Chapter 34: The Girl
The next day, after quickly packing his belongings, Masahiko set out on the road back to the clan compound with the Uzumaki Clan Head.
"My 'big nephew,' are there any young geniuses in the clan these days? When I get back, I'm thinking of finding a few kids to mentor," Masahiko asked on the way.
"Hm, there are a few. I don't know them all that well. When we get back, I'll gather all the children 12 and under, and you can take your pick..."
Masahiko rolled his eyes. Gather them all for me to pick? What is this, grocery shopping?
"Just have the Jonin recommend a few. I want ones with good talent. Their current strength doesn't matter, as long as they have the basics."
After saying this, he suddenly remembered something.
'Why haven't my Witness Points for the "Guardian Shinobi Twelve" arrived yet? Do they have to be officially established before I get the points?'
'I hope the clans send their people soon. But... it doesn't really matter if it takes until next year.'
After a full day of travel, they arrived back at the Uzumaki compound at dusk, a place Masahiko hadn't seen in four years.
"Four years, and the compound still hasn't... changed." Masahiko said this, but he didn't even believe it himself, because many new buildings had appeared.
"In recent years, our clan has been isolationist. Our population has nearly doubled, so we've had to build more houses," the Clan Head quickly explained, seeing Masahiko's confusion.
Masahiko nodded, understanding.
He looked at the Clan Head's preoccupied expression and said, "Alright, go on and get busy. You were at the Daimyo's for four or five days; you must have a lot of work piled up. I'm just returning to my own home. Do I need you to show me the way?"
The Clan Head said his goodbyes and left.
Masahiko strolled alone toward the house he hadn't been back to in four years. He nodded to the clansmen he passed—some familiar, some not—letting them know he had returned.
His home was even tidier than he'd expected. It seemed the Clan Head had arranged for people to clean it these past few years.
After a simple tidy-up, Masahiko collapsed onto the bed, feeling a long-lost sense of relaxation in both body and mind.
"Ever since I discovered the Witness Points, I've been constantly busy. Was it really worth it? As I recall, there are plenty of events to witness in the 'main story.' Was it really worth staying at the Senju compound all those years?"
Now that he was relaxed, Masahiko couldn't help but feel that he had been too focused on strength, caught in a frenzied pursuit of power.
"With my current strength, aside from the 'Two Gods' who will appear soon, there's nothing in the Warring States that can threaten my life."
"In that case, I'll slow down. Let nature take its course. The Witness Points that are meant to be mine will be mine. For the next few years, I'll just stay in the clan, raise a few juniors, and wait for Konoha to be founded. I guess this counts as retirement?"
With his mind at ease, Masahiko finally felt his fatigue. He didn't even bother with dinner. He just took off his clothes, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
Early the next morning, Masahiko was startled awake by the sound of his front door opening and closing.
'What's going on? Is the Clan Head here to find me this early? No, this chakra is wrong...'
A young girl with gray-black eyes walked in, carrying a small bucket of water and holding several rags.
Seeing Masahiko, the girl froze for a second. Then, she threw the entire bucket of water at him.
"Pervert!"
Masahiko, drenched and stunned, watched as the girl sprinted out the door. He gave a helpless, bitter smile.
"I was sleeping naked. You barged in. How is this my fault...?"
Half an hour later. The Clan Head's hall.
"Grandpa Masahiko! I didn't know you were back! I'm so sorry!"
Masahiko looked at the girl, who was bowing repeatedly in apology, and was at a complete loss.
"It's alright, Nanako. Second Uncle won't blame you. You can go," the Clan Head said, stepping in to break the awkwardness.
After the girl left, Masahiko fixed his dead-eyed stare on the Clan Head. His mind was a mess from the morning's events.
"Nanako is an orphan," the Clan Head explained simply. "Her talent as a ninja isn't very high. She's 11 and just barely made Genin. So, I have her help clean some of the houses, including yours."
"An orphan, huh..." Masahiko sighed.
In the Warring States, true orphans were rare. Wars were constant and casualties were high, but to maintain the clan's strength, everyone tacitly encouraged high birth rates.
Families like Hashirama's (with three brothers) or Madara's (with five), plus their uncles and cousins, meant that direct family lines were huge. Even if someone died in battle, it was rare for a child to be left completely alone.
"Her talent isn't high, so you have her... cleaning?" Masahiko was still confused. "Orphans may be rare, but a clan as large as the Uzumaki must have some. Do you take care of all of them like this?"
The Clan Head gave a bitter smile. "Her uncle... was Kureto. As for her parents, they died in battle together not long after she was born. She was living with her grandparents, but they also passed away two years ago."
"Kureto-kun died for the clan. I don't want to see his bloodline end completely, so... I've more or less adopted her."
Masahiko nodded, finally understanding the full picture.
"I see. Well, for your 'second daughter,' she's got a fiery personality. Threw a bucket of water right at me. Mito wasn't like that."
The Clan Head smiled bitterly. "It's just her nature. I've tried to teach her to be gentler, but..."
Masahiko shook his head. "This is good. As an orphan, it'll help her protect herself."
"Don't forget," he added, "when you have time, have the Jonin recommend a few talented kids and send them to me..." He paused, thinking of Kureto-kun, and added, "And... that girl, Nanako. Add her to the list."
The Clan Head's face lit up. "Thank you! I'll leave it to you!"
Masahiko waved his hand as he walked out the door. "Woken up by a bucket of cold water this early... I'm going back for a nap..."
He shuffled back home, only to find that his wet bedsheets had already been washed and hung up to dry. And on his bed... was a new, very "cute" bedsheet.
"..." Masahiko was speechless.
In a perfect repeat of the morning, Nanako—with her gray-black eyes—walked in, carrying a small bucket and some rags.
Masahiko instinctively flinched, but Nanako quickly put her things down and began bowing and apologizing again.
"Alright, alright, you already apologized back at the Clan Head's. I forgive you," Masahiko said, waving his hand. "So, what are you doing here?"
"Grandpa Masahiko, I'm here to clean your house," Nanako said, picking up her cleaning tools.
"It's fine. I'm back now. I can handle it myself," Masahiko replied. "Besides, when I left the Clan Head's, I think he was looking for you."
"Ah... I'll go right now!" she said, turning and running out the door.
Masahiko looked at the cute-patterned bedsheet, then at the cleaning tools she had left behind. He had completely lost all desire to go back to sleep.
"Sigh. Forget the nap. Time to get some food and do a deep clean."
"My dear old bedsheets... please dry quickly..."
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you