"Monkey, we never expected to meet you again like this, either."
Faced with the Third Hokage's shock, Hashirama said nothing. Tobirama remained impassive, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
"This is... the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu?!"
The Third Hokage soon noticed something unusual about the two of them. These were clearly reincarnated bodies, not true resurrections.
Minato and Kushina, on the other hand, were plainly flesh and blood. The couple had been fully brought back to life.
Realizing this only left the Third Hokage more bewildered.
"Minato, Kushina, how exactly were you brought back to life?"
Shocked and curious, the Third Hokage couldn't help turning to his student's student, Minato Namikaze. "Why were only the two of you resurrected, while Lord Hashirama and Lord Tobirama still have reincarnated bodies?" he asked gravely.
As he spoke, he unconsciously slipped into the tone he had always used with Minato-the condescending attitude of an elder addressing a junior.
After all, even when Minato had been alive and serving as the Fourth Hokage, he had been nothing more than Hiruzen Sarutobi's puppet. On all major decisions concerning Konoha, Minato had always been required to obey his instructions unconditionally.
Deep down, he had gradually developed an instinctive sense of superiority over Minato.
Perhaps even he himself had never realized it.
But Minato didn't answer him. He merely looked away and remained silent.
"Minato, answer me!"
Seeing Minato dare to ignore him, the Third Hokage felt an inexplicable surge of anger and barked at him.
This was not the Minato Namikaze he remembered, the one who had obeyed his every word!
What he didn't know was that, once Minato learned what Naruto had endured over the years, he had already begun to question the Third Hokage he had always respected. It was only out of