Return to Konoha
Return to Konoha
Shunren's planned world tour, starting with a trip to the hot springs of Yugakure, didn't go very well. The appearance of Orochimaru and his group, while effectively eliminating the troublesome figure, dampened Shunren enthusiasm for the journey.
Open the Anywhere Door.
Shunren and his group returned to Konoha.
The existence of Shunren was considered a taboo subject by both the Konoha leadership and the Uchiha.
The world of ninjas is a world where strength reigns supreme, and Shunren undoubtedly possesses formidable martial prowess, a strength that can even surpass authority!
Ever since Shunren killed the Raikage, his status has been on par with the "Sannin".
On one hand, both the Konoha leadership and the Uchiha wanted to manipulate Shunren's military power, but this was clearly impossible. Just as Tsunade and Jiraiya could freely enter and leave the village, not even wearing Konoha Ninja Forehead Protector, ignoring orders and proclamations, and even refusing to participate in the Third Shinobi World War, it's clear that they would never obey Konoha's commands unless Konoha suffered a catastrophic annihilation. Then there's Orochimaru. While nominally a Jonin in Konoha, he lacks real power and the Konoha High Command can't control him. For example, his deployment to fight the Hokage Cloud Ninja was conditional on being nominated for the next Hokage.
In short, the message is: don't come looking for me for no reason. If you want to order me around, you'll have to negotiate terms and interests. Shunren had engaged in this kind of implicit cooperation before, such as the previous Mist Ninja special operation to rescue Pakura and the hunt for the Raikage, in exchange for things like the Clear Mirror, Still Water and the White Fang Blade Technique.
However, given Shunren's current strength, neither Konoha nor the Uchiha could attract him. Therefore, this implicit cooperative relationship came to an end, and Shunren became a completely independent entity, with no one able to order him around.
The day Shunren returned to Konoha was like a pebble falling into a lake, creating ripples in Konoha —but that was all.
However, two days later, as Hashirama and Tobirama returned to Konoha, due to their special existence as Impure World Reincarnation through Edo Tensei, it was inconvenient for them to reveal their identities. So, they infiltrated Konoha and immediately contacted the Konoha's higher-ups.
The return of Hashirama and Tobirama, the former Hokage, was like a bombshell to the Konoha leadership!
However, the information that Hashirama and Tobirama brought back was even more astonishing!
"What? Uchiha Shunren missing-nin? What's going on?" Hiruzen was astonished. He never expected that the first thing Hashirama and Tobirama, these two old men, would ask when they returned as the dead was this.
Hashirama and Tobirama exchanged a glance, the former sighing, "It seems we've been deceived by that young man named Orochimaru..."
"Orochimaru?" Hiruzen was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly realized a crucial question: the Impure World Reincarnation technique had been sealed away as a forbidden jutsu during Tobirama's time. How did Orochimaru manage to master it? The only possibility was... Hiruzen looked meaningfully at Danzo, "Danzo, aren't you going to explain this?"
The Impure World Reincarnation is a forbidden technique that desecrates the soul and violates human ethics. Hiruzen also deeply abhorred it. However, Orochimaru not only learned this forbidden technique but also used it to summon the First and Second. This was tantamount to trampling on the dead, which was extremely repulsive to Hiruzen, who always cherished his reputation.
Hashirama and Tobirama must have been dissatisfied with this, but the former's tolerance of the latter was typical of a realist. Since the matter had already occurred, there was no point in dwelling on the past.
"Let's talk about these trivial matters later!" Danzo's face was incredibly grim. Orochimaru obtaining the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu was indeed a deal he made to win Orochimaru over. However, the information brought back by Hashirama and Tobirama clearly indicated that Orochimaru used the Impure World Reincarnation to deal with Shunren. Shunren returned, but Orochimaru did not. The outcome was self-evident...
Hiruzen, a shrewd and calculating man, quickly grasped this crucial point and felt a sense of foreboding. "First and Second Hokage, where is Orochimaru now?"
Tobirama's next words confirmed Hiruzen and Danzo's suspicions. "Orochimaru, the Uchiha Shunren."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Although they already knew that Shunren was powerful, Orochimaru was one of the Konoha Sannin! Moreover, Orochimaru was notoriously difficult to deal with. Even if they defeated him, killing him completely would be even more difficult than assassinating a Hokage!
Hashirama, having already learned the gist of the matter, sighed, "Alas, they are comrades from the same village, why do they have to kill each other?"
These words made the atmosphere strange, because the whole thing was instigated by Orochimaru, Shunren, who was also a Konoha Ninja. So, it was understandable that he was outmatched and killed.
Tobirama frowned and said in a deep voice, "Brother, you're wrong about that. Orochimaru is a member of the Root Anbu. He sensed that Uchiha Shunren had thoughts of betraying Konoha and took assassination action. What's wrong with that?"
Tobirama speaking, Tobirama gave Danzo a wink, and Danzo immediately understood, replying, "Right! According to our Uchiha Shunren, he openly disobeys Konoha's orders by relying on his personal strength. For ninjas, orders are absolute! Moreover, intelligence indicates that the Uchiha are plotting to run for the next Hokage, and Uchiha Shunren's existence will definitely make him the Uchiha's most solid henchman!"
When Hashirama and Tobirama Konoha, they were unaware of the subtle relationship between Shunren and the Uchiha. Subconsciously, they assumed that since Shunren was a member of the Uchiha Clan, it was only natural for him to be driven by the Uchiha.
Hashirama opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Tobirama, who was standing beside him. "Hmph! As expected, they have wolfish ambitions! The Uchiha actually want to covet the Hokage Position?"
Danzo's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "With the First and Second Hokage in charge, wouldn't eradicating this cancerous tumor of the Uchiha be a piece of cake?"
Tobirama shook his head and said, "We don't have that power right now. Due to the precision issues of the Impure World Reincarnation technique, our strength is less than half of what it was in life. Therefore, before that, we need to rebuild our Impure World Reincarnation bodies..."