Tobirama Senju: Could It Be That I Didn't Get a Perfect Score?

"I only knew the general outline of what happened to her."

Seisui did not keep Tobirama in suspense. It was obvious that the former Second Hokage was genuinely anxious.

"Her younger brother, Nawaki, died in the Second Shinobi World War. It seemed that someone she had been involved with also died... During that war, Hanzo of the Salamander fought Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya, bestowing upon them the title of the Sannin and making them famous throughout Konoha."

"But I heard that cracks had recently appeared in the relationship between those three. They had even come into conflict with their teacher, the Third Hokage."

"According to rumors, she developed Hemophobia and would faint at the sight of blood, though I can't say whether it's true."

Tobirama Senju frowned. Even Nawaki was dead?

But he did not dwell on it too much. War was that cruel. Even he, the Second Hokage, had died—let alone Nawaki.

Even so, Tsunade's circumstances still made his heart ache.

"There was nothing to be done about it, Tobirama..."

Seisui sat beside Tobirama Senju and said with a sigh, "Tsunade's childhood had been so enviable. She came from an exceptional family and had so many elders who loved her, but everything turned around with astonishing speed..."

"One disaster after another, the wars, and the way you handled the Senju Clan left her with almost none of the family members who loved her. Even her former companions went down different paths."

"That feeling of having no one left... for a woman, it was probably rather devastating, wasn't it?"

Seisui still held back half of what he wanted to say.

If Tobirama Senju learned that Jiraiya had become Mount Myōboku's loyal enforcer, even changing his forehead protector, while Orochimaru had become obsessed with human experimentation and would not even spare children from his own village—with Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi involved as well...

What would he think then?

Seisui simply had no need to tell him those things. Only by witnessing them slowly through his own eyes would Tobirama Senju find them more real.

And become even angrier.

Tobirama Senju remained silent. He did not doubt Seisui's words.

The Shinobi World was simply that kind of place.

Once people developed different goals, former friends and comrades became strangers, sometimes even willing to kill each other without hesitation.

Bonds, friendship, teacher and student—slaughtering one another to achieve one's goals was the norm.

Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had been like that. Orochimaru and the Third Hokage, Obito Uchiha and Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya and Nagato—all of them were the same. Countless unknown shinobi were playing out the same drama as well.

But that was not the key issue.

The key was that when Tobirama Senju saw the undisguised grief in Tsunade's eyes as she spoke disdainfully of becoming Hokage, he truly felt sorrow.

Konoha had been founded as a village meant to protect everyone, yet it had failed to protect even those closest to the Hokage.

In the original timeline, Tobirama Senju had seen Hokage Tsunade after she had overcome her inner demons and become resolute once more. But now, he was seeing Tsunade at the most vulnerable point in her life.

"Little Tsunade..." Tobirama Senju shook his head. He suddenly felt a measure of dread for Konoha's future.

No matter the reasons, even the granddaughter of two generations of Hokage looked upon becoming Hokage with disdain. Could this village truly have a good future?

What had Konoha become under Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō's rule?

Was this Tsunade's personal tragedy, or had the entire village already developed problems...

Tobirama Senju sank into thought, tangled emotions winding around his heart.

Seisui, however, had different thoughts.

There were many ways to enter the Hokage lineage of master-and-disciple inheritance.

Broadly speaking, as long as one had some connection to bloodline, master-and-disciple relationships, and the Hokage, it counted.

Seisui was already a descendant of Kagami Uchiha. As for master-and-disciple inheritance, the options before him were Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Minato Namikaze. The chances of Jiraiya taking a disciple were slim.

Originally, Seisui had planned to take Obito Uchiha's place and become Minato Namikaze's disciple. But in truth, becoming Tsunade's disciple would be the better choice.

After all, Minato Namikaze's abilities were not too different from Tobirama Senju's. Even if he bound their talents, there would be considerable overlap.

But Tsunade was different. She carried the bloodlines of Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki, and she possessed talent in Fūinjutsu as well...

And her figure and looks were quite to Seisui's taste.

Sometimes, if you wanted to become Hokage, you could first become the Hokage's man...

"Tobirama, this is why I summoned your soul into my body. The hidden village system that has been established now cannot bring peace to Konoha or the Shinobi World."

Seisui raised his head, synchronizing his perspective with Tobirama Senju's as they gazed at the azure sky. He said slowly, "This is not your fault, but someone still needs to solve it."

"Perhaps the Shinobi World will one day welcome true peace. But before then, many people will suffer what Tsunade suffered—or something ten thousand times worse. I don't want to wait that long."

Tobirama Senju slowly nodded. If there was anyone with the clearest and most thorough understanding of the Shinobi World's situation, it could only be him.

Madara Uchiha could not do it in this regard, and Hashirama Senju was even less capable.

But Seisui's next words temporarily made him forget the sorrow Tsunade had brought him. "Though I wanted to borrow your wisdom, I discovered that you weren't much use either. I'll still have to do it myself..."

From Target of Confrontation Tobirama Senju: Kenjutsu (Uchiha Izuna–Tobirama Senju Analysis Version)!

"Seisui, you brat!" Tobirama Senju ground his teeth. Just as he was about to retort, he heard Seisui continue lazily.

"Shh. The Will of Fire exam results come out tomorrow. I suggest you look at your score before arguing with me, respected Second Hokage."

"Ridiculous! If I score lower than you, then they might as well erase my face from Hokage Rock and carve yours there instead!" Tobirama Senju waved a hand, looking utterly confident.

Seisui shrugged. Tobirama Senju might have been a good Hokage and a good teacher, but he was definitely not a good student.

No matter how good his answers were, if he opened with a lecture and a barrage of criticism, it would be strange for the grader to give him high marks.

The Will of Fire exam tested obedience, not one's true understanding of the Will of Fire...

The next day.

At the Ninja Academy.

Seisui glanced casually at the perfect-score paper in his hands and Hiruzen Sarutobi's carefully written comments.

To him, it was no different from writing an elementary school essay.

Tobirama Senju, upon seeing Seisui's perfect score, had already sensed that something was wrong, yet he still stubbornly said, "At most, it's a tie!"

At that moment, ominous sobbing rang out from ahead.

"Waaah! What did I even write? Why did I answer like this?!" Kojiro Inada suddenly burst into tears, weeping bitterly over the Third Hokage's harsh comments.

Tobirama Senju froze completely.

Could it be that he had not gotten a perfect score?

I'm a little late... Sorry, I couldn't slack off this morning. Luckily, there was a lunch break.