Realizing he couldn't defeat Uchiha Yue alone, Orochimaru turned to his last hope. He remembered his mentor's teacher—the legendary expert on the Uchiha clan, the founder of Konoha, and the man who trained Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo.
Tobirama Senju. The Second Hokage.
Although remembered by generations as a great ancestor, Tobirama had actually died at a very young age. Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of fate: to summon this genius, he had had to expend considerable effort, obtaining tissue samples and DNA. But the gamble had been worth it.
"Second-sama, you are our only hope," Orochimaru thought, holding his breath as he gazed at the ritual coffin. "Perhaps only you can devise a way to destroy Uchiha Yue!"
He used the Impure World Reincarnation technique, Edo Tensei. This time, however, Orochimaru didn't place a restraining will on the summoned one. There was no need. He was certain that as soon as the Second Hokage realized the scale of the threat, he would side with them. This was no longer someone's personal vendetta, but a crisis that threatened the very existence of the shinobi world.
For Konoha to survive, Uchiha Yue had to die. For the entire world to survive, with the exception of Akatsuki in their pocket dimension of Kamui, Uchiha Yue had to disappear.
And if he couldn't be killed, he had to be sealed. A living natural disaster wasn't a metaphor, but a harsh reality.
The technique worked. The coffin lid opened with a dull thud, and a resurrected figure stepped out.
"Where am I?"
Senju Tobirama opened his eyes. He reflexively examined his own body, then turned his heavy gaze to Orochimaru, whose face was contorted with a mixture of hope and anticipation. The Second Hokage understood everything in that instant.
"Edo Tensei..." he said with a cold smile. "I never thought my kinjutsu would ever be used on me."
"Second-sama, I'm so glad I was able to bring you back!" Orochimaru leaned forward, not hiding his glee. "Now this world is saved!"
"Who are you? And what do you mean, 'the world is saved'?" Tobirama's voice took on a steely edge. He immediately sensed something was wrong. This jutsu was originally intended to create immortal cannon fodder in conjunction with the multiplying explosive tag technique. A shinobi of his caliber could have been summoned for another purpose—to discover the village's secrets. But this man's words sounded different.
"My name is Orochimaru..."
Orochimaru began his story, focusing on recent events. When he mentioned that Shimura Danzo had almost completely exterminated the Uchiha clan, Tobirama's lips twitched into a stern smile.
"As expected of my student. He surpassed me. I was only thinking about suppressing the Uchiha, but Danzo got to the root of the problem. Excellent work."
"Although this could undermine Konoha's unity. I hope Hiruzen can fix everything."
"But it's still strange... If the clan was destroyed, why was it necessary to resurrect me? To save the world? Did one of them awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan during the massacre? But where would it come from if everyone's dead?"
"So what? They think every Uchiha is a Madara?" Izuna also awakened the Mangekyō, but it didn't save him from my hand."
In the eyes of Tobirama Senju, the Mangekyō Sharingan was a powerful weapon, but not all-powerful. Power always lay in the individual, not their Kekkei Genkai. His older brother, Hashirama, wasn't born with Wood Release—he developed it himself. Does anyone seriously believe that the blood of the Senju clan alone is enough?
The same was true for the Uchiha. The Mangekyō granted an incredible boost in strength, but reaching Madara's level was nearly impossible. Uchiha Madara was monstrously strong even without his eyes. It wasn't his clan that made him great, but the clan's because of him. Just like with Hashirama, they had to be considered separately.
Tobirama sensed a disconnect. But when Orochimaru finished his story, the Second Hokage's face hardened.
"Are you telling the truth?!" he barked, stepping forward. Disbelief swirled in his eyes.
What do you mean, "Danzo's plan created a living natural disaster"? A human being—a natural disaster? How can those terms even be in the same sentence?
Yet a moment ago, he'd been mentally praising Danzo.
"The absolute truth, Second-sama." "By our calculations, Uchiha Yue's aura will envelop the entire planet in just a year. Then humanity will become extinct," Orochimaru confirmed with grim certainty. "But even now, his ability to absorb chakra and all forms of energy makes him a walking disaster. He doesn't even need to do anything to destroy a country. If he wants, he'll exterminate all life."
"Lead me," Tobirama muttered, his face darkening. "I must see this for myself."
Soon they arrived at the edge of the Dead Zone.
They were met by absolute, oppressive silence. The lifeless land, pierced by icy cold and shrouded in darkness, stretched to the horizon.
"So this is Uchiha Yue's power?" Tobirama asked with a heavy expression, watching the border of the Dead Zone slowly but inexorably creep forward.
"Yes, Second-sama," Orochimaru confirmed.
Tobirama slowly extended his hand, crossing the invisible line. At that moment, he felt the strength in his resurrected body begin... to drain. As if it were being sucked away by a bottomless void.