Floating above the damp earth, Mū's persona completely disintegrated. The cold, unreadable tactician who had just smugly lectured Hiruzen on his vulnerability was gone. In his place stood a man gripped by a volatile cocktail of panic, visceral rage, and cognitive dissonance.
His bandaged fingers clawed at the air, his floating form visibly erratic, bobbing up and down as his chakra flared in violent, unstable bursts.
"Tobirama...!" Mū's voice tore from his throat, stripped of its ever soothing calm composure, replaced by a raw, ragged snarl. "You died at the hands of the Kinkaku brothers! I read the reports! My spies confirmed it!"
Tobirama didn't answer. He merely adjusted his grip on the Flying Raijin kunai, his crimson eyes tracking Mū's erratic movements.
"Answer me!" Mū roared, his chest heaving as his mind collapsed. If Tobirama was alive, then Iwa's entire invasion strategy was a march into a slaughterhouse. If Tobirama was alive, Konoha wasn't unstable—they had laid a perfect, lethal trap.
Tobirama remained silent, his mind briefly drifting back to the moment of his "death."
***
A week ago, July 18th, Tonika village
The world returned to Tobirama in fragments. A distant ringing. A foreign but familiar warmth pressing against his chest. And a faint, rhythmic pulse that wasn't his own.
Then—a voice.
"Stay with me… Tobirama."
His eyes fluttered open. The ceiling above him was unfamiliar—smooth wooden beams, lanterns carved with the crest of Tonika Village, and the faint scent of medicinal herbs. His body felt heavy, as though gravity itself had doubled. When he tried to move, he surprisingly felt no pain, only an overwhelming lethargy. His ribs, his legs, his lungs, and his heart had been restored to their original condition, though they felt denser, heavier than usual.
His chakra pathways, however, felt like shredded wires sparking inside his veins.
A soft hand pressed against his sternum. "Do not move," Mito whispered.
Her red hair framed her face like a curtain of fire. Her eyes—normally warm—were swollen with exhaustion and grief. She was kneeling beside him, her palms glowing with a deep crimson chakra that pulsed into his body in slow, controlled waves.
"Mito…-ane?" Tobirama rasped.
"You were dying," she said quietly as she gently pushed his body back on the bed. "You still are."
He blinked slowly, trying to piece together his last memories. Kinkaku. Ginkaku. The ambush. The final Hiraishin. Hiruzen's arms catching him before he hit the ground. Then, darkness.
"How long…?" Tobirama whispered as he massaged his temples.
"Three days," Mito answered. "You've been in a coma since the battle."
Tobirama exhaled shakily. "The poison…?"
Mito's expression darkened, and she shook her head with deep regret. "I can delay it, but I cannot cure it."
Her chakra surged again, flowing into him. Tobirama felt his heart stabilize and the crushing weight lift slightly.
"This technique," Tobirama murmured, recognizing the distinct sensation. "It is the Uzumaki life-transfer method."
Mito nodded. "An Uzumaki kinjutsu. It sustains you by feeding my blood and chakra directly into your circulatory system. But for you—just as it was for Hashirama before you—it is not a cure. It is… only life support."
Tobirama closed his eyes. He understood immediately. He was alive only because Mito was forcing him to be. The moment she stopped, the poison would claim him.
Hiruzen stepped into view, kneeling beside the bed. His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot, but his posture was steady, as if he were already shouldering the heavy burden of village leadership.
"Sensei," Hiruzen whispered. "We brought you here first because Tonika Village is the safest midpoint between Konoha and the Hot Springs border."
Behind him stood Kenji—Hashirama's second-born—his deer mask tucked under his arm, his eyes filled with worry.
Tobirama studied them all. His students. His clan. His legacy.
He inhaled slowly as he slowly sat up straight against the bed.
"Ane-ja," he said, facing Mito. "How long can you maintain this?"
She hesitated. "A week. A month at most, if I push myself. But the poison is multiplying. It will eventually eat through the seals and overwhelm even my chakra."
Tobirama nodded once. He had expected as much.
Hiruzen leaned forward. "Sensei… please rest. We can handle the village. You don't need to—"
"No," Tobirama interrupted. His voice was quiet, but it carried the determination of a warrior who had already accepted his death. "I must return to Konoha."
Hiruzen's eyes widened. "Sensei—"
Tobirama raised a trembling hand to silence him. "It would be easy to thrust all of my responsibilities onto you and walk away. But that is not who I am. If I do not act, your ascension will be unstable, and there are matters that must be addressed… privately."
Kenji stepped forward. "We will escort you home, Uncle."
Mito's chakra flared again as she silently poured more of her life force into him. Tobirama nodded to her in silent gratitude.
"Then we leave at once."
---
A day later, July 19th at dawn.
The Senju clan hall was silent. Waiting for the Hokage's return.
Lanterns flickered along the wooden pillars, casting a warm, undulating light across the room. The air was thick with incense and anticipation. Every clan representative—from the Uchiha and Hyuga to the Sarutobi, Kurama, and Aburame—sat in their designated spots, their eyes fixed on the entrance. A volatile mix of irritation, fear, and reverence colored their expressions; they had been abruptly summoned to the Senju compound under a strict veil of secrecy.
Then—the heavy doors slid open.
Supported by Mito's chakra, Tobirama stepped inside. He forced his spine straight. Even at his weakened and dying state, he radiated his usual indifferent and cold demeanor as the Hokage.
Genshiro, the grand elder, bowed deeply in welcome. "Tobirama-sama. Clan representatives were all summoned as you ordered."
Tobirama nodded once and moved toward the center of the hall. Mito knelt behind him, her hands glowing faintly as she precisely maintained her chakra flow. Tobirama's disciples followed closely, with Sarutobi Hiruzen leading the way.
Tobirama surveyed the room with heavy gaze.
"Thank you all for coming," he began, his voice steady despite the immense strain racking his body. "We have little time, and much to decide."
The clan representatives leaned forward, hanging on his every word. Their previous irritation and doubts hidden under their expression.
Tobirama inhaled. With a subtle nod from his sensei, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward, taking his place at the Hokage's side.
"I hereby declare Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Third Hokage of Konohagakure."
A violent ripple of shock passed through the hall. Whispers erupted instantly, but before anyone could voice their dissent, a chair scraped violently against the wooden floorboards.
Uchiha Sōsuke stood up, his face entirely livid.
"This is a joke," Sōsuke snapped, his voice echoing through the hall and his finger pointing out like a drawn blade. "A Hokage is chosen through a vote—through clan consensus and the collective will of the Jonin. You cannot simply declare a successor on a whim."
Hyuga Hayate silently nodded his head in agreement, while most other clan representatives meekly hid their expressions.
Tobirama's gaze sharpened, cutting through the dissent. "The situation calls for drastic measures. Konoha is vulnerable. Our enemies are watching. A lengthy election will only fracture our unity and invite an immediate invasion."
"Vulnerable? Kumo is eating itself alive in a civil war. Suna and Kiri are thoroughly defeated. Only Iwa remains a threat. You call this vulnerable?" Sōsuke's jaw tightened, his sharingan spinning with suppressed rage. "And what's more, you choose a boy from the Sarutobi? You insult every clan gathered here, and you insult our future generation. You are setting a bad precedent for them."
Tobirama did not flinch.
"I have tested Hiruzen, just as I have tested all of the candidates," Tobirama said coldly. "I have measured their judgment, their resolve, and their loyalty. Hiruzen is the best successor for Konoha."
Sōsuke scoffed, his hands clenching into fists. "And you expect me to accept this farce?"
Tobirama's eyes narrowed into lethal slits. "You are an Uchiha. You, of all people, should know what must be done for the greater good of Konoha."
Sōsuke's expression flickered wildly—wrestling between blinding rage, rigid restraint, and a sudden flash of regret as his eyes darted between Kagami, Hiruzen, and Tobirama. In the end, he said nothing more. He neither agreed nor denied the decree. Instead, he turned sharply on his heel and marched out of the hall.
The heavy doors slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing like a thunderclap.
Kagami immediately rose to his feet, desperate. "Tobirama-sama—please allow me to speak with him. He is just—"
Tobirama raised a hand, cutting him off. "No."
Kagami froze, caught mid-step.
"Your father is a smart man," Tobirama said quietly. "He can read the bigger picture. He will act accordingly when the time comes—just as he did when Madara left Konoha."
Kagami lowered his head, deeply conflicted but absolutely obedient.
Tobirama exhaled slowly, steadying his breathing before addressing the hall once more. "There is another matter."
The remaining clan representatives leaned forward, a fragile mix of blind reverence, deep-seated doubt, and cautious wariness settling over them.
"I will be officially declared dead."
Suffocating silence gripped the room. Behind him, Mito's chakra flickered slightly, her eyes tightening with a wave of fresh grief.
Tobirama continued without a hint of hesitation. A short funeral will be held. The village and the world must believe I have passed. By keeping this meeting secret for now, we will keep the internal unity while presenting a fractured front to our enemies. To the outside world, Hiruzen's sudden ascension must look completely unstable and plagued by political infighting. Mū will assume the village is in disarray due to a weak succession, allowing him to move aggressively."
Tobirama's crimson eyes hardened. "And when he does… we will strike."
He raised a trembling hand, channeling what little authority his failing body possessed. "Our Kusa and Kumo detachments will join us in the Land of Grass. Iwa will attempt to secure the Five-Tails. We will intercept them there and deliver a crippling blow to end this war once and for all."
A low murmur of agreement passed through the crowd. The sheer strategic brilliance of the trap brought their confidence and trust in Tobirama roaring back.
"The Suna front will remain as it is," Tobirama continued, mapping out the final pieces of his grand board. "The Uchiha clan will remain positioned there to monitor Sunagakure's movements. Their presence alone will deter any opportunistic aggression."
Kagami bowed his head silently, accepting the heavy responsibility placed on his clan.
Tobirama's voice softened, losing its sharp edge, replaced by the weight of a man facing his end. "This is the final operation I will ever oversee."
He looked over the representatives of his village—his extended family—one last time.
"Hiruzen will lead the village, and I expect every one of you to support him. When the trap springs… you will strike Iwa with everything you have." He straightened his spine to its full height. "This is my last command as Hokage."
The clan representatives stood and respectfully bowed their heads in unison before the meeting was formally dismissed.
In the far corner of the hall, Senju Genshiro, the grand elder, stood leaning heavily on his cane. His expression was dark, his mind racing through a myriad of political calculations. He watched Tobirama from a distance, a heavy sigh escaping his lips as he silently muttered to himself.
"If this is your final will, Tobirama… we will obey."