My Grandpa is Hashirama

On the outskirts of Konoha.

Diejian was covered from head to toe in mud, wood shavings, and leaves.

He hid within the thicket, glaring at Tobirama's back with bloodshot eyes.

It was truly absurd; a boy who once dreamed of becoming the Pirate King had actually reincarnated as the grandson of the Hokage.

Over these years, he had endured hardship and gathered intelligence.

Based on the information he possessed, if he wanted to inherit his grandfather's position as Hokage, his greatest rival was Senju Tobirama.

A mere matter of succession order—how was this any different from being handed a free win?

According to the theory of bloodlines, if the grandfather is strong, the grandson is also strong.

It is known that Hashirama is stronger than Madara.

Madara is stronger than Tobirama.

I am Hashirama's grandson.

Therefore, I am stronger than Tobirama.

After calculating, Diejian felt his chances were high.

He gripped the kunai behind his waist in silence, eyes wide, not letting a single flaw in Tobirama's stance escape his notice; he looked less like a normal person and more like a madman.

"Aooooooh! Great-Uncle, hello!!"

Diejian's shout was full of deception, but the ghastly, menacing look on his face was enough to make anyone who saw it faint.

Yet Tobirama merely stood where he was, his back turned to him.

Just as Diejian was about to collide with Tobirama, Tobirama crouched down to tie his shoelaces.

Diejian tripped.

Carried by his momentum, he flipped through the air.

Tobirama stood up and, with the tip of his freshly tied shoe, delivered a powerful kick to Diejian's descending backside.

"Ah――――!!"

The lightning-like impact surging through his rear made Diejian let out a scream that caused the forest to tremble.

Diejian slid face-first across the ground, his face smeared with mud and tears, biting his lower lip.

"I'm going to kill you!!!!!"

He lay prone, clutching his backside to endure the pain, but Tobirama gave him no time to rest, forming the Tiger seal.

"Konoha Secret Taijutsu Ultimate Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!!"

"Ugh-ah――――!!"

Fluids of all kinds streamed down Diejian's face as he rolled about, screaming while enduring a hellish, numbing, and searing pain.

He squeezed out a soundless groan, crawling like a caterpillar in an attempt to flee from Tobirama, only to look back and see Tobirama gesturing "swish, swish" in the air, practicing the "Shadow One Thousand Years of Death."

Tobirama, performing such bizarre behavior with a completely expressionless face, was, to Diejian, the very embodiment of terror.

Tears streaming down his face, Diejian wondered how things had ended up like this.

―――This traced back to early this morning.

Early morning.

Still drowsy, Diejian sat at the dining table, where breakfast prepared by his grandmother, Mito, was laid out.

With his parents away from the village on a mission, the only ones at home were Diejian, his younger sister Tsunade, and their grandmother Mito, who had come to help.

Hashirama, who had wanted to stay with his grandchildren, had been dragged off to patrol the village by the higher-ups.

Seeing her husband's sorrowful expression at the time, Mito couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy, though she quickly forgot it in the joy of spending time with her grandchildren, Diejian and Tsunade.

Diejian grabbed his messy hair without a care—it wasn't just bedhead; it was his natural hair texture.

If one had to say who he resembled, it was Tobirama—or more accurately, the mother of Tobirama and Hashirama.

His looks might have been a skipped generation, identical to Hashirama, but his hair seemed to have been inherited from an even earlier generation.

The aroma of breakfast on the table greatly stimulated his appetite, and Diejian swayed as he was drawn to sit down.

After saying "I'm digging in," Diejian stuffed his mouth full of fried eggs.

The runny, sticky yolk smeared across Diejian's cheek, and his sister Tsunade remarked on his sloppy eating habits.

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you, brother?" Tsunade said, wiping Diejian's face with a handkerchief.

Seeing Diejian and Tsunade begin their meal, Mito wore a satisfied expression, having witnessed a heartwarming morning scene, and went to the kitchen to tidy up the utensils.

"Is Diejian here?"

"Pfft――!!"

Tobirama suddenly appeared before Diejian and Tsunade as they were eating.

Diejian quickly checked himself for any Flying Thunder God marks, while Tsunade was so startled she spat out the miso soup she had been drinking.

Diejian hurried over to his choking sister, rubbing her back while giving Tobirama a dumbfounded look, though the man in question wore an expression of complete indifference.

"Eating, are you? My apologies."

Tobirama apologized blandly.

"...Great-Granduncle... next time, please use the front door!!"

Having recovered from her coughing fit, Tsunade roared while wiping down the table to clean up the mess.

Hearing the commotion, Mito emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

Seeing Tobirama in the living room, Mito blinked, wondering why he had come so early and when he had arrived.

Tobirama nodded in greeting.

"Sister-in-law, I would like to borrow Diejian."

"Huh?"

It was Diejian who was startled.

He froze with his bowl halfway to his lips, his gaze darting between Tobirama and Mito.

Tsunade had already begun to retreat with her rice bowl, lamenting her brother's pitiful fate and bracing herself for what might come next.

Mito tilted her head in confusion.

She knew that although Diejian was quite intimidated by Tobirama, he had recently become Tobirama's official apprentice, so lending him out wasn't an issue in itself.

However, she had heard that Tobirama was soon to act as an envoy to Kirigakure, which had just changed leaders.

Was he looking for Diejian now to cram all his future lessons into one session before he left?

Seeing Mito's question, Tobirama nodded as if it were a matter of course.

A bad premonition immediately rose in Diejian.

That old man Tobirama had been coveting his grandfather's position as Hokage for a long time.

During their usual training, he truly trained him to the point of death.

If he didn't strike first, he would surely end up being the young one buried by the old.

Diejian's ominous premonition was correct.

Tobirama said, "Precisely because I won't be able to provide guidance for a while, I will be conducting intensive, hands-on training with Diejian starting today."

Just as I thought! Grandmother, save me!

"Very well, go ahead."

Mito readily agreed to hand Diejian over.

"I prot—"

However, before Diejian could finish his protest, Tobirama touched him, and the two vanished from the Senju Residence.

Tsunade, who was busy eating her white rice, felt sorry for Diejian, but she could only pray for his safety in her heart.

She sighed at the misfortune of her brother, who was toyed with by a tragic fate, but three seconds later, she forgot all about it, distracted by the deliciousness of the fried egg stuffed in her mouth.

Like grandmother, like granddaughter.

By the time Diejian realized what was happening, he was already in the forest; he knew he had been kidnapped by Tobirama.

Diejian tried to save himself, calling out affectionately, "Second Granduncle, I haven't finished my breakfast yet~"

"Call me Lord Tobirama."

Tobirama frowned at this, looking like a mischievous middle-aged man.

In political settings or related matters, Tobirama was a shrewd administrator, but in private, he actually had a sense of humor and was a man who understood reason and sentiment.

Tobirama took a breath, crossed his arms, and said something ominous: "I had intended to bring you before you ate..."

Diejian felt that something bad was waiting for him; cold sweat broke out on his back, and he looked up at the sky, wishing to return immediately.

"Diejian. You brat, although you've learned the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, you've only been focusing on practicing ninjutsu, haven't you?"

Diejian's reaction to being called out—breaking into a cold sweat—made Tobirama narrow his sharp eyes even further.

When Diejian first became Tobirama's official apprentice, the first technique he was taught was the Shadow Clone Technique.

The Shadow Clone Technique had a drawback: it would vanish upon taking damage, but if dispelled voluntarily, the clone's memories would return to the original.

If used well, this characteristic was a highly beneficial ability.

For example, creating shadow clones to train in parallel could double or triple one's efficiency.

Precisely because of its convenience, Tobirama chose it as the first technique to formally teach Diejian, but this technique had room for further development.

That was the Multi-Shadow Clone.

The Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.

This is a relatively simple technique that can create a large number of shadow clones, each evenly splitting the user's chakra.

However, due to its nature, those with low chakra levels will suffer from exhaustion, and in the worst-case scenario, it could lead to death, making it a technique fraught with immense risk.

Relative to the difficulty of learning it, it has been designated a "Forbidden Technique," yet anyone capable of using the standard Shadow Clone Technique can easily employ it.

Diejian perfectly ignored Senju Tobirama's warning—"Do not use it until you have mastered the Shadow Clone Technique"—and demonstrated the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique on the spot.

But Diejian was merely a child with good bloodlines who was still very immature.

Precisely because he was aware of his own talent, one could say his personality was even more troublesome.

Overconfident in his own chakra reserves, he created a number of shadow clones near his limit, instantly filling the largest dojo in the Senju estate where the two were at the time.

Seeing Diejian pouring out like an avalanche, breaking through the paper doors of the dojo, Tsunade let out a scream, but Diejian could no longer help it.

Sensing the danger of being crushed to death, Senju Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God Technique to instantly escape the dojo, then quickly dispelled the unconscious Diejian's shadow clones one by one from the outside, rescuing Diejian's original body.

The rescued Diejian was so exhausted from creating shadow clones beyond his own capacity that he was unable to get out of bed for quite some time.

Upon hearing of this, Senju Hashirama and Tsunade were worried about whether he was alright; once they knew he was, one burst into laughter, while the other was too frustrated to speak.

It is said that at the time, Senju Tobirama felt a rare, genuine sense of anxiety in his life. As if to prove this, he even used a genjutsu to sternly scold Diejian, warning him never to disobey his instructions again.

Perhaps due to this effort, the successfully recovered Diejian managed to master both the Shadow Clone Technique and the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, using shadow clones to repeatedly practice ninjutsu whenever he had a spare moment.

Because he had followed instructions, Senju Tobirama was not as angry, but there was one problem that could not be ignored.

"You brat, how is your taijutsu coming along?"

Diejian fell silent. But his expression clearly betrayed his panic, especially the way his eyes darted violently from side to side.

That was it.

Because Diejian was having too much fun learning ninjutsu with his shadow clones, his taijutsu training had been completely neglected.

Senju Tobirama inwardly rolled his eyes and held his forehead, but he could not show this in front of his disciple; he maintained a blank expression, staring at Diejian.

Being stared at by the expressionless Senju Tobirama was more than Diejian could handle.

"Today, I am going to train you properly. I, Senju Tobirama, will instruct you personally."

The trees in the forest suddenly swayed.

It was the pressure of the chakra released by Senju Tobirama that made the entire forest tremble.

Diejian gasped at this astonishing impact, freezing in fear.

Senju Tobirama.

This was a man who had galloped across the Warring States period.

One of the strongest ninjas.

A genius developer who created numerous historically renowned ninjutsu such as the Shadow Clone Technique, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation.

Although he possessed the side of a scholar, he was not only outstanding in intellect but also possessed superior physical ability, his movements hailed as the fastest among all ninjas.

Speaking of the Senju brothers of the forest, they were powerhouses known to everyone in the ninja world. Now that Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had died in their death match, it was no exaggeration to say that Senju Tobirama was the second strongest ninja in the world.

How strong was the sense of pressure overflowing from such a man—to a half-baked ninja, it was a crushing force sufficient to make them unable to move just by facing him.

Even though he had already become his disciple, it was not something one could easily get used to.

"That said, I don't have time to waste."

The sense of pressure suddenly vanished.

Diejian slumped down as if his strength had been sapped and let out a sigh.

The fact that he was released from Senju Tobirama's heavy pressure gave Diejian a huge sense of relief.

Now, he felt that the pressure of a half-baked ninja could be dispelled like a gentle breeze.

Seemingly satisfied with having shown his majesty to Diejian, Senju Tobirama's expression also brightened.

With a relaxed look, he formed hand seals.

It was the Shadow Clone Technique, which Diejian also recognized.

Senju Tobirama's clone appeared amidst the smoke.

The question of why he used the Shadow Clone Technique was immediately answered.

"From now on, you will face my shadow clone with the intent to kill. If you can destroy my shadow clone, you pass. Until then, you stay here."

Senju Tobirama's sudden declaration.

Diejian's eyes widened as he screamed for him not to be ridiculous.

He had just been clearly shown the gap in their strength.

His heart had already been crushed, and he even had the thought of addressing him as "Lord Tobirama."

The impact was so great that even that thought was blown away.

Diejian begged him to reconsider, but Senju Tobirama shook his head, indicating he would not hear of it.

A heavy despair weighed upon Diejian's heart.

Diejian suggested using Shadow Clones for taijutsu training as well, but precisely because they are fragile, Shadow Clones are ill-suited for specialized physical training.

After all, it is only natural that they would vanish after taking a single punch.

"For ninjutsu, it is fine to use Shadow Clones to practice hand seals, shape transformation, and nature transformation. However, taijutsu can only be improved through down-to-earth, diligent effort."

Facing Tobirama's impeccably correct words, Diejian had nothing to say.

Just as he was racking his brain to think of a way to escape, Tobirama nodded, seemingly satisfied with his reaction.

"Furthermore, I am not a devil. My Shadow Clone will not use ninjutsu this time. Naturally, neither the Flying Thunder God nor the Body Flicker technique will be used."

Diejian thought that if that were the case, there might still be hope, but remembering Tobirama's reputation, he felt a wave of dizziness.

What did it matter if he didn't use ninjutsu?

The Senju clan was, after all, a family that wielded their own resilient bodies as weapons.

Even without using ninjutsu, he would certainly possess considerable strength.

Diejian smiled in self-abandonment, but Tobirama seemed to interpret it as him "accepting" the situation, patting his Shadow Clone on the shoulder and saying, "I leave the rest to you."

"Well then, Diejian. I am returning via the Flying Thunder God."

Diejian's mournful plea of "Wait!" was in vain; Tobirama vanished.

Left behind were Diejian, who lay on the ground as if crushed, and Tobirama's clone, which looked down at him with sympathy.

But there was no time to daze off; Tobirama's Shadow Clone signaled the start.

Afterward, whether he tried to run or hide, Tobirama's Shadow Clone relentlessly targeted Diejian's backside with fierce attacks, and over a long period, something within Diejian was gradually worn away.

Eventually, he began to fight back against Tobirama's Shadow Clone with killing intent.

While Diejian struggled bitterly against Tobirama's Shadow Clone, Tobirama hid in the shade of the trees, observing Diejian's situation.

The Flying Thunder God technique had not been activated to return to the village.

He had flown to a marked location a short distance away to observe Diejian from afar.

As a direct male descendant of the Senju, Diejian was the grandson of the Hokage.

Tobirama believed that the hardships awaiting Diejian in his future life would likely be no less than those in the lives of Hashirama and himself.

Sooner or later, when he officially inherited the headship of the Senju clan, or even before that, Diejian would likely become a target for those seeking his life.

Even Hashirama, who was known as a "grandson-doting maniac," did not believe the current peace would last forever.

Of course, to ensure the current peace lasted, Hashirama and Tobirama were risking their lives to handle politics, but how long could this peace truly last—

Although Uchiha Madara had vanished, those who sought to inherit his will were still lurking within the Uchiha clan.

The village system was still in its infancy; betrayals by other villages, rebellions within the village, and the like—one never knew when such things might occur in the future.

In the event of such an emergency, as the grandson of the man who founded the village and a direct descendant of the strongest clan in the ninja world, Diejian would likely be pushed to the forefront, regardless of the circumstances.

If Hashirama and Tobirama were still alive, they would want him to do as he pleased, but no matter how strong they were, Hashirama and Tobirama were only human. They could not live forever.

Setting aside Hashirama, whom even his younger brother Tobirama viewed as superhuman, Tobirama himself was already beginning to feel the "sluggishness" that came with aging.

Time was limited.

Hashirama had great capacity and a charismatic power, but he tended to spoil his own kin and was not accustomed to being strict.

Therefore, to cultivate the strength of the next generation and to protect Diejian himself, a strict teacher was necessary.

That was what Tobirama thought.

"However... even if it is my own Shadow Clone, perhaps I went a bit too far..."

Watching his Shadow Clone persistently attack the battered Diejian, Tobirama felt a twinge of unease.

Sure enough, the fatigue from a full day of sparring finally reached its limit, and Diejian collapsed, unable to move.

After dispelling his Shadow Clone, Tobirama descended beside Diejian.

He fed a Military Ration Pill to the exhausted, sleeping Diejian, hoisted him onto his back, and vanished silently into the forest.