Yami didn't know how Sasuke was doing, but since he had agreed, Senju Tobirama wouldn't kill him.
In any case, no one would die, so he let them do as they pleased.
On the first day, Sasuke was carried back unconscious by Senju Tobirama.
On the second day, it happened again.
On the third day, he was dragged back.
It wasn't until the sixth day that Sasuke returned with wounds all over his body.
"Sasuke, what happened to you?!"
Naruto was shocked at the sight and quickly rushed over to ask.
"It's nothing. I just need to sleep."
Sasuke didn't even have the energy to argue with Naruto. He responded weakly, then returned to his room.
Lying in bed and gasping for air, Sasuke was still thinking about Senju Tobirama's teachings.
Although he didn't like this old Senju fossil, Sasuke had to admit that Tobirama was the best teacher he had ever met.
His understanding of the Sharingan was no weaker than Uchiha Shisui's.
Especially his Darkness Technique, which naturally countered all Sharingan users below Mangekyō level.
When Shisui taught, he mostly focused on how to improve in battle, how to handle various situations, and used the simplest sparring and basic drills.
But Senju Tobirama was different. He broke down battle into precise disciplines, analyzing and studying from multiple perspectives.
Whenever Sasuke made a mistake, Tobirama could clearly explain why it was wrong, what the correct approach was, and why it worked.
After several rounds of this type of analysis, Sasuke found himself gradually keeping up with Tobirama's thought process, and his rate of improvement was rapidly increasing.
Is this what Yami meant by a "scientific ninja"?
It was terrifying.
Should Naruto join too?
That thought flashed through Sasuke's mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
It wasn't because he was afraid Naruto would surpass him. Naruto's simple brain couldn't handle the complex theories Tobirama taught. That teaching method simply wasn't suited for him.
Thinking about this, Sasuke drifted off into a deep sleep from exhaustion.
In the blink of an eye, another week passed, and Yami realized his vacation was over. It was time to leave the Land of Snow.
Although Koyuki was reluctant, the fact that she had monopolized him for nearly a month was already a luxury, and she sensibly accepted it.
The day before departure, after training, Senju Tobirama brought Sasuke to find him.
"How long do I have to keep training this evil kid? At least give me a timeline," Tobirama grumbled.
Yami didn't respond immediately but turned to look at Sasuke.
Sasuke fell into deep thought.
Over these days, he had tasted the benefits. Although he got cursed out every day and even had his entire family tree insulted, Tobirama didn't hold anything back when it came to teaching.
In Konoha, very few people were qualified to be taught directly by the Second Hokage.
Even Hiruzen, Danzō, Mitokado Homura had only served as his guards, not true disciples.
Most importantly… even though being yelled at was frustrating, Tobirama wasn't having a good time either.
On one hand, he had to follow Yami's orders and teach Sasuke seriously. On the other hand, he had to constantly look at a face that reminded him of Izuna. It was pure torture.
He should really be dragged to Snow Ninja Village and shown how many Uchiha were still alive. That would make the man utterly speechless.
In any case, Sasuke had suffered enough. One more bite wouldn't make a difference when you're covered in lice. It was better to keep Tobirama around. Not only would it help him grow, but it would also annoy others.
Having made up his mind, Sasuke looked toward Naruto's place with a trace of reluctance, then turned to Yami and said, "Sensei, I want to stay in here a little longer. Is one year okay?"
Yami had no objection, but Tobirama instantly exploded.
"No! How do I have time to waste on your brat's drama?! Yami, you can't agree to this! My research is at a critical stage, and compared to that, this kid is nothing!"
Yami ultimately sided with Sasuke.
He wasn't lying.
Now that his Scientific Research Talent had been enhanced, his work on bloodlines and Hashirama cells had made massive progress and would soon be deployed.
Tobirama's face turned pale.
He never thought Yami valued Sasuke so highly.
Having the former Hokage train a single kid for a whole year… and a Uchiha at that…
He really wanted to die!
Seeing him fall silent, Yami added, "Don't just focus on your research all the time."
"Your own strength is what matters."
"Flying Thunder God is a strange technique, but it lacks damage. Your Water Release is too basic and easy to counter."
"You won't be teaching Sasuke 24/7 anyway. Take the rest of the time to work on your own improvement."
Tobirama fell into thought.
Even though Yami had just pointed out all his flaws, Tobirama couldn't deny them.
Whenever he encountered someone beyond the scope of conventional shinobi—like his older brother, or Uchiha Madara—his techniques could only guarantee survival, not victory.
With a long sigh, Tobirama finally agreed. "I'll help train Uchiha Sasuke, but only until he reaches Kage-level. After that, I'm done."
"But I have one more condition."
He tilted his chin slightly, signaling for Sasuke to leave.
Once Sasuke was gone, Tobirama spoke in a low voice. "Kid, I've been slaving away for you for years. Now I'm even training your students, and I've never asked for anything."
"But you have to agree to this, or I'll go on strike."
"What is it?" Yami was curious.
"Hurry up and take down Tsunade."
The granddaughter was unreliable, so now the grandfather had to step in. "I don't have any other requests. Tsunade's not young anymore, and while you're different in age, you're still the same generation."
"The Senju bloodline has to be continued by you."
Yami instantly understood why Tsunade had looked so uncomfortable when she saw him the other day.
These were probably Tobirama's words being echoed in her head.
"Alright."
Yami pretended to ponder for a moment, then agreed with a slightly embarrassed look. "For Konoha's sake, I'll give Tsunade a proper home."
Tobirama finally smiled.
The next day, Yami and the group headed to the port and boarded the ship to return to the main continent.
Before leaving, Naruto shoved his toad wallet into Sasuke's hands, then ran onto the ship, ignoring Sasuke's shouts, and urged the sailors to lift the anchor.
"Why did you give Sasuke money?" Yami asked curiously.
Naruto explained easily, "Sasuke has so many clan members to support. He's really short on money right now. I don't need it myself, so just consider it a loan."
Yami's gaze grew complicated.
These two… or rather, the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura… if one were a girl, they could've just married and saved everyone centuries of trouble.
Dumpling-making and happy endings would've been so much easier…
Yami decided to fan the flames a bit. "The village has finished calculating your parents' inheritance. You'll get it when we return."
"Really? That's awesome!" Naruto was overjoyed.
He knew Sasuke was planning to buy a new settlement for the Uchiha within the village. But Sasuke didn't want something at the edge of town, and that cost a lot.
With this money, things would be a lot easier.
Naruto didn't know that the Fourth Hokage had been a true mission expert. He completed 39 S-rank missions and hundreds of A-rank missions.
Combined with their house and Kushina's inheritance from Uzumaki Mito, the total came to around 300 million ryō.
All that money had been used by Hiruzen to rebuild the village after the Nine Tails attack, so technically, it wasn't embezzled.
Yami looked toward the Land of Fire, and a trace of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
He planned to ask the Sarutobi clan for that money.
If they handed it over quickly, they'd be considered sensible. If not, then it'd be the perfect excuse to crack down on them.
Everything Hiruzen had consumed over the years under the guise of his position… he would cough it all up.
While Yami and the others sailed across the sea, Danzō arrived at the capital of the Land of Fire.
A new daimyo had taken the throne, and the Hokage was supposed to report.
Yami had no interest in the daimyo and hadn't visited even once since taking office.
Danzō took this chance to go in his stead and request more funding for the village.
With compensation from the other two great villages and revenue from future missions, Konoha's financial crisis had eased.
But Yami's grand plans for the village demanded more. The current funds weren't enough.
They had to aim for the daimyo's coffers.
Inside the palace, the new daimyo and five major nobles received Danzō.
Seeing Danzō instead of the Hokage, the daimyo was visibly displeased.
"Danzō, isn't the Hokage your grandson? Why is it you who came?"
Danzō had already prepared and replied calmly, "The Hokage is pursuing S-rank rogue shinobi from the Akatsuki. Orochimaru is one of them. These enemies are too dangerous to be handled by anyone other than a Kage."
After being scapegoated for years, Danzō had become a master at redirecting blame. Now with Akatsuki and Orochimaru around, everything could be blamed on them.
Sure enough, the daimyo and nobles' expressions changed at the mention of Orochimaru.
The Konoha Crush had left a deep impression on them.
The daimyo dropped the issue of Yami not showing up and simply urged Danzō to eliminate these threats quickly.
Danzō seized the chance to make a request—for money.
But he didn't ask without offering something in return. He proposed to send four Jōnin to personally guard the daimyo.
At that moment, a monk stepped from the shadows, holding a Buddhist seal in one hand.
"Elder Danzō, protecting the daimyo has been the mission of the Fire Temple for a thousand years. You need not worry about it."
Danzō's eyes narrowed. He immediately recognized the man and sneered, "The last daimyo was assassinated on your watch by the so-called Twelve Guardian Ninja. I suspect the Fire Temple has been infiltrated by enemy nations."
"They were simply the victim of a scheme."
Chiriku lowered his head, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes—not aimed at Danzō, but at the ninja who plotted against them.
Danzō pressed on, "That just proves the Fire Temple is incompetent. I could send anyone and defeat your so-called Twelve Guardian Ninja."
"Elder Danzō, that's arrogant."
"Then let's test it."
Danzō nodded to Uchiha Izumi, who stepped forward without hesitation, drawing her sword and pointing it directly at Chiriku.
(To be continued.)