Hashirama's Suggestion

Konoha Year 5.

"Renye, Lord Madara really left." A spiky-haired brat spoke with a complicated expression to the aloof brat in front of him, who had a blade of grass hanging from his mouth.

Renye had once said that Lord Madara would leave Konoha in a few days.

At the time, he hadn't believed it. He hadn't expected those words to come true only a few days later.

The spiky-haired brat was named Shun Uchiha, and he had a pretty good relationship with Renye.

"Alright, I get it." Renye spat out the grass in his mouth, looking calm as though he had known all along.

"Renye, how did you know Lord Madara was leaving?" the spiky-haired brat asked curiously.

Even the powerful ninjas in the clan hadn't known that Lord Madara was leaving, so how had Renye known?

"It was only to be expected." Renye looked at Shun and said, "Lord Madara previously gathered the clan members and asked them to leave with him, but they weren't willing to give up this hard-won peace. No one was willing to follow Lord Madara.

"And Lord Madara is so proud that he would definitely leave by himself."

"So that's how it is!" Shun Uchiha suddenly understood, then said indignantly, "If I'd known Lord Madara was leaving today, I definitely would've followed him!"

"Even if you wanted to follow Lord Madara, he wouldn't take a little brat like you with him." Renye curled his lip.

Madara Uchiha had lofty ambitions. He wouldn't bring along a burden.

Shun Uchiha was immediately displeased when he heard that.

He looked Renye up and down and muttered under his breath, "Tch, you aren't even as tall as me."

Renye: "..."

That hit the nail on the head and struck right at his sore spot, leaving him unable to retort for a moment.

Renye was six years old this year and stood 1.2 meters tall.

Shun Uchiha, on the other hand, was also six, yet he had reached an astonishing 1.4 meters, a whole head taller than Renye.

That height didn't look like that of a six-year-old at all. No one would object if someone said he was ten.

Renye was often curious about what exactly this guy ate to grow so fast.

He had even observed him for a while, but he hadn't found the reason.

In the end, Renye concluded that Shun simply developed faster than he did.

"Alright, you can leave now." Renye waved his hand, signaling for Shun Uchiha to leave.

Shun Uchiha hesitated for a while before saying, "Renye, how about you go back to the orphanage?"

Renye frowned and said impatiently, "I'm not going back to the orphanage. I can take care of myself, so you don't need to worry about me."

"Alright." Shun Uchiha sighed and turned to leave.

After Shun Uchiha left, Renye closed the courtyard gate and returned to his room.

"Madara Uchiha defected." Renye murmured softly.

Renye had always kept a secret: he was actually a transmigrator.

When he had first learned that he had transmigrated into an Uchiha Clan Member, he had been somewhat afraid.

He had worried that he had arrived at the wrong time. What if he had come during the night of the clan massacre? Wouldn't he be completely screwed?

Later, after asking around, he learned that this was the period when Konoha had just been founded.

That made Renye breathe a sigh of relief. The founding period was relatively peaceful in the History of the Ninja World, with a low danger level and plenty of time to grow stronger.

After all, with Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha around, which country would dare set its sights on the Land of Fire?

It was already good enough if Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju didn't set their sights on them.

The original owner's parents had been killed by the Senju Clan before Konoha was founded.

As a young child, he had been placed in the Uchiha Clan's orphanage. It was essentially an orphanage filled with Uchiha orphans who had lost their parents. Shun Uchiha was someone the original owner had met there.

After transmigrating here, Renye proposed leaving the orphanage.

The orphanage Director had originally been worried about Renye living alone, but after his persistent efforts, he agreed and even arranged a small courtyard for him.

Every Uchiha orphan received a monthly subsidy. It wasn't much, but it was enough for food and drink.

Renye sat cross-legged on the floor and began refining Chakra.

The Chakra refinement method wasn't a secret within the Uchiha Clan. As a major clan from the Warring States Period, they had resources like that...

Every Uchiha Clan Member could receive the Chakra refinement method for free upon reaching the appropriate age. It was essentially an early test of whether they had ninja talent.

Although the founding period was relatively peaceful, strength was always the most important thing, no matter the era!

Only by being strong could one possess the ability to protect oneself.

That was why Renye cultivated diligently every day. Besides refining Chakra, he also needed to undergo physical training.

He was still young and couldn't train excessively. Otherwise, if his height stopped at 1.5 meters in the future, his life would be over.

Hokage Office.

"Why did Madara do this?"

After the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, learned of Madara's defection, he looked at the Konoha Village emblem hanging on the wall, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He slowly rose to his feet, bracing both hands against the desk. His knuckles turned white from the force.

Scenes of his time with Madara surfaced in his mind: their childhood meeting, their vow to build Konoha Village together, and all the later disagreements...

"Hmph, it still came to this in the end." Tobirama Senju snorted coldly, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

He had always been wary of Madara Uchiha. Although his elder brother Hashirama had constantly tried to maintain the friendship between the Senju and Uchiha, he had still worried that the Uchiha Clan would bring danger to Konoha.

Sure enough, Madara was just as he had guessed—wildly ambitious.

Back then, he should have ignored Elder Brother's objections and forcefully killed Madara Uchiha!

Seeing Hashirama Senju looking so dejected, Tobirama Senju grew furious and immediately ordered:

"Brother, immediately notify all Jonin except the Uchiha to gather. Closely monitor the Uchiha Clan's movements. I don't want any more trouble in the village!"

Hashirama Senju glared at Tobirama Senju and rebuked him, "It's because you've always held a grudge against the Uchiha and targeted them at every turn that Madara left. It's all your fault!"

Clearly, Hashirama had placed all blame for Madara's defection on Tobirama.

Tobirama Senju: "???"

He looked at Hashirama Senju in disbelief, his eyes full of shock, as though he had never expected his Elder Brother to say something like that.

He had no idea what Elder Brother was thinking to pin Madara Uchiha's defection on him.

Just as Tobirama Senju was about to argue, Hashirama Senju said earnestly:

"Tobirama, the war between the Senju and Uchiha ended long ago. You need to learn to let go of your hatred..."

Tobirama Senju said nothing and listened to Elder Brother's nagging with a cold expression.

This had happened more than once. It was always the same things—let go of hatred... accept the Uchiha... Konoha is one big family... unity is most important. He couldn't even be bothered to listen anymore.

However, Hashirama Senju's next words left him completely dumbfounded.

"Tobirama, I think you're prejudiced against the Uchiha, so I want you to adopt an Uchiha orphan. I hope that while getting along with this child, you can let go of your hatred for the Uchiha," Hashirama Senju said.

"Elder Brother, you aren't joking, are you?!" Tobirama Senju roared.

"I'm serious." Hashirama Senju's expression was solemn.

"No, absolutely not!"

Seeing that Elder Brother wasn't joking, Tobirama Senju flew into a rage.

No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't understand how Elder Brother could come up with such an idiotic suggestion...

Had his head been caught in a door?