Senju Tobirama Residence.
Senju Tobirama was in his study, going through the files of Ninja Academy students.
From a stack of files, he eventually pulled out five: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Hyuga Yushu, Uchiha Kagami, and Utatane Koharu.
“Hyuga Yushu…” Senju Tobirama’s face showed conflicted feelings.
He knew this child’s talent.
But the Hyuga Clan had always placed great importance on the Main Family…
He shook his head and put Hyuga Yushu’s file back.
He then pulled out another file, which was Homura Mitokado.
After carefully reviewing all five files, Senju Tobirama murmured,
“My disciples will be chosen from these…”
Evidently, Senju Tobirama had decided to take on disciples.
After layers of selection, he had finally found five suitable candidates.
“It all depends on your performance in the final exam.”
Tomorrow was the final exam, and those who performed well would have the chance to become his disciples.
He needed to cultivate a group of geniuses loyal to Konoha Village as soon as possible.
“Old Man, dinner’s ready.”
Renye’s shout from outside the door interrupted Senju Tobirama’s thoughts.
“Got it.”
When Senju Tobirama arrived in the kitchen, Renye had already prepared a table full of delicious food.
“Brat, tomorrow is the final test, do you have confidence?”
Renye paused while eating, then patted his chest and guaranteed,
“Don’t worry, the final exam is a piece of cake for me!”
Senju Tobirama looked at Renye’s confident demeanor but didn’t say anything.
If it weren’t for Renye’s last-place ranking in cultural subjects last semester, he would have almost believed him.
“Did you pay attention in cultural classes?” Senju Tobirama asked.
Renye’s expression stiffened, and he chuckled, “I did… I did.”
As for whether he actually listened, only he knew.
Senju Tobirama didn’t dwell on the topic. “It’s good that you listened. Tomorrow’s exam is very important.”
Renye was startled, unsure what Senju Tobirama meant by that.
What was happening during this time period?
He thought for a long time but couldn’t figure it out.
Forget it, it’s truly hard for ordinary people to guess the thought process of that Old Man, Senju Tobirama.
After dinner.
Renye, for once, didn’t train. Instead, he returned to his room and started reading.
Tomorrow morning was the theoretical exam, and he usually slept through class, never really listening.
There was no helping it; Renye would get sleepy as soon as cultural classes started, sometimes even sleeping for an entire day.
Normally, Nara Hon’ya was like him, sleeping in class.
During the last exam, Renye thought Nara Hon’ya would also be at the bottom in cultural subjects like him, but that guy actually scored full marks!
This made him start questioning his life.
He felt betrayed.
We all slept together, so why could you get full marks?!
Nara Hon’ya’s explanation was: 【These simple courses don’t even need to be listened to, which is why I sleep in class…】
【I thought Renye-kun, you were like me.】
When Renye heard this, he was utterly speechless.
Alright, you win!
The Nara Clan is smart, he couldn’t compare.
“This time, I’m going to study hard and reclaim everything that belongs to me!”
Renye held a book, ready to make a concerted effort.
He believed that with his IQ, studying for one night to pass should be no problem!
“After drinking this glass of milk, I’ll study until dawn!”
Renye cheered himself on and gulped down the milk.
Immediately, he quickly opened his book, ready to study diligently.
But Renye had only read two lines before he started yawning from drowsiness.
“Huh? What’s going on?”
“Why… do I get sleepy as soon as I read?”
“Forget it, I’m clearly not cut out for studying.”
With that, Renye rolled over onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.
As for the exam, he’d worry about it tomorrow.
He had only been asleep for a short while when Senju Tobirama pushed the door open.
He looked at the book on the table and nodded with satisfaction.
This brat didn’t lie to him; he really was studying hard.
He approached the table and opened Renye’s homework book, wanting to see the accuracy of his usual assignments.
But when Senju Tobirama opened the homework book, he was completely dumbfounded.
Renye’s homework book was blank, not even his name was written.
Senju Tobirama: “…”
Damn it, this brat is too much!
He glared at Renye in exasperation, then picked him up and left the room.
— — — — — — — —
The night was inky black, and the streets of Konoha Village were silent.
Senju Tobirama, carrying the sleeping Renye on his back, hurried towards the underground laboratory at an extremely fast pace.
He was stealthy the whole way, afraid of being discovered.
Senju Hashirama had strictly forbidden Senju Tobirama from conducting experiments and had sealed off many of his laboratories.
This was his last experimental site.
If this one was sealed too, he’d truly have nothing left…
Pushing open the stone door of the laboratory, the damp, musty smell mixed with the scent of disinfectant rushed out.
Senju Tobirama gently placed Renye on the experimental table.
He methodically put on a white lab coat and a mask.
“What secrets does the Sharingan truly hide that make the Uchiha Clan so powerful?”
He gently pried open Renye’s eyelids, revealing those eyes.
Senju Tobirama picked up a slender syringe, gently pricked Renye’s arm, and bright red blood slowly flowed into a test tube.
Under the microscope, the cells in the blood were clearly visible.
Senju Tobirama observed with full concentration, occasionally recording something on parchment.
Time passed minute by minute; only the hum of instruments and the rustling of the pen tip across paper could be heard in the laboratory.
On the experimental table, Renye groggily opened his eyes.
Looking at his surroundings, he felt a bit helpless.
This laboratory again…
As expected, his body still couldn’t move.
He tentatively tried to control his arm to lift it, and just as he expected, it wouldn’t move at all.
Renye tried hard to control his eyeballs to turn, and began to observe his surroundings.
He saw the figure in the white lab coat, as usual, researching something there.
When would this dream end?
As he thought, Renye closed his eyes again.
Senju Tobirama, who was conducting research, suddenly had a flash of inspiration: “What if a person possesses both Senju and Uchiha bloodlines at the same time?”
Senju Tobirama unhesitatingly drew a tube of his own blood and mixed it with Renye’s blood.
When the two types of blood came into contact, they actually resonated!
“The resonance of bloodlines, is it fusion or absorption?”
The two types of blood perfectly fused together.
“No… this is not a conflict between two bloodlines at all!” Senju Tobirama’s voice was filled with disbelief.
He quickly placed the mixed blood under the microscope.
When magnified to the limit, the same spiral genetic structure appeared deep within those cells.
Senju Tobirama stumbled, steadying himself on the table, with a look of having seen a ghost.
“Coming from the same source… Our bloodlines… are powers of the same origin… How is that possible?!”
The experimental results told him that Senju and Uchiha were of the same origin!
In a daze, he felt that this world was somewhat unreal.
If Renye knew, he would definitely think Senju Tobirama was making a fuss over nothing.
The ancestors of Senju and Uchiha were indeed brothers, both sons of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo; it would be strange if their bloodlines weren’t of the same origin.