Senju Tobirama's residence.
Renya had just returned home and placed the lunchbox into the kitchen.
At that moment, Senju Tobirama walked in with a bag in hand.
Hearing the noise, Renya was just about to head out to check when he saw Tobirama pull out a bottle of milk from the bag and explain:
"The milk at home expired. I bought a new one."
As he spoke, he placed the milk in the most noticeable spot in the kitchen.
Renya paused for a moment—there was no doubt that this milk was meant for him.
After all, this old man had never been in the habit of drinking milk himself.
Ever since Renya had been adopted by Tobirama, he had been given a glass of milk every night before bed.
Back then, even though this old guy clearly didn't like having an Uchiha around, he had never treated Renya poorly in daily life.
Not only had he given him a generous allowance, but he even brought the milk to him personally before bed.
At that thought, the corners of Renya's lips lifted slightly.
Being cared for like this… really was a nice feeling.
He looked at the milk on the table, a warm feeling spreading in his chest.
Tobirama might be an old grouch, but he wasn't a bad guy.
Drinking milk regularly had led Renya to form a habit—he needed a glass before sleeping.
Sometimes, if he didn't have one, he would even have trouble falling asleep.
Unfortunately, there was no such luxury on the battlefield.
Over time, he simply stopped thinking about milk.
But now, seeing the bottle on the table stirred up those old memories.
Tobirama noticed Renya standing still, lost in thought, and felt a sudden pang of anxiety.
Had the kid noticed something wrong with the milk?!
Now that Renya's strength had grown, there were certain things Tobirama didn't dare do openly, afraid the boy might detect something unusual.
That's why he had added the drug to the milk while still outside.
As long as he didn't tamper with the milk inside the house, the risk of exposure would be greatly reduced.
But Renya's reaction made him nervous.
This kid was an expert with poisons—what if he had already sensed something?
Tobirama carefully observed Renya's expression, trying to figure out if the boy had noticed anything off.
Luckily, he didn't see any signs of anger or suspicion on Renya's face.
Tobirama breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
He was just zoning out—he hadn't noticed the milk had been tampered with.
There was no way something like this would get exposed so easily.
He must've been under too much stress lately and had gotten paranoid.
It looked like he really did need a proper rest for a couple of days.
...
"Kid, what are you thinking about?"
Tobirama's voice pulled Renya out of his thoughts.
"Nothing." Renya quickly changed the subject to cover his awkwardness. "Since you're back, you can do the dishes."
"Go wash the dishes!"
From the start, it had always been Tobirama who did the washing.
But ever since he became Hokage, he barely came home anymore and had no time for it.
So the task naturally fell to Renya.
Not only did he have to cook, he also had to wash the dishes—he had become the Senju household's live-in chef.
No wonder his shadow clones kept mocking him.
Renya pointed to the two lunchboxes by the sink and ordered Tobirama:
"Go clean those dishes. This was always your job to begin with!"
Cooking was already enough of a chore—don't tell him he had to do the dishes too?
It had only been necessary before because Tobirama hadn't been around.
But this time was different—the old man was home!
Tobirama's eyelids twitched wildly. He stared at Renya in disbelief.
"Kid, you want me to wash the dishes?!"
He was the dignified Second Hokage of Konohagakure, burdened daily with the village's affairs, to the point where he barely got any sleep.
And now, when he finally had a moment of rest, he was being told to go do the dishes?!
Seeing Tobirama's reluctant expression, Renya retorted irritably:
"Just because you've been Hokage for a few days, you think you can forget the rules of the house?"
That made Tobirama freeze up a bit—but then he remembered.
It had been him who set the rule in the first place...
Back when he used to cook, he made Renya do the dishes.
Later, it was Renya who started cooking, and Tobirama took over dish duty.
But ever since becoming Hokage, he was always in the office handling documents and rarely came home for meals. Renya usually just brought him food.
Over time, he'd simply forgotten about washing the dishes.
Renya's reminder finally jogged his memory.
...
"Old man, don't tell me you're trying to weasel out of it?" Renya frowned, eyeing Tobirama suspiciously.
If this old grouch really refused to do the dishes, there wouldn't be much Renya could do about it.
The likely outcome would be...
Renya silently stewing in frustration while doing the dishes anyway.
Damn it, that would be way too pathetic!
Fortunately, what Renya feared didn't happen.
Tobirama wasn't the kind of man to go back on his word. He quietly walked to the sink and began running water to wash the dishes.
The sound of running water and clinking porcelain filled the kitchen.
Renya leaned against the doorway, watching Tobirama work diligently, and nodded in satisfaction.
"That's more like it, old man."
No way he was going to do all the hard work while this geezer enjoyed life.
Tobirama didn't respond—he simply kept washing the dishes in silence.
Renya headed back to the living room, leaned against the couch, and comfortably pulled out a novel to read.
"Not having to wash dishes feels amazing..."
The first thing he had done upon returning to the village was cook for Tobirama.
Then he had to deliver the food.
And after that, come back home and do the dishes.
He had lived that kind of life for years.
Finally, he didn't have to wash the dishes this time!
It hadn't been easy...
While Renya read his novel, Tobirama had already finished the dishes.
He walked into the living room, holding a glass of milk, and handed it to Renya.
"Kid, drink your milk and then go to bed."
Renya closed the book and took the milk, downing it in one go.
Tobirama had been right back then...
A glass of milk before bed really did help with growing taller.
Especially in recent years, since he had started hitting puberty, his growth had accelerated.
He was growing several centimeters every six months.
Renya remembered being only 160 cm tall at age fourteen. Just half a year later, he'd already reached 165.
He was sure he'd hit 180 in a few more years.
...
"Old man, I'm heading to bed."
After finishing the milk, Renya got up and returned to his room.
This time, due to the carefully controlled dosage, he didn't pass out immediately.
Tobirama stared at the now-empty cup in his hand, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
It had been a long time since he'd had the chance to study this kid.
This time, he was going to do it thoroughly.
Tobirama sat down on the couch, planning to wait until the sedative kicked in fully.
He picked up the novel Renya had been reading to pass the time.
Who knew how long had passed, but once Tobirama sensed that Renya had finally lost consciousness...
He put the novel aside and headed to Renya's room.
Looking at the unconscious Renya, Tobirama muttered softly:
"I wonder if this kid has noticed anything changing in his body?"
Before his words had even finished, he had already picked Renya up and left the Senju compound.