The smile didn't quite make it to Tobirama Senju's face, but after seeing the shift in Genma's expression, the stern look he usually wore almost slipped.
"These might not necessarily belong to the Sarutobi clan. They could've just taken on a transport mission from some merchant," Tobirama offered in a surprisingly kind tone—look at that, he was even trying to be considerate now.
Clearly, tea was a commodity with considerable economic value. There was no way the Sarutobi clan stocked this much just for personal use…
Even if every member of the Sarutobi clan drank tea religiously, it would still take them forever to get through this much.
Though it wasn't quite the same as the era of the Hidden Villages to come, shinobi of this time still accepted missions—both internal and external to their clans.
Shinobi rarely engaged in production; they were pure fighting forces, and surviving through strength was a timeless trait for them.
There was no need to explain that even in an age of war, production and trade still existed.
Genma nodded. Tobirama's explanation made sense.
Then he ordered a few shinobi to carry off the usable supplies and asked Tobirama to reseal the tea into a scroll.
The tea held no value to him, but if it got wet, it would be ruined and worthless to anyone.
Once the tea was sealed, Genma casually handed the scroll to Tobirama. "It's yours. We've got no use for it."
He didn't have the means to sell it anyway. Letting it rot in his hands would be pointless, so why not just offer it as a token of goodwill? He wasn't about to claim he was selling it—that'd be tactless.
Genma did hope to get something from Tobirama eventually, but one had to be practical. You couldn't expect everything in return.
Tobirama twitched the corner of his mouth—clearly, he didn't want it. The Senju clan certainly had ways to exchange the tea for more essential supplies, but these goods were, after all, stolen from the Sarutobi.
Still, as the guest, he had to follow the host's lead. In silence, he let Genma place the donation beside his longsword.
"If the Sarutobi lost mission supplies, would they be expected to compensate the client?" Genma asked casually as he set the scroll down and returned to his seat.
"If it's the Sarutobi, they'd offer at least partial compensation," Tobirama replied.
"Oh? As expected of a major clan that's never fallen—they really value integrity," Genma said with a faint smile.
Tobirama froze briefly, then caught the layered meaning in Genma's words.
He immediately recalled Genma's statement before he'd passed out: "I won't harm you, but you owe me your life."
After Tobirama woke up, Genma hadn't brought it up again—he wasn't trying to threaten him. Tobirama didn't mention it either, but he couldn't pretend he hadn't heard. It was the truth.
The shinobi world was incredibly dark now, with nearly everyone living in a moral wasteland. In such times, the mere act of not killing when one could was already a rare form of grace—an undeniable truth of this era.
In their previous battle, Tobirama had been the aggressor—and he'd lost. Regardless of how he'd lost—whether through a sneak attack or not—defeat was defeat.
But Genma hadn't finished him off. Instead, he'd treated his wounds. Whether that came from goodwill or fear of the Senju name, the fact remained: he hadn't struck. That alone meant Tobirama owed him.
Tobirama could pretend none of that mattered. It wasn't like Genma would come after him again. Still…
Even someone like Tobirama, often described with words like "calculating" and "ruthless in pursuit of goals," had lines he wouldn't cross.
"Do you need any help?" he asked plainly.
"Actually, yes. Maybe it's because I'm naturally attuned to water, but I've already mastered the basics of Water Release chakra transformation. The problem is, I don't know any Water Release jutsu. I've been searching for a way to learn, but I've had no luck."
Genma didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
There was no friendship between them, just a fair exchange.
"Water Release, huh? I do know a few. I can teach you."
Tobirama let out a small sigh of relief—it was something within his power. Normally, he'd never allow clan jutsu to leak out, but this was the man who had saved his life.
"That's much appreciated. But I'm not exactly a quick learner. I might not pick it up right away, so could you write it down instead?"
As he spoke, Genma had already handed Tobirama a blank scroll and a pen.
He came prepared, Tobirama thought with a hint of helplessness, but he ultimately picked up the pen and began writing.
After a moment's thought, he wrote down the hand seals, chakra flow, and training method for a C-rank offensive Water Release jutsu: Water Surge Wave (Mizu Shōha).
Then, thinking a bit more generously, he decided to add a defensive jutsu too—one that only Jonin-level shinobi could normally learn: a B-rank Water Release technique called Water Formation Wall (Suirōheki).
He chose a higher-ranked jutsu for defense because in the shinobi world, offensive jutsu were generally considered more valuable. Most battles came down to who could kill faster; aggression was everything.
Just as he was about to hand back the scroll, Genma spoke again, his tone light and airy.
"Come to think of it, I just remembered where I heard the name Tobirama Senju before… Don't you have an older brother named Hashirama Senju?"
Tobirama's pen halted in mid-stroke, and he looked up sharply.
Genma's gaze was clear and focused.
Did he really just remember? Or did he know from the start... Tobirama realized he'd been maneuvered.
Hints. Genma was dropping hints again. There was an art to conversation—maybe someday, he'd write a book called The Subtle Art of Dialogue.
In short, Genma wasn't just saying he'd heard of Hashirama. He was subtly stating he'd figured out Tobirama's true identity: the son of the Senju clan leader.
And that changed everything.
Saving a random Senju was one thing. Saving the clan leader's son? That demanded a higher price.
Tobirama clenched his jaw and continued writing, adding another high-difficulty offensive Water Release jutsu—B-rank: Water Dragon Bullet (Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu).
When he finished, he returned the scroll and pen to Genma, and finally couldn't help but mutter, "You think too much."
Genma accepted the scroll with a silent smile.
Accusations like that—from someone who'd eventually spend his days scheming and strategizing—were nothing to him. Genma brushed them off like dust on his sleeve.
"Until you're fully recovered, you can stay here and heal," he said calmly.
This wasn't over. There were more favors to extract from Tobirama yet.
Now that they were brought together by chance, would things end with a single exchange?
Of course not. It only marked the beginning of the next transaction.
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