Orochimaru's Little Report

"Impure World Reincarnation..."

A chill chakra slowly spread outward. As dust drifted down, it revealed a cold face.

Senju Tobirama slowly opened his eyes, his gaze steady and vigilant.

He lowered his head to inspect his body, showing little surprise.

From the day he had created the forbidden technique known as Impure World Reincarnation, he had known that someone would abuse it someday.

He simply had not expected that even he would be unable to escape it, ultimately becoming one of the summoned.

However, now that he had returned to the world, he quickly regained his usual composure and calm.

"This is... Konoha?"

He raised his head and calmly swept his gaze over the surroundings.

Familiar yet unfamiliar presences lingered within his sensory range, impossible to ignore.

Though his current body was composed of dust and chakra, the sensation of power nearly at its peak was hardly inferior to what he had possessed in life.

That surprised him somewhat, but he said nothing.

"Second Hokage."

A slightly hoarse, sinister voice sounded at just the right moment...

"Nice to meet you. My name is Orochimaru, and I am a disciple of Teacher Hiruzen Sarutobi."

There was a peculiar politeness in Orochimaru's words. He expressed respect while cleverly making clear his connection to Konoha's Hokage lineage.

This introduction caused Senju Tobirama's eyes to flicker slightly. Then he slowly nodded, acknowledging his identity.

"The Uchiha Clan has now been exterminated..."

Orochimaru did not pause for long before calmly dropping this bombshell.

Senju Tobirama abruptly raised his head. His one-word response carried unconcealed surprise and coldness. "Oh?"

He stared at Orochimaru and asked in a deep voice, "Exterminated? What happened?"

Orochimaru smiled faintly and did not immediately answer...

"Lord Tobirama should be able to sense that I have placed almost no restraints on you."

Senju Tobirama's brow creased slightly. "Though the Uchiha were exterminated, did it cause other problems?"

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Orochimaru to leave so few restrictions on this Impure World Reincarnation body...

"Yes..."

Orochimaru lightly raised his head. His expression remained unhurried, while his casual tone carried a trace of gravity. "Because of the series of chain reactions caused by the Uchiha Clan's extermination, the entire Shinobi World is now on the verge of collapse..."

"At this critical moment of life and death, I considered who could resolve this problem most quickly and effectively. Only the Second Hokage could do so."

Senju Tobirama narrowed his eyes. His expression grew utterly solemn, and his voice sank several degrees lower. "The Shinobi World... is about to be destroyed?"

"Explain clearly."

Orochimaru smiled and slowly began recounting, in detailed and precise terms, everything that had happened during this period...

The night of the Uchiha Clan's extermination, Uchiha Yuan's Mangekyō Sharingan awakening, the spread of the Sharingan curse and mental contamination, the Five Great Shinobi Villages and Akatsuki, as well as the appearance and transformation of the so-called Masked Man...

The more Senju Tobirama listened, the calmer he became, yet an increasingly icy fury shone in his eyes.

Only after Orochimaru had finished did he slowly utter two words. "Absurd."

His voice was low, as though it concealed thunderous rage. "Hiruzen, Danzo—those two are utterly absurd."

Senju Tobirama said coldly, "The Uchiha Clan is indeed dark by nature and easily controlled by negative emotions."

"But they were also Konoha's sharp blade. They could not even wield such a weapon, yet were instead wounded by its edge. What a disappointment."

As he spoke, his eyes were filled with dissatisfaction toward those who had come after him.

Had he been the one controlling the situation, such a disaster would never have occurred.

"As for that Uchiha Yuan you mentioned repeatedly... and that idiot calling himself Madara..."

"They have most likely already become puppets under Uchiha Yuan's control, though they themselves are unaware of it."

"Still, this sort of indirect control through the guidance of consciousness is indeed the first Mangekyō ability of its kind I have seen..."

It was extraordinarily strange...

It even carried a cold, sinister feeling.

"As expected of the Second Hokage—your insight is sharp. Beyond that, I have an even deeper concern. Uchiha Yuan's ability seems to be far from limited to controlling a small number of people."

Orochimaru voiced his deduction. "The Sharingan should be the medium for control and guidance."

A shinobi's most fundamental ability was analyzing intelligence and devising countermeasures.

"Mm."

"We truly need to determine just how wide a range this ability that contaminates the Sharingan can affect."

At this point, Orochimaru proposed another hypothesis. "If only a very small number of people lose control, that would not be difficult to contain. But if even someone like Danzo can be contaminated..."

Senju Tobirama naturally thought of Danzo...

Because Orochimaru had already told him that Danzo had transplanted a whole pile of Sharingan, and even intended to implant more afterward...

Orochimaru looked up with a smile, his voice carrying a trace of sinister amusement. "The number of Sharingan Danzo currently controls, as well as the strength of their ocular power, has long exceeded normal limits. His mental state is also extremely unstable."

"Tch..."

Senju Tobirama sneered. "An idiot who dreamed of using Uchiha power to control the Shinobi World. Now he has become an amplifier for Sharingan ocular techniques."

"An amplifier?"

"That Uchiha Yuan may have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but to maintain his technique, he must have sufficient ocular techniques as amplifiers. Based on what you said, that pile of Sharingan on Danzo's body is his amplifier..."

At this point, Senju Tobirama immediately had an idea. "Danzo must be dealt with... And that Monkey as well. He is no longer suited to serve as Hokage."

"You are Orochimaru, correct..."

"Yes."

Orochimaru slightly bowed at the right moment, his smile still eerie.

Senju Tobirama slowly said, "Return now. Continue lurking beside the Masked Man, and find out exactly how Uchiha Yuan's Mangekyō Sharingan contamination ability works."

The Uchiha's final survivor had now fallen into Obito's hands.

Thus, this was the perfect opportunity to observe and gather intelligence.

His tone was unhurried as he spoke, yet it carried an irresistible authority and chill.

"Completely uncover the source of Uchiha Yuan's ability, then take action."

After Senju Tobirama dismissed Orochimaru, he directly formed hand seals and activated the Flying Thunder God...

A figure flashed past, silently appearing inside the Hokage's office.

Senju Tobirama stood there, watching the back of the figure before the desk.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was bent over documents, reviewing them beneath dim lamplight. It was already late at night, yet he was still at work.

All the dissatisfaction and reproaches filling Tobirama's heart suddenly turned into a sigh, his voice cold yet complicated...

"Monkey!"

Hearing that voice, familiar enough to be etched into his bones, Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly looked up. Shock and disbelief intertwined across his face as the documents in his hand drifted down onto the desk.

"Teacher Tobirama?"

He had never expected to look up and see his teacher glaring at him in anger...

What a sight to see after living so long. Was he seeing a ghost...?