"Kazekage's sealing techniques are really weak, huh..."
Renya gazed into the distance, where the rampaging Shukaku had left Sunagakure in ruins, and sighed with mixed feelings.
It was precisely because their sealing arts were so weak that Shukaku could break free so easily. Even decades later, this problem still hadn't been solved.
Take Gaara, for example. Ever since he became a jinchūriki, he hadn't dared to sleep. Once he accidentally dozed off, Shukaku could seize control of his body, wreaking havoc on Sunagakure.
In short, the reason behind all this was Sunagakure's pathetic sealing techniques.
Naruto Uzumaki never had such trouble. At most, the Nine-Tails' chakra would leak out and affect his jutsu performance a little.
If one possessed a truly powerful sealing technique, there would hardly be any problems with jinchūriki at all.
Perhaps it was precisely this fact that made other nations covet the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts—leading to their eventual destruction. Very few members of the clan survived that tragedy.
"Renya, are we still going in?"
The fat cat's words pulled Renya back from his thoughts. It looked at the shattered main gate of the village, its whiskers twitching slightly.
He had originally planned to see how much Sunagakure had developed over the years. But with Shukaku's sudden appearance—
Not only did the village's economy fail to improve, it was now set back by decades. Rebuilding would demand massive funds, plunging the already poor village even deeper into misery.
"Forget it, we're not going." Renya pulled out a map and drew a big X over Sunagakure's location.
"There's nothing worth seeing in a pile of ruins..."
If he went to Sunagakure now and got spotted, wouldn't the Second Kazekage just dump the blame on him?
If that happened, and they accused him of having something to do with Shukaku's appearance, it would be like mud falling on his pants—no matter what he said, it would still look bad.
After all, Shukaku had appeared right after he showed up. There'd be no way to explain that away.
He couldn't exactly say he came to Sunagakure for sightseeing, right?
Sure, that was technically true—but who would believe it?! What kind of sane person would visit a poor, half-destroyed village for fun?
If this spread around, that old man Tobirama Senju would probably skin him alive.
"Then where are we going?" asked Scar.
Before coming here, he had already reported to Madara-sama that Renya was heading for Sunagakure. Now that plans had changed, he'd have to update Madara-sama right away.
"We're going to the capital of the Land of Wind," Renya said as he studied the map.
The Land of Wind might be the poorest among the Five Great Nations, but it was still one of them.
And really, what did the country's poverty have to do with its feudal lord?
The daimyo controlled the nation's entire economy. The capital where he lived couldn't possibly be that bad.
Besides, Renya had money now—there was no reason for him to travel like a pauper.
If Sunagakure was off-limits, then he'd go to the capital, spend freely, and enjoy a taste of luxury for once.
After fighting through decades of war in the ninja world and finally becoming strong, it was time to enjoy life a little.
He wasn't about to be like a certain Hokage, sitting in an office all day signing papers.
Poor guy—what did he even eat in that office? Probably nothing but those dry, tasteless military rations.
Unlike himself, who once spent an entire S-rank mission's reward on a single meal...
Really, only an idiot would want to be Hokage.
That old man could keep slaving away in his office. Renya was heading to the big city to live the good life.
So, man and cat turned around and headed for the capital of the Land of Wind.
...
Not long after they left, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara arrived at the location Renya and his companions had been earlier.
"Madara, what happened to Sunagakure?"
Hashirama instinctively swallowed hard as he looked at the devastated village in the distance. A bad feeling welled up inside him.
According to Scar's report, Renya had planned to visit Sunagakure for sightseeing. But now the place was in ruins... could it be Renya's doing?!
"That brat..." A flicker of shock flashed in Madara's eyes. He was thinking the same thing as Hashirama—both suspected Renya had attacked Sunagakure.
Staring at the black smoke rising from the village, Madara fell into thought.
When did that kid get so strong? To destroy Sunagakure like this... could he have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?!
If Renya really had awakened it, that would be a good thing. It would make the success of the "Eye of the Moon" plan much more certain.
"Let's go take a look," Madara said with a hint of anticipation. He couldn't wait to see Renya's awakened eyes for himself.
That kid really lived up to his expectations! To awaken the Mangekyō on his own without any help—he truly was a worthy successor.
Unlike Madara's excitement, Hashirama's face grew grim. His fists tightened unconsciously.
He couldn't understand why kind-hearted Renya would do something like this. With Sunagakure destroyed like that, countless people must have died...
Hashirama knew that to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, an Uchiha had to endure immense pain. That kind of power often twisted a person's mind.
Pain led people down dark and extreme paths—and Madara himself was the perfect example of that.
If Renya really had awakened the Mangekyō, he would surely be drawn into Madara's "Eye of the Moon" plan.
And if that happened, there would be no one left in the shinobi world strong enough to stop them!
The two entered the ruined Sunagakure with their own thoughts.
Not that they were sneaking in—the main gate had already been completely destroyed by Shukaku. They simply walked straight in.
The Sunagakure shinobi were busy with rescue efforts after the battle. No one had the time to notice two strangers entering.
Seeing civilians trapped under the collapsed buildings, Hashirama's eyes reddened. He couldn't believe Renya would do something so cruel.
Without saying a word to Madara, he rushed forward to join the rescue work.
Madara simply watched his old friend and said nothing. Hashirama had always been too softhearted.
"Wait..."
Madara studied the destruction carefully, and soon realized that the damage didn't look like Renya's doing at all. It looked much more like the work of a tailed beast!
Having once controlled the Nine-Tails himself, he knew perfectly well what a tailed beast's power could do.
Even if that kid had awakened the Mangekyō, there was no way he could cause this much destruction in such a short time—unless he had used the third ocular power, [Susanoo]...
So the truth was clear now. Renya hadn't awakened his eyes. Sunagakure had been wrecked by a tailed beast.
Madara's mouth twitched slightly. That brat hadn't awakened the Mangekyō after all—it was just a false alarm.
Ah well, then it looked like he'd have to lend a helping hand himself.
With decades of Mangekyō Sharingan experience under his belt, Master Madara was more than qualified to help a younger clansman awaken his eyes...
Witnessing a loved one's death—does that trigger it? Seeing a best friend die—does that work? Facing an unbeatable enemy—maybe?
Those were just a few of the countless ways to awaken the eyes.
Meanwhile, Hashirama—busy helping with the rescue—finally learned from the villagers that the destruction had been caused by a tailed beast. He exhaled in relief.
"Haah... so it really was a false alarm!"
He knew it—Renya would never do something so inhuman!
...
At that very moment, as Renya was traveling along the road, he suddenly shivered for no reason, a chill running down his spine. An uneasy feeling crept up on him, as if someone were watching. But it vanished just as quickly as it came.
"What's wrong, meow?"
"Nothing. Must've been my imagination."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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