Excellent Shinobi

Hiugo stopped bantering with Tobirama and left through the door. He'd spent the day practicing ninjutsu with Hashirama, then won Tobirama over with his personal charm. It was already night, and he should go home and rest.

The Bone Woman Clan's disguise abilities were truly impressive. From the age of three, they took a special medicine and soaked in medicinal baths every day, which allowed them to change their appearance and disguise their chakra.

Their chakra signatures were especially difficult to distinguish from the originals. The only problem was that using ninjutsu would expose them.

However, the medicine came at a price: their maximum lifespan was only forty years. No matter how healthy they were, they were certain to die within the year after turning thirty-nine.

Hiugo spent three days training with six Bone Woman Clan shinobi. Once they had made enough progress, he had one of them impersonate him for a day. The results were pretty good: anyone who didn't know him well couldn't tell the difference. But in the end, the "stand-in" was discovered while talking with Hashirama.

Big Pillar saw a knockoff Hiugo wandering around in front of him and briefly thought the real one had been kidnapped. His brother-complex flared up, and in his anger, he beat the "stand-in" half to death.

Thankfully, he didn't actually kill him. That would have been a real injustice.

After taking care of his business, Hiugo found some time to check on the two little Senju boys.

After several days of practice, Itama could now modify the Mysterious Peacock Method, making it take the form of a bear that covered his body.

But it had a clear drawback: the area it covered was too large and consumed too much chakra. If he could apply the Mysterious Peacock Method only to his missing limbs, it would be perfect.

"Third Brother."

Itama saw Hiugo and called out to him. The joy of walking around freely had made him much more cheerful.

"Just call me Hiugo. I don't really like being called Third Brother. It sounds dangerous."

Hiugo gave a light cough and walked over to Itama.

"Okay, Hiugo."

"Where's Hashirama?"

Itama looked up at the sky.

Hiugo turned to look and saw Hashirama flying with the Mysterious Peacock Method. Unlike most people, though, he had a rope tied around his waist, held by a jonin below.

"Is he being used as someone's kite?"

Itama dispelled his jutsu and sat down on a chair.

"Hashirama secretly learned the jutsu you taught me, Hiugo. When I caught him, he flew up into the sky. I don't know if he was scared or something, but he had someone hold onto a rope."

Hiugo nodded. Secretly learning a jutsu was a serious matter. Things like that could spread from one person to ten, then a hundred, until they became commonplace.

Ninjutsu was one of the foundations of a clan's standing. Such matters were usually handled strictly. He didn't mind this particular incident, but he still had to "discipline" Hashirama a little.

Hashirama was flying leisurely, a smile on his face.

This jutsu really is useful. I wonder if my brothers have any other "powerful" jutsu.

The rope around his waist suddenly went slack. The wings at his back instinctively beat, sending him a little higher. The boy's previously calm face turned panicked, and he looked down at the ground.

He could fly, but his practice was still lacking, and he couldn't fully control himself yet. That was why he'd had a clan member help him.

But now the clan member holding the rope had stepped aside. Only Hiugo remained, lightly holding the rope with a smile.

"Don't be scared. Keep going."

"Hiugo, I'm sorry."

Hashirama spoke in a timid voice.

"Do you think I'm that petty? Go ahead and fly. I'll keep an eye on you. Then I'll take you around so you can get used to it."

"I'm afraid of heights..."

"Liar. If you're afraid of heights, why'd you go up there?"

"When I see white hair, I get a little nervous. It feels like Second Brother is standing right in front of me."

"Half your hair is white too."

"That's different. Mine's clearly split between black and white."

Itama watched with a smile. The last time they'd played around like this had probably been three years ago.

When his legs had been blown off, he'd briefly thought he was going to die. The helplessness he'd felt had been overwhelming, and waking up after coming so close to death had made him grow up a lot.

He knew Hiugo was doing this to help Hashirama truly master the jutsu. In this world, whether on a mission or on the battlefield, knowing one more jutsu could mean one more chance to survive.

With nothing but sky above him and no way to turn back, Hashirama could only rely on himself to land. The moment his feet touched the ground, his legs gave way. He would have fallen if Hiugo hadn't caught him.

"Was it fun?"

At Hiugo's words, Hashirama managed a smile even more miserable than a grimace.

"Fun..."

"Then I'll take you for another ride next time."

"..."

Hiugo decided the time was right and turned serious.

"Hashirama, from now on, be upfront when you want to learn a jutsu. Do you know what happens when someone secretly learns one?"

Hashirama swallowed and asked cautiously, "What happens?"

"According to clan rules, all four limbs are crippled, and you're forbidden from getting treatment for the rest of your life."

"Ah!"

"I'll let it go this time because you're young, and I won't tell the clan leader. But if there's a next time..."

"I promise there won't be a next time."

"Good."

Hiugo nodded. His keen senses detected a powerful chakra signature drawing near.

Senju Butsuma entered the garden and glanced around. His gaze lingered on Hiugo before finally settling on Hashirama.

"Hashirama, come here. I have a mission for you."

Here it comes. Senju Butsuma's ridiculous mission.

Hiugo stepped forward.

"Clan leader, why does Hashirama have to go? Tobirama, Hashirama, and I are all here in the clan."

Senju Butsuma's eyes turned cold. He hated having his orders questioned, but he couldn't simply lose his temper with this boy. A clan leader candidate was allowed to question the current clan leader—that was clan law.

So he forced a faint smile.

"Hiugo, you've just come back from the battlefield and should be resting. Besides, Hashirama is already seven."

"He may not be like you, going to the battlefield at five, but to become an excellent shinobi, he has to go through a trial by blood."

"As his father, I know Hashirama dreams of becoming an excellent shinobi like you boys. I have no reason not to help him."

Hashirama looked at Hiugo, then at his father, and spoke up.

"That's right, Hiugo. My dream is to become an excellent shinobi like my brothers."

Only then did Butsuma nod with satisfaction.

"Hiugo, Hashirama can't stay under your protection forever. You can't go on this mission, Tobirama can't go, and Hashirama can't go either."

"As his father, I would never harm my own child. What happened to Itama was just an accident."

Hiugo frowned. He realized he couldn't argue against it. It all made sense. If other people could do it, why couldn't Butsuma's son?

It was only a mission, not a trip to the battlefield. There was no point in trying to stop it, because there would be a second mission, then a third. Unless Hashirama was forbidden from being a shinobi, he couldn't avoid them.

After thinking for a moment, Hiugo said, "You're right, clan leader. A shinobi really does need to go through a trial by blood. Hashirama shouldn't always hide behind us."

Butsuma replied calmly, "That's the right way to think. I don't want you to have impractical dreams like Hashirama."

"But as his older brother, I'm allowed to give Hashirama a few things, right?"

"Of course."

Hiugo lightly pinched Hashirama's wrist. A layer of black wood appeared over his skin, forming a suit of armor before slowly turning the same color as the skin beneath it.

The surface of the Wood Armor wasn't smooth. It was covered in little needle-like spikes.

"When you're in danger, pour chakra into the Wood Armor and it can transform into the Cutting Technique."

The Cutting Technique and Wood Armor were the jutsu Hiugo used most often on the battlefield. Over years of using them, he'd gradually combined them into a new jutsu: Wood Style: Thorn Armor.

Hashirama curiously touched one of the little spikes and immediately drew blood.

Hiugo left without another word. A single layer of armor would clearly be of little help against an unknown enemy, but he couldn't give him anything more.

To protect Hashirama, Hiugo had to be in a position to act. But Butsuma had flatly rejected his offer. The only way to change what was about to happen was to quickly figure out what was wrong with this mission. Judging by the scene in the anime where Hashirama took others to help Itama, there should be some clues.