Chapter 17: On the Road
Perhaps out of concern for clan affairs, Hashirama and Mito only stayed at the Uzumaki compound for a single night before departing, much to the Uzumaki Clan Head's reluctance.
The group of three that had arrived was now a group of four. With Masahiko in tow, they began the journey back to the Senju compound.
Along the way, Masahiko wore a dark, sullen look, shooting an occasional glare at Tobirama.
Tobirama had no idea how he had offended Masahiko. He certainly had no idea that Masahiko was even (half-jokingly) considering kidnapping him, holding him captive until he invented Edo Tensei, and then finally letting him go...
In this awkward atmosphere, the four of them arrived at the Senju compound.
Seeing the Senju clansmen bow their heads and greet Hashirama as they passed, Masahiko was suddenly reminded that Hashirama was now the head of his clan.
After sending Mito home, Masahiko followed Hashirama to the Clan Head's office. Watching Hashirama capably handle the clan's affairs, Masahiko finally saw the other side of the "God of Shinobi."
About an hour passed. It was already noon, and Masahiko was growing drowsy.
Hashirama finally finished processing the matters that had piled up over the past two days. He spoke up, "Great-Uncle, my apologies for the long wait."
"It's fine. You handle your business. I'll just take a nap," Masahiko replied, half-asleep.
"My brother is finished with his clan affairs, Great-Uncle! We should be leaving!" Tobirama suddenly shouted.
Masahiko was startled. He mumbled to himself, "I really should just kidnap this kid. Force him to invent jutsu for me..."
"No, Tobirama. You'll stay behind this time," Hashirama said. "Great-Uncle and I don't know how long we'll be gone. You stay here and help me handle things..."
'That last part is the real reason, isn't it?' Tobirama thought. 'He's just afraid of coming back to a mountain of paperwork.'
Still, that's all it was—a thought. In the end, he reluctantly agreed.
Hashirama's face lit up. "Great-Uncle, shall we depart? It's a long journey. We'll have to find a small town to rest in tonight, and even then, we won't arrive until tomorrow evening."
"It's that far? In that case, let's eat a good meal first..." Masahiko was starting to feel hungry, and he figured he wouldn't be eating well tonight or tomorrow.
"Alright..." Hashirama said, resigned. He ordered his clansmen to prepare a lavish lunch. After they had eaten their fill, Masahiko finally set out with Hashirama toward the Tenbin clan's territory.
They traveled all afternoon. By evening, they still hadn't found a town to stay in.
It made sense. In this chaotic age, it was a blessing to find any civilian villages at all outside the capital of the Land of Fire.
In the end, Masahiko and Hashirama had no choice but to keep moving. Late at night, they found a small, open area, ate some of their rations, and settled in for the night.
Masahiko wasn't picky. On the contrary, he was a little excited.
'Is this...' he thought, 'the start of My Days of Living and Eating with the God of Shinobi?'
Hashirama, of course, had no idea what was going through Masahiko's mind. He thought for a moment and said, "Great-Uncle, I'll sleep first. You take the first watch, and I'll take the second."
"We have to keep watch? Why don't you just use your Wood Release to build a house?" Masahiko said weakly.
"Er... Oh, right!" Hashirama replied, as if he'd just had a great revelation.
'So, the one handling paperwork must be the fake Hashirama...' Masahiko mumbled to himself.
Hashirama built a wooden house, and the two went inside to rest. The night passed without incident.
The next morning, they quickly packed up, ate, and set off on their journey once more.
They traveled through midday without stopping, finally arriving in the vicinity of the Tenbin clan by evening.
Masahiko sensed the chakra fluctuations from the Tenbin clan. He found that the strongest person in the clan was only approaching the level of a Peak Jonin, but there was a strange feeling mixed in with their chakra.
'Natural energy?' Masahiko wondered. 'But... something's not right. Natural energy shouldn't feel this sinister, should it?'
"Great-Uncle, the Tenbin clan compound is just over there," Hashirama said.
"Ah, I sense it," Masahiko replied. "It's definitely strange. Their chakra levels aren't high, but they have this odd feeling. By the way, where are your Senju troops stationed?"
"They should be right over there," Hashirama said, pointing to the side. He asked, confused, "Great-Uncle, you don't sense them?"
The two looked at each other. Hashirama immediately tensed, worried for the Senju clansmen he had left here.
They searched the area but found no trace of the Senju. It was only after an hour of searching that they finally found the camp... several miles away.
Hashirama's face was etched with worry. He thought his men must have suffered heavy losses, forcing them to retreat so far from the Tenbin compound.
The two of them entered the camp, only to find the situation was not what Hashirama had feared.
The camp was filled with laughter and cheerful voices. The Senju clansmen didn't look like they had been in a major battle at all. It was more like... they were on a camping trip.
"Ah! Lord Clan Head! You've returned!" A few Senju clansmen noticed the two and immediately greeted them.
"Where is Senju Ten'yu?" Hashirama, relieved that his men were safe, was now just confused. He asked for the Peak Jonin he had left in charge.
"The Captain is in the central tent! I'll take you to him," a Jonin said, stepping up to lead the way.
Masahiko and Hashirama entered the central tent. The man in the main seat, Senju Ten'yu, immediately stood up. "Lord Clan Head, you're back!"
"Yes. What happened while I was gone? The men..." Hashirama was full of questions.
"It's like this, my lord. The day after you left, the Tenbin clan proactively sought peace. The Tenbin Clan Head explained that his people had only attacked our clansmen while they were 'out of their minds,' and he also compensated us with a large amount of resources."
"So, since the other side apologized, we felt it wasn't right to continue camping right on their doorstep. We moved the camp here to await your return," Senju Ten'yu explained.
"So now... are the men outside... having a banquet?" Hashirama asked.
"Er..." Senju Ten'yu looked ashamed. "The men have been at war for years and haven't had a proper break in a long time. Since there was nothing to do, I... let them have a party to relax a bit."
"It's fine," Hashirama said. "As long as everyone is safe, I'm relieved." He then turned to Masahiko. "Great-Uncle, I'm so sorry... It seems you may have come all this way for nothing."
"It's no problem," Masahiko said with a smile. "I'll just treat it as a nice trip to clear my head."
"Lord Clan Head, there's one more thing," Senju Ten'yu spoke up again. "The Tenbin Clan Head wished to see you when you returned. It seems he has something else he needs to discuss with you. However... your safety..."
"Alright, I understand. We'll rest for the night, and I'll go see him tomorrow," Hashirama replied. He was clearly confident in his own ability to handle any safety concerns. "Great-Uncle, would you like to come with me?"
"Yes, I'll go too." Masahiko, thinking of the strange chakra he had sensed, agreed without hesitation.
He had a feeling this trip wouldn't be a waste after all.