CH_102

"Tōji." A voice he hadn't heard in a long time—it was the old clan head.

"Grandpa Clan Head, you're here." Tōji quickly welcomed the old man inside.

"Little Tōji—Grandpa understands you, so I'll just say it straight…" The old clan head began.

The moment Tōji heard that opening, he sensed trouble!

"Grandpa has watched you grow up—I know your character. But I'm not saying you have any flaws…" The old clan head adjusted his sitting position.

Then he continued slowly. "If anything, given the way the world is now, I've been thinking about having you take over as the Kazamatsuri clan's head in the future."

"Grandpa Clan Head—why are you suddenly saying all this! I'm still young—I don't understand these things." Tōji quickly tried to deflect.

"Little Tōji—look at me. I'm old. Aside from myself, you're the only shinobi left in the clan. And with your temperament, you're the most suitable person to be the next clan head." The old clan head ignored Tōji's protests.

He already had his plan. "I'm not asking you to take over right away—I just had to tell you sooner or later. I can see that becoming a chūnin won't be difficult for you, so I should prepare you for it."

"Grandpa Clan Head, I… I don't have the ability or the ambition…" Tōji could only say it shamelessly.

"I told you—I know what kind of talent you have. You can't hide it from me. Do I look like I'm losing my mind? Hehehe." The old clan head was completely unruffled.

"…" Tōji thought to himself—even the head of a minor clan shouldn't be underestimated.

"Don't turn it down. Unless you want those uncles of yours—who aren't even shinobi—to be clan head." The old clan head had basically made his decision.

"Fine～ I sincerely hope you live to be two hundred, Grandpa Clan Head." Tōji muttered quietly, but not quietly enough for the old man not to hear.

"Enough complaining. You're still a member of the clan, aren't you? Be a man about it." The old clan head slowly stood up—he hadn't even touched the glass of water Tōji had poured for him.

"Grandpa Clan Head, you're leaving already?" Tōji was secretly relieved—the old man had just dropped a huge problem in his lap, and he'd be dealing with it for a long time.

"Follow me—I want to show you something." The old clan head had already stepped out of Tōji's house and was heading toward his own.

『What could a third-rate clan like ours possibly have worth seeing? It's not like he's going to show me the clan's account books and how much we're in the red…』 Tōji reluctantly pulled his door shut and followed the old man home.

"Little Tōji—come in here." The old clan head called from inside a room, summoning Tōji, who had been standing blankly at the entrance.

"Ohh~" Tōji entered the old man's so-called "study" and saw him pulling out that familiar box again.

The box was locked with a small lock no stronger than a decorative trinket—but it also bore seal formula patterns that Tōji didn't recognize.

The old clan head had already undone the seal and opened the small lock…

Tōji remembered this box—it was where the Kazamatsuri clan kept their few jutsu scrolls.

『Is he going to give me those scrolls he never let me see before?』

Tōji made a reasonable guess.

"That's right—these scrolls I never let you see before. Now might be the time for you to try them." The old clan head pulled out those "special" scrolls from the bottom of the box.

But he didn't hand them to Tōji right away—he rummaged deeper and found another one.

After checking it carefully several times, his expression suddenly turned serious. Any trace of the gentleness he'd been showing had vanished.

"Before I show you this scroll, I need to tell you some clan secrets." As he spoke, the old clan head went and closed all the doors and windows, then formed some kind of hand seal.

Tōji felt a barrier go up—he could no longer sense anything outside it.

"About the origins of the Kazamatsuri clan…"