Konohagakure.
Outside the conference room on the top floor of the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen and Minato stood at the entrance, accompanied by Konoha's high-ranking officials and the heads of its major clans—more than twenty people in total—all waiting anxiously.
At that moment—
Five figures emerged from around the corner of the hallway.
Everyone, including Hiruzen and Minato, instinctively held their breath, a subtle tension creeping into the air.
Obito was the first to quicken his pace, stepping forward with a smile.
"No need to stand around out here, everyone. Let's head inside and talk."
Minato exchanged a glance with Obito before giving a slight nod to those behind him.
Without delay, the group respectfully ushered inside the conference room.
Moments later, several squads of elite Anbu appeared, swiftly setting up layers upon layers of barriers outside the room.
Once inside, the disguises fell away.
Obito gestured toward the four people beside him.
"Let me introduce you all—"
He pointed one by one.
"The First Hokage, Hashirama-sama. The Second Hokage, Tobirama-sama. My grandfather, Uchiha Madara."
"And… a certain someone who finally found his way back—Orochimaru."
Before anyone could react—
A green-clad figure blurred past Obito and threw herself into Hashirama and Tobirama's arms.
"Grandfather! Second Great-Uncle!"
Hashirama laughed heartily, opening his arms wide and lifting her up in a familiar embrace.
"Tsunade! You've grown so much!"
Even Tobirama, usually composed, allowed a rare smile to surface.
Seeing this, Minato let out a quiet sigh of relief.
(Phew… This didn't go exactly as expected, but so far, so good.)
The three continued chatting as if no one else was there.
Truth be told, no one present dared to interrupt such a heartwarming moment.
All they could do was patiently wait…
Meanwhile, Jiraiya quietly approached Orochimaru, pulling him aside.
Without warning, he threw a punch at Orochimaru, his voice low yet filled with emotion.
"You bastard… You actually came back?"
Though his words sounded accusatory, the joy beneath them was unmistakable.
For some reason—
Orochimaru's lips curled into a smirk.
"Hmph. Idiot. I didn't come back for you."
"…"
After a few more words between Hashirama, Tobirama, and Tsunade, the two Senju brothers finally turned their attention back to the room.
"Thank you, everyone," Hashirama said, his expression filled with gratitude. "Konoha is everything I ever hoped for."
Then, out of nowhere—
The First Hokage suddenly bent at the waist, bowing at a full 120 degrees.
The entire room froze, bewildered by the gesture.
(The First Hokage… is this approachable? This isn't what we expected at all…)
Tobirama, standing beside him, sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose.
ε=(ο｀*))) sigh…
Catching the silent plea in his brother's eyes, Hiruzen stepped forward, hurriedly helping Hashirama up with a helpless smile.
"First Hokage-sama, you're being too kind. We can't possibly accept such a gesture."
"Konoha is our home too. Protecting and building it is simply our duty."
Tobirama nodded slightly, then turned his gaze toward Hiruzen and Minato.
"Hiruzen. And Namikaze Minato. You two have done well."
"You've managed Konoha with great order. You've honored the title of Hokage."
Minato and Hiruzen immediately expressed their humility, insisting they were unworthy of such praise.
Tobirama continued acknowledging those present, and soon, the room was filled with courteous exchanges.
Until—
A certain someone, who had been silent this whole time, finally lost his patience.
"Hmph. A bunch of hypocrites."
Madara's cold laughter sliced through the atmosphere.
"All this empty flattery—what's the point? It's tedious."
Just like that, the warm mood in the room was doused in icy silence.
"Uchiha Madara…"
Tobirama's sharp gaze locked onto Madara, his expression hostile.
The tension in the room spiked instantly.
(Oh no. These two aren't about to start fighting right here, are they?!)
At that moment—
Obito took a step forward, positioning himself between them.
Reaching out, he tugged lightly on Madara's sleeve, his voice calm and measured.
"Grandfather, if this is boring you, why don't we just…?"
Madara's eyes flickered with interest. He nodded.
"Let's go. If I have to listen to any more of this, I might actually throw up."
Obito nodded slightly before turning to another person in the room.
"Fugaku-san, I'll have to trouble you to come with us."
Fugaku's eyes darted between Minato and Hiruzen, as if hoping for some kind of response.
However—
The looks they returned carried only one message:
(Go on, Fugaku.)(For the greater good, you must make this sacrifice.)
"…Alright."
Fugaku sighed, standing up to follow the two out of the room.
Once the last Uchiha had left—
Koharu Utatane moved closer to Tobirama, her face etched with frustration.
"Second-sama… Did you know that Uchiha Obito became the Fifth Hokage?!"
Tobirama frowned slightly, turning to his former student.
"I do. Why?"
Koharu looked stunned.
(Sensei always despised the Uchiha… Why does he seem so indifferent now?)
She quickly composed herself, carefully choosing her words.
"Don't you think… that's a bit inappropriate?"
Tobirama shot her a cold glance, his tone sharp.
"Inappropriate?"
"Would you rather take the position yourself?"
Koharu immediately clamped her mouth shut.
She wasn't stupid—she could hear the displeasure in his voice.
(But why…?)
(He was the one who always told us to keep the Uchiha in check.)
(He was the one who warned us never to show them mercy if given the chance.)
(Yet now, he doesn't care that an Uchiha became Hokage?)
Koharu's mind reeled in disbelief.
(This must be what betrayal feels like…)
...
Outside the Hokage Building.
Fugaku walked alongside Madara and Obito, feeling distinctly out of place.
How exactly am I supposed to address them…?
As if reading his thoughts—
Madara glanced at him sideways and said flatly,
"You can call me 'Great-Granduncle.'"
"As for Obito…" He paused, then smirked.
"Technically, you should call him 'Uncle.'"
Fugaku froze.
Obito burst out laughing.
"No need for that, Fugaku-san. Just call me whatever you're comfortable with. Don't listen to my grandfather."
Fugaku gave a stiff nod, wiping away a bead of cold sweat.
"…Great-Granduncle, Fifth Hokage-sama—why did you call me out here?"
Obito didn't hesitate.
"We're planning to revive a certain Uchiha from the Warring States era—Madara's younger brother, Uchiha Izuna."
"But… we're concerned he might react too strongly. So we want to create a comfortable environment for him."
Understanding dawned in Fugaku's eyes.
"I see. What do you need from me?"
Obito scratched his head.
"Gather a few dozen Uchiha who have awakened their Sharingan. Bring them to the Naka Shrine."
Fugaku nodded.
"I'll summon them immediately. Give me twenty minutes."
Madara, pleased with his efficiency, smirked.
"Hmph. You're not bad, kid. Go."
Feeling unexpectedly honored, Fugaku quickly hurried off to gather his clansmen.
"Alright, Grandfather," Obito said, turning back to Madara.
"Let's head into the Kamui dimension."
"I have everything prepared. Once we revive Izuna, we can take him there directly."
Madara nodded. His heart was already burning with anticipation.
(Izuna… I'll finally see you again!)
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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