On the Road

Konoha, Root.

A ninja wearing an animal mask came before Danzo and respectfully dropped to one knee.

"Lord Danzo, the Second has already left."

Danzo, standing in the darkness, paused as he tapped his cane and sighed softly. "Teacher, you are still as you were back then, setting off with so few people, just like when you went with me to negotiate in the Land of Lightning..."

As he spoke, Danzo seemed to sink into his memories.

"Damn it. Back then, I was just a little short of becoming Hokage... Teacher, surely you favored me more in your heart, didn't you?"

"Teacher, Konoha needs a new Hokage. Forgive me, Teacher. One day, you will understand that I was right."

With that, Danzo tapped his cane, and several figures flashed through the darkness.

Throughout the ninja world,

The major nations that had obtained information through spies planted in Konoha quickly responded.

Konoha was currently at its weakest point in history. White Fang had taken his own life, the Fourth had died, the Uchiha had been exterminated, the Third was growing frail with age, the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had yet to mature, one of the Legendary Sannin had defected, and another remained outside the village. Only Jiraiya was holding things together.

During this period of weakness, they had no desire to see Konoha return, under the Second Hokage's protection, to the days of the Second Shinobi World War, when one village could suppress the other four.

The resurrected Second Hokage had already become a thorn in the side of every major nation.

An operation to intercept and kill the Second Hokage quietly began.

On the main road leading from Konoha to the capital of the Land of Fire, Tobirama Senju strolled leisurely.

If he traveled at full speed, he could reach the capital of the Land of Fire in less than half a day.

But since he had the rare chance to experience the flavor of the ninja world, Tobirama Senju intended to properly take in the scenery of this different world.

Along the way, lush greenery lined both sides of the road. Every now and then, he passed one or two villages, where villagers worked diligently in the fields.

Only by seeing it with his own eyes could Tobirama Senju experience the exotic atmosphere of this other world, something he had never seen in his previous life.

"The air is really nice."

Tobirama Senju took a breath. In his previous life, living in the twenty-first century, industrial pollution had kept him from enjoying pastoral scenery like this for a long time.

The Land of Fire lay at the center of the continent and possessed the most fertile land in the ninja world, with favorable weather throughout the year.

Compared to the other four great nations, the Land of Fire was truly blessed by nature.

No wonder the Land of Fire was targeted by every major nation in every Shinobi World War. With land this exceptional, who wouldn't want to take a bite out of it?

"Lord Hokage, there is a restaurant ahead. Would you like to stop and rest for a while?"

After spotting the restaurant ahead, Genma Shiranui, dressed in a Konoha flak jacket, spoke up.

Tobirama looked up and said, "There is no need. This body of mine does not need food."

An Impure World Reincarnation body was, plainly speaking, a corpse. It did not possess a normal person's senses.

His blood did not flow, he had no body temperature, and he had no need for anything that required eating to replenish energy.

The Second Hokage really was a genius. He had actually created such an absurdly powerful ninjutsu—something that required no consumption and could create things from nothing. It was practically a perpetual-motion machine.

If I made hundreds of thousands of Impure World Reincarnation soldiers like this, wouldn't the ninja world be invincible?

Thinking silently to himself, Tobirama declined Genma Shiranui's kind offer.

"Yes."

After being refused, Genma Shiranui returned to the shadows and watched the situation around them. At the first sign of trouble, the three of them would immediately warn the Hokage.

"This body is good—it will not die—but in the end, I cannot even feel the reality of being alive. It is like an incredibly realistic AR game. I still need a real body of flesh and blood."

After quietly grumbling to himself, Tobirama Senju continued on his way.

"Konoha-Style Swordsmanship: Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

"Aah!"

Several flashes of sword light swept past, striking several enemies.

After shifting his gaze away from the corpses, Namiashi Raidō used chakra to sense the surrounding area.

"There are no more enemies!"

Iwashi Tatami and Genma Shiranui, having received the report, let out sighs of relief.

This was already the third wave.

Although they were all low-level wandering ninjas, it also showed that someone did not want the Hokage's journey to go smoothly.

"Raidō, continue clearing the way ahead for Lord Hokage. I'll provide cover from the rear with Iwashi."

"Alright."

After their brief exchange, the three once again silently followed behind.

Tobirama Senju had seen the battle just now, but he did not intervene. The attackers were all weak, and he could not possibly handle everything personally. Otherwise, what was the point of having subordinates?

As he looked down the road again, Tobirama Senju seemed to sense something.

In the distance, a carriage was traveling along the road, escorted by dozens of guards. It looked like some kind of caravan?