Chapter 25: Young Kakashi

Remembering the embarrassing defeat against Fugaku, Nawaki lowered his head in frustration and replied sullenly, "It's because I didn't train when I was little. I didn't study well in the academy."

Tsunade glanced at Nawaki in surprise. Shouldn't her brother be saying something like, "I just wasn't at my best!"

Hanma's tone grew heavier as he said solemnly, "It's not your fault. The real reason lies in the disbanding of the Senju clan and the oppression by the Uchiha clan."

Tsunade's face darkened suddenly, "Hanma, do you really need to talk about these things with Nawaki?"

Hanma responded calmly, "Why not? At his age, I've already killed many ninjas."

"Besides, with you here, how could I be biased? You can always add to what I say."

Tsunade hesitated but eventually chose to trust her boyfriend. Hanma noticed Nawaki's curious but not sorrowful expression and sighed internally. What a thick-skinned kid. He continued explaining:

"The Senju and the Uchiha are the founders and noble clans of Konoha. In its early days, there were blood feuds among various ninja clans."

"Many voices back then claimed that Konoha's formation was a ploy by the Senju and the Uchiha to annex other clans. Your grandfather, the First Hokage, chose to dissolve the Senju clan and merge with the village, making Konoha the embodiment of the Senju."

"This act dispelled those rumors, but the Uchiha did not follow suit and continued their clan structure."

"However, the untimely deaths of the Second Hokage and my father accelerated the rise of the militant faction within the Uchiha, putting pressure on the newly appointed Third Hokage."

"The dispersed Senju members, only a few of whom continued their ninja paths, harbored resentment over the clan's dissolution. As a result, the Third Hokage had no support to counter the Uchiha."

"So, Nawaki, as a direct descendant of the Senju, you grew up like a civilian ninja. Without systematic training from a clan, it's natural you're not on par with Fugaku."

Nawaki frowned deeply, showing no anger or frustration. To him, it was just a story from the past. Tsunade exhaled slowly, as if a weight had been lifted. She had been unsure how to tell Nawaki about this history.

"So, what answer do you want from Nawaki after telling him all this?"

Hanma's expression remained unchanged as he seriously addressed Tsunade and Nawaki, "I want to tell him what it means to be a Hokage."

"To bear the burden of dissolving one's clan, the misunderstanding of one's people, and the betrayal of comrades and brothers. Your path could lead to being abandoned by everyone or end with your body hanging lifeless on a tree."

"Do you know how long the road is to become a Jōnin or even a Hokage?"

"If Nawaki doesn't want to be a ninja anymore, we can send him to the Land of Fire. I think that would be great too."

Tsunade was stunned. Not a ninja? How could he not be a ninja? The grandson of Hashirama Senju must become a great ninja!

Hanma said nothing and just looked at her gently.

Tsunade's eyes gradually brightened. Yes, not being a ninja wouldn't be so bad, right? After all, most of the Senju clan lived in the capital of the Land of Fire.

After a moment of silence, Nawaki stood up solemnly and bowed. "Thank you, Hanma-sensei, for telling me this. I don't know if I should still dream of becoming Hokage."

"But I still want to be an excellent ninja. Please continue to teach me!"

"Then, go home and understand the books I gave you. That's the first step to defeating yourself. Believe me, if you study with me, you'll definitely become an outstanding ninja."

Hearing about reading books, Nawaki's face soured, but he nodded seriously, indicating he understood.

Tsunade lovingly patted her brother's serious face and turned to ask with a smile, "You just talked about the Uchiha pressuring the Hokage? Aren't you afraid it'll affect your esteemed status in your student's eyes?"

Hanma laughed carelessly, "History is there, unaltered by anything. Besides, my father was also a disciple of your granduncle."

For Nawaki, Hanma had to correct his immature mindset first and make him understand his true situation to fundamentally change him. Otherwise, no matter how skilled Orochimaru was in protecting him, Hanma doubted he could keep Nawaki alive during the ninja wars.

Hanma didn't want to see his loved one in tears, and Nawaki was a very lovable child. Taking some extra effort was only right. 

A silver-haired little boy, not even a meter tall, stood nearby like a little adult, arms crossed while listening to Hanma's high-sounding speech. 

This little boy was none other than our Chakra unit of measurement—Kakashi Hatake.

Though looking only two or three years old, the boy still wore a mask with a stern-faced expression, looking cool in his own way.

Hanma got up to add some noodles when he saw Kakashi holding a basket of vegetables, and a hint of surprise flashed in his heart. The Chakra unit was born already?

Calculating the dates, it seemed right. Minato was only about ten years older than Kakashi.

Hanma reached out and picked up Kakashi, smiling as he asked, "Kid, did you understand any of that?"

Kakashi tried to break free from Hanma's clutches but failed, and replied helplessly, "Do you know me? What you said is quite similar to my dad's views, but also a bit different."

Hanma nodded in understanding. His relationship with Sakumo Hatake was merely that of acquaintances who nodded in passing. Their philosophies were quite different.

Putting Kakashi down, he tweaked his nose, "Send my regards to Sakumo."

Kakashi frowned but still nodded in agreement.

Sakumo Hatake followed the path of ninja body techniques, using Wind and Lightning Release chakra to activate his body's vitality, known for his extreme speed and swordsmanship. He was a warrior in a ninja's guise.

In line with a samurai's character, he adhered to the loyalty ideology.

Under the Third Hokage's civilian policy, Sakumo Hatake gained a lot of resources and thus felt deeply connected to Konoha.

Though in the original story, he ultimately committed suicide due to public opinion after a dispute between mission and comrades, advocating for the importance of comrades over missions, he would never agree with Hanma's theories.

To put it bluntly, Hanma had no particular affection for Konoha. He loved specific people, not the concept of Konoha itself.

Konoha had no so-called heritage or history; it was merely an amalgamation of ninja clans, unified under the banner of the Will of Fire.

Perhaps Hashirama and Tobirama's actions were beyond reproach, but Hanma deeply understood how shockingly corrupt Konoha could become under such a system.

Sakumo Hatake fell to public opinion, Orochimaru defected, Tsunade and Jiraiya didn't participate in the Third Great Ninja War, and as for Danzo's underhanded dealings, human experimentation, and the Root division, they didn't even deserve mention.

A place hosting only a few tens of thousands of people couldn't help but make one marvel at how dense the intrigue could be.

To Hanma, Konoha was just a large residential area with a military nature. If the neighborhood wasn't comfortable to live in, moving out seemed quite a reasonable choice, didn't it?