Chapter 77: The Plan is Set; One Last Time, Call Me "Saru"
"Assigning me a mission?"
Tobirama Senju paused, the phrasing catching him off guard. It was an unfamiliar sensation to be given orders by the boy he had once mentored.
But Hiruzen stood his ground, looking perfectly composed, as if there were nothing unusual about a student commanding his master.
"I suppose it makes sense," Tobirama said with a dry, appreciative chuckle. "After all, you are the Hokage now. You certainly have the posture and the authority for the role."
"Master, you will always be my teacher, the respected Second Hokage," Hiruzen replied, a smile playing on his lips. "But in terms of raw experience in this chair? I've been doing this for over twenty years. You only held the hat for about ten."
"By the numbers, I'm the veteran here."
"Furthermore, the Konoha of today is a different beast than the one you left behind. You'll need time to study the terrain. The era has shifted."
Tobirama found himself speechless. It was a cold, hard fact. Defying the laws of life and death had created a bizarre shift in their hierarchy. In the eyes of the world, they were now contemporaries—if anything, Hiruzen was the senior statesman.
Usually, if a father were revived only to find his son was twenty years older than him, it would be a social disaster. But between these two, Hiruzen's balance of deep respect and absolute authority was strangely comforting to Tobirama.
This is how a Kage should act, Tobirama thought with a surge of pride. Even in the presence of a legend, a leader must be the final word. If Saru were still relying on my ghost to make decisions, it would mean Konoha was moving backward. It would make the 'Will of Fire' a lie.
"I will follow your lead... Lord Hokage," Tobirama said, choosing the title carefully.
"However, once I've integrated into the village, I expect to be heard. If I see a policy that is detrimental to the Leaf, I will point it out, Hiruzen. I assume I'll have the standing of a Senior Advisor?"
"Naturally. I wouldn't dream of making you a simple Jonin. I'd make you my Assistant if the position weren't already filled," Hiruzen joked. "I'm looking forward to your 'critiques.' It'll be like old times at the Academy."
Tobirama nodded, satisfied.
The "Warm Grandfather" act was good, but Tobirama was a petty man at heart. He was already planning to find three or four major flaws in Hiruzen's administration just to remind the "Monkey" who taught him how to weave signs. It was a family tradition, after all.
Tobirama turned his attention to the intelligence scroll regarding the Hidden Grass.
With his intellect, the strategic picture clicked into place instantly.
"I see. The Grass Village... a den of scavengers and black-market sites. It's a perfect origin story for a 'Lost Uchiha.'"
"We find a suitable identity, stage a rescue, and I 'return' to the Leaf as a survivor. Simple. Efficient," Tobirama noted. In the Warring States period, he had been a master of deep-cover infiltration; this was child's play for him.
"Exactly," Hiruzen agreed. "It gives you a natural reason to be loyal to the current administration. You aren't a traditional Uchiha born into their isolationist bubble; you're an Uchiha the Hokage personally pulled out of a cage."
"Currently, the Uchiha Head is Isshin. He's the younger brother of the rebel Setsuna. According to our internal monitors, the old man is obsessed with the idea of a 'Savior'—he's constantly praying for another Madara or Izuna to appear and save the clan from stagnation."
Hiruzen let out a low, amused hum. "Imagine his face when an 'Izuna' actually walks through the front gate. He'll go into a frenzy."
And because this "Izuna" would be a village-loyalist rescued from a black site, the clan elders would have no choice but to accept the Hokage's influence. It was a checkmate before the pieces were even on the board.
"Once you've stabilized the body, you'll infiltrate the Grass and locate the Uzumaki survivor. Protect her at all costs. She will be your 'official' witness to the rescue."
Tobirama nodded. Having an Uzumaki—a clan known for their sensing and integrity—vouch for his "discovery" was a layer of protection that even Danzo couldn't peel back.
"Finally, we need to finalize the 'Bloodline Logic,'" Hiruzen said, clearing his throat. "I originally thought about claiming you were a direct descendant of Izuna Uchiha..."
Tobirama's face turned sour. "No. That's illogical."
Tobirama didn't just refuse because he hated the idea of being related to that "hateful brat" Izuna. He refused because the Uchiha kept meticulous family trees. Claiming a direct lineage invited a forensic audit of the clan's archives. It was too risky.
"Besides," Tobirama added, "how would I explain my skill set? If I'm an Uchiha, I should be using the Sharingan. But I'm not going to throw away fifty years of elemental mastery just to play dress-up. Most of my jutsus were designed specifically to kill Uchiha. It would be a waste not to use them."
"You're right," Hiruzen smiled. "I have a better idea."
"I was reading your notes on 'Ancestral Guardians' and 'Chakra Manifestation.' You mentioned it was a phenomenon you never had time to verify."
"I've cross-referenced it with archives from the Land of Wind. There are recorded cases—a mother dying during childbirth whose chakra remains anchored to the child, granting them supernatural protection or abilities. It's essentially a Chakra Possession."
Hiruzen's eyes glinted with the thrill of a good lie.
"The story is this: You are an Uchiha orphan found in the Grass black site. You have the eyes, yes. But because you were raised in a cage without nutrition, your health is frail. However, you are 'Blessed.' The spirit of Izuna Uchiha—who died full of regret and love for his clan—has manifested as a guardian spirit within you."
"And after your death, Master, a portion of your chakra also sought out this unique vessel because it shared Izuna's signature. Two 'Ancestral Ghosts' fighting for dominance inside one teenager."
"It explains why you look like Izuna. It explains why you have Tobirama's jutsus. And it explains why your chakra is sometimes unstable. It's a 'Bloodline Sickness' born of two clashing legends."
Tobirama's eyebrows shot up. He stared at Hiruzen, a slow smirk forming on his face.
"Saru... you've become a truly terrifying liar. My brother would be horrified. I, however, am impressed."
"How long will it take for you to prepare the vessel?" Hiruzen asked.
"Three months. Not a day more."
Hiruzen blinked. Three months? To bridge meridians and stabilize a hybrid clone? Only the God of Research could make such a claim.
"Master... you know that once we do this, there is no going back. You can never be Tobirama Senju in public again. You will be an Uchiha for the rest of your life."
"You'll have to look at them not as enemies, but as your family. You'll have to guide them. You'll have to lead them into the fire."
Hiruzen's voice was dead serious. He wasn't looking for a spy; he was looking for a savior for the Uchiha.
Tobirama went silent for a long time. He looked at his scarred, reanimated hands. "I will do my duty to the Leaf, Hiruzen. I will be the bridge."
"Good. Then go, Master. I have a village to run."
Hiruzen walked toward the exit of the secret vault. He stopped at the heavy iron door and looked back one last time.
"Master..."
"Call me 'Saru' one last time. Because the next time we meet, you'll be an Uchiha. And you'll have to call me 'Lord Hokage.'"
Tobirama felt a rare wave of warmth. He let out a soft huff of amusement.
"Hmph. Go on then, Saru."
"Go be the leader I died for. And try not to make too many mistakes—I'd hate to have to impeach you as an Uchiha elder! I won't be as merciful as your advisors!"
Hiruzen laughed, his voice echoing through the stone corridors. "I look forward to the challenge, Master!"
But as he stepped into the elevator, a hilarious thought occurred to him.
I'm fine with my Master critiquing me... but if an 'Uchiha' starts talking trash to the Hokage, he's going to have to deal with Danzo Shimura first.
The 'Darkness of the Leaf' vs. 'Uchiha Tobirama.' Now THAT is a fight I'd pay to see.
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