Slaying Senju Tobirama

(An opportunity!)

(Before that naturally evil Uchiha brat can unleash Susanoo, cut him down!)

(Just like when I killed Izuna Uchiha—one strike is all it takes!)

Seizing the moment when Uchiha Takeyasu's old strength had just faded and new power had yet to arise, Senju Tobirama hurled the three Flying Thunder God kunai from his waist, landing them in a triangular formation before Uchiha Takeyasu.

(Tobirama is coming!)

Uchiha Takeyasu swung a diagonal slash, knocking two kunai into the air. His Mangekyo Sharingan reflected every move Senju Tobirama made, even the trembling of sweat on his face, all transmitted into his brain. Under the omniscient observation of his left eye, [Amenotokotachi], Tobirama moved!

"Flying Thunder God Technique!"

The last remaining Flying Thunder God kunai was too late to deflect with his katana. As Uchiha Takeyasu prepared to sidestep, the Tobirama before him vanished in an instant.

A lethal killing intent erupted from the Flying Thunder God kunai at his side-rear, making Uchiha Takeyasu's scalp tingle and every hair stand on end.

"Flying Thunder God Slash!"

Unlike the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, which granted a full 360-degree field of vision, the Sharingan's normal sight was no different from an ordinary person's.

In the blind spot of Uchiha Takeyasu's normal vision, Senju Tobirama's eyes held neither sorrow nor joy. A flash of light at his waist, and a short blade sliced toward Uchiha Takeyasu's midsection—a naturally evil Uchiha brat, is that all? This is the end! I'll study your body thoroughly; Impure World Reincarnation will have a place for you!

Yet, to Tobirama's shock, his strike hit nothing!

The handsome youth in samurai attire, that evil Uchiha brat, had suddenly vanished!

"Exploiting the moment of your opponent's opening to deliver a fatal blow—that's always been your style."

Faster than the mocking voice was the icy blade. Instinctively using Flying Thunder God to retreat, Tobirama felt his body lighten. His left arm was gone, severed at the stump, spraying warm blood.

The searing pain jolted his mind, forcing his brain into overdrive.

(He knows Space-Time Ninjutsu too!)

(This is bad—I need to retreat immediately!)

The only possibility surfaced in his mind. Realizing he couldn't stay in one place, and even more so that killing Uchiha Takeyasu was impossible, Tobirama gritted his teeth and mustered the meager chakra left in his body.

But before he could activate Flying Thunder God again, Tobirama saw his own severed lower half, and behind it, Uchiha Takeyasu shaking the blood off his blade.

"So it was me who ended..."

"You evil Uchiha brat..."

Watching Tobirama, who couldn't help cursing the Uchiha even at his last breath, Uchiha Takeyasu thoughtfully provided a Fire Release cremation service, preparing to let Tobirama merge with nature.

Nearby, Kinkaku and Ginkaku stared dumbly at the scene.

The exchange of offense and defense had happened in the blink of an eye. By the time the two brothers snapped out of their shock, Tobirama's two halves were already blazing, dead beyond dead.

The four corpses summoned by Impure World Reincarnation also turned to ash and scattered, their souls returning to the underworld.

Watching Uchiha Takeyasu, still smiling, the arrogant and brutal Kinkaku and Ginkaku tensed every nerve. A thought crept into their minds—they didn't want to keep fighting. He knew Space-Time Ninjutsu; the initiative in battle was no longer in their hands. Continuing would yield them no real gain.

Though they didn't think the two of them together would lose, Tobirama's swift death made them reconsider. The fruits of this rebellion weren't yet in their mouths. Was it worth continuing to clash with a strongman like this?

As for the many Kumogakure ninja Uchiha Takeyasu had killed, Kinkaku and Ginkaku simply ignored it. They weren't friends or family; dead was dead. People died every day in the shinobi world anyway.

They weren't the Raikage, and they had no interest in avenging the weak.

The brothers exchanged a glance. Kinkaku, who had put away the Basho Fan, spoke up, "We killed our Raikage, and you killed your Hokage. So what does Takeyasu-san plan to do next?"

"What to do next? That's a good question."

His crimson Sharingan fell on the two brothers. Kinkaku and Ginkaku immediately went on guard, draping themselves in Nine-Tails Chakra cloaks to block any possibility of genjutsu.

"Don't be so tense. Relax."

With the main objective of this trip fully accomplished, Uchiha Takeyasu began to think.

Kinkaku and Ginkaku were upper-tier Kage Level fighters. With just their Tailed Beast Transformation, they could crush Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Shimura Danzō would die in a single exchange. So, from a personal standpoint, Uchiha Takeyasu wanted them as Ascension Points.

But on the other hand, from the Third Hokage's perspective, these two alive were far more useful than dead. They could throw Kumogakure into chaos. Having killed the Second Raikage, returning to seize power would be no easy task.

The next designated Raikage, the Third Raikage, was no pushover. Add in his many followers among the legal heir's retinue, and it would be strange if Kinkaku and Ginkaku didn't spill rivers of blood.

Kumogakure's overall combat power would inevitably plummet.

Confident he wouldn't lose, Uchiha Takeyasu weighed the pros and cons and asked, "Do you have the Second Raikage's corpse? I can trade you Tobirama's for it."

"We do, but what do you want it for?"

Kinkaku and Ginkaku exchanged a look. Ginkaku pulled out a scroll from behind him, glanced at the charcoal under Uchiha Takeyasu's feet, and twitched his mouth. "But... forget it. This thing is useless to us. I'll just give it to you. Catch."

In the shinobi world, the corpse of a strongman was a valuable asset—especially those of bloodline clans or Kumogakure's Nintaijutsu specialists. An experienced jutsu expert could potentially uncover secrets from the body.

Uchiha Takeyasu split off a Shadow Clone to take the scroll. This cautious move earned a nod of respect from Kinkaku and Ginkaku.

Unrolling the scroll, a half-corpse with only its head and a small torso emerged. Its dark face was twisted in a grimace of disbelief, making it look like a prime candidate for planting cotton.

Expressionless, Uchiha Takeyasu stored the corpse back in the scroll, waved at Kinkaku and Ginkaku, and smiled. "Farewell, mighty Third Raikage and his aide, who killed the Second Hokage and defended Kumogakure's honor."

"Huh? That works?! You Land of Fire folks are really sly."

Kinkaku and Ginkaku, never expecting such a spin, felt like a new world had opened up. Their fierce faces squeezed out a smile uglier than a cry. "Killed the Second Raikage, huh, mighty Third Hokage. Next time we meet, it might be on the battlefield!"

"I look forward to that day."

Done talking to the ill-mannered Kumogakure barbarians, Uchiha Takeyasu turned and left.

This time, he would return to Konoha as a hero who avenged the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama and his Kage Guard by slaying the Second Raikage—his blade aimed straight at the seat of the Third Hokage!