"Can you explain why Hashirama had to fake his death?"
Uzumaki Mito asked expectantly.
Even now, she still didn't understand why Hashirama would fake his death and leave.
What kind of situation could possibly force him to make such a decision?
If it hadn't been for the Nine-Tails' warning, she might never have known the truth in this lifetime.
Renya fell silent for a moment before explaining,
"Back then, Hashirama-san was gravely ill. I didn't want him to just die like that, so I lied and told him that Uchiha Madara was still alive..."
He then recounted what had happened that night, mixing truth and fiction.
Upon hearing this, Uzumaki Mito looked utterly shocked.
"You're saying... you not only lied to us, but also to Hashirama?!"
"Uh, you could put it that way," Renya scratched his head awkwardly.
Though Madara's fake death couldn't be confirmed, it was best not to talk about it too much.
The more you say, the easier it is for problems to arise.
"I just didn't want to see Hashirama-san leave like that, so I told a little lie," Renya spread his hands.
"And now things turned out like this."
Who would've thought of escaping by faking death in such a dramatic fashion?
Only the reincarnations of Indra and Asura could pull something like this.
The two brothers really did act in similar ways...
Uzumaki Mito didn't speak; she seemed to be digesting his words.
After a moment of silence, she asked slowly, "Do you know where Hashirama is now?"
"I don't," Renya shook his head. "I haven't seen Hashirama-san since that night."
That part, at least, wasn't a lie.
He'd originally planned to contact him through a summoning beast, but before he had the chance, Senju Hashirama had vanished.
Right now, Hashirama was completely off the grid.
He could've died in some remote corner of the world without anyone knowing.
And if that happened, even Edo Tensei wouldn't be an option—how ironic would that be?
Still, knowing Senju Tobirama, he'd definitely collected Hashirama's cells a long time ago.
So Edo Tensei would probably still work...
Uzumaki Mito visibly relaxed after learning that Hashirama wasn't actually dead.
As long as he was alive, he'd return sooner or later.
She just had to wait at home for his return.
Her gloom lifted instantly, and a bright smile bloomed on her face.
She didn't blame Renya for hiding the truth—as long as she knew her husband was alive, that was enough.
Once Hashirama couldn't find Uchiha Madara, he would naturally return to the village.
And all she had to do was quietly wait for her husband to come home.
...
"Let's go, Renya."
Uzumaki Mito smiled gently.
As she turned to leave, she noticed that Renya was still standing in place.
Puzzled, she asked, "Renya, what's wrong?"
"Mito-san, please don't tell him about this!" Renya looked nervous.
This kind of thing absolutely couldn't be allowed to reach Senju Tobirama's ears.
Otherwise, he'd dispatch people the very next day to search the entire shinobi world for his brother.
And Renya, who had hidden the truth, would be in serious trouble!
Renya suddenly remembered the murderous intent Tobirama had directed at him years ago.
It was still vividly etched in his memory.
He would never forget that feeling for the rest of his life!
Uzumaki Mito stared at Renya's tense expression, briefly startled.
But then she quickly understood.
She covered her mouth and laughed softly, "I understand, Renya."
Renya finally let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that.
The two of them left the Senju clan's ancestral grounds together.
"Renya, when do you think Hashirama will return?"
"No idea. Probably soon, though."
"By the way, is it really true that Uchiha Madara isn't dead?"
"...Who knows?"
...
Senju Hashirama wore a bamboo hat as he darted quickly through the forest.
Somewhere deep inside, he had a hunch—Madara had once appeared here.
When he emerged from the forest, what greeted him was a tavern.
"Just in time, I'm a little hungry. I'll eat here."
Hashirama lowered the brim of his hat and stepped into the tavern.
There were seven or eight wooden tables inside, and in the far corner sat three people who looked like wandering shinobi based on their attire.
He paid them no mind, found a table, and sat down, placing his hat on the tabletop.
The tavern owner greeted him enthusiastically.
"Welcome, sir! What would you like?"
Hashirama smiled.
"A jug of sake and a few meat dishes, please."
"Coming right up! Please wait a moment."
While waiting for his food, Hashirama overheard the wandering shinobi chatting at the other table.
"Did you hear? Kirigakure's Hōzuki Gengetsu just became Mizukage, and immediately launched an attack on Iwagakure."
"Yeah, I heard that! Those two new Kage had conflicts before, and now that they're in power, they're waging war on each other."
"You've gotta say, those two Kage are really clueless. Their fighting just handed Konoha a huge advantage—two fewer enemies to worry about."
Hashirama's lips curved into a smile.
It was true—Konoha's pressure had indeed lessened.
With Tobirama's leadership, the war would probably be over soon.
No need for him to intervene at all.
The shinobi continued their conversation, and Hashirama leaned slightly to listen.
"Ain't that the truth? Now Konoha only has to deal with Kumogakure and Sunagakure."
"Actually, it's really just Kumogakure… Suna's forces in the southwest have been completely crushed by Konoha. They can't even lift their heads anymore."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?"
Hearing this, Hashirama subconsciously turned toward the speaker.
The shinobi explained,
"Word is that Konoha has a genius poison master who not only easily neutralized the poisons developed by the Suna shinobi but even created deadlier ones of his own!"
"Against the poisons crafted by this Konoha shinobi, Suna had no countermeasures whatsoever."
Hashirama's expression turned strange, and an image of a certain youth popped into his mind.
Could that poison master possibly be...
Just then, the wandering shinobi exclaimed in surprise, interrupting his thoughts.
"For real? Since when did Konoha have such a skilled poison expert? How come I've never heard of him?"
The speaker clearly doubted the story's credibility.
The other shinobi scoffed.
"Why would I lie to you? My cousin was a jonin from Sunagakure stationed on the southwestern front—he was killed by that very poison. You think I'm making this up?"
"Damn, even a jonin got taken out so easily!"
"No kidding. That guy's got a pretty well-known title on the battlefield."
"What is it?"
"Konoha's Deadly Poison Master"
...
Hashirama's face twitched. No need to think about it anymore.
That poison master they were talking about—there was no doubt it was Renya!
He hadn't expected Renya's poison to be that effective on the battlefield.
Judging from the conversation, Renya had made a significant contribution to the southwest front.
Hashirama smiled in relief and couldn't help but sigh.
"Renya has really grown up and come into his own."
...
"Sir, your food and sake are ready."
Hashirama shook off his thoughts.
There was still business to take care of after this meal.
During his travels through the shinobi world lately, he had picked up on a few subtle clues.
He believed it wouldn't be long before he located Madara's hideout.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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