Order in the Pure Land

Tobirama Senju's eardrums are being relentlessly ravaged.

"Tobirama! How many times have I told you! Don't develop those dangerous forbidden techniques! You just won't listen!" Hashirama Senju's booming voice, with its soul-piercing power, poured directly into his younger brother's auditory system.

"And then what? They even invented that kind of blasphemous art! Look at that! Now the retribution has come, hasn't it?!"

Hashirama's finger almost poked Tobirama's still bright red [3.8] head, his tone a mixture of heartache, disappointment, and a hint of regret for his brother's self-inflicted suffering.

Tobirama Senju expressionlessly covered one of his ears with his palm, then the other.

... It's so noisy.

He silently recited it in his heart, and a long-suppressed "well" character appeared between his brows.

His "Will of Fire," which embodies a compassionate spirit and a broad vision for all living beings, is fundamentally different from that of his elder brother, Hashirama Senju.

Tobirama always adhered to a colder, more pragmatic logic: if you want to become Hokage and protect the village, you must abandon unnecessary sentimentality and make necessary decisions at certain times, even if those decisions are not morally perfect.

It is precisely because he is the Hokage that he must maintain a ruthless attitude.

Whether it was the Impure World Reincarnation, the dangers of the Multi Shadow Clone Technique, or the development of other forbidden techniques... he never regretted it.

These techniques do indeed carry risks and could be misused, but they are also Konoha's trump cards in times of crisis. They are the fuses he left for the village under limited conditions, enough to turn the tide of battle.

As for how I will be evaluated after death, or how much Sin Value I will be given—that doesn't matter.

While using his powerful mental strength to forcefully block out Hashirama's continuous condemnation, Tobirama turned his gaze to the distant grassland.

His keen observation had never diminished with death. Soon, he noticed two distinctly opposing groups of souls, their atmosphere as tense as a taut bowstring.

On one side were Ninja, mostly with dark or bronze skin, and resolute or even fierce expressions. Their foreheads—some intact, others bearing the scars of battle along with parts of their soul outlines—were uniformly adorned with scratched Forehead Protector, the symbols engraved on them having been firmly etched into Tobirama Senju's very bones during his lifetime.

The Ninja of Hidden Cloud Village) Land of Lightning.

Opposing them was another group of souls with a more composed and profound temperament, their skin tinged with an Kitsuchi hue. They wore Forehead Protector.

The Ninja of Stone Village) Land of Earth.

The two sides were clearly separated, as if a wall of burning hatred separated them. They had not yet made a move, but every word uttered by the Ninja on both sides was like poison, carrying a cruel and sharp edge that wanted to tear the other's soul apart once again.

Tobirama Senju subtly shifted his attention away from Hashirama's sonic attack and listened intently.

"... Despicable and shameless Iwagakure! They actually used that underhanded human wave tactic! It caused our Third Raikage to be shot at by you bunch of cowards hiding in the crowd..."

"Ha! Ridiculous! That giant covered in lightning was just stupid! To cover the retreat of his mere subordinates, he actually dared to face ten thousand of our Ninja head-on! His death was purely because his brain was all muscle!"

"What did you say?! You're asking for it—!"

"What, you want to die again? We Iwagakure aren't afraid of your Kumogakure!"

The verbal battle between the two sides escalated rapidly, with profanities and old grudges intertwined, and the air thick with a murderous intent that seemed ready to materialize.

The Third Raikage... huh?

Tobirama Senju lowered his eyes thoughtfully.

It seems that after his death in the Second Shinobi World War, other ninja villages outside of Konoha also produced "Kage" figures who were remembered by later generations and revered as legends.

Fighting against ten thousand men, dying from exhaustion... While this way of dying in battle might seem overly idealistic to someone who values efficiency and results, it undeniably possesses a certain dignity befitting a "shadow."

So, here's the question.

Tobirama's gaze shifted between the two groups of souls on the verge of losing control, then he raised his eyes and swept over the "new Pure Land" that had been transformed into a grassland and had an artificial sun hanging there.

Based on the common sense that had previously flooded into consciousness, this world already had administrators and had established basic rules of order—[Sin Index][Mirror of Causality].

These adversaries, who are ready to fight at the first sign of trouble, clearly haven't grasped the situation. Or rather, they have, but their hatred outweighs their reason.

Tobirama Senju calmly analyzed the situation.

If left unchecked, a conflict between these two Ninja groups, each with hundreds or even thousands of souls, would not only turn this newly created Pure Land into a battlefield, but could also trigger a chain reaction, drawing in other ninja village souls with similar grudges to join the melee.

So, what will the "managers" who have taken over the Pure Land do?

It's finally started.

In the air, the chakra of Earth Release and Lightning Release began to gather wildly.

The Stone Shinobi ninja Hand Seals, and the grass beneath their feet shimmered with a yellowish-brown light. The Cloud Shinobi were enveloped in dazzling lightning, with blue and white arcs of electricity crackling. There was not a moment's hesitation in their eyes—they would fight to the death. This was a blood feud that had lasted for decades and was etched into their very bones.

Just as these two Ninjutsu, powerful enough to blast a giant crater into this Pure Land, were about to collide—

"Roar--!!!"

A sharp screech suddenly exploded in the very center of the battlefield!

What appeared out of thin air was not any Ninjutsu, nor any familiar Summoning Beast, but rather—

A group of giant lizards, reaching waist height, covered in mottled scales, with powerful hind limbs and sharp, hook-like forelegs...?

No, that slender figure, that alert posture, and those distinctive, scythe-like claws—it was clearly—

"Velociraptor...?!"

Tobirama Senju unconsciously uttered the word; with his vast knowledge, he certainly recognized this ancient creature from the distant Cretaceous period—one of the most formidable hunters of that era.

These hunters were now cutting into the battlefield with incredible agility. A Velociraptor leaped up nimbly and used its claws, powerful enough to rip open bellies, to precisely knock away a lightning ball that was about to slip from its grasp.

On the other side, he bent down and flipped over three Iwa Stone Shinobi were halfway through Hand Seals hand seals, controlling the force perfectly—making them dizzy and disoriented, but without causing any real damage.

In just a few breaths, the Cloud Shinobi and Stone Shinobi, who were originally on the verge of exchanging blows, were completely suppressed by this group of prehistoric guards who suddenly appeared.

They were either pinned to the ground or surrounded by a dense circle of Velociraptor, unable to move, their faces filled with shock and bewilderment.

"These dinosaurs... are they... guardians of the Pure Land?" Tobirama's confusion deepened.

But why dinosaurs?

The question swirled in his rapidly working mind, but he couldn't find any logical answer.

What exactly is the connection between dinosaurs, the Pure Land, and the order of the dead?

Then--

"Call--"

A heavy breath, warm and fishy in smell, suddenly sprayed onto the back of his neck.

The airflow was so heavy that Tobirama could feel the immense lung capacity contained within it, and—the oppressive presence of a top predator so close at hand.

He and Hashirama turned around abruptly almost simultaneously!

A colossal creature had silently appeared behind the two of them.

It has a huge head that could swallow an adult man whole, a mouthful of dagger-like white teeth, and short but strong forelimbs that are comically disproportionate to its enormous body.

Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The true apex predator of the Cretaceous period.

It silently gazed down at the two, its amber vertical pupils reflecting the frozen figures of the Senju Clan Hands brothers. Then, its massive, scale-covered jaws opened and closed slightly, uttering a low, steady human language.

"Hashirama Senju... and Tobirama Senju... the rulers of the Pure Land..."

It can talk.

Tyrannosaurus Rex could talk.

Tobirama Senju's pupils contracted violently. His brain received too much information beyond his comprehension in that single second, causing even his usually proud analytical abilities to momentarily go blank.

"Terribly sorry--!!!"

But suddenly, Hashirama Senju beside him unleashed a deafening roar, a voice filled with a do-or-die determination that even caused the Tyrannosaurus Rex in front of him to take a slight step back.

Hashirama a ninety-degree angle, in a humble posture.

"I know! Tobirama developed many forbidden techniques, which had an immeasurable impact on later generations! Some of these techniques even desecrated the dignity of the dead!"

Hashirama's voice trembled with pleading, without the slightest hesitation, "But he did all this for Konoha! To ensure the village could protect itself in times of crisis! I know such an explanation is insufficient to absolve him of his sins—but please! Please forgive Tobirama!"

"I will stay with him to atone for his sins! No matter how many years it takes, no matter what punishment we have to endure, I will bear it with him! So—please don't send my brother to hell!"

"..."

Tobirama Senju the spot, the color draining from his face at a visible speed, only to be replaced by a sudden surge of crimson mixed with shame and anger.

"...Big brother." His voice was extremely low, "Shut up first."

"What?! Tobirama! Didn't you see I was pleading for you?!" Hashirama suddenly straightened up, his face a mixture of grievance and urgency. "Do you want to go to hell?! That's hell! I've heard there are mountains of knives, fiery cliffs, tongues of blood, and cauldrons of boiling oil there--!"

"I didn't ask you to plead for it!" A vein throbbed on Tobirama. "Besides, you don't even understand the situation! It hasn't said anything yet, and you—"

"It'll be too late by the time it speaks! Didn't you see how big its teeth are? It could swallow us both whole in one gulp! It'll be too late by the time we get to hell!"

"Then let it swallow us! We're already dead anyway, being swallowed again won't make us any worse!"

How could you say such a thing! You're my brother!

"So you can portray me in front of outsiders as an incompetent person who needs his older brother to kneel and beg for mercy to avoid hell--!"

The Tyrannosaurus Rex lowered its massive head, its amber vertical pupils reflecting the two arguing, Senju Clan -armed brothers.

It blinked.

... hell?

It was merely following the command of its Creator, bringing these two people to see their master. What are the "mountain of knives, fire, altitude, tongue, and oil pot"?