Tobirama stared at the fox head on Mito's shoulder and fell into silence.
This wasn't an illusion…
Had she reached some kind of cooperation with the Nine-Tails? And this fox was even talking about the Will of Fire?
And Tobirama noticed something else…
Only upon observing her up close did he realize—
Nearly thirty years had passed since his death, yet Mito looked almost no different from back then.
So both husband and wife just completely ignored reason, huh! One had seal-less regeneration, the other had absurd longevity…
"You brat—you kind of look like Madara!"
"Confess! Were you bewitched by Uchiha Izuna?"
"Confess and be treated leniently—resist and be punished severely!"
The little fox stood on Mito's shoulder, arms crossed. "Uchiha Madara attacked Senju Hashirama. His younger brother definitely harbors ill intent toward the village!"
"Speak now, and you might be spared death!"
Isshin stared blankly at the miniature Nine-Tails.
When did Danzō get here?
And how come not only people were stealing his lane—even tailed beasts were doing it too?!
"Alright, Nine-Tails, we don't do guilt by association…"
Hiruzen coughed lightly. "We can't wrong the innocent, nor can we let the guilty go. If you always solve problems by labeling others, one day you'll be labeled the same way…"
"You wouldn't want people constantly saying that you're too dangerous and must be sealed, right?"
The Nine-Tails froze.
"Hmph! This great one is…" it wanted to say it was a tailed beast—
What was wrong with being a little unreasonable?
But after thinking about it, a question suddenly surfaced in its mind.
Hiruzen shouldn't be weaker than it…
So why would someone that strong voluntarily impose rules on himself?
And Hashirama too—founding the village hadn't really brought him any personal gain…
'Could this be what the old man meant by love and peace?' the Nine-Tails wondered. A sense of calm it had never felt before gently washed over its fur.
Konoha followed rules…
Which meant that even a tailed beast like it could receive fair treatment—as long as it followed them?
'No…'
'Maybe Sarutobi Hiruzen is just pretending. Humans can't be trusted that easily!'
'I'll expose his act. This great one won't be fooled so easily!'
No one paid attention to the Nine-Tails, but inside its mind, a complicated drama was unfolding…
"What were you trying to say, Nine-Tails?" Hiruzen asked curiously.
"Nothing. I'll let it slide—you're somewhat right…"
The Nine-Tails turned its head away. "What a stubborn old fool!"
Hiruzen was full of question marks.
It seemed that in the shinobi world, it wasn't just humans who had issues—these tailed beasts weren't exactly sane either.
With a vicious grin, Hiruzen rubbed the Nine-Tails' head as payback for the insult…
The Nine-Tails originally wanted to bristle, but after thinking about it…
It had insulted Hiruzen once—getting its head rubbed twice seemed fair, so it didn't resist much…
This scene left both Tobirama and Isshin stunned.
Wasn't this supposed to be a natural disaster?
Wasn't it supposed to be a vicious tailed beast formed from hatred and resentment, one that only Mito could suppress?
Tobirama couldn't help but have a strange thought…
Hiruzen, you're doing too good a job—it makes me, the Second Hokage, look really awkward!
'My elder brother's reputation isn't just great in Konoha—he's called the 'God of Shinobi' across the entire world…'
'I'm not bad either—at least I had a good reputation in the village…'
'But I've only been back for a little over a year, and Hiruzen has already done so much… won't future shinobi think that he's just cleaning up my so-called 'mess'?'
Just thinking about it made Tobirama unable to hold it together.
He decided that in the future, he had to drop some hints to Hiruzen—he needed to tell some 'Tobirama stories' too!
Hiruzen, I'm your teacher!
Uchiha Isshin steadied his emotions and bowed respectfully.
"Hokage-sama, Mito-sama… the chakra inside Seisui is indeed related to Young Clan Head Izuna…"
"But we never intended to hide this from the village. During the match with Minato, Seisui didn't conceal anything. It's absolutely not as the Nine-Tails claimed."
Isshin spoke sincerely. "With Mito-sama present, if the Uchiha had any intention to conceal things, how could Seisui have exposed it in front of everyone?"
"It's just that Seisui's fierce impeachment of the advisor stirred up trouble, and we didn't have time to report it to you…"
"As for Seisui impeaching Danzō… I swear on the honor of the Uchiha clan—I did know in advance, but I never expected it to escalate to this extent…"
"Hokage-sama, I must apologize to you for this!"
Isshin dropped to one knee and lowered his head. "The Uchiha clan harbored concerns. Because of the history between the Second Hokage and our clan, and because you are his student…"
"So we thought that if you truly accepted the Uchiha from the bottom of your heart, you would allow us to point out the village's problems—even if the target was Danzō…"
"Looking back, that way of thinking was far too arrogant!"
"I don't even know how to explain it to you. I'm deeply ashamed—please punish me!"
Isshin was about to prostrate himself fully to show sincerity.
In an instant, Hiruzen appeared before him and held his shoulder.
"Isshin, there's no need for this…"
"The rift between the Uchiha and the village did objectively exist in the past. There's no need for me to sugarcoat that."
"But decades have passed. Even if Uchiha Madara made mistakes, the remaining Uchiha have already proven their loyalty to Konoha. Anyone with eyes can see the love in their hearts…"
"It's all in the past…"
With a slight exertion of force, Hiruzen lifted Isshin up and grasped his hand.
"As for the impeachment of Danzō…"
"If the village has problems, they must be pointed out! As a Konoha council member, that is both your right and your responsibility. And as an inseparable part of the village, every Uchiha clansman has that same obligation…"
Hiruzen spoke seriously: "If pointing out real, existing mistakes is treated as opposing me as Hokage—opposing Konoha—then Konoha's future will never follow the Will of Fire!"
Isshin took a deep breath. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Hiruzen waved his hand, then shifted the topic: "However, you still need to pay attention to the methods you use."
"After Seisui's victory, he carried out that impeachment in the training grounds in front of thousands of shinobi. Even if what he said was objectively true, the impact of doing it that way is very bad…"
"Bypassing procedure and building momentum through high-attention venues can be misinterpreted by some shinobi as a signal that the village's rules are meaningless…"
"Even if that wasn't Seisui's intention."
Hiruzen's tone turned stern: "If this continues over time, people with ulterior motives may try to use public opinion to control the rules…"
Isshin's heart trembled.
He had thought along similar lines himself, but he couldn't articulate them in such a systematic way as Hiruzen.
What was fatal was that, once Hiruzen broke it down so clearly, if one wanted to view the Uchiha's intentions in a negative light, it was no longer just a matter of impulse…
Mito looked on with slight surprise.
'Hiruzen is not only Hashirama's student—he is indeed Tobirama's student as well… That serious demeanor carries Tobirama's old bearing. Authority without anger…'
As Tobirama listened to Hiruzen's words, his feelings were complicated.
On one hand, he was gratified that Hiruzen had inherited his mantle.
When facing problems, he wouldn't be swayed by emotion, but would calmly analyze the underlying causes and consequences…
On the other hand—was he being lectured here?
After all, this situation had indeed been caused by him…
"Isshin, you need to conduct a self-review."
Hiruzen played both the strict and lenient roles himself: "At its core, this incident happened because you failed to properly implement the 'Konoha Council Member' system within the Uchiha clan. You didn't fully gather the opinions of your clansmen, which led to things spiraling out of control."
"However, Danzō also bears responsibility. He gave Seisui a zero on his exam, leading that young man to believe he was being suppressed by the advisor, and causing him to bypass you—his clan head—and the 'Konoha Council Member' mechanism."
Isshin nodded repeatedly. "Hokage-sama, you are absolutely right! This is my responsibility. I will conduct a serious self-review, together with Fugaku and Seisui…"
"I will apply to have my self-review publicly announced across the entire village, to eliminate the shinobi's misunderstandings!"
"To uphold Konoha's system, a self-review alone is far too light a punishment. Please be harsher! I request to voluntarily relinquish my position as 'Konoha Council Member,' and for the Uchiha clan's mission commission share to be increased for one year!"
Tobirama couldn't help but glance at Isshin.
What did he mean…
Was he supposed to do a self-review with Hiruzen too?
But after thinking about it, Tobirama said nothing, because Hiruzen was indeed right…
And besides, he was no longer the Second Hokage—just a hot-blooded youth of the Uchiha clan…
And Isshin's stance was rather strange as well…
Actively asking to be punished?
Back when I was Hokage, I had to resort to force just to get you to relocate your clan!
Of course, Tobirama only complained inwardly.
He understood Isshin's thinking…
The system Hiruzen had established was supported by the entire village.
If the Uchiha stepped out to oppose it, they would become the only outliers…
Being punished, on the other hand, proved that the Uchiha were part of the system—that they accepted the rules and acted reasonably.
Tobirama couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
Hiruzen's approach seemed a little more sophisticated than his Konoha Military Police system…
"Isshin, I understand your intentions. I'm pleased that you can recognize your mistakes."
Hiruzen pondered for a moment. "There's no need to increase the mission commission share. Instead, let's do this—submit a certain amount of funds to the village treasury, to be added to Konoha's mutual aid fund, used for compensation in the event of mission failures…"
"You can decide the exact amount yourself. Don't let it affect the clan's normal operations."
"It also aligns with the nature of this incident."
"As for your position as 'Konoha Council Member,' since this is your first offense, you will be placed under probation for one year. If you still cannot fulfill your duties, then the position will be formally revoked."
Isshin nodded heavily.
So reasonable—Hokage-sama was truly too reasonable!
"Punishment exists to criticize mistakes and learn from them, so they are not repeated…"
"It is not meant to crush someone completely and deny them the chance to correct themselves."
Hiruzen spoke slowly. "Isshin, I think highly of you. Work harder from now on. Konoha and the Uchiha both need you to contribute more with your wisdom…"
Isshin's expression froze. He staggered back a few steps, then prostrated himself deeply: "I will devote myself wholly to Hokage-sama, until death! If I fail even a fraction of today's grace, I, Isshin, will take my own life to atone!"
This time, even Hiruzen had no idea how to respond.
He had realized something—
Shinobi, especially those from the Warring States era…
They were ruthless toward others—but even more ruthless toward themselves…
If there was a problem, just solve it—why jump straight to suicide at every turn?
The Nine-Tails looked at Mito and communicated through telepathy: "Hey, hey—this Isshin isn't lying? Did he use some ninjutsu to conceal the malice in his heart?"
"Didn't you say no one can escape your ability to sense malice?"
Mito smiled slightly. "Nine-Tails, you're an immortal tailed beast. Don't act like you're about to melt the moment you see a bit of kindness or warmth…"
"You need to learn to accept it… to adapt."
The Nine-Tails instantly flushed red.
Mito's words were like a sharp blade, cutting open the most uncomfortable part of its heart…
"What did you say? Say that again if you dare!"
The Nine-Tails roared.
But Mito ignored it. After howling a few times in the mental space, the Nine-Tails gave up.
Forget it—not worth arguing with this woman!
Interestingly, after hearing Isshin's attempt to probe the Hokage's intentions, the Nine-Tails felt a trace of familiarity…
Wasn't that similar to what it had been thinking?
'No, no!'
'The Uchiha are humans no matter what—and I'm a tailed beast…'
'Even if Hiruzen treats them this way, that doesn't mean he'll treat me the same! I have to test him—observe him!' The Nine-Tails kept repeating this to convince itself.
After Isshin stood up, he proactively began reporting his dōjutsu to Hiruzen.
About "Sukunahiko Iyume" and "Yata Spirit Invocation"…
Hiruzen was momentarily stunned.
Wait…
Was this awakened because he saw Tobirama-sensei working too hard and felt sorry for him?
How was this still a clan born with evil?
It was clearly a clan overflowing with love!
"Hokage-sama, based on my observations and Seisui's report, Young Clan Head Izuna bears no malice toward the village. On the contrary, he quite likes the current Konoha…"
Isshin reported carefully: "After all, Young Clan Head Izuna did have… certain unpleasant experiences with the Second Hokage."
"That does sound a bit strange…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled faintly.
Even Tobirama himself had acknowledged it—what more was there for him, as a student, to say?
He would simply respect the former Hokage's decision…
If Uchiha Izuna truly had a problem, would Tobirama have used his power? He would have dealt with him long ago!
It was just that this method was indeed far too flashy…
Turning your destined rival into a jinchūriki? Most likely he even got tricked into it…
The waters here were so deep that even Hiruzen felt they were unfathomable!
It could only be said—worthy of the number one forbidden jutsu master of the shinobi world. Returning to the world always meant stirring things up…
Hiruzen looked at Tobirama with a faint smile: "Seisui, you've had the closest contact with Uchiha Izuna. What do you think?"
Tobirama forced down the strangeness in his heart and spoke softly: "Hokage-sama, although Uchiha Izuna has old grievances with the Second Hokage, he is someone who has stepped beyond the confines of his clan—someone who has shed the outdated thinking of the Warring States era and can view matters from Konoha's perspective…"
"He even advised me not to publicly denounce Danzō in the training grounds, saying it was too extreme…"
"And he also said that the current Uchiha are doing well, and that he greatly appreciates your methods of governance…"
Tobirama truly did not want to praise Izuna.
But in order to freely use Izuna's power, and to prevent negative public opinion from forming…
He had to get past Mito's scrutiny!
As for Hiruzen, Tobirama wasn't worried.
He believed that the trust between master and student was no different from trusting oneself…
Hiruzen let out a long "Oh."
To think he could hear Tobirama-sensei praise Izuna?
The shinobi world really was full of wonders…
"Izuna and Tobirama are actually quite similar…"
"Deep-minded, exceptionally cunning. You're still just a boy—you might be deceived by him…"
Mito spoke slowly: "Seisui, call Izuna out. I want to speak with him!"
Tobirama sighed inwardly.
As expected, Mito wouldn't be fooled by just a few words…
And what kind of statement was that?
What did she mean he and Izuna were similar? Wasn't he far superior to Izuna?
Tobirama grumbled internally, but his body honestly activated "Yata Spirit Invocation", summoning Izuna from the Pure Land.
And the moment Izuna descended, several Adamantine Sealing Chains wrapped around Tobirama's body.
"Uchiha Izuna, I know you can hear me—don't even think about hiding!"
Mito's aura surged as she spoke coldly: "Seisui, let him take over your body for now. With me here, nothing will happen!"
At that moment, the instigating Nine-Tails supplied Mito with pure and massive chakra.
The fox was simply too eager to watch the show unfold…
The Adamantine Sealing Chains burned with a blazing red-gold hue, exuding overwhelming power.
The domineering suppression instantly froze Tobirama's chakra!
"I've got no choice now, Izuna…"
Tobirama spoke faintly within his body. "So scary… that old lady is like a monster…"
"Didn't you say you could handle it? Then I'll leave it to you!"
Tobirama had seen Mito in combat before.
As the acknowledged strongest kunoichi of the Warring States era, Mito killed without blinking.
But the problem was…
With the added might of the Nine-Tails' chakra, even in her old age, she was even more terrifying than in her prime!
Izuna was completely dumbfounded.
He watched as Tobirama swiftly swapped their consciousnesses, forcibly handing over control of the body.
Izuna instinctively lowered his head, looking at the Adamantine Sealing Chains wrapped around him.
His thoughts seemed to return to the Warring States era—to the day he had pestered a girl from the Uzumaki clan, only to be nearly disfigured by Mito's Adamantine Sealing Chains…
Izuna immediately raised both hands above his head, the chains around his body clanking loudly.
"Misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding!"
"I'm an Uchiha too—I'm also half a Konoha shinobi!"
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