'Finally, no one's talking about me anymore...' Tobirama followed Hashirama, the Nine-Tails, and the others around Konoha, feeling slightly relieved.
Hashirama was practically glowing as he listened to how Hiruzen's various policies had been implemented throughout the village. Amegakure and Kirigakure had both formally come under Konoha's effective control, and quite a few elite shinobi had even joined the village.
"Hiruzen is even being called the First Mizukage? Wonderful, wonderful..."
"Let's visit the Ninja Academy again. I think the Nine-Tails is right about focusing on the quality of our students. We only took a quick look earlier, but this time I want to see the Academy properly!"
Hashirama gestured excitedly as he spoke.
Just thinking about hearing children laughing and playing made warmth spread through Hashirama's heart.
Even his cold Impure World Reincarnation body seemed to regain its warmth, as though his flesh were coming back to life.
However, this actually had nothing to do with the Will of Fire.
A certain Sage of Six Paths was simply balancing the resources between Indra and Asura. By tugging on the special connection between Hashirama and Asura's reincarnation, he had made a slight adjustment...
It was worth mentioning that the Sage of Six Paths had originally thought that bringing someone as powerful as Hashirama 'from death back to life' would require clearing a moderately difficult hurdle even for him...
Doing so without Hashirama noticing might have been difficult.
But even the Sage of Six Paths hadn't expected that merely weakening the boundary between 'life and death' within Hashirama would be enough for Hashirama's cells to take over on their own...
They began reviving themselves at a speed that even the Sage found bizarre...
When they reached the Ninja Academy, Hashirama first toured the outer corridor and discovered that it actually contained an introduction to Madara!
Hashirama strode over, gazed at Madara's photograph, and sighed softly before saying to Isshin beside him: "If Madara were here, he'd definitely be happy to see this..."
Isshin nodded heavily. "The Great Clan Head would certainly feel the same if his spirit could see this!"
The group slowly entered the Ninja Academy, only to suddenly hear the children on the training field erupt into loud shouts: "Whoa! Obito-niisan got brought back with Impure World Reincarnation!"
Hashirama froze. Isshin did too, and the entire group hurried toward the field.
No matter the era, Impure World Reincarnation was the kind of jutsu that immediately made people uneasy...
Although these days it was increasingly becoming known as the 'Jutsu for Making Dreams Come True,' certain someone's old reputation wasn't something that could be erased overnight.
'Seriously? Even this somehow comes back to me?' Tobirama was starting to lose his composure.
He had a feeling today would be better spent inside the Research Department, or perhaps sitting around with Hiruzen for a while...
Nothing was going his way today!
"Seriously, even that somehow comes back to you?" Izuna said with a cheerful smile, thoroughly enjoying himself.
He could listen to people mock Tobirama a hundred times, a thousand times, and never get tired of it...
Meanwhile, on the Ninja Academy training field...
Obito frantically waved his hands as he shouted at Kabuto, who was pointing at him: "I'm not an Impure World Reincarnation! I'm not! I'm alive! From now on, I'm going to be the instructor for your class's elite group!"
The Academy students collectively froze for a moment before erupting into cheers at Obito's return.
After all, he was prime essay material for them...
Although most of them had never personally interacted with Obito, they were already very familiar with him.
Obito basked in the sound of the children calling his name with genuine emotion. He took a deep breath and felt as though even the air itself had become sweet, filled with the warmth of the Will of Fire...
Kabuto pushed up his glasses, hurried over, and squeezed Obito's arm.
"What incredible vitality, Obito-niisan..."
Obito paused and gave Kabuto a closer look, thinking to himself: 'As expected of Council Member Orochimaru's student. He's exceptionally sensitive to vitality!'
Kabuto merely smiled faintly. He had realized long ago that Obito wasn't an Impure World Reincarnation.
As for why, Kabuto was probably the only Ninja Academy student who actually knew anything about the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
When Orochimaru taught students—especially ones like Kabuto who suited his tastes—he didn't always have much sense of what was appropriate for their age.
And having grown up in an orphanage, Kabuto had no reservations whatsoever about learning techniques of that sort.
After all, Kabuto's current dream was to someday become Konoha's Root and Director of the Research Department...
One dared to teach, and the other dared to learn.
Jiraiya had once questioned Orochimaru about this, only to receive the following answer:
You're not a genius, so you wouldn't understand! Do you really think you were the one who made Minato what he is? You stumbled across an exceptional student, so don't get carried away...
Itachi ran over as well.
He was very close to Obito. After all, Itachi had grown up in Seisui's household...
And both Obito and Shisui were like older brothers to him.
But just as Itachi tried to hug Obito, his entire body suddenly passed straight through him. If his taijutsu hadn't already been fairly good, he would have fallen flat on his face...
Itachi hurriedly turned around and found Obito looking at him with a mysterious smile.
"Kid, I heard that while I was gone, people started calling you the genius of the Ninja Academy?"
"Good. I've always loved dealing with geniuses!"
"Your surprise test starts now!"
"Everyone, attack me. This is going to affect your future overall assessment score, and I'll report your performance truthfully to Lord Hokage..."
Obito clasped his hands behind his back, putting on the air of an expert.
The Academy students froze for a moment, but didn't hesitate after that.
Surprise tests were already an old Konoha tradition...
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!
Wood Release: Wood Pillar Technique!
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!
Kabuto, Itachi, and Yamato reacted first.
The three launched a coordinated attack against Obito!
These were all ninjutsu far beyond what students who had only just entered the Ninja Academy should have been capable of using. But in modern Konoha, this level was no longer enough to surprise many people.
Building strong foundations had become the defining principle of the Ninja Academy.
Swift snakes, sharp wooden spikes, and explosive flames hurtled toward Obito in an instant!
The other Academy students quickly reacted as well, throwing kunai and shuriken at Obito in a relatively coordinated formation. Some even used their best techniques from the five basic nature transformations to cut off the angles he might use to evade...
Obito nodded slightly.
'Not bad!'
But his intangibility activated with complete honesty.
A tube of lipstick appeared in Obito's hand, seemingly the same kind Namikaze Minato had used back then.
With a mischievous smile, Obito tilted his head and imitated his teacher's tone.
"My, my. The Ninja Academy students really are as strong as monsters these days!"
As he spoke, all the attacks passed straight through his body.
Kabuto, Itachi, and Yamato's expressions changed simultaneously.
This was bad!
Space-time ninjutsu...
The other Academy students seemed to remember something as well, and their eyes widened.
Even before enrolling, these little Konoha brats had already known about the Ninja Academy tradition of assigning a jōnin instructor to guide the elite class...
The previous generation's Namikaze Minato was famous throughout both Konoha and the shinobi world. He had also demonstrated his abilities numerous times at the First Training Ground, so everyone in the village knew what he could do.
It had all been great fun for the children to watch.
Once they enrolled themselves, however, it stopped being funny.
What if they ended up with another instructor who specialized in space-time ninjutsu?
They would be finished!
Fortunately, the outstanding graduate temporarily invited by the Academy's teachers had previously been Kakashi.
His swordsmanship and mastery of all five chakra natures were difficult to deal with, but he hadn't put the Academy students under overwhelming pressure. Overall, the difficulty had still been manageable.
No one could have expected the supposedly deceased Konoha hero Obito to suddenly return with Kamui...
"Too slow..."
Obito's lips curled upward.
Right now, all he wanted was for the Ninja Academy students to experience suffering!
Not only the suffering of being 'bullied' by Namikaze Minato, but also the effort and sweat Obito himself had endured during his grueling training at the Mountains' Graveyard...
How could they ever become great shinobi without suffering a little?!
Kamui activated, and Obito vanished in an instant amid a spiraling spatial distortion.
"Where is he?!"
Itachi frowned tightly. The moment he turned around, a teasing voice came from behind him.
"Yo..."
Obito appeared behind Itachi. A streak of red lipstick swept across the boy's neck, just as Minato had once done to him.
"What are you looking at?"
A chill ran down Itachi's back, and his eyes widened.
He couldn't react in time...
Kabuto and Yamato attacked Obito from either side, but neither could do anything against his intangibility.
Obito tilted his head and took them down as well...
In the blink of an eye...
Across the Ninja Academy training field, Obito repeatedly used his intangibility and spatial movement. One spiraling spatial distortion after another spread across the field as he took down every single Academy student in Konoha!
"Tsk..."
"Man, each class really is worse than the last. Back when we fought Minato-sensei, at least we could put him under some real pressure. You guys still have a long way to go!"
With his hands behind his back, Obito spoke with an expression of profound disappointment.
"You all need to work harder! If you start slacking off, I'll be even more anxious than you are. Honestly, you'll worry me to death..."
Itachi stared at the Mangekyō Sharingan in Obito's eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching repeatedly.
At this point, he genuinely felt that aside from Seisui-nii, the Uchiha Clan barely had any normal human beings left...
Starting with his own father, who spent every day at home using his Mangekyō to research Magnet Release, then there was Tomie, who would show up in the middle of the night like a ghost just to scare him...
And now Obito had appeared, using his Mangekyō against Ninja Academy students!
Itachi felt exhausted...
Just destroy everything already!
At that moment...
An ecstatic voice came from the entrance to the training field.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"An outstanding Uchiha with the Mangekyō? Hurry, let me see!"
A Wood Dragon soared upward. Amid the Academy students' astonished cries, an impatient Hashirama descended from the sky and landed beside Obito. Laughing loudly, he slapped him on the shoulder.
"You're Obito, right? Isshin and Seisui told me about you. An outstanding young Uchiha recognized by Hiruzen himself! You're quite something, young man..."
Obito laughed awkwardly.
"You're giving me too much credit..."
He had finally found an opportunity to bully some weaklings, and this man had to show up?!
As for using his intangibility...
With the First Hokage personally patting him on the shoulder, Obito's intangibility might as well have sealed itself automatically...
There was no dodging that.
"By the way, how does this game work? Can I join?"
Hashirama asked curiously. "Is it hide-and-seek or tag?"
Obito was starting to lose his composure.
"Hokage-sama, this isn't a game. It's a way of encouraging the Ninja Academy students to study harder..."
"Then can I participate?"
Hashirama rubbed his chin. "Come to think of it, I never attended the Ninja Academy. I feel like I'm missing a wonderful memory. My career as a Konoha shinobi doesn't feel complete..."
Sweat began running down Obito's face.
Seriously...
Was he destined to enjoy every possible kind of 'good fortune'?
At the Mountains' Graveyard, he had been trained by the Shura of the Shinobi World, and now that he was finally back in the village, he'd run straight into the God of Shinobi?!
Obito genuinely wanted to tell every shinobi who ever felt too much pressure that they should think of him.
They would probably feel much better afterward...
"You can come by occasionally and give them some guidance!"
Isshin hurriedly tried to persuade Hashirama.
Even Tobirama couldn't take it anymore.
"First Hokage-sama, you still need to consider maintaining order in the village. You can't simply do whatever comes to mind..."
Hashirama suddenly turned around and stared at Tobirama, making his skin crawl.
"You really are like Tobirama! No wonder you're his..."
Tobirama kept his expression rigid.
"Please don't say things like that. I only have ties to the Uchiha."
"Sorry, sorry..." Hashirama hurriedly apologized when Tobirama said that.
From Hashirama's perspective, he couldn't blame Seisui for refusing to acknowledge his Senju bloodline...
After all, his own younger brother had been the one who tore the lovers apart!
Hashirama scratched his head.
"All right, all right! How about this? From now on, I'll just spar with Obito. If the two of us exchange moves, that should still count as me participating in the Ninja Academy's education..."
"That would be excellent!" Isshin hurriedly agreed. "Obito, aren't you going to thank Lord Hokage?"
An Uchiha who had close personal contact with both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Senju Hashirama, belonged to the Hokage's line, and had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan...
No matter how Isshin looked at it, this young man had the makings of a future Hokage!
If Isshin knew that Obito also had mysterious connections throughout the major hidden villages, he probably would've gone all-in on Obito becoming either the Sixth or Seventh Hokage...
But it still wasn't a good time to bring up such things.
Obito took a deep breath and carefully controlled his expression.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama..."
At least he'd have something to brag about in the future.
His educational opportunities almost felt as though the Sage of Six Paths himself had rigged things behind the scenes...
He kept getting nothing but the best!
Obito could already imagine what would happen when he returned to the Mountains' Graveyard to visit the old man and gather intelligence. Once Madara learned that Obito had sparred with Hashirama, there was no telling how much more pressure he'd put on him...
'Can my Kamui even survive this?'
Obito blinked hard.
The Ninja Academy students burst out laughing, apparently delighted to see the terrifying Obito finally suffer a setback...
But they had forgotten one thing.
Pressure could be passed down...
The pressure Obito suffered wouldn't simply disappear for no reason. It would only be transferred to other shinobi...
For example, the students at the Ninja Academy!
At that moment...
A masked man with a cold expression quickly arrived at the Academy training field.
It was Kakashi.
Over the past few days, Kakashi had been temporarily serving as the jōnin instructor for the Ninja Academy's elite class, and today was one of his scheduled lessons.
After seeing the enormous Wood Dragon, Kakashi had hurried over. But the moment his gaze swept across the field, he barely paid any attention even to Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage...
His eyes locked firmly onto the smiling Obito.
This wasn't a coincidence.
Obito had actually checked the class schedule and knew Kakashi would be coming, which was precisely why he had chosen this time to visit the Ninja Academy.
He had originally planned to surprise his best friend...
But Kakashi was late, and Obito hadn't wanted to keep the Academy students waiting, so he had shown himself first.
Hashirama had simply arrived before Kakashi did...
"Even geniuses can be late? Don't let it happen again, Kakashi..." At that moment, it was as though Obito could see no one else. He smiled as he spoke to his brother.
Even though Obito now possessed both Kamui eyes, had Madara as his teacher, and had connections with numerous Kage...
He had never forgotten that Kakashi had carried him, crippled as he was, through Iwagakure's enemy lines, using his own body to shield him from ninjutsu again and again...
It could be said that Kakashi was the one who had helped Obito survive Madara's first test.
Having reached a level where his understanding of Madara ranked among the best in the shinobi world, Obito knew that although Madara had ultimately saved him, if he hadn't survived that initial wave of attacks from the Iwa shinobi, then his death would simply have been his death...
That was the temperament of a Warring States shinobi.
"Welcome back, Obito..."
Kakashi stared blankly at Obito.
Countless thoughts and emotions ultimately condensed into those few words.
Even with his mask covering his face, everyone present could tell that Kakashi was smiling.
And not merely smiling, but grinning from the bottom of his heart...
The two walked quickly toward each other.
And pulled each other into a tight embrace!
Hashirama and Isshin exchanged a glance, and the two old men from the Senju and Uchiha clans smiled as well.
Perhaps this was the Will of Fire made tangible—the clearest possible expression of Konoha's bonds!
After Obito and Kakashi went over to greet Hashirama, they moved off to the side and talked for quite a while, completely ignoring everyone around them.
But no matter how Obito tried to steer the conversation, Kakashi simply wouldn't ask where he had been for the past year...
If Kakashi didn't ask, how was Obito supposed to smoothly launch into his prepared routine and show off his special relationship with Lord Hokage?!
Obito's face grew red from holding it in. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Seriously, aren't you even curious how I awakened my Mangekyō? Or why I disappeared for an entire year?"
"Are you stupid?"
Kakashi gave him his usual flat, unimpressed look.
"One look at your situation and it's obvious the details are classified... Did you forget that my father is the ANBU Chief? I've understood since I was little that you don't ask about things you aren't supposed to know, even when it involves someone close to you."
"If you were allowed to tell me, you would've done it already..."
Obito felt a tightness in his chest.
Damn second-generation shinobi!
"When you're allowed to tell me, you'll tell me naturally."
"And judging by how impatient you are, you probably wanted me to ask so you could pull out some special token Lord Hokage gave you or something, right?" Kakashi said sourly.
"Don't look at me like I'm some kind of monster. If you're able to show up at the Ninja Academy and mess around with these students, then obviously Lord Hokage approved it. You can figure these things out just by thinking them through..."
Obito's face darkened.
This was all the Great Clan Head's fault!
Madara still hadn't trained him properly in intelligence analysis...
"You may be stronger than me now, but your personality hasn't changed at all..."
"But don't worry. You've got me."
"I'll be your strategist. If you become Hokage someday, I'm willing to be your Danzō. And obviously I don't mean the Darkness of the Shinobi—I mean your Hokage's assistant..."
Kakashi extended a hand toward Obito and spoke with complete seriousness.
"I don't trust you to handle everything alone."
"Then it's a promise, Kakashi!"
Obito froze for a moment.
Then a huge smile spread across his face, and he firmly clasped Kakashi's hand.
The two brothers made their promise!
At that moment, Obito no longer felt any need to compensate for his shortcomings in the 'brains' department.
With Hi-kun and Kakashi around, all he needed to do was train...
Obito secretly glanced at the delighted Hashirama and thought to himself: 'Just like Lord First Hokage. I'll be a Hokage who's good at fighting...'
...
Three days later.
Hokage's Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled as he recalled the scene overflowing with the Will of Fire that he had watched through his crystal ball.
Kaguya, inside his body, had also spent the past few days thoughtfully considering the bonds within Konoha...
So relationships between individuals could actually become this close and complement each other so well?
Hmm...
She still needed to observe a little longer!
"Sensei, you wanted to see me?"
Orochimaru leisurely pushed open the door.
"Perfect timing. I also have something to report to you. Regarding the Dragon Vein and the information network, we should have some preliminary progress within three months..."
"Let's put that aside for now."
Hiruzen smiled at Orochimaru.
"Danzō resigned."
"He nominated you to become the Hokage's assistant. What do you think?"
Orochimaru looked as though he'd just realized he'd been set up.
"Huh?"
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