chsdbacks Chapter 102 A Lonely Figure
Chapter 102 A Lonely Figure
Chapter 102 A Lonely Figure
Inside the makeshift Hokage office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the table, his face extremely pale, with cold sweat even trickling down his forehead.
On the table was a report submitted by the Sealing Squad, his fingers trembling slightly.
The report was simple, yet it sent shockwaves through Hiruzen's mind: the Uchiha Nameless One had been completely eliminated.
Hiruzen's breathing became rapid as he looked up in disbelief at his teacher, Tobirama.
"teacher.."
Hiruzen tried hard to control his emotions, but his voice still couldn't hide the turmoil within him.
Why did you do that?
Despite Hiruzen's accusatory tone, Tobirama remained unmoved, merely glancing at him with cold eyes, his words carrying undisguised dominance.
"Why do you do that? Why are you asking me such an obvious question, monkey?"
Tobirama was also furious: "The Nameless One's Seal was jointly kept by the Senju and Sarutobi clans back then, so why did you hand over the seal to the Uchiha after my death?"
"They know perfectly well how terrifying it is for the Nameless Uchiha to return his abilities to the Uchiha clan..."
"This level of threat has been allowed to fester within Konoha for decades, especially now. Are you just waiting for an enemy like Uchiha Abyss to unseal it?"
Fortunately, over the years, the records of the nameless person within the Uchiha clan were incomplete, especially after Madara Uchiha left Konoha, there were almost no records of the nameless person within the Uchiha clan.
"Teacher... The nameless seal was initially decided jointly by the Sarutobi and Senju clans. Later, during my reign, the seal was entrusted to the Uchiha clan as a symbol of friendship and trust..."
Hiruzen's voice grew increasingly low, tinged with a sense of helplessness.
"This balance should not have been broken."
"snort!"
Tobirama snorted coldly, his eyes full of mockery and indifference, as if he could not accept Hiruzen's indecisive attitude at all.
"The Uchiha clan has been wiped out! And now, Sharingan-infected individuals are everywhere. What kind of balance is this?"
Hiruzen opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but he was speechless.
Tobirama coldly continued, "Uchiha Mumei, once she's used by the Uchiha, you should be very clear about what her existence means to Konoha and even the entire ninja world!"
He stared coldly at Hiruzen and continued, "Is your irresponsible hesitation and caution meant to wait until the enemy personally unseals the Nameless One and destroys Miyo before taking action?"
"But...teacher, what if..."
Hiruzen hesitated before speaking, "What if the Nameless One isn't completely dead, or what if Uchiha Gen uses this opportunity to further embolden Konoha?"
Upon hearing this, Tobirama's expression grew even colder, his eyes revealing deep disappointment and impatience.
"That's enough!"
Tobirama suddenly stood up, slamming his hands heavily on the table. A tremendous pressure of chakra emanated from him, causing Hiruzen to gasp for breath.
"Monkey, when are you finally going to act like a real Hokage?"
"I chose you as my successor because you have the potential to become a powerful Kage, and you are capable of making the right decisions without hesitation!"
"But what about now? You keep backing down and hesitating. This weakness of yours will destroy the entire Hidden Leaf Village sooner or later!"
Hiruzen was filled with deep pain and bitterness when Tobirama rebuked him so harshly.
Do I not look like the Hokage?
Does that mean I don't look like a ruler?
"Konoha is now facing an unprecedented survival crisis. Every hesitation, every delay, could give the enemy an opportunity."
Destroy everything.
"I understand your inner pain and struggle, but since you've chosen to become Hokage, you must understand that sometimes, for the sake of Konoha..."
We must let go of pointless pity and hesitation.
After Tobirama finished speaking, he didn't look at Hiruzen again and turned away.
His silhouette conveyed a sense of loneliness and desolation, yet his demeanor remained exceptionally resolute.
"If you really can't bear this burden, then you should hand over the Hokage position to someone more suitable as soon as possible."
At this moment, Hiruzen's heart was already filled with deep self-blame and confusion:
Tobirama slowly walked out of the camp, his silver hair fluttering in the night wind, his face still resolute.
The conversation he had just had with Hiruzen was nothing out of the ordinary for him.
At that moment, Sarutobi Shinnosuke stood outside the door, his face ashen.
He stared straight at Tobirama, his eyes filled with barely suppressed anger and resentment.
Tobirama glanced at Shinnosuke and said calmly, "What is it?"
"Second Generation Master.:"
Shinnosuke slowly spoke, "Don't you care about your father's feelings at all?"
Tobirama did not answer immediately, but silently watched Shinnosuke, waiting for him to continue.
Shinnosuke clenched his fists tightly, his voice trembling slightly.
"After your death, Konoha was surrounded by enemies during the First Shinobi World War, with the four great ninja villages joining forces to attack us."
"If it weren't for Father and Uncle Danzo's perseverance, Miyawa would have been destroyed long ago! Father has diligently protected the village for decades; doesn't he deserve your understanding and respect?"
Tobirama listened to Shinnosuke's vehement words, but his expression remained unchanged, his gaze as calm as ice, as if he were quietly scrutinizing the young man.
Seeing this, Shinnosuke became even more enraged.
"There's one more thing, Second Hokage. Have you forgotten? Back then, the First Hokage, Hashirama, and Madara Uchiha both possessed the strength to unify the ninja world, but it was because of their decisions that the ninja world has the current situation of the Five Great Ninja Villages."
"All the chaos and hatred we face today originate from the feud between the Senju and Uchiha clans!"
"Now, all Father wants is to protect the village safely, yet you constantly criticize and berate him... Is it really true that the Senju and Uchiha clans' past actions were so...? What gives you the right to blame Father like this?"
"Shinnosuke!"
Suddenly, Hiruzen's aged and angry voice rang out from within the camp: "You are not allowed to be disrespectful to the teacher again!"
However, Shinnosuke's emotions were already out of control. He raised his head and looked at Tobirama: "I just feel indignant on behalf of Father! Over the years, Father has given everything for Konoha, yet he has to endure such accusations and harsh criticism from you. I cannot accept it!"
Tobirama listened quietly to Shinnosuke's outburst, his expression unchanged, but his eyes held a more complex look.
He didn't interrupt Shinnosuke immediately, but remained silent for a long time, even though he suspected that Shinnosuke was related to the Sharingan contamination.
But now that he's showing his emotions, Tobirama is still a little bothered...
At that moment, Tsunade and Jiraiya arrived at the scene after hearing the news and witnessed the scene before them.
Looking at Shinnosuke's angry face and Tobirama's indifferent back, Tsunade felt a pang of sadness and anxiety.
"Second Grandfather..."
Tsunade wanted to ease the tense atmosphere.
Upon hearing this, Tobirama merely raised his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. He looked at Shinnosuke's tense and stubborn face, then turned his gaze to Hiruzen, whose face was filled with sorrow, in the distant camp. A sense of weariness and complex emotions rose in his heart.
He sighed softly, his voice flat yet tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"The monkey is the successor I personally chose. In those perilous times, he indeed shouldered immense pressure and protected Konoha to this day."
Upon hearing this, Shinnosuke's expression softened slightly, but the anger on his face had not completely subsided, and he simply stared at Tobirama.
Tobirama's tone softened slightly as he continued, "I admit that my words just now were a bit too harsh and severe, perhaps overlooking everything Hiruzen has done for Konoha over the years. In this matter, I should indeed be more understanding."
At this point, Tobirama paused, glancing towards the camp, his voice becoming even calmer: "But now, the ninja world faces an unprecedented catastrophe. Whether I approve of Hiruzen's actions or not, one thing remains clear to me!"
"Only decisive and forceful action can better protect Konoha."
The scene fell silent for a moment, and everyone remained speechless.
Tobirama sighed softly, "However, my questioning of Hiruzen earlier was indeed my fault, and I must admit that."
He looked up at the starry sky, his voice tinged with an undeniable sense of loneliness and weariness.
"I shouldn't have said such harsh words to my chosen successor."
After speaking, Tobirama remained silent for a moment, then turned to Shinnosuke: "Shinnosuke, I understand your anger. It's understandable that you're speaking up for your father. But...:"
As the Hokage, he carries not only the past, but also the future of Konoha and the ninja world.
Just as Tobirama was about to speak, he realized that he was just a dead man, so what right did he have to talk about the future?
All they did was in the hope that Konoha could survive this apocalyptic crisis.
Tsunade looked at Tobirama's lonely and desolate figure, and her heart trembled slightly.
Although Tobirama's words had been harsh and even cruel before, looking at his desolate figure now...
An overwhelming feeling of heartache and pity welled up in her heart.
Second Grandfather
In that brief moment of silence, Jiraiya suddenly spoke, breaking the brief stillness:
"Um... Lord Tobirama, Kakashi has returned. As for me, I've finished gathering information about the destruction of Amegakure. Should we begin processing this information immediately?"
Upon hearing this, Tobirama snapped out of his reverie and turned slightly to look at Jiraiya, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiraiya. "You and Tsunade should organize the relevant reports first, and then submit them to me for review... I want to be alone for a while."
His voice was low and calm, revealing an undeniable weariness and loneliness.
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya quickly realized that it was not appropriate to say anything more at this moment, and could only nod slightly and say:
"Yes... Lord Tobirama."
After saying that, he glanced at Tsunade, and the two nodded in tacit agreement. Then he turned and left, leaving Tobirama with some space to think for himself.
Inside the office.
Hiruzen sat at his desk, his hands supporting his forehead, his exhaustion impossible to conceal.
He felt a deep, intense pain within himself.
Why is his teacher becoming increasingly harsh on him?
He recalled everything he had done for Konoha over the years.
This indescribable emotion still weighed heavily on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
At that moment, Tsunade and Jiraiya pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Hiruzen's worried face, their hearts tightened.
Tsunade asked softly, "Grandpa, are you alright?"
Hiruzen slowly raised his head, looking at Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shinnosuke, who was still standing outside the camp...
He said in a slightly hoarse voice:
"I'm fine, just... a little tired. You guys should organize the information about Kakashi and Amegakure first, and make sure to give it to our teacher first."
He paused, looked out the window, and muttered to himself:
"I also want to rest for a while..."
Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged a glance, both feeling a mix of emotions.