Chapter 76: The Anbu

At the end of the eighth year of Konoha, the World of Shinobi, which had long years of peace, begin to enter turmoil.

It has been a few months since the end of the great battle in Valley of the End. Even the villager gets the news, the first Hokage has been heavily injured, and it's most likely that he will die soon…

"Second grandpa, is peace really difficult to achieve?" Hashirama knew how difficult it was for Tobirama to fill his place, and now he's getting really depressed and somehow sad.

Masahiko smiled and shook his head, "Peace will come, and you will see that day."

Followed by moments of silence, Hashirama murmured, "Madara…"

Masahiko noticed the evident touch of grief on Hashirama's expression. He knew how hard it must be for him. If it was before, Masahiko would have made a joke about Madara, and Hashirama will get so protective. But after what happened to both of them…

"Did something happen in the Valley that I don't know?" Masahiko muttered. "Madara should have noticed that I was manipulated by Zetsu. Didn't… Hashirama notice that? It was noticeable. But he never asked me about it…"

Masahiko felt that something is not right, but he didn't know exactly what's going on. After all, even he didn't expect Zetsu to appear in front of Madara that earlier.

While Masahiko was thinking about this, a clansman knocked on the door. "Hokage-Sama," He nodded to him, "Great Elder, the Second Hokage wishes to see you!"

Masahiko sighed and looked at Hashirama, "See how it's done? He sent someone to inform me. Since the day he became the Hokage, he started to act more like it than you were."

Hashirama shook his head with a bitter smile, then said, "Yes, yes, I am the big brother who's growing less impressive each day."

Masahiko glared at him." Shame on you…" He shook his head, then went out.

Masahiko came to the Hokage building and got asked to join an assembly.

When he entered the room, Masahiko frowned and found out that the other elders were also invited.

"What happened?"

Without waiting for Tobirama, Izumi opened the talk, "Masahiko… Grandpa, you came because Tobirama summoned you, right? Great-grandfather with all due respect you are already retired from the elder position. And we are discussing whether or not our Village needs additional security organization. We have already established the Konoha Police Force. Why does the Second Hokage need another organization, what's the use of this?" Izumi kept talking while winking at Masahiko.

The big nephew next to Masahiko looked at him with widened eyes, wondering when did he form such a good relationship with the Uchiha Clan.

Masahiko got startled, "Why is he winking? Is he gay?"

"First of all, don't you ever do that winking thing again… Second of all, you have to call Tobirama, Second Hokage-Sama!" Masahiko said, "I'm the only one who has the right to call him just the Second Hokage, I'm I right, Tobirama?"

Tobirama sighed a long one, then said, "Second Grandpa… We've been so busy lately. The peace that the World of Shinobi had before won't last longer than this…"

Masahiko nodded, knowing what Tobirama was talking about, "So you have decided to set up a new assassination group, but what kind of organization is…"

"It's a special assassination tactical unit!" Tobirama added.

"I thought a lot, and I've…"

"Wait, what? The Anbu?" Masahiko said, with a strange grimace.

Seeing the confusion of the others' faces, Masahiko quickly said, "I think it is a great idea! Oh yes, so it wasn't established yet, what do you want me to do?"

Tobirama looked at the four elders then shook his head and said, "The four elders disagree…"

Masahiko looked at the Nara Patriarch and the Hyuga Patriarch, "What? So you're taking the Uchiha's side now?!"

The situation got awkward for a moment.

Tobirama sighed helplessly, "Second Grandpa, let's go outside and have a few words…"

Outside of the meeting room, Tobirama then explained the situation to Masahiko.

The Uchiha didn't agree because the Anbu will be a restrictively elite force under the Hokage himself, and Konoha's Police Force will not have anything to do with them, which made them naturally disagree.

The other disagreement came from the Hyuga's side.

The Byakuya is our primary source of investigation, which makes the Village's intelligence and resources under their control.

If Anbu really gets established, they will lose a lot of their power inside the Village. After hearing that Masahiko frowned and looked at Tobirama, "This is not like you. Tobirama, if you really want to establish the Anbu, then who can stop you…?"

Tobirama sighed, "The situation has changed… Three or four years from now, the world of Shinobi might end up in turmoil again and most possibly not because of outside interference, but because of the clans inside of Konoha, the Hyuga, and the Uchiha…"

Masahiko glanced at him, "So you've called me here to talk on your behalf since I'm the only one who can talk freely?"

Masahiko finally understood why Tobirama asked him to come, he didn't mind doing that, but…

"So did you decide which Clan you should choose to be responsible for this organization?"

Then Tobirama was slightly short of words. At that moment, Masahiko realized that the Hyuga might also have some ambitions over the position of the Hokage, so he couldn't trust anyone.

"There's a lot of chaos in your circle…" Masahiko sighed, and regardless of the reaction, he walked back to the meeting room and began to "roast" the Hyuga and the Uchiha.

It's good to be the oldest of all generations. Masahiko began to enjoy his use of his seniority to bully the younger generations.

Before leaving the elder position, the others called him elder Masahiko. Now, after retiring, it became more like Masahiko… Grandpa.

In the face of angry "Grandpa's" wrathful mouth, The Hyuga's Patriarch and Izumi didn't stand a chance. After ten minutes of scolding, they left the room resentfully.

Upon seeing that, Masahiko made a triumphant gesture toward Tobirama, but the latter ignored him…

"Second Grandpa, I'm sorry to trouble you, but you can calm down now." Tobirama said this, but Masahiko looked at Nara's Patriarch, and his big nephew, then he said, "After this, we will discuss the candidates for the Anbu's leadership position."

Masahiko got aggressively pulled out of the room, he felt like he got treated as an "Old Hooligan" by Tobirama.

(T/N: Hooligan: a violent troublemaker, typically one of a gang. )

"Forget it. I don't care anymore…" Masahiko murmured. "Konoha and my memories are getting more and more unlike. At first, it was the academy, then the police force, and now Anbu will be created?"

After that incident, Masahiko didn't participate in the discussion again, and the Anbu got established half of a month later.

Masahiko didn't know the specific candidates that were gonna join the Anbu, but it seems that Tobirama has contacted a lot of clans. Also, Tobirama has even found Kenichiro… Masahiko was shocked by that. Fortunately, he didn't join, or else he would have ended up losing his good heart…

After the members got chosen, they were sent to their mission right away. Masahiko didn't even have the chance to see them.

"Is the world outside is so messed out that we have ended up needing the Anbu to gather intelligence?" Masahiko thinks that they shouldn't be expecting another war, not after two more years, which made him suspect that Tobirama knows something else.

However, the intelligence that came back made Masahiko laugh.

It seems that since the end of the first war, Konoha had a lot of spies inside its walls, because now other major villages or even small ones begin to form their own "Academies" and "Anbu" at the same time.

"If it weren't for me, Konoha Ninja Academy wouldn't have been established by Tobirama. But he made it look like it was his idea, now everyone thinks that Tobirama's decision-making ability is the remarkable one?"

Masahiko thought, then he looked again to Hashirama while he was playing dice. He looked more focused on learning how to roll the dice than when he was doing the Hokage work.

"You know nothing Senju Hashirama…" (T/N: Reference from GOT)