Sarutobi Hiruzen straightened proudly.
"Hehe. I know! That's the First Hokage's Will of Fire!"
Hashirama laughed and patted his head.
"Good job, Monkey. That is my Will of Fire."
Then his expression turned serious.
"But what about yours?"
The question landed like a stone in still water.
No one answered.
They had never really thought about it.
Danzo spoke first, his voice steady.
"Your will is our will, Hokage-sama."
Hashirama shook his head.
"No."
"You must have wills of your own."
His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
"When you go home today, think about it."
"In one week, tell me what your Will of Fire is."
The pressure in the air instantly skyrocketed.
Several of them swallowed nervously and nodded.
Amakaze Kaede, however, remained calm.
He already had a rough idea.
Still, to avoid standing out, he nodded along with the others.
On the side, Kagami leaned toward Kaede.
"What do you think Hokage-sama means?"
Kaede thought for a moment.
"I think… he doesn't want us to become copies of him."
"If we only follow his ideas, we'll never grow into leaders ourselves."
Kagami's eyes widened slightly.
"That makes sense."
If future Hokage only repeated old methods without adapting, the village would eventually stagnate.
Danzo, standing nearby, overheard the conversation.
My own Will of Fire…
For the first time, he felt uncertain.
He had always imagined himself carrying out the Hokage's will perfectly.
But did that mean he had no will of his own?
Not just Danzo.
Most of the group looked troubled.
Sarutobi Hiruzen wandered from one teammate to another, asking questions nonstop.
Utane Koharu finally snapped and smacked him on the head.
"Stop bothering everyone!"
Hashirama watched them with mixed emotions.
This was a test.
A difficult one.
After a brief silence, he spoke gently.
"Don't rush."
"Think about it slowly."
"No extra training today. You're dismissed."
Tobirama nodded.
Normally he would run them through combat drills, but today he followed his brother's lead.
Hiruzen and the others staggered down the mountain, still deep in thought.
Kaede and Uchiha Shiori stayed behind.
Hashirama personally trained them in taijutsu for the entire morning.
Both were strong in ninjutsu.
Both were weak in close combat.
Hashirama focused heavily on fundamentals.
Footwork.
Balance.
Striking posture.
By noon, both kids were drenched in sweat.
Exhausted.
But satisfied.
Hashirama waved them off to rest.
Later, Tobirama cornered his brother.
"Why bring this up today?"
"You never tested them like this before."
Hashirama crossed his arms and smiled.
"Because of Kaede."
Tobirama frowned.
"…Explain."
"Last night I asked him about Tenpūton training."
"His clan left detailed manuals with exact chakra ratios."
"But Kaede couldn't succeed following them."
"So he adjusted the ratios himself."
"And only then did Tenpūton work."
Tobirama's eyes narrowed.
"I see."
Hashirama continued.
"My Will of Fire is like that manual."
"It works."
"It can guide generations."
"But if one day the village faces a problem my will can't solve…"
"And the Hokage only knows how to follow instructions…"
"Then Konoha could collapse."
Tobirama remained silent.
Hashirama clenched his fists.
"I don't want a village that survives only by repeating the past."
"I want Hokage who can think."
"Who can adapt."
"Who can surpass me."
Tobirama finally spoke.
"If they can't pass this test, they don't deserve the village."
Hashirama nodded.
They stood together beneath the midday sun.
After a long moment, Hashirama smiled.
"Believe in them."
"Kids have limitless potential."