"Today, we'll begin by looking at the founders of Konoha, and how they directly and indirectly shaped history-"

"Were they actual people?" Lady Sorano interrupts. I blink, not quite sure of what she meant.

"...Yes, they were very real, and-"

"Then tell me about real people, and not a bunch of dead guys and dates and treaties."

I sigh. "Alright. The two founders of Konoha, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, grew up during the warring states period. It's important to understand that their clans had been extremely bitter enemies for generations, but Hashirama and Madara met before they knew each other's family names, and-"

"And they became friends, right?"

"Yes, very good friends, but even so, they battled on many occasions."

"So who won the most?"

"Hashirama, who was known as the God of Shinobi for a very good reason. Madara was only second to Hashirama, though."

"Hnh. So which of them became the first Hokage?"

"It was Hashirama who became the Hokage, but I've heard that he wanted Madara to lead, instead of taking the job himself."

"And the Senju and Uchiha were still enemies, right?"

"Yes, they remained hostile towards each other for many years."

"Hmm. Are their clans still around today?"

"...Very few of either are left, only two Uchiha and one Senju, that I know of."

"Have they battled over Konoha since it was founded?"

Oh boy. Where do I start there? "...At a few different points, a few Uchiha men have made attempts to take control, but they failed. However, I should say that's grossly oversimplified, and those attempts will be covered in future lessons."

"Huh. Everybody must hate the Uchiha's guts, right?"

"...Yes, and no… you see, though the Uchiha wanted to regain their glory as a clan, many of them grew used to and in some cases became quite happy with how Konoha was... but that all changed with the massacre."

"Ooh, massacre. What's the story there?"

I ignore the glee in Lady Sorano's voice, and try to explain what happened. "...It had been decided that, due to lingering resentment and the dangers the Uchiha presented in battle, that it would be better for Konoha's safety if the Uchiha were to disappear."

"And that was the work of a Senju, wasn't it?"

"No, the massacre was only about a decade ago, and most of the Senju were gone by that point. I've heard a man named Danzo Shimura was the person mostly responsible for it."

"But, who actually went out and got their hands dirty?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

"Wait, what? He went out and killed his own clan members?!"

"Itachi was a very brave and complicated man; he was made to believe he was doing it to protect Konoha."

"That's just sick. Well, Uchiha and Senju found the village, fast forwards and the massacre happens, and that brings us to the present. Who are the ninja I should know today?"

"W- we just started the lesson, there's still a lot more ground to cover…"

"I told you, I don't want to learn about dead guys and treaties and all that crap. I want to learn about people."

"But, I just told you about two very dead men a second ago."

"W- ...true, I guess, but they're the only two I'll allow, since they founded the village. Who should I know today?"

"...Lady Tsunade Senju, the granddaughter of Hashirama. If by some dark stroke of fate you become daimyo in the next few years, she's someone you'd want to become very familiar with."

"So what's she like?"

I take a moment to think, wondering just how much I should reveal here. "She's very smart, and very dedicated to Konoha-"

"What kind of smart? Street, book…?"

"A bit of both, though her main genius lies in medicine. However, I guess… I should mention, she has a slight problem with gambling…"

"Like my brother Taizo's slight problem with partying?"

"A- a bit like that, yes." I gulp, and continue. "It would also be helpful to know Lady Tsunade's assistant, Shizune, as the two are very close, and seldom apart from each other." Lady Sorano raises her eyebrows, and I keep going. "She's very, very sharp, and similarly gifted in medicine. From what I've heard, she's also a bit more level-headed than Lady Tsunade, and I've also heard that she does a good deal of Lady Tsunade's paperwork, as well."

"Alright. Who else is there?"

There are so, so many people I want to tell her about, but Ruza wouldn't be familiar with all the clans in Konoha like I would. "...One person would be Naruto Uzumaki, who many ninja and villagers consider a hero."

"Uzumaki? I think I've heard that name before."

"He was a prodigious troublemaker in his younger days, but he was really just motivated by a lack of positive attention, I think. As a ninja he is fierce and rash, but also very loyal. You could write volumes of everything he's done and been through, but he's never let it get to his head; he's done everything he does for his friends and for Konoha. It's a dream of his to be the next Hokage…"

"Do you think he'd make a good one?"

"No. I'd trust him with my life, but to be perfectly honest, I don't think he has all the skills he needs to be Hokage. Well, right now, at least."

"But people will follow a hero regardless of his political skills," Lady Sorano begins. "I mean, it's fairly obvious you like him, so a lot of the other villagers do too, right? He can't be that bad."

"No, he's not. I should say that he's much smarter than people give him credit for, but it's nearly impossible to imagine him handling the paperwork or diplomatic duties without my brain hurting."

"So, you know him personally, right? What's he like?" I feel myself start to blush, and Lady Sorano cackles. "How did you two meet?"

"As children. We… both had troubling childhoods. Naruto because of his pranks and the Nine-Tailed Fox, and me because my family is... strict. He…" I catch myself before everything tumbles out and I give myself away. Lady Sorano doesn't push me for more, and she grins.

"I'm gonna have to meet him someday. You talk about him like he's an actual person, not like you're reciting text you memorized. And if he's the village favorite to be the next Hokage, then that means either me or my brothers will be dealing with him a lot, won't we?"

"...Yes, that makes sense."

"Then book it, Ruza. Maybe he could help you with my lessons… in addition to other things when you're not tutoring me."

My blush heats up my face, and Lady Sorano laughs loudly and triumphantly...