Tobirama almost thought he had misheard!
What did he mean, that he was to become the present-day Izuna of the Uchiha Clan?
Did he have even the slightest resemblance to that despicable mad dog?
Besides, how could such a thing possibly be?
"Monkey, you do know what you're saying, don't you…" Tobirama frowned. He suspected that his most prized student might have gone mad from excessive pressure.
"Of course, Sensei."
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "Do you think this matter is difficult?"
He pointed toward the cultivation tank in the distance.
There, inside it, was Tobirama—Izuna's cultivated body.
Tobirama's expression darkened.
Before his death back then, aside from worrying whether Konoha and Hiruzen could shoulder the responsibility…
What he worried about most were these notes and materials of his.
This was his private space!
Even if his elder brother had come, he would have had to tidy up first before letting him in…
But there was no helping it—he had died on the battlefield as Hokage. His disciple had to sort through his relics.
In any case, once a man was dead, all was over. Exposing a bit of black history did not matter…
It wasn't as if someone could drag the dead back into the shinobi world.
Before entering the Pure Land, Senju Tobirama seemed to have forgotten that he had invented a certain ninjutsu called Impure World Reincarnation…
"This technique is a good one, but it does have some unpleasant aspects…" Tobirama rarely complained about one of his own techniques in his heart.
"Monkey, are you thinking of having me use something like the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Switch Technique to control that body?"
Tobirama frowned. If that was Hiruzen's idea, then it was far too crude.
Moreover, it would be quite disrespectful to him as a teacher.
"How could that be, Sensei…"
"When a soul resides within an Impure World body, it may be tolerable for a short time. The longer it stays, the harder it becomes to endure." Hiruzen took out a notebook and said sincerely, "I have repeatedly studied your forbidden technique notes."
Tobirama's expression was complicated, though it did not compare to even half of what he felt inside.
It was a good thing that Hiruzen was willing to study the essence of his ninjutsu…
But that notebook also occasionally recorded certain matters from his personal life. He had thought it would never leave this secret laboratory.
It was both a summary of his research ideas and an outlet for venting under immense pressure.
Under great pressure, shinobi all developed certain eccentricities to some degree.
"You read it all… repeatedly?" Tobirama asked as if casually.
"I did. Some parts I read and forgot, others I remember very clearly," Hiruzen replied with a genial smile.
Tobirama very much wanted to cover his face.
No need to say it—he definitely remembered everything.
Tobirama took a deep breath. Even though that could not make an Impure World body feel comfortable, it at least helped calm his mind a little…
His tall, mighty, never-wrong image as a teacher!
Now it was ruined by at least a small part…
"Let's talk business, Monkey… Since you know that won't work, what do you plan to do?"
"Please look at this technique." Hiruzen handed the Living Corpse Reincarnation scroll to Tobirama.
Tobirama took it, puzzled.
But as soon as he opened it, he was drawn in by the technique's ingenious concept.
Forbidden techniques, to him, were one of the best stimulants.
After reading for quite a while, Tobirama gave this evaluation.
"A genius concept. Using my soul-binding technique and Spirit Transformation Technique as a foundation, then adding his own clever ideas, he constructed this 'Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique'…"
"But the effect is somewhat sinister. It should be listed as a forbidden technique."
Hiruzen smiled faintly.
Aside from his own teacher, when it came to ninjutsu alone, the one Orochimaru revered and admired most was Senju Tobirama…
If Orochimaru knew that his ninjutsu had even been classified as a 'forbidden technique' by Tobirama, he would probably be very happy, wouldn't he?
However, unless one day Hiruzen could dominate the shinobi world, Orochimaru would never know…
"Can you learn it, Sensei…?"
"Of course. This technique's foundation comes from me."
"Then can you still do it in an Impure World body?"
"I can as well…"
The conversation suddenly stopped. Tobirama understood Hiruzen's idea.
He was trying to revive him!
"Monkey, this isn't that simple…" Tobirama was somewhat shaken by Hiruzen's wild line of thinking and refused instinctively.
To have him revive in an Uchiha body? How could he even think of that!
Back then, he really had misjudged Monkey…
This brat usually looked listless—how did he grow up and, the moment he made a move, produce such a crazily bold idea!
Even more extreme than Tobirama himself…
"You mean the degree of compatibility between the soul and the body…"
"In fact, judging from the compatibility between your cells and Izuna's cells, there should not be too big a problem."
"Even if there are some minor issues, we can think of ways to fine-tune things afterward."
Tobirama's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably.
Fine—he really had thoroughly mastered his notes. He was just short of reciting the experimental data…
"This body can't be used…" Tobirama searched for a flaw.
"I know that as well."
"Please look at this scroll, and also this material." Hiruzen smiled faintly. From this moment on, the initiative seemed to have come into his hands: "This is Hiruko… You don't know him. He is a research talent in Konoha today, and he created a secret technique about promoting cell fusion and strengthening the compatibility environment."
"Using the Fūinjutsu provided by Mito-sama as the foundation, its reliability is assured."
"This is Takigakure's Earth Grudge Fear. It has remarkable effects when it comes to reconnecting severed Chakra Pathways in living, active flesh. After assisting the pathways in reconnecting, it can be removed without leaving any trace."
Tobirama fell silent.
The level of preparation his disciple displayed could be described as extremely comprehensive.
Tobirama did not speak rashly. Instead, he carefully examined everything in detail and, in his mind, deduced whether this theory could succeed.
He then picked up a strand of Earth Grudge Fear and infused a portion of chakra into it.
After a long while, Tobirama's expression grew increasingly complicated.
He had to admit that Hiruzen's preparations were sufficient and feasible.
The Third Hokage had, at the technical level, accomplished something the Second Hokage had been unable to achieve.
Before closing his eyes.
Hiruzen had still been a young man he needed to worry about, a disciple who relied on him.
But when he opened them again...
He had already grown into a Third Hokage who felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.
Hiruzen's words contained a great deal of information.
With Tobirama's intellect, he could grasp the key points the moment he heard them.
Konohagakure was now rich in talent. At least in terms of ninjutsu and research, Orochimaru and Hiruko were both quite gifted…
Hiruzen had also gained the recognition of Uzumaki Mito—and not the ordinary kind.
Otherwise, given his sister-in-law's temperament, she would not have easily provided a sealing technique that could be transformed into a forbidden technique…
Tobirama had engaged in battles of wits with Mito for many years. He knew how sharp her judgment was.
'More than twenty years… indeed, too much can happen.'
'In the Warring States period, that would have been enough for many shinobi to live out an entire lifetime,' Tobirama thought with some emotion, though his mind was still somewhat unsettled.
There was no helping it. Even as calm and wise as he was…
To be suddenly summoned out of the Pure Land by his disciple, only to be bluntly told to become an Uchiha—and even to take on the role of Uchiha Izuna!
It truly required a moment to process.
The idea sounded like sleep-talking—like saying whatever came to mind in a dream…
The master and disciple fell into silence again.
Hiruzen did not speak, merely waiting for his teacher to think it through slowly.
After pondering for a while, Tobirama gradually began to sense a certain logic to it…
It seemed there was indeed some merit to the argument!
Seeing that the light in Tobirama's red eyes appeared to brighten, Hiruzen finally spoke at that moment: "Sensei, all these years, I have missed you."
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