"?!"
Sasuke was momentarily stunned. He stared at the man before him, then turned to Uchiha Itachi.
"Who?!" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Had he heard correctly?
Senju Tobirama?
The Second Hokage of Konoha?
How was that possible? This man had been dead for decades!
No wonder something felt off. The name "Tobirama" had sounded so familiar, and now that he was looking at him up close, the face was unmistakable.
It was the same face carved into the Hokage Rock, the one he had seen countless times growing up in Konoha.
"Second Hokage...?" Sasuke swallowed hard, his mind racing. "Could it be that in this world, the Second Hokage never died in battle and is still alive?"
It wasn't entirely impossible.
This was an alternate ninja world, after all. History here could have taken a different course.
Hadn't he already seen proof of that?
In this world, Kakashi's teammate, Uchiha Obito, who was supposed to be dead, was still alive.
"No," Itachi corrected him calmly. "Lord Tobirama of this world also perished during the First Great Ninja War."
Sasuke frowned. "Then how—"
"He was resurrected later by His Majesty," Itachi explained.
Sasuke's worldview was shattered once again.
Resurrection?
Someone could actually be brought back to life?
Then again…
His Majesty had already rewritten the geography of the entire ninja world.
Compared to that, resurrecting a single person didn't seem all that shocking.
Opposite him, Senju Tobirama stood with his arms crossed, his crimson eyes scanning Sasuke with piercing intensity.
That gaze…
It was sharp, unwavering, and carried an air of judgment.
Sasuke felt an inexplicable discomfort—as though this man could see right through him.
And then—
"Hmph!"
Tobirama let out a cold snort, his voice laced with disdain.
"Another Uchiha brat born evil!"
Sasuke blinked.
What?
Was he talking about him?
Born evil?
What the hell was this old man saying?
Did he hit his head before getting resurrected or something?
"Ahem..."
Itachi coughed awkwardly, casting a glance at Sasuke.
"Don't take it personally," he advised. "That… is just how Lord Tobirama speaks."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
"'Born evil' is his catchphrase?"
Itachi gave a slight nod.
Many Uchiha had been called that by Senju Tobirama at some point.
And usually, the ones who received such a comment were exceptionally talented.
At this point, the Uchiha clan had gotten used to it.
Tobirama had come from the Warring States Era, where the Uchiha and Senju had been bitter enemies. His prejudice ran deep.
But as long as his personal biases didn't interfere with the greater public interest, no one made a fuss about it.
Besides…
Uchiha weren't the type to take insults quietly.
Privately, many of them called him the "old Senju ghost born evil."
"Lord Tobirama, I'll leave Sasuke in your hands," Itachi said, speaking with respectful formality.
He had only come to check on Sasuke from this parallel world.
What happened to him from here on out would be up to Senju Tobirama, who oversaw the No. 1 Ninja World Exploration Operations.
"I'll take my leave now, Sasuke," Itachi added, looking at him with his usual calm demeanor.
"It's… strange to meet you under these circumstances, but I doubt this encounter brought you any joy."
Sasuke didn't respond immediately.
His emotions were complicated.
"I'm sorry if seeing me unsettled you," Itachi continued. "I'll try to appear before you less in the future."
Then, as if making a final decision, he said:
"Sasuke… I wish you a peaceful life in this world."
With that, he turned and walked away.
But as he left, his expression darkened.
He had made up his mind.
He needed to see for himself what had happened in the No. 1 Ninja World.
How could he—another version of himself—do such horrific things?
That other Itachi…
Had he truly awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan by killing Shisui?
Had he slaughtered their entire clan just to test his own abilities?
No matter the reason, no matter the circumstances—
That version of himself was unforgivable.
And he would make sure he paid for his sins.
With Itachi gone, Sasuke stood there in silence.
"Stop standing around," Tobirama ordered coldly. "Come with me. His Majesty is waiting."
The look in his eyes…
There was disgust.
Pure, undiluted disgust.
Sasuke tensed.
What the hell is this guy's problem?
The way he was looking at him…
Like he was seeing a ghost.
Or worse—someone he hated.
Tobirama sneered.
Too alike.
This brat looked too much like that damn Uchiha Izuna.
An Uchiha who resembled that bastard had just fallen into his hands?
How interesting.
Sasuke shivered involuntarily.
Something about Tobirama's expression sent a chill down his spine.
But before he could react, the Second Hokage placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
Then—
Flash!
The world blurred, and in the blink of an eye, they reappeared somewhere else.
They stood in the heart of the Imperial Capital.
Before them loomed a towering structure—the Imperial Central Office Building.
"Lord Tobirama," the guards at the entrance saluted respectfully.
Tobirama gave a brief nod before striding forward.
Sasuke followed, glancing around cautiously.
"In the central office building, space-time ninjutsu is prohibited," Tobirama informed him. "Many other areas in the Empire also have similar restrictions. Keep that in mind."
"...I don't know any space-time ninjutsu," Sasuke muttered.
At most, he could use the Body Replacement Technique, which only looked like teleportation.
Tobirama glanced at him indifferently.
"You have the talent for it. You can learn it later."
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.
Could he… actually learn space-time ninjutsu?
Would that increase his chances of defeating that Uchiha Itachi?
He clenched his fists.
Maybe… just maybe…
If he could master it—
"Here we are," Tobirama said, stopping before a grand office door.
Sasuke swallowed hard.
This was it.
Behind this door was His Majesty—the ruler of the Empire, the man who controlled this world.
A man whose power dwarfed even that of the Hokage.
Sasuke's heart pounded.
He wasn't sure if it was fear or anticipation.
Tobirama smirked, sensing his nervousness.
Without a word, he pushed the door open and walked inside.
Sasuke hesitated only for a moment—
Then, taking a deep breath, he followed him in.
------------------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Johnwick007