The Eight-Year-Old Me Became Hokage

"Kagami!"

Hiruzen shouted toward his teammate, rapidly forming hand seals. Uchiha Kagami immediately understood—Hiruzen wanted them to launch a combined Fire Release attack to stall the two giant beasts. Meanwhile, Danzo and Homura would rush in to rescue Kazekaze and Koharu.

After all, Kazekaze was Lord Hashirama's grandson.

At only seven years old, his body was still developing. If he got hit by either the rhino or the centipede, the outcome would be— Death or permanent injury.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"

Hiruzen gathered chakra into his throat and spewed out a stream of flames, aiming to scorch the centipede and drive it away. But… The centipede's exoskeleton easily withstood the heat, completely unscathed.

Kagami didn't fare any better. As an Uchiha, he unleashed a Great Fireball Jutsu— Gathering chakra into his throat, he expelled a two-meter-wide fireball straight at the rhinoceros.

FWOOM!

The flames collided with the rhino's face— Only for its horn to slice through the fireball, dispersing it instantly. Not only did it fail to cause any harm, It completely enraged the beast!

"ROOOOAAAARR!!"

The one-horned rhino went berserk, its bloodshot eyes radiating pure rage.

Faced with the uncontrollable fury of the massive beast, Koharu stood frozen in terror. The sheer pressure of its presence had paralyzed her body. Kazekaze, on the other hand, remained eerily calm. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the rhino charge toward him.

"Don't move," he warned Koharu.

Her emotions turned complicated.

'Does he think I don't want to move? I physically CAN'T! The sheer pressure from these two rampaging beasts has completely locked my body in place!'

'I was hoping for the right moment… But it looks like I have no choice but to get serious now.'

Kazekaze never expected to land right between two rampaging behemoths. Hiruzen and the others were too slow to assist. And from Kazekaze's perspective, their strength seemed… Only around Chūnin level.

Especially Uchiha Kagami's Great Fireball Jutsu. Compared to Uchiha Itachi at the same age, it was utterly pathetic. At that moment, Kazekaze lost all hope in them. The rhinoceros charged closer— Six meters. Five meters. With each step, the pressure intensified.

"ROOOAAARR!!"

The rhino's deafening roar shook the air itself, Causing Kazekaze's clothes to ripple from the force.

At the same time, Tobirama focused all his chakra into his sensory abilities, rapidly teleporting toward the scene using Flying Thunder God. Regret filled him. He shouldn't have let Kazekaze participate this early. Hiruzen and Kagami had Jōnin-level combat skills, and the others were elite Chūnin.

Yet, even they needed teamwork to take down creatures like this. That was the entire purpose of this training—to build teamwork. But… Each beast had its own territory. They shouldn't have crossed paths. Yet, somehow, both beasts ended up in the same area. And Kazekaze had landed right between them.

"Kazekaze…!"

Tobirama gritted his teeth, A painful memory of his late brother Kawarama's smile flashing through his mind— A smile that had vanished forever when he became a lifeless corpse. Even though Kazekaze was Hashirama's grandson, He was still one of Tobirama's most cherished family members. But when Tobirama finally arrived on the scene and laid eyes on Kazekaze— He froze. Because Kazekaze wasn't crying in fear. He wasn't frozen in terror. He hadn't lost control of his bowels.

Instead…Tobirama saw something completely different. Confidence. Unshakable, overwhelming confidence. The kind of calm certainty that should never belong to a seven-year-old.

And yet— That's exactly what he saw. For the first time, Tobirama halted his movement. His pupils dilated as an unexpected thought crept into his mind.

'Could it be… Kazekaze actually has a plan?'

The two massive creatures were now less than three meters away from Kazekaze. But Tobirama was confident that he could teleport in at the last second and snatch Kazekaze away. That's why he hesitated. Because he believed in his own speed.

"We're screwed…" Koharu's eyes widened in horror.

She wanted to shove Kazekaze out of the way. But her body refused to move. Meanwhile, Hiruzen and Danzo felt a deep sense of regret. When Lord Tobirama first proposed this training exercise, They should have strongly objected. They should have insisted that Kazekaze stay out of it.

"Lord Tobirama!"

Suddenly, Hiruzen shouted his master's name. In his mind, the only way to save Kazekaze now was for Tobirama to use Flying Thunder God. Or… Hiruzen clenched his teeth.

'Maybe I can't carry Kazekaze out in time… But if I throw myself over him, I might be able to shield him from some of the damage.'

Danzo thought the exact same thing. But his forehead was drenched in cold sweat, And his body refused to act.

In this split second of chaos, Everyone's minds were racing.

'So this is what people mean by 'a hair's breadth from death.'

But Kazekaze? His response was the most casual of all. A grin spread across his face.

'I originally wanted to blend in and act normal. But at this point… I have no choice but to reveal my true power.'

'Sorry, everyone. I'm actually a cheater.'

Koharu noticed the grin on Kazekaze's face and shuddered.

'He's smiling?!'

Faced with two monstrous beasts charging at him— He could still smile?! Was he so scared that he lost his mind?! The rhino and centipede were now just two meters away! A split second from impact.

"No choice!"

Hidden in the shadows, Tobirama prepared to use Flying Thunder God. But at that moment— Kazekaze's eyes sharpened. Chakra surged through his entire body. THIS was the ultimate trump card that allowed him to brave the Forest of Death.

Hashirama-level Chakra!

But it wasn't just raw power. He had also inherited the muscle memory of how to wield it instinctively. As natural as breathing. Kazekaze stood firm, Then unleashed his chakra outward in an explosive wave.

BOOM!

A violent surge of chakra burst forth, forming a powerful shockwave. The two massive creatures— The six-meter-tall rhino. The ten-meter-long centipede. Both were blown away instantly.