The Third Hokage's Warning

As he stepped out through the wooden door, Takuma took a deep breath of the night air.

The Third Hokage walked ahead of him at an unhurried pace. The ember in his pipe flickered in the darkness, and the night breeze tore the smoke apart, carrying it deeper into the alley.

"Come with me."

The Third Hokage didn't look back. He simply left him with those words. Takuma followed him through the alley and up to the roof of the Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage walked to the railing and stood with his back to Takuma, silently smoking his pipe. Takuma stood two paces behind him without saying a word. He could tell the Third Hokage had something to say, and it wouldn't be easy to hear.

The silence stretched on for a long time. Long enough for Takuma to start counting the hairs on the back of the Third Hokage's head to pass the time.

"Your bloodline won't stay hidden for much longer. The Senju Clan may have blended into the common people, but that won't fool anyone who wants to investigate."

Takuma said nothing. He watched the Third Hokage's back, his white Hokage robe stirring slightly in the night breeze. He knew his recovery abilities would be discovered sooner or later, but he hadn't expected the matter to be brought into the open so soon.

"What do you want me to do?"

The Third Hokage didn't answer right away. He took a pouch of tobacco from his robes and leisurely packed the pipe, moving slowly as if using the task to think. Once it was packed, he lit the pipe and took a puff. Smoke poured from his nostrils and was swept away by the wind.

"It's not about what I want you to do."

"It's about what kind of ninja you want to become."

Takuma froze for a moment.

The Third Hokage walked to the edge of the rooftop and leaned on the railing, looking down at Konoha. Countless lights spread out through the darkness, like a sky full of stars reflected on the ground. The sign of the hot spring inn, the curtain at Ichiraku Ramen, the windows of the ninja tool shop, the wooden posts on the training grounds—all these ordinary details glimmered in the lamplight, bringing the village to life.

"Your ancestor, Senju Hashirama, was the God of Shinobi who brought the Warring States period to an end." The Third Hokage's voice held something distant. "He founded the Hidden Leaf Village and established the first system of hidden villages. Before him, ninjas were merely tools for the various clans to slaughter one another. It was only after him that there were villages, comrades, and things that needed protecting."

Takuma listened in silence. He had heard stories about the First Hokage all his life. They'd been taught in history lessons at the Ninja Academy, recorded on scrolls in bookstores, and occasionally mentioned by his father late at night. But coming from the Third Hokage, those stories seemed to carry a greater weight.

"Lord Hashirama believed that people could understand one another."

The Third Hokage turned and looked at Takuma. The firelight from his pipe reflected in his eyes, framed by wrinkles.

"He founded Konoha not to gather more and stronger ninjas to conquer others. He did it so children wouldn't have to go to war anymore, so the clans could put aside their ancient feuds, and so he could end an era when everyone believed war was the only answer."

The Third Hokage paused.

"That belief is more precious than Wood Release."

Takuma felt something stir in his chest. He couldn't say what it was. Perhaps it was a resonance left behind by his Senju Bloodline, or perhaps he had simply been moved by the sincerity in the Third Hokage's voice.

Takuma opened his mouth, then realized he didn't know what to say. He wanted to talk about being a transmigrator, what he knew about this world, and the major events he knew were coming.

"I just want to protect the people who matter to me."

The moment the words left his mouth, Takuma felt they were truer than any explanation.

The Third Hokage's lips curved slightly upward.

"That's enough."

Smoke blurred the Third Hokage's face, but Takuma could tell the old man looked gentle just then.

"As for Danzo, I'll handle him. I'm the Third Hokage. He'll have to show me at least that much respect. But you also need to get stronger as soon as you can."

The Third Hokage walked over to Takuma and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was rough and calloused, but steady.

"Because protecting others takes strength."

Takuma nodded firmly. The Third Hokage withdrew his hand and took another puff from his pipe, once again looking like a lazy old man.

"All right, go home. Your father must be getting worried."

Takuma descended from the rooftop and walked along the corridor of the Hokage Building. Most of the torches on either side had gone out, with only a few still lit, casting flickering shadows on the floor. When he reached the corner, a figure leaning against the wall made him stop.

A silver-haired jonin held a book with an orange cover, lounging against the wall. His gaze wasn't on the pages, though. His one visible eye curved into a crescent, as if he were smiling.

"You're from the Senju Clan?"

Kakashi's voice was as languid as his posture, but Takuma could tell this wasn't a chance encounter.

"Senpai Kakashi." Takuma gave a slight nod.

Kakashi closed the book and slipped it into his ninja pouch. "Root won't give up easily, but as long as you keep to the light, they can't touch you."

Takuma considered the meaning of his words. The light meant the Third Hokage's protection. But if he ever stepped outside its reach, Root would strike again.

"Thank you, senpai."

"Don't thank me. I'm just the messenger." Kakashi waved a hand and turned to leave in the opposite direction. After a few steps, he looked back. "By the way, good luck in the Chunin Ninja Exams. I'm curious to see how far you'll get."

Takuma watched Kakashi's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, then left the Hokage Building alone.

It was late. Konoha's streets were deserted, with only the streetlamps still shining faithfully. Takuma walked slowly along the road home, turning over the Third Hokage's words, Danzo's words, and Kakashi's warning in his mind.

When he reached the bookstore, he saw that the lights inside were still on.

His father, Mori Kazuki, sat behind the counter with an old book spread open before him. When Takuma pushed open the door, he didn't ask where he'd been. He simply closed the book and stood up.

"Hungry? There's food warming in the kitchen."

Looking at his father, Takuma suddenly asked, "Dad, why did the Senju Clan disband back then?"

Mori Kazuki was silent for a while.

"Because the 'understanding' Lord First Hokage believed in needed time to prove itself. War didn't need time."

Takuma didn't ask any more questions. He nodded and went back to his room. After closing the door, he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling, still turning the Third Hokage's words over in his mind.

What kind of ninja do you want to become?

Protect the people who mattered to him. The words he'd said to the Third Hokage weren't just an answer to satisfy him. From the night he returned from the Land of Waves mission, from the moment he knelt before Yamada and Sato's bodies, those words had become the only answer he was sure of.

He was a transmigrator. He knew where this world was headed. He knew what major events were coming and how many people would die in them. But what he didn't know was what he could do, or how much he could accomplish.

Knowing the future was one thing. Having the power to change it was another.