Chapter 2: We're Friends Now
"Oh! You really get it, huh? Hahaha! It's rare for someone to explain the Will of Fire even better than me! I, the great Nawaki, will grudgingly acknowledge you!"
It was clear that Minamoto Ren's flattery had hit all the right notes. He had spoken from the lofty perspective of the Hokage while emphasizing the pivotal role of the Senju clan—exactly the kind of praise Nawaki loved most.
Ren smiled warmly, pretending to be delighted by the acknowledgment. These second-generation elites were so easy to win over. Just like descendants of Qing nobility or Brahmin caste—praise their ancestors, and they'd value it more than praise for themselves.
After a few moments of casual laughter, and sensing Nawaki in high spirits, Ren pretended to be lost in thought, then spoke up just as Nawaki looked his way.
"Nawaki... that name rings a bell. Oh right—you're the grandson of the First Hokage, aren't you? No wonder... no wonder, young master, you're so…"
> "System, what's Nawaki's score in theoretical studies?"
[67. Just barely passing.]
"No wonder you're able to express such profound insights about the Will of Fire. I always thought the academy teachers were too rigid with their grading. Back when I studied, I could only score a 97 on theory. But now that I've heard your perspective, I finally understand what a perfect score should look like."
"Hahahaha! Did you hear that?! All of you, did you hear that?! Even someone who scored 97 says I'm right! And you guys used to laugh at me! Tch! Only you truly understand me!"
Nawaki was so excited he threw his arms around Ren's, laughing and shouting at his friends in triumph.
Ren let them carry on for a bit. When the noise settled slightly, he leaned in and asked quietly, "Nawaki-sama, do you want to become Hokage?"
"Huh?" Senju Nawaki froze. Had he just heard what he thought he heard?
"Of course I do! I dream about becoming Hokage! But how do I get there? Every time I ask my sister, she just scoffs and says there's nothing good about being Hokage. But I... I really want it…"
That reaction—emotional, frustrated, full of yearning—was exactly what Ren had been waiting for.
Adults often dismissed a child's ambition because the power gap was just too massive. But Ren wasn't playing the adult—he was playing the sycophant, the trusted sidekick. If Tsunade wouldn't be there for Nawaki, he would. Earn Nawaki's trust now, and he'd be able to leverage it later—especially when dealing with Tsunade.
Nawaki pressed him again, "Tell me! How do I become Hokage?!"
Ren suddenly adopted a serious, almost sacred expression—roleplay was everything with kids. You had to sell it.
"I'll tell you, but on one condition. When you become Hokage, you have to name me your personal advisor. Deal?"
"I promise! I promise! Just tell me already!"
"Alright then. But this is a secret. I'll only tell you. Listen closely—come closer…"
Ren lowered his voice like a snake offering forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
Nawaki's friends leaned in, but he and Ren kept the conversation exclusive, their voices barely audible.
> "The secret to becoming Hokage… is making sure all your older siblings, aunts, and uncles like you. When you're a little older—say, my age—you'll be qualified for the position."
It sounded almost too simple—but Ren wasn't lying. The people who could be considered Nawaki's "aunts, uncles, and older siblings" weren't ordinary villagers. They were Konoha's most powerful figures. If they all supported Nawaki, his path to Hokage would be a given.
Of course, Ren also knew the bitter truth—Nawaki wouldn't live long enough to realize any of that. He simply didn't have the fate or the strength.
Nawaki's eyes went wide. That's it? That simple?
His first reaction: "You're not lying to me, are you?"
Ren was perfectly calm. He had his answer ready.
"If you don't believe me, ask your sister—Tsunade-sama—tonight. If she says I'm lying, then I'm lying. But if she doesn't, then you'll know it's true."
Seeing how confident Ren was, Nawaki believed him completely.
"No, I'm going to ask her right now!"
Nawaki was impulsive by nature. He let go of Ren's arm and bolted down the street toward home.
Ren stood still and silently counted, "One... two... three."
Sure enough—
"Wait! What's your name?!"
Nawaki had already run a good distance before realizing he didn't even know who to credit—or blame—if things went south with Tsunade.
"Nawaki-sama! I'm Minamoto Ren, from Genin Squad 17!" Ren called out, even using chakra to amplify his voice. He wanted this name to reach Tsunade's ears.
If his plan worked, tonight would be the night he gained the attention of one of Konoha's future Sannin.
---
Nawaki ran straight home. As Tsunade's little brother, he wasn't stationed at any outposts outside the village, and Tsunade had stayed behind as well.
Once home, Nawaki's eyes darted around. His sister was hunched over her desk, scribbling furiously and forming hand seals with bursts of greenish-white chakra flashing from her fingertips. She was deep in research—developing new medical ninjutsu.
Nawaki didn't care for medical techniques. He admired his grandfather and grand-uncle—the ones who had wielded Wood Release and Water Release. Sadly, no one in the clan had awakened Wood Release in a long time.
"Sis, someone told me a secret today," Nawaki said, dragging a stool over to sit beside her.
The image of the two siblings, one large and one small, quietly leaning on each other was unexpectedly warm.
Tsunade glanced at him briefly without pausing her work. She didn't believe for a second that her little brother could possibly know anything worth calling a "secret."
That single glance from Tsunade carried far too many layers—and it instantly ticked Nawaki off.
"Hmph! You're always underestimating me! And you call yourself my sister? That Genin out there understands me better than you do!"
He didn't really mean it—but the sting in his voice was real. And it was enough to make Tsunade pause, if only slightly. Her hand froze mid-sentence.
Nawaki's identity wasn't that politically sensitive… but it wasn't irrelevant either. And thanks to years of dealing with Danzō and his scheming, Tsunade's instincts for sniffing out manipulation were finely honed. She sensed the faintest whiff of something unusual.
"Alright then," she said with a soft smile, gently coaxing, "why don't you tell your big sister this secret? I know a lot of secrets, you know. Let me help you check if it's real."
Tsunade was no slouch when it came to lying to kids either.
"Hmph! Then listen up! What he told me is the secret to becoming Hokage!" Nawaki puffed up his chest, his face glowing with pride—he might as well have had "gullible and proud" written across his forehead.
Tsunade, ever the skilled kunoichi, managed to hold back her laughter. Instead, she leaned in seriously. "And what secret could possibly be hidden behind becoming Hokage?"
"Lean closer. I don't want anyone else to hear," Nawaki said, looking around with exaggerated secrecy.
Once she obliged, he repeated every word Minamoto Ren had told him—without missing a single syllable.
Tsunade was stunned for a beat… and then burst out laughing.
She laughed so hard she had to reach out and poke his forehead with her signature Great Desolate Imprisoning Heavenly Finger —leaving behind a comically red dot.
Nawaki puffed up like a pufferfish, cheeks bulging in fury. "So he was lying! You're laughing way too hard! I'm mad now!"
Tsunade pulled her fuming little brother into her arms before he could storm off to find Ren and settle the score. She gently tousled his hair, then whispered softly:
"No… he wasn't lying. But the truth is… you just don't understand how difficult that 'secret' really is. When you're older, you'll see it for what it is."