Big Brother Hibari Really Became a Ninja?

"Don't worry, Sensei," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied at once. "I'll take good care of him."

Now that everything had been settled, Hibari could barely sit still. The sooner they set off, the sooner he could get a sense of the situation. What were they waiting around for?

"Second Grandpa, if there's nothing else, can I go pack?" He rubbed his hands together, unable to hide his eagerness.

Tobirama frowned at his restless manner. "What are you in such a hurry for? Don't go out there acting like this..."

Hibari thought, This is my first mission as a ninja in either of my lives, and it's such a big deal that even Grandpa Hashirama's going along. How could I not be excited? Anyone would be!

"Got it. I'll be careful," he promised quickly. Then he turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Uncle Hiruzen... if it's not too much trouble, could you wait for me at the village gate? I'll be quick. I won't hold you up!"

Before Hiruzen could reply, he turned and reached for the office door.

"Wait..."

Tobirama's quiet voice came from behind him, stopping him.

Hibari turned around, puzzled. Is Second Grandpa about to pull another one of his tricks?

But this time, Tobirama didn't speak right away. Instead, he took a finger-sized scroll from his waist and casually spread it out on the desk.

It was a storage-seal scroll, much like the one Hibari used to store his Fuma Shuriken. But judging by its size, it couldn't be holding anything very large.

Without even forming a hand seal, Tobirama pressed his palm to the scroll. With a soft pop, a small cloud of smoke burst into being. He reached into it and pulled out an object.

Hibari looked closely. It was unmistakably a Forehead Protector from the Hidden Leaf Village.

"When you're away from the village, you need something to prove who you are, so that if..." Tobirama trailed off.

He'd meant to say, "so that if you die, people will at least know where to send your body," but then he thought better of saying something so ominous on Hibari's first mission and swallowed the rest.

Changing tack, Tobirama continued, "You're certainly qualified to wear this now. But let me make one thing clear, Hibari. Once you put on that Forehead Protector, you won't just be Hibari of the Senju Clan anymore..."

Hibari stepped forward and accepted the Forehead Protector from Tobirama with both hands. A smile tugged at his lips as he said softly, "I understand, Second Grandpa. Once I put this on, I'll be Senju Hibari of the Hidden Leaf Village."

The kid was slippery, but he caught on quickly. Tobirama nodded, satisfied. "Go on. Do a good job."

Hibari answered and turned to leave. But after only a couple of steps, he stopped and glanced back at Tobirama with a mischievous look. "By the way, Second Grandpa, what rank does that make me?

"With my abilities, I should at least be a Special Jōnin, right? Honestly, I wouldn't be out of place as a full-fledged Jōnin!"

"Hmph. Keep dreaming." Tobirama was both exasperated and amused. "Unless it's an extraordinary time, you need the accomplishments to qualify. Even if you were twice as strong as your Grandpa Hashirama, you'd still have to start from the bottom. I'd say you're no more than a 'ninja intern' for now. Now get out of here!"

Hibari muttered unhappily, "So rigid... Times are changing. What's the point of tying people down with rules and regulations?"

"If you don't want it, give it back," Tobirama threatened, his tone flat as he listened to Hibari's grumbling.

"Okay, I'm off! I'll go pack right now. I'll show Second Grandpa what I can do, and then you'll be more than happy to make me a Konoha Jōnin!" Seeing the danger, Hibari quickly waved his hands in surrender.

With that, he yanked the door open and vanished in a flash.

After Hibari left, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't linger either. He smiled and nodded to Hashirama and Tobirama, then promptly headed back to pack.

Once they were both gone, Tobirama unhurriedly picked up the teapot, refilled his and his elder brother's cups, and leisurely sipped his tea.

"Even if Hibari hadn't asked, you were going to let him go with the little monkey, weren't you, Tobirama?" Hashirama asked with a grin as he walked over to the tea table and picked up his cup.

"No such thing. I was planning to lock him in his room to study for a few years," Tobirama said without batting an eye.

"Hahahaha, is that so?" Hashirama laughed. "Then why are you carrying around a scroll with a Forehead Protector in it? Were you not just waiting for a chance to give it to Hibari?"

"I just happened to have it with me. It was a spare," Tobirama said, frowning slightly.

But Hashirama kept staring at his forehead, leaving Tobirama confused.

"I'm not so sure about that... Hahahaha!" Hashirama suddenly laughed even harder.

Only then did Tobirama remember: his own Forehead Protector looked nothing like the standard issue. That excuse had been full of holes.

His face grew warm with embarrassment, and he hurriedly changed the subject. "We got sidetracked. Let's deal with the important matter first. The Uchiha Clan..."

Meanwhile, Hibari had raced back to the Senju estate and was packing in his room. He stuffed a couple changes of clothes into his bag, then reconsidered. Wouldn't I look pathetic heading out with a huge pack?

At that thought, Hibari looked up at the large scroll hanging on the wall, and a slow smile spread across his face.

Hibari had just packed his odds and ends, along with the small scroll for sealing his ninja tools, into the large scroll. He was pulling on the Senju Clan's Black Layered Armor when the door creaked open.

Little Tsunade poked her head through. Her eyes darted around, and when she spotted Hibari dressed for battle, she immediately bounced into the room.

"Big Brother Hibari!" She hurried over and looked up at him. "You're dressed like you're going to fight someone. Did you arrange another duel? I'll go find people for you!"

Hibari laughed and adjusted the band around his wrist, then ruffled little Tsunade's hair.

"This time, it's not a duel," he said with a smile. "Your Big Brother Hibari's really heading to the battlefield. A Senju man has to go out and make a name for himself, right? I'll let you in on a secret: starting today, I'm a real ninja."

As he spoke, he reached over to the clothes rack, took down the Forehead Protector, and handed it to little Tsunade.

She took it and turned it over in her hands, mumbling, "Really? This is Konoha's Forehead Protector... Big Brother Hibari really became a ninja?"

"Of course!" Hibari straightened his back. "This is a secret mission, so I can't tell you the details. But don't worry. With your Big Brother Hibari on the job, what can't I handle? Hahahaha!"

He went over to the weapon rack and picked out a sword of a comfortable length, then deftly tied it around his waist.

After fastening his sword, Hibari casually picked up the large scroll leaning against the wall and strapped it across his lower back, just like Hashirama usually did.

He turned to look in the mirror. A spirited young man stared back at him.

"The Senju Clan's reputation..." Hibari murmured as he studied his reflection. "I can't let Grandpa and Second Grandpa down."

After admiring himself for a moment, he smiled and took the Forehead Protector back from little Tsunade. He didn't put it on yet, but held it tightly in his hand.

"Princess Tsunade," Hibari said, squatting down and pinching the little girl's cheek. "Be good at home, and don't keep getting into trouble. Listen to Grandpa and Grandma. I'll come back to see you as soon as my mission is over. Got it?"

"Mm-hmm, I know," little Tsunade replied, nodding obediently for once.

Hibari smiled, stood up, and opened the door. He had barely stepped out when—

"Big Brother Hibari!" Little Tsunade suddenly called from behind him, her voice dropping. "You have to come back... I heard missions are really dangerous. Uncle Yuhua and Aunt Binglian went on a mission and never came back... I miss them so much..."

Hibari's foot stopped midstep.

That was right. Missions were always dangerous. The world of ninja was dazzling, but it was harsh, too.

"Hahahahaha!" He suddenly burst out laughing without turning around. "Don't worry, Princess Tsunade! I'm not like those two in our family who broke their promises. If I say I'll come back, I will!"

With that, he waved to little Tsunade over his shoulder, opened the door, and strode out.

Little Tsunade watched his back disappear through the doorway. A touch of worry, far beyond her years, appeared on her little face.

By the time Hibari sauntered over to the Konoha Gate, Sarutobi Hiruzen was already waiting there.

Hiruzen had been chatting with the two gate guards. As soon as he glanced up and saw Hibari, a smile spread across his face.

"Well, look at you, Hibari." He gave him the once-over and grinned. "That outfit... You've got a bit of Lord Hokage in you from back in the day. You really look the part."

"Great-Grandpa Hashirama's my goal. I'll surpass him sooner or later," Hibari said with a grin as he walked over. "As for the outfit, all that matters is that I look good."

The two guards joined in on the fun.

"Little Hibari, it's not like being in the village out there. Keep your wits about you."

"Exactly. Learn from Lord Hiruzen. When you get back, we'll buy you a drink... Wait, no, you're not old enough! Lord Hokage would have our heads. Then we'll buy you some milk, hahaha!"

Hearing their teasing words, Hibari grinned too.

"Uncle Yunya, Qingmu, I'll remember that." He patted his stomach. "With an appetite like mine, you two had better prepare thirty cows' worth of milk, hahahaha!"

After chatting for a bit, Hiruzen checked the time and spoke up. "All right, business comes first. We've both got missions to handle, and we can't waste time.

"You'd better have that milk ready. Once I bring this kid back in one piece, he'll drink up both your monthly salaries!"

Everyone laughed. Hibari said goodbye to the two guards and followed Hiruzen out through the gates of Konoha.

As they watched the small figure gradually disappear into the distance, Yunya and Qingmu exchanged a smile.

"Honestly, he really is the grandson of Lord Hokage and Lord Tobirama," Yunya remarked. "He's young, but he knows how to treat people. Not an ounce of arrogance. I guess that's what you'd expect from someone raised in the Senju Clan."

"Hmph, it depends on who you're talking about." Qingmu's expression darkened, as if he'd recalled something unpleasant. "Young Master Hibari is excellent, but just look at those Uchiha. They all act like they're above everyone else and look down on anyone they meet.

"They're supposed to be as renowned as the Senju Clan. So why are they so different when it comes to how they treat people?"

"Tell me about it!" Yunya agreed. "They've got a little talent and act like everyone owes them money. Our Young Master Hibari's a genius too, but look how easygoing he is!"

"I'd say," Qingmu said in a low but certain voice, "Lord Hokage and Lord Tobirama know exactly what's going on. They won't let the Uchiha keep throwing their weight around.

"Just you wait. They helped build the village, sure, but Konoha doesn't belong to the Uchiha Clan alone!"

Hibari, of course, didn't hear their conversation. If he had, he would have realized that the Uchiha Clan was losing ground in the village.

Still, with Second Grandpa's thunderous methods, he probably wouldn't stand by and do nothing.

Takigakure's country was a neighbor of the Land of Fire.

But compared to a giant like the Land of Fire, it was an insignificant little place. Fortunately, it was well situated and its policies were flexible. It rarely came into conflict with other countries, and its village's ninja weren't weak, so it had remained peaceful. No one had any reason to go looking for trouble there.