275 Chapter 275: The Second's Homecoming

Tobirama Senju spent his entire life warring against the Uchiha clan.

In his childhood, after witnessing his younger brother Kawarama being killed by five adult Uchiha shinobi, his hatred for the Uchiha took root in his heart.

In that chaotic Warring States era, his brother Hashirama led the Senju clan in countless battles against the Uchiha. As the Senju's cutting edge, Tobirama was always active at the very frontlines.

The fastest shinobi in history.

This reputation that made Tobirama famous in the shinobi world came from him using the Flying Thunder God Technique he developed to zip across battlefields slaying large numbers of elite Uchiha.

But it wasn't enough.

To secure victory for the Senju clan in the wars, Tobirama waited patiently like a hunter for that chance.

In a fight against Madara's brother Izuna, he deliberately revealed an opening. In the moment Izuna thought he had succeeded, Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God to end Izuna's life.

This victory changed the deadlock between the Senju and Uchiha's equal strength. It quickly made the war become one-sided, ultimately leading to the Uchiha's defeat.

One could say.

In the wars between the Senju and Uchiha, Tobirama Senju's contributions were the greatest.

Later, with Madara and Hashirama's reconciliation, the Uchiha also joined hands with the Senju to establish the first shinobi village - Konoha.

It seemed the Senju and Uchiha's conflicts had thoroughly ended.

However, Tobirama never relaxed his vigilance against the Uchiha.

That's why.

He opposed Madara becoming Hokage, leading the latter to leave Konoha resentfully.

After the First passed away and Tobirama took the title of Second Hokage, he also tailored a "leash" for the Uchiha clan - the Konoha Police Force, keeping the Uchiha firmly under surveillance.

The reason this Second Hokage was so antagonistic towards the Uchiha was because through long clashes, he had clearly recognized the Sharingan's danger.

Tobirama conducted countless forbidden studies in his life, including using the Uchiha clan for human experimentation, allowing him to uncover the Sharingan's secrets.

These eyes awakened from the Uchiha's intense grief and pain after losing their loved ones.

The deeper the love, the more painful the loss. When the Sharingan awakened, the extreme and powerful hatred would replace the original love.

Then, the awakened one would be engulfed by darkness and fall to evil ways. The deeper their darkness, the stronger their eyes became, and their personalities also grew more warped and extreme.

Madara Uchiha was the most typical example.

In the end.

Tobirama Senju reached the conclusion that the Uchiha were an inherently evil clan, a bunch of lunatics and psychopaths to the bone.

But now.

These lunatics had brought the declining Konoha back from near death in just eight short years, undergoing a phenomenal transformation and building a peaceful, prosperous golden age.

"Tobirama, what do you think...how exactly did that Uchiha bunch accomplish this?" The First scratched his head and asked the Second.

The Second pondered for a moment before slowly responding:

"Using powerful might as the foundation, voluntarily giving up the nation-village system, raising the banner of permanent neutrality, then implementing open and peaceful policies to attract talent and resources from the entire shinobi world to Konoha. Finally, transforming Konoha into an immigrant village and reinterpreting the meaning of the Will of Fire...

These were all proposed by the Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Dan.

I had always worried the Uchiha would produce a second Madara. But now it seems that although Dan is as powerful as Madara back then, he is not the same kind of person.

This can be considered the Uchiha clan's fortune, and Konoha's fortune as well."

Even the Second, who was always prejudiced against the Uchiha, had to admit the Sixth Hokage Uchiha Dan was an exceptionally outstanding Hokage.

"Speaking of which, I really want to meet this Dan in person and see what he's like."

The First stroked his chin, looking intrigued.

Hearing this, the Second's eyes instantly flashed as he spoke to nip the First's dangerous idea in the bud:

"Brother, don't forget Dan has awakened the Sage's legendary Rinnegan eyes. We're impure reincarnations right now. Getting close to him, we may well be exposed. It's better to be more careful before grasping this Sixth's abilities."

"Ah, I got carried away."

The First smiled awkwardly, abandoning the notion. Then he started fretting about his little granddaughter again:

"I wonder what Tsunade is up to now, and if she's doing well. Monkey said she's still been living alone all these years without a family. I wonder why? Sigh, I only hope she hasn't picked up those bad habits of mine like gambling and drinking. They do terrible harm after all."

As he spoke, a concerned expression appeared on his face.

Listening to the First's blathering, the Second couldn't help but shake his head. With no pretense of politeness, he retorted:

"Who was it who taught her to gamble and drink back then, and now regrets it? No more standing around. Since we've finally returned to the shinobi world, let's take this chance to see Tsunade while we're here."

After speaking, he strode down the hillside first.

"Tobirama, wait for me!" The First quickly called out and caught up.

"Don't call me Tobirama once we're in the village. And put on this raincoat."

The Second made some reminders to the simple-minded First. Then he took out two black raincoats from seemingly nowhere that could cover their appearances.

Otherwise, if they strolled Konoha's streets with no disguises at all, they would likely soon be mobbed by the masses of villagers.

After all.

As Konoha's First and Second Hokage, their stone faces had been carved on the Hokage Rock for decades. They still had...some fame in the village.

Fortunately the weather was obliging with the rain. Wearing raincoats made good disguises.

Half an hour later.

"Central Shopping Street. Arriving now. Passengers please take your belongings and disembark in order."

With the clear, melodious tram announcement ringing out, the carriage doors slowly opened. Large crowds of tourists surged out.

Two men in raincoats also got off the tram amidst the crowds, walking on Konoha's busiest shopping street.

Just now on the tram.

From the passengers' chatter, the free Konoha Daily newspapers provided in the carriage, and the television news rolling on screens, the First and Second received more and more information, amazing them further.

Additionally, riding this tourist line, they had also personally witnessed a colorful Konoha along the way, leaving them dizzying.

It really was...too impressive.

Only by actually entering Konoha, walking between these towering skyscrapers, surrounded by the noisy crowds, could they feel the prosperity and liveliness of this village.

Trams, airships, television, cellphones, radio stations...

Such an electrified, modern lifestyle was completely unimaginable in the First and Second's time.

Earlier.

The two had visited Konoha Hospital but were told Tsunade was on vacation and hadn't been to work for a week.

So where to find her now?

Searching for someone amidst the enormous population of over three million in Konoha...was actually easy since they could just call her.

But the First and Second didn't have Tsunade's number and didn't know how to use cellphones.

Seeing a girl skillfully using her phone on the street to invite friends out shopping, the First sincerely marveled:

"Have to admit, we old fossils really can't keep up with this era anymore."

Hearing this, the Second patted the First's shoulder to encourage:

"Don't be discouraged, brother. Don't forget we're shinobi. Naturally, we'll use a shinobi's methods to find someone."

Then.

The two avoided the surging crowds and came to a relatively quiet street corner.

Perception was an ability of shinobi to form a mental map and coordinates by sensing chakra, thereby grasping allies' or enemies' locations and movements.

However, shinobi with such perceptual talent were quite rare in each village, even fewer than medical shinobi.

And a top tier sensory shinobi like Tobirama Senju could be counted on one hand in all of shinobi history.

Only seeing him close both eyes and squat down, then slowly expand his sensory perception with one finger touching the ground.

In a flash.

Tens of thousands of flickering chakra lights, like burning candles, appeared in the Second's mind.

These candle flames had different colors and burning intensity, representing the chakra nature and amount of each shinobi.

Simply put.

The more vivid and blazing the candle flame's color, and the higher it danced, meant the corresponding shinobi was more powerful.

"It's said today's Konoha gathers talent from the entire shinobi world. Seeing it now, it really is true. So many powerful warriors, compared to our time, have increased by more than an order of magnitude."

The Second marveled with eyes closed, also feeling fortunate that the two of them had chosen to act cautiously this visit.

"Did you find Tsunade yet?"

The First urged somewhat anxiously.

"Don't rush... Found her."

The Second quickly discovered the target. Then he opened his eyes and stood up.

Among Konoha's tens of thousands of chakra, there was one exceptionally pure and enormous chakra, bright as the white sun, and very familiar to the Second.

It was the Senju clan's Yang Release chakra.

That's right, it must be Tsunade without a doubt.

"But...Tsunade's location seems to be in the Uchiha clan's direction."

The Second frowned.

He had heard from Monkey earlier that Tsunade was close to the Uchiha clan, joining their camp early and having an ambiguous relationship with Dan.

This displeased him as her grandfather.

In contrast, the First didn't think too much about it. He urged:

"Then let's hurry over."

And so, the two once again boarded the tram.

Next stop, the Uchiha clan grounds.

Hokage Building, Hokage's Office.

"Looks like the ploy to lure the snakes out worked. Two big fish took the bait."

Dan muttered to himself.

Just now, his Rain Tiger at Will Technique's sensory perception detected two unfamiliar enormous and domineering chakra that also carried an icy aura.

That icy aura belonged to the Impure World Reincarnation.

As for the identities of these two big fish, Dan also easily guessed.

Konoha's First and Second Hokage.

That old monkey Hiruzen Sarutobi finally couldn't endure any longer and brought these two ancestors back from the Pure Land.

When Tobirama Senju used chakra sensory on others, little did he know that he and the First had long been exposed under Dan's Rinnegan.

For these two to head straight to the Uchiha clan grounds, their goal...was Tsunade after all?

A family reunion drama?

For Dan who always enjoyed watching excitement, naturally he would go join in the liveliness.

Buzz buzz.

As his Rinnegan released a wave of ocular power, Dan's figure flickered and his whole person vanished from the office into thin air.

...

"Uchiha Clan Grounds. Arriving now. Passengers please disembark in order and follow site rules. Have a nice trip."

The announcement sounded. The First and Second got off the tram amidst throngs of excited tourists.

The Uchiha grounds once located at the village edge were now developed into one of Konoha's most famous and lucrative scenic areas. The shops lining the streets sold all kinds of Uchiha-themed goods.

Naturally, the two Hokage lords held no interest in such things.

Entering a small alley, they sensed again to ascertain Tsunade's exact location. Then they hopped over the enclosing wall and infiltrated the Uchiha clan's forest.

Easily evading the patrols along the way.

The two smoothly passed through the forest and hid in a big tree, glimpsing a training ground in the distance.

"That's..."

The First's gaze sharpened. He saw two figures exchanging intense blows in the training grounds. Each fist collision blasted out shockwaves, continuously thundering.

One was a buxom blonde woman in a green haori, with long hair tied in a ponytail draped behind her. Every move brimmed with dominance.

And her opponent was a tall, muscular muscle man. His moves were equally violent. He even occasionally shouted meaningless phrases like "Ora ora!"

"Tsunade should be fifty-four this year right? She looks much younger than I imagined..."

The First instantly recognized his granddaughter. He had assumed she was an old granny by now, unexpectedly she was still so young and beautiful.

"That purple rhombus mark on her forehead is Lady Mito's Strength of a Hundred Seal right? Looks like Tsunade is very adept at nourishing her vitality. Compared to our short lives, she should be able to live past a hundred."

The Second looked gratified.

Hearing from Monkey that Tsunade was still single, he had assumed she wasn't doing well. Seeing her condition now, the two were finally somewhat relieved.

"Speaking of which, who's that man exchanging blows with Tsunade? Her disciple? Though his voice sounds strange, like a child's."

The First looked baffled.

The Second said nothing, staring at the muscle man in the training grounds for a bit before exclaiming in astonishment:

"Brother, we're mistaken. That's not a man, but a girl. And...I think I've guessed who she is already."

"Who is she?" The First asked curiously.

"Didn't we hear many people discussing the Chunin Exam on the tram? I heard Dan Uchiha has a daughter named Marisa who's eight this year and the odds-on favorite to win this exam. I believe it's her."

"What, she's eight years old?"

When the First heard this, he couldn't help widening his eyes. That muscle man exchanging violent blows with Tsunade was actually an eight year old girl?

Ridiculous!