Chapter 004: Tobirama: I Chose Sarutobi as Hokage, the Village Must Be Doing Great Now!
[Descendants, Juniors, and Little Ones?(^_-) Chat Group]
[Tobirama Senju]: I was planning to carefully read the rules that appeared before me.
[Tobirama Senju]: But I have to admit, the loud, headache-inducing guy shouting is definitely my brother.
[Tobirama Senju]: Anija, it really is me, Tobirama.
[Hashirama Senju]: This is unbelievable.
[Hashirama Senju]: After I died, I appeared in a small, rundown room with nothing inside.
[Hashirama Senju]: I couldn't help but sigh—is this the afterlife?
[Hashirama Senju]: I was deceived. The afterlife isn't about reuniting with ancestors but being stuck in a shabby little room.
[Hashirama Senju]: Time just passed, yet it felt like no time had passed at all.
[Minato Namikaze]: You're in the same situation? Though my assigned house is a bit better, not as run-down.
[Hashirama Senju]: And you are?
[Minato Namikaze]: Ah, I'm Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. I've seen your photos on the walls of the Hokage's office.
[Minato Namikaze]: You two look exactly like in the pictures.
[Tobirama Senju]: That's because Anija died around 40, and I died in my 30s—both in our prime.
[Minato Namikaze]: Uh…
[Hashirama Senju]: Tobirama, don't be so harsh. So, you're the Fourth? That means the village is already on its fourth Hokage?
[Tobirama Senju]: Not just that. There's also a silent Sixth Hokage here.
[Tobirama Senju]: Let me see—Sixth Hokage, Kakashi.
[Minato Namikaze]: Kakashi! Kakashi… You're dead too?
[Sixth Hokage - Kakashi Hatake]: Well… how should I put this? I don't think I'm dead.
[Sixth Hokage - Kakashi Hatake]: Everyone, take a look at the content in front of you first.
Kakashi himself was still dazed.
He thought he might be under a genjutsu.
Because not only were his teacher Minato and the First and Second Hokage here… this was way too exaggerated.
He had just learned that Naruto was his teacher's child, yet Naruto had been treated so poorly. And now he was seeing his teacher again…
Kakashi felt incredibly conflicted.
[Minato Namikaze]: I see. So, those of us who have died are here because of this small group chat.
[Hashirama Senju]: This chat group transcends past, present, future, space, time, and even death—what an overbearing description.
[Tobirama Senju]: Hmm… And the key point is… What does "Descendants, Juniors, and Little Ones" mean here?
[Tobirama Senju]: Does that mean we're all juniors? If Minato and Kakashi are the Fourth and Sixth Hokage, that's understandable.
[Tobirama Senju]: But Anija and I are the First and Second Hokage!
[Tobirama Senju]: Are we not senior enough?
[Minato Namikaze]: Hmm… Lord Second does have a point.
[Minato Namikaze]: And with Kage-level as the entry requirement, this group's standards are high.
[Minato Namikaze]: What I'm curious about is—what's the deal with the three-hour daily livestream of "Kaede Kitahara"?
[Tobirama Senju]: Who's Kaede Kitahara?
[Tobirama Senju]: Minato, you're the Fourth, Kakashi's the Sixth—is Kaede Kitahara the Fifth Hokage?
[Minato Namikaze]: This group requires Kage-level to join. Kakashi, you've improved.
[Sixth Hokage - Kakashi Hatake]: ...
Kakashi was still in shock.
[Sixth Hokage - Kakashi Hatake]: Ah…
Kakashi suddenly let out a sound.
[Minato Namikaze]: What's wrong, Kakashi?
[Sixth Hokage - Kakashi Hatake]: I can sense my body… it collapsed, and Iruka is taking me to Konoha Hospital.
[Minato Namikaze]: ...
[Minato Namikaze]: So you're still alive?
[Sixth Hokage - Kakashi Hatake]: Yeah. I'm still alive…
[Minato Namikaze]: In that case, this group chat is truly impressive.
[Minato Namikaze]: That means those of us who have passed away are here as souls.
[Minato Namikaze]: That's why Kakashi experienced discomfort when his soul left his body.
Minato began analyzing.
[Minato Namikaze]: Wait a second!
[Tobirama Senju]: What's wrong?
Tobirama noticed that this Fourth Hokage had strong analytical skills.
[Minato Namikaze]: Since we're dead, and Kakashi is grown up and still alive, that means it's been over a decade since my death.
[Minato Namikaze]: So… doesn't that mean we can learn about the village's current state through Kakashi?
[Minato Namikaze]: And the livestream here allows us to see the surroundings of this Kaede Kitahara.
[Minato Namikaze]: That means we can see the village too, right?
[Hashirama Senju]: That makes sense! I'd love to see how the village has developed!
The usually quiet Hashirama chimed in, excited.
As the First Hokage, the founder of it all, he had died too early to witness the village's growth.
So he was eager.
[Tobirama Senju]: I chose Sarutobi as the Third Hokage, with Danzō and the others as advisors. The village must be thriving now.
Tobirama suddenly grew excited.
[Minato Namikaze]: Ah… Then I'd like to see how my son is doing.
[Minato Namikaze]: Before I died, I sealed the Nine-Tails inside him. I wonder how he's been.
[Minato Namikaze]: Naruto has the Nine-Tails and the Uzumaki bloodline, so he must be doing well, right?
[Minato Namikaze]: Kakashi, how's Naruto doing?
[Sixth Hokage - Kakashi Hatake]: Uh…
Kakashi's head instantly throbbed.
[Ding! System notification.]
[Kakashi Hatake has gone offline.]
[Minato Namikaze]: ???
[Hashirama Senju]: ???
[Tobirama Senju]: ...
[Minato Namikaze]: Was Kakashi's disconnection normal or not?
[Tobirama Senju]: What do you mean, Minato?
[Minato Namikaze]: Kakashi is my student. He used to be introverted, but his heart is in the right place.
[Minato Namikaze]: If he was disconnected due to the group chat's mechanics, then fine.
[Minato Namikaze]: But if he logged off himself…
[Minato Namikaze]: That might mean…
[Minato Namikaze]: Kakashi couldn't answer—meaning things are bad, and he didn't dare to respond.
????
The group chat fell silent.
[Ding!]
Then, everyone noticed a video appearing in the center of the chat.
[Today's three-hour livestream of Kaede Kitahara begins!]
---
Chapter 005: Holy Crap, This Kid Awakened the Rinnegan! (Please Support with Data!)
[Descendants, Juniors, and Little Ones?(^_-) Chat Group]
[Minato Namikaze]: So this is the livestream?
[Tobirama Senju]: According to the rules we just read, it's a daily three-hour livestream.
[Big Dummy Hashirama]: Based on the current members, we're all from Konoha, so this Kaede Kitahara must be a Konoha kid too, right?
[Minato Namikaze]: Yeah…
[Minato Namikaze]: But, somehow…
[Tobirama Senju]: What's wrong, Fourth?
[Minato Namikaze]: I feel like I've seen this Kaede Kitahara somewhere before, but my memory's a mess.
[Tobirama Senju]: If you remember him… Given Kakashi's current state, it's been over a decade since your death.
[Tobirama Senju]: But this Kaede Kitahara doesn't match your age group.
[Minato Namikaze]: Then… is it like the group rules say—he's from the past or future?
[Tobirama Senju]: So this kid might be from the future? That's interesting.
[Hashirama Senju]: …Could you guys slow down?
[Hashirama Senju]: Let me join the analysis too.
[Tobirama Senju]: Forget it, Anija. You only know brute force. If you had brains as Hokage, the Great Ninja Wars wouldn't have happened.
[Hashirama Senju]: Huh? Great Ninja Wars?
[Tobirama Senju]: You didn't know, did you? Even though you bowed and brought the Five Kage together for the first summit, the moment you died, the other four Kage rebelled!
[Tobirama Senju]: Their first move was wiping out Uzushiogakure, then attacking Konoha.
[Hashirama Senju]: No way… Is that true?
[Tobirama Senju]: It's the truth!
[Tobirama Senju]: And I died during the First Great Ninja War.
[Hashirama Senju]: How could this be… So… was my vision wrong?
[Hashirama Senju]: After my death, instead of helping each other, the shinobi world descended into even worse chaos?
[Tobirama Senju]: You're just too naive.
Tobirama's soul sat cross-legged, resting his chin on his hand.
Meanwhile, his gaze shifted to the video in the center of the chat.
The video showed a young boy with short black hair and golden pupils.
He seemed different somehow.
At the moment, he was feeding his pet summon—a ninja rabbit.
Strangely, both the boy and the rabbit gave off an unusual aura.
The rabbit was picky, sniffing around before selecting a perfectly cut carrot cube.
It held the carrot with both paws, lowered its head, and took delicate bites.
For a rabbit, it carried itself like a princess.
[Tobirama Senju]: Are summon animals evolving to be more human-like now?
[Minato Namikaze]: I'm not sure, but I've heard the White Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave can take human form.
[Tobirama Senju]: Hmm… Though shinobi are free to choose their summons, I still think they should stay normal…
*Chomp—*
At that moment, the rabbit suddenly bit Kaede's left finger.
[Tobirama Senju]: Seems like Kaede and his summon don't get along well.
[Tobirama Senju]: A proper shinobi should fully control their summon.
[Tobirama Senju]: Like Anija—his Rashōmon gates are completely under his command.
[Hashirama Senju]: Uh… Tobirama, you're making it sound like the Rashōmon gates are crying.
[Minato Namikaze]: Wait, Lord First, Lord Second! Quiet down for a second.
[Tobirama Senju]: Huh? What's wrong…
[Tobirama Senju]: No, Kaede's changing.
[Minato Namikaze]: Yeah! He's changing!
Indeed.
After being bitten, Kaede felt an immense surge of chakra gathering in his eyes.
He instinctively closed them.
But the Hokage in the chat held their breath.
[Tobirama Senju]: I have a bad feeling about this.
[Hashirama Senju]: Huh?
[Tobirama Senju]: For some reason, Kaede gives me Uchiha vibes.
[Hashirama Senju]: Oh, Tobirama, still holding a grudge against the Uchiha?
[Tobirama Senju]: I don't like them, but Anija, as the Second Hokage, I treated them fairly.
[Tobirama Senju]: I just naturally distrust the Uchiha. Too many of them are born evil—like Madara.
[Hashirama Senju]: Ah, Madara… He was Konoha's first missing-nin.
[Minato Namikaze]: Lord First, Lord Second, quiet down.
[Tobirama Senju]: What now… Holy—
Tobirama gasped.
Because in the video, Kaede opened his eyes.
His original golden irises were now a deep crimson.
Sharingan!
A single tomoe spun in the red eye.
No.
It didn't stop there.
[Tobirama Senju]: Is this kid actually an Uchiha?
He was stunned.
[Tobirama Senju]: Whatever, just Sharingan. I've seen it all before.
Then, Hashirama gasped.
[Hashirama Senju]: No, not one tomoe—it's two now.
Kaede's Sharingan had evolved from one tomoe to two.
But then Minato also reacted.
[Minato Namikaze]: No, not one or two tomoe… It's Mangekyō now.
[Tobirama Senju]: Evolving from one tomoe straight to Mangekyō?
[Hashirama Senju]: Seems like it's not over yet.
[Minato Namikaze]: No, not one or two tomoe… It's Mangekyō now.
[Tobirama Senju]: Evolving from one tomoe straight to Mangekyō?
[Hashirama Senju]: Seems like it's not over yet.
Because Kaede's crimson eyes faded, turning purple instead.
[Tobirama Senju]: I've only read about this in ancient texts—the Sage of Six Paths' eyes were different from others.
[Tobirama Senju]: Purple irises, ringed patterns, wielding extraordinary power, as if capable of overturning the cycle of rebirth—hence called the Rinnegan.
[Tobirama Senju]: ...
[Tobirama Senju]: Normal eyes → Sharingan → Rinnegan.
[Tobirama Senju]: Three evolutions in ten seconds, all in one go.
[Tobirama Senju]: Hmm… Now this is a scene I've never seen before!
---
Chapter 006: Naruto Knocks on the Window, Delivering the Forbidden Scroll! (Please Support with Data!)
Ninja Apartment.
Kitahara Kaede opened his eyes.
The world he perceived now had completely changed.
His vision had always been sharp, both before and after his transmigration, but now his sight was unnaturally clear.
It was as if—
Not only that, even though he was looking straight ahead, every detail of his surroundings—above, below, left, right, front, and back—was imprinted in his mind.
It was like stepping into a hyper-advanced holographic projection.
What was even more astonishing was a mosquito flitting past in front of him, its wings beating rapidly. Though it moved swiftly, to Kaede's eyes, it seemed to be drifting in slow motion.
So.
Either his perception was malfunctioning, or his eyes had changed.
"..." Kitahara Kaede.
Kaede immediately turned to the side, where a large floor-length mirror stood. The mirror reflected his figure, his face, and—most strikingly—his eyes.
Purple irises, encircled by concentric rings, exuding an aura of mystery and power.
"The Rinnegan," Kaede murmured.
"But why do I have it?"
Was this some kind of transmigrator's benefit?
At that moment.
The ninja rabbit that had been lying on the table suddenly stood up.
Its translucent eyes fixed on Kaede's reflection in the mirror, and it seemed momentarily stunned.
It was probably completely unexpected that Kaede had gone from ordinary eyes to the Rinnegan in just three seconds, bypassing the Sharingan and Mangekyō Sharingan entirely.
[Descendants and Juniors (^_-) Chat Group]
[Hashirama Senju]: Something feels off about that rabbit.
[Minato Namikaze]: Yeah… It looks really surprised.
[Minato Namikaze]: Also, the scene we saw earlier was of that rabbit biting Kaede, right?
[Tobirama Senju]: Yeah, I saw that too.
[Tobirama Senju]: At the time, I thought the rabbit looked really cute… Wait, this rabbit is also suspicious.
[Hashirama Senju]: What's suspicious?
[Hashirama Senju]: Does the rabbit also have some kind of ocular jutsu?
[Hashirama Senju]: Hold on!
Hashirama suddenly exclaimed.
[Hashirama Senju]: Tobirama, Fourth Hokage, this rabbit—its pupils are white!
[Minato Namikaze]: ...
[Minato Namikaze]: Based on my knowledge, the only clan with white pupils is…
[Minato Namikaze]: The Hyūga clan.
[Minato Namikaze]: Now I'm really confused… Does a rabbit have Hyūga bloodline?
[Hashirama Senju]: Yeah, this is weird.
[Beep!]
At that moment, a new notification appeared in the center of the chat group.
[Congratulations, Hashirama Senju, on obtaining a new title—Big Dumb Hashirama.]
[You can now equip the title. @Hashirama Senju]
[Hashirama Senju]: ...
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: !???
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: What kind of title is this?! I don't want it!
[Tobirama Senju]: Brother, quiet down. I think this title fits you perfectly.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: Huh? Tobirama, I know I slacked off a lot during my time as Hokage, but is this really how you see your big brother?
[Tobirama Senju]: ...
[Tobirama Senju]: Pretty much. At the first Five Kage Summit, you were ready to hand out the Tailed Beasts for free.
[Tobirama Senju]: If I hadn't stepped in and made them pay, things would've been even worse.
[Tobirama Senju]: After your death, the other villages turned the Tailed Beasts into weapons, causing a lot of trouble for Konoha.
[Tobirama Senju]: If it weren't for my Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, the village would've been destroyed long ago.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: How could this be… So I was… betrayed by the other Kage?
[Tobirama Senju]: That's why this title suits you perfectly.
[Tobirama Senju]: And… well, during my time as Hokage, I kept researching your Wood Release to control the Nine-Tails.
[Tobirama Senju]: Not everyone is as monstrously strong as you, casually suppressing the Nine-Tails like it's nothing.
[Minato Namikaze]: About that… Regarding the Nine-Tails… I actually died sealing it.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: Seriously? That thing can kill people?
[Minato Namikaze]: Uh… First Hokage, you really are on another level.
Minato couldn't help but praise him.
Meanwhile, Tobirama pressed a hand to his forehead.
[Tobirama Senju]: Wait, hearing all this suddenly makes me uneasy.
[Tobirama Senju]: I entrusted the village to Hiruzen… so it should be… fine, right?
Tobirama's use of "should" suggested he wasn't entirely confident.
Minato noticed this but shook his head.
[Minato Namikaze]: Second Hokage, the Third Hokage is an extremely reliable leader.
[Minato Namikaze]: It was thanks to his recommendation that I became the Fourth Hokage.
[Minato Namikaze]: He's also an excellent teacher, having trained Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.
[Minato Namikaze]: I was Jiraiya-sensei's student.
[Minato Namikaze]: And earlier, Kakashi was my student.
[Tobirama Senju]: Oh, so the Will of Fire has been passed down continuously?
[Tobirama Senju]: Little Tsunade is doing well too?
[Tobirama Senju]: Then I can rest easy.
Tobirama felt relieved.
Meanwhile, Kaede's attention finally returned to the rabbit he had picked up.
"Could it be that my Rinnegan is because… you bit me?"
This wasn't a baseless assumption.
Hinata's "Dark Hinata" personality had emerged three years ago.
And three years ago was also when Kaede had found this ninja rabbit.
He remembered Hinata had been there at the time and had been bitten by the rabbit.
After that, she had a high fever for three days, and the next time he saw her, she had become Dark Hinata.
At the time, he had just found it strange, but now, connecting the dots… the coincidence was too strong.
His current eyes might also be the result of being bitten by the rabbit.
So…
Thud!
Just then, a sound came from the apartment window.
Someone was knocking on it.
Bang bang bang!
[Minato Namikaze]: Knocking on the window? Not using the front door? How rude.
[Tobirama Senju]: So they don't like using the front door, huh? Same.
[Minato Namikaze]: ??
[Tobirama Senju]: ??
Kaede raised his left hand and pressed it against his eye. His eyes reverted to their original golden pupils.
He opened the window.
Thump!
A figure tumbled in, landing on the floor before springing up with a kip-up.
"Hey!"
The person grinned excitedly. "Kaede-kun."
He pulled out a massive red sealing scroll from his back—almost as tall as he was—and slammed it onto the ground.
"I stole the Forbidden Scroll! Let's defect from Konoha together!"
"..."