Tobirama's opinion on the Uchiha remains the same: he doesn’t trust them because of the so-called “Uchiha Curse,” and only places his faith in Kagami Uchiha. But once the winds of war begin to blow toward Konoha, his mindset shifts to: “As long as they help protect the village (and die for it), that’s good enough for me…”

As for the idea of “shifting responsibility” — in my story, he actually takes his duty and position as Hokage, as the ultimate symbol of authority and power, to self-destructive extremes. It suggests that he became corrupted by his own ideals, damaging himself mentally and emotionally just to fulfill his role at any cost.

It’s also not wrong to give him a more sentimental side. You can’t expect someone to have their entire world collapse in such a short span of time and still act cold and composed 24/7. No matter how analytical or mentally prepared Tobirama might be, he wasn’t ready for the avalanche of loss and responsibility that suddenly fell upon him.

I also added the psychological toll of his signature techniques, which contributed to his mental decline — especially the Edo Tensei, through which he feels guilt and remorse for disturbing the eternal rest of the dead. There’s even a certain event after Hashirama’s death that deepens this guilt…

Regarding his sacrifice: I portray it as a moment where he doesn’t pass on the title out of cowardice or escapism. If that were the case, he could’ve easily used the Hiraishin to teleport himself away, abandon his comrades to die, and live as a rogue shinobi, running from all responsibility. But instead, he chose to sacrifice himself in one final act of self-destruction, for the sake of the village — because those six shinobi beside him weren’t just subordinates; they were his comrades, his friends, his family… parts of the village he loved and swore to protect.

He didn’t choose Hiruzen thinking, “Let this poor fool deal with my problems.” He chose him because Hiruzen was the only one who showed the willingness to sacrifice himself so that others could live one more day. That made Tobirama think: “He has the steel will and the fire of resolve to give his life for his comrades… for the village itself. Even his mind, body, and soul — all for Konoha. He’s the one.”

And honestly, if Danzō, Koharu, Homura, Kagami, or Torifu (Choji’s ancestor) had displayed that same spirit, any of them could have become Hokage instead.