24: The End of the War

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One week, that was the time Ryoichi was unconscious. Normally he wouldn't have been out for so long, but his condition was terrible as his body was eating itself to recover Chakra, If Oni hadn't reached in time he would have lost some lifespan, but fortunately, Oni found him in time and stabilised his condition with the help of medic-nins.

After Ryoichi woke up, he was shortly called to the Hokage office where he was given another week to rest and access to the future Forbidden Scroll again.

Ryoichi without wasting time learned MULTI SHADOW CLONE JUTSU. He was tired of using SHADOW CLONE JUTSU that sucked nonsensical amount of Chakra to create a single clone. He thanked Tobirama and asked about the situation of the War before leaving.

After returning to his rented house, Ryoichi mediated on his previous mission, he examined all his choices and actions before thinking what he could have done better to not let the situation develop to such a level. He then proceeded to spend the whole week improving his abilities.

The first thing he improved was the SEAL MATRIX. He made it so that it was now possible to split into five parts, he then worked for two days to make the matrix connect with its target without getting in contact with the target.

To do so, Ryoichi copied Nara's signature Jutsu. Now the matrix can travel through the ground and connect with the target like SHADOW POSSESION JUTSU. The only problem it had was that it was too visible.

Ryoichi wanted to make it completely invisible so he could easily catch his opponent, but he had only a week and he didn't want to waste it all on only one thing especially when he was not sure whether he'd succeed in the given time.

He made a small note to work on that later… and also to increase the number of mediums his seals can use before he focused on another task.

While Ryoichi was busy with Seal Matrix his new Shadow clones practiced another Jutsu he borrowed from the Hokage, the EXPLODING CLONE JUTSU. He had his Shadow clones practised this Jutsu so he could incorporate it with his MULTI-SHADOW-CLONE JUTSU.

Exploding tags can be easily seen, and Ryoichi had no doubt many would be able to avoid it. So after his close encounter with Kumo's Suicide squad, Ryoichi thought of exploding Shadow clones who when dispersed wouldn't be puffed out but instead explode with whatever remaining Chakra in them.

With MULTI SHADOW CLONE JUTSU learned, EXPLODING CLONE JUTSU in progress, and his SEAL MATRIX upgraded. Ryoichi focused on the remaining problem on his weekly task list. His small reservoir of Natural energy.

He used the remaining five days to Absorb and Refine Natural energy to his limits. He only took breaks to eat and sleep and used the remaining time absorbing Natural energy.

Ryoichi forced himself to always absorb more energy than his previous attempts and repeated that cycle almost thirty times a day. At the end of the day, his head felt like spitting from the pain due to Natural energy over flowing in his Mind scape and his body moaning in pleasure from the rapid strengthening.

The combination of pain and pleasure was a torture Ryoichi had never felt before, it pushed all his buttons in the wrong way, but Ryoichi gritted his teeth and continued his task which showed its result after every day.

When all five days passed and an Anbu came to summon Ryoichi, his body's Natural energy-holding limits were already five times before the start of his torturous training.

Once he reached Hokage's office, Ryoichi was informed that he'd be joining Hokage's team consisting of his students and a few other S-rank Shinobis.

Joining this squad indirectly means Ryoichi has Tobirama's trust and approval which he knew would help greatly in future.

After joining Team Tobirama, Ryoichi followed them to battlefield after battlefield fighting and completing the S-rank mission almost every other day.

His experience, power and his arsenal were improving rapidly after every battle to the point that he finally got the "hang" of the battle.

Ryoichi finally didn't have to plan for every little fight, he could instinctively "sense" what was the best move in any given situation and respond as such.

It opened a new world for Ryoichi which increased his lust for battle even more. He threw himself into more unfavourable situations to further develop this "Sense of Battle".

During these intense battles and missions, Ryoichi turned eight years old, not that he cared, but him turning eight meant that the first Shinobi war was coming to an end and with it, Tobirama's life.

Ryoichi thought of saving Tobirama, but him surviving the War would only made it difficult for him to swallow Anbu. And not to mention most of his future knowledge would become obsolete. He wouldn't know if Naruto and Sasuke would even born.

Normally he wouldn't care about such things, but spoiling his future knowledge would be idiotic when he could use it to secretly acquire all resources and sell information unknown to others. But that's not the most important thing about his Future Knowledge. It was that Ryoichi knew all Future powerhouses and important people.

He knew about their personalities, their history, and their goals and dreams are going to be. He knows what ticks them, what makes them laugh and most importantly what makes them loyal.

With all their traits completely known, he could easily make them dance to his tunes. An example would be if he let Minato and Kushina die, Naruto's childhood would be the same and he could easily manipulate a love-deprived child, seeking attention. Or If he let the Uchiha massacre happen then Sasuke would become a power-hungry child and he could have said power-hungry child do his bidding for a little instant power-up.

There are also a few advantages of letting Tobirmaa live, but those are only in the short term. And long term benefits from his death overshadowed any of those benefits.

So, letting him die is the best option, and as if fate, Ryoichi sensed some fifty or so Shinobi laying an Ambush a few tens of kilometres away.

Ryoichi's eyes scanned his team as he noted no one other than Tobirama and him noticed the hiding group. His eyes locked onto Tobirama's back as he scanned his state.

Tobirama's always prim proper state looked haggard as he had been fighting with the Jinchruki and another Kage rank Shinobi for nearly ten hours, not to mention he fought them straight after retreating from Iwa's front. He was extremely low on Chakra, and his stamina was also at an all-time low. The only reason he wasn't stopping to rest was because he had left Konoha alone for too long. Tobirama had only intended to leave Konoha for a week, not for months. So, he was in a hurry to return.

Tobirama's movement came to a sudden halt, making all his subordinates form a battle formation. Their movements were smooth and fluid, showing how many times they had done the same. They were ready for any incoming Shinobis when Tobirama spoke.

"Ambush, 50 Shinobis. All at least elite Jonin, 20 of them S-rank or above and the two leading them have Kyuubi's Chakra signature." Immediately everyone's face darkened at his words. Every single one of them knew they were after Tobirama, especially a Chakra-exhausted, Stamina-low Tobirama.

"We need something or someone to hold them so others can escape," Spoke Ryoichi, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"And who will be the one holding them?" Asked Tobirama, his eyes trailing from Ryoichi to Hiruzen to Danzo and his other students.

"I will do it since my seals can buy us the most time," Ryoichi spoke without any hesitation only to be cut off by Hiruzen.

"No! I'll do it, I'm the strongest after Sensei, so I have the most chance of surviving."

"Do not delude yourself whoever is holding them is not coming back, the Shinobis laying the ambush are gathered to take down all of us, even Hokage-sama at his peak state would have some problem dealing with all of them." Ryoichi retorted making Hiruzen hesitate, but the future Hokage still pushed forward. And seeing Hiruzen not backing down, Ryoichi spoke again.

"Fine… how about this, we go together, this way we'll buy more time."

"Fine…"

Ryoichi and Hiruzen turned their face to Tobirama as the former opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by Tobirama.

"Sigh~ I have a good successor, go I'll take them."

Everyone's eyes widen at the implications of his words.

"But Sensei-"

"Stop. Don't speak and listen." Tobirama bluntly cut off Hiruzen before continuing.

"The War is already over, and the losses on each side are massive, no Village will be able to start another War in the next decade. And I'm already old - far from my peak and would continue to get weak, on the other hand, you're the future of Konoha… Become strong in these few years you have because once recovered, they will not leave Konoha in peace."

Tobirama's students nodded at his solemn words with tears in their eyes while other Shinobis part of his team like Kagami and Anbu commander looked solemnly at him.

"But before I go… I want to issue one last order as the Hokage." Tobirama spoke again as all his team members gathered parallel to him and listened attentively to their Second Hokage's last order.

Tobirama's eyes travel from one student to another before stopping on Danzo, a slight regret appears in them before they lock back to Hiruzen again.

"This day might be my last and as the Hokage of Konoha, I have to pass my hat on someone. Someone who loves Konoha more than anything, and has the Will of Fire of the First Hokage. Someone who's Worthy to shoulder the Burden of Protecting and Sacrificing his life for the Village." Tobirama paused to let his words sink in before he spoke again.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen… you have these all qualities and I know even if I live another decade I won't find a better candidate for my successor — Third Hokage. So I announce from today onwards Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Third Hokage of Konoha and as its Hokage to lead Konoha to prosperity and peace as my elder brother envisioned." Tobirama's eyes travelled from his shocked students to Anbu Commander who nodded his head. Tobirama's eyes then landed on Ryoichi who didn't look the least surprised, as if expecting his decision.

"Senju Ryoichi… you are cold, calculative, intelligent and wise beyond your age. Whenever I look at you I see myself in you… so driven towards your goals, but unlike me, you have no attachment, no people to care for, no one to stop you from crossing that line you have so clearly drawn. But I know deep down you have in you to deeply care about others but you're scared. Scared of loosing them again, leaving you alone and making you feel pain that again." Ryoichi smirked internally at how wrong the Hokage was. The lines he mentioned were long erased, and he doesn't have in him to genuinely care about any other. But to keep his act he stiffened his body slightly.

Tobirama saw Ryoichi's reaction and thought it was Ryoichi being caught off guard. He shook his head and continued.

"Senju Ryoichi, I declared you as the next Patriarch of the Senju Clan. I know you don't care about the clan, but I also know you would still do everything in your power to make the clan which your mother grew up loving prosperous." Tobirama finished surprising everyone, even Ryoichi as he didn't expect Tobirama to declare him Patriarch over Tsunade and Nawaki, but soon his surprise turned into annoyance at the mention of his mother.

'This sly old fox…' Thought Ryoichi.

Tobirama knew Ryoichi wouldn't care about the survival of Senju, so he mentioned Ryoichi's mother's love for the clan which hit the mark perfectly.

Tobirama turned his focus back to his crying students and wished them goodbye before flickering towards his ambushers who were getting impatient.

The team looked at Tobirama's departuring back for some time before the Anbu commander's voice brought them out of their stupor and they started running towards Konoha.

It took them half a day to reach there and another half when Tobirama's passing reached them.

After the news hit the world, Hiruzen was coronated as the Third Hokage with the help of the Anbu commander while Ryoichi became the patriarch of the Senju clan.

With him becoming the leader of the Senju Clan, taking over the Anbu also became easy with most of its members being Senju.

Ryoichi didn't wasted any time and immediately started taking over the Anbu before Hiruzen got the hang of his job and changed Anbu members with his trusted people.

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AN: Next Chapter a big Time Skip…!

And If you want to read more go to my Patr*on/41_Claws. There are 10+ advance unedited chapters on it…]

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