Sarutobi Mizuya swallowed nervously.
"Y-Yes… Kaede said it was Crystal Release."
Hashirama's eyes lit up.
"Tell us everything."
Mizuya straightened.
"I witnessed two techniques. First, when the Fireball hit him, Kaede turned into a crystal statue. I believe it's a variant of a substitution-style technique using crystals."
"Second, he generated a large number of crystal projectiles. Their speed and penetration were higher than normal shuriken, and they were extremely dense."
Tobirama folded his arms.
"That means he has trained this bloodline for some time. You don't casually master techniques without practice."
He paused.
"I've never heard of a Crystal Release bloodline."
Hashirama nodded slowly.
"I thought the boy might inherit Tenpūton. Turns out I underestimated him."
Mizuya hesitated.
"Hokage-sama… earlier you mentioned Tenpūton. Does Kaede possess another bloodline?"
Hashirama shook his head.
"You really should learn more about your students."
"You don't know the Amakaze Clan?"
Mizuya flushed.
"I… apologize."
Tobirama snorted.
"If a student asks you something and you can't answer, you lose credibility."
Hashirama laughed.
"Relax. Go ask Uchiha Kei. He knows clan records well."
After bowing repeatedly, Mizuya left, vowing never to embarrass himself like this again.
Inside the office, the brothers continued speaking.
"Brother, I don't see any reason to keep observing the boy," Tobirama said. "Kei told me what Kaede said this morning. His thinking is sharp, and his character is solid."
Hashirama nodded.
"My thoughts exactly."
Tobirama smiled slightly.
"Then I'll take him as my disciple, and we'll train him together."
Hashirama shook his head.
"No. This one, I'll take personally."
Tobirama blinked.
That was unexpected.
In truth, Hashirama had wanted a personal disciple for a long time.
He and Tobirama taught many students together, but none had truly been his.
Geniuses were rare.
Geniuses who impressed Hashirama were even rarer.
Kaede was one of them.
Six years old.
Chakra reserves comparable to elite shinobi.
Potential Tenpūton inheritance.
And now… Crystal Release.
Monsters are born in every generation.
Hashirama smiled faintly.
"If he grows properly, he may surpass me one day."
Tobirama glanced at him.
"Or die early."
Hashirama did not argue.
The future was always uncertain.
"Where is he now?" Hashirama asked.
"I'll have someone look for him."
Kaede had no idea the Hokage had just decided his fate.
He was currently seated at an Akimichi barbecue restaurant.
"Kaede, can we order more meat? I'm still hungry."
Kaede stared at the mountain of empty plates.
"How does a six-year-old eat like this?"
"Boss, twenty more plates."
The owner beamed.
"Coming right up!"
Chiri looked slightly embarrassed.
"For some reason, I don't feel like pretending to be proper in front of you."
Kaede waved it off.
"Don't worry about my wallet. I'm more concerned about your stomach."
She puffed out her chest.
"I train with my brother every night. If I don't eat enough, I can't keep up."
Kaede nodded.
Unlike her, he ate only until about eighty percent full.
His weakest area was taijutsu.
Every night, he trained his body.
A few minutes later, a cart loaded with meat arrived, plus a bonus plate of vegetables.
Chiri suddenly spoke.
"Kaede… will you spar with me sometime?"
He blinked.
"Why?"
"I want to know how far behind I am."
Kaede coughed.
"I'm very weak. One hit and I'll die. Let's not."
She stared at him silently.
"…Fine. I promise. Just eat."
She smiled.
Then her expression turned serious.
"Kaede. You need to be careful of someone."
"Who?"
"Uchiha Setsuna."
The name hung in the air.