You Come With Me; I'll Handle the Rest

"Oh?"

Kumonaka Torikaze wasn't familiar with the name, but it wasn't entirely new to him either. Uchiha Setsuna was a hardline reactionary in the Uchiha Clan, a fervent admirer of Madara Uchiha. During the Second Hokage's reign, he had launched a rebellion and attempted to assassinate the Second Hokage. In the end, he had been sentenced to life imprisonment.

When Izori Uchiha brought this up, she grew more serious, even slowing the pace at which she picked meat from the grill.

"He's Kyo's older brother. Both brothers were taught by their grandfather to believe that only by following Madara Uchiha could the Uchiha Clan be revived."

"That old man used his status as an elder to spread the idea of following Madara throughout the clan. But most of the clan had already grown sick of war and were quite satisfied with their lives as they were."

After hearing Izori explain, Torikaze understood why he needed to be wary of Uchiha Setsuna. He'd beaten the man's younger brother and left him in such a sorry state. What older brother wouldn't come after him for revenge?

And since Setsuna would eventually go so far as to start a rebellion, he clearly wasn't someone who could be reasoned with. He was bound to come looking for trouble.

"All right, I'll be careful. Thanks, Izori!"

Izori smiled softly and said it was nothing, then continued eating.

"This is so good! My family never has food this delicious."

"The Akimichi Clan has high standards when it comes to food. That's why the prices are so steep."

The meal had cost a little over a thousand ryo, enough to support an ordinary family for about half a month. Izori could really put it away.

Just then, two Senju Clan ninja entered the Barbecue Restaurant. They spotted Kumonaka Torikaze as soon as they came in and walked over to him.

"Hello. You're Kumonaka Torikaze, right? We meet again."

Torikaze wondered who they were, but it turned out to be the guard he'd met on the day he went to hear the will. If the man hadn't let a few details slip, Torikaze might still be searching for that despicable mastermind!

"Ah, you're the guard from that day! Is something the matter? Would you like to join us for a bite?"

The Senju ninja shook his head. "No, the Lord Hokage wants to see you. Once you've finished eating, come with us."

Torikaze had a pretty good idea why the Hokage had summoned him. The meat on the grill was gone, so he paid the owner and prepared to follow the guard to the Hokage Office.

Izori figured the Lord Hokage must have something important to discuss with Torikaze, so she said, "Since the Lord Hokage has summoned you, Torikaze, I won't keep you. Thank you for treating me today."

"You should come with me too. Haven't you admired the Lord Hokage for a long time?"

Izori's eyes lit up with excitement. She gazed at the guard with wide, watery eyes. "Is that really all right?"

The guard scratched his head, looking a little conflicted. "I'm not sure about that. Lord Tobirama said the Lord Hokage only summoned Kumonaka Torikaze."

Before Izori could react, Torikaze said, "Just come with me. I'll handle the rest."

Izori wasn't a shy, hesitant girl. Since Torikaze had said that, she had no reason not to go. She'd just owe him another favor.

She had admired the Lord Hokage for a long time and always regarded him as a role model. But she rarely had the chance to meet him in person, and she didn't want to pass this one up.

After hearing that, the guard stopped objecting. Torikaze had said he could handle it, so he must have had his reasons. Continuing to refuse would only make things difficult for them and risk offending them, and the guard wasn't about to do that.

With that settled, the four of them left the Barbecue Restaurant and returned to the Hokage Building. Torikaze didn't seem at all nervous on the way. He looked around casually instead.

Izori, on the other hand, seemed very tense, probably because she was about to meet her idol face-to-face for the first time. She was afraid of doing anything impolite and leaving the Lord Hokage with a bad impression. In reality, she was worrying too much.

"You two can go in now. The Lord Hokage and Lord Tobirama are inside."

The two Senju ninja returned to their guard duty, while Torikaze and Izori entered the Hokage Office.

"Haha, Torikaze, you're here! It's been about a month since we last met, hasn't it?"

Hashirama laughed heartily. He had none of the airs of a Hokage and seemed more like a friendly neighbor.

"Good afternoon, Lord Hokage, Lord Tobirama. This is my friend. She's admired the Lord Hokage for a long time and has always looked up to you."

Torikaze's words turned Izori's face as red as a tomato. She could barely get her words out.

"G-good... afternoon, L-Lord Hokage... Lord Tobirama."

"Hmm, Uchiha Chirori! I know you. You're Kagami's younger sister."

Chirori had assumed the Hokage wouldn't know who she was, but he'd called her by name at once. She was beyond thrilled!

"Torikaze, there's something important I wanted to ask you about today."

"Please, go ahead."

"Would you be willing to become my student?"

The question left Kumonaka Torikaze completely baffled. Wasn't the Second Hokage supposed to take him as a student? Why was it the First instead? If he remembered correctly, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others had been students of the Second Hokage, Tobirama, though both brothers had taught them.

Was he really going to become Senju Hashirama's student now? Wouldn't that mean he'd skipped an entire generation?

"Of course I would!" Kumonaka Torikaze shouted.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! He'd regret it forever if he didn't take it! Becoming Tobirama's student would have been great too, but becoming Hashirama's student was just a tiny bit better. Just a tiny bit.

Once Torikaze agreed, Hashirama burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Good! From this moment on, you're my student, Senju Hashirama's!"

Kumonaka Torikaze bowed deeply. "Master, please accept this student's bow."

Hashirama was moved, but he pretended to be nonchalant. "There's no need for such formality between master and student."

At that, Kumonaka Torikaze straightened up. He hadn't been putting on an act; he truly respected Hashirama. He would have done the same if the Second Hokage had taken him as a student. That was what it meant to respect one's teacher.

Izori was so stunned by what she'd just witnessed that she couldn't speak. She had thought the Lord Hokage had summoned Torikaze to ask about the day's practical lesson. She never imagined he wanted to take Torikaze as his student!

To be honest, she was incredibly envious at that moment! But she wasn't jealous. Torikaze ranked first in both theory and practice at the academy, and he got along best with everyone in their class. Someone as outstanding as him had been taken on as the Lord Hokage's student; she couldn't begrudge him that.

Hashirama glanced at the girl standing beside Torikaze with her head bowed. After a moment's thought, he said, "Chirori, you're Kagami's younger sister and a genius of the Uchiha Clan. If you're willing, you can train under me. But whether you become my student will depend on how you perform."