The Kids' King, Tobirama

The sun blazed overhead beneath a clear blue sky.

The dense, tangled forest was surprisingly cool. Leaping through the trees, Rikusei adjusted the Gunbai on his back to keep it from slipping. Keeping his eyes on the ninja racing ahead, he stopped with the others and landed on the forest floor.

The ground beneath the forest canopy, which had rarely seen daylight, was carpeted with moss. Gnarled roots crisscrossed and tangled together.

A masked Anbu appeared with a Body Flicker through the forest. After nodding to Madara and Tobirama, he looked toward Hashirama, who was holding the scroll on his back. At Hashirama's signal, he announced, "The Nine-Tails hasn't made any unusual movements. It's within the monitored area."

"Everything's normal?" Hashirama took the scroll from his back and stood it upright on the ground. His gaze passed over the eager faces in the crowd before he turned to his close friend. "Are you ready?"

"Of course." Madara folded his arms and replied with effortless confidence.

Knowing they had reached their destination, Rikusei, the designated errand boy, stepped forward and handed his ninja tools to Madara, whose expression was stern. Then he returned to the group.

"Then let's get going!" Hashirama, at the head of the crowd, waved his arm. The armor plates on his shoulder clinked as he spoke with enthusiasm.

"Wait!" Tobirama, who had been silent until now, suddenly stepped forward and interrupted.

Everyone looked at him in confusion. Beneath the forest canopy, their eyes met, and they noticed the troubled look in Tobirama's red eyes. He raised an arm and pointed at the students from the Ninja Academy.

His stern face held an utterly helpless expression as he said, "The battle plan! We haven't explained it to them yet."

Hashirama's expression shifted from fiery enthusiasm to dejection. He looked helplessly toward his close friend, hoping for some comfort, only to find Madara turning his face away in apparent distaste. That made him feel even more troubled.

Tobirama stepped forward, ignoring his elder brother's wounded look. He took the scroll from Hashirama and laid it flat on the ground.

The enormous scroll spread open across the lush grass beneath Tobirama's hands. Its white surface was covered in black Sealing Jutsu arrays, a dizzying sight.

Rikusei glanced at the Uzumaki Clan members carrying wooden boxes. They probably wouldn't have guessed that, in the future, some girl with her hair in buns would seal an entire wooden boat inside a scroll.

Tobirama bent down and gathered chakra into his fingertips. His eyes were filled with focus as he abruptly pressed his hand onto the sealing array surrounding the character for "suffering." When the smoke cleared, a large number of specially made Kunai lay on the scroll.

The circular markings on the Kunai handles made Madara's pupils contract. A familiar pattern came into view: the Flying Thunder God formula. Memories that had been etched into his mind began to resurface.

Madara took a Kunai from Tobirama. As he watched the blue-haired figure hand one to each person, he saw him pass one to Rikusei. The boy's smiling face overlapped with a memory from childhood, leaving Madara dazed. Then, with a sigh, it all vanished like the wind.

Watching those around them, Hashirama keenly noticed the change in Madara's expression. Once Madara's gaze cleared, Hashirama tightened his grip on the Kunai and quietly moved closer to him.

After Tobirama saw that everyone had put away their Kunai, he nodded in satisfaction and said to Rikusei and the others, "You all know we're here to capture the Nine-Tails, but you haven't been told the specific plan. I'll explain it now."

Of course, Rikusei and the others didn't know the detailed plan.

Their main reason for coming was to sightsee—no, to witness the strongest battle in the Shinobi World.

If they were told the details in advance, the exact steps of the plan would be common knowledge throughout the village by the day of the operation.

They weren't strong enough to withstand even one swipe from the Nine-Tails. Its claws alone could probably wipe them all out.

Announcing the plan now would let them know what to expect and keep them from making a fuss when things happened.

"The main fighters will be Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara." Tobirama cleared his throat, his tone strictly businesslike. "When the battle begins, the Uzumaki Clan and Anbu members will pool their chakra to cast a Barrier Jutsu, preventing it from escaping and its jutsu from spilling beyond the area."

Tobirama paused, then raised his voice, his tone grave. "Make sure you keep those Kunai safe. I'll do everything I can to protect you. Once the battle's over, the Uzumaki Clan members will move in and seal it."

Tobirama was quite satisfied with the serious atmosphere. No matter how powerful his elder brother and Madara were, they still couldn't afford to let their guard down. These were the finest of Konoha's next generation, and not a single thing could go wrong. He slowly stepped back, making room for Hashirama and Madara.

The fire of enthusiasm flared in Hashirama's face again, and his eyes shone with a fierce fighting spirit. Simply standing there, he made everyone present feel the heat of it.

"The capture begins!"

Those four simple words set the atmosphere ablaze.

Rikusei and the others followed Tobirama, racing up along the tree trunks. The towering ancient trees reached toward the clouds. Their smooth trunks were covered in moss, and the only dense branches were high above, near the sunlight.

Sharp blades hacked recklessly through the thick branches, sending them tumbling to the ground. Wielding his short sword, Rikusei cut a swath through the treetops. The blade, reforged since his last mission, had reached a new level of sharpness.

After pushing their way through the branches, they finally emerged into open space. Rikusei stood shoulder to shoulder with Naori. The wind tossed her purple hair against the boy's cheek, making him feel a ticklish warmth in his heart.

The summer wind howled through the emerald treetops. Endless green waves rolled beneath the azure sky, and the rustling leaves roared on and on, disturbing the summer calm of the Land of Fire.

It was the stillness before a storm. Rikusei felt a little sorry for the vast sea of trees. Under Naori's knowing, amused gaze, he twirled his short sword in a Blade Flower, then returned it to her with a show of nonchalance. Quickly raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, he gazed out at the waves of treetops.

"Byakugan and Sharingan, activate."

Tobirama emerged from the canopy and directed them not to fall too far behind. They were only there to watch, so they could move more slowly, but they absolutely couldn't miss the most exciting part: the opening.

The Byakugan had the advantage when it came to perception. The Hyuga Clan members began reporting what they saw, and under Tobirama's direction, the group moved on.

Rikusei and Naori chose to take it easy, quietly following the crowd and doing as they were told.

Tobirama even shot them a disapproving glance.

He knew which of the five young Uchiha had awakened their eyes. Rikusei went without saying—his reputation had always preceded him. But Tobirama hadn't expected Naori, that little girl, to awaken hers.

With her superb swordsmanship, she must have had a will as unshakable as stone. Yet she had awakened her Sharingan before Kagami, Baru, and Naka.

Based on the information from the Uchiha Clan, Tobirama analyzed every event Naori had experienced before and after awakening her eyes. She hadn't gone through any particularly strong emotional shock.

Tobirama glanced back at the two of them hidden among the advancing group. Could it have been some kind of romantic shock? he wondered.

But judging from how they chatted and laughed together, that idea didn't seem to hold up. Doubt filled his red eyes. Had his research on the Sharingan been off?

No, Tobirama rejected his earlier thought. He simply hadn't gotten all the information, which had led him to the wrong conclusion.