Scapegoat Hatake Sakumo

In Konohagakure, there stands a massive rock formation that seems to watch over the village.

Carved into the cliff face are giant statues modeled after human faces.

Known as the Hokage Rock, these likenesses of the Hokage protect everyone living within the village.

The villagers go about their daily lives under the comforting sense of security provided by the Hokage's protection.

Although currently only the face of Hashirama, the First and incumbent Hokage, is carved there, the number of faces will surely increase as the Second, Third, and subsequent Hokage succeed him.

The face of Hashirama that the people look up to is sculpted with exquisite detail, capturing both the ruggedness of a Champion who pacified the Warring States period and the inherent warmth of the man himself—a work of art that even Hashirama takes pride in.

Yet, at this moment, the man himself stands atop his own stone face with a gloomy expression.

His long hair flutters in the wind, brushing coldly against his cheeks.

Hashirama has watched over the village's growth since its very inception.

This scenery, which continues to develop and offers such a clear vantage point, is the most precious treasure he once pursued and ultimately attained alongside his dearest friend, Uchiha Madara.

Madara and Hashirama, who spoke of their dreams together in their youth.

The two, who recognized each other as their only true friends, were forced apart by the conflicts of their respective clans and the loss of important family members.

The two boys, once merely toyed with by fate, eventually grew into the leaders of their clans.

After enduring long years of battle, even after parting ways and clashing repeatedly, Madara was moved by the magnanimity Hashirama showed in calling him a friend; after decades of twists and turns, the two finally joined hands.

Reconciling with his friend, they brought an end to the Warring States period.

They established an organization where children would not have to die in vain.

Though they attained everything they had once desired, Hashirama and Madara eventually drifted apart due to their diverging ideologies.

Even so, for Hashirama, the peace he had finally secured after running through the Warring States period was something he wanted to protect more than anything else.

It was precisely because the village existed that he could encounter his beloved family, which only made Hashirama more resolute in his conviction.

"Madara..."

However, the figure of his dear friend Madara was not there.

Uchiha Madara's ideology clashed with the political policies of Senju Tobirama, and shortly after Hashirama became the First Hokage, he finally left the village.

Later, consumed by the hatred of being "betrayed by the village," Madara became a vengeful ghost; he used the ocular power of his Mangekyo Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails and led it in an assault on Konohagakure, intending to destroy the village.

With immense sorrow and helplessness, Hashirama engaged Madara in battle.

The fierce fight, which lasted an entire night, ended in Hashirama's victory.

Beside the newly formed waterfall created by the terrain-altering battle, Hashirama gazed silently at the remains of his dear friend, who looked as if he were merely sleeping.

The helplessness of why things had to end this way, and the absolute resolve to never forgive those who would harm the village.

It is not hard to imagine what a painful decision it was for the gentle Hashirama to end his friend Madara's life with his own hands.

The intertwined emotions cannot be expressed in words.

Yet, Hashirama did not regret killing his friend; he was simply left with a lingering sense of loneliness.

"Hey—! Grandpa—!"

"Oh, is that Diejian... hm?"

In the twilight, Hashirama heard the familiar voice of his grandson, and his sorrowful expression instantly shifted into that of a doting, doting grandfather.

However, he could not see Diejian's figure.

As he looked around to find him, he heard a shout of "Over here!"

Looking down, he saw Diejian standing vertically on the rock face, waving his hand.

Hashirama hurriedly jumped to Diejian's side and scooped him up.

This technique of adhering to walls is a developmental stage of chakra control.

Hashirama considers it not particularly difficult, but if one neglects the basics, the difficulty of mastering it skyrockets.

When he heard that Diejian had begun formal ninjutsu training under his younger brother Tobirama, Hashirama had felt a pang of disappointment that it wasn't himself—but after all, he was the clan head and the Hokage of the village.

It wasn't that he hadn't noticed Tobirama's intentions—so he had reluctantly yielded the position of mentor.

On one hand, he was happy that Diejian had already mastered chakra control similar to wall-walking, but on the other, he worried about what would happen if his concentration wavered and his chakra control faltered, causing him to fall.

Hashirama himself had mastered precise chakra control, such as sticking to walls and standing on water, from a young age, so he felt Diejian would be fine, but he was, after all, an overprotective grandfather.

Holding Diejian, Hashirama jumped to a higher point on the Hokage Rock, standing on the edge of the cliff.

The view from here allowed for an even more panoramic look at the entire village than from the face itself.

"Whoa—it really is super amazing—"

Diejian let out a sigh of admiration.

A long time had passed since "that event," and a sense of nostalgia welled up in Hashirama, the sight before him warming his heart.

It was right here that Hashirama had once spoken of his dreams with Madara.

Back then, both of them were still young.

The rock face had yet to be carved into the Hokage Rock, and where rows of houses now stood, there was only a dense, sprawling forest.

They had chased after unfinished dreams: wanting to end war, achieve peace, protect their families, protect their children, and build a village right here.

Today, although the friends who once spoke of those dreams were no longer by his side, the village remained, and the families living within it remained as well.

That was the far shore of the dream, reached only after such great struggle.

"Diejian... do you have a dream?"

Having let the words slip out unintentionally, Hashirama reflected on his own actions thus far and suddenly felt a sense of urgency.

The things Hashirama had taught Diejian were nothing more than his own hobbies—bonsai pruning, gambling techniques, and showing off his collection of various ninja tools.

It was entirely possible that the boy might say he wanted to become a gambler.

He had just been lightly scolded by Mito for that very reason a few days ago.

How will Diejian answer?

Watching Diejian nod as if he had figured it all out—"So it's just this, then"—Hashirama realized the boy had already settled on an answer.

His heart was a tangle of anticipation and anxiety; he urged Diejian to speak, waiting for his words, wanting to know what kind of dream would emerge.

"Me? I want to become Hokage and protect everyone."

Although Diejian had grown quite mature, to Hashirama, he was still just a grandchild at a precious, adorable age.

He had likely arrived at this after much contemplation, even if he didn't yet fully grasp the weight of what it meant to be Hokage.

This was not a bad thing; it was something of vital importance.

Just as Hashirama had once held the unfinished dream of the "village."

Then, all Hashirama could do was pray that as Diejian walked the long road of life ahead, he would be able to move straight toward this dream.

He hoped the boy would not walk the sorrowful path that Hashirama had—building a village to keep his family from dying, only to part ways with his closest friend—nor the sorrowful path of Madara—witnessing darkness within a village that dreamed of peace, his heart shattering and falling into the abyss.

Hashirama let out a deep sigh, steadying his trembling lips.

He hesitated over whether he should pass on the "Will of Fire" he had once taught his disciple, Sarutobi Hiruzen, to Diejian as well.

His only worry was whether this would constrain the potential of a young leaf just beginning to sprout.

Even so, Hashirama wanted to give Diejian an answer.

He trusted that Diejian would not be bound by this answer, but would instead use it as a signpost to eventually find a dream that was truly his own.

Was this selfishness? Or was it trust?

By the time the answer became clear, Hashirama would likely no longer be in this world.

Even so, if his own grandson could inherit the "Will of Fire" and reach the far shore of the "true dream" that Hashirama had always pursued, then any suffering in this life would be worth enduring.

"Diejian. The Hokage is one who carries the thoughts of everyone on their shoulders. The people of the village believe in me, and I, in turn, believe in them. That is what it means to be Hokage."

"I see... yeah, I'll remember that."

Watching Diejian nod with such solemnity, Hashirama broke into a smile, repeating, "Is that so? Is that so?"

A leaf caught on the breeze danced toward the sky before Hashirama's eyes.

Afterward, Hashirama was unable to stop Diejian from being whisked away by the suddenly appearing Tobirama.

"You're late!"

Long after the agreed-upon time had passed and the blonde girl was about to lose her patience, Diejian finally appeared without a shred of guilt.

With one hand in his pocket and the other swinging lazily, his attitude—devoid of any sign of remorse—made the girl, Yamanaka Ina, twitch with irritation.

"Why are you late every single time!"

Watching Diejian approach slowly without the slightest sense of urgency, Ina pointed at him and shouted.

This dynamic between the hot-tempered Ina and the somewhat awkward Diejian, who seemed only partially repentant, was a common occurrence.

Beside them, the silver-haired boy, Hatake Sakumo, covered his ears with an expression that said, "Here we go again."

"Nothing much, just overslept. My bad."

"Can't you at least try to be a little more tactful!?"

Faced with such a blunt display of insincerity, the corners of Ina's eyes twitched even more.

She panted heavily, but seeing Diejian shrink back slightly at her expression, she let her shoulders drop as if exhausted.

If she had known it would be like this, she would have preferred he make up some excuse like "I was helping an old lady" or "I was guiding a lost child."

Sakumo, who had been growing impatient on the sidelines, interjected:

"Let it go. It's only about five minutes late. I don't think it's good to get angry every single time."

Hearing this sudden rebuke, Ina's eyes widened.

She never expected that the late Diejian would be shielded, while she, the one rightfully angry, would be the one scolded.

Why?

Surprise and resentment threw her heart into turmoil, and her emerald eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"But, a ninja must be punctual... wuu... wuu--!!"

She didn't want to cry, yet the tears fell anyway; was her mental control still not mature enough?

Ina felt ashamed.

Diejian was the one startled. To make her stop crying quickly, he gently rubbed the shoulders of Ina, who was trembling as she desperately held back her tears.

Sakumo sighed: "Crying over something like this, women really are such a hassle..."

Yet, he still felt guilty for being the one to make her cry.

Although Yamanaka Ina had a strong personality, she had a tendency to be moved to tears by unintentional reminders.

She was formidable in direct arguments or verbal sparring with other girls, but she seemed quite weak when reminded of things while she was off-guard.

"There's a place I want to go today."

Once Ina had calmed down, Diejian suggested to the two of them that they go for a hike in a rather strange forest outside the village.

Diejian pointed his fingertip leisurely in the direction of the forest.

Sakumo questioned this:

"Aren't we supposed to be sparring here? Diejian, didn't you say Lord Tobirama told you to practice taijutsu? That's why we gathered here, isn't it?"

But Diejian just walked ahead, looking cheerful.

"If you go out the main gate and walk for a while, there's a forest that's larger, messier... or rather, more intricate and a bit strange compared to the surrounding woods..."

Ina followed in silence as well.

"Sigh, of course it is."

Sakumo, whose words were treated as wind past the ears, declared, "Do as you please, I won't take responsibility if something happens."

In reality, it was usually Diejian who got scolded when things went wrong, not Sakumo, so it really didn't matter.

That was something that happened a few years ago.

Hashirama had once snuck his young eldest grandson out of the village—that time, he had actually obtained permission from Tobirama—and at the time, the grandson, who had just started learning ninjutsu, kept pestering Hashirama to see his techniques.

But that grandson had actually bragged that in terms of Water Release, Tobirama's variety was richer and more common.

Furthermore, it was said that the arrogant child had even stubbornly claimed that Earth Release was tacky.

To coax his grandson into a good mood—and because he couldn't resist his grandson's pestering—Hashirama demonstrated the Wood Release Secret Technique: Deep Forest Emergence.

Motivated by his grandson's pleading, Hashirama seemed to have put his all into the technique, resulting in the surrounding area turning into a forest of twisted, frantic, and unnatural trees.

"So, isn't that why the ecosystem became so strange?"

"You really haven't changed a bit."

A stunned Sakumo let his shoulders slump.

Diejian smiled sheepishly.

Ina was just as surprised; she poked Diejian in the side and said, "Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not complimenting you!"

Diejian brushed her hand away, saying "Cut it out, cut it out," but Ina found his reaction incredibly amusing.

However, before things could escalate, Sakumo coughed to draw their attention.

Noticing this, Ina gave a "hem-hem" and deliberately covered the corner of her mouth with her fist, though her cheeks flushed slightly.

"That, that was the Hokage's Wood Release ninjutsu. My sister said she's seen it. Apparently, it can produce not only trees but also flowers; my sister even received a flower from the Hokage himself."

Hearing this unexpected piece of trivia, Sakumo honestly sighed in agreement, "Huh—"

Diejian clapped and said, "You sure know a lot," though he felt a bit unenthusiastic.

Ina, meanwhile, puffed out her chest with a bit of pride, emphasizing her toned abdomen covered in bandages.

Because of her midriff-baring outfit, Ina had covered the skin that would normally be exposed with wrapped bandages.

It was a strange fashion choice, but Diejian felt it actually had a certain unique charm.

However, Diejian himself wore armor on his hips and chest that, while simple, was quite conspicuous, making his own attire stand out in the village, so he was in no position to judge others.

Only Sakumo, who wore a plain ninja outfit, was qualified to say anything.

That said, as children of the village, they were naturally curious about the forest said to have been created by the Hokage they admired.

Contrary to Sakumo, who was starting to get excited, Ina was a bit hesitant.

"But my mom said we aren't allowed to play there..."

"Is that so? Then should we go back?"

No sooner had the words left Diejian's mouth than Ina laughed:

"Oh, I already told her about it, so it's fine. Don't worry."

"Really!? Then let's go!"

"You switch moods really fast."

Sakumo looked puzzled:

"Eh, what do you mean? Since when?"

"Shadow Clone."

Hearing Ina's words, Sakumo nodded in sudden realization.

Ina immediately strode out, with Diejian and Sakumo following behind her, their expressions a mix of surprise and admiration.

"Hmm—since this is a forest, we can't practice Fire Release, Diejian."

"Yeah, you're right."

They crossed the village's main road, passed through the residential area, and arrived at the massive gates.

This was the village's entrance and exit.

The three of them each carried a bag filled with fruit bought with their pocket money, intended for snacks during breaks in their training.

"Good day, Young Master."

"Hard work, everyone."

The gate guards noticed Diejian and nodded in greeting.

Diejian was already used to it, so he didn't pay much mind and responded casually, but Ina and Sakumo felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing adults treat a child with such deference.

Diejian informed them he was going out of the village to play.

The war had ended, and the armistice agreement had been in place for some time.

Although there had been an attack by Uchiha Madara, the diplomatic situation was in a period of peace.

The gates were wide open, and people could come and go freely.

After a few moments of idle chatter, Diejian and his companions passed through the gates and began to walk.

Seeing the forest, which was even more lush than he had imagined, Diejian took a deep breath.

The other two seemed to be more or less awestruck by the atmosphere as well.

"We can use Earth Release freely here."

"Actually, we got scolded once before for making a mess of the training ground."

"Don't lump me in with you! I tried to stop you; you two were just too carried away!"

"Ahahahaha! That did happen, didn't it."

A few days ago, Diejian, who had learned "Nature Transformation" from his great-uncle and mentor Tobirama, tried to put it into practice immediately during a sparring match with Sakumo.

Nature Transformation is the advanced ninjutsu of converting formless chakra into different natures—the five attributes of Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning—and it is also the foundation.

Attribute affinity varies from person to person; some have no affinity at all, while others possess affinity for two or more.

Diejian's affinities were Earth, Fire, and Water.

There exists something called "Kekkei Genkai."

These are special physical constitutions inherited through genetics, or advanced ninjutsu created by fusing two attributes to produce a new one.

Diejian's grandfather, Hashirama, possessed both the special constitution of super-recovery and the Kekkei Genkai of Wood Release, which was formed by combining Water and Earth attribute transformations.

Having received the explanation from Tobirama and learned simple basic ninjutsu, Diejian was happy, but feeling dejected after being told that formal ninjutsu training wouldn't start until next time, he thought:

If Wood Release is hereditary, then I should be able to do it too.

Having learned absolutely nothing from his previous failure, Diejian couldn't wait to use Wood Release during his sparring match with Sakumo, and ended up failing spectacularly.

What he activated was a completely different technique—the Landslide Technique, which spewed a muddy torrent from his mouth.

The failure of the ninjutsu meant it had spiraled out of control, and what actually manifested was the Earth Release: Earth Flow Technique.

This was originally a basic Earth Release technique for spitting out earth and sand, but because it was mixed with the Water attribute, its scale became abnormally massive.

—Ahhhhhhhh.

Moreover, the runaway technique showed no signs of stopping; a wave of earth containing rocks and wood debris swallowed Sakumo and Ina, even flowing into the streets and causing massive damage to a corner of the village.

Houses were engulfed, and people screamed as they fled in all directions.

Tobirama, who had used the Flying Thunder God to mobilize after sensing what he thought was an enemy attack, suppressed Diejian, while Ina and Sakumo were rescued by Hashirama's Wood Release while they were unconscious.

That was when Ina's older sister saw the Wood Release.

"It's not something to laugh about!"

"Ouch."

As Diejian tried to laugh it off, Ina smacked the back of his head.

After that incident, Diejian was subjected to hours of lecturing and genjutsu attacks by Tobirama—who served as a village advisor—and his own parents, so this was not something he could just laugh off; it had almost become a psychological trauma.

Since then, the Landslide Technique—within the village—had been designated a forbidden technique.

"It's not like it's an endless thing. Aren't you being a bit too persistent?"

"Ugh..."

"Ah—it's about time to go! Otherwise, we'll be late getting back!"

Diejian pulled Ina, who was once again teary-eyed, up with near-forceful intensity, coaxing her as he led her into the forest.

Behind him, Sakumo followed with a look of helpless resignation.

Sakumo took a bite of the fruit he had pulled from his bag.

It was a little sour.