Watching the originally tense atmosphere suddenly turn into a family drama, Hashirama Senju relaxed considerably.
While Orochimaru was momentarily distracted by the photo of his "son," Hashirama leaned over to take a peek.
"Tobirama," Hashirama whispered loudly. "That child looks a bit like you."
"Brother," Tobirama hissed, his eyes twitching. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll slap you right now. I don't care if we're dead."
"He really does look like you! See for yourself if you don't believe me!" Hashirama pouted.
"Hey, Orochimaru guy! Let me take a look at the photo!"
"Of course, my most respected Hokage-sama," Orochimaru smirked sinisterly.
He flipped the photo around and shoved it right into Tobirama's face.
Tobirama squinted.
Pale skin.
White hair.
Intense, calculating eyes.
"NANI?!" Tobirama's eyes widened in genuine horror.
"Orochimaru! Why does your child look so much like me?! What did you do to my grave?!"
Although the child was still young, Tobirama could already see the resemblance.
He had devoted his entire life to Konoha, never get married and living like a monk. Could it be that even after death, his body had been violated?
"NANI?" Sarutobi Hiruzen gasped from the other side of the barrier. "Orochimaru! You rebellious disciple! Not only do you desecrate the souls of the deceased, but also their bodies?! You took your grandteacher's... material?!"
Hiruzen looked like he was about to vomit.
This was the super ultimate taboo!
Orochimaru ignored the murderous gazes of the Second and Third Hokage.
He turned his attention back to Makoto.
"Since you've appeared in Konoha today and planned to helped Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru hissed, "I presume the Organization's original plans have changed?"
"So, what do you want me to return for? And what can you offer me?"
"We want you to return to utilize your talents," Makoto said smoothly. "To continue your research. To confront future threats that make your little immortality quest look like child's play."
"Personally," Makoto added, walking forward, "I need your help finding a training method."
While responding to Orochimaru, Makoto had unconsciously walked through the purple flames of the Four Violet Flames Formation.
He stepped inside the barrier as if it were a beaded curtain.
"How..." The Sound Four struggled to maintain the barrier, eyes bulging.
They didn't even feel him break through!
"Training method?" Orochimaru licked his lips. "I see. There is indeed a familiar feeling about you."
Since seeing the photo of Mitsuki, Orochimaru had a suspicion.
Now that Makoto was inside, he sensed it clearly.
A familiar chakra signature.
Similar to the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave, yet fundamentally different.
"An enemy threatening the entire Shinobi World?" Hashirama scratched his head, confused. "What exactly is going on with y'all?"
"I don't know," Tobirama muttered, crossing his arms. "I thought we were brought back as weapons to destroy Konoha..... now it kinda looks like a job interview."
"Orochimaru," Makoto continued, ignoring the peanut gallery. "I know one of your purposes in coming here is for Uchiha Sasuke. Abandon this idea."
"Regardless of other circumstances, there is a special power within him. Attempting to take over his body would be no different from challenging the Sage of Six Paths' son directly. You will burn."
"As for Itachi's body, which you desire even more... don't even think about it."
"Your defeat by Itachi created an obsession. You want the Sharingan and you want the Uchiha bloodline. But Itachi is terminally ill, he's dying of a respiratory illness. Even if you successfully stole his body, you'd be coughing up blood and wearing adult diapers within days. Is that the immortality you seek?"
"Moreover," Makoto gestured to the photo of Mitsuki. "With your current research progress, obtaining what you want shouldn't be difficult. Why steal a defective Uchiha body when you can build a perfect one?"
Upon hearing Makoto's words, Orochimaru fell into silent contemplation.
Makoto's confident tone made Orochimaru more certain of his earlier speculation.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru wasn't surprised by the content of Makoto's words.
Whether researching Hashirama Cells, cultivating one of the Eight-Tails' tentacles, or various other studies, they all pointed in one direction - creating Shadow Clones that would never disappear, or in other words, cloning.
And further optimizing this to make the created clones superior to the original, then using this technology to elevate the original body itself.
While Orochimaru pondered, Tobirama suddenly snorted.
"So it's because of the Uchiha again," Tobirama sneered. "That explains everything. That explains the chaos."
"Do you know what kind of people are the Uchiha's? let me tell you!" he lectured the air. "They are inherently evil beings possessed by their emotions. With just a little stimulation, they go crazy. Orochimaru, you were corrupted by their cursed eyes, weren't you?"
"Tobirama!" Hashirama shouted. "Don't be prejudiced against the Uchiha! I've long said your policies isolated them! And your Edo Tensei technique should be banned!l!"
"Brother, you're the one prejudiced against my techniques!" Tobirama retorted. "The jutsu isn't evil; the user is! The ninjas who practice my other techniques are all good kids! This Orochimaru guy only went astray because he obsessed over the Uchiha!"
"Monkey!" Tobirama turned to Hiruzen. "Tell my brother! What happened to the children who practiced my other techniques? The Flying Thunder God? The Shadow Clone? someone must have practiced them, right? They must be upstanding Ninja's!"
"Well," Hiruzen sweated. "The Fourth Hokage practiced the Flying Thunder God. Minato was a good kid, kind and sunny and he saved the village."
"See?!" Tobirama pointed triumphantly.
"As for those who practiced Multiple Shadow Clones Technique," Hiruzen continued, "Well.... Naruto is also a good kid who wants to be Hokage since he was a kid. But Tobirama-sama... Orochimaru he..."
"See, foolish brother!" Tobirama interrupted, ignoring the Orochimaru part.
He glared at Hashirama.
"My legacy is pure! It's the Uchiha who ruin everything!"
While the three Hokage were bickering like old men in a nursing home, Makoto was discussing terms with Orochimaru.
"Even optimized by you," Makoto critiqued, pointing at the resurrected Hokage, "the Impure World Reincarnation still produces targets with insufficient strength. They aren't at full power."
"But Orochimaru, you've overlooked one asset."
"What asset?"
"They may be physically weaker, but their consciousness and memories remain intact," Makoto gestured to Tobirama.
"You have the creator of the Jutsu right here. You could force the Second Hokage to help you optimize the technique. He's a genius researcher."
"Heh," Orochimaru scoffed. "I'm a rogue ninja. Even if I join Akatsuki to 'save the world,' I'm still Konoha's enemy. Why would Nidaime-sama help us? He's the ultimate Konoha patriot."
"Can't you threaten him?" Makoto asked innocently.
"Threaten?" Orochimaru shook his head. "Do you think Tobirama Senju would yield to threats? He'd laugh in my face. Besides, what can you do to an Edo Tensei body? Torture doesn't work. They don't feel pain and they don't die."
"If he refuses to help," Makoto said, his voice dropping to a casual, conversational tone, "just control him to use the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique."
"Then," Makoto smiled, "force him to use the Transformation Technique."
"Turn him into hundreds of curvaceous, big breasted women."
"Then send them to work in the Red Light District for free. Or sell them to Kumogakure."
"Although it's a pity that Impure World bodies lack physical sensation, the visual and memory aspects remain intact. And since they have unlimited chakra, they never get tired."
"We can let Nidaime-sama 'enjoy' his new career to the fullest. If quality doesn't work, we'll make up for it with quantity. Imagine the experiences he'll accumulate."
"After dispelling the shadow clones... all those memories will rush back to the main body."
"I think after experiencing a few thousand nights of 'service,' Nidaime-sama will finally understand our difficulties and agree to collaborate."
"..."
Hashirama Senju: "..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "..."
Tobirama Senju, who had just been feeling smug about winning the Uchiha argument, froze.
His smile vanished instantly and his face went paler than usual.
'What... what the hell did he just say?'
'Red Light District? Transformation? Unlimited Chakra?'
Tobirama looked at Makoto with sheer, unadulterated terror.
'What kind of evil organization is this?!'
'Are there any normal humans in this group?!'
'Could this organization have been founded by Madara? No... even Madara wouldn't do that to me!'