The fire crackled above the wooden collection of logs and twigs, sticks and stones. The warmth radiated with the light that would creep into the shadows domain, claiming it for its own. Cinders and smoke would spit from the origin from whence it came under the starry night that twinkled diamonds as they held the nights beauty in place. The silence filled all but the sounds of nature. A prod at the campfire with a fashioned stick allowed the cinders to spread further down the chain of logs for a longer lasting life. Sousetsu slowly looked to his side, a smile etching across his face, happiness reigning supreme over his troubled times. For who he found was a being that had created him. Who he was, his principles of the way of the shinobi. His foundation and one of the people he had first loved. He sat next to his father. He bore brown tinted senju armour, the same white and ruffled hair that his son possessed, and that same stoic demeanor carried down from his own father.

"It's been some time since I've felt like this..." the Hokage finally spoke.

"Happy?" his father replied with a tone of peace and tranquility while maintaining his stoic presence, much like Sousetsu.

"Welcome... At peace. Unafraid of what is to come next." he let out a small smirk. In a way, his father was not wrong. This was happiness but it had been too long since the current Hokage had felt it.

His father tightened his jaw as he prodded once more at the fire, igniting the timbers neighbours in hopes of spreading its life further. He swallowed whole and wet his lips slightly, clearing his throat so that he was ready to be the father he never could have been. His only regret in life was that he could not see what became of his son. Until now. He had left him at such an early age which was not uncommon as a shinobi. He wanted to help forge his path however, train him to the best of his abilities and let his life shine for others to be drawn to. All of this taken from him with a final mission.

"For you, I was only a chapter in your book, Sousetsu. For that I apologize deeply. I only wish I was stronger back then, for both our sake."

"You are wrong. For me, you were a book that stood on its own. One that I still read from time to time... I have no need for your apology." he retorted. The younger Senju looked to the sky once more, seeking out each diamond and waiting for one to fall. That was another wish. One that may not have came true either. Or, it could be the downfall of someone else's father. He sighed deeply. His father died when he was young by the hands of another. Just how many father's had Sousetsu slain? That is why he could not accept that wish, or the apology. He could not. He did not deserve it after all this time. He re-payed that debt tenfold and then some.

The father closed his eyes, thinking about his son's previous words. It appeared that life had not been kind to the Hokage recently. He found no peace or solace and witnessing life play its cunning tricks against him. "You must understand that everyone has their own life, Sousetsu. Their history has been written and that affects their future. How they write the journey along the way... Well, the pen is in their hands now."

A small nod from the seventeenth revealed his similar opinion. The two were alike, he was definitely his fathers son. But the night was still young and the days were not as peaceful as this. The current happenings around the village hidden in the leaves were something of great concern to the whole village. And to the man whose duty it was to protect it with his very life. It felt like some time had passed. Seconds turned to minutes hastily before his father stood tall, making himself noticed by his son with a smile of his own to shine down towards him.

"You have made it this far. Continue writing your journey until the very end. For now, you must go."

"I know..." a discerned smile retorted.

Before long, the stars that shined down on them glistened brighter than before, enveloping the world with a bright white leaving Sousetsu in a vast area of white with a wooden door in the distance. The door creaked open while the Senju made his way to the world that wasn't his memories. The world that needed him.

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His eyes opened to find himself ready to feed the fire before him under the starry night just as before. Recreating the memory with his father when he was but a young boy. The day before his final mission. He wasn't alone however. He had to leave because of this, leaving himself exposed while he entered a dream state in these times proved more than dangerous.

"You may sit." he spoke aloud for the presence to hear him. His stoic presence bellowing with clarity that none could hide from him. He prodded the fire allowing it to crackle further as the cinders spread with a dance. Smoke escaped their grasp as the fire burned brightly under the dim-lit sky with only the moon and its companions that shot far in the distance radiated the earth with its bright aura.

"Still travelling, Susumu?" he asked the familiar presence. His powers of sensory had since grown since the last time they had crossed paths. The son of Uchiha, Hao, a father he had helped slay. And one of the reasons he had to accept his own fathers passing.

The smoke continued to rise from the ashes the fire had created and with the aid of the Senju's prodding once again. He gave a small swallow to help clear his throat as the presence revealed itself to be Susumu, proving his senses to be more than adequate as of late. The stars mapped across the darkened sky, allowing their story to be told also and radiating their presence down on them with beauty. He did not look at the young man that made his way to Sousetsu, instead he gazed into the ember burning before him. Maybe it was easier to talk to him this way. The fires could convey his emotions, flailing wildly and feeding their warmth to his blood as it boiled with his words.

“I remember you.”

Sousetsu's eyes closed as his head sunk down into his chest. The Senju who now bore a white cloak with blue decal and the writing of 'Seventeenth Hokage' emblazoned on his back, remembered this child also. But not in a way he would have liked to. He was a witness to his father's death. Something Sousetsu had never seen if you could call that luck. He never knew that Susumu lingered that day yet the shock had not yet greeted him as he continued to speak.

“Right now, I want to hear the stories you have to tell about my father’s deeds. Perhaps there are some things I haven’t heard yet. But before that, I’d like you to tell me if any of the other three Shinobi that ambushed my father are still around..."

His eyes opened once more, glancing towards the young man. Was he that eager to hear his old man's stories? Travelling since that day for the lost remnants that lingered with his father. Following his ghost in hopes of finding out who he was? A deep inhale through his nostrils straightened the Hokage for a brief moment before he nodded in agreement. Someone so young with a one-track mind such as this deserved to find what he was looking for after all this time. He would not stop for all was taken from him. And when you take everything away from someone, what do they have left? Nothing? No, they create new possessions, new dreams, a chance to rebuild with no mind for repercussions. Sousetsu would end this quest for the time being.

"Your father's deeds... The stories that carried from village to village, most were true. The great Uchiha, Hao, destroyed villages with no aid. He furthered his abilities in such a way that some would call him a demon. Seeking that greater power for himself and succeeding in only brief moments in time. Those eyes... His eyes... Were feared by all. Those who tried to claim them met a swift end. But he was most renowned for the pain he left behind." He prodded the fire once more and looked towards the offspring who had that same gaze. An echo of the past, almost as if he was talking to Hao once more. Although this time, it was no threat.

"The shinobi you also seek. The Sword Saint, Sarutobi Mitsuo. Or as you would have seen him, the ANBU Operative. Missing. The Hokage, Uzumaki Takeshi. Missing. Given the times lately, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of their deaths..." His jaw tensed as his head turned to face into the distance above the fire. To the stars that that glistened above them that he had grown fond of over the many years.

"Ukiyo Senju, who fought alongside us, attempted to take my life shortly after the confrontation with your father. Her death was confirmed within the same year." His head sank back into his chest before looking back to Susumu, meeting his eyes for the first time and giving a weary look of fatigue and determination.

"It would seem your search can end with me. The sole survivor of that day. I became Hokage once their time among us had faded into history." he attempted a small smile but soon faded also. He stared back into the fire once more, just as he had done so before. He continued to write his journey with no signs of ink running dry. The pages were never-ending, graciously falling to the side as each page had been stained with writing, leaving his story for others to find. His attention was brought the young man as he spoke with a change of heart, or so it seemed. An innocent child's voice.

“Oh, one more thing, mister.”

He spoke of comrades within villages being similar to a large family. His toungue slicker than oil before it began to spark, igniting a bombardment of responsibility and guilt towards the Senju. He wanted to know the feelings of a killer to a seven year old's father. Leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back during all this time. His jaw tensed once more, as he continued to watch carefully, analyzing the young man's every move. He had every right to attempt an idiotic move of attack on the Hokage. He had nothing left after all. But something he had never thought of before suddenly revealed itself. Was the Senju in debt to this boy? The life of a shinobi would deem otherwise but only the common man would feel it to be true.

"I said sit..." the Senju now ordered as his brows were etching closer to his eyes. Anger beginning reveal itself. He did not owe anyone anything. He was a shinobi. His story began much like Susumu's had and not once did he blame others.

"How many father's had your father slain during his time? I can tell you the count is even higher than my own. If we did not stop him that day just how many more would there have been? It was not just their father's he had killed... It is my duty to defend the village with my life, and I did just that. You speak of debt when you know nothing of it!" his anger began to rise as his voice grew louder, bellowing with the fires roaring flames. A tightened fist and gritted teeth gave off a hint of the Beast he contained, much like Hao. He breathed deeply once more. The feeling of still owing others when he defended an entire village that seemed to oppose him had began to take its toll lately. Calming himself he look back to young man with that same look of determination he had shown before.

"I was around your age when the same thing happened to my father. You do not need to show me how you feel, for I know it all too well... If it is a debt you wish to claim, you will fail." he explained that he was no match with a great certainty. "Hao had so much potential... I see him in you also. If he had chosen another path, there would have been no-one to stand against him." he smirked to lighten the mood if only for a small moment. He stood tall and towered over the fire before him. Turning to meet the Uchiha's eyes once more he thought with great uncertainty. A questionable proposition had flooded through his mind. If Hao had fought for the village hidden in the leaves, there would have been little to oppose them. The offspring that stood before him possessed the same potential, the same aura. Truly a rebirth of a great legend that stories continued to tell.

"What say your debt to be paid with my teachings?" he asked as he watched the stars sprint across the sky, falling like many of the legends during his time.

"That seems like a good opportunity for you to pay off your debt..." his words growing more silent as they fell on deaf ears with that fated word once again. However, he misunderstood the Hokage's words previous. Sousetsu grew a more stern expression as the fire roared its flames to brighten his reasons, his demeanor, and his insight to all this. Susumu had led a selfish life. He traveled for his own sake, to find answers that only he would hear and keep for himself. The world should know of his father, not just his son, and what he was capable of. The young boy never thought of the other children that walked the same path he did from his fathers endeavors. Like him, he had a thirst for knowledge and power. But what if the teacher was chosen for him? Sousetsu, who opposed Hao in his final hour, would take his child to walk the path he strayed from some time ago.  

He then spoke of further demands. Not considering himself a Leaf shinobi and free reign in and out of the land of fire. In exchange, he would remain peaceful within the land and assist with missions the village may need dealt with. It would seem only necessary to allow him this in order to be trained. He was a free soul after all and calling a place home may have been too hasty if it was chosen now.

"Very well. The village will not associate with yourself in turn. Your actions are entirely your own. You may claim to be a peaceful wanderer, but do not come hiding here if trouble tries to find you." he retorted to reclaim authority over the terms instigated. As far as anyone would know, he merely passed them by. A soft chill in the air began to creep over the Senju as the flickering warmth cast the shadows into a dance across soft earth beside them. The night grew more and more peaceful as the crackling would occasional be accompanied by a spit. A deep inhale through his nostrils allowed the Senju to gather the energy to wipe himself of any dirt along his white coat and ready himself to stand tall once again.

"I said your debt, Susumu... My debt has already been cleared." Sousetsu suddenly remarked as he stood tall, towering over the young man as if he was sitting down after all. He would not elaborate his choice of words or his thought process. A selfish life had to give something in return in order to change. In this case, himself.

"You will follow my orders exactly from this point onward. So when I say sit.." his voice stopped as he suddenly vanished. Like his voice, gone with a wisp in the air. A true level of brilliance in his field as a leaf shinobi and a small demonstration of how he came to be. One of the fastest shinobi that so few get to see. Matching his speed with his silence, made him a ninja worth fearing.

"You sit." a rather stoic voice returned as it could now be heard behind the young man followed by a hand on his shoulder. He would only wonder the choice he would make. Would he sit with his hand upon his shoulder? Or would he be willing to accept a strike to the hind leg in order to make him. Either way, Sousetsu had his fair share of being toyed with by the many shinobi that plagued the lands by day and night. This was not about to be another. His age meant nothing, his skill meant nothing, it was his belief that meant everything. Would he believe in Sousetsu or not?

"Do not think this as punishment for your father's choices. You are different people regardless of the similarities. We carve our own path after all. You have already shown me that you have learned nothing during your search. That is your debt." he finally explained yet vaguely. The starry night continued with its grace and beauty that captured many aspirations, dreams, and goals all in one painting across the sky with its silky dark canvas as a backdrop.