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Faced with Tsunade's resolute tone, Kagaya couldn't help feeling a bit awkward. He seemed to have backed himself into a corner; he probably shouldn't have told Tsunade about the Eternal Mangekyō.
However, he didn't regret it too much. Tsunade would eventually realize something was amiss after performing the transplant. Whether she found out sooner or later, her reaction would likely be the same: fury.
Right now, Kagaya could sense that Tsunade was genuinely ready to attack him at any moment.
And with the newly transplanted Mangekyō, Kagaya wouldn't possess significant combat strength for a long time to come. After all, most of his skills relied on the Sharingan's presence, even his speed.
If a fight broke out between him and Tsunade now, there was no doubt about the outcome: Kagaya would lose, without any suspense.
Therefore, Kagaya had to calmly consider: Could he guarantee he wouldn't invade Konoha in the future?
No! Absolutely impossible!
Kagaya wasn't Itachi, whose sense of loyalty to the village was so profound he would sacrifice everything for it. For Kagaya, once the hatred was gone, the only feeling Konoha left him with was "disgust."
Yes, even though Danzō was dead and the two advisors were gone, and while Kagaya could no longer claim to hate Konoha, his feelings toward it were decidedly negative. He found Konoha utterly "disgusting."
The debt could be repaid, the people could be killed, but the past experiences could never be erased. Disgust was disgust. Kagaya had no intention of hiding his true feelings toward Konoha or engaging in false diplomacy.
"I despise Konoha. I won't take the initiative to invade it. But if you want me to guarantee I will absolutely never invade it in the future, then I'm sorry, I can't promise that!" Kagaya's reply was equally resolute.
As of now, he indeed wouldn't actively invade Konoha, as there was no reason or target. But what if people from Konoha provoked him in the future? To be humiliated and just take it lying down? Unthinkable!
If anyone from Konoha dared to mess with him in the future, Kagaya would seriously consider using Susano'o to cleave the village in two! This applied to any person or any power.
His childhood years in Konoha were the most deeply etched in Kagaya's memory—the sense of powerlessness, knowing everything yet being unable to change anything. He never wanted to experience that again. Ever since Jūzō's death, Kagaya had decided: He was strong! He would never bow his head to any person or any power again!
Even if Tsunade attacked him now, Kagaya felt no fear. If speaking one's mind was Naruto's ninja way, then holding one's head high and standing tall was Kagaya's ninja way. He would never lower his head to anyone or anything again—not to people, not to powers, not even to the tides of history!
CRACK! BOOM!
A nearby table was completely shattered by a single punch from Tsunade. She stared fixedly at the blindfolded youth before her. "Are you truly decided?!"
Kagaya nodded calmly and stood up. "Of course."
A massive amount of chakra gathered in Tsunade's fist, brewing terrifying, monstrous strength. "Will you refuse to repent even unto death?"
Kagaya's tone remained even. "Yes, I will refuse to repent even unto death! And I don't believe I will die."
Against Tsunade now, Kagaya would certainly lose. But losing wasn't the same as dying. If he couldn't win, he could still escape.
Tsunade clenched her fist tightly, staring at Kagaya, yet she never struck.
A long time passed before Tsunade finally sighed and spoke. "To you, what is Konoha?"
The sudden question caught Kagaya slightly off guard. "Is that important?"
Tsunade gave him a profound look. "At least it is right now."
Kagaya thought for a moment before speaking. "What is Konoha to me? To put it in more concrete terms... it's probably like a trash can. I've thrown things I once thought were beautiful into it, and things I've hated into it as well. But no matter what it was, it can never be retrieved. For me now, Konoha is just a disgusting trash can."
Tsunade's gaze lowered slightly. "So you want to destroy Konoha so badly?"
Kagaya smiled faintly. "Destroy Konoha? No, I have no such desire. At least, not now."
Tsunade frowned. "Then why won't you give me your guarantee?!"
Kagaya responded immediately. "If your parents, siblings, and entire clan were all killed by Konoha, would you dare to believe Konoha wouldn't move against you again? No, I don't trust Konoha. The fact that I haven't destroyed it now is already out of respect for Shisui's last wish. But expecting me to promise never to act against Konoha in the future? That's impossible."
Tsunade opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she held back. She understood that she wasn't Kagaya. Without having experienced his suffering, she had no right to judge the person who had endured it.
"What if I guarantee that Konoha will not provoke you from now on?"
Kagaya tilted his head slightly, amused. "Lady Tsunade, have you lost your mind? You've been away from Konoha for who knows how many years now. Your words currently carry no weight in Konoha."
Although Tsunade would most likely become Hokage in the future, that was the future, not the present.
Tsunade spoke seriously. "Don't worry about whether my words hold weight for now. I'm asking you: If Konoha does not provoke you in the future, can you guarantee you will not act against it?"
Kagaya frowned. "Lady Tsunade, you're conceding far too much."
Indeed, Tsunade was willing to go so far as to have Konoha not provoke him, just to secure his promise not to act against the village. This Princess Tsunade was making too many concessions, or perhaps placing too much importance on Kagaya. This didn't bring Kagaya any pleasure. On the contrary, it even made him suspect Tsunade might be trying to deceive him.
Abnormal events must have a hidden cause!
Kagaya did not believe that there was such a thing as love without reason—or hatred without reason—in this world. If Tsunade had been Shisui, he would have agreed without a second thought. But it was precisely because it was Tsunade, someone he had only just met, that Kagaya remained wary.
Sure enough, the next moment, Tsunade smiled slightly. "I hope you can return to Konoha."
"Impossible!" Kagaya rejected Tsunade's request without a moment's thought. Return to Konoha? After his parents, brother, and clan were killed, she wanted him to go back? What a joke! Absolutely impossible!
Kagaya's expression turned gloomy. "The fact that I'm even discussing whether to act against Konoha with you is solely because of Shisui's dying wish. Otherwise, I would have absolutely crushed the entire village! And now you want me to return to Konoha? Don't even think about it! Not you, not even Shisui, not even my parents could make me return to Konoha!"
Kagaya pointed to the forehead protector on his head. "I will only ever be a rogue ninja of Konoha!"
Thinking for a moment, Kagaya reached up, grabbed the Konoha forehead protector with its single slash, tore it off, and flung it out the window.
"Oh, right. I just remembered this thing was given to me by Konoha. In that case, I don't want it! From now on, I will not wear any forehead protector!"