The screen continued to play.
[Thus, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, strongly advised the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, that while recommending Madara Uchiha as a candidate was fine, the final result should be decided by popular vote.]
[Tobirama Senju was a clever man. As long as it was a democratic election, the winner would definitely be his elder brother, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.]
[With democracy as the justification, Hashirama couldn't refuse. And so, he smoothly became the First Hokage.]
[However, their conversation happened to be overheard by Madara Uchiha as he passed by the window. It's important to note that Tobirama's sensory perception was even stronger than that of both Madara and Hashirama.]
[As a youth, under his father's orders, Tobirama had once spied on the private meetings between Hashirama and Madara. This time, even Hashirama sensed someone outside the window—Tobirama definitely would've known too.]
[He probably intended to exert pressure on Madara while Hashirama was still present.]
In the Group Chat:
[First Hokage Hashirama Senju @Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: Sigh! Onii-chan! I honestly don't know what to say anymore! In so many things, we were in perfect agreement. But when it came to the Uchiha Clan, we were always divided.]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: Nii-san! Everything I did was for the future of the village. First, the Uchiha were too unpredictable. Second, Madara's strength was simply too overwhelming. Even I couldn't restrain him! If you were gone, who would hold him in check?]
[First Hokage Hashirama Senju: That's enough, Onii-chan. There's no point talking about it now. What's done is done.]
[Madara Uchiha: Hmph! Maybe we were destined to clash back then! But now, I have my own goal. I must see it through!]
Madara had his own plans in mind.
What he didn't know was—
That his so-called plan was merely the power of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
He had been used.
The screen continued.
[Later, Madara discovered the secret of the Rinnegan on the Uchiha clan's stone tablet and left the village.]
[Years later, Madara returned to Konoha and fought a final battle against Hashirama Senju. The winner was—Hashirama, who killed Madara in the end.]
[As Hokage, Hashirama could not allow anyone to threaten Konoha—not even his own friend.]
[After Madara's death, Tobirama didn't immediately dispose of his body. Instead, he intended to use it for Sharingan research. But unexpectedly, Madara's corpse soon vanished.]
[This was due to the forbidden Uchiha technique—Izanagi—which rewrote the reality of his death.]
In the Group Chat:
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju @Madara Uchiha: So that's it! You survived because you used Izanagi to rewrite your own death!]
[Madara Uchiha: Hmph! In truth, I only survived thanks to you. If you hadn't planned to study my Sharingan, I would never have had the chance to revive.]
[Izuna Uchiha: You're not only the prime instigator of the Senju–Uchiha conflict, but my brother's survival was also because of you. You're a criminal! But I suppose… I should thank you for that too.]
[Tobirama Senju: Tch.]
[Fourth Raikage A: So that's how it is! The truth behind why Madara didn't die back then, and how he managed to survive all the way until just a decade ago, is finally revealed.]
[Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki: So this is the power of the Sharingan? Even death can be forcefully overturned.]
Root Base.
Danzo was shaken to his core.
It was also the Sharingan.
Also the Izanagi technique.
But the gap between his use and Madara's was immense!
Was this the true compatibility between the Uchiha and their eyes?
Even with the Rinnegan he earned from a scroll reward, he was limited to using it ten times?
Danzo was deeply unwilling.
Once, the Shimura clan had also been a great family.
Though not on par with the Senju or Uchiha, they weren't nobodies.
But now, all signs pointed to one conclusion:
Compared to the Uchiha, the Shimura clan was worlds apart.
The screen continued.
[Though Tobirama Senju was extremely cautious toward the Uchiha, he did not distrust them entirely. In his own words: "Any clan that might pose a threat to the village, I would keep an eye on. The Uchiha just happened to require extra vigilance at the time."]
[This was a fact. Toward those loyal to the village, like Kagami Uchiha, Tobirama fully trusted them.]
[This mindset was inherited by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who placed the utmost trust in both Shisui and Itachi Uchiha.]
[During Hashirama's tenure, he and Tobirama were a perfect duo.]
[One had overwhelming strength and a grand vision; the other had the intellect to bring that vision to life. Together, they convened the first Five Kage Summit in history and signed the first peace agreement across the ninja world.]
[It was the first time peace was realized across the land, but it came with an expiration date: the lifespan of Hashirama Senju.]
[Once Hashirama passed, the nations no longer held back, and the First Great Ninja War erupted.]
[By that time, Tobirama had officially become the Second Hokage. During the war, he earned the title "Ninja World's Fastest" thanks to the Flying Thunder God Technique.]
[Though he couldn't intimidate nations like Hashirama could, he still led Konoha to victory.]
[However, as the war neared its end, during the alliance ceremony between Konoha and the Hidden Cloud, the Gold and Silver Brothers from Hidden Cloud Village launched a coup, ambushing Tobirama and the Second Raikage.]
[The exact events are unclear, but from Danzo's memories, we know Tobirama was not killed immediately. He led the Konoha contingent to break through the encirclement.]
[Those with him were his two students—Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo—Kagami Uchiha, as well as Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, who would become Konoha Elders later.]
[These were the village's core talents at the time. But even they were eventually caught up by Hidden Cloud Village's elite forces.]
[To preserve Konoha's future, Tobirama chose to stay behind and cover their escape.]
Upon seeing this, everyone in Konoha silently paid their respects to the Second Hokage.
Even Izuna Uchiha had no words.
Because, in truth, Tobirama did have greatness in him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have ranked third on the Golden List.
This made everyone even more curious—
Who was ranked second?
Hashirama Senju was surely ranked first in everyone's hearts.
And Tobirama Senju was now confirmed as third.
So who could possibly rank second?
The possible candidates were few—
Maybe the Seventh Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha.
Or perhaps the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, who hadn't appeared on the list until now.
The screen continued.
[Even at such a critical moment, Tobirama tested his students. He said only one person needed to stay behind as decoy—to see who would step forward.]
[Danzo hesitated, but Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped up without hesitation. And so, Tobirama named him the Third Hokage.]
[Time proved it was the right choice. Even after his death, Tobirama's story wasn't over. That was just the beginning of his official appearance in the story.]
[Through the forbidden jutsu he created—Edo Tensei (Reanimation Technique)—it's revealed that Tobirama had conducted many taboo experiments during his lifetime. For example, he deduced the scientific principle behind the Sharingan: the trauma from losing love triggers the brain to secrete a special chakra.]
[Such research clearly required human experimentation. It was this pursuit that led to the creation of the blasphemous jutsu—Edo Tensei.]
[Tobirama once said that the purpose of Edo Tensei was merely to pair with Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags—not to resurrect the dead.]
[He never abused the technique and sealed all his notes away, never intending them to be passed down.]
[Yet many years later, Orochimaru—student of the Third Hokage—broke into the sealed chamber and stole the forbidden jutsu.]
[The one that fascinated him most—and turned him into a true fan of Tobirama—was, naturally, Edo Tensei.]
[Orochimaru spent years refining the technique. During his invasion of Konoha, he used it to resurrect both the First and Second Hokage.]
[However, this early version of Edo Tensei was crude. Both Hashirama and Tobirama were far weaker than they were in life, and their consciousness had been erased.]
[They were mere puppets capable only of using basic ninjutsu. Their appearance was a disgrace—they attacked the village they once loved and were ultimately defeated by their own student.]
[The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, used the Reaper Death Seal to seal their souls and finally set them free.]
Up to this point, nothing surprised the crowd too much—these were scenes that had appeared in other storylines or that they already knew about.
But the next scenes...
Stunned them all.
Everyone looked up.
A new scene began, still centered on Tobirama Senju.
[In the world of Naruto, the title "Hokage" represents not just strength—but the trust of the entire village.]
[While all Hokage bore equal responsibility, in terms of raw power, the strongest were undisputedly: Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Minato Namikaze.]
In the Group Chat:
[First Hokage Hashirama Senju: Couldn't agree more! My brother and I—our power speaks for itself. As for the Fourth, everyone's seen what he can do. That's a very fair assessment. Hahaha!]
Konoha Chūnin Exam Grounds
Sasuke Uchiha looked a little displeased.
He was the Seventh Hokage, yet he wasn't even mentioned?
He admitted he couldn't compare to the First.
But as for the Second and Fourth…
In terms of talent, he thought he might've surpassed them!
Yet based on the scroll's evaluation, apparently not.
In the Group Chat:
[Naruto Uzumaki: As expected of Dad! To be placed alongside the First and Second!]
[Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze: Honestly, I don't think I can compare to the First and Second.]
[Hashirama Senju: Since the scroll made that assessment, there's no need to be modest. Your strength, your heart for Konoha—I've seen and acknowledge it all! And most importantly… your son is the future hope of the village!]
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