MC POV
When Lady Katsuyu called out "Hashirama-sama," a flood of knowledge about him came pouring forth in my mind, a sudden clarity amidst the fog of my memories.
The simple act of disrupting his chakra for an instant released a vast, overwhelming presence into the air that filled my skin with goosebumps.I knew he was a good man, a kind one, and a simple-minded one, but I did not dare take him lightly for even a moment.
As far as I was concerned, I didn't believe for a second that I could outsmart a man who had roamed the treacherous battlefields of the shinobi world since he was a child, a world filled with old monsters who would not hesitate to kill. The man who stood before me had faced more treachery and cunning than I could ever imagine and came out alive. Despite his demeanor suggesting him to be foolish, he was the Shinobi God.
He was the man who single-handedly calmed the warring states era and forced the world to follow in his footsteps, a man whose mere presence deterred the world from waging wars because he could end all of them alone.
As he came near, I could sense it. He exuded no pressure, no murderous intent, and not the slightest hostility. His presence was calm and merged with nature, appearing to be but a common man, yet I dared not slight him because I could feel it. My senses, attuned with natural energy, let me sense beyond what a normal person could, and what I felt was hard to describe.
If I had to give an analogy, I would call it "an ocean." It was like standing on the shores of a tranquil ocean, a vision of peace with its surface calm like a mirror shimmering with bright light.
Yet, even with all that, one cannot challenge it - because you can see that boundlessness, and even the dumbest fisherman understands that you don't challenge an ocean, especially a raging one. When you face the ocean's rage, you run as far away from the shores as you can because even the aftershocks of its fury would annihilate you.
Senju Hashirama appeared like that to me, less a man than a force of nature in human form, yet I didn't feel any fear. More than that, his presence, despite carrying such boundlessness, was tranquil, even soothing to me and my senses. It felt as if his very presence eased some burden on my body, making it easier to breathe.
I watched with a simple expression as Hashirama sat depressed on the ground, drawing circles in a corner, and only looked back when the laughter had stopped. By now, he had recovered to his usual self.
When he turned back, I turned towards Lady Katsuyu, nodding my head, and then gave a look to the other summoning beasts, signaling them to go back. Our two years of living together had formed a tacit understanding with each other as they seemingly understood the message from my eyes: that whatever happened next did not require their presence.
Assured, Lady Katsuyu and I watched as they prepared to leave. I watched as the summoning beasts began to leave the vicinity. Before they left, I gestured to a small monkey, who, before departing, cleared the tree stump of the shogi board and placed the tree stump in front of my crib. Then I gestured for Hashirama to take a seat on the makeshift bench.
HASHIRAMA POV
I watched the summoning beasts follow the child like a well-organized group. Despite no words being spoken by him, I saw the orderly proceedings took place merely commanded by subtle gestures. Within moments, the area was bereft of all summoning beasts except Lady Katsuyu, who was accompanying the two of us. Once the place cleared, the child gestured for me to take a seat, and I wordlessly followed.
I was shocked by the intelligence and manners shown by the toddler, a child appearing less than three years old in the middle of a forest far from civilization, yet his demeanor appeared more refined than the nobles I've met in the capital of the Land of Fire. With curiosity, I took the seat I was offered, looking forward to what this miraculous encounter had in store for me.
As I sat face to face with the child, I felt an affinity that I could not explain. It was as if a long-lost part of myself had returned, a tranquility I hadn't felt since the days of playing stones with Madara by the riverbank.
Most of the anxiety that had been plaguing me since I couldn't remember when disappeared, calming down my mind. The gentle flow of natural energy that surrounded him affected me in such a manner that it felt soothing, even nurturing, as if his very existence provided tranquility to nature and the environment near him.
It felt as if all the troubles I was having were melted away in his presence. The ever-present weight of the village, the politics, and the constant threat of war seemed to fade into a distant memory. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace.
And so, as I sat, I felt a long-lost sense of comfort settle in, like in the presence of an old friend. Looking at the child, I started speaking.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Hashirama."
"I know," the child replied, his voice small but clear, making me remember Lady Katsuyu had just called my name.
"Ah, right. Lady Katsuyu just called my name! I belong to the clan—" I continued, but I was interrupted before I could finish. Not that I minded the eagerness of the child, and he was correct.
"Senju, is that correct?"
"Did Lady Katsuyu tell you about me before?" I asked, surprised that he knew about me. But my answer came from another source.
"No, I have never talked about Hashirama-sama," said Lady Katsuyu, who answered my question.
"So who told you about me? Did you hear about it before coming to Shikkotsu forest?" I asked the boy, a question with the veiled intent of figuring out his origins, as his presence in this forest was anything but ordinary. Yet the answer, once again provided by Lady Katsuyu, was shocking.
"No, Hashirama-sama, his mother gave birth here and passed away just after," she said.
'Then has my fame spread so far that even summoning beasts know of my accomplishments?' As that thought came to mind, I could not help but speak out, with a grin unintentionally forming on my face.
"Ha ha...Then who told him stories about me? Has my fame spread so far?"
"No one told me about you," answered the boy. His answer made me focus and cleared my head of any distracting thoughts. I thought it was a lie, but I knew myself, and I had seen enough liars to know when I was facing one. But this child... my senses told me what he was saying, despite how illogical it appeared, was the truth.
Sensing the truth of his words, I couldn't help but once again think about the absurdity it would sound to an ordinary person, even an ordinary shinobi, yet I didn't find it very hard to believe. Why, you ask? It's all because of the Uchiha. Those absurd men.
I mean, think about it: one second you are fighting a common jōnin or chūnin, and suddenly, in some corner of the battlefield, someone dies, and then the common chūnin suddenly pulls out a pair of absurd abilities and a Susanoo. That situation is absurd.
Now take that scenario and face it over and over; then you just get so used to it that it becomes common sense. But accepting doesn't mean I won't investigate, just that I won't doubt its existence. Breaking my thoughts, I asked the child.
"Then how do you know about me?"
"I just have this knowledge, like it's always been there. Your name just made me remember," was his answer, which made me look at his eyes again carefully to confirm if they had the red color. I mean, his hair looked mostly black, so I could not help but question his lineage at this point.
Shaking my head at my absurd thoughts, I couldn't help but mutter the word that formed on my lips with a smile.
"Interesting."