Multiversal Wanderer: Starting in Naruto-Chapter 62: The Five Thriving Nations

After leaving Takigakure, Kakuzu officially became a rogue ninja. Years of wandering turned him cold, but eventually, he found a new belief—money.

"Money is the only thing that never betrays you," Kakuzu muttered often. From that point on, he fully embraced the life of a bounty hunter. His obsession with wealth made him infamous within the underground circles, and as his strength continued to grow, his name spread quickly.

Six years passed in the blink of an eye. Su Xiuyu and Uzumaki Mito still hadn't returned, yet Konoha had entered a golden age of development.

Many significant events took place during these years.

The first was Hashirama Senju's marriage to Uzumaki Seto, a member of the Uzumaki clan. With that, the Senju and Uzumaki clans were finally united by marriage, easing long-standing tensions between them.

Of course, this alliance didn't break the relationship between the Uzumaki and the Uchiha clans—but that didn't matter much.

A Hokage's wedding was a big deal. Konoha celebrated for seven full days, throwing the largest celebration since the village's founding. Even the Uchiha clan cooperated, sending a flood of extravagant gifts. Uchiha Madara himself attended the ceremony.

At the wedding, Hashirama got wasted—something rare for him. In his drunken state, he cried while reminiscing with Madara about the past. Madara, of course, was thoroughly disgusted. The smell of alcohol, snot, and sentimental nonsense tested his patience. If it weren't for preserving Hashirama's dignity, he might've used his Susanoo just to slap some sobriety into him.

Konoha's growth only accelerated. The first batch of students graduated from the newly established Ninja Academy, becoming the first generation of civilian Genin. This marked a major turning point—Konoha's forces were no longer limited to ninja clans but now included ninjas raised by the village itself.

Before long, Hashirama and Uzumaki Seto had a son and named him Senju Toma—a name combining both their legacies. Initially, Hashirama and Tobirama held high hopes for the boy, but as Toma grew, it became clear that he was... average.

Not exactly talentless, but far from remarkable. His chakra reserves were normal, his ninjutsu skills were decent at best, and his appearance was unremarkable. Still, Hashirama wasn't too disappointed. He'd never expected his child to be extraordinary in the first place.

Meanwhile, the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans continued to thrive. Though still powerful, they kept a low profile, remembering the care and mentorship of Su Xiuyu and Madara. They avoided meddling in village politics and focused on their own growth and on supporting the Ninja Academy.

Both clans also started accepting outstanding civilians into their ranks, either through marriage or mentorship. Their definition of "outstanding" wasn't limited to combat prowess—talents in business, medicine, and research were also highly valued.

They heavily invested in scientific and genetic research—not for unethical experiments, but to better understand their own bloodline limits. No internal experimentation was allowed, and the purpose was purely academic.

Other villages took notice. Inspired by Konoha, the remaining four major villages followed suit and established their own ninja academies. For the first time since the Warring States period, the ninja world was advancing together.

As time rolled on, Hashirama's son married and had children of his own. His first child was a girl named Tsunade. Hashirama adored her, spoiling her endlessly. One of the first "skills" he taught her was... gambling.

Yes, that's right. Hashirama, ever the enthusiast since Su Xiuyu had once taught him poker, had developed a serious gambling habit. That love for the game rubbed off on young Tsunade.

Tobirama repeatedly warned his brother to be more responsible, but Hashirama just waved him off. Tobirama couldn't exactly babysit a grandfather every day.

In recent years, the Great Elder of the Uzumaki clan finally passed away, having lived past a hundred. He never got the chance to see Mito Uzumaki again, but he died content, knowing the Uzumaki clan had taken root in Konoha and grown strong.

That early bet placed on Su Xiuyu had brought the clan untold benefits. Now firmly embedded in Konoha, the Uzumaki clan flourished. Uzumaki Hibiki and Uzumaki Masahiko were promoted to Elder status after years of dedication. But even they had aged, their youthful vigor gradually fading.

"Where do you think Mito and Uchiha Xiuyu have disappeared to? It's been years. You think they'll show up one day with families in tow?" Masahiko asked, half-joking.

"You're dreaming," Hibiki snorted. "You probably smile in your sleep ever since joining the Elders' Council. Focus on your job. Our mission is to support Mito in developing the clan and training new talent. Let's leave the daydreaming to others."

Though aging, the two elders had begun paying more attention to the future generations of the Uzumaki clan.

Over in the Uchiha clan, Madara and Izuna had begun stepping away from public matters. The day-to-day affairs of Konoha no longer held their interest. Madara had elevated two younger members—Uchiha Fan and Uchiha Dan—to leadership positions. While Madara remained the clan head in name, it was the two brothers who now ran the show.

Under Madara's personal training, Fan and Dan eventually awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Although their chakra had been close to awakening the eyes before, they were never quite able to break through.

That changed when Madara applied a method Su Xiuyu had once suggested—using the overwhelming illusion power of his Eternal Mangekyō to plunge them into a shared genjutsu experience. Whether due to luck or hidden potential, both brothers finally awakened their Mangekyō.

Now, the Uchiha clan had a total of four pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan—two Eternal and two standard. While this gave them a decisive edge in combat, the information was carefully concealed. If unnecessary, no one outside the clan would ever know.

Years later, Tsunade could already walk confidently—and more shockingly, she had begun gambling. That's right, the child had barely grown out of diapers and was already placing bets. No casino owner dared turn her away. After all, who didn't know she was the granddaughter of the Hokage?

By now, her little brother had also been born. His name was Nawaki, and he was every bit the energetic, wide-eyed kid you'd expect from someone in their bloodline.

--------------------

Konoha had long been a symbol of prosperity. With the legendary trio—Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and Su Xiuyu—its status remained unshakable. Though Su Xiuyu had kept a low profile, Hashirama and Madara occasionally made appearances around the village. And let's be honest—what ninja village didn't have spies from other nations lurking around?

In the blink of an eye, over twenty years had passed. During those years, only Hashirama frequently showed up. Madara, on the other hand, was rarely seen. Some even whispered rumors that he had died of illness.

But rumors didn't matter today.

In the current timeline, Otsutsuki Kinshiki, Momoshiki, and Urashiki were at it again—bickering the moment they landed.

"Urashiki, are you serious right now?" Momoshiki snapped. "I told you to use the Plow to travel to the past. And now look where we've ended up—again. How many times are we gonna go back and forth before you get it right? You're wasting our damn time!"

Despite Momoshiki's harsh words, Urashiki bit his tongue. He didn't want to argue. For one, Momoshiki was his senior and technically outranked him. And secondly, Kinshiki—the big brute standing nearby—was Momoshiki's enforcer. Picking a fight wasn't smart.

"My apologies, Senior. The Plow's spatial-temporal calibration isn't exactly precise," Urashiki replied, trying to smooth things over.

Hearing the respectful tone, Momoshiki cooled off a little. "Fine. Try again."

Suddenly, Kinshiki, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up. "There's something unusual here... I sense a faint Otsutsuki chakra in this time and space. I'll stay and investigate. You two can continue exploring the other timelines. Just remember to pick me up later."

"Are you sure, Kinshiki?" Momoshiki frowned. "If we don't come back for more than ten years, you'll be stuck here. Not worth the trouble."

"It's fine. We've got time to spare anyway."

He wasn't lying. The Otsutsuki clan's members often lived for thousands of years. Especially those with pure bloodlines.

Momoshiki shrugged. "Alright then. Urashiki and I will continue. Doubt these local insects can harm you anyway."

With that, Momoshiki and Urashiki vanished into another portal, leaving Kinshiki behind.

He turned toward the direction of the village, a cruel smile tugging at his lips. "Let's see which of these vermin has awakened a bloodline worth harvesting..."

To the Otsutsuki, everyone else was just inferior prey.

---

Back in Konoha, a sudden alert tore through the village.

"Massive chakra signature approaching from the Valley of the End!" a sensor-nin shouted. "It's almost as powerful as Lord Hashirama's! Who the hell is coming!?"

In an instant, Senju Tobirama's eyes snapped open. Born with elite chakra perception, he felt the disturbance before anyone else.

"Someone! Sound the alert! Get every civilian into shelters, now! Elite Jonin, lead your teams to maintain order!"

"Yes, Lord Tobirama!"

Tobirama vanished in a flash, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport straight to the Hokage's office. There, he found his older brother slumped over his desk, dozing.

"Brother, wake up. Konoha's in danger."

Hashirama stirred groggily. "Tobirama? What's going on?"

"I'm sensing a huge amount of chakra headed toward the village. It's not a tailed beast, but it's on your level. I've already ordered an evacuation, just in case. Hopefully it's nothing... but I doubt it. Anyone suddenly showing up like this can't be friendly."

Hashirama straightened up, his weariness forgotten. "Then let's not waste time."

He wasn't one for lengthy speeches—when there was danger, he acted.

"Take Madara and Izuna with you," Tobirama added. "If this is as serious as it feels, we might not be enough on our own. No shame in asking for backup—even from the Uchiha."

"You think it's that bad?" Hashirama asked with a frown.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this. Let's be ready for anything."

With that, the brothers made their way to the Uchiha compound. The clan had grown significantly over the past two decades, both in size and reputation. Thanks to their low-key nature and policy of accepting talented civilians, the Uchiha were no longer feared or resented like they had been during the Warring States Era.

"I'm Hashirama Senju," Hashirama called at the gate. "I need to speak with Madara and Izuna."

Word spread fast, and soon Madara emerged. Time hadn't touched him much—he looked as youthful as ever. Hashirama, meanwhile, showed signs of age.

But there was no time for small talk.

"Long time, Hashirama," Madara said. "I know why you're here. I'll come with you. Izuna's eyes are still recovering—he'll stay behind."

Madara agreed without hesitation. After years of silence, he was itching for a fight. With Su Xiuyu still missing, life had been painfully boring. The idea of a serious threat was almost exciting.

The trio regrouped as Tobirama warped them to a Flying Thunder God marker near the chakra source.

"Still impressed by that technique," Madara muttered.

"Tobirama's Flying Thunder God is definitely clutch," Hashirama agreed.

Madara glanced over. "Hashirama, if this really turns into a life-or-death fight, let's put our history aside. Whoever makes it out alive—take care of the village. Deal?"

Tobirama, blunt as ever, added, "Yeah. No time for pride. Village comes first."

Madara didn't respond to that directly. In truth, Izuna's eyes were perfectly fine. He just wanted Izuna to stay behind—to be a last line of defense in case they failed.

Hashirama smiled as they ran. "You know, I didn't expect our reunion to be like this. Fighting side by side... I'm actually glad."

Madara chuckled. "Let's see if you've gotten rusty, old man!"

"Enemy's just ahead," Tobirama interrupted. "Get ready."

Up ahead, Kinshiki finally stepped into view, strolling toward them like he was on a casual walk.

"So... this era's Indra and Asura?" he sneered. "Not bad. Stronger than the rest of the garbage I've seen."

He cracked his knuckles. "Are you three here to die?"

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