"What…? My Konoha is gone?!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Hashirama Senju felt his mind ring like a bell struck too hard.
Impossible.
Hashirama knew exactly what kind of foundation he'd built for Konoha. Even after death, he'd believed the village would keep moving forward—through storms, through wars, through generations.
Yet the first thing he heard after being dragged back from the grave was—
Konoha had been besieged by four great villages… and might already be wiped out.
That wasn't just bad news.
It was a slap across everything he had created.
"Hiruzen, you bastard—what happened?!" Hashirama's voice dropped, heavy and furious.
Beside him, Tobirama Senju stepped out of his coffin, glanced at the still-stunned Hiruzen, and his brow tightened with anger.
"When I passed you the Hokage seat… didn't I tell you to protect Konoha properly?"
Hiruzen's expression stiffened. He opened his mouth—then closed it again.
What could he even say?
Being dragged back via Edo Tensei was shocking enough. But seeing the First and Second revived alongside him…
That was worse.
Because Hiruzen knew exactly what would happen the moment they started asking questions.
The Senju had dwindled until they were basically gone—on the surface, only Tsunade remained.
And if Hashirama and Tobirama dug deeper…
How was he supposed to explain the twisted "fire" he'd preached?
How he'd treated fresh Academy graduates like disposable leaves meant to rot and "nourish the roots"?
How many things had been pushed into shadow and sealed behind pretty rhetoric?
He already understood why Konoha was being targeted now.
And he already understood why the two founders had been revived.
That understanding curdled—into bitterness and hatred—aimed at one man.
Uchiha Ren. That abnormality.
If the Uchiha had just died quietly the way they were "supposed to"…
none of this would've happened.
"Great Toad Sage—explain." Hashirama turned his gaze to the old toad, face dark.
The Great Toad Sage shook his head and closed his eyes.
"Let Jiraiya speak."
"Fukasaku. Bring him in."
A moment later, the door slid open.
Elder Fukasaku led in a grim-faced Jiraiya.
"Old man…"
The instant Jiraiya stepped inside, his eyes found Hiruzen. Emotion surged up his throat.
"So you're really back." His voice shook. "You… you died horribly."
Hiruzen forced a bitter smile and gave a small nod.
On the outside, he looked composed.
Inside, he wanted to curse.
If they insisted on Edo Tensei, reviving him alone would've been bad enough—dragging the First and Second into it was practically begging to have every old secret ripped open in daylight.
"First Hokage. Second Hokage."
Jiraiya hesitated, then bowed in respect.
"You're Jiraiya?" Hashirama asked, tone flat—his mood clearly sour. "Tell me what's happened in the shinobi world."
Tobirama's eyes flicked to Hiruzen, sharp and assessing.
"And be detailed. Especially about Konoha's development."
Jiraiya stalled.
He knew plenty about his teacher's uglier choices. It was one reason he'd spent so much time away—out of sight, out of mind.
But Hashirama's gaze didn't give him room to dodge.
"Hurry. I want the truth behind the four-village siege."
"If you revived us for Konoha's sake… then speak clearly."
"If you don't, we won't lift a finger."
"…Alright."
Jiraiya swallowed, silently apologized to Hiruzen, and took a long breath.
"First Hokage. Second Hokage. I'll start from the Second Shinobi World War…"
Hiruzen's stomach sank.
As Jiraiya began to recount events, Hashirama and Tobirama's faces stayed neutral at first.
But the list didn't stop.
Nawaki's strange death.
The White Fang's death.
The Nine-Tails incident.
Minato Namikaze's death.
Hizashi Hyūga's death.
And finally—
Konoha's leadership trying to wipe out the Uchiha… only to be annihilated in retaliation by Uchiha Ren.
Hashirama's pupils shrank.
Tobirama's expression turned cold enough to freeze water.
Hashirama asked again, voice low and dangerous:
"You're telling me… Konoha's leadership was wiped out by a single Uchiha—Uchiha Ren?"
"Yes," Jiraiya said, utterly certain. "That's exactly what happened."
Hashirama's gaze sharpened, as if something inside him already knew the next question.
"And the Senju?"
Jiraiya fell silent.
He didn't need to answer.
Hashirama and Tobirama were too smart—they connected the dots in a heartbeat.
"…The Senju are basically gone," Tobirama said, voice like a blade.
Jiraiya cleared his throat, embarrassment burning his ears.
"There's… still Tsunade."
Hashirama's face emptied of warmth.
"Good."
"Very good."
A surge of chakra flared—
SMACK!!
Before Hiruzen could even react, Hashirama blurred forward and slapped him across the face.
The force staggered Hiruzen back several steps.
And in that single sound, the "Third Hokage" image—proud, warm, untouchable—
cracked.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇◇ 7,000 Collections reached!! Thank you for the insane support ❤️🔥◇ Next goal: 8,000 Collections — let's keep climbing 🚀
◇ Don't want to wait after that cliffhanger…? 😈◇ Read 60+ chapters ahead → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios
◇ 10 reviews/comments = bonus chapter◇ 100 Power Stones = bonus chapter
◇ Support Ren's rise — unlock faster updates ⚔️