"Makoto, come take a look at this first—"
Tobirama Senju urgently waved Makoto over to a project he was currently researching.
In a glass, a mass of white, pulsating biological matter was embedded with a spinning Sharingan.
"This Sharingan was collected with Black Zetsu's help."
Orochimaru stood nearby, explaining its origin with a raspy chuckle.
Black Zetsu?
Makoto paused.
Wasn't Black Zetsu's consciousness erased, seemingly taken over by Kaguya Otsutsuki?
The fact that he could retrieve the Sharingan stockpile from the Night of the Massacre meant Black Zetsu's memories were completely preserved.
This was actually good news.
At least Makoto didn't need to waste breath clarifying his stance to the blob.
"What about this?" Makoto shifted his gaze to the petri dish.
"Big Brother's cells and the Sharingan... The compatibility is fascinating. Look at the cellular rejection rates..."
Tobirama was about to begin his lecture when he froze.
"Wait. Something's happening in Konoha. I'll be right back, give me five minutes."
Just as Tobirama was about to explain the science, he detected a disturbance in the force.
This was a contingency measure he had left behind before departing from the village.
He had speculated that following the Fire Daimyo's "untimely" death, with the Hokage's political power reaching unprecedented heights, the first to make a greedy move would definitely be that disappointment of a disciple.
...
Sure enough.
Konoha: The Hokage's Office.
When Tobirama teleported to the Hokage Building using the Flying Thunder God, he saw Danzo Shimura bringing along the classic "Senile Duo," Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, along with several ROOT members, to confront Tsunade.
Tsunade sat stiffly in the Hokage's seat, remaining silent, her face dark.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before Tsunade with a grim expression, facing off against his old rival.
Like a pair of gay lovers separated by life, death, and bad politics!
"Hiruzen! I never thought you'd still oppose me even after death!"
Danzo slammed his cane on the floor.
"And Tsunade! You actually collaborated with the rogue ninja Orochimaru to control Hiruzen through Impure World Reincarnation! This is heresy!"
"I discovered something suspicious about the Daimyo's death long ago, and there are major issues with the suicide note left by the heir, Maruichi Kyuu..."
"Tsunade, confess truthfully—did you develop malicious intentions after seeing changes in other villages and plot to assassinate the Daimyo?!"
For the first time in his life, Danzo felt he was being open, righteous, and representing justice!
Yet, deep down, he felt extremely frustrated.
Because he was envious.
He was jealous damn it!
Not only of Tsunade's position as Hokage but also of those helpers brought back by Impure World Reincarnation.
Danzo naturally knew about them.
He was well aware that the only one capable of performing the technique was his former partner, Orochimaru.
How he wished he could be the one controlling the reincarnated Third Hokage—what a marvelous weapon that would be.
'Hm?'
Danzo suddenly noticed someone had appeared in his peripheral vision.
Originally, Hiruzen stood to the left of Tsunade's desk, while the right side was empty.
Now, however, a figure stood on the right, arms crossed.
'When did he arrive?'
Danzo grew alert, shifting his gaze over, and instantly froze.
"Lord Second? Tobirama... Sensei?"
"Danzo. You suspect Maruichi Kyuu's suicide note wasn't written by him, correct? You guessed right."
Tobirama Senju looked down at Danzo with cold, red eyes.
"How could a spoiled young man in his twenties write such a logically tight suicide note? I wrote it for him."
"This... this..." Danzo was dumbfounded.
His original plan was to pin the blame for the massacre on Tsunade and find a way to seize the position of Hokage during the chaos.
But now, hearing his teacher's confession that it wasn't a "false accusation" but they had actually whacked the Daimyo?
"Hm?"
Tobirama Senju suddenly sensed something, his eyes sharpening into slits.
He didn't hesitate for a microsecond.
Flying Thunder God Slash!
Sschick!
Danzo was still lost in thought and shock.
He never expected the Second Hokage to attack his own student so abruptly!
A single slash cleanly severed his right arm at the shoulder and sent it flying into the air.
Before it even hit the ground, Tobirama snatched it.
Then, with a blur, he gouged out the eye hidden beneath Danzo's bandages.
"Big Brother's cells... and... Sharingan."
Tobirama inspected the severed arm and the bloody eye for a second before sealing them into a scroll.
He glared at Danzo, who was now clutching his bleeding shoulder. "Danzo, you've been quite creative. Unfortunately for you, I happened to be researching these very biological materials right before I teleported here. I am extremely sensitive to their chakra signatures."
"The stench on you was so strong just now, I almost thought Big Brother and Madara had stabbed you full from behind."
Tsunade, sitting behind the desk, facepalmed.
What kind of bizarre analogy was that?!
"AAAAHHH!"
Danzo lay on the ground, wailing in agony.
Though countless elite medical ninjas were present (including the Hokage herself), not a single one stepped forward to treat him.
Even Homura and Koharu, who had come to support him, merely watched in silence, their faces pale.
They knew which way the wind was blowing.
"I'll leave this place to you, Hiruzen. Handle it properly, and don't let these fools hinder Konoha's progress any longer."
After tossing these words to the room, Tobirama activated the Flying Thunder God and vanished back to Amegakure.
While this coup was annoying, he was still eager to get back to the lab to complete his mission of stealing Madara's Rinnegan.
Prioritizing hating over politics!
"Danzo... if I had known you possessed such things, you would have been branded a rogue ninja long ago, just like Orochimaru."
Hiruzen walked up to the bleeding Danzo and spoke slowly, his voice filled with disappointment.
"Hiruzen... I regret it now. I regret ignoring Teacher Tobirama's decisiveness... I regret not heeding his advice to change my nature."
Danzo clutched his wound, slowly struggling to his feet, blood pooling around him.
Though not yet dead, Danzo had already begun reminiscing about the past like a revolving lantern.
If he hadn't hesitated and had volunteered to be the decoy back then, he might have become Hokage.
And now, once again, it was his indecisiveness that cost him everything.
He clearly possessed Kotoamatsukami, capable of altering wills, yet he never got the chance to use it.
He clearly possessed an entire arm of Izanagi lives, yet he never anticipated being speed-blitzed by the creator of the Flying Thunder God and didn't activate it in time.
He had god-tier hacks, and he got owned because of lag!
"Sigh... I also regret not listening to our teacher's words," Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh.
"What... what did our teacher tell you?"
Danzo looked at Hiruzen with dying curiosity.
His mind was racing.
Had their teacher once told Hiruzen to kill him? Had Tobirama seen the darkness in his heart decades ago?
Danzo felt deeply frustrated—why was their teacher always partial to Hiruzen?
What secret wisdom did Hiruzen receive?
Just as Danzo was nervously speculating, Hiruzen shrugged.
"Hell if i know. Didn't I just say I regret not listening? Since I didn't listen, how the hell would I know what he said?"
"??????"
A giant question mark formed over Danzo's head.
"Hiruzen, you bastard! You're still messing with me at a time like this! Pfft—"
Already severely injured and mentally broken, Danzo became so enraged by this dad joke that he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted dead away!
Creak.
"Eh? What's going on here? Oh my god, that's a huge amount of blood!"
Kushina happened to return at this exact moment.
She walked to the Hokage's office door, pushed through the crowd of Anbu and saw Danzo lying in a pool of blood.
"Did I miss the party?"
Kushina had just returned from the Uzumaki Clan's ruins.
She had successfully found the method to undo the Reaper Death Seal.
However, the cost was too great, and she didn't know what to do.
She had come to seek Tsunade's advice.
But instead, she walked into a crime scene.
....
Bonus, and no Danzo suffering has just began!