The man sitting beside the gambling table was none other than Hashirama Senju.
But... hadn't he been sealed away?
Was everything that puddle of black sludge said a lie? Or...
Seeing the older brother he had longed for standing right before him, Tobirama Senju had no other thoughts. Instead, his heart was filled with questions.
All of this... felt far too unreal.
"Hashirama Senju, where's my brother!?"
Unlike the puzzled Tobirama Senju, Uchiha Izuna had already hurried ashore and approached the gambling table, looking at Hashirama Senju as he asked.
Normally, his older brother was bound to spawn somewhere around Hashirama Senju.
"He... is still doing what he wants to do."
Hashirama Senju spoke gently as he watched Uchiha Izuna looking around for Madara Uchiha.
"Brother, why... are you here? And weren't you sealed away?"
In the end, Tobirama Senju voiced the questions on his mind.
"Ahahaha, you even know about that? That's Tobirama for you. 'I' did indeed seal myself away, but... that was the 'me' from your timeline.
"As for me, for certain special reasons, the timeline I came from is completely gone, so... I came here.
"This is the Buddha Land your older brother created. He lent it to me for the time being. Ahahaha, although it hurts to say this, Tobirama...
"Strictly speaking... I probably am not your older brother. I... am merely his parallel-world counterpart."
There was a hint of bitterness at the corners of Hashirama Senju's mouth. His real younger brother... had long since been obliterated in the collapse of that world, without a single trace remaining.
"A parallel-world counterpart... just as I thought. That largely matches my conjecture. And my brother really did seal himself away.
"Then... brother, can you tell me what you-or rather, my real older brother and Madara Uchiha-are doing?