Chapter 24: Grabbing the Bells
Inside the Sarutobi clan compound.
Masahiko was wandering around, bored. Hashirama and Tobirama had already been invited into the reception hall to discuss the alliance—which, in reality, was just negotiating the division of spoils before the fighting had even begun.
Masahiko didn't want to listen to their endless bickering, so he came out to wander around alone.
The Sarutobi clan's territory was quite large. It couldn't compare to the Senju or Uzumaki, but it was certainly on par with the Kaguya's.
Speaking of which, the entire western Land of Fire had a "vast but empty" feel, and the land wasn't very fertile.
"Is it because it's so close to the Land of Wind? Is desertification the problem?"
Masahiko recalled a technical term from his past life—"desertification"—and instantly felt more cultured.
Lost in these random thoughts, Masahiko gradually wandered to a remote corner of the Sarutobi compound. There, he found two boys sparring.
The boys were only about twelve or thirteen—the same age as Naruto's graduation—but they already had the skills of an Average Jonin.
Masahiko watched them, feeling incredibly awkward. If not for his system, his strength had only just hit the Average Jonin level right before his 49th birthday.
"Kids these days... they really don't leave any room for the rest of us," Masahiko muttered to himself.
Hearing his voice, the two boys stopped sparring and looked over, their expressions puzzled. It was clearly their first time seeing someone with red hair.
One of them spoke up hesitantly, "I've heard that the Uzumaki clan, from the far east of the Land of Fire, has red hair. Are you from the Uzumaki, Mister?"
Hearing the boy call him "Mister," Masahiko was inwardly ecstatic. While being "Great-Uncle" to Hashirama and Tobirama was cool, it always made him feel old.
He grinned and said, "You've got sharp eyes, kid!"
It was unclear whether he was praising him for identifying his clan or for not calling him an old man.
The two boys exchanged a glance, confused by his good mood. The other boy hesitated, "Mister... are you... here for a reason?"
"Nope, just wandering." Masahiko grinned. "Since I'm bored anyway, and you two seem decent enough, how about I give you some pointers?"
"Rasengan!" As he spoke, he formed a Rasengan and slammed it into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"See this jutsu? No hand seals." He held up a "bell" (which was just a transformed shuriken). "Whoever can get this bell from me, I'll teach this jutsu to." Masahiko was clearly in a mischievous mood, starting his own "bell test" game.
The two boys glanced at each other, then at the deep crater left by the Rasengan. They were clearly tempted. "Then we won't hold back!" they said in unison.
They didn't charge in. Instead, they threw a few probing kunai and immediately vanished into the nearby bushes.
Clearly, kids who trained to this level in the Warring States Period were far more cunning than the single-minded Naruto. They knew at a glance that Masahiko was strong and understood the need for a plan.
However, Masahiko wasn't Kakashi—he possessed the Uzumaki's sensory perception. Their hiding was useless.
Still, not wanting to crush their spirits, he pretended to search for them. His acting, however, was terrible. It was one thing to look around, but why was he looking up at the sky? It's not like the boys were going to drop on him from the heavens... His attempt to bait them out was painfully obvious.
Sure enough, his senses felt the two boys rapidly relocate.
This game of cat and mouse went on for ten minutes, and Masahiko was starting to feel awkward.
"Alright, come on out," he called. "I'm a semi-sensory-type. You could hide until tomorrow and you'd never get the jump on me."
Hearing this, the two boys emerged from the bushes, their faces flushed, and opted for a frontal assault.
"Ken!" one of them shouted.
"Got it! Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!" the other boy yelled, spitting several high-pressure wind orbs at Masahiko.
His intent was to create a feint for his partner. Even with only one bell, they knew a jutsu could be taught and shared later; there was no need to fight one another for it.
What was surprising was how clumsily Masahiko dodged the so-called feint.
The boy who had been waiting for his opening couldn't help but stop, saying awkwardly, "Mister... are you... alright? Are you sure you should be taking on both of us?"
Masahiko didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He gave the boy a thumbs-up. "Nice psychological warfare, kid! And your partner... don't tell me he's the legendary 'Gama-Ken'?"
"'You're the toad!" The other boy's face flushed crimson. "My name is Shimura Ken!"
"Ah, my apologies, my apologies. Please, continue. I won't get distracted again," Masahiko said, forcing down his laughter.
Shimura Ken suppressed his rage. "Sasuke! You feint this time!"
"Pfft..." Masahiko just couldn't hold it in anymore and bent over laughing. "One... Ken... the other... Sasuke... [muttering] Er Zhuzi... haha!"
The two boys looked at each other, totally baffled, both thinking, Is there something wrong with this mister?
"Alright, you win! I give up!" Masahiko said, finally recovering.
"So, Mister Uzumaki... does that mean we get the bell?" Shimura Ken asked.
Masahiko's smile froze. "My name is Uzumaki Masahiko!"
The other boy spoke up quietly. "My name is Sarutobi Sasuke... and I'm not... 'Er Zhuzi'?"
"Alright, fine. You two gave me a good laugh, so I'll teach the jutsu to both of you." The name "Sarutobi Sasuke" rang a bell, but Masahiko couldn't quite place it.
He spent an hour explaining the training method and principles of the Rasengan, and even briefly mentioned its advanced applications. As the two boys began practicing, Masahiko wandered off again.
"Right! Sarutobi Sasuke!" Masahiko suddenly remembered. "Isn't that the Third Hokage's old man? Does this mean the Third Hokage will end up learning the Rasengan too? Ah, whatever. So be it."
"Wait a minute... sparring with Sarutobi Sasuke. Does that mean Shimura Ken is... Danzo's father? ...Danzo... learning the Rasengan..."
"Ah, forget it. That's a problem for later."
Masahiko thought for a moment. As much as he despised Danzo in his past life, he couldn't exactly turn around and assassinate his father...
"Besides, I'll live long enough to see Danzo's era of stirring up trouble. I'll just deal with him then," he thought.
Masahiko wandered for a while longer, but found nothing else of interest. He was just thinking about checking on the boys' Rasengan practice when Tobirama appeared at his side in a Body Flicker.
"Great-Uncle, my brother has finished the negotiations," Tobirama reported. "The plan is to seize the iron mine tomorrow and fortify it. For now, the Sarutobi Clan Head is preparing a banquet. My brother sent me to come get you."
"'I was just getting hungry! Time to eat!" Masahiko rubbed his stomach, grinning.
As for Sarutobi Sasuke and Shimura Ken... compared to dinner, they weren't so important anymore.