A streak of golden light flashed across the sky before slowing and gathering into a human figure.
After two thoroughly satisfying rounds of cleanup, most of the anger in Kizaru's heart had already faded. As he gazed down at the Iwagakure camp below, another idea suddenly occurred to him.
If he eliminated only Kumogakure's forces while leaving Iwagakure completely untouched, wouldn't that plant a seed of suspicion between the two villages?
Then there was the matter of the plan to surround and kill him. Konoha had learned of it through a spy planted within Iwagakure, which meant that, from Kumogakure's perspective, Iwagakure had leaked one of the alliance's most important military secrets.
If those two things happened one after another, Iwagakure's position within the alliance would become extremely uncomfortable.
The pressure created by Konoha's overwhelming strength might prevent the alliance from breaking apart immediately, but suspicion and distrust would inevitably continue to grow beneath the surface.
More importantly, Iwagakure was still officially considered an ally of Konoha for the time being.
That made the situation even more interesting.
The human heart was the most difficult thing to understand, but it was also the easiest thing to exploit.
If Kizaru could damage the relationship between the three great shinobi villages before the war even began, Konoha's chances of victory would rise considerably.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked down at the Iwagakure shinobi.
A moment later, his body scattered into countless particles of light and vanished from the sky.
Instead of returning directly to Konoha, Kizaru swept across the relatively small Land of Grass several times at astonishing speed, hunting down the scattered Kumogakure units.
Whenever he sensed the presence of shinobi, he descended from the sky and deliberately paused for several seconds to inspect their forehead protectors.
If they belonged to Kumogakure, Kizaru fired a beam of light at them.
Whether they survived was entirely up to their luck.
His reason for doing this was simple.
Kizaru wanted a few fortunate survivors to return and report that he had specifically targeted Kumogakure's forces throughout the Land of Grass.
It would be even better if one of them was observant enough to mention how he had carefully inspected their forehead protectors before attacking.
After spending more than twenty minutes sweeping through the Land of Grass several times, Kizaru finally returned to Konoha, satisfied with the results.
The Land of Fire, Konohagakure.
Inside the Hokage's office, Danzō and Hiruzen sat opposite each other, arguing over the situation in the Land of Grass.
Their disagreement had nothing to do with Kizaru leaving the village. Neither of them knew about that yet.
The question was whether Root and a portion of the ANBU should be withdrawn from the Land of Grass.
Danzō wanted to redeploy those shinobi toward the Land of Water.
From his perspective, Konoha had already gathered almost every piece of useful information it could obtain regarding the situation in the Land of Grass. Keeping so many shinobi stationed there would only waste the village's manpower.
Compared with the combined forces of Kumogakure and Iwagakure stationed in the Land of Grass, Kirigakure was a far greater unknown.
The Hidden Mist had isolated itself from the outside world for years, leaving Konoha with very little information about its current military strength.
What if Kirigakure possessed some powerful force or weapon that Konoha knew nothing about?
Once war erupted, inadequate intelligence could lead to unnecessary casualties on the Land of Water front.
Hiruzen agreed with part of Danzō's reasoning, but as the Hokage, he had more factors to consider.
A large number of civilians and landed nobles lived along the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.
If the allied forces of Kumogakure and Iwagakure invaded the Land of Fire through the Land of Grass, those people would suffer devastating losses.
In Hiruzen's opinion, Konoha had already deployed several thousand shinobi toward the Land of Water. That front should remain secure for the time being.
Root and the ANBU should continue focusing their intelligence-gathering efforts on the Land of Grass and closely monitor the movements of the two great shinobi villages stationed there.
Once the transfer of power was complete and Kizaru officially became Hokage, he could personally lead Konoha's assembled forces into the Land of Grass, stop the enemy before they crossed the border, and minimize the damage suffered by the Land of Fire.
The Danzō of the past might have agreed with Hiruzen's cautious plan. It was safer and would earn considerable goodwill from the nobles.
However, after witnessing the ambition Kizaru had recently revealed, Danzō no longer approved of Hiruzen's arrangements.
The terrain stretching from the heartland of the Land of Fire to the border with the Land of Grass consisted mostly of hills and open plains.
Most of the land in that region, along with the towns built upon it, belonged to landed nobles and powerful merchant houses.
In Danzō's eyes, those nobles would eventually become Kizaru's enemies. They were a group that would have to be eliminated sooner or later.
If Kumogakure and Iwagakure invaded the region, plundered its wealth, and destroyed the nobles' property, would that truly be such a bad thing?
Not only would it weaken the nobles and merchant houses, but once Kizaru led Konoha's forces to repel the invaders and reclaim the territory, those same nobles would become indebted to him.
That gratitude would make it much easier to deal with them later.
As for the civilians living in those areas, Danzō did not take them into consideration.
In his view, those who remained loyal only to the nobles and the daimyō were not yet part of Konoha's camp.
"Danzō, your proposal is far too extreme," Hiruzen said. "If we withdraw that many shinobi from the Land of Grass, the civilians and nobles living near the border could be placed in danger at any moment."
"Warn them in advance," Danzō replied coldly. "If they refuse to evacuate, they can bear the consequences themselves."
Hiruzen looked at his old friend helplessly.
For all his abilities, Danzō had always been too ruthless and uncompromising.
"Kirigakure is located across the sea. Gathering information there is extraordinarily difficult. Even if we transfer the shinobi stationed in the Land of Grass to the Land of Water, we may not learn anything useful. The ANBU have already lost several operatives there."
"That is precisely why we must intensify our intelligence-gathering efforts," Danzō answered. "I have a feeling that Kirigakure is concealing far more than we realize. According to the information we have gathered, the Hidden Mist was also the driving force behind the alliance against Konoha."
Faced with Danzō's warning, Hiruzen fell silent.
For a moment, he could not make a decision.
"Transfer half of them for now," he finally said. "Once Kizaru becomes Hokage, he can decide how the remaining forces should be deployed."
After saying that, Hiruzen released a quiet sigh.
For the first time, he truly felt old.
It was not his body that had grown weary, but his spirit.
As Hokage, he had chosen to leave the problem to his successor instead of making the decision himself.
Had he begun relying too heavily on Kizaru?
When had that dependence started?
Was it during the last great war, when Kizaru single-handedly turned the situation around on all three battlefronts?
Or had it happened gradually over the past several years, as Kizaru's reforms made Konoha stronger and more prosperous?
Perhaps it really was time for him to step down.
With complicated emotions filling his heart, Hiruzen lifted his pipe and took a slow puff.
Danzō silently observed his old friend's expression.
He could hear the hesitation in Hiruzen's words and see the conflict in his movements.
The commanding spirit of the shinobi once hailed as the Professor had begun to fade. Hiruzen now looked more like an old man preparing for retirement than the leader who had once stood at the center of the shinobi world.
This was the change Danzō had wanted to see.
Yet now that it had finally happened, he felt no joy.
Instead, a trace of sorrow surfaced in his heart.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Just as the two elderly men sank into their respective thoughts, a knock on the door shattered the somber atmosphere.
The door opened, and Kizaru, now dressed in clean clothes, entered the office with his usual smile.
"Oooh~ What convenient timing. You're both here. That saves me another trip."
After returning from the Land of Grass, Kizaru had never intended to conceal what he had done.
He knew his actions would have an enormous effect on the approaching war.
Kizaru might act first without asking permission, but once the deed was done, he would always report the situation.
That was part of his responsibility to the village.
Seeing Kizaru enter, Hiruzen's earlier emotions deepened. He stared at his disciple with a gratified expression and an unusually warm smile.
Danzō soon became uncomfortable watching Hiruzen grin at his nephew.
"Kizaru, why are you here?" he asked.
"I took a little trip to the Land of Grass and wiped out Kumogakure's forces stationed there," Kizaru replied casually, as though discussing an ordinary afternoon stroll.
The smile on Hiruzen's face slowly stiffened.
His eyes widened.
"Kizaru!"
Danzō immediately rose from his chair, anger appearing on his face as his gaze swept over Kizaru's entire body.
"Uncle, I saw Yoshihiko at the base," Kizaru reminded him with a smile.
Danzō froze just as he was about to reprimand him.
He had deliberately hidden Yoshihiko's condition from Kizaru, so he knew he had no right to lecture him now.
"You weren't injured, were you?" Danzō asked instead, his anger immediately giving way to concern.
"Only my clothes got a little dirty, so I changed them."
Kizaru walked over to the desk, pulled out an empty chair, and sat down.
"Kizaru, what exactly happened in the Land of Grass?" Hiruzen asked after recovering from his shock.
"Kumogakure had two camps there, with around a thousand shinobi in total. I took care of all of them. There should only be a few scattered units left throughout the Land of Grass."
"What about Iwagakure's forces?" Danzō asked, his eyes lighting up as he noticed the implication in Kizaru's answer.
"I didn't touch them."
Kizaru looked at his uncle with a knowing smile.
A similar smile appeared on Danzō's face.
He instantly understood what his nephew was planning.
Brilliant.
That one decision would drive a deep thorn between Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
Having served as Hokage for more than twenty years, Hiruzen also understood Kizaru's intentions immediately.
A proud smile appeared on his face.
As expected of his finest disciple. Kizaru possessed both overwhelming strength and a sharp political mind.
That old fox Ōnoki was probably feeling miserable right now.
The atmosphere in the Hokage's office instantly brightened. Two old foxes and one younger fox exchanged delighted, almost gleeful smiles.
Konoha's delight naturally came at Iwagakure's expense.
When the report that Kizaru had raided the Land of Grass and annihilated Kumogakure's forces reached Iwagakure, Ōnoki was both shocked and furious.
Kizaru's move had been viciously effective.
Not only had he destroyed a significant portion of the alliance's military strength, but he had also damaged Iwagakure's relationship with Kumogakure.
The timing made it even worse.
Ōnoki and the Third Raikage had already experienced several unpleasant meetings. Delivering this news now was practically an attempt to pour oil onto a smoldering fire.
That Kizaru was far more cunning than his lazy appearance suggested.
He had killed more than a thousand shinobi and still found a way to use their deaths to sow discord within the alliance.
"How has Kumogakure responded?" Ōnoki asked from behind his desk, clutching the report in his right hand.
"We haven't received any word yet," the Tsuchikage's aide replied honestly.
Ōnoki released a heavy sigh before floating down from his chair.
"I'm going to meet the Raikage."
He needed to clear Iwagakure of suspicion and explain the situation as quickly as possible.
Kumogakure could not be given too much time to brood over what had happened. Once people allowed their thoughts to wander, even the smallest doubt could grow into something dangerous.
Ōnoki could only hope that the Third Raikage was rational enough not to let his anger overwhelm him.
Inside the residence Iwagakure had prepared for Kumogakure's delegation, the Third Raikage trembled with fury after reading the report.
More than a thousand shinobi!
Worse yet, every one of them had been among Kumogakure's elite.
And now they were simply gone.
The more he thought about it, the more his chest ached. His heart felt as though it were bleeding, and his eyes had already become bloodshot with rage.
Standing beside him was his son, A, Kumogakure's designated successor and the commander of the Raikage's guard.
He was just as furious.
The deaths of more than a thousand comrades filled the young man with grief and rage.
"Father, blood must be repaid with blood!" A shouted. "We have to strike back! We must make Konoha pay for the deaths of our comrades!"
The Third Raikage remained silent, refusing to respond to his son's furious demand.
As the leader of Kumogakure, he naturally wanted to avenge his fallen shinobi.
However, he also understood that Kumogakure alone was no match for Konoha.
In fact, the entire village might not even be capable of defeating Kizaru by himself.
"Raikage-sama, the Tsuchikage is requesting an audience," a Kumogakure shinobi reported after entering the room.
"Those Iwagakure bastards!" A shouted. "Maybe they've been secretly working with Konoha all along—"
"Enough!"
The Third Raikage's roar shook the room and instantly silenced his son.
Kumogakure could not afford to turn against Iwagakure now. If it did, the alliance would collapse from within before the war even began.
The Third Raikage was certainly impulsive, but as the leader of a great shinobi village, he understood the severity of the situation.
During his attack in the Land of Grass, Kizaru had targeted only Kumogakure while deliberately sparing Iwagakure.
It had to be a Konoha scheme.
More importantly, that was the only explanation Kumogakure could allow to spread.
If other possibilities were openly discussed, how could the shinobi of the allied villages trust one another once the war began?
Would they truly be able to stand together on the battlefield while suspecting that the shinobi beside them might be an enemy collaborator?
The Third Raikage understood that perfectly.
However, when he questioned his own heart, could he honestly say he felt no suspicion toward Iwagakure?
Outside the residence, Ōnoki heard A's furious voice, followed by the Third Raikage's roar.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At least the Third Raikage had not been blinded by rage. He still understood the importance of preserving the alliance.
The only question was how much trust the Third Raikage and the rest of Kumogakure could still place in Iwagakure.
For the first time, Ōnoki felt deeply pessimistic about the alliance's prospects.
Kizaru had effortlessly annihilated a thousand Kumogakure shinobi and damaged the relationship between two great villages in a single afternoon.
And that was merely what Kizaru could accomplish alone.
If Konoha mobilized its full strength, did the three great shinobi villages truly have any hope of defeating Kizaru and Konoha?
Under the polite farewell of the Third Raikage and Kumogakure's shinobi, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, walked out of the residence with his hands clasped behind his back.
His discussion with the Third Raikage had gone reasonably well.
Ōnoki had expressed both his own sorrow and Iwagakure's condolences over Kumogakure's terrible losses.
He had also promised that, as Kumogakure's ally, Iwagakure would provide the necessary material support to help it recover.
During their previous three meetings, the Third Raikage had repeatedly raised the issue of material support, but the two sides had never reached an agreement.
Now Ōnoki had been forced to concede.
Two Iwagakure shinobi followed him out of the residence. One was a member of the Tsuchikage's guard, while the other was the aide responsible for assisting with the village's administrative affairs.
"Tsuchikage-sama, Konoha's scheme failed," the Iwagakure jōnin said with a trace of relief. "Kumogakure wasn't deceived."
Ōnoki felt mentally and physically exhausted.
He did not even have the energy to answer his foolish subordinate immediately.
Officially, he and the Third Raikage had agreed to describe Kizaru's attack as a sinister attempt by Konoha to divide the alliance.
But was this idiot blind?
Had he not noticed how the other Kumogakure shinobi inside the room had looked at them?
Their trust in Iwagakure had obviously weakened. Some of the anger they felt over their comrades' deaths had already shifted toward the Hidden Stone.
The entire situation was outrageously unfair.
Damn you, Kizaru!
Damn you, Konoha!
Ōnoki's chest felt tight with frustration, yet he had nowhere to vent it.
"What exactly are you smiling about?" Ōnoki demanded, turning toward the remaining trace of relief on his guard's face. "Our ally just lost more than a thousand shinobi. Does that make you happy? Run ten laps around the village!"
After speaking, Ōnoki floated into the air, flew in front of the bewildered jōnin, and smacked him on the forehead.
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama!"
The Iwagakure jōnin looked both confused and wronged, but he still raised his arms and began running.
Ōnoki watched him disappear before turning toward his aide.
The man had covered his mouth, desperately trying not to laugh.
The moment he noticed Ōnoki looking at him, he dropped his hand and forced his expression to become completely serious.
Seeing that, Ōnoki finally felt a little better.
He descended to the ground and resumed walking toward the Tsuchikage's office.
Meanwhile, inside Root's underground base in Konoha, Kizaru stood in Yoshihiko's hospital room.
Danzō stood half a step behind him, wearing a smile so warm that it seemed completely out of place on his face.
"Root's medical-nin are no less capable than those at Konoha Hospital," Danzō explained. "Yoshihiko's life is no longer in danger, and the damage to his internal organs is steadily healing."
He deliberately avoided mentioning the permanent damage to Yoshihiko's body.
Danzō did not want the boy to become depressed after hearing it, nor did he want to reignite Kizaru's anger.
"Uncle, could you leave us alone for a while?" Kizaru asked calmly. "I want to speak with him."
Lying on the bed, Yoshihiko looked surprised and uncomfortable when he saw Kizaru arrive.
He turned his face away, unwilling to let Kizaru see him in such a miserable condition.
Danzō reached out and patted Kizaru's arm.
He said nothing more and simply followed his nephew's request, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Once he heard the door shut, Kizaru walked to the bedside.
"What's this? You won't even look at me, Yoshihiko?"
Yoshihiko remained silent and continued facing the other side.
However, his uncovered left eye had already begun to redden.
Seeing that Yoshihiko refused to answer, Kizaru did not press him.
He could roughly understand what the boy was thinking.
Yoshihiko had been grievously injured and disabled during a mission. He believed he had failed and now considered himself useless.
More than anything, he was ashamed to face the older brother he admired.
Kizaru gently moved Yoshihiko farther across the bed before sitting beside him.
"Oooh~ This mattress isn't bad. Is it comfortable?"
The movement tugged at Yoshihiko's injuries. His face tightened, and he nearly cried out from the pain.
"You're still ignoring me?" Kizaru asked.
He placed one leg on the bed, leaned back against the headboard, folded his arms, and looked down at Yoshihiko with a faint smile.
"If you don't say anything, I'll leave."
Yoshihiko pursed his lips.
He truly did not know what he was supposed to say.
"I went to the Land of Grass this afternoon."
Yoshihiko finally reacted.
He instinctively tried to sit up, but his injuries prevented him from moving. All he could do was slowly turn his head and look at Kizaru.
"Want to know why I went?" Kizaru asked, deliberately keeping him in suspense.
Yoshihiko wondered whether Kizaru had gone there to avenge him.
He opened his mouth slightly.
"Mm."
"I killed every Kumogakure shinobi stationed in the Land of Grass," Kizaru said as casually as if he were talking about the weather.
Yoshihiko's uncovered eye widened.
Having escaped from the Land of Grass himself, he knew exactly how many Kumogakure shinobi had been stationed there.
He also understood how terrifying the slaughter concealed behind Kizaru's relaxed words must have been.
"Were you hurt?" Yoshihiko asked anxiously.
"Not at all. My clothes got a little dirty, though, and Keiko-nee-san gave me quite the scolding."
Kizaru deliberately made himself look aggrieved.
Seeing his expression, Yoshihiko immediately felt better and could not stop himself from laughing.
"I was originally planning to eliminate Iwagakure's forces as well," Kizaru continued. "But then I had a thought. If I killed only Kumogakure's shinobi and spared Iwagakure, wouldn't the two villages start suspecting each other? So, for now, I decided to let Iwagakure's shinobi live."
After spending more than three years in Root, Yoshihiko was no longer the innocent child he had once been.
He immediately understood how viciously effective Kizaru's plan was.
"Kizaru-nii, you're really devious," Yoshihiko said with a smile.
Kizaru reached out and lightly tapped him on the forehead.
"It's called being clever."
"Right. Clever," Yoshihiko corrected himself immediately.
Kizaru rose from the bed, freeing some of the limited space. He placed one hand on the bedrail and leaned forward to look at Yoshihiko.
"Focus on recovering. Once your condition stabilizes, I'll arrange for you to receive a new right arm and a replacement eye."
Kizaru was not merely trying to comfort him.
He was genuinely confident that it could be done.
Because Kizaru remembered the original story, he knew that after Naruto and Sasuke lost their arms in their final battle, Konoha eventually created a replacement arm for Naruto using Hashirama's cells.
If Tsunade could accomplish that in the future, then with the current cooperation between her and Orochimaru, along with Konoha's advanced research into Hashirama's cells, producing a replacement limb should already be possible.
Yoshihiko became visibly excited.
If his right arm and right eye could truly be restored, his life as a shinobi would not have to end.
He might still realize his dream of becoming Kizaru's right-hand man.
"What kind of eye would you like?" Kizaru asked, half joking and half serious. "A Byakugan? A Sharingan? Or an ordinary eye?"
With Kizaru's current status and strength, there was a genuine possibility that either the Uchiha or Hyūga clan would agree to provide an eye preserved from a fallen clansman if he personally requested it.
Yoshihiko's mouth dropped open in shock.
The sudden movement pulled at his injuries, causing his entire face to twist in pain.
"I'm not saying this merely to comfort you," Kizaru explained. "The village is already studying how to use Hashirama's cells to cultivate replacement organs. Your arm and eye can be cloned much faster with those cells."
He paused before adding:
"Of course, obtaining a Byakugan or Sharingan would be a little more complicated, but I could still manage it."
His smile faded slightly as he offered a warning.
"You should remember that if someone outside the Hyūga or Uchiha clan receives one of those eyes, they usually can't deactivate it. It would continuously consume your chakra."
"No!" Yoshihiko replied quickly. "A normal eye cloned from my own cells is enough."
"Then rest properly and recover."
Kizaru patted the bedrail with a smile.
Hope had returned to Yoshihiko's heart. The gloom surrounding him disappeared, and his old smile finally returned.
"I'll be going now. Bye-bye~"
Kizaru lifted his hand and lazily waved his fingers.
"Bye, Kizaru-nii."
Yoshihiko carefully raised his left hand and waved back.
After leaving the hospital room, Kizaru went to Danzō's office. He said goodbye to his uncle and then left Root's underground base.
Rather than returning home, Kizaru headed directly toward the Senju Clan's compound.
He wanted to speak with Tsunade that night about using Hashirama's cells to cultivate replacement organs for disabled shinobi.
"Have you eaten?"
Tsunade stood at the entrance wearing comfortable clothes and holding a bowl of instant noodles. She looked calmly at Kizaru, who had arrived without warning.
Kizaru showed no restraint whatsoever.
He removed his shoes, entered the house, walked directly into the living room, and sat on the sofa.
"Oooh~ You're eating instant noodles all by yourself?"
Tsunade followed him into the room with the bowl still in her hands.
"Kushina and Minato went out on a date."
She deliberately paused before glaring at Kizaru.
"Unlike a certain bastard who hasn't taken me anywhere in five days."
"Nawaki has practically moved into the research institute and its experimental fields. He hasn't come home for an entire week. Since nobody cares whether I'm here alone, instant noodles will have to do."
Hearing the resentment in her voice, Kizaru quickly rose from the sofa and approached her.
He took the bowl from Tsunade's hands, placed it on the nearby table, and pulled her into his arms.
"How about we go out for dinner tonight?"
Kizaru deliberately lowered his voice and leaned closer to her ear.
A satisfied smile appeared on Tsunade's face as she shifted slightly in his embrace.
"I'm already halfway through my noodles, and now you decide to show up?"
"Oooh~ That's all right. You can finish them."
Kizaru answered with complete sincerity.
Tsunade's smile froze.
A moment later, her right elbow drove backward toward him.
Kizaru leaned away, deliberately tightened his arms around her, turned halfway around, and allowed himself to fall onto the sofa with Tsunade.
"Let me go!"
Whether from embarrassment or their brief struggle, Tsunade's cheeks had turned slightly red.
"You injured me," Kizaru said shamelessly. "I can't get up."
"You—"
Tsunade was about to argue when she felt his arms tighten around her.
She closed her mouth.
Resting quietly against Kizaru, Tsunade found herself enjoying the moment so much that she no longer wanted to go out.
With Tsunade warm in his arms and her familiar fragrance surrounding him, Kizaru was equally reluctant to let go.
Neither of them spoke or made another move.
They simply held each other in silence.
After some time, Kizaru finally spoke.
"What would you like to eat?"
"Kizaru, what did you come here for?"
"Just a small matter. We can talk about it over dinner."
"Okay."
Kizaru finally released her.
The two rose from the sofa together.
"Wait here. I'm going to change."
Tsunade straightened her slightly disordered clothes, pulling her loosened top back into place, then walked toward the bedroom.
Women always needed time to change clothes and prepare themselves.
Kizaru waited on the sofa for nearly half an hour before Tsunade finally emerged.
"Let's go."
Kizaru rose with a smile, walked over to her, and took her hand.
Lowering his head slightly, he looked at her and said:
"Oooh~ You look beautiful."
Tsunade did not answer, but the smile on her face widened.
They left the Senju compound and headed toward the commercial district in the village's center.
After discussing their options along the way, they chose an izakaya they visited frequently.
Kizaru requested a booth in a quiet corner, and the two sat opposite each other.
Tsunade did not immediately ask why Kizaru had come to see her.
Instead, they talked about ordinary things, sharing what had happened in their lives and work over the past several days.
Tsunade understood that some matters did not need to be forced.
If Kizaru wanted to tell her something, he would do so when he was ready.
That quiet understanding was something they had developed over more than three years together.
Once the server brought their drinks and food, Kizaru drank a cup of sake, ate a few bites, and began explaining what had happened to Yoshihiko and what he had done in the Land of Grass.
Tsunade listened silently without interrupting.
Only after Kizaru finished did she respond.
"Theoretically, it should be possible to use Hashirama's cells to cultivate replacement organs and transplant them into disabled patients."
She neither criticized Kizaru for acting impulsively nor repeated warnings he had undoubtedly heard many times before.
Instead, she answered the question he had actually come to ask.
"Can we do it with the technology we currently possess?" Kizaru asked.
Tsunade considered the matter carefully before answering.
"It should be possible, but we'll need to conduct several tests first."
"That's fine. The village can cover part of the research expenses, and the Shimura Clan will provide whatever remains."
"You certainly know how to dream," Tsunade replied. "I'm investing in this project too."
"Oooh~ In that case, I'll let the other clans know and see whether they're interested."
Learning replacement organs for disabled shinobi had enormous commercial potential.
Kizaru had been so focused on treating Yoshihiko as quickly as possible that he had completely overlooked that fact.
"I'll speak with Orochimaru tomorrow and finalize the project," Tsunade said proactively, understanding his urgency.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Tsunade-nee-san."
Kizaru smiled at her.
Tsunade lightly kicked him beneath the table.
Even after all this time, hearing the private name he used for her in public still made her feel strangely embarrassed.
Early the following morning, Kizaru and Tsunade went to Konoha's research institute and discussed the proposal to use Hashirama's cells for rapid organ cultivation with Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was not particularly interested in the project.
Most of his attention had recently been focused on developing his forbidden immortality technique.
However, after learning that the project was intended to heal Yoshihiko, Orochimaru agreed to provide his full cooperation.
Kizaru had maintained a remarkably low profile over the past several years.
Many of the village's younger children had barely heard about his past achievements. Kakashi was perhaps the clearest example.
However, while Kizaru lived leisurely and avoided drawing attention to himself, his influence and connections within Konoha had steadily grown.
If Kizaru proposed a project at the research institute, the village's shinobi clans would willingly support it even if the research involved considerable danger and its future remained uncertain.
They were not necessarily interested in earning money from it.
Many simply wanted to do Kizaru a favor and ensure he remembered their support.
That was the level of status and influence Kizaru now possessed in Konoha.
After leaving the research work to Tsunade and Orochimaru, Kizaru went to the Hokage's office to register the project with his teacher.
No matter how few days Hiruzen had left as Hokage, he still held the position for now.
The proper procedures and basic respect could not be ignored.
After completing the project registration, Kizaru asked Hiruzen to inform the village's shinobi clans about the opportunity to invest.
There was no reason one person should claim all the profits.
Kizaru believed the clan heads and elders would easily recognize the value hidden within the project.
Whether it was used to generate wealth or win the loyalty of countless shinobi, the technology would become an extraordinary asset.
What did most shinobi fear?
It was not necessarily death.
Those who died during a mission could still leave behind compensation from the village. At the very least, their families would receive enough support to survive, and their children could attend the Academy without paying tuition.
What many shinobi feared even more was surviving a mission or war with permanent injuries that stripped them of their ability to fight.
Such shinobi had only a few choices.
They could accept the village's compensation, retire, and search for an ordinary occupation.
Alternatively, they could accept an internal assignment and work in a secondary position that did not require them to leave the village.
For shinobi without great ambitions, that kind of life might be acceptable.
However, for those who possessed dreams they had spent their entire lives pursuing, losing the ability to continue was sometimes more painful than death.
They remained alive, yet every path toward their future had been severed.
Could that truly be called living?
Many shinobi who were forced into retirement underwent drastic changes in personality. Some became dependent on alcohol or gambling, while others eventually chose to end their own lives.
That alone demonstrated the severity of the problem.
If Kizaru's proposal succeeded, replacement organs cultivated for transplantation could save countless shinobi whose careers had ended because of their injuries.
Just as Kizaru and Tsunade expected, news of the project immediately caused a sensation throughout Konoha.
It became the village's most closely watched research project in years.
Wealthy shinobi clans and individuals rushed to invest, while those without money followed every development with intense interest.
Almost every shinobi knew a relative, friend, or comrade who had been permanently disabled during a mission.
If the project succeeded, everyone stood to benefit from it.
Kizaru did not personally involve himself in managing the investments. He gave the research institute complete authority over that side of the project.
It was not because he considered the research unimportant.
Rather, a message had arrived from the capital of the Land of Fire.
The daimyō and his noble officials had completed their preparations and were ready to receive Kizaru.
After receiving the message, Hiruzen immediately informed his disciple and told him to prepare for the journey to the capital.
At the same time, he repeatedly warned Kizaru not to say anything reckless or act without thinking.
If any of the nobles angered him, Kizaru was to wait until they returned to Konoha before responding.
Hiruzen was not worried that Kizaru would deliberately cause trouble.
He was worried that some ignorant noble or official in the capital would offend him.
If the situation truly spiraled out of control, the Land of Fire might lose more than its daimyō and nobility.
The entire country could disappear.
If that happened, the Land of Fire would descend into chaos.
On the morning of Monday, October 15, Hiruzen and Kizaru departed Konoha.
They were accompanied by the Kage Guard traveling openly beside them and ANBU operatives providing protection from the shadows.
After traveling for most of the day, the Konoha delegation arrived at the capital of the Land of Fire that afternoon.
The officials of the Land of Fire prepared an elaborate welcoming ceremony for Hiruzen and Kizaru.
The daimyō and noble officials paid particular attention to Kizaru, the man who was about to become the new Hokage.
None of them were fools.
They all understood that the Hokage possessed the greatest military power in the Land of Fire.
Kizaru's character and governing principles would determine the country's safety for the next several decades.
More importantly, Kizaru's name was already known throughout the shinobi world.
Countless shinobi regarded him as the new God of Shinobi.
If someone that powerful harbored ambitions he refused to reveal, it would be an absolute disaster for the daimyō and the nobility.
Uneasy about the unknown and worried about their futures, the officials received Hiruzen and Kizaru with extreme care.
However, after speaking with him, the daimyō and nobles were surprised to discover that Kizaru possessed none of the arrogance they had expected from someone who had achieved such overwhelming power at a young age.
He constantly wore a relaxed smile and appeared remarkably easy to speak with.
By the end of the evening banquet, the officials had formed a much clearer impression of him, and a considerable portion of their unease had faded.
Shimura Kizaru, Konoha's future Hokage, seemed approachable and easygoing.
He showed none of the pride normally associated with the powerful. In fact, he appeared rather lazy and did not seem like a man harboring excessive ambition.
That was the impression Kizaru left on the daimyō and nobles after their first day together.
When the formal discussions began the next morning, Kizaru appeared even more harmless.
He sat quietly beside Hiruzen, wearing a faint smile and rarely speaking unless someone addressed him directly.
His behavior caused the daimyō and officials to relax even further.
Two days were hardly enough to understand someone's true nature.
However, judging by their conversations and Kizaru's conduct, he appeared to be an excellent candidate for Hokage—precisely the kind of Hokage the officials wanted.
During the formal meeting, the daimyō officially recognized Kizaru as Konoha's next Hokage, and every required procedure was completed.
From that moment onward, Kizaru was legally and officially the Fourth Hokage.
That afternoon, Hiruzen and Kizaru politely declined the daimyō's invitation to remain in the capital for several more days.
They explained that Konoha had too many urgent matters requiring their attention and began their journey home.
"Kizaru, the village will be entrusted to you from now on," Hiruzen said solemnly as they traveled, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Yes."
Kizaru gave a simple response, but his attention was clearly elsewhere.
At that moment, most of his focus was fixed on the progress bar inside his mind.
After receiving the daimyō's approval and completing the formalities with the nobles, it had finally reached ninety-nine percent.
It was the sort of number that could drive an impatient person to distraction, especially when it appeared on a loading screen or an unfinished download.
After hearing the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, Kizaru had become increasingly curious about what would happen once the progress bar reached one hundred percent.
He suspected the remaining one percent would be completed when he attended his official inauguration as Hokage.
"Sarutobi-sensei, let's hold the ceremony as soon as we return," Kizaru said.
Kizaru was not normally impatient, but he had no desire to remain stuck at ninety-nine percent.
Hearing the urgency in his disciple's voice, Hiruzen misunderstood completely.
He looked at Kizaru with a pleased smile.
So despite always complaining that becoming Hokage was too troublesome, Kizaru truly cared about the position after all.
Now that his inauguration was approaching, even he could no longer remain calm.
"We'll hold it immediately after we return," Hiruzen promised.
At eight o'clock on the morning of October 18, the ceremonial platform in the center of Konoha had already been decorated for Kizaru's inauguration.
A large banner welcoming the Fourth Hokage hung above the platform.
Below it stretched a massive crowd.
Almost every villager without an urgent duty had gathered there.
For the people of Konoha, the village had only one leader—the Hokage.
Their safety, their daily lives, and the village's future were all tied to the person who held that position.
The inauguration of the Fourth Hokage was therefore an event of enormous importance.
No one wanted to miss it.
"Did Uncle Kizaru really become Hokage?"
Sitting on his father's shoulders, Kakashi stared at the banner with his usual half-lidded expression.
He still found the entire situation difficult to believe.
After learning that Kizaru would become the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi somehow felt that the position had lost a little of its former dignity.
"Kakashi, your father didn't lie to you," Sakumo said with a faint smile. "Kizaru is an extraordinarily powerful shinobi, and he has earned the respect of the entire village. Everyone wanted him to become Hokage."
Hatake Sakumo was one of Kizaru's most steadfast supporters and among those who most wanted to see him assume the position.
Sakumo possessed a kind nature and valued both his comrades and the village.
He genuinely believed that under Kizaru's leadership, Konoha would become more prosperous and its people would enjoy increasingly peaceful lives.
That was his selfless reason for supporting Kizaru.
From a more personal perspective, Kizaru becoming Hokage was also extremely beneficial to Sakumo and the Hatake Clan.
Sakumo was hardly alone in feeling that way.
The clan leaders and shinobi who had supported Kizaru from the beginning all wore joyful expressions.
The Uchiha clan head and elders had arrived especially early.
They had waited several years for the day Kizaru became Hokage.
They understood better than anyone that his inauguration represented the Uchiha clan's opportunity to fully integrate into Konoha and participate in the village's administration.
After years of supporting him, the Uchiha were finally about to reap the rewards of their investment.
The clan head and elders still remembered what Kizaru had told them when he visited the Uchiha compound with Tsunade.
If the Uchiha truly wanted to integrate into Konoha, they first needed to loosen their grip on the Konoha Military Police Force.
The Military Police protected the village and maintained public order, but enforcing the law also caused its members to offend many people.
As long as the Uchiha remained synonymous with the Military Police, every grievance the villagers held against the organization would eventually be directed toward the clan itself.
Because of their pride, the Uchiha leadership had never taken that problem seriously.
Perhaps some of them had noticed it, but they had simply chosen to ignore it.
The proud Uchiha had never cared much about the opinions of ordinary villagers or lesser shinobi.
As long as they believed they were acting correctly, why should anyone else's opinion matter?
Kizaru had openly identified the problem and informed them that, after becoming Hokage, he intended to reform the Military Police.
More civilian shinobi would be permitted to join, gradually replacing the system in which nearly every member came from the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha clan head and elders had initially resisted the proposal.
Some even believed Kizaru intended to cast them aside after making use of their support.
However, after listening to his explanation, they finally understood the danger of binding the entire Uchiha clan to the Military Police.
In the end, they agreed to follow his plan.
Once Kizaru became Hokage, the Military Police would become an organization belonging to the entire village.
Kizaru did not offer the Uchiha any special privileges in exchange.
He merely promised to remove the restrictions that had confined them for so long.
From that point onward, Uchiha shinobi would be free to apply to any department in the village, including the ANBU, under the same conditions as shinobi from other clans.
At the same time, Uchiha Fugaku, the son of the current clan head, would become a member of Kizaru's Hokage Guard.
The moment they heard Kizaru's proposal, the Uchiha clan head and elders became deeply excited.
This was the opportunity they had dreamed of for years.
The Uchiha did not need special treatment.
All they wanted was trust and a fair opportunity to compete.
The clan possessed its own pride.
They were confident that if everyone competed under the same conditions, capable Uchiha shinobi would naturally rise to important positions within the village.
That promise was why the Uchiha were so excited on the day Kizaru officially became Hokage.
To them, Konoha gaining Shimura Kizaru as its Fourth Hokage was the greatest blessing the Uchiha clan could have received.
The Uchiha were not the only ones celebrating.
The Hyūga, who stood beside them as one of Konoha's two most powerful clans, were equally delighted.
The promises Kizaru had made to the Hyūga before taking office were just as generous.
More importantly, like the Uchiha, the Hyūga felt a degree of trust from Kizaru that Hiruzen had never been capable of offering them.
Only someone as overwhelmingly powerful as Kizaru could extend that kind of trust without fearing the consequences.
Once Kizaru became Hokage, the Hyūga would no longer need to act with constant caution, worried that a single mistake might provoke an excessive response from Konoha's leadership.
This was truly wonderful.
With Kizaru as the Fourth Hokage, better days awaited everyone.
The Hyūga clan head gazed toward the elevated platform and released a quiet sigh of satisfaction.
Suddenly, deafening cheers erupted from the crowd.
Under the eager gazes of the villagers, Kizaru and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stepped onto the platform together.
Before the entire village, Hiruzen officially announced that he was transferring the position of Hokage to Kizaru.
From that day forward, Kizaru would serve as Konohagakure's Fourth Hokage.
Dressed in a white Hokage haori tailored specifically for him, Kizaru accepted the ceremonial hat from his teacher and placed it upon his head.
The moment he did, the villagers' cheers became even louder.
Voices filled with excitement and happiness echoed throughout Konoha.
The Fourth Hokage, Shimura Kizaru, stepped forward until he reached the edge of the platform.
A relaxed smile appeared on his face as he looked down at the cheering villagers.
Kizaru was certainly pleased to have become Hokage.
However, what truly excited him was something no one else could see.
Amid the thunderous cheers of the village, the progress bar inside his mind had finally reached one hundred percent.
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