A Single Cry of "Teacher" Makes Tobirama Hesitate

The Kunai in Tobirama's hand was just an inch from Sarutobi Hiruzen's neck.

At that moment, Tobirama's murderous gaze met Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged, clouded eyes.

"Teacher!"

For a moment, Tobirama seemed to hear Monkey calling out to him as he had in his youth. The old face before him overlapped with the one in his memories.

Tobirama's movements faltered for an instant.

His last memory before awakening was of staying behind to cover his disciples' retreat. How could he not care about them?

But it was precisely because he cared that he had been so furious to learn Sarutobi Hiruzen had betrayed Konoha.

He had not hesitated out of mercy. It was almost instinctive: he could not bring himself to kill the disciple he had taught personally for over a decade.

For top-tier ninja like them, that fraction of a second was enough to decide life or death.

Sarutobi Hiruzen knocked Tobirama's Kunai aside with the Ruyi Staff, then aimed its other end at Tobirama's chest from point-blank range.

"Extend! Ruyi Staff!"

This Tobirama was no Shadow Clone. Caught off guard, he was sent flying by Sarutobi Hiruzen's staff and smashed through the outer walls of several houses.

When Tobirama reappeared at the scene using Flying Thunder God, everyone saw the gaping hole punched through his chest.

If he had not had a Reanimated Body, that blow would have killed him.

After all, even when alive, Tobirama had possessed an ordinary human body, not a Sage Body like Hashirama's.

His Senju bloodline and his own strength had made him far tougher than most people, but he still could not have survived that strike.

Tobirama fell silent as he watched the hole in his chest slowly close.

Had he grown old? Were his reactions getting dull?

*Or could he simply not