My Hokage Grandpa

Jiraiya walked ahead in silence, with Akaseki and his other two "teammates" following behind.

Akaseki had known Minato Namikaze for a long time—that smug little blond brat. Tsk, tsk.

He was less familiar with the other one, Ranwu. She had also graduated a year early and was said to have been an outstanding student in her class.

Judging by her name, she was probably a civilian without even a surname. But her white hair and red eyes made Akaseki dislike her somewhat—she looked just like that Senju Old Ghost!

"You two both graduated early, right? Don't worry. If there are any upper-year courses you don't understand later, you can come ask me!"

"You ninjas from civilian backgrounds usually only know what the academy teaches, right? That's all basic stuff. When there's a chance, I'll teach you some practical techniques."

"If you run into trouble later, you can ask any ninja with this symbol for help. Just say you're Akaseki's teammates... Do you know what this symbol is? Ordinary people don't have it. It's a clan crest! Anyone with it is from our Uchiha Clan!"

"Most of our Uchiha Clan members serve in the Military Police Force, usually managing the village's civilians and the Other Ninja Clans..."

Faced with Akaseki's "enthusiasm," Minato Namikaze merely smiled and nodded. As for Ranwu... she seemed as though she wanted to say something at first, but held it back afterward, keeping a straight face the whole time.

Jiraiya, walking ahead, could naturally hear the voices behind him. He began to wonder inwardly—had the old man misjudged this kid? Why did Akaseki seem... kind of annoying? He was a textbook Uchiha!

Still, although Jiraiya looked carefree and unruly, he was quite responsible at the moment. Otherwise, he would not have been the only one Sarutobi had "drafted," especially since this was his first time serving as a Jonin instructor. He did not lose patience because of his personal prejudices.

Soon, Jiraiya brought them to the roof of the academy, where they could see Kage Rock.

"Don't just stare at me. Look at those carvings on the stone... What do you see?" Jiraiya asked, knowingly.

Seeing Tobirama Senju's face carved in the middle, Akaseki's heart trembled—though he still was not sure why the Third and Jiraiya were both pretending they were not the ones using Genjutsu, and he even wondered whether they had not used Genjutsu at all, Akaseki still felt that it had to be the Second's work.

"Are they... the people we respect most?" Akaseki asked cautiously.

Jiraiya: ...

Well, he was not a completely typical Uchiha. A typical Uchiha would not be this adaptable!

Still, Jiraiya nodded and said, "That's not entirely wrong. Let's not even talk about how Sarutobi-sensei only just became Hokage...

"The First, Lord Hashirama Senju, was the founder of Konoha and the founder of this current era of ninja villages! Back in the chaotic Warring States Period, when the First said he wanted a 'ceasefire,' everyone thought he had gone mad... Yet in the end, the fighting truly stopped. The First not only founded Konoha, but also planted the seeds of peace!"

Akaseki felt a little uncomfortable listening to that—if he remembered correctly, hadn't the Uchiha Clan also played a part? If the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan had not joined forces...

So Akaseki spoke indignantly. "Exactly! Madara Uchiha nearly ruined everything. I've long thought his Uchiha surname should have been stripped from him!"

Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, Ranwu: ...

It felt like he was being sarcastic, but... Akaseki really had awakened his eyes out of anger at Madara Uchiha earlier, so it was hard to say he did not genuinely think that way!

For a moment, Jiraiya felt a little embarrassed as he added, "You can't put it like that either. Madara Uchiha was also one of Konoha's founders. Without the Uchiha Clan, there would be no Konoha... It's just that Madara Uchiha developed some problems with his thinking afterward... Mm."

"Then came the Second, Lord Tobirama Senju. After the First passed away, peace in the Shinobi World was already hanging by a thread. It was Lord Tobirama who repeatedly prevented war from breaking out through diplomacy, and who founded the Ninja Academy so the younger generation could grow up safely..." Jiraiya continued.

"Konoha's fire was never kept burning by one person. When one person burned out, the next took it up... Wherever Konoha's leaves danced, the fire would continue without end... What you must do in the future is not become statues, but become the wind that makes this fire burn ever brighter!"

Clap, clap, clap—

Akaseki caught the cue perfectly and promptly offered enthusiastic applause.

Seeing that neither the little blond nor the little white-haired one reacted, Akaseki could not help sighing inwardly—civilians were civilians! Unlike the Uchiha Clan... He often listened to the Clan Elders speak, so he had a thorough grasp of exactly when to applaud!

This was Jiraiya's first time being a Jonin instructor, and his first time saying something like this to juniors. He had already been forcing himself through it, so Akaseki's applause made him even more embarrassed...

"Ahem. Next, everyone, introduce yourselves... I'll go first. You should all know me already. My name is Jiraiya, a Jonin of Konoha. My interests are reading and appreciating, and my dream is... to protect this village forever! Mm, and to become a bestselling author while I'm at it! Hahaha..." Jiraiya set the example.

Akaseki did not know whether the earlier Genjutsu had made him a little paranoid, but he always felt that Jiraiya's "reading and appreciating" sounded rather improper. And... weren't those two dreams a bit too different?

This time, Jiraiya did not give Akaseki a chance and directly called on someone. "Minato, you go first."

"My name is Minato Namikaze. I'm... a Ninja Academy graduate, a Genin awaiting the issuance of my forehead protector. My interests are all kinds of delicious food, and my dream... is to become Hokage!"

Pfft—

What good food could a mere civilian have eaten? And become Hokage... The Uchiha Clan had never even produced a Hokage!

Akaseki, who was snickering to himself, received a glare from Jiraiya.

Then Ranwu spoke as well. "My name is Ranwu, a Ninja Academy graduate and a Genin awaiting the issuance of my forehead protector. I'm interested in history, and what I hate... are ninja clans that throw their weight around in the village!"

Hearing that, Akaseki looked at Ranwu in surprise and could not help interrupting. "You can't put it like that, can you? Not every ninja clan is like that... Besides, with the Military Police Force established by our Uchiha Clan, most ninja clans wouldn't dare go too far."

Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, Ranwu: ...

Feeling Akaseki's sincerity, the three of them were rendered even more speechless.

Ranwu took a deep breath, calmed herself, and said, "My dream... is to become a ninja as great as my grandfather!"

"Your grandfather was a ninja too? Great... was he a Jonin? Could his surname be Ran?" Akaseki asked in confusion.

Even if she was a mere civilian with little knowledge, to call someone "great," he had to at least be a Jonin, right?

Ranwu: ...

The First, Lord Hashirama, had once proposed that the major ninja clans stop treating their families as barriers and forming little factions, and instead mingle with civilians. To set an example, he persuaded Tobirama that after Konoha was founded, every child born into the Senju Clan would be like a civilian and have no surname!

It was not exactly a secret, but Ranwu had never specifically brought up "my Hokage grandfather" at school. She did not usually receive special treatment either...

Although some members of the Uchiha Clan knew, no one had specifically told Akaseki!

"Ahem, Ranwu's grandfather is actually the Second, Lord Tobirama," Jiraiya said. He felt this was not some classified matter, and teammates should not hide things from one another.

Hearing that, Akaseki immediately revealed a horrified expression...