Underground in Konoha Village, a secret base opened up by Hiruko at Orochimaru's behest.
"Edo Tensei!"
"Come forth! Konoha's White Fang!"
A Ninja with short silver-white hair, looking like a larger version of Kakashi, was summoned from the transitional space between the Living World and the Pure Land.
Hatake Sakumo looked at his hands, which appeared to be pieced together like ceramics: "I... what is this?"
Sakumo hadn't actually been slumbering within the Pure Land.
After his suicide years ago, Sakumo had not entered the Pure Land due to his lingering attachments to the Living World and his concern for Kakashi; instead, he remained in the transitional space between the Living World and the Pure Land.
It wasn't until Pain invaded Konoha and Kakashi also went to that transitional space that Sakumo's inner turmoil was completely resolved, and his soul was liberated to return to the Pure Land.
He had just been sitting by a fire waiting for Kakashi; how was he summoned back to the Living World in the blink of an eye?
"Sakumo, long time no see!"
Orochimaru's raspy voice reached Sakumo's ears. Sakumo looked up and saw a pale man with golden eyes.
Standing beside him was another man with pure white hair and bandages wrapped around his face.
"Orochimaru, Hiruko, is this your doing?"
Orochimaru chuckled low but did not answer.
Hiruko sneered, "Sakumo, how does it feel to live in the human world again?"
Sakumo shook his head. "Not good. It feels like being sealed inside a cold shell, without a hint of warmth."
Hiruko agreed completely. "I feel the same. No sensation, no desire—only a heart full of rage toward Uchiha Ryou."
"Like a vengeful demon!"
Sakumo was somewhat puzzled. "Ryou? What did that kid do to you?"
Sakumo and Kurenai were a year ahead of Ryou and the others; they were considered schoolmates and had some brief interactions.
Hiruko was both furious and somewhat broken. "He backstabbed me, stole my Chimera Technique, and even dismembered me and buried me in a toilet."
"That's terrible!"
Sakumo took a step away from Hiruko, instinctively wanting to cover his nose, though as an edo tensei body, he couldn't smell anything anyway.
Seeing Sakumo's reaction, Hiruko became even more aggrieved and pulled out a Ryou doll he had made, stabbing it vigorously.
Orochimaru shook his head speechlessly and tossed a top-secret Root document to Sakumo.
"Sakumo, the public outcry against you back then was manipulated by political infighting. You had outstanding military achievements, great strength, and the potential to become Hokage."
"My teacher tried his best to protect you, but you were already a thorn in Danzo's side! He had Root stir up the villagers' emotions and magnify the public outcry just to undermine your prestige."
"Who would have thought you—"
Who would have thought Sakumo would be so unyielding, committing seppuku just to prove he wasn't wrong.
Rumor has it the Hatake Clan's ancestors were samurai; only those stubborn, pedantic samurai would be so uncompromising!
Sakumo took the secret Root document from Orochimaru but didn't look at it. Instead, he used Lightning Release to destroy it instantly.
He said, "I am already dead. There is no point in dwelling on matters from when I was alive."
Then, looking at his ceramic-like body, Sakumo said, "This is the Second Lord's Edo Tensei, isn't it?"
Sakumo looked at the coffins behind Orochimaru and Hiruko, five in total, with corresponding characters carved on them.
"Hi" was easy to understand; it was Hiruko, likely his own "bed."
"Dan"—all Sakumo could think of was Kato Dan, who mastered the Spirit Transformation Jutsu.
"Kagami"—Sakumo set his sights on Uchiha Kagami of the Uchiha Clan.
What shocked Sakumo the most were the two coffins closest to Orochimaru, which were covered in numerous sealing formulas.
One was marked "Two", and the other "First".
Even with his mindset as a dead man, Sakumo's eyes widened in shock. "The First Hokage and the Second Hokage... Orochimaru, what on earth are you planning?"
Sakumo suspected Orochimaru was about to unleash an undead scourge to destroy the Ninja World.
Orochimaru looked back at Hashirama and Tobirama's coffins and smiled. He had long since summoned Hashirama and Tobirama from the Pure Land.
He had simply kept them asleep. After being kicked aside like a stray dog by Madara, Orochimaru had come to deeply appreciate the power of top-tier Ninjas from the Warring States Period.
He didn't dare underestimate them in the slightest.
Orochimaru had once thought about keeping Tobirama awake to research the powers of the Uchiha and Senju together.
Because Konoha's Forbidden Jutsu come from the Senju, and the Senju's Forbidden Jutsu come from Tobirama.
Most of the high-level Ninjutsu in Konoha's scroll of seals were developed by Tobirama.
Shadow Clone Technique, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, Edo Tensei, Flying Thunder God Technique, Mutually Multiplying Exploding Tags... Orochimaru had always admired Tobirama and truly wanted to transplant Tobirama's brain onto his own head.
With such a master of Forbidden Jutsu to collaborate with, researching the powers of the Uchiha and Senju would clearly yield twice the results with half the effort.
But Orochimaru didn't dare; Edo Tensei was Tobirama's jutsu, and only Tobirama knew what trump cards he had hidden.
Tobirama also had the Flying Thunder God Technique, which could end Orochimaru in an instant.
Orochimaru could only think about liberating Tobirama, the master of Forbidden Jutsu, after he had researched a superior binding technique.
Sakumo realized that the Ninja World must have undergone a massive upheaval; otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have gone as far as to grave-rob the First and Second Hokage.
"Orochimaru, what exactly happened up there?"
Orochimaru was concise: "Uchiha Madara has been resurrected!"
Sakumo's pupils constricted; he now fully understood why Orochimaru had used Edo Tensei on the First and Second Hokage.
Hiruko seriously explained the major events that had occurred in the Ninja World since Sakumo's death.
The Third Great Ninja War broke out, Uchiha Ryou defected, Madara was resurrected... Meanwhile, Orochimaru took out a crystal ball and used the Telescope Technique he had learned from the Third Hokage to begin spying on information from the Hokage Building.
Orochimaru had been hiding underground lately; he had no choice, as the mere act of grave-robbing the First and Second Hokage's tombs made him unpardonably guilty.
He had to stay hidden.
But hiding didn't mean isolating himself; he had to let the "unhealthy trends of society" blow in.
Orochimaru contacted a group of his former subordinates and had them pass down information about what was happening above at all times.
But some things even the Village's Jonin couldn't figure out.
For instance, where did Minato go? How did he get so badly injured?
How was Obito still alive? What was going on?
He was really getting a bit out of touch without keeping up with the latest version.
Orochimaru began spying on the Hokage Building; he wanted to see what important information Obito had to offer.
Before Orochimaru could even begin his spying, one of his white snakes arrived with a report.
Danzo was back, accompanied only by Aburame Ryoma; it seemed the Root forces had been completely wiped out.
Orochimaru was shocked. What on earth had happened in the Land of Rain?
The Hokage Building.
Recently, news of Madara's resurrection had been gradually released.
Konoha was actively contacting the other four major Ninja Villages to form the Shinobi Allied Forces to oppose Madara.
But the worst news had arrived: Madara had reclaimed the Rinnegan from Nagato and had become even more powerful than before.
Upon hearing this news, the Third Hokage didn't sleep all night, smoking in the Hokage Office the entire time.
When Minato and Kushina brought Obito in, they could smell a heavy scent of smoke in the office.
The Third Hokage quickly put out his pipe and said with some concern, "Minato, you haven't fully recovered yet. Don't push yourself!"
Minato patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, the Hokage! With the Medical Ninjas from the Senju Clan, I'm almost fully recovered."
Minato then added apologetically, "I'm sorry, the Hokage. I failed to destroy the Rinnegan and couldn't stop Uchiha Madara from obtaining it."