The usual path to becoming Hokage wasn't an option with Tobirama Senju in the way, so Uchiha Nan had only one choice.
Wait!
Wait until Tobirama Senju died. Although Uchiha Nan had a trump card that could let him briefly go toe-to-toe with Tobirama Senju—a Mangekyō Sharingan experience card—
So what if he had the Mangekyō Sharingan? It wasn't as though Tobirama Senju had never killed a Mangekyō Sharingan wielder before. He had killed Izuna Uchiha.
There was no way he could seriously expect to rally his fellow Uchiha into staging a coup with him. He might as well find a way to join Madara Uchiha, hiding in some cave somewhere. At least Madara Uchiha wasn't prejudiced against any particular clan. He looked down on everyone who wasn't Hashirama equally.
Uchiha Nan regarded the Mangekyō Sharingan experience card as a priceless treasure. He'd held back from using it even in several life-threatening situations, and had no intention of wasting it on Tobirama Senju.
No one knew how many forbidden techniques designed specifically to counter the Uchiha Tobirama Senju had researched during his lifetime. The only way to find out was to become Hokage and get a chance to read the Forbidden Scroll.
But now, Uchiha Nan had finally made it through. By the time tonight was over, Tobirama Senju's body should be cold.
At the thought, the gloom from his poor luck with the draws lifted. Joy welled up inside him, and he broke into a wild grin before bursting into the Uchiha's signature maniacal laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Kehehehe!"
"..."
"Cough, cough! I choked on my spit."
Uchiha Nan coughed a couple of times, then heard two meows. A sleek black cat climbed in through the window. As usual, it leaped onto Uchiha Nan's bed, swept its tail around twice, then settled down.
"Nan, I got the information."
"There really was an ambush during Konoha's negotiations with the Raikage. It went just as you predicted: the Second drew the pursuers away by himself. Things look grim for him."
The black cat licked the fur on its paw, shifted into a more comfortable position, and sprawled belly-down on the soft mattress with all four paws tucked under it. Uchiha Nan sat beside it and began stroking its fur with practiced ease.
"I got this information from Qiaqi. It took a lot of effort to pry it out of him."
"Good job, little Manji."
Manji was Uchiha Nan's summoning beast, while Qiaqi was Kagami Uchiha's. The Uchiha and the Ninja Cat Clan had been on good terms for generations, and the Ninja Cats under Cat Granny often made contracts with members of the Uchiha Clan.
Ninja Cats were small and nimble, making them excellent at gathering information. They had their own intelligence network in the Ninja world.
After Uchiha Nan had displayed his talent at the Ninja Academy, his clan had recommended him to Cat Granny, who arranged for Manji to sign a contract with him. Back then, Manji had still been a kitten.
Over the years, Manji had accompanied Uchiha Nan on missions outside the village and faced life-or-death situations with him several times. Uchiha Nan trusted him completely, so he'd sent Manji to gather information.
"How are you going to thank me?"
Manji purred, his face showing pure bliss. He was very pleased with the cat-stroking skills of Uchiha Nan, a true master.
"Three tins of catnip!"
"No way. Double it!"
Manji flicked his tail to show his displeasure.
"Deal!"
In high spirits, Uchiha Nan took a tin of catnip from his drawer and tossed it to Manji.
"I'll buy you the other five tins tomorrow."
Manji eagerly opened the tin, scooped out a handful, and took a big bite.
"That's the stuff. The good stuff."
"AA+!"
Manji wore an expression of utter bliss. He emptied the tin of catnip onto the bed and rolled around in it, paws akimbo.
"Manji, tell the Ninja Cats you're close with to stay in Konoha for the next few days. I'll need you to keep me updated."
"Manji? Manji?"
Manji's eyes had gone blank, his tongue lolled out, and his paws mechanically shoved catnip into his mouth. He'd clearly gotten high on the stuff.
Forget it. He couldn't count on Manji for now. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others hadn't returned yet, and news of Tobirama's death hadn't reached the village. He'd let things play out a little longer.
Time for bed!
A few days later, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others hurried back to Konoha. They didn't bring good news of a ceasefire, but instead carried a piece of terrible news that would shake the entire village.
Negotiations between Konoha and the Raikage had collapsed. The Raikage had been ambushed and killed by his subordinates, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, and Tobirama Senju had fallen in battle.
Senju Clan Land
"Tobirama... he's dead?"
"How could that be? How could Tobirama have died?"
When Mito Uzumaki first heard the news, her expression was dazed and lost. She hadn't yet recovered from the devastating blow. She simply couldn't imagine that her brother-in-law, Tobirama, was dead.
In Mito's memory, Tobirama had always been calm and resourceful. After Hashirama died, he'd kept Konoha running smoothly.
His strength had been among the best in the Ninja world. He'd survived the chaos of the Warring States period, only to die during a ceasefire negotiation. Mito Uzumaki couldn't bring herself to believe it.
Mito Uzumaki looked to Hiruzen Sarutobi, hoping he would say something. But reality was reality, and Hiruzen Sarutobi could only remain silent, afraid of upsetting her further.
Tears welled in Mito Uzumaki's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away and fixed Hiruzen Sarutobi with a sharp stare.
"Tell me everything from beginning to end. Don't leave out a single detail!"
Mito Uzumaki's voice was icy. Her emotions were unsteady, and Chakra surged from her body as she spoke.
The Uzumaki Clan's Chakra was naturally immense, and Mito was also the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The Chakra radiating from her left Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others struggling to breathe.
Konoha had just emerged from a major war. The First Shinobi World War had lasted a full eight years. Even though Konoha's people were strong and healthy, eight years of war had taken a heavy toll. Even a powerful village like Konoha had been badly weakened.
With the village's leader dead at such a critical moment, mishandling the situation could cause Konoha to fall apart.
"Yes, Mito-sama."
Hiruzen Sarutobi repeatedly agreed, then recounted everything from beginning to end: the negotiations between Tobirama Senju, the Second, and the Second Raikage; the ambush by Kinkaku and Ginkaku; and the pursuit by the elite force they led.
Finally, Tobirama Senju had sacrificed himself as a decoy to cover the group's escape. Hiruzen Sarutobi told her the whole story.
Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't forget to mention that before Tobirama died, he had appointed him Third.
Mito Uzumaki interrupted several times to ask for specific details and made Hiruzen Sarutobi repeat parts of the story again and again. Everyone else present had to recount it several times as well.
Combined with the Nine-Tails' unique ability to sense emotions, Mito Uzumaki eventually concluded that Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others weren't lying.
Mito Uzumaki stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a complicated expression. For the first time, she questioned Tobirama's judgment. Were these youngsters really worth Tobirama sacrificing himself for?
And what about Hiruzen Sarutobi? Was he truly worthy of the title of Hokage?
Before you continue