"You two elders have already done a lot for the village. So from now on, just retire peacefully at home."
In other words, she was taking back all their status and authority and sending them home for good.
"What?!"
What kind of joke was that? After being in a high position for so long, there was no way they were willing to give up the power in their hands so easily.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had no intention of letting go.
"Unacceptable! We still—"
The irritable Homura took a step forward, pointed a trembling finger at Tsunade, and was just about to spit something out—
A flash of sword aura, faintly tinged with gold, cut through the air.
A moment later, one of Homura's arms fell to the office floor with a dull thud.
"...!"
Homura's eyes widened. He stared at Shiki, who was slowly sliding his large blade back into the scabbard, clearly never having expected Shiki to actually strike for real.
The sword light had been too fast. For a brief moment, his brain couldn't catch up.
Then the pain hit.
"AAAHHH!!"
Ignoring Homura's scream, Shiki spoke in a calm, almost bored tone.
"Since Elder Homura is now crippled, he obviously doesn't have the ability to keep serving as an elder."
"..."
Crippled? Isn't that because of you!?
Shiki casually cutting off Homura's arm made everyone in the room even more wary of him.
Their gazes grew heavier.
Ignoring all of them, Shiki turned his eyes toward Koharu on the other side.
He tilted his head slightly and gave her a small smile.
"Want me to 'arrange' your retirement as well?"
"..."
As long as Koharu dared to nod, Shiki looked very ready to swing his blade again.
Koharu first glanced at Homura, who was half-collapsed on the ground, drenched in cold sweat and still screaming, then quickly shook her head.
"No, there's no need!"
The position of elder was nice, true.
But compared to her own life…
Koharu decisively chose to stay alive.
For a moment, her feelings were complicated.
When Hiruzen abdicated, they'd thought Shiki might be able to go this far… but they still hadn't expected him to actually make a move on them.
And with this one move, they hadn't even had the ability to resist.
Strength.
A sense of overwhelming, despair-inducing strength.
Shiki didn't care what Koharu was thinking.
He gave a brief glance at Homura, who was half-kneeling on the floor, clutching his stump, and spoke casually:
"Since you understand, get out."
Anger. Boiling anger.
Both Koharu and Homura were furious, resentment churning in their chests, but all they could do was swallow it.
Supporting the half-collapsed Homura, the two of them still had to leave.
The others in the room kept their faces impassive as they watched them go.
But in Koharu and Homura's eyes, those expressionless faces looked like mockery.
They're all laughing at us.
…Just you wait. We'll make you pay for this.
Koharu was a little better off—after all, she was still physically fine.
Homura, on the other hand, because of his severed arm, was already half ready to snap and start killing on the spot.
After Koharu and Homura left, Nara Shikaku frowned slightly and turned to Shiki.
"Lord Shiki, they just now…"
The resentful look Koharu and Homura had shot them before leaving hadn't escaped his and everyone else's—eyes.
Even if they didn't think those two could cause anything major, it was still better to clear up that kind of threat early.
"It's fine. I'm waiting for them to make a move."
Shiki waved his hand, smiling lightly, face full of indifference.
If they didn't move against him, how was he supposed to find a proper reason to wipe out their entire clans?
"So that's how it is."
Shikaku blinked in realization, then nodded with a small smile and didn't press further.
"Alright, go get ready for the upcoming war negotiations."
"Yes."
Without hesitation, after answering, the Ino–Shika–Cho trio left together.
The other clan heads who had been present also took their leave at this time.
"Phew… Being Hokage is exhausting."
Once everyone had gone and only she and Shiki were left, Tsunade instantly dropped her image, slumping into her chair with a relaxed sigh.
Now that she'd become Hokage, she had to act like Hokage in front of others and keep up appearances.
It was honestly pretty tiring.
"Well, you'll get used to it."
Shiki shrugged and replied casually.
Those "comforting" words made Tsunade roll her eyes internally.
She really didn't feel comforted at all.
Ignoring Tsunade's resentful little glare, Shiki pointed toward the office window.
"Besides, we've got another guest."
"Eh?"
In terms of sensory ability, Tsunade obviously wasn't on Shiki's level. She looked at him in surprise—
At that moment, a familiar figure hopped in from outside the window.
"Shiki, your sensory skills are as good as ever."
He had just arrived, yet he'd already been discovered.
Shiki didn't bother explaining.
Tsunade, meanwhile, could only rub her forehead and sigh.
"I've said this before—can't you fix that habit of yours of always coming in through the window?"
Back when Hiruzen was Hokage, he'd always climbed in through the window.
Now that she was Hokage, he was still climbing in through the window. Did he have no respect for the office at all?
"Hey, what's the big deal?"
Jiraiya waved a hand, acting like it was nothing.
Expecting someone like Jiraiya to obediently start using the door was… asking a bit much.
But faced with his attitude, Tsunade just smiled faintly.
"I'm Hokage now, Jiraiya. Are you planning on ignoring the Hokage's orders?"
"..."
He was stuck.
Wow. You're already like this right after becoming Hokage.
If I'd known, I wouldn't have come to congratulate you.
They were all old friends; a little banter like this wasn't something anyone took seriously.
"I honestly thought you weren't coming back."
"If the old man Sandaime was still in power, I really wouldn't have come back."
Jiraiya shook his head bitterly.
The incident with Minato had hit him hard.
He'd already thought through the question of whether or not Hiruzen had a hand in it.
Because he'd been disappointed in Konoha, he had chosen to leave.
"And now? Are you thinking of coming back for good?"
Tsunade watched him closely.
After all, Jiraiya's strength was that of a Kage-level shinobi.
Even if there wasn't a war, just having him in Konoha was a huge deterrent to any enemy.
"Nah, I won't be staying. With Shiki here anyway, no one's going to get any ideas about attacking Konoha."
Jiraiya waved a hand lazily.
With that free-spirited personality, it was never in his nature to settle down in one place forever.
And with Shiki around, he really didn't think anyone would dare to covet Konoha.
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah. That's true."
"..."
Now he felt slightly speechless.
Sure, it was true—but did she have to agree that quickly? It made him feel completely unnecessary.
"Besides," Jiraiya continued, his expression turning more serious, "I've found some unusual movements in the ninja world lately."
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