Chapter 127: Shock!
Konoha Plaza.
The argument between Danzo and Sarutobi continued.
As Fugaku kept mocking, the evil Senju old man, Tobirama, started showing changing emotions.
Shock, anger, shame, confusion... in the end, all these emotions turned into complete embarrassment.
Once the trusted assistant of the First Hokage, the man who managed the village so well, and a respected warrior of the Warring States period, Tobirama did not want to admit that his choice of successor had been a complete failure.
But the harsh reality was right in front of him, and he had no chance to defend himself.
The voices of Danzo and Sarutobi arguing grew quieter in his ears. The confused Second Hokage looked around, seeing the people watching in Konoha with a look of understanding. He also saw confusion in the eyes of the Uchiha, who were wondering what his reasoning was for choosing these disciples.
They were all trying to figure out how he had picked Danzo, Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura from the many talented people in Konoha.
From a certain point of view, Senju Tobirama had been an extraordinary talent to bring together the so-called Konoha F4.
Looking back suddenly.
Senju Tobirama's heart was filled with sadness. Hadn't he felt wronged himself?
He knew the strengths and weaknesses of both Sarutobi and Danzo. One had learned his political methods and was suited to be the shining light, while the other was better suited for things done in the shadows.
The two complemented each other, one in the light and one in the dark. According to the script he had written, with the combined efforts of Sarutobi and Danzo, along with the help of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, Konoha would only grow stronger.
He made this arrangement because he believed in his older brother's mindset of handing over unfinished matters to the younger generation, trusting that they could satisfy him.
But now it seems that the people he chose as successors—what are these?
A Hokage who is always at odds with his own people, who didn't learn his teacher's tough methods. Not only does he suppress the village's talent, causing the deaths of those who had served well, but he also managed to destroy the Senju clan. Now, he's even shifting the blame to Danzo?!
At this point, Senju Tobirama finally understands why that man, Nara Shikaku, stepped up to stop him.
"So in the end, it's my reputation that's ruined."
He's the biggest fool, the one who lost the most face!
Even though he's in a body brought back by Edo Tensei, Senju Tobirama still feels his blood boiling. What's even more depressing is that from the look on Sarutobi's face, it seems like Sarutobi doesn't think he's the one in the wrong. Instead, he believes the problem lies with the village itself, that the world is at fault.
Yeah.
After becoming Hokage, securing his power was something everyone would do.
But everything has its limits. A true Hokage knows how to balance things out.
The monkey clearly didn't understand this.
That's why the village turned out like this.
Senju Tobirama lifted his head and looked at Hyuga Hitoshi in the distance. The man remained calm throughout, as though he already knew how this would end.
Now, as the Hokage who trained Sarutobi, Tobirama feels ashamed in front of Hyuga Hitoshi.
He was a ninja skilled in intelligence analysis. From the back-and-forth between Danzo and Sarutobi, he had already figured out why the Hyuga clan left Konohagakure.
They won the war, but had to offer the village's Kekkei Genkai in exchange for a peace treaty?
They cooperated with outsiders to target the Uchiha and Hyuga, and pressured the village's ninja clans to hand over the so-called murderers?
And the ones being forced were the very people who had served Konohagakure before?
This string of information made Senju Tobirama exclaim, "What the hell?!"
When did Konohagakure become this weak?
If Uchiha Fugaku sealed the statue and became Hokage by teaming up with outside enemies, then what does that make Sarutobi and Danzo, who were exposed for working with enemies to target the Hyuga?
Looking at it this way, Hyuga Hitoshi's decision to leave Konohagakure was fundamentally right. Konohagakure had wronged them first.
It was a total misjudgment.
He tilted his head, suddenly feeling that the world had become completely unfamiliar. His cold, iron-willed gaze turned to the arguing disciples, his eyes flashing with a heavy murderous intent.
He had been revived once, forced to become a fool.
It's fine, he's already dead. Dead people don't need to care about their own reputation. After his soul ascends, it doesn't matter what happens to the world of the living.
But the argument between these two disciples has indirectly admitted that the state of the village is all their fault.
They are the true troublemakers. The newly formed Konohagakure definitely doesn't need such parasites!
As their teacher, as the one who raised these two strange individuals, he should take responsibility.
So, today...
Let him, as the teacher, clean up at the entrance!
A killing intent surged, and Senju Tobirama didn't angrily reprimand his two disciples or question them about how things had come to this point.
Right or wrong no longer mattered.
The moment they self-destructed, they were already unforgivable sinners.
There was no point in pushing them further, or forcing them to say anything shocking. It would only embarrass Konohagakure further. Although the village had already lost its face today, he didn't want to make things worse.
Ninja Taijutsu unleashed!
Senju Tobirama's body instantly lunged toward his two disciples.
Strangely, when Tobirama moved, the two quarreling men immediately stopped, their actions synchronized as they began to dodge.
Good.
It seems even their recent mud-slinging was part of an internal tactic, meant to make the old man let his guard down?
As expected, these are my good disciples, they've mastered internal martial arts!
Furious, Senju Tobirama didn't slow down. He threw a special kunai at the closer Danzo, then disappeared in an instant.
Once again, the fastest ninja in the world showed his strength in front of everyone.
And Danzo was no match for his teacher.
He first tried to form a seal, attempting to control Senju Tobirama with the forbidden jutsu, Edo Tensei. But his control was clearly a failure.
Even Orochimaru's improved Edo Tensei had been broken by the Third Kazekage with his willpower in the original story. Not to mention, Danzo had no talent in this area, and the one who created Edo Tensei was Senju Tobirama himself. Danzo already felt that his control over his teacher was weak when he summoned him.
Shing!
The Flying Thunder God Slash pierced Danzo's chest.
Crimson blood spilled onto the ground.
But there was no regret in Danzo's eyes after being killed. Instead, he seemed relieved to have noticed the weakness in his incomplete Edo Tensei.
"Forbidden jutsu shouldn't be used recklessly, Danzo."
It seemed like a lesson for the defeated after a victory. Tobirama habitually lectured Danzo.
But Danzo nodded slightly, acknowledging the point.
"Thank you, Tobirama-sensei."
"Thank you for the final lesson, old man."
As his words fell, Danzo's already battered body started to strangely fade away. Then, a figure appeared and landed behind Sarutobi, kicking him in the rear and sending him flying toward the Second Hokage.
"Sarutobi, this time, it's really your turn to stay behind for your comrades."
Don't blame me. You should've done this decades ago. It was only because Tobirama-sensei helped cover for you back then.
The "dead" Danzo kicked Sarutobi, then quickly darted backward, using all his strength to flee. At the same time, he felt a slight chakra fluctuation on his arm.
He used Genjutsu to turn his death into a dream, creating favorable conditions for reality. Just now, Danzo made his death a dream and his appearance behind Sarutobi to push him toward the Second Hokage as reality, buying himself time to escape while Sarutobi stayed behind.
"That's Izanagi!"
Uchiha Fugaku squinted, instantly seeing through Danzo's trick. He didn't expect Danzo to be this cautious, using Izanagi as his escape card before Senju Tobirama could launch an attack.
However, this wasn't the original story. Danzo, who hadn't gone through the Uchiha massacre, didn't have many Sharingan left, probably just leftovers from Orochimaru. Using an Uchiha forbidden technique in front of Fugaku, the Uchiha clan leader, was clearly a disrespect to him as the Fifth Hokage!
To put it simply:
Danzo had already chosen his path to death.
"Uchiha Satoshi!"
"Yes!"
With a command, the smart Jonin quickly called over the guard team, planning to arrest Danzo.
Everything happened too quickly.
From Danzo and Sarutobi throwing mud at each other, to Senju Tobirama launching an attack to clean things up, and then Danzo using Izanagi to throw Sarutobi under the bus.
In an instant, the only two people left at the center of the stage were:
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Senju Tobirama!
The atmosphere grew tense. Realizing that escape was impossible, Sarutobi took a deep breath and looked at his teacher.
This was their final showdown, a confrontation between master and student, and the grand finale of the Fifth Hokage's succession ceremony.
When Fugaku, noticing the mood, stepped down from the stage, took his seat as Hokage, and pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds, he clapped the table.
"Let's hear the pre-match comments from both competitors!"
The serious atmosphere was swept away, replaced by laughter from the Konohagakure Uchiha, who were all amused by their Hokage's humor. The mood lightened, and the crowd cheered.
His words also made Sarutobi Hiruzen and Senju Tobirama glare at each other in anger.
However, knowing he was in the wrong, Senju Tobirama didn't scold Fugaku, but instead looked at his proud disciple.
Just as Fugaku said, he was eventually going to give his pre-match speech.
"Do you know why I struck first at Danzo?"
"Of course, it's because I ran far enough, and Danzo was too close to you. But I never expected that the reckless words I said decades ago would actually come true in front of my teacher and Danzo years later."
When he went to the Land of Thunder to negotiate years ago, he failed to hold back and instead ended up losing his teacher. Now, decades later, he had to step back again, facing his teacher's death and deciding who would be the last one standing.
Life truly plays cruel tricks on people.
Knowing that even the remaining teacher-student bond between the two of them was cut off by his own hands, Sarutobi stayed silent, listening to the rest of Senju Tobirama's words.
"Don't tell me you didn't know about the things Danzo did."
The Second Hokage's voice was cold. His first attack against Danzo wasn't because Danzo was too close to him. As the fastest ninja in the world and the creator of the Flying Thunder God technique, distance wasn't the real reason to strike.
"You control the big picture in the village. If you hadn't allowed it and turned a blind eye, Danzo wouldn't have dared to act on his own. Monkey, you're too soft, whether it's on foreign wars or the peace talks with the Three Nations."
Everything pointed to the fact that his disciple wasn't unaware of things, but his way of thinking was completely different from others.
"It's your indulgence that turned the village into what it is now."
With a slight lift of his finger, Tobirama's body instantly vanished. The next moment, he appeared right in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the kunai in his hand aimed straight at Sarutobi's chest.
People around them gasped in surprise.
Only when you truly face off with space-based ninjutsu can you realize just how overwhelming and difficult it is to handle.
Sarutobi, who was known as the Ninjutsu expert and a former great ninja, knew exactly how terrifying his teacher was. So, when Senju Tobirama made his move, Sarutobi was already prepared.
There was no way he could win in a direct fight!
Especially after losing the King of the Monkey Gods.
Since the statue incident six months ago, after overusing it, the King of the Monkey Gods had finally succumbed to illness and died not long after.
Now, Sarutobi had no weapon, how could he possibly stand up to Senju Tobirama?
But it was alright!
He still had a trump card!
As Senju Tobirama disappeared, Sarutobi Hiruzen managed to shift his body a few inches to the side, causing the kunai that had been aimed at his heart to miss slightly.
But that was enough!
He reached out and grabbed his teacher.
A wild look appeared on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.
"Heh, Tobirama-sensei"
It was as if he had finally lost control, like a desperate last attempt before death. Sarutobi Hiruzen could no longer hold back the words he had been hiding inside.
"You're right, the village has become what it is now, and I do bear some responsibility."
"But the God of Ninjas, Senju Hashirama, the fastest ninja in the world, the Iron-Blooded Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and then me, the Third Hokage."
"Sensei, do you know how I managed to endure the questioning gazes?"
It was with great fear, like walking on thin ice.
"It's exhausting constantly comparing myself to the previous Hokage."
And that's why he became the strongest Hokage.
"Even though I did things differently, I believe firmly that the stability of the village must come first. As long as the village remains stable, my mission will be complete. And to ensure that stability, I must eliminate all sources of instability!"
Even if the enemy is his own teacher, he wouldn't hesitate!
All of his actions were for the village, that idea had completely taken over his mind.
He had gone mad.
The words "for the village" had become an obsession for Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At that moment, Senju Tobirama's expression grew somewhat complicated. He realized that his disciple had become lost in power without even realizing it. This was the biggest problem.
The so-called "unstable factors threatening the village" were just excuses to stabilize his own position.
Sarutobi had already lost his mind. He had even forced himself to think like the previous Hokage, choosing his own death to appear dignified.
"Everything I've done is for the village! I have nothing to regret!"
Shadow Clone Technique!
Two shadow clones restrained the Second Hokage in front of him.
Still not admitting his mistakes, Sarutobi shot a fierce look at Hyuga Hitoshi, summoning another clone to charge at him.
Everything started after that man chose to stand with the Uchiha clan at the meeting after the Nine-Tails attack!
If it weren't for him, I would still be the Third Hokage. How could I have fallen to this point?
"Let's go together!"
His eyes burned with madness. As his shadow clone rushed toward Hyuga Hitoshi, the old Hokage swiftly formed hand signs.
"Reaper Death Seal!"
It was this technique.
As the transparent figure of the Death God appeared behind Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hyuga Hitoshi glanced at the shadow clone that seemed to reach for him and then at the distant Death God.
For Sarutobi Hiruzen, after losing the Monkey King, his combat strength had greatly decreased. The only technique that could effectively threaten the Second Hokage and himself was this one.
But...
What exactly is the Death God? Why does he have the power to seal someone's soul?
Hyuga Hitoshi gently rubbed his chin, slowly stood up, and even placed his hand on the head of Sarutobi Hiruzen's shadow clone. His eyes glowed with a faint blue light as he began to connect with the Shinigami.
At the same time, a golden light fell from the sky, and the remaining Moryo, still working for Hyuga Hitoshi inside the Golden Wheel Tenseigan, seemed to have found something delicious, reacting with joy. The Shinigami, ignoring Sarutobi Hiruzen and Senju Tobirama in front of him, stared at Hyuga Hitoshi, drooling.
It was like the Golden Wheel Tenseigan had found food, and the Shinigami had found a tasty soul. Greedily, it detached itself from Sarutobi Hiruzen's control and charged at Hyuga Hitoshi, pulling out the short sword that could cut souls, eager to slice Hyuga Hitoshi's soul to satisfy itself.
But...
Hyuga Hitoshi smiled slightly and instantly connected with the Golden Wheel Tenseigan.
Since the last time the Golden Wheel Tenseigan absorbed Moryo and erased its will to fuse with it, it had been continuously absorbing the negative emotions spreading through the world, helping Hyuga Hitoshi's eyes evolve further.
From the feedback, it seemed that the Shinigami could also be absorbed.
Pressure!
A sharp glare swept across the Shinigami. The next moment, the once-greedy terrifying figure that had wanted to harvest Hyuga Hitoshi's soul now wore a look of shock, instantly wanting to turn and flee.
But the terrifying pressure had completely locked the Shinigami's phantom in place. Then, it was as if another golden sun appeared in the sky, tearing the Shinigami's phantom into pieces.
If anyone were to look at the Shinigami masks in the Uzumaki clan's shrine at this moment, they would notice that all the masks shattered into fragments right where they stood.
From one point to the whole.
Finally, the scattered fragments flew into the air and were completely absorbed as nourishment for the Golden Wheel Tenseigan.
Hyuga Hitoshi then looked away, nodding in satisfaction.
Unlike Moryo's absorption of negative emotions, after absorbing the Shinigami's phantom, Hyuga Hitoshi could sense everyone's soul fluctuations without needing to use his Byakugan's pressure. He could even manipulate soul power to attack others or perform out-of-body experiences.
In short, his control over power had become more complete!
The Shinigami came quickly, and it left just as fast.
The change was sudden.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been on the verge of going mad and was planning to take down both Hyuga Hitoshi and Senju Tobirama in a last-ditch effort, was now stunned.
The old village leader glanced at the smiling Hitoshi clan leader, then at his teacher, who had a grim expression, and then at the empty space behind him. He forced an awkward smile.
Snake – Pig – Sheep – Rabbit – Dog – Rat – Rooster – Horse – Snake.
He pressed his palms together!
He used the Reaper Death Seal again, but this time, the shadow of the Shinigami didn't even appear. Hyuga Hitoshi had completely destroyed the sealing technique from the root!
How could this be?
He had only looked at the Shinigami once! How did he do that?
With his trump card failing, Sarutobi Hiruzen was sweating heavily. He glanced at Tobirama, who had already taken out his shadow clone. He felt dizzy, unsure whether to act or not, both options feeling terribly awkward.
But while he was awkward, Senju Tobirama certainly wasn't.
He swung his arm around and slapped Sarutobi Hiruzen right across the face.
"For the village?"
Smack!
A big slap sent Sarutobi spinning in circles, and the second Hokage wasn't done yet—he slapped him again.
"Stabilizing Konohagakure?"
Slap!
"Being so timid? Walking on eggshells?"
Slap!
"Being such trash, do you even deserve to be my disciple?"
Slap!
Slap! Slap! Slap!
In the end, Senju Tobirama slapped Sarutobi without needing any reason, one slap after another.
"Impressive! The second Hokage's continuous slaps are incredibly loud, causing major trouble for the third Hokage!"
The slaps kept coming from the stage, while Fugaku below was enthusiastically explaining to everyone.
"Beautiful! This is the new version of the big slap. I'll definitely use this move when I slap my son in the future!"
"This is the Flying Thunder God big slap!"
The second Hokage used the advanced Flying Thunder God technique to show Sarutobi a whole new version of the big slap, but that was just the beginning!
"It's happening! The second Hokage's self-created ultimate forbidden technique, one that only the Edo Tensei body can handle—Mutual Slap Explosion! The nonstop targeted slaps are coming so fast, Sarutobi can't even react! His blood is starting to drip!"
The scene shifted, and with commentary from the fifth Hokage, everyone gasped in shock.
The second Hokage had actually used a targeted version of explosive tags, launching the Mutual Slap Explosion—smacking the same spot on Sarutobi's old face hundreds of times, and everyone watching couldn't get enough of it.
After venting his anger with the slaps, Senju Tobirama finally stopped his attack on the old village leader, as Fugaku called for a halt.
"Tsk, that's a foul. Nobody looks dignified anymore."
Back in the arena, Fugaku glanced at Sarutobi, who was gasping for breath, shaking his head. He thought, "The second Hokage really went all out."
"Hey, someone, quick, hang the third Hokage on the shame pillar over there!"
The shame pillar and the merit wall.
Fugaku had designed these according to Hyuga Hitoshi's idea, placing them in Konohagakure's plaza.
The merit wall had become quite popular after Konohagakure was rebuilt, but the shame pillar had always been ignored. Now that they had an old village leader to set an example, it was being put to good use.
"That was quite the show."
In the VIP section, Oonoki smacked his lips, still not satisfied, as if he wanted more.
The others in the room clearly shared his thoughts. They never expected to watch a battle between the five great nations and the Sun God Kingdom, only to end up seeing a drama where the second Hokage tries to block the fifth Hokage's rise and takes out his frustrations on his own third Hokage disciple.
They swore, this event would be explosive news in the entire ninja world. Even a movie wouldn't dare portray something like this, but this was the real situation in Konohagakure.
And they had to admit, in some ways, Konohagakure was indeed the strongest ninja village—its integrity was shattered, but still, number one.
"It really was a good show."
Clan leader Hitoshi's gaze moved away from the carried-away Sarutobi and he gave a strange smile.
"But the real show has only just begun."
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