Chapter 250: Mishap...

"By the way, where's my brother?"

Senju Tobirama looked somewhat puzzled.

Link spread his hands. "I just summoned him into a physical form earlier and let him wander off on his own."

"He also, uh…borrowed a little bit of money from Kakashi and the others."

Tobirama was silent for a while, then sighed soundlessly.

Enough of that.

[Big Brother is still in a lot of pain, isn't he…?]

To him, Madara was an enemy he had fought for many years. But to his brother, Madara was the only one in the world who truly understood him, the one with whom he once shared an ideal and built a dream together.

Back then, the battle at the Valley of the End forced Hashirama to choose between a friend who attacked the village for unknown reasons, and the dream they had forged side by side.

Konoha carries so many burdens.

He had subdued the Uchiha clan, was willing to cast aside hatred, and risked his life for his brother's future.

He had to give up so much again, shouldering the heavy weight of his ideals. Even after leaving this life and reaching the peace of the Pure Land, he was pulled back into the world yet again—only to face his friend once more, and once again confront, consider, and bear the burden of his ideals for the future.

His brother was not someone to surrender to suffering, yet…

Tobirama closed his eyes. Right—he'd turned younger, which was probably causing more emotional flare-ups.

"Are you okay?" Link looked over with a curious gaze.

The little brat next to him seemed to be experiencing an interesting psychological shift.

"It's nothing." Tobirama forced down the swirl of feelings and spoke impassively: "About my new jutsu—"

He launched into an explanation from the very beginning, describing the new technique's underlying theory. Over the course of about half an hour, he outlined various incantations, formulas, and rough ideas.

"Got all that?" he asked.

"Well, um…" Link was sweating bullets. After a brief pause, he simply said, "Just tell me what I need to do."

As if he'd really understand all that.

No, he did understand one thing: This devilish "little Senju brat" was blatantly taking revenge.

So what if he's got a great mind? He still needs my help, doesn't he?

Arms folded in front of his chest like a serious little grown-up, Tobirama said, "Try channeling your chakra into that formula on the scroll."

Even if Link infused it with chakra, the jutsu still needed the correct seals to guide it. Tobirama just wanted to see whether Link's unusual chakra might activate the script—like those bizarre, logic-defying mutant techniques he'd displayed.

Link breathed a sigh of relief. Figuring out the deeper theory would have given him a headache; straightforward instructions suited him fine.

He extended a hand and poured his chakra into the scroll's formula. The inked incantations quivered, glowing faintly.

Then he stepped aside, quietly awaiting the next moment he might be needed.

"It worked?!"

Tobirama lunged toward the desk, eyes going wide at the now-activated formula.

[Impossible!]

Black Zetsu, hidden near Tobirama's collar, was equally stunned. What in the world? A half-finished formula can be activated by a bit of chakra?

And teleport across such a huge distance…with this small amount of chakra?

What on earth is this kid?!

It flatly refused to believe any human was capable of that.

[The technique is already running a search—hang on, why is it searching now? Is it using me as the target?]

[I get it. This jutsu locks on via consciousness. I don't have a standard human body, and I'm parasitic. I got too close, so I must've activated it accidentally…]

Black Zetsu froze for a moment, then turned to flee underground.

Too late. White smoke billowed up from the scroll as the expanding formula sent ripples through the air, binding everyone around.

[This is bad…]

Tobirama's delighted face went rigid. How could the jutsu activate on its own, without specifying any target?

"Whoosh!"

A gust of wind tore through, and suddenly the lab was missing one white-haired little runt—and the entire desk.

Link's mouth hung slightly open, his expression stunned.

Where'd he go?

Where did my big, living, breathing Senju Tobirama go?

This was going to be trouble.

…

Thud!

In a dim cavern, Senju Tobirama dropped awkwardly to the ground. Unlike using Flying Thunder God in the past, this ultra-long-range teleport felt like he'd been tossed into a washing machine. He emerged dizzy and his mind spinning.

He pressed a hand to his throbbing temples and set his other palm on the ground.

[There's a very faint chakra source closing in… A few dozen chakra signals are fighting some distance away. Outside the cave, there are two more. One of them feels strangely familiar—just much weaker.]

[Kakashi?]

Summoning all his will to stay upright, Tobirama felt too queasy to notice a black stain sliding off him and melting into the ground.

[Iwagakure shinobi—] he detected a ninja silently approaching under camouflage.

[This terrain looks like Kannabi Bridge. Did I not go too far?]

[Why is Kakashi outside, and Iwa-nin are inside? Is there a war on? Just how long have I been gone in that teleport?]

Still mulling this over, Tobirama casually flicked a kunai into the unsuspecting Iwa-nin's throat.

With his sensory abilities, he loved dealing with enemies who tried to sneak in close with ninjutsu.

He headed for the cave entrance. En route, he spotted a young kunoichi, bound and under a genjutsu, plus another Iwa-nin casting illusions on her.

No words needed—he ambushed and ended them instantly.

"Who are you?!" demanded a kid wearing a Konoha forehead protector and goggles, clad in clothes marked with the Uchiha fan. He brandished a kunai, leaping out in front with a shout.

[That face…seems a bit familiar?]

Tobirama frowned. Seeing Hatake Kakashi lurking closer, he asked, "Kakashi, what happened? Did you get reincarnated, too?"

Yes—Kakashi, in Tobirama's view, was just a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy.

Could that mean more than a decade had passed? Had he been stuck in some alternate space for that long?

Countless questions swirled through his mind.

At just twelve, newly promoted to jōnin, Kakashi forced down his shock and confusion as he jumped forward, short sword in hand, ready for combat.

"K-Kakashi? Why are—?" the Uchiha boy blurted, eyes wide in astonishment.

Kakashi replied coolly, "I couldn't leave things to a crybaby like you."

Even as he spoke, his gaze remained locked on the little brat opposite them.

A three- or four-year-old, having killed Iwa-nin? Could it be some transformation technique?

But why did he know Kakashi? Was he also a Konoha shinobi?

"Password," Kakashi demanded warily. "State your password."

The young Uchiha glanced around in bewilderment.

We have a password for this mission? It was just us and Minato-sensei, right?

[They don't recognize me?]

Tobirama wondered if he was under a genjutsu, so he quietly scrambled his chakra to dispel illusions. No effect. Brow furrowing, he said, "You're Hatake Kakashi from Konoha, correct?"

"What exactly is going on?"

~~~

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