"All wrapped up?"
The Third Raikage barreled over, eyes glued to the red gourd covered in sealing talismans.
Jinghang flashed a smile and nodded. "All done."
The Raikage burst into booming laughter, pounding Jinghang's shoulder so hard he nearly knocked him off his feet.
"Brother, after this battle, you've truly earned your place as the greatest ninja of our era!"
His voice rang with genuine admiration—no jealousy, no hidden edge. Just the open-hearted respect of a man who knew what greatness looked like.
And why not? The God of Shinobi himself had just been sealed away. Sure, maybe there was some luck involved, but who cared? This was the kind of win you could brag about for a lifetime.
Jinghang scratched his head sheepishly. "Just got lucky, that's all. Actually, there's one more thing I'd like to ask you, big brother."
"What's that?"
"Could you lend me the Six Paths tools for a bit? I'm not trying to take them—now that the red gourd and the Amber Purifying Pot have Hashirama and Tobirama's souls inside, it doesn't feel right to just keep them locked up. I want to have Master Bunpuku from our village see if he can use Buddhist methods to break the Impure World Reincarnation, so those two can finally rest in peace. Of course, Oei and Zaide can bring the tools with them, and as soon as we're done, you'll get everything back."
After all, that was his wife's grandfather in there. Keeping the old man "imprisoned" like this wasn't just awkward—it was downright unsettling. Besides, the dead belonged with the dead. No need for them to keep crashing the party in the land of the living.
The Third Raikage, rough on the outside but sharp inside, immediately caught Jinghang's meaning.
"That's it? No problem! Oei, Zaide, you heard him? Take the tools to Sunagakure right away."
"Don't rush just yet," Jinghang said, waving his hands. "We still have a Fourth Hokage to deal with."
He nodded toward Danzo in the distance.
The Raikage squinted, then snorted. "Him? Hah! If you hadn't pointed him out, I'd have forgotten he was even here. Doesn't matter—with or without those two, we can handle Danzo just fine."
…
At that moment, Danzo was frozen in shock.
That's it? It's over?
That was the God of Shinobi!
And just like that, he's sealed?
What's the point of fighting anymore?
He'd called in the big guns, only to watch them get stomped.
Before he could process it, Jinghang cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted across the battlefield, his voice ringing with swagger:
"Hey! Fourth Hokage! I'm taking both Hokage with me! What's it gonna be—fight, or make peace?"
Danzo's body trembled, his mind a total mess. He wanted to say something, but couldn't force a single word out.
Jinghang, growing impatient, called out again. "Come on—thirty thousand people are watching! Give us an answer!"
Danzo clenched his jaw so hard his teeth threatened to crack.
Fight? Or surrender?
Fight?
Didn't look like they stood a chance.
Surrender?
Konoha had been beaten to a pulp—what was left to negotiate? Cede land? Pay reparations? Sign a humiliating treaty? He'd only been Hokage for three days! How could he do something so disgraceful? He'd be out of office before he even warmed the chair.
But Jinghang didn't give him time to think.
"Screw it, you're taking too long! I'll decide for you! Wind-Cloud Alliance—ATTACK!"
With Jinghang's roar, the Wind-Cloud Alliance surged forward like a tidal wave, their battle cries shaking the sky as they charged Konoha's lines.
Only then did Danzo snap out of it, screaming, "Defend! DEFEND! All units, engage the enemy!"
The Konoha ninja didn't hesitate. Orders were orders—if the Hokage called for battle, they charged.
The outcome was obvious. Outnumbered, their morale shattered by the loss of both the First and Second Hokage, Konoha's forces crumbled. Three thousand fell before they were pushed all the way back to the village walls, barely holding the line. If not for Koharu Utatane and the remaining core leadership fighting desperately, they might have lost the gates entirely.
Seeing Konoha ready to fight to the last man, Jinghang didn't press the attack. Instead, he led his troops back to camp, whistling and singing, maintaining the siege.
Just like that, the "Living Dead Plan" Danzo had pinned his comeback hopes on was dead in the water.
Danzo wasn't much of a smoker, but today, in the Hokage Tower's conference room, he couldn't help himself.
His arm was wrapped in thick bandages. Face ashen, lips tight, he sat in silence, chain-smoking. The ashtray in front of him overflowed with cigarette butts, and a haze of smoke hung heavy in the air.
None of the other council members—Koharu Utatane, Fugaku Uchiha, Shikaku Nara—tried to stop him. Their frustration matched his own.
Danzo finally broke the silence, voice rough. "Alright, let's hear it. I'll take responsibility for this defeat—I'll shoulder whatever I must. But the war's not over. We need a plan."
It took everything he had to say those words.
Responsibility? Since when had Danzo ever taken responsibility for anything?
Before becoming Hokage, any time he lost money on a shady iron ore deal, lost a battle, or did something that couldn't see the light of day, Hiruzen Sarutobi was always there to clean up the mess.
Now he'd finally gotten the seat he'd always wanted, only to realize—there was no one left to blame. Everything landed squarely on his own shoulders.
It sucked.
So this was what being Hokage was really like. Orochimaru had seen it clearly—the Hokage's seat was just a "hot stool." Not only did it burn your ass, it scorched your spine.
When no one spoke up, Danzo's patience snapped.
"What, no one has anything to say? Is Konoha my problem alone now? Fine, if you won't speak, I'll call on you myself."
He pointed at Shikaku Nara.
"You're Konoha's chief strategist. Let's hear it."
Shikaku had no choice but to answer.
"The situation is growing more difficult by the day. This battle proved that even with all our forces, we can't repel the Wind-Cloud Alliance. That's a gap in real strength. We can't afford to waste any more troops—we'll have to wait for an opportunity."
Waste troops? Danzo caught the hint of sarcasm.
"Opportunity? What opportunity? Aren't you supposed to be the smart one? Come up with a plan!"
Danzo's voice had taken on the shrill edge of a nagging housewife.
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