In the end, it still had to be said. Tobirama spoke calmly, "This is the Land of Fire—Konoha. It's a shinobi village founded after my older brother… after the Senju and the Uchiha formed an alliance."
"It's not just the Senju and the Uchiha. The Hyuga, Sarutobi, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and dozens of other clans joined Konoha one after another. Even ordinary civilians can become ninja."
"Shinobi are classified by strength into genin, chunin, and jonin. Children must graduate from the Ninja Academy before becoming genin. Missions are also divided into multiple ranks…"
Senju Tobirama never considered himself a talkative person. To those who didn't know him well, he was often seen as a cold and ruthless schemer.
Yet now, he couldn't help himself. He kept talking, introducing Konoha.
He really did have too much he wanted to say to Itama.
Or rather, he and his brother had always—truly, desperately—wanted Itama and Kawarama to see Konoha for themselves. If possible, they wanted to place them inside Konoha, protect them properly.
"An alliance?!" Itama was stunned, but immediately after, he felt nothing but genuine joy for his two brothers. "That's amazing!! Tobirama-nii and Big Brother Hashirama's dream finally came true!!"
He still remembered that dusk at the Senju clan grounds in the Forest of Senju. Kawarama's death had crushed them all. Even back then, Big Brother Hashirama and Tobirama-nii had already begun thinking about how to form agreements to end the wars, how to establish strict rules…
"Just as expected of Big Brother Hashirama and Tobirama-nii!"
"Itama…"
Tobirama remembered it clearly—Itama had died in a war against the Uchiha. When his body was recovered…
Tobirama reached out and rubbed the head of the brother who now looked more than ten years younger than himself. He thought that, in truth, both his and his brother's dream had already been missing a piece the moment Itama's death was confirmed.
After all, their real wish was to protect Itama—to protect children like Itama.
"Let's go back to the Senju estate first. There's too much to explain." And he needed to properly ask how Itama had been revived as well.
Tobirama gave his brother a light pat, then turned to Naruto. "Your seal seems to have loosened. As a jinchuriki, you need to learn how to suppress your emotions, restrain yourself, and not be tempted by the tailed beast's power. After the chunin exams, I'll personally reinforce your seal."
"W-we can talk about that later, dattebayo!" As soon as Naruto heard the Second Hokage was about to leave, he panicked. "First, help check on Sasuke! He got bitten by that stinking snake and passed out, y'know!"
"Mm." Senju Tobirama walked over and crouched beside Uchiha Sasuke. At a glance, he saw the curse mark exposed beneath the wide collar of the Uchiha clan outfit.
"A curse mark, huh…"
He channeled chakra to his fingertips and touched the black, drum-shaped mark.
"Ghh—ahh—AAAHHHHH—!!"
Sasuke immediately let out a hoarse, agonized scream.
Naruto and Sakura rushed over at once.
"What happened?! What happened, dattebayo?! What are you doing, Second Hokage guy?!" Naruto was frantic.
Sakura was on the verge of tears. "Is Sasuke-kun going to be okay?! Hokage-sama!"
Nearby, Temari calmly pointed out, "In that condition, can he still continue the chunin exams? The rules say that losing combat consciousness also counts as disqualification."
"Sasuke will wake up for sure!!" Naruto shouted. "Right?! Second Hokage guy!!"
After finishing his chakra scan, Senju Tobirama reached a conclusion. "I temporarily sealed the curse mark just now. He'll wake up in at most an hour."
Sakura asked, "Will this curse mark affect Sasuke-kun?"
"Even if I hadn't sealed it, his own immune system would eventually adapt to the curse mark. But if it isn't removed… while it can boost combat power in the short term, it also easily causes the bearer to become emotionally unstable and mentally extreme. On top of that, he has the Sharingan, which overstimulates the brain if overused…"
At that point, the Second Hokage suddenly recalled the Fourth Shinobi World War. Didn't that Uchiha Obito, who had been manipulated by Madara, have a curse seal on his heart as well?!
His brother always said Madara was a gentle person, but as his power grew—and as he lost too much—he gradually became extreme.
On one hand, there was the Sharingan's stimulation of the brain. On the other hand, didn't the changes resemble the effects of a curse mark?!
Could it be that Madara had also been unknowingly implanted with a similar curse seal by Black Zetsu?!
And that younger clansman, Uchiha Obito…
Judging by what the Fourth Hokage and that monkey said, he must have once been a passionate, love-filled boy. Even though he was an Uchiha, his dream had been to become Hokage.
Black Zetsu's curse seals might not be able to fully control humans, but their ability to guide emotions and thoughts was far more terrifying.
They could change a person little by little.
Even the people closest to them—no, especially the people closest to them—might not notice the change at all!!
A truly horrifying method…
"Second Hokage guy? Second Hokage guy!!"
"Oh, Naruto." Tobirama snapped back to reality and continued, "That Orochimaru fellow isn't even part of this chunin exam. His strength is at least jonin-level or higher. It would be abnormal if you managed to defeat him."
Naruto and Sakura: "Jonin… or higher?! So, stronger than Kakashi-sensei?!"
"Yes. Your jonin instructor probably wouldn't be able to gain the upper hand against Orochimaru without external assistance."
As for what counted as "external assistance," the Second Hokage—who had experienced the Fourth Shinobi World War—knew very well. Kakashi had a teammate who could swing by from the Pure Land just to deliver him a pair of Sharingan and open cheat mode…
"Therefore, this second exam definitely won't count you as failed. But to directly pass you would be unfair." Senju Tobirama said solemnly.
"Wait." Gaara suddenly spoke up. He was holding a scroll of Earth. "This is the scroll Naruto and the others obtained. They followed the rules, protected their Heaven scroll, and acquired the Earth scroll."
In other words, Naruto's team should be considered as having passed the second exam—as long as they reached the central tower and opened both scrolls together.
"Ah! That scroll!!" Naruto looked at the one in Gaara's hand. "It's from those three Sound ninja!"
"If that man called Orochimaru hadn't appeared," Gaara said calmly, "and the fight had continued, the ones who would've won would still be you."
Hearing Gaara acknowledge them so openly moved Naruto to no end. His blue eyes sparkled. "Gaara! You're really a great guy, dattebayo!!"
"…" The gourd-carrying prince of the Sand, being praised like this for the first time, was completely at a loss.
Just then, a Konoha ANBU suddenly knelt beside the Second Hokage. "S-Second Hokage-sama."
"Mm. What is it?"
"That strange vision from before has appeared again! The Third Hokage-sama requests your presence immediately."
"!!!"
Everyone present—the Second Hokage, Team Seven, and the three Sand siblings—were all shocked. Only Itama, who hadn't seen the vision before and happened to miss it again, froze in confusion.
They all recalled the previous vision!!
But there hadn't been any 'death quiz' this time, had there?!
"Immediately assemble the ANBU. Check every single team participating in the chunin exams!"
Senju Tobirama issued the order without hesitation.
"Then, let's go see it. Whatever message this vision intends to bring us this time."