Little Brat

The bustling forging workshop remained busy for an entire month before the forging work finally came to a temporary end.

During that time, Masahiko wheedled a bit more Chakra Conducting Metal from Tobirama and forged himself another two Shuriken. For the time being, that was enough.

With the Shuriken finished, it was time to put the Sealing Scroll on the agenda.

Masahiko spent half a year testing which kind of tree bark was best for making scrolls, only to discover in the end... that Hashirama's Wood Style worked best.

After wasting half a year for nothing, Masahiko had intended to immediately start making scrolls, only to find the Senju Clan Compound decorated with lanterns and banners. It turned out that the New Year had arrived.

After spending the New Year with Hashirama and Tobirama, Masahiko grew a year younger. He was thirty now. Yet in everyone else's eyes, he was already a fifty-five-year-old man.

Once the New Year passed, Masahiko threw himself back into researching Sealing Scrolls.

He had originally thought that, given his mastery of Sealing Jutsu, making a Sealing Scroll would not be difficult. But Sealing Scrolls involved space after all, and Masahiko knew nothing about that area. He still needed Tobirama's help.

The Senju Clan occasionally had to go out and fight wars, and Tobirama led the troops many times. Back and forth, it actually took a full three years.

Three years later, Masahiko looked at the familiar Chinese characters before him and nearly burst into tears...

"Witnessed and slightly altered a side storyline in the Naruto World: Sealing Scroll. Obtained 2 (*2) Witness Points."

"I spent three years, and I only got 4 Witness Points..."

"Slightly altered? Does that mean there's no difference except for who created it?"

"Damn it, who exactly developed this in the original story? They were so impressive they could match Tobirama and me combined..."

"Fortunately, I gained something else. My Sealing Jutsu rose by a level, which is equivalent to getting 20 Witness Points..."

In the end, Masahiko could only console himself this way.

"Great-Grandfather, Kenji has come to see you!" A childish voice pulled Masahiko back from his jumbled thoughts.

Masahiko's face darkened. "That little brat is here again!"

Kenji Senju, Hashirama and Mito's child, was also the future Fifth Hokage Tsunade's father. A person Masahiko had once eagerly anticipated meeting had, over the past three years, become his greatest headache.

Perhaps he had perfectly inherited Hashirama's genes, because this child had shown his unreliable side from a young age.

Over the past three years, he had torn up Masahiko's experimental Sealing Scrolls five times, nearly made Masahiko unable to maintain his Transformation Technique by yanking his beard four times, and secretly swapped out the materials Masahiko used to make scrolls three times...

"Little Kenji, you're here. Let Great-Grandfather hold you." Masahiko hurriedly put away the Sealing Scroll he had just completed, then turned and went out to greet him.

"Ah... he pulled Great-Grandfather's beard again!" Masahiko wore a pained expression as he handed Kenji to Mito.

"Second Grandfather, are you still busy making Sealing Scrolls? Do you need my help?" Mito smiled as she spoke.

"No need. I've just succeeded, and I was about to go share the good news with Hashirama and Tobirama." Masahiko still sounded rather excited when he mentioned it.

"Oh, then congratulations, Second Grandfather! Hashirama should be in the Main Hall right now. Tobirama seemed to have gone out yesterday."

"He went out again? Which Small Clan is causing trouble this time?" Masahiko asked.

Ever since Hashirama had thoroughly beaten Madara more than three years ago, the Senju and Uchiha had not gone to war again. Uchiha Madara likely still had no confidence in defeating Hashirama, so he would not easily start a war. Though fighting had continued over the past few years, Tobirama had led most of the campaigns, going to teach those restless Small Clans a lesson.

"Not a Small Clan. It seems the Daimyo of the Land of Fire summoned him over some matter," Mito replied.

"The Daimyo?" Masahiko was somewhat puzzled. The Naruto World was said to be a world of ninja, but it was not entirely so.

Across the entire Land of Fire, even all the ninja clans combined only had a few hundred thousand ninja. Yet there were more than ten million civilians. The one who governed those tens of millions of civilians was the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

The ninja clans, who only knew how to fight and kill, understood nothing about developing an economy. Thus, every ninja clan acknowledged the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and maintained a surface-level respect for him.

But the Daimyo of the Land of Fire also understood that the respect these ninja clans—especially the two great clans, the Senju and Uchiha—showed him was merely superficial.

This summons from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to the Senju Clan left Masahiko deeply confused.

Still puzzled, Masahiko arrived at the Clan Head's Main Hall, with Mito and the little brat following behind him.

"Father!" the little brat called out. Masahiko's face turned green... The moment he saw Hashirama, the child became polite. So he only bullied Masahiko. No wonder Mito always looked so amused behind him...

"Second Grandfather, you're here. About the Sealing Scroll..." Hashirama began.

"It's completely finished. Once I record the detailed production process, we can manufacture them in bulk." Masahiko spoke with a smile.

"That's great! We'll never have to worry about logistics again." Hashirama smiled.

"Hashirama, Tobirama..."

"Oh, Tobirama went to the Capital of the Land of Fire. The Daimyo of the Land of Fire seems to have some matter for him. Don't worry about him, Second Grandfather," Hashirama said casually.

After chatting with Hashirama for a few moments, Masahiko left the Main Hall. He went back to record the method for making Sealing Scrolls, then made a Summoning Scroll and contracted four Shuriken to it. This stretch of busy work was finally over.

It had been nearly four years since he left the Uzumaki Clan. He had originally planned to rest for a few days, say goodbye to Hashirama, and return to the Uzumaki Clan for a visit.

Unexpectedly, Hashirama came looking for Masahiko again that very evening.

"Second Grandfather, Tobirama just sent word back. This time, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire summoned many ninja clans. The Uchiha, Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame... each of those clans sent people. Tobirama is afraid he will not be able to handle it alone, so he wants you to make a trip there."

"Me?" Masahiko asked in confusion. "Doesn't your Senju Clan have plenty of idle people? Besides, you don't have anything important to do either..."

"Izuna is leading the Uchiha Clan. Madara did not go, so it would be inconvenient for me to meet the Daimyo of the Land of Fire..." Hashirama said awkwardly. "As for asking you to go, that was Tobirama's request. He said that although you're a little unreliable... ah, no. He said you sometimes have quite a few ideas..."

"He meant I'm full of crooked ideas, didn't he..." Masahiko said bitterly. "Fine, I'll make the trip. I'll help Tobirama put on a show this time, and then I won't be coming back. I've been away from home for four years. It's time for me to return to the Uzumaki Clan. I hope that by the next time we meet, your little brat will be more sensible..."

"Alright, sorry to trouble you... Also, when has my Genfu ever been insensible?"

"Your son is too sensible!" Masahiko shot back before turning and walking out of the Main Hall.

Leaving behind Hashirama with a face full of question marks.