As soon as Tobirama stepped into the bedroom—he froze.
This wasn't an act. It was an instinctive reaction upon facing a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
Wasn't the Uchiha clan doing pretty well lately? Everything flourishing, full of vitality…
And this could still awaken from intense negative emotions?
Honestly, there was just no dealing with the Uchiha clan…
"Save me?"
Tobirama looked confused. "My body is actually fine right now. You don't need to worry so much…"
That confusion was half real, half fake.
Tobirama had already started to piece things together—most likely those two brats, Obito and Shisui, noticed his recent bouts of coughing up blood and even spraying blood onto exam papers, and reported it to Isshin…
But he was still surprised—how exactly did those two "cheap little brothers" find out?
And was Isshin's reaction really necessary to this extent…?
When dealing with the blood congestion, he had already been careful to avoid Shisui and Obito as much as possible…
"What's wrong with you two? Didn't I already tell you I'm fine?!"
Tobirama frowned, scolding Shisui and Obito for the first time.
On one hand, it was to maintain his persona as someone silently devoted to the Uchiha.
On the other hand, he really was a bit annoyed—and surprised.
Tobirama did not like things happening outside of his plans…
Especially not the sudden appearance of a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Brother, I've actually been secretly following you this whole time… I just didn't say anything because I didn't want to disturb you…"
Obito said aggrievedly, "I've seen you several times while training—you were obviously in pain, and your face would turn pale."
"Don't blame Obito, brother. I was the one who brought him to find Clan Head Isshin…"
Shisui raised his head stubbornly and said: "Brother, I've been able to smell a faint scent of blood on you lately. And with my Sharingan, I also noticed your chakra flow isn't as stable as before…"
"Putting together what Obito told me, and what happened today…"
"You have to let us help you. If this keeps going, you'll work yourself… work yourself to collapse!"
Shisui originally wanted to say "to death," but that felt too inauspicious.
Only then did Tobirama understand…
So these two little brats had been spying on him in their free time, huh?
And using the Sharingan, no less!
When it came to spying on Seisui, Obito was overt, while Shisui was discreet.
One followed him enthusiastically, the other observed in silence…
Tobirama looked at Obito and Shisui with suspicion.
They could actually hide from him?
"Brother, after I got caught watching you, you'd always take me along to train… I was afraid it would interfere with your normal practice, so I started hiding in advance in the forest next to the training ground you usually go to…"
Obito, with his rich experience of stalking Kakashi, explained sheepishly.
"Brother, I actually borrowed a puppy from a classmate in the Inuzuka clan… it wasn't me who smelled it…"
Shisui lowered his head as well: "I was just too worried about you. You always stay up late writing those scrolls. Even though you cough very quietly, I can still hear it."
Tobirama took a deep breath.
Such heavy emotions…
Even among the Senju, the clan of love, he had never seen this type…
Truly a clan naturally rich in emotion—and one that knew how to love…
Although Tobirama and Shisui and Obito couldn't really be said to share any brotherly bond, learning how much they cared about him still stirred a trace of warmth in his heart.
As a strategist, a think tank, and the Hokage—
from the Senju to Konoha, very few people ever asked him whether he was tired or cared about his health. Most people simply looked at him with reverence.
He was the backbone and the brain of a clan, of a village.
So even if Tobirama was exhausted, he couldn't show it. That was the responsibility of his role in his previous life.
'So this is what a new life feels like? Not bad…'
Tobirama suddenly recalled what Hiruzen had said to him, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
'Sensei, I hope that in this life you won't be so tired anymore. I hope you can have new experiences… and do things you actually want to do…'
"Seisui, don't hide it anymore."
Isshin's Mangekyō keenly caught that slight smile at the corner of Tobirama's mouth, and his heart tightened.
This kid is practically dying, and he's still smiling here?
"You have to understand—even the Great Clan Head and the Young Clan Head didn't shoulder as much pressure as you did in their youth. Back then, Old Clan Head Tajima carried the burden, while the adult clansmen charged forward!"
In the Warring States era, although children also went to the battlefield, most of the time it was peers fighting peers.
What Tobirama was doing—directly aiming his fire at Danzō—was equivalent to a young Uchiha challenging the second-in-command of the Senju in his prime!
And not only that, he had also taken on the entire future direction of the Uchiha—the development plans, precautions, ninjutsu improvements—things that should have been the clan head's responsibility…
This wasn't something that could be described with just the word "genius."
This was a super, super, super genius!
"Seisui, ever since my older brother Setsuna died, I've led the Uchiha clan into hiding for nearly thirty years…"
"I knew my own abilities weren't enough. Leading the clan against Konoha simply wouldn't work…"
"So every day, I kept reassuring the clansmen—telling them not to act impulsively, not to constantly think about rebellion, but to wait for a true leader."
"An unorganized Uchiha might be stronger than other ninja clans, but not by that much… just internal strife alone took me fifteen years to resolve, before everyone was finally willing to listen to me."
Isshin spoke slowly, his tone full of emotion: "Back then, I was also a combat-oriented type—but Senju Tobirama gave me a lesson…"
"My brother lost far too easily. It was like a three-tomoe fighting a single tomoe—he and Senju Tobirama weren't even on the same level."
Tobirama listened in silence, a faint smile in his mind.
That was indeed the case…
But at the same time, Tobirama became wary.
Not combat-oriented now…
So after obtaining the Mangekyō Sharingan—after gaining power—he planned to change course, was that it?
In ninja battles, unless one had reached the level of Hashirama and Madara, most fights were battles of intelligence.
Tobirama knew this deeply—and this was exactly why he was wary of the Uchiha clan.
Out of nowhere, they gained two forbidden techniques and a Susanoo…
That was just too unfair!
His own forbidden techniques had all been researched bit by bit—earned through effort and sweat…
'What kind of Mangekyō ability does he have?'
Tobirama pondered inwardly, then spoke softly: "Clan Head Isshin, then you don't need to worry anymore. This is the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan…"
"With these eyes, the clan will be completely different!"
But unexpectedly, Isshin waved his hand.
"No. It's the same."
"It only makes it even clearer that the clan will be led by you!"
"With these eyes, I've already seen the clan's wonderful future…"
Isshin showed a proud expression, pointing at the intricate patterns within his Mangekyō.
"My Mangekyō is different from any ability recorded in the texts…"
"It possesses the power to support the younger generation, entrust the future, and pass down inheritance!"
Isshin stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "Though I am an Uchiha, I don't love killing—I love nurturing talent. After all, I've used my brain for so many years. The Mangekyō understands me!"
"Seisui, your body will absolutely not have any more problems. Not only that—you'll become even stronger!"
Clearly, he was extremely satisfied with his own ability.
Tobirama's mouth twitched.
As expected, the Mangekyō greatly amplifies emotions—Isshin was already getting a bit carried away.
After talking for so long, he still hadn't actually explained what his ability was.
But Tobirama had already figured it out…
Isshin had pieced together what Shisui and Obito said, seen him working day and night, and concluded that he was on the verge of death—so before dying, he wanted to do something for the Uchiha…
In reality, this workload meant nothing to him.
After Senju Hashirama died, forces both inside and outside the village had begun to stir. The complexity back then was several times greater than the village under Hiruzen's current rule…
For now, he only had to plan for the Uchiha clan.
For Tobirama, this merely counted as reminiscing a little about what it felt like to be Hokage. It didn't even come close to being exhausting.
Tobirama gave a light cough, deliberately letting a trace of weakness show through.
Isshin immediately looked at him with concern and stopped keeping him in suspense: "My left-eye dōjutsu is called 'Lesser Vital Restoration'…"
"It can nourish the body and the soul, using the sheer force of my ocular power to heal everything! And not only that—it can also strengthen the recipient's potential…"
"Seisui, are you willing to shoulder this responsibility for the clan?"
Isshin stared at Tobirama and said slowly, "And take my share upon your back as well!"
Tobirama was deeply surprised.
If the Uchiha were a clan inherently evil by nature… then Mangekyō Uchiha would naturally be evil to the extreme.
That statement might be a bit too radical.
But at least as far as Tobirama knew, Mangekyō abilities were all geared toward killing and combat. Even illusion-type abilities came with some kind of controlling effect. He had never seen anything like Isshin's—such a purely "helping others" type of dōjutsu.
"I'm tired, Seisui."
"A man lacking in talent, sitting in the clan head's seat, bearing the name of the Uchiha—a great clan with a thousand-year legacy… that kind of pressure has kept me from sleeping well every night…"
"Just like the two-tomoe that Uchiha Kaku once turned on you…"
"I've also wondered—how could an ordinary three-tomoe like me possibly deserve to sit in the clan head's position? Even with those legendary eyes, one might not be able to oppose Konoha—let alone without even having them…"
Isshin sat on the stool, speaking of the past in a relaxed posture.
"I tried many methods. I even had others torment me with genjutsu and the like, but all of them failed."
"So I came to understand myself, and led the clan while waiting for the appearance of a true leader."
Isshin looked at Tobirama with blazing eyes: "Seisui, ever since you arrived, I knew the person I had been waiting for had finally come!"
"Your talent, your intellect, your grasp of the bigger picture, and your character… this is not me exaggerating—compared to Young Clan Head Izuna, you are even more outstanding!"
Senju Tobirama waved his hands again and again. "You praise me too much!"
But inwardly, he enjoyed it immensely. As expected of an Uchiha who awakened the Mangekyō—his judgment of people is spot-on!
"Don't be modest."
"I waited thirty years before one like you finally appeared, Seisui."
"When I realized you might be gravely ill, helplessness and panic swept over me. Was it really true that, as clan head, all I could do was wait and nothing more…?"
"Perhaps the ancestors took pity on me. Because of that, I actually crossed that threshold and obtained the power of the Mangekyō!"
The pain of gaining hope and then losing it was far more terrifying than simply sinking in darkness from the very beginning.
When Isshin recalled that moment, there was still a trace of lingering fear on his face.
"Clan Head Isshin, I accept your request. Please give your power to me."
Tobirama did not decline. Instead, he stared straight at Isshin. "I will lead the clan!"
If this had been any other ninja clan… then when a senior bestowed such a precious treasure, one would probably still refuse a few times first, just to display humility.
But the Uchiha were different.
Especially for Isshin, who had awakened the Mangekyō, only for its ability to turn out to be healing-based.
To shoulder the responsibility without hesitation—that was what he wanted to see!
Sure enough, Isshin smiled in relief, and the patterns in both of his eyes began spinning like windmills.
Black-green fire immediately flared up around Senju Tobirama's body!
Streams of blood flowed from Isshin's eyes, but he paid them no mind.
He continued to pour out his dōjutsu at full strength!
That black-green flame looked frightening, but in truth, it was incomparably gentle.
The threads of flame were as fine as strands of hair. They slipped along the texture of his skin, first brushing over the surface, then sinking deep into the tissues beneath, burning away the hidden causes of illness within his body.
His fleshly shell, which had never been fully unified with his soul, was forged into a tightly bound whole. As if tempered in fire, it burst forth with even greater potential…
Even his soul itself was hammered into something tougher.
In Tobirama's perception, although his soul had not changed internally, its outer shell had already been stained and fused by that black flame together with the body, taking on a new form…
Before, if he manifested his soul, then unless he deliberately disguised it, he would have given himself away.
Now he no longer had to worry about that…
What was inside and outside had become one.
And upon this body's shoulder, three pitch-black tomoe slowly condensed.
"Clan Head Isshin, that's enough…" Tobirama signaled for him to stop. He felt excellent now.
"No. I'm giving you all of it."
Isshin clenched both fists tightly, enduring the agony in his eyes as though needles were stabbing and tearing through them, and completely poured out his ocular power, gathering it all into Tobirama's body.
The Mangekyō eyes that had been so full of spirit just moments ago now looked like white ash after being burned.
Blood covered Isshin's face. He sat there on the stool in exhaustion. The pain of having overdrawn his ocular power still clung to him, but his expression was incomparably relaxed.
"I've finally laid down the burden. It's been a long time since I felt this light…"
"Do your best, Seisui!"
Isshin had actually drained his ocular power dry in one go, pouring it all into Senju Tobirama's body.
Looking across the thousand-year history of the Uchiha clan, the speed at which Isshin burned through his Mangekyō's ocular power would probably rank first as well!
A ten-minute speedrun!
Tobirama covered his shoulder. The three black tomoe there were burning hot.
The now-blind Isshin seemed to sense Tobirama's movement and said with a smile: "Since I said I was entrusting it to you, I won't hold anything back. If I kept one dōjutsu, or left some ocular power with myself, I'm afraid I'd get restless again in the future and keep thinking about what else I could still do…"
"It's best to settle it completely in one go."
Tobirama looked at Isshin in silent speechlessness.
Though it came from good intentions, both the method and the style were very Uchiha…
An extreme kind of love.
"That mark on you carries the dōjutsu of my right eye. It is called 'Yata Spirit Invocation.'"
Isshin spoke slowly. "Through the blood of the Uchiha, it can call upon the power of an ancestor and have it possess you!"
"Use it carefully, Seisui…"
"Most of the Uchiha ancestors had violent tempers. There's no telling which one you might call…"
"Though you can forcibly seize part of their power through the dōjutsu, if the communication goes smoothly, then the ocular power consumed is less, and the power you gain is greater."
"Ocular power is limited, and the power of the ancestors also cannot remain for long. This trump card I'm leaving you—use it in a way that lets you draw on it as many times as possible."
Isshin smiled and made a joke: "Even though I can't see you now, I'd say with your appearance, maybe you might even summon Young Clan Head Izuna from the Pure Land and have him fight shoulder to shoulder with you!"
"What a pity. If only the Uchiha knew the Impure World Reincarnation Technique…" Isshin muttered to himself.
"With prior perception of the Pure Land, it should be possible to reduce the ocular power consumed when using 'Yata Spirit Invocation'…"
Isshin spread his hands regretfully.
That was simply unavoidable. The Impure World Reincarnation Technique was one of Konoha's absolute forbidden techniques.
Outside of wartime, anyone who tried to inquire about that jutsu would inevitably arouse suspicion—let alone an Uchiha clan member…
This time, the Hokage really couldn't be blamed for being ungenerous.
Isshin still found it regrettable, though, because in his understanding, the ocular power of the Mangekyō was nonrenewable. If there was a way to conserve it, that would naturally be for the best.
After hearing Isshin's explanation, Tobirama pretended to adjust, taking several deep breaths in a row to suppress the smile in his heart.
The Impure World Reincarnation Technique?
What a coincidence. He really did know a little of it—just as he only "slightly understood" the Flying Thunder God.
Using bloodline to call upon an ancestor?
First of all, Tobirama felt he had to emphasize that it wouldn't be an ancestor, but a defeated opponent.
And judging from the composition of this body of his… although under the dual conditioning of Tobirama's experiments and 'Lesser Vital Restoration,' the cells within his body had already become a tightly fused, inseparable "Tobirama-Izuna chimera"—and were no longer the simple half-and-half patchwork they had been at the very beginning—the raw materials, after all, were still what they were!
'So I can see you again? Uchiha Izuna…'
A huge smile rose on Tobirama's face before he even noticed it, as he tried hard to suppress the joy in his heart.
'I'd originally planned to meet you again in the Pure Land, but it seems that can happen ahead of schedule…"'
"How do you feel, Seisui?" Isshin asked nervously.
"Extremely good, Clan Head Isshin. I have never felt my strength so abundant…" Tobirama stared at his own palm, clenching it and then relaxing it, sensing the surging power within.
This was truly an unexpected windfall beyond anything he had imagined…
If, before, Tobirama's expectation for his strength in this life had been to rely on experience and return to his peak within fifteen years… that was because his resurrection had, after all, been somewhat rushed. Even though he had used all sorts of methods to make up for it, the body was still imperfect and had inborn flaws.
But now, Tobirama would reclaim his power within five years… perhaps even three!
And not only that—his upper limit had also been raised.
Originally, the power of the Uchiha and the flaws in this body had canceled each other out, leaving him mainly with the experience of having lived another life.
But now, the power of the Uchiha had become completely his to use!
"Then, Seisui, now that you've obtained power, why aren't you laughing?" the blind Isshin asked in a deep voice.
"Don't be sad because of my eyes. On the contrary, this ocular power was used in exactly the most fitting place!"
"If you don't laugh wildly, how can you be called a true Uchiha?"
Isshin threw back his head and burst into laughter.
Tobirama was stunned for a moment, then he too started laughing loudly. "Hahahahahahahahaha!"
The moment he thought about how he would most likely get to see Izuna… and could even conceal his identity and trick him into lending his power for Tobirama's own use, Tobirama became extraordinarily delighted.
'As for the Mangekyō problem, more than half of it is already solved. I never expected something like this to get delivered right to my door…'
Tobirama did not hold much hope for obtaining his own Mangekyō.
Because he was an extremely calm and rational person…
It was difficult for him to produce the huge surge of emotion needed to awaken the Mangekyō.
The fact that he had been able to use stimulation of the soul plus self-directed psychological suggestion to kick open the door to the three-tomoe stage was already very good.
If he used that same method again, setting aside whether it would even succeed—even if it did, leaving his soul full of holes from overstimulation simply would not be worth it.
What Tobirama didn't know, however, was that Hiruzen was already waiting for him to graduate so he could enter the higher ranks.
Once the timing was right, he intended to have him try to master the Box of Bliss, which was overflowing with negative emotions…
There would be no shortage of negative emotions.
"Clan Head Isshin, I understand your will!" Tobirama bowed deeply to Isshin. "I will definitely do everything in my power for the Uchiha!"
Isshin smiled in relief and rubbed his aching body, sore from overexerting his ocular power: "You've worked hard, Seisui."
"I've been tired for more than thirty years. I can't hold on anymore."
"With greater ability comes greater responsibility, so let me be a deserter for once!"
"To gain power and, instead of wanting to charge forward immediately, want to entrust it to the younger generation instead—this doesn't really seem like an Uchiha. It actually suits the Will of Fire rather well…"
Isshin shook his head, making fun of himself.
"Speaking of the Will of Fire…"
Tobirama's heart stirred, and he said slowly, "Clan Head Isshin, what do you want me to do? Should I wait for the right chance to build prestige and then challenge the Hokage head-on, or…"
Tobirama cared a great deal about the wording Isshin had used earlier.
He had said, "oppose Konoha"…
But Isshin froze.
Only after thinking for a long while did he slowly say, "There's no need for that, I think…"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is a decent man. He's a good Hokage."
"Though a few of the clan elders came to me and said that Sarutobi Hiruzen is a good person, but he'll still shield Danzō, because after all, that's his brother…"
Isshin let out a sigh: "Actually, I even think the impeachment of Root is making too much out of it."
"If Sarutobi Hiruzen can really handle it fairly, then I'm convinced."
As a shinobi shaped by the Warring States era, Isshin felt that although Root had forcibly abducted shinobi from the village's ninja clans, it actually wasn't that big a deal.
Because Root was, after all, working for the village.
The fame of "the darkness of shinobi" throughout the ninja world proved exactly that—it wasn't just consuming resources while doing nothing.
Isshin's way of thinking belonged to the older generation's distinctive shinobi outlook.
Tools were tools to begin with; if they were used and got results, then it wasn't wrong. Doing nothing was the real grave sin.
As for Danzō targeting the Uchiha, that was another matter…
That too was a kind of characteristically low standard unique to Warring States shinobi.
Tobirama was startled. So the Uchiha's demands were actually this low?
"If Sarutobi Hiruzen can face the Uchiha's demands properly, then we should just live well in Konoha. The clansmen have only had a few peaceful days…"
"The children in the Ninja Academy don't understand, but surely you and I do, don't we? You came from Kusagakure, I lived through the Warring States, and then there's the things those little brats from Kirigakure say around the clan compound…"
"Konoha as it is now has truly done very well… It's a good village."
Isshin let out a long sigh. Having lost the Mangekyō, he said things openly that he normally never would have spoken so directly.
Tobirama silently nodded.
Then he realized Isshin could no longer see, and said solemnly, "As you wish, Clan Head Isshin."
For the first time, he admitted it.
It seemed that in the past, he had indeed misunderstood the Uchiha clan somewhat.
At their core, these people simply wanted to live good lives too…
"Obito, Shisui, you have to help keep your brother's secret!"
Isshin made a shushing gesture. "Develop quietly, and when the time comes, give Namikaze Minato a surprise!"
"Understood, Clan Head Isshin!"
Shisui and Obito replied loudly, smiling brightly as they looked at Isshin with eyes full of admiration.
At first, when Tobirama had baited the conversation by asking whether they should oppose the village…
Shisui and Obito had been extremely nervous.
They had been terrified that Isshin would use his favor as leverage and make their brother stand against the village, make him an enemy of Lord Hokage…
If that had happened, Shisui and Obito truly would not have known what to do.
But fortunately, Clan Head Isshin loved the village!
And their brother did too!
Everything had been arranged for the best…
"All right, someone come help me. I'm going to change into another pair of eyes…"
Isshin laughed and cursed, "Being blind really is damn uncomfortable!"
"You can change your eyes too? So Sharingan are actually consumables…"
Obito complained, "I thought you'd be blind forever from now on!"
"There are still some in reserve, but I won't use anyone else's. I'll replace them with my older brother Setsuna's pair…"
Isshin spoke in a reflective tone: "He always wanted to inherit the Great Clan Head's will. He wanted the Uchiha to have a voice in Konoha."
"I'll put on my brother's eyes and use them to watch how Seisui changes the clan… Because Seisui is the true inheritor of the Great Clan Head's will…"
Tobirama's feelings were complicated.
In the past, hearing those words would only have made him inwardly delighted…
Calling him the inheritor of Madara's will really was laughable…
But Isshin had offered up all of his ocular power for the sake of his junior's life.
And even with the Mangekyō's emotional stimulation, he had not lost control. He still remembered the good in Sarutobi Hiruzen and in the village.
That greatly changed Tobirama's impression of the Uchiha.
They too were part of the village, and they too could possess the Will of Fire.
But even so—the thought that he might get to see Izuna still made Tobirama unable to stop the corners of his mouth from curling upward.
'That bastard was an Uchiha from the Warring States era. He died before the village was ever founded!'
'He doesn't count as a ninja of Konoha, so he doesn't get to enjoy the Will of Fire!'
'Using him for my own amusement doesn't count as me, a former Hokage, having bad character… Right, that's exactly how it is!'
The Uchiha rising star of the present age, "Seisui-sama," had cast a forbidden technique on Izuna.
Sacred Severance!
The Uchiha of Konoha were the orthodox line. Warring States Uchiha really had no business trying to latch onto them…
And at that moment—
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was sparring with Namikaze Minato, suddenly felt something stir in his heart.
In his eyes, the motion of Minato's strike seemed to slow down…
His dynamic vision, which had not improved in a very long time, seemed to break loose from the limits of its old talent ceiling.
Squinting, Hiruzen judged the angle precisely—and with just two fingers, he caught the Flying Thunder God kunai barehanded!
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