Tobirama had always blamed himself for failing to fulfill his elder brother's dying wish. It had been the greatest regret of his life.
The title of Second Hokage, the Will of Fire it carried... No one knew how he felt, and Tobirama Senju, who drew a clear line between life and death, had no intention of sharing those feelings with anyone.
A moment later, he ignored his elder brother, who was about to come over and pat his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, and changed the subject. "That's enough. The main event is coming up."
While the Senju Brothers were having their heart-to-heart, Jiraiya had finished his preliminary explanation of several complicated drafts onstage and moved on to the summary.
"...In other words, whether countries or villages, there is nothing wrong with wanting to remain autonomous and independent. Konoha recognizes and supports that, and guarantees that it will never interfere in anyone's internal affairs.
"But all of that rests on the premise of peaceful development. As mentioned earlier, however, the Ōtsutsuki Clan is certain to invade. To confront that crisis, the Shinobi World can no longer fight as separate factions...
"With that as its central purpose, Konoha will establish the Union.
"The Union's objectives will remain unchanged. Its members will be able to study and use the materials contributed by all parties, including but not limited to Ninjutsu, Secret Techniques, resources, and other things of value...
"Once the Union is established, no party will be forced to disclose its research materials. However, as founding members, all parties may apply through the Union to share and exchange them. Any materials exchanged for those provided by Konoha will also be shared by default...
"Any potential wars or disputes between parties must fall under the jurisdiction of Union legislation...
"The Shinobi