Toji set aside what he was doing and headed to the Hokage Building.
In the small conference room,
Hashirama, Tobirama, Uchiha Chiri, and the heads of several key departments in the Hokage Building had all arrived.
Seeing the lineup, Toji knew this was no trivial matter.
"Toji's here." Hashirama nodded at him. "Take a seat first."
Uchiha Chiri pulled out a chair for Toji.
In the conference room, Hashirama sat at the head of the table, Tobirama to his left, Chiri to his right, while Toji took the second seat on the right.
After sitting down, Toji discreetly glanced at Hashirama.
He had considered whether, when the Battle of the Valley of the End broke out someday in the future, he should use the chance to treat Hashirama after the battle to plant the Parasite Mark in him.
After weighing it over and over, Toji ultimately abandoned the idea.
Earth Grudge Parasite was not omnipotent.
Yin-Yang Release, unusual physiques, and shinobi who had pushed taijutsu to the extreme were its natural enemies.
If he failed, no matter how slow Hashirama was, he would notice something wrong.
Then everything would be exposed.
It would be better to take Hashirama's heart after his death and use Impure World Reincarnation in peace.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Hashirama slowly spoke from the head seat. "First, the most important matter. Everyone, I will be leaving the village for some time."
His words stirred up a storm.
Even Toji was somewhat surprised.
Why was Hashirama Senju leaving the village at a time like this? Had the Battle of the Valley of the End erupted ahead of schedule?
Sarutobi Sasuke hurriedly asked, "Lord Hokage, where are you going?"
"A very distant place for training." Hashirama's expression was solemn. "If all goes well, I may be back in ten days or half a month. If something goes wrong, it may take half a year or even a year."
"In short, while I am away from the village, Tobirama will serve as acting Hokage and handle daily affairs. The other departments should continue as usual and perform their respective duties."
As he spoke, Hashirama glanced at Toji.
After settling that important matter, he specifically stressed that while he was away, Gospel Hospital and the Ninja Academy had to remain fully operational.
One hand grasped education, the other medicine—both were the foundations of livelihood that Konoha's people cared about most.
Hashirama chaired the meeting and finalized the remaining trivial matters one by one.
After the meeting, Hashirama kept Toji behind alone.
They began a closed-door discussion.
Hashirama Senju asked, "Toji, have you practiced Senjutsu?"
"While traveling through the Shinobi World, I did hear some related legends, but I don't know the specifics."
"I see." Hashirama gave a hearty laugh. "I thought the Zenin Clan's long lifespan might be connected to Senjutsu energy somehow. It seems it is simply a matter of physique."
Toji did not continue discussing the matter with Hashirama and instead asked, "Lord Hokage, did something happen for you to suddenly go practice Senjutsu?"
Toji realized that Hashirama was going to cultivate Senjutsu.
And he had fallen into a misconception before this.
He had assumed that Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi, had mastered Senjutsu long ago. Yet the truth before him contradicted what he knew.
This God of Shinobi, already over forty, had no equal in the Shinobi World aside from Madara Uchiha. Yet he still had not reached the limit of his own strength.
He was still growing stronger!
That reminded Toji of a classic line from a Chinese animated series he had watched in his previous life—
[You may be the protagonist of this work, but he is the protagonist of that era.]
As long as Hashirama was still alive...
I can't entertain any other thoughts~
"Nothing happened, really. I should have gone to learn Senjutsu long ago, but the village needed me, so I kept putting it off. Now that the village is on track and no longer needs me worrying over everything, I finally have the time."
After explaining, Hashirama slowly said, "I called you here mainly because I want to ask you for a favor..."
"Is it about Tobirama?" Toji immediately guessed the answer.
Hashirama nodded. "Yes."
"After I taught Tobirama a lesson last time, he has indeed settled down quite a bit. But as his older brother, I know his temperament better than anyone. When I am around, he can restrain himself somewhat. Once I am gone, I fear no one will be able to keep him in check."
Konoha's second most important figure was still like a child in Hashirama's eyes. Though Tobirama truly was his younger brother, it still sounded far too humiliating.
"During this trip, Tobirama is what worries me most. I am afraid his old thoughts will resurface and that he will touch human experimentation again."
"I know your character, Toji. You also detest things like human experimentation, which insult life itself. So I want to ask you to keep watch over him, openly and secretly. If he has such thoughts, then you..."
Hashirama thought for a moment, seemingly considering that Toji was not Tobirama's match. "Report it to Mito. No matter how outrageous Tobirama becomes, he will still listen to Mito."
Toji raised the worst-case scenario. "What if Tobirama does not listen even to Lady Mito?"
"I will have Mito carry my order and join forces with Uchiha Chiri to secretly apprehend Tobirama, then wait for me to return and deal with him."
Hashirama's expression was grave. "Even if it is Tobirama, I will not spare him if he endangers the village."
The atmosphere in the room gradually froze.
"However..." Hashirama softened his tone. "Tobirama is merely too impatient. When he does things, he easily overlooks principles. He is meticulous, and he likes acting in secret, so he is not easily noticed."
"If it weren't for you last time, Toji, I might still be in the dark now, hahaha!"
"In any case, as long as Mito and Touka step in, they will certainly be able to keep Tobirama under control and put his talents to proper use."
Hashirama patted Toji on the shoulder. "Actually, I had wanted to appoint you as acting Hokage, Toji, but Gospel Hospital cannot do without you. On top of that, your seniority is still lacking, so the matter can only be put aside for now."
Toji looked moved. "Thank you for your trust, Lord Hashirama."
"All right, all right. Between you and me, there is no need for empty words like that. Could I possibly not trust you?"
"Only those of the Hokage's line can become Hokage."
As Toji walked out of the Hokage Building, the emotion on his face vanished completely.
He did not care about the position of Hokage. The words had simply come to mind. As the Hokage's younger brother, Tobirama could still become acting Hokage even after his forbidden human experimentation was exposed...
If Hashirama had been more ruthless and made Tobirama nothing more than an Elite Jōnin of Konoha, allowing someone else to become the Second Hokage,
then perhaps there would not have been the weak Third Hokage who yielded to outsiders, nor Danzo, who controlled Root and brought chaos to the Shinobi World.
Many of Konoha's future tragedies would have been rewritten because of it.
Unfortunately, every root of future disaster had already been planted sixty years ago—in other words, now.
All suffering and tragedy would have to pay the price for naïve ideals.
Toji did not try to dissuade Hashirama and simply let events unfold.
While Hashirama was away from the village, he had been tasked with monitoring the acting Hokage. From then on, he would have to play the role of both enemy and friend to Tobirama, keeping a close eye on all of Tobirama's experiments and proving his own "united front value."
He would make Tobirama pay certain costs in order to win him over.
At the same time, he would plant seeds for his future "corruption," giving Tobirama the illusion of victory.
Before you continue