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  ????

  After pummeling Kushina for a while, Tsunade felt a lot better—her frustration waned, and her mood improved siderably.

  Still fuming from the earlier otion, she turo Shin:

  "So, after you leave Konoha…where do you pn on going?"

  Shin shrugged.

  "Maybe take a trip and wahe world a bit. There's a lot out there to see, and I kinda want to experie all."

  He had no crete goal in mind—just wao roam freely across the Shinobi world, visit different nds, and observe their s.

  Tsunade nodded.

  "Fine. But at least send word every now and then, so I know where you are."

  Shin gave a small nod of agreement. Before departing food, though, he wao have a final "chat" with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

  He told Tsunade and the others, then headed off in search of the Sandaime Hokage, who was busy in his a.

  ...

  As Shiered, Hiruzen gnced up and froze slightly, clearly not expeg his visitor.

  Shin didn't bother with any polite greetings:

  "Sarutobi Hiruzen, I've e tain."

  His voice was cold, and he didn't even address the man as 'Hokage.' If not for Tsunade's sake, Shin would have sidered killing him ht—he held that mupt for what Hiruzen had done.

  The moment he saw Shiionless face, Hiruze a jolt of uhis was so abrupt—did Shin perhaps discover something?

  "I'm leaving Konoha," Shin said ftly. "And those two 'big ones' I've got lurking outside the camp? I have no use for them. So I'll sell them to you."

  By "two big ones," he meant the Oail and the Eight-Tails. Sihey served no further purpose to him, Shin wao trade them for something more useful.

  Hiruzen's brow furrowed:

  "Leaving Konoha? What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Exactly what it sounds like. From now on, I'm no longer a shinobi of Konoha."

  With a casual flick, Shin removed his forehead protector and tossed it to Hiruzen.

  Hiruzen's face darkened as he caught it.

  "I'm aware there've been some unpleasant rumors about you tely, but—"

  "Enough," Shin cut him off, impatient. "Isn't this exactly what you wanted? Don't waste my time with excuses."

  "What are you implying, Shin? Do you have some misuanding of my iions?"

  Shi out a ical snort.

  "Let's not pretend. We both know. I'm here to talk about a deal, not to rehash your schemes."

  Irritation flickered on his face, and Hiruzen fell silent for a moment before finally asking:

  "What kind of deal?"

  "I'll give you the Oail and the Eight-Tails, and in exge, I want something from the Scroll of Seals." Shin's gaze pinned Hiruzen. "What do you think?"

  Hiruzen's expression twisted.

  "But the Oail a-Tails…aren't they Konoha's property?"

  ....

  'BOOOOMMMMM'

  He'd barely finished speaking when Shin's foot crashed into him, ung the Sandaime Hokage out of the tent.

  Hiruzen's body skidded several meters across the ground before ing to a stop. His clothes tore from fri against the earth, leaving multiple scrapes and at least two broken ribs. Blood dribbled from his mouth.

  Shin—having just withdrawn his kig leg—stepped through the tent's ruined fp.

  "Huh? Sorry, I didn't catch that. Care to repeat it?"

  He sauoward Hiruzen, who y prone on the ground, gazing down at him.

  "Since when—" Shin asked in a calm monotone, "Do the Oail a-Tails belong to Konoha?"

  All the otion quickly drew a crowd of Konoha shinobi. Many rushed over, armed by the sight of their injured Hokage.

  From a short distance away, Tsunade also arrived—along with Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan. She let out a weary sigh:

  "It's e to this, after all…"

  She'd been worried they might csh from the moment Shio see Hiruzen. Sure enough, her fears had been realized.

  "What's going on?! Uzumaki Shin—you attacked the Hokage-sama?!"

  Hatake Sakumo drew his White Light Chakra Sabre, gring at Shin with anger. Seeing the Sandaime Hokage so badly hurt, he didn't need details to guess who was responsible.

  "Uzumaki Shin, are you plotting to betray the vilge?!" Another shinobi yelled.

  "First you disobeyed the Hokage's ands, costing us so many lives, and now you've attacked him in person—what's your endgame?!"

  Shiernal Mangekyō Sharingan spun open, sweeping over the gathered shinobi. His voice was cold:

  "All of you…shut up a lost."

  A massive bck skeletal form materialized around Shin's upper body—Susano'o in its first stage. With a thunderous roar, it unleashed a surge of oppressive chakra, bsting everyone ba a wave of force.

  Staring at the jet-bck skeletal giant, none of them dared speak. Even the inplete Susano'o left them paralyzed with fear.

  "Protect Hokage-sama!"

  Hatake Sakumo shouted, blinking over to stand in front of Hiruzen and shield him.

  The others shook off their shod hurried to form a protective circle. Hiruzen, ging to help from a few shinobi, shakily stood up again, gring at Shin with anger and arm:

  "Uzumaki Shin, just what do you think you're doing?!"

  Shin motioned dismissively toward the rumbling footsteps eg across camp. The Oail and the Eight-Tails were approag.

  Konoha-ni aside in panic, terrified of being trampled by the two t Tailed Beasts.

  Of course, the Tailed Beasts' sudden appearance caused further destru in the camp, but Shin only eyed Hiruzen:

  "Now do you see whose beasts they really are? If you still want to pretend Konoha 'owns' them, I could just let them each fire off a Bijūdama right here."

  Tsunade felt a headache ing on. The situation was esg fast.

  Nearby, Jiraiya approached her, bewildered:

  "Tsunade, what in the world is happening?"

  She exhaled in frustration.

  "It's the Sandaime's own doing. Those rumors flying around camp? About Shin supposedly causing Konoha's casualties? Hiruzen orchestrated them behind the ses—at least partly. Given Shin's personality, it's a miracle he didn't kill the old man on the spot. Maybe he's sparing him for my sake."

  Tsuo icy; what the Sandaime had doruly crossed the line. If it were her in Shin's shoes, she'd have erupted long ago.

  "Konoha doesn't have a single det soul left," Kushina interjected, her face cold.

  "Aren't you a Konoha shinobi yourself?" Jiraiya shot back, bristling at her words.

  "As of this moment, no," Kushina replied. She pulled off her forehead protector and tossed it aside.

  Mikoto silently did the same.

  "We're done here."

  ????

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