NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 173: Chapter 183
"I'm right here. There's no way this is genjutsu," the Sage of Six Paths quickly clarified.
"Then…"
"Is it possible that Naruto is also inside the Hokage office right now?" suggested Fukasaku.
Although Shima was covering his mouth, he hadn't been kicked out yet, so he blurted that out.
And despite Fukasaku saying nothing but foolish things all day, this time, the Great Toad Sage felt like he finally said something reasonable.
"That's possible."
"After all, as the inheritor of Ashura's chakra, it would make sense for him to be valued and brought to the Hokage's office to study," said the Great Toad Sage.
As if to confirm the Great Toad Sage's speculation, two figures entered the view of the crystal ball.
Konoha Hokage Office.
Kitahara Kaede sat at the Hokage's desk.
Because of that troublesome brat Toneri, his vacation had been cut short—so he returned to work for a couple of days.
The desk was made of wood, nothing particularly special, though the front was engraved with Konoha's forehead protector symbol.
Even though it had been sixty-one years since Konoha's founding, and many buildings had been rebuilt and renovated…
The Hokage office building alone had remained untouched.
It was clear that during his tenure, the Third Hokage had made special renovations and preserved the building's original state with great care.
As a result, sitting in this room gave one a strange feeling.
Like suddenly stepping back into the past—to the founding days of the village, when the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara were still around.
You could almost imagine the old men dancing together during their friendly years.
But those moments were fleeting illusions.
Kitahara Kaede looked up.
Naruto and Yamato walked into the room.
"Naruto, do you know why I specifically asked you to come here today?" Kaede began.
"Don't tell me it's another stack of troublesome documents?" Naruto quickly blurted.
"Sasuke was handling paperwork just yesterday and ended up vomiting this morning," he added.
"I didn't throw up, but my head feels like it's going to explode."
Luckily, due to Kitahara Kaede's genjutsu training sessions over the past sixty years, Naruto had gained some experience in gathering and processing knowledge.
Otherwise…
His passion for becoming Hokage would've probably evaporated immediately.
"Well…"
Kaede said, "It's not about documents this time, don't worry."
"But I did have a reason for asking both of you to stay behind."
"As Konoha shinobi, 'six six seven' [all shinobi] want to become Hokage."
"And Naruto…"
"You've always wanted to become Hokage too, right?"
"But wishing for something and experiencing it are very different."
"What I want is for you to prove yourself—and accept this responsibility."
"To become Hokage, not just as a dream, but with the resolve to truly shoulder that duty," Kaede said.
"So what you're saying is…"
"I've thought about it," Kaede said, "I want both you and Sasuke to serve as the Seventh Hokage."
"Both me and Sasuke?" Naruto immediately perked up.
"You and Sasuke have a complementary relationship."
"You saw it for yourself during your fight with Sasori—you two share an unshakable synergy."
"That's why, if it's the two of you, I'd be at ease," said Kaede.
"I see…"
Naruto's gloomy mood instantly brightened.
For him, he now knew his true identity—he was the son of the Fourth Hokage.
So… as the son of the Hokage, after enduring so much suffering, it only made sense for him to dream of becoming Hokage too. Part of it was his ideal…
But another part was needing to live up to that legacy.
Yes.
Although Naruto now knew who he was and who his father was…
It also placed a greater burden on him.
Because… he couldn't let the name of the Fourth Hokage's son amount to nothing.
So now, hearing that Kitahara Kaede had serious intentions of nurturing him—
Naruto was fired up.
[Descendant Chat Group (^_-)]
[Senju Tobirama]: If I didn't already know that Kaede just wants to summon all the past Hokage to work again, I might've actually believed all that nonsense he just said.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: C'mon, Tobirama, calm down.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: It's normal for elders to guide the younger generation. Besides… we didn't do a great job ourselves, so if we get revived, it's just another chance to clean up our own mess.
[Senju Tobirama]: That's all thanks to my Edo Tensei, okay?
[Senju Tobirama]: This great research allowed the deceased to—
[Granny Chiyo]: You're seriously bragging about that?
[Granny Chiyo]: Originally, it was just a shameless trick for suicide bombing—combining exploding tags with a body you didn't care about.
[Granny Chiyo]: Edo Tensei was born out of not wanting to die yourself, so you dragged in some poor soul instead.
[Granny Chiyo]: Not only do you control the dead, but they regenerate too.
[Granny Chiyo]: Senju Tobirama, don't go putting gold leaf on your own face.
[Senju Tobirama]: Shut it.
[Senju Tobirama]: Since Sunagakure is now Konoha's satellite village…
[Senju Tobirama]: That makes me the Second Hokage of the Sand Village too.
[Senju Tobirama]: So are you really sure you want to offend me?
[Senju Tobirama]: Or have you already stopped caring about your village's future, even after being a lifelong advisor?
[Granny Chiyo]: …
[Granny Chiyo]: …
[Tobirama Achievement - Izuna]: Amazing!
[Senju Tobirama]: You shut up too, Uchiha Izuna. Your big brother is messing around on the moon again—splitting it in half and all that nonsense.
[Senju Tobirama]: I bet he's up to some idiotic scheme again.
[Senju Tobirama]: If he'd just take responsibility and fix his own mess, fine—but I doubt he can handle it.
[Tobirama Achievement - Izuna]: Can't handle it?
[Tobirama Achievement - Izuna]: As long as Hashirama doesn't get in his way, my brother has no weaknesses.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Um…
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Don't make it sound like I'm Madara's weakness.
[Tobirama Achievement - Izuna]: Aren't you?
[Tobirama Achievement - Izuna]: If you hadn't founded this village, maybe fewer shinobi would've died over the years.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: This…
[Senju Tobirama]: Uchiha Izuna, shut up. Stop trying to use words to manipulate my brother.
[Senju Tobirama]: Big brother, pull yourself together.
[Senju Tobirama]: I admit, based on what we've seen so far, the shinobi world looks pretty grim.
[Senju Tobirama]: But—
[Senju Tobirama]: Some things—some paths—you have to walk before people can know they're possible.
[Senju Tobirama]: So,
[Senju Tobirama]: Have you given up on your dream of peace in the shinobi world?
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: No…
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Of course I want peace. I want the children to live, I want shinobi to grow up… I want them to help each other, to work together.
[Senju Tobirama]: Then there you have it.
[Senju Tobirama]: Besides, didn't I already invent Edo Tensei for this?
[Senju Tobirama]: Didn't that coward Rasa from the Sand Village deceive his own ninja and send them to Kirigakure?
[Granny Chiyo]: That was Pakura.
[Senju Tobirama]: Fine, that ninja named Pakura.
[Senju Tobirama]: She had it rough, right? But now she's been Edo Tensei'd.
[Senju Tobirama]: And she's serving the Sand Village again. Didn't she have a disciple?
[Senju Tobirama]: And now the teacher and student are reunited.
[Senju Tobirama]: So, big brother—there's no shame in walking the path of regret. I have the jutsu to undo regret!
[Tobirama Achievement - Izuna]: …
Unbelievable.
[Fourth Raikage - A]: So what about my Cloud Village?
[Senju Tobirama]: Nope, no chance. No Edo Tensei for you people.
[Fourth Raikage - A]: …
[Minato Namikaze]: As expected of Lord Second.
[Senju Tobirama]: Hmph…
[Tobirama Achievement - Izuna]: Keep talking. Just keep bragging.
Even as he said that, Izuna couldn't deny—
Tobirama's Edo Tensei… was indeed incredibly useful.
For example, right now… his big brother was revived using Edo Tensei.
This jutsu was truly a dream-fulfilling technique—there was no denying it.
[Minato Namikaze]: Eh?
[Senju Tobirama]: What is it, Minato?
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