Starting From Being Adopted by the Second Hokage!

There was no danger along the way.

The three of them successfully escorted the merchant caravan to Iwagakure, the Village Hidden in the Stones, located in the Land of Earth.

It was peacetime now. With Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, still alive, not even small-scale skirmishes occurred among the Five Great Nations.

Other nations certainly weren't willing to provoke Konoha's shinobi.

After completing the registration at the village gates, Renya and the others followed the caravan into Iwagakure.

This was their first time in Iwagakure, and they curiously observed the surroundings.

Thanks to the current peaceful era, the regulation of inter-village shinobi travel wasn't so strict.

Had this been during the wartime period, the moment the three of them stepped into the village, they would've been surrounded by a squad of Iwa-nin.

Now, only two Iwa-nin followed them from a distance, keeping an eye on their actions, in case they were up to something.

Renya's gaze fell upon the architecture of Iwagakure. The cliff-like rock faces had been carved into various buildings.

At the center stood the tallest and most prominent structure—the Tsuchikage Tower.

A strong wind swept by, instantly filling the air with swirling yellow sand.

"Can you really live here without inhaling a ton of dust?" Renya murmured to himself.

He couldn't help but wonder if the villagers of Iwagakure had poor lungs.

Maybe, in the future, if he faced off against an Iwa-nin, he could try targeting the lungs and see if it worked.

"Renya-kun, stop spacing out. Once we restock supplies, we're heading out," Utatane Koharu urged.

This was Iwagakure territory. As shinobi from Konoha, it wasn't wise for them to linger too long...

"Got it." Renya quickly caught up with the other two.

The three arrived at a commercial street in Iwagakure to purchase the necessary supplies.

Just then, Renya suddenly sensed a gaze full of malice locking onto him.

He instinctively turned around. When he saw who it was, he paused in surprise.

"That guy is…"

Standing in the distance was a short young man with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a bright red nose.

At that moment, the short youth was glaring at him with a face full of disgust.

That iconic appearance allowed Renya to instantly recognize who he was.

Wasn't that guy the future Third Tsuchikage, Long-lived Elder of the Shinobi World, Ōnoki?

Renya was puzzled. This was their first meeting—why was Ōnoki filled with such hostility toward him?

Ōnoki waddled over to Renya on his short legs, his face openly displaying his disdain.

"Are you from the Uchiha clan?"

Upon hearing that, Renya instantly understood—the clan crest on his clothing had given him away...

No wonder Ōnoki was giving him such a hostile look.

"I'm Uchiha." Renya didn't deny it. He couldn't.

Seems like from now on, he'd better avoid wearing clothes with the clan crest when traveling.

Even though most of the Uchiha clan avoided interacting with Renya, he was still an Uchiha. Whatever resources the other clansmen had, he received the same.

The way the Uchiha handled things satisfied Renya—at least they didn't treat him differently.

Upon hearing Renya admit it, Ōnoki instinctively clenched his fists.

A certain face popped into his mind—Uchiha Madara's.

...

A few years ago, when Iwagakure heard that the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, was willing to form alliances with other nations...

Ōnoki accompanied his teacher to Konoha in hopes of forming an alliance.

But the one who received them was not the First Hokage, but Uchiha Madara.

The moment Madara learned of their intentions, he rejected them coldly and without mercy.

Ōnoki was confused and asked,

"Why? This isn't what was discussed before. Hashirama-sama, he—"

Before he could finish, Madara interrupted him with a cold expression.

"There is no alliance. In the face of Konoha's strength, all you can do is submit."

His eyes narrowed, and the Sharingan's three tomoe shifted into the Mangekyō.

"And one more thing... don't ever mention that guy's name in front of me again."

Ōnoki was shaken and terrified by Madara's overwhelming power, but like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, he stepped forward and challenged him.

"Can such tyranny really bring peace?"

Madara was displeased by the question.

Since when did even ants dare question him?

In an instant, Madara activated his Susanoo. The immense power forced both Ōnoki and his teacher to their knees—his teacher was so terrified he couldn't even speak.

But Ōnoki refused to yield. He struggled to stand up, glaring straight at Uchiha Madara.

Then he fell under Madara's genjutsu.

From that day on, Madara cast a shadow on his heart.

After returning to the village, he was never the same. He remained dispirited until last year, when news of Madara's death reached him. Only then did he finally begin to emerge from that psychological shadow.

Seeing Renya now had triggered the memory of that day.

Which was why such strong malice surged within him…

"You Konoha scum, who allowed you into Iwagakure?" Ōnoki said coldly.

Hearing that, Renya frowned in displeasure.

This shorty was looking for a fight, huh?

Don't be fooled by Ōnoki's 130 cm height—he was already 18 or 19 years old, and his strength had reached jōnin level.

If it really came to a fight, the three of them would definitely lose.

After all, he had already mastered the powerful Kekkei Tōta technique, Dust Release.

But Renya knew that Ōnoki wouldn't dare make a move.

After all, Senju Hashirama was still alive.

Still, the grudge between them was now firmly set...

"What the hell do you want?" Shimura Danzō looked at Ōnoki with irritation. "Iwagakure punks are getting more and more arrogant!"

Since it was Ōnoki who came over to pick a fight, there was no way Danzō, with his explosive temper, was going to let it slide…

"You!" Ōnoki glared furiously at Danzō.

He was talking to the Uchiha—why was this guy jumping in?

"You what?" Danzō looked down at him. "What, is Iwagakure planning to go to war with Konoha?"

Ōnoki was left fuming, his face red. He nearly lost control and threw a punch.

Renya glanced at Danzō in surprise, secretly giving him a mental thumbs up.

Danzō wasn't afraid of causing trouble—nor was he afraid of facing it.

Maybe he really could become Hokage one day…

"Sorry. We're done restocking. We'll be leaving now," Utatane Koharu quickly stepped in to defuse the tension.

As soon as she finished, she grabbed Renya and Danzō and hurried off.

Ōnoki watched them leave, his face clouded. The Uchiha clan crest on Renya's clothes stood out like a thorn in his eyes.

"Uchiha… one day I'll make you pay!"

He couldn't defeat Uchiha Madara, but surely he could defeat one of Madara's clansmen, right?

And that bastard who jumped in too—he wouldn't be spared either!

...

At the gates of Iwagakure.

"You two seriously scared me!" Utatane Koharu looked at the pair with a trace of reproach.

She'd genuinely been afraid the two sides would start fighting.

This was Iwagakure, after all. If a fight broke out, they would definitely be at a disadvantage.

"Hmph, that little shorty came looking for trouble first." Danzō snorted coldly.

"Exactly, exactly." Renya surprisingly agreed with Danzō.

He knew Ōnoki wouldn't actually make a move. Someone who could become Tsuchikage in the future definitely had that much self-control.

Ōnoki wasn't like A—just a reckless brute…

Utatane Koharu sighed helplessly. She really couldn't do anything about these two teammates.

With their mission complete, the trio headed back toward the Land of Fire.

Utatane Koharu remained on edge the whole way, afraid that Ōnoki would retaliate—but fortunately, her worries were unnecessary.

They encountered no danger on their return journey.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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