Chapter 117: Seeing Chiyo Again
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already Year 25 of the Hidden Leaf.
Half a year ago, Masahiko Uzumaki returned to the Uzumaki clan to bring over three reserve patrol members. They were relatively elite Chunin, aged sixteen or seventeen. Masahiko felt it would be quite embarrassing to let thirty or forty-year-old Chunin participate in a joint Jonin exam.
Currently, on the Hidden Leaf training grounds, Masahiko was conducting a pre-exam crash course for five young men and women. Two of them were, naturally, Tsunade and Jiraiya. As for the two children from the Hyuga family, they had already enrolled in the Ninja Academy last September.
Regarding Orochimaru, since he didn't need to take the Jonin exam, he was taken by Hiruzen Sarutobi for private tutoring.
"You old monster! Why am I the only one who has to do this physical training?" To the side, Jiraiya was drenched in sweat. At some point, "Old Monster" had become an affectionate nickname for Masahiko.
Masahiko shook his head. "Out of the four of them, which one could you beat in Taijutsu?"
The three Uzumaki youths had been strictly trained since childhood. Although their overall strength couldn't match Jiraiya's, they had given him quite a beating in Taijutsu over the past six months.
Jiraiya glanced at the other four and sighed. "I, Lord Jiraiya, will definitely surpass them!"
Masahiko nodded. "That's the spirit! In that case, we need to increase the training volume. There are only two months left until the exam!"
With a lift of his hand, Jiraiya, who was performing frog jumps, almost fell flat on his face.
"Old Monster, you!"
"What 'you'? I only increased the gravity by one fold. Don't you know your predecessors trained under hundreds of times gravity?"
"Which predecessors are that strong..." Jiraiya muttered and continued his frog jumps.
Masahiko didn't answer, chuckling internally. The predecessors from Dragon Ball...
He turned to look at the four people currently sparring.
While it was called a four-person spar, it was actually the three Uzumaki youths besieging Tsunade. Although Tsunade was at a disadvantage, she could still barely hold her ground. This was mainly because her fists were too fierce; whenever she was in a crisis, she would smash the ground, forcing the other three to dodge. Out of necessity, Masahiko had summoned three small Katsuyus to attach to his three clansmen. Except for Jiraiya, who somehow remained unscientifically unharmed by her punches, no one else could withstand Tsunade's strength.
"Hmm?" Masahiko's expression shifted as an Anbu member appeared before him in a flash.
"Elder Masahiko, the Hokage is looking for you!"
Masahiko smiled. "Sakumo, just like Yuna, you can just call me 'Grandpa'."
This Anbu was Sakumo Hatake. Having become a Jonin at fifteen, he had joined the Anbu and became a squad leader in just two years.
Sakumo scratched his head but didn't reply.
"Tobirama is looking for me? I understand. I'll head over in a bit."
"Alright, Elder... Grandpa Masahiko!" Under Masahiko's piercing gaze, Sakumo finally changed his form of address.
Watching Sakumo flash away, Masahiko nodded with satisfaction. "It looks like in a few years, I might see Hatake Kakadong?"
Turning back to the five people still training, Masahiko waved his hand. "You heard him; Tobirama is looking for me. Continue training on your own for now."
"Yes, Great Elder!" the three Uzumaki youths responded in unison.
"Go ahead, Great-Great-Grandpa," Tsunade replied, catching her breath. Jiraiya didn't speak but nodded repeatedly.
As Masahiko walked away, Jiraiya slumped onto the ground. "Whew... that old monster, he's killing me..."
Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, his expression changed, and he immediately lowered his head. Sure enough, a small pebble struck behind him, punching a small hole in the ground.
"Old Monster! Are you trying to kill me?"
In the distance, Masahiko slowly nodded and smiled. "Some progress, I see..."
Arriving at the Hokage Building, Masahiko saw Tobirama waiting for him downstairs.
"Waiting for me? What's the rush?"
Tobirama shook his head with a smile. "I'm not waiting for you; the people from the Sand Village have arrived."
"Who came that you're personally welcoming them downstairs? Did the Kazekage come?"
Just as Masahiko asked, he sensed something and looked into the distance.
"It's Elder Chiyo of the Sand Village," Tobirama replied, stepping forward to greet them.
Masahiko's expression shifted several times as he smiled bitterly. No need for an introduction; I've teased her before... He also took a few steps forward but didn't get too close.
Chiyo was leading the team herself, followed by only three Chunin. Looking from afar, Masahiko frowned. Two of the young people looked exceptionally familiar. They carried layered bundles on their backs, likely containing the unique puppets of the Sand Village.
Over there, Tobirama had already started exchanging pleasantries with them, while Masahiko watched from the sidelines.
After some brief small talk, Chiyo noticed Masahiko in the distance. She froze for a moment, her expression changing.
Masahiko smiled and walked over.
"Chiyo-kun, twenty-five years have passed in a flash. You've become an Elder of the Sand Village. Do you regret not coming to the Hidden Leaf with me back then?"
Chiyo's expression was complex. "I didn't expect you to really still be alive..."
Masahiko's face darkened. "What kind of way is that to talk?"
Tobirama was stunned. "Great-Uncle, you... know each other?"
"Ah, back when I went to the Land of Wind to catch the One-Tail, we met. She was only eleven or twelve then. I even thought about kidnapping a genius for the Hidden Leaf!"
Tobirama shook his head with a wry smile. His Great-Uncle really was capable of anything.
The youth in Chiyo's team had a changing expression as he whispered, "Mother, is this old man my father?"
Although his voice was very low, Masahiko's Level 8 Wind Release allowed him to hear it clearly.
Before Chiyo could respond, Masahiko quickly replied, "Young man, you can't just say things like that! You can't just claim relatives just because our hair color is the same!"
Chiyo also shook her head with a bitter smile. "Don't talk nonsense. I told you your father passed away long ago. Besides, Lord Masahiko Uzumaki should be over ninety years old this year."
"The way you put it... although it's true." Masahiko felt a bit awkward.
Beside them, Tobirama looked back and forth and whispered, "Great-Uncle, you..."
"Don't start."
Masahiko replied and carefully observed the young man and woman who looked familiar. The fact that the boy called Chiyo "Mother" made Masahiko remember. In the original story, these two appeared, but only as puppets; they were the parents of Sasori of the Red Sand.
"Three acquaintances and one extra..." Masahiko mused. Only the other youth left no impression. His hair was deep blue; Masahiko felt if he had seen him in his past life, he would have remembered.
Seeing Tobirama arrange for someone to take them to their lodgings, Masahiko didn't stay any longer. He planned to go back and intensify the training for the five youths; Sasori's parents were unlikely to be weak.
Unexpectedly, an Anbu suddenly appeared. "Lord Hokage, the people from the Mist Village have arrived!"
Tobirama was startled. "Who is leading the team?"
"Only one youth!"
"He came alone?" Tobirama took a deep breath. "Bring him here."
Masahiko was stunned. "Alone? Is it confidence, or do they have no one left?"
He was quite curious.
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