"Hokage-sama, you have to give us an explanation!"
The four members of the Hidden Mist Village mission, led by Yagura, were furious.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was also at a loss for words. Kazuki had suddenly blown everything up and left him to deal with the fallout.
The Hokage Building had collapsed. People had died.
One person had even been crushed into paste.
There were severed legs lying around. It had turned into a complete disaster zone.
Kazuki, what exactly were you trying to do?
Hiruzen coughed lightly and said, "What kind of explanation do you want? You're the ones who turned the Hokage Building into this mess. I haven't even started holding you accountable yet!"
Yagura said angrily, "Hokage-sama, this wasn't our doing."
"Oh? Then did the Hokage Building just collapse on its own?"
"It was your shadow clone that did it!"
Yagura froze.
The other three members of the Mist delegation were also stunned. They hadn't expected the Third Hokage to play dumb so shamelessly.
"I didn't see anything," Hiruzen snorted. "All I saw was you people arguing. Right now, it's our turn to question you—not the other way around."
At that moment, Kazuki arrived.
Yagura immediately pointed at him. "He did it!"
Hiruzen glanced at Kazuki helplessly.
Kazuki smiled. "Allow me, Third Hokage-sama."
He stepped in front of Yagura.
"First of all, that was my shadow clone. I'm not responsible."
Hiruzen twitched.
This brat is even thicker-skinned than I am.
Yagura's eyes widened. This guy had no shame at all.
Kazuki ignored their expressions and continued calmly.
"Second, you attacked my shadow clone first. It retaliated in self-defense. So naturally, you are responsible for compensating for the damage to the Hokage Building."
"Hokage-sama! Is this Konoha's idea of hospitality?"
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "This matter is Kazuki-kun's responsibility. Konoha has always believed in handling one's own affairs. I'm not involved in this."
With that, he quietly slipped away.
The four Mist shinobi looked at each other.
And this was their Hokage?
Kazuki pulled out a small ledger and flipped it open.
"This time, you destroyed the Hokage Building. Estimated repair costs: five million ryō."
Yagura's eyes nearly popped out. "Five million ryō? Why don't you just rob us?!"
"In Kirigakure, a building only costs five hundred thousand ryō!"
The other three quickly chimed in agreement.
Kazuki smiled faintly.
"Can your backwater island village compare to Konoha? We're the heart of the continent—the strongest ninja village in the world. Of course it costs more."
The four from Kirigakure fell silent.
They might be good fighters.
But arguing clearly wasn't their specialty.
Kazuki pressed on.
"You destroyed our Hokage Building and don't intend to pay?"
"That was your clone! What does it have to do with us?!"
"Oh?" Kazuki's smile sharpened.
"Yagura—the strongest in Kirigakure. Your black market bounty is thirty million ryō. If you won't pay… I suppose I could just turn you in."
Yagura remained silent.
The other three flared up.
"Are you threatening us?"
"If this is how Konoha acts, then there's nothing left to discuss! We'll fight to the death!"
Kazuki looked at the one who spoke.
The air suddenly grew heavy—thick as wet cement—making it hard to breathe.
"You want to fight to the death?"
"Then let's go."
The moment his words fell, the speaker was instantly wrapped up like a rice dumpling, completely immobilized.
Yagura: "…"
"Yagura-sama!"
The other two panicked.
Kazuki ignored them.
"Pay for the Hokage Building, and you can leave. Refuse… and you're not going anywhere."
"You—!"
Kazuki tilted his head slightly.
"Still want to fight to the death?"
The two took several steps back in fear. The one wrapped up was still muffled and struggling.
Yagura took a deep breath.
"Kazuki-dono… the Hidden Mist came to Konoha in good faith."
Kazuki nodded.
"Then show me that good faith."
Under Kazuki's overwhelming pressure, Yagura, as head of the delegation, signed multiple peace and cooperation agreements on behalf of Kirigakure.
From this year onward:
— Kirigakure would send school-age children to study at Konoha's Ninja Academy every year.— The Bloody Mist policy would be abolished.— A joint Chūnin Exam would be implemented.— Kirigakure would pay ten million ryō annually in tuition fees.
Konoha and Kirigakure officially entered a new era of peaceful coexistence.
As for the Hokage Building repairs—five million ryō—Yagura agreed to interest-free installments of one million per year.
In exchange, the Mist delegation could retrieve the body of the Third Mizukage.
However, according to Mei Terumi, Kazuki ultimately did not allow them to take it.
When Yagura exited Konoha, the other three members couldn't hold back.
"Yagura! Why did you sign such a humiliating agreement?"
"You've disgraced Kirigakure!"
"Are you afraid of Konoha?"
They dropped the honorifics entirely.
Yagura smiled calmly.
"If I hadn't agreed… do you think Konoha would have let us leave alive?"
"Hmph! Would they dare kill us?"
"We of the Mist have never feared death!"
"Yagura, today you brought shame upon us!"
Yagura's smile didn't fade.
"Is that so? Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu."
Before they could react, the three were trapped inside a massive sphere of water, gasping in terror.
"Yagura-sama! We were wrong!"
"Yagura-sama!"
Yagura sneered.
"Water Release: Water Cutting Wave."
A razor-thin, high-pressure jet of water shot from his mouth, slicing cleanly through their necks.
Their heads hit the ground.
Eyes wide.
Lifeless.
Yagura dusted off his sleeves and walked away.
He had already decided.
After returning to Kirigakure, he would report that Konoha had killed three companions and forced him into signing an unequal treaty.
He, Yagura, had endured humiliation and hardship to recover the Third Mizukage's body.
In the laboratory, Orochimaru watched reluctantly as the Mizukage's body was taken away.
Kazuki asked, "Learn anything?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Not yet. There wasn't enough time. Fortunately, I kept plenty of blood samples and tissue."
Kazuki felt a chill run down his spine.
Orochimaru licked his lips.
"Kazuki-kun… how about giving me a little of your blood?"
"Get lost."
"Heh."
Orochimaru didn't dare push it.
"Wait."
Kazuki stopped him.
"I'll handle it."
"But I haven't drawn any blood yet."
"It's better if you don't."
"Just one tube?"
Kazuki glanced at Mei. She shook her head quickly.
"See? She doesn't want to."
Orochimaru sighed. "Very well."
He wouldn't risk provoking Kazuki now.
Wood Release wasn't something to joke about.
Even Hiruzen had admitted Kazuki might already be Konoha's strongest shinobi.
[Ding! Three options available!]
[Option 1: Refuse all cooperation with Orochimaru. Reward: Secret Ninjutsu – Cursed Seal of Heaven.][Option 2: Force Orochimaru to serve you. Reward: Secret Ninjutsu – Cursed Seal of Earth.][Option 3: Help Orochimaru rebuild his laboratory. Reward: Relationship becomes Friendly; obtain Orochimaru's Scientific Knowledge Database (auto-updating).]
Kazuki understood immediately.
Short-term gain.
Or long-term investment.
The Cursed Seals were tempting.
But Orochimaru's entire research database?
That was a gold mine.
Genetic engineering.Cloning technology.Cell transplantation.Mechanical armor research.
An evolving scientific database that updated automatically?
That was priceless.
Kazuki smiled.
"Orochimaru, I'll help you build a lab."
Knowledge flooded into his mind instantly.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"Why help me?"
Kazuki smirked.
"Because we can cooperate."
"How?"
"You secretly monitor Danzo and collect evidence of his crimes."
Orochimaru chuckled.
"You plan to move against Danzo? Why not just kill him?"
Kazuki shrugged.
"If I can prove he betrayed the Will of Fire using the Will of Fire itself… why assassinate him? I'm not some hired killer."
Orochimaru stared at him.
Ten Root members.
Dead.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Dead.
The Third Mizukage.
Dead.
Not a killer?
This kid's face was thicker than Hiruzen's.
"What do I gain?"
"A lab. And experimental materials."
"Deal."
Later, Hiruzen confronted Kazuki.
"What about the Hokage Building repair money?!"
"Yagura said he'd pay five million, but he didn't have the cash. He'll bring one million during the next Chūnin Exams."
Hiruzen stared at him.
"He didn't pay a single ryō, and you let him leave?"
Kazuki looked at the ruins.
"Easy fix."
He formed hand seals.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence."
Roots burst from the ground.
Massive trees rose instantly, reshaping into a brand-new Hokage Building.
Six stories tall.
Twice the size.
Hiruzen stared upward.
"…Six floors. That's a lot of stairs."
Late at night.
Outside Konoha's dam, Danzo Shimura stood cloaked in black.
A figure appeared.
Danzo handed over a scroll.
Under the moonlight, Sharingan glowed.
"This contains all information on Kazuki and Kushina. The Chūnin Exam venue is still undecided."
Suddenly—
"Who's there?!"
A kunai flew.
It pinned a small white snake to a tree.
Danzo left without looking back.
The figure vanished into the forest.
Moments later, Orochimaru emerged from the shadows.
"Sharingan… an Uchiha?"
In the new lab, Orochimaru reported everything.
"Who was that?" he asked.
Kazuki smiled faintly.
"You want to know?"
"Obviously."
"I'm afraid you won't believe me."
"Stop stalling."
Kazuki looked directly at him.
"He's an Uchiha."
Orochimaru's eyes widened in disbelief.