Chapter 81: Passing with a Smile
Time flies, the years pass like water... and so on.
In short, more than a year had passed unknowingly since Tsunade's first birthday banquet.
Masahiko's life hadn't changed much. He was still pestered by Hashirama to gamble all the time. The only difference was that there was now a little gambler joining them.
Ever since little Tsunade touched that dice cup at her first birthday party, she had been unstoppable. Hashirama spoiled her, bringing her to Masahiko's house every day to gamble—or perhaps just to find someone with even worse luck than himself to serve as the bottom rung.
Masahiko had been avoiding the two of them for a while, telling them to go play at the casino. But a month ago, he sought Hashirama out and started playing with them because he felt that Hashirama's life force had suddenly drained significantly for some unknown reason. He estimated the end was near.
"I don't know what Kenji and Kaori are thinking..." Masahiko muttered, watching helplessly as Hashirama taught Tsunade gambling techniques hand-in-hand.
"No wonder Tsunade's gambling skills are so bad. Can learning from Hashirama lead to anything good?" Masahiko sighed and shook his head.
Although Hashirama was known as the God of Shinobi, he had absolutely no talent for gambling. Masahiko had taught him for so long, yet he hadn't improved at all.
However, Masahiko really didn't plan to teach Tsunade himself. No matter how strong he was, he didn't think he could beat Kishimoto... The setting where something bad happens whenever Tsunade wins money troubled Masahiko as well.
"Tsunade, Grandpa will roll an 18 for you..." Hashirama's excited voice rang out, bringing Masahiko back to reality with a helpless look.
The dice cup opened: 2, 2, 4. Total: 8.
"Ah, haha, Tsunade, I meant eight just now." Hashirama's awkward laughter and explanation followed.
"Grandpa is amazing!" Little Tsunade actually believed him. She took the dice cup with both hands, her face flushed with excitement, eyes shining. She shook it hard and slammed it on the table.
Her hands trembled as she opened it. 6, 6, 6. An eighteen was presented before the three of them.
Hashirama's smile froze. A moment later, he looked excited again and turned to Masahiko. "It seems Tsunade is very talented at gambling! Great-Uncle, I can't beat you, but Tsunade definitely will in the future."
Masahiko curled his lip. "Keep dreaming, Hashirama. I can roll whatever number I want. And I bet little Tsunade will be even worse off than you in the future."
Taking the dice cup, Masahiko shook it casually and placed it on the table without looking.
Hashirama opened the cup and looked puzzled. "Six, six, five... Great-Uncle, did you want to roll a seventeen?"
"Great-Great-Grandfather, I won!" Tsunade's excited voice reached Masahiko's ears, and his eyes widened.
He looked at the dice, then at the excited Tsunade, and fell silent.
"Just now... I wanted to roll an eighteen. A Level 10 skill can't make a mistake," Masahiko sighed, his eyes turning slightly red as he looked at Hashirama. "Then, it must be..."
Hashirama looked confused. "What's wrong, Great-Uncle?"
"Nothing. You guys continue..." Masahiko replied and fell silent.
Hashirama and Tsunade continued to play. However, uncharacteristically, Tsunade, whose gambling luck should have been worse, won every round, making Hashirama's face turn dark.
Masahiko's mood sank lower and lower. Since little Tsunade kept winning, he feared...
However, a while later, Kenji actually came looking for them.
Masahiko thought he also had a bad premonition, but Kenji entered with an expression somewhere between laughter and tears.
His first sentence stunned everyone present.
"Father, Mother... seems to be pregnant."
Masahiko's face twitched as he murmured, "Mito is forty-seven this year, right? Hashirama, you're amazing. No wonder your life force suddenly drained so much a month ago..."
Hearing this, Hashirama fell silent for a moment. Then, a smile appeared on his face, and he hugged little Tsunade. "Is Mito pregnant? She's worked hard... Great-Uncle, I'm afraid I won't see peace. You, Kenji, and Tsunade... please see the day peace arrives for me." As he spoke, he slowly lay back in his chair.
"Grandpa, why won't you see that day?" Little Tsunade looked back from Hashirama's arms and asked in confusion.
"Father, you..." Kenji wanted to speak, but Masahiko patted his shoulder, shook his head, and walked out.
"Let me see peace for you? It seems... my Transformation Jutsu can only fool those who aren't familiar with me. Hashirama and Tobirama probably realized it long ago."
"But, you will see that day of peace with your own eyes!"
Masahiko sighed deeply and walked dejectedly to the Hokage Building, a place he hadn't visited in over a year.
Walking into the Hokage's office, Tobirama was still correcting documents. Seeing Masahiko arrive, he looked up. Upon seeing Masahiko's expression, he froze slightly.
After a moment of silence, he lowered his head and continued processing official business.
Masahiko didn't disturb him. He found a chair, sat down, and just watched Tobirama.
Half an hour later, Tobirama finished reviewing all the documents. He finally looked up at Masahiko again. "Great-Uncle, I really don't want to see you right now..."
"Guze!" With a shout, an Anbu familiar to Masahiko appeared before them.
"Pass down the order. Prepare for the funeral of... the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama." As he spoke, Tobirama's eyes turned slightly red.
The Anbu paused for a moment. "Yes, Lord Hokage!"
After the Anbu left, Masahiko sighed. "Tobirama, let's go. Let's go see Hashirama."
The two returned to the Uzumaki compound (in Konoha), where a crowd had already gathered.
Kenji and Kaori were holding the hand of the still-confused little Tsunade. Senju Ten'yu, the Senju Elder who was about to retire, was there, along with the newly pregnant Mito...
Many people had received the news and rushed over, especially the batch of clan elders and heads who had retired in Year 6 of Konoha. Some of them needed support to walk, but they persisted in coming here.
As the older generation who had struggled through the Warring States for most of their lives, they were the ones who admired Hashirama the most.
Hyuga Tenjin, now over sixty, showed his age. With a nostalgic look, he murmured to himself, "Butsuma, you had an incredible son..." As the only one of the "Four Great Powerhouses" of that era still alive, he had technically won. But compared to their descendants, he was far behind...
Noticing Masahiko and Tobirama's arrival, the crowd proactively cleared a path, letting them walk to the front. Masahiko looked at Hashirama's body—eyes closed, a faint smile still on his lips—and then at the sorrowful Mito beside him. He shook his head.
"For a second child, you really gave it your all, Hashirama."
"Well then... see you in fifty years..."
An hour later, all the villagers of Konoha received the news:
Late Year 12 of Konoha. The great God of Shinobi, the terminator of the Warring States, the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, passed away with a smile. He was 49 years old.
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