Naruto: Legend of the Skylark

Early in the morning, before Hibari had fully shaken off the dregs of sleep, he heard his room door open. Before he could even open his eyes to see who it was, he heard the pitter-patter of small footsteps.

Immediately after, Tsunade shouted "Hibari-nii!" and launched herself into the air, landing squarely on Hibari's futon.

Being a five or six-year-old girl, Tsunade wasn't particularly heavy, but the problem was Hibari was barely ten himself. Being slammed awake by Tsunade while still half-asleep almost made Hibari cough up blood. Fortunately, the Senju clan members are known for their strong vitality, so no actual harm was done.

Regaining his composure, Hibari reached out and pushed the little girl, Tsunade, off him. He watched her tumble twice off the futon and roll to the side before rubbing his chest and complaining, "Tsunade, what in the world are you doing so early in the morning?"

Tsunade, not at all angered by being tossed off, patted her little backside and stood up, looking at Hibari. "Hibari-nii, Ojiisama and Ojiisan are back! They're having tea in the courtyard. Aren't you going to see them? It's been so long since we've seen them, don't you miss them?"

The moment he heard that Hashirama and Tobirama were back, Hibari's sleepy expression vanished instantly. However, before he could perk up, a hint of worry creased his brow.

"Tsunade, what are you so happy about? Ojiisan is definitely going to settle accounts with us for yesterday's warehouse incident. Let's get our story straight first. That 500 ryo wasn't for nothing, you know. You know what to say later, right?" Hibari stood up, placing his hands on Tsunade's small shoulders, speaking seriously.

Indeed, yesterday, Hibari and Tsunade opened Tobirama's warehouse, only to find nothing particularly valuable inside—just a bunch of random odds and ends. Thinking about it, it made sense; Tobirama would never put anything related to extremely dangerous Kinjutsu in a warehouse that two little kids could so easily open.

Of course, it wasn't a complete loss. Hibari did gain some ancient books, which contained some interesting knowledge and some of Tobirama's personal insights.

What was frustrating, though, was that in the end, Hibari and Tsunade found a note on a table. The note was written in Tobirama's handwriting.

"Hibari, I know it was you who opened this warehouse door. As a shinobi, you must abide by the rules. Although this seal isn't difficult, it would still take you a few days to research and break it. Therefore, by the time you see this note, I should almost be back in the village. Since you opened this door without permission, be prepared for a beating, you little rascal!"

Clearly, Tobirama had anticipated before leaving that Hibari, who was never a well-behaved child, wouldn't be able to suppress his intense curiosity and would open the warehouse door. That's why he left the note, letting Hibari know that his actions were entirely within his grandfather's control and expectation.

"Don't worry, Hibari-nii, I won't betray you!" Tsunade patted her little chest, declaring bravely.

"Good girl! Once we've talked our way out of this trouble, I'll buy you your favorite takoyaki!" Hibari patted Tsunade's head, very pleased.

What is a younger sister for? Isn't she for tricking?

After ushering little Tsunade out of the room, Hibari took off his pajamas and picked up his clothes from the hanger, getting dressed.

Having inherited the Senju bloodline, Hibari's appearance was impeccable. He had silver-white hair the same color as his Tobirama-ojii, a pair of dark eyes, and a very well-defined, handsome face. At a glance, he was incredibly endearing.

After putting on his inner clothing, Hibari looked at the jacket hanging on the hanger, reached out, and stroked his chin like a miniature adult. He then frowned slightly, his gaze falling upon the black layered armor hanging on the other side.

This was a gift from Hashirama for his birthday last year, a type of armor that all men of the Senju clan loved to wear. Hashirama wore it, and Tobirama wore it too, though one wore red and the other blue.

For Hibari, Hashirama gave him a black layered armor set, and it could even be resized by the family artisans as he grew taller and gained weight, which was quite convenient.

After a moment's thought, Hibari reached out and took down the black layered armor, carefully putting it on and tightening the ties.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Hibari smiled. This outfit was both handsome and capable, giving him a very sharp appearance.

After his smile faded, Hibari reached for a katana from the nearby sword stand that suited his current height, hanging it at his waist. He adjusted his clothes before opening the door.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw the little Tsunade sitting cross-legged on the corridor floor. Tsunade also noticed Hibari, dressed in his impressive combat attire.

"Wow, Hibari-nii, you look so cool!" Tsunade immediately jumped up from the floor, looking at Hibari.

Hibari smiled, smugly replying, "Well, I am considered one of Konohagakure's best-looking among the younger generation, so of course I'm cool!"

Tsunade paid no mind to Hibari's boasting. Instead, she asked curiously, "Hibari-nii, you're just going to see Ojiisama and Ojiisan, why are you dressed like this? It's like you're going to war..."

Hearing Tsunade's words, Hibari's expression paused slightly. Then he said, "Tsunade, given Ojiisan's personality, he'll definitely test me later. So, to not disappoint him... I naturally have to give it my all. It's to make him realize that all men of the Senju clan are exceptional, and it's time he taught me some of those things he's been hiding away!"

Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing Hibari's words. "Hibari-nii, are you going to fight Ojiisan? Do you already think you can win against him???"

Hibari's face immediately darkened with a few faint lines upon hearing Tsunade's question. He cleared his throat, somewhat awkwardly. "Ahem, Tsunade, Ojiisan is one of the top masters in the shinobi world, you're underestimating him too much, aren't you? Although I, Hibari-sama, is also very powerful, I'm still at a disadvantage due to my age. Give me another ten years or so, once I'm an adult, forget beating Ojiisan, I could take on both Hashirama-jiisan and Ojiisan at the same time with one hand, believe it or not?"

Tsunade nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. Seeing that he had managed to fool Tsunade, Hibari didn't continue to brag. He closed the door, picked up his ninja tools pouch from the table and slung it behind him. He then opened the main gate of the compound and led Tsunade to the courtyard to find Hashirama and Tobirama.

Speaking of the Senju compound, it was exactly as Hibari had suggested to Tsunade earlier; perhaps Tobirama and the others had some tricks hidden within.

Why, you ask? Because although the Senju clan is not thriving in terms of numbers right now, their compound in Konoha Village is incredibly large and luxurious, with an excellent location. At a glance, it's clear this is where a prominent, noble clan resides.

Of course, "not thriving in numbers" doesn't mean there are no Senju left. While this generation only has Tsunade and Hibari, there should be Nawaki, that little guy, in the future. As for the previous generation, there are still some members, such as Tōka Senju, who, by blood relation, would be Hibari's aunt.

There's also a large group of ninjas bearing the Senju name. The reason for saying "not thriving in numbers" is primarily because, compared to the neighboring Uchiha clan, the Senju clan doesn't seem to have produced any truly outstanding ninjas in this generation.

And Hibari knew that after his yet-to-be-born younger brother Nawaki met his demise, the Senju clan would truly fall into decline. Compared to the Uchiha clan, which produced geniuses generation after generation, the Senju clan would seem to disappear, fading into obscurity.

In other circumstances, Hibari wouldn't bother with such matters. However, now he was the eldest son of the third generation of the Senju clan. Could he just casually watch his powerful backing wither away like this? Absolutely not.

Bearing the name "Senju" meant sharing in the Senju clan's glory and shame. Therefore, finding a way to revitalize the Senju clan, or at the very least preventing its disappearance, was a small dream in Hibari's heart.

Lost in these thoughts, Hibari and Tsunade wound their way through the expansive Senju compound.

Having only recently emerged from a period of war, this prestigious ninja clan hadn't fully relaxed. Just as the Hyūga clan had a training ground in their courtyard for sparring, the Senju compound also exuded a "killing intent."

In a small pavilion, Hashirama and Tobirama sat facing each other, each holding a teacup. Outside the pavilion was practically a half-training ground, where several Senju clan members were sparring and fighting. The shuriken flying around didn't seem to bother the fact they might hit their own clan heads' faces.

However, it was unlikely that the two legendary figures known as the "Shinobi World's Fastest" and the "God of Shinobi" would suffer such a grievous loss.

The moment Hashirama saw the two small figures at the courtyard entrance, his face instantly lit up.

"Tsuna, Hibari, come here to Ojiisan!" Hashirama put down his teacup, stood up, and spread his arms wide.

Tsunade, who had been holding Hibari's hand, immediately let go the moment she heard Hashirama. Disregarding the shuriken that might still be flying around the training area, she dashed with her short little legs towards Hashirama.

Hibari, on the other hand, had a dark expression. Having lived two lives, he genuinely couldn't bring himself to be as openly affectionate with Hashirama as Tsunade was.

Watching Hashirama pick up Tsunade and shower her with kisses, Hibari helplessly shook his head and walked towards Tobirama.

Tobirama looked at Hibari's "martial artist" attire, and a faint smile touched his usually stern lips. He spoke softly, "Hibari, tell me what mischief you've gotten into this time?"

Hibari showed no signs of panic when he heard Tobirama's words. He opened his eyes, feigning a bewildered expression, and replied, "Ojiisan? You've only been back for less than an hour, and you're already trying to pin a crime on me? I just woke up; how could I have made any mistakes?"

Tobirama almost laughed in exasperation at Hibari's expression. It was strange, he thought. He felt a peculiar, indescribable sensation when facing Hibari, one he didn't experience with his older brother Hashirama or the little princess Tsunade.

At the very least, he didn't smile as much when dealing with his brother Hashirama and little Tsunade as he did when facing Hibari.