Old Matters

"Whatever difficulties held me back, I wouldn't be hurt. Whatever dangers stood before me, I wouldn't panic. Even if a pack of wolves surrounded me..."

"Cough, cough. Sen, um, you've already succeeded in summoning it..."

Tsunade couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up to interrupt Sen's casting. It was simply too hypnotic—the music was catchy and wildly infectious. After hearing it, she actually felt like dancing gracefully. Something was wrong. Very wrong!

"Huh? It worked already? I haven't finished singing yet. How about I finish this song? It's just getting to the best part."

Uchiha Sen had barely raised his hands when everyone hurriedly stopped him.

"That's enough, that's enough!"

"You sang wonderfully, and your dancing wasn't bad either!"

"There's really no need!"

"The thought is what counts! The thought is what counts!"

"Spare the children!"

Sen curled his lip. It was obvious that being unable to finish his dance made him very unhappy. In a way, Sen had experienced Madara Uchiha's loneliness at the top—after Hashirama died, no one could dance a full "dance" with him anymore.

"Tch, what a bunch of boring Muggle natives."

As he silently turned around, Sen spotted a familiar figure.

"Huh? Isn't this Double-Zero Seven?!"

"Double-Zero Seven, why are you back again? Did the planet send you back with another mission for me? Let me tell you, after you left, I was so bored here all by myself. You have no idea how boring these Muggle natives are. None of them understand my dancing, and they can't understand my songs either. But you can understand, right?"

Sen was happy as a child, clutching the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's sleeve tightly with both hands, his eyes gleaming. It was the mutual appreciation of kindred spirits, like high mountains and flowing water.

"Uh..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi had only just been revived and hadn't figured out what was going on. Still, he recognized several people on the sofa—the First, the Second, Tsunade, Jiraiya...

Good grief, did they have to be this neatly assembled...

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt somewhat guilty. For a period after his teacher's death, he and his old friends had openly and covertly suppressed the Senju Clan. That was an undeniable fact. And for a time, he had violated the village's ban and secretly researched the First Hokage's corpse...

He had thought that the dead deserved respect, and besides, he himself had died completely. Those matters should have disappeared with him. He hadn't expected such a dramatic reunion.

As he looked around, he felt as though he were facing a tribunal. The watchful expressions of the two Hokage made him feel as if scorching needles were pressing against his back.

What should I do? The two seniors I revived are going to interrogate me...

Instinctively, he looked toward Tobirama beside the First Hokage.

Tobirama Senju had his arms crossed, watching the two of them with an ambiguous expression. He had no intention of meddling. If anything, he seemed to be saying, I'll just quietly watch you perform.

There was no helping it. Better rely on himself than beg others.

"Haha, yes. I came this time to complete a secret mission, and headquarters instructed me to offer the most sincere salute to the planet's greatest warrior, Hole-Hole Monster. You've worked hard!"

As he spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around and looked solemnly at Uchiha Sen, raising his hand in a salute.

Uchiha Sen's expression turned solemn. As he raised his right hand, he shouted loudly:

"Not hard at all! It's all for the rise of the planet!"

Watching Hiruzen Sarutobi put on such a convincing act, both Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju were dumbfounded.

That worked too?

The little monkey really had some tricks!

"Um, what are you all doing??"

The Fourth Hokage scratched his head, somewhat confused. Looking around, this familiar arrangement was undoubtedly the Hokage's Office. Tsunade-senpai was sitting on the sofa... and there were two other people. Why did they look so familiar...

"Alright, Sen. Haku seemed to be looking for you at the door just now. She said there was grilled meat at home and told you to come back and eat. Do you want to go have some barbecue? We'll all be heading over in ten minutes, so you'll have ten whole minutes to enjoy it alone. And just so you know, it's premium wagyu from the Akimichi Clan at the end of the street~"

Before Tsunade Senju could finish speaking, Sen had already run out of the meeting room.

"Alright, everyone. Let's get down to business."

Once the "irrelevant personnel" had left, Tobirama began presiding over the meeting.

"Little Monkey, and, uh, Fourth Hokage, I have some questions for you. I investigated the Hidden Leaf Village's records from recent years and found many problems."

Here he came... bringing his questions with him...

Hiruzen Sarutobi panicked. Of course he knew what his teacher was about to ask...

"Teacher, I know... After you died, the Second Shinobi World War broke out, followed by the Third Shinobi World War. I was still young then and had little prestige, so... after discussing it with Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and the others, we unanimously decided to research..."

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi cautiously glanced at Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, seated nearby...

"Alright, I've already guessed that. I don't blame you for that. But what I want to ask is..."

When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard that it wasn't about that matter, his frantic heart finally settled. At least, that was the only matter on the surface. As for the decline of the Senju Clan, he had indeed pushed it along in secret, but going to the battlefield and charging at the front had been their own choice. At most, he had only sent some people to quietly encourage them back then...

"Fourth Hokage, you once said that the person who attacked the village claimed to be Madara Uchiha. Can you tell me more about it?"

Tobirama looked toward the young Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

"Uh, let me think."

After pondering for a moment, Minato Namikaze spoke.

"Yes. The other person wore a mask, and whenever I tried to touch him, his body became intangible. He was like a shadow you could see but couldn't touch. And according to Kushina's recollection at the time, he suddenly appeared at the heavily guarded birthing site..."

Tobirama frowned. Based on that alone, it didn't prove anything, so he continued asking.

"Did he have any obvious characteristics?"

Among those present, only he and his elder brother Hashirama had truly seen Madara Uchiha. First, he wanted to confirm whether Madara had really died in the Valley of the End or had faked his death.

"Uh, I remember he only had one eye. I couldn't see his face beneath the mask, but I left a Flying Thunder God Formula on him. If it still exists, I should be able to sense it."

After Minato Namikaze finished speaking, he closed his eyes.

Tobirama had also caught something from his words.

"One eye... Brother!"

Tobirama excitedly looked at Hashirama beside him. That was it. During the Warring States Era, the Uchiha Clan had once erupted into a long, drawn-out civil war. Many members of the Uchiha Clan had lost their eyes then.

"Do you remember the clan records mentioning the civil war that broke out within the Uchiha Clan during the Warring States Era?"

Hashirama fell into thought after hearing that. It seemed like there had indeed been such a thing... but why couldn't he remember it? Still, yesterday's hand should've gone for All Pungs. Going for a Pure One Suit had been a little too bold. Tonight, they'd battle again!