Old man

I used to have a name to me back in the day, nowadays nobody remembers it, remembers me, for better or for worse, I am only an old man selling wooden toys. I had seen hope but it too was extinguished, under Konoha's sun there can never be another hope like Hash-

' Who is that?! Is he back?!?! '

Squinted the old man, his vision wasn't as good as it used to be back in the day

' No.. it's not him.. but this feeling.. he's so similar.. is there.. still hope? '

Should I try.. the old man trembled slightly, his throat got a little dry, his hope was leaving, any more waiting and he would be hopeless once more.

" You need something son?! "

There I called him, if he too leaves like the rest it'll matter not, I would merely stay where I am-

' He's coming back.. this warmth.. he looks so much like you.. Hashirama "

No! that isn't enough, it's far from enough, if he chooses just like everyone else, it'll be all for naught, attitude is good but values are just as important!

I'll show him the statues, let's see how you choose-

" Are you sure you made this old man? "

What?! Did he see it? No no, it couldn't be, not so fast.. Maybe he's just a brat who pretends to be something he is not, yes, that must be it, I'll shoo him away-

" It's not smooth "

I try to hold back widening my eyes as the boy infront of me says that out of nowhere.. He couldn't be talking about the intent behind my statues could he be? I had hidden it for this long from everyone, this boy couldn't have understood it on the first sight?!

" ..What's not? "

I ask, as I gulped down, my heart racing, I hope I am wrong-

" It's not smooth "

That's what he says once again, after showing me the statue's texture. Showing only the one in his hand, the one belonging to the third.

Boy, so that's all you will say after showing me my pain?! That my intentions are like a child's pranks infront of you? Something you can easily pick apart whenever you want? Not worth mentioning!?!

I was almost prepared to give in but I tried one last time, call it an old man's last attempt at pride

" That was made by my grandson, it's normal to have few flaws.. "

He is smiling, no, don't say it again, please, don-

" But it's not smooth, old man "

I.. don't even have the strength to cry, I wanted to tell the young man infront of me, yes, you are right, only the third Hokage's statue's aren't well made, they are rough, third wasn't smooth for me, nothing about him was smooth!

I didn't make any of these, I refuse to build any of these, not after what he did to me, to us!

He ran us Senju into the ground and I will build statues of him from Hashirama's trees?! Never!

But I couldn't not sell only Third's statues, they would catch on to me in an instant.

My late wife called my actions Naive, she had wanted me to let go, not show animosity where I couldn't do anything, but I couldn't help it.

Even if a little, maybe if the Third's statues are the only roughly made ones, people will stop buying them and buy the other Hokage, that will get at least one to look them up!? At least one would understand the damage Third had done to us? To konoha!

He calls himself God of shinobi! That's the first's title that bastard! It's our pride and he runs that into the ground with us..

..But maybe not all is lost, this young man was not ignorant like the rest of them, he was knowledgeable, he must know about our history! He must know the true history not distorted by lies! I.. I am old, I don't know what to do, young man, would you tell me what to do?

Oh.. he is smiling, this warmth, I had forgotten how it felt.. it had been so long.. Hashirama.. is that you..? Have you come back after seeing the Senju's pain..

...I have decided, I'll be giving him the First's statue, the only one I had ever made, it never sold, but maybe it was meant to be.

As my hope went on his way giving me a last warmth filled smile, I can finally rest in peace, knowing someone would still remember us, remember me.

As i took one last look at him putting the statue in his bag, a flash of what I had written behind it all those years ago came into my eye

' Itarama senju '

Ahh I remember.. that was my name..