Chapter 128: Supernatural Events in the Ninja Villages
"Truly a genius... geniuses probably all have a bit of a rebellious streak," Masahiko muttered, weighing the bracelet in his hand.
This was an item Yuna-kun had left behind. It was capable of shielding all the chakra fluctuations within a person's body. It was so potent that even after Masahiko put it on, he felt as if he had no chakra at all. Usually, those trying to guard against sensory ninjas look for external solutions, but Yuna-kun had started with the source and researched this device.
"This thing didn't exist in the original story. It's incredibly convenient," Masahiko sighed, looking at the slightly dejected Sakumo Hatake nearby.
Tobirama and Sakumo had both returned one after another, but clearly, they had found nothing. Masahiko also handed Yuna-kun's letter to Sakumo. After reading it, Sakumo's expression became quite complex.
"Tobirama, tell Hiruzen about this. Have him send trusted Anbu to search in secret; don't make a big scene out of it. If it becomes common knowledge, Yuna-kun will be in even greater danger."
It was a well-known fact that the Uzumaki clan's constitution and sealing techniques were highly coveted. Since Yuna-kun was the daughter of the current Uzumaki clan head, countless major and minor villages would likely "search" for her if word got out.
Tobirama nodded. "I understand."
Masahiko then looked toward Izuko, feeling a bit of a headache. "Izuko, don't be so worried. You have to believe in Yuna-kun. Remember, I took you to the battlefield when you were only 12. Yuna-kun is 19 and has such a high IQ..."
As Masahiko spoke, even he felt himself trailing off. He had been confident he could protect Izuko back then, but Yuna-kun had left on her own accord. He glanced at Dozan, who had been receiving "education" from Mito for over an hour nearby, and let out a long sigh. "I almost wish she had taken Dozan with her."
Izuko was silent for a moment before looking up at Masahiko. "Sensei..."
Masahiko waved his hand, interrupting her. "Yuna-kun has rarely left the Land of Whirlpools, and even when she did, it was usually to Konoha. Not many people know her face. You are the Uzumaki clan head; if you show up in other villages, it will cause trouble. It's better if I go. I'll send out several Shadow Clones to search for her in different directions."
Izuko hesitated, but Masahiko continued, "You should go back now and keep the news of Yuna-kun's departure a secret. Don't let the clansmen spread rumors; it would be very troublesome if the news leaked."
Izuko nodded. "Then, Sensei, I'm counting on you." She turned and headed back to the Whirlpool.
"Counting on me..." Masahiko smiled bitterly. "Where do I even start looking for a single person in this vast ninja world? This world doesn't have telephone signals or GPS, and it's not convenient to go around asking."
In truth, Masahiko didn't have much hope of finding her quickly. He could only hope for a surprise later on or that she would return once she'd had her fill of exploring.
"The bigger headache is right here," Masahiko glanced at Sakumo. "There's no hope for a Hatake Kakadong anymore. I just hope I haven't accidentally erased Hatake Kakashi from existence as well."
"Sigh, if I had known, I wouldn't have tried to play matchmaker. I'm still a 'single dog' myself..." Masahiko shook his head and lamented.
The Global Alarm
Surprisingly, after a month had passed, Sakumo seemed to have moved on completely. If he weren't a bit more silent than usual, Masahiko would have thought the whole thing had been a one-sided concern.
As Masahiko expected, against Yuna-kun's black technology and genius mind, the Anbu found nothing. Masahiko's Shadow Clones, however, had some "success." He had investigated the ninja status of almost every village in the world.
During this time, "supernatural events" occurred across the ninja world. Every village equipped with sensory ninja detection equipment had their alarms triggered. It was Masahiko's Shadow Clones performing a final, symbolic attempt to find Yuna-kun by activating Kagura's Mind Eye at maximum range before dispelling themselves.
Every time Masahiko received the memory of a dispelled Shadow Clone, his disappointment grew, but he also felt somewhat baffled. Every single clone did the exact same thing. It suggested that if he were out there himself, he would do the same, yet he didn't consider himself the type of person who liked causing trouble...
To avoid suspicion, Masahiko also used a wide-range Kagura's Mind Eye in Konoha, setting off the alarms there as well.
Because of this, alarms had gone off in every village, but not a single village caught a culprit. The ninja world, which had been peaceful for only two years, was suddenly filled with turmoil, mutual suspicion, and guardedness. It felt like any small spark could cause an explosion.
"However, Sunagakure and Kumogakure have actually succeeded in researching Jinchuriki," Masahiko noted, frowning.
His Shadow Clones had passed back some useful information. Two years ago, Sunagakure successfully sealed Shukaku into the body of a monk, though he was kept imprisoned because the seal was unstable.
It was the same for the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki in Kumogakure. However, to Masahiko's surprise, their Two-Tails Jinchuriki was relatively mature; the Jinchuriki was even able to briefly manipulate the Tailed Beast's chakra.
"I always feel like Kumogakure is the village best at research in the Naruto world."
Masahiko didn't keep the information to himself; he shared the intelligence with Tobirama, knowing Hiruzen would naturally find out as well.
"Not finding Yuna-kun might actually be good news. At least this proves she hasn't been captured by another village. If even I can't find her, the other villages certainly can't."
The Human Limit
"Now then, the next step is improving my own strength!"
Over the past month, Masahiko had raised his Gentle Fist to Level 7. He was surprised to find that his "Tai" (Taijutsu/Body) attribute on the status bar had increased by over a hundred points, confirming his previous hypothesis.
"The Second Great Ninja War isn't far off. I don't know which villages are eyeing the Uzumaki, but this time, I want to hit them so hard they never dare to look at the Land of Whirlpools again!"
In the days that followed, Masahiko devoted all his energy to practicing the Gentle Fist. In the blink of an eye, two more years passed, and the timeline approached Year 29 of Konoha.
Yuna-kun had still not been found. Although Masahiko was worried, he kept comforting himself. Meanwhile, his Gentle Fist had made exaggerated progress...
"Perhaps the Gentle Fist—well, Tai Chi—really is suited for old people?"
Gentle Fist LV8 (1,101,030 / 5,000,000)
"I didn't expect the Gentle Fist to be my first attribute to reach Level 8 through my own effort. And there's no bottleneck; that's great news."
Masahiko paused his training and went to Tobirama's home once more. Tobirama's body had weakened to a certain point; he would likely struggle to even kill a Chunin now. Aside from someone like Masahiko, even the strongest ninja cannot defeat time.
Masahiko sensed his condition and let out a sigh. "Tobirama, I've come to say goodbye. I'm going back to the Whirlpool."
Tobirama was startled. "You..."
Masahiko shook his head. "I've stayed long enough. I won't attend your funeral... we will meet again!"
"Is that so? Well then..."
Masahiko said simple goodbyes to his few acquaintances in Konoha and returned to the Whirlpool. Less than half a month later, news arrived from the Hidden Leaf.
The Second Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, Tobirama Senju, has passed away!
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