Thinking of this, Senju Tobirama let out a long sigh. His sharp eyes darkened slightly as he pieced everything together in his mind.
"So… in the end, everything comes back to him—Hiruzen Sarutobi." His voice was calm, but the undercurrent of disappointment was unmistakable. "It was his failure… his weakness that led to this mess."
For a brief moment, he considered interfering—perhaps stepping in to fix what had been broken. But then, with a shake of his head, he abandoned the thought.
"No… I won't waste my time worrying about it anymore. After all, knowing Souta Kazuki's temperament, he will undoubtedly resurrect Hiruzen Sarutobi one day. And when that happens, the Fourth Hokage and the others will have their own judgment. As long as the damage to Konoha isn't irreversible, this whole ordeal isn't entirely unacceptable."
He muttered these words to himself, his mind seemingly made up. With a deep breath, Tobirama turned his head, glancing around the room.
"By the way, sister-in-law, where is my elder brother?"
The second the words left his lips, Tobirama regretted asking. After all, where else could his brother be if not home?
Of course, he would be with that damned Uchiha Madara!
The realization hit him like a weight, and as his eyes flickered toward Uzumaki Mito, the air in the room suddenly grew colder. Her expression remained neutral, but the chilling aura she emitted made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
Tobirama coughed awkwardly, trying to dispel the tension. "Ahem… Sister-in-law, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and bolted from the room—no, fled from the room.
By the River – A Meeting of Opposites
By the river, Senju Tobirama came to a halt, his crimson eyes narrowing as he took in the sight before him.
Standing side by side were the two men who had always clashed, always fought, always stood on opposite ends of history—Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
Just as he was about to approach, a voice called out from above.
"Oi! Evil Senju Tobirama!"
Tobirama flicked his gaze toward the towering tree beside him. Sitting on a thick branch, his arms folded over his chest, was Uchiha Izuna, watching him with a smirk.
Tobirama scoffed. "What do you want, you naturally evil Uchiha?"
Izuna smirked. "Nothing much… just wanted to talk."
"Hah! I have no interest in wasting my time talking to you. Or what, do you suddenly want to get close to me? Perhaps you're looking for an excuse to get cut again? I do wonder… if you're resurrected and I slice you again, will you bleed red like before?"
Izuna rolled his eyes. "Tch… Always so aggressive. You must have been quite popular with noblewomen back in the day, huh? I hear the wealthy women in the Land of Fire enjoy men with sharp tongues."
Tobirama's eye twitched. "Uchiha Izuna! Do you want to die?!"
Izuna chuckled. "Relax, relax. I don't have time to mess around with you. I came here for a reason."
Tobirama frowned. "Then get to the point."
Izuna jumped down from the tree, his Sharingan spinning slowly. "I want you to teach me the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Tobirama stared at him, his face frozen in disbelief. "…What?"
"You heard me."
Tobirama let out a bark of laughter. "Ha! You, an Uchiha who prided himself on never having any flaws in combat, want to learn my technique? And why, exactly, should I teach you?"
Izuna smirked. "I'll give you a Mangekyō Sharingan."
Tobirama's breath hitched. He narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"
Izuna's expression remained unreadable. "I said I will give you a Mangekyō Sharingan. My own. Your Senju bloodline can handle the chakra consumption better than most. If you transplant my eyes, you'll not only gain access to my Mangekyō abilities, but you'll also be able to wield Susanoo."
Tobirama clenched his fists. The offer was tempting—unbelievably so. But why? Why would Izuna willingly give him something so valuable?
"Why?" Tobirama finally asked. "Why would you give me your eyes? Just to learn Flying Thunder God?"
Izuna's face hardened. "Because I want to help my brother fulfill his dream. If we are to unify the ninja world, there will be war. I need a technique that allows me to move freely across the battlefield. That's why I need Flying Thunder God."
Tobirama studied Izuna carefully. Something about the way he spoke, the conviction in his tone… It unsettled him.
He was silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "If you wanted to learn it so badly, why not go to the Fourth Hokage? Or even Souta Kazuki? Both of them have mastered Flying Thunder God. Surely, they'd be more willing to teach you than I would."
Izuna smirked. "Because I chose you. What? Are you backing out? Or are you afraid your teaching skills can't compare to that of the Fourth Hokage and that brat Souta Kazuki?"
Tobirama's eye twitched violently. "Are you provoking me?"
Izuna grinned. "Damn right I am."
Tobirama exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Hah… Fine. Forget about the eyes for now—you can keep them in your head for the time being. Since you, an evil Uchiha, have come to me with such sincerity, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to teach you. Let's go, you troublesome Uchiha."
Their laughter faded into the distance as the two rivals-turned-reluctant allies continued on their way. But while they trained in secret, another storm was brewing—one that would soon engulf the entire village.
The Konoha Collapse Begins
Far from the river, at the very edge of Konoha, Souta Kazuki had already made his move. He had just finished his meal, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and walked to a secluded corner. With a sharp exhale, he formed a series of hand seals.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
A sudden puff of smoke erupted from the ground, and when it cleared, five figures stood before him—each one radiating immense power.
Orochimaru
Namikaze Minato
Uzumaki Kushina
Uchiha Fugaku
Uchiha Mikoto.
Five shinobi who had once shaped the history of Konoha. Five warriors, each holding their own grudges against the village that had once been their home.
They did not speak. They did not need to. The air between them was thick with unspoken understanding. They had all agreed to this plan long before they were summoned.
Without another word, Minato vanished in a blur of yellow light, reappearing at the outskirts of Konoha. His sharp blue eyes scanned the village below.
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Alright, Nine-Tails… You've been quiet for far too long. It's time to come out and play!"
Deep within Minato's subconscious, a dark chuckle echoed.
"Tch! Took you long enough, Minato. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me!"
Minato let out a small laugh. "How could I ever forget? You're my trusted partner, after all."
And with that, the sky split open with a deafening roar.
A massive explosion of crimson chakra surged forth, shaking the very foundations of Konoha. Within seconds, the colossal form of the Nine-Tailed Fox materialized, its burning red fur illuminated by the flickering glow of the village lights.
The moment its massive claws touched the earth, buildings crumbled, streets shattered, and chaos descended upon Konoha.
The Wrath of Uzumaki Kushina
While Minato controlled the Nine-Tails with calculated precision, another storm was brewing—one far more personal, far more furious.
Uzumaki Kushina stepped onto the streets of Konoha, her piercing red hair flowing behind her as she stared at the terrified civilians scrambling for shelter.
These people… these wretched, ungrateful people.
They had lived under her husband's protection. They had basked in the peace that Minato sacrificed his life to create. And yet, how did they repay him? How did they treat their son?
By turning their backs on Naruto. By cursing him. By forcing him to grow up alone, unloved, unwanted.
Today, they would understand pain.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Golden chains erupted from her back, dozens of them shooting through the air like whips. In an instant, they coiled around the buildings, the streets—the people.
Screams filled the air as Kushina's chains slammed civilians into the ground, into the walls, into each other. She wasn't killing them—no, that would be too easy. She wanted them to suffer.
She didn't care if they understood. She didn't care if they begged for forgiveness.
They had taken everything from her son. Now, she would take everything from them.