"Calm down first! Don't hurt my granddaughter!"
Senju Hashirama shouted immediately, his expression tense.
Just moments ago, he had sensed an immense chakra descending upon Konoha.
Hashirama had been about to investigate when this mysterious masked man suddenly broke into the Senju residence.
Relying on some bizarre ability that made him impossible to hit, he snatched Tsunade away.
From their brief clash just now, it seemed like none of his attacks could touch this masked man.
And with his granddaughter Tsunade in the enemy's hands, Hashirama couldn't act recklessly no matter what.
"Hehehe…"
Tobi let out a low chuckle, his tone dripping with mockery and ridicule. The hand gripping the kunai lifted slightly, the sharp tip hovering dangerously close to baby Tsunade's delicate cheek.
"The mighty God of Shinobi, forced into helplessness because someone took his loved one hostage. That feeling must be pretty awful, huh?"
Tobi said teasingly.
"Waaah! Waaahhh!"
Still just an infant wrapped in swaddling cloth, Tsunade was startled by the icy atmosphere and the gleaming kunai. She burst into loud sobs, her childish cries wrenching at Hashirama's heart.
"Stop! Don't touch her!"
"If you've got something to settle, come at me, Senju Hashirama! My granddaughter doesn't even understand anything yet. She's innocent!"
Hashirama's eyes turned bloodshot as he roared, fists clenched so tightly they trembled.
"Innocent?"
Tobi's smile vanished instantly, his voice turning cold.
"You say your granddaughter is innocent, but what about the babies from other countries who died under Konoha's war machine? The ones slaughtered by blades or left homeless by the fighting. Did they deserve it?!"
The words slammed down like a heavy hammer.
Hashirama's expression froze, the aura around him faltering instantly.
Beside him, Uzumaki Mito also went still. Looking at the crying Tsunade, guilt and heaviness appeared uncontrollably on her face.
It was true.
Konoha had started a war.
The flames of battle had spread all the way to the borders of the Land of Earth, shattering countless civilian families. Husbands and wives separated, homes destroyed, people killed.
Even though Konoha had repeatedly enforced strict military discipline and restrained the behavior of its shinobi...
On the battlefield, blades had no eyes. Accidental killings could never be completely avoided, and countless innocent children had become sacrifices of war.
Hashirama's throat felt dry as he spoke with rare difficulty and compromise in his tone.
"This… is all Konoha's fault. My fault, Senju Hashirama's fault. Konoha's fault."
"Release my granddaughter first. Whatever grudge you have is with me. It shouldn't involve descendants who have no power to resist."
Tobi lowered his eyes toward Tsunade, who was crying so hard she could barely breathe, and a cold smile curled at the corners of his mouth. He said nothing.
He had never intended to truly harm this baby.
Taking her hostage was merely a way to keep Senju Hashirama firmly restrained, making sure he wouldn't dare make a move.
Hashirama stared grimly at the mysterious masked man.
On one side was the chaos erupting outside.
On the other was his granddaughter hanging by a thread.
Hashirama silently calculated. Chakra quietly gathered at his fingertips as he prepared to create a Wood Clone without anyone noticing.
The clone would deal with the hidden crisis outside Konoha.
His real body would remain here, waiting for a chance to rescue Tsunade.
"Don't waste your effort. I suggest you stop thinking about using a Wood Clone."
"My sensory abilities are far stronger than you imagine. Any little move you make won't escape my notice."
Tobi instantly saw through his intentions and warned him coldly.
Having his thoughts exposed, Hashirama's heart sank. Grinding his teeth, he demanded in a low voice, "What exactly do you want? What's your real objective?!"
Tobi slowly raised his head. Beneath the mask, his gaze was cold to the bone as he spoke each word clearly and forcefully:
"My goal is simple. I want all of Konoha… to feel pain."
The moment he heard that, Hashirama's pupils shrank violently.
———
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Inside Konoha Village, Kurama rampaged wildly, tearing apart utility poles and empty buildings.
At the same time, it casually swatted away incoming ninjutsu attacks with a single paw.
The one leading the resistance against Kurama was Uchiha Hokaku.
He was also a canon character. I generally don't create original characters.
"Captain! Can we use Sharingan power to control that thing?!", One of the Uchiha clan members asked anxiously.
Uchiha Hokaku wore a strained expression and shook his head.
"It's too strong. Even Clan Leader Madara might not necessarily be able to control it!"
"After all… that's the legendary Tailed Beast!!!"
"Then what do we do, Captain?! Lord Hokage Madara, Lord Tobirama, and Lord Izuna are all absent!", The Uchiha shinobi asked in despair.
"Damn it! Second Hokage-sama Hashirama, where are you?!"
Uchiha Hokaku could only make one choice, "Evacuate the civilians immediately! Protect the civilians!"
———
[At Ichiraku Ramen.]
Explosions thundered endlessly outside.
Kakuzu was jolted awake by the violent shaking.
"Holy shit! A Tailed Beast!!"
Kakuzu stared at the gigantic Nine-Tails in the distance in utter shock.
He immediately rushed toward Arisu's room.
The moment he entered...
He saw that Arisu was still sleeping soundly.
"Unbelievable. You can still sleep through this? That's insane.", Kakuzu laughed helplessly in disbelief.
This was ridiculous. A Tailed Beast was attacking outside, and the old man in his house was still snoring away without a care in the world.
Arisu really was something else.
Kakuzu only knew that Arisu was the First Hokage and that his background was mysterious.
He had no idea that Arisu's true identity was the Sage of Six Paths.
"Old man! Old man! Something terrible's happened! A Tailed Beast appeared in Konoha and it's wrecking everything! We need to leave now!"
Kakuzu urgently tried to wake him.
Arisu slowly opened his eyes with a frown, then rolled over.
"What are you panicking for? I'm staying right here. Let's see if it dares blast this place."
"Old man! That's a Tailed Beast! The legendary Sage of Six Paths' pet! We can't compare to that!", Kakuzu said anxiously.
"Don't worry. Go back to sleep. If you die, I'll compensate you.", Arisu continued sleeping.
Kakuzu's face twitched.
'Yeah, sure. If I'm dead, what the hell are you compensating me with!?'
'Bro really thinks he's the Sage of Six Paths or something?'
Kakuzu figured the old man was still half asleep and just saying whatever nonsense popped into his dreams.
"Old man, forgive me!"
"For both our safety, we have to leave!"
Kakuzu immediately started packing.
One hand carried Arisu over his shoulder while the other swept up all the money in the shop. Then he fled at once with both Arisu and the cash.
Arisu's expression became awkward as he looked at Kakuzu carrying him.
———
Senju Hashirama stared fixedly at the masked man ahead of him.
"This can't continue… There's only one option left… Tsunade, Grandpa's sorry… Grandpa carries too many lives on his back…"
Hashirama slowly closed his eyes, making up his mind.
"Well then, that should be enough time…"
At that moment, Tobi shrugged. He felt Kurama had already caused enough terror and prepared to retreat with the Nine-Tails.
"Senju Hashirama, until we meet again!"
Tobi suddenly tossed Tsunade into the air before his body slowly sank underground.
Hashirama's expression changed instantly, and he reacted at once.
His real body rushed to catch Tsunade...
At the same time, a clone stomped down toward Tobi.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone Jutsu!!"
BOOM!!
As smoke exploded outward, Tobi vanished without a trace.
Hashirama didn't dare waste even a second. He immediately rushed out of the house and headed to suppress the Nine-Tails.