Chapter 72: Chunin Exam (Bonus Chapter)

"Is this really a product of a super-ancient civilization? It's hard to believe." Terumi Mei stared at the remnants of the mysterious technology, her face filled with awe. Yagura asked calmly, "Are you planning to bring these things back to Kirigakure?" Zenkichi shook his head. "No. Let them stay here for now. The full ruins of this Ancient civilization haven't been unearthed yet." Ao gestured to Hyde, who stood restrained nearby. "And what about him?" Zenkichi had initially asked Hyde to hand over the technological relics, but Hyde had refused. It was only after a very persuasive conversation that Hyde finally agreed to cooperate. "Him? He's useless now. Get rid of him," Zenkichi said, casting a cold glance at Hyde before signaling Ao. This man was a walking threat. Without Ao's ability to extract memories, he might've resisted until the very end. Better to eliminate the risk early. "What?! You said you wouldn't kill me!" Hyde shouted, panicked. "I did say that," Zenkichi replied indifferently. "But the condition was that you'd hand over everything willingly." Hyde protested, "Didn't I give you everything?!" Zenkichi shook his head. "No, you refused at first. By the time you agreed, the terms had already changed." "You brought me here. I agreed not to invade your mind, and in return, you were to hand everything over. Fair trade, wasn't it?" As he finished speaking, golden light glowed at his fingertips. A laser beam burst forth—Hyde's head disintegrated instantly. --- Kirigakure Village Zenkichi had returned to the village and was receiving updates from the mainland. After multiple negotiations between the Four Great Shinobi Villages—Konoha, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure—they had finally agreed on a ceasefire. As a gesture of goodwill and unity, they planned to host a Joint Chūnin Exam in Konoha. "A joint Chūnin Exam?" Zenkichi said, lips curling into a smirk. "Sounds more like a joint military exercise." "It seems the four major villages are tightening ranks," someone noted. "And what should we do?" another asked. "Kirigakure is overseas—easy to defend, but hard to attack." "But if all four of them team up against us, things could get troublesome," the Third Mizukage said with a sigh. "We never expanded our territory for a reason," he added, looking at Zenkichi. "Your ability is overwhelming, yes—but only individually. You lack the strength to defend others." "Your offensive power is incredible, and you're nearly impossible to kill. But when it comes to defense... I worry you wouldn't be able to protect Kirigakure." The Mizukage wasn't wrong. When Zenkichi had stormed Konoha, he hadn't tried to take it over. The Mizukage suspected it was because Zenkichi knew he couldn't hold it. Once he turned into light, his own defense dropped to near-zero. He couldn't exactly dodge attacks while maintaining that form. Zenkichi chuckled. "After three days apart, we should look at each other with new eyes, Mizukage-sama." "Even Uchiha Madara, the so-called Shura of the Ninja World, died at my hands. And you're still looking at me like I'm a brat?" Zenkichi's expression remained lighthearted, as if discussing the weather. His rise had been meteoric—faster than anyone could have predicted. "What are you planning now?" the Third Mizukage asked, half-curious, half-concerned. "Since all four villages are joining this exam, we might as well send our own genin to Konoha too." "The Four Village Exam lacks impact. But if we joined, it would become a true Five Kage-level event." Zenkichi spoke casually, though a flicker of disappointment appeared in his eyes. He had expected a proper Five Kage Summit—not a glorified training drill. He wondered if the other Kage would even be present for this so-called "joint military exercise." The Mizukage thought for a moment. "Sending our genin to Konoha? That's not a bad idea." "We've had quite a few promising recruits lately—thanks to our skirmishes with Konoha's allied forces." "Some of them were already promoted to chūnin internally. We could simply adjust their records, list them as genin again, and let them participate." The Mizukage chuckled darkly. These low-intensity battles had not only eased domestic tensions in Kirigakure but also produced some impressive new shinobi. "A small squad is fine. Quality over quantity." Zenkichi nodded. "I'll only bring a handful with me." The Mizukage raised a brow. "Fewer soldiers means less support. Even cannon fodder can drain an enemy's chakra reserves." Zenkichi smiled. "No worries. I've already prepared for that. Isn't the Three-Tails and Six-Tails jinchūriki nearing their limit?" The Mizukage sighed. "Yes. They're both from the first generation. Getting old." The original jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, Uzumaki Mito, had died before the Third Shinobi War. The first jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, Seven-Tails, Five-Tails, and Four-Tails were also long gone. Only the jinchūriki of the One-Tail, Two-Tails, Three-Tails, and Six-Tails remained. "Even though the Three-Tails and Six-Tails are among the calmer tailed beasts, they still resist sealing." "To prevent potential outbursts, we've had the current jinchūriki living at the edge of the village." "I visited them recently—they both admitted they don't have much time left." "They asked me to select their successors... but I haven't made a decision yet." Zenkichi's eyes narrowed. "Then let me choose." "If the jinchūriki are ready, I can handle the transfer right now." "You've already picked replacements?" the Mizukage asked. Zenkichi nodded. "A few of my subordinates and students would make excellent vessels." The Mizukage frowned. "They may be talented, but jinchūriki selection isn't just about skill." "Tailed beasts are overwhelming. Their power isn't easy to suppress." Zenkichi smiled calmly. "And that's the problem, isn't it? The power is too concentrated." "So why not divide the tailed beasts?" --- Read up to 70+ chapters by becoming a patron Patreon.com/Zphyr_