"Sensei, all these years… I've missed you very much…"
"And I have also felt deeply guilty."
"I often think that for a ninja as extraordinarily talented as you, how brilliant your life once was…"
Hiruzen said softly: "When I read through the ingenious ideas in your notes, I felt this even more deeply."
"So I began to think about how I could make up for my mistakes…"
Tobirama was slightly moved.
On the one hand, he was touched by this disciple's persistence regarding him.
More than twenty years had passed, and he had actually been thinking all this time about how to revive him?
That sentiment alone was sincere enough—and he had even brought it to fruition…
On the other hand, there was a peculiar feeling, as though he had found a kindred spirit.
Even though the one speaking was his disciple.
Yet with life and death reversed, the inherent order and moral hierarchy had already been silently overturned.
He and Hiruzen were now the same age.
Almost everyone believed that Senju Tobirama researched Kinjutsu for the sake of war, slaughter, and similar reasons…
Those factors certainly existed objectively.
But he had also genuinely possessed immense passion and interest in research itself.
Every time he conducted research, Tobirama could feel a distinct sense of fulfillment.
It could be said that this was the best outlet for him, as a ninja and as Hokage, to relieve pressure…
And throughout his entire life, only Hiruzen had looked past the surface of his Kinjutsu research and seen the pure enjoyment he derived from research itself.
Hiruzen looked at Tobirama's expression and smiled faintly to himself.
This judgment, of course, had not been made at random.
It was deduced from the wording in Tobirama's Kinjutsu notes, cross-referenced with Orochimaru and his own past memories.
"If you were to live another life only to shoulder the burden of Hokage once again, that would merely make you suffer through it all over again. I have come to understand the hardship of this position."
"But if I were to give you a different identity, one that would not leave you so exhausted, allowing you more time for yourself compared to before, to do the things you truly wish to do…"
"I think that might make up for some of it."
And the things Tobirama loved to do could be divided into two aspects.
First, research.
Second, naturally, engaging in a battle of wits and courage with the Uchiha.
"Monkey…"
"Back then, covering your retreat was one of the most correct decisions I ever made."
Tobirama said softly, "Tell me, what do you mean by letting me become Uchiha Izuna?"
Hiruzen nodded.
"You know that the crux of the Uchiha Clan lies in the distrust toward the village caused by historical issues."
"We cannot guarantee whether the leader of the Uchiha Clan will truly place the village at heart… nor can we guarantee whether this so-called leader can maintain a stable mental state at all times."
"Whether it was feigned flattery or genuine sincerity, suppose we let him enter the decision-making circle and, for a period of time, he offsets the Uchiha Clan's resentment."
"But if, because of some accident, he falls into the Sharingan's mental fluctuations, and something akin to the historically documented kind of mutual slaughter for the sake of Izanagi were to occur…"
"Then Konoha's internal structure would collapse in an instant, and external enemies would follow up accordingly."
Tobirama nodded unconsciously; what Hiruzen said was very clear.
The Uchiha problem lay precisely in this: the upper leadership of any hidden village must possess stable qualities.
But they did not.
Instability ran through the history of the Uchiha Clan.
"Uchiha like Kagami are far too rare."
"And although Kagami was my closest friend, I have to say this: he was not strong enough, and he did not understand the Uchiha well enough," Hiruzen said blandly.
Those words actually sounded somewhat strange…
How could an Uchiha not understand the Uchiha?
Yet Tobirama strongly agreed.
Uchiha Kagami was not a traditional Uchiha. In temperament he was resolute and optimistic, a good shinobi.
But when it came to the traditional Uchiha's stubborn obsession and madness, he lacked fundamental understanding.
As Tobirama's disciple, in that era, most of the Uchiha Clan kept their distance from him; Uchiha Kagami had no chance to truly delve into the clan.
"Sensei, you may believe that the Uchiha Clan is a time bomb that will sooner or later have to be eliminated."
"But after being Hokage for more than twenty years, I cannot think that way."
"'Will of Fire'—though in essence it is a slogan meant to steady shinobi hearts—if we do not treat it as our first line of thinking when considering problems, then sooner or later that slogan will become the reason Konoha collapses."
"Since we have said it, we must act accordingly. At the very least, we must first do our utmost before thinking of a last resort."
"I truly regard the Uchiha Clan's shinobi as part of Konoha."
"That is the First Hokage's teaching."
Tobirama fell silent; instinctively, he felt a trace of displeasure.
Was Hiruzen lecturing him?
But that displeasure quickly died down. What Tobirama loathed were those who did nothing but shout slogans…
To have achieved real results and still retain such a heart was instead even more worthy of his respect.
"I racked my brains over how to find someone who is both powerful and understands the Uchiha—someone whose background I know thoroughly, and whom I can be completely at ease with."
"I looked across the entire shinobi world, and there was only you, sensei."
"Your understanding of the Uchiha Clan far surpasses that of the vast majority of the Uchiha main line, and as for your Will of Fire, there is no need for me to elaborate—it has always been my model for learning."
"If you were to become the Uchiha Clan's leader, then I, as Hokage, could—one in the open, one in the shadows—dissolve the Uchiha Clan's resistance and resentment. If we join hands to reshape their thinking…"
"To brand the Will of Fire into their minds like a steel seal, making it the underlying logic of the Uchiha…"
"Then the Uchiha Clan would be completely integrated with Konoha. This problem that has long troubled Konoha would be resolved. You would gain a new life, and you would also fulfill your long-cherished wish of defeating the Uchiha."
Tobirama slowly let out a long breath, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
What a Monkey. What a Hiruzen. What a Third Hokage!
He truly dared to think it—and truly dared to do it—and it truly might work!
Although Tobirama often said that Uchiha Izuna was a despicable mad dog…
In truth, regarding this old rival of his, Tobirama had put in tremendous effort studying him.
From techniques, temperament, and daily habits to thought patterns and the way he handled others, Tobirama studied every detail of Izuna, all to find his flaws.
And conversely, Izuna had done the same.
To the point that Hashirama once joked carefree:
"Tobirama, why don't you reconcile with Izuna? Then our two clans wouldn't have to keep fighting. Look at the two of you—you're practically becoming each other…"
At the time, Tobirama had been quite irritated.
But in his heart, he admitted that if he were given a pair of Sharingan and Izuna's face…
Even if Uchiha Madara himself appeared, so long as no private questions were asked, Tobirama was confident he could make him unable to tell the difference.
And that large vessel he had prepared was based on Izuna's cells, with his own cells serving as the structural framework for differentiation and as the restraints to suppress loss of control.
During the process, the two types of cells had undergone a certain degree of fusion and interaction. It was not simple splicing; under the catalysis of chakra, they had even grafted together. Because of this, some problems had also arisen.
With the various materials and secret techniques Hiruzen had prepared for him, Tobirama was confident he could remodel for himself a body with sufficient potential.
There might still be some issues, but as a ninjutsu scientist, Tobirama understood that no research project could be fully prepared from the outset. Having a beginning was already very good…
As things stood now, this project was akin to only needing some formatting adjustments—there was no reason not to put it into operation.
"And what about the matter of identity? Have you considered it?" Tobirama slowly exhaled, his blood-red eyes gleaming with an eerie light.
To become Uchiha Izuna of the Uchiha Clan?
At first, he had felt nothing…
But upon careful thought, this feeling of conquering the Uchiha from both body and mind…
It truly made one excited!!
"I have also considered the matter of identity. The overall framework has already been set; some details will need you to finalize personally."
"There are some things your notes did not record completely. I do not understand Uchiha Izuna that well either…"
Hiruzen pointed to a scroll on the table—it contained intelligence regarding Kusagakure—and said softly: "This also concerns the first mission I will assign to you after your revival."
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