"Madara!!!" Hashirama exclaimed, his eyes wide with curiosity. "What's with those swirly, ringed eyes of yours?! They're not nearly as cool as your old Sharingan! When did you switch them out? If you're not using the old ones, can I have them? I think they're pretty awesome—I wanna try popping them in to see if they work!"
Hashirama's hopeful gaze fixed on Madara, sparkling with excitement.
Madara's face darkened, a mix of annoyance and disbelief. When did I switch eyes?! Well… okay, maybe he had swapped them out. His original eyes were gouged out, but after being summoned, he somehow grew a new pair of Rinnegan. Were his old eyes still with that Uzumaki kid?
This goofy Hashirama, though—wanting to swap eyes like they're collectibles?! I only tattooed your face on my chest, and now you want my eyes?! Still, seeing Hashirama's eager puppy-dog look, Madara held back the scolding he was about to unleash.
"We'll talk about that later," Madara said gruffly. "I didn't swap anything—these are my eyes. Let's focus on this soul flame and figure out who this guy is. Someone important enough to get swallowed by the Shinigami!"
Hashirama nodded obediently, turning his attention to the summoning array.
The soul flame in the array began to take shape, forming a figure. Out stepped a bright, sunny blonde guy, radiating warmth like a little sun. He was decked out in a flashy Hokage cloak, the kind that screamed "look at me!"
Hirofumi nodded to himself. Yup, I knew it. At this point in time, the only soul stuck in the Shinigami's stomach had to be the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
Minato blinked, taking in his surroundings with a dazed expression. When he saw the group, his jaw dropped. "The… First Hokage?! And… the Second?! What's going on here?! How are you guys in the Shinigami's stomach?!"
Hashirama waved cheerfully. "Hey there! Who're you? This isn't the Shinigami's stomach—it's little Hiro's summoning space!"
"Nani?!" Minato's confusion was palpable.
Hirofumi sighed, stepping forward to explain. Honestly, he was getting tired of giving the same spiel every time he summoned someone new.
After laying out the situation, Minato's face lit up with pride as he recalled Hashirama's earlier question. With a dazzling smile, he turned around, pointing a thumb at the back of his Hokage cloak. "Ore wa… Yondaime!!!" he declared, showing off the bold "Fourth Hokage" kanji.
He expected gasps of awe, maybe some praise. Instead, the scene went dead silent.
Minato had been thrilled to see the First and Second Hokages, thinking they'd be proud of him—a Hokage who died protecting the village. But why were they looking at him so… strangely? And who was that intense guy in the old-school Warring States armor? Probably some legendary senior, right?
Madara, Hashirama, and Tobirama didn't know how Minato died, only that his soul was spat out by the Shinigami, meaning he'd used the Reaper Death Seal. Hirofumi, however, did know the story, and his expression turned odd. The Nine-Tails was strong, sure, but compared to Madara or Hashirama? It was basically a pet kitten.
Madara, ever the stoic one, didn't pry. Hashirama wanted to ask how the Fourth ended up in the Shinigami's gut but held back, not wanting to bruise the guy's ego. Finally, Tobirama, sensing the awkward silence, spoke up.
"So, Fourth, what kind of enemy did you face? When Hirofumi summoned you, the Shinigami literally spat you out…"
Minato's bright smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of pain and deep-seated hatred. "Well… it was a really tough situation. That night, my wife was giving birth, and she was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Everything was going smoothly— I thought we were in the clear…"
He paused, his expression darkening. "But then, out of nowhere, Uchiha Madara attacked the Hidden Leaf! He not only went after my wife and unleashed the Nine-Tails, but he also used my newborn son to threaten me! With my son in his hands and the Nine-Tails wrecking the village, I was stretched thin. In the end, I had to go all out, drive Madara back, and use the Reaper Death Seal to seal the Nine-Tails. But the tailed beasts are vital to a village, so I split it in two—one half stayed in me, and the other I sealed into my newborn son. Since he's got Uzumaki blood, handling the Nine-Tails wasn't an issue."
As Minato spoke, Hashirama, Tobirama, and Hirofumi all turned to Madara with the weirdest looks.
Hirofumi, knowing the full story, was barely holding back laughter. Oh man, what a massive blame bomb just got dropped on Madara's head!
"What the—?!" Madara sputtered, completely blindsided. I've been dead for years! When did I attack the Hidden Leaf?! Unleash the Nine-Tails?! Threaten someone with a baby?! "You think I'd do something like that?!"
Minato, seeing Madara's outrage, mistook it for shared anger. "I can tell you're furious about what Uchiha Madara did, too, right, sir? Sorry if I'm being rude, but… who are you?"
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