Hearing Uchiha Madara's words, Hashirama Senju scratched his head with a goofy grin.
"Something's off? What's off about it?!"
"You idiot!" Madara snapped. "You were just bragging about how clever you are, but you're clearly a total dimwit! If you're not using that brain of yours, you might as well donate it. I bet Orochimaru and that shady Tobirama Senju would love to poke around in it! After all, a brain this dense is a rare find in the ninja world!"
Hashirama pouted, looking all kinds of wronged at Madara's jab.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru's eyes lit up, his sneaky gaze flickering toward Hashirama's head, like he was genuinely considering cracking open the First Hokage's skull for a peek.
Catching Orochimaru's creepy stare, Madara shot him a cold, piercing glare. Orochimaru flinched, quickly averting his eyes.
Tobirama, standing off to the side, couldn't take it anymore. His big brother was just too clueless—especially when it came to politics. The man's political instincts were practically nonexistent! Back when Hashirama was Hokage, if Tobirama hadn't been cleaning up his messes behind the scenes, the Hidden Leaf Village would've been a complete disaster.
In terms of raw power, Hashirama was untouchable. But when it came to brains? He was in a league of his own… and not in a good way.
"Big brother," Tobirama said, exasperated, "the Third Hokage is dead, which means the Hidden Leaf is leaderless. We urgently need to choose the Fifth Hokage. But in this critical moment, the village's other two elders are nowhere to be seen. Danzo's taken full control, and his Root ninjas have practically seized the entire village! I suspect that once the Third's funeral is over, Danzo's going to make a move against the major clans. He's already acting as the Fifth Hokage, and it's clear he's gunning to make it official!"
Hashirama nodded vaguely, half-understanding, as Tobirama's words sank in.
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke up. "Danzo's an ambitious schemer. He loves the spotlight, but he's all bark and no bite. He's full of plans but lacks the guts to follow through. He'll risk everything for small gains but hesitate when it comes to the big picture. A guy like that cannot become the Fifth Hokage! If he does, the Hidden Leaf is doomed!"
As Hiruzen spoke, his eyes kept drifting toward Itachi Hirofumi, fully aware of the young man's dreams and ambitions. Hiruzen knew Itachi wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. The kid was probably already planning to step up as the Fifth Hokage, which meant Danzo was in for a rough time!
Itachi Hirofumi just smirked.
Originally, he'd planned to lay low for a bit, let his team of young ninjas—like Naruto and the others—grow stronger, maybe reach Jonin level. But plans change. Orochimaru's unexpected summoning, the early collapse of the Hidden Leaf, Tsunade and Jiraiya still not back in the village, and Danzo's impatient grab for power—it was all happening too fast.
No way was he going to sit back and let himself end up as the Sixth Hokage! That'd break Naruto's heart, considering how much the kid rambled about Itachi being the Fifth so he could be the Sixth. If Itachi ended up as the Sixth, poor Naruto would be stuck aiming for Seventh!
To be fair, his team wasn't exactly weak anymore. Thanks to Tobirama's intense training, they were all at least Chunin-level. And with his own strength, plus the backing of his two legendary teachers, Itachi was more than ready to take on the role of Hokage.
A sly grin crept across Itachi's face.
"Hey, kid!" Madara teased, smirking. "Why's your mouth all crooked again? You plotting something shady, aren't you?"
The more Madara got to know his disciple, the more he liked him. Itachi's way of looking at things was eerily similar to his own. It felt like his legacy was finally being passed down.
"Teacher," Itachi said smoothly, "I'm not plotting anything weird. I'm just thinking about what I told you before. To achieve the ultimate goal of uniting the ninja world in peace, I've got to start somewhere. So, let's begin with me becoming the Fifth Hokage! To all the seniors here, if you're up for it, stick around—you're about to see a Hidden Leaf Village like never before!"
Madara blinked, momentarily stunned. In Itachi's bold confidence, he saw a glimpse of his younger self.
"Hmph," Madara chuckled. "You cheeky brat. As your teacher, I've got your back. No one's messing with my disciple!"
Hashirama, meanwhile, leapt to his feet, buzzing with excitement. "Madara! Back then, our ideals clashed, and you left the village. This time, I'm standing with you! The Hidden Leaf is our life's work. The village was named after my ninjutsu, and the title of Hokage came from yours. Let's support our disciple properly this time—the one who's inherited our will!"
As Hashirama spoke, his aura was overwhelming, commanding the room. Everyone stared, awestruck. This wasn't the usual goofy First Hokage. This was the God of Shinobi, radiating power and authority.
But just as the group was swept up in his inspiring words, Hashirama scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. "So, uh… can we still grab some food at the funeral feast later?"
WHAM!
"Shut up, you idiot!" Mito Uzumaki, his wife, stifled a laugh at her husband's antics.
Tobirama just sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Ugh, my brother can't stay cool for more than three seconds. But as Danzo's teacher, I suppose it's my job to clean up this mess."
Itachi, still smiling, turned to Hiruzen. "Lord Third Hokage, how about we go attend your funeral?"
Hiruzen froze, the idea of attending his own funeral feeling beyond bizarre. Was this really okay?!