Senju Tobirama looked in surprise at Renya, who was gasping on the ground, confusion and disbelief written all over his face.
He couldn't understand—why would this man, who had fought him for five years straight, thank him at the moment of his death?
After all, this guy had always been trying to seize control, to completely take over Renya's body!
"Heh… you didn't really think I was afraid of death, did you?" Uchiha Renya gave a faint chuckle.
"I've been trapped in this place for decades. Being alive is even more painful than dying."
"I don't have a body. I can only wander endlessly through this barren wasteland, unable to die no matter how much I wish to."
"So you wanted to take over Renya's body to escape your current existence, isn't that right?" Senju Tobirama asked softly.
—A man's words before death are often kind.
He didn't mind talking with a dying man, keeping him company in his final moments.
"You're wrong. I never wanted to take his body." Uchiha Renya shook his head. "I told you before—I am him."
Senju Tobirama instinctively frowned, seemingly unable to grasp the meaning behind those words.
"I'm a personality that split off from him to protect himself. I appeared the moment you took him in," Uchiha Renya explained. "As for the exact reason I appeared…"
He opened his mouth, but the words never came out.
"There are some things you shouldn't know. It would do you no good." Uchiha Renya murmured softly. "Anyway, thank you—for granting me release."
In this desolate void, with no one to accompany him, he had lived alone for what felt like eternity.
Such an existence was truly worse than death.
Fortunately, because of Senju Tobirama's experiments, he was able to briefly take control of the body.
So whenever he gained control, he would deliberately approach Senju Tobirama. That old man would definitely find a way to eliminate him!
After all, his existence posed a serious threat to the main personality's safety.
And sure enough, Senju Tobirama soon entered the mental world and met him face-to-face.
Unfortunately for him, in this spiritual realm, Renya's second personality was invincible. The old man was no match for him at all.
Even if he got injured, he would recover instantly—death was practically impossible.
But he knew that as long as Senju Tobirama remained alive, he would eventually find a way.
...
Through repeated battles, Senju Tobirama indeed discovered a pattern.
As their fights went on, the second personality's spiritual energy kept depleting, yet could not recover.
This wasn't something only Tobirama noticed—the second personality was well aware of it too.
But he pretended not to know, deliberately holding back in each battle, letting Senju Tobirama exhaust his spiritual energy while waiting for him to find a way to kill him.
And so it went on for five years—until finally, death came for him.
...
Uchiha Renya's body began to dissolve, starting from his fingertips, turning into shimmering specks of blue light that floated away into the air.
"Old man… thank you for setting me free…"
For the first time since his birth, he smiled—a genuine, happy smile.
There was no violent explosion, no roar of rage.
Only a silent, almost beautiful disintegration.
His body scattered into countless points of light, fading into nothingness.
As Uchiha Renya completely vanished, the mental world that had existed because of him began to wail under the weight of collapse.
Crack—
The massive blood-red moon above fractured into countless cracks, like shattering glass. Dark crimson light seeped through before the moon burst apart soundlessly, breaking into fragments and raining down as a crimson storm.
The endless desert beneath their feet began to quake violently, splitting into bottomless ravines. But instead of devouring everything, the sand itself dissolved into the void, leaving behind nothing but endless darkness.
The space began to twist and fold in on itself. Strange visions flashed by—fragments of the Uchiha clan compound, glimpses of Konoha Village—but all of it burst like fragile bubbles, vanishing in an instant.
The entire world was collapsing, returning to the primordial chaos from which it came...
Senju Tobirama stood at the center of this crumbling world and slowly closed his eyes.
"It's over."
...
Reality. Inside the laboratory.
Senju Tobirama's consciousness returned to his body. The moment he opened his eyes, he looked toward the experiment table.
Renya was still lying there quietly, breathing evenly, as if nothing had happened...
But Tobirama couldn't know what Renya was feeling at that moment.
Within his unconscious mind, Renya found himself pulled into a dark void.
Standing before him was someone who looked exactly like himself.
"So, you're here?"
"Who are you?" Renya frowned.
He'd only fallen asleep—so why was he suddenly here?
The other Renya didn't answer. Instead, he smiled brightly.
Then, without warning, he turned into countless motes of light that merged into Renya's body.
"My true self, this is my gift to you."
"A parting gift."
Before Renya could react, an overwhelming surge of emotions flooded his mind.
Despair, pain, loneliness, fear, anger, hatred, sorrow…
All the negative emotions of the second personality poured into Renya's consciousness like a bursting dam.
It hurt… so much…
In the darkness, Renya collapsed to the ground, clutching his head tightly, curling up in agony.
Tears burst from his eyes uncontrollably, splashing against the ground and forming ripples.
"Get out… what the hell is this…" His voice trembled, words slurred, his head feeling like it was about to explode.
It was unbearable.
It felt like he was being drowned in an ocean of negativity—suffocating in pure emotional pain.
...
Reality.
Renya's body began to shake uncontrollably, drenched in sweat. His once-flushed face turned deathly pale, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Kid, what's wrong with you?!" Senju Tobirama was startled by Renya's reaction. He hurriedly shook him, trying to wake him up.
He no longer cared about exposing the experiment—he just wanted to bring Renya back.
But his calls had no effect.
Not only did Renya not wake up—his convulsions grew even stronger.
If his limbs hadn't been restrained, he would have been thrashing all over the floor by now.
Senju Tobirama's expression darkened. He had no idea what was happening.
Could this be a side effect of destroying that personality?!
After all, the second personality kept saying he and Renya were the same person...
"Kid, don't you dare die on me!" Senju Tobirama said anxiously.
There was nothing he could do—so he just stayed by Renya's side in silence, waiting, hoping.
A tinge of regret crossed his face. Maybe he shouldn't have destroyed the second personality.
...
Within the spiritual world—
Renya could only pound the ground to vent the agony inside him. It was the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life.
"Damn it! What the hell is happening?!"
He had only fallen asleep, and now this was happening?!
Just as he felt like he was about to break apart—
Buzz.
A new, icy power suddenly burst forth from deep within his body, sweeping through him in an instant, dispelling all the negative emotions.
...
Reality.
Senju Tobirama saw Renya's body finally relax and return to normal, and the tension in his chest eased at last.
End of Part 1
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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