Chapter 138: Old Fraud
Masahiko's tenure as Acting Hokage lasted only a month before Hiruzen-kun returned from the battlefield.
He returned with a dark expression; it seemed things hadn't gone smoothly.
Masahiko greeted him with a smile. "What's wrong? Who made you this angry?"
Hiruzen-kun let out a long sigh and didn't say much.
Masahiko didn't press the issue. Some time later, he heard the full story.
Hiruzen-kun had set out from Konoha straight for the Land of Rain, intending to clear this small nation out of the war first. Unexpectedly, he was immediately blocked.
When Hiruzen-kun arrived on the battlefield, the leader of the Land of Rain, Hanzo, also made his move. Hiruzen-kun fought Hanzo, and while he held the upper hand, his lethality was significantly lacking in comparison.
Hanzo's summoned beast, the Salamander, had a massive advantage in large-scale warfare. Even with Tsunade-kun there to detoxify, Konoha still suffered considerable losses. Furthermore, Hanzo wasn't someone Hiruzen-kun could easily deal with; they fought several times, but Hiruzen-kun couldn't do much against him.
In the end, Hiruzen-kun could only reach an agreement with Hanzo that neither of them would personally participate in the war.
Although the two of them knew the truth of the situation, the rumors circulating in the ninja world were different. Everyone believed that Hanzo had "repelled" Hiruzen-kun.
As the leader of a small village repelling the Hokage of the strongest of the Five Great Nations, the Land of Fire, Hanzo instantly gained fame. He was idolized by the smaller villages and even earned the moniker "Hanzo of the Salamander, the Demigod."
"Hiruzen-kun must be feeling pretty stifled. In the last war, he ended up becoming a stepping stone for Hanzo," Masahiko chuckled to himself.
"Great-Great-Grandpa, I did it!" Nawaki-kun's shout came from the distance. Masahiko smiled and looked towards him.
"Did you succeed? One month—that's acceptable." During this time, Masahiko had taught Nawaki-kun the soon-to-be-ubiquitous Rasengan.
"Show me."
"Okay! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Nawaki-kun's method made Masahiko pause slightly. Using a Shadow Clone to form the Rasengan looked very familiar.
"Rasengan!"
The Rasengan formed quickly, and Nawaki-kun slammed it directly into the wall beside him.
Masahiko's mouth twitched. Looking at the large hole in the wall, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"Nawaki, why did you hit the wall?"
Nawaki-kun froze, then smiled sheepishly.
Masahiko sighed helplessly. "You've learned bad habits from your sister."
"However, who taught you to use a Shadow Clone for the Rasengan?"
Nawaki-kun scratched his head. "Great-Great-Grandpa, isn't this easier?"
"I suppose." Masahiko sighed inwardly. No wonder Tsunade-kun felt Naruto resembled Nawaki-kun; their thought processes were somewhat similar.
"Great-Great-Grandpa, can I go to the battlefield now?" Having learned a "killer move," Nawaki-kun was clearly eager to try again.
"Did your classmates drag you into it again?" Masahiko teased.
Nawaki-kun looked embarrassed. "No, I want to go myself."
Masahiko shook his head. "You still lack a lot of things and need more tempering." Masahiko had gradually recalled over the past few days that Nawaki-kun likely died by accidentally falling into a trap and being blown up by explosive tags. A Rasengan couldn't solve that kind of problem; Masahiko still needed to teach him some battlefield experience.
Nawaki-kun looked disappointed. "How much longer, Great-Great-Grandpa?"
Masahiko's expression turned serious. "The battlefield is not child's play. You are still young."
Nawaki-kun hesitated. "But many Genin who are just ten years old have already gone to the battlefield. As Grandpa Hashirama's grandson..."
Masahiko's expression softened. It seemed the identity of being Hashirama Senju's grandson brought him a lot of pressure.
"Don't be impatient. While the battlefield certainly tempers a person, with my guidance, you won't be lacking anything. What you need now is a foundation, not actual combat. When the time is right, even if you don't want to go, I'll force you to."
Nawaki-kun nodded. "Then, Great-Great-Grandpa, how much longer until I can go to the battlefield?"
"What's the rush? A year or two..."
Nawaki-kun's expression changed. "That long? Won't the war be over by then?"
"It would be better if it were over!"
Nawaki-kun muttered softly, "Then how will I earn merit? How will I become Hokage..."
Masahiko paused, remembering that Nawaki-kun's dream was to become Hokage.
"Why do you want to become Hokage?"
Nawaki-kun looked up. "The village is the treasure Grandpa left behind. I want to protect it."
"Hashirama's treasure?" Masahiko nodded. "Protecting a treasure requires strength! I won't go easy on your training from now on!"
Nawaki-kun nodded in agreement.
The New Student
Masahiko settled down in Konoha again. Every day he practiced Gentle Fist and trained Nawaki-kun. As for the two youths from the Hyuga family, they had surprisingly already gone to the battlefield, which was unexpected for Masahiko.
"At this age, Hizashi shouldn't have been branded as branch family yet. Two main family youths going to the battlefield together... what is the Hyuga clan thinking?"
What Masahiko didn't know was that because of him, the Hyuga clan was somewhat conflicted about the allocation of main and branch family status, since both were considered his semi-disciples. They decided to send them to the battlefield and judge based on their performance.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was September of Year 30 in Konoha. It was time for a new batch of students to enroll in the Ninja Academy. Masahiko arrived at the school early, feeling he might meet an "acquaintance."
Sure enough, among the crowd of children, his eyes caught the back of a boy with golden-yellow hair—Minato Namikaze!
Masahiko smiled and walked over, patting Minato on the shoulder.
Minato turned his head in confusion, wearing a face full of sunny smiles. "Old Grandpa, were you looking for me?" He didn't seem to recognize Masahiko.
Masahiko nodded. "That's right. Young man, I see that your bone structure is extraordinary and your meridians are open. You are destined for greatness in the future. I have a secret ninjutsu manual here. I won't charge you any money; it's a free gift for you!"
As Masahiko spoke, he pulled a folded, crumpled piece of paper from his robe and handed it to Minato.
"Remember, it's a secret manual. You must open it where no one else is around!" Masahiko added.
Minato looked innocent and confused. "Thank you, Old Grandpa!"
Masahiko smiled and nodded. "So polite. Good child." He turned and left without taking a cloud with him.
The entrance ceremony continued, but Masahiko was no longer paying attention. The paper he gave Minato naturally didn't contain the Flying Raijin Jutsu—it would be impossible for him to learn that technique at this age. Instead, it was...
Minato was led to the classroom by the teacher in charge of their class. First, the students introduced themselves, and then the teacher explained the history of the ninja world and basic cultivation knowledge.
As Minato listened to the teacher's explanation, for some reason, Masahiko's image kept appearing in his mind. He was extremely curious about the secret ninjutsu manual Masahiko had mentioned.
Seeing that no one around was paying attention, Minato secretly took out the "secret manual" and opened it to take a look.
"Although you possess exceptional talent, the name 'Minato Namikaze' will likely bring you many disasters and difficulties. Young man, change your name!"
The expectant expression on Minato's face froze. He looked at it back and forth several times but couldn't see anything resembling a secret ninjutsu manual.
"So he was just an old fraud?" Minato looked disappointed.
"That student over there, Minato Namikaze, tell me what I just talked about?"
Minato looked panicked and stood up. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I was distracted just now."
"Sit down and listen carefully!"
Thus, on his first day of school, Minato Namikaze left a bad impression on the teacher for not listening attentively in class.
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