Tobirama: Evil Uchiha!

Kinkaku and Ginkaku arrived with eighteen elite Cloud ninjas.

Seeing that only Tobirama was there, they couldn't help but mock him.

Ginkaku: "Second Hokage, why are you all alone? What happened to those grunt guards of yours? Did they abandon you, their Hokage, and flee?"

Tobirama stared coldly at Ginkaku and the others, offering no reply.

His gaze lingered especially on the waist-high orange Six Paths Tool strapped to Ginkaku's back—the Amber Purifying Pot. It possessed a powerful sealing ability; anyone who responded to its holder's words would be sealed inside.

During the previous peace talks, Kinkaku had used that very item to ambush the Second Raikage, tricking him into an unwitting response before easily sucking him into the pot and brutally killing him.

In terms of pure strength, the Second Raikage had the edge over Kinkaku and Ginkaku; otherwise, he wouldn't have inherited the Raikage position.

In a direct confrontation, even Kinkaku and Ginkaku working together might not have been able to defeat the Raikage.

That was why they'd stooped to using the Six Paths Tools for a sneak attack. Tobirama himself had been severely wounded by Kinkaku's ambush during the peace talks.

Even so, the fact that he'd managed to lead Hiruzen and five others safely out of the heart of Kumogakure was already extraordinary.

But he had to admit, those Six Paths Tools were truly bizarre. Without sufficient intel, it was far too easy to be killed on first encounter!

That was why, throughout his retreat, Tobirama had done everything to avoid close combat with Kinkaku and Ginkaku's pursuing force.

He relied entirely on the numerous Shadow Clones and Reanimated Ninjas he'd sent out to delay them, which had drained a massive amount of his chakra, pushing him to his limits.

Seeing that Tobirama wouldn't answer, Kinkaku knew the man was wary of the Amber Purifying Pot and wouldn't speak lightly.

So he said to Ginkaku, "Don't be foolish. This guy is trying to hold us off alone to buy time for the other Konoha ninjas to escape."

Ginkaku continued to taunt, "Hahaha, so this is a Hokage? Sacrificing his own life to protect his subordinates? How stupid! As expected, without Hashirama Senju, Konoha is nothing but a bunch of trash!"

"Ginkaku, enough talk. I'll handle Tobirama Senju—he's already badly injured. You go after the other Konoha ninjas. We can't let them bring word of the failed peace talks back!"

"No rush. Killing Tobirama Senju first, then pursuing them, won't be too late."

Killing both a Raikage and a Hokage in succession—

This was a golden opportunity to leave a name in the Ninja World, and Ginkaku didn't want to miss it.

Besides, once Tobirama Senju was dead, the remaining Konoha ninjas would be nothing to fear.

"Fine, let's join forces and take this guy out first!"

Kinkaku agreed with Ginkaku's proposal and immediately struck, swinging the Basho Fan at Tobirama not far away.

The Basho Fan was one of the Six Paths Tools. It could ignore the user's own chakra nature and release all five elemental transformations—Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth—in a single burst, but it consumed a massive amount of the user's chakra.

"Fire Scroll!"

A fiery whirlwind dozens of meters long shot forth, charging at Tobirama Senju.

"Water Release: Water Wall!"

Tobirama formed hand seals and spat out a waterfall-like stream of water from his mouth, creating a circular, rotating wall of water.

This nearly impenetrable defense successfully blocked the Fire Scroll Kinkaku had unleashed.

Kinkaku increased his output, releasing an even more violent Fire Release.

Tobirama's Sea Release was famous in the Ninja World, but with his current chakra reserves, how much longer could he hold out?

Sure enough, in just a few seconds, Tobirama's Water Wall grew smaller and smaller until it was completely engulfed and consumed by the flames.

But Tobirama, who had been inside it, instantly burst apart into a cloud of white smoke.

"Damn, another Shadow Clone!"

Kinkaku and the others realized it too late.

Tobirama's real body had appeared behind them.

"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"

An ultra-high-pressure straight water jet shot from Tobirama's mouth, like a razor-sharp blade with devastating cutting power, sweeping horizontally across the Cloud ninjas.

This high-level water release technique could even sever the roots of the Divine Tree; ordinary ninjas stood no chance against it.

The Cloud ninjas scrambled to dodge.

Kinkaku leaped up just in time to escape.

Ginkaku barely managed to block with the Seven Star Sword, but he was still sent flying a great distance.

The rest of the Cloud ninjas weren't so lucky. Nine ordinary jonin who were too slow to react were sliced cleanly in half by the Water Severing Wave.

The Cloud pursuit force had suffered nearly half its casualties in an instant—a devastating blow.

Seeing this, even Tobirama was stunned for a moment. Had he overestimated these Cloud elites? At this rate, if he'd led Hiruzen and the others to stay and fight to the death, they might have turned the tide and won!

But Tobirama knew he couldn't gamble on that.

If he won the gamble, even if they managed to counterattack and kill the Cloud pursuit force, his own side would still suffer heavy casualties.

If he lost the gamble, then the Second Hokage, along with Konoha's next generation of young core members, would all die in the Land of Lightning.

Not a single one would survive to bring back word.

In that case, Konoha wouldn't even know the peace talks had failed. They'd only assume they were missing or still guests in Kumogakure.

Worse still, they might be caught completely off guard and wiped out by a sudden Cloud assault.

No matter what, Tobirama couldn't take that risk. He couldn't let the village his elder brother had entrusted to him fall under his watch.

Forget it.

Keep going.

Maybe he could crush these Cloud ninja all by himself. As long as he kept an eye on Kinkaku and Ginkaku's Six Paths Tools.

Too bad he didn't have much chakra left. Otherwise, he could've just used a large-scale Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave to drown all the enemies, taking out most of the Cloud ninja except Kinkaku and Ginkaku.

But no big deal. He'd set other traps.

As the Cloud ninja scattered.

The dozens of Explosive Tags Tobirama had planted around them detonated one after another. Thick smoke and dust blanketed the entire battlefield, blocking the enemy's perception.

Flying Thunder God Technique—activate!

Tobirama drew his ninja sword and moved rapidly using the Flying Thunder God Kunai fixed around the area.

Like a ghost on the battlefield.

In just a few breaths, he'd teleported over a dozen times, easily cutting down seven Cloud jonin.

His Flying Thunder God Technique was only the first version, far less refined than the one the Fourth Minato later improved—just like Impure World Reincarnation was still in its early form.

Short-range teleportation wasn't much different, but long-distance movement with passengers consumed massive chakra. He couldn't afford it now.

Otherwise, he'd have already teleported himself and Hiruzen's six men back to Konoha.

Even if he could take one or two, Tobirama wouldn't do it. Both sides were his flesh and blood. As someone who inherited the Will of Fire, how could he flee with only a select few disciples?

Seeing a gravely wounded Tobirama Senju still slaughtering left and right.

Kinkaku and Ginkaku grew anxious.

The Cloud ninja they'd brought were their only elite supporters. If they all died, how would they rule Kumogakure when they got back?

Kinkaku erupted, pouring all his power into the Basho Fan.

"Wind Wings!"

"Lightning Arc!"

Massive wind blasts scattered the surrounding smoke, revealing Tobirama's figure.

Then, an enormous lightning net spread from the Basho Fan, covering dozens of meters around—including the remaining Cloud ninja.

Tobirama had just landed and never expected Kinkaku to be so ruthless, launching a large-scale attack without caring about his own comrades.

He was instantly hit by the lightning, his whole body numbed, making it hard to dodge.

Seeing this.

Kinkaku rejoiced. He quickly threw the Kōkinjō wrapped around his left arm, grazing Tobirama's arm in the distance.

Kōkinjō: One of the Six Paths Tools. Anyone touched by it will spit out the Word Spirit of their most common phrase.

Tobirama cursed under his breath, then spat out a string of translucent habitual phrases—his 'Word Spirit'.

In the distance, Ginkaku, relying on his Six Paths bloodline and powerful physique, broke free of the lightning paralysis first and hurled the Seven Star Sword with all his might.

The Seven Star Sword didn't hit Tobirama. Instead, it cut through the 'Word Spirit' he'd spat out.

"Hahaha!"

"Tobirama Senju, you're dead!"

"Record it!"

Ginkaku laughed wildly, activating the Crimson Gourd he was holding. It quickly sucked in the severed Word Spirit.

At the same time, the Seven Star Sword stuck in the ground displayed Tobirama's habitual phrase: 'Uchiha.'

"???"

Ginkaku looked at the Seven Star Sword, curiosity piqued.

"Strange."

"You're the Second Hokage, Hashirama Senju's brother. Your most common phrase isn't 'Elder Brother,' but 'Uchiha'?"

"Just how much do you love the Uchiha?"

Tobirama's face darkened. He felt an unprecedented humiliation.