"Huh?" Naruto, Sakura, and the others all looked completely lost. "I have no idea what you're talking about! But still—was Orochimaru really dealt with that easily, dattebayo?! Second Hokage guy, you're crazy strong!"
"…" Even though he felt that explaining it would be pointless—this natural-born airhead wouldn't understand anyway—Senju Tobirama, the most reliable Hokage of them all, still gave a brief explanation.
"Leaving aside the fact that I am, at the very least, a Hokage—Orochimaru's real nuisance is his ability to shed his skin and revive himself like a snake. But when I placed the Flying Thunder God mark on him, I also added a sealing technique. For a period of time, his soul is bound tightly to that body."
When it came to summoning techniques and soul contracts, if Tobirama claimed second place as the fastest shinobi in history, only the Sage of Six Paths himself would dare claim first.
Sure enough, once he finished speaking, the Second Hokage—standing there with his arms crossed—saw the look on Naruto's face that clearly said: What are you even saying? Are those human words? Why can't I understand any of it, dattebayo?
"…Sigh. Forget it. Let's skip this." The Second Hokage rubbed his forehead and sighed. This was his own fault—how could someone even dumber than his older brother possibly understand?
Naruto: "Oh… oh…" He squinted and tilted his head, like a confused blond fox cub.
Tobirama stepped past Naruto and looked at the child behind him—the boy with half black and half white hair.
He had never imagined that he would see him again in this lifetime.
So he had been revived too?
Then the appearance and disappearance of that "question-and-answer" phenomenon would need to be redefined.
Did even the Senju clan of the Warring States era count as part of Konoha of the Land of Fire?
If that was the case, then hypothetically speaking, powerful shinobi who had died in both past and the future could all be revived in this era…
As Tobirama looked at Itama, Itama was also looking at Tobirama.
There was a faint sense of familiarity. This man had saved him with overwhelming strength… hopefully he wasn't from an enemy clan.
Seeing him walk over, one of the brother from Uzumaki who had been protecting him stepped aside to make room. Could this person be an Uzumaki too?
"Y-you, hello."
Itama greeted him. Compared to his brothers, he knew he wasn't much of a shinobi—soft-hearted, lacking the decisiveness of his eldest brother and Tobirama-nii, and with far less potential than Kawarama.
Naruto: "Oh, Second Hokage guy, he's Itama, dattebayo! But he won't tell us his last name, and he keeps talking about Uzumaki and Uchiha, like he has beef with Sasuke's family or something. Oh right, I—" I still wanted to ask what the Uzumaki clan was.
The rest of his words died in his throat, because the Second Hokage guy was acting way too weird.
Even if it didn't show on the surface, Naruto could clearly feel it—he was extremely emotional. Happy. Really, really happy.
Do they know each other?
No, that couldn't be it. He'd heard that the Second Hokage guy had died back when Grandpa Third was still young.
Itama noticed the other man's emotions too, so he added, "Hello. My name is Itama. My clan name—"
Senju Tobirama placed a hand on Itama's shoulder. Without saying a word, he first placed a Flying Thunder God mark on him.
This time, nothing would stop him from saving his little brother at the very first moment…
"Senju. Your surname is Senju. Your name is Senju Itama… You died in the war at the age of seven…"
"!!!"
Itama jumped in shock. This person knew far too much about him!
Naruto was even more terrified. "Aaaahhhhhh!!! Don't scare me like that!! Second Hokage guy, I'm really scared of ghosts and zombies and stuff, dattebayo!!"
"He's alive, you airhead!!" Tobirama snapped, his nerves pushed to the limit by yet another idiot just like his older brother. "He was revived, just like I was!!"
"Huh? Ohhh! If you put it that way, then I'm not scared anymore, dattebayo."
Sakura suddenly let out a gasp and reminded Naruto, "Naruto! That kid's surname is Senju!!"
Naruto: "Huh? Yeah, I know. The Second Hokage guy just said it. By the way, Second Hokage guy, you two know each other?"
Sakura: "Idiot Naruto!! The Second Hokage's surname is Senju too!! Senju Tobirama!!"
"!!!"
Itama was completely stunned. He stared at the mature man in front of him. Looking closely, those crimson, upturned phoenix eyes inherited from their mother—weren't those unique to Tobirama-nii?!
"T-Tobirama-nii?"
Senju Itama's voice was very small. He didn't quite dare to believe it.
"It's me, Itama."
Facing his own brother, Senju Tobirama didn't use "this old man" to refer to himself for once.
"Back then…"
The pain of losing his younger brothers was the very reason Konoha had been founded.
When Itama and Kawarama died on the battlefield, they were only seven years old…
And now, in Konoha, a seven-year-old child usually hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet. Even after graduating, they would first take on large numbers of D-rank missions to gain experience and learn teamwork.
At the mention of the past, Itama suddenly grabbed Tobirama's hand. He had so many questions!
"Tobirama-nii, how many years has it been? Where's Big Brother Hashirama? I went back to the clan grounds first—there was nothing there! Father—what about Father? The Senju clan? Where did the Senju clan go? Why are Uzumaki and Uchiha together?!"
At that, Tobirama fell silent.
Now, there was no Senju. No Uchiha. No Uzumaki.
There was only Konoha.
Konohagakure Village.