As soon as Senju Tobirama returned home, he locked himself in the study.
Renya sat alone on the threshold, blankly gazing at the full moon in the sky.
At this moment, he suddenly realized that even someone as radiant as the sun could have a day when their light was extinguished.
"No... There must be a way. There has to be!"
He began to recall details he had previously overlooked...
Senju Hashirama had sustained serious injuries during his battle with Madara.
Logically, given his physical constitution and recovery speed, those injuries should have healed quickly.
After all, Hashirama didn't seem to have suffered any fatal wounds.
Injuries of that level shouldn't be impossible to recover from!
Unless... his cells were exhausted. Hashirama's regenerative ability was driven by accelerated cell division. In his fight with Madara, he may have overused this ability, pushing the number of cell divisions to the limit, leading to life force depletion and death.
One must understand, Hashirama's cells were incredibly tenacious and aggressive.
Even if his physical cells were depleted, he shouldn't have declined so quickly.
With proper rest, he should easily live for decades more.
At most, his combat strength would plummet. But for things to have come to this...
It was highly likely that Hashirama was subconsciously resisting recovery.
The reason was simple—he had personally killed his dearest friend, the one with whom he had dreamed and built Konohagakure: Uchiha Madara.
Even though their ideologies had diverged and they'd walked completely different paths...
Hashirama still considered Madara his one and only true friend.
To protect the village, he had killed Madara with his own hands...
Compared to the physical pain, the guilt in his heart was unbearable.
He probably felt he had betrayed Madara, betrayed their once-shared ideals—he couldn't forgive himself.
Both body and soul had suffered unprecedented trauma. The psychological wound, combined with the physical injuries, was causing his life force to drain rapidly.
In just a few short years, he had deteriorated terribly.
Renya suddenly jumped to his feet, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He felt like he had figured out the real reason for Hashirama's condition.
If Hashirama learned that Madara hadn't died, maybe his decaying body could be revitalized!
"Hashirama-sama might still be saved!"
Renya shouted into the house, then quickly left the courtyard.
Senju Tobirama abruptly threw open the study door and followed after him.
...
Mito sat at the bedside, her trembling fingers brushing across Hashirama's pale cheek as tears welled in her eyes.
"Hashirama, are you really not going to call Tobirama and the others over?"
After returning home, Hashirama's condition had worsened.
She had a bad feeling—her husband might not make it.
Hashirama shook his head.
"No need. I don't want them to worry."
He struggled to lift his hand and gently held his wife's.
Mito bit her lower lip and turned her face away, not wanting him to see her falling apart. But her trembling shoulders betrayed her sorrow.
Tsunade lay by the bedside, her long golden hair cascading down, hiding her tear-stained eyes.
"Grandpa, you liar!"
The little girl's fists pounded the blanket as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"You said you'd get better! Waaaah! I haven't even won my money back yet, you can't die!"
Seeing Tsunade cry like a weeping flower, Hashirama weakly reached out to pat her head.
"Sorry, Tsunade," Hashirama gave a bitter smile. "The money I won from you... I already lost it all at the gambling house."
Hearing this, the girl cried even harder.
"Waaaah! Grandpa, you're the worst!"
"Tsunade, don't cry... Grandpa won't gamble anymore. From now on, listen to Grandma. If anything happens... you can go to Great-Uncle Tobirama or Renya..."
Before he could finish, a violent coughing fit struck him.
Scarlet droplets seeped through his fingers as he clutched his mouth, blooming like crimson flowers on the bedding.
Hashirama slowly closed his eyes, finally feeling an unprecedented sense of relief.
Madara's figure appeared in his mind, the corners of his lips curling faintly.
At last, he could go down and apologize to his friend in person.
Madara's death had been like a thorn in his heart, stabbing him with pain every waking moment.
With his physical resilience, he might not fully recover, but he could at least improve.
He simply hadn't wanted to recover...
Though he was reluctant to leave like this, his dream had already been fulfilled.
Leaving like this... wasn't such a bad thing. Everything from here on would be left to Tobirama.
But Hashirama believed—Tobirama would handle it all just fine.
"Madara... I'm coming to find you..."
BANG—
Just then, a loud noise erupted outside.
Renya kicked open the courtyard gate and strode into the house.
Looking at the youth's crimson eyes, Hashirama's pale lips curved into a faint, bitter smile.
"Renya... so you came after all."
In truth, he didn't want Renya to see him like this.
Tsunade turned and clutched Renya's leg, sobbing loudly.
"Waaaah... Renya! Grandpa looks like he's going to die!"
"Mito-san, please take Tsunade outside for now," Renya said in a low voice. "I have something to discuss with Hashirama-sama."
Mito hesitated slightly, but seeing the seriousness in the boy's expression, she nodded and led Tsunade away.
Once the two had left, Renya cast a barrier to prevent anyone from listening in.
This matter—he intended to tell Hashirama alone.
Some things were better kept to fewer people...
Senju Tobirama, who had hurried over, frowned sharply upon seeing the barrier inside the room.
"What is that kid trying to do?"
What could Renya possibly want to say to his brother that he needed to guard even against them?
Though puzzled, he chose to trust Renya.
"Renya... what do you want to say?" Hashirama asked weakly.
He just wanted to send Renya away quickly so he could follow after Madara.
If there really was a Pure Land... maybe he could still say sorry.
"Hashirama-sama, are you really planning to just leave like this?"
Renya's crimson Sharingan eyes locked onto Senju Hashirama.
In Hashirama's gaze, Renya's figure began to overlap with Madara's. For a moment, it was as if he saw his lost friend again.
He murmured softly, "Madara... I'll be with you soon..."
Renya frowned.
It was clear—Hashirama had long since given up on life.
But finally... he had found the root of the problem.
Renya's tightly furrowed brow relaxed as he saw Hashirama ignoring him.
He decided to change his approach.
To say something Hashirama had to listen to...
"Hashirama-sama, do you really believe Uchiha Madara is dead?"
At these words, Senju Hashirama's eyes suddenly flew open, a spark of light returning to those dull eyes.
He struggled to sit up, staring fixedly at Renya.
What had he just heard?
Renya seemed to be saying—Madara wasn't dead!
His decaying body seemed to come alive once more.
"Renya... what do you mean by that?!"