"Renya, do you think what I did was wrong?"
On the road, Senju Hashirama suddenly asked.
Back when he decided to spare the higher-ups of Takigakure, he'd noticed Renya's conflicted expression—as if he didn't agree with the decision.
Renya hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then finally nodded... and shook his head again.
"Hashirama-san, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
"Just like that?" Hashirama raised a brow, his wide sleeves flapping loudly in the evening wind.
He could see the doubt in Renya's eyes—it was the same look Tobirama gave him years ago when he let the Uchiha go free.
"If it were Tobirama, he'd probably say I'm being soft-hearted, huh?"
Renya nodded in agreement.
"I think Tobirama-san would be right."
"…"
Hashirama had thought Renya was different from Tobirama, that he would understand the good intentions behind his actions.
Unfortunately, Hashirama was wrong. Renya, just like Tobirama, couldn't stand him showing mercy to enemies.
No surprise, really—Renya was raised by Tobirama…
"A ninja should be decisive and ruthless. Doing what you did, Hashirama-san, is completely out of line," Renya continued. "We only get one life. Letting the enemy go is just increasing the chances of your own death."
Not everyone knows how to be grateful...
What if he spared the enemy one moment, and the next they launched a sneak attack?
To Renya, that kind of saintly behavior—with a huge risk of backfiring—was something he'd never allow himself to do.
The only reason Hashirama could act that way was because of his overwhelming strength.
There was no one in the entire ninja world who could threaten him, so he had the luxury to do whatever he wanted.
But if it were any other ordinary ninja pulling that stunt, they'd have grass growing three meters tall over their grave by now.
Senju Hashirama suddenly threw his head back in loud laughter, startling the birds in the forest canopy.
He reached out and patted Renya on the shoulder, speaking with deep emotion,
"Renya, you're still too young to understand the benefits of what I did..."
Before Renya could reply, he continued,
"Letting the enemy go is like planting the seeds of peace. Every time you choose dialogue over violence, you're building a bridge of understanding between people on different sides."
"As long as people learn to understand and tolerate each other, the ninja world can achieve true peace..."
Renya's mouth twitched. He sighed in exasperation. "Hashirama-san, you're doing it again."
For the past few days, Hashirama had been drilling these peace ideals into him at every opportunity.
This kind of empty talk—Renya had grown tired of hearing it.
But Hashirama always had more to say, so Renya could only silently endure.
Renya subconsciously quickened his pace, but Hashirama quickly caught up and kept lecturing him about his peaceful philosophies.
It wasn't clear how long it went on before Hashirama finally stopped, nodding with satisfaction—as if very pleased with his own monologue. His face still carried the glow of unfinished excitement.
He looked instinctively toward Renya... only to discover the boy wasn't even listening. At some point, he'd stuffed cotton in his ears.
Hashirama let out a helpless sigh.
"Renya, I believe that one day you'll understand what I meant by all this..."
He had always tried to spread his views on peace, but it felt like no one ever truly agreed with him.
Whether it was Madara, Tobirama, or Renya—it was always the same.
He thought that if he was sincere enough, tolerant enough, he could melt the ice of hatred.
But reality poured cold water all over his enthusiasm.
For the first time, he felt like he was walking this road to peace alone—and the loneliness hit hard.
When even those closest to you don't understand, how could the enemies you've spared ever truly appreciate your efforts?
That sense of defeat from not being understood caused even this mighty ninja to feel a trace of helplessness and confusion.
Looking at Hashirama's slumped figure, Renya felt a moment of guilt.
Was he being too harsh?
Hashirama-san was obviously working hard to spread his beliefs in peace, and he'd responded with only impatience...
Thinking of this, Renya pulled the earplugs out.
"Hashirama-san, I think your ideals are admirable."
Hashirama snapped his head up, the gloom in his eyes instantly vanishing—replaced by a dazzling light.
He gripped Renya's shoulder tightly, his voice trembling slightly.
"You... you really think so?"
"I always thought no one in this world could understand why I persist. Everyone says I'm crazy... that I'm dreaming..."
His throat bobbed, eyes glowing as he stared at Renya. "But you—you actually get it!"
Seeing that expression on Hashirama's face, Renya suddenly had a bad feeling—like something awful was about to happen.
And sure enough, the next moment, Hashirama dragged him along and launched into another deep dive into his ideals for peace in the ninja world...
Watching Hashirama ramble on and on in front of him, Renya's face turned completely blank.
He wanted to slap himself.
Why did I even open my mouth?
In that moment, he truly understood the value of the phrase "silence is golden."
Hashirama didn't notice Renya's expression at all. He just kept talking endlessly, holding on to him.
That night, Hashirama seemed to say a lot, but Renya didn't hear a single word.
All he could think about was:
"Why... did I say anything?"
...
"Didn't encounter the mission target. Guess I can finally return to the village and report back."
At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron, Kakuzu couldn't suppress the upward curve of his lips.
He'd thought for sure that taking on this SSS-rank mission was a death sentence, so he'd spent three days nervously staking out the entrance of Yugakure.
But thank the heavens—he hadn't seen even a trace of Senju Hashirama!
Which meant he didn't have to fight the God of Shinobi.
He had no idea what kind of lunacy had possessed the higher-ups of Takigakure, sending him to assassinate Senju Hashirama.
But orders were orders. As a ninja, it was his duty to carry out missions.
Even if the mission meant almost certain death—he had to follow through as part of the village.
At this point, Kakuzu still didn't know the full truth. He hadn't been blackened yet, and was still very loyal to the village.
Ah... the power of childhood indoctrination.
"Hehehe... I might be the only person in history to take a mission to assassinate the God of Shinobi... and walk away unscathed."
Kakuzu grinned wider and wider, unable to hold it back.
This kind of legendary experience was something he could definitely use to boast about in the future.
If you can complete an SSS-rank mission and live to tell the tale, your strength speaks for itself, right?
And it wasn't like he was lying.
He did accept the assassination mission.
And he did come back alive.
Just then, two figures appeared in his line of sight.
At first, Kakuzu didn't care. He thought it was just a couple of strangers.
One was a middle-aged man, the other a teenager.
But as his peripheral vision caught sight of the older man, the smile on his face instantly froze.
That man wore a pale cyan robe, shoulder-length hair flowing freely, a few loose strands brushing against his sharply defined features.
Kakuzu pulled out a wanted poster and compared the image carefully.
Wasn't that... the God of Shinobi himself?
Cold sweat broke out on Kakuzu's forehead in an instant.
What the hell—why did I run into Senju Hashirama out here of all places?!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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