Relocating an entire clan was a major undertaking, so Mito Uzumaki needed to stay in the village for at least a few more days. First, there were various details that required finalizing. Handling these details was just like cleaning out an old house—no matter how thoroughly you cleaned, chaos always seemed to pop up endlessly.
Secondly, as long as Mito remained in the Land of Whirlpools, she could at least ease many people's anxieties and worries.
At this moment, the Uzumaki clan resembled a young woman who had already been promised in marriage and was about to wed—perhaps even in a sudden, unexpected wedding. It was only natural for her to feel a bit nervous. But if the future in-laws were strong allies, everything would go much more smoothly.
After obtaining the Shinigami Mask, the scroll containing the most vital techniques and intelligence of the Uzumaki clan, and arranging the first batch of ninja into "Kagenami," the remaining internal affairs of the village no longer concerned Haseo.
Haseo had no further concerns either. The twelve ninja from yesterday were all quite young, clearly demonstrating the sincerity of the Uzumaki clan.
Therefore, by the next day, Haseo seemed free to move around the Uzumaki village as he pleased. Mito Uzumaki no longer kept him close since she had her own matters to attend to.
Now in possession of the scroll from the Uzumaki clan, Haseo understood that this situation was completely different from when Sansho previously handed him the Senju legacy. That meant accepting part of the Senju's inheritance—basically a gift. But this time, he was merely entrusted with temporary custody, akin to being a delivery man.
A delivery guy had absolutely no right to open or inspect the package—he had no claim to its contents after all.
In truth, even if Haseo wanted to sneak a peek, he wouldn't have been able to. The scroll was protected by a powerful sealing technique—it was essentially the Uzumaki version of the Scroll of Seals, even more secure than those easily stolen by Genin.
The Uzumaki's caution in guarding their secrets wasn't just stinginess—it made perfect sense not to hand these things over to Haseo. In fact, granting him temporary custody alone signified 100% trust in the deceit-filled world of ninja. Sansho entrusting Haseo had been an exception—an unusually generous one at that.
Within the Uzumaki village, the scroll Haseo carried was relatively safe, so he could bring it along while touring the village. However, Haseo currently had neither the time nor the mood for such leisurely activities. After all, his organization had recently accepted many new members, which meant one particular task awaited him—he now needed to meet and talk with the newly joined young members of the Uzumaki clan.
Thus, accompanied by Sakumo Hatake, Haseo arrived at a somewhat remote training field inside the Uzumaki village at the agreed-upon time yesterday. Every ninja village had plenty of training fields. While officially called a "training field," it was basically just an open space where ninja could practice freely.
"They've already arrived ahead of us."
After entering the training field, Haseo greeted the Uzumaki clan members who had arrived earlier.
Twelve people — not a single one was missing.
Just with a quick glance, Haseo noticed something rather satisfying. It wasn't surprising that everyone had arrived early — that was expected. Any ninja who gets lost on the road either truly loses their way, or is simply a joke.
What pleased Haseo was that all the young Uzumaki clan members currently had the masks distributed yesterday with them.
Some wore their masks on their faces, while others tied them at their waists, but regardless, this showed these youths acknowledged both their current status and the arrangements made by the Uzumaki clan.
These young people were among the most outstanding ninja of the younger generation from the Uzumaki clan. Their character also seemed to have been well cultivated; at least none of them were rushing forward shouting, "Who made you our leader?"
It would actually be pretty interesting if someone dared challenge him like that, but the members of the Uzumaki clan weren't fools, so it wouldn't happen.
Of course, the reason they could remain quiet wasn't only about personal character. There were other reasons too: for one thing, although Mito Uzumaki had stepped back, after the Uzumaki moved to Konoha, she couldn't possibly ignore affairs within her own clan. Therefore, for some time into the future, Kagenami was essentially an organization directly under her leadership.
Haseo might appear to be in charge, but for now, he was merely the deputy.
Based on this understanding alone, Haseo thought Shikou might also join Kagenami. Mito didn't have that much energy herself, but her handmaiden could act as her eyes and ears, helping manage things here.
Another reason... The scroll carried on Haseo's back was more than just physically heavy. Carrying it alone told those young ninja enough about how highly regarded he was.
Lastly, someone had already thoroughly briefed them on what kind of ninja Haseo was. That's why the Uzumaki ninjas knew that although Haseo looked young, he was actually nineteen — and deep down, he carried the spirit of a tough, seasoned fighter.
Haseo's achievements were enough to establish his position. His solo victory over eighty Kumo shinobi still sent shockwaves through the ninja world.
"Lord Haseo…"
Upon seeing Haseo arrive, Uzumaki Jinshou stood up respectfully and bowed in greeting. Just look at how disciplined these kids are.
Haseo smiled slightly before getting straight to the point. "We're all around the same age. Although we may not have known each other before, we'll be working together for a long time going forward, so first, we must get familiar with each other.
So then… we can start with a practical sparring drill. For ninja, I think nothing introduces yourself better than this. Once you understand my techniques, you'll understand exactly who I am."
"That part he wasn't wrong about. If it weren't a life-or-death battle, and if two ninja were willing to reveal their ninjutsu during training, they'd quickly become familiar with each other's styles, regardless of whether they intended to or not.
A fight between ninja is a pure clash of souls. Bonds are formed like this... although for the one constantly receiving punches, this bonding process might seem somewhat unfair, since the cost of forming such bonds is the pain endured by their body.
They're all young men here, so after a little pain, they just tough it out.
Besides, these high-spirited kids don't waste time with fake stuff, so Haseo's suggestion was quickly accepted.
"It seems everyone agrees, so Hatake and I can form a two-man team..."
Actually, since this was just practice, Haseo originally wanted to partner with Sakumo Hatake as Konoha's duo. However, before he could finish speaking, Sakumo Hatake had already joined Uzumaki Jinshou. This blatant abandonment clearly showed how 'unpopular' Haseo was among his peers.
But this was still a normal choice. If a fight was going to happen, naturally Sakumo would rather oppose Haseo. During training, facing him would definitely be more interesting than being on the same team.
Only… while Hatake was having fun, Haseo felt depressed.
I haven't even become a leader yet, and I've already been abandoned by my own teammates?
Well, whatever… Haseo shifted his gaze toward his opponents.
If all thirteen of you can one-shot me, I'll eat this Uzumaki Scroll right on the spot.
And even eat it raw, not even a pinch of Shisanxiang seasoning."
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>