These words completely overturned Renya’s perception of Senju Hashirama.
For the longest ti, Renya had always felt that Senju Hashirama’s obsession with peace in the shinobi world was almost childishly naive.
In a world full of killing and betrayal, oaths of peace were nothing more than illusions.
What Hashirama called the "Will of Fire" had always seed to him a hopelessly idealistic fantasy.
But the words Hashirama had just spoken shattered that belief entirely.
Only now did Renya realize that he had misunderstood the God of Shinobi all along.
Hashirama was not blindly optimistic. He was well aware that the path to peace was strewn with thorns, and he knew it would be t with countless doubts and betrayals.
Even though he and Madara had diverged in their paths, Hashirama still chose this difficult road, trying to achieve peace in the shinobi world in his own way.
Even if he knew... that peace would be fleeting.
Only those who had experienced the cruelty of war could truly understand the value of peace.
That was exactly why both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara wanted to bring peace to the shinobi world.
Renya looked at Senju Hashirama with a touch of respect, his heart moved.
Even if the peace Hashirama achieved was short-lived, at least... he achieved it, didn’t he?
After saying all that, Senju Hashirama felt much of the heaviness in his heart dissipate.
Seeing Renya’s admiring gaze, he smiled. His warm palm landed gently on the boy’s shoulder.
"Little Renya, I hope you’ll protect the village well in the future."
He suddenly reined in his smile. His gaze pierced through the thick night,
As if he were seeing the Konoha ten years from now.
"The village is like a great tree. The villagers are its leaves and branches, and the shinobi who protect it are its roots."
He withdrew his hand. His expression turned solemn.
"In the future, there may be fierce storms and powerful enemies, but as long as there are still people willing to stand up and protect the village, the fire of Konoha will never be extinguished."
"I believe... that you too will beco a strong force that supports this great tree. In your own way... you’ll protect the safety of the village!"
Hearing this, Renya was montarily stunned.
He hadn’t expected Senju Hashirama to say so much to him.
In fact, it almost sounded like... final words.
It felt like Senju Hashirama was entrusting sothing to him before his departure...
"I understand, Hashirama-san," Renya looked at him. "I’ll do my best to protect the village."
As long as it was within his ability, he didn’t mind guarding the village on Hashirama’s behalf.
Seeing that Renya agreed, Hashirama bead.
"Then I’m leaving the village in your hands, little Renya!"
Renya couldn’t shake the feeling that sothing about Hashirama’s words felt... off.
Was this okay?
Had he been brainwashed by Senju Hashirama?
Just then, Hashirama’s voice pulled Renya back from his thoughts.
"Little Renya, it’s ti to go."
A tall and a small figure left the forr territory of the Senju Clan.
Not long after the two departed, a thick, ink-like shadow slowly erged from the ground.
It was Black Zetsu.
A cold, sinister curve tugged at Black Zetsu’s lips.
"Heh... Asura’s reincarnation is still so naive."
He scoffed at the ideologies of Hashirama and Madara.
In his eyes, only if his mother broke free from her seal could the shinobi world experience true peace.
Of course, he didn’t particularly care about so-called peace. He simply wanted to rescue his mother.
Black Zetsu watched Renya’s departing figure.
"This little Uchiha brat... shouldn’t be part of this ga."
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Renya’s appearance would disrupt his carefully laid plans.
As the true culprit behind the conflict between Indra and Asura—
He couldn’t understand why the Senju brothers would take in a little Uchiha brat.
To Black Zetsu, Renya was a variable.
"I absolutely can’t let this brat ruin the final arrangent..."
Before he could finish the thought, Black Zetsu’s body sank back into the earth, as if he had never appeared at all.
...
The news that Senju Hashirama had left Konoha began spreading wildly throughout the shinobi world—no one knew how or why.
Neither Hashirama nor Renya were aware that they were already being watched in secret.
"Little Renya, do you know any fun places in the shinobi world?" Senju Hashirama seed a little troubled.
The shinobi world was too vast. He didn’t know where to go for the ti being.
Upon hearing that, Renya suggested,
"Hashirama-san, I heard the hot springs in the Land of Hot Water are pretty nice."
The Land of Hot Water was a famous tourist destination—and in the future, one of Jiraiya’s favorite places to visit.
He had been in the shinobi world for so many years and had never gone.
"Really? Then let’s go check it out..."
The two imdiately set out for the Land of Hot Water.
...
Takigakure, high council chamber.
"Senju Hashirama has left Konoha."
"This is our chance for revenge!"
Back at the Five Kage Summit, Senju Hashirama had distributed the Tailed Beasts among the Five Great Nations.
Although Takigakure possessed the Seven-Tails, they weren’t invited to the summit.
Takigakure might not have been as powerful as the Five Great Nations, but
They had their own uniqueness and strength.
Hashirama’s actions had deeply angered the upper echelons of Takigakure. Why look down on the smaller nations?
Because of that, the village’s leaders bore a grudge against him.
Originally, they had planned to assassinate Senju Hashirama back then, but certain circumstances had delayed their plans.
Now that they had learned of his departure, they imdiately convened a high-level eting to discuss how to take revenge.
In the end, they reached a unanimous decision: send soone to assassinate Senju Hashirama.
Even if they couldn’t kill him, they could at least let off so steam...
At the very least, make sure the so-called God of Shinobi knew that the small nations weren’t to be underestimated!
"Who should we send?"
The eting room fell into silence.
They were all aware of Hashirama’s terrifying strength—assassinating him would be extrely difficult.
Anyone sent would essentially be walking to their death.
"Send Kakuzu... That guy’s power is already becoming a threat to our leadership." Soone finally voiced the idea.
"No objections!" The council mbers agreed unanimously.
So they summoned Kakuzu and inford him of the mission.
Kakuzu: "???"
You want him to assassinate the God of Shinobi? Had the higher-ups gone mad?
"Kakuzu..." The white-haired elder leading the eting slowly stood up, his shriveled hand resting on Kakuzu’s shoulder. "This mission is dangerous, yes, but you are the village’s sharpest blade!"
His voice was hoarse, but his eyes glinted with calculation.
"Ever since Hashirama founded Konoha, he’s never taken our small nations seriously. If you succeed, Takigakure will rise again in the shinobi world, and you will beco the village’s hero!"
Another middle-aged man stepped forward and handed him a scroll.
"This is intelligence we’ve gathered. All of Hashirama’s weaknesses are in here."
Although Kakuzu was reluctant, he still took the scroll and left the village.
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