Tsunade let out a breath and said with a somewhat complicated expression, "Sure enough! So, the current situation in Konoha is all caused by you."
Zenkichi shook his head. "No. The current state of Konoha was inevitable. I merely accelerated the process and pulled off its fig leaf."
"Without me, Konoha would appear prosperous on the surface—but its decay is rooted deep within. No matter how well you dress it up, it's still rotting."
"Unless someone overwhelmingly powerful appears, Konoha will collapse eventually. Too many corrupt roots were buried long ago."
"To be honest, your grandfather Senju Hashirama made a huge mistake. He should have united the shinobi world while he had the chance. That was the best opportunity for peace."
"The First Hokage was too naive. He believed everyone wanted peace as he did—but that was impossible. This world has never lacked evil."
"The village system was meant to bring peace."
"But now the cart has come before the horse."
"To protect the village, people are willing to start wars."
"If the five great shinobi villages were to merge, war would disappear from the world."
"But is that possible?"
"Would the leaders of the five villages be willing to give up their power? Absolutely not."
"They're obsessed with their own interests—their vision is far too narrow."
"If the world is to know true peace, it must be unified."
"This world needs a single will and a strict teacher."
"I will bring unity to this world—and no one can stop me."
Zenkichi's voice grew passionate as he stared at Tsunade, eyes filled with unwavering determination.
Tsunade turned her head, avoiding his gaze. "Even so… Aren't you afraid I'll tell others?"
Zenkichi smirked. "Tsunade, what makes you think I'm ashamed of my beliefs?"
"Even if the leaders of the five great villages stood before me, I'd say the same thing to their faces."
"Because compared to me, their power is insignificant."
Tsunade's expression stiffened, at a loss for words.
"Goodbye."
"I'm sure we'll meet again soon."
Zenkichi waved to Tsunade, then, with a flicker, appeared on the devastated battlefield. He began collecting the bodies of key figures—Uchiha Madara, the Third Raikage, and Chiyo.
If possible, Tsunade truly didn't want to face Zenkichi again. After a moment of silence, she said slowly, "Whether what he said is true or not… you'll have to decide for yourself."
Yahiko was quiet for a moment. He looked up at her. "Is what he said true?"
Jiraiya gave a bitter smile but said nothing.
Tsunade looked off into the distance, her back to them. "No need to hide. He already knows you're here."
After Zenkichi departed, Jiraiya led Yahiko and Konan out of the woods nearby.
The corpses of powerful shinobi are valuable sources of intelligence. Zenkichi sealed them into scrolls, intending to send them to Kirigakure for analysis.
"The reason he told me all that was probably for your ears as well," Tsunade said.
"I've heard about the Akatsuki you founded. Your intent to regulate war is admirable."
"But this world isn't as simple as you think. The causes of war are complex."
"A village isn't a person. It makes decisions based on logic, not emotion. Emotional wars are rare."
"So your idea of regulating war isn't realistic. You can't offer the villages what they seek when they go to war."
"Ninety percent of wars are for profit. And sadly, your Akatsuki can't give them what they want."
"Zenkichi said the other villages attacked Konoha because they feared its rapid growth."
"One major reason may be to seize Konoha's resources for their own benefit."
"That's their goal. Can Akatsuki stop such wars?"
"Even though your organization has had some success, I'll be blunt—"
"Those results weren't because of Akatsuki. It was because those villages were already ready to negotiate and just used you as a convenient tool."
Perhaps spurred on by Zenkichi's words, Tsunade explained things to Yahiko with a complicated look.
When Tsunade originally left Konoha, she had clearly seen its darkness and decay.
Even so, she returned and became the Fifth Hokage—proof enough that she wasn't lacking in intelligence or foresight.
While her style appears direct and rough, even reckless…
Don't forget—Tsunade is the greatest medical-nin in the shinobi world.
Someone who deals with life and death on a daily basis cannot be careless.
She has a subtle, sharp mind.
Yahiko was silent for a moment. He looked at Jiraiya and asked, "Master Jiraiya, what happened to the child of prophecy you mentioned before?"
Jiraiya responded with a somber tone, "The creature I signed a summoning contract with is from Mount Myōboku—one of the three great sage regions. The Great Toad Sage has the ability to foresee the future."
"He prophesied that I would train a disciple who would either bring destruction to or save the shinobi world. Because Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, I believed he was that child."
Yahiko smiled, though his expression was complicated. "Since you believed Nagato could lead the world to salvation or ruin, why did you neglect him for so long?"
"If he truly could shape the future of the world, shouldn't he have mattered more to you? Why did you stay away for so long? If we were just ordinary apprentices, fine—but shouldn't the fate of the world have changed your priorities?"
"Jiraiya-sensei… Can you tell me why?"
"Don't lie. I'll find out the truth later."
Yahiko's tone was calm, but distant—and it left Jiraiya silent.
After a long pause, Jiraiya sighed. "Because I found another possible child of prophecy."
Yahiko's voice dropped. "Who?"
Jiraiya answered, "He's the Yellow Flash of Konoha. You've heard of him, right?"
Yahiko chuckled bitterly. "I see. Rather than Nagato—who carries the burdens of the Rain Country—you'd rather place your hopes in Namikaze Minato, who was born and raised in Konoha?"
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