Hearing Hashirama Senju's question, Minato Namikaze scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
The title of Fourth Hokage was already a thing of the past. Now, he was one of the Twelve Elders of the Gensokyo Kingdom.
Still, the man standing in front of him was the First Hokage himself—one of Konoha's founding legends. Hashirama was practically an ancestor to him, and with Minato's gentle nature, there was no way he could bring himself to disappoint him.
So he nodded politely.
"Yes, Lord First. I was once the Fourth Hokage. But now the ninja world has been unified, and I serve as one of the elders of the Gensokyo Kingdom."
Hashirama seemed pleased by the explanation and let out a hearty laugh.
"So it's true... the ninja world really was unified. When I first heard about it, I could hardly believe it. To think that something we couldn't accomplish in our time was actually done by someone from the next generation..."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Namikaze Kirito not far away.
"So you're Namikaze Kirito?"
Kirito stepped forward without the slightest concern for the tension around him. He stopped in front of Hashirama and answered in a calm voice.
"That's right. It's an honor to meet you, First Hokage."
"Hahaha! Good, good! You really are an impressive young man!"
Hashirama could clearly sense the overwhelming power inside Kirito's body.
And mixed in with that terrifying power was something else—something familiar.
Wood Style.
As someone who had wielded Wood Style himself, there was no way Hashirama would mistake that feeling.
As for the fact that the ninja world had been unified, he was surprisingly at peace with it. He was already dead. There was no point in clinging to the past now.
If anything, the real headache was being dragged back from the Pure Land by some forbidden technique after finally being able to rest.
At Hashirama's side, Tobirama Senju studied Kirito with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze.
He knew better than to trust every word that masked man had said. But when he thought about how several of his students had died at Kirito's hands—and not in any merciful way—anger still rose in his chest.
"Namikaze Kirito," Tobirama said coldly, "did you kill Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Kirito met his gaze without flinching.
"I did."
The straightforward answer only made Tobirama's expression darken.
"No matter what happened, Hiruzen was still Konoha's Third Hokage," he said, his tone growing harsher. "As the son of the Fourth Hokage, this is how you treat Konoha?"
"Second Hokage... no, Tobirama Senju."
Kirito was still smiling, but the air around him had gone noticeably colder.
"Do you really think you're in any position to lecture me?"
Tobirama gave a sharp snort.
"As expected. A man who unified the ninja world through bloodshed and slaughter was never going to be some noble-hearted idealist."
His eyes narrowed.
"I returned from the Pure Land, so I can feel it clearly. The souls tangled around you... the darkness clinging to you."
His voice turned grim.
"You're a dangerous brat. For someone like you—"
"Tobirama!"
Hashirama cut him off before he could finish.
The usually easygoing First Hokage now sounded completely serious.
"We're dead. Our era is over. Put your hand down."
"But, brother—"
"Didn't you hear me?"
Hashirama's voice cracked like thunder.
Tobirama's expression stiffened. After a long moment, he lowered the fingers he had subtly raised and let the chakra he had been gathering disperse.
Kirito watched the exchange with quiet amusement.
Even Tobirama's little move hadn't escaped his notice. With power on the level of the Six Paths, Kirito could sense the shift in chakra before Tobirama even had the chance to act.
And even if Tobirama had managed to strike first, it would have changed nothing.
At Kirito's current level, Tobirama simply didn't have the power to break through his defenses.
Hashirama let out a quiet sigh before looking back at Kirito.
"Namikaze Kirito... I may not agree with the path you took, but if the ninja world truly has been united, then I hope you'll protect that peace."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Hashirama lowered his head slightly.
His tone was earnest. Sincere.
Kirito didn't dislike men like Hashirama.
Call him stubborn. Call him naïve. Call him a fool chasing an impossible dream.
But in the end, Hashirama Senju was a man who had devoted everything to peace. That kind of conviction deserved respect.
Besides...
There was someone in Kirito's own family who reminded him very much of the man standing in front of him.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Another reincarnation of Asura. Another hopelessly stubborn fool who believed in reaching peace with his own hands.
And Kirito, for all the coldness people saw in him, treasured his family more than anything.
So he simply gave a slow nod.
Hashirama's tense shoulders relaxed at once, and his usual carefree grin returned.
"That's a relief."
Then he spoke again.
"This time, we were summoned by a descendant of the Sarutobi clan. I think his name was Asuma Sarutobi. To be honest, whatever group he's involved with is definitely going to stir up trouble in the current ninja world, but..."
Hashirama glanced at Kirito again.
Even without fully understanding the extent of Kirito's power, just the small amount leaking from him was enough to make one thing clear.
If he and Madara had stood together in their prime, they still might not have been able to defeat the young man before them.
That realization made Hashirama oddly calm.
"With you here, I don't think they'll be able to shake the ninja world too much."
"I can't exactly pretend I didn't hear that, First Hokage."
A spiral distortion suddenly twisted through the air.
Space warped, and a masked figure emerged from the vortex in full view of everyone present.
Obito Uchiha.
"Oh?" Kirito said, his voice dripping with ridicule. "So now you're not just hiding behind puppets. You're too scared to show your real face too?"
With the Rinnegan, Kirito could tell at a glance that this Obito wasn't the real one.
It was just a substitute body.
A disposable stand-in.
Obito heard the mockery clearly, but there was no anger in his voice when he answered.
Now wasn't the time.
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was close to reaching its complete form, and there was no reason for him to risk appearing in person just because of a few taunts from Namikaze Kirito.
Not after everything that had happened between them.
Kamui should have been untouchable—an absolute defense, an invincible dōjutsu.
But Kirito had that absurd ability of his, the one that could forcibly drag Obito out of Kamui's space.
Once Obito understood that, how could he possibly risk coming in person?
That wouldn't be bravery.
That would be suicide.
"Namikaze Kirito," Obito said evenly, "consider the First and Second Hokage a gift from me. A little congratulation for the founding of your Gensokyo Kingdom."
He paused.
"And while I'm here, I may as well tell you something."
His voice deepened.
"The real war is about to begin."
"The Fourth Great Ninja War was born because of you. You unified the ninja world, and in doing so, you set countless conflicts into motion."
He slowly spread his arms, his posture full of cold pride.
"And now... I will declare war on your Gensokyo Kingdom."
"The Fifth Great Ninja War will begin with me."
He raised his chin beneath the mask.
"Be honored, shinobi."
"I will bring this world true peace."
For a brief second, silence filled the air.
Then Kirito looked at him like he had just heard the dumbest thing imaginable.
"…Are you serious?"
Obito's eye narrowed behind the mask.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean, Namikaze Kirito?"
What he hated most was that look on Kirito's face.
That expression that said he had already seen through everything.
That expression like nothing Obito did was ever enough to shake him.
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