"Big Brother, you're back."
At the Konoha gate, Senju Tobirama, sensing their Chakra, quickly ended his experiment and came to the entrance to greet them.
Although he appeared calm on the surface, he was still afraid that his Big Brother would find out about him playing with the souls of the dead.
After all, Edo Tensei was unlike other forbidden Ninjutsu; this Ninjutsu was honestly a bit cruel.
Given his Big Brother's personality, if he found out, he would definitely not let him off lightly.
So, he came to the entrance to greet them immediately, which could dispel his Big Brother's suspicions to the greatest extent.
"Haha, Tobirama, I'm back!" Hashirama's hearty laugh rang out.
It had been a while since he saw his younger brother, and he actually missed him...
"Big Brother, why were you out for so long?" Tobirama couldn't help but complain.
At first, he thought his Big Brother would be back in three to five days, but he didn't expect him to be gone for over three months.
If he didn't know his Big Brother's strength, he would have thought something bad had happened to him.
"My apologies, it took a bit of time on the road," Hashirama said, his gaze unconsciously falling on Renye.
Seeing this, Renye awkwardly lowered his head.
Five days ago, he had snatched the map to lead the way, but he accidentally went off track again.
What should have taken only two days to reach ended up taking five days.
Getting lost twice in a row made Renye realize that this map really had a problem!
The drawing on the map was crooked and messy; how could a normal person understand such an abstract route?
Renye had also wondered why Uncle Hashirama could understand it.
However, he quickly figured it out: Uncle Hashirama must have known the general route, so looking at the map or not made no difference.
If he had known this, he wouldn't have wasted money buying the map; having Uncle Hashirama as a human navigation system was enough.
He wondered if he could find that boss later and return the map.
If he couldn't find him, those three hundred taels would just be wasted...
Tobirama noticed his Big Brother looking at Renye and couldn't help but be curious.
Could his Big Brother's late return be related to Renye?
If that were truly the case, this kid had really helped him a lot.
"Tobirama, nothing happened in the Village during this time, right?"
Hearing his Big Brother's question, Tobirama said, "Don't worry, Big Brother, with me here, the Village won't fall into chaos."
Hashirama heard this and said cheerfully, "With you here, I can rest assured."
Tobirama unconsciously frowned; he always felt there was something strange about his Big Brother's words.
He couldn't help but say, "Big Brother, since you're back, the Village's affairs are yours to handle."
Hashirama paused slightly, then smiled and shook his head, "Tobirama, I should have retired a long time ago. You should be the Hokage."
"Big Brother..." Tobirama opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped, finally letting out a sigh, "I understand."
He had long anticipated this day, but he didn't expect it to come so quickly.
Ever since his Big Brother was injured, he had been handling the Village's affairs on his behalf.
Tobirama had always held hope that his Big Brother's injury could fully recover.
For this, he had conducted many experiments, but they had no effect.
Therefore, he could only place his hope in his Big Brother's abnormally strong recovery ability.
But his Big Brother's decision just now made him realize that the injury wouldn't heal...
Hashirama patted Tobirama's shoulder and softly said, "Tobirama, the Village is entrusted to you. Don't disappoint me."
Then, he turned to Renye and said with a smile, "Little Renye, I'm heading back now. Come over and play with Tsunade when you have time."
"Mm, I will," Renye nodded.
"Haha, I'm indeed a bit tired these days. It's time to go back and rest," Hashirama said cheerfully as he left.
The two stood rooted to the spot, watching Hashirama's retreating figure.
"Uncle Hashirama's Chakra... is getting weaker and weaker," Renye whispered softly.
He had been with Hashirama for the past few months, so he naturally noticed the changes in Hashirama's body.
It was just that since Hashirama didn't bring it up, he wouldn't ask.
Tobirama remained silent, his red pupils reflecting his Big Brother's back.
The setting sun finally dipped below the horizon, and the last ray of afterglow stretched Hashirama's shadow long, long.
The man who once ended the war with the power of Wood Release now resembled the setting sun, every inch of his brilliance being devoured by darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky was completely dark.
Senju Tobirama turned his head to Renye, his voice hoarse: "Kid, let's go back."
Renye nodded, silently following behind him.
They were both somewhat silent on the way.
Tobirama's home was located behind Hashirama's.
As they passed Hashirama's entrance, they heard Hashirama and Tsunade's laughter from the courtyard.
——————
Senju Tobirama Residence.
Ever since Senju Tobirama returned, he had shut himself in his study.
He looked at the wall covered with experimental data, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"Is there really no way?"
Just then, Renye's voice came from outside the door: "Uncle, it's time to come out and eat."
"Mm, I know."
Hearing this, Tobirama put away his documents, then opened the door and went out.
At the dinner table, neither of them spoke.
Senju Tobirama ate his meal by himself.
Although his Big Brother's situation made him lose his appetite, Renye's cooking was an exception; it was truly appetizing.
He had to admit, it had been a while since he had tasted this kid's cooking, and he actually missed it...
Eating the delicious food gradually calmed Tobirama's slightly agitated mood.
He broke the silence at the table and looked at Renye: "Tell me, where did you two go during this time?"
He was very curious about what had caused his Big Brother to be delayed on the road.
Renye put down his chopsticks and recounted his experiences during that time in full.
However, he selectively concealed the fact that he had gotten lost twice...
It was better not to let that Old Man know about such an embarrassing matter.
After dinner, Senju Tobirama cleaned up the dishes on the table by himself.
Renye, on the other hand, went to the training ground to train; the path to becoming stronger was imminent.
He knew that with Senju Hashirama's current physical condition, he probably wouldn't last much longer.
As soon as Senju Hashirama died, Konoha would no longer have a strong deterrent.
In this way, those countries eyeing the Land of Fire would not hesitate to launch a war.
Although Renye's current strength, as long as he remained cautious on the battlefield, would generally not cause major problems, the stronger his own strength, the greater his chances of survival.
He would make up for the three months he had wasted as much as possible.
Senju Tobirama was leaning against the door at some point, silently watching Renye train.
This kid is really diligent...
He had originally wanted to research Renye tonight, but seeing that the kid had just returned, he dismissed the idea.
He had to let this kid rest well, right?
He, Senju Tobirama, was not an unreasonable person.
Thinking this, Tobirama glanced at Renye and returned to his study.
Renye, who was training, didn't know that he had fortunately escaped a calamity...
PS: Five minutes late, sorry.
