With a mix of skepticism and curiosity, Tobirama converted one of the ninja tool factories into a workshop for producing gas masks. Those around him were puzzled—after all, it was an era of peace, and they couldn't fathom what use such a thing could have.
Tobirama himself wasn't entirely sure either. He thought it was worth a try, if they didn't sell, he could simply store them in the warehouse and bring them out when needed.
However, to his utter surprise, the hundreds of gas masks actually sold out in Amegakure (the Village Hidden in the Rain).
....
In a certain residence in Amegakure, a man wearing a gas mask handed a brand-new one to the young man standing before him and said.
"Try it on. With this, you won't have to hide away here alone every day."
The young man, Hanzo, took it with a tentative attitude and put it on. A servant, who had been keeping their distance, placed a kitten on the ground and gently nudged it toward Hanzo. Oblivious to the situation, the kitten lazily rubbed its head against Hanzo leg.
Hanzo hesitated for a moment, then crouched down, picked up the kitten, and the two locked eyes.
"Meow~" the kitten let out a soft cry.
Hanzo exhaled deeply and waited quietly. Several minutes passed, and the kitten in his hands remained lively and showed no signs of distress. At this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The man was overjoyed. With these masks, they no longer had to live in constant fear, worrying that a simple breath could cost them their lives.
"Quickly, go find the merchant and place another order. Make sure every villager in Amegakure gets one!"
....
When the subordinate returned to Konoha with money and a new order, Tobirama was stunned. The masks had actually sold, and now there was a new order. That woman, Kagura, wasn't just clever—it was as if she had foreseen the future.
Selling the gas masks had killed two birds with one stone, not only did they make a profit, but they also learned about a young man in Amegakure who had just come of age and was so toxic that even his breath was poisonous.
If they ever encountered him on the battlefield in the future, they would need to be extra cautious.
Looking at the box of ryo before him, Tobirama was quite satisfied. During this time, he had been researching new ninjutsu—a hobby of his and a way to stay prepared.
A ninja must constantly improve to remain invincible, and Tobirama specialty was creating unexpected and innovative techniques.
Back then, he had defeated Izuna with his newly developed Flying Thunder God Slash. In any world, intelligence was crucial, and the key to victory lay in the information gap. Tobirama aimed to be the man who was always unpredictable.
You think I only have the Water Dragon Bullet Technique? I also have the Flying Thunder God Slash.
You think that's all? I've got a whole arsenal of new tricks you've never seen before!
This was Tobirama, the man later known as the Professor of Ninjutsu.
.....
While Tobirama was raking in profits from the gas masks, Kagura explosive tag factory was facing a financial crisis. With expenses piling up and no income, she was struggling to pay her workers' wages. The more inventory piled up in the warehouse, the greater her stress became.
One day, she happened to run into Kagami and poured out her frustrations to him.
Kagami immediately reported the matter to Tobirama, who, being no ingrate, spent half the night pondering before finally coming up with a win-win solution—acquisition!
"Acquisition?" Kagura seemed baffled by Tobirama words and stood up abruptly from her seat.
That day, when Tobirama went to divine the future, Kagura was deep in thought, calculating the month payroll for her workers.
"You can sell me a portion of your explosive tags, and I'll acquire them."
Thus, the scene from the beginning unfolded.
"Sell some to pay your workers, or what? Are you planning to delay their wages? Dare to withhold their pay, and I'll throw you back in jail!" Tobirama spoke with utmost seriousness, and Kagura knew he meant it.
Tobirama, who loved the village more than himself, would do anything for its people.
Locking up a "wicked capitalist" like her was just a matter of words for him.
Kagura didn't want to sell her explosive tags, but she had no other choice. After much internal struggle, she finally nodded as if she had suffered a great loss.
"I'll sell you one-third. That should cover two months of wages."
Her heart felt like it was bleeding, and she even started hallucinating.
In her vision, Konan, seeing the reduced number of explosive tags, snatched the box full of ninja coins from her hands, saying.
"You think this little is worth so much? Dream on! Give it back!"
Tobirama glanced at Kagura dramatic expression with disdain and snorted, warning her not to be ungrateful.
"I'm helping you out here. Why do you look like you've been robbed?"
"You're clearly taking advantage of the situation!"
"..."
When it came to sharp tongues, Tobirama was second to none. But arguing with this woman, he never came out on top. How infuriating.
With the sudden influx of explosive tags, Tobirama had Hiruzen move a portion to the ninja tool shop. Since it wasn't wartime, there was no need to stockpile so many. The only way to monetize them was through retail, selling them in the village's ninja tool store.
Some ninjas who couldn't use fire-style jutsu would buy them as backups for B-rank missions and above.
"Every little bit helps" Tobirama thought.
.....
With the great nations no longer at war, Hashirama increasingly frequented gambling dens, often leaving the village to wander. Back when Madara was still around, the two would sit on the Hokage Rock, chatting about the future, boasting, and joking.
But now, with his former friend dead by his own hand, there was no one like Madara with whom he could speak so freely and recklessly.
"Childhood friends... such a bittersweet thing," Hashirama sighed.
When he wandered, he sought out famous gambling dens. Without the battlefield to provide that adrenaline rush, only gambling could give him that heart-pounding excitement.
For Hashirama, gambling was all about the thrill.
He heard there was a master dice player in this village, so he had to challenge them. He also heard that in another village, there was someone who never lost a bet. Naturally, he had to test his luck there too.
Hashirama was often away from the village for most of the year, eager to partake in various celebrations and events.
As a result, Tobirama had to shoulder the responsibilities of the village chief, juggling multiple roles simultaneously.
Infrastructure projects in the village required Tobirama approval, retired elderly ninjas needed him to personally allocate farming areas, and when conflicts arose between major clans, they turned to him for mediation.
Even diplomatic matters couldn't proceed without his involvement.
In other words, from major political decisions to trivial daily affairs, everyone seemed to rely on Tobirama.
Over time, the workload became overwhelming.
One day, as Tobirama stared at the mountain of documents piled on his desk, he finally showed signs of exhaustion for the first time.
Papers kept pouring in like snowflakes, and he hadn't even completed his village patrol duties. The work seemed endless, and he hadn't set foot in his laboratory for half a month…
That day, Kagura came to deliver her loan installment and found Tobirama utterly drained, taking a rare break. It had been over ten days since they last saw each other, and Tobirama looked noticeably haggard.
"Tsk tsk, you've aged ten years!" Kagura teased, shaking her head.
Tobirama leaned back in his chair, too tired to even lift his eyelids, and muttered.
"If it were you, you'd probably age twenty years."
"I'm young, I'm not afraid. No matter how old I get, I'll never be as old as you."
"…"
Tobirama was speechless. He silently added another mark to Kagura tab in his mind. He was the type to hold grudges, and he'd make sure to "repay" her later.
Even receiving Kagura monthly payment didn't seem to lift Tobirama spirits. The sight of money didn't bring him joy or excitement—it just didn't work on him.
"You need to learn to delegate. Share your workload with others, and you'll feel much lighter."
"I've already delegated everything I can…" His tone was full of grievance.
"Well… don't you know the Shadow Clone Technique? Why not create a few clones to help you out? Your main body would feel a lot less burdened."
"Shadow Clone Technique?" Tobirama sneered. "Clones are just illusions, used to confuse enemies. They're fake. How could they possibly help with work?"
Hmm… Could it be that Tobirama hadn't developed the Shadow Clone Technique yet?
If not, this was the perfect opportunity to create it.
After all, it would have to be developed sooner or later, and sooner was better than later.
Otherwise, what would Naruto use in the future?
So, Kagura rambled on about the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique as she understood it, leaving the actual development to Tobirama.
After Kagura left, Tobirama couldn't stop thinking about the Shadow Clone Technique she had mentioned.
Could he really develop such a jutsu?
If the clones were physical entities, they could indeed help with a lot of work. But if they were real, his own chakra would be divided among them, and the more clones he created, the more chakra would be drained.
Such a technique might be useful for daily tasks, but on the battlefield, he'd likely run out of chakra after just a few rounds.
"Naruto uses this technique to fight!"
Kagura words echoed in his mind. Tobirama pursed his lips and muttered.
"Who's Naruto? That guy she wants to marry but hasn't even been born yet?"
Ridiculous.
Of course, it wasn't.