As Senju Hashirama read through the densely packed information, his anger grew. He never imagined that such darkness existed within Konoha.
Uchiha Madara smirked, clearly enjoying the situation.
Uchiha Madara: "Hashirama, wasn't I right? The darkness of Konoha has always been there! And Tobirama, this is the fine student you trained—he inherited your darkness perfectly!"
Senju Tobirama remained silent. He felt powerless to refute those words.
Hashirama Cells, Sharingan, human experimentation—he had pioneered them all. Shimura Danzō had merely followed in his footsteps, taking those principles to their logical, ruthless extreme. While Tobirama had maintained a stricter moral boundary than Danzo, he couldn't claim to be innocent.
Inside the chat group, Lucas chuckled as he scanned through the extensive files on the three Hokages collected by Shimura Danzō.
Lucas: "Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, Namikaze Minato... looks like 'The Root' collected a lot of your life information."
Lucas: "So… how about it? Want to try reincarnation?"
Senju Tobirama's thoughts immediately sharpened.
Senju Tobirama: "You want us to show up and convince Konoha's ninjas for you? Let Minato do it!"
Lucas blinked.
Lucas: "Convince the Konoha shinobi? You're overthinking it. I'm just giving you guys a chance to stretch your legs a little, maybe even fulfill some unfinished business. As for convincing Konoha… I've already done that."
Senju Hashirama grew anxious.
Senju Hashirama: "Group leader, you're not thinking of ruling Konoha through sheer force, are you? I have to warn you, that approach never ends well!"
Lucas rolled his eyes.
Lucas: "When did I ever say I was going to manage Konoha myself? I'm just setting things up. Others will handle the daily operations. I'll make the requests, and they'll carry them out. It's the same way I've handled things in the pirate world—remember Wano, Tesoro, Caesar, Whitebeard's crew, and Germa 66? I conquer, and then I delegate."
Namikaze Minato finally spoke up.
Namikaze Minato: "Group leader, how exactly do you plan to govern Konoha?"
Lucas: "Konoha's structure is complicated, so I'll form a council with representatives from major clans and the civilian population. They'll manage the village collectively. I'll only step in if something major happens."
Lucas: "Of course, if any of you Hokages want to reincarnate, you can handle things instead. After all, you have experience. Any takers?"
Senju Tobirama: "Minato can do it!"
Minato raised an eyebrow.
Namikaze Minato: "Nidaime, why are you pushing this onto me? The group leader didn't say there's a limit on how many can reincarnate."
Tobirama sighed.
Senju Tobirama: "When Lucas dealt with Sarutobi Hiruzen earlier, he told everyone it was my brother's idea to wipe out the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. If we return, we'll have to face Konoha's wrath. I'd rather avoid that."
Senju Hashirama: "I refuse to be reincarnated."
Minato immediately understood. Tobirama and Hashirama didn't want to face the repercussions of their past actions and were choosing to avoid responsibility.
Lucas smirked.
Lucas: "So, since the First and Second Hokages aren't interested… what about you, Fourth Hokage? Even if you refuse, I'll still pull you back."
Minato hesitated.
Minato: "…Why?"
Lucas: "Three reasons. First, I want to test if you can still talk in the chat group after reincarnation. Second, you have half of Kurama sealed within you—I need to extract it. And third… Uzumaki Naruto. He's been through a lot. I think you should see him."
Senju Tobirama: "I also want to know if we can still access the chat group after reincarnation."
Madara, however, was more concerned.
Uchiha Madara: "Group leader, what do you need that half of the Nine Tails for?"
Lucas grinned.
Lucas: "Guess."
Madara's expression darkened. Given how much Lucas already knew about the world's secrets, it wouldn't surprise him if he had his eyes on the Ten Tails. Unfortunately, there wasn't much Madara could do about it.
Whitebeard suddenly spoke up.
Whitebeard: "Fourth Hokage, I think you should meet your son. In one sense, you gave him life, and he should be grateful to you. But in another… you brought him into this world without his consent, and he has every right to resent you."
Minato fell silent.
A deep fear crept into his heart. What if Naruto hated him? Given everything Naruto had been through, it wouldn't be unreasonable.
Namikaze Minato: "I don't mind reincarnation… but I used the Reaper Death Seal before I died. My soul, along with half of the Nine Tails, is sealed inside the Shinigami. Impure World Reincarnation alone won't be able to summon me."
Senju Tobirama frowned.
Senju Tobirama: "That's a problem. Impure World Reincarnation can only revive souls in the Pure Land—if your soul is sealed, it won't work."
Lucas smirked.
Lucas: "That's easy. We just break the seal."
Namikaze Minato blinked.
Namikaze Minato: "The Reaper Death Seal… can be undone?"
Lucas: "Of course. It's just a sealing technique, not some ultimate power."
Outside World
Lucas left the underground chamber, carrying the life records of the three Hokages. He found two of Danzō's most loyal subordinates—both imprisoned and awaiting judgment. With Kotoamatsukami, he turned them into his tools.
Lucas: "Where's the Uzumaki Clan's shrine?"
Namikaze Minato immediately understood.
Namikaze Minato: "North of Konoha. You need the Uzumaki's shrine masks to break the Reaper Death Seal, right?"
Lucas: "Exactly. We need a Shinigami mask… and a sacrifice."
After locating the shrine, Lucas retrieved the mask and forced one of the brainwashed subordinates to wear it. The moment the mask was donned, the Shinigami was summoned. The tool-man let out an agonized scream as Lucas commanded him to slice open the Shinigami's stomach, releasing the souls trapped inside.
Then, Lucas performed the Impure World Reincarnation technique—one of Konoha's forbidden jutsus, personally gifted to him by Tobirama. The incantations swirled in the air as Minato's soul was guided into the other tool-man's body.
Ash-like confetti fluttered as the lifeless shell transformed—flesh morphing, golden hair returning, and familiar blue eyes snapping open.
Minato looked at his hands, flexing his fingers as he examined his cracked, reincarnated body. "So, this is the Impure World Reincarnation…"
Lucas nodded. "Now the real question—can you still see and speak in the chat group?"
Minato's name was still on the member list, and Lucas could interact with his profile as usual. But what about Minato himself?
In the chat group, a message popped up.
Namikaze Minato: "I can still read the chat. Let me try typing."
A second later, another message appeared.
Namikaze Minato: "It works."
Lucas grinned.
Lucas: "Looks like reincarnation doesn't cut you off from the chat group. Good. Now go do what you need to do."
Konoha, Hokage Building
The deaths of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Hokage's Advisor, Shimura Danzō, sent shockwaves through Konoha. The remaining two high-ranking elders, Koharu and Mitokado Homura, were in a state of panic.
Inside the Hokage building, the heads of Konoha's major clans gathered in tense silence, waiting for Lucas's arrival.
After witnessing Lucas's overwhelming strength, they had abandoned any thoughts of resistance. They weren't just responsible for themselves—the survival of their clans depended on their next move.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the chamber.
The clan leaders opened their eyes and were immediately taken aback.
A man with golden hair, a calm expression, and a warm smile stepped into the room.
"Fourth Hokage?!"
Shock spread like wildfire.
"Aren't you dead?"
"Why are you here?"
Namikaze Minato smiled.
"This is Impure World Reincarnation. Lord Lucas has brought me back to manage Konoha."
Koharu scowled and snapped, "Minato! Have you betrayed Konoha? You're siding with the man who killed Hiruzen and Danzo?!"
Minato's expression instantly turned cold.
"Elder Koharu, choose your words carefully." His voice carried a sharp edge. "Also, I don't believe Lord Lucas did anything wrong by eliminating Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō. Given everything they've done over the years, their deaths were well-deserved."
Koharu's face twisted with anger. "You were only Hokage for a few days! What do you even know about Konoha?! Under Sarutobi's leadership and Danzo's guidance in the shadows, Konoha reached its peak!"
Chat Group
Lucas: "@Senju Hashirama @Senju Tobirama, did you hear what Koharu just said? I wonder how you two feel about that."
Senju Hashirama: "Haha! Well… young people sure have confidence. That's… good, I guess?"
Senju Tobirama: "Are you kidding me?! That idiot woman actually believes Konoha was at its peak under Hiruzen and Danzo? Has she lost her mind?!"
Uchiha Madara: "Tobirama, these are your students, aren't they? You must be so proud!"
Senju Tobirama: "Hmph! And the Uchiha clan you taught turned out so well, right?"
Outside World
Minato's patience snapped.
"Elder Koharu, let me remind you of something." His voice carried the weight of unshakable authority.
One by one, he laid out the truths about Konoha's darkest moments—the oppression of the Uchiha, the extermination of the Senju bloodline, the Hyuga incident, the betrayal of Konoha's White Fang, and even the suffering of his own son, Naruto.
Koharu's face went pale.
The other clan heads listened in stunned silence. As Minato detailed Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo's atrocities, their expressions turned grim. Their gazes soon shifted toward Koharu and Homura with unmistakable hostility.
Minato didn't hold back.
"You defend Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō so fiercely for one reason—you were their accomplices."
His cold tone sent shivers down Koharu's spine.
"Everything they did, you were part of it. So don't act innocent now."
Hyuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward, their eyes burning with determination.
One had lost his brother due to Konoha's negligence.
The other had watched his clan be crushed under Danzo's schemes.
Now, with Minato giving the order, they had the perfect justification to act.
"You—" Koharu's voice caught in her throat as she saw the murderous glint in their eyes.
She and Homura instinctively considered fighting back, but one look at Fugaku and Hiashi's determined expressions made them freeze.
Without their positions as Konoha elders, they were nothing but frail old men in front of two powerful shinobi.
"Take them away."
Minato's voice was resolute.
"We will decide their fate once we complete the investigation into their crimes."
Koharu and Homura, trembling, were dragged out by Konoha's shinobi.
Minato sighed inwardly.
Though he was known for his kindness, he had not survived the Third Ninja War by being weak. As Hokage, he knew when to be merciless.
More importantly, he was aware that Lucas and the entire chat group—especially the First and Second Hokages—were watching him. He needed to prove himself.
Chat Group
Senju Hashirama: "Hahaha! Minato is doing a great job!"
Senju Tobirama: "He handled those two relics well. I approve."
Minato didn't have time to dwell on their praise. He had something even more important to do—meeting his son.
Outside World
Minato finally gathered his courage and went to see Naruto.
The moment Naruto learned that his father was the Fourth Hokage, his mind went blank.
"…What?"
His whole life, he had been an orphan. He had been hated, shunned, and scorned.
And now he was told his father was not just any ninja—but Konoha's greatest hero?
Chat Group
Doflamingo: "So, what do you think? Now that Naruto knows the truth, will he go full Blacken and become a villain? I mean, let's be real—everyone in Konoha treated him like trash."
Senju Tobirama: "That's exactly what worries me… If Naruto turns against Konoha, it won't be surprising."
Lucas chuckled.
Lucas: "Relax. Naruto won't go down that path. I'll explain why later. For now, Konoha's affairs are mostly settled. Time for me to leave."
Lucas: "@Uchiha Shisui, do you want to meet your old friend—Uchiha Itachi?"
Shisui hesitated.
Shisui: "…It's not necessary."
Though he missed Itachi, he knew there wasn't much to say. Meeting him would only lead to awkward silence.
Doflamingo: "Don't be like that! I want to see this Uchiha Itachi. The guy who slaughtered his entire clan for his little brother—what kind of man is he? I gotta see this!"
Golden Lion Shiki: "Shihahaha! Now you've got me interested too!"
Fire Fist Ace: "Yeah, I kind of want to see what he's like."
Lucas smirked.
Lucas: "Alright! Anyone who wants to see Uchiha Itachi, send a red envelope. Let's see how many of you are really interested."
System Notifications
Ding! Doflamingo has sent an exclusive red envelope: [String-String Fruit—Advanced] to Lucas.
Ding! Doflamingo has sent an exclusive red envelope: [Talent—Advanced] to Lucas.
Ding! Namikaze Minato has sent an exclusive red envelope: [Rasengan] to Lucas.
Lucas grinned and happily collected all the red envelopes.
Doflamingo: "Fufufufu~ Just remember our deal—help me take down the Celestial Dragons."
Namikaze Minato: "This is my way of saying thanks. It's all I can give."
Fire Fist Ace: "Wait, Doflamingo, wasn't your String-String Fruit ability awakened?"
Lucas: "Awakening has different levels. Looks like Doffy's fruit hasn't reached the highest stage yet."
Doflamingo: "Doesn't matter. I won't need it anyway."
Uchiha Clan Residence
Lucas quietly arrived at the Uchiha district, watching Itachi from a distance.
Through him, the chat group observed Itachi as he gently taught his younger brother.
A strange silence settled over them.
Even through the screen, they could feel Itachi's love for Sasuke.
"…No wonder."
A collective realization dawned upon them.
This was the ultimate bro-con.
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