"Great-grandpa!!"
The crisp voice of a delighted girl resounded in the ear of Hashirama Senju.
Before he could react, a petite figure swiftly darted like a swallow, plunging abruptly into his embrace.
Reflexively, Hashirama Senju immediately extended his arms, securely holding onto the little girl who had thrown herself at him, then kindly smiled and said, "Little one, take it slow, okay?"
"Great-grandpa!" The young girl, Maki Senju, at this moment, with her small hand around Hashirama Senju's neck, joyfully shouted in his ear.
"Great... grandpa? Me?"
Hashirama Senju was momentarily stunned, only then realizing she was calling out to him.
Could it be...
With a surprised expression, Hashirama Senju quickly brought the girl he was holding to eye level, examining her closely.
Wasn't she the little girl he had practiced Wood Style Jutsu with before?
Instantly, Hashirama Senju's face lit up with extreme excitement.
Simultaneously, witnessing this scene, Maki in his arms was also overjoyed.
Her little face raised high, filled with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the delightful moment of family reunion.
One second... two seconds... three seconds...
Time ticked away, unexpectedly, amidst Maki's eager waiting, Hashirama Senju, still maintaining his excited expression, bizarrely did not erupt.
Fortunately, not long after, amidst a skillful burst of hearty laughter and the long-awaited sparkle in Maki's eyes, Hashirama Senju finally reacted.
He cradled Maki with one hand and, with the other, awkwardly scratched his head, turning to his brother, Tobirama, quietly asking, "Tobirama, what generation is 'great-grandpa'?"
Hashirama Senju's voice was low, but everyone present had sharp senses.
In an instant!
Maki's face, brimming with hopeful smiles, suddenly stiffened.
Besides them, individuals familiar with their relationship, such as Hiruzen Sarutobi, full of emotion, prepared to witness the forthcoming scene of grandparent and grandchild recognition, suddenly felt as though a multitude of crows were cawing above their heads.
And Tobirama, queried by his brother, Hashirama Senju, stared in shock at his elder brother, hardly believing he didn't know.
Sensing the sudden silence around them, even though not directly involved, Tobirama, feeling immensely ashamed for his elder brother, covered his face, explaining:
"Great-grandpa... meaning, this little girl in your arms is your great-granddaughter."
"Great-granddaughter?" Hashirama Senju, looking bewildered, was about to start counting on his fingers.
Seeing this, Tobirama sighed helplessly, further clarifying, "To be precise, she's Tsunade's daughter. Do you understand now?"
"Tobirama, saying it like that, I get it. She's Tsunade's... wait! Tsunade's... daughter???"
Initially wearing a look of realization, Hashirama Senju, in an instant, became utterly shocked, yelling out while abruptly turning around.
At that moment, fully comprehending, he fixed his eyes, without blinking, on Maki's little face nearby.
From her eyebrows to her features, she indeed resembled Tsunade from her childhood!
"Hahaha! Hahaha!"
Unbridled joy surged into Hashirama Senju's heart in an instant.
The next moment, as if cradling a priceless treasure, he awkwardly held Maki with both hands, unsure how much force to exert, finally handling her with extreme care and excitement, saying, "Great-grandpa is here, great-grandpa is so wonderful! Little miss, tell great-grandpa, what's your name?"
"Maki Senju!"
Even though Maki still sounded fragile, underneath her restored joyful expression, there was a hint of confusion.
For some reason, she suddenly felt her great-grandpa seemed somewhat simple-minded.
Just like... just like Naruto, who would scratch his head and count on his fingers.
No!
Impossible!
Maki quickly dismissed this thought.
Her great-grandpa was the First Hokage, the God of the Shinobi, idolized by countless individuals.
How could he resemble that big idiot Naruto?
Yeah! That's how it must be!
Firmly nodding to herself, Maki refocused her attention. At this moment, she happily conversed with her affectionate great-grandpa Hashirama Senju, her second uncle, Tobirama, who seemed smarter but equally fond of her, engaging in cheerful conversation about family ties.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi and others nearby watched the heartwarming scene of the three generations finally acknowledging each other, smiling contently.
Though the journey had unexpected twists, the ending was indeed perfect.
...
Inside Konoha.
As the illustrious team of Hokages—First, Second, and Third—returned, they saw the village, previously disrupted by an attack, now restored to tranquility.
Leading the effort to pacify and settle everyone in the village, Tsunade at this moment arrived with a group of individuals.
Observing the alive and present First and Second Hokages before her, even someone as composed as Tsunade couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
It was at this moment that Maki, who had been held by Hashirama Senju all along, peeked out, her face brimming with excitement, waving to introduce to Tsunade, "Aunt Tsunade, this is my great-grandpa, and this is my second uncle."
Despite having never lacked affection, upon learning that many of her friends not only had parents but also doting grandparents, Maki occasionally felt envious, desiring to experience the love of the older generation.
That was precisely why, upon discovering Hashirama Senju and Tobirama's identities, she couldn't wait to meet them.
Though not exactly grandparents' affection, having a great-grandpa and second uncle was pretty good.
Just like now, witnessing her great-grandpa's radiant smile that didn't even allow her second uncle to hold her, Maki felt immense joy, hoping it would last forever.
Hearing Maki's introduction, Tsunade, now composed, respectfully said, "First Hokage, Second Hokage, welcome back to the village."
"Haha! We're all family here! No need for formalities!" Hashirama Senju, holding Maki close and taking a close look at present-day Konoha, doubly surprised, waved cheerfully.
Tobirama also nodded to the arriving group, then glanced around the unfamiliar yet bustling streets of Konoha.
Previously, he had only observed from afar during his moments of clarity, and during the attack at the train station, he was under Orochimaru's control and couldn't afford distractions.
Truly speaking, this was his first time carefully examining the current Konoha from such proximity.
The impact it brought was undeniably greater.
"So these are the real First and Second Hokages!" Sasuke Uchiha with Naruto Uzumaki, who had the whirlpool emblem on his clothes, had also arrived. Naruto, looking excitedly at the two revered figures, said.
"The First Hokage is quite unexpected." While the actual circumstances remained unclear, Sasuke, quickly regaining his cool expression, couldn't quite believe what he was seeing in Hashirama Senju.
In his view, the man who defeated Madara Uchiha ruled over the Shinobi world, acclaimed as the "God of Shinobi," should be a proud and powerful individual.
The current demeanor of the First Hokage didn't quite match.
However, Naruto didn't share the same sentiment: "Isn't it nice that the First Hokage is warm and friendly? This is how I imagine a Hokage should be!"
Looking at Hashirama Senju, Naruto's face was filled with admiration and longing.
If not for the fact that he was currently occupied by Maki, with his naturally outgoing nature, he would have rushed up to his idol to ask a million questions.
Even so, the intense gaze of Naruto still caught the attention of the Hashirama Senju.
Seeing the blonde youth with the whirlpool emblem and the Uchiha beside him, for some reason, Hashirama Senju smiled warmly at the two.
"Ah, Sasuke! Sasuke! Did you see that? The First Hokage smiled at me!" In an instant, Naruto exclaimed excitedly.
"Keep it down! Is there a need to be this happy?" Sasuke hurriedly said.
Even so, despite his words, in a place where Naruto couldn't see, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Sasuke's mouth.
The weight of being a "Hokage," whether past or present, was beyond compare in the hearts of all in Konoha.