Tobirama ultimately didn't call him that. Aside from his own pride, it was simply strange for a second brother to call his younger brother "big brother." The lessons he'd received from childhood wouldn't allow it.
Hiugo still taught him, though. The only technique he knew was the Flash Thunder Seal, which required a lightning affinity. Even if he taught it to Tobirama, Tobirama wouldn't be able to use it.
Hiugo felt a little awkward, considering Tobirama had kindly taught him a ninjutsu, but he couldn't teach Tobirama anything in return.
Of course, if Tobirama really did call him "big brother," Hiugo could live with feeling awkward.
The two headed back. Their fight hadn't lasted long, but it had still attracted a number of boys and girls who'd come to watch. They were both fairly well known among their peers.
One was absorbed in researching ninjutsu, while the other was focused on getting stronger, so they ignored the onlookers.
The two little Senju stayed obediently at home, afraid they'd be thought to have run away and earn twice the scolding from their second brother.
Tobirama took a wooden frame and a plank from one of the rooms. Together, they made a place to write.
The plank had been smoothed flat. When wet, this kind of wood showed black marks. To write on it, one gathered water chakra at the tip of the index finger. Once finished, the chakra could be dispersed, leaving the board ready to use again.
"You go first."
Tobirama spoke, then brought out a stool and sat down.
Hiugo didn't waste time. He cleared his throat and said:
"The ninjutsu and taijutsu we learn in the clan compound are skills for direct combat."
"But in the future, on the battlefield or during missions, our enemies will do more than fight us head-on. There are other things we need to watch out for."
"First, don't listen to an enemy's nonsense. They may be trying to wait until you let your guard down before striking. So no matter what, when you face an opponent, take them out immediately."
"Second, if you run into someone stronger, act scared and wait for them to let their guard down before attacking. If their strength is about the same as yours, don't be afraid. Fear will only make you more likely to die. If they're weaker than you but can escape, remember not to chase them."
Itama couldn't help asking, "If they're weaker than us, shouldn't we chase them down?"
"That brings us to the third point. You're only Genin now, and in a year or two, you'll be Chunin. There are cases of Genin and Chunin being killed by their opponents during missions, not to mention traps."
"Traps?"
"You mustn't underestimate what the enemy knows. You're the clan leader's sons. Whether they capture you, kill you outright, or use you to lure others into a rescue, you're more valuable than other clan members."
The two little Senju fell silent. They hadn't thought they were any different from the other clan members.
Hiugo looked at Itama. "Explosive Tags can be thrown by hand, but they can also be buried in the ground and set off when someone steps on them. You need to be especially careful about that."
Hiugo said this because he remembered Nawaki, a Senju who would die in the future after stepping on a trap made with an Explosive Tag. Thinking of how, in the anime, Itama's body had never been found intact, he suspected the two might have met the same end, so he added the warning.
The mood turned somber. It felt too soon to talk about life and death.
A flicker passed through Tobirama's eyes. He stood and patted Hiugo on the shoulder. "All right. I'll take it from here."
Hiugo glanced at the two little ones, then remembered that they were still children. He lowered his voice. "Was I too harsh?"
Tobirama shook his head.
"You're only a year or two older than them, and a little pressure can help them improve."
"You've been working hard lately, too. Get some rest early..."
Hiugo nodded and left through the door.
Night had fallen, carrying a hint of coolness.
A Dark Ninja appeared nearby and handed Hiugo a scroll.
"Tomorrow's workload?"
The Dark Ninja replied in a hoarse voice, "It's about Senju Zhenyang."
"What happened to him?"
"He encountered a huge cat during a mission. His life or death is unknown."
"A huge cat?"
"It was a Giant Cat with blue flames covering its body and black markings. According to the clan members who were with him, Senju Zhenyang drew it away by himself to protect the others."
Hiugo furrowed his brow. "How many tails did it have?"
"The report says two."
"Mm."
Somewhere in the Land of Fire, inside a cave
Senju Zhenyang slowly woke up and saw the enormous head of a cat right in front of him.
"You're awake, human of the Senju Clan," the cat said, opening its eyes. Its tone was fairly gentle.
"Why didn't you kill me?" Senju Zhenyang asked in confusion. He'd been on a mission and hadn't expected Onmyo Seimei, the only clan-leader-level expert in the Onmyo Clan, to be on the same mission.
They'd then been driven back by a group of summoned beasts. Fortunately, Onmyo Seimei hadn't wanted to kill them, so they'd managed to escape with their lives.
After that, they ran into a "Giant Cat." Given their earlier experience of being chased by summoned beasts, they'd instinctively assumed Onmyo Seimei had changed his mind and come to silence them.
So Senju Zhenyang used a ninjutsu to draw the "Giant Cat's" attention, then led it away. As he remembered it, the last thing that happened was that it slammed him into the ground with a paw, knocking him unconscious. He remembered nothing after that.
There were accounts of Tailed Beasts in the Warring States period, but there were no Jinchūriki yet. Many clans that had coveted the power of Tailed Beasts had perished because they couldn't control them. So, no matter how great their power was, people weren't interested.
Besides, most Tailed Beasts were peaceful and rarely appeared before people. Over time, that information had been pushed aside and forgotten.
Senju Zhenyang's question left the Two-Tails feeling helpless. It was one of the more even-tempered Tailed Beasts. Otherwise, it would have slapped him to death long ago.
"Why didn't I kill you? Because I don't want the trouble. The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan are the biggest nuisances. Your Senju Clan is a little better."
If it killed this kid, the Senju Clan might start throwing ninjutsu at its head while going on about love and comrades.
Senju Zhenyang stood up. He didn't feel any pain, and the injuries he'd suffered in the earlier fight had all healed. Realizing what had happened, he immediately bowed and apologized.
"I'm sorry for offending you earlier. How should I address you?"
The Two-Tails nodded in satisfaction. Its chakra had been put to good use, healing him.
"Don't ask my name. You hurt me, but I saved you. Don't you think you should do something for me?"
Senju Zhenyang understood. They'd only just met, and the other party had saved his life. It clearly wanted something from him.
"Just tell me what you need."
The Two-Tails looked tired. Ninjas had been bothering it constantly lately, and the human who'd sent the summoned beasts seemed to have been looking for it, too. All this made it think that maybe it had chosen the wrong place to live.
"Help me find somewhere relatively quiet, somewhere people don't usually pass through. Ideally, no one lives there."
"All right."
Senju Zhenyang thought it over and agreed. With the Senju's intelligence network, finding such a place wouldn't be too difficult.
Seeing that he'd agreed, the Two-Tails reached out with a claw and tapped Senju Zhenyang. A stream of red chakra flowed into his body.
"This is my chakra. Once you've found a place, you can contact me directly. And if you reveal my whereabouts, it can kill you on the spot."
"Understood."
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Senju Zhenyang's forehead. He hadn't expected a cat to know so many tricks.
"Don't be afraid. Most people would love to have my chakra."
"Thank you..."
After thanking the Two-Tails one last time, Senju Zhenyang left the cave.
It looked like he wouldn't be able to return to the clan compound anytime soon. Still, surviving was a win. He'd been prepared to die, and now that he'd lived, the experience of brushing against death had begun to loosen the bottleneck that kept him from reaching the peak Jonin level.
Before you continue