"Teacher Hashirama…"
Kyūsei looked at the tall man sitting beside him with burning eyes.
The autumn night wind stirred Hashirama's long black hair.
For the first time, the man who had always seemed unwavering now carried the same confusion Kyūsei felt.
"Teacher…"
Kyūsei spoke again when Hashirama remained silent.
Hashirama glanced at his student.
At that moment he honestly wanted to say:
I'm not your teacher. I'm not qualified.
You and those Uzumaki lunatics downstairs are the real teachers.
"Are you troubled by the Dragon Vein plan you discussed earlier?"
Hashirama asked quietly.
There was a hint of melancholy in his voice—something Kyūsei had never heard from him before.
"Yes."
"If it's you, Teacher… you can definitely give me the right guidance."
Kyūsei looked at him with expectation.
This was once the strongest man in the world.
The man with the firmest will.
If anyone could show him the correct path, it had to be Hashirama.
Hashirama rubbed his forehead awkwardly.
Were all students this troublesome?
Because the truth was—
He was confused too.
"If it were you, Kyūsei…"
"Then perhaps… you should act within your limits for now."
Hashirama said hesitantly.
He wanted to give the correct guidance.
And seeing Kyūsei looking at him with such genuine thirst for answers made it impossible to refuse.
It was a teacher's duty.
To point the student toward the right direction.
Act within my limits…
Kyūsei stared at him blankly.
Then suddenly understood.
Teacher Hashirama thought he wasn't strong enough yet.
That must be what he meant.
If Kyūsei had overwhelming strength, he wouldn't hesitate in front of such an incredible future.
Although he had already mastered Sage Mode and Kurama Mode—
He probably still couldn't defeat Hashirama at his peak.
Hashirama had once said that even facing Sage Mode plus Nine-Tails mode, he would only be a little troubled.
Which meant—
Kyūsei still wasn't strong enough.
If he couldn't even surpass Hashirama, how could he deal with threats like a Six Paths Madara?
Or a transformed Sasuke?
Or the hidden Ōtsutsuki Isshiki?
Hashirama must believe the plan had potential…
But Kyūsei himself—or Konoha—was not strong enough yet to support such a grand plan.
"I understand, Teacher Hashirama."
Kyūsei said seriously.
"?"
Hashirama blinked.
Wait—what did you understand?
"Teacher, I now understand what you meant by acting within my limits."
"I will not disappoint you!"
Kyūsei looked determined.
At this moment, Hashirama seemed even greater in his eyes.
Tall.
Magnificent.
Overflowing with charisma.
As expected of the God of Shinobi.
Behind that simple and honest appearance was the wisdom of a great thinker.
People had misunderstood him all along.
Hashirama wasn't some muscle-brained fighter.
He was a true sage.
Maybe Mito had seen this wisdom too—that was why she had married him through a political alliance.
"I understand!"
"Teacher, you truly possess great wisdom!"
Kyūsei declared.
Hashirama was stunned.
Great wisdom?
Me?
He scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
"Uh… yeah… that's right."
Kyūsei nodded solemnly.
"Teacher Hashirama."
"I will not disappoint you."
Then he disappeared.
Hashirama stared at the empty rooftop.
It was the first time anyone had praised him as wise.
And he still had no idea what had just happened.
…Was that really what I meant?
The autumn wind blew across the roof.
Hashirama should have been immune to cold.
Yet he shivered slightly.
When Kyūsei returned downstairs, he saw a blonde girl sitting alone on the living room sofa.
Karin and Sasuke had already left.
Kushina had gone back to her room.
Menma had locked himself in his room after their argument.
Kakashi had been sent to sleep in Kyūsei's room.
Only Kaoru remained.
She sat quietly beneath the warm lights, flipping through a book.
The sound of pages turning filled the room.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Kyūsei sat beside her and pulled her into his arms.
His eyes fell on the book in her hands.
He clicked his tongue.
"The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja."
Jiraiya's terrible novel.
Since the war ended, Jiraiya had gone back to wandering the ninja world.
"I was waiting for you."
Kaoru closed the newly published book and leaned comfortably against Kyūsei.
She kicked off her slippers and curled into his arms.
Kyūsei stroked her golden hair.
But before he could speak, Kaoru said quietly:
"If you want to do it, then do it."
Her voice was muffled against his chest.
"I thought about it."
"If you really want to pursue that plan…"
"Then go for it."
"I'll become your strongest support."
She looked up at him.
"…Why?"
Kyūsei asked softly.
She had opposed the idea earlier.
Kaoru pressed her forehead against his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat.
"Kyūsei has always been lively."
"But because of the Nine-Tails, you were trapped behind that barrier for four years."
She paused.
"I realized something."
"If I stop you from doing what you want…"
"Then how am I any different from the barrier that imprisoned you?"
She looked up at him seriously.
"Do you know why I want to become Hokage?"
Kyūsei answered instantly.
"Because you want to protect the village and everyone in it."
But—
"That's only part of the reason."
Kaoru gazed at him with shining eyes.
"I want Kyūsei to be free like the wind over the sea."
"To shine like the stars in the night sky."
"To soar like an eagle in the blue heavens."
Kyūsei stared at her speechlessly.
"…Kaoru ."
The next morning.
The autumn air was cold and fresh.
A faint dampness in the breeze filled the lungs and woke the body.
Ninja assigned to the gate were sweeping fallen leaves.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Until a figure appeared at the village entrance.
A heavy smell of blood spread through the air.
Haruno Sakura stepped into Konoha.
Each step left a bloody footprint on the freshly cleaned ground.
Her once-brilliant pink hair was messy and scorched.
A streak of dried blood ran from her forehead past her emerald eye.
Her jonin combat vest was gone.
Only a black undersuit remained.
There was a hole in her left abdomen, revealing white bandages beneath.
And there were five or six similar wounds across her body.
All wrapped in medical bandages.
Her entire body was covered with burn marks.
She looked battered and exhausted.
It was obvious—
She had just survived a battle that nearly killed her.
"Miss Sakura?!"
The gate guards recognized her immediately.
"Please inform the Hokage."
"…I've arrived."
She said weakly.
"Maybe you should go to the hospital first…"
The guard hesitated.
"Please."
Her voice was tired—but firm.
"…Alright."
Soon someone came to escort her to the Hokage Tower.
The familiar meeting room.
The familiar people.
Except this time—
Tsunade was urgently treating her injuries.
The last time they met, Tsunade had argued fiercely with her.
Now she said nothing and began healing her immediately.
"What happened?"
"Seven penetrating wounds."
"Internal organ damage."
"Three broken ribs."
"And severe chakra pathway damage."
"Your entire body is a mess."
Tsunade frowned while healing her.
Her eyes lingered on the faded diamond seal on Sakura's forehead.
Even after using the Strength of a Hundred Seal, she had still been injured like this.
Sakura looked at Tsunade and spoke quietly.
"I encountered Akatsuki."
Tsunade's eyes sharpened instantly.
As a member of the Residual Sun, she knew how powerful Akatsuki was.
Hiruzen stared at Sakura seriously.
Kushina's report had emphasized her strength.
A powerful ninja.
According to the data, even Hiruzen himself wasn't confident he could defeat her.
Yet now she stood before them in such a state.
"Who attacked you?"
Hiruzen asked.
"An Uchiha woman."
"And another person I didn't recognize."
"But half of his face was covered in scars."
"Very easy to identify."
Sakura frowned.
Then she spoke the words that made Hiruzen's fists clench.
"They discovered the existence of the Dragon Vein."
"If nothing is done…"
"They might invade my world and use its energy to strengthen themselves."
"And then…"
She didn't need to finish the sentence.
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