Kakashi was called to the Hokage office after Orochimaru attacked the village, he had no clue what for since everyone was fine.
Once he entered he made an audible gasp at the sight of the first Hokage, "Kakashi, I would like you to meet Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage." Hiruzen said.
He bowed to him knowing he was his great grandfather, "Lord first, how can this be you died long ago!" Kakashi asked. Kakashi was still a man of respect, even for family.
"I was reanimated via the Edo Tensei by a rogue ninja, but that's not why Saru called you here," Hashirama said.
He was nervous and pleaded for Hiruzen to say it, "Kakashi, you may or may not know that your mother was a Senju."
"Of course I knew, Tobirama-sama told me," Kakashi said, "I was Lord first's great-grandson."
"But what you didn't know was that he lied, not just to you but to everyone. Lord second was your great grandfather, Lord first never had children but Lord second did and he kept it a secret from everyone." Hiruzen explained.
It brought Kakashi to a revelation of familial love, Tobirama was his great grandfather and even though he wasn't supposed to be associated with his children he still became Kakashi's guardian.
When Hashirama looked at Kakashi he saw the spitting image of Tobirama, it made him chuckle thinking about how Tobirama never cared about continuing the Senju lineage and now he succeeded where Hashirama failed.
"So that explains why no one else has the mokotun, but what difference does this make?" Kakashi said.
Hiruzen smoked his pipe and said, "It means when Madara finds out that Tobirama has descendants she'll eradicate you just like Tobirama did to Madara's brother, Izuna."
"Will that be all?" Kakashi asked.
"One more thing, Lord first would like to learn more about you and find Tsunade," Hiruzen said.
Kakashi thought for a moment, "There's not much to say about me, but Aunt Tsunade hasn't been in Konoha since my mother's funeral. I think Jiraiya would be able to track her down though."
"He indeed could, but someone has to train Naruto with the nine tails," Hiruzen countered.
Hashirama felt useless in this argument and decided to interject, "I could train the boy since I'm the only one strong enough to subdue the nine tails in Konoha."
Both Hiruzen and Kakashi couldn't help but agree, Kakashi headed out of the Hokage tower to find Jiraiya.
"Are you sure you want to train Naruto, you don't have any experience with students?"
Hashirama turned to Hiruzen, "Everything that's happening is my fault, the nine tails attack, the Uchiha massacre, and this Akatsuki group. All of these events happened because I was a coward. I need to train the boy for when Madara intends to take him." Hashirama said.
Hiruzen sighed as he knew he couldn't talk Hashirama out of anything.
Kakashi had been gone for a full week, he'd arrived with his aunt Tsunade along with Jiraiya. She'd nearly cried when she saw Hashirama and hugged him, Hashirama was taken aback as he'd never met her but returned the hug nonetheless. Kakashi took his leave as no one knew it was his birthday, he intended to spend it in the graveyard.
He was on his way to buy flowers to put on Obito's grave when Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki invaded the leaf, it was him, Kurenai Yuhi, and Asuma Sarutobi fending the rouge Shinobi off when Hashirama arrived saving Asuma from a killing blow.
The shark man's lifeless body fell to the ground, dropping his sword, samehada. Everyone except for Kakashi was in shock to see the first Hokage.
Hashirama wanted to fight someone and what better opponent than an Uchiha, however, what he wasn't expecting was them to kneel before him like he was a deity.
Hiruzen slowly walked towards them, he had needed to use a cane since his return after he chased Orochimaru out of the village. One of Orochimaru's minions had thrown a shuriken hitting his left leg.
Hiruzen stepped towards Itachi "So you've gathered some Intel I assume?"
"I have information on all of the Akatsuki members and Madara Uchiha," Itachi said deactivating his Sharingan.
Hashirama asked, "I know I've been dead for a while but have things changed to where enemies will trade information for their own life?"
Hiruzen put his pipe in his pocket, "Itachi Uchiha isn't an enemy of the leaf, he is a hero who went to great lengths to protect the village. He killed everyone in the Uchiha clan except for his sister."
Kakashi was wide-eyed as he put his headband over his left eye, "So what you did wasn't out of selfish interest, but for the good of all?"
"Not many would have done what I did, but something had to be done and I was the only one who could have done it," Itachi said as he stood up and looked at the former Anbu captain.
Hashirama felt bad for the boy as he was in a similar situation.
"You mentioned Madara, do you know what she's doing?" Hashirama asked.
"She's the one pulling the strings on the Akatsuki, she plans to seal all the tailed beasts to perform the ultimate genjutsu."
Hashirama was in deep thought as he remembered talking to Madara the night before their final battle, she mentioned a perfect world that would achieve true peace.
"If I may ask, how is Lord first here? He was poisoned by a spy after his battle with Madara Uchiha." Itachi asked.
Hashirama grimaced at the lie he just heard, Tobirama must've said he was poisoned instead of seppuku.
"One week ago Orochimaru attacked the leaf village, he used the reanimation jutsu on Lord first and Madara Uchiha," Hiruzen explained.
"However the snake man wasn't expecting Madara and me to overpower the Edo Tensei and release us from his contract, afterwards I stayed in the village as you can see. But for Madara..." Hashirama paused.
"I see, you were expecting more information from me. I am sorry but the Madara I knew wore a mask and was alive and well, so the one in the Akatsuki has to bean imposter." Itachi said piecing the puzzle together.
"If the person you knew isn't Madara, then who is under the mask?" Hashirama asked.
"I think that's a question for another day, but for now, let's go to a more private area," Hiruzen said.
"Lord third, I can't go back to the Akatsuki now after revealing my cover now, what should I do now?" Itachi asked.
"You can stay here, you are a leaf Shinobi after all." Hiruzen smiled.
Just then Itachi's little sister rushed towards him with Kakashi's technique the Chidori.
Her hand was caught by Kakashi just before she reached Itachi, "He's an ally, Sasuke." Kakashi said.
"But I vowed to kill him, I won't go back on my word," Sasuke said, voice filled with rage.
Itachi felt regret seeing the state Sasuke was in, "Sasuke, I'm sorry that you are filled with a vengeance but now you have to let go of it and become stronger through bonds." Itachi said.
Sasuke looked at Itachi confused and Hiruzen said to Sasuke "Itachi killed the Uchiha clan on my orders, no one was supposed to learn of this but with the looming threat of the Akatsuki we must have every possible Ally we can get."
Sasuke looked to the ground in defeat, Itachi patted her on the head "Maybe now I can make up for the lost time, I could train with you if you want me to or if it's alright with your Sensei."
She looked at him with less of a hateful glare and pointed to Kakashi, "He's my Sensei so you'll have to talk to him about training."
Kakashi rolled his eye, "It's alright if you want to join now and then, but I'd like you to tell me everything you know about the mangekyou."
Itachi nodded as he discarded his Akatsuki robe, "I'll tell you what I know but every Uchiha has specific abilities associated with their Mangekyou."
"Then it's settled, and maybe someday we'll have a rematch with no holding back," Kakashi said as he wandered away.
Three weeks later Hiruzen was in his office conversing with Hashirama, Hashirama was relieved that he didn't have to do paperwork unlike when he was alive. Tobirama would make him write until his hands bled, he was a little extreme and he was the younger.
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation about the Uchiha clan massacre, Hashirama felt guilty about it as he could've stopped it had he been alive or if he wasn't a coward to Madara.
"Come in," Hiruzen announced.
The door opened to reveal Itachi Uchiha wearing a jounin uniform, "Is this necessary?" He asked.
"Well you are a Shinobi of the leaf, it's only right," Hiruzen replied.
Itachi raised his hands in defeat, "Alright, alright. I'm just used to being a rouge Shinobi is all, it feels like it's someone else's."
"It's not and no one's a rouge Shinobi in my book, just those who lost their way back home," Hashirama said with a wide grin.
Itachi read the stories of the First Hokage's hopeful and happy-go-lucky attitude but it's still so jarring, the most feared man throughout history is normal and not corrupted by grief.
"Itachi, the real reason why I brought you here wasn't to show off your new outfit. But instead as to the possible identity of the masked woman." Hiruzen said putting his pipe down.
"I've done the research and there are no living female Uchihas besides my sister, and all the rest I killed during the massacre. However, I narrowed it down to female Uchihas who supposedly died before the massacre." Itachi said.
"And how many possible suspects are there?" Hiruzen asked looking up from a paper.
"Only one, Obito Uchiha," Itachi said matter of factly.
Hiruzen went wide-eyed, "Impossible, she was killed during the third great ninja war." He said in denial.
"She's the right age, she was missing a left eye, and I saw both her Mangekyou ability and Kakashi's. It's a match." Itachi explained his reasoning.
"It's my fault, if I hadn't sent them on that mission then maybe..." Hiruzen said as threw a stack of papers across the room.
"Am I missing something here?" Hashirama asked scratching his head.
"Obito was an orphaned Uchiha, she lived with an older Uchiha woman that she thought was her grandmother, but that was just a lie. She was the granddaughter of Hikaku Uchiha, and I owed him a debt from when I was still Lord second's student. I pulled a few strings to get her into the academy. She was eventually put onto the late fourth Hokage's team of genin along with Kakashi Hatake. It was by my order that they were sent on a mission during the third great ninja war, and it was Obito's last mission."
Hashirama stood up, "Then we should tell Kakashi about this."
"No, Kakashi loved that girl. If he is to find out that the girl he loved became a monster, then not only will his world be turned upside down, his spirit will shatter and he might take his life like his father." Hiruzen countered.
Hashirama sat back down for if he were in the same spot as Kakashi, he would do what he did last time, seppuku.
"This information is not to leave this room, understood?"
"Till my dying breath," Itachi said.
"I can't exactly say that but I promise I won't tell Kakashi," Hashirama said jokingly.
The next day Hashirama was training with the young nine tails jinchuuriki, the boy was in awe at the former Hokage's presence.
"Wow, you're the first Hokage!? You must be like a hundred years old if gramps is the third." Naruto said.
This caused Hashirama to go into his depressive state, "I'm only twenty-five." He muttered.
"But then how are you so young? Are you using a jutsu that makes you look younger like granny Tsunade?"
"No, I'm a reanimation. It's like being a zombie but I have full control over my body." He was still in his slump.
"Hey, maybe I should call you zombie sensei." Naruto laughed.
"Are all children nowadays so... bratty?" Hashirama said.
"Hey, I'm going to be the next Hokage, believe it!" Naruto shouted back.
"If that's so then prove to me you're Hokage material, " Hashirama said intrigued by the boy's proclamation, he began creating a giant wooden dome around himself and Naruto.
Naruto was amazed, "Wow, that wood jutsu stuff is cool." he complimented, "Though it's not as flashy as fire, water, lightning, or sand." He continued.
Hashirama scoffed, "Who needs a flashy jutsu when you have something so versatile like my wood style."
Naruto has a light bulb turn on in his brain, "Kinda like my shadow clones being versatile, I'm so going to surpass you zombie sensei." Naruto declared.
Hashirama laughed loudly, "Bold today are we? Alright then, if you wanna talk a big game then your training will stop when you can land a singular hit on me."
Naruto smiled, "Then this'll be a quick training session." He said making the hand signs for the shadow clone jutsu.
"Tobi's clone jutsu huh? Well I guess he's not the average genin then, besides being a jinchuriki and all." Hashirama thought to himself.
Naruto created ten shadow clones and rushed towards Hashirama, Hashirama dodged and weaved through all of their attacks. "He's faster than Kakashi-sensei., that's going to make things a lot harder." Naruto thought to himself as he tried coming up with a plan.
Naruto thought about his strategy when Kakashi was trapped in a water prison by Zabuza, he smiled to himself at the thought of zombie sensei's face when he underestimated him.
He pulled two kunai out of his thigh pocket and threw both of them at Hashirama, two turned into six kunai. Hashirama was about to catch one out of the air when it transformed into Naruto, it was only a clone but it was an inch away from Hashirama from striking Hashirama. Hashirama was pleasantly surprised by the sneak attack and he dodged out of the way leaving a wood clone to catch the clone and binded it to itself.
Hashirama looked curiously at Naruto, "Well now, seems like someone's fighting dirty." Hashirama said to the boy. Naruto came up with a witty remark, "It's because you're a Hokage, it's already unfair as it is."
Hashirama laughed, "You're right about that, but don't think it's because you're weak, far from it. I am in a different league than everybody."
"Kinda like how Sasuke was to me at one point," Naruto said.
"Who is this Sasuke, a friend perhaps?" Hashirama had already met the girl but not personally.
"Well kinda, she was always the best at everything back at the academy. Everyone wanted to be just like her, a prodigy. I wanna be strong too." Naruto said.
"Why chase after someone else's strength when you can chase after your own?" Hashirama asked.
"Well it's not that easy, I kinda... like her."
"Oh, so you want to impress her, is that it?"
"I guess so, she only ever acknowledges strength and genius though. I don't have either of those, unlike Neji or Lee."
"Maybe try forging a bond of friendship with her, you'll learn a lot more about her that way." Naruto thought about it and it wasn't the worst idea, "But what if it doesn't work?" He asked.
Hashirama chuckled, "Well it doesn't hurt to try, the only thing she can say is no."
"That's the absolute worst thing that she could do, I don't want things between us to be awkward after that. You're the first Hokage and all, you have all the confidence in the world. You wouldn't know what it's like."
Hashirama looked at the ground, "More than you could ever know. I too was in your predicament, I had a girl I liked, and that I wanted to impress. I wasn't a genius or extremely gifted, I was just an average Shinobi. It wasn't until I was fifteen that my wood style awakened." His tone turned serious.
"But was she your rival, did she belittle you, did she have anger issues that cause her to make stupid choices?" Naruto replied with snarkiness.
"Yes," Hashirama said, he went into a state of depression by just thinking of her name. Hashirama was jolted back to reality by a quick kick to his back, "I did it! I landed a hit on you zombie sensei." Naruto announced proudly.
A clone of Naruto had snuck up behind him while they were conversing, "You took advantage of me lowering my guard, you sneaky little brat." Hashirama chuckled.
"Hey you said I had to land a hit on you, you didn't say how."
"Well since you passed, how about we go have some lunch?" Hashirama asked.
"You mean it!?" The blonde boy asked excitedly.
"Why not? At least I'll make some progress with food than training you." Hashirama said halfheartedly.
"Hey! But can I choose?" The boy gave puppy dog eyes.
"Oh, alright." The brunette man surrendered.
"Yeah! Let's go to Ichiraku's." Naruto said as he ran through the village.
"Wait, Hold on! I didn't think we'd have to run." Hashirama ran after the boy, he saw a lot of Itama in Naruto. It gave him shivers thinking about Itama, but he had to focus on chasing after the boy who was alive.
Hashirama hadn't needed to run so fast since Madara caught him peeping on the women's bathhouse, never was he so scared for his life, including his final fight with Madara. Not only did he get put into a terrifying genjutsu by Madara that night, but Tobirama also tried scolding him and it was to no avail.
Tobirama used Edo Tensei to revive Butsuma for a night, it was Tobirama's first time using the jutsu so it was imperfect, but it was used to scold Hashirama about being a pervert.
"Beware the scorn of a woman," Butsuma said as his final words before Tobirama undid the jutsu, never was his father so right.
"What's taken you so long zombie sensei and why is your face all red?" Naruto said as he stood outside Ichiraku's.
Hashirama's face was a little red from the memory as it was the second most embarrassing memory he had, the first being when he walked in on Madara undressing. Not only did she put him in a genjutsu, but she also kicked him in his crouch so hard he couldn't walk straight for a week.
"It's nothing, you just knew where you were going." Hashirama deflected the subject.
"Wait, your face was red like pervy Sage's when he's doing research." He said the last word with doubt.
"What no, no. Let's just eat some ramen and get back to your training." Hashirama said nervously.
Naruto looked at him with doubt but agreed, they sat upon the stools and ordered miso ramen.
Hashirama looked at his bowl and saw his reflection in the liquid, his once brown eyes were nothing more than a window into all of his regrets, the cracks along his face now representing the mistakes of the once perfect God of Shinobi, the headband upon his forehead was now a reminder of Madara. He remembered the first time she wore it, the way it framed both of her eyes and made the untameable mane of hers look more beautiful.
"Uhh, zombie sensei? Why are you crying?" Naruto said as he watched the village founder cry into his ramen bowl.
Hashirama hadn't realized that he was crying, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"I just forgot how much I loved ramen," he said feigning a smile.
"I may be a kid, zombie sensei, but I can tell when someone is crying out of sorrow," Naruto said looking at the brunette man.
"It's nothing," Hashirama said as he ate the ramen with some chopsticks.
The food turned to ash in Hashirama's mouth, it was unfortunate that not even food could sate his depression.
"No! I hate it when people lie to themselves, least of all my teacher!" Naruto said as he pointed in Hashirama's face.
"Kid, you wouldn't know anything about what I've gone through," Hashirama said as he slumped out of the ramen shop.
"Hey! Zombie sensei, who's going to pay for the food!?" Naruto exclaimed.
Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku ramen saw what happened and said to Naruto, "It's on the house, but it will only be free if you go and help that man."
Naruto looked at the entrance then to his bowl, he sighed as left his ramen chasing after the depressed legendary Shinobi.
"Hey zombie sensei, wait up!" Naruto said running behind Hashirama.
Hashirama turned to see the blonde boy following him, "Just go home, it's getting late." Hashirama said.
"No, I won't abandon someone when they need help and I never give up, that's my ninja way!"
Hashirama sighed as he continued walking, "Come on then, if you're so persistent."
Naruto followed Hashirama up the side of the Hokage mountain, Hashirama only stopped when he was right upon his stone face.
He sat down on some grass, "Naruto, do you see my face beneath us?" He asked.
He sat down next to the undead Shinobi, "Yeah, why?" Naruto said.
"Because it's not supposed to be my face, it's supposed to be someone else's," Hashirama replied.
"Who? You're the first Hokage, you created the hidden leaf village."
Naruto said baffled at the first Hokage's words.
"I wasn't the only one who founded the village, do you remember how it went?" Hashirama said as he stared over the village.
"The first Hokage, Hashirama Senju created an alliance with the Uchiha clan, creating the hidden leaf village," Naruto said still looking at the Senju.
"It wasn't just that I allied with the Uchiha clan, I created the village with my best friend, Madara Uchiha." As he said her name Hashirama shed a tear.
"Who's that?" Naruto asked, his eyes brimming with curiosity.
"The strongest and most beautiful woman to live or ever will live, she was the leader of the Uchiha clan after her father died."
"Why didn't she become Hokage, was she not good enough?"
Hashirama let out a deep sigh for the next part, "No, she was more qualified than me. But it was because of my brother, he told me that Madara couldn't be trusted as Hokage...and I listened."
"Why did your brother not like her?" The blue-eyed boy asked.
"We had just come from hundreds of years of war, and my brother killed Madara's brother, Izuna. She had been mentally unstable since his death and she had overheard me talking to my brother about it. Maybe if I listened to my gut and made her Hokage, I wouldn't be here as a zombie and you would have your parents." Hashirama said as he looked to his feet.
"What happened then?"
"Nothing really changed until we were forced to ally with the Uzumaki, Madara was offered to marry the leader's son but she declined. But because of her actions, I was forced to marry his daughter, Mito Uzumaki. Madara barged into my office and asked me to follow her, I was worried because she never said a word to her destination. She lead me to a secret cave in which there was a stone tablet that could only be read with the Sharingan, she told me that it spoke of a world with peace through an eternal genjutsu. She then threatened to destroy the village, our village." Hashirama was trying to hold back the tears, he was mostly successful but his voice was wavering.
"And then?" Naruto asked.
"She said that if I didn't want her to destroy the village, I had to kill her. I fought her, trying to hold back just enough that I wouldn't kill her and I was hoping that somewhere deep inside she didn't want to fight, but because I held back so much she was able to injure me quite severely and I was forced to..." Hashirama stopped.
"Forced to what, what were you forced to do?" Naruto asked worried about the answer.
"I... was... forced... to... kill... her..." Hashirama couldn't hold back the tears any longer, Naruto watched as the most powerful man was crying into his legs.
"But Itachi killed his whole clan to protect the village, you only had to kill one girl. Isn't that a fair trade-off?" Naruto didn't understand that his words hurt Hashirama more than any blade.
"She wasn't just some girl, she was the woman I..." Even now Hashirama couldn't say the words, every fiber of his being wanted to say it but he just couldn't.
"It's okay if you can't say it zombie sensei, I didn't mean to offend you. I was just trying to make you feel better." Naruto was only twelve and didn't fully understand what Hashirama was trying to say.
"You loved her," a small whisper from the trees, "That's why your descendants don't have the mokotun."
Hashirama turned his head to see a woman with blue hair and was wearing the same black robe with red clouds that Itachi and Kisame wore.
"Who are you, lady?" Naruto said in confusion.
"My name is Konan and don't be alarmed, I've come to help along with my friend, Nagato." Konan gestured to an orange-haired man behind her.
The man spoke, his voice was deep and smooth "We need to see master Jiraiya, it's urgent."