Tobirama Senju's face, covered in cracks, was filled with solemnity, and his voice was cold, carrying a metallic quality.
When discussing business, his words were so calm that one could hardly detect a shred of personal emotion; he offered only a rational analysis of the objective reality, like a cold, emotionless machine.
Ren looked Tobirama up and down and couldn't help but nod, a hint of approval showing in his expression.
"Second Hokage, you are quite impressive."
"Compared to your overly honest brother, the aging and senile Third, and the green Fourth, your way of doing things is much more satisfying."
"Furthermore, you're a polymath. Whether it's scientific research, political maneuvering, or your own combat strength, you are a master of all. Most people would be considered elites if they possessed even a fraction of your talent."
The Reaper's voice was deep, yet his high regard was unmistakable.
Hearing the Reaper's praise for Tobirama, Hashirama Senju subconsciously puffed out his chest, his face beaming with pride.
For his younger brother to receive such praise from a god made him feel equally honored.
He opened his mouth, but as soon as he was about to speak, his brother shot him a glance, causing him to swallow his words.
Nearby, the Third bowed his head in shame, while the Fourth scratched his cheek, looking a bit embarrassed.
Tobirama Senju ignored the reactions around him and looked at the god before him with a searching gaze.
"Death God, please dispense with the irrelevant talk. You haven't given me your answer yet."
"Second Hokage, watch your attitude."
Seeing Tobirama's blunt and impatient tone, Shisui's face turned cold. His crimson Sharingan fixed on him, his voice carrying a clear warning.
Fugaku took the same stance, saying, "Second Hokage, the Lord appreciates you, but that is no excuse for insolence."
Before the Reaper himself could speak, the Uchiha clan members were already the first to take offense.
Tobirama's gaze swept over the two of them, and he frowned as a realization dawned on him.
Their current behavior was undoubtedly an attempt to cut ties with their past lives.
In front of this Death God, they were solemnly reasserting the Uchiha clan's position while also expressing their loyalty to him.
His red eyes flickered, catching a glimpse of his disciple, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a hint of blame.
No one in the world understood the Uchiha clan better than he did.
The Uchiha were among the founders of the village, and they held a profound, intense attachment to Konoha that most people couldn't comprehend—an almost possessive sense of ownership.
Even during his tenure, when they plotted a rebellion, it was that very emotion that drove them.
If utilized properly, that attachment could have become a powerful force to protect the village.
That was why, during his rule, he had implemented various measures—both suppressing and recruiting them, limiting them while guiding them—all to ensure the Uchiha's power was used for the right path.
Yet his hand-picked successor, in his old age, had allowed things to fall into such a pathetic state. Calling it incompetence would be an understatement.
As a leader, incompetence is the ultimate sin!
If his disciple had retained the drive of his youth, the Uchiha might not have met such a tragic end.
They wouldn't have grown so cold toward Konoha, let alone felt the need to distance themselves from their former home so desperately in front of everyone.
Tobirama's mind raced, seeing right through Fugaku and Shisui's internal motivations in an instant.
"Shisui, Fugaku. I am the one speaking with Tobirama right now."
Ren's faint reminder came through, but it immediately caused the two behind him to look panicked. They stammered apologies for overstepping and fell silent.
Looking at the cowering Uchiha duo, Tobirama's face flashed with complexity.
Even he had spent so much effort only to temporarily suppress the proud and unyielding Uchiha, and even then, they had only obeyed on the surface.
Even his brother and Uchiha Madara had, at most, used overwhelming power to subdue the pride of this clan.
But before this Death God, the Uchiha were like startled fawns. A simple reminder was enough to scare two Mangekyō holders into such a state of panic...
It was enough to see the sheer power of this Reaper and the weight his presence held within the Uchiha clan.
After dismissing the two, Ren looked at the Second Hokage's complex expression, his gentle voice sounding almost like he was reassuring him.
"Tobirama, don't be so guarded. I don't have much interest in your ninja world. My purpose for appearing this time isn't the ninja world either."
"Not the ninja world..."
Tobirama chewed on the Reaper's words. His heart stirred, and a flash of realization crossed his eyes.
He suddenly looked up, his face gradually darkening.
"You are the Death God. Since your goal isn't the ninja world, yet you've sent the souls of the Uchiha back to take action and harvest souls..."
"Your target is the destination of all souls after death... the Pure Land!"
Tobirama's solemn voice echoed clearly through the night, causing everyone to look over in shock.
"Every single soul after death?!"
"The Pure Land... that's too far-fetched..."
"If he's a god, that actually makes it easier to understand."
Whispers broke out among the crowd, causing Fugaku and the others to frown. They silently scanned the group with their Sharingan, and the field went silent instantly.
Ignoring the crowd's reaction, Ren nodded quite candidly to Tobirama Senju.
"Correct. You are smart. My primary goal in descending here is indeed the Pure Land."
"In any case, the Pure Land of your world has been managed poorly by that old man Hagoromo. It would be better to leave it to me."
"At least I can make the Pure Land serve its proper purpose."
As soon as Ren spoke, the information within caused the eyes of the cleverer people present to narrow.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was full of horror as he said, "You said 'your world'? Could it be... you aren't a god of this world?"
Orochimaru licked his dry lips and croaked in surprise, "And Hagoromo... are you referring to the Sage of the Six Paths? He's the one managing the Pure Land!"
Ren looked around, his gaze passing over Fugaku. "What? Did Fugaku not tell you before?"
Fugaku said in a low voice, "To ensure our mission proceeded smoothly, we had to take security measures to avoid revealing our background."
"It doesn't matter. Secrecy is a wise precaution."
Ren waved it off dismissively, his gaze finally landing on Tobirama Senju.
Tobirama wasn't as surprised as the others; instead, he wore an expression that said things were as he expected.
Ren nodded. "Looking at you, you don't seem very surprised. You must have guessed as much just now."
"As long as one calmly analyzes your words, they would eventually reach this conclusion," Tobirama said coldly.
Ren spread his hands.
"Now you know. I am not a native of the ninja world, but a Death God from the outside."
"To be honest, my purpose in coming to this world is to usurp the Pure Land where the souls of the ninja world go after death."
"Now, I want to take you under my command. What about it? Are you willing to lend me a hand?"
Tobirama furrowed his brow. After looking around at the war raging in the distance, his face suppressed various emotions, but he didn't state his position immediately.
On the other hand, his brother Hashirama Senju immediately shook his head and said urgently, "This is undoubtedly an invasion! How can we, who were raised here, help an outsider like you betray our home!"
The other two Hokage shared the same attitude.
Hiruzen Sarutobi followed Tobirama's gaze to the distance, his face looking troubled.
"A war is breaking out over there, and here we have to face an invasion from a god beyond our world. This is truly difficult."
"At this point, is fighting our only option?" Minato Namikaze's expression was grave.
The scene of the other party tearing the sky open just now flashed in his mind. With spatial power like that, even he, who specialized in Space-Time Ninjutsu, would likely be unable to match him.
If a battle really broke out, even with four Hokage on their side, they likely wouldn't be a match.
Ren ignored the hostility of the three and simply looked at the silent Tobirama Senju.
"Tobirama, what about you?"
Tobirama didn't give an immediate reply like his brother. Instead, a look of difficulty appeared on his face. His expression shifted as he clearly weighed the options in his heart.
Hashirama Senju urged solemnly, "Tobirama, what are you still hesitating for? This concerns the destination of every soul in the ninja world. We can't just watch as the Pure Land is occupied by an outsider!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze also tried to persuade him.
"Lord Second, if we hand the Pure Land over to him, who knows what it will become."
"Even if the four of us are no match, there are still so many experts in the ninja world. We will find a way to win!"
Just then, a raspy voice suddenly interrupted.
"Sensei, Minato, I won't allow you to act on your own."
Orochimaru was weaving signs. Under the surprised gazes of Karin's trio, he walked over step by step and stopped in front of the others.
A wicked smile appeared on his deathly pale face, and his snake-like eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the indignant Hokage.
"I am the one who used Reanimation on you. The control is still in my hands. Unless I allow it, you won't be able to use any of your strength."
"Ugh..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze immediately felt a massive restriction binding their bodies, making it impossible to move.
They could only use their black eyes to stare at Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, what is the meaning of this?"
"Don't tell me you're choosing to side with the Death God!"
Ren turned his head and looked at the suddenly appearing Orochimaru, his eyebrow arching slightly in interest. "Orochimaru, you're not bad either."
"To be praised by a god is truly my honor."
Orochimaru forced a smile, a drop of cold sweat appearing on his face. Yet he still endured the invisible pressure emanating from the Reaper and looked him in the eye.
Ren glanced at the two restrained Hokage and asked Orochimaru, "Should I interpret this stance as you wanting to join my ranks?"
"I haven't truly made that decision yet. I just have a few questions to clarify."
Facing the Reaper directly, especially when the Reaper's gaze fell upon him, Orochimaru felt the pressure skyrocket.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Was Uchiha Setsuna's restoration of youth your doing, Lord Reaper?"
"In a way," Ren said. "I only gave the order. The one who actually restored their youth was someone else."
"If I join your ranks, can I obtain eternal life?"
"No!" Ren flatly refused. "The dead are the dead because they died. There is no more life, so don't even talk about eternal life."
After saying this, Ren suddenly paused, feeling like he had just stated the obvious.
Disappointment flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, and he said unwillingly, "Even after you obtain the Pure Land and wield divine authority, it's still not possible?"
"I don't have that kind of authority."
Hearing Ren's words, Orochimaru's disappointment grew even deeper.
He had thought he could achieve his long-desired dream from the Death God, but now it seemed it was truly unrealistic.
Looking at Shisui's trio, he asked, refusing to give up, "If I die and join your ranks, like Shisui and the others, and retain my own will, how long can I exist?"
If he could persist in the form of the dead like Shisui and the others, then whether he was alive or dead didn't make much of a difference to him.
Ren didn't reply immediately. Instead, he studied Orochimaru up and down before saying slowly, "With your fragmented soul, you likely won't exist as long as a normal spirit."
Hearing this, Orochimaru's expression stiffened.
A fragmented soul?
He was currently resurrected from the Cursed Mark on Anko. Could it be that his research into the marks back then had caused such a defect in himself?
After a moment of silence, Ren gave a rough estimate.
"A soul like yours would exist for a thousand years at most before time wears away your consciousness and you fade into nothingness."
"A thousand years..."
Orochimaru licked his lips. His previously conflicted face now showed a look of absolute resolve.
"To a god like you, a thousand years might be as brief as the blink of an eye, but for me, it's enough!"
With a thousand years of time, he would have long enough to conduct deep research and find a way to mend his soul.
He might even find a way to obtain true immortality.
Orochimaru looked at the Reaper before him, the determination on his face showing he had made his choice.
"Lord Reaper, I am willing to join your ranks. I only ask for your protection after I die."
"I assume that as someone who just received your praise, I won't be rejected."
"Of course not." Ren nodded slightly. "Orochimaru, you've made the right choice."
Just as Orochimaru was about to move, he suddenly felt a surge of massive killing intent.
"The one called Orochimaru... do you really think Reanimation can control me?"
At the same time Hashirama Senju's voice rang out, a vast and powerful chakra erupted, causing a blast of air to rush forward.
Orochimaru's heart sank as he looked at the First Hokage's explosive aura.
"I currently have nearly my full power! Even though you specifically added my cells to strengthen the restriction of the jutsu, it is useless against me!"
Hashirama shouted, clearly intending to break free from the Reanimation's control and kill Orochimaru, the one controlling the jutsu.
Within Orochimaru's control, he could feel that the First Hokage might break his restriction at any moment and kill him instantly.
His pale face instantly darkened, but when his panicked gaze passed over Ren, he suddenly froze, and all his fear vanished in an instant.
Kill him?
Even if he died, so what? The one beside him was the Death God!
Retrieving his soul would be a simple task.
So what was there to fear?
"Hehe, Lord First, I'm afraid just killing me won't be enough."
"The one standing behind me now is the Lord Reaper."
Hashirama's gaze turned to Ren, his expression darkening.
Orochimaru was right. The source of the problem was this Death God from another world.
He still had to deal with the Death God.
But before that, he had to kill Orochimaru to release the restriction on his brother and the other two.
Just as Hashirama was about to break the restriction, a hand reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Brother, calm down. Don't just release your chakra recklessly."
"Tobirama, you would stop me too?"
The person who stopped Hashirama was his brother, Tobirama.
Seeing that his brother still hadn't calmed his chakra, Tobirama frowned and shouted, "Brother, listen to me this time. Pull your chakra back."
Under Tobirama's intense gaze, Hashirama gritted his teeth and finally withdrew his chakra.
"Tobirama, what's going on? You're not planning to..."
"Brother, you're right."
"What?"
Seeing Hashirama about to explode again, Tobirama stopped him once more.
"Leave everything that follows to me. You don't have the mind to calculate the pros and cons here."
Hearing his brother's words, Hashirama was suddenly at a loss for words.
He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't get any words out.
He had enough self-awareness to know that Tobirama was right; he really didn't have a brilliant mind like his brother.
Ren heard everything the Senju brothers said and looked at Tobirama with an inquiring tone.
"Tobirama, have you considered it?"
"Yes."
Tobirama nodded heavily, his eyes fixed on the Death God before him. His expression was grave as he spoke each word.
"I've made up my mind. I will join you."
"However, I have one condition."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]