[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: Oh? You still have a backup plan?]
[Madara Uchiha: Hmph! You'll find out soon enough.]
Madara thought to himself:
As long as he got his hands on the Time-Screaming Chicken, all he had to do was squeeze it, and he could instantly recover.
He didn't say it aloud, of course---
He needed to keep it a secret as a trump card for when he revived and tried to seize the Time-Screaming Chicken.
If he revealed it now, it would be much harder to take it by force later.
But before Madara could finish his scheming---
The scroll erupted in blinding golden light.
Everyone looked up.
A new name had appeared on the Golden Ranking: Second Hokage Comprehensive Evaluation.
The entire ninja world held its breath.
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju---Ranked 3rd on the Hokage Power List.]
[Master of ninjutsu beyond compare. Creator of the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Shadow Clone Technique, and the Reanimation Jutsu. Architect of Konoha's institutional foundations. Died in battle, choosing sacrifice over survival.]
[Reward: Ability Sealing Card (Sealed Technique × 1 use)]
[The holder may select one technique belonging to any living person and seal it permanently. The sealed technique cannot be used again by the original owner. This power activates at the holder's will. No exceptions.]
For a moment---
Complete silence.
Then it all broke at once.
Konoha --- Chūnin Exam Arena
Kakashi adjusted his headband.
His visible eye had gone very still.
The Ability Sealing Card...
If Sensei had something like that when he faced the Nine-Tails...
He didn't finish the thought.
Konoha --- Root Headquarters
Danzō's eye twitched once.
Then twice.
"Tobirama-sensei..." he murmured.
He had always respected the Second Hokage.
He believed the Second understood the necessity of darkness.
He believed they thought alike.
And now Tobirama had received a card that could permanently strip anyone of a technique.
Anyone.
Danzō quietly crossed a name off his mental list of people he was willing to antagonize.
Hidden Cloud Village --- Raikage's Office
A stared at the reward description for a long, quiet moment.
"Mabui."
"Yes, Lord Raikage?"
"If Tobirama used that card on me---"
"You'd lose whichever technique he chose. Permanently."
A was quiet for another moment.
Then he punched his desk so hard the legs buckled.
"NOBODY TELL HIM WHICH JUTSU IS MY STRONGEST."
Mabui bowed calmly.
"I'll issue the directive at once."
Hidden Stone Village
Ōnoki sat very still.
Kurotsuchi leaned over.
"Grandpa, you look pale."
"I'm fine."
"Should I get you water?"
"I said I'm FINE."
He was not fine.
He was doing very rapid mental arithmetic about whether the Dust Release counted as one technique or three.
Hidden Sand Village
Chiyo rubbed her temples.
"So the Second Hokage now holds the power to permanently cripple any shinobi in the world."
Beside her, Kankurō whispered, "Lady Chiyo... does that mean he could take away someone's Kekkei Genkai?"
Chiyo said nothing.
That was answer enough.
Group Chat:
[Fourth Raikage A: Alright. Tobirama. Hypothetically. If you were going to use that card---who would you use it on?]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: Hypothetically?]
[Fourth Raikage A: Yes. Purely hypothetically.]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: Uchiha Madara.]
[Uchiha Madara: ...]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: What technique would I seal? His Rinnegan, obviously.]
[Uchiha Madara: Tobirama.]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: Hm?]
[Uchiha Madara: You. Are. DEAD.]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: So are you. And yet here we are.]
[First Hokage Hashirama Senju: Hahaha!! Brother, you're so funny!! Madara, don't be angry---he was just answering the question honestly!]
[Uchiha Madara: HASHIRAMA! Your brother just threatened to permanently seal my Rinnegan and you're LAUGHING?!]
[First Hokage Hashirama Senju: I mean... he did say it was hypothetical...]
[Uchiha Izuna @Uchiha Madara: Nii-san... I believe he was being completely sincere.]
[Uchiha Madara: I KNOW THAT, IZUNA!!]
Konoha --- Chūnin Exam Arena
Naruto blinked.
"Oi, Shikamaru. That card... can it really seal anyone's jutsu forever?"
Shikamaru didn't answer immediately.
He was still processing the strategic implications.
A single card.
One use.
Any technique.
Any person.
No exceptions.
...What a terrifying thing to hand to someone.
"Yeah," he finally said. "Forever."
Naruto turned that over in his head for a while.
Then---
"So if Pervy Sage had that card... he could seal away Orochimaru's creepy snake stuff?"
"...Technically, yes."
"THAT'S AMAZING!! TOBIRAMA-JIJII IS THE BEST!!"
From somewhere above them in the stands, Jiraiya heard his name.
He turned.
Naruto was jumping up and down pointing at the scroll.
Eyes shining.
Absolutely zero idea what he'd just indirectly volunteered Jiraiya for.
Jiraiya looked back at the scroll.
...I already survived a run-in with Orochimaru today. Can I catch a break?
Pure Land
Tobirama stood with his arms folded, reading the reward description.
His expression was composed.
Measured.
The face of a man who had spent a lifetime not showing his emotions.
But his eyes---
Were very, very satisfied.
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: ...Not bad.]
[First Hokage Hashirama Senju: NOT BAD?! BROTHER!! You just got a card that can permanently seal ANYONE'S TECHNIQUE and you say "not bad"?!]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: It is not bad. I said what I said.]
[Uchiha Izuna: Nii-san, he's going to use it on you. He's definitely going to use it on you.]
[Uchiha Madara: ...]
[Uchiha Madara: He won't. Because if he does, I will make what happened to Izuna look like a friendly sparring session.]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: Threatening me after I got the Ability Sealing Card. Bold strategy, Madara.]
[Uchiha Madara: DON'T SAY MY NAME SO CASUALLY!!]
A golden beam of light separated from the scroll---
And shot toward the Pure Land.
Tobirama extended his hand.
The card materialized between two fingers.
Thin.
Pale gold at the edges.
Warm to the touch in a way that chakra alone couldn't explain.
He turned it once.
Then slid it into his sleeve.
[Fifth Mizukage Terumi Mei: Lord Second... please, if you use it, use it on someone OTHER than Hidden Mist. We've suffered enough.]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: Noted.]
[Fifth Mizukage Terumi Mei: ...Was that a yes or a no?]
[Second Hokage Tobirama Senju: It was a "noted."]
Chōjūrō, watching the chat scroll by on the screen, quietly grabbed Mei by the sleeve.
"Lady Mizukage. Maybe don't provoke him right now."
"I'm not provoking---I'm pre-emptively negotiating."
"It doesn't look like he's in a negotiating mood."
"Every man is in a negotiating mood for the right offer."
Chōjūrō looked at her.
Looked at the chat.
Looked back at her.
"...Lady Mizukage. That's Tobirama Senju."
She paused.
"...Fair point. I'll wait."
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