"Renya, from now on Hashirama will have to trouble you to take care of him."
Uzumaki Mito looked at Renya with a hint of apology.
Compared to Tsunade and Nawaki, who often left the village on missions, Renya—who stayed ho basking in the sun all day—was clearly the most suitable person to look after Hashirama.
After all, he had nothing much to do normally, and his cooking skills were excellent.
"Understood, Mito-san." Renya replied seriously. "I will take good care of Hashirama-sama for you."
No matter what, he would never let Senju Hashirama go hungry. At most, it just ant preparing an extra pair of chopsticks at alti.
He already delivered als to Senju Tobirama and Orochimaru regularly. When the ti ca, he could simply cook one more portion for Hashirama-sama.
If necessary, he could just invite him over to eat at ho.
"With your words, I can finally rest easy." Uzumaki Mito’s anxious heart finally settled.
With Renya around, even without her, Hashirama would surely live well!
"You and Danzo must take good care of yourselves. I won’t say too much, or you’ll think this auntie is nagging again."
She looked at Renya and Shimura Danzo behind him, revealing a gentle smile.
Although she felt regret that the two had no plans to marry or have children, she chose to respect their decision.
Regardless of gender, as long as they loved each other and could ultimately stay together, that was enough!
Renya and Danzo: ...
It seed Mito-san had never forgotten what happened back then.
Forget it. At a mont like this, better not tell her the truth.
Otherwise, the old lady would start worrying again about why the two of them still weren’t married.
"Hashirama... I’m leaving."
A crystal tear slid from the corner of Uzumaki Mito’s eye, traveling from her cheek to her chin before finally falling onto the back of Hashirama’s hand.
Senju Hashirama tightly grasped his wife’s hands, unable to suppress the grief in his heart.
A few years ago, he lost his dearest friend.
Now, he had lost his wife as well.
From now on, aside from Tobirama and Renya, there would hardly be anyone left in the village with whom he could truly talk.
...
Inside the sealing space, the Nine-Tails sensed Uzumaki Mito’s life force rapidly fading. It no longer waited and directly shattered the seal.
Violent Nine-Tails chakra overflowed from Mito’s body.
Just as the Nine-Tails broke free from the seal, Uzumaki Mito’s life reached its end. She slowly closed her eyes, a peaceful smile still lingering at the corner of her lips.
Renya looked at Mito-san lying in Hashirama-sama’s arms and could not help recalling the scene of their first eting.
Back then, he had just been adopted by Senju Tobirama. While refining chakra in the courtyard, he encountered Uzumaki Mito, who had co to visit.
He never expected ti to pass so quickly.
In the blink of an eye, thirty years had gone by.
Perhaps in a few more decades, Senju Tobirama and Senju Hashirama would also leave him.
By then, perhaps only his good friend Danzo would remain by his side.
Thinking carefully about it felt sowhat lancholic.
"Hahaha! I have finally regained freedom!"
Amid the sorrowful atmosphere, an utterly inappropriate burst of laughter shattered the mood.
The newly freed Nine-Tails threw its head back and laughed wildly, completely out of place among the silent crowd.
It couldn’t be helped.
Ever since Uchiha Madara was defeated at the Valley of the End, Senju Hashirama had sealed it inside Uzumaki Mito under the excuse that it was "too dangerous."
After being imprisoned for so many years, of course it was ecstatic upon release.
The Nine-Tails’ massive body appeared in the plaza, quickly drawing the attention of both ninja and villagers.
Then they noticed Uzumaki Mito lying in Hashirama’s arms.
Although she rarely appeared in public, everyone in the village knew of her existence.
Konoha’s Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
The First Hokage’s wife.
A mber of the Uzumaki clan who possessed powerful sealing techniques.
Who wouldn’t recognize her?
"Nine-Tails, quiet down." Senju Tobirama scolded coldly.
As expected of a tailed beast once controlled by Uchiha Madara—completely lacking situational awareness.
If Renya hadn’t insisted on releasing it, he would have already arranged for a new Jinchūriki to seal the Nine-Tails again.
The Nine-Tails’ wild laughter was interrupted. Though displeased, it wisely shut its mouth.
After all, Senju Hashirama and Renya were both here.
Since it couldn’t win, it was better to stay low-profile.
Especially Renya—the existence who killed Uchiha Madara. It absolutely could not provoke him.
If it angered him, it might end up like the Three-Tails.
Although sealed, the Nine-Tails had learned from conversations between Hashirama and Mito that the Three-Tails had been slashed into a bloody mist with a single strike.
At present, only it and the Three-Tails remained in the ninja world.
The Nine-Tails definitely did not want to be killed.
Otherwise, wouldn’t the Three-Tails be left all alone? How boring would that be?
Well... in truth, it simply didn’t want to experience the pain of death.
Even though tailed beasts were masses of chakra and theoretically could not truly die...
The pain before death was very real.
It dared not imagine what the Three-Tails felt when it was cut apart...
"Stay here for now. I’ll co find you after I finish handling things."
After instructing the Nine-Tails, Renya left together with Senju Hashirama and the others.
For now, they needed to handle Mito-san’s funeral arrangents first.
As for the Nine-Tails, that could wait a few more days.
After being sealed for so many years, it wouldn’t mind waiting a little longer.
Uchiha Madara had prepared backup plans. Renya could not allow things to proceed unchecked.
It would be interesting if the Nine-Tails ended up like the other tailed beasts—turned into nourishnt for the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
"Hmph. That brat really doesn’t take seriously!"
Watching Renya’s departing figure, the Nine-Tails muttered inwardly.
As expected of an Uchiha—arrogant to the bone!
But there was nothing it could do.
It couldn’t beat him.
Waiting a few days was fine.
With that thought, the Nine-Tails simply lay down in the plaza and closed its eyes to rest.
...
The funeral was held soon afterward.
On the day of the funeral, all mbers of the Uzumaki clan ca to mourn. The Ninja Academy even declared a holiday so the Uzumaki students studying in Konoha could attend alongside their elders.
Tsunade knelt before her grandmother’s grave, crying uncontrollably, while Renya, Senju Tobirama, and the others watched silently.
In truth, ninja were already accustod to partings of life and death.
Even when deeply sorrowful, most rarely showed it.
After all, too many comrades had died in war.
Over ti, everyone grew used to it.
To put it bluntly—they had beco numb.
...
After the funeral ended, Renya returned to the plaza.
The Nine-Tails’ ears twitched as it slowly opened its eyes.
Man and fox stared at each other.
For a long ti, neither spoke.
Eventually, the Nine-Tails lost patience and spoke first.
"Kid, are you really willing to let leave?!"
These past few days, it had truly worried Renya might suddenly change his mind and seal it again.
Several tis it considered running away, but rembering Renya’s terrifying strength, it ultimately abandoned the idea.
"Of course. If I wasn’t letting you leave, why would I keep you in the village?" Renya replied irritably.
"What, should I build a zoo here so everyone can co watch a giant fox?"
Eh?
Actually... that didn’t sound impossible.
A zoo with a tailed beast might attract plenty of visitors.
Nine-Tails: ...
Suddenly, the way this guy was looking at it felt very wrong.
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