"Hmm, I don't know... probably because Shizune is naturally kind-hearted."
Tsunade looked awkward.
Of course she knew exactly why Shizune was upset.
At this moment, Shizune felt her future was completely pitch black!
She knew Tsunade would definitely find others to share the workload, just like how Tsunade had delegated Hokage duties to Shikaku Nara and others.
But the problem was, no matter how many people were brought in, Shizune's tasks would inevitably always be the most burdensome because she was the only one Tsunade trusted completely.
Tsunade patted Shizune's shoulder comfortingly. "Alright, don't be sad! You're still young, this is the prime time to work hard... Hmm, Makoto, how old is that Mizukage? Is she about the same age as Shizune?"
Tsunade wanted to use Mei Terumi as an example to persuade Shizune that working hard leads to success.
"Oh, Mei Terumi is indeed around the same age as Shizune. But she's already depressed about becoming an old maiden who missed her marriage window."
"..."
Tsunade's mouth twitched.
Was this guy undermining her on purpose?
Sure enough, when she turned to look at Shizune, Shizune's originally dejected expression had completely collapsed into despair.
Shizune hadn't even thought about the marriage aspect before, but Makoto's words directly reminded her.
Thinking about spending the first half of her life following Tsunade around gambling and losing money, and the second half helping Tsunade endlessly handle government paperwork until she died alone... Shizune felt her life was already hopeless!
"Wait! Let me say something!"
Hashirama, who had just regained his composure after arriving at the hot spring inn, anxiously stood in front of his younger brother.
"Tobirama! How could you do such a thing?! This violates the Will of Fire!"
"Don't mention the 'Will of Fire' anymore. It's all nonsense."
A calm voice came from the side.
'Who? Who dares to question the holy Will of Fire?'
Hashirama looked over, displeased.
'Oh, it was Makoto who said it. Never mind then.'
As the pioneer of the new era about to begin, Makoto had the right to say whatever he wanted.
But Hashirama still wanted to argue his point.
"The Fire Country Daimyo is dead, so the title 'Hokage' has become somewhat inappropriate..."
"Brother, I've been tolerating your previous comments out of respect, but this one I really can't let slide."
"Weren't the names 'Hokage' and 'Konoha' decided when you and Madara were flirting on the cliffside and making lifelong promises? The fuck does that have to do with the Fire Country Daimyo?"
Tobirama Senju couldn't hold back any longer and mercilessly exposed Hashirama's old secrets, while also educating everyone about ninja history from the perspective of someone who had lived through the cringe time.
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Hikari immediately showed a look of utter contempt.
She walked over to Makoto and tugged at his sleeve. "Let's leave quickly after we're done here. Just thinking about how this village got its name makes me sick."
"Aight."
"..."
Hashirama wanted to defend himself, but hearing Hikari's brutal rejection, his face immediately fell into an awkward slump.
"Big Brother, what's done is done. The entire royal family has been blown to pieces by my explosive tags. There's no biological material left for Impure World Reincarnation even if we wanted to..." Tobirama smiled faintly, pleased with his thoroughness.
"Wait! Couldn't we use Turning Illusion into Reality to obtain materials?" Hashirama's intelligence was unusually sharp at this moment.
"Turning Illusion into Reality requires Hikari's Tsukuyomi and Makoto's amplification. Do you think they would help you revive a corrupt politician?"
Tobirama's expression stiffened for a moment, but the next second he smiled again in resignation.
What good would it do if even Kurama Yakumo agreed alone?
"Tobirama, I understand your reasoning for doing this. But there are countless reasons why people might 'deserve' to die. No one should die just because of their background..."
Hashirama sighed heavily.
"First Hokage, I think you should be saying that to Itachi instead."
"The Itachi who inherited your 'Will of Fire,' who understood sacrifice and protection... when he pulled Uchiha children out from their hiding places and beheaded them during the Night of the Massacre, he certainly didn't think that 'people shouldn't die just because of their birth.'"
Makoto's words immediately left the First Hokage speechless.
That Itachi had gained Hashirama's approval was a fact.
However, during the Night of the Massacre, everyone had overlooked the brutal details that Makoto just highlighted.
Itachi didn't simply stop a coup, nor did he only kill the radical combatants.
He truly exterminated his entire clan.
This included the elderly grandmothers that the enthusiastic young Obito Uchiha often helped.
(Obito might as well have said: "Grandmas, when I was young I was late so many times because I helped you cross the street. Now it's time to pay me back with your lives.")
And many children who weren't involved in the clan disputes at all.
Perhaps even some people who wanted to stand with the village.
Even infants who couldn't read or speak yet.
Hashirama, at the Valley of the End, painfully killed his beloved friend Madara for the sake of the village.
Thus, he believed Itachi's clan extermination was the same as his own situation—a tragic sacrifice of loved ones for the greater good.
But in truth, Itachi didn't particularly love his clansmen.
His parents died, Izumi died—that might have bothered Itachi somewhat.
But as for the others dying? That was debatable.
"Thinking about it this way... there does seem to be something wrong with the Will of Fire."
Tsunade stroked her chin, expressing agreement. "So you're saying, when I used to criticize the Hokage system, I wasn't actually wrong?"
"Don't forget you're the Hokage yourself now. And you can just criticize Big Brother alone; no need to drag everyone else into it." Tobirama glanced at Tsunade and reminded her sharply.
He was somewhat surprised by Tsunade's transformation.
He hadn't even developed a mind-control jutsu yet, and Makoto had already disciplined... uh, trained Tsunade properly?
"Impure World Reincarnation! Right! Impure World Reincarnation!"
Shizune, who had been squatting quietly in despair for a long time, suddenly jumped up ecstatically as if possessed, grabbing Tsunade's hands.
"Lady Tsunade! If we're short on personnel, we can have Orochimaru use the Impure World Reincarnation! We could summon everyone back to do paperwork!"
"Shizune! The Impure World Reincarnation is a technique that defiles the dead! Calm down!" Tsunade scolded sharply.
"...Well, since the Third Hokage has already been reincarnated, we shouldn't dismiss it. After all, the Third has already been 'defiled' by Orochimaru—we can't let that go to waste."
Shizune shrank her neck slightly, trying to rationalize the.... necromancy.
Actually, when Tsunade first succeeded as the Fifth Hokage, her workload wasn't particularly heavy.
After all, she had the Third—the most experienced Hokage in history—assisting with most documents.
But then the Third died.
Unexpectedly, he had now been revived again.
This was actually a good thing.
Previously, when the Third handled documents, she would take on more work herself, worrying that his advanced age would make him tire easily.
But now it was perfect.
The Impure World Reincarnation provided unlimited chakra and infinite stamina—he would never get tired!
'Oh right! Besides the Third, there were two other former Hokages standing right here!'
Thinking of this, Shizune turned her hopeful gaze toward the First and Second Hokages.
"I must go to Amegakure to assist Orochimaru with research to counter the Otsutsuki clan's invasion. It is a matter of global security."
Tobirama saw exactly what Shizune was thinking and refused with righteous seriousness.
He wasn't about to get stuck doing paperwork for eternity!
Shizune then turned her desperate gaze to the First Hokage.
"You'd have better luck finding a particularly intelligent dog from the Inuzuka family to handle administrative affairs than asking my elder brother for help."
Tobirama ruthlessly shattered Shizune's illusion.
"Child, who do you think handled all the administrative work when my elder brother was Hokage? Me."