The next morning, at the Konoha camp.
Renya once again applied poison to his blade, preparing for the upcoming journey to the Land of Lightning.
They would be departing for the Land of Lightning today, so he had risen early.
Although the Gold and Silver Brothers had been eliminated and Senju Tobirama's safety was now largely secured, it was still best to remain vigilant—just in case.
As the saying goes, "Better safe than sorry." No matter what, he couldn't allow that old man to run into trouble.
Anyone who posed even the slightest threat had to be killed!
Hopefully, the people of Kumogakure wouldn't be foolish enough to provoke them…
If they did, he would show no mercy!
Whether for his own sake or for the sake of the village, Senju Tobirama could not die.
If that old man died, the position of Hokage would fall to either Danzō or Hiruzen, and in time, power struggles would break out again—leading to Konoha's gradual decline.
That was something Renya had no desire to see, so it was better if Senju Tobirama stayed alive.
Yes… this was for the sake of the village's future!
As for his own perspective…
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Renya, it's time to head out."
Renya stood up at once, sheathed his katana, and walked toward the group.
"Renya-kun, why are you up so early?" Utatane Koharu handed him a steaming rice ball. "Try this, it's my special breakfast!"
"Special?" Renya accepted it with a puzzled look, not seeing anything particularly unique about it.
It just looked like a regular rice ball…
"Don't listen to her—it's just a regular rice ball with a bit of pickled plum," Mitokado Homura said, pushing his glasses up, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Where's the old man?" Renya asked while biting into the rice ball.
Hmm… it tasted average.
But the feeling of not having to make his own breakfast was pretty great!
"Tobirama-sensei is still in the command tent, giving instructions to the Nara commander," Shimura Danzō explained quietly.
Renya nodded without asking further.
The old man was probably arranging for the main forces to withdraw—it wouldn't take him long.
"How much do you think Kumogakure will pay in reparations?" Uchiha Kagami leaned over curiously.
Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment.
"I think it won't be less than a hundred million ryō."
Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement.
"With Tobirama-sensei leading the negotiations, it should be even more than that."
"Hmph, they lost the war—they should pay the price!" Shimura Danzō snorted coldly.
"I say it should be three hundred million ryō!"
Renya gave them a strange look.
In the original story, did they have this exact conversation… right before Senju Tobirama died in Kumogakure?
Well, with his interference, that shouldn't happen this time.
No way would a Hokage capable of using Flying Thunder God, accompanied by six jōnin, be in any real danger in Kumogakure.
Especially since Renya had already taken care of the few individuals who could have posed a threat.
A war that should have dragged on for years had ended in just one, all thanks to his presence.
With their current lineup, they could walk sideways through the Land of Lightning without fear.
Without the Gold and Silver Brothers stirring trouble, and with Kumogakure severely weakened as the defeated side, they shouldn't dare to make a move against them.
If Kumogakure did dare, they'd have to face the full wrath of Konoha—and at that point, reparations would be the least of their concerns.
Even if they tried to attack, whether they could actually win was another matter entirely.
...
"Is everyone ready?" Senju Tobirama's cold voice came from behind.
The group immediately straightened and saluted. "Tobirama-sensei."
The silver-haired Second Hokage's gaze swept over his most prized students, lingering on Renya for a second longer than the rest.
Though his expression remained stern, Renya could read a faint hint of satisfaction in the old man's eyes.
Renya's mouth twitched. What was this old man on about so early in the morning?
Could it be that the mushroom soup last night was poisoned?
No, that shouldn't be possible—he had checked it carefully beforehand…
Tobirama ignored Renya's complex expression and said to the group, "Let's go."
"Yes, Sensei!"
...
The team left the camp, heading northeast.
Renya walked slightly behind and to the right of Senju Tobirama—a standard guard position.
For this mission, they were acting as the Hokage's personal guard, responsible for his safety.
"What are you so tense about?" Tobirama suddenly asked in a low voice.
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others instinctively glanced at Renya, who was gripping his sword hilt tightly.
Since leaving the Land of Fire, they had all noticed that something seemed off with him—his wariness was almost excessive.
It was as if he was deeply concerned about something.
"I'm fine." Renya released his grip and smiled at them reassuringly.
He couldn't exactly tell them he was worried about some uncontrollable "plot force," could he?
If this old man really got killed by the story, that would be a disaster.
...
"Let's keep moving."
Tobirama gave him a long, searching look, feeling as though the boy was hiding something.
Since Renya didn't want to talk, he wouldn't press the matter.
Seeing their teacher speak, the others wisely held their tongues and continued onward in silence.
The atmosphere remained somewhat subdued along the way, and Renya kept his Sharingan active, scanning the surroundings for any sudden enemy attack.
...
Land of Lightning, Daimyō's Mansion.
"You're saying the Hokage wants me to meet him personally?" The Daimyō of the Land of Lightning asked with a dark expression.
Standing before him was a dark-skinned, powerfully built man wearing the straw hat reserved for the Raikage.
This man was Kumogakure's newly appointed Second Raikage. After taking the title, his name had changed to A.
"That's right—the Second Hokage said so himself." The Second Raikage's face was equally grim.
He hadn't expected Senju Tobirama to make such an outrageous request.
This was a blatant insult to the Land of Lightning's dignity!
"Hmph, that man is far too rude." The Daimyō snorted coldly, hurling his teacup to the ground in anger.
He was the proud Daimyō of the Land of Lightning, yet now he was expected to lower himself to negotiate reparations directly with the leader of an enemy nation.
If the other Daimyō learned of this, wouldn't his reputation be utterly destroyed?
No, wait—the Daimyō of the Land of Fire probably already knew…
At this thought, his expression shifted between gloom and irritation.
It was bad enough to have lost the war, but now there was this humiliation on top of it.
If he had known it would come to this, he never would have listened to the First Raikage's advice to wage war against the Land of Fire.
And now?
Not only had they lost the war, but they had lost reputation as well.
The First Raikage had it easy—he died and left all the aftermath for him to clean up.
If that man were still alive, he would have given him a thorough scolding.
After a long silence, the Daimyō spoke in a low, cold tone:
"Send some men to assassinate the Second Hokage. Make sure it's clean—no traces left behind."
The Second Raikage froze for a moment, but even if he disliked the idea, he could only comply.
"I understand."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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