Chapter 18

Both exhausted, we try to get out of the forest without stumbling too much. At the edge of the forest, the Hokage and several Shinobi are waiting for us. Seeing us coming, they stand on guard. Iruka-sensei gets up and walks towards them, telling me to wait.

After several minutes, Iruka-sensei beckoned me to approach. I step forward and hand the scroll to the old Hokage.

"I'm sorry, I've been fooled by Mizuki..." I don't dare look him in the eye.

"Everything's fine Senji, Iruka explained everything. I'm sorry for what just happened to you." The Hokage places his hands on my shoulders. "Don't take seriously whatever Mizuki told you, okay?"

"I know, I know..."

"Hmmm, Come on you should go home, your guardian must be worried, just think about coming to see me tomorrow."

"What for?" I said as I saw Mizuki being carried off on a stretcher.

"To have your testimony on the incident, and don't worry about school, I'll let Minori know you're absent. Don't worry, nothing serious will happen, at least for you and Iruka. "

"Okay. Well, see you tomorrow and sorry again." I said as I began to make my way home.


By the time I get to my front door, it's already very late. Yet the light in the dining room is still on, so they must be waiting for me, having warned them that I was coming home after parting company with Iruka-sensei and the old Hokage. I ring the bell and slide the door open, signalling my presence.

"I'm home!"

"Ah here he is, yes, yes of course, no problem, have a nice evening bye." Fuji-nee puts down the phone. "Welcome back Senji."

"Who was it?"

"The Hokage, he called to see if you got home all right."

"Geez Senji, I hope we don't have to get in the habit of being worried!" Chiyo said, tugging on my cheek.

"The Hokage pretty much explained what happened. That bastard Mizuki, I should have seen it coming..." Fuji-nee is furious.

"It's all right Fuji-nee, I made him swallow his words."

"Ah Senji, welcome back!" I turn to see Haruko coming out of the bathroom, followed by Inaho.

"Senji-sama, you're all dirty! So it's true, Mizuki-sensei has attacked you?"

"Hmmm, I hope you made him bite the dust, I can't stand him, with his smug grin." Said Himegami nonchalantly, exiting the bathroom last.

"Indeed, we settled his case with Iruka-sensei."

"Remember to send Sakura a message too, she was very worried before she went home." Fuji-nee explains.

"Well come on don't just stand there, you've seen the state you're in! Go and wash up, the place is warm too, enjoy it!" Haruko pushes me towards the bathroom.

What I feared was happening, I no longer feel at ease in their presence. It's as if my whole body wants to move away.

(It's going to be complicated for a while...)


Wednesday, November 16, 2022.

I'm sitting in an empty room, with only a table and chairs, in front of which is the old Hokage and a man taking down my testimony.

"Next I beat him until he was unconscious, and then you know the rest."

The man and the Hokage look at each other, then the Hokage nods in satisfaction.

"Very well, your testimony agrees with Iruka and Mizuki. Oh not that I suspected you Senji."

"Oh no, I understand, after everything that's happened..."

"Hm. In any case, Mizuki will be incarcerated, sentenced, then sent to prison and his liscence as tutor has been taken away from him, so you won't be seeing him again anytime soon."

"Ok... I should have known."

"Senji, you don't have to think about it anymore."

"I should have known! I remember he used to pick on me back in high school too, and I thought he'd moved on, that we'd both moved on and changed the relationship... But no, he was always the same, just like me. Things haven't changed..."

"Senji!" Gramps Hokage raises his voice to call out to me, then sighs. "Of course things have changed, you're not the same Senji. You've matured, you've become strong and your intelligence keeps growing. I've even heard you're trying to close the wounds left by your family. Even if it's a half-hearted step, it's a substantial attempt. Don't let yourself be demolished by the words of a man who only saw in you what suited him."

"I... I can't help it, the truth is that his words hurt me too much and awakened too many things... I'm sorry but I'm not as strong as you think." I lower my eyes, defeated.

Outside the room, rapid footsteps can be heard. Someone is running, and the frequency of the footsteps, someone small, a child?

My theory is confirmed when the door opens violently and a child suddenly enters.

"En garde, old fart!" He said then he stumbles and falls face-first onto the parquet floor. "Aouuch!"

He has short, spiky brown hair and black eyes. He also has a slightly broken tooth. He wears a yellow shirt with the Konoha symbol in red, gray shorts and a long blue scarf.

"Oh no, there he goes again!" The kid is closely followed by another guy.

He has black hair and sunglasses. He's dressed all in black.

"Ouch! That was a trap huh?!" Said the kid, rubbing his forehead.

"Are you all right? You didn't hurt yourself?!" asks the guy in black. "Don't worry, it wasn't a trap!"

(What's gotten into both of them...)

The kid stares at me for a few minutes, then... "It's you, isn't it?! You're the one who set me up, admit it!" He suddenly suspects me.

"What are you talking about? You just tripped over yourself." I can feel the anger rising. Maybe I didn't hit Mizuki hard enough last night.

"Don't talk to him like that Senji! This young boy is the grandson of the master Hokage!" Explained the other guy in black.

"So, you don't dare do anything now, do you?!" Besides, the kid is provoking me...

I look at the guy in black, who keeps fidgeting and talking, then at the Hokage, who observes without saying a word. I turn my gaze to the kid.

(This kid is probably completely full of himself...)

"I say it deserves a little correction, but have it your way."

Hearing the dragon's words, I let myself be swayed and approached the kid.

"Grandson or not, I don't care." I smack the kid's head, not with too much force but just enough for him to feel it coming through anyway. "I hope this clears your head."

"Ouch!"

"Whaaat !" The guy in black gets outraged.


After finishing my testimony I head home, having the day off. But apparently the kid hasn't decided to leave me alone, trying to follow me discreetly, "hiding" behind walls and poles.

"Stop following me, damn it! And there's no need to hide! You've been busted for a long time!"

"Hahaha... It couldn't have been easy to spot me! Your vigilance lives up to your reputation! For your trouble... I'm doing you the favor of becoming your disciple."

"As if that's all I had to do."

"But in exchange... I want you to help me get stronger, so I can take down Grandpa! Please master!"

"Damn it..."

In the dojo, the kid, Konoha-maru, throws his fists and feet to hit me, without success. I dodge, parry and deflect his blows with ease, and when he starts to get angry, I make him lose his balance.

"Come again." I say, beckoning to him.

He gets up and fights again for 4 more tries.

"Can we please take a break?" Konoha-maru asks me, sweating and completely exhausted on all fours.

"Okay, I'll get you a bottle of water." I say as I exit the dojo.

In the kitchen, as I collect the water bottles, Ddraig mumbles something.

"This kid reminds me of you when you were training with Kiritsugu and that guy."

"Hmmm, were you already awake then?"

"Yes, but you were far too young and weak for us to interact."

"I see, so back then you were just a voyeur following the adventures of a child?"

"I guess so."

I return to the dojo, to see Konoha-maru attempting to wield a bokken.

He notices me and panics, trying to put the bokken back on its perch as quickly as possible.

"Don't worry, just be careful putting it back where it belongs and here, your water bottle."

This time he puts the bokken down gently, picks up the bottle and sits down.

"Thank you Master!" Then he starts drinking almost the whole bottle.

"By the way, you still haven't explained to me why you're so angry with your grandfather."

He lowers his eyes and looks more somber.

"Grandfather named me Konoha-maru after the name of the state. It's a pretty easy name to remember, but nobody calls me that! To everyone else, I'm just the grandson of the master Hokage. No one recognizes me for who I am. I'm fed up with it! That's why I want the title of Hokage now!"

I remain silent, not knowing what to say. After all, I've never experienced this kind of problem before. But, if there's anything I need to say...

"Look, of course no one recognizes you for yourself, you're just a kid."

"huh!?"

"A kid like you has no chance of becoming Hokage."

"What?!"

"What I'm trying to tell you is that it's not that simple, mind you. It's easy to say you want the title of Hokage, but if you really want it then..."

"Then what!?"

"You'd have to be able to beat me first, to begin with at least." I said, looking him straight in the eye.

His eyes widen, finally understanding the magnitude of his goal and how far he is from succeeding. In a way, this kid does look a lot like me...

"Anyway, we're taking a break. Come on, I probably have some snacks left by my guardian." I said as I stood up.

We leave the dojo, he follows me in silence. I imagine a lot must be going on in his head. But he'll find a balance in his quest, he has no choice, otherwise he'll never make it. Suddenly, the guy in black from this morning lands in front of us.

"I've found you!"

Then his gaze turns to me, looking at me as if I were a hideous monster.

"Peuh!" He puts his sunglasses back on.

"Hey, you're on private property, get lost." I say, trying to keep my cool.

But he ignores me completely, turning his attention back to Konoha-maru.

"Enough wasted time, young master! It's time to go home now!"

"No way! I'm going to defeat Grandpa and become Hokage! Right now! Right now! Na! Leave me alone!"

"To claim the title of Hokage, the virtues you must possess are wisdom, loyalty, righteousness, discernment, self-sacrifice, piety, insight, and respect for elders! What's more, you also need to master thousands of techniques before... huh?"

Konoha-maru loses patience and rushes towards his sensei, attacking him with greater precision than before.

(He's a quick learner.)

"Maybe, but being faster isn't going to do anything."

Indeed, the fight quickly came to a halt, as the sensei stopped all Konoha-maru's blows, and he dropped in frustration.

"Hmmm, it looks like you're learning another style of fighting, definitely more brutal. But it has no effect on me." Then he grabs his scarf and pulls him towards the exit. "That's enough of that, young master! That devil Senji is obviously a bad influence on you! The best way for you to become Hokage is to follow my teaching to the letter! Let's go home !"

"Get off me!"

Their heckling brings Chiyo-san over, obviously worried.

"Is everything all right, Senji-kun? Who's the guy in black?"

"Yes, everything's fine, Chiyo-san, I'll take care of it right away." I said, rolling up my sleeves.

I dash towards the sensei and send my fist straight into his glasses. But he reacts in time, letting go of the Konoha-maru scarf and stopping my fist with both hands.

"Peuh! Ridiculous! What do you take me for! I'm not an elite sensei for nothing! Your violence may have been effective against Mizuki, but against me it's worthless!"

"I said, get out of my house!"

I follow up with two back kicks, then a punch to the stomach, but each blow is stopped. But counter-attacking for him is difficult.

"Damn it! You and your stupid reinforcement, your body is as hard as concrete!"

"Whaaou! So classy his moves!" I hear Konoha-maru exclaim behind me.

He retaliates with precise attacks, trying to hit the vital organs, but I jump back to dodge and take off again. I suck in energy, increasing my speed, and with an acrobatic kick, I deliver the finishing blow, knocking him to the ground, completely knocked out.

"So?" Chiyo-san asks, approaching me.

"Ah, yes he's the little guy's sensei. But then, he didn't knock before coming in, so sensei or not, he deserves to be punished."

"Are you sure that's enough?" she asks me.

"Um... Chiyo-san?" I begin to see her transform into demon form, grabbing the sensei.

"Maybe we should burn him alive. Or tie him up and let him be eaten by insects from the inside. Better yet..."

"Chiyo-san, the last thing we want is for him to be dead." I persuade her, sweating coldly.

"Okay! You're in luck, mister sensei!"

As the situation calms down, I turn my gaze to Konoha-maru, who is observing the scene from afar with teary eyes. Seeing that I'm watching him, he loses it.

"Damn! Damn! And damn! I wasn't even able to get rid of Ebisu-sensei! Enough is enough! I want people to recognize my worth! Why does it never go my way!"

I go over and slap him on the head to calm him down.

"It's not that simple, it seems I've already told you. The Hokage is the strongest, the one the entire village respects. You don't think you can get that title so easily! You'll face many obstacles and many moments of sadness and anxiety. I, for example, have found people who recognize my worth and accept me as I am." I say, turning my head towards Chiyo-san who's starting to blush and thinking about the others. "But to get to this point, I first had to go through some terrible ordeals. You'd better come to terms with it."

"Come to terms with what ?"

"If you really want to become the Hokage, the one everyone respects, it's going to be a long road. And there are no shortcuts."

Konoha-maru is speechless.

(Did I overdo it?)

"You're over-projecting yourself on this kid."

"Peuh! Who the hell do you think you are, giving me lessons! I don't want you as my teacher anymore!" He said with a look of challenge.

(Good, I really don't have time for kids...)

"From now on, we're rivals!" He said, finishing with a smile.

"Ah? Sorry, but I'm way ahead of you. But one day you'll have the skills to become Hokage, and when you do, come and face me. Until then, train hard. Is that all right? Konoha-maru." I said, patting his head.

"Well, you really do have a gift for oratory. The kid can't believe it."

Konoha-maru has red cheeks and looks at me like I'm a benefactor or something.

(Ah shit, I've done too much, how to defuse the situation...)

"Um, sorry to cut this beautiful moment and what you're saying is really cool Senji-kun, but... What do we do with him?" Chiyo-san asks, jiggling Ebisu-sensei back and forth with her tentacles.

(Thanks Chiyo, you're the best)

"Ah yes, give me two minutes, I'll call the Hokage."

"What? But we are going to be in trouble!" Konoha-maru reacted only to the consequence of what had just happened.

"We're going to have a lot more problems if we let things drag on." I say, reaching for my phone.

Luckily for us, when the Hokage himself arrived, it was Ebisu-sensei who took the full brunt of it. Konoha-maru and I got off with a warning. And with that, Konoha-maru returned home, his head full of hope.


Later in the evening. Chiyo-san tells the others what happened in the afternoon.

"You should have seen the kid's face! And then Senji-kun said: "Until then, train hard! Okay?" The kid couldn't believe it!" Chiyo-san exclaims.

I bow my head in embarrassment, eating as discreetly as possible.

"Wow! Senji-sama, you must have been so cool at that moment!" Inaho tells me.

"I so wish I could have seen that." Himegami said mockingly.

"Did you, by any chance, see a bit of yourself in him Senji?" Fuji-nee asks me.

"Hmmm, now that I've had time to think about it, no not really. Certainly we have the same difficulty in reaching our goal, but that's all."

"I think that's quite enough Senpai." Sakura said, pouring me another glass of water.

"Anyway, you seem to be very comfortable with children, this Konoha-maru must see you as his idol!" Said Haruko.

This makes everyone laugh, and I can only sigh, letting them laugh at me gently.


Hello, thank you for reading this chapter. As promised, much lighter than the previous ones. Not much to say, except thank you. I take a look from time to time at the status of my fanfiction and I see that there are new people reading it, so thank you and see you next week.