Senju Tobirama stared blankly, his expression practically saying: Do I look like an idiot to you?
That boy had just unleashed the Sharingan—clearly the Uchiha clan's ocular jutsu. And not just any form, but the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the highest evolution of the eyes.
And now, this brat was claiming to be from the Senju clan?
Who would believe such nonsense!
Without hesitation, Tobirama's chakra erupted once again as he launched himself toward Senju Haruto.
First—although Orochimaru had been slain by Haruto, the binding restrictions of Edo Tensei still lingered.
Second—in Tobirama's mind, Haruto was nothing less than an Uchiha brat: dangerous, corrupted, and overwhelmingly powerful.
For the sake of the village's stability, such a threat had to be eliminated.
"I'm the one who invented Edo Tensei!" Tobirama roared, his voice echoing like thunder. "Naturally, I've developed an entire arsenal of techniques designed to synergize with it!"
In an instant, thousands of shadow clones burst into existence behind him, each one surging forward at Haruto.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu is a technique that creates physical duplicates through massive chakra expenditure," Hashirama murmured as he analyzed the situation. "A single user can summon thousands of clones at once. But because the chakra drain is enormous, using this jutsu without sufficient reserves usually risks the user's life. That's why it was classified as a forbidden technique."
His gaze darkened.
"But Tobirama isn't just any shinobi with a vast amount of chakra. Right now, he's bound by Edo Tensei—his chakra supply is effectively limitless. And his undead body suffers no harm from overuse. Which means…"
"...he intends to drown Haruto in sheer numbers."
Hashirama's normally gentle demeanor gave way to sharp calculation. Though often less forceful than his younger brother, his battle instincts were second to none.
Haruto, however, remained utterly calm as thousands of Tobiramas thundered toward him. He planted his feet shoulder-width apart, his hands slowly rising before clapping together with a sharp snap.
The sight alone froze Tobirama in place.
"That hand sign… that's my brother's—!"
Before he could finish, a torrent of chakra surged violently from Haruto, shaking the very earth beneath them.
Haruto thrust both palms forward. His gaze locked on every last clone, he declared:
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The battlefield itself erupted. From beneath the feet of every Tobirama clone, thick vines as wide as a man's arm exploded upward, coiling around their legs before surging skyward. In the blink of an eye, the vines twisted into towering trees, spreading like wildfire.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The clones, unable to withstand the overwhelming assault, vanished one by one.
Within half a minute, the terrain itself had transformed once more—an entire forest born where none had existed. Only Tobirama's lone original body remained, standing rigid amidst the chaos.
"Deep Forest Emergence…"
Hashirama blinked in disbelief, his voice caught between awe and shock.
As the First Hokage—the God of Shinobi—no one understood Wood Release better than he did.
This wasn't just any jutsu.
It was his bloodline limit. The hallmark of the Senju clan.
Senju Haruto… really was Senju.
"This… this is impossible…" Tobirama muttered, frozen in disbelief.
The boy he had branded an evil Uchiha brat not only wielded the Eternal Mangekyō but also commanded his brother's legendary Wood Release.
He was… the embodiment of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara combined!
"There's nothing impossible about it, Second Hokage," Haruto said firmly. "Much has happened in this world since your death. And much of it traces back to the very policies the First Hokage established."
"My policies…?"
Hashirama leapt forward, his curiosity piqued. Though bound by Orochimaru's Edo Tensei, at least he could learn what had become of Konoha after his time.
"That's right. You were the one who first decreed that the Senju should intermarry broadly with other clans," Haruto explained.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Hashirama nodded rapidly, confirming it without hesitation. That had been his plan—to dissolve the walls between clans, to deepen bonds, to lessen the strength of bloodline divisions.
If every clan only married within itself, he feared that clan loyalty would grow stronger than loyalty to the village.
"So your father was Senju… and your mother, Uchiha?"
Hashirama's heart swelled with emotion.
What he had dreamed of but never achieved in his own era… was now reality.
Haruto was living proof of that dream: not just any Senju, but one descended directly from Tobirama's own line.
For a moment, Tobirama's emotions grew complicated. He and his brother had always differed in philosophy. Hashirama had insisted that the Senju abandon their clan name entirely, blending fully into Konoha. Tobirama, however, had resisted, believing the Senju name still mattered.
Now… Haruto stood before him as the direct heir of that choice.
Haruto slowly opened his hands, speaking with calm finality.
"That's enough talking. What remains now is to seal the both of you."
With Orochimaru dead, Edo Tensei could not be undone.
The only path forward was sealing.
"Understood."
Hashirama crossed his arms and gave a firm nod. "This wasn't a wasted summoning after all. Seeing someone in the village inherit the Will of Fire… I can rest easy. Come, Haruto. I am ready."
Tobirama's stern eyes softened as well.
"If you are truly Senju, then this battle ends here. From this day forward, Senju Haruto… you are the Fifth Hokage."
His voice carried authority, threaded with chakra so that it echoed throughout Konoha. Every villager would hear it clearly—including Shimura Danzō, his own disciple, who Tobirama knew all too well. Danzō, lurking in the shadows, might otherwise try to seize control in the aftermath.
Declaring Haruto Hokage openly was a safeguard against such treachery.
Haruto's hands blurred into seals. "Sand Burial Seal of the Desert Layers!"
Drawing on the chakra of the One-Tail, waves of sand surged upward, rising around both Hashirama and Tobirama, enveloping them as the sealing process began.