Kazuku's request surprised Tobirama.
But it earned high praise from Hashirama for his boldness.
Still, Kima and his wife, Ayako, opposed Kazuku joining the wilderness survival training.
First, they'd only just returned to the village.
Second, Kazuku was only seven—a child.
"What's the big deal? With Tobirama there, nothing will go wrong," Hashirama said, slapping his thigh with a grin.
The ninjas in this training were Tobirama's disciples, all highly capable.
Plus, the training ground was the Forest of Death.
Hashirama had been there; the beasts inside weren't even as strong as a single Tailed Beast.
Most importantly…
Tobirama's sensory skills were top-notch, and he had space-time ninjutsu like Flying Thunder God.
If Kazuku faced any real danger, Tobirama could be there in a breath.
With both Hashirama and Tobirama vouching, and Kazuku eager to join, Kima and Ayako reluctantly agreed.
Ten minutes later.
Tobirama brought Kazuku to the entrance of the Forest of Death.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were already waiting.
"So young," Kazuku thought, spotting them from afar.
These future Konoha elites were all in their late teens.
Even Danzo had a handsome face.
"And Koharu Utatane—didn't expect her to be kinda cute when young."
Soon, Kazuku and Tobirama stopped.
"This is Kazuku, the First Hokage's grandson," Tobirama said sternly, introducing him.
He did this to remind his disciples to look after Kazuku during the training.
"He'll be joining you for this wilderness survival training."
The moment Tobirama spoke, the group erupted.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura—these future big shots were visibly shocked.
They knew Lord Hashirama had a grandson, but a seven-year-old joining their training?
This was absurd!
This kid must've been coerced by Tobirama.
After all, in Tobirama's mind, ninjas should be trained from childhood.
Being born into a prestigious family wasn't always a blessing.
"Hi, I'm Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"Danzo Shimura."
"Hey, little guy, I'm from the Uchiha clan. You can call me Kagami."
"Koharu Utatane."
"Just call me En."
Watching these future Konoha elites introduce themselves one by one…
Is this the treatment of the ultimate nepo baby?
"Hi, I'm Kazuku."
On the way back to the village, Kazuku had asked why he and Tsunade didn't inherit the Senju surname.
Apparently, Hashirama wanted to eliminate divisions and dilute clan identities, encouraging Senju to marry outsiders and abandon the Senju name.
Hashirama's vision of unity was noble, but not everyone followed his lead.
"Lord Tobirama, is it really okay for Kazuku to join this training?" Hiruzen asked, concerned.
This was Lord Hashirama's grandson!
"A ninja follows orders, no unnecessary questions," Tobirama stressed to the group.
But before entering the Forest of Death, he reminded Kazuku.
"You haven't had formal training, and your physical condition isn't on par with Hiruzen's group. If you can't handle it, open this scroll."
Tobirama tossed Kazuku a scroll.
For someone skilled in space-time ninjutsu, embedding a reverse summoning jutsu in a scroll was simple.
If Kazuku opened it, a ninja would appear to escort him out of the Forest of Death.
Though Kazuku's bravery was admirable, this was still the Forest of Death.
As the grandson of his big brother, some special treatment was only natural.
Hashirama hadn't asked Tobirama to arrange this, though.
Meanwhile, Tobirama repeatedly used his sensory skills to confirm Kazuku's chakra attributes.
As for the wilderness survival training…
It was straightforward.
A ten-day survival exercise in the Forest of Death.
No food or water allowed.
They had to solve all problems themselves.
Hunting or gathering were options.
But the forest was filled with aggressive wild beasts.
Whether to fight or retreat was their call.
Reaching the central tower within ten days meant passing.
"If there are no further questions, the training begins now!"
At Tobirama's command, Hiruzen led the charge into the Forest of Death.
He silently vowed to protect Lord Hashirama's grandson no matter what.
Kazuku followed the team, full of anticipation for the survival training.
Once everyone was out of sight, Tobirama pulled out a crystal ball.
With hand seals, Kazuku's figure appeared on it.
The Telescope Technique!
Ninety percent of Konoha's ninjutsu were invented by Tobirama.
Still, he wasn't optimistic about Kazuku's performance.
"He'll probably give up soon."
At first, Kazuku struggled to keep up with the group's speed.
To ensure he didn't fall behind, Koharu and En deliberately slowed down, watching his surroundings.
But what Tobirama didn't expect…
Initially, Kazuku wasn't suited for ninja speed, not even knowing the proper ninja run, swinging his arms instead.
But five minutes later…
Kazuku's breathing stabilized, and his speed increased.
Koharu and En had to pick up their pace.
Ten minutes later…
Kazuku's speed matched Hiruzen's.
Thanks to Hashirama's chakra, Kazuku had a natural advantage in stamina.
When regular animals attacked, he didn't panic, calmly dodging to safety and letting others handle the beasts.
He acted like a seasoned jungle hunter.
Tobirama's eyes narrowed, observing Kazuku closely.
If he hadn't seen it himself, he'd never believe a seven-year-old could catch up to Hiruzen's group in just ten minutes!
And according to Kima, Kazuku had never even run a kilometer.
This talent.
This adaptability.
Even in the Warring States era, no one could compare.
And most importantly…
Kazuku was only seven!
Tobirama, worried about Konoha's future due to Hashirama's illness, felt waves of excitement at Kazuku's performance.
"Maybe Kazuku could surpass Big Brother in the future."
"No, with proper training, he could have Big Brother's strength and my intelligence…"
"Kazuku, you're a once-in-a-century super genius of the Senju clan!"
(End of Chapter)