Senju Tobirama arrived on the battlefield and naturally took over the role of field commander.
The previous commander became his adjutant, responsible for relaying orders and offering strategic advice.
With the deaths of the long-haired brute and Kinkaku, the Kumogakure forces were thrown into utter chaos, leaderless and disoriented.
Their commander was dead, and the high command back in the village hadn't sent new orders. The Kumogakure shinobi had no idea what to do.
Seizing the opportunity, Senju Tobirama led the Konoha shinobi in a victorious pursuit, advancing the front lines by over a hundred kilometers in just a few days.
The remaining Kumogakure forces fled in disarray, without even the will to resist. All they hoped for now was for their village to surrender soon.
In fact, once the leadership of Kumogakure received news of what had happened, they were thrown into complete panic.
They truly hadn't anticipated losing multiple Kage-level powerhouses in a single war!
After all this time, they still hadn't even selected a candidate for the Second Raikage...
The ones with the most public support—those who had the best chance of becoming the Raikage—had all died on the battlefield.
The remaining options were either too old or too inexperienced, unfit to shoulder such a responsibility.
And with the Konoha forces relentlessly pressing forward, any further hesitation would only lead to an irreparable situation.
The village elders deeply regretted their decision. If they had known it would come to this, they would never have attacked the Land of Fire...
Now, the only option left was surrender.
The high command of Kumogakure began preparations to elect the Second Raikage and planned to initiate surrender talks with Konoha.
...
"Within three months, Kumogakure will fall."
Senju Tobirama stood atop a newly captured watchtower, staring at the retreating Kumogakure shinobi in the distance. His voice was full of certainty.
Kumogakure had suffered devastating losses. They had practically lost the qualifications to even compete with Konoha.
Continuing to resist would bring them nothing. Surrender was only a matter of time.
And all of this was thanks to...
Senju Tobirama instinctively glanced at the black-haired boy beside him.
Renya had a senbon clenched between his teeth and muttered unclearly,
"Exactly. All their top combat power is dead. What are they gonna fight with? They're not seriously gonna bring out the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, are they?"
Not to mention whether Kumogakure had fully suppressed the Tailed Beast— even if they had, sending it to the front lines was another matter entirely...
If they were really forced to deploy their Jinchūriki, things would get... very interesting.
At that point, they'd probably have to ask Mito to join the battlefield.
Senju Tobirama shot him a sidelong glance.
"You seem very free lately?"
Renya instantly tensed up and quickly spat out the senbon.
"Not at all! I've been super busy lately!"
Before the words even finished, he started pretending to scan the area seriously, as if searching for hidden Kumogakure shinobi.
This old man was definitely trying to find another excuse to make him cook—he couldn't let him catch any openings again!
Cooking at home was one thing, but cooking on the battlefield too? Wasn't that too much?
If this kind of thing got out... how was he supposed to show his face in the village?!
He was the notorious "Konoha's Poison Master," the man who humiliated both Sunagakure and Kumogakure—yet secretly, he was just the Senju Clan's personal chef.
If people found out, he'd be socially dead!
Senju Tobirama snorted softly and said nothing more.
Think you can get out of cooking that easily?
This kid... too naïve.
He had a hundred ways to make Renya obediently cook.
These past few months, Tobirama had been buried in paperwork back in the village, coordinating battlefield operations...
He was so busy he barely had time to sleep. Meals were often skipped or replaced by quick bites of soldier rations.
Now that he was back on the battlefield—he deserved at least one good meal, didn't he?
Everyone knew that commanding a battlefield was a mentally taxing job, and replenishing nutrients was essential to keep the brain functioning.
Once they returned to camp, this brat was definitely cooking him a proper dinner!
It's not that he wanted to indulge in good food... he just needed to stay healthy.
As the Hokage, his physical condition was critical. Malnutrition was unacceptable.
There were still many things in the village that needed him.
Renya noticed the not-so-innocent glint in Senju Tobirama's eyes and immediately had a bad feeling.
Damn it, he's not thinking of making me cook again, is he?
...
Just as Renya had predicted, the days that followed became increasingly "eventful."
During the day, he would sometimes stroll around the front lines, casually taking out a few clueless Kumogakure shinobi.
Or he'd stay in camp studying the theory behind the Flying Thunder God Technique. After half a year of studying, he had already grasped most of it.
He was now one step closer to mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique.
As for nighttime...
"Kid, time to cook."
Senju Tobirama's voice would ring out right on schedule outside the tent.
Thanks to becoming the Hokage's personal chef, Renya's living conditions had improved drastically.
He went from sharing a three-man tent to enjoying a private one.
This greatly reduced the risk of his secret being exposed, and Renya was fairly content with that.
As long as Shimura Danzō and Koharu didn't find out...
Renya headed to Senju Tobirama's tent, tied on his apron like a man headed for execution, and gritted his teeth while chopping vegetables.
"A dignified Second Hokage, invincible on the battlefield... yet always obsessed with food!"
"Damn it, he really thinks I'm just his cook now!"
Senju Tobirama listened to Renya's grumbling, and the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
This kid had been getting more and more talkative lately.
But that wasn't a bad thing...
Much better than that evil little Uchiha brat from back then.
Tonight, Renya made two servings of food—one for the old man, and one for himself.
Since he had to cook anyway, he figured he might as well make a portion for himself too.
He even skipped dinner to save room for this meal.
As a result, a strange phenomenon began occurring in the Konoha camp.
Every night, the Hokage's tent would emit an irresistible aroma of food—one that spread through most of the camp.
Some Konoha shinobi, lured awake by the smell, would often spot Jōnin Renya sneakily carrying a food box back to his tent.
He thought he wouldn't be discovered...
But good things never last. The secret eventually got out.
...
On a certain moonless, windy night, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others followed the scent to Renya's tent.
"Yo, eating well, huh?"
Seeing Hiruzen suddenly appear, Renya's hand trembled. The grilled fish nearly fell to the ground.
He'd been too absorbed in his meal and hadn't noticed his surroundings at all.
Now it was too late—he'd been caught red-handed.
Next, Shimura Danzō lifted the tent flap.
"Why enjoy it alone when we could all enjoy it together?"
Uchiha Kagami, Koharu, and Mitokado Homura all filed in one after another.
Five pairs of eyes stared unblinkingly at the delicious food on the table.
Renya: "..."
It's over. I've been exposed.
The thing he feared the most... had come true.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled cheerfully.
"Renya, that's not cool of you. Secretly cooking for Tobirama-sensei and not for the rest of us?"
Shimura Danzō added darkly, "Big-shot chef, you don't want this little secret getting out, do you?"
Renya: "..."
These bastards. They're blackmailing me!