Chapter 144: The Centennial Banquet and Lingering Fears
As the year's end approached, the Land of Whirlpools became lively.
The ninja world had only ever had rough guesses about Masahiko Uzumaki's age, but this time, the Uzumaki clan's public announcement of the Great Elder's upcoming 100th birthday banquet caused an uproar across the shinobi world.
The Warring States Period had ended only thirty years ago. Back then, the claim that the average lifespan was merely thirty years wasn't an exaggeration. Anyone living to sixty was considered extraordinary. Reaching seventy would cause a stir.
Although it was no longer the Warring States Period, there were still no reports of anyone living to eighty. As for Masahiko's one hundred years—once the news spread, it shocked the entire ninja world.
Masahiko wasn't worried about anyone coveting the secret of his longevity. With his strength, aside from Madara—who couldn't move freely—only Mito could cause him some trouble, but Mito obviously wouldn't fight him.
In recent days, envoys from various countries had been arriving one after another. Even the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning came in person. After so long, he had come to understand that for the weakened Land of Lightning, handing over seventy percent of their revenue to the Uzumaki was actually a good thing. At the very least, it made them much less attractive to other nations, and the surviving Eight-Tails Jinchuriki barely managed to stabilize the situation in the Hidden Cloud.
Masahiko strolled around, meeting the guests, silently guessing how many of them were secretly hoping for his death.
"But you can't do anything about me," Masahiko thought, feeling smug.
On January 1st, Year 32 of Konoha, Masahiko's centennial banquet was held as scheduled.
There were many guests. Besides the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, "heavyweight" figures like Hiruzen, Mito, Chiyo, leaders of several small villages, and even Kakuzu were present.
Previously on the Hidden Sand battlefield, the Hidden Waterfall ninjas hired by Konoha had been a significant help against Onoki.
The hatreds of war between the villages were temporarily suppressed in front of Masahiko. Everyone congratulated him together, and nothing occurred to disrupt the harmony.
Of course, there were those who lacked tact. The leader of the Hidden Grass actually wished him a "long life of a hundred years." Before Masahiko needed to act, Kento-kun kicked him out.
During the celebration, Masahiko sat at the head table and spoke with a smile. "In my life, apart from when I was young, I've only held a birthday banquet a few times. This is one of them. The next one will probably be when I turn one hundred and fifty. I hope you all can come and attend then."
This sentence choked the guests quite a bit. Mito shook her head with a smile, and Hiruzen was also speechless.
"I will be there." The speaker was Kakuzu. Only he, with his unique form of immortality, had the courage to say such a thing.
Masahiko was startled. He was just joking, but he didn't expect someone to actually respond.
He nodded. "I hope you can live until then."
After that, the banquet began. Amidst the toasts and chatter, Masahiko lost interest in speaking.
The age on his status bar had changed to 47—the exact age he was when he first discovered the system's secret. Over fifty years had passed, like a cycle. Apart from his increased strength, it felt like he had done so much, yet also nothing at all.
Masahiko fell into reminiscence. The memories of his first forty-eight years had blurred; he couldn't even clearly recall the faces of his father and eldest brother. The subsequent fifty-two years, however, had been colorful. He exterminated the Kaguya Clan, destroyed the Reaper Death Seal, established Konoha, witnessed the Valley of the End, saved Tobirama, saved Kagami...
"So I have actually done quite a lot..." Masahiko sighed with emotion.
The celebration ended smoothly. After seeing off the various guests, some Uzumaki clansmen began cleaning up the venue.
Masahiko called for Izuko-kun, remembering something important.
"Izuko, has a child named Nagato Uzumaki been born into the clan in the last two years?"
Izuko-kun paused. "I don't know. Are you looking for him?"
Masahiko told a lie. "When I went to Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage there knew prophecy. He said a genius named Nagato Uzumaki would be born into our clan, and I plan to guide him personally."
"Is that so? I'll go check." Izuko-kun responded with excitement.
However, two days later, Masahiko was baffled.
"How can there be no one? Did Nagato fail to be born because of me?"
"Or... were there no clansmen lost outside these past few years?"
"Wait... clansmen lost outside?" Masahiko's expression slowly turned strange. "It couldn't be...?"
"Sensei, what's wrong? Maybe I didn't find him, or maybe he hasn't been born yet," Izuko-kun said, seeing Masahiko's strange expression.
Masahiko looked at Izuko-kun intently, hesitating for a moment. "If it's Izuko's descendant, the talent could indeed be very high."
"I might know where Yuna-kun is. I'm going to bring her back."
Izuko-kun was stunned, then immediately realized. "Sensei, could Nagato be..."
Masahiko nodded, soared into the sky, then landed again. He went to the Uzumaki armory to retrieve the Chakra Suppression Bracelet Yuna-kun had left behind. He felt it might come in handy.
After putting it on, Masahiko flew straight to the Land of Rain.
Rarely for the Land of Rain, it wasn't raining. Many ninjas were engaged in post-war reconstruction.
Masahiko searched for houses that were still relatively intact, checking them one by one.
Concealing his chakra and with his sensory abilities fully active, he avoided all patrol ninjas and circled the civilian district of the Land of Rain.
"Nothing? Did I guess wrong?"
Masahiko paused. "That girl wouldn't be living in the slums, would she?"
Masahiko continued searching. Half an hour later, he let out a long breath.
"She really is here. Is her husband just a commoner? She wouldn't marry the likes of Sakumo, but chose a commoner instead? Are all geniuses this maverick?"
"I originally wanted you to give birth to a Hatake Kakadong, but instead you gave me a Nagato..."
He saw the young Nagato and felt a lingering fear in his heart.
"No wonder I didn't sense Black Zetsu during the Second War. He must have targeted little Nagato long ago." Masahiko frowned. "Leaving Black Zetsu alone really doesn't ease my mind."
Masahiko gritted his teeth and suddenly made up his mind.
"If the plot collapses, let it collapse. It's better to deal with Black Zetsu!"
"If I hadn't reacted this time, I wouldn't even have a place to cry in a few years. Besides, who knows if Black Zetsu is plotting something against me in the dark?"
"Being near Yuna-kun right now is the perfect opportunity..."
Having made up his mind, Masahiko hesitated but didn't go directly to find Yuna-kun.
He took out three chakra-conductive kunai from a sealing scroll in his robes—items he hadn't used in a long time. Once his strength became overwhelming, he rarely had use for such technical tools, so he hadn't forged any more. Centered on Yuna-kun's house, he inserted the three kunai into the ground to form a triangle.
Masahiko flew high into the sky, connecting his perception to the kunai, amplifying his sensory range to the maximum.
"With this bracelet, Black Zetsu can't sense me. And the three chakra-conductive kunai should allow me to detect him. As long as he dares to appear, I'll kill him!" Masahiko muttered, closing his eyes and focusing his perception.
"As for the Sage of Six Paths, let him do whatever he wants!"
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