It's settled!

  The Third Hokage’s words set the tone for the entire meeting—absolute, uionable, and ungeable.

  This is what a true leader should be.

  Kyoichi thought to himself.

  There was a reason why Tobirama Senju had chosen Hiruzen Sarutobi.

  When decisiveness was needed, he could indeed be decisive… but suents were rare.

  This time, however, the Third had been thhly provoked.

  It was clear from his tohat he was aware of the e between Orochimaru and Danzo. This i was merely the spark that set everything in motion.

  Danzo showed ion as he stood up a.

  He uood.

  There was no point in saying anything more.

  Orochimaru, oher hand, didn’t seem to react much. He was still smiling—oddly so.

  This time, though, the smile seemed genuine.

  "Old friend, they were right about ohing. We've been too far from the battlefield for too long. Perhaps we should go to the frontlines and see for ourselves… only then we truly uand more."

  "Uh…" Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado silently exited. The meeting room had been a chaotic mess, but with the three elders gohe tension eased siderably.

  "Sehis is who you are! You're the Hokage—you don’t hem telling you what to do."

  Tsunade leaned ba her chair, speaking casually.

  Still, there was a hint of newfound respe her tone.

  At least she didn’t call him "old man."

  "You 't put it that way. Everyone has different perspectives. It's just that… perhaps our way of thinking is no longer suited for Konoha’s future."

  The Third sighed.

  Despite years of governance, Konoha hadn’t grown stronger. In fact, it had been in dee.

  A, Kyoichi’s reforms—methods belonging to a new geion—had drastically strengthehe vilge in a short time.

  Lately, he often found himself w…

  Was fate truly fav the Senju ?

  In the end, he came to a clusion—

  It didn’t matter.

  As long as Konoha became strohat was enough.

  "Sensei, I have a different opinion on this. Some forbidden teiques should be unsealed, while others shouldn’t be abandoned altogether."

  Orochimaru spoke up.

  "If the purpose of researg forbidden teiques is merely to prohibit their use, then why did Lord Sed spend so much effort developing them?"

  "Orochimaru, this is my bottom line."

  The Third issued what was nearly an ultimatum.

  "Uh…"

  Orochimaru fell silent for a moment. Theood up, bowed slightly, and said,

  "I uand. I still have research to duct. Sensei, once you've made your final decision, please inform me."

  Tsunade remained silent, her mood somewhat somber.

  Orochimaru… was definitely ag off.

  Her suspis had been correct.

  But…

  She just couldn’t uand why Orochimaru was doing this.

  She knew him too well.

  If he wao hide something, there was no way he would be so careless as to leave such obvious clues.

  What was he after?

  "Everyooday’s meeting took an ued turions ran high. I suggest we end things here for now. The key points have bee—we all take some time to reflect. A final decision wait a few more days."

  Minato stood up and spoke.

  The atmosphere…

  Was way too tense.

  "Very well, we’ll pause here. Tsuay behind for a moment."

  The Third, visibly exhausted, waved a hand, signaling for the others to leave.

  Ohe room was empty—

  Tsunade, visibly impatient, crossed her arms. "Say what you o say. I’m in a hurry."

  "’t you stay? I want you to bee the Fourth Hokage… I’m truly getting old. But as a teacher, I have failed."

  Boom!

  Her response was the plete destru of the fereable.

  "Only an idiot would bee Hokage!"

  With that, Tsunade leapt out the window.

  The Third let out a bitter sigh.

  He wao step down.

  But…

  Out of all three of his students, there wasn’t a single one he could entrust the title to.

  Even Tsunade wasn’t a truly satisfactory choice, because deep down, he knew she had problems.

  And now, it seemed her issues ran deeper than he had initially thought.

  —

  Outside the building.

  Kyoichi stepped out, only to see Tsunade nd from the window above.

  In the distance, Shizune was rushing toward them.

  "Tsunade-nee, weren’t you still upstairs?"

  “Nothing to talk about with that old man. e on, to the tavern! We’re drinking till we drop!”

  Tsunade didn’t hold back at all.

  With a flick of her green robe, she strode forward with purpose.

  “Tsunade-nee, I didn’t expect you to show up.”

  “Brat, if I hadn’t, you’d have beeen alive.”

  Tsunade smirked coldly.

  “Not necessarily. It just would’ve been a bigger hassle.”

  Kyoichi shook his head.

  Even without Tsuhe spread of the Eight Gates and Breath Activation Teique would have ti just would’ve involved more bad-forth iations.

  “Doesn’t matter now. I got to e bad tear into those old geezers. Felt pretty damn good.”

  Tsunade chuckled.

  Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo.

  Those three had been on her nerves for years. She’d wao let loose on them for the loime, but the opportunity had never been right.

  This time, she finally got her ce.

  And after her tirade, not one of them could even argue back.

  Of course…

  The Third’s stance had been a surprise.

  Still…

  She sighed softly, g Kyoichi, and asked, “You said you were researg the Yin Seal. Have you tested it yet?”

  “I have. I wouldn’t say it’s a plete success, but it’s at least funal.”

  Kyoichi expihe current state of his Yin Seal.

  Tsunade pondered for a moment but couldn’t immediately think of a solution.

  The chakra pathways on the forehead were simply too intricate.

  Altering the floractically impossible, but when it came to the Yin Seal itself, Kyoichi had already pushed it as far as it could go.

  For now, this was the best he could do.

  “As for the chakra trol method you mentioned, I gave it a try. It wasn’t difficult for me, but passing it down to others would be incredibly challenging.”

  Tsunade sighed.

  The Strength of a Hundred Seal had been easy for her to grasp.

  But that was only because of her unparalleled chakra trol and deep medical knowledge.

  Even if someone else had her level of chakra trol, it didn’t mean they could distribute chakra evenly throughout their body.

  “We’ll take it step by step. People start by learning simpler chakra modes, like…”

  As Kyoichi spoke, he activated Wind Release: Chakra Mode, coating his entire body in flowing wind chakra.

  Tsunade blinked in surprise, then thought for a moment before nodding.

  “If they progress from simple teiques to advanced ohey might have a ce. But the threshold will still be extremely high.”

  “’t be helped. S-rank teiques were never meant for mass adoption.”

  ---

  “Forbidden teiques were never meant to be widespread. They should only be mastered by a select few. First, it’s the Eight Gates and Breath Activation. What’s ? Danzo, we o stop Hiruzen!”

  “This must be done gradually.”

  Danzo gave a nonittal response.

  Koharu and Homura tio grumble for a while before leaving in frustration.

  Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly, the out a cold chuckle.

  They weren’t wrong about ohing.

  But those two…

  All they did was talk.

  A mountain of theories, but wheime came, where was their opposition?

  Idiots.

  With a flicker, he disappeared using the Body Flicker Teique.

  Upon arriving at a hidden boratory, Danzo found Orochimaru pag up his belongings.

  His brow furrowed. “Orochimaru… don’t tell me you’re betraying me as well?”

  “Heh… Danzo, we were merely partners. I never pledged loyalty to you.”

  Orochimaru sneered.

  Danzo’s expression darkened, his voice tinged with anger. “Do you really think you just walk away?”

  Orochimaru smirked. “I kly what I’m doing. If someone wants to stop me, let them try… But more importantly, this experiment is meaningless. I’ve found a better approach.”

  “Kanda Kyoichi?”

  Danzo had always been posed and ruthless. But this time, his irritation was obvious. His anger fred.

  “Perhaps. Regardless, our partnership ends here.”

  Orochimaru turo face Danzo directly.

  This time, he was serious.

  “Danzo, people who dwell in the shadows have nht to bee Hokage.”

  “Heh… and I suppose you think you’re noble now?”

  “No. I’m just the same.”

  “…”

  Danzo was momentarily stunned.

  This bastard…

  Did he really think Hiruzen would let him go just because he backed out now?

  Danzo’s voice dropped into a low, furious growl. “There’s n back for you. That teique—you need me to plete it!”

  Orochimaru chuckled. “I have a new pn, Danzo. Don’t expect me to take the fall for you.”

  Gcell