Evening snowfall blanketed the Hidden Leaf Village.
As snowflakes drifted from the darkening sky, civilians hurried into their homes with surprised murmurs. But on the Academy grounds, the mood was different—children spilled onto the playground with wide eyes and loud laughter.
"It's snowing!"
"So pretty!"
"It's freezing, though..."
"Wanna build a snowman?"
Fenghuo and Obito found themselves dragged outside by Rin and Kurenai, both eager to enjoy the snow.
"What's so special about snow?" Fenghuo muttered with his hands jammed in his pockets. He exhaled, watching his breath turn into mist that lingered in the winter air.
Suddenly—
"Still brooding, brat?"
A voice like a slap to the back of the head. Fenghuo didn't even have time to turn before Tsunade Senju loomed behind him like a ghost, grabbed his collar, and yanked him off to the side.
With her monstrous strength, it felt like being dragged by a freight train. Resistance? Impossible.
Obito blinked. "Whoa. That's Lady Tsunade again."
"Should we help him?" Rin asked uncertainly.
"Nah. She's scary, but she's not gonna kill him," Obito said, waving it off. "She's just... intense."
Tsunade brought Fenghuo under a small tree away from the crowd and glared down at him, hands on her hips, a ferocity in her posture matched only by the fierceness of her... well, everything.
"Kid, what are you doing slacking off?"
"I could ask you the same," Fenghuo retorted, still irritated from his run-ins with Danzō lately.
"Watch your mouth. You know who you're talking to?"
Smack! Her fist hit his head like a hammer.
"OW—what the hell?!"
Satisfied, she folded her arms and huffed. "So, are you a shadow clone or not? If you are, dispel yourself and tell your original body to meet me on Hokage Rock before sunset."
"Huh?" Fenghuo blinked in confusion.
"Don't play dumb with me!" she barked, raising her fist again.
What the hell kind of ninja can't even tell the difference between a real body and a clone? Fenghuo thought, sweatdropping. Aren't you one of the Legendary Sannin?
After the incident with Uchiha Yexing, Fenghuo had made it a habit to attend the Academy in person while leaving a shadow clone at home to train his ninjutsu and hand seals. This time, he hadn't switched.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, noticing his subtle reactions. "Heh... So you are the real one."
That's not what you said two seconds ago!
Tsunade suddenly shifted gears. "Tell me, kid—what does the village mean to you?"
Fenghuo froze. The question felt heavy, sudden—and oddly familiar, like something from a genin interview.
Still, he answered instinctively: "The village is my home."
Tsunade frowned. "Home? Isn't your home the Uchiha compound?"
"I never felt at home there. But here—at the Academy—with people like Uncle Dai—I found something better."
Tsunade pressed on. "And what about the Uchiha? Aren't they your blood?"
Fenghuo hesitated. Why is she asking this? Isn't she trying to recruit me? Shouldn't she be throwing the Uchiha under the bus?
Still, he answered, voice steady. "A clan is just people connected by blood. But family—family is the people you choose. The ones who accept you. For me, that's more important."
Tsunade looked stunned for a moment, genuinely caught off-guard.
Tch. This brat's not easy to handle, she thought. I came here planning to scare him off—why is this going so well?
She leaned in closer, tone shifting darkly. "You really believe that? Because if your clan heard you say this... hehehe…"
Fenghuo stiffened. Wait—is she serious? Is this recruitment, or entrapment?!
He gave her a sheepish smile. "I, uh... I didn't catch your name, sis."
Tsunade's eye twitched.
Sis?
For a split second, Fenghuo's face reminded her of someone—her younger brother, Nawaki. That same awkward grin. That same spark. Her heart wavered.
"...Nawaki…" she whispered, hand gently brushing his cheek.
"Huh? Your name's Nawaki?" Fenghuo blinked innocently.
Her expression twisted. "Don't call me sis, brat!"
THWACK! Her fist came down again.
Then she stormed off, cloak fluttering behind her.
Fenghuo let out a sigh of relief and watched her go. He didn't hate her—how could he? Beneath all that bluster was someone carrying far too much pain. Her brother, her lover... gone. She bore the weight of the Senju name alone now.
Later that evening, Tsunade arrived at the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, seated amid paperwork, looked up. "How did it go?"
Tsunade crossed her arms. "Better than expected."
She recounted the conversation. When she quoted Fenghuo—"A clan is a gathering of blood, but family is people who understand you"—the Third smiled warmly.
"He's already begun to shed the limitations of the clan system," Sarutobi mused. "That's the Will of Fire—nurturing bonds beyond blood."
Tsunade snorted. "Don't get ahead of yourself. He's still just a kid. Who knows what kind of man he'll grow into."
Sarutobi chuckled. "On the contrary—I believe he'll become one of its strongest inheritors."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I've got other things to do."
She left without another word.
As the door closed, Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled in thought. He knew Danzō would have his eyes on Fenghuo soon, if he didn't already.
But Root isn't the soil for this child to grow in…
Outside, the snow continued to fall, quietly covering Konoha in white.
The night deepened.