"Summoning Technique · Three-Tails!"
Since the Nine-Tails was still inside Uzumaki Mito's body, Renya could only release the Three-Tails first.
As for that Nine-Tails guy, it would have to wait until Mito died before it could be released.
Anyway, it had already been sealed for so long—waiting a few more years made no difference…
The Three-Tails had originally been resting in a lake in the Land of Fire, but in the blink of an eye, it was summoned over.
At this moment, the Three-Tails was not under Sharingan control, yet it did not dare show even the slightest dissatisfaction, not even daring to move an inch.
There was no helping it—the person before it was simply too powerful.
Even someone like Uchiha Madara had been killed by him, let alone itself, a weak tailed beast.
The Three-Tails had seen the fate of the other tailed beasts.
It did not want to end up like its other companions, nor did it want to die again just days after reviving.
So it could only tremble as it looked at Renya before it, not knowing why he had summoned it.
Hopefully, he would not mean it any harm.
If the person in front of it wanted to kill it, then it could only close its eyes and accept death.
Right now, all the Three-Tails could do was silently pray—it no longer seemed like the powerful tailed beast people spoke of.
Renya looked at the obedient, submissive Three-Tails before him and felt the intense fear in its eyes.
It seemed this guy had truly been scared out of its wits.
"Three-Tails, I summoned you to tell you something."
He said calmly,
"From now on, you are free. In the future, no one in the ninja world will capture you again."
"Of course, the premise is that you do not take the initiative to attack humans."
Hearing this, the Three-Tails widened its eyes in shock, disbelief filling its enormous turtle-like face.
"Y-You… are you telling the truth?!"
It had never imagined that the human before it would actually want to let it go!
By all logic, shouldn't it be sealed inside a human and subjected to endless imprisonment?
After all, that was the fate of the other tailed beasts.
This guy wasn't joking, was he?
Clearly, the Three-Tails did not really believe Renya's words.
Those sinister, cunning humans must be plotting something else!
It held no great affection for humans who dared to seal it.
If it hadn't been unable to defeat Senju Hashirama, it wouldn't have lived so miserably all these years.
First it was captured, then sealed inside a jinchūriki, and finally, after barely breaking free of the seal, it hid away.
Yet it was discovered by Renya, and ultimately cut into a bloody mist by Uchiha Madara in a single slash.
Having just revived for a few days, it was summoned again and controlled, witnessing with its own eyes the great battle between Renya and Madara.
And now, suddenly summoned and told it was being set free.
Anyone would find that hard to believe right away…
"Why would I lie to you? You can leave."
Renya naturally had no interest in joking around with the Three-Tails—he didn't have that kind of perverse sense of humor.
"Then… I'm leaving?"
Seeing that Renya wasn't joking, the Three-Tails asked tentatively.
As it spoke, it carefully retreated a few steps.
When it realized Renya had no intention of stopping it, it immediately turned around and began to flee at full speed.
Afraid that if it ran too slowly, Renya might suddenly change his mind.
Just like that, after running hundreds of li, the Three-Tails saw no sign of Renya giving chase and immediately burst into tears of joy.
"Wuuuu… freedom, I'm finally free!"
Among the nine tailed beasts, only it and half of the Nine-Tails remained—its other companions had all become nourishment for the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
"You can rest easy. I will inherit your will and live on!"
The Three-Tails glanced at the sky, then dove into the depths of the sea.
The ninja world was far too dangerous.
Before Renya died of old age, it had no intention of showing itself again—otherwise, getting sealed once more would be disastrous.
...
Hokage Office.
"Has the matter of the Three-Tails been resolved?"
Shimura Danzō raised his head and looked at his friend who swaggered into the office, speaking softly.
"It's resolved. That guy scurried off without looking back."
Thinking of how the Three-Tails had run away earlier, Renya couldn't help but smile and shake his head.
"Since it's been handled, I'll issue a notice informing the other villages not to set their sights on the tailed beasts anymore."
As Danzō spoke, he drafted an official document on the spot.
Konoha had to warn the other ninja villages not to covet the tailed beasts again.
Otherwise, if Renya released them on one end and they captured them on the other, what would be the point of releasing them at all?
Renya had no objection and quietly watched as Danzō wrote, stamped the document, and handed it over to ANBU.
It was worth mentioning that Hiruzen had already resigned.
After serving as Hokage assistant for so many years, he held no real authority, sitting in the office every day painfully processing documents.
From time to time, he clashed politically with Danzō, only to end with being crushed by someone one rank higher.
He was neither Hokage nor held real power.
Relying solely on the so-called Will of Fire passed down by Tōbirama-sensei was simply not enough to make him willingly continue being a beast of burden.
Honestly, the fact that he had persisted as unpaid labor for so many years already showed how strong his Will of Fire was.
If it were Renya, he would have quit on the very first day.
Because the free labor ran off, all of the village's affairs fell squarely onto Danzō's shoulders.
He could only process documents day and night, yet the files on his desk would refresh automatically the next day.
On top of that, with middle age creeping up on him and his energy waning, his speed in handling government affairs slowed more and more, and thoughts of retirement gradually emerged.
Although Danzō wanted to retire, it certainly wouldn't be now.
At the very least, it would have to be a few more years…
After all, having finally realized the dream he'd held since childhood, how could it possibly end so quickly?
"So, why did you call me here?"
After seeing Danzō finish writing the document, Renya finally voiced the doubt in his heart.
If this guy had called him over, something troublesome must have happened.
Yet he couldn't understand what in the current ninja world could possibly be troublesome enough for Danzō.
"Is there anyone suitable in the village to succeed the Hokage?"
Renya, who had just lifted his teacup to drink, nearly choked on the tea upon hearing this.
"What did you say?!"
Had Danzō's head been caught in a door, or had Madara's Shinra Tensei damaged his brain?
To actually say something like this…
By all logic, shouldn't he be guarding the Hokage seat until the day he died?
Everyone knew that the person who most desperately wanted to become Hokage was Shimura Danzō.
Yet now he was trying to find a suitable successor.
Seeing Renya's shocked expression, Danzō's mouth twitched slightly.
Why was this guy reacting so strongly?!
As the Third Hokage, he was looking for a suitable successor for the village.
What was wrong with that?
"I'm saying, is there a suitable candidate in the village who can inherit the Hokage position?"
Danzō repeated himself once more.
The reason he could become the Third Hokage was not only because of his own excellence, but also partly because of Renya.
If Renya hadn't suggested him to Tōbirama-sensei, he might not have become Hokage at all.
Now that he was looking for a new successor, he naturally had to ask Renya's opinion.
"Do you want to retire?"