Developing Edo Tensei was a complicated process.
Aside from Tobirama himself, no one knew how many lives were sacrificed before this secret technique was born.
In this regard, Tobirama and Orochimaru were very similar.
However, one was the second-in-command of the Senju clan, later shielded by the title of Hokage, the other was born a commoner, lacked clan backing, and lived as a rogue ninja.
Overall, Tobirama was not a man who could be purely categorized by good and evil.
Moreover, unlike Danzo, he would not strike based on mere suspicion.
Otherwise, his older brother Hashirama would not have let him off easily.
Tobirama detected from the charred corpse that the neck was snapped, but the interval between the strangulation and the burning was too short to determine the order of events.
This led to two deductions:
1.
Strangled then burned.
From this perspective, it was highly likely an attempt to destroy the corpse and erase evidence.
2.
Burned then strangled.
It sounded bizarre, but being strangled after being burned to death could not truly be called strangulation, it was highly likely that the neck was accidentally broken during the burning process.
Harboring these doubts, Tobirama conducted a deeper observation of the corpse.
‘There are no impact marks on the skull either.
The possibility of an accidental neck break is extremely low.
That ramen shop owner is highly suspicious.’
Based on this subjective assumption, he concluded this was an attempt to destroy the corpse and erase the evidence.
Thus, the identity of ‘Teuchi’ was highly suspicious, he was very likely a spy as well.
The night continued.
Civilians held themselves, their lovers, and their children as they fell asleep.
Some sensed that tonight was eventful.
But wise people chose to ignore it, tomorrow would be another beautiful day.
Otherwise, they might never see the sun again.
Tobirama used the Body Flicker Jutsu to arrive in Kakuzu’s bedroom.
“Tobirama, even though this room currently lacks a door, your barging in uninvited is rather impolite.” Kakuzu snapped his eyes open, a pair of green pupils fixing on Tobirama.
“I have no need for politeness toward suspicious individuals.”
After speaking Tobirama gripped a kunai and attacked.
Kakuzu dodged and burst through the window, with Tobirama hot on his heels.
‘Fire Release: Searing Migraine!’
Kakuzu turned and struck out with his left palm.
A small fireball shot forth, detonating the instant it reached Tobirama.
In a flash, Tobirama unleashed his most proficient Water Release ninjutsu, blocking Kakuzu’s Fire Release.
Water and fire combined, transforming into a massive cloud of vapor that obscured vision.
Coupled with the dark of night, one could not see a hand in front of their face.
Tobirama formed hand seals and cast the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
In this era, the technique had only just been developed, it was Tobirama’s exclusive secret.
Furthermore, Tobirama possessed immensely powerful sensory abilities, the water vapor and the dark night had zero effect on him.
“Solid clones?!”
Kakuzu was swiftly attacked by the combined force of three Tobiramas, and he let out a feigned shout of surprise.
He certainly knew this was the Shadow Clone Jutsu, in his earlier years, he had even considered copying this ninjutsu.
After all, the technique required only a single hand seal.
If he successfully copied it, he would gain a powerful training tool, an official cheat code.
Though he might not be able to train with nearly a thousand clones simultaneously, having one extra shadow clone meant his training speed would increase by a fraction.
But he ultimately failed, because forming hand seals merely guided chakra, a single seal could not cast a ninjutsu by itself.
If it were that simple, there would have been no need for Tobirama to invent the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
The original inventor of hand seals could have just used the brute-force method, trying every single permutation to unleash all ninjutsu.
For another example, why was Kakashi the only Copy Ninja?
Others could see the hand seals people formed, so why couldn’t they use the same ninjutsu?
Because only the Sharingan could see the flow of chakra, that was the true key to executing a ninjutsu.
Hearing Kakuzu’s surprised exclamation, Tobirama smiled, this was one of his proudest creations, after all.
Kakuzu knew this Tobirama possessed far too many bizarre jutsu.
His eyes shifted, and he leapt away, using an Earth Release Jutsu to move to the forest outside Konohagakure.
Tobirama executed the Flying Thunder God and appeared at Kakuzu’s side.
A brutal punch slammed into Kakuzu’s chest.
He coughed a mouthful of blood and crashed backward, stopping only when he snapped a large tree trunk.
Kakuzu feigned surprise.
“Impossible.
I didn’t sense you!”
He knew mentally this was the Flying Thunder God, a technique that transcended space, normal methods naturally couldn’t detect it.
Tobirama chuckled.
He certainly wouldn’t kindly explain it, after all Tobirama didn’t suffer from habit of telling his techniques to his enemies unless it was providing false information and gaining time.
He lunged forward and drove a needle into Kakuzu’s forehead.
It contained an sedative.
A moment later, Kakuzu’s eyes closed.
“The final step.”
Looking down at the unconscious man, Tobirama withdrew a scroll.
Three minutes later, Kakuzu opened his eyes.
Tobirama still stood before him.
“How long was I out?” Kakuzu asked.
“Three minutes,” Tobirama replied calmly.
The sedative’s effects had lasted only three minutes, which astonished Tobirama.
Outwardly, however, he kept his expression flat, acting as though everything matched his expectations.
“Is that so?” Kakuzu asked deliberately.
“Then what did you do to me during that time?”
He could wake within three minutes because he hadn’t actually been knocked out.
Tendrils beneath his skin had blocked the needle from piercing his true blood vessels.
Since he had stored the anesthetic using his Earth Grudge tendrils, it never took hold.
“I simply drew a curse mark on your heart,” Tobirama said casually.
He snapped his fingers.
*Click.*
Kakuzu immediately clutched his chest, sweat pouring off him.
“What the hell-” He glared at Tobirama.
“Your life is now in my control,” Tobirama said coldly.
“I can inflict immense pain upon you, or grant you a swift death.
But don’t even think about killing yourself.
By strengthening my hold, I can control your every action.”
Kakuzu froze, then burst into loud laughter.
“Hahaha, I never expected this.
Never expected…”
It was unclear what he found so funny.
Tobirama stared, blankly, assuming Kakuzu laughed at his own controlled fate.
In reality, one of Kakuzu’s hearts truly was under control.
But he had five!
After a long while, Kakuzu’s laughter ceased.
His green eyes met Tobirama’s red ones.
“But since you didn’t kill me, it seems I still have utility to you.”
Tobirama often assessed others with maximum malice, just as he did with Madara.
Now, finding Kakuzu’s disguised form highly suspicious, he had struck immediately to subdue him and plant a curse mark.
If not for Kakuzu possessing five hearts, a single curse mark would have truly controlled him, turning him into a caged bird.
Actually, the moment Tobirama sent him flying with that punch, Kakuzu had relocated his four hearts besides the Fire Release heart, ensuring the curse mark landed on only one.
He did all this to make Tobirama believe he had become a caged bird.
Only then would the Senju lower his guard.
But even with only one heart controlled, Kakuzu didn’t relax.
When Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God to appear at his side, Kakuzu knew a mark still lingered on his body.
If he didn’t erase it, even five hearts wouldn’t save him from death.
He played along, sacrificing one heart to blind Tobirama.
After all, what normal person would expect Kakuzu to have five hearts?
As long as Kakuzu lived, he would find a way to neutralize the Flying Thunder God mark.
“Since you didn’t kill me, it seems I still have value to you,” Kakuzu said.
“The living are more valuable than the dead,” Tobirama replied.
Believing he held Kakuzu’s life in his hands, Tobirama’s tone lost its hostility and gained a hint of ease.
As night drew to a close, Tobirama ordered Kakuzu to return to the ramen shop and resume his former life.
Until he found a new use for Kakuzu, letting him run the shop to improve the happiness of Konoha’s citizens offered the greatest utility.
Many spies infiltrated Konoha that night.
Aside from Nara clan, several other clans had their secret jutsu scrolls stolen.
While these clans couldn’t compare to the Senju or Uchiha, their combined force was a headache.
Over the next few days, Tobirama constantly moved between the clans, pacifying their unrest.
When the various clan heads demanded their scrolls back, he faced a massive headache.
Few spies were caught, and the stolen scrolls hadn’t been recovered.
He couldn’t possibly hand them over yet.
His only relief lay in sealing Konoha’s exits in time.
With the Uchiha and Hyuga clans on patrol, he was confident most spies hadn’t escaped the territory.
It was only a matter of time before they were caught.
As he expected, within the next ten days, spies were captured one after another, along with the scrolls they stole.
Prison was a given for the spies.
However, Tobirama did not immediately return the stolen scrolls.
Under the guise of inventorying them, he copied every single scroll before handing them back to the clan heads.
Nara clan head, however, stated, “One is missing.”
Tobirama produced a pile of ash.
“Regrettably, an accident occurred during the pursuit of this one.”
Nara clan head frowned.
“This is not our clan’s scroll.
The wooden rods used for our scrolls are custom-made.”
Tobirama paused.
Nara clan was truly wealthy, using special materials even for their scrolls.
To cover his tracks, Tobirama said, “There may still be spies on the run.
I ask you to wait a little longer.”
The inherently intelligent Nara clan head saw through Tobirama’s predicament and knew he didn’t want him lingering.
“Then I leave it in your hands, Lord Tobirama.” With that, he departed.