Chapter 40: Don't Be Ridiculous, Big Nephew!
Two years later.
"2322, 2323, 2324... Five thousand side kicks! If I can't finish them, I have to do ten thousand frog jumps!"
Don't misunderstand, this wasn't Kento-kun training. It was Masahiko...
Ever since Masahiko accidentally lost a move to Kento-kun in a taijutsu spar a year ago, he had embarked on a journey of transformation into a "Bowl-Cut" style training maniac.
At first, he wasn't used to it, and clansmen would often point and whisper. After all, in their eyes, although Masahiko still had the face of a middle-aged man, he was a senior citizen at the ripe old age of 63. But over time, Masahiko got used to it. Perhaps because his physical age had been reduced to 22, his mentality had also regained its youthful hot-bloodedness.
"Sensei! I did it! I mastered the training!" In the distance, Kento-kun rushed over, his face flushed with excitement.
Masahiko stopped his side kicks, a bitter expression on his face. "You learned it that fast..."
Kento-kun was training in a new jutsu Masahiko had taught him a month ago: Chidori. Originally, Masahiko hadn't wanted to teach him this technique so early. But there was no helping it. After training in taijutsu alongside him, Masahiko discovered... his talent for taijutsu really wasn't as good as Kento-kun's. Or perhaps, training taijutsu during puberty simply yielded the best results?
Regardless, part of the reason Masahiko taught Kento-kun the Chidori was to slow down his taijutsu progress slightly. As a teacher, having worse taijutsu than his disciple was a bit embarrassing... but he never expected the kid to learn Chidori in just one month.
Although Masahiko felt bitter inside, he quickly adjusted his expression to one of disdain. "It took a whole month, what is there to be happy about? For a jutsu of the same rank, Yiko-chan learned the Rasengan in three days!"
"I understand, Sensei! I will work even harder!" Kento-kun shouted in agreement, then immediately dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups.
Masahiko's face turned green. He thought, 'If you work any harder, Nanako is going to laugh me to death...'
He immediately spoke up, "You can pause the taijutsu training for now. Did you forget the advanced jutsu related to the Chidori that Sensei told you about?"
Kento-kun sprang up like a coiled spring. "I remember! Chidori Current and Chidori Sharp Spear! I'll go practice them right now!"
Masahiko watched Kento-kun run off and let out a long sigh of relief. Having a taijutsu genius for a disciple was stressful. Yiko-chan was fine; although her talent for ninjutsu was relatively higher, Masahiko had lived in the Naruto world for over sixty years and mastered hundreds of Wind and Fire jutsu, so he could teach her slowly. But taijutsu... Masahiko hadn't really trained in it before, relying entirely on the Uzumaki constitution and the boost from his Yang Release chakra.
His taijutsu training over the past year had yielded great progress, reflected in his status bar as an increase of over a hundred points. Masahiko's "Tai" stat was now approaching 500.
"But this is still far from enough... Although Kento-kun's taijutsu would probably only be around 300 points if converted to data, he's only 13. He has at least five more years of rapid growth ahead of him." Thinking of this, Masahiko steeled himself. "No, I can't slack off!"
"How many side kicks was I at?" Masahiko muttered. "Forget it, let's just call it 2000. Continue!"
"2001, 2002, 2003..."
An hour later, just as Masahiko finished his 5,000 side kicks and 10,000 frog jumps and was preparing to rest, Nanako ran over.
"Sensei, the Clan Head is looking for you!" The now 16-year-old Nanako had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Masahiko had heard that quite a few young men in the clan had dueled over her...
"What is it, Nanako? Which young man in the clan got hurt because of you this time? Did it startle the Clan Head?" Masahiko couldn't help but tease.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Masahiko regretted it, bracing himself for Nanako's explosion.
However, unexpectedly, faced with Masahiko's teasing, Nanako actually blushed—a rare sight. She said, "It's not that! The Clan Head is looking for you. The Second and Third Elders are there too. It's probably something important..."
Masahiko blinked, hardly daring to believe his eyes. Aside from when he first met her, he hadn't seen Nanako show this kind of shy, maidenly demeanor in five years.
"That reaction... don't tell me you have a crush on someone..." Masahiko murmured, but didn't pry further. Mito had married far away into the Senju clan at 15, so it wasn't strange for Nanako to have someone she liked at 16.
He paused for a moment, then replied, "Alright, I understand." He waved his hand and walked toward the clan's main hall.
Half an hour later.
Uzumaki Main Hall.
Masahiko looked completely dumbfounded. "Found a nation? Don't be ridiculous, big nephew!"
That's right. The reason the Uzumaki Clan Head had summoned Masahiko was to discuss the establishment of the Uzumaki clan as a nation.
Masahiko glanced at the Second and Third Elders. "Did you two come up with this lousy idea?"
"Second Uncle, it was a mutual idea." The ones calling him "Second Uncle" weren't the Clan Head, but the Second and Third Elders. The current Elders were Masahiko's second and third nephews. The entire Uzumaki leadership had completely become a one-family rule.
Masahiko pondered. In the original story, there was indeed a "Land of Whirlpools," though it was spoken of as a legendary nation that had been destroyed.
"Why this sudden idea?" Masahiko was still confused.
The other three exchanged glances, and the Clan Head spoke slowly, "Because of the population. Since the battle with the Kaguya, our clan has been closed off for 14 years. Originally, we only had nearly 3,000 clansmen, but now we have over 10,000. In the coming years, that number will likely only increase. Besides that, many civilians suffering from the wars in the Land of Fire have chosen to attach themselves to us. Their numbers are in the tens of thousands!"
Masahiko nodded, looking thoughtful. "So our clan has that many children under 16..."
The Clan Head's face went dark. "Second Uncle, can your focus remain on the serious matter?"
Masahiko smiled sheepishly. "I know, I know. But if we found a nation, we won't be as closely tied to the Senju, who still belong to the Land of Fire. What if we encounter foreign enemies?"
The Second Elder asked confusedly, "Foreign enemies? Where would they come from? The Uzumaki clan is surrounded by sea on three sides, and to the west lies the Senju clan. Even if we aren't as close, the Senju surely wouldn't attack us, right? Originally there was the Kaguya to the northwest, but we don't even know if the Kaguya clan exists anymore..."
Masahiko asked doubtfully, "Have you not considered the Land of Water across the sea, or the Land of Lightning further to the north?"
The three exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison. "They are constantly fighting civil wars. Why would they come to trouble us?"
Masahiko froze, then realized the disconnect. He knew that in a few years, the Five Great Ninja Villages would be established one after another, but his nephews didn't know that. Masahiko didn't have enough confidence in his current strength to protect the Uzumaki clan from a siege by both the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning. He could only make excuses. "Let's wait a few more years. I feel there will be major changes in the Land of Fire within the next two years. Let's wait a while..."
Although the Clan Head and the others didn't understand, they weren't desperate to found the nation immediately. Waiting a few more years for the population to grow further wouldn't hurt...
And so, the wave of enthusiasm for founding a nation was temporarily calmed. When Masahiko returned home, he found he had a new reward.
"Witnessed and completely changed a Naruto world Side Story: The Founding of the Land of Whirlpools. Received 2 (*10) Witness Points."
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