The three chatted as they sat on the ground. The soft grass was very comfortable to sit on. Hatake Sakumo looked at the two in front of him. Hattori Heizo, though appearing somewhat gloomy, wasn't an unapproachable person. And Tsunade, as the princess of the Senju clan, didn't have a hint of arrogance; her attitude was very natural.
—No, it should be more reserved.
Sakumo thought silently, then said to Tsunade, "From what you said earlier, Tsunade, you seem very familiar with Lord Fumori . What kind of person is he?"
"Hmm? Fumori ? Of course, I'm more than familiar with him. I've known him since Grandpa was still alive," Tsunade said, looking a bit troubled. "It's hard to say what kind of person he is. I can only say he's a very mysterious person."
"A very mysterious person?" Hatake Sakumo and Hattori Heizo said simultaneously.
Tsunade nodded, recalling her memories of Fumori Masaki, and said, "Fumori knows many things that even my mother and grandmother don't know. Grandpa Tobirama really liked to talk to him about things, but it was too profound; I couldn't understand it at all. Compared to that, I preferred Fumori accompanying me in games. Those were truly interesting! I've never seen anything similar anywhere else in the village."
"Games?" Hattori Heizo grumbled, "What's the point of such things?"
"You could try playing them. You might have a new perspective," Tsunade smiled.
"No need. Instead of playing such things, it's better to practice ninjutsu more," Hattori Heizo flatly refused. "Speaking of which, why hasn't Lord Fumori arrived yet, Princess Tsunade? Do you know something?"
"So, just a normal address is fine, just like Sakumo, right?" Tsunade smiled at Hatake Sakumo, then replied to Hattori Heizo, "Originally, I was supposed to come with Fumori , but Grandpa Tobirama suddenly called him away, probably for some matters, so he told me to come first and for us to get to know each other."
"I see. In that case, why don't we start with a simple introduction—hobbies, future goals, and such?" Hatake Sakumo suggested.
"Okay," Tsunade didn't refuse, and Hattori Heizo beside her also nodded.
"Although you already know my name, I'll say it again. I am Hatake Sakumo, seven years old this year. My hobby is reading, and my future goal is…" Hatake Sakumo looked up at the two of them, then continued, "I hope to become comrades with the people of the village, like siblings."
"That's the same idea as my Grandpa!" Tsunade said, a little surprised. "Alright, then it's my turn. I'm Tsunade, six years old this year. If we're talking about hobbies, it's gambling! If you want to play, I can teach you the rules. And my goal is to travel across the entire country and play every kind of game."
"Indulging in play leads to neglecting serious matters. As a ninja, how can one be so engrossed in such things?" Hattori Heizo shook his head and commented.
"That's my goal, and it's up to me," Tsunade snorted softly. "It's your turn, speak."
—Ah, as expected, she couldn't hold back a bit.
Hatake Sakumo saw Tsunade's reaction; although she didn't seem very angry, she was probably quite displeased inside. This princess of the Senju clan was by no means truly approachable; her pride and confidence were merely restrained.
"I am Hattori Heizo, eight years old this year…" Hattori Heizo had just gotten this far when he was interrupted by Tsunade's surprised voice.
"Eight years old! Really?" Tsunade looked incredulous, and Hatake Sakumo had the same expression.
Hattori Heizo was thin and even shorter than Tsunade, with a very youthful face. Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade both thought he was the youngest, yet Hattori Heizo claimed his true age was eight, making him the oldest of the three.
"Ah, really," Hattori Heizo's expression darkened slightly. "Is there a problem?"
"That's truly surprising," Tsunade said with astonishment, and then Hatake Sakumo followed up: "No problem, Heizo, please continue."
Hattori Heizo was silent for a moment, then slowly began, "I don't have many hobbies. If I had to name one, it would just be practicing ninjutsu, because my goal is to no longer repeat the mistakes of my ancestors and become a true assassin that strikes fear into the ninja world."
The Hattori clan was skilled at stealth attacks and assassinations but weak in direct combat. This was proven during the Shinobi World Wars, which also revealed the Hattori clan's weakness to many. Hattori Heizo believed that if they didn't change their traditional style, in future battles, even if they could still successfully assassinate, they wouldn't be able to disengage. Therefore, he insisted on learning direct combat skills.
"I'm curious, is your direct combat ability really that bad? Fumori said that at the Ninja Academy, no one could defeat you," Tsunade said.
"That's only because I could defeat them with a single blow. If I failed, the outcome might have been different," Hattori Heizo closed his eyes, then opened them to look at Hatake Sakumo. "Sakumo, why don't we spar? Since you come from a samurai background, you excel at direct confrontation. Any ninja would use tactics solely to achieve victory."
Hatake Sakumo hadn't expected such a request from the other party and was a bit hesitant, but he was also somewhat intrigued, wanting to witness the Hattori clan's assassination techniques. After careful consideration, he nodded in agreement.
"Good, then we'll get ready to start in a bit," Hattori Heizo said, then prepared to stand up.
So, Hatake Sakumo also moved to stand up. Suddenly, his pupils contracted slightly. His leg, just about to rise, was struck by a force, causing his body to instantly lose balance. Then Hattori Heizo raised his hand vertically and lunged towards his head.
Hatake Sakumo felt a chill run down his spine. His chakra swiftly circulated, undergoing nature transformation into lightning nature, stimulating cell activity, allowing him to quickly stabilize his body. Hattori Heizo's hand blade grazed his cheek, then was blocked by Hatake Sakumo's arm.
Then, Hatake Sakumo kicked out fiercely, hitting Hattori Heizo's abdomen directly, sending him flying. The thin Hattori Heizo immediately started coughing.
Tsunade had expected an exciting match but saw the outcome decided in the blink of an eye. Both of them looked unwell; Hattori Heizo was kneeling and coughing, while Hatake Sakumo was panting heavily, his eyes filled with lingering fear, and sweat on his cheeks.
"Th-this is…" Tsunade was at a loss for words.
"There's nothing to be surprised about, Tsunade," Hattori Heizo didn't use the title "princess" this time. He regulated his breathing and said, "This is the true fighting style a ninja should use. We are not honorable warriors like samurai; rules are unnecessary. The only goal is to use everything around us to put the target to death."
Then, Hattori Heizo spread his hands and said, "And, as you saw, I could only ambush Sakumo once. Once he reacted, I was easily kicked away. This is the difference in our direct combat abilities."
"But if your difference is so great, why were you almost able to ambush Sakumo at first?" Tsunade was a bit confused; she hadn't received formal ninja training, only simple chakra training, and didn't have much understanding of combat.
"Because of misdirection," Hatake Sakumo replied this time. "Heizo used my blind spot in vision and created an opening with other means, then went for a kill with one strike. It mainly relied on the effects of misdirection. In terms of strength or speed, he didn't surpass me."
"Exactly. That's why once the misdirection loses its effect, I can't deal with trained individuals, because I put all my effort into how to use misdirection. Compared to the ninjas from the late Warring States period who could use samurai swords, it's a world of difference," Hattori Heizo sighed, feeling a bit emotional. He then said to Hatake Sakumo, "However, don't think that was my limit. If I truly harbored killing intent, with that performance just now, you would already be dead."
"Ah, when you're truly killing, you wouldn't just use an ordinary hand blade, would you?" Hatake Sakumo said in a deep voice.
Hattori Heizo merely showed a faint smile, but looking at his facial expression, this smile held no warmth, only a hint of coldness. He didn't continue, as a ninja's secrets are best kept to oneself.
"It seems you've already stirred up some interesting things while I was gone," a unfamiliar voice said then, though to Tsunade, it sounded very familiar.
"Fumori !" Tsunade quickly turned her head and waved at the man not far away.