Mito then looked toward Hashirama, who immediately understood the meaning behind her glance.
Clapping his hands together, he summoned golden branches that burst from the ground one after another, wrapping Tomohiro's entire body.
As Tomohiro stood there in a daze, a portion of Hashirama's life force was gradually transferred into his body.
His hair, which had already begun to turn pale, gradually returned to a vivid red.
Tomohiro could feel it himself—his body was constantly growing stronger!
When it was over, Tomohiro's hair had completely turned red, and he looked positively radiant.
More than half the wrinkles on his face had vanished, making him look considerably younger.
Still, his features retained an aged appearance. He looked to have become about ten years younger.
That was also Hashirama's deliberate choice.
After all, they intended to make Tomohiro the clan head. A youthful face would carry no authority—how could he command the respect of the clan?
"I-I, this..." Tomohiro touched his face and could clearly feel that many of his wrinkles had disappeared.
Then he pulled his long hair in front of his eyes and saw that his noticeably graying hair had turned vividly red again! His entire body was brimming with life once more.
Tomohiro only felt incredibly energized, as though he had endless strength throughout his body.
"This is your reward. Without you, the Uzumaki Clan's future would have been utterly uncertain."
Tomohiro shook his head. "Th-this little thing I did, how could it deserve such a reward? Everyone is my family. I only did what I should have done!"
Hashirama smiled faintly. "In a time of war like that, simply doing what one should do was already far from easy."
"So there is no need for you to be modest."
Tomohiro scratched his head, but he was happy inside.