The Hiruzen from the Otherworld looked at Naruto, inexplicably resembling Senju Tobirama, and his heartbeat gradually accelerated.
Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump!
It's been so long... so very long...
Since Senju Tobirama fell in the First Ninja World War, close to forty years have passed now.
Forty years, in the Ninja World, is practically a span of two generations, enough for three or four Ninja World Wars, carrying countless joys and sorrows...
Senju Tobirama, who was a special existence in his heart, had not appeared in his mind for a long time as time passed.
This was actually a self-regulating protective mentality of the elderly Hiruzen.
The more he became Hokage, the more Hiruzen could feel the great gap between him and Senju Tobirama...
Regarding the Uchiha issue, Senju Tobirama, who was in power, swept away the rebellious Uchiha Setsuna and created the Konoha Guard Department with both soft and hard tactics, firmly tying the red-eyed wolves within the village...
And beyond the village.
During the time when four villages gathered to attack Konoha, Senju Tobirama led an unwavering counterattack, becoming the undisputed victor in the war...
Especially since he truly fulfilled the Will of Fire, giving his life to save his disciples—Hiruzen and others...
Besides his performance as Hokage, his qualities as a ninja were the same.
Once upon a time, Hiruzen, because he mastered five attributes of Chakra and could quickly learn various Escape Techniques, was regarded by his peers at the time as an undisputed genius...
And he himself, when young, had great confidence, thinking that although his mentor Senju Tobirama was very strong, with his talent, he perhaps had a chance to surpass him!
Privately, the youthful Hiruzen sometimes thought...
Is inventing ninjutsu really that difficult?
Judging from the comprehensiveness of mastering Escape Techniques, Senju Tobirama seemed only skilled at Water Release, while he was proficient in all attributes!
There was still great hope to surpass the predecessors!
But after Hiruzen became Hokage, taking over the ninjutsu material library left by Senju Tobirama, including Fuinjutsu and various embryonic forms of destructive human Kinjutsu open notes...
Hiruzen finally understood.
It was not that Senju Tobirama was only proficient in Water Release, but rather that he was simply used to it in conflicts with the Uchiha Clan.
The things he could do were simply too many!
And the Kinjutsu he thought of were really too wild!
After reading those Kinjutsu, Hiruzen felt from the bottom of his heart that it was indeed a beneficial thing for the entire Ninja World that Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito forbade Senju Tobirama from continuing to develop Kinjutsu...
Following Senju Tobirama's path.
Hiruzen tried to master the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, but after repeatedly failing in his efforts, he finally closed himself off.
Not to mention catching up to Senju Tobirama in the development path, he couldn't even master the Jutsu he developed...
And in the process of governing Konoha.
The Uchiha Clan, once manipulated by Senju Tobirama, gradually revealed their fangs, and the Second Ninja World War with just one Hidden Sand and a newly emerged small Hidden Rain made Hiruzen sweat and feel inadequate...
Along with Shimura Danzo's gradually uncontrollable, expanding ambition, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's secret usurpation of Hokage power, the non-compliant Hyuga Clan, and the three disciples who refused to become his aides...
All made Hiruzen physically and mentally exhausted, while he began to contemplate a question.
How did Senju Tobirama become such a perfect Hokage back then?
His mentor could even outmaneuver Uchiha Madara in the palace...
In this vast gap, Hiruzen, in order to avoid becoming increasingly self-abased, instinctively adopted a self-protection mechanism, trying hard not to think of his mentor, trying to be as much as possible a mere cover-up artisan for Konoha.
This self-deceptive method was effective.
The debveloped Hiruzen could even let his gaze inadvertently see the photo of Senju Tobirama hanging in the Hokage Office without letting his thoughts wander, pretending as if he hadn't seen anything...
But today.
Hiruzen genuinely broke through his facade!
In numerous details and micro-expressions, Naruto's smile and demeanor truly reminded him of Senju Tobirama...
As Hiruzen watched Naruto sitting by the table to himself, he forcibly steadied his chaotic inner thoughts: "I must be missing my mentor too much... Yes, that's it!"
And as Hiruzen sat down and met Naruto's eyes.
Naruto, with a half-smile, looked at Hiruzen and softly said, "Monkey, you've aged..."
Hiruzen was dumbfounded.
This tone, this demeanor, made Hiruzen's heart surge like a storm, sealed memories flooding his mind in an instant...
Is this Naruto's new prank?
No, absolutely not!
Hiruzen gaped at Naruto, the kindly elder image he maintained in front of Naruto shattered in an instant, leaving him in extreme shock, almost comically so.
"Impossible! What's happening!"
Hiruzen suddenly stood up, exclaiming in a lost manner, "You're not Naruto?!"
And at this moment.
The Anbu forces lying in wait outside the house, upon hearing Hiruzen's unusual tone, sprang into action.
Not Naruto...
The meaning of this statement was too manifold!
As a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, if Naruto isn't Naruto, then it could only mean the Nine-Tails has possessed him!