"Who's there?!"
The sudden voice made Uchiha Tanaka's body stiffen.
He immediately stepped back, instinctively putting distance between himself and the sound.
When he turned around and saw who it was, cold sweat instantly beaded down his forehead.
Uchiha Tanaka's face turned pale.
"Why are you here, Hokage-sama?"
This was the Uchiha Clan's meeting hall. How did this guy manage to sneak in without making a sound...
Thank goodness he didn't come with malicious intent, or he wouldn't even know how he died.
Senju Tobirama's face remained expressionless, with no intention of explaining.
He had long since placed a Flying Thunder God mark on Tanaka, and he'd come this time specifically to warn him to stay away from Renya.
"Uchiha Tanaka, I'm warning you one last time—stop targeting Renya. He now belongs to the Senju Clan!" Senju Tobirama said coldly.
Uchiha Tanaka's pupils suddenly shrank.
He hadn't expected that traitor to actually join the Senju!
No wonder Senju Tobirama was so furious...
Tanaka's face grew darker by the second, and he clenched his fists unwillingly.
So this means... he really couldn't make a move against Renya anymore.
"Uchiha Tanaka, I hope you won't do anything out of line."
Tobirama narrowed his eyes slightly, the killing intent radiating from him completely undisguised.
"Otherwise... I really won't be able to stop myself from killing you."
If it were just a conflict between the younger generation, he wouldn't interfere.
But Uchiha Tanaka shamelessly got involved himself—he couldn't possibly allow such nonsense.
Feeling the overwhelming killing intent from Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Tanaka's face turned stark white.
He suddenly remembered—this man was a notorious executioner during the Warring States Period!
Many powerful members of the Uchiha Clan had been slaughtered by him.
Even Lord Izuna was defeated by this man...
"I... I understand, Hokage-sama," Uchiha Tanaka said, nervously swallowing.
He didn't dare take offense at Tobirama's rudeness—he was too terrified the guy might actually kill him.
Senju Tobirama, seeing his message had gotten through, began to withdraw his killing intent.
But his red eyes still locked onto Tanaka like daggers.
Uchiha Tanaka didn't dare meet Tobirama's gaze and instinctively lowered his head.
"This is my final warning. Renya is my adopted son. I will never allow anyone to lay a hand on him,"
Senju Tobirama stated.
"Uchiha Tanaka, do you understand?"
"I... I understand, Hokage-sama," Uchiha Tanaka replied shakily.
Over time, he had started to forget how terrifying Senju Tobirama truly was.
Only today did he remember...
Senju Tobirama gave a satisfied nod.
Reasoning with the Uchiha never worked—you had to subdue them with sheer power.
He had already realized this from dealing with Uchiha Madara.
Madara had used overwhelming strength to make the clan submit...
Every Uchiha was arrogant—if you wanted them to listen, you had to be stronger than all of them.
Uchiha Tanaka noticed that Tobirama wasn't speaking anymore, and cautiously lifted his head.
But the room was empty—Tobirama had already vanished.
He let out a long sigh of relief and muttered to himself,
"Looks like I really can't go after that kid anymore..."
As unwilling as he was, there was nothing he could do.
At least for now, there was no opportunity to make a move.
...
Hokage's Office
"Hopefully that guy remembers my warning," Senju Tobirama said.
He would never allow anyone in the village to harm Renya.
Since the boy had joined the Senju, it was only natural that he protect him completely.
It was his duty, and also what he ought to do...
In Tobirama's eyes, Renya could die in a mission, but absolutely not from a comrade's betrayal.
That sort of thing must never happen!
For a village to thrive and endure, it had to stay united and focused on external threats.
If internal conflict erupted, decline would soon follow.
With that in mind, he picked up a brush and began writing.
He wanted to draft a book on how to govern the village effectively— something future Hokage could learn from.
"Hey, lunch is ready, old man."
Just then, Renya pushed open the office door.
Seeing Tobirama deep in thought, he instinctively lowered his voice, not wanting to disturb him.
Tobirama looked up at the sound. His stern expression softened the moment he saw Renya.
"Thanks, kid."
He set down his pen and rubbed his stiff neck.
He'd been so focused on writing that he hadn't even noticed time passing—it was already midday.
Renya opened the bento box, carefully laying out each beautifully prepared dish.
There was golden, crispy tempura, fresh green cold vegetables, and a bowl of steaming, fragrant miso soup.
He knew Tobirama had grown up eating this kind of food, so he had made a traditional Japanese-style lunch just for him.
"It's hot today, so I made something light and refreshing," Renya said with a smile.
Senju Tobirama looked at the Japanese-style meal on the table, momentarily dazed.
It had been a long time since he'd eaten food like this.
Renya usually cooked spicy dishes.
While they tasted great, Tobirama still preferred food like this.
Eating habits are hard to change once they're set.
Looking at the delicious lunch in front of him, the corners of Tobirama's mouth lifted slightly.
Ever since he became Hokage, he had been swamped with official duties, often forgetting to eat and surviving on ration pills stashed in his drawer.
Renya's presence was like a rare moment of peace in his noisy world, he always arrived with a warm meal right when it was most needed.
Tobirama truly felt lucky to have adopted this kid...
"Why are you just staring, old man? Don't like the food?" Renya asked, seeing Tobirama hadn't picked up his chopsticks.
He mumbled to himself:
"If you don't like it, wait here—I'll go remake something."
Tobirama snapped out of it, quickly shaking his head.
"No need, Renya. I really like it."
With that, he picked up his chopsticks and began eating.
Renya didn't leave right away—he stayed, planning to take the bento box back with him after Tobirama finished.
This old guy always came up with excuses to avoid washing dishes—so it fell on him again.
Senju Tobirama ate with elegance—and very quickly.
In less than ten minutes, he had finished every dish, yet the table remained neat and orderly.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"Kid, your cooking just keeps getting better."
Renya rolled his eyes.
"Old man, you've just eaten too many ration pills. Of course you think my cooking's better."
Looks like the guy nearly starved while he was away.
Senju Tobirama: "..."
He had finally managed to compliment the kid—only to get roasted in return.
Renya ignored Tobirama's expression.
Seeing that he was done eating, he started cleaning up the dishes on his own.
As he tidied up, he muttered under his breath:
"Seriously... am I the babysitter? I finally get a break, and I still have to come deliver food."
Senju Tobirama silently watched Renya clean up without saying a word.
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