~Soutarou POV, Five days after the Nine Tails Attack~
'Man now I've got to wait for what… several months until it's time for the Academy…'
Soutarou looked over at Kabuto and said, "Oi. You think since the Academy's been destroyed you'll still be a first year when they start up again?"
Kabuto looked over at Soutarou as he cleaned a plate and sighed saying, "You know sometimes you're so smart and sometimes you're really stupid. It just depends on when they rebuild the academy, afterall that tailed beast bomb, even though it didn't blow up in the village, still left a massive crater in the heart of Konoha. Thanks to your paranoia most of those survived only one person got injured from the Nine Tail's tailed beast bomb. Not to mention your actions basically saved our entire Jonin population."
Kabuto looked over at Soutarou's listless expression and his brows twitched before saying, "You seriously didn't read the report Lord Third revealed?"
Soutarou waved and then collapsed on the couch, before lazily replying, "The Fourth Hokage died, so it's all meaningless… I guarantee you that at least Kirigakure and Kumogakure will start testing our borders soon. Not only that, our matured Jinchuriki died, even the reports didn't say either of those things. It's obvious to anyone with a brain, Kabuto. Why do you think I'm stressing and lazing on this couch?"
Kabuto shook his head and said, "I'm almost 100% sure you're just lazing around right because you took your usual long bath after your exercises and you want me to heal your micro tears and give you a message."
Soutarou coughed before saying, "That obvious huh?"
Kabuto shook his head before saying, "You don't have to hide that you soak for three hours a day from me, I don't really care. I'm assuming it's some Senju secret? Maybe some left behind inheritance from Lord Second? I only think you should show me the formula so I can help you find those materials and if not try to create something to aid alongside it. You should know just how much I experiment."
Soutarou groaned hearing the word experiment before cursing at Kabuto, "You expensive bastard, that ten million ryo I spent on your experiment was my marriage and retirement fund."
Kabuto gave Soutarou a look before saying, "You're saying this now, but literally a year and a few months ago you were the one begging me to start experimenting."
Soutarou pouted and said, "How was I supposed to know you were going to use up almost half our remaining family inheritance?"
Kabuto's face flushed before making a worried look which caused Soutarou to panic saying, "Don't tell me you need more money, you- you- you damn money pit!"
Kabuto coughed before shamelessly saying, "Think of it this way, eventually it'll pay back."
Soutarou clutched his forehead muttering, "Ninety Million Ryo… all down the drain… even a gold digger wouldn't take this much!"
Soutarou glared at Kabuto before gritting his teeth and reluctantly saying, "Take it dammit. Don't show me our money book again or I'll start crying…"
Soutarou pretended to cry as he muttered, "How far the Senju have fallen… from once wealthy to poor enough that I might have to start working."
Kabuto coughed and said, "Don't worry if it comes to that point my hospital income is enough for you to eat your heart out."
Soutarou smiled before saying, "Oh? Wonderful, let's go get barbecue right now!"
Kabuto face palmed before saying, "You dumbass everything's closed still! The memorial for Lord Fourth hasn't even been held and you already want to start partying?"
Soutarou put a finger up before realizing and then shrugging and saying, "Ok since we can't have barbecue, you're cooking."
Kabuto's lip twitched as he said, "I'm always the one who cooks, last time you entered the kitchen you set it on fire! And you were using a damn water style jutsu to boil something. Which idiot sets a kitchen on fire with water style? What did you suddenly figure out boil release or something?"
Soutarou frowned before saying, "How was I supposed to know that pure ninjutsu water boils faster than tap water and who designed the stove like that, shouldn't turning it once be the lowest setting, not the highest?"
Kabuto held his head muttering, "And I thought you were a genius…"
Kabuto then said, "Which idiot told you to cook upside down then?"
Soutarou muttered, "But it was good chakra control practice."
Kabuto then pointed out a dozen more examples, "Ok what about the time you thought the labeled bottle of salt was sugar?"
Soutarou said, "You pranked me."
Kabuto then said, "What about the time Onee-san tried teaching you how to fry an egg and you exploded it all over the kitchen?"
Soutarou confidently said, "It blew up because it was weak and I'm strong."
Kabuto continued, "What about the time you broke a pan by smashing your forehead into it?"
Soutarou replied calmly, "I was testing if it was strong enough to withstand the heat I was going to use it at."
Kabuto sighed and shook his head before saying, "You're an idiot."
Soutarou muttered, "I'm not an idiot, I just don't know how to cook, which is fine I'll either have you, Nono-nee-chan, or my future wife."
Kabuto slapped his forehead and said, "At the rate you're going you're going to struggle finding one."
Soutarou shot up and said, "What do you mean? I'm only five, almost six years old. Look at me, I'm adorable."
Kabuto said, rolling his eyes, "What part of your annoyingness is adorable."
Soutarou shot back, "Well I bet you haven't found anyone either-"
Only to be greeted with Kabuto's smug face and his retort of, "I'll have you know that in my first year class I was the most popular guy, not only that all the aunties and older sisters at the hospital always try to marry off their daughters to me!"
Soutarou gritted his teeth and said, "You bastard! You're cheating! I'm not in the academy yet, just you wait dammit!"
As the two bickered they failed to notice Nono who had come in wearing all black and was holding a bouquet of white flowers.
Nono smacked Soutarou on the head and said, "Go change you two. The memorial service has been scheduled for this afternoon."
Soutarou then said something that surprised both Nono and Kabuto, "Do I have to wear a Kimono? How do you even wear one of those?"
Kabuto said, "You don't know how to wear one?"
Soutarou shook his head saying, "I raised myself dammit-"
Only to be chopped on the head and scolded by Nono for his language.
The pair of Nono and Kabuto awkwardly scratched their heads at Soutarou's implied reasoning, Kabuto then decidedly moved and dragged Soutarou to show him how to put a Kimono on.
Soutarou grimaced as his feet clanked on the floor with his Zōri and white tabi socks along with his long black Kimono.
Soutarou posed for Nono and said, "How do I look?"
Nono and Kabuto deadpanned before Nono shook her head and then ruffled his hair saying, "You look good, but please be serious… a lot of people will be watching you after that stunt you pulled. Come let's not be late."
The trio headed out, with Soutarou's eyes flickering around and looking at the ruins and the various people that worked to restore some semblance of normalcy.
As they moved closer and closer to the Hero monument, the number of eyes on Soutarou increased, to the point where his expression tightened and he put on a solemn and serious face realizing Nono and Kabuto weren't joking around.
'Someone went out of their way to increase my reputation… Are they trying to offset the losses already? This doesn't seem like Hiruzen's style… no this reeks of the ROOT. But doesn't that old man want to be the Hokage? There's another possibility…'
Soutarou's eyes locked onto Kabuto's and narrowed, but Kabuto's expression didn't reveal anything.
'The fact that he didn't question my gaze… no I'm probably over thinking it, this guy knows my goals are to remain under the radar for a while, before exploding in fame. Though I guess in a sense what Nono said earlier makes sense too… I wouldn't have been able to stay under the radar, so whoever made this move wants people to know what I did. Moral rallying…'
'So then maybe it was that old Monkey. No matter, it's not a major issue, but public opinion can change fast so I'll need to keep this momentum going… Am I going to have to graduate in one year?'
'No, that's not a smart idea then I'll be teamed up with Itachi and that'll put in Obito's crosshairs. The best idea would still be to graduate in my third or second year. No better would be to absolutely beat the shit out Itachi, let him graduate early and then graduate in time to still catch him during the chunin exams and beat him there too.'
'Poor Itachi, I'll be using you as a benchmark to show the world my strength. Alright then I need to speed up my Kosuke Maruboshi plans…Time to meet the master of the Beggar's Guild- I mean to find the hidden master to unlock the realm that only opens once every- sorry that was a weird thing to say. I mean it's time to find my path's mentor.'
As the trio walked into the memorial service, hundreds turned their gazes towards the trio, with many, many thankful gazes and a sense of deference towards them.
'Holy shit who's chakra is that… So full of vitality… So strong… This isn't Danzo… No it's…Another one, no this one's more natural… it's almost like I'm feeling the environment itself? Another one?!? This one reminds me of a snake… So, there's at least three extremely strong chakra's I don't recognize…Well I don't really have to guess, do I? The legendary Sannin huh? Damn they must be impressive in this world… this level of chakra… Crazy…'
Soutarou's eyes snapped over to a blonde twin tailed, youthful figure dressed in a black kimono, alongside a young teenager with short black hair and similar black eyes.
'She's actually here… I guess that makes sense… I guess even she would come back for Kushina's funeral…'
Soutarou's eyes then moved over to the white haired, red painted man with the kanji oil painted on his headband. Before slightly pausing over the pale golden eyed black haired figure. All three returned his gaze, the golden haired brown eyed one narrowed her eyes at him, the black haired golden eyed one watched him with flickering curiosity, while the white haired one just watched with a subtle respect.
Soutarou's gaze then landed on the numerous new names that had been engraved on the monument and his expression hardened and his fist clenched…
'I didn't even know most of them, or really any of them… Yet…'
'I've really gone soft… Well then again these two idiots live here so I guess I can't just run away. Home huh? This world… compared to my last one… its… It's different. I didn't have parents, but people took care of me. In my previous world I had parents, but I had the opposite. No rather it was beyond the opposite. My parents hated me and constantly beat me, cursed me out, and berated me. Everyday was a struggle and my only escape was novels. Nothing ever went right. Here everything, every door is open to me. I have talent, I have the scope to change this world… This world, unlike my last one, yearns for change, even the most heinous villain here dreams of peace… Other than that snake over there. Still I guess these deaths are hitting me harder… because I knew. I knew they'd die, and I still did nothing until the last second. Haa… fine. As long as it doesn't endanger my survival and my goals I'll try to save as many people as possible.'
'My ninja way huh? I guess it really is my goal to change the world… if not for the better than in my image.'
In the moment Soutaoru's flickering and hesitant to commit resolve, solidified.
'Weakness is the original sin. Just as I told Nono all that time ago. Without strength nothing is possible. It seems I've been slacking. I won't let some Itachi. Some Shisui. Or some nobody outdo me because I'm Soutarou Morita, the grandson of Tobirama Senju, the grandson of Toka Senju, the last pureblooded Senju, and the hope of the Senju Clan.