"Is that young man Renya-sama?"
"Yes, that's right! The handsome one at the back is Renya-sama!"
"Ahhh! Renya-sama is so handsome!"
In Konohagakure, upon hearing the news that the Hokage had returned, villagers and shinobi alike spontaneously gathered on both sides of the street to welcome them back.
Almost everyone's eyes were drawn to Renya. The entire village already knew of his performance on the battlefield.
Not only had he killed several Kage-level powerhouses from Kumogakure, but he had also developed an antidote that saved countless comrades.
Those shinobi who had been poisoned were extremely grateful to Renya and began to spread word of his heroic feats across the battlefield.
Because of this, the villagers' form of address for him had changed — from calling him "jōnin" to "Renya-sama." That change alone was the highest form of recognition he could receive.
Renya had, without question, become the hero of the village!
"Renya, you're really popular, huh..." Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered sourly.
After all, they had all gone on missions together, yet the one everyone remembered in the end was Renya. No one would feel great about that.
"This honor belongs to everyone." Renya had seen through Hiruzen's thoughts and spoke up to explain.
He had never intended to hog the credit for himself. As for why everyone only remembered him…
Truth be told, he didn't really know either.
Shimura Danzō glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen, a trace of schadenfreude in his eyes.
Heh. Now you understand how powerless we are, don't you?
Every time he faced Renya, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of helplessness. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one.
After all these years working together, he had long since gotten used to it.
As long as Renya existed as his competitor, he had no chance whatsoever of becoming Hokage.
With Renya's current prestige, becoming Hokage would be easy!
Reputation and battlefield achievements — those were the two main prerequisites for becoming Hokage.
And Renya lacked neither.
Compared to him, Danzō had neither the fame nor the merits. He didn't even have the qualifications to compete.
The only path left was to wait — wait until Renya retired. Then, maybe, he'd have a sliver of hope.
Becoming Hokage was difficult, yes, but Danzō had no intention of giving up.
Guiding the village to prosperity as Hokage — that had been his dream since childhood.
He wasn't about to give up on that dream because of a few setbacks.
He was still young and had plenty of time ahead of him.
If one year wasn't enough, then he'd wait ten. If ten wasn't enough, then twenty!
One day, surely, he'd achieve his goal…
He could only hope that after Renya became Hokage, he would retire early — and not cling to power indefinitely.
Otherwise, Danzō knew his chances would vanish completely.
And if that day ever came… Danzō wasn't entirely sure whether or not he might resort to extreme measures for the sake of the Hokage's seat.
...
Senju Tobirama watched the excited expressions of the villagers and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He never would have imagined that this kid would be so deeply loved by the people!
For someone to become Hokage, the first step was earning the villagers' trust and recognition — even if their personal strength was a little lacking, that mattered less.
In Tobirama's mind, the true measure of a qualified Hokage was whether they could gain the people's love and lead the village toward prosperity.
Renya had already completed the first step of becoming a qualified Hokage — he had won the people's hearts.
Those who win the people's hearts, win the world.
Tobirama firmly believed that if Renya became Hokage in the future, he would undoubtedly lead the village down a prosperous path.
His gaze upon Renya was filled with pride and admiration.
This kid truly lived up to the years Tobirama had spent raising and training him.
...
"Renya-sama! Renya-sama!"
As soon as the villagers and shinobi saw Renya approaching, the cheers grew even louder.
If it weren't for a few shinobi maintaining order, the villagers would have swarmed him already.
"Hello, everyone!"
Renya smiled and waved, greeting the excited crowd.
The atmosphere here was the complete opposite of Kumogakure.
In Konoha, the villagers viewed him as a hero. In Kumogakure, however, he had become synonymous with a bloodthirsty demon.
The Second Raikage seemed honest and straightforward, but in reality, he was highly calculating.
He had deliberately allowed the villagers of Kumogakure to spread rumors smearing Renya's name, turning him into a living embodiment of evil in their eyes.
Given enough time, Kumogakure would grow stronger.
And one day, the fear they felt now would inevitably transform into the fires of vengeance.
When that day came, Renya would undoubtedly become the Konoha shinobi they most wanted dead.
Of course… this was only his speculation.
Still, Renya felt the possibility was very, very real.
Among the crowd, a few members of the Uchiha clan watched Renya, surrounded by cheering villagers, with complicated expressions on their faces.
If this man had never been expelled from the clan, he would now be their greatest source of pride.
With Renya's accomplishments, the Uchiha's status in the village would have soared, or at the very least, their current strained situation would have eased.
The Uchiha were one of Konoha's most prominent clans, yet these days, no one wanted anything to do with them.
Especially after the incident where Uchiha Madara had controlled the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha…
On top of that, the Uchiha's inherent pride made matters worse — they disdained mingling with the weak and had no interest in wasting time on those beneath them.
As a result, over the years, the Uchiha had grown increasingly isolated.
These days, when Konoha villagers saw members of the Uchiha clan, they would instinctively take a detour, afraid of provoking them by accident.
After all, provoking an Uchiha never ended well.
That was the unspoken truth everyone believed.
...
The few Uchiha shinobi cast one last glance at Renya before turning and leaving.
They needed to return to the clan compound and report this matter to the clan head.
Renya noticed the backs of the departing figures, the Uchiha fans embroidered on their cloaks, but quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere.
...
Later, the group arrived at the Hokage's office.
Senju Tobirama praised their performance over the past few days and then waved his hand, signaling them to leave.
"Good work, everyone. Go get some rest."
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others didn't hesitate. After bidding farewell to their sensei, they left the office.
After so much time in the field, they could finally rest. Right now, all they wanted was to go home and sleep for days.
"Kid, hold on a second…"
Renya was just about to follow the others out when Tobirama called out to him.
"What is it, old man?" Renya asked curiously.
Tobirama stared at him for a while, then suddenly asked,
"Among my students… who do you think is more suitable to become Hokage?"
In the shadows, the ANBU hidden nearby broke out in a cold sweat. Why was Hokage-sama asking this question again?
Thankfully, at least this time, he wasn't asking them.
"What's this, old man? You planning to retire already?" Renya pulled over a chair and sat down.
Seriously? The man was only in his forties, and he was already thinking about retirement?
This was supposed to be the prime of his life — the time to work hard and push his limits. How could he even think of slacking off now?
No way. Renya had to crush that idea immediately.
"Old man, you've only been Hokage for two years and you're already talking about retiring? Don't you think that's a bit early?"
"I just thought I'd give the younger generation a chance," Tobirama replied calmly, though he hadn't truly been considering retiring yet. He was just going along with Renya's words.
"Young people like Hiruzen and Danzō are still too green," Renya said, shaking his head. "If you care about the village, you should hold on to the position for a few more years…"
Hiruzen and Danzō were still young. If either of them became Hokage now, they'd struggle to steer the village properly.
"Think it over carefully, old man. I'm heading home to rest first."
Renya stood up from the chair and turned to leave the office.
But just as he reached the door, Tobirama's voice came from behind him.
"Kid, you haven't answered my question yet."
Renya paused mid-step.
"Old man, the person I'd recommend is…"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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