The next morning.
Renya lay on the bed, looking utterly exhausted. Last night, he had a strange dream.
In that dream, he found himself inside a laboratory, lying on a cold dissection table. Surrounding him were shelves filled with various biological specimens, jars, and bottles.
He tried to get up from the table, but his body wouldn't move at all. He could only silently watch.
"What was that dream?" Renya muttered. "Could it be some kind of transmigration cheat?"
At that thought, a hint of excitement appeared on his face.
If it was a cheat, that would be amazing!
After all, as a transmigrator, not having a cheat would be kind of pathetic.
But Renya quickly calmed down. A single dream didn't mean anything.
If it turned out not to be, then wouldn't he be getting happy for nothing?
He decided to observe for a while and see if he'd have the same dream again. If he did, it wouldn't be too late to investigate it further.
With that in mind, he got out of bed and left the room.
After walking around the yard, he didn't see any sign of Tobirama Senju. He figured the man must have gone to the Hokage office to help Hashirama with paperwork.
So, he headed toward the shuriken training area in the corner of the yard.
The area was a perfect circle, roughly twenty meters in diameter.
At the center stood a row of carefully crafted wooden targets.
Each target was about the height of a person, made of thick wooden boards. Painted on the surface were striking concentric circles, starting with a red bullseye at the center, followed by orange, yellow, and blue rings.
On one side of the training area stood a simple wooden shed.
Inside was a wooden table and a few chairs. On the table, various types of shuriken were neatly arranged—triangular, cross-shaped, and more.
Hanging on a rack by the wall were pieces of protective gear: gloves, wrist guards, chest protectors, and so on.
"As expected of Tobirama Senju—so rich and generous!" Renya sighed with admiration.
Back when he was living off an allowance, he could barely afford food, let alone shuriken, much less afford to train with them.
Looking at the table full of shuriken, Renya's eyes burned with desire.
Although he really wanted to start training right now, none of this stuff belonged to him. He absolutely couldn't use it without permission. He still needed Tobirama's approval.
After staring for a while, Renya decisively looked away and began his physical training.
Since his body was still small, he didn't train too hard—just did some basic bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and pull-ups to build chest, leg, and arm strength.
These strength exercises were crucial for a ninja's stability and explosive power during missions.
By the time Renya finished training, it was almost noon.
He lay on the ground resting for a bit, then dragged his tired body to the kitchen to start making lunch.
Renya wasn't sure if Tobirama would come back for lunch, but he decided to cook enough for two anyway.
It's worth mentioning that his own portion was especially large—twice what he ate last night.
Every time he trained, Renya found his appetite skyrocketed.
He was actually quite pleased with that. Eating a lot meant he'd burned a lot of energy, which proved his training was effective!
Plus, getting enough food helped him build muscle, boost endurance, and improve recovery.
"Hehe, still just one small bowl of rice!"
Renya brought over a large pot of rice, scooped out one small bowl and set it on the opposite side of the table, then hugged the pot and began devouring it.
As for that small bowl of rice—it was obviously for Tobirama.
Just then, Tobirama returned.
The moment he stepped into the yard, a rich aroma hit him.
He looked toward the house in surprise and muttered,
"What smells so good…? What did that brat cook?"
Only now did Tobirama realize that Renya hadn't been bragging—he really could cook.
He subconsciously swallowed, then quickly stepped into the house.
"White-haired old man, you're back," Renya greeted, still scarfing down food like a storm.
Tobirama didn't waste any words. He sat upright at the low table, in front of two brightly colored dishes—Mapo Tofu and Chicken.
He first picked up a bite of Mapo Tofu. The moment it touched his mouth, the scalding heat and intense spice exploded on his tongue.
"Sss-ha, sss-ha!"
Tobirama wasn't good with spicy food, but the Mapo Tofu completely won him over.
Next, he tried the Chicken—the tenderness of the meat, the crunch of the peanuts, the heat of the chilies—all blended together into a complex and unforgettable flavor.
(T/N: I know most of you won't like this, so I've removed most of it)
If Renya hadn't been there, Tobirama might've moaned with delight.
There was no helping it—it was just too good!
"White-haired old man, don't just eat the dishes! You have to eat them with rice!" Renya reminded him.
Hearing this, Tobirama pretended to stay cool as he picked up the bowl of rice and mimicked Renya.
Tobirama closed his eyes in enjoyment, as if savoring the lingering taste of those two dishes.
Even for him, this was the first time he'd tasted something so delicious.
This brat's cooking… really is something else!
Maybe adopting him wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"Hey, old man, stop sitting there in a daze. Once you're done eating, go wash the dishes!" Renya burped and urged him.
Tobirama snapped out of it, obediently picked up the dishes, and headed to the kitchen.
Renya was a bit surprised. He didn't expect the old guy to be so agreeable.
He didn't know that he had already conquered Tobirama's stomach.
The fact that someone like Tobirama—who never ate spicy food—managed to finish both ultra-spicy dishes said everything about Renya's culinary skills.
Not long after, Tobirama came back from the kitchen. His gaze landed on Renya, but quickly shifted away.
Renya thought he caught a hint of admiration in Tobirama's eyes...
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Tobirama admiring him? What a joke.
Renya suddenly remembered the training area and cautiously asked,
"White-haired old man, can I use the training area in the yard?"
"Use it if you want," Tobirama replied without much reaction.
Renya felt a bit happy inside and thought to himself: [This old guy's actually pretty easygoing...]
"I have work to do," Tobirama said as he turned to leave.
Just as he reached the doorway, he seemed to remember something. He stopped and looked back at Renya:
"Brat, make sure to cook more rice tonight."
Renya: "???"