Starting From Being Adopted by the Second Hokage!

Chapter 574: Chapter 574: Sorry, Hiruzen

"Why? Why are you treating me like this!"

Hiruzen stared at the slowly dissipating dark red Susanoo and muttered to himself. ƒrēewebnovel.com

These past few days, he had been fantasizing about traveling to the moon.

Since he had never received any notice, he thought the Anbu simply hadn’t found the location yet. It never occurred to him that it wasn’t a matter of failing to find the route to the shinobi world—Renya and the others had set off without telling him at all.

For days, he had been bent over handling documents. The moment he learned the truth, something inside him finally snapped.

Now he finally understood why that guy Danzō had been so willing to let him serve as Acting Hokage.

What Acting Hokage? It was clearly just unpaid labor.

It was precisely because he existed that Danzō could accompany Renya to the shinobi world—and to the moon—for a vacation.

At this very moment, they were probably leisurely admiring the scenery of the shinobi world from the moon...

Just thinking about them happily enjoying life while he processed government affairs deep into the night—

Suddenly, the position of Acting Hokage didn’t seem so appealing anymore.

"Only fools would become Hokage..."

Hiruzen couldn’t help recalling what Renya had once said. At the time, he had thought Renya was talking nonsense. Now he finally understood the true meaning of those words.

Renya had seen through everything long ago.

"Sigh, what a pity..."

By the time he realized the truth, it was already far too late.

After enduring so many years, he had finally risen from Hokage’s assistant to Acting Hokage.

How could he possibly give up so easily?

If he endured a few more years, Danzō would surely retire. At that point, he would become the legitimate Fourth Hokage.

Even if things were tough and exhausting now, at least there was hope ahead.

And just like that, Hiruzen managed to console himself.

Even if he hadn’t gone to the moon for sightseeing, hadn’t he handled all the documents in the village properly?

He cast a reluctant glance at the moon in the sky, sighed, and returned home.

...

Meanwhile, Renya and Danzō, who were admiring the shinobi world from the moon, had no idea that Hiruzen had discovered the truth.

"So? Not bad scenery, right?"

"It really is. I didn’t expect the shinobi world we live in to be this vast..."

They hadn’t noticed it while in the shinobi world, but seeing it with their own eyes was truly breathtaking.

"What a pity—we can’t sunbathe here."

Renya looked regretful. The location where the Ōtsutsuki main family lived didn’t receive sunlight at all. Otherwise, they could have experienced what it felt like to sunbathe on the moon.

"It is a bit of a pity." Shimura Danzō nodded in deep agreement.

Nara Motoha, who had just walked out of the clan leader’s residence, couldn’t help the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth when he heard that.

These two really knew how to enjoy life.

Why hadn’t he thought of bringing a lounge chair to the moon?

Nara Motoha’s life philosophy was slacking off—avoid all trouble whenever possible.

Renya’s philosophy was a level higher—not only slack off, but enjoy life as well!

"Renya-kun, do you have any chairs left?" Nara Motoha finally couldn’t hold back.

"Of course. Here, take one."

Renya tossed him a storage scroll and let him retrieve it himself.

"There are fishing rods and sunglasses in here too." Looking at the many pieces of equipment inside, Nara Motoha felt even more admiration for Renya’s level of life enjoyment.

As expected of Renya-kun—he really knew how to live!

And so, he lay down in a chair as he wished, joining the two of them in watching the shinobi world.

"Why hasn’t the old clan leader come out?" Shimura Danzō turned to Nara Motoha and asked.

"They haven’t seen each other in years. The father and son are catching up inside."

"How does the King of Smug plan to deal with the remaining branch family members?"

Naturally, Renya was referring to the elderly, the weak, women, and children who hadn’t participated in the battle. As for the elite clan members, he had already slaughtered them all.

"He has no intention of executing them."

Nara Motoha conveyed the result of their discussion.

After all, they were of the same clan. The powerful branch family members were already dead—there was no need to trouble the remaining weak ones.

As long as they no longer harbored thoughts of destroying the shinobi world, Hyūga Muki naturally wouldn’t act against them.

Shimura Danzō frowned slightly but said nothing more.

If you cut the grass without pulling out the roots, it will grow back with the spring wind.

If it were him, every single branch family member would have to die!

Once certain things happen, there is no turning back.

Forget it. He wasn’t the clan leader anyway.

Renya understood and offered no comment.

Since the King of Smug was unwilling to kill his clansmen, so be it.

The remaining clan members wouldn’t be able to stir up much trouble anyway.

As long as he was around, even if the branch family rebelled again someday, he could suppress them all with overwhelming force!

Soon, Hyūga Muki finished explaining the arrangements to the clan members and came out with the old Hyūga clan leader.

When he saw the three of them lying at the entrance, he was briefly stunned, then smiled faintly.

There was no need to guess—those chairs must have been Renya’s doing.

That guy was the best at enjoying life. He had even led Danzō-kun astray.

In his impression, Shimura Danzō had been similar to himself—serious and unsmiling.

Ever since joining Renya’s squad, he had undergone an obvious change.

"Finished handling everything?" Renya noticed the King of Smug standing behind them and asked.

"Mm. It’s all settled. We can depart," Hyūga Muki said.

The three began putting away their chairs and followed.

As the main family’s clan leader, he naturally knew how to return to the shinobi world.

They arrived before a teleportation array. Hyūga Muki explained,

"This is the teleportation array leading to the shinobi world. Once activated, it will instantly bring us there."

As he spoke, he activated the array. With a flash of white light, everyone vanished from the spot.

Only the surrounding main family clan members remained in the distance, watching.

"I hope the clan leader returns soon—and doesn’t get tricked into staying away by someone."

"The clan leader isn’t that kind of person."

"I know, but who can guarantee that the person close to him wouldn’t do such a thing?"

"What if he forces the clan leader not to come back?"

The Ōtsutsuki clansmen: "..."

That actually made sense. It wasn’t entirely impossible...

All they could do was pray silently that the clan leader would return smoothly.

...

The next day.

Konoha Village, Hokage’s Office.

"You’re back..." Hiruzen said with a dark expression as he looked at the radiant Renya and Shimura Danzō before him.

They must have had a wonderful time on the moon.

"Hiruzen, didn’t you sleep well?" Renya noticed the dark circles under his eyes and asked with concern.

Hiruzen said nothing.

Last night, just thinking about the two of them enjoying life on the moon had made him so angry he couldn’t sleep...

"At the time, things were urgent. We didn’t have time to notify you." Shimura Danzō explained what Hyūga Muki had encountered on the moon.

Hiruzen’s expression improved slightly.

So that was how it was. He had thought Danzō had deliberately left him out.

Hyūga Muki looked puzzled. How could they possibly know about what had happened to him on the moon while they were in the shinobi world?

There was only one truth: they were lying.

They simply didn’t want to take Hiruzen to the moon for sightseeing!

"Muki, is that so?"

Under Hiruzen’s searching gaze, Hyūga Muki ultimately nodded against his conscience.

"Yes, that’s right."

Sorry, Hiruzen...