Chapter 29: Is Uzumaki Naruto My Grandson?

After a thorough examination, Kazekaze was found to be in perfect health. This made Tobirama breathe a sigh of relief. Although Kazekaze had inherited Hashirama's innate Regeneration Ability, as his great-uncle, Tobirama was still concerned that the The Eight Inner Gates technique might leave lingering side effects on him.

The examination results also left Kazekaze excited. This not only confirmed the incredible power of his Regeneration Ability but also meant he could use the The Eight Inner Gates technique in battle.

"The The Eight Inner Gates technique is practically tailor-made for me at this stage."

However, just as Kazekaze was about to leave the hospital and head home for a meal, Tobirama's expression suddenly turned serious.

"Kazekaze, come with me." Tobirama's voice was low, and without waiting for Kazekaze's reaction, he walked out of the medical room.

Kazekaze was slightly taken aback by the abrupt change in Tobirama's demeanor.

'He's not about to interrogate me again on whether I secretly learned the The Eight Inner Gates, is he?'

He considered the possibility. Maybe Tobirama had hesitated to bring it up earlier because there were too many people around? But… Everything he said was the truth! Kazekaze sighed internally but followed quietly.

Tobirama didn't go far; he simply leaned against the hospital corridor, waiting. When Kazekaze caught up, Tobirama turned and led him further down the hallway. At the very end of the corridor, Tobirama stopped and turned to look down at Kazekaze's youthful face.

"Kazekaze, have you ever considered becoming a ninja?" Tobirama asked in a deep voice.

He was very fond of Kazekaze. If the day ever came when he had to buy Kazekaze time to escape, he wouldn't hesitate for a second—he would block all enemies without complaint. Especially given the talents Kazekaze had displayed. In Tobirama's eyes, he was the ideal successor. And besides, Tobirama was no longer young. The fiery ambition of his youth had long since faded.

Hashirama's responsibility had been to end the Warring States era and establish the ninja village system. Tobirama's responsibility was to refine that system, create the Ninja Academy, and nurture the next Hokage. As for leading Konoha into its golden age—that was the responsibility of the Third Hokage. Now that he had reached middle age, Tobirama had come to accept a simple truth: One generation can only accomplish the tasks of its own time.

Originally, Tobirama had intended for Sarutobi Hiruzen to be the next Hokage. Danzo, Koharu, and Homura would handle Konoha's political affairs. Uchiha Kagami would take charge of the Konoha Police Force. But now, Kazekaze's presence had disrupted all of Tobirama's plans.

In terms of both lineage and talent— Kazekaze was far superior to Hiruzen. And their age gap wasn't significant, meaning there wouldn't be a generational divide. Still, the necessary procedures had to be followed. Suddenly appointing someone who wasn't even a ninja, someone unknown to the public, as Hokage— That would only create resistance to Kazekaze's leadership. That's why after careful deliberation, Tobirama had finally spoken with absolute seriousness.

"Honestly, I never really thought about it." Kazekaze shook his head without hesitation.

Before Tobirama had asked, the idea of becoming a ninja had never even crossed his mind. Tobirama frowned, clearly disappointed by Kazekaze's answer.

"My goal is to become Hokage by the time I turn twenty." Kazekaze declared with complete sincerity.

In terms of lineage— The First Hokage was his grandfather. The Second Hokage was his great-uncle. The Fifth Hokage was his biological sister. The Seventh Hokage bore the Uzumaki surname and was a distant relative of the Senju!

That meant he could technically call the Seventh Hokage his grandson!

'Wait a minute… if that's the case, then Uzumaki Kushina should be my niece, right? So wouldn't that make the Fourth Hokage my nephew-in-law?'

Good grief.

The First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Hokage— All related to him by blood. In terms of lineage, who had a more prestigious background than him? In terms of talent, he had the Check-In System—who could possibly compete with him?

What could anyone even use to compete?

So Kazekaze saw nothing outrageous about his goal of becoming Hokage by twenty.

"Pfft—"

Seeing the innocent, youthful Kazekaze boldly declaring his goal, Tobirama couldn't help but chuckle. As expected of my Senju bloodline—this kid has guts!

'Though honestly, with his talent, it shouldn't even take that long. Within ten years, he'll definitely be Hokage!'

Of course, Tobirama only thought this to himself. Because right now, Kazekaze was already quite arrogant. If he praised him too much, the kid might get an ego the size of the sky! That wouldn't be good for his psychological development. Tobirama crouched slightly, extending his large hand to gently ruffle Kazekaze's hair.

"To become Hokage, you first need the recognition of the people. And becoming a ninja is a crucial step in that process. If you truly want to become Hokage, then start by becoming a real ninja!"

In Tobirama's view, a qualified successor should never allow themselves to stagnate. Setting clear goals was vital. Not just the long-term goal of becoming Hokage— a goal too distant could lead to discouragement and doubt about one's own efforts. What Kazekaze needed were short-term goals. Like defeating Danzo. Like becoming a genin. Like getting promoted to chunin. Things of that nature.

"How do I become a ninja? Do I have to go to school?" Kazekaze asked.

Given his current strength, attending the Ninja Academy would be like bringing a cannon to a knife fight. Forget about his peers—even the Academy instructors wouldn't stand a chance against him. It would be a complete waste of time! In fact, Tobirama thought the same. He shook his head, picturing Kazekaze casually releasing a burst of chakra and sending all the other kids flying.

That would be a disaster.

"I'll give you one month. If you can force Might Bai to go all out in a fight, I'll let you become a genin."

"Force Might Bai to go all out?" Kazekaze blinked.

He wasn't exactly sure how strong Might Bai was at full power. But Tobirama had already seen Kazekaze fight at full strength. Which meant… Even with the Gate of Pain open, Tobirama still didn't think he could defeat Might Bai?

"That's right." Tobirama nodded and elaborated, "Don't be fooled just because Might Bai and Danzo are both chunin. The difference in their abilities is massive. Might Bai is only a chunin because he struggles with ninjutsu and genjutsu, making him unsuitable for many missions. As a result, his evaluation scores are extremely low." Tobirama paused, then gave Kazekaze a crash course on how ninjas survive through missions, ensuring he had a basic understanding of the profession.

"Your next goal is to make Might Bai fight at full power. That… will be your graduation exam!"