Naruto:Shadows of the Ages

Clan Masuroboshi

"In the Hall of Elders"

It was quiet. No one spoke; the elders were playing various games—chess, go, and checkers. In this silence, only Tanaka occasionally moved, brewing new pots of tea. Takeshi, after sitting down and closing his eyes, was deep in thought. He was contemplating how to develop a training system for young boys that wouldn't destroy their potential while accounting for the clan's unique abilities. He knew that for the warriors of the Masuroboshi clan to grow, they needed to be placed in an environment with fewer members of their own clan.

This clan was renowned for absorbing "truth." To be precise, they consumed information from the surrounding world merely by existing in it, thereby developing. For example, various elders had served as spies in different clans, acquiring diverse skills. Tanaka had spent most of his life on the battlefield against the Uzumaki, gaining immense talent in seals, a significant chakra reserve, and a natural affinity for water. Satsuki, who had fought against the Uchiha, developed heightened reflexes, crimson eyes, and a notable affinity for fire. Hirate, who often clashed with the Senju, had a natural talent for medical techniques, making him a collection of talents borrowed from many Senju, along with an earth element affinity bestowed as a gift.

Takeshi, knowing these details, decided that the first two years of training would focus on physical conditioning with minor chakra exercises. After that, six months would be devoted to chakra control training, followed by an evaluation of each student's elemental affinities. Depending on their affinities, they would be assigned to specific battlefronts.

After three hours of reflection, Takeshi opened his eyes and raised his head to look at the elders. As the others noticed his movement, they turned their attention to him. Takeshi asked:

"Will you teach my children? As you know, the situation in the world is heating up, and you must understand that I won't be able to look after them myself." Giving them a moment to think, he continued, "I am convinced that their deaths are connected to one of these clans. I will uncover the truth, but if the lives of my fellow clansmen are endangered, I will act myself. Furthermore, the Uzumaki clan will undoubtedly call for a gathering of the clans soon, where various matters will be discussed, and we will be a top priority. The worst-case scenario is an alliance of those three clans against us, so we must gain strength as quickly as possible. Additionally, the Land of Iron must receive an envoy to determine their stance, and we need the support of at least two smaller clans. For instance, Yamanaka and Akimichi, together with the Nara clan, can neutralize a large clan. We could take on one or even one and a half clans, but we'll be slowly picked off. Therefore, I want to reach out to the Hyuga and Kaguya clans. If they support us, we'll have slightly more power than those three, so we need to select emissaries."

The three wise and experienced elders pondered what Takeshi had said.

"All of this is good, but how will we find out what they will discuss at that gathering? And how do you plan to win over the Hyuga and Kaguya? After all, they were once our enemies," Tanaka said without much hesitation. Hirate corrected him:

"Not our enemies, but everyone's. And if we assume that such an alliance would be beneficial to them, how do you plan to sway them to our side, especially since the Uchiha are closer to them?"

Takeshi furrowed his brows and said:

"That is precisely why I won't be there. I will be hunting tailed beasts."

Silence fell after these words. The three elders looked at him in astonishment and began to think. All of them had fought against tailed beasts, and it was fair to say that each of them could hold a beast off for a certain time. But defeating one? That would require all three of them working together. The challenge, however, was not in defeating them but in sealing them away. This required vessels and a whole team of seal specialists trained for the task. Such a group was rarely available, as most were under the Uzumaki clan's control.

Tanaka, understanding that Takeshi, though not scolding them, was undoubtedly one of the strongest people, if not the strongest in the current world, asked:

"And where will you find these trained specialists?"

Takeshi replied:

"I don't need many people. Just two will suffice. As you likely know, I am a complete countermeasure to all tailed beasts. Even 'he' couldn't do anything and now sits on a leash behind my house. Two grandmasters will be enough. I plan to select two tailed beasts for two clans, specifically the Six-Tails and the Four-Tails."

Satsuki smirked slyly and asked:

"Did you choose them because they are completely opposite to those two clans' abilities and can easily counter their techniques? And even if they seal the beasts within themselves, the resulting chakra conflict will destroy their potential as ninja?"

Hirate merely squinted, and Tanaka widened his eyes in surprise, realizing that even he wouldn't have been able to come up with a "gift" that would simultaneously ruin allies in five minutes. Why five minutes? Because everyone knew that any alliance lasted no more than a month, often less. And later, no one was surprised when a former ally stabbed you in the back.

Takeshi smiled and rested his elbow on his knee, supporting his head with his hand, his eyes clouded as he stared at the board, lost in thought.

Tanaka squinted when he didn't receive an answer, but upon seeing Takeshi's foggy eyes, he realized that he was performing a rather difficult and dangerous technique known only to the clan leader's lineage. This technique, called the "Glimpse of Light," had nothing to do with light itself but involved increasing the flow of chakra to the brain to open new points within it. Though only one was known, the Kuu Mono family claimed to know the location of two more. However, the technique was perilous because the chakra could damage the brain instead of revealing new points.

No one interrupted further. They simply continued playing their games, each reflecting on their own matters. They were all shocked by Takeshi's ambitions, but they knew that with proper preparation, these plans could be realized, potentially even leading to the downfall of allied clans.

Hours later, Takeshi's eyes cleared, and the first thing he saw was Tanaka offering him tea. Without hesitation, Takeshi drank it and stood up. Stretching slightly, he glanced at the still-playing elders, bowed deeply, and said:

"Thank you for not sending me away yesterday. I will let you know when I am ready to leave. For now, goodbye."

Using the Body Flicker Technique, Takeshi quickly reached his home. Opening the door, he saw his three younger brothers already arguing about something. Quietly, he approached, trying to eavesdrop:

"I'm telling you, water is the best!" shouted the ever-energetic Sora. The always calm Yuki replied,

"No, fire is better because it can destroy those paper seals." Haru, after some thought, said:

"If you think about it, then earth clearly has the most destructive potential. By simply manipulating the ground, you could cause earthquakes and destroy entire ninja villages, leaving many ninja homeless and without food. So, earth is the best." Calmly making his argument, Haru added, "And statistically, more people die from earthquakes than from rain."

Yuki, always composed, almost burst out laughing at the reaction of the now-red Sora, who soon retorted:

"Seals can protect against earthquakes!"

Takeshi was quite surprised to see his young siblings having such a lively discussion at 6 in the morning. They usually woke up by 8:00 at the latest. At that moment, he realized how little he knew about their daily lives, and it pained him to think that he would be leaving them for two years, if not longer.

— Your mothers are dead, — he said quietly but firmly. — They died in battle against the three-tailed beast.

Silence enveloped the house like a thick fog. No one dared to break it, but the man continued:

— In its suicidal attack, the beast destroyed the forest and, along with it, my wives… your mothers.

His voice was cold as steel and, at the same time, filled with invisible pain. He spoke directly, without embellishments or false hopes. He wasn't going to lie or assure them that their mothers had died as heroes. No, they perished like countless other ninjas before them: ingloriously. Their deaths would be forgotten. No one would remember their names. Only occasionally, someone might mention them accidentally in conversation.

The Takeshi knew this better than anyone. He had understood this truth when he was just 16, after his mother died. Back then, within weeks, everyone forgot her. And when his father later passed, people cried. But he, the one who could sense the genuineness of emotions, saw the falseness in those tears. Even among family.

He wanted his children to know the truth. He didn't want them to grow up in illusions. He wanted them to understand: the world is cruel, and no one will come to save them. The sooner they realized this, the stronger they would become. And the more motivation they would have to survive in this world.