Tobirama Senju truly was a rare talent. His efficiency at handling paperwork put the Uchiha brothers to shame, and they had to admit that he utterly outclassed them in administrative work.
Thanks to Tobirama Senju, the two of them finally saw an end to their endless overtime.
Three days after Tobirama Senju joined them, they finished work on time. A week later, they finished early. Half a month later, every task had someone assigned to handle it, and barring any surprises, they could go out for a stroll in the afternoon.
On his first free afternoon, Madara Uchiha stood outside the Hokage Building with tears in his eyes, immensely grateful that he had decided to drag Tobirama Senju into this.
Of course, the process had been perfectly friendly and peacefully threatening. They appealed to his emotions, persuaded him with reason, and made him "gladly accept" through the force of their "arguments."
Hashirama Senju was overjoyed. He dragged Madara Uchiha into their first fight in ages, and the two "accidentally" smashed several holes in the compounds of the smaller ninja clans that had been entertaining certain ideas, nipping those schemes in the bud.
Once Konoha's affairs could be left to Uchiha Izuna alone, Hashirama Senju restarted the previously shelved [Tailed Beast Collection Plan], dragging Madara Uchiha all over the world to catch tailed beasts for fun. Tobirama Senju hid away in his laboratory to continue his research, while Watanabe Ichiro quietly built up his strength in the Uchiha Clan Compound. Outwardly, he trained with extraordinary dedication, practically risking his life in the process to lay the groundwork for his future surge in strength.
Time flew by, and before anyone knew it, Konoha had enjoyed peace for quite a while.
Watanabe Ichiro's disguises attended the early Ninja Academy established by Tobirama Senju, becoming students of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju. They graduated smoothly as the strongest graduates of their year.
Afterward, they steadily built up their records and achievements, rising through the ranks into the ANBU and becoming the Hokage's personal guards.
Each became a powerful, quiet, mild-mannered, and low-profile background figure.
It was worth mentioning that Konoha in this world had changed considerably. The biggest departures from the original story were-
The Hokage was elected every five years and could serve consecutive terms. The First was Madara Uchiha, and with his strong backing, Hashirama Senju became the Second. Uchiha Izuna and Tobirama Senju, who had no interest in competing, became the Hokage's aides and were effectively the ones in charge.
Second, the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan permitted marriage outside their clans, no longer strictly requiring members to marry within the clan. This, too, came from Madara Uchiha's reflections after the "Uchiha Ichiro" incident.
Times had changed. Hatred between the clans would inevitably fade as the older generation passed away, though blood from other clans would dilute the chances of awakening the Sharingan and weaken its future potential.
"Making Konoha strong matters more than making a single clan strong," Madara Uchiha recalled his dear friend Hashirama saying. "Let the Uchiha and Senju Clans take the lead in sharing our bloodline limits and secret clan techniques. In time, everyone in Konoha will understand us and join us."
"Let everyone in Konoha have a chance to awaken the Sharingan, along with the Senju Clan's tremendous vitality and vast chakra reserves. Konoha will be invincible then! Everyone will be able to protect those they love!"
It sounded good. Madara Uchiha agreed and pushed the reforms forward vigorously. With his immense personal strength and the help of Uchiha Izuna and Tobirama Senju, they proceeded almost without resistance.
Presumably, the future Uchiha Clan Massacre would no longer happen. Just imagine: relatives marrying into the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha daughters-in-law and sons-in-law joining other clans, descendants potentially awakening a powerful bloodline limit like the Sharingan, teachers at school possibly being Uchiha... just how deep would the hatred have to run for a plan to massacre the Uchiha Clan to succeed?
One day, the Flying Thunder God Transmission Array in the Hokage's Office flashed, and a scroll appeared.
The masked Watanabe Ichiro picked up the scroll and presented it with both hands to Tobirama Senju, who sat beside the Hokage's desk.
Hashirama Senju was now Hokage. After being worn down by paperwork for five whole years, Uchiha Izuna shook his head furiously at the suggestion that he remain the Hokage's aide. He refused to touch those tedious official duties again, no matter what anyone said. Those years as an aide had felt like an eternity and aged him more than twenty years. He promptly ran off to become the Ninja Academy's principal and play with the children.
Tobirama Senju took over all the Hokage's duties. Hashirama Senju had only appeared at the handover ceremony to fulfill his role, leaving everything else to Tobirama Senju. That made him the actual Second Hokage, arriving at the same outcome as the original story by a different route.
Hashirama Senju handed his personal guard, Watanabe Ichiro, over to Tobirama Senju. After all, given Hashirama's strength, if trouble arose, it was hard to say who would be protecting whom.
Thus, Watanabe Ichiro now ran errands under Tobirama Senju, and life was uneventful.
Tobirama Senju took the scroll and scanned it, a smile forming at the corners of his mouth. "They finally caught them all? Hmph, let's see what excuse my brother uses to go out this time..."
Watanabe Ichiro put the scroll away in the pile of completed documents. His hand shifted slightly, activating [Detection], which he had redeemed from the shop, and the words on the scroll appeared in his mind.
"It's been a while, Tobirama. Madara and I caught the Nine-Tails... we expect to return in three days."
They've caught all the tailed beasts? Good. The plan can begin.
He returned to his position without giving anything away and lowered his gaze.
Two days later, in the Hokage's Office.
Tobirama Senju was alerted by an unfamiliar chakra that suddenly erupted within Konoha. He looked into the distance, his gaze settling on the Ninja Academy.
"Who is it?" he demanded furiously.
The place was full of children, Konoha's future. Nothing could be allowed to happen to them.
"Ichiro, stay here and await orders."
He immediately rose and created a Shadow Clone, his thoughts clear.
Uchiha Izuna was stationed at the Ninja Academy. Whatever kind of enemy they faced, he could at least hold out for a little while. Tobirama would go provide support and assess the enemy first. If they could not overpower the intruder, he would use [Reverse Flying Thunder God] to summon his brother directly.
Leaving a Shadow Clone and Watanabe Ichiro on standby at the Hokage Building would also allow an immediate response if the enemy was trying to lure them away and steal intelligence from the building.
After hastily leaving those instructions, he sensed the Flying Thunder God Technique marker near the Ninja Academy and vanished instantly.
"Yes!"
Watanabe Ichiro nodded in acknowledgment. Watching Tobirama Senju's Shadow Clone stare toward the Ninja Academy with a deep frown, he tightened his grip on his weapon.
Three minutes earlier.
The Ninja Academy, lower-year division.
"Who are you? Why are you dressed like that?"
"You look so cool!"
The children crowded around the stranger in black robes, the long peace having dulled their vigilance.
"Hello there, little chunks of meat~"
The stranger's voice was hoarse. He patted their heads, and a small Black Eye Mark appeared on each child's forehead.
"Wow, what's this?"
"Why are you calling us little chunks of meat? That's so weird..."
"A gift from Lord Black Zetsu~"
"Hey! Who are you? Children, get away from him!"
The teacher, a beat too slow to react, spotted the Black-Robed Man who had suddenly appeared and immediately pulled a weapon from his Ninja Tool Pouch. But it was already too late. The Black-Robed Man had marked all the children gathered around him.
"What did you do? You!"
"Aaaaaah! It hurts!!"
"Aaaaaaaaah!!!"
The children's screams made the teacher turn his gaze toward them despite himself. But in that instant of distraction-
A large black hand appeared before his eyes and gently pressed against his forehead.
The hand withdrew the moment it touched him, leaving a Black Eye Mark.
"You?! Ugh... what did you do...?"
Clutching his forehead, he sank to one knee. Cold sweat streamed down his brow as he stared at the Black-Robed Man, already unable to fight.
The Black-Robed Man ignored him, humming an off-key tune in a cheerful mood.
"Izuna, come on out~ I'm here to send you on your way~~"
Before you continue