Tsunade smiled as she reminisced about the times she and Hashirama had conspired together to steal money from Tobirama when she was little. Leaning her head against Uchiha Hikaru's shoulder, a trace of sorrow crept across her face.
"It's a pity they're all gone now…"
The sadness and grief in her voice were unmistakable.
At that moment, even Hashirama and Tobirama—once hailed as gods of the shinobi world, cold and resolute Hokage—found themselves unsure of how to face Tsunade's pain.
Then Uchiha Hikaru raised his hand and lightly tapped her on the head, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a smile he couldn't suppress.
"Are you really sure you want to say that in front of them?"
He motioned for her to look behind.
At that very moment, Hashirama and Tobirama removed the ANBU masks from their faces.
"Long time no see, Tsuna."
"…"
Hashirama forced a sheepish smile, clearly uncomfortable, while Tobirama stared at her with his signature stern expression—his face silently declaring: If you weren't already an adult, I'd give you a beating right now.
Tsunade was stunned at first, then burst out laughing and punched Hikaru in the shoulder.
"Hahaha! You bastard, where did you find two ANBU who look so much like my grandfather and granduncle?"
"Seriously, it's uncanny! If they were resurrected, they'd definitely act just like this!"
Her eyes sparkled as she ran over to the "fake" Hashirama and Tobirama, examining them like a judge at a cosplay competition.
"Hiss~ You know what? Apart from the uniforms, the resemblance is crazy!"
"The eyes, the voice… and what's with those cracks on their faces?"
"Why do they look a little like those shinobi who were resurrected last week...?"
Tsunade suddenly froze. Her pupils contracted. Her head turned stiffly toward Hikaru, and a sly smile crept onto her lips.
"…This isn't Impure World Reincarnation, right?"
"Hikaru, this has to be makeup or something, right?"
Uchiha Hikaru simply smiled and said nothing—as if his silence spoke louder than any answer.
It was only then that Hashirama finally spoke.
"Haha, Tsuna-chan. Tobirama and I have, in fact, been brought back with Impure World Reincarnation."
Then Tobirama asked something that made Tsunade's heart lurch.
"Tsunade… what you said earlier—was it true?"
"I never thought my own brother would become such a terrible influence."
Tobirama looked like he was about to summon a Water Dragon Jutsu followed by the Multiple Exploding Tags Technique just to blast Hashirama into pieces.
After all, they were already reanimated. They couldn't die from physical attacks, didn't feel pain, and had infinite chakra—so why not let loose?
Tsunade immediately ran to Hikaru's side like a child hiding behind a parent, clearly feeling only he could protect her now.
Hashirama glanced at the approaching Tobirama and instinctively backed away, raising his hands in surrender.
"Ah… uh, Tobirama, remember—I'm still your big brother, right?"
"And your sister-in-law was really strict back then. I just wanted to take little Tsunade out for some fun…"
"Tobirama! Calm down! CALM DOWN!"
But Tobirama kept walking forward, face darkening with every step.
"Do you really think I care about the money? Of course not."
"But not only did you use Tsunade to get money from me, if your wife finds out—what do you think she'll do?"
"You took Tsunade to a damn casino and turned her into a gambling addict!?"
"Brother, you've really outdone yourself!"
He then turned his cold gaze to Uchiha Hikaru, who was casually munching on melon seeds and enjoying the drama.
"Boy. You still have my sister-in-law's remains intact, don't you?"
"Since we've been brought back anyway, let's not stop here. Bring her back too."
As Hikaru was about to nod, Hashirama leapt in front of him, suddenly bursting with righteous indignation.
"Tobirama! How could you say that?! Are you suggesting we desecrate the dead?!"
"We're already dead—we shouldn't interfere with the world of the living!"
"You're too extreme!"
But Tobirama merely gave Hashirama a sideways glance.
Hah. Don't think I don't know what you're really worried about.
The way you lit up when you talked about Madara earlier… and now you suddenly care about the natural order when it's your wife in question?
This isn't about the dead. You're just scared that once she's back, you'll turn into that pathetic, tracheitis-stricken, henpecked husband again!
Tobirama folded his arms and turned to Hikaru and Tsunade.
"Our opinions don't matter. Let the young ones decide."
"Boy. Tsunade. What do you think about bringing Mito back?"
"Mito's sealing arts surpassed all of ours. With her, the village's barrier can be reinforced."
Tsunade looked at Hikaru. In truth, she wasn't as morally rigid as she used to be. She had already used her grandfather's cells to awaken Wood Release. Drawing the line now felt like hypocrisy.
And Hikaru completely ignored the pleading look in Hashirama's eyes.
"Nidaime-sama is right. For the safety of Konoha, we must bring Lady Mito back."
"Not long ago, Obito and his men tore through the village's defenses and infiltrated Konoha's gates like it was nothing."
"Whether they're my friends, brothers, or elders… I'm willing to carry the burden of blasphemy, for the sake of the village."
"I won't let the same tragedy repeat itself!"
As Hashirama listened, he suddenly felt like he was looking at his younger self—the same fierce determination, the same unwavering will he'd once shown when he stabbed Madara in the back.
This child… he's truly something…
But once Mito comes back, I'm done for. For the sake of the village… wuwuwuwu… I'll sacrifice myself.
He nodded reluctantly, wearing a tragic expression.
Tobirama, on the other hand, smiled with satisfaction.
And so, with Hashirama as the only one left emotionally scarred, the four of them made their way to Orochimaru's laboratory once again.
The moment Orochimaru saw them, his expression turned pale.
No way… I already did what you asked—I dug them out of their graves. What more do you want from me?
Why the hell is Tsunade here too!? Is she here to kill me for real this time!?
Hikaru quickly reassured him.
"We're not here to harm you. It's something else this time."
"You still have some of Lady Mito's tissue, don't you?"
"Please use Impure World Reincarnation to bring her back."
Orochimaru's face twitched violently.
This guy's cracked. This bastard is absolutely cracked!
How the hell does he know that I have Mito's cells!?
No one knows that! Not even Kabuto! How does this brat know!?
Tobirama interrupted his spiraling thoughts, arms crossed.
"Orochimaru, stop overthinking it. We're not here to punish you."
"We just want our sister-in-law back—someone who can fortify the village's defenses."
Orochimaru finally relaxed a little… but still couldn't shake the feeling that Uchiha Hikaru somehow knew everything about him.
And that terrified him.
-------
Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
---------------------
Join my Patreon and get access to 50+ early chapters before anyone else! 🔥
https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Your Support is Truly Appreciated 🫂