Inside the Sarutobi clan compound.
Masahiko was wandering around, bored. Hashirama and Tobirama had already been invited into the reception hall to discuss the alliance—which, in reality, was just negotiating the division of spoils before the fighting had even begun.
Masahiko didn't want to listen to their endless bickering, so he ca out to wander around alone.
The Sarutobi clan's territory was quite large. It couldn't compare to the Senju or Uzumaki, but it was certainly on par with the Kaguya's.
Speaking of which, the entire western Land of Fire had a "vast but empty" feel, and the land wasn't very fertile.
"Is it because it's so close to the Land of Wind? Is desertification the problem?"
Masahiko recalled a technical term from his past life—"desertification"—and instantly felt more cultured.
Lost in these random thoughts, Masahiko gradually wandered to a remote corner of the Sarutobi compound. There, he found two boys sparring.
The boys were only about twelve or thirteen—the sa age as Naruto's graduation—but they already had the skills of an Average Jonin.
Masahiko watched them, feeling incredibly awkward. If not for his system, his strength had only just hit the Average Jonin level right before his 49th birthday.
"Kids these days... they really don't leave any room for the rest of us," Masahiko muttered to himself.
Hearing his voice, the two boys stopped sparring and looked over, their expressions puzzled. It was clearly their first ti seeing soone with red hair.
One of them spoke up hesitantly, "I've heard that the Uzumaki clan, from the far east of the Land of Fire, has red hair. Are you from the Uzumaki, Mister?"
Hearing the boy call him "Mister," Masahiko was inwardly ecstatic. While being "Great-Uncle" to Hashirama and Tobirama was cool, it always made him feel old.
He grinned and said, "You've got sharp eyes, kid!"
It was unclear whether he was praising him for identifying his clan or for not calling him an old man.
The two boys exchanged a glance, confused by his good mood. The other boy hesitated, "Mister... are you... here for a reason?"
"Nope, just wandering." Masahiko grinned. "Since I'm bored anyway, and you two seem decent enough, how about I give you so pointers?"
"Rasengan!" As he spoke, he ford a Rasengan and slamd it into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"See this jutsu? No hand seals." He held up a "bell" (which was just a transford shuriken). "Whoever can get this bell from , I'll teach this jutsu to." Masahiko was clearly in a mischievous mood, starting his own "bell test" ga.
The two boys glanced at each other, then at the deep crater left by the Rasengan. They were clearly tempted. "Then we won't hold back!" they said in unison.
They didn't charge in. Instead, they threw a few probing kunai and imdiately vanished into the nearby bushes.
Clearly, kids who trained to this level in the Warring States Period were far more cunning than the single-minded Naruto. They knew at a glance that Masahiko was strong and understood the need for a plan.
However, Masahiko wasn't Kakashi—he possessed the Uzumaki's sensory perception. Their hiding was useless.
Still, not wanting to crush their spirits, he pretended to search for them. His acting, however, was terrible. It was one thing to look around, but why was he looking up at the sky? It's not like the boys were going to drop on him from the heavens... His attempt to bait them out was painfully obvious.
Sure enough, his senses felt the two boys rapidly relocate.
This ga of cat and mouse went on for ten minutes, and Masahiko was starting to feel awkward.
"Alright, co on out," he called. "I'm a semi-sensory-type. You could hide until tomorrow and you'd never get the jump on ."
Hearing this, the two boys erged from the bushes, their faces flushed, and opted for a frontal assault.
"Ken!" one of them shouted.
"Got it! Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!" the other boy yelled, spitting several high-pressure wind orbs at Masahiko.
His intent was to create a feint for his partner. Even with only one bell, they knew a jutsu could be taught and shared later; there was no need to fight one another for it.
What was surprising was how clumsily Masahiko dodged the so-called feint.
The boy who had been waiting for his opening couldn't help but stop, saying awkwardly, "Mister... are you... alright? Are you sure you should be taking on both of us?"
Masahiko didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He gave the boy a thumbs-up. "Nice psychological warfare, kid! And your partner... don't tell he's the legendary 'Gama-Ken'?"
"'You're the toad!" The other boy's face flushed crimson. "My na is Shimura Ken!"
"Ah, my apologies, my apologies. Please, continue. I won't get distracted again," Masahiko said, forcing down his laughter.
Shimura Ken suppressed his rage. "Sasuke! You feint this ti!"
"Pfft..." Masahiko just couldn't hold it in anymore and bent over laughing. "One... Ken... the other... Sasuke... [muttering] Er Zhuzi... haha!"
The two boys looked at each other, totally baffled, both thinking, Is there sothing wrong with this mister?
"Alright, you win! I give up!" Masahiko said, finally recovering.
"So, Mister Uzumaki... does that an we get the bell?" Shimura Ken asked.
Masahiko's smile froze. "My na is Uzumaki Masahiko!"
The other boy spoke up quietly. "My na is Sarutobi Sasuke... and I'm not... 'Er Zhuzi'?"
"Alright, fine. You two gave a good laugh, so I'll teach the jutsu to both of you." The na "Sarutobi Sasuke" rang a bell, but Masahiko couldn't quite place it.
He spent an hour explaining the training thod and principles of the Rasengan, and even briefly ntioned its advanced applications. As the two boys began practicing, Masahiko wandered off again.
"Right! Sarutobi Sasuke!" Masahiko suddenly rembered. "Isn't that the Third Hokage's old man? Does this an the Third Hokage will end up learning the Rasengan too? Ah, whatever. So be it."
"Wait a minute... sparring with Sarutobi Sasuke. Does that an Shimura Ken is... Danzo's father? ...Danzo... learning the Rasengan..."
"Ah, forget it. That's a problem for later."
Masahiko thought for a mont. As much as he despised Danzo in his past life, he couldn't exactly turn around and assassinate his father...
"Besides, I'll live long enough to see Danzo's era of stirring up trouble. I'll just deal with him then," he thought.
Masahiko wandered for a while longer, but found nothing else of interest. He was just thinking about checking on the boys' Rasengan practice when Tobirama appeared at his side in a Body Flicker.
"Great-Uncle, my brother has finished the negotiations," Tobirama reported. "The plan is to seize the iron mine tomorrow and fortify it. For now, the Sarutobi Clan Head is preparing a banquet. My brother sent to co get you."
"'I was just getting hungry! Ti to eat!" Masahiko rubbed his stomach, grinning.
As for Sarutobi Sasuke and Shimura Ken... compared to dinner, they weren't so important anymore.
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