Is the Third Generation the Son of the Second?

Back then, after Shizuka Sarutobi was intercepted and eventually released, she returned pregnant. Tobirama Senju nearly lost his mind at the time and immediately forced her to abort the child.

For a long time afterward, Tobirama Senju remained consumed by rage, his expression turning terrifyingly dark whenever he laid eyes on Shizuka Sarutobi.

Finally, after a night of heavy drinking, Tobirama Senju and Shizuka Sarutobi shared a bed, and on February 8th, seven years ago, she gave birth to a baby boy.

Tobirama Senju refused to acknowledge the child as a member of the Senju Clan. Helpless, Shizuka Sarutobi had no choice but to deceive her father, claiming the child was to be adopted into the Sarutobi Clan, and she transferred him directly to her brother, Sasuke Sarutobi.

Because all of Sasuke Sarutobi's children had perished in the war, and he had been rendered infertile due to the conflict, he did not think twice when his sister offered to let him adopt a child. Deeply grateful to her, he took the boy back to the Sarutobi Clan and named him Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Enough, Big Brother, I understand. I have already killed that person; there is no need to bring this matter up again."

Seeing Hashirama Senju's expression, Tobirama Senju waved his hand dismissively, spoke coldly, and turned to leave.

"Sigh...!"

Watching Tobirama Senju's retreating figure, Hashirama Senju let out a long sigh.

"Father, what is Second Uncle doing? Did something happen in the past?"

Seeing the strange atmosphere between the two, Senju Fujima asked with a touch of gossip.

"Back then, we...!"

"That is why your Second Uncle harbors such hatred for the Uchiha Clan."

"Now that there is talk of making peace with the Uchiha Clan, it is inevitable that he feels a sense of sorrow."

Hashirama Senju then recounted the past to Senju Fujima, telling him the story exactly as it had happened.

"Pfft...!"

"Father, what did you say? You mean Little Monkey is actually Second Uncle's son?"

Upon hearing Hashirama Senju's words, Senju Fujima nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. This was earth-shattering news!

Little Monkey was Hiruzen Sarutobi, who often visited the Senju Clan; the two of them were considered good brothers. He never imagined that this little brother of his was actually his own kin.

Who was Hiruzen Sarutobi? He was the future Third Hokage. Was that the reason he was able to become the Third Hokage? The connections were truly complicated!

"Mm, do not speak of this in front of your Second Uncle. He still hasn't moved past this hurdle, and your Second Aunt is a pitiful soul as well."

"But I have no way to change any of this. As an older brother, I have truly failed."

"Sigh...!"

Hashirama Senju looked at Senju Fujima and nodded slowly, warning him never to mention this matter in front of Tobirama Senju again.

"I understand, Father."

Senju Fujima nodded quickly.

"Then I'll be going now, hehe!"

"Call me when the great battle starts tomorrow."

Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Senju Fujima spoke to Hashirama Senju.

"Mm, go ahead!"

Hashirama Senju smiled slightly and nodded.

Senju Fujima then left the meeting hall and headed toward his room.

"I never imagined the Third Hokage would actually be my brother. It completely shatters my worldview!"

"I wonder how much more history I don't know about—one explosive revelation after another."

Along the way, Senju Fujima kept pondering the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi was his brother; it completely overturned his understanding of the world.

"Hm?"

"Second Uncle?"

"What is he doing standing there?"

Just as Senju Fujima passed the main gate, he saw his Second Uncle squatting by a small river not far from the clan grounds, standing there in a daze.

"Ding! Host's meddling detected. God Selection System activated."

[Option 1: Since the Second Hokage is in low spirits, go up and kick him while he's down. Rub salt in the wound to make him suffer even more—if he doesn't go mad, he won't reach enlightenment. Reward: A set of Tobirama Senju's combo ultimate techniques; consider it a refreshing bath.]

[Option 2: Express sympathy for the Second Hokage's experience and suggest bringing Little Monkey back to reclaim the Senju name. You might gain the Second Hokage's favor. Reward: Killing intent from Sasuke Sarutobi.]

[Option 3: Comfort the Second Hokage and gradually help him let go of his hatred, accepting the facts. Since the situation is set in stone and cannot be resisted, he might as well lie back and enjoy it. Reward: Space-Time Ninjutsu—Flying Thunder God.]

Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps the system was doing it on purpose, but it was now forcing him to provoke his Second Uncle, and the screen appeared right before his eyes.

"Kick him while he's down? You really thought of that? If I face a set of Second Uncle's combo ultimates, I'll be dead for sure."

"And Little Monkey has already been adopted; asking him to change his name back is clearly impossible. He's the only male heir they have. If I actually suggested that, Sasuke Sarutobi would likely chase me down to kill me."

"The last one isn't bad! But if I want to learn, Second Uncle would teach me anyway...!"

"So, System, aren't you just playing with me? Is there any difference between this and giving me nothing?"

Seeing the three choices, Senju Fujima frowned deeply. If the system were a person, he would have already beaten it up hundreds of times, he thought with some anger.

Option three seemed excellent at first glance, but if he wanted to learn it, would Tobirama Senju really refuse to teach him? The system was basically pulling a fast one, likely just messing with him for the sake of it—nothing more than a game.

"Forget it. Uncle and Aunt are both pitiable people. If this were the modern era, it might be slightly more acceptable; after all, many women aren't exactly 'factory sealed' anymore."

"They probably wouldn't even dare to go for a pre-marital checkup, right? Yet they still carry on as if nothing is wrong."

"In this era, it really is quite hard to accept!"

"After all, she is his fiancée. If it were me, I reckon I'd be so furious I'd destroy the entire Ninja World."

Senju Fujima thought for a moment and decided to help his uncle once, though he wasn't sure if it would have any effect. After all, not everyone could accept such a thing.

This wasn't the modern era with its extreme openness. Nowadays, if someone were cheated on, they'd likely have the urge to kill, let alone in the Warring States period, where killing was an everyday occurrence.

"Fate is a cruel jester! Why must there be war? If there had been no war in the past, would Shizuka have suffered such a blow?"

"My pride is higher than the heavens; I cannot tolerate my wife being treated this way. If it weren't for the alliance with the Sarutobi Clan and my elder brother forbidding me from divorcing her, I would have cast her aside long ago."

"Perhaps this is just how fate plays with us!"

"If only I had discovered the Uchiha Clan's plan back then, perhaps the outcome would not have been like this."

"Little Monkey, will you blame your father?"

Tobirama Senju watched the fish happily swimming in the river, standing there in a daze, his heart feeling as if a bottle of five flavors had been overturned.

Thinking back to the events of that year was like a thorn in his heart, one that he could never shake off.

"Uncle."

At that moment, a crisp voice startled Tobirama Senju. He turned his head to see Senju Fujima walking over, and he managed a forced smile.

"Fujima, why are you here?"

Tobirama Senju had always regarded Senju Fujima as his own child. Because his feelings for Hiruzen Sarutobi were so conflicted, he had poured all his affection into Senju Fujima instead.

"Uncle, what are you thinking about? Standing here all by yourself, lost in thought?"

Senju Fujima looked at Tobirama Senju and, rather than asking directly, started with some idle chatter.

"Hmm?"

"It's nothing. Aren't we having negotiations tomorrow? I was just thinking about how to keep our clansmen safer."

Tobirama Senju looked at Senju Fujima, feeling that his nephew was becoming increasingly mature—though he couldn't tell if it was just his imagination—and replied indifferently.

"Is that so? With us there tomorrow, there won't be any problems. Even if a war breaks out, I will use Wood Release to restrain every member of the Uchiha Clan."

Senju Fujima curled his lip. Who are you trying to fool? But he didn't say it out loud, looking at him with a smile instead.

"Mm, I don't worry about your strength."

Tobirama Senju clearly wasn't in the right frame of mind, nodding slightly as he spoke.

"Uncle, I rarely see you and Aunt together. Have you two been having conflicts?"

"Or is it that you don't like Aunt? Aunt is quite beautiful, so why don't you like her?"

Senju Fujima didn't know how to comfort Tobirama Senju, so he just threw caution to the wind and said whatever came to mind.

Upon hearing Senju Fujima's words, Tobirama Senju's body trembled slightly, and he remained silent.

"Uncle, tell me, is loving someone very painful?"

"If she isn't by your side, and she suffers harm while we are powerless to help, what do you think we should do?"

"Should we continue to give her the cold shoulder and make her even sadder, or should we guard her and protect her?"

Senju Fujima looked at the river in front of him, not at Tobirama Senju, and spoke calmly.

He was talking about his aunt—a pitiable woman who was not only abducted on her wedding day but had to endure endless abuse upon her return.

Although it wasn't physical violence, it was still a form of cold violence against such a woman.

"Then tell me, who is more pitiable: her, or the one who loves her?"

Tobirama Senju was far too clever not to understand what Senju Fujima was implying. He was clearly here to act as a mediator, he asked coolly.

"I think they are both pitiable, but they shouldn't continue to hurt each other."

"However, what's done is done. We can only face it bravely rather than becoming a coward. Uncle, don't you agree?"

Senju Fujima fixed his gaze on Tobirama Senju as he spoke.

"A coward? A coward? A coward?"

Hearing Senju Fujima's words, a voice suddenly echoed in Tobirama Senju's mind, repeatedly calling him a coward. He lowered his head to look at his right hand and muttered to himself.

"That's right. Only a coward would try to escape the truth. If neither party is happy, then at the very least, they shouldn't be together."

"If there is truly love, then one should cast aside the judgment of the world. She didn't intend for this to happen; she was forced by circumstances. It is not her fault."

"If one must assign blame, it is the fault of war. It is because of war that such things happen."

"That is why Father and I hope for peace throughout the Ninja World, so that such things will never happen again. You agree, don't you?"

Seeing that Tobirama Senju was moved, Senju Fujima hurriedly continued to speak.