I, Konoha's Sage of Life

It's settled!

The Third Hokage's words set the tone for the entire meeting—absolute, unquestionable, and unchangeable.

This is what a true leader should be.

Kyoichi thought to himself.

There was a reason why Tobirama Senju had chosen Hiruzen Sarutobi.

When decisiveness was needed, he could indeed be decisive… but such moments were rare.

This time, however, the Third had been thoroughly provoked.

It was clear from his tone that he was aware of the connection between Orochimaru and Danzo. This incident was merely the spark that set everything in motion.

Danzo showed no emotion as he stood up and left.

He understood.

There was no point in saying anything more.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, didn't seem to react much. He was still smiling—oddly so.

This time, though, the smile seemed genuine.

"Old friend, they were right about one thing. We've been too far from the battlefield for too long. Perhaps we should go to the frontlines and see for ourselves… only then can we truly understand more."

"Uh…" Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado silently exited. The meeting room had been a chaotic mess, but with the three elders gone, the tension eased considerably.

"Sensei, this is who you are! You're the Hokage—you don't need them telling you what to do."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, speaking casually.

Still, there was a hint of newfound respect in her tone.

At least she didn't call him "old man."

"You can't put it that way. Everyone has different perspectives. It's just that… perhaps our way of thinking is no longer suited for Konoha's future."

The Third sighed.

Despite years of governance, Konoha hadn't grown stronger. In fact, it had been in decline.

And yet, Kyoichi's reforms—methods belonging to a new generation—had drastically strengthened the village in a short time.

Lately, he often found himself wondering…

Was fate truly favoring the Senju Clan?

In the end, he came to a conclusion—

It didn't matter.

As long as Konoha became stronger, that was enough.

"Sensei, I have a different opinion on this. Some forbidden techniques should be unsealed, while others shouldn't be abandoned altogether."

Orochimaru spoke up.

"If the purpose of researching forbidden techniques is merely to prohibit their use, then why did Lord Second spend so much effort developing them?"

"Orochimaru, this is my bottom line."

The Third issued what was nearly an ultimatum.

"Uh…"

Orochimaru fell silent for a moment. Then, he stood up, bowed slightly, and said,

"I understand. I still have research to conduct. Sensei, once you've made your final decision, please inform me."

Tsunade remained silent, her mood somewhat somber.

Orochimaru… was definitely acting off.

Her suspicions had been correct.

But…

She just couldn't understand why Orochimaru was doing this.

She knew him too well.

If he wanted to hide something, there was no way he would be so careless as to leave such obvious clues.

What was he after?

"Everyone, today's meeting took an unexpected turn. Emotions ran high. I suggest we end things here for now. The key points have been set—we can all take some time to reflect. A final decision can wait a few more days."

Minato stood up and spoke.

The atmosphere…

Was way too tense.

"Very well, we'll pause here. Tsunade, stay behind for a moment."

The Third, visibly exhausted, waved a hand, signaling for the others to leave.

Once the room was empty—

Tsunade, visibly impatient, crossed her arms. "Say what you need to say. I'm in a hurry."

"Can't you stay? I want you to become the Fourth Hokage… I'm truly getting old. But as a teacher, I have failed."

Boom!

Her response was the complete destruction of the conference table.

"Only an idiot would become Hokage!"

With that, Tsunade leapt out the window.

The Third let out a bitter sigh.

He wanted to step down.

But…

Out of all three of his students, there wasn't a single one he could entrust the title to.

Even Tsunade wasn't a truly satisfactory choice, because deep down, he knew she had problems.

And now, it seemed her issues ran deeper than he had initially thought.

—

Outside the building.

Kyoichi stepped out, only to see Tsunade land from the window above.

In the distance, Shizune was rushing toward them.

"Tsunade-nee, weren't you still upstairs?"

"Nothing to talk about with that old man. Come on, to the tavern! We're drinking till we drop!"

Tsunade didn't hold back at all.

With a flick of her green robe, she strode forward with purpose.

"Tsunade-nee, I didn't expect you to show up."

"Brat, if I hadn't, you'd have been eaten alive."

Tsunade smirked coldly.

"Not necessarily. It just would've been a bigger hassle."

Kyoichi shook his head.

Even without Tsunade, the spread of the Eight Gates and Breath Activation Technique would have continued—it just would've involved more back-and-forth negotiations.

"Doesn't matter now. I got to come back and tear into those old geezers. Felt pretty damn good."

Tsunade chuckled.

Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo.

Those three had been on her nerves for years. She'd wanted to let loose on them for the longest time, but the opportunity had never been right.

This time, she finally got her chance.

And after her tirade, not one of them could even argue back.

Of course…

The Third's stance had been a surprise.

Still…

She sighed softly, glanced at Kyoichi, and asked, "You said you were researching the Yin Seal. Have you tested it yet?"

"I have. I wouldn't say it's a complete success, but it's at least functional."

Kyoichi explained the current state of his Yin Seal.

Tsunade pondered for a moment but couldn't immediately think of a solution.

The chakra pathways on the forehead were simply too intricate.

Altering the flow was practically impossible, but when it came to the Yin Seal itself, Kyoichi had already pushed it as far as it could go.

For now, this was the best he could do.

"As for the chakra control method you mentioned, I gave it a try. It wasn't difficult for me, but passing it down to others would be incredibly challenging."

Tsunade sighed.

The Strength of a Hundred Seal had been easy for her to grasp.

But that was only because of her unparalleled chakra control and deep medical knowledge.

Even if someone else had her level of chakra control, it didn't mean they could distribute chakra evenly throughout their body.

"We'll take it step by step. People can start by learning simpler chakra modes, like…"

As Kyoichi spoke, he activated Wind Release: Chakra Mode, coating his entire body in flowing wind chakra.

Tsunade blinked in surprise, then thought for a moment before nodding.

"If they can progress from simple techniques to advanced ones, they might have a chance. But the threshold will still be extremely high."

"Can't be helped. S-rank techniques were never meant for mass adoption."

---

"Forbidden techniques were never meant to be widespread. They should only be mastered by a select few. First, it's the Eight Gates and Breath Activation. What's next? Danzo, we need to stop Hiruzen!"

"This must be done gradually."

Danzo gave a noncommittal response.

Koharu and Homura continued to grumble for a while before leaving in frustration.

Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly, then let out a cold chuckle.

They weren't wrong about one thing.

But those two…

All they did was talk.

A mountain of theories, but when the time came, where was their opposition?

Idiots.

With a flicker, he disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.

Upon arriving at a hidden laboratory, Danzo found Orochimaru packing up his belongings.

His brow furrowed. "Orochimaru… don't tell me you're betraying me as well?"

"Heh… Danzo, we were merely partners. I never pledged loyalty to you."

Orochimaru sneered.

Danzo's expression darkened, his voice tinged with anger. "Do you really think you can just walk away?"

Orochimaru smirked. "I know exactly what I'm doing. If someone wants to stop me, let them try… But more importantly, this experiment is meaningless. I've found a better approach."

"Kanda Kyoichi?"

Danzo had always been composed and ruthless. But this time, his irritation was obvious. His anger flared.

"Perhaps. Regardless, our partnership ends here."

Orochimaru turned to face Danzo directly.

This time, he was serious.

"Danzo, people who dwell in the shadows have no right to become Hokage."

"Heh… and I suppose you think you're noble now?"

"No. I'm just the same."

"…"

Danzo was momentarily stunned.

This bastard…

Did he really think Hiruzen would let him go just because he backed out now?

Danzo's voice dropped into a low, furious growl. "There's no turning back for you. That technique—you need me to complete it!"

Orochimaru chuckled. "I have a new plan, Danzo. Don't expect me to take the fall for you."

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