I Didn't Actually Want to Kill Him

Tobirama Senju Residence.

"Kid, how does it feel to become a ninja?"

Tobirama Senju noticed the Ninja Headband on Renye's forehead.

"Not bad. No real challenge." Renye said.

Tobirama Senju couldn't help but warn him: "When you're on missions, be extra careful. One slip and you could lose your life."

"I know, Uncle."

He didn't need the reminder. Renye already knew.

He was pretty attached to his own life...

Tobirama Senju murmured softly, "Good that you know."

After all, he'd lived with Renye for four years now. It would be a real shame if the kid died carelessly on a mission.

At least he was only a Genin for now, and with a Jonin leading the team, he shouldn't run into any real danger.

"Kid, go make dinner."

Tobirama Senju watched Renye head into the kitchen and sighed.

"Guess I'll have to cook for myself from now on."

Once Renye became a ninja, he'd have less time to come home.

Sometimes he'd be out on missions and wouldn't be back for days.

That meant no one would be cooking for him anymore.

Tobirama Senju somewhat regretted agreeing to let Renye graduate early.

Now the household had lost its chef.

Every meal was one fewer to enjoy.

He called toward the kitchen: "Kid, make a few extra dishes today."

After the meal, Renye went to the Training Ground to practice his sword technique.

He drew the blade and suddenly noticed a notch on the edge—probably from blocking shuriken today.

It hurt him to see it. That sword had cost a pretty penny.

Renye sighed. "Tch. When I have money later, I'm definitely buying a good blade!"

A top-grade samurai sword cost at least 500,000 Ryo.

He'd have to save up for years.

"I'll make do for now." Renye sheathed the sword.

Tobirama Senju happened to catch the scene and fell into thought.

This kid had been here four years, and he'd never given him a gift.

Since Renye wanted a good sword, he'd give him one.

He just happened to have a samurai sword he'd been keeping...

With that thought, Tobirama Senju spoke up. "Kid, I'll give you a sword as a gift for becoming a ninja."

"Really?" Renye's eyes lit up. Just when he needed a pillow, someone handed him one.

He quickly thanked him: "Thanks, Uncle!"

"Follow me." Tobirama Senju went to the study.

"Uncle, where's the sword?" Renye looked around but saw no sign of it.

Tobirama Senju said nothing. He walked to the bookshelf and pulled out a book.

Creak— A door appeared in the corner of the study.

Renye was a little shocked. He hadn't known there was a hidden door here.

He'd been coming here for years and never noticed. He thought to himself:

This Old Man Tobirama really knows how to hide things!

Renye followed behind Tobirama into the secret chamber, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The walls of the chamber were densely lined with scrolls.

No need to guess—these were all forbidden jutsu scrolls.

Truly worthy of the Master of Forbidden Jutsu!

Then Renye noticed a rack at the far end. A samurai sword gleamed with a cold light.

One look and you could tell it was a fine blade!

Tobirama Senju gazed at the sword, sinking into memory, and murmured softly:

"This sword was one I took from an enemy I defeated on the battlefield back then."

"I really didn't mean to kill him—I just wanted to test out a newly developed technique."

"I never thought he would die..."

The more Renye listened, the more uneasy he felt. The owner of this blade couldn't possibly be...

Tobirama Senju tossed the sword to Renye. "This blade belongs to your Uchiha Clan. Returning it to you counts as returning it to its rightful owner."

Renye understood in his heart—this sword was indeed Izuna Uchiha's.

The moment the blade touched his hand, he knew it was a fine weapon!

Perhaps it was no worse than Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword.

As expected of the Uchiha Clan's young master—what a pity Tobirama Senju had killed him.

From what that Old Man had just said, it sounded like it might have been an accident?

He figured Tobirama's meaning was something like this:

What? I only stabbed you once, and you just died like that?

I really didn't think you'd die! You were way too fragile, weren't you?

Facing an opponent like Tobirama Senju, Renye could only mourn for Izuna Uchiha for three seconds.

"Rest assured, Lord Izuna, I'll treasure this blade!" Renye muttered to himself.

"You know Izuna Uchiha?" Tobirama Senju was somewhat surprised.

He hadn't expected that a brat like Renye would know about events from over a decade ago.

Not only that, but he'd guessed the blade's owner from just a few words.

Renye only then realized he'd let something slip, but there was no need to hide it—he could just make up an excuse to brush it off.

"I've heard from the elders of my clan before that Lord Izuna was killed by you..."

Hearing this, Tobirama Senju's face twisted with conflict, and he said in a low voice, "Actually, I didn't mean to kill him..."

Though he had intended to kill Izuna at the time, he hadn't truly wanted him dead.

He only wanted to show Izuna Uchiha his newly developed Flying Thunder God Technique—he never expected the man to die just like that.

Tobirama Senju had been shocked himself when he learned the truth.

Later, he blamed himself for a long time. He really hadn't meant it.

Who knew Izuna Uchiha wouldn't pull through?

It must have been that bastard Madara's delay in getting him to a doctor that caused Izuna's death.

And in the end, he pinned Izuna's death on himself...

"Damn you, Madara Uchiha!" Tobirama Senju gritted his teeth.

Renye: "???"

Out of nowhere, why drag Madara Uchiha into this?

This Old Man couldn't be flipping heaven and earth to blame Izuna's death on Madara, could he?

Hmm, knowing Tobirama Senju as he did, it was entirely possible.

He wondered what expression Madara Uchiha would make if he found out.

Somewhere in the ninja world.

A long-haired man in black robes, with a Flame Fan slung diagonally across his back and a sickle in hand, suddenly sneezed without any warning.

This man was none other than Madara Uchiha, who had defected from Konoha four years ago.

He had seen through the essence of Konoha Village—the one to succeed Hashirama as Hokage would be Tobirama.

Thus, the Uchiha Clan was destined to be wiped out one day.

It was precisely because he saw this clearly that he called on his clan to leave the village—but not a single person was willing to follow him.

This matter made him completely disillusioned with his clan.

Those shortsighted fools didn't deserve to be his clansmen!

It wasn't that Madara Uchiha was abandoned by his clan—it was that Madara Uchiha abandoned his clan...

In the end, Madara Uchiha left the village alone to achieve true peace.

The Uchiha Clan's Stone Tablet recorded the words left by the Sage of Six Paths.

Infinite Tsukuyomi could pull everyone into a dream, letting each person live the life they desired.

Thus, Madara Uchiha decided to activate Infinite Tsukuyomi to bring world peace.

"Reality is too cruel—what's wrong with a dream?"

But the prerequisite for activating Infinite Tsukuyomi was possessing the Rinnegan.

He had found the method for Awakening the eyes on the Stone Tablet...

Now he was about to begin the first step of his Infinite Tsukuyomi plan—controlling a Tailed Beast.