The next morning, Masahiko stumbled out of his room with a pair of panda eyes, heading toward the cn's reception hall. As he passed by some younger cn members who were out for their morning training, they couldn’t help but sneak sideways gnces at him. However, in a surprisingly good mood, Masahiko didn’t pay them any mind.

  Once he entered the hall, he realized he had gotten there too early from all the excitement—only a few cn members tasked with cleaning had arrived. The wedding procession wouldn't even arrive until noon, meaning there were still three hours left and two hours until the official assembly. After the rush of excitement wore off, exhaustion began to set in. Since there was still plenty of time, Masahiko sat down in a chair and fell asleep almost immediately.

  Two hours passed quickly. The cn members who were to join the procession arrived one by one. These individuals were the true elites of the cn—every single one was at least an elite jōnin. In other words, each of them had superior combat abilities compared to Masahiko. They all noticed that he was still asleep and, without a word, simply smiled. They were probably used to it by now. Before long, the cn leader and three elders entered, taking their seats at the head of the table. The cn leader cleared his throat, and the room immediately fell silent. Just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of the still-sleeping Masahiko. He had no choice but to address him:

  “Uncle, wake up. Stop sleeping.”

  “Mmm...” Masahiko opened his eyes, revealing the dark circles under them for everyone to see.

  “Pfft.” A cn member couldn’t hold back and chuckled. This set off a chain reaction, and soon the whole room was filled with ughter.

  Masahiko gnced around, looking completely confused.

  “Alright, alright, stop ughing. Let’s get down to business!” The cn leader’s voice broke through the ughter at the crucial moment.

  “Soon, the Senju cn’s wedding procession will arrive. Let’s give them a grand welcome and send off Mizuho in style.”

  “That’s right,” the elder continued, “This marriage will solidify our retionship with the Senju cn, allowing us to better protect our people in this chaotic era of the Warring States. Everyone, make sure to treat this seriously.”

  At that moment, the second elder cast a side gnce at Masahiko and spoke, “Cn Leader, considering how important this alliance is, is it wise to send only Masahiko with them? Isn’t it a bit too risky?”

  “It’s fine,” the cn leader replied, pretending not to hear the sarcasm in the second elder's words. “The Senju cn will ensure the safety on the road. We have nothing to worry about. I’m just sending Masahiko along to look after Mizuho. Once she’s settled in, whether it’s a month or half a month, Masahiko can return.”

  The third elder opened his eyes slightly as if to say something, but when he saw the first elder give him a subtle look, he shut his mouth and said nothing.

  “Looks like the three elders don’t have anything to add. Does anyone else have something to say?” the cn leader asked.

  Masahiko gnced up, then quickly lowered his head as if their discussion had nothing to do with him. In his mind, he muttered, Damn Uzumaki Seihon (second elder), did you really have to hold a grudge for 40 years just because I teased you a little when we were kids?

  Just then, a young voice spoke up. “Cn Leader, please allow me to accompany the procession. Mizuho’s safety must be ensured.” The speaker was Uzumaki Kuruto, who shared a character name with Masahiko’s distant retive, Naruto. Masahiko saw Kuruto as another person with the main character aura. At just 20 years old, he already had strength exceeding most elite jōnin. Since the cn leader only had one daughter, Mizuho, there had been jokes in the cn that Kuruto might marry her and become the next cn leader. But now it seemed that Kuruto’s protagonist aura had expired...

  “No need, Kuruto. Leave it to Masahiko. Although you’re strong, some things still need the experience of the older generation,” the cn leader declined.

  “Hey, hey, Cn Leader’s nephew, with you saying that, it sounds like I’m just a weak old man... Uh, wait, maybe I am,” Masahiko chimed in.

  With that, the atmosphere rexed, and smiles returned to everyone’s faces. Just then, a guard pushed open the door and entered. “Cn Leader, the Senju wedding procession has arrived!”

  “So soon? Let’s go welcome them!” The cn leader immediately gave the order.

  A group of people filed out and arrived at the entrance of the cn grounds. Sure enough, a rge group awaited outside. A quick gnce revealed three peak jōnin, eight elite jōnin—the Senju cn certainly lived up to their reputation.

  “This is a true I-can’t-believe-it moment. In the world of Hokage, there’s actually a panquin? And the people carrying it are just four ordinary jōnin? This is really embarrassing,” Masahiko mumbled to himself.

  “What’s wrong, Uncle? Did you say something?”

  “Nothing, nothing,” Masahiko waved it off.

  At that moment, a figure emerged from behind the panquin. With three blue streaks of paint on each side of his face and chin, it was none other than the younger version of Senju Tobirama.

  “Well, well, it’s the familiar stranger. Finally meeting you, Second Hokage,” Masahiko muttered again.

  The cn leader shot him a side gnce but said nothing. Perhaps he was used to his second uncle's quirks by now. “Tobirama, I hope you don’t mind me calling you that. It’s been a long journey; please, come in and rest for a moment. Have some tea.”

  “No need to trouble you, Cn Leader Uzumaki. We must depart once my wife is ready. We need to get back to the cn before nightfall and conduct the wedding ceremony,” Tobirama replied.

  “Unexpectedly polite...” Masahiko, lost in his own thoughts, didn’t realize that everyone around him could hear him clearly.

  Tobirama twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth but didn’t say anything. After all, Masahiko was his elder. The first elder quickly interjected, “Someone, go get Mizuho. Is everything packed?”

  The second elder followed up, “Tobirama, let me introduce you to the renowned Uzumaki Masahiko. He’ll be accompanying the procession to look after Mizuho.”

  Tobirama’s mouth twitched again. It’s really him!

  He immediately refused, “No need. We have three peak jōnin, eight elite jōnin, and myself. There’s no need for extra protection.”

  “It’s not about doubting your ability to protect her. She’s my only daughter. I can’t go myself, so I’ve asked Masahiko to accompany her. Once he returns, I’ll have him describe the wedding for me so I, as her father, can share in the joy,” the cn leader expined.

  “Well, why not get someone else to describe it...?” Tobirama thought, but he didn’t voice the words.

  At this point, Mizuho, accompanied by two female ninjas, stepped out. She bowed to the cn leader and the three elders, nodded to Tobirama, then turned and entered the panquin.

  “In that case, let’s leave as soon as possible, Cn Leader Uzumaki,” Tobirama ordered.

  “Alright, take care on the road. Masahiko, make sure you look after Mizuho,” the cn leader called out.

  “Don’t worry, Cn Leader!” The smile on Masahiko’s face, although slightly aged, was reassuring.

  “Let’s go!” Tobirama commanded, and the procession slowly left the Uzumaki cn grounds.

  Masahiko began a new journey...

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