The End of Childhood

Hashirama was in a hurry. Even one second faster! Even one meter forward!

"Wait right there... I'll definitely help you!... Don't die!"

A large tree over a thousand years old has been cut down mercilessly, blocking the way. The branches of the standing tree reach the sky, and the lush leaves block the sunlight. The damp ground is covered with moss, and it feels like you'll lose your footing if you let your guard down. On top of that, large rocks are scattered here and there between the fallen trees.

Itama was alone behind the rock, desperately trying to calm his rising breath.

Unless he could somehow get through it on his own, he would suffer the same fate as Kawarama.

No matter how hard you try to stay calm, your heart beats faster and your breathing becomes quicker.

"Brother...?!"

When he came to his senses, he found himself surrounded by five Uchiwa Clan ninja.

Each ninja is an adult ninja who has awakened the Sharingan.

"You have an older brother too? My older brother was killed by Senju."

With great difficulty, I finally reached the wooden floor area that I had felt a moment ago.

However, before Hashirama's eyes, a scene of reality leapt out at him, one he didn't want to believe.

"Itamaaaa!!"

Hashirama cried as he hugged his brother who had stopped moving.

If it had happened one minute, one second earlier, Itama might have been saved.

After the battle, the forest was filled with countless corpses and the only sound echoing was Hashirama's cries.

◆

Hashirama gazed out at the gently flowing river.

The sky was leaden, and the usually clear water of the river appeared murky, reflecting the overcast sky.

"Hey... it's been a while... um..."

"…It's Hashirama."

"What's wrong? You're suddenly feeling down this time... What happened?"

"On the contrary... I'm fine...!"

"...You're lying. Why don't you just tell me what you're talking about..."

"...Nothing in particular..."

"It's okay...just say it..."

"Really, it's nothing...!"

"No, you're dragging me out too much... I said I'd listen, so just tell me quickly..."

"There's nothing... you know...?"

Hashirama turned to the boy with a crying face.

"Come on! Just talk already!!"

"My younger brother died."

"...!"

Hashirama turned to face the river again and wiped away his tears.

"The reason I come here is because when I look at the river, I feel like all the confusion in my heart washes away..."

Having said that, Hashirama laughed and turned to the boy again.

"Madara, I guess... maybe you are the same..."

Madara felt as if he saw a glimpse of himself from some time ago in the back of Hashirama, a fellow ninja child.

"…Do you have any siblings?"

"I have five siblings..."

Madara answered while picking up a stone from the riverbank and playing with it in his hand.

"It was..."

"...!"

"We are ninja. We don't know when we might die. But if there's a way for both of us to avoid death... then as enemies, we'll have to show each other our true selves, have no secrets, and share a toast like brothers."

Madara adjusted the stone in his hand, prepared himself, and continued.

"But that's impossible... You can't see deep inside someone's stomach... you can't see into their guts."

Saying this, he demonstrated how to cut water into the river.

"The truth is, I don't know if it's boiling over..."

Madara said, staring intently at the stone that was skipping across the water's surface. Hashirama also stared at the stone's trajectory and asked Madara.

"Is it possible for us to show each other our guts?"

"I don't know... but I'm always praying here that there's a way."

The stone Madara threw reached the opposite bank with a clang.

"This time, it looks like it's finally been decided that way."

Madara and Hashirama looked together at the stone that had arrived.

"It's not just you... I got it too."

Hearing Madara's words, Hashirama quietly stood up.

There was another foolish kid with the same idea of ​​trying to change this time of war... other than Hashirama.

Rather than being surprised, Hashirama could only think that Madara was being revelatory from God.

"...I can tell without even looking...you..."

"what?"

"Your hairstyle and your clothes are so lame!"

Madara said, laughing heartily, and Hashirama felt a little depressed that not everyone was on the same page.

◆

The pot was making delicious bubbling sounds. Fuyou loved watching this scene. The sound made her feel happy, like her heart was melting away.

"Fuyō! What's for dinner tonight?"

Hashirama suddenly leaned in next to Fuyou's face and peered into the pot. Fuyou was surprised and answered while feeling her heart pounding.

"Hashirama-sama... it's meat and potatoes."

"I'm so hungry I can't stand it anymore. I've had a good training session today! What did you study today, Fuyou?"

"It will be ready soon, so please wait a little while... Today, Butsuma-sama taught me calligraphy, swordsmanship, and arithmetic. And Tsubaki-san taught me sewing..."

"You did that much? That's amazing. I mean, you're going to learn swordsmanship too? Is that necessary? I could teach you."

Fuyou smiled. That adorable smile made Hashirama's heart skip a beat.

"You need physical strength to do housework, right? A sword is not only good for self-defense, it also builds physical strength.

Plus, it's fun to move your body."

"I understand what you're saying, but I'll carry the heavy stuff! Fuyou, don't push yourself too hard. And even if it's fun, isn't my father's sword training too hard for you?"

"Thank you, Hashirama-sama… you are so kind."

Saying this, Fuyou looked directly at Hashirama's face and smiled. Hashirama's cheeks also turned red and he laughed out loud.

"You've been a lot more cheerful lately, bro. That's fine though..."

Tobirama was watching the two of them from the living room and felt relieved, but also felt a little hurt that he was the only one who had not yet seen Fuyou's smile.

Butsuma suddenly called out to him.

"Tobirama. I want to talk to you about Hashirama."

I looked back at the two of them who were happily talking in the kitchen, then followed my father into another room without being noticed.

◆

Autumn has arrived. The rice ears are bowed, waiting for the harvest. Red dragonflies are fluttering about, and the cries of cicadas are fading away.

Today too, the two boys competed in ninja skills, bumped fists, and talked about their dreams.

"But what about concretely how can we change things? We need to have a vision for the future."

Hashirama asked Madara. Madara answered after gulping down his water with a loud gulp.

"First of all, you need to stick to this idea and strengthen yourself. No matter how much a weak person barks, nothing will change!"

"That's right... Anyway, if we master various techniques and become stronger, adults won't be able to ignore what we say."

"It's about overcoming your weaknesses and your weaknesses. I'm already stronger than most adults out there though."

"...You're really going to stop peeing."

"So don't stand behind me! I'll throw you in the river I just pissed in!"

"Ah, I found a weak spot."

The two of them grew closer each time they met, and they both grew physically and mentally.

"Dammit, I'm going to find your weakness! Ah, that lame hairstyle is already a weakness. You're not popular with the ladies, are you?"

In response to Madara's sarcastic smile, Hashirama gave a defiant grin and retorted.

"I'm a good guy, come on!"

"What? My fiance? She's ugly! She's ugly, of course."

"She's just so incredibly cute... an angel. She's an angel!"

"Can you believe it?! ...Well, whatever."

"I'll draw a portrait of you. You have a small face, long hair, big eyes, super long eyelashes, and you're always smiling, and..."

Hashirama didn't mind that Madara's attention had been diverted and started drawing on the ground with a twig. Madara ignored him at first, but then he became curious and took a closer look.

"Bubu! You're so ugly after all! Stop making me laugh. Hahahahaha."

Hashirama's drawing was so poorly done that there was no way for Madara to understand what Fuyou looked like.

"It's frustrating that I can't convey how cute this is. Maybe my weakness is my lack of artistic talent..."

Madara spoke to Hashirama, who was feeling more depressed and sulking than necessary.

"Your weakness is your habit of getting depressed!"

The autumn sunset is like a waterfall. It was already pitch black. Not only Hashirama, who has been going out a lot recently, but even Tobirama was late coming home today. I wonder if something had happened.

Itama's death caused a deep sadness in Fuyou that has not yet disappeared. Although they did not have many conversations, he was the closest in age to Fuyou and they felt close. She can still vividly recall his gentle, easy-going smile. He was like a buffer between the eldest and second sons, always gently mediating. Witnessing the reality that such a child had died in the war, Fuyou realized what kind of world she had come into.

I don't want anyone to die anymore...

Worried about the two of them, Fuyou left the front door and went outside to the gate. It is strictly forbidden to go outside the gate by the Buddhist altar. But even if it's just for a little while... she gently pushed the gate open and peered outside. It had been a while since she had last looked outside the gate, but it was already pitch black, and all she could see was the light illuminating the slope, flickering slightly.

"What are you doing there?"

Butsuma came up behind her with a fierce look on his face. Fuyou was so scared she couldn't even move or make a sound, and could only watch as Butsuma approached.

"I told you never to go outside. What are you doing?"

The Buddhist altar looked like a huge, terrifying monster, perhaps twice the size of the hibiscus.

"Um, um, well... I was worried about you two... I'm so sorry..."

Butsuma's face came ever closer, and Fuyou instinctively covered her head with both hands, closed her eyes, and nearly screamed. Butsuma stretched his arms out over Fuyou's head toward the gate, opening it slightly to peer outside. Fuyou timidly lowered her hands and looked up at Butsuma's face. However, it was dark and she couldn't see his expression very well.

"There is no need to worry. Those two are strong. Hashirama's growth has been particularly remarkable recently... He will be back soon. Come inside the house."

Butsuma gently advised Fuyou, pushing her to go ahead.

"yes…."

Fuyou answered in a small voice, and walked away with her head down. Fuyou didn't know what kind of person her father was. But she thought that the appearance of the Buddhist altar must be what a father is like.

Meanwhile, Butsuma was happy that Fuyou was worried about Hashirama and Tobirama, but at the same time, even though he had told her that, he couldn't shake his worry. Even if it was Hashirama and Tobirama, if they were surrounded by the skilled Uchiwa clan...there's no end to what could happen. All he could do was believe and wait.

Soon after, Tobirama returned home first.

As soon as Tobirama got home, he headed straight for the Buddhist altar room. Fuyou was worried that Tobirama would be apologizing for being late and hoped that he wouldn't get scolded too much, so she and Tsubaki resumed preparing dinner in silence in the kitchen.

And Hashirama returned home shortly after.

"I'm back."

Fuyou called out "Welcome back" from the kitchen. She wanted to go out to greet them at the front door, but she held back, thinking that Tobirama and Butsuma might go first. Then, Hashirama suddenly popped his head into the kitchen.

"I'm home. It's getting late... Are you angry, father?"

He asked Fuyou with a wry smile.

"I think it's okay..."

Then Butsuma and Tobirama both came into the living room. Tobirama was the first to speak.

"Brother, you're too late. What were you doing?"

"If you're going to be late, tell me before you leave. If not, come back early no matter what."

Butsuma and Tobirama sat down at the table as if nothing had happened. Hashirama was taken aback, but thought "Oh well" and headed to his room to get changed. Fuyou was a little puzzled by this, but she breathed a sigh of relief that both Tobirama and Hashirama had returned home safely.

◆

"Madara...I've come up with an incredible jutsu! Let's master it together!"

"Hmm... How's it going?"

The two met on this day as well.

The two become closer every time they meet, but they cannot reveal each other's surnames.

"The ultimate martial art: Super Katon Genjutsu Slash, Large Shuriken, Two-stage Finishing Technique!!!"

"...No, I can't imagine it at all."

"To elaborate..."

"Shut up! Today we're competing in climbing a right-angled cliff!"

Hashirama, as always, slumped, feeling more depressed than necessary.

"Oh come on! I told you not to get depressed every time! That's your weakness after all!"

"Ahahaha~ See you later~!!"

Hashirama began running at a right angle up the cliff, ahead of Madara.

"Ah! You bastard, you were just pretending to be depressed!"

With that, Madara began to run along the cliff. Just as Madara was about to catch up, Hashirama managed to reach the top of the cliff first.

Panting... gasping... their breathing is reaching its peak.

"...I win..."

"Well, that's because I started first!"

A deep and wide forest stretched out before them, and from here they could see the entire forest, even clearly reaching out to the high mountains beyond.

"...You can see the whole forest from here."

"Oh... I can see far and wide."

Madara turned to Hashirama and continued with a devious grin.

"I'm confident that I have as good eyesight as you. Shall we have a contest?"

"What's this all of a sudden? You've got a lot of pride in your eyes."

"Of course! I'm a photographer..."

Madara was about to say this, but then he swallowed his words and fell silent.

"What's wrong?"

"No... not really. I guess."

"What is it? You're being very honest, which is unusual for you."

Madara lowered his eyes and said with his head down.

"…Then my brothers wouldn't have died. You couldn't even watch over them…What happened…What happened…"

His eyes were open, and he was staring intently at the ground, as if he was remembering the death of his brother.

"Don't you have any more siblings?"

"Well, I have one little brother left..."

Gripping the ground tightly, Madara continued speaking with a look of strong determination in his eyes.

"I will always protect that little brother, no matter what happens."

Hashirama looked at Madara's serious profile. He felt exactly the same way as Madara.

That's why the dream they always talk about must come true.

No matter what.

"Let's build our settlement here! We'll make sure that children don't have to kill each other!"

Hashirama shouted in a voice loud enough to echo through the forest. Then he continued.

"I'll build a school where children can grow up to be strong! I'll create missions that can be chosen based on each individual's abilities! I'll create superiors who can properly assign request levels! I'll create a settlement where children don't have to be sent to fierce battlefields!!"

Madara's smile slowly returned to his face and he spoke to Hashirama.

"Hmph... You're the only one saying something so stupid..."

"What about you?"

"Yes, once the settlement is created, I'll definitely watch over my little brother from here where I can see the whole picture!"

Hashirama and Madara looked at each other and shared big smiles.

It was the smile of a carefree child.

The forest that Hashirama and Madara could see was the place that would later become the Hidden Leaf Village.

At this point, Hashirama made up his mind.

Be prepared to endure in order to see what lies ahead.

Snap! Snap!

"You both arrived."

"That stone is a good one to use for cutting water... I'll leave it with you until the next time we meet!"

The two of them took the stones that they had cut from each other and said their goodbyes.

I'll be home early today...

Hashirama muttered to himself as he remembered the sulky Tobirama and the smiling face of Fuyou. When he suddenly looked towards the house, Tobirama was right in front of him.

"What's wrong? Tobirama."

"Brother... there's something I need to tell you."

Hashirama had a bad feeling, but he followed Tobirama in silence and headed to the room where Butsuma was waiting.

"There's that boy you're meeting..."

"...Why did you have to do that..."

Hashirama couldn't hide his surprise at Butsuma's words. "How did you know?" Tobirama asked to the flustered Hashirama.

"I was ordered by my father to follow my brother… I'm better at sensing things than him. He's been going out a lot lately, so I thought something might be up…"

"I looked into that boy. He's of the Uchiha clan."

Hashirama had been vaguely aware that Madara was a member of the Uchiha clan, but when his father found out, a chill ran down his body.

"Even the most skilled adults in our clan have been defeated. It seems this boy was born with the talent to be a ninja."

...So that's what it was like after all...

"I see you don't seem all that surprised... I assume you two already know each other's clan names?"

"...No, I didn't know. Maybe he didn't either..."

Butsuma spoke to Hashirama without raising his voice, but with anger in his voice.

"...You know what this means, right? I haven't told the Senju yet...If you don't want to be labeled a spy, then next time you see the boy, tail him."

Hashirama felt that what he had imagined somewhere was becoming reality. But no more than this...

"Bring back information about the Uchiha clan. This is a mission. If they notice you... kill them."

Hashirama was scared that the reality his father was telling him would become his own reality. He asked his father with a trembling voice.

"Are you... really a member of the Uchiha clan?"

"That's right... If they know you're the Senju... they'll pretend to let their guard down in order to steal information from us. Don't trust them."

"N-no... he's not like that..."

Seeing Hashirama's upset state, Butsuma could no longer contain his irritation and loudly interrupted Hashirama.

"There's no telling what's really going on inside his mind! If he's deceived, it will put everyone in the Senju in danger."

Hashirama stammered, swallowing his words and pretending to be calm as he looked into his father's eyes.

"Just to be safe, Tobirama and I will be accompanying you... Got it?"

The night wind is cold. Autumn has already deepened. The bell crickets are chirping away, burning their lives away.

Thinking about it, it feels like time has passed in the blink of an eye since I started meeting Madara.

Why does time go by so quickly when we have fun? I thought that time could go on forever, or rather, that it had to continue...

Hashirama stared at the draining stone he had received from Madara.

...He's probably around now too...

"Hashirama-sama, what's wrong? You'll catch a cold."

Hashirama quickly hid the stone inside his clothes and turned around.

"Fuyou... you should be the one to stay warm."

Fuyou looked at Hashirama with concern, as he seemed different from usual.

"Did something... happen?"

"Oh! Nothing! It's nothing. I was just going back to my room."

"Is that so....um....please cheer up, okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine! Hahahaha..."

Fuyou smiled a little awkwardly, slowly approached Hashirama, and gently took his right hand in hers.

"It'll definitely be fine. Hashirama-sama."

Hashirama was surprised. He hadn't even told Fuyou about Madara. There was a family rule that Fuyou should never learn about ninja missions or battles. And yet, for a moment he had the illusion that Fuyou knew everything and was encouraging him with that knowledge.

"...."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I held your hand without asking you... well, I remember my mother doing this to me a long time ago. She told me that if it was Fuyou, everything would be fine... I think. I'm sorry... but I don't remember much now..."

Seeing Hashirama go silent, Fuyou became worried that she had done something wrong and let go of his hand.

"Oh! I was so happy! I felt so much better! Thank you!"

Hashirama said impatiently as he saw Fuyou's condition. The two of them looked down, feeling a bit awkward.

"Fuyou, stop studying and go to bed early. See you tomorrow!"

Hashirama strode to his room. As she watched him leave, Fuyou prayed for Hashirama. She didn't know what had happened to Hashirama. But she was sure that Hashirama would be okay.

◆

The river was flowing gently, as usual, and we could hear the pleasant sound of the river babbling.

Madara spoke to Hashirama who was on the opposite bank.

"Let's get started... Let's start by draining the water as a greeting."

"Ou…"

The two of them suddenly took out the draining stones they had been replacing from their pockets and began draining the water at the same time.

Splash! The two stones hit the river at the same time and splash.

Snap! At the exact same time, they both caught the stones that the other had thrown.

"!"

The two of them look at the stone and are shocked.

"Hashirama... sorry... I can't do it today... I suddenly remembered I had something to do."

...So Madara knows my true identity too!

"Oh, I see... then I'll go home today too..."

"Nigero"

"There's a trap"

Coincidentally, the stones they each received had the same thing written on them.

Jack!

The stones on the riverbank rang out in unison. The two of them turned their backs and took off, leaping into the air.

"At this speed, are you planning to run away?! Hashirama...I told you so! Let's go, Tobirama!!"

"yes!"

Butsuma and Tobirama, who had been watching Hashirama and Madara from the shadows of a tree, jump out into the river to stop Madara from escaping.

Splash!!

The Buddhist altar and the door room were not the only rooms with their feet on the river.

"We seem to think alike... Senjubutsukan!"

"Also, was it Tobirama?"

When Hashirama and Madara stopped and turned around, they saw the four of them - their fathers and brothers - facing each other on the river.

"...It seems so, Uchiha Tajima!"

"And then there's Izuna."

Coincidentally, it seems the Uchiha side had the same idea: facing Butsuma and Tobirama were Madara's father, Tajima, and his brother, Izuna.

Exactly the same situation...

Butsuma jumped on Tajima, and Tobirama jumped on Izuna.

Both Tobirama and Izuna brandished swords that were as big as their heights.

Senju Butsuma and Uchiha Tajima had roughly the same strength, both of them knew from their many battles.

Shinobi are trained to remain calm on the battlefield no matter what happens. Even a moment of mental confusion can lead to an attack, and can mean the difference between life and death.

"Stop it!"

Hashirama and Madara shouted at the same time as Tobirama and Izuna's swords clashed.

Screeeech!

The two of them put in all their strength to avoid being pushed away by each other. Their swords were trembling and making a grinding noise.

The two adults understand.

If my child was killed in front of my eyes, I would feel a little unsettled in my heart. In other words, the outcome of the match would be decided by whoever made the first move.

Bang!

Tobirama and Izuna put down their swords, got into position, and faced each other once more by the river.

...Gulp!! ...Splash!!

A short sword thrown by Tajima flew over Tobirama's head, and a kunai thrown by Butsuma flew over Izuna's head, but Hashirama and Madara blocked them by throwing water-cutting stones. The short sword and kunai fell into the river and sank. The two water-cutting stones disappeared into the river with them.

""⁉""

Tobirama, Izuna, and the two adults don't know what happened.

Splash!!

Hashirama and Madara leapt in front of their respective brothers, facing each other.

"I will never forgive anyone who tries to hurt my little brother!"

Madara shouted. Hashirama and Madara…Madara glared at Hashirama more forcefully.

Then, as if giving up on everything, he lowered his gaze and said.

"I guess those silly fantasies we were talking about will never reach us."

The two weapons that attacked Tobirama and Izuna, and the two cutting stones that had defended against them, finally sank to the bottom of the river.

"Madara... you...?"

"It was only for a short while, but it was fun...Hashirama."

The sound of the river murmuring creates silence.

"Three against three?... How about it? Can you do it, Madara?"

"No, Hashirama is stronger than me. If we keep going like this, I'll be the one to get beaten."

"Eh? A child stronger than your brother?"

"...I see...not really..."

Madara quickly turns his back on Hashirama and the other three.

"Well then... I'll pull."

Hashirama felt something hot rise from his chest to his throat, and though it felt like his throat was about to become choked, he clung to Madara and said,

"Madara, you...! You haven't really given up yet, have you? You're finally on par with me..."

Madara interrupted him and said,

"You are a Senju... I wish it were different. My brother was killed by a Senju..."

Hearing those words, the faces of the dead Kawarama and Itama came to Hashirama's mind.

"...So there's no need for us to show each other our guts."

Hashirama tried to take a step forward to get closer to Madara, but Madara continued, stopping him.

"...Next time we will meet on the battlefield, Senju Hashirama.... I am... Uchiha Madara!"

As Madara turned around after saying that, his eyes were different from before.

"Look! Father! My brother's eyes!"

Looking into Madara's eyes, Izuna said happily to Tajima.

"Hehe... I wasn't able to get any information on the Senju... but it looks like I got something good in return..."

Butsuma was also surprised when he saw Madara's eyes and realized that Madara had just awakened his Sharingan.

And at that moment, Hashirama felt like he understood what awakening the Sharingan meant.

The river continues to flow quietly. I can hear the birds singing, which I hadn't heard before.

There were no longer any members of the Senju or Uchiha to be seen there.

It was a beautiful landscape, unchanged, as if nothing had happened to begin with.

◆

Hibiscus is lovingly watering a tree that is as tall as she is, and which is sprouting new green leaves.

"That tree has grown so big!"

"Yes. I hope it will bloom this year."

He said happily as he crouched down and looked up at Hashirama.

"That tree has the same name as Hibiscus. I bet your father can do that too."

"I guess it would be more accurate to say that I have the same name as this tree, but since it was kindly given to me by the butsuma, I will treasure it and make it grow."

Hibiscus gently stroked the leaves.

This tree was planted in the garden by Butsuma on Fuyou's birthday last year.

"But trees are amazing, aren't they? I don't know how long this tree will live, but I hear there are some that live for a thousand years. Also, have you heard of grafting? If you cut a branch and plant it, it will grow roots and become a new tree. The life force of trees is incredible."

"Hmm. It's like a clone technique... That certainly shows an incredible amount of vitality. Also, there's a song that goes, 'Trees endure the cold winter, sprout again, and then flowers bloom.'"

Hashirama also crouched down next to the fuyou and looked at the tree.

"Hehe. That only applies to flowering trees and broad-leaved trees. Evergreens and conifers stay green all year round."

"I-I know. Haven't you started to resemble Tobirama a bit lately?"

"I'm sorry, but all the trees are amazing because they can withstand the harsh elements, the cold, the heat, and the storms, and still stand. Even if they don't bloom or bear fruit..."

The two of them look at each other and laugh.

The difference in their eye levels is smaller than before.

Fuyou has grown a lot in the past year and will soon be ten years old.

And they both stood up together.

At that moment, Hashirama suddenly had an idea.

"Wood... Water... Earth... Life force.... Wood Release!... Yes... I'll give it a try."

"What?"

"Oh, I came up with a new technique!"

Fuyou smiled quietly and looked away.

"Thanks Fuyou!... You know... could you do that thing you did for me a while ago again?"

Hashirama looked embarrassed and held out his right hand in front of Fuyou. Fuyou looked a little surprised, then smiled and gently wrapped both her hands around Hashirama's right hand.

"…It'll definitely be fine. Hashirama-sama."

"Hashirama said, looking straight into Fuyou's eyes. He felt himself being sucked into Fuyou's eyes, and once again looked at her face. Then he stared at her clasped hand.

...endure for the sake of your dreams...

The decision I made that day when I spoke with Madara has not wavered even now.

"Ahem!"

Noticing Tobirama clear his throat on the veranda, the two hastily let go of each other's hands.

"Ah, well, um, Tobirama! I've come up with a new technique! Come on over there and listen to what I have to say."

"Huh?... How the hell do you think you can come up with a new technique in this situation... Seriously."

Hashirama chuckled and went to his room first. Fuyou then picked up her watering can and prepared to leave. Tobirama spoke to her back.

"Hey. Stop flirting with me you little brat. Don't forget that you're a maid before you're a fiancee."

Fuyou turned around with a slightly sad smile, then put the watering can down on the ground again with a troubled smile.

"Yes, I understand. And I have done nothing wrong."

Seeing Fuyou answer so clearly and with a smile, Tobirama felt irritated.

"So what were you doing?"

Fuyou approached Tobirama, reached under the veranda, and took his right hand.

"Wh-what are you doing?!"

Fuyou paid no attention and just gripped Tobirama's right hand tightly with both her hands, staring at it. For some reason, Tobirama was unable to shake off his hand, and simply stood there, watching the scene.

"…It's absolutely fine."

Fuyou said this while staring at Tobirama's right hand, rather than his face.

"What the hell is that? I don't understand."

Still holding his hand, Fuyou looks up at Tobirama's face and smiles.

"It's a spell. There's nothing else I can do for you two before you go off to fight..."

"That's rubbish. What the hell is this about not being funny? Not being funny to a ninja... that's not even a joke."

"I'm sorry. But... I think a person's feelings are stronger than anything else..."

Tobirama couldn't say anything and there was silence.

...People's feelings? Are you thinking about me too?

Then Tobirama silently shook off Fuyou's hand and left.

Left alone, Hibiscus gazed at the hibiscus tree with a slightly lonely look on her face.

◆

"The hibiscus tree has grown so big. I look forward to seeing it bloom. You really understand a woman's heart, don't you, Butsuma-sama?"

Tsubaki said jokingly to Butsumao while helping him get changed in a room overlooking the garden.

"I just happened to find it... it's just a record of Fuyou coming to my house."

Tsubaki laughed again as she folded her kimono. Butsuma gazed at the hibiscus tree and reminisced about the past.

"Can you teach me how to climb trees?"

While I was practicing tree climbing in the Buddhist altar, a strange girl approached me and spoke to me. She had long, jet black hair tied back and her skin was pure white. Her eyes were large and had long eyelashes, and her mouth was small and she had a big smile on her face.

Although it is called tree climbing, what Butsuma is doing is training in chakra control, by concentrating chakra in the soles of the feet and climbing vertically up the tree.

"You should ask a grown woman to teach you."

"Because my clan aren't shinobi."

Thinking that things were going to get complicated for the Buddhist altar, I quickly climbed up the tree.

"Wow! Amazing! Sounds fun!"

"You see, I'm not doing it for fun or anything! I'm so glad that normal people are so carefree..."

"Huh? What? I can't hear the end. But hey, isn't that a little fun?"

Butsuma looked down at the girl and thought to himself that that might indeed be the case.

"Please! I just want to climb trees! Teach me!"

Butsuma sighed and asked the girl.

"Why not just climb normally? Why would you want to climb a tree using chakra?"

"Because it looks like fun! And besides, you can't get that high by climbing normally, right? I want to see far away from the highest point."

Without a word, Butsuma jumped down from the tree and landed next to the girl.

"Wow! Amazing, amazing!"

Butsuma silently picked up the excited girl and climbed the tree in one go.

"Ahhhh!"

Before the girl had finished screaming, Butsuma had climbed to the very top of the tree.

"Look, here's the view from the top. Got it? Are you ready?"

There was a lush forest, and in the distance, I could see houses and fields. The blue sky was reflected in the river I had just passed, shining blue and sparkling. The sky was at eye level, and white clouds were floating in it.

"...Beautiful.... Do you always see views like this?... That's nice. Right! Tell me about it!"

Butsuma thought that the girl would be frightened by the height and give up climbing the tree, or would be satisfied with the view and give up, but he was surprised and stunned to see the girl frolicking and looking at Butsuma's face with a happy look.

"Hey, can you even use chakra in the first place? It's totally impossible if you can't activate chakra."

"Huh?... I see.... Too bad."

Butsuma was relieved that the bird had finally given up, and tried to climb down under the tree.

"Okay then! Can you teach me some ninjutsu that doesn't require the use of chakra?"

Butsuma nearly fell off the tree at the girl's unexpected words. "How long will she not give up?" "There is no such thing as a ninjutsu technique that doesn't require the use of chakra." He wanted to say that, but he thought it was pointless.

"...If it's martial arts or swordsmanship, maybe I can do it. In that case..."

"Well then! Tell me about it!"

I thought there would be someone among the general public who could teach me martial arts or swordsmanship, so I spoke up, thinking that the girl would ask someone else, but it had the opposite effect. For now, I decided to go down to the ground.

"Why do you want to use ninjutsu so badly? It's not like it's any fun."

"I want to know more about Shinobi. I don't want to dislike them without knowing anything about them."

The girl said this without any sign of remorse and smiled.

"What's that? I don't understand. Anyway, go find someone else. I'm busy."

Butsuma said this in a sulky tone and disappeared from the scene.

The next day, Butsuma returned to the same place for training. He thought it would be troublesome if the girl was there again, but he didn't want to have to change his favorite training spot just because of a rude, unknown woman.

"You hate Shinobu so much, you think you can just say that to her face? I hate insensitive people like that..."

I was so absorbed in my training that I forgot about the girl. As I was walking home, watching the river as the sun was setting, I saw the girl from yesterday swinging a wooden stick on the riverbank. Oh, so she's doing it her own way after all. I thought as I watched the girl for a while, and it seemed like she was practicing swordsmanship from a book. Then, Butsuma started practicing a form he knew.

...That's not right. Put your hips in more, and your left hand...

Before he knew it, he was staring at the girl practicing and mentally pointing out her mistakes. Realizing this, Butsuma shook his head vigorously and ran home.

The next day, the girl was in the same place.

It seemed like she had finally realized her mistake, and her figure was better than yesterday. But she was a girl about the same age as him, about 12 or 13 years old. Of course, a girl of that age would get bored and quit soon. Thinking this, Butsuma ignored the turmoil in his heart and left the place.

One day, Butsuma was practicing with shuriken at his usual training ground in the forest.

Jumping from tree to tree, he throws shuriken at the target. Several shuriken are already stuck in the center of the target. But Butsuma is not satisfied. Just as he is about to throw the shuriken again, a mother deer and her baby appear from between the trees. His hand shifts, and the shuriken misses the target and disappears into the depths of the forest.

...Being startled by a deer and losing control of my hands...that's the worst. This is no good...

At the same time as I had that thought, I heard a scream coming from deep in the forest.

Could it be that the shuriken earlier hit someone?! Butsuma hurried toward the direction of the voice.

"Ouch, ouch. I was so surprised..."

There, the girl was sitting on the ground, rubbing her back. In front of her, a shuriken thrown by Butsuma was stuck in the large tree.

"Are you okay? Any injuries?"

Butsuma hurriedly approached the girl and looked into her face.

"Oh... yeah. I'm fine... something suddenly flew at me and startled me, so I fell down."

"Sorry... that was the shuriken I threw. I'm glad it didn't hit me..."

Hmm? Wait a second. Why is a normal girl alone in this deep forest? She's training with shuriken, so she's gone deeper into the forest than usual...?

"Why are you in a place like this? It's dangerous!"

"What?! What's that?! Are you getting angry? It's not your fault!"

The girl was angry, but then she quickly bowed her head and apologized to the Buddhist altar.

"...Sorry. I was practicing my sword skills by the riverbank when I saw you crossing the bridge. So I came along to see what kind of training you were doing today...Sorry for interrupting."

When I looked next to the girl, I noticed a wooden stick she used for sword practice lying there.

"...I'm sorry too. But ninja training is dangerous. Please don't come with me. In return...I'll teach you swordsmanship..."

The girl's face suddenly lit up and she looked up at the altar.

"Really? I'm so happy! Thank you!!"

Butsuma's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the girl's genuinely happy smile. He became worried that her face might be turning red, so he turned away.

"My name is Suiren. What about you?"

"...Buddhist altar. Thousand-Armed Buddha Hall."

"The altar! Nice to meet you!"

From then on, every day after training in the Buddhist altar, he began teaching Suiren swordsmanship. Because real swords are dangerous, he gave Suiren a wooden sword he had at home, which made Suiren very happy.

"You have quite good muscles."

"...Who are you talking to and what are you talking about? You're the one who's being taught this!"

"Hahaha. I've always wanted to say this."

"Seriously, I don't understand you anymore..."

Although Butsuma pretended to be surprised at what he said, he found that he liked Suiren's slightly eccentric and interesting personality. In contrast, when he faced her with a serious gaze, Suiren's face was frighteningly beautiful. Why did such a girl want to master ninjutsu and swordsmanship, and why did she hate ninjas?

"There's an opening!"

Suiren tried to swing her wooden sword down, aiming at Butsuma's side.

Butsuma comes to his senses and quickly blocks it.

Bang! ...Whirr...Rumble, roll, roll...

The force of the blow caused Suiren's wooden sword to fly out of her hand, spin in the air, and fall to the ground.

As Suiren let go of the wooden sword, blisters were visible on her palm, faintly oozing blood.

"Oh, that was close. I was so close!"

Looking at Suiren stomping her feet with glee, Butsuma asked.

"Hey. Why do you hate ninjas?"

Drop, drop… drop, drop… cum…

After getting changed, Butsuma sat with his knees crossed and gazed out at the hibiscus tree, reminiscing, when suddenly it began to rain.

"Oh, Hibiscus just watered it a while ago... but I guess this rain is a blessing for all the plants."

Tsubaki brought tea and spoke to the Buddhist altar.

I wondered if the tree I had climbed with the water lily in the Buddhist altar was still standing in that place.

The next day, the rain had completely stopped overnight, and by morning the ground was dry and the sky was blue.

"Kyaa!"

Hashirama heard Fuyou's scream coming from the garden and ran towards her.

"Stand up. Grab your sword quickly."

"Father! That's way too much!"

Hashirama ran over to Fuyou and quickly picked her up.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Then Butsuma hit Hashirama on the back with his wooden sword.

"Ouch!! What are you doing?!"

"We're practicing. Don't do anything unnecessary."

"Hashirama-sama...Thank you...Ouch. But there's no need to lay hands on me."

Saying that, Fuyou gave a slightly crooked smile and picked up the sword.

Tobirama, who was sitting in the corner of the veranda watching the practice, called out to Hashirama.

"Brother, if that's what he said, then let him do it..."

"You! You were there! Let them do it... What are you even saying? Father, isn't Fuyou injured? You're not even a ninja, so why do you have to go this far?"

Butsuma let out a big sigh, and Tobirama whispered to Hashirama.

"I told you to stop too... but Fuyou..."

With that said, Tobirama turned away, sulking and resting his chin on his hands.

"Hashirama. A woman who becomes a shinobi's wife cannot just be protected. Above all else, she needs to have strong willpower. If you understand, then move out of the way."

"I... don't want to lose. I'll do my best..."

"Hmm. That's good. Now, Fuyou, bring it on!"

As she holds her wooden sword and gazes towards the altar, Fuyou's eyes are filled with a strength that is hard to believe coming from a young girl. Hashirama could not say anything more as he watched Fuyou heading towards the altar with complete concentration. All he could do was stand there.

...I don't want anything like that for Fuyou. I'll protect Fuyou! ...

Although he felt resentment towards the seemingly unnecessary harsh training, he was also a little happy to think that Fuyou was working so hard for his sake, and he began to look forward to Fuyou's future.

And I felt cherishing the time I was able to spend living with Fuyou.

With each passing day, as Fuyou grows, the sound of the wooden swords clashing gets louder.

The number and variety of books lined up next to the desk increase day by day.

The bookmark placed in the book records the events and memories of each moment.

The hibiscus in the garden grow taller and more flowers bloom each year, blooming beautifully and then fading away.

Meanwhile, the flames of war continue unabated.

Petals of memory and sparks of war flutter endlessly.

They are quietly swept away by the unstoppable flow of time.

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