"Uncle Garp, there's something I've never quite understood. Why did you spare the Third Raikage?
I heard from grandpa that back during the old era, the number of shinobi and samurai who died under your fists was higher than the entire population of Sunagakure."
On the way toward the Land of Wind, Tsunade noticed that Garp had changed from his usual humorous, light-hearted self into a somewhat quiet, contemplative mood.
She couldn't help breaking the silence herself.
In front, Inoichi and Choza also pricked up their ears.
They wanted to know the answer too.
After all, battles between shinobi were never gentle, no rules, no mercy.
It was always kill or be killed.
"Tsunade, if some brat started yelling challenges at you, what would you do?"
Garp instantly relaxed a bit when he heard her ask something other than mate selection.
"Give him a beating."
Seeing Garp return to his usual smile, Tsunade also let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Their atmosphere had gone back to the natural closeness from before.
"And if that brat still won't behave after that beating?"
Garp asked again.
"I'd punch him to death."
Tsunade replied, then suddenly paused, realization dawning on her face.
She remembered Iwagakure's Higashi from the Land of Earth incident, and the Third Raikage just now.
"Exactly."
Garp spread his hands.
"B-but the Third Raikage isn't a brat. He's the strongest Raikage in the history of Kumogakure. Letting him alive invites endless trouble. Aren't you afraid he'll come for revenge someday?"
Tsunade frowned.
"Tsunade… would you worry every day that a crippled ant is going to come after you for revenge?"
The moment Garp said that, Tsunade, Choza, and Inoichi all fell silent.
They finally understood.
From Konoha's perspective, from their perspective, the Third Raikage was a grave threat, someone who must be killed if possible.
But from Garp's perspective…
The Third Raikage was just an ant.
Letting a tiger go might be dangerous.
But an ant? A crippled ant?
"Then what about the Land of Wind?
Suna is fighting Kumo, not Konoha.
Uncle Garp, you're not going all the way to the Land of Wind just to bail Kumogakure out, right?"
Once Tsunade realized how different their viewpoints were, she dropped the Raikage topic entirely.
"That's hard to say."
A playful glint flashed across Garp's face.
"You're saying Suna will attack Konoha?
Just the Fourth Kazekage? Is he really that brave?"
Tsunade's expression shifted.
"Ha. I'd also like to know why the Kage these days are all so brave."
Garp shook his head with a chuckle, a hint of disdain slipping into his tone.
"Are you serious? Suna really wants to start a war at a time like this?"
Tsunade finally realized he wasn't joking.
"Suna might not want it. But that Kazekage brat… that's another matter."
Garp said casually.
"Why?"
Tsunade genuinely didn't get it.
"The biggest difference I've seen since coming out again is this.
Compared to the First Generation of Kage, today's Kage are all less capable than the last, yet somehow each one is braver than the last.
Forget the others, just look at your teacher. What does he call himself again?
The Strongest Hokage in History? God of Shinobi?
Has he always been this brave?
And that brat just now, the one who charged in shouting that I was a relic of the old era, he's supposed to be the strongest Raikage ever.
Then there's Suna. They're not to be outdone, so they made themselves a strongest Kazekage in history.
With such a Kazekage as his teacher, how could that Rasa brat not be brave?"
The more Garp spoke, the more he felt like laughing.
If news of this reached the Pure Land, the faces of the First Five Kage would definitely be priceless.
"…"
Tsunade could only give an awkward smile.
She didn't know whether Rasa was brave or not.
Up ahead, the Ino–Shika–Cho trio lowered their heads and sped up their pace.
Even though Garp wasn't talking about their teacher, he was talking about their Hokage.
…
Border of the Land of Wind
A figure wrapped head to toe in Lightning Release chakra tore across the desert like living lightning.
Each flicker of blue light was followed by a scream from a Suna shinobi.
In barely ten seconds, more than twenty Suna shinobi lay dead across the dunes.
"Father really overestimates Suna. He sent both of us as the vanguard to clear out Suna's forward units. There's no need to compare, I alone could crush Sunagakure."
A snorted, glancing with disdain at the corpses littering the sand.
"I still have strength to spare. Charming and shining, I'm Killer B, the Jinchuriki. Yo. Ah.
The battle's done, how boring."
Killer B, not as fast as A but wielding seven blades and moving with his bizarre rhythm, had also taken down more than ten Suna ninja.
By the time A walked over, B had just finished.
"B, you think so too?
Then let's go find the Kazekage. Heard his name is Rasa, just took the position not long ago. Perfect... I'm the future Fourth Raikage. Time for a clash of Wind and Lightning."
As A said this, lightning roared off his body.
"As for you, B, take down Ebizo and Chiyo by yourself."
He stared at B intensely.
The meaning was obvious.
The AB Combo of Kumogakure almost never operated separately.
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