Chapter 3: Tobirama—I'm Absolutely Shocked

Kazekaze's request took Tobirama by surprise. But Hashirama, on the other hand, greatly admired his grandson's courage. That said, Mokuken and his wife, Ayako, were completely against the idea of Kazekaze participating in a survival training exercise. First, their family had just returned to the village. Second, Kazekaze was only seven years old. He was clearly still just a child.

"What's the big deal? With Tobirama there, nothing will go wrong!" Hashirama laughed, slapping his thigh.

The participants in this training were all Tobirama's personal disciples, elite ninjas in every aspect. The training location was the Forest of Death—a place Hashirama had been to before. Even if you added up all the wild beasts inside, they still wouldn't compare to a single Tailed Beast. 

More importantly…Tobirama not only had incredible sensory abilities but also mastered Flying Thunder God, a space-time jutsu. If Kazekaze ever faced real danger, Tobirama could arrive in an instant. With both Hashirama and Tobirama personally guaranteeing his safety, and Kazekaze himself showing great interest in the training, Mokuken and Ayako were ultimately "forced" to agree.

Ten Minutes Later

Tobirama arrived at the entrance of the Forest of Death with Kazekaze. Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others had already been waiting for some time.

'They're so young.'

From a distance, Kazekaze could already see them. These future leaders of Konoha were all still just seventeen or eighteen years old. Even Danzo had a rather handsome face.

'And Koharu… Who would've thought she actually looked pretty decent when she was young?'

Soon, Kazekaze and Tobirama stopped in front of the group.

"This is Kazekaze, the grandson of the First Hokage."

Tobirama introduced him in a serious tone, deliberately emphasizing his identity. This was to remind his disciples to look after Kazekaze during training.

"He will be joining you for this survival exercise."

As soon as Tobirama said this, the entire group erupted in shock. Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo—all these future bigshots looked stunned. It wasn't that they didn't know about Hashirama's grandson, but they never expected that a seven-year-old child would be training alongside them!

This is absurd!

Could it be that Tobirama had forced him into this? After all, Tobirama firmly believed that ninja training should begin in childhood. Maybe being born into a powerful clan wasn't always a blessing… One by one, the young ninjas introduced themselves to Kazekaze.

"Hello, I'm Sarutobi Hiruzen."

"Shimura Danzo."

"Hey there, kid! I'm from the Uchiha clan. You can call me Kagami."

"Koharu Utatane."

"Just call me Homura."

Seeing all the future high-ranking officials of Konoha personally introducing themselves to him… Ah, so this is the VIP treatment of being the ultimate nepotism protagonist?

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Kazekaze."

On the way back to Konoha, Kazekaze had asked why he and Tsunade didn't inherit the Senju surname. Apparently, Hashirama wanted to erase the barriers between clans and encourage intermarriage between the Senju and other families. To that end, he ordered the Senju clan to discard their surname. Kazekaze had to admit—Hashirama's vision of unity was commendable. But not everyone had followed his decree.

"Lord Tobirama, are you sure it's okay for Kazekaze to join this training?" Hiruzen couldn't help but express his concern.

This was Hashirama's only grandson!

"Ninjas must follow the rules. No need to ask unnecessary questions," Tobirama replied firmly.

But before officially entering the Forest of Death, he still gave Kazekaze a reminder.

"You've never undergone proper training before. Your physical abilities won't match up to Hiruzen and the others. If things get too tough, open this scroll."

As he spoke, Tobirama casually tossed a scroll to Kazekaze. For a master of space-time ninjutsu like Tobirama, sealing a Reverse Summoning Jutsu inside a scroll was easy. The moment Kazekaze opened it, a ninja would appear and take him out of the Forest of Death. Although Kazekaze was brave, this was still the Forest of Death. As the grandson of Hashirama, a little special treatment was reasonable. Of course, Hashirama hadn't asked Tobirama to make this arrangement. At the same time, Tobirama discreetly checked Kazekaze's chakra attributes using his sensory abilities.

The training itself was simple. It was a ten-day survival exercise in the Forest of Death. No food. No water. Everything had to be found or hunted. They could hunt animals or gather food, but the forest was filled with dangerous beasts with extreme aggression. Whether they chose to fight or retreat would be up to their judgment. The goal was to reach the central tower within ten days to pass.

"If there are no further questions, the training officially begins!"

With Tobirama's command, Hiruzen led the charge into the Forest of Death.

At the same time, he secretly vowed— No matter what, I must protect Lord Hashirama's grandson. Kazekaze followed the group silently, filled with anticipation for the survival exercise.

Once the last of them disappeared into the forest, Tobirama reached into his robe and pulled out a crystal ball. Forming a hand seal, Kazekaze's figure appeared on its surface. The Telescope Technique! Tobirama had invented ninety percent of the jutsu used in Konoha.

He did not have high expectations for Kazekaze.

'It won't be long before he gives up,' Tobirama thought.

Sure enough, as soon as Kazekaze entered the Forest of Death, his speed lagged behind. To prevent him from falling behind, Koharu and Homura deliberately slowed down, keeping an eye on him. But then— Five minutes later. Kazekaze's breathing stabilized. His pace increased. Koharu and Homura had to speed up to keep up.

Ten minutes later.

Kazekaze was running at the same pace as Hiruzen. Thanks to Hashirama's Chakra, his stamina was naturally superior. When small animals attacked, he remained calm, dodging with precision and leaving them to the others. He moved like a seasoned jungle survivalist. 

Tobirama's sharp eyes narrowed. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it. A seven-year-old child had matched pace with trained ninjas in just ten minutes! Mokuken had mentioned that Kazekaze had never even run a kilometer before in his life. This kind of talent… This kind of adaptability… Even in the Warring States Era, no one had ever displayed this level of growth. And most importantly— Kazekaze was only seven years old! Tobirama, who had once worried about Konoha's future due to Hashirama's illness, now felt a wave of excitement rise in his heart.

'Perhaps… Kazekaze truly has the potential to surpass my brother. No, if trained properly, he might inherit both my brother's strength and my intelligence…Kazekaze, you might be the Senju Clan's once-in-a-century super genius!'