Chapter 399: Inheritance
September 1st, Konoha Year 55, Fat Sheep Casino.
"I didn't expect Nawaki to make such a choice... Haha, not bad!" Hashirama laughed heartily.
Masahiko nodded. "Having the courage to actively give up the Hokage position he's chased for half his life, he truly proved himself worthy of being my great-great-grandson with this decision!"
"That's right, worthy of being your great-great-grandson, and my grandson!" Hashirama immediately chimed in.
Beside them, Mito wore a helpless expression, quietly watching the grandfather and grandson boast about each other.
...
Half an hour later.
Hashirama felt a bit awkward. Seeing that Masahiko still seemed unsatisfied, he coughed lightly and changed the subject. "Has the Fifth Hokage been decided as Obito Uchiha?"
"It's about eighty or ninety percent certain." Masahiko paused, then added, "Actually, even if Nawaki hadn't withdrawn, if it came down to a real selection process, he might not have necessarily won against Obito. Obito's foolish demeanor makes him quite likable, he has good relations with people, and among the Uchiha ninjas, he has the most friends."
"Nawaki withdrawing on his own accord also provides a convenient opportunity to resolve the mess with Sasuke... I didn't think things through back then."
Mito shook her head and spoke, "You were doing it for Nawaki's own good back then. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to marry a good girl like Mikoto."
"Hehe, even Hashirama managed to marry you..."
Hashirama indicated he had nothing to say. His face twitched a few times, dropping two specks of dust.
Masahiko frowned. "This Edo Tensei sacrifice is really poor. How much longer can it hold up?"
Hashirama thought for a moment. "If I don't engage in combat, maybe a little over a year."
Hearing this, Masahiko pondered slightly. "Madara broke free from that guy's control, but the sacrifice used to reincarnate him should also have a time limit. It's been so long without any news from him; is he just waiting for it to expire?"
...
Madara naturally wouldn't just wait to die.
His figure appeared in a forest somewhere in the northwest of the Land of Fire. In front of him was a five-meter-deep pit that had just been dug.
The characteristics of an Edo Tensei body were too conspicuous, and Madara was unwilling to cover himself up, disdaining to act like a 'petty thief'. Without White Zetsu's help, he wandered around and spent a full eight months before gathering all the intel he needed, including the distribution of the Tailed Beasts, the Akatsuki organization, the conflict between the young man and Masahiko, and so on.
After thinking for a long time, he chose to wait for the time being. Wait for the right opportunity, wait for the young man's next move, or wait for...
"That old fellow is 123 years old this year. Even if he is good at living, can he live to 132? Can he live to 150? If he can live to 150, can he live to 200?"
Madara looked at the deep pit covered in sealing tags before him and leaped in.
"This Edo Tensei jutsu does have some benefits. Being already dead, I cannot die again. By sealing myself and only coming out once every half year, this body can be maintained for a hundred years. I'd like to see if you die or not, you old fellow!"
Dirt flew, and Madara buried... himself.
...
"Achoo!"
Inside the Fat Sheep Casino, Masahiko sneezed and frowned. "Who's thinking of Great Ancestor? Even with my physique, I can sneeze. Could it be Madara secretly cursing me?"
Rubbing his nose, Masahiko cursed inwardly, "It must be him! I don't know where that Madara-brand punching bag hid himself. Daring to curse Great Ancestor, I'll dig three feet into the ground to find you!"
"Second Grandfather, Tsunade is back."
Masahiko was startled. "That was quite fast."
He had come to the Fat Sheep Casino after lunch and told Hashirama and the others about recent events. Tsunade then expressed her desire to return to Konoha to check on things, asking Masahiko to look after her grandparents for a while.
Masahiko had originally thought he would have to stay at the casino for a night. He didn't expect that, including travel time, Tsunade would take less than four hours. It seemed he could still make it back in time for the dinner Minato cooked...
However, a long while later.
Mito smiled, stood up, and put on her cloak. "I'll go bring Tsunade in."
Masahiko shook his head helplessly and glanced at Hashirama, who looked embarrassed beside him. Tsunade's gambling addiction had surpassed her master's; as soon as she entered the casino, she forgot her real business and started gambling on her own outside. Of course, it was also possible that it was hard to turn down the warm invitations of the other gamblers?
A moment later, the 'cloaked figure' Mito silently dragged in a large fat sheep...
"Great-great-grandfather, sorry to keep you waiting." Tsunade's expression was normal, as if she had just returned from Konoha.
Masahiko raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Did you go back and check? What did Nawaki say? Does he regret it?"
Tsunade shook her head and turned to Hashirama. "Grandfather, Nawaki passed down the necklace you gave me back then to Itachi."
Hashirama was stunned. "So he passed it down..."
Masahiko exchanged a glance with Mito and spoke with a smile. "Hashirama, the necklace you made by expending your life force back then wasn't made in vain. It has already become an inherited item of dreams."
...
That night, at Kushina's house, Masahiko rushed back to scrounge a meal.
"Naruto, Great Ancestor was busy before and let you rest for two days. Today, we resume training."
"Oh." Naruto looked dispirited.
Masahiko was startled and turned to Minato and Kushina. "What's wrong with this child?"
Kushina shook her head. "It's nothing, he's often like this. Great-grandfather, is the fetus in my belly healthy today?"
Masahiko chuckled and nodded.
Minato cared a bit more about Naruto. "I remember the Ninja Academy was having its mid-year exams today."
"Oh?" Masahiko smiled and tilted his head to look at Naruto. "Was the exam on the Transformation Jutsu?"
Naruto shook his head, his expression brightening slightly. "In today's exam, I was only a tiny bit away from beating Sasuke! Just a tiny bit!"
"And what about Toneri?"
Naruto's face fell. "Short by... two tiny bits."
Masahiko smiled. Toneri had the highest talent and was over a year older than Naruto and Sasuke. They had a lot of catching up to do.
Seeing Naruto return to his sullen state, Masahiko raised an eyebrow and spoke. "If you didn't win, just train harder. What's there to be discouraged about?"
"It's not that..." Naruto looked up. "I heard they're selecting the Fifth Hokage, and it's Big Brother Obito."
"Hmm? Where did you hear that from?" Masahiko had planned to tell Minato and Kushina about this after dinner, but Naruto had actually found out first.
"The Fifth Hokage, that child Obito?" Kushina moved the hands holding her belly.
Minato smiled. "Obito, huh? His dream has finally come true..."
"Mm, they're about to make the selection. Everyone will probably get the news tomorrow or the day after," Masahiko nodded. "Naruto, how did you find out?"
"Shikamaru told me."
"Shikamaru?" Masahiko frowned. "Only a few of us know about this for now, so it must be... Shikaku? Smart people are really something. I really want to max out my Yin attribute quickly."
"Once the Fifth Hokage is selected, I'll definitely have enough Witness Points. But I still have to wait for Kushina to give birth and recover her health. That'll probably be... next May? There's still over half a year!"
"Hey, will they really choose Big Brother Obito?"
Masahiko snapped out of his thoughts, a smile appearing on his face. "What, do you have ideas about becoming the Fifth Hokage too? Even if Hiruzen dies of exhaustion, he couldn't wait for you to grow up."
Naruto vigorously shoveled the last bite of rice into his mouth and got pumped up. "Great Ancestor, eat quickly, it's time to train! The Sixth Hokage position is waiting for me!"
Masahiko chuckled. The Fifth hadn't even been selected yet, and he was already looking forward to the Sixth. "Let's go, I'll train you to death!"
☆☆☆
-> 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