Tobirama was about to continue explaining things to his 'naive' older brother, Hashirama, when a knock interrupted their conversation at the Hokage's office door.
Seeing their discussion cut short, Tobirama didn't get angry. This was just how office work went, wasn't it?
"Come in," Tobirama said calmly, composing himself.
It felt as if Hashirama was his subordinate and he was the Hokage.
However, seeing Hashirama's relieved expression at escaping his brother's nagging, it seemed he was long accustomed to such things and didn't mind at all. It must be said that the brothers' bond was incredibly deep, with no hint of suspicion between them.
The moment Tobirama finished speaking, the Hokage's office door opened. Before Hashirama and Tobirama could even clearly see who it was, they heard Hibari's voice.
"Hokage-sama, Ojiisan, Sasuke-jiisan has a message for Hiruzen... Hiruzen-jisan to deliver to you. You should hear it quickly!" Hibari said, entering the room with a pompous air, as if he were a staff member there.
At the same time, Hiruzen followed in from outside with a somewhat helpless expression, closing the door behind him.
The moment Tobirama heard Hibari's words, he felt something was amiss. After a brief thought, a smile played on his lips, and he turned his gaze to Hiruzen, his eyes clearly asking a question.
Hiruzen was also a clever fellow. The moment his eyes met Tobirama's, he understood the the man's meaning. He then smiled and shook his head in response.
At this, Tobirama understood what Hibari was up to. From that brief exchange of glances, he knew that Hiruzen hadn't disclosed any information to Hibari. Yet, this kid burst in acting like an 'insider,' as if he had already received information before him and his brother Hashirama.
What was his intention?
Wasn't it just to fish for information during Hiruzen's report?
"Hmph, always trying to be clever, trying to fool your Ojiisan?" Tobirama said to Hibari, annoyed.
Hashirama, meanwhile, wore his Hokage hat, looking utterly bewildered at the three in front of him. What's going on? Didn't Hibari just say one sentence when he came in? Why does it feel like there's some unspoken struggle? I don't feel anything at all.
Originally, Tobirama intended to kick Hibari out. But seeing Hibari's embarrassed expression after being exposed, he suddenly recalled events from many years ago.
He and his brother Hashirama weren't just two siblings; in their childhood, they were actually four brothers. It was just that his two younger brothers didn't survive the Warring States Period, sacrificing themselves in ninja conflicts during their early years.
Thinking about it now, his two younger brothers were about Hibari's age when they died. Perhaps it was for this reason that he subconsciously 'isolated' Hibari from involvement in true 'shinobi' matters.
As a result, although Hibari now possessed the strength of a shinobi, he had no actual shinobi experience. During peacetime, he could only spar with people he knew. He had never participated in a true, blood-spilling battle.
'Perhaps I've been too overprotective of him... If a fledgling doesn't brave the storms, how can it truly fly?' Tobirama mused silently.
Originally, Hibari, seeing his cleverness immediately exposed by Tobirama, was somewhat regretfully preparing to leave voluntarily. After all, how embarrassing would it be for his grandfather to explicitly tell him to leave?
But just then, he suddenly heard Tobirama speak again.
"Hiruzen, what did Sasuke find? Has there been progress on that mission? Tell us..." Tobirama said calmly, looking at Hiruzen.
This made Hibari's eyes light up, and he stopped his intention to leave. Since Ojiisan isn't kicking me out, I'll shamelessly stay and listen.
Thinking this, Hibari remained quiet and stood to the side, ready to listen closely to what was happening.
Hiruzen saw that his master had spoken, and the Hokage, whether he tacitly agreed or hadn't fully grasped the situation, didn't say much. So, Hiruzen felt there was no need to hold back. He figured Tobirama-sensei was perhaps preparing to truly start training Hibari to become a shinobi.
So, Hiruzen nodded and then said, "It's like this: earlier this morning, the Intelligence Division received a report from Jonin Sasuke. Information regarding the Takigakure's request and the whereabouts of the Seven-Tails, Chomei, has been found. However, it's a bit troublesome; a missing-nin named Kakuzu has appeared in the Takigakure and seems to be trying to sell the information about Chomei's whereabouts at a high price to a third party. The situation is currently unclear. It's unknown whether the information has truly spread, or if any third parties are preparing to interfere. Therefore, Jonin Sasuke requests further instructions from the village."
Hibari, standing quietly and listening to this news, felt his eyes gleam. Indeed, it was a big juicy melon, enough for him to feast on. Seven-Tails, Chomei... Missing-nin Kakuzu... These were all characters he was very interested in!
After Hiruzen's report, Hashirama, who had initially been looking relaxed, now exuded the true authority of the Hokage. He appeared much more serious, and with this change, Hibari immediately felt the pressure from the 'God of Shinobi.'
At the same time, Tobirama's expression also grew serious, a slight ripple of concern creasing his brow.
"The Five Kage Summit just ended recently, and the distribution of the Tailed Beasts has already been arranged. At this point in time, information about Chomei suddenly surfacing... if any of the other four villages truly can't control their greed... this newly established peace would likely crumble in an instant," First Hokage Hashirama Senju said with a serious expression.
"Furthermore, we already reached a cooperative agreement with the Takigakure, and we guaranteed to assist them in acquiring Chomei. Their commission has already been fully paid. If someone were to intercept it halfway, our Konohagakure's reputation would be damaged, our credibility would plummet, and even our good relations with the Takigakure would be marred..." Tobirama added in a deep voice.
As these two powerful figures spoke, Hibari and Hiruzen stood there, listening in silence.
Being involved in such a major event made the blood in Hibari's body surge, a flicker of excitement constantly flashing in his eyes.
Hiruzen, standing beside Hibari, looked at Hibari's eyes and couldn't help but smile. When he first stepped into the world of shinobis, he too was as excited as Hibari.
'However, this shinobi world isn't so easy to adapt to, Hibari. I hope you're mentally prepared,' Hiruzen thought to himself.
While Hiruzen and Hibari were pondering these random thoughts, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, made a decisive decision.
"For the village to develop and grow, credibility is indispensable. At the same time, we must demonstrate our power and strength to the outside world. Therefore, no matter what, Chomei must be delivered to the Takigakure. This escort mission must be completed. It concerns the future of the village and our allies; there can be no mistakes." Hashirama said, his tone resolute.
Tobirama also nodded in agreement. "Indeed, this mission cannot fail. And with so many unforeseen circumstances, it would be difficult for Sasuke alone to handle it..."
Tobirama hadn't even finished speaking when Hashirama directly interrupted him: "Since Chomei's whereabouts have been found, I will handle this personally..."
Tailed Beasts were not something just anyone could deal with; it usually required a group effort. Even a figure of Tobirama's caliber found dealing with a Tailed Beast extremely difficult.
In this era, the only ones who truly had the confidence to claim they could firmly 'restrain' a Tailed Beast and beat it to death with a single move were the current First Hokage of the Konohagakure, Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha, who had recently 'run away from home' and whose whereabouts were unknown!
Even if others dared to make such a claim, no one would believe them.
For the leader of a village to go on a mission might sound a bit unflattering, as if there was no one else left in the entire Konohagakure. However, upon closer thought, wasn't this also an opportunity to deter the surrounding petty villains?
Moreover, Tailed Beasts were indeed difficult to deal with, and this matter could not afford any mistakes. Even if Tobirama wanted to persuade his brother, he couldn't find a suitable reason.
Therefore, after a brief consideration, Tobirama said, "It's fine for you to handle it personally, Anija. However, there are a few urgent matters in the village that need to be dealt with, so you'll need to pause for a moment and hand them over to me clearly..."
At this point, Tobirama looked at Hiruzen and then said, "Hiruzen, the situation is not yet clear. Your father, Sasuke, also needs someone to support him. I order you to go back and prepare. Depart as quickly as possible to rendezvous with Sasuke, and try your best to clarify the situation. Hokage-sama will arrive there in the shortest possible time afterward, understood?"
Although Tobirama didn't state it too clearly, Hiruzen, having followed Hashirama and Tobirama for so long, naturally understood Tobirama's meaning.
That was, before Hashirama Senju arrived, gather intelligence there. At the same time, if any unexpected events occurred, or if a third party entered the fray, stall the situation and hold out until Hokage-sama, Hashirama Senju, entered the scene.
Once the Hokage entered the scene, essentially no one would be able to cause any significant trouble.