The hum of chakra-infused lights echoed faintly in the deeper chamber of Kakashi's underground lab. The corridors narrowed as they descended, walls lined with reinforced metal and seals.
Ahead walked Kakashi, calm and composed, with his white coat trailing behind him. The Orochimaru clone followed beside him, grinning subtly. Behind them strode Tobirama Senju, his eyes narrowed with anticipation.
"So," Tobirama muttered, "you two dragged me away from my brother and the others just to show me something secret? What could possibly require this much discretion?"
"Because your elder brother wouldn't approve. But you might with your whole heart." Kakashi chuckled lightly.
That made Tobirama stop in his tracks.
"You're hiding something my brother would object to?" He tilted his head. "This should be interesting."
"Very." The clone smirked.
They turned one final corner, stopping at a large steel door covered in chakra-sensitive locks. Kakashi placed his palm on the center seal, sending a pulse of his chakra through it. The door hissed, then split open with a low mechanical growl.
Tobirama stepped through the threshold-
-and froze.
His sharp red eyes landed on the elevated platform in the center of the chamber.
There, in stasis, floated Madara Uchiha's body.
On his chest, there was Hashirama's face. A grotesque transplant, skin pulled tight, though his legendary armor was missing. Chakra tubes pulsed faintly from the body, keeping it stable.
Tobirama's lips pressed into a hard line.
"So… the real Madara is here."
"The one you're thinking of, the man behind the Akatsuki, he's a fake. An imposter using Madara's name and part of his power." Kakashi nodded.
Tobirama approached slowly, folding his arms. His pale red eyes observed every detail.
He stared at the transplanted face for a moment too long. The face of his brother on another man made his brow twitch.
"…Tch. This feels like something Madara would do," he said finally. "A twisted way of keeping my brother 'with him' even in death."
"It's the most affection he ever showed, probably."The clone made a noise of disgust.
"Disgraceful." Tobirama shook his head, banishing the thought.
Then his gaze shifted to the side chamber.
Another stasis pod. This one held a stable clone, its appearance a hybrid between Hashirama and Madara. Its breathing was slow, chakra steady.
"You made this?" Tobirama blinked in surprise.
The Orochimaru clone puffed up with pride. "Kakashi-sama and I created it. A combination of Wood Style and Uchiha bloodline. It's stable. But a previous prototype… collapsed quickly." He lied with a casual smile.
Tobirama didn't miss the small glance Kakashi exchanged with the clone. They were holding something back.
Good. He liked that. If they were too open, he'd have been more suspicious.
Still, he couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship.
"…I never had this level of material or resources," he admitted as he walked around the pod. "Even my most controversial research never reached this depth. And I was considered a radical."
"Imagine what we three could do together," Kakashi said quietly.
Tobirama paused. He looked at the clone. Then at Madara. Then back at Kakashi.
"…Are you suggesting you resurrect me properly?"
"Yes," Kakashi replied without hesitation. "Not now, perhaps. But eventually. You're more valuable alive. We're working on safe, controlled resurrection through my Seal."
Tobirama considered it seriously for a moment.
"…Let's wait. I want to see what my elder brother thinks first. Besides, this gives me time to observe."
Kakashi nodded. That was more than he'd hoped for.
They moved deeper into the lab, passing through chambers filled with scrolls, genetic samples, tubes of hybrid cells, of Byakugan, Rinnegan, and Sharingan, all carefully sealed. Some came from old battlefields, others from underground black markets.
Tobirama's jaw tensed in professional awe. "You've gathered samples from across all nations. You've created an actual foundation for long-term advancement."
The Orochimaru clone gestured proudly to a corner shelf. "We even replicated and improved several of your original sealing and summoning matrices. See the notes there? Modified from your trans-dimensional anchor theory."
Tobirama approached and examined the scrolls.
"…You fixed the instability in the quadrant loop seals," he muttered, impressed. "And you rewrote the formula to accept hybrid chakra signatures. Clever. Very clever."
Then he turned and gave Kakashi and the clone a rare thumbs-up.
"I'll admit it. I'm impressed."
The two smiled.
"You'll have unrestricted access," Kakashi said. "Welcome to the team."
…
Later that afternoon, the three of them returned upstairs.
The sun filtered softly into the living room, golden light spilling over the long wooden table where tea and snacks had been laid out.
And standing in the center of the room…
"Dad?" Naruto's voice cracked.
Everyone turned.
Minato stood near the couch, his blue eyes wide with emotion.
Naruto froze in place, staring at the man who looked so much like him. Who felt so much like him.
Then his hands clenched, and he ran forward.
Minato caught him in a hug so fierce it knocked them both back into a chair.
"…You're real," Naruto whispered.
"So are you." Minato laughed through the tears forming in his eyes.
Behind Naruto, Kushina stood motionless, her lips trembling. She looked at Minato with wide, unblinking eyes.
"You… you idiot," she breathed. "We left Naruto alone!"
She ran forward and punched Minato square in the chest, but he didn't dodge. He just smiled.
"You're mad?" he asked gently.
"Of course I'm mad!" she shouted, then clutched his cloak. "But… I'm glad you're here too."
Naruto stood beside them, wiping his nose awkwardly.
"You'd better revive him too." Kushina glanced sideways at Kakashi.
"Eventually," Kakashi smirked.
Then her eyes fell on the ruined Hiruzen in the corner.
Her smile dropped.
"You," she said darkly.
Hiruzen barely had time to lift his head before WHAM!, Kushina launched herself forward and tackled him through a table.
"YOU LEFT MY SON ALONE?!"
"Well, that's happening." Minato winced.
"Mom's got good instincts." Naruto crossed his arms.
Kushina continued pounding Hiruzen's chest, not that he could feel it as an Edo, but it was the principle. Plates shattered. Kurenai, Anko, and Tsunade all stepped back to let it happen.
Kakashi simply poured tea and watched. Today was a good day.
From deep within Naruto, Kurama growled. 'Hmph. That man… he's here too.'
"Something wrong?" Naruto asked aloud.
Inside the seal, the nine-tailed fox curled his tails. 'Tch. That blond idiot… I could smell his scent the moment he entered the house.'
"You mean my dad?"
Kurama snorted. 'Hmph. You look too much like him. But… he's not the worst human I've met. Just… keep him from touching my whiskers.'
Naruto blinked. "You don't even have whiskers."
'Shut up, brat.'
By evening, the reunion had quietened into gentle laughter and shared stories.
Kakashi sat with Tobirama again in the corner of the room. They were reviewing potential sealing techniques and alternate uses of Madara's chakra as a power source.
"You realize," Tobirama muttered, "if we use Madara's body and make some stable clones they might be some powerful soldiers.
"I've considered it."Kakashi nodded.
The clone added, "We'd need a DNA matrix strong enough to contain the Uchiha one."
Across the room, Hashirama had taken over storytelling duty and was describing how he once punched a mountain during a fit of boredom. Tsunade rolled her eyes while Anko and Karin cheered him on.
Hiruzen remained in the corner, quiet and shattered, but aware.
And yet, there was a peace in the air. Fragile. Earned.
As the sun set on another strange day in Konoha, Tobirama looked out the window, his arms crossed behind his back.
"This era…" he muttered. "It's not that twisted that it was back then. Although it may be a little Chaotic. But there are minds here that could reshape the future."
Kakashi joined him, his voice low.
"That's what I'm building."
Tobirama looked at him with something rare.
Respect.