Long Live The Hokage

Konohagakure, the 12th year, December the 30th. Tomorrow will be New Year’s Day, but the entire Konoha is shrouded with a sad and gloomy atmosphere; even the sky has turned gray.

Today, Konoha held Hashirama’s funeral.

The funeral arrangement was not complicated. On the open space of the Konoha cemetery, a row of tables was placed, the tables were covered with white clothes, some white flowers on the charts. A black and white photo of Hashirama was hung behind the table.

Masahiko, who was dressed in black, stood there with the people who come to pay their respect. While Mito and the elders were standing in the front row.

Ahead, Tobirama personally presided over the funeral and talked for a while about Hashirama’s life.

After that, the crowd burst into sobbing and crying. Masahiko carefully observed the people, the sobbing and crying were coming from the two girls who discussed before how long can Hashirama live.

Masahiko still vividly remembers their words, “I’m sorry to disappoint you, I couldn’t save him in the end…”

Masahiko couldn’t hold himself any longer; thus, he walked around for a while. When the speech was over, the crowd moved forward a little by little toward Hashirama’s grave, holding white flowers in their hands.

Masahiko shook his head, then walked toward Tobirama.

“You’re brother was right about you…”

There was a moment of silence. “Masahiko sighed, “You’re really bad at lying. You can keep that tough expression on your face for as long as you want, but I know that you’re crying deep inside…”

After saying this, Masahiko also took a white flowed and walked toward Hashirama’s photo. Scratching his head, “No matter how long I searched, I’ve never found out where they sell camera in this world… If I could get my hand on a video camera, I would have recorded the funeral…”

“When I think about it, I doubt that anyone would be sad at my funeral… Actually, I want my funeral to be very happy… I will show it to you someday, Hashirama…”

On the side, Kenichiro was also holding a flower in his head, looking at Masahiko with reddish eyes.

“Sensei… Are you… leaving us too?”

Masahiko got startled, then his face turned pale, “No! I don’t mean that what I mean is…” Masahiko didn’t know how to explain it, so he turned and left.

After a few steps, Masahiko turned around again, “Yeah… After this funeral, I will go out for a while. I want to travel and see the world. Tell Nanako and Yuriko that they don’t need to worry about me…”

Upon saying that, Kenichiro’s eyes got even redder, and seemed like he was about to burst out. Masahiko couldn’t help but sigh, but he never dared to stay and see it.

On his way back, Masahiko saw six familiar figures. After thinking for a while, he remembered then that they were Tobirama and Hashirama’s six disciples.

“These six disciples are about 21 years old… This is their prime.” Masahiko muttered. “I remember in the original, after the Chunin Exams arc, there was such a funeral for Sarutobi… It’s their time now to step up. I wonder if you’re happy or sad about this, Hashirama.”

When Masahiko walked forward and saw how sad Mito was, but he didn’t know how to comfort her.

The face of this girl, who hasn’t changed for thirty years, brought him back old memories; when Masahiko took her to the Senju clan for the marriage. Hashirama, back then, was a shy boy… The past played back in his mind like a movie.

“Second Grandpa, let’s go…” Tobirama’s voice interrupted Masahiko’s thoughts. He realized now that he got lost in his dreams for more than an hour. The funeral was already over, and the crowd has been dispersed…

“Old age… leaves you with nothing but memories…”

Looking around, only Tobirama and Mito were left. Kenji and Aika already went home to take care of the crying Tsunade.

Masahiko went silent for a while, then he slightly shook his head “I won’t go back.”

Tobirama and Mito got confused, Masahiko then explained, “I’m about to be 81 years old tomorrow, I’ve lived for so many years. But I’ve only left this land once, I went to the Land of the Wind for half a month, I feel that’s not enough…”

“I’m planning on hiding my identity and traveling around the Shinobi world, I want to see the whole picture…”

Mito felt sad, but took the initiative to say, “Second Grandpa, I hope your travel would be safe, I hope that you will one day return. We will always be waiting for you… And I hope I will see you again in my lifetime.”

Masahiko’s eyes widened, “Your lifetime? Mito, do you think your Grandpa is willing to leave for that long?”

“Rest assured, the world is not safe yet. I need to gather some information, but if anything occurred, I would go back in time.”

Silence controlled the place for a moment, then Tobirama said, “Second Grandpa, please be careful…”

Masahiko shook his head and said, “Hashirama and Madara have already left this world. No one in this world can threaten me. Now what is really worrying me is other villages…”

When Masahiko mentioned Hashirama, they stopped talking for a moment.

Masahiko quickly shifted the topic, “I will be an alias in the Shinobi World. Maybe we will meet, and you won’t recognize me then.” Masahiko looked at Tobirama, “And you know I will do some pranks on you when that happens…”

Tobirama nodded, but he couldn’t help but feel confused, “In fact, I’ve always wanted to ask you about your age… But if you don’t feel like it, you don’t need to answer.”

Masahiko felt speechless. He was trying to find a way out of this. But then Mito rushed to interrupt, and said, “Second Grandpa, can live for 500 years for some reason. As for the specific reason, I’m not quite sure.”

Masahiko got puzzled, “Five hundred years? When did I ever tell you that I can live for five hundred years?”

Mito looked surprised, “Didn’t you sing that before, uncle?”

“Sing that?” Masahiko first wondered, but then he remembered that he once sang an adapted version of “let’s Borrow another 500 years from heaven” song in front of her. (T/N: let’s Borrow another 500 years from heaven: The theme song of the Chinese famous TV series Kangxi Dynasty.”

“So, this is the reason why Mito has always had doubts about my age?” Masahiko scratched his head and murmured.

“Hahaha…” Masahiko smiled awkwardly, “Yes, it is, but not necessarily 500, or maybe 400, maybe 300 years… or even tomorrow, who knows?”

The two obviously didn’t believe him…

“Well, they believe that I can live for 500 years because I’ve developed some special technique or something…” This is way better than eternal life, Masahiko sighed, then said to himself, “Well, if that’s the case, I would have only borrowed 200 years, it would be closer to normal people, better than see everyone die…”

Masahiko sighed and waved his hand. He then returned to the Uzumaki mansion and packed up his luggage. In fact, it just some money and some seal-scroll. He didn’t bid farewell to another people and directly left the village.

Ten miles away from Konoha, Masahiko took a deep breath and shouted, “The world is so big! I want to see it!”

“Uh, when I think about it, it’s really not that big, I don’t think it will take me a long time if I fly…”

Then suddenly, a drop of water fell on Masahiko’s right cheek. He looked up, and it was raining…

“Gotta find a raincoat or find a place to shelter me from the rain… What a nice way to begin my adventure…”