Chapter 180 - Zero-Hand Tobirama
The Forest Behind the Village
Kazane leaned against a small tree, watching as Jiriku guided young Itachi in taijutsu training.
Ever since Kakashi, Might Guy, and the others had left one after another, the once lively forest behind the mountain had grown much quieter.
That day, little Anko finally got her long-awaited barbecue—and after stuffing herself, she stuck to Kazane like glue for the entire day. Even when night fell, she refused to leave and insisted on sleeping over at Kurenai's place. With no other choice, Kazane sent the two of them back to her home and returned to his own for training.
~
The warm afternoon sun bathed his body, and with his eyes closed, Kazane quietly recalled the recent events.
A lot had happened in the village lately. For the first time, Kazane had officially planted a piece on the grand chessboard of the shinobi world.
Just half a month ago, Uchiha Obito, who had just recovered from his injuries, defected from the village.
The reason? He killed a fellow Leaf shinobi and refused to submit to the village's judgment, fleeing in the night despite solid evidence of his crime.
Due to the severity of the offense and Obito's strength, Konoha classified him as an S-rank missing-nin and issued the highest-level bounty on his head.
According to intel gathered by the ANBU, after defecting, Obito joined the mysterious and unpredictable Akatsuki in Amegakure.
When Kakashi, who was on a mission in Iwagakure, learned of this, he reacted with intense emotion. He dropped everything, sent a letter to Kazane through Root agents, and set off in pursuit of Obito.
Kazane could only sigh.
After Obito's defection, it wasn't just Kakashi—even the usually obedient Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and others uncharacteristically applied for missions near the Land of Rain.
Due to strategic concerns, Kazane couldn't tell them that Obito had gone undercover. He could only send secret messages to Obito, warning him to be careful around his old comrades.
As for the other members of Akatsuki, Kazane wasn't particularly worried. Right now, aside from Nagato and Sasori, the rest—including Konan—weren't really a threat.
At this point in the timeline, Akatsuki's reputation had grown, but it wasn't yet filled with top-tier ninjas.
The timeline was still early. Even Nagato and Konan hadn't reached their peak strength.
Given Kakashi's current power level, only Nagato, with his Rinnegan, could restrain him. The others? If Kakashi caught any of them, he could probably chase them down and cleave them apart—including Obito himself.
As a swordsman, Kakashi's offense was unmatched among peers. Besides his Iron-Cutting Sword Style, he was also proficient in all five chakra natures, making him even more formidable than Kazane had once been with pure swordsmanship alone.
As for everyone else's safety, one could tell from the fact that Nagato's Akatsuki avoided missions in the Land of Fire—they weren't ready to deal with a titan like Konoha.
Besides, Might Guy still had the Eight Gates. If they truly pushed him, Nagato might end up being the one in danger. So Kazane wasn't too concerned.
~
Another major event occurred just a week ago: Uchiha Fugaku's second son was born.
He was named Uchiha Sasuke!
The name came from a legendary shinobi of Konoha—one who was righteous, brave, powerful, and a master of all five chakra natures. He was among the few that even the Uchiha respected.
That man was Hiruzen Sarutobi's father—Sarutobi Sasuke.
Fugaku gave his son this name for two reasons: first, he hoped Sasuke would grow up to become a formidable shinobi like Sarutobi Sasuke. Second, he wanted to send a message to Hiruzen—that the Uchiha would soon surpass the Sarutobi clan.
To that end, Fugaku even visited Hiruzen personally to obtain his approval before naming the child.
After Sasuke's birth, Kazane paid him a visit, curious to see if this "Indra reincarnation" had any noticeable differences.
Sure enough, Sasuke didn't disappoint.
Turns out reincarnated "powerhouses" really were different—his skin was darker and his baby wrinkles deeper.
Whoosh!
While basking in the sunlight, a masked ANBU appeared beside Kazane.
"Captain, Lord Orochimaru requests your presence in the office."
Still leaning against the tree with his eyes closed, Kazane gave a small nod to acknowledge the message.
Whoosh!
After giving a wave to dismiss the ANBU, the figure vanished from his sight.
Finally, something to do…
Kazane stretched and stood up. It had been a month since the Chūnin Exams ended, and the boredom was driving him crazy.
He leapt down from the tree, casually smacked Itachi—who had just been kicked near him by Jiriku—with a loving "iron fist," and disappeared in an instant.
With Kazane's training, his Observation Haki had already reached a level similar to Enel's—he could sense the entire village.
Picking up multiple familiar presences in the Hokage building, he made his way there directly.
…
In the Hokage Building
All the major Konoha officials were present—except for Orochimaru and Kazane.
Fugaku, still basking in the joy of his new son, was in great spirits and chatting up everyone.
"Elder Sarutobi, you're looking younger by the day."
"Minato, Kushina must be close to giving birth too, huh? I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl. If it's a girl, maybe we can arrange a betrothal."
"Tsunade, about—"
Creak!
The door to the office opened again. Kazane walked in, dressed in his signature black kimono with his chest slightly exposed.
Fugaku immediately dropped his chat with Tsunade and called out,
"Kazane, it's been too long since you visited the Uchiha. My son Sasuke—"
Kazane: (ー_ー)!!
Didn't I just visit last week when he was born? What's gotten into this guy today?
Truthfully, Fugaku was in such a good mood because Hiruzen had approved the use of the name "Sasuke."
To Fugaku, this signaled the Sarutobi clan beginning to align itself with the Uchiha.
Everyone with political insight knew that Kazane had no interest in power. As long as nothing went wrong, the future Hokage seat was practically guaranteed for Uchiha Itachi.
Imagining his son becoming Hokage filled Fugaku with pride and joy.
Kazane offered a few polite words in return before turning to the office door again.
His sharp Haki had already sensed Orochimaru's presence—and someone else's. A strong, proud aura stood beside him.
Kazane narrowed his eyes slightly.
Looks like things are about to get interesting.
Creak!
The door opened once more, and Orochimaru entered the room.
Everyone looked at him curiously, waiting to hear why they'd been summoned.
But as Orochimaru stepped aside, a second figure entered behind him—clad in armor.
The room instantly fell silent.
Clack. Clack.
Only the armored figure's footsteps echoed through the stillness.
As he approached, the people inside finally began to react.
Seeing the familiar face, Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock. After a long pause, he lowered his head and spoke respectfully, his voice filled with guilt and disbelief:
"Second Lord Hokage…"
Tsunade, who had been lounging carelessly in her seat, immediately stood up when she saw him. Her eyes filled with astonishment and joy as she softly exclaimed:
"Granduncle!"
Despite the man's appearance being that of a living person, Minato, though surprised, had long since mentally prepared himself. He bowed respectfully:
"Lord Second Hokage!"
Only Uchiha Fugaku's face darkened. His cheerful mood instantly evaporated.
A grim thought struck him.
If Senju Tobirama really has been resurrected completely…
That means Orochimaru's immortality jutsu worked.
Doesn't that mean he could sit on the Hokage seat forever?
Does Itachi still stand a chance at becoming Hokage now…?