It was safe to say that Kakashi and Tobirama Senju were wildly incompatible.
After all, both were the type of men whose words were absolute.
Back in the day, Tobirama Senju still had Hashirama Senju above him to keep him in check. However, during his time in power, all of Konoha was essentially his unquestioned domain.
So, upon realizing that Kakashi possessed an equally unyielding nature...
Tobirama Senju found himself somewhat dissatisfied with the current Hokage.
Despite his distaste, after quietly listening to how Kakashi had manipulated the situation using Tsunade's necklace, even Tobirama couldn't help but clap his hands in praise.
Sure enough, no matter what, anyone who could suppress all opposition to become Hokage had to have some real skill.
However, what Tobirama hadn't expected was that his older brother, Hashirama Senju, had actually acknowledged the man standing before him.
"To gain my brother's acknowledgment and have him teach you Sage Mode... it seems you do have some talent."
"Speak. What do you need me for?"
Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest, begrudgingly accepting Kakashi as the Fifth Hokage.
"The reason is simple. I want people without the aptitude for Sage Mode to be able to master it," Kakashi stated his goal calmly.
"That's impossible. If such a method existed, do you think I wouldn't have been willing to learn it myself?" Tobirama fundamentally rejected Kakashi's whimsical idea without a second thought.
"If that is your answer, then it seems the so-called Second Hokage is nothing more than that."
Kakashi's words made the corner of Tobirama's mouth twitch.
This brat is a real eyesore.
"Are you trying to goad me?"
"Exactly. If you can help me achieve this goal, then I can only say you live up to your legend. But if you deny it without even trying, then you are merely trading on a hollow reputation." Kakashi voiced his thoughts with complete honesty.
"You..."
Tobirama hadn't expected this junior to be so arrogant.
To actually dare say that he—the creator of the Reanimation Jutsu, Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, and the Flying Thunder God Jutsu; the man hailed as the fastest in the ninja world and the Water God; the head of the Senju Clan; the Second Hokage of Konoha—was all flash and no substance?
Tobirama had to admit, Kakashi's provocation was incredibly clumsy.
But he fell for it anyway.
"Take me to where you are researching this jutsu, and give me your research materials and findings," Tobirama said coldly, looking at the similarly white-haired Kakashi standing before him.
"Since that's the case, follow me."
Without hesitation, Kakashi led Tobirama to Meeting Room No. 3 in the Hokage Building. At the same time, he ordered the Anbu on standby to bring over his research materials from the Senju and Uchiha clans.
Hearing that Kakashi had also spent time researching in the Uchiha Clan's library, Tobirama was somewhat surprised.
Those arrogant fools were actually willing to let Kakashi into the repository of their millennia of gathered knowledge?
Because of the Sharingan, the Uchiha could easily see through and decipher their enemies' jutsu during combat. Thus, the materials in the Uchiha library far outnumbered those of the Senju Clan.
"If it were in the past, they naturally wouldn't have been willing," Kakashi said, casually finding a chair and sitting down, his expression aloof.
In the past? So that means it's different now?
Tobirama also pulled up a chair and sat down in the meeting room he had been away from for so long.
"Care to explain?"
When it came to the Uchiha Clan, Tobirama could safely say he had a profound understanding of them. They were certainly strong, but they weren't exactly right in the head. Even during his tenure as Hokage, Setsuna Uchiha of the Uchiha Clan had brazenly launched a coup. The final result was that Tobirama locked Setsuna Uchiha in prison for twenty years, while letting the rest off the hook.
Faced with Tobirama's curiosity, Kakashi didn't hide anything. After all, once Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at daybreak, Tobirama would find out with a single question anyway. Kakashi poured himself a cup of tea and relayed the entire situation regarding the Uchiha Clan.
Tobirama listened silently to the Uchiha Clan's fate. Looking at Kakashi in front of him, he could only conclude that the man was sufficiently ruthless.
He had slaughtered nearly a thousand of their hawk faction without a shred of mercy.
In this era of hidden villages, where a battlefield with a combined total of ten thousand ninja was considered a large-scale war, nearly a thousand Uchiha couldn't all be considered elite ninja, but there were surely at least two or three hundred among them.
And what did three hundred elite Uchiha mean?
If there had been three hundred Uchiha among the eight hundred men Kakashi led to charge the Kumogakure front lines back then, that single battle would have completely turned the Kumogakure camp upside down. Even when facing the Raikage, if ten Uchiha with the fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan had attacked alongside Kakashi, executing the Raikage right then and there wouldn't have been impossible.
While Tobirama found Kakashi's actions ruthless, he couldn't help but feel a modicum of admiration. Had it been him, he probably would have hesitated, as they were all capable combatants, after all.
"Second Hokage, you were too merciful. If you had chosen to sever the rotting limb back then regarding the hawk faction led by Setsuna Uchiha, the current situation would never have come to pass."
"It could be said that you are the instigator of all this," Kakashi spoke mildly, neither cold nor overly passionate.
This ignited a spark of anger in Tobirama's heart, but he found himself unable to retort.
What the hell does this junior know? It had been during the First Shinobi World War. Konoha had been fighting against four other nations. Even if he despised Setsuna Uchiha, for the sake of the bigger picture, he had no choice but to pinch his nose and endure it. Had it been during peacetime, the moment Setsuna Uchiha dared to show his face, Tobirama would have wiped them all out in one fell swoop.
But this time, Tobirama didn't open his mouth to defend himself; he merely let out a cold harrumph.
Seeing this, the corners of Kakashi's mouth curled up slightly.
Did he really not know the circumstances Tobirama had faced back then? He knew them perfectly well. Bringing up the matter now was purely to disgust the man. That's what he got for acting so pompous toward him right after being summoned.
Kakashi was still Kakashi; he never let a grudge sit overnight.
As Itachi Uchiha and the Anbu operative who had just left carried a large box of materials into the meeting room, Tobirama's eyes narrowed.
The stench of an Uchiha...
An inherently evil... kind-hearted Uchiha brat.
By now, Tobirama already knew what kind of role Itachi Uchiha had played in the Uchiha Incident.
"Lord Hokage, these are the materials you requested."
The moment he saw Tobirama Senju, Itachi Uchiha's pupils shrank, but his excellent discipline allowed him to quickly steady his nerves.
"You even came over personally. Since you're here, don't go back just yet. Let me introduce you." Kakashi pointed to the man beside him. "As you can see, this is the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju."
As Kakashi spoke, Tobirama scrutinized the kind-hearted Uchiha brat before him.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Itachi Uchiha spoke respectfully.
"You should address me as Lord Second," Tobirama said, somewhat displeased.
"I wasn't addressing you just now. I was addressing Lord Kakashi."
"..."
Inherently evil Uchiha brat.
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