The following morning, Masahiko walked out of his room with a pair of panda eyes and went to the clan meeting hall.
Along the way, one of the Clan Members who was doing his morning exercises gave him the usual cold eyes, but Masahiko, who was in such a good mood, didn't pay any attention to him.
At the hall, Masahiko found himself the first to arrive. Out of his excitement somehow, he arrived too early.
Except for a few people who were responsible for cleaning the place, the intended participants haven't arrived yet.
The meeting won't start not until the afternoon, which is still in two hours, another hour after that, when the escort team will arrive to accompany Mito to the Senju residence.
His mind is excited, but his body was too exhausted. Anyway, it's still too early, and Masahiko fell asleep in his chair.
Two hours passed quickly, and the meeting attendants have arrived. These people are the true elites of the clan, high ranked people who are mostly elders. In other words, everyone here is stronger than Masahiko.
The other attendants have noticed that Masahiko was asleep, they haven't said anything; only heed it with a smile, maybe they were just used to it.
After a while, the Patriarch and three elders entered the room. Then they sit in the highest seats. The Patriarch (clan leader) let out a cough, and the silent controlled the hall. When he was about to talk, he noticed that Masahiko was sleeping and couldn't help but say:
"Uncle, wake up! Why are you always sleeping?!"
"Huh…?" Masahiko said, and everyone could notice the two dark circles around his eyes.
"Pfftt.." One of the clansmen couldn't hold his laugh and then burst out in laughter. Everybody inside the meeting hall began to smile and laughed together, while Masahiko was still dreaming.
"Okay, please contain yourselves, and let's start this meeting." The Patriarch immediately started the meeting to calm the situation.
"At any moment a team from the Senju clan will arrive to escort Mito to the wedding, let us welcome them in the best possible way."
"Yes, this marriage will bring us closer to the Senju clan. In this chaotic warring era, this is gonna play a major part in our safety. Everyone must keep this in mind." One of the elders responded.
The second Elder glanced at Masahiko, then said, "Patriarch, we believe in your wisdom on handling this event. And we believe that you understand that this is a crucial matter for our clan because you are the wisest of us. But is it safe to only send one person from our clan to escort the bride?"
"I believe it won't be a problem. The securing of the bride is the Senju's responsibility. We don't have to worry about it. Masahiko-Dono will take care of Mito, and wait for her to settle down with the Senju. After a one, or let's just say more than a couple of months, if Uncle deemed that the situation is settled, he would come back." The patriarch replied, while pretending not to listen to the ridicule of the other Elders.
The third Elder glanced at Masahiko with a slight dissatisfaction, and when he was about to say something, the Patriarch stared at him. He stopped there, and then he leaned back on his chair and let out a faint sigh.
"It seems that the third elder has nothing more to say, is there anything else?" The Patriarch said.
Masahiko seems to ignore the discussion as if it had nothing to do with him. He thought to himself, "That damned Masayoshi (2nd Elder), does he still hold a grudge on me because I used to bully him when he was a child? It's been 40-damn years for god sake!"
A youth voice suddenly rose and said, "Patriarch, please allow me to join the escort team. The safety of Princess Mito must be at most."
This person is Uzumaki Hakubo, Masahiko sees him as a guy with heroic aura. Even though he's just 20 years old, Masahiko thinks he's already as strong as the elites of the clan. Because the Patriarch only has one daughter, everyone used to joke that Hakubo will marry Mito and become the next Patriarch.
"No need for that put your faith in Uncle. Although you are strong, these kinds of matters require more experience rather than strength alone." The Patriarch refused.
"Patriarch, don't be too hard on him! Big boy here seems to think that I've already grown older and weaker… Well, he's not entirely wrong!" Masahiko said.
After saying that, the atmosphere has eased, and everyone smiled, some even laughing faintly.
The door of the assembly hall suddenly opened, and a guard went inside and said, "Patriarch… the escort team has arrived."
"What? This is faster than we expected. Everyone gathers around me." The Patriarch commanded.
The assembly gathered and went through the door. There was already a group of people waiting outside. There were three Jonin Commanders and almost eight elite Jonin. There's no doubt about it; they were the Senju escort team.
"It's been a long time since I've watched the anime. Does this world also have a sedan chair? And the sedan chair is carried by four ordinary Jonin? This really pumps my confidence." Masahiko murmured.
"Is there something wrong, Uncle?"
"No nothing."
Then a boy presumably in his teenage years came out from the sedan chair. He had three red markings on his face with the distinct pattern of the Senju clan.
"This is really amazing, I finally got to see you, Second Hokage." Masahiko's body got paralyzed by excitement.
The Patriarch kept reminding him not to say anything improper to Tobirama, perhaps as a precaution, because he always mutters things that seem strange to this world. Still, he did it from the first second, which made the Patriarch stare at him.
"Don't worry, deep inside his heart, he doesn't mind me calling him that. Anyway, It's been a long journey, come and sit for a while."
Tobirama replied, "It's not a problem. When big sister is ready we will leave, we have to reach our residence before dark for the wedding ceremony."
"He's unexpectedly polite." Masahiko, who now is in a half-unconscious state, said that obliviously to the person before him, and everyone could hear it.
Tobirama looked confused but he didn't pay him much attention, since Masahiko looked like an old man.
The patriarch looked at one of his guards and said: "Go quick, attend to the princess, tell her to come out, and help with her luggage!"
The Patriarch walked closer to Tobirama and said, "Welcome your honor, let me introduce you to a famous member of our clan, Uzumaki Masahiko. He will help your team take care of our Mito."
In half dazzling state, Masahiko thought, "This is really him!", Then he said, "Elders and Patriarch, you don't have to worry! We're escorted by 3 Jonin Commanders, and 8 elite Jonins, and of course me. Rest assured, the safety of this trip is guaranteed."
"I'm not worried about your safety. This is my daughter. You're only going with her because I can't. I will be waiting for you to come back and tell me in detail about everything that happened. I… I really want to be there as her father. It's my daughter's wedding." The Patriarch immediately replied.
"Then why don't you go and let the other handle it…" Masahiko finally woke up from his dreams and stopped before saying it.
Mito finally came with the companion of two Kunoichi. She walked gracefully toward the Patriarch, and then bowed to him, then bowed to the elders, nodded gently to the mass, and then sat inside the sedan chair.
"Everything is settled then, we're leaving then." "Patriarch… Elders." Tobirama said that then bowed to them respectfully.
"Well, be careful then. Uncle! Please take care of my little Mito." The Patriarch said.
"Don't worry, Patriarch. I'll take care of her as best as I could." Masahiko smile with an earnest heart touch revealed from his eyes.
"Let's go!" time passes as the team departed from the Uzumaki residence…
Thus Masahiko embarks on his new journey…