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A/N: The timeline will be extremely messed up after this chapter so I apologize in advance
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Akira's first self-created ninjutsu was named relatively simple: Raiton- Raihimo
It was classified as a B-rank lightning style ninjutsu, which was rather powerful, and much more than what an average five year old would ever learn. What's more is that he created it himself.
After Raihimo was documented officially, Akira decided to put a stop on his training before the exam to make sure he was in top condition for the exam, though he doubted it would be that hard. His training was pretty much border-line child abuse, except that he was doing the abuse to himself.
Now, this isn't to say that Tsunade wasn't training hard either. As a grandchild of the First Hokage, she had high expectations set her, and she met, even surpassed them all. It was just that Akira knew what was going to happen in the future, with all the deaths and war, he trained extra hard to save whoever he could.
On some days, he and Tsunade would train together, sparring and having not-so-friendly competitions on just about anything and everything; shuriken throwing, taijutsu, ninjutsu, kunai skills, chakra control, even genjutsu! At this time, Tsunade had already developed an interest into iryoninjutsu, though it was merely curiosity, and nothing more.
However, Hashirama, being the doting grandfather he is, basically did everything he could to indulge in his granddaughter's mere 'interest'. This would probably mark the start of Tsunade's ascent into the world's best medical ninja.
One example of Akira and Tsunade's 'friendly' competition was an eating competition. Yes, you heard right, an eating competition. It is to be noted that the Senju, particularly Hashirama's bloodline, had huge appetites, so it's not too far off to say that they spent more money on this competition than Tsunade could gamble off in a month.
Another example was when their grandfather and Hokage left for a 'mission' right before the academy exam, which was just another cover from their parents to hide the war happening. After their goodbyes, Tsunade and Akira had a betting competition, one to see when their grandfather would return. Akira betted that he would return in less than a day. Tsunade guessed two and a half. They were playing at his and Mito's house at that time.
Little did they know, was that their answers were both wrong, and he would never come back.
Senju Hashirama - First Hokage
Were the words engraved onto the fancy, marble white gravestone, a stark contrast to the gloomy and dark faces of the villagers who now stood in front of his grave. The somber mood and tension in the air only added to the cruel reality as everyone paid their respects to their former Hokage.
His family stood at the front of the crowd of civilians and ninja alike, with tears streaming down already soaked cheeks. Some had more intimate reactions, some had more neutral expressions.
Tobirama, the new Second Hokage according to his brother's will and council decision, had an impassive face as always. But if you take a second glance, you would see the storm brewing inside, the tears threatening to spill.
Uzumaki Mito, the First's wife, had a single tear rolling down, and many more were lying in wait. She had a hollow, distant look in her eyes and that motherly smile that many orphans yearned for wasn't present.
Next to her was Tsuyoshi Senju, who was crying actively with suppressed sobs. Her husband was trying to comfort her and Mito at the same time.
Akira and Tsunade's reactions were on the more passive side, as they didn't know Hashirama that well. Of course, they missed him and felt sadness like no other, but as heartless as it sounded, they only knew him for five years, and two were spent without remembering or understanding anything.
The news was delivered to them by their mother with the classic, "Your grandfather is going somewhere far, far away."
The second Akira heard this was the moment he knew a wave of deaths would soon follow. First the Second Hokage's, then his parents, followed by grandma Mito's, and their unborn brother's at the last.
He knew that he wasn't anywhere strong enough to save his great uncle, and Mito's death was due to old age. But the very least he could do was to save his parents and brother. This much was enough for him, compared to the devastating losses in large-scale wars.
The academy entrance was postponed by a full two weeks and nobody went to battle to allow everyone to finish grieving for the First Hokage. This action was done by the newly minted Second Hokage, who also made new policies after some time, like the Uchiha Military Police Force and others.
For every shinobi in Konoha though, these two weeks passed like a blink of an eye. And though two weeks was not enough for the shock and grief to pass, Konoha needed it's ninja to be back on the battlefield, as the other nations wouldn't stay silent for long.
For Mito, the weeks passed by like seconds, and her eyes remained hollow, but a little light was let through. Her motherly smile returned, but it was forced and bittersweet. To her, losing Hashirama wasn't about losing her Hokage, it was losing the man would stood beside her for decades, losing her lover, losing the person she loved enough to go to the Pure Lands for. She thought about it more than once, but she acknowledged the fact she had a child now, heck, she even had grandchildren.
Tsuyoshi and Hanaku mostly got back on their feet, though it was quite clear that the sadness would never leave them. They had to put on a act and smile for their innocent children, only letting their grief show when they were alone.
Akira and Tsunade, like the rest of Konoha except for select few, were still sad, but they hadn't clung to it. If they did, the loss of their village's strongest fighter would catch up, and they would lose the war and all their loved ones.
Akira would comfort Tsunade when she got sad, as with his older and more mature mind, he knew how loss felt like, especially when you knew it was going to happen.
The two five-year olds always kept a smile on their face whenever their parents, Mito or Tobirama were around. They were all grieving in their own way, and especially now Tobirama was Hokage, the two didn't want to worry their family.
It was horrible how war could force young minds to mature far too early. War happened because of greed, but that greed was sometimes out of basic human survival instincts. As Konoha had the most fertile and lush lands, it was always targeted first in wars. It was a never-ending cycle, a cycle of hatred and loss, like a factory producing negative emotions.
Even if the Land of Fire shared its's land, there would still be wars. Just that this time, it wouldn't be out of survival instincts, but rather greed for more. This was what puzzled many. If you already have something good, then why would you risk what you already have for something else?
But Akira thought, if everyone had a common enemy that was too strong for themselves to handle, wouldn't they unite as one like in the Fourth Great Shinobi War? It was very likely true, but it was impossible to think that there could be one enemy that was that strong. Well, except in later generations, of course.
But there wasn't anything nor anyone like that right now. So the endless cycle of war continued, allowing more death to happen.
Akira was strong, just as he should be, but he wasn't really that strong. Not even strong as some elite genin. And plus he was just five. Even if he had a lot of potential, he doubted he could be someone everyone had to unite to attack, not that he wanted to be the one being united against.
He knew some characters like Kakashi who was already over normal chunin level at six, and Akira was five, but he was at the very most elite genin. Though he could become stronger than him in the 'prime' ages for ninjas, which is around 8-9, it was virtually impossible to be Kaguya-level strong. Even Naruto and Sasuke could only seal her, not kill her, in their powered-up forms.
Akira might not become stronger than Hashirama, which was fine and highly possible, as the First Hokage was hailed as the 'God of Shinobi', the one who formed the concept of 'ninja villages'. But if he couldn't reach kage-level strength like his sister would in the future, Akira would be nothing more than just cannon fodder in the grand scheme of things.
Now that he had experienced his first death of a loved one in this world, Akira was now more certain than anything, if he wanted to protect even Nawaki, who was still unborn, or his parents, he would need to train harder than before to become strong enough.
And in the blink of an eye, the final days beforew the academy exam were over. Now, Akira needed to pass the exam first before he had any unrealistic goals. He thought it would be easy, like the basic physical exams and chakra activation tests, but Tobirama had secretly made the exam harder than it should be.
Did he care if no civilian ninjas got in?
Not really.
Did he care if anyone objected?
Not really.
Did he care if Akira passed?
Yes, but he should either way.
In any case, the test now included more advanced physical exams and chakra control examinations. This was far harder than the ordinary exams in the previous years, as well as future years. Would Akira and Tsunade pass? Probably, yeah.
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