"The battle is over!"
"Who's winning?"
"It should be Zenkichi from Kirigakure!"
"It's him?"
"Yes! From what I can sense, he has the smaller chakra reserves between the two.
Although the other one had much more chakra earlier, it suddenly plummeted.
That must've been because Uchiha Madara used some kind of forbidden technique to restore his youth and strength. But after the technique wore off, everything reverted."
"Chiyo-sama, should we act now? I don't sense any decrease in Zenkichi's strength.
Actually… it's not just that—his chakra seems to have increased after the battle."
A sensor ninja from Sunagakure reported the findings to Chiyo with a serious expression.
"His chakra increased again? That's absurd!"
"He must be pretending—to scare us off."
"As far as I know, Zenkichi has exceptional sensory perception," Chiyo muttered, frowning with disdain.
Though doubtful, she couldn't afford to hesitate.
Even Uchiha Madara had been defeated by Zenkichi. If they waited any longer, he might recover completely. And if he's on par with Madara, Sunagakure may as well surrender now.
Chiyo made her decision.
She and the Sunagakure ninjas moved quickly toward Zenkichi's location.
At the same time, ninjas from Konoha, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure also entered the battlefield.
Zenkichi stood silently, digesting the swordsmanship he'd just mastered—swordsmanship at the level of a true great swordsman.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
The ninja forces of all four major villages had surrounded him.
"Took you long enough."
"Konoha's Tsunade, Sunagakure's Chiyo, Iwagakure's Kitsuchi, Kumogakure's Raikage… Important people from every village, huh?"
Zenkichi scanned the crowd around him with a calm, uninterested gaze.
"Zenkichi… I must admit, you're a genius," the burly Third Raikage said, stepping forward. "If you're allowed to grow further, you might even surpass the First Hokage one day.
For the sake of our villages—and the balance of the ninja world—we have to kill you now."
"How scary."
Zenkichi let out a lazy yawn, clearly unimpressed.
"Don't give me that 'for peace' nonsense. You want to kill me for your village's safety, not for peace."
Kitsuchi, representing Iwagakure, spoke gravely:
"No. Your existence has shattered the balance of power. If left unchecked, you'll drag the world into even greater war."
Zenkichi replied slowly,
"Then it's simple: let me reach my full potential—and surrender to me."
"Once that happens, we'll all be on the same side. As one family, there'll be no more war."
Chiyo scoffed and summoned the ten puppets of Chikamatsu.
"Such arrogant delusions. I see now that your mind hasn't caught up with your talent."
"Regardless, your abilities are undeniable. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We must eliminate you now."
Zenkichi chuckled and shrugged.
"Fine, I get it. What about you, Tsunade?"
Tsunade hesitated, clearly conflicted.
The Third Raikage frowned.
"Princess Tsunade, what are you waiting for? I thought the rift between Konoha and Zenkichi was beyond repair."
Chiyo chimed in:
"After last time, I'm sure Konoha came better prepared. We need your strength."
Tsunade's expression turned uncertain. She knew how dangerous Zenkichi was.
Honestly, she doubted anyone here could stop him.
Zenkichi looked at her with a relaxed smile.
"Princess Tsunade, would you mind just watching from the sidelines? After I clean this up, we'll talk properly."
The Konoha shinobi around her exchanged uncertain glances.
"Tsunade-sama...?"
Tsunade raised her hand, then gave the order.
"Retreat."
Without hesitation, she led the Konoha forces away from the battlefield.
"…She left?"
Chiyo stood stunned.
"Coward!" the Third Raikage barked in anger.
"Useless woman!"
Kitsuchi remained calm.
"Well now, maybe the old saying about big breasts and small brains isn't absolute. At least Tsunade knows when to bow out."
"But unfortunately…" He pointed at the others.
"You're not going anywhere."
"You showed up to challenge me, didn't you?" Zenkichi said, coldly. "So you should've been ready to die."
"Perfect timing, actually. I just picked up a new technique."
"Let's see what it can do."
Zenkichi brought his hands together. As he pulled them apart, a massive golden sword of energy appeared in his grip.
Totsuka-no-Tsurugi!
With the gleaming lightsaber in hand, Zenkichi swung effortlessly.
A roaring wave of golden energy slashed through the air—headed straight for Chiyo.
She reacted immediately.
Her ten Chikamatsu puppets formed a formation, working in unison to block the flying slash.
The ten puppets, masterpieces among puppetry, were known for their seamless coordination.
With a puppet master like Chiyo controlling them, their power could trouble even high-level Kage.
But under Zenkichi's strike, all ten puppets were blown back.
Even Chiyo staggered several steps, her face pale.
"What insane power…"
She was shaken. Zenkichi's raw strength in that moment was comparable to Tsunade's legendary punches.
"Brat!"
The Third Raikage bellowed. Lightning surged across his entire body, sparking violently.
Lightning Release: Chakra Mode!
With thunder armor coating him, the Raikage charged—his entire physique enhanced by the power of lightning.
Hell Stab: Four-Finger Thrust!
He blasted forward like a living thunderbolt. The sheer force of his advance was like a cannon shell exploding on impact.
Boom!
Zenkichi met him head-on. His sword, imbued with both spear-like thrust and swordsmanship precision, clashed with the Raikage's piercing fingers.
Clang!
Their power erupted in a shockwave, blowing up the surrounding earth.
In a flash, Zenkichi sensed an incoming threat from behind. Without even looking, he twisted his body and stabbed backward.
Behind him, another enemy had tried to flank—but Zenkichi's reaction was instantaneous.
---
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