The meeting adjourned.
Several clan heads walked out of the main hall in small groups, cupping their hands to bid each other farewell.
Hashirama walked at the back, exchanging pleasantries while unbuttoning his collar.
Catching a glimpse of Clan Head Hagoromo about to take his leave, he called out to him casually.
“Clan Head Hagoromo, doesn’t your family have a young boy too?
Did he come?”
Clan Head Hagoromo turned back.
“Kaede?
Yes, he’s here.
I had him wait in the courtyard.”
“The courtyard?” Hashirama thought for a moment.
“Little Tsunade was over there just now.”
He rubbed his chin, a subtle expression appearing on his face.
“How old is your son?”
“Four years old.”
“Then he’s probably being bullied,” Hashirama said nonchalantly.
“That granddaughter of mine wants to spar with everyone she sees.
Last time, she was riding a seven-year-old kid while pummeling him.
His father came to complain, and I had to compensate him with three boxes of snacks.”
Clan Head Hagoromo chuckled and said, “Kids will be kids,” but his pace unconsciously quickened.
No matter how clever Kaede was, he was only four.
Facing the First Hokage’s granddaughter, who could say for sure what would happen?
The two walked through the corridor and turned past a low wall.
The scene in the pavilion made Hashirama’s pace falter for a beat.
The “little devil” who had “ridden and pummeled a seven-year-old” was currently sitting properly on the steps.
Her two short legs were together, her back was straight, and a dice cup sat before her.
Sitting beside her was the four-year-old boy—Hagoromo Kaede.
He reached out and nudged Tsunade’s wrist.
“Too tight.
Loosen it up a bit.”
“Like this?”
“Use this part to guide it when you spin.”
“Oh.”
Tsunade lowered her head and followed his instructions.
The dice made a muffled sound in the cup, much steadier than before.
“That’s it.”
The corners of Tsunade’s mouth quirked up for a moment before she quickly pulled them back into a serious expression and continued practicing.
Hashirama stood behind the low wall, watching for a few seconds.
He didn’t make a sound.
Clan Head Hagoromo stole a glance at Hashirama’s face.
The smile was still there, but his eyes were narrowed.
Clan Head Hagoromo was all too familiar with this expression of Hashirama’s.
Whenever someone said something inappropriate during a high-level meeting, he would have that exact look in his eyes.
Hashirama stepped forward, his footsteps neither light nor heavy.
The two children in the pavilion looked up at the same time.
Seeing Hashirama, Tsunade opened her mouth to shout—then suddenly hid the dice cup behind her back, as if afraid it would be confiscated.
“Grandpa!
Is your meeting over?”
Her tone was happy, but she didn’t budge an inch.
Hashirama squatted down.
His gaze first fell on Tsunade’s face, and he reached out to brush her cheek.
“Have you been crying?”
There were still undried tear stains on Tsunade’s face, and she tilted her head to dodge him.
“No, I haven’t.”
Hashirama didn’t press her and shifted his gaze to Kitahara Kaede.
A four-year-old child, sitting upright with a calm expression.
There was no fawning, no nervousness, and no forced respect.
He just sat there naturally, as if the person squatting across from him wasn’t the First Hokage.
“Hashirama-sama.”
Not “Hokage-sama,” but “Hashirama-sama.”
Calling him by name, not by title.
Hashirama’s eyebrow twitched, but he didn’t point it out.
He turned to look at the small mountain of candy in the pavilion, then at the dice cup Tsunade was hiding behind her back.
“You taught her?”
“She wanted to learn.”
Tsunade interjected, “I made him teach me!”
Hashirama didn’t bite.
He picked up a die, spun it on his fingertip, and then put it back down.
“Four years old, and already able to control dice with technique.”
This was said airily, sounding like praise yet also like he was sizing the boy up.
Kitahara Kaede didn’t deny it, nor did he show any unnecessary modesty.
Hashirama looked at him and suddenly chuckled.
He pulled the dice cup over and placed it in front of himself.
“Play a round with me.”
The First Hokage was going to gamble with dice against a four-year-old.
That look Hashirama gave when he saw Tsunade listening so obediently—any grandfather would understand.
How long have you been here?
A few hours?
I’ve raised her for three years, and she makes a fuss with everyone she meets, yet she listens to whatever you say.
Kitahara Kaede didn’t respond immediately, but instead turned his head to look at Tsunade.
“Let her do it?”
Hashirama was stunned for a moment.
Ignoring his expression, Kitahara Kaede continued, “She just learned it.
It’s a good time to test it out.”
He looked down at Tsunade.
“Remember what I taught you?”
“…I remember.” Tsunade gripped the dice cup.
“Then that’s enough.”
He paused.
“Win it yourself.”
Only three words, but Tsunade understood.
She bit her lip and slammed the dice cup onto the ground with a thud.
“Bring it on!”
Hashirama looked at the spirited little girl across from him, an indescribable feeling welling up in his heart.
His granddaughter.
The one he had raised since she was a baby.
She would act spoiled, throw tantrums, and cry in front of him, but she had never shown an expression like this.
Hashirama picked up the dice cup and gave it a couple of casual shakes.
He had originally intended to gamble seriously.
But seeing Tsunade gripping her dice cup tightly, her little face set in a dead-serious expression, he habitually held back a little.
It wasn’t exactly throwing the game—just holding back slightly.
He controlled them to a four and a five.
Nine points, neither high nor low.
It was Tsunade’s turn.
She mimicked Kitahara Kaede’s movements, gripping the cup and turning her wrist inward.
Her movements were still clumsy, the range of motion too large, and she paused when she finished, but the dice didn’t go wild.
She slammed it down.
She took a breath and lifted it.
A six and a five.
Eleven points.
Tsunade herself was stunned.
Kitahara Kaede nudged her shoulder from the side.
“You won.”
Tsunade snapped out of it.
She jumped up, her pigtails swinging—
“I won!”
She rushed in front of Hashirama.
“Grandpa!
I really won this time!
You didn’t let me win!”
Hashirama sat there.
He had rolled a nine, which wasn’t low.
Not many people could roll over ten points with a casual shake.
She was only three, and she had learned it in such a short time.
His gaze bypassed Tsunade and landed on Kitahara Kaede.
That kid was sitting quietly in his original spot, with no intention of taking credit or showing an “I told you I’m a good teacher” expression.
He just sat there quietly.
Hashirama was silent for two seconds.
“Kid.”
Kitahara Kaede looked up.
“You can come and play with little Tsunade often from now on.”
Tsunade pricked up her ears, her eyes lighting up instantly.
“Really?!”
“Really.”
Tsunade turned to look at Kitahara Kaede, her chin lifted.
That expression was practically screaming: “Did you hear that?”
Kitahara Kaede stood up and bowed slightly.
“Thank you, Hashirama-sama.”
Hashirama nodded and took Tsunade’s hand to walk back.
After a couple of steps, Tsunade suddenly broke free from Hashirama’s hand and ran back a few steps.
“Hey!”
Kitahara Kaede looked over.
“What’s your name?”
They had been gambling for half the day, and she still hadn’t asked.
“Hagoromo Kaede.”
Tsunade’s lips moved as she repeated it to herself.
“Kaede—bring more candy next time you come, you still owe me.”
“Didn’t I pay you back already?”
“That was what you gave me, which is different from what you owe me.
There’s still double left!”
Kitahara Kaede opened his mouth but found himself speechless.
Hashirama listened from the side.
This four-year-old brat, who had remained unfazed when facing him, was now rendered speechless by his granddaughter’s debt collection.
Hashirama huffed.
His mood improved a tiny bit.
Just a tiny bit.
…
On the way back.
Clan Head Hagoromo walked for a long time without saying a word, several times looking like he wanted to speak but stopping himself.
Finally, he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Kaede…
Shodai(1st)-sama told you to go play with Tsunade-hime often from now on.”
“Mhm.”
He wanted to say more, but after a glance at his son’s unruffled profile, he swallowed his words.
Kitahara Kaede walked behind, his eyes looking straight ahead.
A light screen popped up in his mind.
[Side Quest: First Meeting — Completed.]
[Final Evaluation: S-rank.]
[Evaluation Description: You have successfully left a deep first impression in the target character’s heart.
Not only have you gained the target character’s favor and trust, but you have also gained the recognition of the key figure, Senju Hashirama.
The dual persona of “Genius” and “Reliable Companion” has been initially established.]
[Reward Settlement: Chakra extraction efficiency permanently +5%.]
[Note: This reward is a percentage bonus and will increase synchronously with the growth of the host’s total Chakra amount.]
Kitahara Kaede’s gaze lingered on the word “percentage.”
It wasn’t a fixed value.
Adding 5% now felt like almost nothing.
But in the future, when his Chakra amount increased tenfold or a hundredfold—
This 5% would scale accordingly.