"You can use this place however you like from now on," said Hashirama, gesturing around the wide open training grounds. "No one else will come here."
Kaede blinked in awe.
The area was enormous — clearly a private field meant for the Hokage's personal use. Since Hashirama rarely needed it himself, it seemed Kaede had just inherited a training ground fit for a Kage.
Following Hashirama's signal, Kaede began his warm-ups, loosening his limbs and stretching his body.
After a few minutes, Hashirama beckoned with a grin.
"Alright, let's have a spar. I want to see your strength for myself."
Kaede's mouth twitched. Seriously? I've only been refining chakra for a few days, and we're already sparring?
But the moment his teacher said so, there was no turning back.
If his guess was right, this "spar" was really Hashirama's way of testing his Kekkei Genkai — the Eye of Time.
The two took their positions. Hashirama stood tall and relaxed, making no move to attack, simply waiting for Kaede to come to him.
Kaede reached into his ninja pouch, drew a kunai, and his blue eyes sharpened.
[Eye of Time — Acceleration.]
In an instant, the world blurred.
Kaede's body moved like lightning — his personal time sped up, his motion a streak of blue.
Hashirama's lips curved.
"Fast. But speed alone won't be enough."
Kaede didn't answer. Instead, he quickly formed hand seals, and three identical copies appeared in a puff of white smoke.
"Cloning Jutsu, huh? And you've already got it down this well… Impressive."
Hashirama's gaze sharpened as he praised him. The technique's quality was high — no visible flaws.
Kaede seized the opening and rushed forward with his clones, four shadows converging from different directions.
But Hashirama moved through their assault as though strolling through a garden, not even bothering to counterattack.
"Is that all? If so, I've really overestimated you," he teased lightly, deliberately trying to throw off Kaede's focus.
Kaede ignored him, hurling his kunai — and as expected from his inexperience, it missed.
"Hahaha! Kaede, you really need to work on your throwing accuracy!" Hashirama laughed heartily, genuinely amused.
Kaede said nothing. His expression didn't change — but a flicker of light flashed in his eyes.
In the next instant, his figure vanished.
Clang!
A sharp metallic ring broke through the air as Hashirama's kunai intercepted Kaede's sudden strike.
Hashirama's eyes widened slightly.
"That's… the Flying Raijin Jutsu! Already?!"
If he hadn't been on guard, that attack might have landed.
Kaede grinned.
"Don't underestimate me, Teacher."
He flipped backward, using the momentum to propel himself high into the air.
[Eye of Time — Deceleration.]
In that moment, the entire world seemed to crawl. The air thickened; time itself dragged.
Kaede descended from above, kunai gleaming with a lethal edge — a strike that should have been impossible to evade.
But this was the God of Shinobi he was facing.
Just as Kaede was about to land the blow, a firm hand shot up, catching his wrist midair.
It was Hashirama.
Kaede's eyes widened in disbelief. Under the influence of slowed time, Hashirama could still move?
The older man winked at him — then kicked upward with enough force to send Kaede flying like a kite with a snapped string.
He crashed to the ground, clutching his stomach, choking and dry-heaving. His face twisted with pain; that kick had been no joke.
As Kaede struggled to breathe, a shadow fell across him.
Hashirama walked over and sat down beside him with a grin, ruffling his student's hair.
"Good work, kid. You really surprised me. That was excellent."
Kaede managed a pained, awkward smile. His stomach still felt like it was imploding.
"Cough… Sensei, you nearly killed me…" he groaned, glaring weakly.
Hashirama burst out laughing, leaning back on his hands, looking up at the sky.
"Hahaha! Kaede, I'm just glad you were born in Konoha — that you can grow up peacefully, without fear, without war."
He looked wistful.
"This kind of peace… it's what I've always dreamed of. What I've fought for all my life. And yet…"
His voice softened.
"I can't shake this feeling — that the future will change. That one day, Konoha will no longer be the same."
He sighed, gazing up at the clouds like an old man reminiscing about lost dreams.
Kaede fell silent.
Because Hashirama was right — his premonition would come true.
In the years after his death, the Second Great Shinobi War would break out. Tobirama would die, and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would rise to power.
At first, Hiruzen ruled wisely and strengthened Konoha. But power… power was poison. Once tasted, it consumed the heart.
Under his later rule, corruption spread like wildfire.
The White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, was driven to suicide. The Senju clan dwindled into obscurity. The Uchiha clan — nearly exterminated.
The two founding clans of Konoha were destroyed by one man's inaction.
And the three legendary students — the Sannin — seized most of the village's influence, while Danzō Shimura grew unchecked in the shadows.
Konoha, once the strongest village in the shinobi world, would fall into decay — its glory a hollow name.
Kaede bowed his head, unsure what to say. Seeing Hashirama so dejected, any words of comfort felt meaningless.
After a long pause, Hashirama turned to him with a faint smile.
"Kaede… watch over Konoha for me, will you?"
His voice was soft — almost like a dying man's final request.
Kaede opened his mouth, but no words came. He only nodded firmly.
"Thank you," Hashirama said gently, before shifting topics.
"Your Kekkei Genkai is powerful. Against an ordinary opponent, they'd never break free. Only because of the gap between us could I resist it."
He chuckled. "In fact, I'm not even sure it is a Kekkei Genkai."
Kaede scratched his nose nervously. How accurate can one man's intuition be…?
Hashirama smiled, then grew serious again.
"Still, power means nothing if you can't control it. You'll need to train hard — no one else can teach you how to master your ability. That path is yours alone."
Then, reaching into his robes, he formed a hand seal. A puff of white smoke appeared — and in his hands materialized a massive scroll, half a meter wide.
Kaede froze, eyes widening in disbelief.
That scroll… he recognized it instantly.
The Scroll of Seals — the record of every forbidden technique in Konoha's history.
"Teacher… isn't that against the rules?" he asked weakly, his mouth twitching.
Hashirama just laughed, carefree as ever.
"I'm the Hokage. Do I need anyone's permission to give a gift to my own student?"
"This… this is for me?" Kaede pointed at himself in shock.
"Of course. It's my gift to you," Hashirama said warmly. "Don't worry — this one's a copy. The real Scroll of Seals is locked away."
Kaede stared at it for a long time before carefully accepting it.
Even knowing it was a replica, the weight of it — the knowledge it contained — was overwhelming.
The Scroll of Seals, the heart of Konoha's deepest secrets…
And it was now in his hands.