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Year 6 of the Hidden Leaf Village, Spring.
Uzumaki Clan Cemetery.
Akio let out a sigh, gently patted the shoulder of Jitou, who was quietly sobbing, then turned and walked away.
A few days ago, they had received word that Uzumaki Masahiro—the clan's former second elder—was critically ill. Akio and Jitou rushed back to the Uzumaki Clan, but they were still a step too late.
They had just paid their respects at Masahiro's grave, and Akio couldn't help but feel a bit downcast.
Although he hadn't gotten along with Masahiro for the first 48 years of his life—in fact, they had often been adversaries—after the Kaguya War, and especially after he took Jitou as a disciple, Akio had come to regard Masahiro as an old friend.
Only upon returning to the clan did Akio learn that during his years in the Leaf Village, the former Grand Elder and the Third Elder of the Uzumaki Clan had also passed away. Masahiro's death marked the end of an era—Akio was now the only one left of his generation.
"A relic of a bygone era, huh?"
He murmured to himself. Some of the children in the clan now called him great-great-grandfather—that was five generations apart.
Back in the clan head's hall—which had been expanded several times—Akio looked at his obviously aging grandnephew and gave a helpless smile.
"Still not ready to step down, huh? You're 59 this year, right? It's been nearly 30 years—haven't you had your fill of being clan head?"
The clan head looked up and nodded. "Uncle, I've decided. I'll step down next year."
Akio was briefly stunned. He had assumed his grandnephew would cling to the position until his last breath. He hadn't expected this decision.
"Who's the next clan head?"
Having been away from the clan for over five years, Akio really didn't know much about recent affairs.
The grandnephew shook his head helplessly. "I had originally hoped for Jitou, but you took him away. So now… it'll have to be Genkai."
Akio rolled his eyes. He didn't have much faith in his grandnephew's choices—Jitou as the first pick?
"Genkai…" Akio paused, recalling, "That's Nanako's husband, right?"
His grandnephew nodded with a smile. "Genkai might not be as talented a shinobi as Jitou, but he's steady, methodical, and with Nanako supporting him…"
"Wait, wait…" Akio interrupted, "I remember Genkai as a kid—very ambitious. During his first push-up test, he nearly killed himself to come in first... And Nanako supporting him—she…"
The clan head chuckled and shook his head. "You probably don't know what they're like now—especially Nanako. She's practically a copy of Mito now. She teaches the clan's children and is beloved by them."
Akio scratched his head and sighed. Over the years, he truly hadn't paid much attention to his two female disciples.
"What about Izuko ?"
"She's the same. Taught the children for a while, then got married two years ago. She's pregnant now and on maternity leave," the clan head replied slowly.
Akio nodded, murmuring to himself, "They've all got their own lives now…" He really hadn't kept up with his disciples while living in Konoha.
"When you step down next year, come to Konoha. I'll hand you my elder position—you can retire peacefully there. You've spent your whole life working for the Uzumaki Clan. It's time to enjoy it."
His grandnephew agreed with a nod.
After saying his goodbyes, Akio went to visit his two disciples.
Nanako was no longer the fierce, fiery little girl he remembered. When Akio saw her, she was holding the hand of a six- or seven-year-old boy, her face soft with a warm, gentle smile—familiar, yet somehow distant. The dissonance made him feel like he was in a dream.
Izuko wasn't the tearful girl she used to be either. With a prominent belly and a massive amount of chakra swirling within her, Akio was momentarily stunned. She likely had half his chakra reserve. Combined with her mastery of Earth, Wind, and Fire Release, she'd likely be ranked an S-class shinobi in the Leaf Village. A young man, an ordinary jōnin by the look of him, bustled about caring for her with earnest diligence. Izuko looked genuinely content and at peace. Akio couldn't bear to disturb her.
As he left their homes, Akio found himself feeling uncharacteristically down—until he returned to the cemetery and saw Jitou bouncing around, swearing to train harder than ever so Masahiro could rest easy in the afterlife.
"So I'm not the only one left alone after all. Jitou's probably going to be single for life too…" Akio had molded him into this, after all. Yet now he felt a bit gleeful in comparison—like he had the upper hand.
"Come on, Jitou. Let's go home."
"Okay, sensei!"
Year 6 of the Hidden Leaf Village was also a significant one for Konoha.
Many clans saw generational transitions: the Hyūga, Aburame, Inuzuka, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, even the Hatake clan—all had new leaders. The younger generation had stepped onto the stage of history, and Akio's peers had faded into the background. Some had retired altogether.
At several of the following Elders' meetings, Akio found himself surrounded entirely by shinobi from his grandchildren's generation. With his thick skin, he didn't mind pushing the younger ones around—but after doing it repeatedly, even he could hear the whispers behind his back. "That old relic throwing his weight around…" It was embarrassing.
"Damn that power-hungry grandnephew… couldn't even step down a year earlier. Now I look like a fool," Akio grumbled to himself.
When Year 7 came and his grandnephew finally stepped down to take Akio's elder seat, Akio found himself feeling even more lost.
Aside from occasionally teasing Hashirama and Tobirama—or their six students—and visiting Mito and Kenji, Akio found himself wandering the streets of Konoha with no familiar faces.
"I really am a relic now… Even shinobi from my grandchildren's generation are middle-aged. In a few more years…"
As he walked, lost in thought, a conversation between two villagers caught his ear.
"Did you hear? The Daimyō of the Land of Fire is marrying off his youngest daughter to the Hokage's son."
"Really?"
"Swear on it! The whole village is buzzing."
"That's amazing…"
Akio was briefly stunned, then broke into a wide smile.
"No need to be so gloomy… One generation leaves the stage, and another is about to arrive."
For a while, he had watched as all the shinobi of his generation—and even the one after—retired or passed away. It left him with a deep sense of loneliness, like the entire ninja world had moved on without him.
But overhearing that conversation snapped him out of it.
It was already Year 7 of the Leaf Village. In another two or three years, the Three Legendary Sannin—whom he had long hoped to meet—would be born. And in another decade or so, even the parents of the key story characters would begin to appear…
"No need to be sad. I've sworn to live until the very end of the story!"
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