As night fell, the sky was draped in black velvet, dotted with countless stars that shimmered like a distant city in the heavens.
Kaede lay in his yard, breathing heavily as he gazed up at the clear night sky. His body ached from the day's training; every muscle screamed, but he refused to stop. His strength had been drained completely, and only sheer willpower kept him going.
Still, the results were worth it. After a full day of pushing himself, his body had finally begun to adapt.
Looking at his sweat-soaked clothes, Kaede smiled faintly. This was the first time he had ever pushed himself so far. Despite the soreness, he felt deeply satisfied.
He closed his eyes and let the night breeze brush against his skin, a quiet smile resting on his lips.
The night was silent.
---
The next morning, Kaede was busy trying to calm down an angry Sakura Kinomoto with an awkward smile.
"Mother, I know I was wrong. Please don't be angry. I was just too tired last night, I fell asleep right away."
Sakura glared at him sharply, her expression enough to make him shiver.
"How dare you say that? If I hadn't checked on you, you would have caught a cold for sure! And what would you do if that made you late to meet Lord Hokage?"
Her tone was firm, and her finger repeatedly tapped against his forehead as she scolded him.
Kaede opened his mouth to defend himself but quickly gave up when he saw her face darken further.
She lectured him for what felt like an eternity.
Meanwhile, Yota was sitting off to the side, struggling not to laugh. His shoulders trembled as he held it in, but his face was already flushed from the effort.
"I'll let you off for now," Sakura finally said, crossing her arms. "Eat your breakfast quickly. Don't make the Hokage wait for you."
Kaede stared at her with an expression of defeat, his lips twitching slightly. *This entire family… truly a clan of Hokage fanatics.*
With no choice, he hurried through his meal. Once finished, he changed into fresh clothes and adjusted the weights still strapped to his body.
"I'm heading out," he said, waving at his parents before leaving for the Hokage Building.
---
As he walked through the streets, Kaede's hands were constantly moving, forming hand seals.
To use ninjutsu, one needed to perform the proper hand signs. There were twelve in total, and though it sounded simple, mastering them was anything but.
Fortunately, he had started young.
At three years old, when he couldn't yet refine chakra, he had begun practicing hand seals instead to improve his speed. Two years later, the results were showing.
He could now perform two seals per second, an average speed for a trained chunin. For a five-year-old, that was remarkable.
After repeating a few more sequences, he quickened his pace toward the Hokage Building.
Before he even arrived, the lively chatter of villagers reached his ears.
"Did you hear? Lord Hokage is taking a disciple!"
"Of course I heard! I knew about it yesterday!"
"Yeah right, you always say that!"
"I don't know who the kid is, but to be accepted by the God of Shinobi himself… that's incredible!"
The closer Kaede got, the louder the conversations became. His scalp tingled as a sense of dread washed over him.
*It's been less than a day, and everyone already knows!*
He gritted his teeth. *This has to be Senju Tobirama's doing!*
Without any evidence whatsoever, Kaede immediately blamed Tobirama for spreading the news. His father wasn't the type to boast, and Hashirama certainly wasn't either. That left only one possible culprit.
*Senju Tobirama, you scheming mastermind!*
Just thinking about it made his blood boil. From now on, every move he made would represent the Hokage himself. He clenched his fists, silently raging inside.
*You tricked me, Tobirama!*
Trying to avoid attention, Kaede attempted to sneak quietly into the Hokage Building. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
Standing near the entrance, arms crossed and expression unreadable, was none other than Senju Tobirama himself, waiting.
When their eyes met, Tobirama's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"You're here," he said calmly. "My brother is waiting for you in the office."
That single, casual remark froze Kaede in place.
Without saying a word, he turned pale and bolted inside, ignoring the surprised stares of everyone nearby.
The crowd only processed what had happened after a few seconds.
*Wait… did Tobirama just personally escort that boy?*
Gasps spread through the crowd. The realization hit them all at once, the child who had just run past them was the Hokage's new disciple.
Those who had been standing nearby looked furious and frustrated. They had missed the chance to speak to him, to perhaps make a connection that could change their futures.
After all, the disciple of the Hokage wasn't just a title, it was power, prestige, and protection.
---
Meanwhile, Kaede ran all the way to the Hokage's office, practically gasping for air by the time he arrived. He leaned against the doorframe, panting heavily.
He had no doubt Tobirama had done it on purpose.
*That guy really enjoys making my life harder.*
After cursing Tobirama mentally for the hundredth time, Kaede steadied his breath and pushed the door open.
Inside, Hashirama Senju sat behind his desk, wearing his Hokage hat. The moment he saw Kaede's sulking face, he burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Teacher!" Kaede said irritably, his face puffing up in protest.
"Ahem, sorry," Hashirama said between chuckles, trying to compose himself. "I couldn't help it."
With his perception, he had easily guessed what Tobirama had done.
"Let's forget about that for now," Hashirama said, clearing his throat. "Come, let's go to the training grounds. I want to test your abilities."
He formed a quick hand seal, and white mist swirled beside him as a shadow clone appeared.
"I can't leave the office at the moment, so my clone will take you there."
Even though he held the title of Hokage, most of the administrative work fell on Tobirama. Still, Hashirama had his hands full.
Five years after Konoha's founding, the village was growing rapidly, and internal tensions were rising. Disputes between clans and administrative departments were becoming more frequent.
Tobirama had even proposed holding a general meeting soon, where all the clans would gather to discuss the future of the village. The thought alone gave Hashirama a headache.
Before Kaede could leave, Hashirama suddenly spoke again.
"Oh, by the way, did you receive the gift Tobirama sent you?"
Kaede blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Yes, I did."
"How was it? Difficult?"
Kaede smiled mysteriously. "Hehe, teacher, you'll definitely be surprised."
Hashirama raised an eyebrow, amused by the boy's confidence. He could already imagine what Kaede was implying, but he decided not to ask.
Instead, he shook his head with a smile and turned back to his desk, lost in thought.
Kaede followed the shadow clone out of the office, the wooden doors closing softly behind him as he made his way toward the private training ground.