Chapter 24 - Grab the Bell

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Within the Sarutobi Clan's territory.

Akio wandered around idly while Hashirama and Tobirama had already been invited into the reception hall to discuss the alliance. In truth, it was nothing more than negotiations over the distribution of benefits before the battle had even begun.

Uninterested in their endless bargaining, Akio chose to take a stroll on his own.

The Sarutobi Clan's land was quite expansive. While it couldn't compare to the Senju or Uzumaki territories, it was certainly on par with the Kaguya Clan.

Come to think of it, the entire western region of the Land of Fire felt vast yet sparsely populated, and the land itself wasn't particularly fertile.

"Could it be due to its proximity to the Land of Wind, causing severe desertification?"

Akio suddenly recalled a term from his past life—desertification—and for a moment, he felt his own knowledge level rise.

As he let his mind wander, he found himself in a secluded corner of the Sarutobi territory.

There, he spotted two young boys sparring.

They appeared to be around twelve or thirteen—the same age Naruto was when he graduated from the Academy—yet their strength was already at the level of an average Jonin.

Watching them, Akio couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. If not for his ability to accumulate Witness Points, he wouldn't have reached Jonin level until he was nearly forty-nine.

"Kids these days really don't give others a chance to breathe…" he muttered to himself.

Hearing his voice, the two boys halted their sparring and turned to look at him, their expressions filled with curiosity. It was obvious they had never seen someone with red hair before.

One of the boys hesitated before speaking, "I heard that the people from the Uzumaki Clan in the far east of the Land of Fire have red hair. Are you from the Uzumaki Clan, uncle?"

Akio couldn't help but chuckle at being called "uncle." While it was nice being the great-uncle of Hashirama and Tobirama, it still stung to be addressed as an old man. He grinned and replied,

"Kid, you've got a sharp eye!"

He wasn't sure if he was complimenting the boy for recognizing his clan or for calling him "uncle."

The two boys exchanged glances, clearly unsure why Akio was so pleased.

The other boy hesitated before asking, "Uncle, do you have business here?"

"No, just wandering around," Akio replied with a smile. "Since I have nothing better to do and you two seem promising, how about I give you some pointers?"

With that, he formed a Rasengan in his palm and slammed it into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

"See this? A ninjutsu that requires no hand seals! I have a bell here"—he performed a transformation jutsu on a shuriken to make it look like a bell—"whoever manages to take it from me will learn this technique."

Akio clearly had a mischievous side, as he was now playing the classic bell-snatching game.

The two boys eyed each other before looking at the crater left by the Rasengan. Clearly tempted, they both responded simultaneously, "Then we won't hold back!"

However, instead of charging in recklessly, they first tested the waters by throwing several kunai before retreating into the nearby bushes.

Unlike Naruto, who had a one-track mind, these children, raised in the Warring States period, had keen battle instincts. They instantly recognized Akio as a formidable opponent and knew better than to rush in blindly.

Of course, Akio wasn't Kakashi. He had the Uzumaki Clan's sensory abilities, making their hiding tactics ineffective against him.

To avoid discouraging them, Akio pretended to search for them. However, his acting was rather poor—not only was he looking around aimlessly, but he even checked the sky as if they might suddenly pull off a "Buddha Palm" technique… His intention to lure them out was painfully obvious.

As expected, Akio sensed the boys constantly shifting their hiding spots.

After ten minutes of this game of hide-and-seek, he finally spoke up.

"Alright, enough hiding… I have sensory abilities, so even if you hide until tomorrow, you won't be able to ambush me."

Hearing this, the two boys reluctantly emerged from the bushes, their faces slightly flushed with embarrassment. They decided to go on the offensive instead.

"Ken!" one of them called out.

"Got it! Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet!" the other responded, spitting out several high-pressure wind spheres toward Akio.

This was merely a feint to create an opening for his teammate. After all, there was only one bell, but ninjutsu could be shared, so there was no need to compete against each other.

Unexpectedly, Akio dodged the attack rather clumsily.

The boy who had been waiting for an opening to steal the bell stopped in his tracks and asked awkwardly, "Uncle… are you sure you can handle us both at once?"

Akio laughed and gave him a thumbs-up. "Kid, your psychological warfare is on point! And your partner… he's not, by any chance, the legendary Toad Ken, is he?"

"You're the toad!" the other boy fumed, his face turning red. "My name is Shimura Ken!"

"Ah, my bad, my bad. Let's continue—I won't get distracted this time."

Shimura Ken held back his frustration and ordered, "Sasuke, you take the feint this time."

"Pfft…" Akio couldn't hold it in anymore. He doubled over, laughing.

The two boys looked at each other, puzzled. Was something wrong with this uncle?

"Alright, you win. One's named Toad Ken, and the other's 'Second Pillar'—I concede!" Akio finally caught his breath and said.

"Then, Uzumaki Uncle, does this mean we win the bell challenge?" Shimura Ken asked.

Akio's smile stiffened. "It's Uzumaki Akio—not 'Uzumaki Uncle.'"

The other boy sighed. "I'm Sarutobi Sasuke, not 'Second Pillar.'"

"Alright, alright," Akio conceded. "Since you two gave me such a good laugh, I'll teach you both this jutsu."

He then spent the next hour explaining the principles, training methods, and advanced applications of the Rasengan.

As the two boys began practicing, Akio wandered off in another direction.

"Wait a minute… Sarutobi Sasuke? Isn't that the Third Hokage's father? That means the Third might learn Rasengan now! Oh well, not a big deal…"

"Hold on… If Sarutobi Sasuke was training with Shimura Ken, does that mean Ken is Danzo's father? Danzo learning the Rasengan…"

"Never mind. I'll deal with it when the time comes."

Akio mused for a while before deciding not to worry about the future. He had plenty of time to handle whatever Danzo might do.

After wandering for a bit longer without finding anything interesting, he thought about checking on the boys' progress, only for Tobirama to suddenly appear beside him with a Body Flicker.

"Great-Uncle, Big Brother has finished the negotiations. Tomorrow, we'll take control of the iron mine and hold our position there. For now, the Sarutobi Clan has prepared a feast. He asked me to fetch you."

Akio rubbed his stomach and grinned. "Perfect timing—I was getting hungry. Let's eat."

Compared to food, Sarutobi Sasuke and Shimura Ken were far less important.

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