Chapter 223: The First Hokage

(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)

****************

As Orochimaru's 'collection' was revealed to the world, the scene falls into an eerie silence.

"Orochimaru! You bastard!" Tsunade's lips trembled with anger.

In the crowd of the ninja allied forces, Konan wore the same expression.

As the coffins burst open, the one in the middle revealed a figure who was scratching his head, looking blank.

An aura of stupid cuteness washed over the scene.

The figure's face wasn't very handsome, but it had a strong sense of attractiveness. There was an undeniable naive quality to him.

"Grandpa! Grand-uncle!" Tsunade recognized two of them. Her voice was filled with emotion.

"Hey, I'm back again? Didn't the Sarutobi seal me the last time?" Hashirama remarked, scratching his head, startled by the tens of thousands of eyes now fixated on him.

"Where's Tobirama?" He looked around and found Tobirama's figure standing to his right, which made Hashirama breathe a sigh of relief.

The two brothers always had a clear division of labor: Hashirama was responsible for invincibility and acted as the village's mascot, while Tobirama took care of foreign affairs and handled all the important matters.

But now, in front of so many people, Hashirama was feeling nervous.

However, something even more compelling than his brother caught Hashirama's eye.

"Madara!"

"Hashirama!"

The two voices echoed at the same time.

Hashirama looked at Uchiha Madara in surprise, and Madara, ignoring everything else, gazed at Hashirama with excitement.

It was as though the entire world had disappeared, leaving only the two of them. (T/N: Ayo, what you mean by that?)

"Madara, have you also been brought back by the [Reanimation] jutsu? What a coincidence! Hahaha!" Hashirama exclaimed.

"Idiot, of course, I've been brought back by the [Reanimation]! This time, however, I've won because I was the first!" Madara replied with a grin.

"Fine, I'll let you win this time," Hashirama laughed.

"What do you mean, let me win? This time I've really won!" Madara declared triumphantly.

Their open display of affection finally became unbearable for those around them.

"Grandpa!" Tsunade called.

"Brother! Pay attention to the current situation!" Tobirama added.

Their voices finally broke through to Hashirama.

"Are you... Tsuna? When did you grow up so much? Hahaha, it makes me so happy to see you!" Hashirama laughed, his carefree demeanor leaving many people dumbfounded.

The crowd couldn't help but wonder—was this legendary god of the ninja world...a little off the mark?

"What's going on in the village now? The monkey should have passed away by now, so who's the Fourth Hokage?" Hashirama asked eagerly, clearly concerned about the village's current state.

Tsunade, already expecting her grandfather's lack of seriousness, raised her hand to rub her forehead. "The Third has indeed passed away, but it's not the Fourth Hokage who's in power right now," she explained.

"It's me. I'm the Fifth Hokage."

"Nani!" Hashirama exclaimed.

"You're the Fifth Hokage? …It's over… The village is doomed…" he muttered, his expression visibly deflating.

His entire demeanor turned black and white, a wave of depression overtaking him.

Tsunade, fuming with anger, had to resist the urge to punch him.

"Tsunade... What has the village come to, that you became Hokage?" Tobirama couldn't sit still either.

With Tsunade's gambling habits and obsession, was the village already lost?

"Grand-uncle! What are you saying!" Tsunade's chest heaved in frustration.

Was she really that unreliable?

"Don't get us wrong, we're just worried about the village," Hashirama tried to ease the tension, changing the subject.

"So, why are you the Fifth Hokage? Shouldn't there have been a Fourth Hokage after Sarutobi passed away?"

Tobirama also talked quickly to divert the subject.

"Well... I am the Fourth Hokage, but I died more than ten years before Lord Third," Namikaze Minato spoke up then, raising his hand weakly.

Hashirama and Tobirama's gazes both landed on Minato, and they also noticed the person who had summoned them.

"You're... Sarutobi's apprentice?" Hashirama asked, trying to remember.

Orochimaru had changed so much over the years.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing off to the side, looked ashamed. This marked the second time Orochimaru had used his [Reanimation Jutsu] on the previous Hokages, including himself and Namikaze Minato. Orochimaru had essentially been farming Hokages for power.

"Shodai-dono, don't worry about me," Orochimaru said with a polite smile.

"It's a rare occasion to gather all the Hokages on the same stage, so enjoy yourselves." There was an air of ease and confidence in his words, despite the enormous effort it took to suppress both Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.

For Orochimaru, who had become a pseudo-Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails, it wasn't too difficult.

He knew that becoming a true Jinchūriki was within reach, so he didn't mind letting these powerful figures "relax" for now.

"Oh..." Hashirama mused.

Though he often acted silly, he wasn't truly ignorant.

He could clearly feel that his body was different this time around, with much of his original power restored. He estimated that he could unleash 80% of the strength he had in his prime.

Orochimaru's intentions were clear—he hadn't summoned them just for a reunion.

Hashirama tried to resist Orochimaru's control but failed.

In the end, he decided it didn't matter much.

He turned to Namikaze Minato with a puzzled expression.

"Weren't you the Fourth Hokage? How did you die before Sarutobi?"

With a wry smile, Minato explained the events of the Nine Tails' attack on Konoha.

"What? The Nine Tails gave you that much trouble?" Hashirama was incredulous.

Minato became even more embarrassed.

He had sealed the Nine Tails, and in doing so, lost his life, which was not a great look for a Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face grew even darker.

If Minato had died after sealing the Nine Tails, how much worse did it look that he had died sealing only Orochimaru's arms?

"Brother, that was uncalled for," Tobirama reprimanded, giving Hashirama a sharp look.

"Do you really think everyone is as overpowered as you, capable of taming the Nine Tails so casually?"

"Sorry... Sorry..." Hashirama scratched his head awkwardly, offering a hasty apology to Minato.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was clutching his head in confusion.

Was this truly the legendary god of the ninja world?

"Hey, grandpa! This isn't the time for small talk!" Tsunade scolded, glaring at Hashirama and Tobirama.

"Can't you two break free from this technique?"

"Tsunade, you should run as far away as you can..." Tobirama's tone was grim as he extended his hand.

"This guy Orochimaru is quite strong. He's perfected my [Reanimation Jutsu]. This time, I can use almost 100% of my strength, and that's even more terrifying than before since we can't die."

Hashirama raised his hand, smiling wryly.

"I'm probably at about 80% to 90% of my original power."

Tsunade's expression turned tense. She knew exactly how powerful her grandfather was.

The entire ninja alliance could be wiped out by him alone.

Adding Uchiha Madara to the mix only worsened the situation.

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Tsunade's gaze shifted to Madara, who had fallen silent after greeting her grandfather.

What Tsunade didn't know was that Madara had already sunk into a state of complete shock…