RADG: Chapter 166: Can You Still Have Children?

"That's all for today.
You should start reorganizing based on my requirements.
I'll call you if I have new ideas."

"Yes, Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama. I'll take my leave."

Iruka wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly exited the office.
What he had been told today might take him several years to complete.
If Yami came up with more ideas, Iruka might seriously consider resigning.

"Forget drinking. Aren't you bored? I'll take you somewhere."

Yami stood up and stretched. His joints cracked loudly.

Tsunade's eyes lit up. "Casino?"

"You'll know once we get there."

Yami kept it a secret. He let Izumi, who had accompanied him the whole day, return home first. Then he brought Tsunade and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to the experimental base.

Just as Tsunade was wondering why he brought her here, a confused voice came from behind.

"Yami, is that... Tsunade?"

Tsunade instinctively turned around, and when she clearly saw who it was, she froze as if struck by lightning.

"Second Grandpa?!"

"It's really Tsunade." Senju Tobirama smiled gently.

He had been wondering why Yami brought someone here. In all of Konoha, only Yami and Pakura knew about his existence.

After the shock passed, Tsunade immediately became angry. Her gaze toward Yami turned harsh.

"Yami, why did you use a Forbidden Technique to blaspheme Second Grandpa’s soul? Konoha isn’t in a life-or-death crisis. Are you abusing Forbidden Techniques now?"

If it had been Orochimaru who summoned Senju Tobirama, Tsunade would have already punched him into the wall.
Because it was Yami, she managed to hold back and only scolded him.

"So what?"

Yami didn’t feel he did anything wrong. He walked over and patted Tobirama’s shoulder.

"You always say this Forbidden Technique is a violation of the dead’s peace, but have you ever asked the people involved what they think?

The Second Hokage died with regrets. I’m giving him a chance to fulfill what he left unfinished. You can call me a dream-maker."

Tsunade immediately refuted, "But you’ve blurred the boundary between life and death. That’s exactly why Impure World Reincarnation was classified as a Forbidden Technique!"

"Forbidden Technique doesn’t mean it’s forbidden to use. Otherwise, they could’ve just erased it from the Scroll of Seals instead of preserving it for future generations."

"That’s to keep it as a last resort during Konoha’s most critical moments!"

"I think now qualifies as critical, Tsunade. I’m the Hokage."

"You’ll regret this Yami!"

"You stole my grandfather's line!"

Tobirama frowned as the two argued back and forth, not even glancing at him—the person directly involved in all of this.

"Enough, Tsunade!"

After weighing the situation, Tobirama realized he couldn’t control Yami and decided to stop Tsunade instead.
Sure enough, though Tsunade was clearly unhappy, she stopped talking.

Yami also stopped arguing and leisurely sipped on water.

"Tsunade, don’t be mad at Yami."

Tobirama sighed.
"Although the dead shouldn’t interfere with the living world, obsessions often linger, even after death.

Since Yami brought me back, I’ve seen how the world changed after my death, and it’s completely contrary to what my brother and I envisioned.

Monkey failed as Hokage… and that’s my fault. I didn’t have time to explain more back then.

So Yami is right. He isn’t blaspheming me. He’s giving me a second chance."

"Second Grandpa…"

Tsunade hadn’t expected Tobirama to defend Yami and was at a loss for words.

"Then what have you done since being resurrected?"

After a moment of silence, Tsunade asked.

Tobirama didn’t hide anything. "Improved Impure World Reincarnation. Also studied and modified my brother’s cells."

"You’re researching Hashirama cells?"

Tsunade was shocked again.
"Didn’t you ban that yourself?"

Tobirama crossed his arms and snorted coldly, clearly dissatisfied.
"What’s the point of banning it? Who really listens to the words of a dead man?

Monkey studied it. Danzō studied it. Your classmate Orochimaru also studied it.
None of them cared about my instructions.

At least if I do it myself, I won’t use Konoha villagers as test subjects.
All the test subjects were captured by Yami from outside."

"Damn Danzō!" Tsunade clenched her fists.

"Ahem!"

Yami couldn’t take it anymore.
"You're saying that right in front of me?
If you really want to point fingers, Second Hokage, you're the one who started this mess."

Tobirama’s face stiffened. He snorted and looked away.

He had no way to refute it.

Many of Sarutobi Hiruzen’s policies were just extensions of his own—studying Hashirama cells, being wary of the Uchiha, suppressing other clans.

The problem was that Sarutobi had no real methods. His plans succeeded, but the village declined.

What Tobirama regretted most was choosing to cover the rear in battle.

If he had known Sarutobi and Danzō would turn out this way, he would have left a few guards behind and returned to support Orochimaru for ten more years.

He could have trained Orochimaru well. Sarutobi was too soft.

"Let’s not talk about the past anymore."

Unable to argue with Yami, Tobirama changed the subject.
"You didn’t bring Tsunade here just to argue, right?"

Yami shook his head.

"I’m sick of this mess. It’s too exhausting.

Konoha’s already a disaster. I’m done regretting letting Sarutobi stay for so long.
I brought Tsunade to see you.
She can work as your assistant from now on."

"Sure, Tsunade will help me with real work from now on."

Tobirama agreed.
Having an assistant with top-notch medical skills would definitely save him a lot of trouble.

"Alright then, you two talk.
Izumi and the others are still waiting for me for dinner."

Yami waved and used the Flying Thunder God to leave.

Now only grandfather and granddaughter were left.
Tsunade chatted with Tobirama for a long time and eventually became convinced that everything he said earlier was truly his own opinion—not Yami manipulating him.

Relieved, Tsunade asked about her worries:

"Second Grandpa, do you think Yami is really a good Hokage?
He’s already preparing for war just after taking office."

"Tsunade, you’re too influenced by Hiruzen."

Tobirama looked at her.
Though she wasn’t his biological daughter, Tsunade was his elder brother’s granddaughter.
There was no difference in how he saw her.

"Peace doesn’t come from compromise.
I agreed to the Kumo peace talks back then because we needed time—to gather strength and destroy them in one strike.

But monkey’s so-called peace talks were just compromises to keep the surface calm.

Konoha was the victim in the Konoha Crush.
Now’s the perfect time to weaken Iwa and pave the way for future unification of the ninja world."

"What? Unify the ninja world?"

Tsunade looked at him in shock.

"That’s right."

Tobirama walked slowly toward a bookcase.

"The ninja village system has existed for sixty years and has proven to be a failure.
It hasn’t stopped wars. It only escalated them.

As much as I hate to admit it, my elder brother took the wrong path.

Back then, with the power he and Madara had, they could have ruled the world and created new laws.
But my brother’s vision was limited to the Land of Fire.

After he and Madara died, I no longer had the strength or the will to break his principles.

But Yami is different.
He will grow into a new god of the ninja world.
There’s no one like Madara now who can oppose him.
He can absolutely unify the world."

Tsunade protested, "But war causes deaths!
Unifying the ninja world will definitely result in more casualties than previous wars.
Can you bear to let more shinobi die?"

"Of course I can’t.
But it’s a necessary sacrifice."

Tobirama turned around.
Even through the blank eyes of his Impure World Reincarnation body, Tsunade could feel his determination.

"Your generation will fight all the wars…
So the next generation can live in peace.

I know you hate war, Tsunade.
But if you want to avoid another tragedy like Nawaki, you must be ruthless and support Yami fully. Do you understand?"

Tsunade's mind flashed with the scene of Nawaki’s tragic death. Her heart throbbed with pain again.

"I... I’ll think about it carefully, Second Grandpa." Tsunade said softly.

"Good. You’re old enough to understand these things."

Tobirama nodded.
Then, looking at Tsunade’s youthful face, a thought suddenly popped into his head.

"Tsunade, you should be fifty this year, right?"

Tsunade snapped out of her somber mood and said awkwardly, "Second Grandpa, why are you bringing up age all of a sudden?
You know that's a taboo for women, don’t you?"

"No, this is serious."

Tobirama looked at her intently.
"With your current physical condition… can you still have children?"

"Huh?!"

Tsunade was dumbfounded.

"Children? With who?"

"Of course, with Yami."

Tobirama began seriously analyzing.
"Yami has awakened Wood Release, and your Senju bloodline is extremely pure.
If you two combined, the child born would likely be a super genius.

If you work harder on winning Yami over, maybe the child could even carry the Senju surname.
If he awakens Wood Release..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Tsunade cut him off, flustered.

"Second Grandpa! I’m old enough to be Yami’s mother!

"He's only eighteen! That's practically cradle-robbing!"

"Who cares? If he's of age and doesn't mind, I say go for it."

Tsunade couldn’t take it anymore and fled.

Maybe it was Tobirama’s words that hit her too hard.

She felt too embarrassed to face Yami for the time being.

The next day, she handed over the summoning scroll and Wood Release secret technique to Yami and moved back to the old house with Shizune.

But someone else came knocking.

Jiraiya arrived at the Hokage’s office.
Unlike when he used to climb in through the window to meet Hiruzen, this time, he walked in properly.

"What is it?"

Yami really didn’t want to see Jiraiya.
There was nothing worth discussing.

"I’m leaving Konoha."

Jiraiya knew he wasn’t welcome, but he still needed to say it.

"I’ll gather intel on Akatsuki and send it back."

"No need." Yami shook his head.
"I’ll keep an eye on Akatsuki.
Do whatever you want—just don’t interfere with my reform of the village."

Jiraiya was speechless.
"Then… can I take Naruto with me? I want to take him as my apprentice."

Yami laughed in disbelief.
"Jiraiya, I didn’t expose your little schemes earlier because we fought side-by-side before.

But you just don’t stop. Now you want to steal my disciple too?"

"What’s that supposed to mean?
Do you think I’m not good enough to teach Naruto?"

(To be continued.)