Chapter 22
Tobirama didn't confront him with anger, but with cold, relentless logic. In the privacy of his study, he laid out his observations: Itama's preternatural growth, the coincidences surrounding the "forest spirit," his knowledge that seemed to spring from nowhere.
Itama, knowing he could trust Tobirama's loyalty to family above all, offered a carefully curated version of the truth. He spoke of a "unique cognitive ability"—he didn't name **Copy** or **Devour**—that allowed him to observe and perfectly replicate physical movements, chakra patterns, and even absorb conceptual knowledge from objects. He framed it as a mental Kekkei Genkai, a mutation of his Senju vitality and Uzumaki-like lifeforce (a nod to their mother's lineage).
Tobirama, fascinated, saw the immense strategic potential. "You must never reveal the full extent of this," he stated. "The clan, our enemies… they would see you only as a tool to be used or a threat to be eliminated." They forged a pact. Tobirama would help him develop control and a cover story, and in return, Itama would be his ultimate intelligence asset and a secret weapon for the future village.