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Hiruzen was walking through a dimly lit hall. He was alone and there were no others present near him. Even his personal guards were absent. The hall was more of a tunnel made up of rocks and earth. In his hand was a large scroll which had the word forbidden written on it. Several minutes later he entered a room at the end of the tunnel.

'I just hope Lord Second understands the reasons for my actions.'

The room was much larger than it seemed from the outside. It had several desks and chairs with many scrolls and materials on them. Hiruzen placed the scroll on a table and looked at another one.

'I was able to advance the jutsu much further with my research…'

His eyes then shifted to the other end of the room. In the corner of the large chamber there was a man lying unconscious. Hiruzen frowned as he looked at the man.

'But finding the secrets of the jutsu came with a cost. Now I'm no different than my student. I've become a hypocrite…'

The Hokage took the scroll and placed it on the floor. 'Please forgive me for what I'm about to do, Lord Second.'

The kage quickly made several seals.

"Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation!"

As soon as he completed the final hand seal, the scroll on the ground became active. Several seals came from it and surrounded the unconscious man. Dust and debris started to swirl around his body and he looked like he was in pain.

Hiruzen watched the scene with a steely heart as he had done the few times before. Several moments later in place of the unknown man stood another.

A fair skinned man with silver shaggy hair and red markings on his face appeared. He had blue armor with a white fur collar over a black suit.

The man who was summoned was none other than the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju.

Hiruzen let out a deep breath of air as he looked at the emotionless face of his predecessor and mentor. 'Time to see this through.'

The kage of the Leaf village walked forward and took a kunai with a special tag attached at the end. He slowly placed the tag into the back of the Second's head and as soon as he did, steam started to rise from the reanimation's body.

The lifeless eyes of Tobirama gained a spark as if he had come alive. Hiruzen walked back to his previous spot and stood in front of his teacher.

Tobirama Senju slowly came to life and looked at the man in front of him in total surprise. He then looked at his own hands and body and noted the details. The second he laid his eyes on Hiruzen he made sure to check his chakra signature and made sure it was not an enemy in disguise.

"I knew the day I created this jutsu, that it was possible for it to be used on me. But I never expected to be resurrected by you of all people Hiruzen." Tobirama's tone didn't indicate disappointment or anger. It contained no emotion at all, it was as if he was stating a fact.

Hiruzen looked down for a second and then looked at the man. "Forgive me sensei but I had to."

The Second Hokage raised an eyebrow at that statement. 'Under normal circumstances, Hiruzen would never use a jutsu like this. But every man has his breaking point. For him to use a jutsu of this nature, that too on me, it seems he has reached that point. Something serious must have happened.'

"Based on your appearance I'd say it's been a few decades since I died. What's going on Hiruzen? Why did you bring me back now? What's happening in the village?"

"So many things… I don't even know where to begin."

Tobirama didn't say a word and patiently waited for his successor to speak.

"The Leaf village has faced many adversities over this last decade but the village still stands strong… At least from an outside perspective. After you died we've had two more world wars. The village had a fourth Hokage for a brief period of time."

The second Hokage's eyes narrowed when he heard that. "What do you mean had? What happened to him?"

Hiruzen sighed and replied. "He was a talented young man. A genius from his generation. But he sacrificed his life saving the village from a great disaster… The nine tails attack."

Tobirama's ever expressionless eyes slightly narrowed and hands slightly clenched. "For the nine tails to have gotten free and that too during the last decade… I assume it got free from Lady Mito's successor?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki. She was from the Land of Whirlpool. She was the second Jinchuriki of the nine tails."

Tobirama pondered on the information and quickly came to a conclusion. He had a suspicion in his mind and wanted to confirm it. "Was the woman pregnant?"

"Yes. She was married to the Fourth Hokage. It was on the day of her child's birth that the Nine tails got loose and wreaked havoc. The fourth gave his life and sealed it away inside his son."

The second Hokage listened and thought about the situation. "I see… But there should have been contingencies in place for something like this. I know you're not incompetent. You must have had some safeguards in place for the birth."

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"The birth was taking place in a secret location far away from the village. Her pregnancy was kept a secret and only a select few knew about it. I've had special Anbu members on standby guarding the location and there was a barrier around the whole area created by the Fourth…"

"And the nine tails still got free… It seems to me that this was no accident."

The third Hokage agreed with that sentiment. "Yes. I investigated the matter. My wife was there. Delivering the baby. But she died with her throat slashed. The guards stationed were also killed. The attack had a perpetrator."

Tobirama's mind went through the scenario described and the conclusions he drew troubled him greatly. 'Someone who knew the location and could get past such precautions put in place. And to somehow separate a Kage and force the nine tails to attack here... And on top of that they had to have known top secret information, meaning this is an inside job. Only someone with intimate knowledge of the village could pull off something like this…'

"Do you have any suspects in mind?" Tobirama asked his student.

"The last thing Kushina said before she died was Uchiha…"

Tobirama sighed in irritation. "Why is it always that clan?"

"What happened to the Uchiha who did this? Or was the whole clan involved?" He looked at the old man and questioned.

"We don't know the identity of the one responsible but the Uchiha clan is gone now. They were massacred."

Tobirama was surprised to hear that information. "Tell me everything regarding the incident."

"After the nine tails attack we suspected the Uchiha clan and their compound was relocated to the outskirts of the village. After that…" Hiruzen explained how the suspicion towards the clan grew and the beginning of the clan's revolt. Their plan for a coup and about the double agent Itachi Uchiha. The mission assigned to Itachi and finally the extermination of the clan.

The second Hokage sighed as he listened to the whole thing. "To think such a thing happened… I suppose this was an inevitability. The Uchiha was a cursed clan after all…"

Hiruzen didn't share the level of suspicion his sensei had towards the Uchiha clan. "I didn't want it to happen but part of me is grateful that a civil war is averted."

"Where is Danzo? Why isn't he here?"

At the second Hokage's question Hiruzen looked down in sadness. "Danzo is one of the reasons I had to use the forbidden jutsu on you… I'm afraid he's no longer the man you once knew."

That information shocked the reanimated Hokage. "Hiruzen. What are you implying? Danzo's loyalty to the village is unquestionable."

"That may have been the case till several years ago but now he is putting his own interest ahead of the village. He still cares for the village. I have no doubt about that. But I fear his actions are causing more problems for the village than they solve."

The second Hokage rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "This is unexpected. You said Danzo is one of the reasons. What's the other?"

"My student. Orochimaru. He is another genius this village had produced. But his fascination with immortality and forbidden jutsus has caused him to go down a dark path. He is researching many forbidden jutsu and prime among them is the Reanimation technique. He has conducted immoral experiments on the Leaf citizens and has conducted bloodline thefts..."

Tobirama sensed the slight shift in the Third Hokage's chakra. "What are you not telling me Hiruzen?"

Hiruzen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then looked at his sensei and spoke. "I believe he is experimenting with Lord Hashirama's blood."

The Senju only narrowed his eyes but Hiruzen could tell the man was furious hearing that piece of info.

Hiruzen looked down and continued. "I condemned my student's actions. Deeming him a danger to the village. Yet here I am doing the same thing. The hypocrisy of the whole situation doesn't elude me."

"The man who you used as a sacrifice to bring me back. Who was he?" Tobirama asked suddenly.

"He was a prisoner of the village. He committed rape and murder and was sentenced to life in prison."

The reanimated kage nodded and questioned again. "I assume this isn't the first time you've used this jutsu. The people who were used in the previous instances. Were they innocent people?"

The third shook his head. "No. I only used this jutsu three times before. To study it's effects and secrets. And the ones I've used as sacrifice weren't innocent. Two were captured enemy ninjas with a large body count and another was a prisoner sentenced to execution."

"And there's the difference. You used the jutsu on those who committed heinous acts. While your student used whomever he could. There is a difference, Hiruzen… Besides, how do you think I created this jutsu."

Hiruzen looked at his sensei and saw an expression he hadn't seen in a long time. Sadness.

"My brother never condoned the use of this jutsu. He was against its creation. I used several enemies to research and create this forbidden technique… Well, I had some help from Mito."

That news startled Hiruzen. "Wait, Lady Mito helped you create this jutsu?"

Tobirama Senju nodded. "Yes. This technique dealt with the souls and the afterlife. The Uzumaki clan had a small group of people who created methods to interact with the Reaper and thus gained knowledge on souls. They considered it sort of a religion."

"The Uzumaki mask temple." The reigning Kage deduced.

"Yes. They are the ones who build it. Even though Mito questioned the morality of creating a jutsu that uses the dead to fight, she helped me in its creation nonetheless."

"Yes. So you're the one who knows the most about this jutsu. It's why I summoned you. I need to know of the ways it can be stopped. It wasn't mentioned in any of the scrolls." Hiruzen explained his reasons for bringing the Senju back to life.

"Very well. But before that, tell me, what happened to the Senju clan? What happened to Hashirama's descendants?"

Hiruzen slightly grimaced as he thought about the situation. "The Senju clan is integrated with the village. And the one remaining with a direct link to the clan is Tsunade. She is… on an extended leave outside the village at the moment."

The Senju's eyes narrowed. "Elaborate."

The old kage winced at the teacher's tone. 'Sorry Tsunade.'

"Her brother died after he just became Genin and later Tsunade's fiance died in the war. And she was unable to save him. These events traumatized her and she left the village. She's been wandering the fire country ever since."

Tobirama was not happy with the situation happening in the Leaf village. "Your student must no doubt be capable. And now he's a traitor working against the Leaf? And then there is Danzo's betrayal, Nine tails attack, Tsunade's exile and the destruction of the Uchiha clan… Things have certainly not gone the way I expected it to."

Tobirama thought about the fate of the two clans that created the village. "Only one loyal Uchiha is in the village. The other is known as a traitor. And the only living person who bears the Senju name is in a self imposed exile. To think this is what has become of the founding clans of this village."

"Forgive me sensei. I failed to fulfill my duties as capably as you did."

"This is no time to wallow in self pity Hiruzen. We have much work to do."

The Hokage was happy that his teacher was willing to help but he didn't want it. "Sensei, I didn't bring you back to make you shoulder my burdens. You already gave your life for the Leaf. I can't ask anymore of you. I will protect the village at all costs. I just need your help with certain things. After that'll I'll let go of the jutsu and make sure your peace isn't disturbed."

"I understand where you're coming from Hiruzen. But I can't leave as it is. And when I said we needed to get to work, I had no intention of revealing myself to the public. I will help you from the shadows. And this will only be for a short time. Just until everything is sorted out. After that, I'll rest in peace once again."

Hiruzen smiled slightly and nodded to that condition. They had much to accomplish.

Even though he died, now that he was brought back, Tobirama couldn't leave the village in such a pitiful state. 'Brother, I will make sure the village you sacrificed your life for stands tall even through the darkest of times.'