"Clan Head-sama, how is the situation with the Uchiha's Hawk Faction right now?"
"Ever since you became the Hokage's advisor, their voices have quieted down considerably."
Uchiha Kagami showed a bright smile.
"Does that mean the Hawk Faction members won't be shouting about staging a coup anytime soon?"
"That's right."
Uchiha Tanaka's face, rarely showing a smile, soon turned serious again.
"But I'm afraid their ambitions won't stop there."
"You mean..."
"They'll grow dissatisfied once more."
The position of Hokage's advisor was not insignificant within the village—but compared to the Hokage himself, it was still worlds apart.
Even with Kagami as an advisor, he could only suppress those dissatisfied voices for the time being.
"I understand, Clan Head-sama," Kagami murmured softly.
Just as Renya said...
Could it be that the conflict between the clan and the village truly can't be avoided?
His mind drifted to the words Renya once said—
[If you just kill all the Hawk Faction members, then no one will be left to incite rebellion, right?]
"Is that really the only way...?"
"Kagami, what are you saying?"
"N-no, it's nothing, Clan Head-sama."
Uchiha Kagami shook his head, driving away that dangerous thought.
To kill one's own clansmen—he could never bring himself to do such a thing.
Not just him—even other clan members wouldn't be able to.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Let things take their natural course," Uchiha Tanaka said, patting Kagami on the shoulder.
You think he's calm about it? In truth, he's just out of options.
The Hawk Faction was growing stronger by the day, and yet, as clan head, he was powerless.
He didn't even know when it started—but the "Hokage Threat Theory" had spread throughout the clan, greatly fueling their resentment toward the village.
The Uchiha had already harbored dissatisfaction with the Hokage for a long time, and once the "threat theory" appeared, that resentment surged to its peak!
He had ordered an investigation, but it turned up nothing.
It felt as though an invisible hand was controlling the fate of the Uchiha.
Even Uchiha Madara in the past had seemed the same—as if being manipulated—when he suddenly decided to lead the clan out of the village.
Something unknown must have happened back then...
"Kagami, you should go back for now."
Uchiha Kagami left the clan head's mansion in a daze.
...
"I think I'm about to succeed!"
Inside the laboratory, Senju Tobirama's eyes burned as he stared at the experimental data in his hands.
All these years, he hadn't found a practical method to erase the second personality within Renya.
That thing was invincible within Renya's mental space—ordinary methods couldn't destroy it.
But Tobirama had never given up. After recovering his mental strength, he kept diving back into that spiritual world again and again.
With each battle, he noticed that the will of that second personality was gradually weakening.
In recent years, the number of times it managed to seize control of Renya's body had dropped sharply—perhaps the battles had drained its spirit continuously...
Each confrontation consumed the second personality's spiritual power, and for some reason, it could not recover.
In that case, all he had to do was keep fighting it over and over—it would eventually dissipate completely.
According to the latest experimental data, that thing was close to vanishing.
In his recent battles with Tobirama, the second personality had already fallen into disadvantage.
Perhaps, very soon, Tobirama would defeat and destroy it once and for all.
"Heh... that naturally evil little Uchiha brat, I'm about to get rid of you!"
Once he destroyed Renya's second personality, he could finally retire and live out his old age in peace.
The lab door swung open.
"Old man, I brought you food," Renya said, stepping in with a lunchbox.
"Hm," Tobirama nodded, putting away his data.
"Geez, old man, you finally retired—so why are you still holed up in the lab every day?" Renya frowned, eyeing the wrinkles on Tobirama's face.
"You're not getting any younger. What are you so busy with, anyway?"
He really was curious what this old guy was tinkering with every day.
Every time he asked, the old man just gave him some cryptic answer.
He should know that people die in all sorts of ways—not just of old age.
If this geezer didn't enjoy life while he still could, what if he suddenly kicked the bucket one day? That'd be a waste!
"Once I finish this matter, I'll take a proper rest," Tobirama said—surprisingly not in his usual sharp tone.
Once that thing was gone, he could finally rest easy in retirement. He believed that just a few more ventures into that mental world would be enough to erase it completely.
"Good to hear."
Renya was a little touched seeing the old man not argue for once.
Looks like he's matured—he actually understands I'm saying this for his own good!
Fifty or sixty really is the age when you start listening to reason.
"Has Danzō been handling his duties properly these days?"
Even in retirement, Tobirama still couldn't let go of the village. He worried Danzō wouldn't be up to the task as Hokage.
"Don't worry. Danzō's been like a man on steroids—he practically lives in the office every day," Renya said truthfully.
As Hokage, Danzō was even more diligent and driven than when he'd been Tobirama-sensei's assistant.
He was determined to become a Hokage not inferior to Tobirama-sensei!
Hearing that, Tobirama nodded in satisfaction. That being the case—he could finally retire in peace.
Now, the most important thing was to destroy that thing inside Renya!
"Don't leave the village for the next few days," Tobirama instructed quietly.
"No problem, old man," Renya replied at once, implicitly glad he didn't have to take on missions.
Even if the old man hadn't said it, he wouldn't have gone out on missions anyway. Better to stay home and relax.
"Alright, off you go," Tobirama said after finishing his meal, dismissing Renya.
He needed to prepare for tonight's battle—he had no time for idle chatter with this brat.
Once that thing was destroyed, there would be plenty of time to talk.
Renya felt like the old man had gone half mad from spending every day in the lab.
What the hell was he even doing all the time?
Still, he didn't say anything. The old man had promised that once this was over, he'd rest properly.
He could only hope that day came soon.
...
Senju Tobirama's residence.
"Have you three completed your mission?"
Renya had just returned home when he saw three figures sitting at the stone table in the yard.
They were none other than Konoha's newly crowned mission maniacs—Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
The number of missions the three of them had completed far exceeded that of Renya's old team back in the day.
As expected of his disciples.
"Renya-sensei, we've completed the mission," Orochimaru said, his gaze falling on the lunchbox in Renya's hand as he subconsciously swallowed.
Renya-sensei had a habit—he'd always deliver food to the Hokage first.
Which meant... there were freshly made dishes back in the house.
Looked like they'd come at just the right time!
Tsunade and Jiraiya's eyes also lit up as they stared at Renya.
"Renya-san, have you eaten yet?" Tsunade asked, pretending not to know the answer.
"Alright, come on in," Renya said, rolling his eyes before motioning for the three of them to follow.
"Yay!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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