Naruto: The Immortal Sage

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"Manji, would you be willing to look after Kushina for a while?" Hiruzen Sarutobi inquired softly.

Manji frowned, looking uneasy. "Lord Hokage, I don't think I'm the best choice. With war coming, I'll be busy. Maybe Lady Mito would be a better person to look after her?"

That was the excuse Manji gave.

He didn't want to get too involved in the coming conflict between Asura and Indra's reincarnations. The last thing he wanted was for Indra to accuse him of taking sides when he returned to the Pure Land.

On his last visit, Asura found out that Manji had once been the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder and wouldn't stop complaining about it.

"Grandmaster, that isn't fair! You always favor Indra, but I'm your grand-disciple too!"

Indra thought the opposite, saying Manji always helped Asura's reincarnations in secret. Manji didn't mind either complaint and just laughed them off.

This time, he planned to stay out of it. Whatever happened between Naruto and Sasuke would be up to them.

"I see. You're right—you won't have much time to spare..." Hiruzen considered the matter for a moment before slowly nodding. "In that case, I'll have to trouble you to take Kushina to Lady Mito."

Mito still needed to meet the child herself. Choosing Konoha's jinchūriki was too important to just pick the first Uzumaki child they found.

Manji agreed, bent down, and took Kushina's cold little hand.

Together, they set off toward the Senju Clan compound.

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"My name is Manji. You can call me Big Brother Manji, or whatever you like," he said kindly, looking down at the little girl walking beside him, holding onto his clothes.

Kushina timidly raised her head. "C-CAN I CALL YOU BIG BROTHER SIX PATHS?"

Manji stopped and looked at her with sudden intensity.

"Why would you call me that?"

His intense look scared her, and Kushina shrank back, answering in a voice just above a murmur.

"When I was staying at the Six Paths Temple in Uzushiogakure, I saw a portrait of the Sage of Six Paths. You look a lot like the man in that picture..."

So that was it...

Manji relaxed, and his sharp look turned into a small smile. Children really did notice more than adults. All he had done was change his hairstyle and make a few small changes to how he looked.

"That's fine. If you want to call me Big Brother Six Paths, you can."

Manji gently ruffled Kushina's soft red hair. She held onto his finger a little tighter.

"Big Brother Six Paths, where are we going?"

"We're going to meet someone like you. She's also from the Uzumaki Clan, and you can think of her as your grandmother."

For Kushina, who had just lost her parents and was now alone, meeting an elder from her own clan was the best comfort she could get right now.

They walked in silence until they reached the Senju Clan compound. It used to be lively and full of people, but now it was quiet and empty.

There were only a few pureblood Senju left. Some had moved to the capital to work in government, while others had left the shinobi life behind. Most who stayed had married into other Konoha families, so the Senju slowly blended into the village.

After a brief announcement at the gate, Manji and Kushina entered the old residence and met Uzumaki Mito.

Seeing the First Hokage's wife again made Manji feel a deep sadness. She had lost the beauty and energy she once had. Even the Yin Seal could only slow time, not stop it.

Her cheeks were wrinkled, her long hair had turned white, and her eyes looked cloudy as she neared the end of her life.

Manji sighed inwardly.

'Time is merciless.'

For a moment, his mind drifted back to that war-torn time.

Back then, he was still Konoha's Great Elder and had arranged Hashirama and Mito's marriage himself. Madara, Izuna, Hashirama, and Tobirama were all young and ambitious, sure that their determination could create a lasting peace.

Realizing how quickly those years had passed made Manji's eyes red and his nose sting. He wasn't crying for any one person, but the weight of a thousand years was finally catching up to him.

Maybe living through two lifetimes made him realize more than anyone how precious those ordinary moments really were.

Back in the age of Ninshū, Manji would sometimes sit alone on a hill with the Six Paths Sword on his back and quietly watch the sunset.

Even then, the same thought always came to him.

'Years from now, maybe even a hundred years from now, I'll miss this moment.'

That thought had come true.

As the world moved closer to the events of Naruto: Shippuden, Manji missed the old days even more. He even found himself longing for the times he traveled through the Land of Ancestors, helping people.

Each year, more familiar faces from the original story appeared. The world should have felt more familiar, but Manji felt even less willing to let go.

He couldn't stand to see that old era fade away.

He had felt the same way when the age of war and chaos ended.

"Big Brother Six Paths, why are you crying?" Kushina asked softly, sensing the change in his emotions.

Manji quickly regained control of himself. "I'm fine."

They walked into the house, and Mito greeted them with a warm smile. She looked at Manji for a moment, her face growing thoughtful as she remembered the past.

"My, Manji... You do bear some resemblance to the First Hokage. For a moment, even I found myself remembering the past."

Manji pretended to be pleasantly surprised.

"You flatter me, Lady Mito. How could I ever compare to Lord First?"

Mito smiled and brushed off his modesty, then turned to Kushina. Her eyes softened right away.

"This must be Kushina. What a lovely child."

Mito stood up, walked over to Kushina, and crouched down to gently stroke her hair.

Kushina hid shyly behind Manji, peeking out at the older woman.

"Lady Mito, she just lost both of her parents," Manji said quietly. "Please take good care of her."

"Don't worry. She's a child of the Uzumaki Clan, and I'll treat her like my own granddaughter."

Mito took Kushina's hand and led her to the bed. As they sat and started talking, the Nine-Tails sealed inside Mito grew too excited to stay quiet.

"Teacher! I knew it was you! Are you back to stirring up shit again?" Kurama asked cheerfully through their mental connection.

"..." Manji's face grew serious.

"What do you mean, stirring up shit? I'm quietly observing the world while placing myself on the board!"

Kurama laughed. "Oh, spare me. You might fool your disciples with that line, but don't start fooling yourself."

Manji sighed quietly.

Seeing his teacher's reaction, Kurama immediately regretted what he had said.

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