But Orochimaru couldn't voice these thoughts he had.
At least not where Tobirama Senju could hear them.
If Tobirama heard that Orochimaru wanted to create another eye like Uchiha Madara's, the old man might just explode on the spot.
"Lord Tobirama, if we inject some of the First Hokage's cells into the sacrifices, do you think it could further enhance the strength of the Impure World Reincarnation subjects?"
Orochimaru continued to ask Tobirama Senju.
"I tried that when I was still alive. It was useless. Unless someone can perfectly adapt to my brother's cells, it won't work."
Tobirama Senju finally stopped in front of a secret room in the prison.
"Let's figure out how to deal with the current crisis first. We have enough resources to handle this now, Orochimaru. Release the Impure World Reincarnation."
"Then... Lord Tobirama, see you in a bit."
Orochimaru smiled elegantly, formed a hand sign, and released the Impure World Reincarnation.
Paper scraps fluttered down as the stern man in blue armor finally faded away in front of the door.
The secret room's door opened, and Orochimaru stepped inside.
Fujin and God of Thunder, the two large men, were quietly leaning against each other, sound asleep in the center of the secret room.
On a nearby table, there were leftover scraps of food.
The food had been laced with a powerful sedative.
After tying Fujin and God of Thunder with two thick iron chains, Orochimaru separated the two large men, then bit his finger and formed hand signs.
Complex Summoning Incantations appeared, and the two unconscious men opened their eyes at that moment, letting out bloodcurdling screams.
Amidst the desperate cries, their two stout bodies gradually transformed. As two souls summoned from the Pure Land entered them, two figures, one red and one blue, slowly opened their eyes.
Feeling the iron chains on them, two terrifying bursts of Chakra immediately erupted.
Senju Hashirama pulled gently, but couldn't break free. He was a little surprised by how weak he felt, then added more force to finally snap the chains.
Tobirama Senju, on the other hand, formed a single hand sign and spat out a thin, high-pressure water blade from his mouth, cutting the chains.
"Orochimaru, this time the effect is unexpectedly good."
Perceiving the amount of Chakra and the physical strength of this body, Tobirama Senju calmly stated.
"Tobirama, what's going on?"
"You and I have been revived by a junior using the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, Brother."
"Huh? Impure World Reincarnation? I told you to seal it away..."
"That's because the village is in great trouble, which is why this was done."
"Oh, so that's it. By the way... who are you?"
Senju Hashirama tilted his head, looking at Orochimaru.
"Lord First Hokage, I am the Fourth Hokage after Lord Sarutobi, and also the caster of the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu."
"Oh~ so you're the Monkey's student. You're already the Fourth Hokage, huh? Is the village doing well now?"
Tobirama Senju sighed helplessly.
Sure enough, it's that familiar feeling.
He just said it.
If the village was doing well, why would Orochimaru bother using Impure World Reincarnation to summon them?
Orochimaru said, "I apologize, Lord First Hokage. I temporarily assumed the position of Hokage after Lord Sarutobi was killed in battle. The village is currently in the most perilous time since its establishment. One misstep, and it risks complete collapse."
"It seems my original idea failed. Even now, war still exists."
Senju Hashirama sighed, but showed no discouragement.
Perhaps even when he was alive, he had considered the possibility of the ninja village system failing.
So, the God of Shinobi simply sat on the ground and looked at Orochimaru.
"Fourth Hokage, if it's not too urgent, please tell me the whole story from the beginning. Preferably starting from after I left this world."
"Then, Lord First Hokage, I'll try to keep it brief."
Orochimaru also chuckled and sat cross-legged opposite Senju Hashirama, beginning to recount events from the First Great Ninja War after Senju Hashirama's death, continuing all the way to Qingshui, who brought about earth-shattering changes to the entire Sand Village after the Second Great Ninja War.
Finally, he spoke of how the Third Hokage followed in the Second Hokage's footsteps, sacrificing himself in battle to cover a retreat, and how large territories in the western and northwestern Land of Fire were occupied, leaving Konoha Village in a passive and defensive position.
Orochimaru's narration was very objective, with no excessive embellishment in his words.
"So, that Sand Hidden young man named Qingshui is quite impressive, isn't he? Perhaps the path he chose is the correct one."
Senju Hashirama stroked his chin, a naive expression on his face.
"So, what is your choice, Lord First Hokage?"
Orochimaru asked politely.
"In my opinion, the dead shouldn't disturb the world of the living. At least, when I founded this village, there wasn't some powerful individual who had been dead for many years suddenly showing up to stop me."
"Big Brother..."
Tobirama Senju interrupted him.
"Calm down, Tobirama. We can't just be summoned every time the younger generation has a problem. Once is fine, but twice? Three times? If it's acceptable now, what about in a hundred or two hundred years? By then, the village will have changed entirely, and the people in it will be so distantly related to us. We can't keep intervening then, can we?"
Senju Hashirama spoke calmly.
In the original timeline, he was willing to act because Orochimaru said that Uchiha Madara had been resurrected before them and intended to kill all the ninja. The moment Uchiha Madara's name was mentioned, both the Senju brothers and Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately became alert.
"So, you don't intend to act?"
Orochimaru asked, not without regret. If that were the case, it would only mean the addition of Tobirama Senju as a top-tier fighter. If he had known, he would have used Impure World Reincarnation on the Third Hokage.
"If I had my way, I wouldn't want to get involved. However, the village is my legacy, and I don't want to see it suffer this kind of fate. So, I hope to speak with the leader of the Sand Village to temporarily quell this war. As for what happens next, I'll leave it to you, the future generations. Fourth Kazekage, I can see you are an excellent successor. I trust your abilities."
Hearing this, Orochimaru felt a sense of calm. He didn't believe the Sand Village, currently holding the advantage, would willingly cease the war. Konoha Village wouldn't want to either, unless the Sand Village returned the occupied territories. But would the Sand Village agree to that?
Senju Hashirama would likely have to act even if he didn't want to. His desire to negotiate, and his genuine belief that talks could bring change, was simply because he was Senju Hashirama—a naive person who could have easily conquered the Ninja World but lacked sharp judgment and overly trusted the good in humanity.
Moreover, Orochimaru believed Senju Hashirama understood one truth: once a conflict began between two sides, it would be difficult for them to calmly sit down and talk unless one side won or a higher power intervened. If Senju Hashirama didn't even understand this, then he only needed to look at the example of himself and Uchiha Madara.
"Someone's here. It's the Anbu. There might be something important."
Tobirama Senju suddenly glanced towards the door. His sensory abilities were top-notch.
"Lord Fourth, urgent message from the intelligence squad."
A voice sounded from outside the secret chamber.
"Speak from out there."
Orochimaru called out.
"The Sand Village has split their forces. One group is still heading north, led by Rasa. The other group is heading towards the capital, led by a suspected Scorch Release user, Pakura."
The Anbu ninja knelt outside the door, head bowed.
Orochimaru, however, smiled.
"You may withdraw."
"Yes."
A few seconds later, Orochimaru turned to Senju Hashirama. "First Hokage, it seems we must deal with the current situation before we can speak with the Sand Village."
"Big Brother, the Fourth Kazekage is right."
Tobirama Senju also urged him.
"Sigh... It seems war is truly unavoidable, no matter the era. I just hope that child will be willing to talk with me after this is over."
Senju Hashirama said, covering his forehead helplessly.
Upon exiting the secret chamber, Orochimaru immediately issued orders: the fastest, Minato Namikaze, was to lead an elite squad to the Land of Fire's capital for reinforcement; Jiraiya was to rendezvous with Yūhi Shinkō's team to intercept Rasa.
With the remaining forces, Orochimaru believed they could defeat Qingshui. Just Tobirama Senju, with most of his strength recovered, was enough to fill the gap left by Minato Namikaze's immediate departure. And Senju Hashirama's strength was not to be underestimated; even with less than half his full power, he still surpassed the realm of ordinary Kage-level individuals. At the very least, Orochimaru believed he was on par with Jiraiya in Sage Mode, and with an Impure World Reincarnation body, his stamina was incomparable to Jiraiya's.
Currently, the opposing Sand Hidden only had Qingshui as a top-tier fighter here. As long as his strength didn't inexplicably rise another level, or the Sand Village didn't produce new top-tier combatants, Konoha was sure to win this time! He just wondered if they could keep Qingshui here, as the First Hokage's attitude was simply too passive.
"Oh? Konoha has also split their forces?"
Sand Hidden, which had been keeping a close eye on Konoha, quickly detected movement from their side.
"It's time to act, Qingshui."
Sasori, sitting across from Qingshui, closed the book in his hand and addressed Qingshui.
"If Konoha sends out their top fighters to intercept Rasa and Pakura, it means they are currently weak. If not, then we should also move out and pin down their high-end combatants. That way, Rasa and Pakura will have an easier time succeeding."
"I know, but Konoha definitely has a trump card. Be careful on the battlefield later."
"A Taijutsu ninja who can use forbidden jutsu? I'll be cautious."
Sasori nodded slightly, indicating he understood.
He felt that Qingshui was concerned about him as a friend.
Such intensely aggressive close-combat ninjas were the bane of a Puppet Master. Although Sasori had made preparations and adjustments in this area, it was still relatively a weakness for him.
Qingshui had been unusually attentive to this Taijutsu ninja from Konoha who could use forbidden jutsu over the past two days, even prioritizing him more than Orochimaru and Jiraiya, who were currently Konoha's leading figures. Sasori naturally took extra precautions.
Ninjas have strong mobility during wartime. Not long after Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze left, Sand Hidden had already received the news, assembled their troops, and began to advance towards Konoha's most important fortress.
What surprised them, however, was that Konoha this time did not hold its ground like in previous instances. Instead, they, like Sand Hidden, actively mobilized.
At this, Sand Hidden began to grow cautious.
Given Orochimaru's talent, it was impossible for him not to have analyzed that they would launch an attack at this time. This could only mean that Konoha definitely had some trump card, a conspiracy waiting for them.
"Forget it, just blast them first. Bombard everything ahead with artillery fire."
Qingshui gave the order decisively.
Immediately, Puppet Masters swiftly pulled out Sealing Scrolls, assembling components on the spot to create launching platforms.
A few seconds later, fireworks soared into the sky, and stars rained down.
Soon, the ninjas of Sand Village understood where Konoha's confidence came from.
From a distance, massive, thick giant trees could be seen wriggling and breaking through the earth, instantly transforming into a vast forest. They wove together in the air to form a thick defensive layer, blocking all attacks.
"This is… Wood Release!"
Fukami Senran raised his binoculars, watching the forest rise from the ground in the distance, his pupils involuntarily constricting.
At his age, he had grown up shortly after the First Hokage's death, when his remaining prestige had not yet faded.
"Senju of the Forest… Has another user of the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai appeared after the First Hokage?"
"Probably not."
Qingshui's face was grim as he looked at the dense forest that had appeared in the distance in just a few breaths.
"Could it be… Impure World Reincarnation? But this jutsu hasn't been seen since the Second Hokage died, and its main purpose is to lure enemies, clear traps, or to reincarnate the opponent's comrades to inflict mental and morale damage on the enemy forces. Its power isn't truly strong…"
A veteran Jonin in his forties expressed his doubts.
He had experienced the First Great Ninja War, and at that time, he was already a Special Jonin with some experience, familiar with this information.
Qingshui also thought it was Impure World Reincarnation, but he couldn't figure out how Orochimaru managed to revive the Impure World Reincarnation bodies with their full strength.
There were no White Zetsu to serve as sacrifices now. Even if Orochimaru was incredibly gifted, at most, it would be like in the original timeline during the Konoha Crush, where the Impure World Reincarnation bodies would have a certain level of strength, enough to intervene in Kage-level confrontations.
But the current situation didn't look like it was only that level.
Such a massive forest, even if it wasn't Senju Hashirama at his absolute peak, must have at least some of his strength from back then.
If it was seventy or eighty percent, Qingshui estimated he might not be able to win.
However, even against the true peak, Qingshui was confident he could protect himself and retreat safely.
But his army here, he feared, wouldn't have many survivors.
"Lord Qingshui, a very powerful Chakra is approaching."
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