The beginning of early autumn brought a refreshing breeze that wiped away the lingering heat of summer.
Land of Fire, Konohagakure.
Upon the towering Hokage Rock, beside the two time-worn faces that had endured countless storms, a new face had been added. The newest statue was clearly still fresh—the marks of time had yet to leave their traces.
And a new statue could only mean one thing:
A new Hokage.
The Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village—
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At that moment, under a tree on the Hokage Rock, a silver-haired boy around ten years old lay lazily beneath the shade.
A blade of grass hung from his mouth, giving him a carefree, even slightly rogue-like appearance at first glance.
But his bright, intelligent eyes—and the occasional flicker of sadness in them—hinted at a depth and maturity that far exceeded his age.
More than anything, his appearance and aura strongly resembled that of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
"Even though saying Sarutobi rose to power by stepping over the Second's corpse sounds a little harsh…"
"…that might be the cold truth."
He sighed softly.
The boy absentmindedly picked up a fallen maple leaf and stared at it in silence.
A maple leaf.
That was his name, too.
Senju Yukika.
One of the last remaining direct heirs of the Senju clan.
"Yukika-nii!"
A voice called out from behind the Hokage Rock.
Turning his head, Yukika saw a familiar figure approaching.
Brown hair. A babyish face. The way he ran—awkward, yet full of energy—made him look like a total goofball.
His name was Nawaki.
Also a member of the dwindling Senju clan.
However…
In terms of family lineage, his standing wasn't quite the same as Yukika's.
After all, both Tsunade and Nawaki were grandchildren through the maternal line.
But Yukika—
He was the biological grandson of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
No matter how you looked at it, the true young master of the Senju clan could only be Senju Yukika.
In fact, among all remaining clan members, he was the only one who could still openly and proudly say:
"I am Senju Yukika, heir of the Senju bloodline."
The rightful heir to the Senju legacy—undeniably so.
Unfortunately…
The Senju name itself had already been sealed away.
To protect the clan? To help them blend into the village?
What a foolish and hard-to-understand decision.
Before leaving this world, the Second Hokage ultimately honored the final wish of his older brother, Senju Hashirama.
But for the Senju clan, that decision had been anything but a blessing.
Was a broken and scattered Senju clan still worthy of the name?
Even the Uchiha, despite their conflicts, stood stronger than the Senju now.
Crushing the brittle leaf in his hand, Yukika turned his head to look at his younger cousin.
Even seeing only Yukika's side profile made Nawaki feel somewhat self-conscious.
After all, Yukika had inherited the Second Hokage's incomparably handsome features—he was one of those rare people whose looks were almost too good to be hidden behind a forehead protector. Whether in presence or aura, Nawaki simply couldn't compare to him.
But Nawaki didn't mind.
He had never cared about lineage or clan hierarchy.
All he knew was that Yukika was his cousin—his only remaining cousin.
Someone he respected deeply. Someone he admired.
That respect had been instilled in him since he was a child, always following in Yukika's footsteps.
"You came looking for me—school's over, huh?"
Yukika sat up from the ground, shaking his silver hair as he rose.
********************************************************************************************************Hey guys, I just want to say that the author has uploaded the chapters in parts, so please don't say they're too short. If I combine the parts into full chapters, it will mess up the flow of the story.