Chapter 20

After bringing Masaki to the Shikkotsu Forest for the first time, Hashirama no longer needs to lead the way for Masaki. Every day the small Slugs in the Shikkotsu Forest will use the reverse summoning technique to bring Masaki from Konoha to the Shikkotsu Forest and then he went to drink to the spring.

Masaki had no curiosity about other places in the Shikkotsu Forest. He just went to drink a bowl of the spring water and then the little Slug who stayed in Konoha gave summon back after three o'clock.

　　 He have to admit that the spring water in the Shikkotsu Forest has a very obvious effect. In just one week Masaki can feel his strength increase clearly and the condensed Chakra is better than before in terms of quality and quantity. In this regard Masaki was very pleased and he worked harder in his practice on weekdays adapting to his growing strength.

If possible Masaki hopes that this change can continue. However just like the secret medicine, the effect of spring water on the human body will gradually decrease over time.

Masaki feels a little regretful but he also accepts this result. Although drinking more spring water may bring about the same benefits as when he first started taking it however considering its "side effects" Masaki He didn't choose this approach. He wanted to strengthen his physique but he didn't want to risk his life.

Even so Masaki's physique is far beyond what he used to be. According to Hashirama, Masaki's current physique can be compared with some of the Senju tribe with a strong bloodline. Back then His physique was not even comparable even to Rimi who is a woman.

After personally feeling the physical improvement, Masaki really envied the descendants of those Sage of Six Paths. In comic called him a god. Now he is Sincerely wanting to agree with those people, the descendants of Sage of Six Paths are all lucky by nature.

　　 Fortunately, although Masaki does not have the real bloodline Sage of Six Paths, he can still experience the power that those Sage of Six Paths under the nourishment of spring water. Even if he doesn't use the Sage mode, he can gradually keep up with the Hashirama teaching and he has a higher level of control over the Sage mode.

　　The practice under Hashirama and Tobirama is lively and time is passing quickly and soon in the tenth year of the establishment of Konoha, Masaki continued to be busy at the same time also have a trace of worry. According to the development of the story, Uchiha Madara will strike this year or next year, and Hashirama will die in few years.

In another world many people are speculating about why monsters like Hashirama would die. Kazemori believes that Hashirama was injured in the war with Uchiha Madara which directly affected his life. Hashirama is not a true Sage. Even the Sage of Six Paths will die because of old age. Hashirama cannot be compared with the Sage of Six Paths. It is very normal to die due to internal losses in successive wars.

　　 What's more is Uchiha Madara who returned with the nine tails was so threatening to Hashirama that he was almost exhausted. Only by relying on the other party's equally weak body and tricking him with a wooden clone did Uchiha Madara's can pretend dead.

In Masaki's heart he has regarded Hashirama as his father. He really wants to prevent Hashirama from dying but Uchiha Madara who will returned with the nine tails is too powerful. In the entire Shinobi World only Hashirama can block Uchiha Madara. Facing such an opponent Hashirama must do his best.

If you gather the power of other people you may be able to share the pressure Hashirama. However there are only a handful of masters like this, considering the possibility the uncertain time for Uchiha Madara's return, whether Hashirama will available in the attack etc. Masaki discovered sadly that it seemed unavoidable for Hashirama to face Uchiha Madara alone.

　　 Sometimes the disputes between people who are too powerful even make people have no chance to intervene. Masaki really realized this fact.

Masaki couldn't find any way. Even if he came up with some plans he would find that there was no feasibility after careful confirmation. He seemed to be able to accept that Hashirama would die shortly after the war with Uchiha Madara. The only thing that can give back to Hashirama is to try to protect the painstaking effort left Hashirama.

Masaki and others encountered another incident. Hashirama asked the seven of them to gather in Hokage's Tower. There were Hashirama and the Tobirama and there was a middle-aged man dressed as a commoner next to him.

　　 "Everyone, he hopes to entrust a mission to our village. After careful consideration I and Tobirama decided to take this mission so I asked you to carry it out." Hashirama pointed to the middle-aged man and said.

Everyone was taken aback. Shinobis are usually hired by a certain lord to perform various tasks and the current Konoha is directly employed by the Fire country. Shinobi service right now does not accept the commission from civilians, even in the Warring States period when the Shinobi status was low.

Today's Konoha is composed of large and small Shinobis. Even the orphans who are taken in have a Shinobi clan. Regardless of whether it is clear or not the inheritance of clan, they should be regarded as a part of the Shinobi. For example Masaki or someone who is taken in by the existing clan such as Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

　　Each Shinobi is assigned land by the village to live on according to its status. Even if there is only one person left like Masaki will be managed by the Senju clan. In other words the Shinobis in Konoha can now be self-sufficient and can guarantee their survival without having to perform other tasks.

However the Konoha of later generations because of the large influx of civilians and the Shinobi Academy system established, in the interim the civilian Shinobis without clan heritage appear, but they do not have the land owned by the clan, so naturally their live hood cannot be guaranteed by this method. To survive you can only accept tasks to earn your own living expenses. Perhaps because of this, in the future Konoha will accept all kinds of weird tasks.

　　 Hashirama and Tobirama may have anticipated the situation in the future, so they have made preparations in advance. Of course it may also be because this middle-aged person is a bit miserable and Hashirama have moved because of his compassion before they decide to accept the other party's request. Judging from the character of Hashirama, Masaki thinks the latter is more likely. No matter how smart he is, his possibility of foreseeing the next situation is relatively small.

　　 "Ichiro-san please explain to them." Hashirama said to the middle-aged man with a smile.

The middle-aged man named Ichiro looked at the seven young people in front of him cautiously. He had no chance to come into contact with the group of Shinobis because of his ordinary background. He came to giving it a try and was almost thrown out of by Tobirama. Occasionally he just happened to bump into Hashirama passing by so he brought him here.

"My name is Ichiro a farmer who lives in the village on the other side of the mountain." Ichiro said "We were living peacefully but recently a group of bandits appeared there and came to our village from time to time. Disturbing the village peace. We really can't bear it, but we don't know what to do. Occasionally I heard them talk about things here saying that you can do things as long as you have money. Also by listening to their tone it's seems that they were afraid of you, so I thought maybe you could help so—"

Ichiro quickly took out a tattered bag from his clothes with some old money in it and said "I hope you can drive away those people please!" and he also bow.

The seven looked at each other. To be honest the money the middle-aged man took out was too little to allow the Shinobis to take a trip. However Hashirama and Tobirama said that they would take up the task, so they couldn't say anything. Masaki stepped forward to raise the middle-aged man and said "Don't worry we will accept this task."

　　 "Really?" Ichiro was overjoyed. He was actually worried that the money could not impress the people in front of him. Although he looked young it made Ichiro feel scared.

"Ichiro-san came from afar, he must be very tired. Let's take a rest first. We will go right away. Maybe when you wake up our task will be completed." Masaki saw the exhaustion on Ichiro's face. Said with a smile.

Ichiro naturally will be suspicious but Masaki's tone is very confident. For some reason Ichiro feels that he can trust the person in front of him. As his mentality relaxes the exhaustion of the journey suddenly surges up making him almost fall to the ground. Kagami immediately held the him, and looked at Hashirama and Tobirama nodded and took Ichiro out to rest.

"...The situation of the mission is like this." Hashirama told the remaining six people about the location of the village and some of the situation and then said "I don't have any requirements. You can deal with it according to the situation. Although this task is very simple, I hope you can show the results of your practice."

　　 The six people responded with a "yes" and bowed to the two of them and they went out together gathered with the returning Kagami and rushed to the village where Ichiro was.