"Tobirama, calm down," the First Hokage said, glancing sideways. "Can't you see there's a child here?"
Senju Tobirama stiffened.
Only then did he notice the small white-haired boy standing quietly beside the desk.
Their eyes met for a brief moment.
Amakaze Kaede immediately understood the message.
This is adult business. Leave.
Kaede stepped forward, accepted the envelope from the First Hokage with both hands, and bowed.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Thank you, Tobirama-sama. I'll take my leave."
Hashirama smiled warmly.
"Go on. Grow strong, and honor your father's wishes."
Kaede nodded and turned toward the door.
The moment it closed behind him—
The muffled sound of furious shouting exploded from inside the office.
Kaede's mouth twitched.
So loud.
Outside, a Senju guard was posted near the hallway.
Kaede looked up innocently.
"Um… uncle, why does Tobirama-sama sound so angry?"
The guard scratched his head.
"Seems one of his plans failed. That's all I know. Stuff like that isn't for us to hear."
Kaede: "..."
So you're mad because your plan failed.
And that plan was probably mine.
Great.
Kaede forced a polite smile.
"Thanks, uncle. I'm heading home."
Once he left the Hokage Building, Kaede immediately dropped the act.
"Tobirama, you're lucky I'm six," he muttered. "Give it thirty years and we'll see who's laughing."
He shuddered slightly.
"Seriously though… that guy can create water out of nothing. Straight-up sewer-tier monster."
Shaking his head, Kaede focused on the envelope in his hands.
"Let's see what Dad left me."
Inside the Hokage's office.
"Brother! My plan failed!" Tobirama snapped. "The spy died before reaching the village. It has to be the Uchiha!"
Hashirama pinched the bridge of his nose.
"How does everything become the Uchiha's fault?"
"I was trying to prepare in advance!" Tobirama growled. "Hidden Cloud sent a spy. I planned to capture him and extract information. Now someone ruined it!"
Hashirama sighed.
"If that's the case, investigate quietly. I trust your judgment."
Tobirama's expression slowly cooled.
"…Fine."
After a pause, he asked, "That white-haired child. Which clan is he from?"
"Amakaze Clan," Hashirama replied. "Small family. But the boy already has refined chakra. And quite a lot of it."
Tobirama nodded.
"I noticed. His chakra reserves rival elite ninja."
Hashirama smiled.
"If properly guided, he could become one of Konoha's pillars."
"So the Amakaze Clan might rise again."
"Perhaps."
Hashirama folded his hands.
"Ryōjin only joined Konoha because he possessed his clan's hidden technique. Single-line inheritance is fragile."
Tobirama glanced toward the door.
"What do you think of the child?"
Hashirama considered for a moment.
"Great talent. I'm thinking about taking him as a disciple. But first, I want to observe his character."
Tobirama nodded.
"If both talent and character pass… we take him in."
On the road home, Kaede suddenly sneezed.
"Someone's definitely plotting against me."
He rubbed his nose.
Truthfully, Kaede had intentionally let the First Hokage sense his chakra.
If he wanted a peaceful life in Konoha, there was no better shield than becoming the Hokage's disciple.
Political armor.
Top-tier.
Even useless elders lived comfortably into old age.
Compared to that, being clan head of a declining family meant nothing.
Soon, Kaede arrived at a massive but quiet estate.
White cranes were carved into the stone walls.
The emblem of the Amakaze Clan.
The grounds were large, but empty.
No servants.
No relatives.
Just silence.
Kaede entered, closed the door behind him, and sat down.
Slowly, he opened the envelope.
"Kaede. You are six this year. Have you grown taller?"
"Forgive me for meeting you this way."
Line after line.
Simple words.
No flowery language.
But heavy.
Kaede felt a tightness in his chest.
"Old man… you really were bad at talking."
Ryōjin had always been quiet.
With his wife.
With his son.
But the letter revealed something different.
A man who loved deeply, even if he never said it out loud.
Kaede continued reading.
Then froze.
"There is a hidden door in my room."
"Remove the hanging scroll."
"Behind it lies the Amakaze Clan's secret technique."
"Tenpūton."
"If you master it, the Amakaze Clan will rise again."
Kaede stared at the words.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
"…Tenpūton?"
He slowly looked up.
"Wait."
"A declining nobody clan…"
"With a hidden bloodline technique?"
His heartbeat quickened.
"This inheritance…"
"…might be way bigger than I thought."