Chapter 144 - Banquet

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As the end of the year approached, the Land of Whirlpools grew lively.

The shinobi world had always only speculated about Uzumaki Akio's age. So when the Uzumaki clan publicly announced that they would be hosting a centennial birthday celebration for their Great Elder, it sent shockwaves through the entire shinobi world.

The Warring States Era had only ended thirty years ago, and the term "average life expectancy of thirty" was no exaggeration. Reaching the age of sixty was already a remarkable feat, and living to seventy would make headlines.

Though the era of constant warfare had passed, no one had heard of anyone living to eighty. So when news broke that Akio had reached a hundred, the ninja world was stunned.

Akio wasn't worried about anyone coveting the secret to his longevity. With his current strength, aside from Madara—who couldn't move freely—and Mito, who might cause a bit of trouble but would never fight him, there wasn't anyone else who could threaten him.

In recent days, envoys from various nations had begun to arrive. Even the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning had come in person. After all this time, he had come to understand that a weakened Land of Lightning giving seventy percent of its income to the Uzumaki was actually a good thing. At least it reduced interest from other countries. The surviving Eight-Tails Jinchūriki had barely managed to maintain stability in Kumogakure.

Akio mingled with the guests, casually guessing how many of them were secretly hoping he'd drop dead.

"But there's nothing you can do about me," he thought with satisfaction.

On January 1st, in the 32nd year of the Hidden Leaf Calendar, Akio's centennial banquet was held as scheduled.

The guest list was extensive. Besides the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning, other prominent figures included Hiruzen, Mito, Chiyo, several small village leaders—and even Kakuzu showed up.

Back during the Sand Village battlefront, when they clashed with Ōnoki, the Konoha-hired Takigakure ninja had played a major role.

All past war grudges were momentarily put aside for Akio. Everyone came to celebrate, and nothing happened that might disturb the peace.

Of course, not everyone was tactful. The leader of Kusagakure actually wished him "a long life of a hundred years." Before Akio could even react, Jitōu kicked the guy out.

During the celebration, Akio sat in the seat of honor and smiled as he spoke:

"In my life, aside from when I was a child, I've only held a few birthday banquets—this being one of them. The next one will probably be when I turn one hundred and fifty. I hope you all can attend."

The remark left the guests momentarily speechless. Mito chuckled and shook her head, while Hiruzen was at a loss for words.

"I'll be there," said Kakuzu—the only one with a form of unnatural immortality bold enough to respond.

Akio blinked. He had only been joking, but someone had actually taken it seriously.

Nodding slightly, he replied, "Hope you're still alive by then."

The feast then began in earnest, with endless toasts. Akio lost interest in conversation and sat quietly.

The status screen listed his age as 47—the age when he had first discovered the system's secret. Over fifty years had passed, like a full cycle. Beyond growing stronger, he felt he had done a lot… yet somehow also nothing at all.

Akio drifted into memories. The first 48 years of his life had grown blurry—even the faces of his father and elder brother were no longer clear. The following 52 years, however, had been quite eventful: defeating Kaguya, destroying the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, founding Konoha, witnessing the battle at the Valley of the End, saving Tobirama, saving Kagami…

"I guess I really have done quite a bit," Akio murmured with a sigh.

The celebration ended smoothly. After seeing off the guests, several Uzumaki clan members remained behind to clean up.

Akio summoned Izuko. Something had come to mind.

"Izuko, in the past two years, has a child named Uzumaki Nagato been born in the clan?"

Izuko paused. "I'm not sure. Are you looking for him?"

Akio told a small lie. "When I visited Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage used his prophecy technique. He said a prodigy named Uzumaki Nagato would be born in our clan. I intend to mentor him personally."

"Really? I'll go look into it right away!" Izuko replied excitedly.

Two days later, Akio was left baffled.

"How could there be no record of him? Did my actions somehow prevent Nagato from being born?"

"Or… could it be that no clansmen were lost or scattered over the years?"

"Wait… scattered clansmen?" Akio's expression grew strange. "No way…"

"Sensei, what's wrong? Maybe I missed something, or maybe he hasn't been born yet?" Izuko asked, noticing Akio's odd demeanor.

Akio stared at her and hesitated. "If he's a descendant of yours, he could indeed have immense potential."

"I might know where Yuna is. I'll go bring her back."

Izuko froze, then suddenly understood. "Sensei… Nagato isn't…?"

Akio nodded. In a flash, he soared into the sky, then landed again—retrieving from the Uzumaki clan's ninja tool room a chakra-suppressing bracelet Yuna had left behind. He had a feeling it might come in handy.

Wearing the bracelet, Akio flew straight toward the Land of Rain.

Oddly, it wasn't raining there. Many shinobi were engaged in postwar reconstruction.

Akio began inspecting the houses that were still standing, going door to door.

Suppressing his chakra and fully extending his sensory abilities, he avoided every patrolling shinobi and circled the civilian area of the Land of Rain.

"Nothing? Did I guess wrong?"

Akio paused. "Don't tell me… she's actually living in the slums?"

He continued searching. Half an hour later, he exhaled.

"She's really here? And her husband is just an ordinary civilian? She turned down a perfectly good man like Sakumo and married a civilian? Are geniuses all this eccentric?"

"I wanted you to give birth to Hatake Kakashi, and you gave me Nagato instead…"

Looking at the young Nagato, Akio felt a sense of dread.

"No wonder I didn't sense Black Zetsu's presence during the Second Great War. He must've set his sights on little Nagato long ago." Akio frowned. "That thing—Black Zetsu—if I don't deal with it, I'll never have peace of mind."

He clenched his teeth and made a firm decision.

"So be it if the plot collapses. Black Zetsu… needs to go!"

"If I hadn't figured this out now, I'd have no one to cry to in a few years. Who knows what plans Black Zetsu has been making against me in secret?"

"And now, with Yuna… this might be the perfect opportunity…"

Resolved, Akio hesitated slightly before taking action.

From a sealing scroll in his robes, he retrieved three chakra-conducting kunai he hadn't used in ages. With his overwhelming strength, he rarely needed such tactical tools anymore. He hadn't even bothered to forge new ones.

He planted the three kunai in the ground around Yuna's home, forming a triangle.

Hovering high above, Akio connected his senses to the kunai and expanded his sensory field to the limit.

"With this bracelet on, Black Zetsu can't sense me. And through these chakra-conducting kunai, I should be able to detect him. If he dares show up, I'll destroy him!" Akio muttered, closing his eyes and focusing his perception.

"As for the Sage of Six Paths… he can do whatever he wants!"

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