Tobirama, the Children's King

The sun was scorching beneath the azure sky.

In the dense, tangled forest, however, it felt remarkably cool. Rikusei, leaping through the trees, adjusted the Gunbai on his back to keep it from slipping. He followed the ninjas sprinting ahead, eventually coming to a halt and landing on the forest floor.

In this deep woods where sunlight rarely reached, the ground was carpeted in moss, and protruding tree roots twisted and coiled in complex patterns.

An Anbu member wearing a mask arrived via Body Flicker, nodded to Madara and Tobirama, then looked toward Hashirama, who was supporting the scroll on his back. Upon receiving a signal, the Anbu spoke in a clear voice: "The Nine-Tails shows no unusual activity at present; it remains well within the monitored perimeter."

"Is everything normal?" Hashirama unslung the scroll from his back and stood it upright on the ground. His gaze swept past the excited crowd to look at his best friend. "Are you ready?"

"Naturally," Madara replied, arms crossed over his chest, his demeanor calm and composed.

Knowing they had reached their destination, Rikusei, the designated pack mule, stepped forward to hand the ninja tools to the stern-faced Madara before returning to the ranks.

"Then let's move out!" Hashirama, at the very front of the group, waved his arm, the armor plates on his shoulders clattering crisply as he spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Wait a moment!" Tobirama, who had been silent, suddenly stepped forward to interrupt.

The group looked at him in confusion. As their gazes met under the forest canopy, they noticed the distress in Tobirama's red pupils. He raised an arm and pointed toward the students from the Ninja Academy.

His stern face wore an expression of utter helplessness as he said, "The battle plan! I haven't explained it to them yet."

""

The expression on Hashirama's face shifted from passion to utter dejection. He looked helplessly toward his best friend, seeking some comfort, only to find Madara turning his head away with a hint of disdain, which only deepened Hashirama's distress.

Tobirama stepped forward, ignoring his Elder Brother's aggrieved look, and took the scroll from his hands, laying it flat on the ground.

The massive scroll, resting on the lush green grass, was slowly unfurled by Tobirama. The white surface was covered in a dizzying array of black sealing formulas.

Within the crowd, Rikusei glanced at the members of the Uzumaki Clan carrying wooden crates. They likely could never have imagined that a certain bun-haired girl in the future would be able to seal an entire wooden ship inside a scroll.

Tobirama leaned down, focusing chakra into his fingers with intense focus, and slammed them onto the sealing array surrounding the character for "Bitter." After a puff of smoke dissipated, numerous specialized Kunai appeared on the scroll's surface.

The circular formula on the handles of the Kunai caused Madara's pupils to constrict. The familiar pattern—the Flying Thunder God formula—flashed before his eyes, and memories etched into his bones began to surface.

Taking a Kunai from Tobirama's hand, he watched the blue-clad back as Tobirama distributed the weapons to everyone. When Tobirama handed a Kunai to Rikusei, the boy's smiling face overlapped with memories of his own childhood, leaving him momentarily dazed. With a sigh, everything dissipated into the wind.

Observing his surroundings, Hashirama keenly noticed the change in Madara's expression. Seeing his friend's gaze clear, he gripped his own Kunai and silently moved a little closer to him.

Seeing that everyone had secured their Kunai, Tobirama nodded with satisfaction and said to Rikusei and the others, "You all know we are here to capture the Nine-Tails, but the specific plan has not yet been relayed to you. I will announce it now."

Of course, Rikusei and the others did not know the detailed plan.

They were primarily here for a field trip—no, to witness the greatest battle in the ninja world.

If they had been told in advance, every detail of the plan would have been common knowledge throughout the village by the end of the day.

Their current strength was insufficient to withstand a single swipe of the Nine-Tails' claws; the beast could likely wipe them all out with its fingernails alone.

Announcing it now was simply to ensure they were aware of the steps beforehand, so they wouldn't panic.

"The primary combatants are Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara," Tobirama said with a professional air, clearing his throat. "When the battle commences, the members of the Uzumaki Clan and the Anbu will concentrate their chakra to cast a barrier ninjutsu, preventing the target from escaping and containing the leakage of ninjutsu."

Tobirama paused, his voice growing louder and his tone becoming stern: "You must keep those Kunai safe. I will do my utmost to ensure your safety. Only after the battle concludes will the members of the Uzumaki Clan move in to seal the target."

The heavy atmosphere was exactly what Tobirama wanted. No matter how strong his Elder Brother and Madara were, they could not afford to be careless. Before him stood the very best of Konoha's next generation; he could not allow a single mistake. He stepped back slowly, clearing a space for Hashirama and Madara.

Passion reignited on Hashirama's face, and high-spirited battle intent flowed from his eyes. Merely standing there, he made everyone present feel that burning intensity.

"Capture operation, begin!"

The four simple words completely ignited the atmosphere.

Rikusei and the others followed Tobirama, sprinting up the trunks of the trees. The towering ancient trees reached toward the clouds, their smooth bark covered in moss. Looking up, one could see that only the uppermost reaches, near the sunlight, possessed dense branches.

The thick branches were recklessly sliced apart by sharp blades, falling toward the ground. Rikusei, wielding his Short Sword, fought his way through the canopy; the reforged blade had reached a new height of sharpness.

After hacking through the thorns and brambles and passing through the lush foliage, the view finally opened up. Rikusei stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Naori. The purple hair, scattered by the wind, brushed against the boy's cheek, making him feel a ticklish sensation.

The whistling Summer Wind blew through the verdant canopy. An endless sea of green waves surged beneath the azure sky, and the continuous sound of rustling leaves disturbed the summer of the Land of Fire.

This was the silence before the storm. Rikusei felt a pang of pity for this sea of forest. Under Naori's amused gaze, he performed a flourish with his Short Sword, pretending to be suave as he returned it to her, then hurriedly shielded his eyes from the sun to gaze out at the waves.

"The Byakugan and Sharingan may be activated."

Tobirama, emerging from the canopy, directed them not to fall too far behind. Although they were the observers and could afford a slower pace, they must not miss the most spectacular beginning.

In terms of perception, the Byakugan held the advantage. The members of the Hyuga Clan began reporting the situation, and under Tobirama's command, they began to advance.

Rikusei and Naori chose to slack off, following the crowd quietly and obeying orders.

For this, Tobirama gave them a sidelong glance.

He knew exactly which of the five young Uchiha had awakened their eyes. Rikusei's fame was already well-established, but he hadn't expected it of the little girl, Naori.

Possessing superior swordsmanship, she surely had a heart as steady as a rock, yet she had awakened her Sharingan ahead of Kagami, Baru, and Naka.

According to intelligence from within the Uchiha Clan, an analysis of all the events Naori experienced before and after awakening her eyes showed no signs of intense trauma.

Tobirama glanced back at the two of them, hidden within the advancing ranks, and secretly speculated: could it have been triggered by an emotional stimulus?

But looking at how they were laughing and chatting, full of joy, that idea didn't seem to hold water. His crimson eyes were filled with confusion—could his previous research on the Sharingan have been flawed?

No, Tobirama dismissed the thought. It must be that his intelligence gathering was incomplete, leading him to a misjudgment.