Wasn't Hashirama-san already dead?
Then who was this standing in front of him?
Renya looked at Uchiha Madara in confusion, wanting to hear his explanation.
He had just been heartbroken about this not long ago.
Madara glared at Hashirama with a dark expression, then explained,
"I just wanted to see if that incident would trigger you into awakening the Mangekyō."
If Hashirama hadn't shown up just now, this brat might have succeeded in opening his eyes.
What a troublesome guy…
Renya instantly understood.
So Madara had deliberately said that Hashirama-san was dead in order to push him toward awakening.
But even though he had felt sad, he hadn't experienced the feeling of opening his eyes.
Clearly, the news of Hashirama-san's death wasn't enough to push him into the anguish required to awaken the Mangekyō.
Renya had always been aware of Hashirama's physical condition—his death was only a matter of time.
A normal death couldn't make him awaken.
If Hashirama had died from some other cause, then perhaps anger and grief might have triggered the Mangekyō Sharingan.
But now, Renya no longer yearned for awakening. He decided to let things take their natural course.
"Thank you for your good intentions, Madara-sama." Renya didn't blame him.
"Renya, Madara, what are you two talking about?" Hashirama scratched his head in puzzlement, completely unaware of what had happened.
Madara snorted coldly and didn't respond, still brooding over what had just occurred.
"It's nothing, Hashirama-san. How's your health been lately?" Renya shifted the topic.
"Hahaha, much better," Hashirama said with a smile.
He felt he could still live for several more years…
And it was all thanks to Madara. Without him, he would have already died.
Renya looked at Hashirama, whose condition did seem improved, and let out a sigh of relief.
Though he didn't know what Madara had done, as long as Hashirama-san's health wasn't worsening, that was enough.
"Renya, hurry up and cook," Hashirama urged, "it's been so long since I've eaten your food."
"No problem, Hashirama-san." Renya began handling the ingredients, preparing lunch.
Madara sat on a chair, his gaze occasionally drifting to the food in the pot, his throat bobbing.
This kid's cooking seemed to have gotten even better.
Over these past years, he and Hashirama had wandered all over the shinobi world, but they had never once encountered food better than Renya's.
After their travels, they had returned to the Land of Fire.
They went back to the cave they once lived in, summoned Scar, and sent him to fetch Renya.
Soon, Renya had a table full of dishes ready.
Because the two of them had brought ingredients, in addition to Renya's own meat and vegetables, the rest of the table was filled with various fish dishes.
Steamed fish, braised fish, pan-fried fish, fish soup…
"Brat, did you bring any sake?" Madara suddenly asked.
"I brought it, Madara-sama." Renya took out a jug of sake from his bamboo basket, placed it on the table, and tactfully poured drinks for the two of them.
Madara picked up his cup, but instead of drinking, he handed it back to Renya, his face still carrying that same indifferent look.
"Drink."
Renya looked at the cup in confusion, then pointed at himself blankly.
"Madara-sama… you want me to drink?"
Could it be that this guy wanted to get him drunk and then trick him into leaving the village?
Even though he was an adult now, he had never touched alcohol before.
He didn't even know what his tolerance was—what if he collapsed after one cup?
"Hm." Madara nodded calmly.
"Madara-sama, I don't drink." Renya had always stayed away from both smoking and alcohol.
Madara's lips twitched slightly at his words, but he still held up the cup.
To think this kid had grown this much and still couldn't handle a drink.
Tobirama must have kept him on a tight leash.
"Haha, Renya, don't refuse. Sake barely has any alcohol content," Hashirama said cheerfully.
"Got it." Renya took the cup and, under their watchful gazes, downed it in one gulp.
Only then did Madara pick up his chopsticks and start eating, though he kept refilling Renya's cup from time to time.
Unable to refuse, Renya had no choice but to drink cup after cup.
As time passed, his head began to feel light.
"Hashirama-san, didn't you say this had no alcohol content?" Renya's cheeks were flushed. "Why do I feel dizzy?"
"A little alcohol isn't strong, but you've already had half a jug." Hashirama laughed and patted his shoulder.
Renya really gave Madara respect—every time there was sake in his cup, he drank it all.
If it had been anyone else, he would never have touched it…
"Hashirama-san, stop patting me… I'm going to sleep." Renya muttered, then slumped down onto the table, motionless.
Madara looked at the drunken Renya, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
This brat liked pouring tea, didn't he?
Even now, he hadn't forgotten that scene three years ago, when Renya kept pouring tea for him nonstop.
That day, he had spent a full two minutes in the restroom.
"Madara, why did you get him drunk?" Hashirama looked at his friend in confusion, not understanding his motive.
"I'm training his alcohol tolerance," Madara said casually, finding an excuse.
He couldn't exactly admit he was getting revenge for back then.
"So that's it!" Hashirama nodded in realization.
Then, as if something occurred to him, he asked softly,
"Madara, don't you think Renya's body feels a little strange?"
Having spent so much time around him, Hashirama felt a faint sense of familiarity, almost as if Renya shared a blood connection with him.
Madara looked at him in surprise. "You feel that too?"
After all, Renya was an Uchiha, so it was natural for Madara to sense it. But Hashirama?
That bastard wasn't of the Senju clan?
Why would he feel a bloodline connection with an Uchiha?
Their gazes fell together on the sleeping Renya.
This kid definitely had secrets no one knew about…
After a long silence, Madara pulled his gaze back and said in a deep voice,
"I want to invite Renya to join me in realizing the dream of peace for the shinobi world."
"Madara, no!" Hashirama refused without hesitation.
In his eyes, Madara had already strayed onto the wrong path. Renya couldn't be dragged into it.
Renya was the village's hope—he couldn't let Madara ruin him!
"This isn't up to you." Madara's voice was cold. "All you need to do is wait for the day peace comes to the shinobi world. The rest isn't your concern."
His words weren't a discussion—they were a declaration.
Even if Hashirama disagreed, he had no choice.
There was no one in the shinobi world now who could stop Madara from doing anything.
"Madara…" Hashirama looked at his friend with a complicated expression.
He knew that once Madara made up his mind, he wouldn't change it. Now, all he could hope was that Renya wouldn't agree.
Madara's eyes flickered as he watched the unconscious Renya.
With just a little manipulation, this brat would willingly join the "Eye of the Moon" plan.
No one understood the psyche of his own clan better than he did.
It simply wasn't the right time yet. He needed the perfect opportunity.
An opportunity that would make Renya join of his own free will…
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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