"You should ask him properly how he treated Naruto," Kushina said, her eyes cold as she began recounting Naruto's life in the village. As Kushina's words unfolded, Minato's expression darkened. While Minato was not from a prominent ninja clan, and although the Uzumaki Clan had been wiped out, the fact that his own son had been treated so poorly—despite Minato being the Fourth Hokage—was infuriating.
In the original timeline, the Fourth Shinobi World War was looming, and Minato didn't have the time to reflect on these matters. However, that didn't mean he didn't care. And now that Kushina had reappeared, the situation had drastically changed.
Had it been just Minato, even with his discontent toward Hiruzen, he might have done nothing. But Kushina was different. For her, Naruto's well-being mattered more than the village.
"Monkey," Kushina's sharp words caused the First Hokage, Hashirama, to frown slightly. His wife, Mito, had also been a Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, and although Hashirama often appeared carefree, he understood these matters far better than people realized.
"Lord First, Lord Second, now is not the time to discuss these matters—they are planning to destroy the village!" Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, urgently redirected the conversation to the survival of Konoha, attempting to shift the focus away from Naruto's mistreatment.
Indeed, Tobirama's attention quickly shifted. For the Second Hokage, who believed in sacrificing anything for the village, any threat to Konoha was paramount.
Even Minato, who was deeply concerned about Naruto, could not ignore the potential destruction of the village. After all, as Hokage, he also cared for Konoha's survival, even if Naruto was still alive.
"Kushina, we need to address this situation first. I promise I'll explain everything about Naruto later," Hiruzen said sternly, hoping to defuse the immediate tension.
"There's no need," Kushina coldly replied, her voice unwavering. "I am well aware of the situation. In fact, I want to see Konoha destroyed."
"Kushina, don't be swayed by anger. There are many factors involved in Naruto's situation," Hiruzen pleaded, trying to justify himself.
"Enough!" Before Hiruzen could continue, Tobirama, the Second Hokage, flashed beside Kushina, delivering a swift punch aimed at her. For Tobirama, anyone threatening Konoha needed to be neutralized.
Bang!
Before Tobirama's strike could land, a golden figure appeared in front of Kushina, blocking the attack. It was Minato, who effortlessly caught the blow. The collision of their chakra caused the ground beneath them to crack and split.
"Lord Second, acting without understanding the situation—isn't that a bit rash?" Minato's voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the conviction in his words. For Minato, Konoha was important, but his wife and son were his top priority. If Minato had been purely loyal to the village, he wouldn't have sacrificed himself with the Reaper Death Seal to protect it in the first place.
"You're the Fourth Hokage, right? Didn't you hear what she just said?" Tobirama retorted, glaring at Minato, surprised by his interference.
"I heard her clearly. But I trust her completely. She's my wife. If she believes that Konoha deserves to be destroyed, then perhaps Konoha has done something to warrant its destruction." Minato's tone was even, but his determination was unshakable.
"Impressive," Daniel murmured, watching as Kushina gazed at Minato with a touched expression. Even Daniel found himself respecting Minato a little more at that moment. It was a rare display of unconditional trust.
"It seems the monkey picked a truly worthy successor," Tobirama muttered. He leapt back, quickly forming hand signs. As soon as he landed, he unleashed a stream of high-pressure water—Water Release: Water Severing Wave—one of his most dangerous techniques.
"He wants to end this in one strike?" Daniel immediately recognized Tobirama's intention. The Water Severing Wave was powerful enough to cut through even the God Tree. If they were caught off guard, anyone could be killed instantly.
"What a clever strategy, making it seem like he was attacking Kushina, only to target us," Daniel thought.
However, Tobirama had chosen the wrong opponents. Just as the wave of water approached, Minato's body emitted a golden aura—his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. With two massive golden hands extending from his body, Minato easily caught and crushed the water stream.
"How did he manage to achieve that form?" Daniel was surprised by Minato's Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. It was different from the one Kushina had used.
"Maybe Kushina didn't show her full strength last time, or…" Daniel mused.
"Enough!" Before Tobirama could continue his assault, Hashirama appeared beside him, grabbing his brother's hand to stop him from forming more hand signs.
"Big Brother, you're still as indecisive as ever!" Tobirama growled, frustrated by Hashirama's intervention.
"Let's at least find out what's going on before we start fighting," Hashirama replied calmly.
"Hmph," Tobirama grunted, reluctantly lowering his hands.
"Are all the Hokage this terrifying?" Suigetsu, hiding in the back, wiped the sweat from his brow as he watched the immense chakra swirling around Minato.
"With this power, Minato could probably hold his own against the First Hokage," Daniel thought as Minato deactivated his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, the tension momentarily easing.
In the Shinobi world, a person's power was largely determined by the amount of chakra they possessed. The reason why Hashirama and Madara were so overwhelmingly strong wasn't just their skill but the sheer volume of chakra they commanded, rivaling even the Tailed Beasts. Power in this world was fundamentally tied to chakra reserves.
"Young man, may we talk?" Hashirama asked as he approached Daniel's group, sitting down casually in front of them, exuding an aura of friendly openness.
"Of course," Daniel replied with a smile. "But you should really speak to the last heir of the Uchiha Clan." He gestured toward Sasuke, who had activated his Sharingan, now sporting three tomoe in his eyes.
"The last Uchiha, huh? Tobirama, didn't I warn you about this?" Hashirama's attention shifted toward his brother, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Hashirama knew full well what Tobirama was capable of. While he had tried to restrain his brother's extreme views, especially toward the Uchiha, his warnings had often fallen on deaf ears.
"I'm sorry," Hashirama said softly, turning back to Sasuke. Despite being the strongest shinobi of his time, even Hashirama couldn't prevent some things.
"There's no need for apologies," Sasuke replied coldly. "The Senju are just as extinct as the Uchiha now. The only difference is that I still have my brother. Your clan has no one left except for the Fifth Hokage."
"What?" Hashirama and Tobirama both turned their sharp gazes toward Hiruzen, clearly unsettled by the implications.
Hiruzen, under the weight of their scrutinizing stares, couldn't meet their eyes. Having never expected to face the First and Second Hokage again, he found himself unable to deny the truth.
Hashirama let out a heavy sigh. "War really never changes, does it?"
Kushina's expression hardened as she recalled Naruto's suffering. "I want Konoha to fall for the sake of my son," she declared, recounting Naruto's struggles to the assembled Hokage. Even Tobirama frowned as he listened, while Minato's expression darkened further.
"Let me add one more thing," Daniel interjected. "While Naruto suffered in poverty, the Third Hokage's grandson lived in luxury."
"Naruto's suffering isn't the only reason," Kushina continued. "There's also the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan. Isn't that right, Sarutobi Hiruzen? You orchestrated that too, didn't you?"
"It was for the peace of Konoha," Hiruzen replied, regaining some of his composure.
In a way, Hiruzen wasn't entirely wrong. At the time, Konoha was weakened after losing both Hashirama and Tobirama, as well as Mito Uzumaki. With no Uzumaki to serve as a reliable Jinchuriki for the Nine-Tails, Hiruzen had been forced to make hard decisions to preserve the village's stability. After all, the Uzumaki had wielded great power through their sealing techniques, and if they had remained strong, the balance of power in Konoha could have shifted.
"I see," Hashirama said after hearing the full story. He massaged his forehead, clearly distressed by how far things had deteriorated in Konoha.
"Minato, all of this was done for Konoha. Are you really going to betray the village?" Hiruzen asked, his voice filled with emotion.
"I trust Kushina," Minato said simply.
"Think of Jiraiya!" Hiruzen pleaded, trying to invoke the name of Minato's mentor to sway him.
"Enough with your excuses. All of this was for your own power, wasn't
it? Just look at the Sarutobi Clan now—they're thriving, while others have faded. Even the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi Clans have grown more powerful under your rule." Daniel's voice rang out with a laugh filled with derision. "Isn't it strange that when the village was in danger, the only one who responded was the Fourth Hokage? What about the Anbu, Hiruzen? Shouldn't they have gone to him first instead of you?"
"Minato, when you became Hokage, did you really have the authority of a true Hokage?" Daniel's question made Minato fall silent. He knew better than anyone what his time as Hokage had truly been like. The Elder Council had made most of the decisions, leaving Minato with little real power.
"This village is darker than I thought," Suigetsu's voice rang out, a bitter edge to his words.
"Orochimaru," Daniel continued, "do you know why you weren't chosen as the Fourth Hokage, even though you were a worthy candidate? You had both the strength and the reputation to rival Minato. So why didn't you get the position?"
"Why?" Orochimaru asked, intrigued.
"It's simple. If you had become Hokage, someone wouldn't have been able to maintain their grip on power. You were too strong, with the backing of the other Sannin, so someone couldn't allow you to become Hokage. But Minato, young and without a solid foundation in the village, was a safer choice. Don't you find it strange that the controversy surrounding your experiments only surfaced at the most critical moment—right before the Hokage selection process? Those experiments were happening under the very same administration that had approved Hashirama's Wood Release experiments."
"Think about what happened after the Fourth Hokage's death. Who returned to power? It was the same man who had already ruled for years—until his death. You left the village, but why weren't Jiraiya or Tsunade chosen then? Tsunade is Hokage now, so why wasn't she a candidate back then?" Daniel asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I see… My dear Sarutobi-sensei, you were far more cunning than I ever gave you credit for," Orochimaru said with a twisted smile, his eyes gleaming with mockery.
"Lord First, Lord Second, don't listen to them! They're trying to sow discord!" Hiruzen protested, his voice growing desperate. "Everything I did was for Konoha!"
"It's enough, monkey," Tobirama said, his voice sharp. "This isn't the time to argue about the past."
"Then it seems my opponent will be you." Hashirama sighed deeply, turning his attention back to the looming conflict.
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