In order to appease Danzo, who had attracted most of the firepower, Sarutobi Hiruzen's power as Hokage became less complete.
"What do you know?"
Senju Tobirama said sternly, "This is a sign of incompetence!"
"As Hokage, you are inherently two-faced. Do you think by placing all the darkness on Shimura Danzo, you, as Hokage, will gain the trust of others?"
"Don't treat the ninjas of the village as fools!"
Senju Tobirama said harshly:
"If you want to recruit the geniuses of the ninja clans into the Anbu, you should negotiate and win them over. Ignoring how Shimura Danzo's Root is forcibly absorbing them with rough methods, wouldn't others think it's tacitly approved by you, the Hokage?"
"You're too soft, monkey! It's not that you are unaware, but you lack the courage to shoulder your rightful responsibilities!"
"As Hokage, you're actually afraid of criticism, how ridiculous…"
"Do you think that even if things continue this way, if Konoha declines or falls apart, it's not your problem as Hokage, but all Shimura Danzo's fault?"
Senju Tobirama's words were harsh and straightforward, piercing Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind trembled; what Senju Tobirama said was too real, so real that he couldn't face it himself.
"I, I have the courage to sacrifice for Konoha, Lord Tobirama, please believe me…" Sarutobi Hiruzen argued weakly for himself.
"Sacrifice?"
Senju Tobirama snorted coldly, "Most ninjas of Konoha have the courage to sacrifice for the village!"
"Death isn't really frightening to a ninja, but to live on facing seemingly unsolvable problems, that's true courage."
Senju Tobirama shook his head in frustration:
"What angers me most is that you don't even know how to shift blame properly!"
"In the matter of Hatake Sakumo, your rhythm was completely suppressed by Shimura Danzo, being manipulated by a subordinate!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen unconsciously lowered his head further, filled with deep regret.
Over so many years, the only time he was tricked by Shimura Danzo, and yet it had to be seen by his teacher.
Where could he plead this case…
"Let me ask you, in Hatake Sakumo's case, what hesitation could you have?"
Senju Tobirama waved his hand fiercely and said:
"As Hokage, you have long been aware of the conflict between the Ninja Code and the Will of Fire. If you had handled it early, communicated with Hatake Sakumo, publicly criticized him while privately promoting him, it could both clarify the mission-first ideology and win over Hatake Sakumo's loyalty. You turned a simple matter into a stinking mess!"
"Also, I see your fear of war!"
Senju Tobirama coldly said, "What's there to be afraid of? Why do you think I left you so many kinjutsu?"
"When other Hidden Villages attempt to invade, if we are strong, then the stance should naturally be tough. If weak, the stance should be even tougher. If they detect your lack of confidence, their methods will only be more ruthless, and their confidence and ambitions will grow greater!"
"Reanimation Jutsu, Inner Four Symbols Fuinjutsu, Flying Thunder God Jutsu, Tandem Paper Bomb Jutsu…"
"Even if it means summoning all past Hokages and Konoha's formidable ones from the Pure Land, using your Anbu, Root, and even your own life to take down their Tailed Beasts, you cannot show weakness…"
Senju Tobirama shook his head, "Monkey, do you really think you're the strongest Hokage?"
"You don't want to use extreme methods, yet lack sufficient strength, and still seek a reputation of benevolence and righteousness. Who do you think you are?"
Senju Tobirama was utterly baffled; what was there to fear in war?
Insignificant Tailed Beasts, even without Aomi, couldn't they be resolved by letting a few daring ninjas get close and use the Inner Four Symbols Fuinjutsu to self-destruct?
And the Reanimation Jutsu, it's indeed a grand weapon of war!
Sarutobi Hiruzen gasped heavily, unable to utter a word.
In front of Senju Tobirama, his inner thoughts and little schemes were laid bare with precise accuracy.
"Lord Tobirama, I, as Hokage, have failed your trust!"
"I'm scared of failing your expectations, worried that Konoha will decline in my hands. This fear has consumed my heart…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly shed tears, kneeling fully on the ground.
"Monkey, I will not punish you for now. Protect Aomi for me. Although you're incompetent, Konoha still needs a Hokage to maintain…"
Senju Tobirama thought of Aomi's thoughts on false peace, feeling a slight headache.
Compared to the disastrous performances by Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen, Senju Tobirama didn't even want to delve deeper. What he truly worried about was Aomi losing faith in the village and starting to think about peace from the perspective of the Uchiha Clan.
It's not that thinking about peace is bad, but in the Ninja World, those who generally consider this problem eventually tend towards extremism…
Uchiha Madara became so extreme he severed ties with Konoha, abandoning his clan; Senju Hashirama became so extreme he forgot his own strength, bowing to others.
This problem feels like a deadlock; neither the Senju nor Uchiha can think of an answer.
A flash crossed Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes; his guess turns out to be correct…
Senju Tobirama indeed planned to possess Aomi, isn't the protection just a stalling tactic?
Yet, when it came to the word "possess," it didn't feel right to say it aloud, so Sarutobi Hiruzen diplomatically said: