Chapter 31:The Fourth Choice.

Since we reached 100 Powerstones,as promised I'd be dropping 5 Bonus Chapters. <><><><><><><><><><><> "You bastard..." Hearing this, the Third Hokage was both shocked and furious, but he didn't dare to strike again. Earlier, Zenkichi had captured Danzo and forced him into a god-level choice. He didn't hesitate and mentally prepared himself to sacrifice Danzo. However, Zenkichi let Danzo go easily, which gave Sarutobi a false sense of hope. He thought Zenkichi wouldn't actually go through with it—only for Zenkichi to slap him in the face the next moment. Jiraiya had an arm severed! For a ninja, losing an arm was the same as losing half their power. After all, 99% of ninjutsu in the shinobi world required hand seals, and Jiraiya wasn't capable of forming seals with just one hand. In simple terms, a once-shadow-level powerhouse like Jiraiya had been rendered crippled. Even if he retained some combat ability, he was no longer the formidable force he once was. --- "Hokage-sama, do you have any objections to what I said? If you do, speak up!" "Though you prepared five battle strategies, none of them proved useful." "You no longer have anything that can threaten me. The entire battlefield is under my control." "I can leave when I want and stay when I want. If you want to fight, then stay and fight." Zenkichi looked at the Third Hokage with lidded eyes, his voice calm and unhurried. The Third Hokage's expression darkened. "But this situation... isn't it because of your betrayal? You tricked us into fighting among ourselves." To be honest, Sarutobi Hiruzen was starting to feel regret. Had he known Zenkichi would be this difficult to deal with, he never would've acted so rashly. He thought the five plans were enough to handle Zenkichi, but they turned out to be completely useless. If Zenkichi were willing to negotiate, Hiruzen might even agree to cede territory or offer compensation. At the time, he had simply assumed Zenkichi was a Kirigakure ninja and therefore a future enemy of Konoha. Rather than let him grow into a threat, it was better to strike first. But Zenkichi was far more dangerous than anticipated. --- Looking at Hiruzen, Zenkichi said calmly, "Don't worry, Hokage-sama. I won't make you face endless god-level choices." "You made five plans for me. I've prepared five multiple-choice questions for you." "Once you answer all five, I'll leave Konoha. How about that? I think that's quite sincere." The Third Hokage stared coldly at Zenkichi. "Why should I believe you?" Zenkichi smiled. "You don't have any other options." Hiruzen gritted his teeth and looked at Orochimaru nearby. "Orochimaru, you're my most gifted student." "Of my three disciples, you're the one with the most techniques. Just one minute—surely you can hold on for that long?" Truthfully, what Hiruzen wanted was another alternative. Jiraiya was already half-crippled. Sacrificing him for the sake of maximizing gains made sense. Zenkichi's strength was no joke—if he went all out for a minute, Orochimaru might not survive. From Konoha's point of view, risking a healthy Orochimaru to protect a nearly-disabled Jiraiya wasn't a wise move. But... With so many people watching from nearby, Hiruzen couldn't bring himself to abandon Jiraiya. Sometimes you know what the right decision is, but you simply can't make it. --- With no other choice, the Third Hokage attacked Orochimaru. A cold killing intent burst from him as he moved, wielding the adamantine staff and striking at Orochimaru without hesitation. Orochimaru, who possessed remarkable ninjutsu talent, had the best chance of inheriting Hiruzen's title as "Professor of Ninjutsu." His mastery of diverse and complex techniques, along with life-saving abilities, made him Konoha's most tenacious shinobi. --- "Sarutobi-sensei..." Orochimaru dodged in panic as he avoided Hiruzen's furious assault. It was obvious—Hiruzen was going all out. --- "What a performance," Zenkichi murmured with a smile as he stepped on Jiraiya's back. Jiraiya struggled to lift his head and opened his eyes, seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen attacking Orochimaru. "Old man... Orochimaru..." Jiraiya muttered, then glared angrily at Zenkichi. But Zenkichi didn't care. He ignored him completely. Truth be told, Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato, and the others were all characters Zenkichi had liked a lot in his previous life. But now? Zenkichi's mind was sharp—he understood one truth: Children talk about likes and dislikes. Adults only care about gains and losses. So what if he admired Jiraiya? When Jiraiya had attacked him earlier, he didn't hold back at all. So why should Zenkichi show mercy? Being soft-hearted would only lead to a pathetic end. At worst, he could emulate ancient emperors—bury those he admired with honor. And if that wasn't enough... Zenkichi turned to Tsunade and said casually, "I'll raise her as your wife." --- "One minute is up." Sarutobi Hiruzen abruptly halted his attack, glancing coldly at Zenkichi. "Bravo," Zenkichi said with a smile, clapping slowly. He kicked Jiraiya toward Tsunade, placing him beside Namikaze Minato and Shimura Danzo for healing. --- "The fourth choice," Zenkichi said, his eyes flashing coldly, "I want Namikaze Minato to kill Uzumaki Kushina." --- "What?!" "Impossible!" The Third Hokage and Hiruzen shouted in unison. Uzumaki Kushina was the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—Konoha's nuclear deterrent. If there was still any hope of defeating Zenkichi, it lay with Kushina. Not only that—her mastery of sealing arts was second to none. --- "Impossible? Then just have Namikaze Minato attack her for one minute." "A minute of true killing intent. A minute of full power." "If I even suspect he's holding back..." Zenkichi smiled and pointed toward Hokage Rock. Golden particles of light gathered into arrows and fired. Boom! A loud explosion rang out near the monument. Zenkichi's voice was lazy yet sharp. "If I catch anyone slacking, I'll kill a Konoha ninja." "If that's not enough... I'll kill ten thousand villagers to make up the difference. I say it—I do it." --- Namikaze Minato's face twisted in rage as he stared at Zenkichi. But Zenkichi simply returned his gaze with a calm smile. And now, the relationship between Uzumaki Kushina and Konoha would plummet to a freezing point. In that case, why not drive a wedge between them? --- After all, when Minato sealed him earlier, he didn't show any mercy. --- Send more Powerstones though !!