The Daimyo and the Senju

"My, my, my, how impressive. As expected of the God of Shinobi's younger brother. His strength probably wasn't much inferior to his elder brother's, was it?"

A white figure spoke in an androgynous tone.

Black Zetsu merely replied flatly, "In the end, he's only a somewhat stronger mortal. Once Lord Madara is revived, Tobirama Senju will be nothing more than an ant before him."

"Hmm, I really want to know what it looks like when these powerful people take a dump! Is it any different from ordinary people?"

"Idiot..."

Black Zetsu no longer wanted to speak to the mentally unsound White Zetsu. After surveying the surroundings, he said, "I didn't expect Tobirama Senju to retain the strength he had in life even in the state of Impure World Reincarnation. This will be an obstacle to our plan. We must return and report it to the leader."

"Huh? We're not going to keep spying on the Hokage?" White Zetsu asked in surprise.

"There's no need. With those people serving as an example, no one will dare set their sights on the Hokage anytime soon. We have other matters to attend to, so stop wasting time here."

With that, Black Zetsu ignored White Zetsu's response and slipped directly into a tree.

Half a day later.

With no mishaps along the way, Tobirama's group arrived smoothly at the capital of the Land of Fire.

Before them stretched a city district that seemed to go on forever, densely packed with all manner of buildings. The sounds of people coming and going filled the air, making it appear exceptionally prosperous.

After briefly looking around, Tobirama withdrew his gaze. He had already spotted the people assigned to receive him.

"Lord Hokage, welcome, welcome. The daimyo has been awaiting you for a long time." The Land of Fire minister who had come to receive them was unexpectedly enthusiastic.

"We encountered a little trouble on the way and were delayed for a while," Tobirama explained flatly.

The minister seemed to guess something upon hearing that. His expression changed, and he escorted Tobirama's group into the capital with a forced smile.

Unexpectedly, the daimyo requested a private meeting with Tobirama Senju.

Unable to make sense of it, Tobirama searched through the memories of his former self and came to understand many hidden details.

Why had the Senju Clan, which had founded a village alongside the Uchiha in the original story, later vanished without a trace?

Why had the enormous Senju Clan been reduced to only Tsunade and Nawaki?

In Tobirama's memories, after his elder brother founded Konoha, Hashirama had taken the initiative to have the Senju Clan integrate into Konoha. But Tobirama had also arranged for another branch to integrate into the Land of Fire.

His former self had even arranged a marriage between Hashirama Senju's son and the princess of the Land of Fire's daimyo at the time.

That was also why Tsunade bore the honorific Princess Tsunade.

The current daimyo of the Land of Fire was, by blood, Tsunade's cousin. If they truly counted the generations, he would have to call Tobirama Senju his great-uncle.

As expected of the God of Shinobi.

Tobirama was inwardly amazed. These details, never described in the original story, answered some of the doubts from his previous life. They also proved that his former self, a master of ninjutsu, had not only been formidable in strength but had possessed a keen political instinct as well, having long ago left the Senju Clan a way out.

After the attending servant led him around seven or eight turns, Tobirama finally met this junior of his.

"Lord Tobirama, it is truly my honor to be able to see you again."

Looking at the daimyo before him, whose attire and manner of speech were both thoroughly feminine, Tobirama found it hard to believe that he had Senju blood in him and could not help but mock him inwardly.

"If I remember correctly, your name is Fujiki, isn't it?"

"Wah, Elder Tobirama, you actually still remember my name." Fujiki's voice even took on a tearful note.

It sent a chill down Tobirama's spine.

"Ancestor, ever since your death and Hiruzen Sarutobi's succession as Hokage, the branch of the Senju Clan left behind in Konoha was repeatedly sent to the battlefield by Danzo and Hiruzen under all kinds of pretexts to carry out the most dangerous missions. As time passed, all the Senju clansmen remaining in the village died, leaving only Tsunade."

"Not only did Hiruzen Sarutobi purge the Senju clansmen in Konoha, he also sought to lay his hands on the descendants in the Land of Fire. He even placed his son among the Twelve Guardian Ninja to gather intelligence. Ancestor, our lives have truly been miserable!"

Fujiki complained to Tobirama with a sorrowful expression.

"So much happened while I was gone..." Tobirama was also stunned by the sheer amount of information. When he had watched the anime, he had never considered why only Tsunade and Nawaki remained of the Senju Clan. He had not expected Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi to be so bold.

They had actually dared persecute the Senju Clan. Then again, they had even slaughtered the Uchiha, a clan as famous as the Senju. Why would they spare the Senju?

It seemed he had been far too merciful in his handling of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Tobirama thought silently.

He looked sympathetically at the crying daimyo before him. Over the following period, aside from catching up with him, Tobirama also offered him words of comfort.

"I will purge Konoha's malignant tumors one by one." Tobirama gave this promise to the junior before him.

The next day.

The formal meeting between the Hokage and the daimyo went exceptionally smoothly, with no accidents occurring along the way.

Tobirama's purpose in traveling to the Land of Fire had been accomplished.

The people had no objections to him as the new Hokage, and the daimyo was highly supportive as well.

Once he had free time, Tobirama wandered around the capital several times. However, the cracks from Impure World Reincarnation on his face and his expressionless eyes often drew attention.

He also took the time to meet Kato To, the commander of Konoha's ninja stationed in the Land of Fire.

This ninja did not belong to the Third Hokage's faction and was Dan Katō's cousin.

From him, Tobirama learned about a series of recent developments in the Land of Fire, as well as the Third Hokage's policies toward the Land of Fire during his tenure.

Time passed in a flash, and a day went by.

Tobirama prepared to rush back to Konoha at full speed. He had not been idle during this journey, leaving Flying Thunder God formulas along every stretch of the road.

He hoped that one day the entire shinobi world would be marked by his Flying Thunder God, allowing him to reach any place in the shinobi world in an instant.

Since the daimyo could not conveniently travel outside, he sent an envoy to accompany Tobirama to Konoha and witness the Hokage's formal succession ceremony.

The envoy was a tall, thin man named Saito Shizumo. The moment he saw Tobirama Senju, he greeted him with a smiling face.

After exchanging pleasantries, Saito Shizumo had someone carry over a rather luxurious palanquin and pointed at it. "Lord Hokage, the journey is long. How about we ride back to Konoha together?"

Tobirama glanced at it and refused. "Although I am the Hokage, I am also a ninja. The road may not be peaceful, and traveling in a palanquin would be inconvenient."

"With Lord Hokage here, what blind fool would dare offend us?" Saito Shizumo was quite confident.

But seeing that Tobirama was unmoved, he could only shake his head and climb into the palanquin carried by four bearers.

Soon, the group set off.