Chapter 34 - The Maiden

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The next day, after packing his belongings, Akio followed the Uzumaki clan leader on the journey back to the clan.

"Nephew, are there any young geniuses in the clan in recent years? When we return, I'd like to pick a few children to mentor," Akio asked as they traveled.

"Hmm, there are a few, but I don't know much about them. When we get back, I can gather all the children under twelve, and you can pick from them..."

Akio rolled his eyes. Gather them all and pick like it's a marketplace?

"Just have the Jōnin recommend a few. I want talented ones; strength isn't a hard requirement, just a decent foundation."

After saying this, he suddenly realized he had forgotten something.

"Why haven't I received the Witness Points for the Twelve Guardian Ninja yet? Do I need them to be officially established first?"

"Hopefully, the various clans will send their representatives soon. I'd rather not have to wait until next year... Though, honestly, next year wouldn't be a problem."

After a full day of travel, by dusk, Akio once again laid eyes on the Uzumaki clan's territory, which he had not seen for four years.

"Four years have passed, yet the clan grounds still haven't... changed?" Akio said, though even he didn't believe it. The territory had many new buildings.

"Over the years, our Uzumaki clan has remained secluded, and the population has nearly doubled, so we had to build more houses," the clan leader quickly explained upon seeing Akio's puzzled expression.

Akio nodded in understanding.

Seeing the clan leader's preoccupied look, he said, "Alright, go handle your affairs. You were delayed in the Daimyō's residence for four or five days, so you must have accumulated plenty of work. I'm just going home—do you really need to show me the way?"

The Uzumaki clan leader bid him farewell and turned to leave.

Akio strolled alone toward the home he hadn't returned to in four years. Along the way, he nodded at both familiar and unfamiliar clan members to let them know he was back.

His house was even tidier than he had expected—clearly, the clan leader had arranged for someone to clean it over the years.

After a simple tidy-up, Akio collapsed onto his bed, finally feeling a sense of relaxation he hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Ever since I discovered Witness Points, I've been constantly pushing myself. Is all of this really worth it? There are so many events to witness in the original story. Was it really the right decision to stay with the Senju for all these years?"

As he relaxed, he realized how much he had been obsessing over strength, consumed by the relentless pursuit of power.

"With my current strength, aside from the Twin Gods who will appear soon, nothing in the Warring States period can truly threaten my life."

"I should slow down and go with the flow. The Witness Points that are meant to be mine will come to me eventually. For now, I'll focus on training a few promising young ones in the clan and wait for Konoha's establishment—it'll be like an early retirement."

With that thought, Akio let go of his tension, finally feeling his exhaustion. Skipping dinner, he stripped off his clothes and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Akio was startled awake by the sound of his door opening and closing.

"What's going on? The clan leader looking for me this early? But this chakra signature doesn't match..."

A young girl with gray-black eyes entered, carrying a bucket of water and several cleaning cloths.

Upon seeing Akio, she froze for a moment—then, without hesitation, she dumped the entire bucket of water on him.

"Pervert!"

Akio sat there, drenched, watching as the girl dashed out the door. He could only smile wryly.

"I was sleeping without clothes, and you barged in... but I'm the pervert?"

Half an hour later.

In the clan leader's hall.

"Akio-grandfather, I didn't know you had returned! My apologies!"

The girl bowed repeatedly, flustered.

Akio was momentarily baffled.

"Alright, Nanako, Akio won't hold it against you. Go ahead and take care of your duties," the clan leader interjected to ease the awkwardness.

Once she left, Akio turned his dead-fish-eyed gaze on the clan leader, his mind still reeling from the morning's events.

"Nanako is an orphan," the clan leader explained calmly. "Her talent for ninjutsu isn't very high—she only just became a Genin at eleven—so I've had her help with household chores, including cleaning your home."

"An orphan, huh..." Akio mused.

In the Warring States period, true orphans were actually quite rare. The constant wars led to high casualties, but to maintain the strength of their clans, people actively encouraged childbirth.

Take Hashirama, for example—he had three brothers. Madara had five. With uncles, aunts, and their children, each clan's direct lineage was vast, making true orphans uncommon even if some family members died in battle.

"She lacks talent as a ninja, so you have her clean houses?" Akio was still puzzled. "Even if orphans aren't common, the Uzumaki clan is large—do you take care of all of them like this?"

The clan leader gave a bitter smile. "Her uncle was Kurajin… As for her parents, they died in battle shortly after her birth. She originally lived with her grandparents, but they both passed away two years ago."

"Kurajin also died in service to the clan. I didn't want his lineage to completely disappear, so I took her in as my own."

Akio nodded, finally understanding the situation.

"I see. But if she's like your second daughter, she's got quite the fiery personality—she doused me in water the moment she saw me… Mito wasn't like that."

The clan leader chuckled helplessly. "That's just how she is. I tried teaching her to be more gentle, but..."

Akio shook his head. "No, this is good. As an orphan, she needs to be able to protect herself."

"By the way, don't forget—when you have time, have the Jōnin recommend a few talented kids for me to train… And add Nanako to the list as well."

The clan leader's face lit up with joy. "Thank you! I'll leave it to you!"

Akio waved as he left. "Getting doused with cold water first thing in the morning—I'm going back for a nap…"

Upon returning home, he found that the soaked bed sheets had already been washed and hung to dry, replaced with an adorably patterned sheet.

"..."

For a moment, Akio was speechless.

As if in déjà vu, Nanako walked in carrying another bucket and some cleaning cloths.

Akio instinctively wanted to dodge but saw her quickly put down her tools and bow again in apology.

"Alright, alright, you already apologized at the clan leader's place. I forgive you. But what are you doing now?" Akio asked, waving his hand.

"Akio-grandfather, I came to clean your house."

"No need. I'm back now—I'll handle it myself. By the way, the clan leader was looking for you."

"Ah! I understand!" She quickly turned and ran out.

Akio glanced at the cute bed sheets, then at the cleaning tools Nanako had left behind, and completely lost the urge to go back to sleep.

"Sigh… Might as well eat something and do a thorough cleaning myself."

"Please dry quickly, my dear bed sheets…"

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