"Waaah—waaah—waaah—waaah—!"
The sudden sound of crying from inside the house made Renya's brain instantly crash. His eyes went blank, filled with disbelief.
Mito-san… where the hell did she get a baby from?!
His mind flashed with all kinds of news headlines from his previous life—like "Husband returns home after three years to find his wife has given birth."
Wait—no! What the hell am I thinking?!
Damn it, where did the baby come from?!
Renya was completely dumbfounded, his thoughts in total disarray, tangled into a chaotic mess.
He'd only been away from the village for half a year, and Mito-san already had a child?
Sure, Hashirama was technically "dead" on the surface, but he wasn't actually dead! Wasn't Mito-san going too far?!
"Renya, wait a moment," said Uzumaki Mito as she turned and walked back inside the house.
A moment later, she came out holding a baby in her arms.
Noticing Renya's constantly shifting expression, she gently soothed the baby and explained softly,
"You were only away from the village for a few months. Fujikage and Sakurako entrusted me with their newborn to raise."
Fujikage and Sakurako—Tsunade's biological parents—had always lived in the capital of the Land of Fire.
"Haha, so that's how it is..."
Renya immediately realized what was going on. So the baby was Nawaki.
A false alarm.
Of course Mito-san wouldn't be that kind of person!
It was his own brain short-circuiting that led to such a misunderstanding—he'd completely forgotten Tsunade still had a little brother, about ten years old, named Nawaki.
"Mito-san, can I take a look at the baby?"
"Of course."
Renya took Nawaki carefully into his arms. Looking at the teary-eyed little boy, he asked knowingly,
"Mito-san, what's this little guy's name?"
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This kid, who'd been brainwashed with the Will of Fire from such a young age, would one day charge onto the battlefield full of passion—only to die in an explosion from a trap of explosive tags.
A protagonist's template, but no protagonist's fate.
His death had dealt a huge blow to both Orochimaru and Tsunade, changing their destinies forever.
"This child's name is Nawaki," said Uzumaki Mito with a gentle smile as she mentioned her grandson, briefly pushing aside the unhappiness that Hashirama had brought her.
"Mm, Nawaki," Renya nodded, returning the baby to Mito carefully.
He'd have to keep an eye on this kid later—to make sure he didn't die to another batch of explosive tags.
"Mito-san, I'll head back for now. In a few days, I'll have Hashirama-san return to visit you," said Renya with a smile.
"Alright, go on then," Mito nodded softly, rocking the baby in her arms.
Renya glanced once more at Nawaki, then turned and left the courtyard.
It wasn't a bad thing for Mito-san, who stayed at home every day, to have a baby to keep her company.
...
Senju Tobirama's residence.
"Danzo, what are you doing here?"
Renya had just returned when he saw Shimura Danzo standing at the gate.
"Tobirama-sensei said you'd come back, so I thought I'd drop by for a chat," Danzo said, his eyes gleaming with barely restrained excitement.
Compared to before, the man seemed far more energetic—gone was that gloomy, lifeless aura.
Now he looked positively spirited, like he'd just won the lottery.
"Let's talk inside," said Renya, taking out his key to open the gate and leading Danzo into the courtyard.
"Renya, do you know?" Danzo blurted out as soon as they entered. "Tobirama-sensei intends to make me Hokage!"
...
He'd been holding that news in his heart all this time, telling no one. It had been suffocating him—and now that Renya was back, he couldn't help but brag about it.
After all, Tobirama-sensei had mentioned that Renya himself had once recommended Danzo for the Hokage position.
That meant Renya truly had no interest in being Hokage. Danzo couldn't have found a better person to confide in.
After learning the truth, Danzo had completely regarded Renya as a friend.
"Congratulations, Danzo," said Renya with a smile.
But knowing that old fox Senju Tobirama, there was no way he'd hand over the Hokage title so easily.
He would definitely put Danzo through a series of evaluations and tests first.
In the original timeline, circumstances had forced Tobirama to appoint Hiruzen Sarutobi as Hokage immediately—but now that he was alive and well, there was no reason he'd rush the decision.
The old man surely wanted to find the most capable successor to lead the village toward prosperity...
Whether Danzo would truly get his wish, however, depended entirely on his future performance.
Tobirama's words to Danzo were more encouragement than promise—
"The crown prince is frail; thou must strive harder."
Throughout history, how many people seeking power had been destroyed by such words?
It was clear that Danzo had been thoroughly taken in by Tobirama.
Still, Renya had no intention of bursting his bubble.
Who knew—maybe he really would pass the tests and become Hokage.
"When you become Hokage one day, make sure to look after me," Renya teased with a grin.
He wasn't entirely joking—if Danzo became Hokage, it'd make taking time off a whole lot easier.
No more begging that old Tobirama to approve his vacations!
"Hmph, of course!" Danzo replied, his grin stretching almost to his ears.
His old illusion was about to become reality!
Hiruzen, the position of the Third Hokage is already reserved for me.
You'll have to wait until I retire before you can fight for the Fourth's seat...
Not that Danzo imagined himself retiring early—he intended to sit in that Hokage chair until his dying breath.
Only then could he be called a true Hokage.
In other words, as long as he was alive, Hiruzen would never become Hokage.
"I hope you become an excellent Hokage," Renya said sincerely.
In the original timeline, "Shadow" Danzo's long-unfulfilled dream had driven him to commit countless acts that harmed the village.
Renya hoped this Danzo wouldn't end up the same way.
If a single Root leader could plunge Konoha into chaos, what would happen if he became Hokage?
The so-called Shadow hadn't even had the chance to display his full ambitions—he'd merely attended one meeting before Uchiha Sasuke stormed in, and under pressure from Obito, sealed himself and a bridge away in humiliation.
"Hmph, I don't need your reminder," Danzo said, clenching his fists. "Once I become Hokage, I'll govern the village properly and lead it to prosperity!"
Not just that—he would make Konoha the strongest shinobi village in the entire world!
"Mm-hmm," Renya nodded.
Right now, Danzo looked every bit the ambitious young idealist.
But if he failed to become Hokage...
He would almost certainly darken, just like in the original story—perhaps even worse.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
If his dream collapsed... he'd probably snap on the spot.
Let's just hope he actually becomes Hokage this time.