[Naruto World No. 2]
Time-Space Node: Second Hokage EraYear: Konoha Year 17Unification Progress: 25%
In the Land of Fire, just beyond the borders of Konohagakure, seven weary figures finally emerged from the forest after two grueling days of escape.
Leading them was none other than the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju—very much alive.
This time, history had been rewritten.
Tobirama had not fallen to the infamous Kinkaku Force. Instead, he'd annihilated them—along with their entire detachment. The legendary brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku had been silenced permanently.
Of course, the mission hadn't come without a cost.
Uchiha Kagami had lost his left eye, and Danzo Shimura had been blinded in his right. But the core team had survived—and more importantly, they had been changed.
Danzo, once on the brink of corruption, now stood tethered under Tobirama's firm gaze. With that kind of pressure above him, straying from the path wasn't even an option.
The four other squad members—Sarutobi Hiruzen, Akimichi Torifu, Mitokado Homura, and Utata Koharu—had dropped their despair and found hope rekindled.
Because as long as Tobirama Senju still breathed, the fate of the Leaf had changed.
Just outside the village gates, relief swept over the group.
"We're finally home!" said Akimichi Torifu, his round face breaking into a joyful grin.
"Hard to believe the summit meeting ended like that…" Homura muttered, exhaling deeply.
Koharu, always one to hold a grudge, clenched her fists. "Damn that Hidden Cloud! They'll pay for this betrayal!"
"There'll be a reckoning," Kagami said coolly. "We're still alive. That's more than enough."
Danzo, grim and quiet, touched the patch over his right eye. "Next time... I'll make all of Kumogakure bleed."
But then Sarutobi turned to Tobirama with a conflicted expression.
"Sensei… since you've returned safely, the title of Hokage should be yours again."
Tobirama stopped in his tracks and replied without hesitation.
"No, Monkey. You'll remain as Hokage."
Sarutobi blinked in shock. "What?!"
Danzo's jaw dropped.
The others stared at Tobirama like he'd grown a second head.
"But why—?"
Tobirama's eyes sharpened.
"When we enter the village, you will announce my death at the hands of the Kinkaku Force. From that point on, Sarutobi will officially be the Third Hokage. The rest of you are to support him. Not a word of my survival is to be leaked—understood?"
His tone left no room for debate.
It was a deception—a calculated one. Tobirama intended to fake his own death, throwing off the eyes of the entire ninja world and paving the way for plans only he could carry out behind the scenes.
As for naming Sarutobi as successor?
That had been decided after careful deliberation.
Despite knowing how disastrously Sarutobi would govern in the future—from his poor handling of the Uchiha, to his enabling of Danzo's Root operations—Tobirama had no better alternative in this moment.
Among his six-man guard, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still the most capable.
Strength.
Reputation.
Will of Fire.
He had them all.
And most importantly… Tobirama had seen the future.Which meant he could change it.
If he remained in the shadows, training Sarutobi personally, perhaps he could steer him away from the ruinous path he'd once taken.
This wasn't about ideal outcomes—it was about preventing worse ones.
Besides, who said Tobirama couldn't continue running things from the shadows?
Sarutobi liked clinging to power even after stepping down. Perhaps it was time he learned how miserable it felt to lead without real authority—a Hokage in title only.
A fitting lesson for a future power-hoarder.
"No! Sensei, you're Hokage! You can't just hand the title to Sarutobi—"
Danzo's voice rose, panic flashing in his lone eye. He had hoped Tobirama's return might change his own chances at the throne.
Tobirama cut him off with a thunderous shout.
"Danzo! If you want to surpass, Monkey, then earn it!"
"Train harder. Sharpen your ninjutsu. Serve with distinction. Prove your political worth."
"Success isn't won through bickering—it's seized through merit!"
His voice echoed like thunder through the trees.
The old Tobirama had returned from the future with less patience for immaturity. If someone needed to be yelled at, he would yell. If someone needed to be beaten, he would not hold back.
Better a red face today than a ruined village tomorrow.
Danzo, shamed and subdued, lowered his head in silence.
"Understood… sensei."
Sarutobi hesitated again, guilt creeping into his voice. "Sensei, I'm not sure I—"
"You'll follow my orders, Monkey!" Tobirama snapped.
"You're the Hokage now. Don't make me regret it."
Hiruzen shut his mouth and bowed deeply. He understood—this was no longer a question of confidence, but of obedience.
Without another word, Tobirama vanished using Flying Thunder God—slipping into the village without being seen.
Sarutobi and the others entered openly, battered and grim.
They brought with them news of the failed alliance—and of the Second Hokage's death.
The village was thrown into chaos.
Grief swept through every district. Fear took root in the civilian population. A few shinobi even began packing to flee.
But Sarutobi stepped forward as the new Hokage, calm and composed.
Backed by the Sarutobi Clan, and supported by Danzo and the surviving members of Tobirama's personal guard, he began to stabilize the village.
And all the while, Tobirama watched from the shadows, refusing to intervene.
If these people couldn't restore calm to Konoha even with the morale boost of his survival, then perhaps they were unworthy of their roles.
He was testing them. Sharpening them.
Weak successors would not survive the coming storm.
On the second day after the team's return, in a hidden chamber adjacent to the Hokage's Office, Tobirama pored over intelligence reports from the front lines.
Suddenly, two figures appeared in a flash of light.
His hand instinctively twitched toward a kunai—but he quickly relaxed.
Only one person could breach Konoha's detection barrier like that.
The Wandering Sage had arrived.
But the man at his side wasn't Hashirama.
It was someone far more dangerous—and far more irritating.
Uchiha Madara.
Tobirama stood slowly, eyes narrowed.
"You… Uchiha Madara? No—wait. You're not my Madara."
Madara's sharp gaze swept the room, then the view beyond the window. His Sharingan glinted.
"…This is Konoha?" he muttered.
"But not my Konoha… it's too polished. Too peaceful."
His eyes snapped back to Tobirama.
"You—you're not the same Tobirama either."
He could tell instantly. This Tobirama was older, scarred by time, and carried a weight the younger version had lacked. The arrogance was gone. Replaced by something colder, more calculating.
"You're smarter than you look," Tobirama muttered.
Madara gave a half-smile. "And you're just as annoying as ever."
But neither attacked.
There was only the hum of chakra in the air—the silent recognition between two bitter rivals… both now playing pieces in a far bigger game.
The war hadn't ended.
It was only just beginning.