Konoha.
At the village entrance.
Several Konoha ninja maintained a barrier, imprisoning Sakumo within it. Outside the barrier stood Tsunade, who was calmly recounting recent events to him.
From Tsunade's words, Sakumo learned of his death, and how Kakashi had chosen to graduate early, becoming a Chunin at the age of six. A flicker of guilt crossed Sakumo's eyes. He understood that Kakashi's premature promotion was a reaction triggered by his own passing.
"That poor kid…" Sakumo sighed inwardly.
But the "poor kid" he thought of was not Kakashi, but Kaede. Kaede had continued attending the Ninja Academy steadily after Sakumo's death, only graduating at nine years old. This showed how much pressure Kaede bore silently from his father's death, all while caring for Kakashi, helping him recover from his trauma.
Next, Sakumo heard about Kaede apprenticing under Orochimaru, while Kakashi trained under Namikaze Minato. He couldn't help but marvel that both his sons had eventually aligned with the Hokage lineage.
Then came Kaede's first rise to fame on the battlefield in the Land of Grass. At ten years old, he slaughtered numerous Iwa-nin, fully revealing his genius talent.
Following that was the Land of Wind battle, where he killed Chiyo, cementing his reputation.
Sakumo was surprised to learn that Chiyo had died by Kaede's hand. He remembered defeating Chiyo on the battlefield, but she had escaped then. He never expected she would eventually fall to his son.
More than surprise, though, was admiration. Even he, at eleven, had only barely reached the Jonin level, far from Chiyo's strength.
Afterward, Kaede's achievements grew staggering, first killing the Third Raikage, then solo infiltrating the Rain Village and slaying Hanzo the Salamander!
At this point, Sakumo felt his mind reel. The earlier feats were believable, but from killing the Third Raikage to assassinating Hanzo alone, how had Kaede suddenly grown so powerful?
Then Kaede disappeared for two years. When he reappeared, his strength was even greater. He single-handedly struck Sunagakure, dealing heavy damage, then wiped out the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, a feat that seemed almost routine by then.
By now, Kaede was almost universally recognized as the strongest ninja in the shinobi world.
Then,
Kaede became Hokage.
The Fifth Hokage at fifteen years old.
Regarded by countless Konoha ninjas as the strongest Hokage in history, he had no trouble with his youth. Instead, through his powerful style and unmatched strength, he led Konoha to rapidly emerge from the shadow of war within just two years, propelling the village's swift development.
In these two years, Kaede earned deep respect from nearly every Konoha ninja. He united the great clans under one banner.
And more recently,
The final decision to unify the entire shinobi world had begun.
By this point in Tsunade's retelling, Sakumo's mind had become completely blank. He wondered in disbelief: Is this really my son's doing?
The age of warring states ended with Senju Hashirama, ushering in the Five Great Shinobi Villages era, which now seemed on the verge of ending, to be replaced by a new era of unification under Kaede's hand.
Such a thing felt distant and unfathomable, even to him.
"…That's about it."
Tsunade took a breath, accepting a water cup silently handed by Shizune, and took a sip.
"If there's one flaw, it's that this kid is a little too popular. Even my student, Shizune, is scheming about how to win him over."
"Tsunade-sama!!"
Shizune's cheeks instantly flushed crimson as she glared at Tsunade.
Tsunade gave her a sidelong glance. "What, don't you like Kaede? Perfect chance to meet the parents, no need to fuss over all those messy medicines you're always mixing... uh…"
Before she could finish, Shizune hurriedly clamped a hand over her mouth.
Tsunade figured if she kept talking, she'd want to find a hole to crawl into, and maybe wouldn't want to stay in Konoha anymore.
The ninja maintaining the barrier nearby remained calm, showing no odd expressions. Nowadays, if any girl in Konoha didn't fancy the Fifth Hokage, they'd find that strange. The real question was who might actually win him over in the end.
Just as Shizune covered Tsunade's mouth to stop her, two beams of white light suddenly shot into the sky.
One from inside the barrier where Sakumo stood.
The other from Tsunade herself.
"What's that...?"
The sight caused the barrier ninjas to momentarily freeze.
Tsunade was surprised too, but quickly realized.
"Has the Edo Tensei been released?"
"...Seems so."
Sakumo, still lost in disbelief, felt his body gradually dissolve. His spirit finally returned to its source.
Tsunade nodded and turned to the ninjas holding the barrier. "You can release it."
"Yes."
They promptly lifted the barrier.
Bathed in white light, Sakumo's soul left the Edo Tensei body and ascended toward the sky.
He glanced toward Konoha's distant Hokage Rock, where the fifth statue, the likeness of Kaede, stood proudly.
A flood of emotions surged within him, finally settling into a deep sense of relief.
"Tsunade, please tell Kaede to lead this era well…"
"And also tell him not to marry too early…"
With those last words, Sakumo's figure vanished into the horizon.
He no longer worried about Kaede's strength or abilities; his only concern was matters of the heart. From Tsunade's description, Kaede's popularity in Konoha was unprecedented.
Some of the girls' affections might be just infatuation.
Unfortunately, there'd be no chance for a private talk with Kaede now.
Watching Sakumo's figure disappear, Tsunade's lips twitched. She sighed, recalling how even standing briefly on the Hokage building's rooftop would draw crowds of girls below.
Sometimes she thought even if Kaede married, that wouldn't fully stop it.
Around that time, the sealing on the First Hokage naturally dissolved, and Hashirama's spirit ascended in the white light.
"Looks like the Edo Tensei was released too... all thanks to the Fifth Hokage? What an outstanding ninja…"
"Take care of yourself."
Hashirama waved to Tsunade.
She looked up and waved back.
White beams of light appeared from Konoha, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and other villages, soaring into the sky, disappearing one after another.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria