The mightiest forces of Kumogakure, the Second Raikage A, the would-be Third Raikage Taigen, and the Gold and Silver Brothers, had all fallen.
A and Taigen were captured, Kinkaku's fate was uncertain, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was sealed, and Ginkaku had died in a self-detonation.
As for the remaining elite shinobi, before Arima, they were nothing more than lambs awaiting slaughter.
In the end, the shinobi of Kumogakure had no choice but to accept the cruel truth. One by one, they dropped their defenses and surrendered.
At that moment, Tsunade was nestled in Arima's arms, gazing up at his heroic figure with eyes full of light.
She adored seeing him so mighty and commanding, it made her heart flutter beyond reason.
Arima, unaware of Tsunade's unusual feelings, saw that Kumo shinobi had all been restrained.
He withdrew the massive statue beneath his feet and, carrying Tsunade, appeared before Mito.
Seeing Arima safe and sound before her eyes, Mito finally felt the tension in her heart ease.
However, when she noticed the adoration and infatuation in Tsunade's gaze, she couldn't help but sigh to herself.
'Kids these days really do mature early.... I didn't even meet Hashirama until I was a teenager.'
The others, seeing Arima return, also came forward to greet him. Yet a heavy sorrow lingered in the air, Kagami had fallen, and that was a pain none of them could erase.
Mito, sensing the somber atmosphere, quickly began assigning tasks, treating the wounded, retrieving their comrades' bodies, and restoring order to the battlefield.
With Arima's return, the group now had a pillar to lean on, and things quickly fell into place with practiced efficiency.
By dusk, the chaos of the battlefield had been settled, and the gravely injured Tobirama, finally awoke from his coma.
After learning from his disciples what had transpired during his unconsciousness, Tobirama fell into silence.
Part of him was proud, Arima had grown strong enough to stand on his own. Tobirama could now entrust the village to him without fear.
But another part of him was filled with sorrow.
He had become a cripple, and Kagami, his own student, had died protecting someone who could no longer fight. The weight of those two blows left Tobirama disheartened.
Just then, Arima finished handling the aftermath and entered Tobirama's tent. He found his granduncle lost in thought, staring at the flickering candlelight.
Arima understood what was weighing on the older man's heart.
He sat beside him and spoke softly. "Granduncle, I have an idea... but I'll need your support."
Tobirama stirred and turned his gaze toward Arima, signaling for him to go on.
Arima said, "We've completely subdued Kumogakure. So I was wondering... is it possible to integrate them into Konoha?"
Tobirama's eyes widened slightly. "Arima... when did you start thinking about something like this?"
After a brief pause, Arima answered, "I've been thinking about it for a while. It seems like we shinobi were born to kill... but what if that's not how it's supposed to be?"
Tobirama reflected on the blood-soaked history of their clan.
"The Senju have been fighting to survive for generations. Isn't battle the very essence of being a shinobi? Killing comes with the territory. It's inevitable."
Arima shook his head. "We can choose to fight in order to protect. If we redefine what it means to be a shinobi... it might completely change the future of the village."
Intrigued, Tobirama nodded for him to continue.
Arima went on, "If we could unify the shinobi world, then conflict between villages would no longer exist.
All that would remain is the need to maintain peace within. There'd be no more endless fighting over resources, just cooperation and protection."
Tobirama hadn't expected Arima to harbor such ambition. He asked, "Do you have a plan?"
"I do," Arima replied.
"Right now, I can suppress any opposition in the shinobi world. With this victory over Kumogakure, we can use the moment to bring them into the fold.
I'm working on a space-time teleportation array to connect the villages, that'll solve the logistical problem.
As for political matters in the Land of Fire, I want you to handle them. Strip the Daimyo of any real power and leave them as ceremonial nobles."
Tobirama had never considered such a radical solution to the centuries of strife. But it was a daunting path.
There were enormous ideological differences between clans and villages, and merging them would inevitably spark conflict.
The Daimyos would never yield quietly. Their resistance would fester like a tumor, and Konoha could end up besieged on all sides.
Still, if the walls between the villages could be torn down, the era of bloody wars might finally come to an end. Shinobi could live for something more than killing.
Tobirama suddenly felt a spark return to his weary soul. He turned to Arima with renewed resolve and said.
"Arima... no matter what you choose to do, I'll always stand by your side as your grandfather.
Outsiders may call it greed or madness, but you must stay true to your original intent.
Just like when you were little, always helping others. I hope what you do brings true good to the entire shinobi world."
Hearing such candid words from his usually reserved granduncle gave Arima a surge of strength.
Tobirama's emotions were rarely on display, and his words reaffirmed Arima's conviction.
Arima nodded. "Then the first step... is to bring Kumogakure leadership to heel."
Tobirama smirked. "I'll play the villain this time. I've been wanting to shut A up for a long time."
Arima nodded. They always had this kind of unspoken understanding.
The two headed to the tent where A and Taigen were held. After healing their injuries, Arima sealed their chakra, rendering them no more dangerous than any ordinary civilian.
A showed no warmth when he saw Tobirama and Arima enter.
He had already been humiliated by Ginkaku's self-detonation, and to make matters worse, his most promising successor Taigen had been captured.
The Eight-Tails had been sealed. His heart was frozen with frustration and dread.
Tobirama stepped forward, his gait steady. "You and I are both crippled now. At least I've got a promising heir... you're not so lucky."
A scoffed and turned his head away.
Taigen, unable to hold his tongue, said, "Second Hokage, I've always respected you. But mocking your defeated enemies like this? Isn't that beneath you?"
Tobirama shrugged.
"What do you plan to do now? If it weren't for the manipulations of that shadowy figure behind the scenes, we wouldn't have had to fight to the death.
But now, your village's greatest weapons are in our hands. What future do you see for yourselves?"
A finally turned to him, his tone bitter. "What, you plan to wipe us out?"
Tobirama smiled faintly. "We could destroy your village completely without much effort. Right, Arima?"
He turned toward Arima, who nodded slightly without saying a word.
Both A and Taigen were shaken. They hadn't expected Konoha to take such a hard stance.
A quickly relented. "What is it you want, then? Out with it. We're both old foxes, we know how this game is played."
Tobirama clapped softly. "Well said. As expected of the Raikage. What we want is simple, we want Kumogakure to merge with Konoha."
A and Taigen stared at him in disbelief. "Did you just say... merge Kumogakure into Konoha?"
Tobirama crossed his arms calmly and nodded.
Fury flared in A's eyes as he shot to his feet and pointed at Tobirama.
"You're out of your mind. What's next, fly up and sleep in the sun?"
Taigen shouted in support, "We may be defeated, but Kumogakure still has its spine. As long as we have a next generation, there's still hope."
Tobirama acted as though he didn't hear their anger. "Without your elite shinobi, your village is nothing but a juicy target. Even the smaller hidden villages will want a bite."
The words hit hard. Both A and Taigen fell silent. Their hands were tied. Kumogakure was far away, and any misstep could spell the village's end.
Tobirama continued, "My student died in Ginkaku's explosion. I've been itching for payback. All I'd need to do is let the Eight-Tails launch a few Tailed Beast Bombs in your village.
The villagers would force out the Two-Tails Jinchuriki in fear. At that point, even Takigakure would be stronger than you."
A clenched his teeth. "Senju Tobirama... your words are cutting deeper than any blade."
Tobirama accepted the accusation with a calm smile. "Blame your own weakness. You started this war without thinking through the consequences."
Neither A nor Taigen responded. They needed time to think. What they chose to do next would determine the fate of their village.
Should they surrender to Konoha?
They didn't know.
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