Long Live The Hokage - Chapter 8

Chapter 08: Regression and Loss
The absent-minded Masahiko bid his farewell to Butsuma, the newlyweds Hashirama and Mito, and Tobirama. Then he went on his way back to the Uzumaki Clan alone.

“Participate and witness the development of the Flying Thunder God Technique… Well, in this case, I have to keep an eye on Tobirama. Or maybe, I should use the Kagebunshin-no-Jutsu to witness things like this.

However, I don’t know if I will receive the witness points through my clone. This sounds insane, but who knows, maybe there are some bugs in the system.” Masahiko muttered to himself along the road.

He thought if there’s any way to increase his witness points before the establishment of Konoha?

This road is calm and serene, the wind breezed slowly. And because he’s going alone, the trip is faster than when he traveled with the wedding team. He’s now only five miles away from the Uzumaki residence.

Suddenly he stopped. He remembered that he’s now 12 years younger! How will he explain this to the clan? If he says that he practiced the Reserve Seal, the Elders and the Patriarch will be laughing at him.

“Crap, I totally forgot about this! How would I explain this? I found the peach of immortality… Damn, this Is Naruto-world, not Journey-to-the-West. Or should I say that I’ve reached the second puberty?”

…

“Damn, how can I be so stupid… The Transformation Technique.” With a series of hand seals, Masahiko changed his appearance back to 48 years old. “Well, sometimes the LV10 Sanshin-no-Jutsu can come in handy. Now I can go back.”

When he got closer to the clan residence, the two guards at the gate spotted him. They looked at each other, then they went straight inside to inform the Patriarch.

“What the? I finally come back, and this is how they welcome me? I mean, if they have to go to inform the Patriarch, one person should be enough.” Masahiko said, while confused. He didn’t understand what happened.

But he didn’t want to overthink it and walked to the gate.

Before he could even reach the gate, the Uzumaki patriarch came to the gate in person, which made Masahiko stop.

“Hey, are you this eager to hear about your daughter? Well, I told you she’s…” Before he finishes his sentence, Masahiko noticed that the Patriarch’s face was filled with sorrow and seemed a little bit gloomy.

“Hakubo is dead.” The Patriarch hardly squeezed these three words out of his mouth.

“What?” Masahiko thought that he didn’t hear it clearly, or he doesn’t want to believe what he heard.

“I said Hakubo is dead…” The Patriarch repeats again.

Masahiko listened very clearly this time and rush his way to the hall.

When he arrived at the hall, Hakubo’s funeral was already underway. Masahiko looked at the third and second elder who seemed like they didn’t recognize him.

“What about the first elder? Is he also…” asked Masahiko.

The second elder looked at him and said, “Big brother is fine, he suffered minor injuries, and he’s resting now. We immediately rushed over after receiving the distress signal, but it was too late, and Hakubo passed away on the way back…”

Masahiko carefully inspected Hakubo’s body; the lethal wound on the chest was made by some kind of sharp weapon that pierces through the lung.

“This wound…” Masahiko murmured.

“Yes, this has been done by the madmen from Kaguya clan.”

Masahiko looked again at Hakubo lifeless face. He remembered when Hakubo volunteered to join the wedding team and protect Mito.

Masahiko sighed and said, “This damn warring states!” Then he turned back and left the hall.

The Patriarch was waiting for him outside the hall. Before Masahiko could say anything, the Patriarch said, “Yesterday I got a report about mysterious activity east from our village. Hakubo and his team accepted the task, and went to investigate it.”

“When they arrived at the location, they identified the mysterious group in the place. It was the Kaguya clan.”

“They were found by the Kaguya clan, and Hakubo’s team got attacked. In order to cover his teammates and give them a chance to retreat, Hakubo engaged with their Head Clan, who was the one who led the attack…”

“Then I think you can figure the rest. The rescue came after that. Although the first elder got wounded, they managed to defeat Kaguya’s Head Clan… Then Hakubo… Died on the way back.” The Patriarch slowly told Masahiko about the accident.

“I have two questions. Why the Head of the Kaguya Clan attacked my family? And the second maybe a little bit ridiculous considering now is the warring era, but, do we have any feud with the Kaguya clan? Is it because of Mito’s marriage?” Masahiko asked.

“No, I suspect it’s because of the frost bone grass.” The Patriarch replied.

“Oh, I understand.” Masahiko faintly replied.

“And now we have to repay this injustice, and prepare for war…” The Patriarch said.

“I know.” Masahiko replied, then he turned and left.

Frost bone grass, is a light blue herb that is very rare. It can suppress the Kaguya clan hereditary disease. Masahiko knows that this herb has become rarer and rarer, and will extinct soon.

Otherwise, the Kaguya clan number won’t be dwindled like now. They are one of the clans that existed in the warring states period, and as powerful as the Senju and Uchiha.

If it’s not because of their disease and the frost bone grass getting rarer every day, the Kaguya clan might be in the same league as the Senju and Uchiha clan.

“So, because they found the frost bone grass in the Uzumaki territory, their Head Clan decided to lead a team to recover the herbs.” Masahiko thought to himself.

“Hakubo died because of this, war is inevitable…” He murmured while he went home.

“For half a month, I went on a journey, and when I got back, I was greeted with bad news. Now I’m tired both physically and mentally.” Masahiko muttered.

In the past two weeks, Masahiko’s strength has increased significantly, and even though he didn’t really practice his Ninjutsu, his Elite Jonin status still remains. Which made him feel satisfied.

“I’m still not strong enough to deal with the Kaguya clan. Not to mention that in the near future, I might have to help the Senju fighting the Uchiha…” Masahiko thought about this as he began to meditate.

He’s trying to find a way to become stronger. However, the only way to enforce justice in this world is power.

From witnessing Tobirama’s Flying-Thunder-God Technique, Masahiko obtained 5 witness points. And with the previous 1 points, now he has 6 Points. He wonders how he can maximize his strength by distributing these points.

Thinking of this, he immediately added one to “Chakra”.

Technique: 1004 (+1) (+)

“Hey, why I didn’t feel any difference?” Masahiko didn’t feel anything, so he added more.

This time, he felt the obvious difference, which was the chakra strength, now it feels like two levels stronger than before. In other words, a Ninjutsu with the same chakra input can be two levels stronger than before.

Masahiko found this ecstatic, and he dumped the rest of his points to Chakra.

Chakra: 1004 (+5.5)

“Oh, after +5, the next attribute increase will be only 0.5? If I keep doing this, soon I will be unmatched.” Masahiko thought as he looked at his status bar.

Finally, Masahiko finished distributing all his witness points. He felt satisfied now that his Ninjutsu power increased by 50% and a half.

Well, it seems this way he might have a chance against the Kaguya Clan.

“It’s such a good decision. Now everyone will acknowledge me as a true Uzumaki.” Masahiko said in his heart.