pattern. Her eyes were Byakugan.
Duiko Black Zetsu: ???
Black Zetsu's eyes widened. Did he just miss something massive?
What did I miss?
Did Kaguya-sama already return to her original form?
Takako Black Zetsu: Could it be that Kaguya-sama…
Big Pillar Hanhan: Lord Kaguya?
Duiko Black Zetsu: Ah, slip of the tongue.
Takako Black Zetsu: I mean, there's an old story about the goddess Kaguya descending into a bamboo grove.
Dazhuzi Hanhan: I know that one. Even though I'm the First Hokage, I've read some books.
Having been mocked by his brother Tobirama many times, Hashirama spoke humbly.
Dazhuzi Hanhan: In the story, Kaguya eventually returns to the moon, right?
Dazhuzi Hanhan: But in modern culture, anyone beautiful or noble gets compared to her.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: Makes sense.
Duiko Black Zetsu: Yeah.
You know nothing.
Though he grumbled internally, Black Zetsu was sweating.
On one hand, he remembered Kaguya saying she hadn't recovered her power and couldn't even communicate.
But Kitahara Hitoshi actually brought her back to her original state.
That's rushing the process too much.
And if her identity gets exposed…
If the other Otsutsuki clan members come after her power, Kaguya will be in danger.
That's why Black Zetsu is completely against Kitahara Hitoshi bringing back the original form of the Ninja Rabbit.
Dazhuzi Hanhan: But it's a shame. After fighting One Tail, the Ninja Rabbit turned back into its small form.
Takako Black Zetsu: Yeah.
Even without being told, he could see it.
The chat group's video feed showed Ninja Rabbit lying on Kitahara Hitoshi's shoulder, apparently exhausted.
Clearly, reverting to the original form consumed everything.
But in the video, Kitahara Hitoshi made a new move.
Despite Tobirama mocking Orochimaru's lack of skill, the snake still tried to control the Second Hokage.
That's why Tobirama was forced to attack Kitahara Hitoshi, and in just two moves, was shut down…
Simply shameful.
"The strength of this Second Generation is a bit crispy," said 33 Kitahara Hitoshi.
Senju Tobirama: I'm so pissed off. Orochimaru and I are inseparable.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Well, Tobirama, calm down, calm down.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: Don't you think this is also good?
Big Pillar Hanhan: Because Orochimaru can't use your strength, so you won't hurt little Kitahara Hitoshi.
Senju Tobirama:
Tobirama was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Too.
Only.
He reacted all at once and always felt that this scene was inexplicably familiar.
So, did the eldest brother regard himself as the combat power of Nine Tails to appease him?
After he defeated Nine Tails before, he said to He De He Neng's Nine Tails seriously that you are too strong.
It's all scene talk.
Kakashi: Shodai, Nidaime, I caught up.
On the other hand, Kakashi started reporting the letter first.
Along with his voice, everyone found that Hatake Kakashi's figure appeared in the video.
"Kakashi—"
Kitahara Hitoshi looked over.
"…Kakashi."
So, not only Sasuke, but even Kitahara Hitoshi doesn't consider him a teacher now?
Kakashi's inner heart almost collapsed.
But he didn't forget what he was here for.
"Orochimaru added Shodai's Wood Style cells during Impure World Reincarnation," said Kakashi.
"So I think—to remove the control of Orochimaru, you need to deal with the problem of Wood Style cells first.
"It's just that the cells joined in when the soil was dirty, so it has been integrated with the current dirty soil Nidaime." Kakashi spoke quickly.
"Oh." Kitahara Hitoshi nodded. "I know about it."
"Uh, got it?" Kakashi was stunned for a moment.
Because he was focusing on rushing to the field just now… so the spirit and body in the small group were in a trance.
Well, after all, I met Second Generation before you came." Kitahara Hitoshi said, "Second Generation has an aura of Wood Style.
"And just now Orochimaru blew himself up."
Well, he did blow himself up.
Originally, it was only the Second Generation of the dirty soil to deal with the Third Generation and the others, and then they thought about testing the Second Generation of the dirty soil. After finishing the tool, they could go to catch Kitahara Hitoshi.
As a result, Kitahara Hitoshi delivered himself, so Orochimaru was so happy.
So the mouth slipped and directly exposed the Wood Style cells.
But.
The index and middle fingers of Orochimaru's left hand were pressed together, then raised up, and he continued trying to control Senju Tobirama.
Yes.
Manipulation.
Then it is to ignore the will of the tool man, and the body of the dirt can be damaged and automatically restored, and Chakra is always in a state of being filled up immediately after it is used up.
Then such a tool person can still move even if they are stuck in the neck or restricted.
Because you can directly ignore whether the head will be broken, or you can choose to directly disconnect the limbs.
So, Orochimaru is fighting back.
In fact, the Second Generation just now—a face-to-face capture by Kitahara Hitoshi was also stunned—but now Orochimaru can still feel that he can control the Second Generation project.
"Be careful!" Kakashi said quickly.
However, Kitahara Hitoshi's hand was pressing on the chest of the Second Generation of Dirty Earth. His Chakra quickly wrapped around Senju Tobirama.
"What is this for?"
"Want to interrupt my control?"
"It's a good idea, but unfortunately, the Forbidden Technique of Impure World Reincarnation is not as simple as you think.
"It's not about covering your Chakra and then removing my grip on him," Orochimaru said, "so…"
But Orochimaru didn't continue.
Because Kitahara Hitoshi used his own Chakra to wrap the body of Second Generation's purpose, but it was not intended to use his Chakra to cover the Second Generation mask and then cut off the control.
A green Chakra visible to the naked eye emerged from Second Generation's chest and then drilled into Kitahara Hitoshi's body.
And Orochimaru was very clear that this green Chakra was actually a Wood Style cell.
Because he cultivated it himself, he knew it well.
But Wood Style cells had been drawn out of Tobirama's body and absorbed by Kitahara Hitoshi.
"…Ah."
"What did you just say?" Kitahara Hitoshi said.
"…Orochimaru."
"Hehe, I'm a person who likes research, and I can do all kinds of experiments. I've never seen any scenes."
"But…"
He used to form the left-hand seal and then control Tobirama, but now the left hand had given up the seal.
Chose to release.
"I was going to say that I didn't see any scenes.
"But I haven't seen this scene—before.
"Or I don't know anything about this world at all."
Orochimaru said in a tone that was both autistic and self-deprecating.
"Looks like Wood Style cells are gone."
And the eyes of Senju Tobirama, who was being controlled, returned.
"Impure World Reincarnation—Seal…Release Control!"
This time, he was still tying the seal.
The seal was exactly the same as before.
However, unlike before, a white smoke appeared on his body. Konoha's Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, although he was reborn from the dirt, had truly come back.
Out of Orochimaru's control.
"Orochimaru."
"Ha ha…"
"Ha ha…"
Orochimaru.
And Orochimaru also had a little after-effect of being suppressed by Tobirama in the spirit body in the small group.
But it's not that he's dumb or stupid.
It should be said that he had never seen this scene before.
No, he knew nothing about the world.
Second Hokage, the usable tool that had just arrived and hadn't even warmed up, was simply gone.
The reason for this was because Senju Tobirama lightly shook his left arm, and then his right hand held an Anbu's saber that he had just touched.
"Flying Thunder God!"
"Flying Thunder God Slash!"
He was obviously still alive in the last second, but in the next second had already flashed in front of Orochimaru.
It turned out that when Tobirama was unearthed just now, he had already marked the Flying Thunder God in advance, before Orochimaru had controlled him.
So taking advantage of Orochimaru's lapse, he flew directly, then flashed.
Dual-handed blade, slashing horizontally at Orochimaru.
Children and grandchildren chat group
Tobirama no record: Hmm… I really hate Senju Tobirama using this skill.
Tobirama no record: Then I became a little sympathetic—toward this Orochimaru.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Tobirama's speed is still that fast.
Big Pillar Hanhan: It's different from when I was controlled—just now.
Namikaze Minato: Yes, the Flying Thunder God of Second Generation is also very skilled.
Namikaze Minato: Speaking of Flying Thunder God, when the Nine Tails attacked the village, I left a mark of Flying Thunder God on the masked man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: This is important news.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Kakashi, record it.
Kakashi: Understood.
Duiko Black Zetsu:
Duiko Black Zetsu:
Black Zetsu felt that he had heard an important piece of news. He didn't expect that Obito, that fool, would have such a weakness.
As you can imagine.
Although Obito had been concealing his identity, he had held off on implementing Project Tsuki no Me immediately.
But he also regarded himself as a mastermind behind the scenes.
As a result, he had such an imprint on his body by Minato, and he didn't even know it.
If Minato were unearthed and started to use Flying Thunder God, wouldn't he be able to appear directly beside Obito?
So…
Uchiha Madara fooled Obito, Obito deceived Nagato, and the whole plan would collapse.
It's really a massive script-shattering turn!
And outside the small group—
Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God Slash to attack Orochimaru and cut him down.
But Orochimaru didn't seem to care at all.
Because a large white snake was sprayed directly at him from the severed part.
There were eight heads in total.
Fire was spewed directly at Tobirama.
"The Orochi…"
"But it's useless."
"Water Style, Water Barrier!"
"Water Style, Water Dragon Bomb!"
The sea-formed wall wrapped around the Orochi, but the water wall had just formed when a ten-meter-high water dragon suddenly jumped out from the middle of it.
The water dragon bit toward the Orochi.
"My water dragon won't lose to a living dragon. Not to mention you're still a snake!"
Senju Tobirama said.
Children and grandchildren chat group
Fifth Mizukage Terumi Mei: Is this the Water Style of the Second Mizukage?
Fifth Mizukage Terumi Mei: Sure enough, if you want to describe it, it is very appropriate to describe it with Haidun.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: That's a pity.
Senju Tobirama: It doesn't count either.
Senju Tobirama: Or rather, the current situation is still under my control.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Oh?
Senju Tobirama: Although I don't like Orochimaru, the guy who used Impure World Reincarnation to unearth me did come.
Senju Tobirama: So now I have a body to walk around Konoha. If you want to do something, you'll also need a body.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: Isn't that great then?
Senju Tobirama: Not exactly.
Big Pillar Hanhan: What?
Senju Tobirama: Because I was summoned by Orochimaru, and since I am the developer of Impure World Reincarnation, my control over the technique surpasses that of anyone else.
Senju Tobirama: Although I've freed myself from Orochimaru's control, the fact remains that he activated the technique. My current state won't last long.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: That really is a pity then.
Namikaze Minato: Yeah.
Senju Tobirama: Minato, calm down first.
Senju Tobirama: Because I need to calm down too. There's still more that needs to be done.
As soon as Tobirama said this, everyone understood what he meant.
He had shouted "Damn Sarutobi" more than once in the group.
And when Orochimaru unearthed him just now, Tobirama nearly slashed Sarutobi Hiruzen with his blade.
This clearly showed his attitude.
On the other side, Kitahara Hitoshi had stepped down from Shukaku's body. Shukaku also sat up, waiting for instructions.
According to previous statements, if it lost, it would join Konoha.
But right now, it's not entirely itself. It's still sealed inside Gaara's body.
Now that Gaara is unconscious, Shukaku is awake. If it relinquishes control, Gaara will wake up.
Their relationship is delicate.
"Let's return to the original state," Kitahara Hitoshi said. "We'll discuss the matter of joining Konoha later."
"I still have to take the Chunin Exam," Kitahara Hitoshi added.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: Good guy!
Cowardly as a Mouse Ohnoki: After all that happened, he still remembers the Chunin Exam!
Even Ohnoki was surprised.
Kakashi: Well, I'm used to it.
Although Kakashi had also arrived in the Valley of the End, he stood on Konoha's side.
Now that the battle was over, it was fine to pay attention to the group chat again.
"Second Hokage-sama—"
Konoha's high-ranking officials, led by the Third Hokage, began to salute Second Hokage.
Even though it had been awkward being momentarily held under Kitahara Hitoshi's control, after Tobirama regained his will and unleashed his unparalleled Water Style, even the Mizukage was brought to tears.
These actions restored Second Hokage's dignity.
Elsewhere outside the village...
"What... what!"
With a crash, the massive white serpent filled with water rolled to the ground. The eight-headed white snake collapsed, and one of the heads opened to spit out a man with long black hair.
His body was covered in slime, his skin morbidly pale, and he had a sinister temperament.
This was Orochimaru, once hailed as the most gifted and favored disciple of the Third Hokage.
Orochimaru held a sword in his left hand.
It was the Kusanagi Sword, one of the Three Sacred Treasures.
Of course, in the ninja world, even a kunai can kill, so the Kusanagi Sword was simply sharper and harder to break.
"Thanks to Senju Tobirama just now… I thought I was clever. I didn't expect him to almost kill me," Orochimaru muttered.
"Almost got sunk," he said. "Barely escaped."
Even if Tobirama had decapitated him, it didn't mean he was finished. He could still revive through the Heaven Curse Seal.
But as he said himself, it was the imperfect combination of Living Corpse Reincarnation and Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode.
Very unstable.
Either technique would consume his soul.
A few more rebirths, and his soul might be completely eroded.
As he spoke, Orochimaru suddenly gagged and regurgitated a storage scroll as if vomiting up the version of himself that had spat him out earlier.
Inside the scroll was the body of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
The original plan was to use Tobirama's power as a reference, then unearth Hashirama.
Tobirama's power was merely a unit of measurement. Everyone knew that Hashirama's strength far surpassed that of Tobirama by many times.
That's why Orochimaru had felt confident.
He had thought he could stay and fight… but now… damn it!
Even though he still had Hashirama's body, he hadn't used it yet, and something felt off. Tobirama's words unsettled him. He fled before even touching it.
If he kept fighting, he might lose even the First Hokage's body.
And Hashirama's Impure World Reincarnation was flawed.
At the start, Tobirama would be controlled by Hashirama's Wood Style cells, but if the same cells were used to control Hashirama…
It would be a joke.
So Orochimaru chose to flee.
"Reverse Summoning Technique!"
After landing from the serpent's mouth and changing into his usual robe, Orochimaru began his reverse summoning to Ryuchi Cave.
The reason was simple.
Unearthing Tobirama had been a failure. Tobirama's form would soon disappear.
But Orochimaru didn't want to give up on the new target he had just encountered.
He had originally wanted to focus on Sasuke, but after the appearance of the group chat and all the chaos it brought, his plans to destroy Konoha had been thoroughly disrupted. So he turned his attention to Kitahara Hitoshi.
And he had to admit…
That physique was insane. The Rinnegan, and even the ability to absorb Wood Style.
Weren't those top-tier traits of contemporary powerhouses?
Using Tobirama as a pawn to capture Kitahara Hitoshi had failed. Should he give up now?
No.
Orochimaru believed in science.
When uncertain, rely on quantum mechanics.
When ability is insufficient, count on the multiverse.
Now, he would return to Ryuchi Cave to consult the White Snake Sage.
He knew almost nothing about Kitahara Hitoshi, so he needed a living fossil's insight.
Back at the Valley of the End...
Although Senju Tobirama was still a reincarnated corpse, the Third Hokage and others stood still. Members of Danzo's Root and Konoha's Anbu quickly saluted him.
Tobirama said nothing.
Then he picked up an Anbu sabre from the ground. He had put it aside earlier when preparing a Water Barrier seal.
Tobirama stared coldly.
"Looks like you all recognize I'm the Second Hokage."
He asked, "How old is Konoha now?"
"Konoha Year 61," Third Hokage answered hesitantly.
He assumed Tobirama had watched them from the Pure Land and now, upon reincarnation, was about to punish them.
But judging by his tone, Tobirama didn't seem aware of everything that had happened.
"Is that so..." Tobirama muttered.
"Then it's been forty years since I handed the Hokage seat to you, Sarutobi."
He lifted his blade.
"What!"
He actually slashed directly toward the Third Hokage.
"Third Hokage-sama!"
Anbu was stunned, and Hiruzen, now elderly, instinctively raised his frail arms.
But the blade sliced into flesh.
Blood sprayed.
No one expected the Second Hokage, after regaining consciousness and freeing himself from Orochimaru's control, would suddenly attack...
Not Sarutobi Hiruzen…
But Danzo.
"Danzo… why—"
Danzo immediately lost a large amount of blood, barely managing half a sentence.
Tobirama said nothing.
Root members quickly surrounded Tobirama.
"Could it be that the Second Hokage hasn't really broken free but is still being controlled by Orochimaru!?"
Anbu could no longer stand idly by. They moved to action.
But fighting the Second Hokage…
They hesitated.
They turned to the Third Hokage, awaiting orders.
Yet Sarutobi Hiruzen stood in shock, the Enma Staff in his hand unmoving.
This was the Ape King Enma.
But seeing Tobirama slash Danzo, even Enma couldn't respond.
Senju Tobirama was terrifying.
He hadn't even blinked when cutting down Danzo.
"Second Hokage is being manipulated!"
"Everyone, stay alert!"
While the Third Hokage stood in stunned silence, the Root members moved.
Kakashi was present too.
But he didn't act.
The moment he saw Tobirama slash Danzo, Kakashi initially thought the Second Hokage had gone mad or was once again under Orochimaru's control.
But—
He was a strategic, analytical type of ninja, and he quickly composed himself. He recalled that during their discussion in the private group chat, Tobirama had mentioned he had something important to handle.
He had cursed out Sarutobi so many times in that group… and now that Tobirama had reappeared, maybe he had truly come to cut down the Third Hokage's legacy.
Kakashi also remembered what Tobirama had once said — that if the Third Hokage became useless, he would deal with him himself.
Kakashi had long felt guilt for failing to assassinate the Third Hokage. That failure made him remain as Anbu under him for over a decade, his heart growing soft in compromise.
He never expected Tobirama to be so decisive.
"Silence, all of you!"
Tobirama's voice thundered.
"I am Senju Tobirama.
The true Second Hokage.
And you dare accuse me of being under Orochimaru's control…"
A violent aura suddenly erupted from Tobirama's body.
His killing intent surged like a wave.
At that moment, every ninja present felt the pressure exuding from Tobirama's chakra alone.
Was it truly just momentum?
The Anbu in attendance, who bowed in salute, were visibly shaken.
All of them had joined Anbu during the Third Hokage's reign. None had ever met Senju Tobirama in person.
They only recognized his face from the Hokage Rock and the official portraits inside the Hokage office.
"Back then, I entrusted the village to you, hoping you'd carry it forward, but now it seems you've failed." Tobirama's gaze swept coldly over Sarutobi. "It's fine if your strength is lacking…"
"Don't overthink it," Tobirama continued. "I'm not controlled by Orochimaru. He has already released the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
So I'll vanish soon."
At that moment, Danzo, who had just been slashed down, forced his eyes open.
"Don't get excited," Tobirama said coldly. "I'm not disappearing yet. At least, not now."
"Then you mean—" the Third Hokage asked urgently. "Do you have any final wishes?"
"If you're talking about Tsunade… she's on Tandem Street right now…"
Tobirama's expression subtly changed.
His brow twitched the moment he unexpectedly received word about his granddaughter.
Though he'd remained a lifelong bachelor, Tobirama had always been tender and protective toward his granddaughter.
But now wasn't the time for family visits.
Minato in the group chat, Naruto's situation, the Uchiha Clan…
Sigh…
As the teacher of the Third Hokage, Tobirama felt a migraine forming.
"I handed Konoha to you back then, waiting silently in the afterlife. Now, I've returned to evaluate your performance."
Senju Tobirama declared.
He turned his gaze indifferently toward Danzo. "And Danzo… failed."
Koharu drew a sharp breath.
Homura was sweating profusely.
"This is a disaster…"
Danzo, using another Sharingan as payment, activated Izanagi.
He already knew the reason behind Tobirama's wrath.
It must have come to light that he was secretly using Uchiha's Sharingan.
"We'll return to Konoha first," Tobirama commanded. "After all these years, it's time I reassess the village personally."
With that, Tobirama glanced at the Third Hokage and the others.
"Yes," the Third Hokage bowed his head and accepted.
"But…" one of the Anbu hesitated before stepping forward. "Second Hokage-sama, we're in the middle of the Chūnin Exams. The current Tsuchikage, Ohnoki, and Mizukage, Terumi Mei, are both in the village."
"And also… Shukaku from Sunagakure is still active here…"
"Shall we intervene?" asked the tall Anbu.
"You're Yamato?" Tobirama looked his way.
"Yes," Yamato nodded.
"You're competent," Tobirama replied.
Yamato was momentarily stunned, seemingly flattered.
"Sarutobi, Danzo, Koharu, Homura — all of you are dismissed from your positions."
"This includes your roles and authority," Tobirama stated firmly.
"As for the Chūnin Exams…" the Third Hokage forced himself to speak. He felt that even if Tobirama didn't understand everything, he must be extremely dissatisfied with his work as Hokage.
"The Chūnin Exams will be overseen by Kitahara Hitoshi," Tobirama said. "Appoint him as the chief examiner or overall supervisor. Let him take full responsibility."
"I trust he'll handle it well," Tobirama continued. "As for his strength, isn't the fact that Shukaku appeared and remained obedient enough proof?"
Kitahara Hitoshi's eyes widened.
He could feel everyone's gaze shift toward him, filled with reverence.
Too many things had happened today. The Anbu and other ninja hadn't fully reacted yet, but now that they were piecing it together…
The Second Hokage was powerful.
Yet when Orochimaru previously controlled the Second Hokage to attack Kitahara Hitoshi, Tobirama had been easily defeated and captured.
And Shukaku sat quietly nearby the whole time.
That was all part of his record.
An elite résumé.
"So, that's how things stand," Tobirama said, glancing at Kitahara Hitoshi. "I won't be here long."
"There are still things I want to discuss with my disciples."
Hmm…
Which really meant — Tobirama wanted to enjoy himself while it lasted.
It was clear from his actions — slashing Danzo brought him a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Though he didn't truly hate the Third Hokage, Tobirama clearly had no intention of letting the past slide.
"I'll take command," Kitahara Hitoshi said. "But I want complete autonomy."
"No problem!" Tobirama agreed instantly.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru, who had reversed his summoning, arrived at Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Lands. The journey from the Land of Fire to here would normally take 20 days.
He had come to request an audience with the White Snake Sage.
The White Snake Sage was ancient — over a thousand years old.
Alongside the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku and the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest, they formed the trio of legendary beings.
The White Snake Sage received Orochimaru and immediately understood his purpose.
"Orochimaru, you damn reptile. You didn't study my Sage Arts properly at Ryūchi Cave."
"I always thought you were sly…
But now, it turns out you're just foolish."
The White Snake Sage exhaled a puff of smoke. "You actually picked a fight with that one?"
"You know what?"
The White Snake Sage narrowed its eyes.
"A thousand years ago, when I was just a tiny snake, I witnessed the legendary battle that nearly destroyed the world."
"The Sage of Six Paths battled his mother for three whole months."
"As a mere snake, I was traumatized by the sheer horror of their fight."
"And even now, the memory lingers."
Orochimaru listened quietly to the sage's tale, but inwardly, he was frustrated. He had come to gather intel on Kitahara Hitoshi, yet the White Snake Sage was telling him ancient war stories.
"You've gone off-topic," Orochimaru said.
"Off-topic?"
"You're pretty bold."
"What?" Orochimaru frowned.
"Do you think the Rinnegan is some common vegetable?" the White Snake Sage replied. "From your description, Kitahara Hitoshi and his rabbit companion are… peculiar."
"Let me remind you — it was the brothers of the Sage of Six Paths who sealed their mother, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
"And who knows how that seal has aged over all these years?"
"So, what if that ninja… is actually Ōtsutsuki Kaguya herself?"
"It's completely plausible," the White Snake Sage muttered.
"No way…"
Orochimaru froze.
His eyes widened, pupils slitting into reptilian shapes.
"You mean, even if I haven't uncovered all of Kitahara Hitoshi's secrets, one of his pet rabbits might actually be the progenitor of all shinobi?"
"Yes," the White Snake Sage nodded. "There's a high likelihood that the ninja with him is the sealed Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
Orochimaru went silent.
He closed his eyes.
It looked like he was grappling with an unpleasant truth.
"I'm staying in Ryūchi Cave for a while. I'm going to train."
"Train?"
The White Snake Sage looked skeptical. He didn't believe Orochimaru was truly going to master Sage Mode.
"Hide."
Orochimaru muttered. "I was a little too arrogant in Konoha… I even tried to provoke Kitahara Hitoshi."
"Now…"
"I'm unsettled."
"I'm afraid he'll come after me," Orochimaru admitted. "My life matters most to me."
"I still have countless ninjutsu theories I haven't explored. Human life is too fragile."
"I refuse to die just yet."
"Preservation is my top priority."
The White Snake Sage stared at him.
As expected…
Very much like Orochimaru.
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