After officially appointing Kazekaze, Tobirama issued his first mission.
Kazekaze was to act as captain, leading Uchiha Kagami, Sakumo Hatake, and Maruboshi Kosuke to the border outpost for a patrol assignment.
Although, under Hashirama's efforts, the Five Great Shinobi Villages had signed a peace treaty, the borders were still full of hidden tensions.
Every shinobi wanted to uncover key intel from rival villages. Most importantly— The Kage who had founded these villages were all exceptional figures. Outstanding both in strength and intellect. And every Kage understood one thing clearly:
So-called "peace"... had an expiration date. And that expiration date—was Hashirama's lifespan.
Especially after Hashirama was diagnosed with a terminal illness, Kumogakure had begun steadily reinforcing its border presence. Not long ago, they had even sent a ninja like Toroi to try and abduct Uzumaki Yuna.
With his ever-keen instincts, Tobirama had no intention of sitting back and doing nothing. This mission for Kazekaze had two objectives.
First, to strengthen the border post and create a counterweight against Kumogakure.
Second, to let Kazekaze gain firsthand experience with border operations—and understand their significance.
That way, when Kazekaze eventually became Hokage, he would know how to handle such matters with ease. Of course, Tobirama wouldn't say any of this aloud. He preferred Kazekaze to use that little brain of his to figure it out on his own. And Tobirama believed—Kazekaze wouldn't disappoint.
"Patrolling the northern border?" A flicker of surprise passed through Kazekaze's eyes. He hadn't expected this as his first mission after becoming a Chūnin.
"If I remember right, the country bordering the north should be the Land of Lightning..." Kazekaze recalled the Naruto world map and made a calculated guess.
The Land of Lightning was northeast of the Land of Fire, while the Land of Earth was to the northwest. So the enemies they could potentially encounter would be shinobi from either Kumogakure or Iwagakure. Given that Tsuchikage Ishikawa had recently participated in the Chūnin Exams hosted by Konoha,and that Kumogakure had attempted to kidnap Uzumaki Yuna to study the secrets of the Uzumaki Clan, Kazekaze speculated that Tobirama wanted him to monitor Kumogakure's activities.
More importantly… on the surface, Tobirama's assignment looked like a promotion—but could be interpreted as a quiet exile, kicking him out of the village's political core. But hey—who was Tobirama to him? His great-uncle! Family!
With that kind of bond, there was no way Tobirama would try to sideline him! Besides— He was only seven years old, and adorable. What kind of grandfather wouldn't love a cute grandchild like him?
"I get it now." Suddenly, Kazekaze had a flash of enlightenment. "Tobirama-jii must want me to apply pressure on Kumogakure's border ninjas. To send a warning over their attempt to kidnap Yuna."
Calmly analyzing the situation, Kazekaze was convinced he had cracked Tobirama's plan!
At least, that's what he thought.
He then glanced at his teammates. Uchiha Kagami—a Sharingan prodigy. His dōjutsu gave him a huge edge in forest combat. Clearly, this was a team built for high-level disruption missions! But then… Kazekaze looked at Sakumo and Kosuke.
For a squad meant to "stir things up," weren't these two a bit too weak? They were still just Genin. And so—through a chain of hilarious misinterpretations— Kazekaze completely misunderstood Tobirama's intentions.
"When do we head out?" Kazekaze asked with an expression like he totally had it all figured out.
He was already itching to make a move.
"No rush. Rest for today. You'll depart early tomorrow morning. I've already informed the outpost." Tobirama replied calmly.
In truth, a border outpost had far more than just a four-man team. Besides Kazekaze's newly formed Team 7, the outpost already had nine stationed shinobi: Eight Chūnin, and one Jōnin.
Tobirama's real goal was to let Kazekaze experience the operations of a border defense post. After a month or two of observation, he'd call Kazekaze back. And if Kazekaze performed well, Tobirama could then promote him to Elite Chūnin with a legitimate reason.
"Understood, Lord Tobirama!" Kazekaze nodded confidently, fully convinced he had figured out the deeper meaning behind the mission. Then he turned to leave with Kagami and the others.
But just as he reached the office door— Tobirama called out again.
"Something else, Lord Tobirama?"
"Tonight at 8 p.m. Come to the training grounds," Tobirama said, his voice low and serious.
Kazekaze would be heading out on a mission tomorrow. While he had learned the Water Clone Jutsu, it had very clear weaknesses. The clone, though physical, only held one-tenth of the user's power. And if it got too far from the original, it would disperse. It was time to push Kazekaze forward—using Tobirama's own jutsu.
"Eight tonight? Got it." Kazekaze double-checked the time, heart filled with anticipation.
Surely, Tobirama was planning some special one-on-one training.
"Oh, right..." Thinking of that, Kazekaze suddenly remembered— His check-in cooldown timer was about to finish!
He glanced at it quickly: only ten minutes until his fifth check-in! He couldn't wait to see what kind of reward he'd get this time. Taking a deep breath, Kazekaze headed home to check in—and get some rest. With that, he left the office. The doors of the Hokage's office slowly closed behind him.
However— Once the room was left with only one person… A shadow appeared at the window. It was none other than the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. He stood on the balcony outside, back against the wall, arms crossed as he looked up at the blue sky.
"Tobirama, are you sure about this?"
Though he understood Tobirama's concerns, Kazekaze was only seven years old. To promote him so quickly... it was hard not to worry. It might not be good for the child's growth.
"There are things he'll have to face sooner or later." Tobirama replied without turning around.
In truth, the one thing Tobirama lacked now—was time. Though Hashirama looked healthy on the surface, his terminal illness could worsen at any moment. And if he passed— Konoha, with its fertile lands, could very well become the target of multiple villages.
As the Second Hokage, Tobirama had to ensure that before that happened, he had cultivated a next generation capable of carrying the Will of Fire. Not just with strength and intellect—but with leadership and prestige. Otherwise… If he died on the battlefield, there was no guarantee the Uchiha Clan wouldn't make a move against Kazekaze.
"I heard... someone in the Uchiha Clan has inherited Madara's will," Tobirama added gravely.
"Madara..."