The Raikage's Death, a New Senju Life

Hashirama Senju extended a friendly invitation. "A, why not stay in Konoha for a few days?"

"No need. I don't have time to spend in Konoha with the life I have left. The village still needs me."

A declined Hashirama's goodwill and left Gospel Hospital alone.

After Toji's treatment, he could clearly feel that his condition had improved considerably. Before coming to Konoha, he had only one month left to live. Now, he had forcibly gained another three months.

The Raikage was not a shinobi who feared death. He intended to use these less than four remaining months to do more for Kumogakure—for example, taming the Eight-Tails and helping the Jinchuriki master its power.

"Konoha's Toji truly is an exceptionally dangerous medical shinobi."

A gave Toji that assessment in his heart.

Toji's strength was far inferior to Hashirama's and could not compare to Tobirama's, but his Medical Ninjutsu was what deserved the greatest wariness.

Hashirama Senju was an innocent fellow. Even with the power to destroy heaven and earth, he would not resort to force against the nations of the Shinobi World.

Tobirama was underhanded and cunning, and his strength was formidable, but the pressure he exerted on the other nations was far less than Hashirama's.

Even if he was stronger than the other villages' Second Kage, the gap was limited. At the level of top-tier combat power, they were evenly matched.

Thus, Kumogakure's strategists had long concluded:

After Hashirama's death, Tobirama would certainly succeed him as Hokage.

In the era after Hashirama Senju and the Uchiha were gone, there would be no shinobi whose strength stood leagues above the rest. Wars in the Shinobi World would become contests of each village's foundations and overall strength.

Whichever side had more mid-level shinobi, more abundant ninja tools and military supplies, and