章 4: Perhaps… these two could carry the Will of Fire in the future

Kakashi's father, Sakumo Hatake, watched as Tyrouge picked up Kushina, ignoring him completely, and frowned.

At that moment, Tyrouge turned to him and said, "Those Cloud ninjas were the attackers. I'll take her back to the village first."

Sakumo quickly interrupted, "Wait! It's dangerous on the way. I'll go with you!"

"No need."

Without another word, Tyrouge leapt lightly into the treetops with Kushina in his arms.

"Kushina, let's head back," he said calmly.

"Mm," Kushina nodded weakly, her arms wrapped around his neck.

They jumped from tree to tree, disappearing into the night.

Sakumo watched them go, noting they were moving in the direction of Konoha. Nearby, the Third Hokage's summoning crow followed discreetly, ensuring their safety. Sakumo sighed and didn't pursue further.

Turning his attention to Minato, he asked, "Minato, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Minato replied, his voice low as he struggled to stand. He looked shaken, his confidence clearly rattled.

Minato had always been a prodigy, but tonight he had been easily overpowered.

Sakumo gave him a strange look, his mind racing with an unbelievable thought. Could these injuries really be from someone at Tyrouge's level?

Shaking his head, Sakumo dismissed the notion. "It must've been one of the Cloud Jonin," he concluded aloud. "You've worked hard, Minato. I'll handle the rest here."

Summoning his pack of eight ninja hounds, Sakumo commanded them to drag the unconscious Cloud ninjas back to Konoha.

---

Under the moonlit night, Tyrouge's sharp gaze flicked to the summoning crow that had been tailing him.

Someone's watching.

Back in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled. "He noticed my crow. Impressive. But no need to follow further since they're on their way back."

With a wave of his hand, the crow vanished into nothingness.

Kushina didn't seem to notice. She looked up at Tyrouge and asked softly, "How… how did you find me?"

Her usual fiery personality was absent, her voice trembling slightly.

"Your hair," Tyrouge replied simply. "It's too striking to miss."

Kushina blinked, touching her vibrant red locks. "Really?"

"Yeah," Tyrouge said with a faint smile. "From the first moment I saw you, I thought your hair was beautiful."

Kushina's face flushed, her heart pounding faster.

---

Jumping through the trees, Tyrouge suddenly changed direction, veering away from the village gates.

Kushina tilted her head. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he replied, a rare smirk tugging at his lips.

Moments later, the looming figures of the Hokage Rock came into view, bathed in the glow of the moonlight.

Kushina's eyes lit up as she recognized the monumental carvings of the First and Second Hokage.

"Wow!" she gasped.

Tyrouge landed gracefully on the First Hokage's head, setting Kushina down.

She looked out over the illuminated village below, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's so beautiful!"

Tyrouge sat down beside her. "Haven't you been here before?"

"No," she admitted, swinging her legs playfully. "I always wanted to come, but no one ever brought me."

Tyrouge's hand accidentally brushed hers. She quickly pulled it back, only to overbalance and slide dangerously close to the edge.

"Kya!"

Before she could fall, a thick tree root sprouted from the ground, catching her mid-air and gently setting her back on her feet.

Flustered, Kushina glanced at the root, then at Tyrouge. "Wait… is that Wood Release?!"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Could Tyrouge somehow be related to the First Hokage?

---

Meanwhile, at the village gates, Hiruzen Sarutobi, his wife Biwako, and the elder Uzumaki Mito stood waiting.

The Third Hokage frowned, scanning the horizon. "Where are they? They should've been back by now."

Biwako folded her arms. "That boy better not be wandering around with Kushina at this hour."

Mito chuckled softly. "Patience, Biwako. Young love has its way of finding unexpected paths."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his gaze fixed on the distance.

###

Tyrouge, you know what? My dream was to become the first female Hokage," Kushina said with a wistful smile.

"The first female Hokage? You've told me that so many times, I've lost count," Tyrouge teased, smirking.

Kushina pouted. "Well, it's true! But now I realize, to achieve that dream, I'd need immense power… and unfortunately, I don't have it."

Tyrouge glanced at her, his smirk softening into a genuine smile. "If it's your dream, why give up so easily?"

"Huh?" Kushina blinked, caught off guard.

"Becoming the first female Hokage? I think you can pull it off," Tyrouge said with confidence. "In the near future, you'll become the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. So I see no reason as to why can't you be the Hokage?"

Kushina rolled her eyes. "And what about you?"

"Me?" Tyrouge stretched lazily. "I guess… I'm just a laid-back guy. But, now that I think about it, guarding Konoha doesn't sound too bad."

As he spoke, a strange thought flickered in his mind. A deep voice, almost like an echo, seemed to resonate within him, a conviction to protect Konoha at all costs. Tyrouge realized it must have been an influence from the power he had inherited—a fragment of the will of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage.

But Tyrouge frowned slightly. The village? That's too narrow…

He shook his head. "Protecting Konoha alone? That's just small love. I'm aiming for something bigger."

"Small love?" Kushina tilted her head. "What does that even mean? What's 'big love' to you?"

Tyrouge looked up at the moon, his eyes gleaming. "Big love is uniting the entire shinobi world. True peace. Think about it—every village clings to its own will. The Will of Fire, the Will of Water, Lightning, Earth, Wind… everyone has their own ideals. And those clashing wills are why there's constant war. But if there were only one will across the world… no one would need to fight anymore."

Kushina gave him a skeptical look. "You're insane. Don't go around saying stuff like that, or people will think you've lost it."

Tyrouge chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it."

---

An hour later, Kushina stood and stretched. "It's getting late. Let's head back."

Tyrouge nodded and got to his feet. But before Kushina could move, he grinned mischievously and shoved her lightly.

"Ah!" she yelped, stumbling as Tyrouge grabbed her by the waist and held her close. With a swift motion, he threw a kunai with a Flying Thunder God seal into the air.

"Wait, what are you—"

Before she could finish, they vanished in a blur of light and reappeared atop the village wall.

"Whoa…" Kushina blinked in awe. "What just happened?"

"Flying Thunder God Technique," Tyrouge said with a sly smile. "But keep it a secret, alright?"

Kushina nodded, still wide-eyed. "This is… incredible. You're already using forbidden jutsu?"

Tyrouge shrugged. "It's a chakra drainer, though. No wonder it's forbidden. I'll need more practice to get better at it."

---

At Konoha's gate, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, waited alongside several guards. The elderly Uzumaki Mito stood nearby, her gaze calm but firm.

"Mito-sama, I assure you, Tyrouge has no ill intentions," Hiruzen said quickly, trying to calm her. "He likely just took Kushina somewhere to… explore the village."

Mito's piercing eyes narrowed. "It's late, Hiruzen. What could possibly be worth exploring at this hour?"

Hiruzen scratched his head awkwardly, silently cursing Tyrouge under his breath.

"Grandma Mito!" Kushina's cheerful voice rang out as she rushed forward, throwing herself into the older woman's arms.

"Kushina! Are you alright?" Mito asked, her stern expression softening.

Kushina nodded. "I'm fine. I didn't know you were waiting here… sorry."

"It's alright, dear. Where were you?"

Kushina pointed toward Hokage Rock. "We were just up there."

Mito's gaze shifted to Tyrouge, who stood silently nearby. His calm demeanor and strong presence reminded her of her late husband, Hashirama Senju. She blinked, wondering if it was just her imagination.

"You… young man, what's your name?" she asked.

Tyrouge stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Tyrouge. It's an honor to meet you, Mito-sama."

"You carry yourself well," Mito said, her eyes softening. "I heard rumors that you possess the Wood Release. Can you demonstrate it for me?"

Tyrouge hesitated but sensed no hostility from her. With a simple gesture, a small sprout emerged from the ground, growing into a vibrant green sapling.

Everyone watching was stunned. Even Hiruzen couldn't hide his surprise. "Tyrouge… when did you awaken this ability?"

Tyrouge shrugged. "Today, when I was injured during a fight with a Hidden Cloud shinobi. It just… happened."

Mito's eyes glistened. "It's the true Wood Release, the power of the Senju. There's no artificial feeling to it. Tyrouge, you must be of Senju bloodline… the legacy hasn't ended after all."

Her voice trembled slightly, and she wiped away a tear. "Hashirama… even in death, your will lives on. Our clan isn't finished yet."

Hiruzen smiled warmly. "Indeed, this is a blessing for Konoha."

Mito looked at Tyrouge and Kushina, a gentle smile forming. "Come, let's head home."

As they walked back together, Mito glanced at the two young shinobi. Perhaps… these two could carry the Will of Fire into the future.

###

Goal Of Today is 150 PS, if you complete it within 24hrs, then I'll throw in a bonus chapter the same time it's complete (if I'm active)

Advance Chapters Available in my [buy me a coffee] PAGE, here's a link for your easy accessiblity: buymeacoffee.com/tyrouge

Joining my page has its benefit.. like 5 - 6 chapters a day is guaranteed, if not then 3 - 4.

Also, I've decided... For every top tier member on my page, I'll do a 3 - 4 Chap Mass release...

While I do 10 - 15 chapter mass release on my page for those that don't want to wait 😁 at the rate it's going, the 3 - 4 chap mass release in WN is far from happening...