"Hey, hey, hey, Danzo! Did you see that? Sensei actually smiled at that kid!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his friend frantically, as if hoping to be reassured that he was just imagining things.
Danzo grimaced, struggling to suppress his nausea. "Stop shaking me, Hiruzen! You're gonna make me throw up my breakfast!"
Seeing Danzo nearly collapse, Hiruzen finally let go, but his confusion remained. Their normally strict sensei was acting so… gentle? And not towards him, either!
"So it's him..."
Uchiha Kagami muttered under his breath, but his quiet voice did not escape Hiruzen's ears.
Hiruzen immediately hooked an arm around Kagami's shoulder, adopting a serious expression. "Kagami! Do you know something? Spill it!"
Kagami, amused by Hiruzen's antics, chuckled helplessly, "He's Kumotsuru Torifū, Hokage-sama's disciple."
Hiruzen suddenly felt as if ignorance would have been bliss.
He slumped to the ground, utterly defeated. "Since when did Hokage-sama take on a disciple? How did I not know about this?!"
Kagami grinned. "Just yesterday. Most of Konoha knows already."
Hiruzen turned to his friends, searching for any sign of denial, but all he got were nods confirming the truth.
Kagami then posed a question, "By the way, don't you all recognize the Kumotsuru Clan?"
At that, the group suddenly remembered—the kid was from that clan.
Only Koharu and Homura looked lost. Unlike the others, they were from civilian families.
Danzo explained, "The Kumotsuru Clan is an ancient lineage. No one knows their true origins."
"The family follows a strict single-line inheritance. Their members excel at manipulating clouds and mist, making them formidable. Few dare to provoke them."
Hiruzen, finally regaining some composure, nodded and added, "Also, I heard that the clan joined Konoha because the last clan head, Kumotsuru Zan, failed to master their secret technique."
As the group discussed, Akimichi Torifū, who had been munching on snacks, found himself intrigued by someone who shared his name.
"So, does that mean this kid has already learned Cloud Release?" Koharu said.
"Why?" Hiruzen's eyes widened, not knowing why Koharu said that.
Koharu was speechless and rubbed her twitching eyes, "Seriously, Hiruzen, you're the young clan head of the Sarutobi clan! You don't understand this?"
Hearing this, Hiruzen jumped up like a carp, " Hey! Don't look down on me! I totally get it! I just wanted to liven up the atmosphere!"
Just as everyone was waiting for his insightful opinion, he stammered and couldn't say a complete sentence.
Hiruzen looked resigned, "Okay, I really don't know, tell me."
Danzo, seeing that Hiruzen didn't seem to be pretending, said, "A six-year-old child who can be accepted as a disciple by Hokage-sama must have something extraordinary, otherwise Hokage-sama wouldn't accept a disciple for no reason."
"Is it that simple?"
"Heh, you don't even understand something that simple!" Koharu mocked from the side.
Hiruzen's face turned red, but he still stubbornly said, "Tch, I was just pretending, how could I not know? I was just testing you, congratulations, you passed!"
The others exchanged looks, deadpanning at his shamelessness.
Regardless, no one could deny that Hiruzen's lively presence kept the team from feeling too stiff or dull.
"Monkey! You all better get over here!"
Hearing their sensei's voice, the group scrambled to obey, terrified of being punished.
"Sensei! Hokage-sama! good morning!" Hiruzen and the others greeted respectfully.
Tobirama simply nodded, but Hashirama beamed warmly. "Good morning, kids."
His gaze swept over the group before he asked, "Kagami, where's your sister?"
Kagami froze, suddenly remembering something he had forgotten in the excitement.
"Uh... Sorry, Hokage-sama. We were racing to see who could reach the Hokage Rock first, and I, uh..."
Hashirama sighed, massaging his forehead. Even the usually reliable Kagami could get carried away. Ah, youth.
As if on cue, a figure appeared on the horizon, looking thoroughly disgruntled.
Kagami averted his eyes, avoiding his sister's glare.
Although Uchiha Naori was very angry, Tobirama and the Hokage were present, so she couldn't act out of line and could only let her brother off this time!
"Alright, everyone is here. Let's get to know each other. Let's start with Kumotsuru Torifū."
Torifū took a step forward and smiled warmly, "Hello everyone, I'm Kumotsuru Torifū, the head of the Kumotsuru clan, please take care of me."
Naori followed suit. "I am Uchiha Naori, Kagami's sister. Pleased to meet you."
The rest of the group introduced themselves, though Torifū was already quite familiar with their names and faces.
He took the opportunity to observe them carefully, noting how different they looked in their youth compared to the older versions he knew.
Hiruzen wore his Konoha forehead protector proudly, passionately introducing himself. His enthusiasm was met with approving glances from his teammates. Clearly, he was the de facto leader of the group.
Danzo, in contrast, had a composed and methodical way of speaking. His sharp mind was evident, making him the perfect foil to Hiruzen's more animated personality. Notably, his chin was still unscarred.
Homura, with his glasses perched on his nose, had an unremarkable presence—so plain that he could easily blend into a crowd unnoticed.
Torifū was most surprised by Koharu, who, in her youth, was quite the beauty. Her neatly tied bun and confident demeanor gave her a striking appearance.
As for Akimichi Torifū, he fit the classic Akimichi image—round, sturdy, and always snacking. But being Tobirama's disciple meant he had to have more than just a big appetite.
Finally, there was Kagami. His friendly relationship with the others was obvious. Unlike the more rigid Uchiha stereotype, Kagami was calm yet approachable, making people naturally feel at ease around him. His deep blue hair and refined features marked him as an undeniable Uchiha heartthrob—surely a school heartthrob in his youth.
"Alright! Now that everyone's introduced themselves, the rest will come with time as you get to know each other," Hashirama declared cheerfully.
Then, as if drawn by some unseen force, he gazed toward the village below.
The others followed suit, looking over Konoha from their high vantage point.
The morning bustle had already begun. Villagers went about their work, children hurried to school… everything was lively and peaceful.
"One day, Konoha's future will rest in your hands."
A profound feeling welled up in their hearts.
Maybe it was the faith their Hokage placed in them. Maybe it was their own love for the village. Maybe it was something else entirely.
But whatever the reason, at that moment, a seed named 'Konoha' was planted deep within their souls.
One day, that seed would grow into a mighty tree, its branches stretching across the sky.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns eternal!"