"When are we heading to the battlefield?" Renya suddenly asked.
Since the old man had told them about the situation, it was obvious they were expected to go to the Kumogakure front.
"No rush. You should all rest for a couple of days first," Senju Tobirama said gently. "You've all worked hard these past few months."
Now that the pressure on the village had eased, it was only natural for the three of them, as the Hokage's disciples, to be granted some privileges.
They couldn't possibly be thrown back onto the battlefield right after returning to the village, could they?
Hearing this, Shimura Danzo and Koharu Utatane looked visibly relieved.
Finally, they could rest properly for a couple of days!
"In that case, we'll head back first," Renya said, getting up to leave.
They'd been on the battlefield for three months—some rest was well-deserved.
Seeing Renya stand up, Danzo and Koharu quickly followed suit.
"Wait a moment..." Senju Tobirama suddenly called out to the three of them just as they were about to leave—or rather, just to Renya.
"Kid, don't forget the important matter."
His crimson eyes reflected Renya's silhouette as he said this cryptic sentence without any further context.
Renya didn't react at first and looked at Senju Tobirama, confused.
What "important matter" was this old guy talking about?
But a moment later, something seemed to click, and Renya's face twitched slightly.
"Got it."
With that, he turned and walked out of the Hokage's office.
Senju Tobirama nodded with satisfaction.
"That kid is sharp."
Just a tiny hint, and he caught the meaning right away.
With the other two disciples present, some things couldn't be said too openly.
That would damage his image as a teacher…
...
"Renya-kun, what did sensei mean just now?" Koharu couldn't help asking after they'd left the Hokage building.
Shimura Danzo instinctively looked to Renya, hoping for an explanation.
What exactly did the teacher mean by that last sentence to Renya?
What was this so-called "important matter"?
He didn't understand it at all.
"Nothing big, just something minor," Renya replied, with no intention of explaining.
He couldn't possibly tell them that Senju Tobirama's "important matter" was asking him to deliver dinner?
A full-fledged jōnin like him, not only cooking but also running errands to deliver meals.
If those two found out, where would he put his pride?
There was no way he could let anyone know about this!
Seeing that Renya wasn't willing to talk, the two didn't press further.
Danzo looked at Renya with a complicated expression, clenching his fists unwillingly.
Sensei had even given Renya a special task…
This wasn't good news for him.
It meant their relationship was growing closer, and sensei trusted Renya more and more.
Did that mean sensei was leaning toward passing the Hokage title to Renya?!
Otherwise, their interaction just now made no sense…
But when he thought about Renya's performance on the battlefield, the sense of crisis that had begun to well up in Danzo's heart quickly faded.
He had nearly forgotten about the contribution records.
Sensei's regard, combined with Renya's war merits…
Renya becoming the Third Hokage was already a certainty. There was no need to be jealous of him for that.
What he should focus on now was preparing to become the Fourth!
If Renya became the Third, then once Renya stepped down, he could succeed him as the Fourth—wouldn't that be just fine?
With that, Danzo managed to comfort himself once again.
He turned to look at the Hokage Rock behind the Hokage building, feeling a bright future ahead.
One day, his face would appear there too!
It was only a matter of time.
...
Senju Tobirama's residence.
Renya returned to his room and took a long, relaxing bath before collapsing onto his bed and falling into a deep sleep.
After so long spent in a state of high tension, his mind and body were thoroughly exhausted. Only at home could he truly feel relief.
He fell asleep the moment he lay down.
That's the blessing of youth—falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow.
...
By the time Renya woke up, it was already dark outside.
He stretched lazily. "Damn, that was a good nap!"
Home was the best. There was no way the battlefield could offer this kind of comfort.
Noticing it was almost time for dinner, Renya went into the kitchen to start preparing the meal.
The moment he opened the kitchen door, a cloud of dust hit him in the face.
The stove was covered in cobwebs, the iron pot was coated in a layer of dark grease.
The pot lid was leaning sideways against the wall, with water stains long since dried into pale rings of scale.
Every spice jar on the table had the same thick layer of dust, all tangled with cobwebs.
Clearly, during his absence, Senju Tobirama hadn't cooked a single meal.
Looking at the messy kitchen, Renya had no choice but to start cleaning.
Doing it alone was too slow.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally decided to use Shadow Clones to help.
"Let's hope the Shadow Clones don't act up again this time…"
Poof!
A puff of white smoke—and three Shadow Clones appeared in the kitchen.
"You guys clean the kitchen. I'm going out to buy ingredients," Renya instructed.
"Tsk tsk tsk, just off the battlefield and already working like a house slave?"
"The real you is practically Senju's personal chef now!"
"Haha, I'm dying here. This is hilarious!"
Hearing their snarky comments, Renya staggered and almost tripped.
Damn it, he should've known better than to use Shadow Clones.
Just as he was about to dispel them, he heard one of them say—
"I bet fifty cents the original's about to get so pissed he dispels us."
"No need for him to do it, I'll go myself!"
With a poof, one clone vanished.
"Tch, boring. I'm leaving too," said the second, disappearing right after.
Only the last clone remained, locked in a staring contest with Renya.
"So, boss—should I go, or are you gonna dispel me?"
"Never mind, I'll go myself."
Renya watched as the last clone voluntarily vanished, the temples on his forehead throbbing hard.
"Unbelievable… I managed to summon three absolute jokers at once."
Unwilling to give up, he tried summoning again.
Thankfully, this time the Shadow Clones were normal—no sarcasm, no sass.
After instructing them to clean up, Renya turned and left the kitchen.
He still had to buy ingredients for tonight's dinner.
...
"Why are my Shadow Clones like this?" Renya frowned in thought.
The issue with his Shadow Clones had bothered him for a long time, but he still hadn't figured out a solution.
The clones he summoned all seemed to have their own thoughts.
Some of them didn't even listen to his commands…
He'd need to ask Senju Tobirama if there was any way to fix it.
If it came down to it, he might just have to stop using them altogether.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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