Greetings, readers:
Thank you for reading this fan-made work...
...
When Sawada and Visconti returned to Vongola Headquarters, the Cloud Guardian immediately sent Tsunayoshi to his quarters to rest, but not before treating Tsuna's scrapes. Afterward, he headed straight to the Famiglia boss's office.
Upon crossing the office doorway, he found the Nono Vongola reviewing documents behind his desk.
"Hello, Timoteo," Shadow greeted him with his usual coldness.
"Oh, Shadow..." Timoteo replied, raising his gaze with a slight smile. "How did the training go? I imagine something happened..."
Visconti was a very serious man, and only those he trusted were permitted to call him Shadow. Timoteo was one of those people.
The Cloud Guardian recounted everything that had happened in detail: the fall over the waterfall, the rescue by the two strangers, and how, in a matter of hours and thanks to the connection he had formed with those boys, Tsuna had managed to master walking on the surface of the water in record time.
Timoteo listened attentively and let out a long sigh, resting his elbows on the desk.
"Sometimes I think that son of mine was born under a very strange star... or perhaps he's simply far too unlucky," the Nono remarked with some sadness. "So, you're saying those two boys became friends with Tsunayoshi..."
"Yes, sir," Shadow nodded.
"Do you have any idea which clans they belong to?"
"I don't know for certain, Timoteo."
"Hmm... but you're telling me he learned in a matter of hours what would have taken him weeks otherwise," Timoteo reflected. "Perhaps that camaraderie is the only motivation my son needs to discover his inner virtue. It's curious... We Vongola bosses have always been so different from the First. Giotto was a perfect figure, almost legendary, and family tradition has always demanded that same perfection from the very first day you become boss. But when I was little, I wasn't particularly skilled either. I had to find my own path, stumble many times, and understand what responsibility truly meant. Only when I understood the weight of that responsibility did I become worthy of leading the Vongola. All the bosses seem perfect... but only when we understand our duty."
Visconti listened in silence, understanding the burden carried by his leader, but remained firm in his report.
"I understand what you mean, Timoteo... This friendship is good for the boy, but we must know who he's associating with."
At that moment, a figure began to materialize from the deepest shadows of the office. It was Croquant bouche , the Ninth Generation's Mist Guardian, who had remained hidden in the room's darkness.
"You and Croquant bouche ..." Timoteo smiled. "I want you to investigate immediately who those two boys Tsunayoshi found at the river are."
"As you command, Boss," Croquant bouche replied in an enigmatic tone.
"And Shadow," Timoteo added, looking at the Cloud Guardian with a mischievous glint in his mature eyes, "try not to keep too close an eye on Tsuna over the next few days. I want to see if he tries to sneak out."
"Heh... If he sneaks out on his own to see those boys, it'll mean he's finally starting to grow some guts," the Mist Guardian interjected before vanishing in a swirl of illusions.
"Exactly," Timoteo nodded. "If he truly wants to cultivate that friendship, he'll find a way to leave Headquarters. When he does, follow him from a distance and uncover the truth."
"I'll simply keep doing what I always do and see how I can play my part, Timoteo. I'll take my leave now."
As Timoteo watched his son's path begin to take shape, he sighed once more...
…
An entire week passed. In his room, Tsunayoshi deeply missed his new friends, Hashirama and Madara. During the hours they had spent together by the river, Tsuna had memorized the schedule they had agreed upon, including the exact days and times they would meet again in secret.
When the appointed day and precise hour arrived, Tsuna gathered all the courage he could muster. Skillfully evading the guards, he slipped through the courtyard—unaware that the order to let him pass had come from the very top—then sneaked beyond the walls of Vongola Headquarters and ran excitedly toward the river valley.
At a prudent distance, hidden among the foliage and shadows, Visconti and Croquant bouche followed him step by step without revealing their presence.
At the riverbank, the reunion was an enthusiastic one. Hashirama and Madara were surprised to see that little Tsuna had actually kept his promise to return. For hours, the three of them had fun and began training together. Tsunayoshi served as an exemplary "practice dummy" for the two talented warriors. However, both Hashirama and Madara were astonished by Tsuna's monstrous physical endurance. Despite being the youngest of the three—Hashirama was a few months older than Madara, and Tsuna was a year younger than both of them—the little boy endured the blows and falls, getting back to his feet again and again with a smile.
As evening fell, Tsuna said goodbye cheerfully and began his journey home, covered in fresh bruises. That was nothing new after training with Visconti, but he returned home with a heart full of satisfaction at having found true friends.
When the three boys went their separate ways toward their respective homes, the two Vongola Guardians divided the task between them: Visconti stealthily followed Hashirama's trail, while Croquant bouche tracked Madara's silhouette through the shadows of the forest.
They pursued the boys until they saw them cross the fortified borders of their respective territories.
Shortly afterward, Visconti and muk reappeared in Timoteo's office. The ever-busy Nono Vongola looked up from his documents when he saw them enter.
"Well?" Timoteo asked. "Did my son sneak out? Where did his new friends come from?"
The two Guardians exchanged a tense glance, charged with unusual gravity.
"One of the boys headed toward the northern territory... He belongs to the Senju clan," Visconti revealed in a grave voice.
Muk formed a faint, dark smile on his lips before adding:
"And the other boy ventured into the western domain... He's a member of the emo clan, the Uchiha."
Timoteo frowned deeply, leaning back in his chair as the weight of history settled over the room.
"The Senju and the Uchiha..." the Nono murmured heavily. "The two most troublesome and bloodthirsty clans in this country, or perhaps even on the entire continent."
"They have been at odds for generations, Boss," Visconti added. "There is far too much hatred between them."
"Hmm... Nevertheless, this cannot be a mere coincidence," Timoteo mused, interlacing his fingers. "It must be the force of destiny. The oldest records of our Famiglia state that the First Vongola's roots originated from the direct bloodline of Hagoromo's family. Although we distanced ourselves from the internal affairs of the goddess's descendants starting with the Third Vongola, it seems fate insists on intertwining the Vongola with that extraterrestrial family once again through Tsunayoshi."
The Vongola leader remained silent for a few moments before making his final decision.
"Very well. Let Tsunayoshi continue meeting his friends in secret. But you, Shadow... do not allow him to slack off in his daily training. He must grow strong."
"As you wish, Boss," the Cloud Guardian replied with a firm nod.
As he left the Nono's office and walked through the mansion's cold corridors, Visconti kept his mind fixed on the young, injured future boss resting in his quarters. Now more than ever, he knew exactly how he needed to shape the future of Tsunayoshi Sawada.
68 B.N. 18 de November
Time continued its march amid the whisper of the wind and the river's incessant murmur. Weeks turned into months, and the pace of Tsunayoshi Sawada's training alongside Hashirama and Madara became exponentially more demanding. Although the six-year-old lacked the innate discipline and tactical ferocity of the two young shinobi, his body displayed a bewildering rate of physical development.
A sharp impact echoed along the riverbank, followed by a splash.
BAM!
"Owww!" Tsuna cried out, landing flat on his back in the mud after taking a direct kick from Hashirama.
Madara, who was watching the scene while leaning against the trunk of a willow tree with his arms crossed, let out a deeply exasperated sigh and brought a hand to his face.
"For the love of the gods, Tsuna... You ended up eating dirt again after Hashirama landed an attack you saw coming. When are you supposed to actually start dodging?" Madara asked, his expression caught between disbelief and annoyance.
"Hey, come on, Madara! Don't be so hard on him!" Hashirama interjected with a light laugh as he extended a hand to help Tsuna get up. "Look at it this way: this kid can take more consecutive hits than you and I combined. He's got a body made of stone."
Madara responded with nothing but a cold, piercing glare, silently expressing how stupid he thought that physical advantage was.
"I... I'm sorry, guys," Tsuna murmured, wiping the mud from his cheeks as he tried to remain steady on his trembling legs. "It's just that... according to Master Visconti, I don't have the mindset of a true warrior. He beats me to a pulp during training until he nearly kills me almost every day. He says I have no talent for the martial arts, so his only option is to make me endure as much as possible until I learn something."
"I don't know if that training method is healthy. What do you do about the injuries it causes?" Madara asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Oh, well... The Sun Guardian lives at my home," Tsuna explained with absolute innocence. "He uses an incredible healing jutsu that makes me good as new after every beating. So I won't have any problems."
Hashirama and Madara exchanged a silent glance.
Madara felt a pang of intrigue in his chest. He had been secretly training with Tsuna for quite some time, and through the boy's brief everyday comments, he had realized something obvious: the group backing this boy was no ordinary clan of mercenaries or resource seekers. There was a strange organization, arcane titles such as "Guardians," and a military and internal infrastructure that defied the ordinary logic of warring clans.
A persistent question began gnawing at Madara's mind. He needed to know what the surname Sawada truly concealed. Even Hashirama himself had been troubled by this curiosity.
That very night, in the Uchiha clan's territory, Madara returned to the fortress after completing his patrols. He spent some time greeting his younger brothers, sharing a few brief laughs with them and making sure they were safe, before heading to the main room.
His father, Tajima Uchiha, the feared clan leader, was there. Tajima poured some hot tea into two ceramic bowls and gestured for his son to sit beside him.
They drank in silence until Madara broke the quiet.
"Father... I have a question."
"Go ahead, Madara," Tajima replied, keeping his gaze fixed on the steam rising from his tea.
"I would like to know whether there is any clan in the Land of Fire whose surname is Sawada."
Tajima stopped his cup halfway to his mouth. For an instant, a shadow of surprise and caution crossed his dark eyes. He gently shook his head.
"No. There is no ninja clan under the name Sawada, but there is the Vongola. That surname belongs to the direct bloodline that leads the Vongola Famiglia."
"Vongola...?" Madara repeated quietly, committing the unfamiliar word, which did not fit his language, to memory.
"That's right," Tajima nodded, his tone solemn. "It is an organization whose origins date back to the era before the shinobi clans. At present, the Vongola is the wealthiest and most powerful entity in the entire Land of Fire. Not only do they possess riches that far surpass even the Daimyō's own treasures, but their power in the shadows is overwhelming. In military terms, I'm not sure whether our clan or the Senju could openly match their strength without suffering catastrophic losses."
Tajima looked directly at his son, emphasizing every word.
"If you ever cross paths with someone bearing the surname Sawada during your travels or missions, do not make the foolish mistake of disrespecting them. If possible, make friends with them. An ally from the Vongola's main bloodline would be an invaluable asset to the future of the Uchiha."
"I understand, Father..." Madara replied, concealing the satisfaction on his face. He kept to himself the secret that he already knew the young heir of that great clan quite well.
The following day, when Madara returned to their meeting place by the river, he found Hashirama there. To his surprise, the young Senju's gaze toward Tsuna had also changed radically; the same certainty was reflected in his eyes. Madara immediately understood that Hashirama had asked his own father exactly the same question and had received an equally astonishing answer about the Vongola's power.
When Tsunayoshi came running over, tripped over a root, and fell face-first into the grass before greeting them, the two young prodigies watched him, only to lose their favorable impression of Tsuna once again.
"A-Auch! Hi, guys..." Tsuna said, getting up with an embarrassed smile.
Madara and Hashirama exchanged a quick glance. He was clumsy, but he carried something great on his shoulders. From that day onward, their respect for the young Vongola's bloodline was sealed between them... Although that did not stop them from continuing to beat him black and blue during the following hours of training to mold his character.
The afternoon training session ended with the sound of water flowing over the river pebbles and Tsunayoshi's exhausted breathing as he lay on his back in the cool grass, rubbing an enormous bump on his forehead.
Madara, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, walked slowly toward the little Vongola. He stopped beside him, crossing his arms as he watched him with a deeply curious gaze.
"Hey, Tsuna..." Madara began, his tone unusually low and serious. "You said your clan's doctor is really good, right?"
Hashirama, who was tucking his kunai into his clothes, perked up at the question. Intrigued, he immediately approached and positioned himself on Tsuna's other side, listening with absolute attention.
Tsuna slowly sat up, blinking in surprise at the sudden seriousness of both boys. He tilted his head, looking up at the sky as he searched his mind for the right answer.
"Hmm... Nie? Yeah, he's incredibly good," Tsuna answered with complete honesty. "I think he's the best of them all. But he's not just an expert in medicine and healing... he's also a master of Taijutsu."
"Huh? Taijutsu?" Madara interrupted, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Yes, his name is Nie Brown Jr.," little Tsuna nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "In fact, he's the strongest hand-to-hand combatant in our entire clan. His punches can destroy gigantic boulders."
Hashirama and Madara exchanged bewildered glances. For two children raised under the strict discipline of traditional ninja arts, the idea of a combat medic who was also the organization's most formidable physical fighter was an exceedingly strange and fascinating custom within Vongola culture.
"And why are you asking, Madara?" Tsuna inquired, tilting his head.
Madara clenched his fists at his sides, and for a brief instant, the coldness in his jet-black eyes gave way to a hint of emotional vulnerability.
"It's just... I have younger brothers who are very sick... and injured," Madara admitted, his voice strained. "I don't know if you or that doctor from your clan might be able to help me."
Upon hearing those words, Hashirama's pupils dilated completely. Taking a step forward, his face filled with barely contained desperation, he joined the plea.
"Yes, Tsuna! Me too!" Hashirama exclaimed, clutching his chest. "I also have brothers who are seriously injured..."
Tsuna looked from one to the other with wide eyes, his heart sinking at the distress of his friends.
"Your brothers are injured...?" Tsuna asked in a troubled tone. "But why? What happened to them?"
The two young heirs looked at each other, surprised by the obvious innocence behind the little boy's question. A heavy silence settled over the riverbank before Madara answered bitterly.
"Well... it's because of the conflicts. The clashes between the clans."
"Conflicts...? Clashes between clans?" Tsuna repeated, frowning in confusion, as though those words belonged to a language entirely foreign to his world within the Vongola clan.
Hashirama couldn't contain himself. He took two quick steps forward, crouched down, and firmly grasped Tsuna by the shoulders, looking directly into his eyes in astonishment.
"Tsuna... Do you really know nothing about the clashes between clans? Don't you know what's happening in this world?"
The little Vongola turned his head slightly, feeling intimidated by Hashirama's intensity, and slowly shook his head.
"N-No... Nobody at home talks about that... I don't know what you're talking about."
"What kind of place do you live in?" Madara questioned, taking another step closer.
"I-In... the Vongola clan headquarters," Tsuna replied shyly, adjusting his tunic. "But I only train there. Well... as far as I know, we live quite peacefully. My dad takes care of the business and other clan matters, while the Guardians train and are the ones who take care of the clan's affairs. Everything is pretty peaceful at home."
Hashirama and Madara froze in place.
Tsuna's words reverberated through their minds like a distant, impossible echo. For two children who had grown up watching blood spill across battlefields, burying their own family members, and waking up every morning afraid of losing their lives in an ambush, the revelation of Tsuna's reality was overwhelming.
A deep and painful envy blossomed in Hashirama and Madara's chests. Envy of that untouched peace, envy of the warmth of a home where there was no smell of blood or shadow of a family member's death—or their own—and envy of the carefree innocence with which that child viewed life. Even as the heir to the most powerful organization in the Land of Fire, he had never had to witness the horrors of war.
When Hashirama and Madara released Tsunayoshi, the little boy felt less tense and composed himself as best he could. He looked at both young men with shining eyes and renewed determination on his face.
"Well... I'm going home," Tsuna said firmly. "I'll ask my dad's Sun Guardian to come and see if he can heal your brothers."
Hashirama and Madara exchanged sidelong glances, forming genuine smiles as they nodded. For two boys accustomed to watching people die from a lack of medicine or proper care, the little Vongola's words represented an unexpected ray of hope.
Shortly afterward, the three said goodbye and headed in different directions.
Upon arriving at the majestic Vongola headquarters, Tsuna wasted no time and ran straight toward the mansion's medical wing. Pushing open the clinic's double wooden doors, he came face-to-face with an imposing figure: Nie, the Ninth Generation's Sun Guardian. A tall, young, reserved man with a lean, muscular build, a determined frown, and a neutral yet jovial aura, with a small lizard tattoo on his cheek.
When he saw the young heir enter, Nie let out a hearty laugh and broke into a wide smile that he reserved exclusively for Tsunayoshi.
"Oh, Young Master! What a joy to see you here again!" Nie greeted him as he approached. "I see today's training was intense... Thanks to you and your daily bruises, my medical skills are improving by leaps and bounds. Come on, let me check what they did to you today."
Nie grasped Tsuna's head with a certain rough affection. Within seconds, a brilliant golden light—the pure manifestation of the Sun Flames with their accelerated activation property—enveloped the Guardian's hands. The pain from Tsuna's bruises and bumps dissipated instantly, leaving his skin as good as new.
Tsuna looked up, admiring the doctor's warm energy.
"Nie... Can I ask you a huge favor?" the boy asked pleadingly.
"Of course! Just say the word, Young Master!" the Sun Guardian replied, thumping his pride-filled chest.
"I have two friends whose brothers are seriously injured... and I don't know if you could go and heal them," Tsuna explained, his eyes shining. "You're the best doctor here, and I think you're the best in the entire world."
"Ha! Of course I'm the best in the world!" Knuckle exclaimed with a boastful laugh. "Tell me where those boys are, and I'll go heal them right this very moment."
"N-No... They're not from here. I don't have any friends my age in the clan," Tsuna admitted, lowering his voice slightly. "They belong to other clans."
Upon hearing that, Nie's smile slowly faded, and he furrowed his brow with concerned confusion.
"Other clans...?" Knuckle repeated. "Young Master, which clans do those children belong to?"
"I don't know... They wouldn't tell me their clan names," Tsuna admitted, rubbing his arm. "They said something about 'battles' and 'clashes.' Honestly, I didn't really understand that concept..."
Knuckle let out a heavy sigh. The golden energy surrounding his hands slowly faded. With a mature, melancholic expression, he pulled up a wooden chair, sat down in front of Tsuna, and gestured for him to sit beside him.
"Listen carefully, Little Master... I'm going to explain something very important to you," Knuckle began, speaking with an unusual solemnity for someone of his character. "The reason your friends mention those things is that, beyond the Vongola's territories, the outside world is in a devastating state known as the Warring States Period. It is a constant war between shinobi clans."
"A clan war...?" Tsuna murmured, his eyes widening. "Why do they fight so much?"
"At first, they fought over territory, wealth, food, or contracts... Material things, power," the Sun Guardian explained, crossing his thick arms. "But over time, the war took on another form."
"When will that war end, Nie?"
"No one knows... Sometimes, what the First Vongola warned us about in the ancient writings comes to pass: the emergence of the Cycle of Hatred. Some clans suffer casualties and lose their loved ones, and then they stop fighting for resources or land. They begin killing one another solely out of resentment, revenge, and pure hatred."
Nie Brown looked the child straight in the eyes, making sure he understood the gravity of his words.
"There are clans that have been trapped in a cycle of hatred for generations. They have been bleeding each other dry for more than five hundred years... So much so that the current generations don't even remember why the conflict began in the first place. They simply continue the bloodshed because of the pain accumulated from the past."
Tsuna sat frozen in his seat. The concept of other people's suffering and senseless violence struck a deep chord in his little heart.
"That's horrible..." the boy whispered.
"There are many things you will learn as time goes by and you assume your position as the Tenth Vongola," Nie continued gently. "You must be very careful with that Cycle of Hatred. Primo Giotto was a wise and great man who understood the weight of those shadows before anyone else. When the time comes for your advanced education, you will study his life and teachings in great depth. Not just his, but those of every leader who came after him... But the most important of them all will always be the First Vongola."
Tsuna nodded silently, engraving Giotto's name in his mind.
"As for your friends..." Nie added, standing up and patting Tsuna on the head, "I'm going to speak with your father, the Nono, first, to see what he thinks about helping them. He must know exactly who those children are and what their clans' situations are."
"Dad...? But he's always so serious with me. I doubt he cares about my problems."
Nie gave him a warm, sincere smile.
"Even though the Boss may seem cold or distant sometimes after your training sessions, I assure you that he is always keeping an eye on you, Young Master. Everything he does is to protect your future. Get some rest. I'll go talk to the Boss."
Nie strode confidently through the corridors of the Vongola headquarters until he reached the main office. When he opened the door, he found Timoteo waiting for him behind his desk, his gaze fixed on some reports.
"What is it, Jr.?" the Nono asked without looking up.
"I've just received the Young Master at the clinic," Nie explained in his usual booming, optimistic tone. "He told me about a rather peculiar situation involving a favor he wants to ask of me."
Nie Brown Jr. recounted his conversation with Tsunayoshi and the origins of his new friends in full detail. Timoteo let out a tired sigh, leaned back in his chair, and interlaced his fingers over his lap.
"Well, well... So that boy has become friends with those children named Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha..."
"Senju and Uchiha?" Nie frowned, crossing his arms with a stern expression. "The members of those two clans are the strongest and most powerful in the entire Land of Fire right now, and those two families have been killing each other for a long time, haven't they?"
"Yes, Jr.," Timoteo replied with a serious nod. "Which is why... I don't know. My own hands are tied in this matter, but I'll leave the decision to you."
Nie placed a hand on his chest, deep in thought as he considered the situation.
"You're leaving the decision up to me, Boss?"
"Yes. It's your decision whether you want to do my son that favor or not."
Nie remained silent for a few moments. A broad smile spread across his youthful face once more as he remembered the determination in Tsuna's eyes.
"Well... I like the Young Master. He has a huge heart, Boss. I'll do him the favor."
With that, Timoteo nodded respectfully, and Nie Brown Jr. turned around and left the office to prepare.
The following morning, as Tsunayoshi was getting ready to head toward their meeting place in the valley, he showed up accompanied by Nie. The warm-hearted man wore an immaculate black suit and tie, an elegant outfit that was completely unorthodox by shinobi world standards, reminiscent of the stories about the high-ranking members and the style of dress that symbolized the Vongola Famiglia.
Upon reaching the clearing by the riverbank, Hashirama and Madara were waiting impatiently. When they saw Nie's youthful and less threatening figure following behind Tsuna, both of them wore expressions of disappointment at the sight of the Vongola family's greatest martial artist.
"Guys..." Tsuna greeted them with a shy smile. "This is Nie Brown Jr., my family's chief physician. He's here to keep his word and heal your brothers."
Hashirama blinked in surprise at the young man's unusual name and gave him a cheerful greeting.
"Hello, Nie!"
"Hello to both of you," Nie replied in a friendly voice that echoed through the clearing. "Listen carefully to what we're going to do: today, I'll visit one of your clans, and tomorrow, I'll visit the other's territory. When I arrive at your respective territories, I'll maintain absolute discretion and won't reveal the location or clan of the other boy under any circumstances. Do you understand?"
The two young shinobi looked at each other and nodded in relief. They knew perfectly well that, despite the historical rivalry between clans in the Land of Fire, even though they had been seeing each other for some time, neither knew which clans the other originated from.
"Very well. We'll visit Hashirama's clan first," Nie Brown declared.
Before setting off, Hashirama, curious about the Vongola's strange nature, decided to test the doctor's abilities.
"Wait a moment, Nie," Hashirama requested with a nervous smile, adopting a fighting stance. "I want to see for myself how good your Taijutsu is. Show me what you can do!"
Nie burst into laughter, ending with a cheerful smile.
"You want to test my Taijutsu? As you wish, boy, but be careful. It's lethal."
The two moved toward the edge of a crystal-clear river with shallow waters. Their footsteps landed on the liquid surface with millimetric precision, creating concentric ripples that spread with the flow of the current.
A few meters away, Madara Uchiha stood with his arms crossed and an expression of deep skepticism. His dark eyes analyzed every detail of the slender man, paying particular attention to the iconic lizard tattoo etched onto Nie Brown Junior's cheek. According to Tsuna, this man held the undisputed title of the best Taijutsu practitioner among the Guardians, but Madara was the kind of person who only believed what he saw with his own eyes.
"Whenever you're ready, young Hashirama," Nick replied calmly.
The atmosphere tensed instantly. Driven by his inexhaustible energy and curiosity to measure himself against the Vongola's strange strength, Hashirama closed the distance in the blink of an eye. His body spun through the air as he launched a fierce spinning kick directly at his opponent's temple.
The move was fast, worthy of a prodigy. However, what happened in the following fraction of a second left both Hashirama and the Uchiha spectator frozen in shock: Nie didn't even flinch. He raised his hand with complete nonchalance and stopped the powerful kick using only three fingers.
Clack!
The impact came to an abrupt halt, producing a small impact sound and splashes of water beneath their feet.
"That was a very good kick," Nie praised with a calm smile, holding the future Senju leader's leg without any apparent effort. "I hope my young master can become as strong as you are at your age... Well, he still has a year to go, but I hope some of your hard work and talent rub off on him."
Hashirama's eyes widened in astonishment. He had to retreat with a quick leap to regain his distance, feeling a slight numbness across the top of his foot.
"Incredible...! I couldn't even move your hand," Hashirama admitted with a nervous laugh, shaking his leg. "All right, but let's keep going!"
This time, the skirmish escalated in intensity, taking on the style of close-quarters shinobi duels. Hashirama launched a rapid sequence of straight punches aimed at the chest and chin, alternating them with low hooks. Despite being shorter and visibly slimmer, Nie's physique proved to be no disadvantage; his footwork was impeccable.
Bam! Pow! Wham!
The blows collided with tremendous force. Nie used his forearms and knees to deflect, absorb, and block every attack with unshakable solidity. He didn't need to perform flashy leaps or dodge frantically; his center of gravity was perfect. Every charge from Senju Hashirama bounced off a watertight defense that seemed to be made of steel.
"You're far too predictable when shifting your weight between the first and second strikes, Hashirama," Nie commented effortlessly in the middle of the exchange, dodging a right hook by mere millimeters as he slightly twisted his torso. "You have brute strength and monstrous vitality, but you lack economy of movement."
"Aaaah, leave me alone!" Hashirama retorted, breathing slightly heavily as he increased his pace, trying to break Nie's stance with an upward knee strike.
Nie intercepted the knee with his right forearm, instantly neutralizing its momentum and pushing Hashirama backward with a sharp movement of his hips that left him staggering.
From the riverbank, Madara narrowed his eyes. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he processed what he was witnessing. That guy... barely moves from his position in the usual way, but his reflexes and ability to read body movements are absurd. He's blocking Hashirama's physical strength using nothing but technique and pressure angles... the Uchiha thought, beginning to shed the initial skepticism he had felt toward the Vongola family's strange methods. Hashirama was somewhat superior to him in Taijutsu, and within his own clan, Madara could hold his own against an experienced fighter.
"You're really good," Hashirama admitted with a broad smile, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he resumed his guard.
"Yes, I'm the best," Nie replied, winking with absolute confidence. The confrontation lasted less than a minute. By the time Madara had barely managed to blink, Hashirama was lying on the ground, bruised, his clothes dirty, and complaining of a dull ache throughout his body after taking a couple of sharp, precise blows from the Sun Guardian intended to subdue him.
Making the difference in Taijutsu levels clear—not only between children, but also compared to the standard Taijutsu practiced within their respective clans.
Without giving him time to lament his defeat, Nie calmly approached, concentrated a brilliant golden light in the palm of his hand, and passed it over Hashirama's body. Within seconds, all of Hashirama's scrapes and aches disappeared completely, leaving him as good as new.
Madara watched the scene in astonishment, an overwhelming sense of hope shining deep within his dark eyes. After witnessing such an effortless display of medical prowess, he knew with absolute certainty that his younger brothers would be safe with this man.
"Well... then I'll be the first!" Hashirama exclaimed enthusiastically, jumping to his feet and leading Nie toward the Senju clan's territory, bidding farewell to Madara and Tsunayoshi.
After crossing the fortified borders of the Senju clan, Hashirama led Nie to the main compound. Standing at the main entrance was his father, Butsuma Senju, who reacted with immediate hostility upon seeing an imposing-looking stranger in an elegant suit wandering through their territory alongside his son.
Butsuma lunged at Nie with lethal speed, attempting to immobilize him while launching a powerful kick straight at his torso. However, before the blow could even touch the fabric of Nie's suit, Hashirama intervened, stepping between them and shouting desperately:
"Father, stop! He's with me!"
Butsuma froze midair, his foot just inches away from Nie.
"Hashirama, why have you brought a stranger into our home?" he asked without taking his eyes off Nie Brown.
"My two brothers, Kawarama and Itama! He's here to help them!"
Upon hearing the names of his dying sons, the Senju leader felt his body tremble with helplessness. He slowly lowered his guard and looked at the suited man with a mixture of surprise and barely contained desperation.
"Is he trustworthy, Hashirama?" he asked, seeking reassurance from his son.
Hashirama nodded, his eyes filled with confidence.
"I... understand," Butsuma murmured, his voice breaking. "Follow me. I'll take you to them..."
...
Hi guys, how are you? It's me again. I'm sorry for the delay with this chapter. I had another emotional breakdown, and well, my ADHD wasn't helping at all. Trying to focus on editing the chapters was pretty extreme, especially since I had already published three chapters last week—I think that was just too much focus for my ADHD to handle all at once. Yeah, it's tough, plus work and everything else. I also had to take care of some paperwork regarding my university degree since I'm going to study engineering.
Well guys, you are honestly my saving grace when it comes to deciding whether to keep writing fanfics. Truth be told, if it were up to me, I'd work as a full-time writer, but hey, we have to make a living one way or another, right?
I'll probably publish the next chapter on Sunday, provided work doesn't get too crazy. That's pretty much it, I think. I highly doubt I won't post it on Sunday, but if anything comes up, it might be Monday next week instead. Please be patient with me. I have all the chapters written, I just need to edit them, add a few things I missed, and give some characters more depth. It's hard work, but hey, we keep fighting!
Happy reading! Bye-bye!
— Wissumi Wizaki
Until the next chapter!