Chapter 31: The Capital of the Land of Fire
Inside the Capital of the Land of Fire.
After a full day of travel, Masahiko arrived at the capital. The Daimyo's Residence was located in the very center of the city.
As the great metropolis that controlled the economic lifeblood of the Land of Fire, the capital was incredibly prosperous. Low-rise buildings and various pavilions were clustered closely together.
Although he had been in the Naruto world for nearly 58 years, Masahiko had never once visited. He decided to take a stroll around the city first.
It lacked the skyscrapers of the 21st century, but it had a unique rustic charm.
Walking down the bustling street, Masahiko's ears were filled with the cries of merchants.
Handmade pottery from the Land of Wind, fabrics from the Land of Water, stone carvings from the Land of Earth... All sorts of rare commodities, transported by trade caravans, were being sold here.
"It's impressive. In the middle of this chaotic war, they travel thousands of miles for a bit of money. It seems merchants chasing profit is a universal truth in every world."
Suddenly, a shout reached Masahiko's ears: "Walk on by or come on in, don't miss out! Our shop's newly developed product, making its debut in the Land of Fire..."
Masahiko's mouth twitched. "What a familiar sales pitch."
The shouting captured his attention, and he couldn't help but walk over to see what it was.
When he got a closer look, he immediately felt a subtle sense of dissonance.
It was a wireless radio headset. Masahiko had no idea why something like this would appear in the Naruto world, but looking at the surrounding crowd, they all seemed to think it was normal.
"Well, the Naruto world was drawn by a modern person. It's normal for it to have some modern elements..." Masahiko could only console himself this way.
At that moment, the vendor began his enthusiastic explanation: "This is our shop's newly developed wireless radio headset! Just put it on, and two people can talk to each other no matter how far apart they are! We've had a lot of shinobi-sama in town recently, and this item is a must-have for battlefield command! Only 100 million ryo! Limited quantity, first come, first served!"
Masahiko shook his head slightly. This thing... how to put it? Unlimited-distance communication seemed like black magic, but selling it for 100 million ryo was a bit steep.
He recalled from the story that the bounty on an Elite Jonin like Sarutobi Asuma was only 30 million. And 30 million then probably wasn't even worth 3 million now.
As for 100 million ryo... that was probably the entire savings of a small clan.
Sure enough, the crowd grew larger, but no one was willing to pull out their money and buy a set.
"Only a fool would buy this..." Just as Masahiko had this thought, he heard a familiar voice.
"I'll buy it!"
Masahiko looked up. The person buying the headset was none other than the Nara Clan Head.
Seeing an acquaintance, Masahiko's face lit up. "Haha, Lord Nara! We meet again!"
The Nara Clan Head finally noticed Masahiko. He immediately recalled the battle from a few years ago, where they had been utterly defeated entirely because of this man's summoning jutsu.
His face instantly darkened, and he turned to leave.
But Masahiko laughingly blocked his path.
"Don't be in such a hurry to go, Lord Nara. It's not easy to run into someone you know in a city this big."
"I was just thinking... this headset is so expensive, only a fool would buy it... uh, I mean, the Nara clan must be very wealthy!"
The Nara's face twitched. If he was understanding correctly, Masahiko was calling him a fool with too much money.
He replied helplessly, "Ah... I suppose so," in a perfunctory tone.
"Is Lord Nara also here for the Daimyo's summons?" Masahiko asked, fully knowing the answer.
"The Daimyo's summons? No, I'm just here to buy a few things," the Nara Head lied through his teeth.
"Oh, is that so?" Masahiko didn't expose him. "Just to buy this? Planning to use it with the Yamanaka clan's secret jutsu?"
The Nara's expression changed instantly. He was shocked Masahiko knew about that.
"Don't be nervous. I've lived for 58 years. I just happen to overhear all sorts of things," Masahiko explained calmly.
The Nara Head nodded, reluctantly accepting the explanation, and turned to leave.
"Pfft..." This time, Masahiko didn't stop him. He just burst out laughing after he was gone. Teasing a smart person was so much more fun than teasing an idiot like Hashirama.
After that little interlude, Masahiko lost interest in shopping.
He asked a few residents for directions and found his way to the Daimyo's Residence.
After explaining his purpose to the two guards, he was led to the guest room designated for the Senju clan.
"Great-Uncle! You're here already. Was the journey smooth?" Tobirama came out to greet him.
"Yes, it was fine. I was worried you were anxious, so I hurried over to give you some of my 'crooked ideas'," Masahiko said, shooting Tobirama a look.
Tobirama's face stiffened. He inwardly cursed his unreliable older brother.
"How could they be 'crooked ideas'!" Tobirama quickly explained. "You've been a great help to us all these years!"
"Good, at least you have some conscience. Now, what's going on this time?" Masahiko said.
"We don't know the specifics yet, since not everyone has arrived. But too many clans are here—basically every clan in the Land of Fire, big and small. I feel like something big is about to happen," Tobirama explained.
"Everyone is here?" Masahiko's face stiffened. "In that case..."
A gloating smile spread across Tobirama's face. "You guessed it. The Uzumaki Clan Head is here, too. And since we're family, he's staying right next door."
"What are you laughing at! Since my 'big nephew' is here, I'll go see him," Masahiko said, feeling a little guilty.
He walked next door and knocked.
When the door opened, it was indeed the Uzumaki Clan Head.
The Clan Head was stunned to see Masahiko, then smiled. "Second Uncle! Long time no see. You haven't changed a bit."
"You, on the other hand, have gotten a lot older..." Masahiko was still maintaining his 48-year-old appearance, untouched by time. The Uzumaki Clan Head, however, was now over 40 and weighed down by clan affairs, making him look even older than Masahiko.
Seeing this, Masahiko felt a pang of guilt. For all these years, he, the First Elder of the Uzumaki, had been squatting at the Senju compound just to get some Witness Points.
"After this business with the Daimyo is settled," he said, taking the initiative, "I'll return to the Uzumaki clan with you."
The Clan Head was overjoyed. "With your help, things will be so much easier! In the past few years, both the Second and Third Elders have retired, and you weren't around. I had no choice but to have my own brothers help me, which made some of the clansmen unhappy. They think the clan has become my one-man show."
Masahiko rolled his eyes. "It'll be the same if I go back. When I return, I'm just planning on teaching some of the kids. Our next generation has a gap. You still have to handle all the other clan business."
"That's fine! As long as you come back, that's all that matters..." The Clan Head nodded eagerly.
"Alright, I'm going back next door. I'm here to help Tobirama. Don't bother me unless it's important!"
The Uzumaki Clan Head's face darkened.
"This Second Uncle... he's as unreliable as ever."
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