"It's almost over."
Senju Tobirama stood inside the Hokage Building, reading a report in his hand. A rare sense of relief washed over him as he exhaled slowly. "Once the alliance with the Raikage is finalized next month, this war may finally come to an end."
The office, usually tense with strategy and urgency, now felt lighter. Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others gathered with him let out sighs of relief.
"That's great, sensei!"
"Yeah… finally," Hiruzen added, unable to contain his smile.
Since the death of his brother, the legendary First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, the world had plunged into chaos. While Hashirama lived, the other great nations dared not act. But the moment he passed, war erupted.
The Land of Lightning, home to Kumogakure, was the first to make its move. The Cloud Shinobi launched a fierce attack on Konoha. In response, Tobirama had led Konoha's elite forces into battle, defending the village and stabilizing the frontline. In the background, he nurtured Konoha's future: Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo, and Uchiha Kagami had all flourished under his command.
Just as everyone was savoring a brief moment of peace, Danzo spoke up with a frown.
"Sensei, the alliance with the Raikage will take place in the Land of Lightning. Are you sure it's wise to meet them on their own soil?"
Tobirama nodded solemnly. "Your concern is valid. But even if it's a trap, I have the Flying Thunder God technique. If something goes wrong, I can escape instantly and retaliate."
He offered a small smile, attempting to ease the tension.
"Besides, the other villages have exhausted their strength over the years. Their resources and morale are nearly depleted. They don't have the means to continue fighting."
Danzo hesitated, then fell silent.
Just as Tobirama prepared to continue, a strange mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! You have joined the Konoha Hokage Chat Group.]
[Group Leader Kaizen Arashi has initiated a Round Table Meeting. Please attend promptly.]
Tobirama froze.
"Who's there?!" he barked instinctively.
His sudden change in demeanor startled the others.
"Sensei?! Is there an enemy?!"
"What happened?!"
Hiruzen, Danzo, and Kagami stood up in alarm, glancing around the room.
But the Hokage Building was layered with Anbu protection. There was no way an enemy could sneak in unnoticed.
Tobirama scanned the room. No chakra fluctuations. No genjutsu. No external interference.
The voice had come from within.
Again, the prompt repeated.
[Round Table Meeting initiated. Entering is mandatory.]
"This isn't genjutsu," Tobirama muttered. "There's no chakra being used..."
Though cautious, Tobirama trusted his own ability to handle anything. Especially with the Flying Thunder God in his arsenal, he had nothing to fear.
"Join," he whispered.
And in a flash, his body was enveloped in brilliant light.
—At the Same Time—
Inside the Hokage Building, Present Day
Naruto stood in front of Tsunade's desk, eyes burning with frustration.
"You're letting him go alone?!"
Tsunade remained silent for a moment before answering quietly, "Yes."
"Why?! You know what kind of reckless pervert Pervy Sage is! You know how dangerous this is! Why send him alone?!"
Naruto's voice cracked with emotion. Kakashi stepped forward and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Calm down. You don't understand the pressure the Fifth Hokage is under right now."
Naruto bit his lip and turned away. "If Pervy Sage were the Fifth Hokage… he wouldn't let you go alone."
With that, he stormed out of the office.
The silence left behind was deafening. One by one, the others left until Tsunade sat alone.
She exhaled heavily and stared at the mission reports on her desk.
"Stubborn idiot…" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
And then—
[Ding! You have joined the Konoha Hokage Chat Group.]
[Group Leader Kaizen Arashi has initiated a Round Table Meeting. Please attend promptly.]
Tsunade blinked.
"What now…?"
There was no movement in the room. No one had entered. No chakra signature—nothing. The voice wasn't heard through her ears. It was projected directly into her consciousness.
She squinted.
"Konoha Hokage Chat Group?"
As the words floated in her mind, Tsunade sat still, thinking. The pressure on her was mounting—Payne had made his move, and Konoha was running out of options. If this was an illusion, it was a damned convincing one. If it was real…
Then maybe it was worth the risk.
"Join."
A brilliant cascade of light surrounded her, and the room vanished.
—In the Chat Group Dimension—
Kaizen Arashi sat calmly at the head of the Round Table. His eyes flicked toward the glowing portals forming on the edges of the space.
From the light, the first figure stepped forward.
Long auburn hair, a towering physique, and a familiar white cloak—Senju Hashirama.
Hashirama looked around, stunned by the vast, serene space.
"Amazing… What is this place? And my body—it's not deteriorating anymore!"
He flexed his fingers and clenched his fists experimentally.
Then, his gaze landed on Kaizen.
"You must be the one who summoned us?"
Before Kaizen could answer, another light burst open behind Hashirama. From it stepped a tall man in blue battle armor, his face stern and sharp—Senju Tobirama.
But the moment Tobirama laid eyes on the person standing before him, he stopped cold.
"…Brother?"
Hashirama turned around, equally surprised.
"Tobirama?!"
Tobirama's breath caught. "You're alive… But this isn't Impure World Reincarnation. You're really alive?!"
"Looks like it," Hashirama chuckled. "I thought I was the only one brought here, but it seems you got dragged in too!"
Before they could speak further, a third flash of light erupted.
Tsunade stepped out.
The moment she saw them, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Grandpa…? Second Grandpa?!"
All three generations of Hokage stared at each other in stunned silence—each pulled from different points in time and brought together by a strange, white dimension and the mysterious man seated at the center of it all.
Kaizen stood slowly and bowed.
"Welcome to the Konoha Hokage Chat Group. My name is Kaizen Arashi, the current Fourth Hokage. This space, this system—it's a gift. A cheat, if you will. And now, all of you are part of it."
The true meeting was about to begin.
—To be continued—-------------------------
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