It seemed that the agreement to keep Mokuton a secret until I became stronger had just been broken.
"Mokuton. I saw you channel chakra into the ground and create branches," said my father.
Alright, maybe I had been a bit reckless testing my Mokuton in the backyard, but I had expected a little privacy, right?
But now something else worried me. If my father had seen me using Mokuton, then other ninjas might have seen it too.
"I was hoping you would tell me yourself," he continued. "But I guess you're still trying to understand what it means, aren't you?"
'That's not exactly it... But I'd better go along and play the part,' I thought, as I tried to find the words to answer him.
I nodded slowly. "I still don't fully understand this ability. I thought only Hashirama could use it."
My father sighed, running a hand through his hair, a gesture he always made when nervous.
"No one expected anyone other than the First Hokage to be able to use Mokuton," he admitted. "Let alone someone from our family. The remaining Senju... were forgotten. Overlooked. Our clan is no longer what it was, Riku. But you... you brought something back. Something no one expected."
Little did I know how much this discovery would change the story — the Senju still existed, but as branches of the family.
Apparently, many other members of the clan, who were not from the main family, had taken care of other matters, such as the clan's finances, the weapons used in wars, and other responsibilities that were not in the spotlight.
Most of them eventually adopted new surnames and distanced themselves from the clan.
As for my ancestors? They were left in charge of Senju Park.
He placed the scroll he was carrying on the bed between us.
"This has been kept for years," he said. "It's one of the last records of Hashirama's training. It's not much, but it may help you understand what you carry."
'A training scroll from Hashirama himself? Looks like the old man had some secrets after all,' I thought, staring anxiously at the scroll.
"Why are you giving this to me now?" I asked, looking at the scroll as if it were made of glass.
"Because you need to know what you're doing," he replied. "But I want you to keep this a secret. Not even your mother, or anyone else, can know. Not until you're ready."
"Ready for what?"
"Ready to face the world, Riku," he said in a serious tone. "Mokuton is more than a skill. It's a symbol. And symbols... draw attention — both good and bad."
I was silent. Both Itachi and my father had said the same thing.
"I'll take good care of it, Dad. Thanks for trusting me," I said, holding the scroll carefully.
My father placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "I need you to trust me when I say this: don't rush. Train. Learn. And above all, be ready."
He stood up and walked to the door. Before leaving, he looked over his shoulder.
"I'm proud of you, Riku. I always have been. Now show the world what it means to be a Senju."
With that, he left, leaving me alone with the scroll and a growing sense of responsibility.
It didn't take long for me to come to my senses and open the scroll with urgency.
With that, a message from the system appeared.
*
[Scroll Found: Acquiring information…]
[Information Registered.]
[Mokuton Training Scroll obtained.]
Description: The Mokuton Training Scroll was written by a young Hashirama while he honed his skills. With this scroll, learning to control Mokuton becomes easier.
*
"So Hashirama wrote this kind of thing too. How did it end up in my family's hands?" I said as I prepared to read the scroll and see what useful information I could find.
The instructions were simple but held surprisingly valuable insights. Phrases like "feel the earth as an extension of yourself" and "don't force the chakra, but let it flow" seemed obvious, but when I put them into practice, they made a real difference.
I spent the rest of the night reading the scroll, absorbing as much information as I could, and then went to sleep.
I woke up earlier than usual with one goal in mind: to go to the library to research the Senju clan. I got dressed and quickly went down to the kitchen. My parents were still there, having breakfast and getting ready for work. I ate while chatting with them — they honestly seemed even more excited about my graduation than I was.
I left the house and headed for the library. The streets were busier than usual, full of families shopping and chatting together.
'Ninja graduation must be a big event.'
After pushing through the crowd, I finally arrived in front of the library, and as I entered, silence took over. The soundproofing in this place was impressive.
The place was huge, with three floors and thousands of books on each shelf. Some people were walking back and forth, looking for something to read, while others were already seated and reading. I went straight to the counter to talk to the librarian.
"Excuse me, my name is Senju Riku. I'm here looking for records of the Senju clan," I said, looking at the broad-faced, gray-haired woman who seemed to be taking notes.
She looked at me calmly and stopped writing.
"Aren't you a bit young to be interested in these kinds of books, young man?"
"Maybe, but it's always important to stay informed about the past, right? Besides, these are my family's records — they matter to me."
"Well, in a way, you're right… But those records are kept in a restricted wing. Only ninjas are allowed to enter." She looked me up and down and continued. "And you don't exactly look like a young ninja."
"Yeah, I'm not one yet, but I'm graduating today. Can't I just come back in a few hours?" I looked at her, hoping she would let me go after the records I came for.
"I'm sorry, kid. Those are the rules. If I make an exception for you, I'll have to make exceptions for others. Since your graduation is today, how about coming back later?" She smiled, with a hint of mockery in her eyes, and looked back down to continue writing.
"Okay, ma'am, but just know that I'll be back." I said, leaving, frustrated by my lack of access. I then made my way to the ninja academy, not wanting to be late for my long-awaited graduation.
...
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