Someone hiding their real thoughts is like a drunkard who doesn't really care about the wine.
The fact that Sarutobi Hiruzen's Eldest Son had removed the three Higher-ups meant he must know about Senju Tobirama's revival.
You know, and I know.
So... next, he might go after Namikaze Minato.
Senju Tobirama thought hard about this.
He realized he had underestimated Sarutobi Ryo's cleverness.
Sarutobi Ryo would target Namikaze Minato next. However, the "deaths" of the three Higher-ups were also a way of forcing Senju Tobirama's hand, a subtle warning.
But there was more.
Uzumaki Mito, who was also involved, was another big target for Sarutobi Ryo.
Sarutobi Ryo had wanted to punish Uzumaki Mito for a long time, and he wouldn't let this chance slip away.
Sarutobi Ryo was still human, and he had common human desires.
The harder something is to get, the more desirable it becomes.
Uzumaki Mito was second only to Kaguya in terms of being something "good" to possess.
Uzumaki Mito alone gave Sarutobi Ryo enough reason to keep going.
Until... he turned everything upside down.
His goals were to deal with Namikaze Minato, capture Uzumaki Mito, send the revived Senju Tobirama back to the grave or seal him away, and completely unite Konoha into a strong force.
Then, he could strike a powerful blow and bring peace to the Ninja World.
Once he controlled the Ninja World, no female ninja would be safe from him.
During and after all this, he would gather the chakra of the nine Tailed Beasts and find a way to revive Kaguya in her weakest form. That would be very interesting to him.
At that point, everything would develop rapidly and reach a satisfying conclusion.
Once people learned about the existence of aliens, they would naturally worry about visitors from other planets.
Momoshiki, Kinshiki... and Isshiki, who was hiding in the Ninja World, would become enemies everyone could agree on.
A world of peace and harmony would emerge.
A frog living in a well can't imagine the vastness of the ocean.
And at this time…
Senju Tobirama, focused on his small concerns and eager to punish those within Konoha, lacked the vision to see this bigger picture.
Senju Tobirama acted without thinking of the consequences, just like Danzo stirred up trouble everywhere without cleaning up the mess.
Others had to fix things in the end.
Sarutobi Ryo wouldn't allow that to continue.
Now that he saw the bigger picture, he would carefully manage things to ensure his victory.
"Mito, we can't let that kid keep going like this!"
Senju Tobirama's face was grim.
Apart from the fight with the Kinkaku Ginkaku brothers, he had never felt so challenged.
Even Uchiha Madara hadn't caused him so much trouble.
This careful, step-by-step approach was something a reckless person like Uchiha Madara couldn't have done.
Right now, it seemed like no one could stop Sarutobi Ryo.
After all, he had great power and had even brought Orochimaru in to replace Danzo, creating a powerful political group with himself at the center.
This reminded Senju Tobirama of the time when he persecuted Uchiha Madara.
It was exactly the same.
They both created a powerful advantage by forming small groups and crushing their opponents.
Now, Sarutobi Hiruzen's Eldest Son was doing the same thing.
So…
What should they do next?
Threats? Exploiting weaknesses?
Senju Tobirama immediately thought of Sarutobi Ryo's weaknesses.
What were Sarutobi Ryo's weaknesses?
His parents? Probably not. And he had no reason to attack Sarutobi Hiruzen.
That little girl named Yamanaka Hui?
That might work.
As Sarutobi Ryo's childhood sweetheart, she could be taken hostage. This could be a backup plan.
And another possible solution…
"Is for me to go and talk to him myself…"
Senju Tobirama crossed his arms, his brow furrowed.
Negotiation was always an option.
He wanted to understand what this young man was thinking and what he wanted to do with Konoha.
"That's all we can do…"
Uzumaki Mito nodded.
She hadn't expected Sarutobi Ryo to deal with the three Higher-ups so quickly.
It felt like they had been winning one moment, only to lose everything in an instant.
Watching the two great figures discuss their options, Namikaze Minato's heart sank.
He didn't think negotiation would lead to anything good.
Instead, he worried that Senju Tobirama would be swayed to Sarutobi Ryo's side.
"Minato."
Seeing the worried look on her lover's face, Kushina took his hand.
Feeling the warmth of Kushina's hand, Namikaze Minato forced a smile.
Things had gone wrong.
He wasn't good at this kind of political game.
Every step felt like walking on a tightrope.
It had been like that in his previous life, and it was the same in this one.
The reason things had been peaceful before was because others had been taking on the difficult tasks for him.
Elder Koharu, Elder Homura… even Lord Danzo.
They had carried many burdens.
He had only had to focus on becoming Hokage.
Now that the three of them had lost power, and he had fewer people to support him, Namikaze Minato felt lost.
He also didn't understand why Young Master Ryo was so skilled in politics.
It just didn't make sense.
Thinking back to his memories of his previous life, he realized everything had changed too much.
Could it be that Young Master Sarutobi Ryo was behind all the changes?
The Great Toad Sage's prophecies swirled in his mind, making it hard to breathe.
----
That night.
Sarutobi Ryo received an invitation from Tsunade, asking him to visit her mansion.
Sarutobi Ryo wasn't afraid of Tsunade's strength and happily accepted.
When Sarutobi Ryo arrived, Shizune greeted him.
He was led to the living room.
Sarutobi Ryo sat down quietly and waited.
Soon, Tsunade appeared with someone else.
Even in the dim light, Sarutobi Ryo could see the other person clearly.
Sarutobi Ryo ignored Tsunade's somewhat nervous expression.
After all, anyone who knew about the return of a dead person would react that way.
"The Second Hokage… Senju Tobirama."
Sarutobi Ryo slowly took a sip of tea, showing no emotion.
"Hmph…"
Senju Tobirama snorted, studying Sarutobi Ryo.
Soon, he sat down.
The silent battle had already begun.
Senju Tobirama had lost the first round.
The fact that Sarutobi Ryo wasn't surprised by his presence confirmed his suspicions.
"Sarutobi Ryo, I've heard a lot about you…"
As a dead man, Senju Tobirama didn't need to drink tea.
"Likewise…" Sarutobi Ryo replied casually, accepting the hidden insult without flinching. "The Second Hokage's reputation is well-known... though you're even more famous for being killed by the Kinkaku Ginkaku brothers…"
This immediately made Senju Tobirama frown.
*
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[T/N:
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