"Renya, are you leaving or not?" Senju Hashirama grew anxious when he saw Renya still lingering.
If Renya didn't go now, he was afraid he would open his mouth to persuade him to stay.
Who could possibly refuse the company of someone who not only loved the village but was also a great cook?
But for the sake of Renya's safety, he had to grit his teeth and drive him out, lest his dear friend set his sights on him.
Renya: "???"
Something felt wrong. Judging by Hashirama-san's expression, he seemed quite eager for him to leave?
His brain froze for a moment, unable to make sense of the situation.
Hashirama-san, who was usually the one most reluctant to see him go, was now suddenly urging him to leave?
And Uchiha Madara, who had repeatedly invited him to join the "Eye of the Moon" plan, had suddenly stopped mentioning it altogether.
When things go against the norm, there's always something suspicious!
"Hashirama-san, so I'm really leaving then!" Renya said again, unwilling to give up.
He wanted to stir their emotions, to make them speak words of persuasion.
"Mm, goodbye, Renya!" Senju Hashirama waved with a smile, his face showing not the slightest trace of reluctance.
Hahaha, the brat was finally leaving!
He had been worried that Madara would suddenly extend another invitation to Renya, but thankfully Madara hadn't said a single word, only watching silently.
Even as Renya prepared to leave, his dear friend didn't utter a single word.
The plan was proceeding just as he had hoped—as long as Renya left, everything would be fine.
Renya realized that Hashirama-san wasn't joking; he genuinely wanted him to go. His face twisted into an odd expression.
What the hell was Hashirama-san up to?
His gaze shifted toward Uchiha Madara, expecting him to extend another invitation to join the "Eye of the Moon."
But Uchiha Madara simply folded his arms, keeping his usual detached look, as though he didn't care at all about Renya's departure.
...
Yet inside, he was anything but calm—his heart was filled with doubt.
Why wasn't Hashirama stopping the kid from leaving?
Could it be that Hashirama had guessed his thoughts and was deliberately playing against him?
He discreetly glanced at Hashirama, who wore a beaming smile.
Uchiha Madara: "..."
Heh, so this guy really was trying to force him into persuading Renya to stay!
As if the great Uchiha Madara would ever stoop to such a thing!
He had already been rejected once by Renya, losing all reputation. There was no way he would humiliate himself again by inviting Renya in front of Hashirama.
Unless the "Eye of the Moon" plan was actually set in motion, he would never extend another invitation!
Unless that brat came crawling to him first.
Holding onto that thought, Uchiha Madara only watched silently, not even considering opening his mouth.
The Asura of the Shinobi World lowering himself to beg a junior? Impossible!
That was the sort of shameless thing only Hashirama would do.
"Kid, if you're leaving, then hurry up already." After being stared at by Renya for too long, Uchiha Madara inexplicably felt uneasy.
This brat was acting strange. Normally he would have jumped at the chance to get away, yet today he was dawdling, almost as if he was waiting for something.
Renya was utterly confused by their identical attitudes. What the hell was going on today?
They really seemed eager for him to leave!
No, that couldn't be right. Usually, whenever he tried to go, they practically locked him up to keep him here. But now they couldn't wait to kick him out...
"Goodbye, Hashirama-san, Madara-sama!" Renya took a deep breath, turned around, and walked away without looking back.
He had bet that they would say something to stop him, so he could put on a reluctant face and stay a few more days.
If he stayed long enough, surely Madara would eventually invite him again, right?
But alas, things didn't go as he hoped.
Renya walked completely out of the cave, and neither of them stopped him.
No, no, this wasn't right at all!
He wanted nothing more than to turn back and demand why they hadn't stopped him, but in the end, he quashed that absurd impulse.
The two of them had clearly changed their attitude toward his presence.
Though he didn't know the exact reason, it might not be a bad thing for him.
After all, it suggested that—for now—Uchiha Madara wasn't plotting against him, and his companions were safe.
But that circled back to the original problem.
As long as Renya refused to join the "Eye of the Moon" plan, Uchiha Madara would eventually turn his thoughts toward him, putting his companions in danger.
For now, they were safe. But how long could that "for now" last?
That was what worried him most. If by the time Madara awakened the Rinnegan, his companions were already older, Renya could always use his fists to reason with him.
But if Madara made his move a few years earlier, then men like Danzo would have no way out but death.
And in that case, Renya could only awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in grief, seeking revenge for them.
Of course, all this was just speculation on Renya's part.
Madara recruiting him didn't necessarily mean he would kill Shimura Danzo and the others—he might have other means.
Either way, Renya couldn't afford to drop his guard.
For now, since no one had stopped him, he could only go ahead with his plan to travel.
As for Uchiha Madara's scheme, he still had half a year of time left.
If worst came to worst, he could always drop by now and then, stay a few days at a time. If he kept doing that, surely Madara wouldn't be able to hold back forever?
Renya turned to look back at the two standing at the cave entrance, waved at them, then turned again and disappeared into the forest.
"Phew, finally gone." Senju Hashirama let out a breath of relief.
He had been worried that if Renya lingered any longer, Madara would once again invite him into the "Eye of the Moon" plan. Thankfully, this time Madara hadn't.
Hopefully, the brat would enjoy his travels and not come looking for them again.
Hashirama feared that if they spent too much time together, he might grow attached to him.
Renya was someone he had truly valued.
Hashirama didn't want Renya entangled with them—"the dead"—especially with Madara eyeing him so intently.
Of course he wanted Renya as far away from them as possible.
After all, Madara was no longer the friend who had built the village with him.
Hashirama knew all too well that Madara would stop at nothing to realize his ideals.
That was why he didn't want Renya caught up in this vortex, why this time he had urged him to leave...
"So you're happy the kid's gone?" Uchiha Madara turned his head to look at Hashirama, his brow slightly furrowed.
Today, Hashirama had acted completely out of character by urging Renya to leave, leaving him puzzled.
If it were before, he would have begged Renya to stay.
"Hahaha, of course not." Hashirama scratched his head with a laugh. "It's just that Renya wanted to travel—I couldn't exactly force him to stay, could I?"
"He's been cooped up in the village all these years. He should get out and see the world."
Uchiha Madara's tightly furrowed brows gradually eased, and he nodded in agreement.
"That makes sense."
Seeing this, Hashirama sighed inwardly in relief. He had managed to bluff his way through.
But he failed to notice the cold smirk tugging at the corner of Madara's lips.
Hashirama could never tell a lie.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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