"Tell me—why did you pretend to be dead all these years?"
Senju Tobirama's pair of red eyes locked tightly onto the embarrassed face of Senju Hashirama.
He already had no way to deal with this big brother of his.
Such a huge matter as faking death and slipping away, yet he didn't even discuss it with him—did he not keep this younger brother in his heart at all?
What in the world had happened that made Brother do something like this behind his back?
This was something he could never figure out.
"…Tobirama, can we not talk about this?"
Senju Hashirama lifted his head cautiously and spoke weakly.
He didn't want Tobirama to know that Madara wasn't dead.
He was afraid his younger brother would do something irrational.
"No!" Senju Tobirama raised his voice.
No matter what happened tonight, he had to learn the truth!
Senju Hashirama sighed helplessly and glanced at the surrounding ANBU and Danzō.
"You all go back first. I will talk inside."
Senju Tobirama immediately understood his brother's concern and waved the ANBU away.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had wanted to sneak closer to eavesdrop, but after hearing his teacher's words, he had no choice but to leave obediently.
Shimura Danzō turned around and left without hesitation.
Renya was about to follow when he heard Senju Tobirama's icy voice.
"Brat. Come inside."
Renya: "…"
Sigh… truly unlucky.
If he had known, he wouldn't have brought Hashirama back to the village.
Now trouble had come knocking.
...
Senju Hashirama's residence.
"Big Brother, can you explain the reason now?"
Senju Tobirama narrowed his eyes, looking unhappily at his older brother.
If he didn't have a proper explanation, Tobirama was absolutely going to explode!
"Tobirama, let me say this first—you must not get angry later."
Senju Hashirama gave a preemptive warning, afraid his brother would get too worked up after learning the truth.
"I know, I know! Big Brother, hurry up and say it already!" Senju Tobirama was dying from impatience.
"Actually… Madara, like me, isn't dead…"
Senju Hashirama took a deep breath and revealed the truth.
"What?!"
Senju Tobirama's eyes widened sharply, disbelief coloring his expression.
Impossible. He had personally arranged Madara's corpse back then.
That guy had absolutely lost all life signs—how could he still be alive?!
But he quickly calmed down.
Since Brother was still alive, Madara surviving wasn't strange either.
After all, the Uchiha clan possessed Izanagi, a technique that allowed resurrection at the cost of one eye.
If Brother hadn't prohibited him from touching Madara's corpse back then…
This never would have happened!
"Where is Madara now?" Senju Tobirama asked the question he cared about most.
Uchiha Madara had been missing all these years—he was definitely plotting something secretive.
The inherently evil Uchiha—anything they schemed was never trivial.
He had to put a stop to it with overwhelming force!
"Well… um… can I not say…?" Senju Hashirama asked hesitantly.
"What do you think?" Senju Tobirama snorted coldly.
Who knew what kind of strange nonsense Madara had fed Hashirama?
Even now he was still protecting him.
Renya stood silently at the side. If something happened, go look for Hashirama.
Don't come looking for me.
Back then he was just a kid—everything had been Madara's plan.
He had only helplessly agreed. It really wasn't his fault…
Renya had already prepared an excuse in his heart.
He would just dump all responsibility on Hashirama later. Hashirama was a soft-hearted person—he would never betray him.
Senju Hashirama looked at Tobirama's stern expression and knew he couldn't stall any longer.
"Tobirama, Madara is in the Land of Iron."
Senju Tobirama looked expressionlessly at him and asked,
"Big Brother, have you been with Madara all these years? Is Madara plotting something?"
"Haha… actually, it wasn't just me and Madara…"
Renya's body stiffened instantly. A bad feeling surged through his heart.
No way…!
Hashirama wasn't going to sell him out… right?
Of course, the thing he feared most still happened.
Senju Hashirama scratched his head and chuckled with embarrassment.
"Sometimes Renya also came along."
Renya: "???"
So much for thick eyebrows and a kind face!
He had thought Hashirama was a good elder—yet he casually sold him out without even realizing it.
Senju Hashirama noticed Tobirama's darkened expression and belatedly realized he had said something wrong.
"Sorry, Renya." Senju Hashirama apologized with guilt.
"I accidentally let it slip."
Renya didn't speak.
Accidentally? Really?
He truly had no way out now.
Senju Tobirama glared darkly at Renya and asked in a deep voice,
"When you said you went traveling, were you actually going to meet them?"
He had always found it strange—this brat normally lazed around and refused to even step outside the door, yet suddenly he wanted to travel?
Turns out he had been visiting Hashirama and Madara.
This brat had known everything long ago, yet he'd kept it from him for so many years!
"Nothing of the sort." Renya awkwardly rubbed his nose. "I really was traveling."
"Tobirama, I can testify!" Senju Hashirama said cheerfully. "The three of us visited several countries back then."
Hearing that, Senju Tobirama's already dark face turned even darker.
This brat had even gone on months-long trips with them!
He couldn't help remembering himself at that time—sitting in the office, miserably reviewing documents while chewing soldier pills.
Renya: "…"
Hashirama really wasn't doing this on purpose… right?
He wasn't so sure anymore.
Senju Tobirama laughed—but it was the kind of laugh born of pure anger.
"Tell me—what exactly is Uchiha Madara plotting?"
He was certain Madara was hiding a secret of enormous magnitude.
Otherwise he wouldn't have vanished under a false identity.
Senju Hashirama subconsciously glanced at Renya.
Renya didn't dare meet his eyes and quickly lowered his head.
Uncle Hashirama was too unreliable. It was best to keep completely silent.
Otherwise he'd get dragged into trouble again.
"Madara wants to achieve peace in the shinobi world. Back then, he accidentally discovered…"
Senju Hashirama began explaining what Madara had found on the Uchiha Stone Tablet, and how he had taken Hashirama's flesh and faked his death.
Senju Tobirama's pupils contracted sharply.
Hashirama and Madara's fused flesh could give birth to a power capable of realizing world peace?!
His eyes instinctively drifted toward Renya in the distance.
This brat also had both Senju and Uchiha blood.
Did that mean he could awaken the same immense power Big Brother spoke of?
But he quickly snapped back to reality.
"Big Brother—why didn't you tell me something this important?!"
Madara's plan was practically anti-human.
No matter what, he had to stop Madara!
Otherwise the shinobi world would be doomed.
"Tobirama… you're not a match for Madara."
Senju Hashirama looked conflicted, but in the end he still spoke the words.
The reason he hadn't wanted Tobirama to know was because he was afraid his little brother would go looking for Madara…
And then get casually killed.
There was almost no one in the shinobi world now who could stop Madara.
Senju Tobirama: "…"
Big Brother's words left him unable to refute anything.