The Past Shadows Regain Consciousness

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his serpentine pupils flickering as thoughts raced through his mind.

He was well aware—

The combat power of these "Kage-level accounts" did not entirely obey his commands.

As they stood now, they were fighting purely on instinct.

No matter how strong they were, they were nothing more than high-level puppets.

Uchiha Yoru was simply too bizarre—

He could even effortlessly counter Senju Hashirama's Wood Release.

But Orochimaru was a madman, and a scientist at that.

If he could not control them...

Then—he would let them control themselves.

The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled up slowly, revealing a dangerous smile.

"In that case... I shall unlock their consciousness."

His hands moved in a blur, weaving hand seals.

The next second—

The pupils of the four Hokage suddenly jolted.

Their dormant consciousnesses fully awakened.

"This... is?"

The first to open his eyes was Senju Hashirama.

He stared blankly at his palms as they gradually regained their color, feeling the loose soil beneath his feet, and furrowed his brows slightly.

"Tobirama... didn't I tell you already? Stop researching those messy techniques—look at you, here you go again—"

"...Shut up, elder brother!"

Senju Tobirama's eyelids twitched; the moment he opened his eyes, he heard that familiar nagging, and his tone was beyond exasperated.

"Can you stop blaming me the moment you're resurrected?"

Hashirama: "..."

Just as he was about to retort, his gaze shifted and he caught sight of an aged yet familiar figure.

"Eh? Are you... Monkey?"

Tobirama's expression froze. He stared at the man, looking him up and down with a complex tone:

"How did you get so old?"

The Third Hokage sighed softly, his tone steady:

"...I was quite old when I died."

"Hmph." Tobirama let out a cold snort and did not press further, looking down at his own hands as if confirming something.

Hashirama then looked at the last person.

"And you are?"

The man rubbed the back of his head and smiled somewhat sheepishly:

"I am... the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato."

The air stagnated.

Hashirama blinked, then broke into his signature goofy grin:

"Oh, oh! The Yellow Flash Hokage! Sounds like you're quite strong!"

After the brief exchange, the atmosphere turned heavy in an instant.

Hashirama straightened up, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings as his expression turned solemn:

"Who... resurrected us with Impure World Reincarnation?"

"And that Uchiha kid... how is he using Wood Release?"

Tobirama's expression turned icy, his brows furrowed deep:

"An Uchiha... possessing such an ability?"

The Third spoke slowly, his voice low:

"His name is Uchiha Yoru. He is currently one of the most dangerous people in the Ninja World."

"I... died at his hands."

He paused, lowering his head with a complex expression:

"The Uchiha clan has been—exterminated by his hand."

As the words fell, the air instantly froze.

Tobirama's eyes turned chillingly cold:

"What did you say?"

"The Uchiha... were wiped out by him alone?"

The Third nodded, his tone heavy and suppressed:

"On the Night of Clan Extermination, the talent, chakra, and combat prowess he displayed completely defied all logic."

"He... has almost transcended the Ninja World."

Minato's expression stiffened, lost in thought, yet he said nothing.

Hashirama's face finally changed, and he said in a deep voice:

"How did it come to this?"

"How did Konoha handle the Uchiha?"

The Third was silent for a moment, his tone low and slow:

"We tried to salvage the situation... but failed."

"He was too strong, too paranoid."

"We simply could not control him."

"Konoha... might already be under his control by now."

Tobirama stared at him coldly, a flicker of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Minato also furrowed his brows slightly.

Hashirama asked in a low voice:

"...In other words, someone resurrected us to fight him?"

The three remained silent.

Minato spoke softly:

"His chakra... is unnaturally strong."

"And his speed, his intuition... they even surpass my own."

Tobirama did not respond, but his gaze drifted toward the Third, whispering:

"...Monkey, I will ask you about the Uchiha affair later."

Hashirama's gaze was grave as he stroked his chin in contemplation:

"If it truly is to stop him... then we must take this battle seriously."

A moment later, he gave a light cough and the corner of his mouth twitched:

"Although it is true that I am strong, this time... it's going to be a tough fight."

"...Big Brother!"

Tobirama's face turned dark.

In the distance, Orochimaru watched it all quietly, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

He did not intend to control them this time; it was time—to let these true Hokage take the stage themselves.

Yet, deep inside, there remained an unsettling feeling he could not shake:

—Even they might not be able to win.

Because that man...

Had already exceeded the boundaries of logic.

The four Hokage stood in the center of the battlefield, their auras as steady as a mirror, yet rising like the dead silence before a storm.

Hashirama scanned his surroundings, his gaze landing on the black-haired figure standing silently in the distance.

His voice was deep, pressing down like a mountain:

"Uchiha descendant... your methods are far too ruthless."

Uchiha Yoru raised his eyes and cast a detached glance at him.

"Ruthless?"

His tone was calm, yet it carried an irresistible power.

"I simply... see reality more clearly than you do."

Tobirama slowly stepped forward, his voice like a blade:

"You possess Wood Release, yet you are not a Senju... who exactly are you?"

Uchiha Yoru did not answer, merely sweeping a cold glance over him.

Tobirama's tone grew even colder:

"An existence like yours is—extremely dangerous to Konoha."

Uchiha Yoru's gaze flickered, the corners of his mouth curling upward:

"Dangerous? Are you even worthy of saying those two words?"

"Without your group of disciples, the villagers of Konoha would be living much better lives than they were when those people were alive!"

Tobirama's expression sank:

"Arrogant brat!"

At this moment, the Third Hokage spoke slowly:

"Everything we have done was for the sake of Konoha, and for the Will of Fire within our hearts. You..."

"...The Will of Fire?"

Uchiha Yoru sneered, cutting him off.

He slowly stepped forward, his tone as cold as frost:

"Your so-called 'Will of Fire' is nothing but a fig leaf."

"It does not protect justice; it only shields rot."

"You indulged Danzo and tacitly approved of his conspiracies."

"When Cloud Village tried to steal the Byakugan, you defaulted to sacrificing lives to appease them."

"As for the Uchiha..."

His gaze darkened, his voice laced with killing intent:

"You let that fool slaughter his own kin with his own hands."

"The will you speak of so loudly... is nothing but an empty shell."

The Third Hokage's expression froze, and he remained silent.

A rare gravity appeared on Hashirama's face. His tone was gentle yet sincere, attempting to diffuse the tense atmosphere:

"Uchiha Yoru... I have never denied that there were misunderstandings and conflicts between the village and the Uchiha. I... truly hoped to build a genuine peace alongside Madara."

"But you killed him." Uchiha Yoru interrupted calmly, his tone as emotionless as a cold wind.

Hashirama's figure faltered, a trace of pain flashing across his eyes.

Uchiha Yoru's gaze was like a blade, his tone slow yet every word striking like a hammer:

"He was once your closest friend, the pioneer who could have led the Ninja World toward unification."

"But when he proposed an ideal different from your own, you did not understand him, nor did you attempt to accept it; instead, you chose suppression."

"What you struck down with your sword was not just one man's will, but the hope that the entire Uchiha clan once possessed."

"Your so-called 'peace' is built upon the denial of dissent; the 'Will of Fire' you speak of is merely a monologue delivered after defeating a friend."

"You defeated him, but you never truly understood him."

"In the end, you passed this will to your younger brother, passed it to the next generation... and then to the entire Ninja World."

"But the foundation of this will is the dream of a friend you buried with your own hands!!!"