"..."
"..."
"..."
The Three Little Ones exchanged looks. Chiba suddenly jolted. "So, you mean... but how is that possible?! They died ages ago!"
Uchiha Yashiro looked grave. "I once heard the elders in the clan mention that Kagami Uchiha, who served in the Second Hokage's Guard back then, said Tobirama Senju... had created a technique that could bring the dead back to life!"
"Bring the dead back to life?!" Ryuka gaped. "How is that possible?!"
Uchiha Shigetsu looked thoughtful. "Maybe it doesn't bring them back to life. Maybe it uses some method to return their souls to the Land of the Living, letting them appear in this world again through some sort of vessel!"
"..."
"..."
Everyone exchanged looks, then couldn't help turning toward Tobirama Senju and Hashirama Senju.
Just then, Tobirama Senju vanished from the spot with a whoosh.
The wire binding him disappeared.
His limbs disappeared along with it... but his body, floating in the air like scraps of paper, soon pieced itself back together.
The Uchiha watching all frowned.
What an evil technique!
What sort of inherently evil person could have created it? It was simply unheard of, unseen, horrifying, and utterly shocking!
"Brother, we should leave. They've figured it out... that was my fault."
Hashirama Senju didn't answer.
He glanced toward the end of the street.
There was chakra blazing like the sun there, coming from a... little blond boy peeking out from behind an Uchiha child who was shielding him?
"That is..."
Hashirama's gaze swept over the children behind the two little boys.
Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Inuzuka Clan, Hyuga... and that little boy in a hood, who seemed almost invisible, was...
Aburame?
"Ah..."
He sighed softly.
Then.
A faint smile unwittingly appeared on his naturally compassionate face.
"Tobirama... was I wrong after all? Maybe