Chapter 74: Arise, My Master!
Hiruzen Sarutobi meticulously arranged the scrolls and experimental materials on the lab table.
The focus point—a small sample of Tobirama's biological tissue—was placed onto the chest of the unconscious Grass ninja sacrifice.
Tiger — Snake — Dog — Dragon...
Hiruzen wove the hand signs slowly, feeling his chakra hum as it synchronized with the spiritual anchor of the soul in the Pure Land. He slammed his palms together.
"Edo Tensei—REANIMATION!"
Dark, ink-like seals erupted across the floor, centering on the sacrifice. The Grass ninja's body was quickly consumed by a mound of grey dust and ash, swirling upward into a humanoid shape. Circles of white light flared around the base of the transformation.
Amidst a low, haunting howl of spiritual energy, a man began to coalesce from the dust.
He wore the blue, segmented plate armor of the Warring States period, a thick collar of white fur draped over his shoulders. A metal protector framed his face, etched with the symbol of the Hidden Leaf. His skin bore the characteristic cracks of a reanimated corpse.
The Second Hokage, the fastest man of his era, the Master of Forbidden Arts, and Hiruzen's teacher—
Tobirama Senju stood once more in the land of the living.
"This is... the Reanimation Jutsu?" Tobirama muttered, his blood-red eyes snapping open.
He scanned the room, his gaze landing on the man before him. "Saru?"
Tobirama's brow furrowed instantly. "Why have you summoned me with this jutsu? Has the Uchiha clan launched a coup?"
Hiruzen smirked inwardly.
Classic Master Tobirama. First word out of his mouth and he's already checking the Uchiha for treason.
"Saru, what kind of pathetic sacrifice did you use for this summoning? The vessel is far too weak," Tobirama said, clenching and unclenching his fist with a look of pure dissatisfaction. "In this state, I can barely output mid-level chakra. I won't be much help in a real fight!"
In Tobirama's mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen was a man of integrity. If the Third Hokage was disturbing the peace of the dead, it had to be because Konoha was facing a catastrophe that required his master's intervention.
He looked at Hiruzen's face. The man looked healthy—robust, even. Tobirama assumed he hadn't been dead for very long. Surely the village hadn't fallen into ruin in a matter of months?
Unless it was the Uchiha, Tobirama thought grimly. With the Mangekyō, a single 'One-Hit-Kill' ability could topple an entire administration if caught off guard.
"The Uchiha have not rebelled, Master," Hiruzen said slowly.
"We endured a Great War a few years ago, but the village pulled through. Currently, our growth is stable and our momentum is strong."
Tobirama's expression softened significantly. As long as Konoha was safe, nothing else mattered.
"How many years has it been since my death?" Tobirama asked, scanning the laboratory. A flicker of nostalgia crossed his eyes, followed by surprise as he noticed the new scrolls and high-tech equipment on the tables.
"Saru... are you using my sanctum to research new jutsus?"
Tobirama walked toward the desk, nodding in approval. "I told you years ago that you should stop being so stubborn. Even if you lack my 'Spark of Inspiration,' the courage to experiment is the only way a shinobi grows."
"At least it gives you more tools for your belt. 'Forbidden Jutsus' are just a label my brother used to scare people. There is no such thing as a 'forbidden' jutsu—only a ninja who lacks the spine to use it."
Hiruzen felt a wave of warmth. This was the Tobirama he remembered—the pragmatist who viewed the world as a series of problems to be solved with science.
"It is currently the beginning of Year 43 of the Hidden Leaf, Master," Hiruzen replied.
"Hmph." Tobirama turned back to him. "Twenty years? You've held the seat for quite a while then. You look like you've handled the stress well. Your physique is... impressive for a man of your age."
When Tobirama had named Hiruzen his successor as a decoy, it had been a move of desperation. He needed someone to lead, and Hiruzen was the best option available. But he had worried. Could a boy that young handle a village as complex as the Leaf?
Seeing Hiruzen now—tall, broad, and radiating confidence—Tobirama felt a rare sense of relief.
"I haven't always handled it well, Master."
"For the first twenty years, I was barely keeping my head above water. It's only after wearing this hat that I truly realized how heavy the burden you and Lord Hashirama carried was."
Hiruzen shook his head. "Recently, I had a realization. I stopped clinging to the old ways and decided to do whatever was necessary to make the village strong. Only then did things start to turn around."
Tobirama let out a small sigh. "It's understandable. You were green when the weight dropped on you. It takes time to grow a Kage's heart."
They stood in silence for a moment, the Master and the Student, reunited across the veil of death.
"Master, I want to discuss the Uchiha with you," Hiruzen said, breaking the quiet.
The moment he said the word, Tobirama seemed to perk up instantly, his red eyes glowing with renewed focus.
"What about them?"
"I've been thinking... how do we truly master the Uchiha?" Hiruzen asked. "They are our most potent military asset, but their ceiling is dangerously high."
Tobirama scowled, opening his mouth to deliver his standard "Isolationist" lecture, but Hiruzen raised a hand, gesturing for silence.
Tobirama froze. He realized in that moment that Hiruzen wasn't a student asking for advice anymore. He was a Kage of twenty years' experience speaking to a predecessor.
"The problem is biological," Hiruzen continued. "The awakening mechanism of the Sharingan makes their psyches inherently unstable. Extreme emotional trauma turns them into monsters. The very blade we use to protect the village is the one most likely to turn on us."
"History proves this. They've even slaughtered their own kin for power. It's an uncontrollable variable."
"Unless... they have a leader strong enough to hold the leash. A leader they actually fear and respect."
"But based on their history—Madara's betrayal, the old grudges with the Senju—the Uchiha are a deadlocked knot. If they produce a strong leader, that leader will almost certainly lead them into a coup. So, we keep them caged in the Police Force to rot."
"But keeping them caged only builds resentment. It's a ticking time bomb. No Uchiha Clan Head in history has ever truly managed to balance loyalty to the village with the 'Love' they feel for their own kin."
"The only era where the clan was truly unified and stable... was under Madara and Izuna."
Tobirama listened in total silence. He didn't argue. He couldn't. Hiruzen's analysis was a mirror image of his own notes.
"So, it's a stalemate," Tobirama said flatly. "I told you this decades ago, Saru. This is their fate."
"I know you have a soft heart. You don't want to purge your own citizens, even if they are Uchiha. But if the time comes when the tumor must be cut to save the body, that is your responsibility as Hokage."
Tobirama thought he understood. Hiruzen had brought him back to get "permission" to wipe out the Uchiha. He wanted his teacher to tell him it was okay to be a butcher.
"Master, you misunderstand me," Hiruzen said.
"Then what is it? Speak plainly."
Hiruzen cleared his throat. "I don't want to kill them. I want to lead them."
"And I want you to be their new Izuna."
Tobirama's eyes went wide. For the first time in two lives, the Second Hokage was speechless.
"I beg your pardon?"
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