Chapter 33: Leaving Konoha.

"Take Tsunade as a hostage?" The Third Hokage was slightly startled and looked at Tsunade not far away. Jiraiya immediately shouted, "No! Tsunade is the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the princess of the Senju clan. If she's used as a hostage, Konoha will be utterly disgraced!" Zenkichi replied casually, "Disgraced? With all due respect, Konoha is already disgraced." "In front of the strong, the weak never have dignity. Don't you understand that?" Jiraiya and the others glared at Zenkichi with clenched teeth, anger written all over their faces. "Ooh, such fierce expressions! Are you planning to kill me with your eyes?" "Don't be so ungrateful. I've been rather kind to you." "Don't forget, you attacked me first." "You tried to kill me, but I spared your lives." "You should be thanking me, not looking like I owe you something." "Do I have to willingly die just because you decided to come after me?" "Or am I supposed to generously forgive you after being ambushed, and even apologize because I didn't go along with your plans?" "Please. That kind of thinking is absurd." Zenkichi said lazily, casting a relaxed glance at Jiraiya and the others. "If you want someone to blame, blame the ones who made the decisions." "If they hadn't schemed against me, none of this would've happened." "We're all adults here. We have to bear the consequences of our own mistakes." His voice rang out clearly, deliberately loud enough for the Konoha villagers near the Hokage Rock to hear. "Alright!" "Hokage-sama, make your decision." "I won't leave Konoha without a hostage." "Either let me go, or prepare to fight me." "The clock's ticking—thirty seconds left." Zenkichi raised his left hand and started timing. The Third Hokage hesitated. He was waiting for Tsunade to speak up. If she volunteered, it would make things easier. "Enough!" "Isn't it just being a hostage? I'll go!" Tsunade stood up suddenly, her voice full of force. "Tsunade, you don't have to—" The Third Hokage turned to her, his expression pained. "No need to say anything. I understand." Tsunade gave him a cold glance. The Hokage's earlier hesitation had already told her everything. She wasn't a child anymore—of course she understood what he was thinking. He wanted her to stand up. So she did. "Very good!" "Tsunade-sama, let's go." Zenkichi flashed her a grin, then turned to leave Konoha Village. The Third Hokage let out a long breath of relief. Tsunade gave Konoha one last glance, then followed. Jiraiya watched her go, eyes full of reluctance, before collapsing in a faint. --- "Achievement Unlocked – Defeat Konoha!" Template Character: Kizaru Template Unlock Progress: 41% Skill Acquired: Navy Six Styles While in Konoha, Zenkichi achieved a series of accomplishments. He dismantled Konoha's five strategic responses, killed numerous shinobi, and severely injured both Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato—forcing Konoha into submission. Thanks to this string of achievements, his Kizaru template advanced to 41%. --- "Navy Six Styles..." Zenkichi frowned slightly. To him, this reward was underwhelming. For others, perhaps the Navy Six Styles were powerful techniques. But for Zenkichi? They were nearly useless. Finger Gun? He could fire lasers from his fingertips. Far more destructive. Shave? He could move at the speed of light. What use was a high-speed step technique? Tempest Kick? He already had a light-speed kick that could strike from afar. Moonwalk? He could fly and remain airborne via his light-particle form. Why would he need a move that lets you walk on air? Paper Art? While it allowed dodging with extreme flexibility, Zenkichi could phase into light, making attacks pass through him entirely. Iron Body? It boosted physical defense, but again—his elemental form made him immune to 99% of the attacks in the shinobi world. Even in the rare event that he needed to take a hit, he'd rather counterattack than defend. "Totally useless." Zenkichi muttered to himself. "Then again... maybe it's not that useless." "Even if I don't use it, I can pass it on to others." "Once I return to Kirigakure, I should try to take control of the Ninja Academy." "If that doesn't work, I'll go straight to the Daimyo of the Land of Water and establish a Naval Academy instead." "The Land of Water is made up of islands. It's often raided by pirates. A navy would suit them." Zenkichi began to plan his next steps. Tsunade, walking behind him, suddenly called out, "Hey! What exactly are you trying to do?" Zenkichi didn't look back. "I already told you in Konoha. Your village has no credibility. That's why you're coming to Kirigakure as a hostage." Tsunade scoffed. "You think I'm buying that? With you around, Kiri has nothing to fear from Konoha breaking its word." Zenkichi replied lazily, "It's not about fear. It's about preparation. What if Konoha does break the agreement?" "Am I supposed to rush back again? Sorry—I've got better things to do." "I don't have time to clean up Konoha's mess a second time." "Punching the clock and getting things done—that's my goal. I don't leave loose ends." Tsunade looked at him in disbelief. "That's it? Then why let Konoha off so easily?" Zenkichi turned his head with a grin. "Because Konoha's insignificant." "What I've done is more than enough to file my report, so I'm done with it." ...Not that anyone would understand that, Zenkichi added silently to himself. ---