Chapter 101: The Acting Hokage
Uzumaki Compound Entrance.
Masahiko stood there with his head down, deep in thought. He hesitated to go in because he didn't know how to face Yiko.
After a long silence, Masahiko gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind. Unexpectedly, a shadow loomed over his vision.
A somewhat familiar back crashed right into him. Masahiko realized he was having a string of bad luck these past few days.
Just a while ago, Uchiha Kagami had fallen on him, and today someone knocked him down again.
"Walking backwards..." Masahiko sighed without even looking up. "Only that idiot disciple of mine would do something like this..."
Sure enough, Kento's familiar voice rang out. "Old grandpa, are you okay?"
Masahiko looked up helplessly and reached out his hand, wanting Kento to pull him up. The aftereffects of keeping the Eight Inner Gates open for too long hadn't completely faded, or perhaps Masahiko had just become lazy due to old age and didn't want to get up himself.
However, halfway through pulling him up, Kento actually let go, and Masahiko fell again.
Masahiko glared, but Kento covered his face with both hands.
"Boohoo... Old grandpa, I'm sorry! You look too much like my late Sensei. I got emotional... And you look even more like him when you glare!"
Masahiko was speechless for a moment. Not knowing what to say, he just sat on the ground and watched his disciple mourn his teacher.
It took a full ten minutes for Kento to stop crying. Seeing Masahiko still sitting on the ground, he rubbed his face in embarrassment and stepped forward to help him up.
Masahiko stood up. Before he could speak, Kento shouted toward the Uzumaki compound, "Yiko! Come out quickly! There's an old grandpa here who looks just like Sensei!"
Masahiko's face was covered in black lines. Uzumaki clansmen swarmed out, gathering around to watch.
"He really looks like the Great Elder..."
"Just looks a bit older."
...
Hearing the commotion, Yiko also walked out of the compound. Seeing Masahiko, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
Then, she clenched her fists and marched menacingly toward Masahiko.
Masahiko's heart sank. "As expected, Yiko blames me..."
Unexpectedly, upon reaching Masahiko, Yiko punched Kento right in the face. Kento screamed and flew backward.
"Idiot! You can't even recognize Sensei!"
Yiko hugged Masahiko, tears streaming down her face. "Sensei, I thought you left me too..."
Masahiko sighed and waved to the onlookers, telling them to go back.
"It really is the Great Elder..."
"Great! The Great Elder is still alive!"
"Now the Hokage position will definitely belong to our Uzumaki clan..."
...
It took a full ten minutes for Yiko to calm down, dragging Masahiko to ask this and that.
Masahiko recounted his experiences over the past few days to Yiko and Kento. Then, after hesitating, he sighed. "Ashina's death is my fault. If I hadn't caused so much trouble in Kumogakure, Tobirama and I wouldn't have gone there, and you wouldn't have needed to go to Sunagakure..."
Yiko fell silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Sensei, I don't blame you. If I had been stronger on the battlefield, Ashina wouldn't have died."
Masahiko said no more. Knowing the plot, he was well aware that Ashina's death was largely due to him.
"From the moment I decided to save Tobirama, I knew some things would eventually be different. But I didn't expect the first impact to manifest like this."
Masahiko followed Yiko into the main hall of the compound. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Where are Nanako and Gensuke?"
"They went to visit the small clans of Konoha one by one, for the position of the Third Hokage. But since Lord Hokage is still alive, I'll go call them back," Yiko replied.
"No need. So many Uzumaki clansmen saw me return just now. I estimate that in a while, they will get the news." After all, unlike with the Uchiha clan where only Kagami and Izuya knew of his return, too many Uzumaki clansmen knew. Masahiko hadn't ordered secrecy, so the news would probably spread throughout Konoha in no time.
Sure enough, as Masahiko expected, in less than an hour, the Uzumaki compound basically became the meeting hall for Konoha's major clans.
Everyone who came in greeted Masahiko first, then immediately asked about Tobirama's condition.
Masahiko was too lazy to explain one by one, so he told them to find a seat and wait until everyone arrived.
Nanako and Gensuke returned midway, and Masahiko didn't explain much to them either.
When Masahiko felt that almost everyone had arrived, he waved his hand to silence the hall.
Masahiko looked around the hall. Almost every clan had sent representatives. Tobirama's six disciples, the Uchiha clan, Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho...
"Tobirama is still alive!"
Masahiko's first sentence caused the expressions of everyone present to change. Some were pleasantly surprised, some were disappointed; Masahiko saw it all.
"However, Tobirama is injured and needs six months to a year to recuperate. During this time, Konoha needs to select an Acting Hokage to manage affairs."
To his surprise, everyone present fell silent this time.
After the silence, they all turned their eyes to Gensuke. Clearly, with Masahiko's influence, Gensuke's hope of becoming Acting Hokage had greatly increased.
The Nara Clan Head shook his head and sighed. "Elder Masahiko, you wouldn't also agree to let Uzumaki Gensuke become Acting Hokage, would you?"
Masahiko smiled, looked at the expectant Gensuke, and sighed. "I will be the Acting Hokage!"
Everyone present froze first, then most of them breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously, Masahiko becoming Acting Hokage was much better than Gensuke.
Masahiko looked at everyone's faces. "It seems no one has any objections."
"Then, I will announce my first act as Acting Hokage." Masahiko looked at the somewhat disappointed Gensuke. "From today on, the Uzumaki compound in Konoha will be abolished. Gensuke, take the clansmen back. When Tobirama recovers, I will return, and we will establish our own country! Of course, the alliance between Uzumaki and Konoha will not change."
Masahiko watched as everyone present revealed expressions of pleasant surprise. He sighed inwardly. "I didn't expect the Uzumaki to be so incompatible with Konoha already. Are there too many clansmen...?"
"It's getting late today. Everyone go back and convey what I said to your clansmen."
"Also, tomorrow morning, I will convene a Council meeting at the Hokage Building to resolve the matters that have accumulated in Konoha during this time."
After sending off the representatives from each clan one by one, Masahiko looked at Gensuke, who had a mix of surprise and apprehension on his face. He smiled. "After establishing the country, you will be the Daimyo. Do you feel the pressure?"
"Great Elder, rest assured, I will work hard!"
"Work hard... I have to work hard too!" Masahiko sighed.
Tobirama's injury and Ashina's death made him realize that any small decision he made could have far-reaching consequences. From now on, this world was no longer the original Naruto story he knew!
Meanwhile.
Hiruzen and Danzo, who had just left the Uzumaki compound, were walking together.
"Danzo, it's great that Sensei is still alive!" Hiruzen said excitedly.
Danzo hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Y-Yes, it's great!"
"Why... when I heard Sensei was still alive at the Uzumaki compound just now, was my first reaction disappointment? No, that must have been an illusion..."
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