"You self-righteous Senju relic—you really don't get your situation, do you? Talking to me in that tone… Who gave you the nerve?"

Uchiha Kei's voice rang out, cocky and full of swagger, like a stage general surrounded by banners, or a cocky brat taunting an elder to his face.

But to Tobirama Senju, that line made his eyelids twitch.

The phrase "inherently evil" gave him a strange illusion—as if every realm across existence were dumping their blame onto him all at once.

And so, his first impression of this brash Uchiha youth hit rock bottom—almost as bad as the time Sasuke Uchiha declared he'd destroy the Leaf Village.

The master of forbidden jutsu wasn't going to be rattled by words alone. He prepared to strike immediately.

Kei hadn't restricted Tobirama's abilities—he allowed him to act freely, because…

*Clang!*

"!!! What?!"

Tobirama's narrowed eyes widened in shock. He'd launched a sneak attack using his legendary speed and a kunai in hand.

Yet when that kunai struck Kei's arm, it felt like hitting the hardest substance in the world. A sharp crack sounded—the kunai split in two.

It was a blow enhanced by Senju brute strength. Even though Tobirama had held back slightly, it was still a fierce strike.

Tch… As expected of a naturally malicious Senju relic. Such ruthless attacks. A true menace to the Uchiha clan!

Kei made a mental note in classic Uchiha-style self-righteousness before locking eyes with Tobirama.

In an instant, the former "Fastest Shinobi in the World" vanished, reappearing at his previous position and retreating rapidly.

*Flying Thunder God Technique.* The reason Tobirama once held that title—and one of the forbidden techniques he himself created.

But in terms of execution, Minato Namikaze had long surpassed him. In a similar timeframe, Minato could launch ten attacks—and throw in a Rasengan.

Tobirama's use of the jutsu was single-threaded—fast and stable, yes—but Minato's was multitasked and just as stable.

Still, as a master of forbidden jutsu, Tobirama wasn't about to rely on just Flying Thunder God.

Realizing normal attacks were useless, Tobirama rapidly formed hand seals and activated a genjutsu:

*Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.*

Instantly, a vast curtain of black engulfed a radius of 400 meters.

This genjutsu was made specifically to counter the Uchiha and their Sharingan—it drowned everything in darkness. Because the technique was chakra-based, it also dulled the Sharingan's chakra perception. It was a direct attack on their visual prowess.

In the manga, this technique was credited to Hashirama Senju, but the anime later corrected it to Tobirama's creation—with Masashi Kishimoto's approval. It better suited Tobirama's underhanded character.

In this reality, Tobirama had indeed created it. Back during the Warring States Era, it had been a lethal tool against the Uchiha. Even Izuna Uchiha, Madara's younger brother, couldn't counter it until he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Against this move, only Mangekyō-level dojutsu stood a chance. Any lesser Sharingan would be thoroughly outmatched.

Seeing Kei activate only his three-tomoe Sharingan, Tobirama was sure the youth couldn't handle the darkness.

Then came the kill move.

*Water Style: Severing Wave!*

A blade of high-pressure water burst forward, more intense than an industrial water cannon, slashing toward Kei.

Even though Tobirama himself couldn't see in the darkness, his powerful sensory abilities gave him a lock on Kei's position.

Meanwhile, Shadow Clones were prepared, Flying Thunder God was re-primed, and the moment his water jutsu hit its mark, Tobirama followed up:

*Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!*

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—

Chain explosions erupted as Tobirama retreated from the black curtain, eyes razor-sharp.

"Did that do it…?"

As he questioned aloud, another kunai appeared in his hand, ready for the next move.

The ninja world's top forbidden jutsu master was never short on trump cards. Now that he knew Kei's body could take a hit, he escalated to Madara-level violence.

But something felt off.

He couldn't sense Kei's presence anymore. Was he… actually dead?

Tobirama's brow furrowed. His instincts told him otherwise. Kei wouldn't go down so easily.

When the smoke cleared and the genjutsu faded, Tobirama saw what appeared to be Kei's remains—shattered flesh and blackened wounds, the kind of aftermath that required censorship just to show.

Classic effect of the Multiplying Explosive Tags. Tobirama knew this sight well—many of his victims ended up like this.

Still frowning, he stepped closer to examine the remains. Nothing seemed amiss. It looked like a true kill.

"How…? That Uchiha brat went down that easily?"

He couldn't understand it. Kei's cocky attitude had rubbed him the wrong way, reminding him of his old rival Izuna. But Kei's toughness—shrugging off a kunai laced with Senju strength—should've meant he wasn't easy prey.

And yet, here they were.

It felt like Tobirama had barely tried and the opponent just… dropped dead.

Even worse, with Kei gone, how was he supposed to extract intel? He didn't even know where he was.

The landscape was a grassy plain—clear skies, green fields, a sea-meets-sky horizon. But Tobirama remembered no such region in the shinobi world. This place resembled an ancient Wind Country landscape described only in old texts.

Yes, ancient records claimed Wind Country was once a fertile land, second only to the Fire Country. But it had since become a desert wasteland.

Tobirama didn't know why that transformation occurred—only that it had something to do with the now-ruined Kingdom of Rōran.

But those details didn't matter now. What mattered was this: thanks to that damned Uchiha brat, he was stuck in a place where he had no intel.

Just as Tobirama was trying to figure out his next move… the flesh moved.

Before he could react, the "corpse" exploded into a red mist that spread rapidly, corrupting the very air.

The blue sky turned crimson. The green grass twisted, dyed in blood. The air reeked of iron and decay.

And from every direction came an eerie chorus—female sopranos, high-pitched and haunting, echoing like a world's funeral dirge.

It wasn't in any known language, and yet Tobirama understood every word—as if some eldritch entity had force-fed it into his brain.

"The King of Kindling, who tramples the world…

As fire fades, the King's shadow vanishes…

The fire scorches on, heralding the end…

Abandoned sovereign, blind to ruin, clinging to survival…"

The hymn pierced Tobirama's soul. His heartbeat spiked. His mind shook.

At once, he formed hand seals to cancel the illusion.

But it didn't work.

This wasn't genjutsu.

This was real.

In that blood-soaked world, shadowy silhouettes emerged—colossal castles, twisted mountains, buildings of bizarre design.

Tobirama had never seen anything like them. They didn't belong in the shinobi world.

His sensory skills screamed. The air there reeked of death, blood, despair, madness, rot—every foul thing imaginable.

He instinctively stepped back.

Don't go near that place!

His body agreed. But fate didn't care.

Blood mist surged from every direction. And within it—vague outlines of nightmarish beasts, with tentacles, claws, and howls that shattered the mind.

He knew—if the fog reached him, he would die. Horribly. Even his soul wouldn't escape intact.

His only choice: run into the twisted domain—the one place the mist hadn't touched, but where the foulest aura dwelled.

Before the mist consumed him, Tobirama dashed in.

Immediately, his consciousness wavered. And in the midst of the soprano chorus, fragmented visions filled his mind.

Ancient, crumbling castles.

Tolling bells.

Tombs drenched in shadow, birthing nameless horrors.

Then came a name:

Aldrich, Devourer of Gods.

A cursed, decaying being—the embodiment of ultimate evil. The title alone invoked dread.

Just one glimpse sent searing pain through Tobirama's skull. His soul recoiled.

Then the visions shifted.

Knights in full armor stood upon tainted earth, cloaked in shadow.

Death followed them. Malice clung to them.

Abyss Watchers. The Undead Legion of Farron.

Another shift. A massive, skeletal giant rose from a rotting sarcophagus, howling like a beast.

Its body ignited in weak flames—but those embers pulsed with the essence of life, soul, and world.

More grotesque images followed, pounding Tobirama's psyche, threatening to shatter his sanity.

When it finally ended, he stumbled backward, nearly collapsing, face pale and drenched in sweat.

But he didn't fall.

Someone caught him.

He turned—and saw a mysterious, elegant woman in a black-and-gray foreign robe. Her golden hair shimmered, and she wore a silver circlet that hid her eyes.

She looked like someone from the Land of Lightning's northern tribes… but her aura was unplaceable.

Then, she spoke, her voice calm and gentle:

"Welcome, Ashen One. I am the Fire Keeper. I tend to the bonfires… and to you."

Tobirama: "???"

Who asked you to introduce yourself?!

——————

Meanwhile, in the mental network realm, Uchiha Kei watched Tobirama's ordeal with satisfaction.

All his careful prep hadn't gone to waste.

This ultra-realistic version of *Dark Souls III*—was his personal gift to that inherently evil Senju fossil.

After all, tormenting Tobirama Senju was… Uchiha political correctness at its finest!

Yes—everything Tobirama experienced took place in a mental network simulation created by Kei. The whole scenario was a direct load of the Earth game *Dark Souls III*.

It was a legendary title in gaming history, known for its brutal difficulty and player torture. Now, thanks to Kei's upgraded Level 4 mental network…

All it took was a quick module import—and voilà.

Tobirama had become the first official test subject.

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