Chapter 25: Young Kakashi
"Why aren't you as good as Fugaku?"
Recalling his embarrassing defeat against Fugaku, Nawaki lowered his head in disappointment and replied sullenly, "It's because I didn't train when I was younger. I didn't study well in the Academy."
Tsunade glanced at her brother in surprise. Shouldn't he be saying something like, "I just didn't use my full strength"?
Fuma's tone grew serious as he said, "It's not your fault. The real reason is the disbandment of the Senju clan and the oppression by the Uchiha clan."
Tsunade's face darkened. "Fuma, do you really need to tell Nawaki about this?"
Fuma replied calmly, "Why not? When I was his age, I had already killed many ninja."
"Besides, with you here, how can I be biased? You can always correct me if needed."
Tsunade hesitated, but then nodded, choosing to trust her boyfriend.
Seeing Nawaki's curious but not saddened expression, Fuma sighed inwardly. What a thick-skinned kid.
He continued, "The Senju and Uchiha were the founders of Konoha and the great clans of the village. In its early days, the various ninja clans were not close, and many held blood grudges against each other."
"At that time, there was a lot of talk that the creation of Konoha was just a ploy by the Senju and Uchiha to swallow up other clans."
"Your grandfather, the First Hokage, decided to disband the Senju clan and merge with the village, making Konoha synonymous with the Senju."
"This move dispelled the rumors, but the Uchiha chose not to disband and continued their clan system."
"But the accidental deaths of the Second Hokage and my father accelerated the rise of the Uchiha militants, putting pressure on the newly appointed Third Hokage."
"The disbanded Senju members, only a small part of whom continued as ninja, harbored a lot of resentment about the disbandment. So, at that time, the Third Hokage had no support against the Uchiha."
"So, Nawaki, as the direct descendant of the Senju, you had to grow up like a common ninja, without the systematic training of a clan. Naturally, you're not as skilled as Fugaku."
Nawaki frowned deeply, without any anger or resentment. To him, it was just a story from the past.
Tsunade exhaled slowly, as if relieved of a burden. She had been wondering how to tell Nawaki this piece of history.
"So, what do you hope to achieve by telling Nawaki all this?" she asked.
Fuma's expression remained serious as he looked at both Tsunade and Nawaki. "I want him to understand the burdens a Hokage must bear."
"To carry the weight of disbanding a clan, the misunderstanding of clan members, the betrayal of friends, and the battles among brothers. Your path ahead could lead to being forsaken by all or dying on some battlefield."
"Do you know how long the road is to becoming a Jonin, let alone the Hokage?"
"If Nawaki doesn't want to be a ninja anymore, we can send him to the Land of Fire's capital. I think that's a good idea too."
Tsunade was stunned. Not being a ninja? How could he not be a ninja? The grandson of Senju Hashirama, not becoming a great ninja?
Fuma said nothing, only looking at her gently.
Gradually, Tsunade's eyes brightened. Yes, not being a ninja wouldn't be so bad. After all, most of the Senju clan now lived in the capital of the Land of Fire.
After a moment of silence, Nawaki stood up with a serious expression and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Mr. Fuma, for telling me this. I don't know if I should still dream of becoming Hokage."
"But I still want to be an excellent ninja. Please, continue to teach me!"
Fuma smiled and nodded, accepting Nawaki's bow without hesitation.
"Then, make sure you understand the books I gave you when you get home. That's the first step to overcoming yourself. Trust me, if you follow my guidance, you'll definitely become an excellent ninja."
Nawaki's face showed a bitter expression at the mention of studying, but he nodded seriously, indicating he understood.
Tsunade, seeing her brother's determined look, patted his head in relief and turned to Fuma with a smile. "You just told him about the Uchiha pressuring the Hokage? Aren't you afraid of tarnishing your heroic image in front of your student?"
Fuma shrugged indifferently, "History is there for everyone to see. It won't change because of anything. Besides, my father was also your granduncle's disciple."
To change Nawaki fundamentally, Fuma first had to correct his childish mindset and make him understand his true situation. Otherwise, Fuma had no confidence in keeping him alive through the wars, even with Orochimaru by his side.
Fuma didn't want to see his loved ones die, and Nawaki was a lovable child. Taking extra care of him was only natural.
A silver-haired little boy, no taller than a meter, stood nearby with an adult-like demeanor, listening to Fuma's grand discourse. This little boy was none other than the future copy-ninja, Kakashi Hatake.
Despite being only two or three years old, he wore a mask and had a stoic expression, looking quite cool.
As Fuma was about to motivate Nawaki some more, he noticed the little Kakashi holding a vegetable basket, and a hint of surprise crossed his mind. The whitey-mask had already been born?
Calculating the time, it seemed about right. Minato was only about ten years older than Kakashi.
Fuma reached out and picked up Kakashi, smiling as he asked, "Can you understand what I'm saying, kid?"
Kakashi tried to wriggle free from Fuma's grasp but couldn't. Resigned, he replied, "Do you know me? What you're saying is similar to my dad's views, but also a bit different."
Fuma nodded in understanding. His relationship with Sakumo Hatake was merely a nodding acquaintance, and their philosophies differed greatly.
Putting Kakashi down, Fuma ruffled his hair and said, "Send my regards to Sakumo."
Kakashi frowned but nodded in agreement.
Sakumo Hatake followed the path of nin-taijutsu, using Wind and Lightning chakra to stimulate his body's vitality, becoming famous for his extreme speed and swordsmanship, essentially a samurai in a ninja's clothing.
Reflecting his samurai nature, he upheld loyalty to his lord.
Under the Third Hokage's civilian policies, Sakumo received a lot of resources, hence his deep affection for Konoha.
In the original story, he committed suicide due to public opinion after a conflict between his teammates and a mission, advocating the idea that comrades are more important than missions. However, he would never agree with Fuma's philosophy.
To put it plainly, Fuma had no real attachment to Konoha. He loved specific individuals, not the concept of Konoha.
To him, Konoha was just a coalition of ninja clans, integrated under the guise of the Will of Fire.
Perhaps the actions of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju were beyond reproach, but Fuma deeply understood how corrupt Konoha could become under this system.
Sakumo's downfall due to public opinion, Orochimaru's defection, Tsunade and Jiraiya's refusal to participate in the Third Great Ninja War, and not to mention Hiruko, human experimentation, and the Root organization—all of these were just the tip of the iceberg.
A place with only a few tens of thousands of people shouldn't have this much drama. Konoha, to Fuma, was just a militarized community.
If the community didn't suit him, moving away was a perfectly reasonable choice.
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