"Orochimaru, don't you think this is a little indecent? Aren't you a grown man? Shouldn't you be dressed properly?"
As soon as Haseo saw Orochimaru, he immediately launched into a stern moral critique.
"Oh please, Haseo. I'm just grateful to be alive after everything I've been through."
At least Orochimaru now had some cloth draped over himself—a sheet with a hole cut in the middle for his head, and two strips covering his front and back, tied at the waist with a rope. That was already his greatest effort toward preserving a semblance of civilization. After all, he wasn't completely exposed.
"Fine, but if you're back in Konoha, why'd you have to stand here like this? You don't exactly look like a martial arts master right now."
Standing atop Konoha's highest point, a gentle breeze tugged at the edges of his sheet—he'd better make sure it stays in place.
"It's not really my style to show off in such a conspicuous place. I was forced to."
As he spoke, Orochimaru cast a glance toward the Second Hokage standing nearby.
Haseo followed suit with a turn of his neck, spotting a figure exuding flamboyance laced with a touch of cold arrogance. Without thinking twice, he blurted out:
"And just who the hell does this punk think he is?"
Under normal circumstances, there was nothing wrong with that statement. After all, apart from those two washed-up Elders, who in Konoha ranked above Haseo? Even those two old geezers were just "kids" too.
But surprisingly, this one actually was older—because he wasn't even alive.
The Second Hokage turned his gaze sideways. This so-called "Fourth Hokage," introduced by an Anbu ninja, has quite the mouth on him, and his attitude lacks the seriousness and composure befitting a Hokage.
"Senju Tobirama?
So this is truly the Second Hokage?"
As soon as the Second Hokage turned his face toward him, Haseo froze instantly. Then, realization struck. He immediately figured out what was going on.
"Orochimaru, this is seriously messed up taste, even for you."
Clearly, Orochimaru had summoned the Second Hokage using the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
Before the Second Hokage could open his mouth to speak, Orochimaru lightly snapped his fingers, freezing his form in place like a puppet.
"I don't enjoy using this jutsu as much as you might imagine. It was simply a last resort... Anyway, let's put the Impure World Reincarnation aside for now, Haseo. I brought back some interesting intelligence."
"That makes sense. Although it's the Impure World Reincarnation, at least the consciousness is preserved. This is indeed the real Second Hokage's awareness, and he has deep ties with me. However, this isn't the best time to talk.
After returning to the living world with such difficulty, treat it as a rare trip... He must have someone he wishes to meet—and naturally, others will wish to see him as well.
Orochimaru, first send the Second over to my home. Chatting with his granddaughter might help him understand the current situation better."
"Since you've already lost the Nine-Tails, I understand just how serious the situation is now," Haseo said. "That means I should focus my energy on more important matters... As for the Second Hokage, wouldn't a little 'family visit' make far more sense than getting involved in all this other mess?"
Even Haseo had to admit that compared to the Second Hokage, he was more of a junior.
"In that case, I'll go with your plan," Orochimaru replied.
The Second Hokage finally got it—these two clearly hadn't taken him seriously at all. Was the younger generation of Konoha really this disrespectful? ...But there wasn't much he could do about it anyway. After all, the dead weren't considered people anymore, so they didn't have any rights.
Under Orochimaru's control, his body then instinctively rushed toward some unknown direction deep within the night.
...
Hokage's office building.
After being handed a proper set of clothing—including actual pants—Orochimaru stood before Haseo once again.
All the Anbu ninja had been dismissed. Orochimaru swept his gaze across the room with a complex expression and said, "This office building still looks exactly the same as it used to be."
"Feeling nostalgic?"
"My point is, it smells old and decaying—like stale air trapped in rotting wood."
That was just an added remark. Orochimaru wasn't exactly denying what Haseo had said… It was almost like he was acting cold on purpose to hide something.
"The Fifth Hokage of Konoha probably won't be able to return to this village."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You must've noticed that I've already lost the Nine-Tails. Correspondingly, I naturally now know the true identity of the mastermind behind collecting the Tailed Beasts. I've also traced their next move. He's the one who ambushed the Kage Summit."
"...So the Kages were holding a meeting. That much I'd guessed, but I never expected another attack would happen like this."
"It's precisely because of this kind of meeting that the enemy gets a chance to take out everyone in one go... When they're gathered together like this, such danger naturally exists. The Kages from each village truly underestimated the danger—they overestimated their own strength."
"So you're saying even if the Five Kages gather together, they still aren't a match for the enemy... Then who exactly is this enemy?"
"Hmm, you definitely won't guess correctly... It's the First Hokage, very much alive—Hashirama Senju, the Ninja God himself."
"Reincarnated through Impure World Reincarnation?"
"No, he's the original First Hokage reborn."
...Haseo could hardly have imagined this. Setting aside how exactly the First Hokage had returned to life, the bigger question was whether he'd inherited Madara Uchiha's final intentions?
Was that even possible?
"Haseo?"
Orochimaru interrupted Haseo's thoughts.
"Eh? Nothing much. It's just that the mastermind really caught me off guard.
Regardless of his identity, the Nine-Tails was the last step in their plan. Since you've lost the Nine-Tails, their preparations must be complete by now... Maybe the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path could be replaced by your Wooden Construct. After all, they're both wooden shells in essence."
"So then, Haseo, will you finally tell me the purpose behind their collection of the Tailed Beasts?" Orochimaru continued. "Now that we've come this far, there's no need for secrecy anymore."
"Orochimaru, you've always been curious about this matter, haven't you?"
When the truth finally came out, it was kind of underwhelming...
To sum it up: revive the Ten-Tails, become the Six Paths Sage, take back all the chakra, and wipe out the entire ninja world.
There's also a chance that Chakra no Sō could be reborn for a second time.
Pretty cliché, huh?
Haseo was hoping Orochimaru would respond with something like "That's it?" But Orochimaru didn't.
"Do you really think this is doable?"
"It's definitely possible."
"If you've known about this all along, then surely you've already made preparations by now, right?"
"Not exactly. Even if I roughly understood the concept, there's no way I could know every single detail. Don't forget, I only learned who the mastermind was because you told me."
Of course, Haseo had his own plan—though it had changed more than once—and yet, how could he guarantee absolute success?
"At any rate, there's no need to panic now. Let's first see whether the Fifth Hokage can return.
Though the odds are slim, maybe the Five Kage already took out the mastermind—wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone?"
"..."
...
...
The intelligence Orochimaru brought back was indeed crucial. After finishing their conversation, it was already late at night. Haseo returned home again.
Then he saw Tobirama Senju wearing what looked like a lovesick grin. The expression was so unbelievable that Haseo almost felt the need to rub his eyes... Could the famously ruthless Second Hokage really be smiling like a smitten fool?
Well, probably because his great-granddaughter was sitting beside him and his granddaughter sat across from him. For the Second Hokage, who remained single from birth to death and even through "reincarnation," Tsunade was naturally considered his granddaughter in spirit, if not by blood.
"Tobirama-sama, that look really doesn't suit you. Maybe try keeping a lid on your expressions."
Upon seeing Haseo, Tobirama Senju immediately returned to his usual demeanor, trying to reclaim his former dignity. "While being manipulated after death does seem quite tragic, returning to the living world isn't without its benefits.
Never did I imagine that the young man I saw on my deathbed would become the Fourth Hokage and marry Tsunade..."
"Tobirama-sama, that's precisely what 'fate' means. All of this is the 'reward' I received for completing my mission back then."
"Completing your mission?"
"You know, cremating you. Have you forgotten?"
Uh... You cremated me, and then I gave you my granddaughter as a reward? That's how it works?
"I've heard the whole ninja world speaks ill of you, and now I finally understand why."
Indeed, Tobirama, once the intellectual pillar of Konoha, quickly figured out exactly what kind of person Haseo was.
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