Late at night, the Shimura clan grounds.
"Danzo, I'm leaving tomorrow. Are you really unwilling to go with me?"
For so many years, the two of them had always gone out together.
But this time, Danzo refused to come along, making Renya feel something was off.
So on the night before departure, he came once again to find his good friend, hoping to persuade him to change his mind.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be anyone his age to talk to along the way.
Shimura Danzo poured Renya a cup of hot water and refused mercilessly.
"You go ahead. I won't be joining."
The First-sama, Tobirama-sensei, and Uchiha Madara—none of those three were people he could afford to provoke.
If he followed Renya, wouldn't he just be asking for trouble?
Rather than that, it was better to decline his good friend's invitation for now and wait until they could go out together another time.
"Come on, if you don't go, I'll be all alone!"
Renya had a generational gap with the three of them, and with Senju Tobirama going along, things would definitely be awkward on the road.
After all, Tobirama and Madara didn't get along.
The scene at that time would probably look like this…
Senju Hashirama talking with Uchiha Madara, while Renya talks with Senju Tobirama.
Senju Hashirama talking with Senju Tobirama, while Renya talks with Uchiha Madara.
There was no way the three of them would just chat among themselves and leave Senju Tobirama off to the side, right?
If Danzo came along, it would be different. He could keep that old guy Tobirama company.
At least it would prevent the atmosphere from becoming awkward and cold.
Unfortunately, Danzo did not go along as Renya had imagined and instead rejected him without hesitation.
Renya felt somewhat helpless about it.
The Danzo from before clearly wasn't like this!
Back then, as long as he said a couple of words, his good friend would eagerly follow along.
But this time, no matter how he tried to persuade him, it was useless.
Renya guessed it might be because last time Senju Tobirama hung him from a tree and beat him, leaving psychological trauma.
That old guy too—couldn't he have been a bit gentler?
Look at what he did to his good friend.
Shimura Danzo watched Renya rack his brains trying to persuade him, a slight smile curling at his lips.
This guy was trying to trick him as always!
It was just that he completely failed to understand the reason why he didn't want to go.
If there weren't several elders involved, he naturally wouldn't refuse his good friend's invitation.
Not just him—even if it were Hiruzen and the others, they wouldn't dare agree either!
Renya, who was deep in thought about how to lure Danzo into changing his mind, saw his good friend suddenly smile and immediately felt there was hope.
Danzo's expression had changed—he must be about to relent!
So he continued trying all sorts of tricks to persuade him, but Danzo simply watched quietly without any reaction.
Renya: "..."
After a long period of earnest persuasion, he finally realized Danzo had no intention of relenting.
This guy was just playing him!
"Alright, I already said I'm not going. Stop trying to persuade me."
Shimura Danzo noticed Renya had realized the truth and waved his hand helplessly.
"If you're not coming out with me, what are you going to do staying in the village?"
Renya couldn't understand why Danzo refused him.
"Of course, bask in the sun and take naps."
Danzo said a line someone often liked to say.
Renya: "..."
What else could he say? Just bask, I guess.
In the end, he gave up on persuading his good friend to change his mind, finished the hot water in his cup, stood up, and took his leave.
"When I come back, I'll bring you some local specialties."
Shimura Danzo stood at the door, watching Renya's figure disappear into the night before closing the courtyard gate.
"It's not that I don't want to go, it's just that circumstances don't allow it."
He leaned against the gate, looking up at the moonlight in the sky, speaking with a hint of melancholy.
...
Senju Tobirama's residence.
"Kid, where did you run off to just now?"
Senju Tobirama leaned against the door, looking at the person who had just returned and asked.
"Uncle, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Renya didn't answer where he had gone and directly changed the subject.
He couldn't exactly say he went to persuade Danzo and spent half the time getting rejected, could he?
"I'm organizing the things we'll need for tomorrow's trip."
Having lived so many years, Senju Tobirama had never actually traveled.
He didn't know what to prepare, so he simply packed most items into storage scrolls.
"Just bring some clothes. You can buy everything else on the way."
A certain rich person didn't even bother bringing clothes, usually just buying them directly in town.
Otherwise, packing was too troublesome.
It could only be said that Senju Tobirama lacked experience and was still foolishly preparing things.
Of course, Renya didn't dare say what he was thinking and instead smiled.
"Uncle really has foresight, preparing more equipment just in case."
Senju Tobirama nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased by Renya's words.
"You're right. I'll go prepare a few more things."
With that, he turned and went into the house.
Renya secretly followed to observe, only to see Senju Tobirama put a cotton quilt into a storage scroll.
Renya: "..."
That's really unnecessary.
They could stay in inns along the way; there was no need to live in the mountains.
Something like a quilt didn't need to be brought along.
Maybe Senju Tobirama's memories were still stuck in the time years ago when they lived in the mountains like cave dwellers.
Thinking that traveling meant wandering deep in the mountains—hunting when hungry and sleeping in caves when tired…
That wasn't traveling, that was primitive living.
Forget it, he wouldn't say anything. As long as that old guy was happy.
After packing for quite a while, nearly emptying half the room, Senju Tobirama finally stopped.
"That should be about it."
From his posture, those who knew would say he was going traveling; those who didn't would think he was fleeing disaster.
Simply put, Senju Tobirama had taken everything in the room that could be moved.
Even the books on the shelves weren't spared.
Renya stood at the doorway, completely dumbfounded.
If Madara found out, he would definitely mock Uncle without mercy, calling him a country bumpkin.
At that point, the two of them would definitely end up fighting.
Forget it—less trouble is better.
As long as he didn't say anything, Uncle Hashirama and Madara probably wouldn't find out.
"I'm done packing."
Senju Tobirama looked at Renya standing at the door and said.
"You should go back and pack too. We're leaving early tomorrow morning."
"Got it."
Renya came back to his senses, turned around, returned to his room, lay on the bed, and stared at the ceiling in a daze.
Poor Uncle—already so old and never even traveled before.
Thinking about it made him feel a bit pitiful and sad.
While there was still time, he should take him out for a few more days.
Otherwise, when he got old, he'd just lie in a hospital bed waiting to die.
Senju Tobirama finished washing up and prepared to sleep.
"I wonder how that kid's packing is going?"
He instinctively used his sensory ability, only to find that Renya had already fallen asleep.
"Done packing so quickly?"
This kid really was experienced in going out and messing around—he was terrifyingly skilled at this sort of thing.
Little did he know, that certain someone hadn't packed anything at all.