"So you really came to save me?"
Senju Mori's answer confused Tobirama, but Senju Mori gave the answer again without hesitation.
"I came to bring your body back. You are a respected elder in the Clan, and the Senju bloodline must not be defiled. I absolutely cannot tolerate your body being exposed in the wilderness or becoming an experimental subject for Kumogakure after your death."
"Nonsense."
Senju Tobirama's assessment was still as sharp, "You didn't come to retrieve my body, but to claim the position of Third Hokage."
"Heh… cough, cough, even with my orders, it doesn't change the fact that the Monkeys failed to protect me, their Hokage, and fled back to Konoha Village alone."
"As long as you can bring my body back, you will become the most dazzling hero."
"No wonder you eagerly abandoned your mission and rushed over as soon as you got the news. This is an unprecedented opportunity for you. How could a brat like you be willing to miss it?"
"You must have started planning from the moment I refused to take you as my disciple."
"Hane, Shin, Shinzō, Sōji, Makoto, Enji, Gen no Suke… even that brat Tao has become a Jonin, hasn't he?"
Speaking of this, Senju Tobirama actually showed a smile with an unclear meaning:
"You little brat are truly scheming."
He then glanced at Uzumaki Chizawa, "Is this guy also part of your plan?"
"No, Chizawa is my true friend. Speaking of which, we only met because of you."
Senju Mori grinned, revealing a wide smile, which in Senju Tobirama's eyes looked incredibly punchable.
"Do you still remember? It was when Hashirama-sama was still alive. You invited Ninja from the Land of Whirlpools to visit Konoha, and Chizawa came with Uncle Chihaya…"
From Senju Tobirama's expression, Senju Mori guessed that he hadn't paid any attention to a brat like Uzumaki Chizawa at the time.
"You certainly know how to find opportunities…"
Senju Tobirama was somewhat speechless.
When his elder brother was still alive? He invited the Uzumaki Clan to visit Konoha?
How distant those memories were.
How old was Senju Mori back then? How precocious was this brat, after all?
Could it be that he was a born schemer?
And who knows how many true words are in this brat's mouth. You two became true friends just from that one meeting? Is it worth this Uzumaki brat risking his life to accompany you on this trip?
This kid must have taken every opportunity to run to the Uzumaki Clan during his missions, and who knows how many times they've secretly communicated to deepen their relationship.
At this point, Senju Tobirama finally put away his faint smile and asked expressionlessly:
"Must you contend for it?"
"Unless you can personally return to Konoha, the Third Hokage will only be me."
Senju Mori replied solemnly.
"The Senju Clan has produced three Hokage in a row. Do other Ninja Clans still have a chance to become Hokage?"
"Is such a Konoha truly a new Ninja Village, or an expanded Senju Clan? Have you thought about that?"
Senju Tobirama's expression involuntarily became even more rigid.
"In my opinion, that might not be a bad thing."
Senju Mori, on the other hand, smiled slightly.
"My elder brother's and my efforts will all be in vain because of your selfishness."
"Your and Hashirama-sama's efforts? Efforts to dismember the Senju Clan?"
"In my opinion, it is I who am helping you and Hashirama-sama correct your mistakes, salvage your and Hashirama-sama's reputation, and pull the desperate Senju back from the edge of the cliff, allowing the clansmen to stand on firmer ground."
"Clansmen? Do you not care at all about the many Senju clansmen who sacrificed for this?"
As if he had figured something out, Senju Tobirama's tone became calm instead.
"No one sacrifices in vain. I will do my best to take care of every clansman. I will do my best to teach, temper, and urge them, so that the Senju become the true number one Ninja Clan, and not just some ridiculous empty name."
"The future Senju will grow into a true towering giant tree. Its lush branches and leaves will not only cover the sky above Konoha, but also shield Konoha from wind and rain."
Perhaps sensing Senju Mori's unshakeable resolve and will, Senju Tobirama completely lost interest in continuing the conversation. After closing his eyes, he sat there silently.
Motionless.
Senju Mori was not in a hurry either and sat down on the ground.
The two of them, with a tacit understanding, began to wait together — waiting for Senju Tobirama to completely breathe his last.
The eerie silence did not affect the two Senju. Senju Mori even hummed a song to himself in his mind with some pleasure, his swaying head making Uzumaki Chizawa increasingly uneasy.
Senju Mori also noticed the other party's unease, so he took the opportunity to send Uzumaki Chizawa to collect Kinkaku and Ginkaku's six paths sage tools from the surroundings.
After Ginkaku's death, probably for the convenience of battle, Kinkaku only carried the previous seven-star sword and the basho fan that could fan out five types of Chakra attacks.
As for the remaining red gourd, kinkōbō, and the Amber Purifying Pot, it was unknown whether he hadn't brought them all out, or if they were discarded somewhere along the way.
Fortunately, for the Uzumaki Clan, who are proficient in Chakra sensing, items like the six paths sage tools, which contain a massive amount of Chakra, were not too difficult to find.
Who knows how much time had passed? Was it one minute, three minutes, or ten minutes?
Even Uzumaki Chizawa ran back, holding a large scroll.
Following the battle traces and Chakra residue along the way, he easily found Ginkaku's body, as well as the kinkōbō and red gourd scattered beside the body.
Although he still couldn't find the Amber Purifying Pot, Senju Mori was already very satisfied with these results.
Senju Tobirama's last breath indeed lasted a bit long, but Senju Mori could afford to wait. He had waited for the past twenty-odd years, so was he afraid of waiting these twenty minutes?
Suddenly, Senju Tobirama seemed to think of something else and asked, "Do you plan to marry Tsunade?"
"I plan to marry an Uzumaki clansman. Tsunade is not yet ten years old this year, she is not suitable for me."
Senju Mori refused decisively.
Senju Tobirama closed his eyes once again.
This bastard.
Although he got the answer he wanted, Tobirama still wanted to curse.
This bastard!
Because he instantly understood Senju Mori's meaning.
Tsunade was too young.
Meaning that if this brat chose Tsunade, he would have to wait several years, and he and his elder brother would both be dead. Marrying Tsunade would be useless to this brat, as he wouldn't gain any timely and valuable power.
On the contrary, after his and his elder brother's deaths, his elder brother's wife, Uzumaki Mito, would be the strongest in Konoha Village, and also the most respected and influential presence. Marrying an Uzumaki clansman would undoubtedly be the most valuable option.
Thinking carefully, compared to the Senju Clan's past emphasis on in-clan marriage to maintain bloodline purity, combining with the Uzumaki bloodline might actually produce more talented offspring.
Moreover, he could also use this to form a marriage alliance with the Uzumaki Clan, further drawing them in, and thereby gaining more influence and manpower to support him against Sarutobi and the others… Didn't the other Uzumaki brat's mouth nearly split from happiness?
Another ten minutes passed, and Senju Tobirama completely lost his breath as if he had fallen asleep, but Senju Mori still sat obediently in his original spot.
Although his recent communication with Senju Tobirama seemed very successful, peaceful, and… harmonious?
But in reality, Senju Mori knew clearly in his heart that they had completely fallen out.
Once he succeeded as the Third Hokage, he would not only completely negate Senju Tobirama's policies but also extensively modify, or even overturn eighty percent of them.
Under his leadership, Konoha Village would establish a Ninja Clan authoritarian system with the Senju Clan at its core, and that was definitely not the future Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama had hoped for.
It was just that the current Senju Tobirama was too weak to jump up and beat him.
What if this evil white-haired old ghost tried to trick him one last time before he died, taking advantage of the opportunity created by feigning death to stick a Mutual Exploding Tag or something similar on him? That would be no fun at all.
One must know that from the Sengoku period until today, all Ninja who underestimated Senju Tobirama died very, very miserably… Senju Mori did not want to be one of them.