The next morning, every student of the Academy was gathered in the courtyard.
Karma stood among the other children, hands behind his back, looking around curiously.
'What is this about?'
A moment later, Hashirama walked onto the stage with Tobirama beside him. The courtyard immediately became quiet.
"Good morning, everyone!"
"Good morning, Hokage-sama!"
The response came from hundreds of children.
Hashirama smiled and looked across the courtyard.
"Today, I have something important to announce."
His eyes moved toward Karma.
"Karma Akabane has successfully completed the requirements necessary to graduate from the Academy."
The courtyard immediately filled with whispers.
Karma remained calm, though a small smile appeared on his face.
Hashirama raised his hand, bringing the children back to silence.
"From today onward, Karma will officially be recognized as a shinobi of Konohagakure."
More whispers spread through the crowd.
Hashirama continued.
"And from this day forward, I will personally take responsibility for his training."
He looked at Karma.
"Karma will be my student."
Karma blinked.
'Well, that's certainly one way to make an announcement.'
Hashirama turned back toward the students.
"Now, I want every one of you to remember something."
His voice became warm and encouraging.
"Talent is important. Hard work is important. But neither one alone decides what kind of shinobi you will become."
The children listened carefully.
"Some of you will learn quickly. Some of you will struggle. Some of you will fail."
Hashirama smiled.
"And that's okay."
"You don't need to become the strongest person in the village tomorrow. You only need to become a little stronger than you were yesterday."
The courtyard became silent.
"Train when you're tired. Learn when you don't understand. And when you fall…"
He smiled.
"Stand back up."
Hashirama looked across the crowd.
"One day, this village will depend on all of you. Not just the Hokage. Not just the strongest shinobi. All of you."
His voice became firm.
"So work hard."
The courtyard erupted with cheers.
Hashirama waited for the excitement to settle before turning toward Karma.
"And now, I'd like Karma to say a few words."
Karma froze for a moment.
'You planned this, didn't you, old man?'
Hashirama gestured toward him.
"Come on, Karma."
Karma walked onto the stage and looked across the courtyard.
Hundreds of children were watching him.
Some were curious.
Some were excited.
A few looked skeptical.
Karma smiled.
"My friends."
The courtyard became quiet.
"I know I'm ahead of most of you right now."
A few children immediately looked annoyed.
Karma continued before they could react.
"And I'm not going to pretend otherwise."
He pointed toward himself.
"But I'm going to keep moving forward."
Then he pointed toward the crowd.
"And I'll be waiting for all of you to catch up."
A few children clenched their fists.
Karma's smile widened.
"So please, do your best."
"If you don't understand something during training, ask your teachers. If you still don't understand, ask your friends."
He paused.
"And if you need help with something I know…"
Karma shrugged.
"You can ask me."
Several children looked surprised.
Karma continued.
"I won't laugh at you for not knowing something. Everyone starts somewhere."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"I've been lucky. I have talent, and I've had the chance to learn quickly."
"But talent isn't something you should use as an excuse to give up."
He looked directly at the children.
"If you're weaker than someone else, train."
"If you don't understand something, learn."
"If you fail, try again."
"And if someone beside you is struggling…"
He smiled.
"Help them."
The children listened quietly.
"Because one day, you'll need someone to help you too."
Karma looked over the entire courtyard.
"We're all part of the same village."
"So I don't want to reach the top alone."
His eyes sharpened with ambition.
"I want to see how high we can climb together."
The words were sincere.
But there was another thought behind them.
'And when the time comes, I want every person in this village to know they can rely on me.'
Karma wasn't naïve.
He knew strength alone wouldn't make him Hokage.
A Hokage needed prestige.
Respect.
Trust.
People who would stand behind him when things became difficult.
If he wanted to sit in that chair one day, then he couldn't simply become the strongest shinobi alive and expect everyone to follow him.
He needed people to believe in him.
And helping them become stronger was a good place to start.
Karma smiled again.
"So train hard."
"Take care of your friends."
"Help each other."
"And if you ever think you're not good enough…"
He pointed toward himself.
"Remember that I'll be waiting for you at the top."
A brief silence followed.
Then a voice shouted from the crowd.
"I'll catch up to you!"
Another child raised his fist.
"Me too!"
"I'm going to become stronger than you!"
"I'm going to become Hokage!"
Soon the entire courtyard erupted.
Children shouted, laughed, and raised their fists.
Karma stepped back from the stage with a satisfied smile.
'Perfect.'
Hashirama watched him with a strange mixture of amusement and admiration.
The boy had only spoken for a few minutes, yet he had managed to turn an entire courtyard of children into a crowd of motivated young shinobi.
Tobirama quietly observed Karma as well.
'He understands people.'
That was something even many talented shinobi never learned.
Hashirama walked over to Karma after the assembly.
"That was quite a speech."
Karma shrugged.
"I just told them the truth."
Hashirama laughed.
"Of course you did."
Karma looked at the excited children still talking among themselves.
'If I want to become Hokage, I need more than strength.'
'I'll need allies.'
'Friends.'
'People who trust me.'
'People who can look at me and say, "That's the person I want leading us."'
He smiled.
'So why not start now?'
Hashirama interrupted his thoughts.
"Come on, kid."
Karma looked up.
"Where are we going?"
"Training."
Karma's eyes immediately lit up.
'Finally.'
The two left the Academy grounds together.
After walking for several minutes, Hashirama brought Karma to a quiet training field.
There were no students here. No crowds. No clan members. Just trees, grass, and an empty training ground.
Hashirama turned toward him.
"Before I start teaching you anything complicated, I want to see what you can already do."
Karma nodded.
"Alright."
"Show me your basics."
Karma stepped into the center of the field and took his stance.
Hashirama watched carefully.
Karma began moving.
His body was still that of a four-year-old. His steps weren't powerful, and his muscles couldn't produce the force of an adult shinobi.
But his movements were clean.
His balance was excellent.
His footwork was precise.
And most importantly, there was very little wasted movement.
Hashirama's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Interesting.'
Karma picked up a wooden kunai and threw it.
Hashirama caught it effortlessly.
Another followed.
Then another.
Karma changed the angle of the next throw.
Hashirama caught that one too.
Karma frowned.
'He's not the First Hokage for nothing.'
Hashirama smiled.
"Again."
Karma grinned.
"Gladly."
He continued.
Throw after throw.
Movement after movement.
Hashirama watched everything.
The way Karma shifted his weight.
The way he observed his opponent.
The way he adjusted after every mistake.
It wasn't simply talent.
The boy was learning constantly.
Hashirama finally raised his hand.
"Enough."
Karma stopped.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"So?"
Hashirama smiled.
"So we're going to start with the basics."
Karma's face dropped.
"The basics?"
"Yes."
"I already know the basics."
"I know."
"Then why are we starting there?"
Hashirama crouched down until they were at eye level.
"Because knowing something and mastering it are two different things."
Karma went silent.
Hashirama smiled.
"You have extraordinary talent, Karma. But talent doesn't mean you get to skip the foundation."
Karma thought about it for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Alright."
Hashirama stood.
"Good."
He walked toward the trees.
"First lesson."
Karma followed him.
"Tree climbing."
Karma stared at the tree.
Then at Hashirama.
Then back at the tree.
'So it begins.'
Hashirama smiled.
"Let's see how quickly you can learn."