Inside the Hokage Building.
Aoki sat in the Hokage's seat, his head throbbing with pain.
He scanned the mountain of documents piled before him, his eyes drawn to several reports concerning Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure shinobi—each village was sharpening its blades for the next move.
The Third Great Ninja War was already on the verge of breaking out.
Ever since transmigrating into the world of Naruto, Aoki had devoted all his time to Ninjutsu training and Chakra refinement, even studying diligently under Tsunade. He had even rescued Uzumaki Kushina from the brink of death.
Along the way, he had earned the villagers' recognition and ultimately ascended to the position of Hokage. Everything he had done was to prepare for this war he had long foreseen.
Even though he now stood at the pinnacle of Kage-level strength, Aoki knew full well that it was far from enough. The formidable enemies that would appear later in the series each possessed the power to annihilate the entire ninja world—forces he could not hope to match in his current state.
Even with Kage-level strength, he had no absolute confidence that he could bring an end to this impending war.
Just as he was racking his brains over how to deal with this imminent conflict, a sudden notification sound interrupted his thoughts.
Ding!
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, has joined the group chat.
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, has joined the group chat.
The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, has joined the group chat.
A series of strange mechanical tones echoed in Aoki's mind.
He was still rubbing his throbbing temples when a dazzling, multicolored light flashed before his eyes, forcing them wide open.
The long-awaited Golden Finger had finally arrived!
In an instant, Aoki's consciousness was pulled into a vast, boundless expanse of pure white space.
Before him stood an enormous round table, strikingly similar to the legendary Round Table of King Arthur.
"Welcome to the Konoha Hokage Chat Group."
A notification sounded within the space.
A flood of densely packed information poured into Aoki's mind.
This chat group far exceeded his expectations.
Not only could members exchange intelligence and share resources here, they could even receive aid from across worlds.
And as the group owner, Aoki possessed the authority to invite members, initiate meetings, and remove members.
The notifications continued, informing him that the group needed at least five members to unlock the World Ranking List function; with ten members, Conquest Mode could be activated, allowing them to advance into other worlds.
Aoki digested this information, his heart filled with astonishment.
He had seen similar chat groups in web novels from his previous life, but most of those were confined to a single world. One capable of opening cross-world Conquest Mode was unheard of.
Although it wasn't exactly the same as the settings in those novels, these functions were already incredibly overpowered—undoubtedly a major asset in facing future crises.
Aoki quickly realized that the members of this chat group also differed from the settings in the novels he had read.
There were no random characters from other anime series here; only the successive Hokage of Konoha were gathered together.
In time, they could even join forces to explore other worlds—an opportunity any transmigrator would consider a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
The only regret Aoki felt was that this Golden Finger had arrived a bit too late.
Aoki looked at the virtual screen before him, scanning the current list of group members.
Group Members:
Fourth Hokage — Aoki (Group Owner)
First Hokage — Senju Hashirama (Group Member)
Second Hokage — Senju Tobirama (Group Member)
Fifth Hokage — Senju Tsunade (Group Member)
Surprisingly, all three Hokage in the group hailed from the Senju Clan.
Aoki couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, already scheming to replace Tsunade with the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He couldn't wait to see the expressions on Hashirama and Tobirama's faces when they learned that the Senju Clan had been wiped out during the era of their beloved disciple.
With Tobirama's fiery temper, he'd probably fly into a rage on the spot.
Aoki's gaze fell on the invitation button in the group chat interface. The button was currently grayed out and unclickable, indicating that new members couldn't be invited for now.
It seemed unlocking the World Ranking List feature would have to wait until the next group meeting.
Having figured out the basics of his Golden Finger, Aoki didn't hesitate to click the button to initiate a meeting.
The chat group emitted a soft chime in response, and immediately afterward, a radiant, shimmering light gate abruptly appeared within the blank space.
…
Inside the Senju Clan's estate in Konoha Village.
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, lay weakly on his bed. His wife, Uzumaki Mito, was gently tending to him, while his younger brother, Senju Tobirama, stood nearby, his expression grave as he kept watch.
"Cough… cough…"
Hashirama coughed a few times, his voice faint yet unable to conceal his worry: "What's been happening in the village lately?"
Tobirama looked at his brother's haggard, sickly face, his eyes filled with concern: "Brother, don't trouble yourself with village affairs. Recovering your health is the top priority. The other villages are surely keeping a close eye on your condition. If your body gives out, the entire ninja world will likely plunge into turmoil once more."
Hashirama lowered his gaze to his frail body, a sense of powerlessness washing over him.
The earth-shattering battle with Madara all those years ago had left indelible scars on his body. Ever since then, his health had steadily declined, and his remaining time was growing short.
Hashirama let out a heavy sigh: "My whole life, I've strived to protect our ideals… But if I'm gone, will everything we built with our own hands crumble to dust? This world has always teetered on the brink of destruction."
He weakly clenched the bedsheet: "I truly wish I could do more, but I feel… time is running out."
Tobirama's expression darkened. His usually sharp and stern demeanor softened slightly: "Brother, you've already done more than enough, far exceeding anyone's expectations. It's just… this world has always been so fragile. I can only hope that Saru and Danzo can shoulder this burden and carry on."
He clenched his fist, having asked himself more than once what future awaited the village they had poured their life's blood into building.
"As long as I live, I will never let it fall so easily."
Mito reached out and gently patted Hashirama's shoulder, soothing him softly: "Don't think too much. What you've created will not vanish. The children of Konoha will never let your dream go to waste."
Tobirama snorted lightly, his tone still pragmatic. "A dream? Brother, from beginning to end, this has always been more like an endless war. But rest assured, no matter how many times we have to rebuild, I will ensure the village is fully prepared... at any cost."
Hashirama looked at his stubborn younger brother and revealed a weary yet relieved smile. "Tobirama, you're always so serious. After I'm gone, the heavy responsibility of protecting the village will fall to you."
Just as Tobirama was about to respond, a sudden, abrupt voice rang out in Hashirama's mind without any warning.
Ding.
You have joined the Konoha Hokage Chat Group. Group owner Aoki has initiated a Round Table Conference. Please attend on time!
Hashirama jolted, his eyes widening in shock as he scanned the room in confusion, trying to locate the source of this unfamiliar voice.
But everything in the room was normal, with no signs of anything unusual.
Mito, usually calm, now saw his sudden change in expression and leaned forward with concern. "Husband, what's wrong? You look so pale. Are you feeling unwell?"
Tobirama also furrowed his brows, his gaze lingering on Hashirama's face for a moment before quickly sweeping the room. He said gravely, "Brother, what happened?"
He then turned to Mito. "Sister-in-law, did you sense anything unusual?"
"Not at all," Mito replied, shaking her head in bewilderment as she reached out to feel Hashirama's forehead. "His temperature is normal too. Did the coughing just now aggravate his wound?"
Tobirama's eyes instantly sharpened like blades. His fingertips quietly rested on the ninja tool pouch at his waist as he muttered to himself, "Something's off. This place is protected by multiple barriers. If an enemy had infiltrated, it would be impossible not to detect it, and there's no sign of any genjutsu fluctuations... Yet Brother's reaction is definitely not feigned."
He stared at Hashirama, his tone carrying a hint of gravity. "Brother, what exactly did you see, or hear?"
Hashirama didn't answer. His attention was completely captured by the virtual screen that had suddenly appeared before his eyes—the words "Konoha Hokage Chat Group" in stark black font were crystal clear, faintly glowing.
In the final moments of his life, with the weight of the entire shinobi world still on his shoulders, Hashirama took a deep breath, mustering the last remnants of his strength. He spoke softly yet resolutely, "Count me in."
The moment his words fell, a dazzling, brilliant light suddenly surged from the screen, instantly enveloping his body.
Hashirama felt his vision blur, the heaviness in his body abruptly vanishing. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, he was instantly teleported, disappearing from the spot as he was whisked away toward that mysterious conference.
Mito and Tobirama stood frozen in place, their faces filled with disbelief.