Konoha.
Since the war began, Aomi had not returned to the village for more than half a year.
He had to arrange mines in advance, command the flying bombing squads to make aerial maps, conquer Hidden Mist, support Hidden Rock...
There were too many things that required his decision and deployment.
This war where the Four Great Hidden Villages allied with other smaller villages to attack Konoha engulfed the entire Ninja World in flames, panic and dread once swept through Konoha, plunging the whole village into darkness.
Almost nobody believed Konoha could win this war.
It was essentially one village against the entire Ninja World, even though Konoha had a strong foundation, it couldn't withstand such a united front...
Many merchants fled, and the elderly, sick, and weak remaining weren't steady in morale, feeling a constant state of fear during the initial stages of the war.
But as time went by...
People were astonished to find that Konoha had shockingly withstood the assault of the Ninja Alliance Army. On every battlefield, they reaped the fruits of their efforts, relying on surprising new ninja tools and tactics, and hadn't lost a single line of defense.
After the battle on the Hidden Rock Battlefield, Konoha instantly revived into a vibrant state, full of vitality.
Konoha hero Uchiha Aomi, along with his Root squad, beheaded tens of thousands of enemies from Hidden Rock, and slew two Jinchuriki!
Such terrifying achievements made the villagers of Konoha feel the sense of security once provided by the God of Ninja...
It should be known that even during the First Ninja War when Senju Tobirama was alive, Konoha didn't have an easy time, they endured the hard battle with gritted teeth, and while they eventually repelled the invaders, they too suffered damage to their bones.
But faced with the scenario of fighting one against four, or even against six or seven, all the news reaching Konoha had been good news, not a single bad one...
Under the transmission of intelligence, the legends about Aomi became more and more distorted, and there was a faint tendency of mythologizing him.
Alongside Aomi's rising fame, there were also the members of his Root faction.
Back in the day, members of Root represented terror and darkness, under Shimura Danzo, they were only known collectively, while individual members were nameless, and all merits were attributed to Hokage Assistant Shimura Danzo.
But in today's Konoha.
Aomi slowly walked down the bustling street, waving at the villagers, who were extremely excited to see him. Every smile could make a young boy thrilled and a young girl's heart skip a beat, while he listened to the conversations coming from everywhere.
Aburame Torune, Mountain Fuu, Yakushi Nonou, Hiruko...
These names were mentioned in Konoha's various taverns as dazzling war heroes to be remembered, no longer the nameless roots within Root, forgotten even after death, but became leaves able to be praised under the sunlight.
As he walked along, he could hear children newly enrolled in Ninja School excitedly expressing to their parents their determination to train hard and strive to join Lord Aomi's Root.
A very beautiful and hopeful scene.
With a gentle smile, Aomi observed the scene, walking leisurely, his eyes filled with a hint of nostalgia.
Senju Tobirama keenly captured Aomi's gaze, feeling a pang in his heart...
The prosperous scene of the village was all created by Aomi alone, akin to someone turning the tides single-handedly.
The villagers enjoying peace during the war didn't know the so-called war hero Aomi was enduring a suffocating pressure akin to the sky collapsing.
This feeling made Senju Tobirama's heart uneasy, unable to articulate any words.
Aomi...!
"Tobirama, Konoha is becoming better and better, truly comforting." Aomi strolled slowly, observing the thriving shops, the bustling crowd, he smiled very happily, his smile as gentle as ever:
"Isn't the village now better than when you were in charge?"
"Much better, Aomi."
Senju Tobirama affirmed without hesitation: "You will be a better Hokage than I, I have no doubt about that."
Aomi smiled and shifted his gaze towards the Hokage Rock on the distant mountain peak, shaking his head: "Will there still be that opportunity?"
"Frankly, Tobirama, I am not very confident myself, I don't even know what kind of challenges I will face, moreover, I don't understand why it's always me who has to go through these, it seems fate is always joking with me, giving me one difficult hurdle after another..."
"This time it even brought a mountain from the sky, if the God of Destiny exists, then he truly is quite humorous and witty."
Aomi said with self-mockery, his words carrying a hint of world-weariness.
Senju Tobirama fell silent.
He could see that Aomi's heart was in turmoil.
"Let's not rush to see the stone monument, I want to stay with the village for a while, do you think that's possible?"
Aomi discussed with Senju Tobirama: "I haven't had time that belongs to me in a long time..."
Senju Tobirama nodded heavily, listening to Aomi speak in a lighthearted tone yet utter something that made the listeners' hearts ache, his heart seemed to shrink:
"Aomi, you can do whatever you want, I will support you."
"Thanks, Tobirama." After hearing Aomi say thanks, Senju Tobirama felt even worse.
What did Aomi have to thank him for?
It was rather he, the Second Hokage, who should thank Aomi!
Thank Uchiha for everything accomplished.
A glint flashed in Aomi's eyes, suddenly the Nine-tailed Chakra within him stirred a little, faintly resonating with a nearby Three-Colored Pills shop.