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In the 61st year of Konoha, Shimura Danzo, a senior Konoha executive, publicly confessed that due to his personal ambition for power and influence, he had deceived the Third Hokage through falsified reports and manipulation of information, leading to disastrous consequences over the years.
Ultimately, under the directive of the Second Hokage's recorded will, Danzo was sentenced according to the law.
And publicly executed.
This accountability addressed long-standing injustices and poor decisions from the past.
Simultaneously, the Root organization that Danzo once controlled was disbanded and merged with Konoha's Anbu division.
Danzo, who once used the name of Anbu to enforce his own will, was now reduced to a mere lesson in history.
Now, Root has been absorbed into the proper Anbu system—loyal directly to the Hokage and moving toward a more transparent future.
The cost for that cleansing was Danzo's life.
He used his death to carry the weight of the crimes and secrets.
Looking at Danzo's dismembered corpse, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, closed his eyes in sorrow.
Because in the end, it was Danzo himself who bore the consequences.
If Danzo had been the pot collecting all the blame, then Hiruzen was the lid that allowed it to simmer for too long.
Danzo committed many grave mistakes.
He allowed Orochimaru's atrocities, hesitated during the Uchiha crisis, and mishandled Naruto's upbringing.
But now, the main perpetrator had fallen.
The Third Hokage closed his eyes in mourning.
When he reopened them, Danzo's body had been wrapped and cleared away by Root members, now under new Anbu supervision.
Despite having attempted to assassinate him once, the Third Hokage had chosen to keep Danzo alive, believing in his old friend's abilities and loyalty to the village.
He believed Danzo's strength and talent were still of value, that his companionship over the years deserved another chance.
The result...
Now...
That companion was gone.
He carried all the blame and disappeared, leaving behind only silence.
The Third Hokage let out a long breath.
As he turned around, he noticed Kitahara Hitoshi preparing to leave.
He immediately stopped him.
"Wait a moment…"
The Third's parched lips moved as though he had much to say, but in the end, he only managed a few words.
"This time, thank you."
"If it weren't for you, I might not have survived this."
The Third Hokage sighed deeply.
"You've always treated me well," Kitahara Hitoshi replied. "And in moments like this, the one best suited to take the blame is usually the most unpopular."
"The most unpopular…"
Only then did the Third Hokage recall how many wrong decisions he had made.
But there was one right decision.
That was how people in Konoha—Naruto, and even Kitahara Hitoshi—viewed him as the kind and caring Third Hokage.
That's why Kitahara saved him.
It wasn't a grand ideological stand, just a continuation of the Will of Fire passed down unintentionally.
"Kitahara-kun—"
Hatake Kakashi, who had come to observe Danzo's execution, called out as Asuma helped the fatigued and burdened Third Hokage walk away.
Danzo had indeed taken on a heavy burden this time.
Even the decision not to disclose Naruto's identity as the Fourth Hokage's son was pinned onto Danzo.
But that detail had already been discussed with Naruto, who agreed to keep it hidden until he achieved something significant.
Meanwhile, Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo, was posthumously vindicated.
Sakumo had been a revered Elite Jonin, playing a vital role during the Second Ninja World War. His assault on Sunagakure had led to the deaths of Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law.
This forced Sunagakure to retreat, resulting in a major Konoha victory.
However, during a crucial mission, Sakumo had to choose between saving a comrade or completing the task.
He chose the comrade and failed the mission.
The backlash was overwhelming, and even those he saved turned against him.
Eventually, under public pressure and disgrace, Sakumo took his own life—while Kakashi was still a child in the academy.
When Kakashi came home, all he found was his father's cold, lifeless body.
He became an orphan that day.
And now, this injustice had finally been addressed.
The leadership allowing that backlash to grow unchecked and forcing a brilliant shinobi into death needed to be held accountable.
So Danzo took that blame as well.
Kakashi wasn't sure if it was a good or bad resolution.
He understood that his childhood belief—that missions were more important than comrades—stemmed from his father's tragedy.
But Obito had changed him.
After Obito sacrificed himself and gave Kakashi the Sharingan, Kakashi learned that comrades came first.
Because abandoning comrades makes one less than trash.
So Kakashi accepted this result.
At least now, his father's honor was restored.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Hitoshi glanced over.
"You really chose to give the Third Hokage a chance?" Kakashi asked. "Second Hokage's directives all pointed at Danzo. You made it so there was only one choice from the start."
"…"
Kitahara Hitoshi looked at him oddly.
"What kind of strange things are you saying?"
Still hesitant.
"Konoha's been declining for a long time. I don't think future decisions will go entirely wrong, but it's good to have backups."
"I picked Danzo because once he was sacrificed first, the other elders wouldn't resist as much."
"So there was less opposition," Kitahara explained. "Do I really need to think too hard about it?"
"As for the Third Hokage, he's still Hokage. If I toppled him publicly, it would set a precedent that Hokage authority could be challenged."
"So…" Kakashi suddenly understood.
"You saved the Third Hokage to preserve the concept of Hokage itself," he said.
"Exactly," Kitahara Hitoshi nodded.
Kakashi had thought Kitahara Hitoshi would naturally side with the higher-ups.
But this made it clear—Second Hokage had given Kitahara the freedom to choose.
Kitahara Hitoshi was likely seen as a potential Hokage candidate.
And now, he was paving that road for himself.
"So…" Kakashi continued. "If the Third Hokage remained due to his current title, then what about the other two advisors?"
"They're irrelevant," Kitahara Hitoshi said casually. "If you ever need to get rid of them, just tell me."
Kakashi blinked.
He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead.
So direct.
So realistic.
Kakashi realized again that Hokage wasn't for him.
Being a secretary was far less stressful.
With Danzo's fall, the Chunin Exams had concluded.
But Konoha came out of it stronger.
The four Sound ninja brought by Orochimaru had Jonin-level strength, and Konoha accepted them.
Given the scarcity of Jonin, these Sound ninja were young and had great potential.
All the Sand ninja were also taken into custody.
And even the three Genin from Otogakure, while not outstanding, were also retained.
So Orochimaru brought everyone back to Konoha.
He might be a traitor, but when Konoha lacked manpower, he delivered it all right to the gate.
Even Kusagakure faced consequences due to Orochimaru's actions.
During inspections, a child of the Uzumaki clan, Uzumaki Karin, was discovered and also detained.
What began as a crisis turned into an unexpected harvest.
Now, the only remaining question was how Sunagakure would respond—specifically, what would come of Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara.
For now, Kitahara Hitoshi could finally enjoy a well-earned vacation.
After all, he had just passed the Chunin Exams and saved Konoha's honor at the same time.
Currently on vacation.
But this leads to the daily live broadcast in the small group being...
He reads regularly and freely, then takes a nap.
Take a nap and read a book. Look at the white rabbit.
Watch the white rabbit, take a nap, and read a book.
Then occasionally transmit chakra to the little white rabbit.
Since the last time he sent her chakra, the ninja rabbit, Little White Rabbit, no longer refuses.
During the day, she even leans against him on her own and absorbs chakra.
As long as chakra is absorbed, then Ōtsutsuki Kaguya certainly won't refuse.
And just like that, a week passed.
Finally.
Children and Grandchildren Chat Group
The Big Pillar is Silly:
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: Tobirama, didn't you say your Impure World Reincarnation is going to be released?
Senju Tobirama: Oh.
Senju Tobirama: Actually, Orochimaru's control was released.
Senju Tobirama: But didn't I let Kitahara Hitoshi learn Impure World Reincarnation?
Senju Tobirama: As a reward for handling the Chūnin Exam this time, I let him learn it.
Senju Tobirama: So he used Impure World Reincarnation to summon me again… Oh, I forgot, that was the day before yesterday, when the small group hadn't started live-streaming yet, and I forgot to mention it.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: That's right.
Big Pillar Hanhan: But...
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: Tobirama, don't you think something feels off lately?
Hashirama tried to find a euphemism.
Senju Tobirama: Huh? I'm busy organizing ninja data.
The Big Pillar is Silly:
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: That's exactly what I wanted to say.
Dazhuzi Hanhan: During the live broadcasts these days, Kitahara Hitoshi is resting and living leisurely.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: But you, Tobirama, why are you so busy every single day?
Dazhuzi Hanhan: Didn't I say that after the Chūnin Exam, Kitahara Hitoshi was nominated as a Hokage candidate?
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: But now you're doing all the work while he just lies around.
Senju Tobirama: You think I want to?
Senju Tobirama: He refused.
Senju Tobirama: He said Konoha's situation was too messy to start fixing.
Senju Tobirama: He said if none of us come back out, he won't take over. So now I have to handle it myself.
Big Pillar Hanhan: So true.
Dazhuzi Hanhan: By the way, Tobirama, you're my younger brother, right?
Senju Tobirama: Yes.
Senju Tobirama: Am I not your brother, or is Uchiha Izuna your brother?
Tobirama no Achievement: I really don't want to be brought up at a time like this.
Dazhuzi Hanhan: Then tell me, Tobirama, when I was Hokage, why didn't you help me like this?
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: On the contrary, when I was slacking off, you'd rush in and expose me.
Senju Tobirama:
Senju Tobirama: It was different back then.
Senju Tobirama: When you were here, brother, the ninja world was peaceful.
The Big Pillar is Silly:
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: In other words, times are different now.
Senju Tobirama: Pretty much. After all, back then Konoha was number one among the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Senju Tobirama: And what about now?
Senju Tobirama: The ninja index Kakashi gave me was wrong. He said 3000, but the current number of ninjas in Konoha is 6666. However, this doesn't include the injured or those who can't go on missions.
Senju Tobirama: All of this is an expense.
Senju Tobirama: That old man Sarutobi left behind such a mess, and the records are all disorganized.
Senju Tobirama: So now I have to redo everything, and I'm sick of it.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: You've worked hard.
Hashirama remembered his own Hokage days, dealing with endless paperwork.
Back then, Madara was still around, but now it's just him alone in the office...
Duiko Black Zetsu:
Duiko Black Zetsu:
The filial son Black Zetsu has gone offline...
Big Pillar Hanhan: Wait a second, Mr. Black Zetsu.
Duiko Black Zetsu:
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: I feel like you've been very busy lately.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: You log in hurriedly every day, then immediately go offline.
Duiko Black Zetsu: I'm on a mission.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Oh.
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: What mission? Can you tell us?
Duiko Black Zetsu:
What to do?
Of course, complete Kitahara Hitoshi's directive to collect tailed beasts for Kaguya-sama.
Since Kaguya-sama needs chakra, collecting tailed beasts is a must.
So it's working on that.
For the past thousand years, it never forgot its ultimate mission: unsealing Kaguya-sama.
But there had been no progress, and the goal felt more distant each day.
Now, things are different.
Just capture the tailed beasts directly.
Yes, capture them directly.
For Black Zetsu, this is an adrenaline rush. It's never felt more motivated.
Finally, finally, it can serve Kaguya-sama properly.
Now, Black Zetsu works tirelessly every day. It monitors Obito, who goes to trick Nagato.
Then Nagato manipulates Pain to command the Akatsuki to move.
But no matter how busy it gets, it always logs in during the group's live broadcast to check on Kaguya-sama's status.
Very good.
Kitahara Hitoshi really wasn't lying. He inputs chakra to Kaguya-sama every day.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu feels full of motivation.
Just wait, Kaguya-sama. Soon, it will supply you with tailed beast chakra.
Beep.
Duiko Black Zetsu has gone offline.
Due to repeated early logoffs, Black Zetsu was punished, but since it's too filial, it kept the title "Filial Son Black Zetsu."
Congratulations to Filial Son Black Zetsu for earning the permanent title: "Big Filial Son Black Zetsu."
Big Zhuzi Hanhan: Good guy, logs off early repeatedly, and still gets rewarded.
Dazhuzi Hanhan: Looks like Mr. Black Zetsu really is filial.
Namikaze Minato: Probably went to work with his mother.
Minato analyzed calmly.
Namikaze Minato: But it seems like it's taking longer than usual.
Big Pillar Hanhan: Huh? Minato, what do you mean?
Namikaze Minato: I mean, the Sand Shinobi team has already returned to their village for a few days.
Namikaze Minato: But we've heard no news. That makes me uneasy.
Namikaze Minato: Could it be that the letter Kitahara-kun brought back didn't move Chiyo?
Senju Tobirama:
Senju Tobirama: No.
Senju Tobirama: Based on my analysis, it should've worked.
Senju Tobirama:
Senju Tobirama: @One Tail Guarding Crane
Namikaze Minato: @Keep Crane
Big Pillar Hanhan: @Keep Crane
Kurama: Give it up.
Kurama: Didn't you notice that guy hasn't said anything for days?
Big Pillar Hanhan: Huh?
Senju Tobirama: I've been too busy sorting data lately.
Namikaze Minato: Maybe Shukaku got beaten and became quiet.
Namikaze Minato: And now we're used to the silence.
Namikaze Minato: In the end, we can't even tell if he's offline or just ignoring us.
Kakashi:
Kakashi: So what's going on with Shukaku?
Kakashi: Technically, if this were the case, we could just trigger him with a mention.
Kakashi had experience with silent presence even when not actively online.
Kakashi: So I don't believe he doesn't know we're calling him out now.
Kakashi: Could it be Sand Shinobi Village is planning to rebel?
Senju Tobirama: That's unlikely. Based on my analysis, if Chiyo refused Konoha's invitation, then Sand Shinobi Village will be gone.
Senju Tobirama: She won't be so old that she can't even choose.
Senju Tobirama: So, if you want to rebel, then… isn't this a slap in the face of the old man?
One Tail Shukaku is online.
One Tail Shukaku: Huo! Just said Shukaku went online.
One Tail Shukaku: It's getting cold, Gaara is getting cold.
One Tail Shukaku: Chiyo's mother-in-law is also cold.
Hashirama: What???
Senju Tobirama: What are you talking about, Shukaku? Reorganize the language.
Senju Tobirama: Didn't Gaara and the others go back to Chiyo with Kitahara Hitoshi's letter?
Senju Tobirama: Could it be that Chiyo disagreed, and then Gaara fought… and came?
Tobirama just said he would not be slapped in the face. Is he going to be slapped in the face?
Kakashi:
Kakashi thought that Temari and the others would go back, and Chiyo might refuse, but he couldn't imagine a fight between the two.
If there was a real fight—then…
However, it doesn't seem to be the case.
One Tail Shukaku: What are you talking about? Temari, Gaara, and the others fought with Chiyo? No, that's not it.
One Tail Shukaku: But the problem is that I was captured.
One Tail Shukaku: Gaara was killed by Chiyo's grandson, Sasori. I broke free from the Jinchuriki's body automatically.
One Tail Shukaku: Sasori joined the Akatsuki from Amegakure and was ordered to capture tailed beasts.
One Tail Shukaku: And I was the target of their capture.
One Tail Shukaku: Really annoying… Reminds me of the time I was originally captured by the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara.
Senju Tobirama: You were captured? If it was just a simple capture, how could you be caught?
Senju Tobirama: After being caught, you can still pass information back.
Senju Tobirama: You must remember that you have an identity now—a tailed beast of Konoha. The most important thing is to remember your roots and send a message to Konoha.
Senju Tobirama: Don't be afraid, Konoha is your backer now.
Senju Tobirama: But who has the courage to capture Konoha's tailed beast? What is the identity of this Akatsuki from Amegakure?
Senju Tobirama: Wait… wait… what?
Senju Tobirama: Amegakure?
Tobirama seemed to recognize the name—it felt familiar.
No, it's not about being familiar. Kitahara Hitoshi told him that the fool Danzo provoked a boy with Rinnegan in Amegakure.
His name is Pain.
So…
Hostility toward Konoha.
Rinnegan—Tobirama trembled at the name.
Because Kitahara Hitoshi also possesses the Rinnegan. For them… the Rinnegan is a world-ending eye, a Pupil surpassing the Sharingan.
Tobirama: So is there a guy who also has a Sharingan in Amegakure?
Tobirama: The name was Pain or something.
One Tail Shukaku: What?
One Tail Shukaku: You know, I was shocked too.
One Tail Shukaku: Why are there other people with Rinnegan? I thought only Kitahara Hitoshi had it.
One Tail Shukaku: That guy calls himself Pain, the leader of Akatsuki, and even calls himself a god.
Senju Tobirama:
Senju Tobirama: Alright.
Senju Tobirama: Then I understand the situation.
Senju Tobirama: How are things now?
One Tail Shukaku: Gaara was killed. Chiyo used a forbidden technique to exchange her life for his.
One Tail Shukaku: So Chiyo died and Gaara was resurrected.
One Tail Shukaku: But because Gaara died, I was freed.
One Tail Shukaku: Then… I'm dying, about to be caught again.
One Tail Shukaku: Why are my legs so short…
One Tail Shukaku: That idiot called Deidara from Akatsuki really loves throwing bombs.
Senju Tobirama:
Senju Tobirama: Just wait a moment.
Onoki: Huh? Deidara?
One Tail Shukaku: Yes, I was hunted down by a guy with a single golden ponytail who uses all kinds of clay bombs.
One Tail Shukaku: Do you know him?
Hashirama: Onoki, do you know him?
Onoki: Uh… no, I don't know.
Onoki quickly denied it.
Because… though he said he didn't know him… Deidara was actually his close disciple.
He originally wanted to nurture Deidara to succeed him as the next Tsuchikage.
But this disciple, though talented, kept rambling about art, clay bombs, and eventually ran off.
Onoki thought he would return, but the next news was that Deidara became a missing-nin.
He seemed obsessed with art.
Onoki regretted investing so much effort, so even if he dragged Deidara back, he doubted he'd be obedient.
So he turned his focus to training his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi.
But now...
Not only is Deidara lost, he's joined the villains.
And he even captured Konoha's tailed beast… no, Shukaku!
So… who would admit to being his teacher?
Onoki: So how is he now?
One Tail Shukaku: He exploded.
Onoki:
Onoki:
Onoki:
If he wasn't so old, Onoki really wanted to curse out loud.
So now, consider him dead.
Onoki: Explosion?
One Tail Shukaku: Yes, that's why I say he's a pervert.
One Tail Shukaku: He kept shouting "This is art, art is explosion!" and really blew himself up.
Onoki:
Onoki:
Just treat it as a waste of years of hard work raised and fed to the dogs.
Onoki thought silently, then shut his mouth.
Senju Tobirama: So, One Tail, your current situation is…
One Tail Shukaku: I was pursued by Chiyo's grandson.
One Tail Shukaku: Deidara's explosion hurt me, but I escaped to the sea and he can't catch up.
Senju Tobirama:
Senju Tobirama:
So the tanuki ran to the sea to survive after escaping?
One Tail Shukaku: I thought Chiyo's grandson's puppets couldn't swim, but he swam after me directly.
One Tail Shukaku: But he's still a bit behind me.
One Tail Shukaku: At least I can avoid him for a day or two.
One Tail Shukaku: But I'm worried that Pain from Amegakure might appear again.
One Tail Shukaku: I don't want to fight someone with Rinnegan.
In other words, Shukaku hesitated to fight Kitahara Hitoshi before—has it left a shadow when facing Rinnegan users?
So when he saw Pain, he just wanted to flee.
Hashirama:
Hashirama: Tobirama!
Senju Tobirama: Well, I'll contact Kitahara Hitoshi now.
Senju Tobirama: No—just assign them a mission.
Senju Tobirama: This can be their first mission as newly promoted Chunin. I've got an idea—this operation will be treated as a rescue mission.
Senju Tobirama: Led by Kitahara Hitoshi.
Senju Tobirama: And now that Sasuke and Naruto also have the strength of Jonin, we'll just officially assign them the Jonin rank.
Senju Tobirama: Then when they return, as a reward and as a key mission worthy of commendation, we'll announce Kitahara Hitoshi as the next Hokage candidate.
As expected of the Second Hokage.
If it's a reward, Kitahara-kun can't refuse it.
Senju Tobirama: Right.
One Tail Shukaku:
One Tail Shukaku: …Seriously? I'm on the run, and you're still slowly assigning missions?
Senju Tobirama: The tailed beast will not die. What are you anxious about?
Senju Tobirama: After Gaara was killed and you were free, did you die?
One Tail Shukaku:
One Tail Shukaku:
The tailed beast is a special chakra aggregate. It is chakra, but also a living creature. It doesn't die, and it possesses an endless lifespan and massive chakra reserves.
Every now and then, it fires off a Tailed Beast Bomb and then—with a bang—the village is gone.
Terrifying.
Its vitality is naturally strong.
So, Tobirama and the others are not concerned about Shukaku's condition.
Senju Tobirama: Run for your life first.
Senju Tobirama: I'll go inform Kitahara Hitoshi and the others.
One Tail Shukaku:
One Tail Shukaku:
One Tail Shukaku: Tch...
If he could curse, Shukaku definitely would at this moment, but he had to act immediately.
The tailed beast will not die. It will re-form even if it's blown apart.
But it still hurts.
Beep.
One Tail Shukaku offline.
Despite having a host, Shukaku realized that, once again, he had to rely on himself to survive.
Meanwhile.
"That's what happened this time," said Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage.
He looked at the three—Kitahara Hitoshi, Naruto, and Sasuke—whom Kakashi had brought to him.
"This is Operation One Tail Retrieval.
"It's a pity about Chiyo. She sacrificed herself to save Gaara, but in the end...
"It's actually pretty good for Konoha.
"Sunagakure lost Chiyo, so they won't be stirring trouble anytime soon.
"Since the opponent is Chiyo's grandson and an extremely strong enemy, I need all three of you to deploy," Tobirama said.
"In other words, we're up against a Kage-level opponent?" Sasuke caught the implication. "I'm currently at Jonin level, but I don't really know what a standard Kage-level opponent is like."
"I want to fight."
Sasuke had gotten stronger, but he knew that Uchiha Itachi was still beyond his reach.
He had to become stronger.
Tobirama could sense the killing intent from Sasuke.
But that killing intent wasn't directed at him. It was aimed at Uchiha Itachi.
He knew the truth about the Uchiha clan's massacre from Sarutobi and the others.
The Uchiha clan had planned to revolt, and the Third Hokage had arranged for Itachi to take responsibility. Itachi chose to sacrifice the clan to protect the village. He hid the truth and took the blame as a traitor.
He bore the weight of it all alone.
Heavy indeed.
Then Danzo seized the Uchiha clan's Sharingan and used them. Truly inhuman.
But the Uchiha clan's extermination hadn't been publicly announced yet.
Another reason Itachi did this—was to protect the pride of the Uchiha clan.
If the rebellion were made public, their name would be permanently disgraced.
The Uchiha clan, though flawed, didn't deserve to be erased that way.
All of it stemmed from Sarutobi and the others' failure to find a peaceful resolution.
So Tobirama left the matter unresolved, hoping it could be fixed in Kitahara Hitoshi's era.
Sasuke still believed in an idealized version of justice.
Tobirama watched Sasuke's behavior with mixed feelings.
Because of Uchiha Madara, he once believed the Uchiha were innately cursed.
But Sasuke and the others seemed more naive than evil.
Kitahara Hitoshi sighed.
He felt like Sasuke had just raised a death flag.
If Sasuke had some Ultra Kage-level power to crush Sasori, that would be fine—but he was still just a Jonin.
He'd likely get overwhelmed.
But it was worth thinking about—because the Akatsuki had already begun moving.
In the original timeline, they didn't act until three years later.
But now… they'd already begun.
The replacements for Chiyo and Gaara had emerged earlier than expected.
People were starting to question why everything was happening so soon.
Maybe it was because he'd tricked Black Zetsu. Maybe Zetsu then went to Obito, and Obito pressured Pain.
Pain then led the Akatsuki into action.
Kitahara Hitoshi facepalmed.
Did he really say something casually, and Black Zetsu took it seriously?
Would they now go after the Two Tails, Three Tails, Four Tails, Five Tails, Six Tails, and Eight Tails?
They started with the One Tail?
What a fool.
Kitahara Hitoshi had planned to stall Black Zetsu to delay the resurrection of Kaguya for centuries. He thought he'd have at least ten years.
But now… the war had begun early.
And they started with the One Tail.
Kitahara Hitoshi was speechless.
Second Hokage noticed Kitahara Hitoshi's silence.
"What's wrong?" Tobirama asked. "Don't want to go?
"Now that you're a Chunin, you're officially a ninja.
"It's time you did something for the village," Tobirama said.
Though he was serious, Tobirama was worried Kitahara Hitoshi would refuse.
Because this mission was just the beginning. The ultimate plan was for him to become Hokage.
If he refused now, the long-term plan would collapse.
Danzo had always dreamed of becoming Hokage, but Tobirama wanted Kitahara Hitoshi for the role.
But he had always refused.
Tobirama understood. It was a cursed position, but there was no alternative.
When disaster looms, someone has to bear it.
Right now, that person was Kitahara Hitoshi—the only one everyone in Konoha trusted.
Kitahara Hitoshi sighed again.
"Fine. I started this mess, I'll clean it up," he said.
"Hmm?
"You caused this?" Tobirama was confused.
Kakashi also looked at him curiously.
"Don't tell me the Akatsuki's Rinnegan...
"That thing has nothing to do with me," Kitahara Hitoshi said bluntly.
"Second Hokage," he added. "Are we leaving now?"
"Yes," Kitahara Hitoshi nodded.
"Good."
Tobirama lightly clapped his hand. He seemed relieved. Like he'd feared rejection.
"Then it's settled.
"Time is short. You three act quickly.
"Kakashi, hand over the ninja kits and all the explosive tags.
"The food and supplies are sealed in scrolls."
Kakashi hurried to pile up the gear Tobirama mentioned, handing it to Sasuke and Naruto.
"Eh..." Naruto blinked in surprise.
Sasuke was surprised too.
Where did Tobirama get so many explosive tags?
Kitahara Hitoshi didn't say anything.
He was thinking about how this all may have started because of the lies he fed Black Zetsu.
Now he had to fix it—no excuses.
Let's go.
But looking at Senju Tobirama and Kakashi eagerly now, it seems like they're laying all their intentions out on their sleeves.
Kitahara Hitoshi remained silent.
But the usual routine of these two was clearly to push Konoha's responsibilities onto him.
And with Tobirama still staying in Konoha to provide support, it meant he still held the ambition of revitalizing the village.
Which also meant that when this mission ended, there was a high chance he would be rewarded by being appointed as the Fifth Hokage.
So the busty Hokage is stepping down?
Kitahara Hitoshi felt a slight pang of regret, but if it was Tsunade, then stepping down would save him a great deal of trouble.
After all, a female Hokage had a different kind of pressure compared to a male Hokage.
Kitahara Hitoshi wasn't sure if he could handle it.
Looking at it this way, the Third Generation wasn't so bad. At least under him, there weren't too many assignments, because he had no more ambitions left to chase.
Living the life of a ninja under the Third Generation had been rather peaceful.
But if the Third Generation stayed in charge for two more years and let Konoha fall into decline, that wasn't acceptable either.
Given that.
"Then I'll take on the mission," Kitahara Hitoshi said.
Instead of worrying over who the next superior would be, it was better to set the course himself.
"I hope you don't regret the choice you're making today," Kitahara Hitoshi added. "It's the first time I've seen someone dig a hole just to jump into it themselves."
"Regret?" Tobirama replied. "If there were medicine for regret in this world, I'd take three bottles."
Is that so.
Kitahara Hitoshi looked at him with a calm expression.
I really hope you're still this headstrong when you become my horse in the future.
Seeing the calm, indifferent, and faintly sympathetic gaze in Kitahara Hitoshi's eyes, Tobirama felt a strange unease.
Because there was an inexplicable feeling that he had just dug his own grave.
But then again.
At worst, Kitahara Hitoshi might just make him work like he already is. He was already a bull and a horse. Could it really get any worse?
He tried to convince himself with that logic.
Yet deep down, he could feel a cold sweat gathering on his back.
It would be years later that he realized he had completely misunderstood what it truly meant to become someone's bull and horse.