Reborn as Danzō’s Grandson, Must I Offend the Entire Ninja World?

Sasuke wasn't as slow-witted as Naruto. Even though he didn't care about politics, he could tell from Yuichi and the others' words that Jiraiya and Yami didn't get along.

Jiraiya had brought Tsunade to compete with Yami.

Sasuke was worried that Naruto would get too close to the other side and unconsciously shift his loyalties.

But now, it seemed like his worry was unnecessary. That was good.

In all of Konoha, only Yami and his men had supported him in seeking revenge, treating him with sincerity and without reservation.

Others always made a fuss about his psychological issues for no reason.

If you'd just let me kill Uchiha Itachi, I'd be perfectly normal!

Back on the battlefield.

Tsunade and Jiraiya coordinated their attacks, unleashing a storm of offense. Yami wasn't rushed. He used various parts of his body as weapons to parry the attacks while counterattacking at intervals.

He ducked under a punch from Tsunade coming from behind, sent her flying with a palm strike, then lifted his elbow to block Jiraiya's knee and forced Jiraiya's hand into a hand seal.

Jiraiya's expression changed. He immediately guessed what Yami intended, but it was already too late.

In an instant, three hand seals were completed. As Jiraiya retreated, several fire dragons roared toward him.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique!"

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

Jiraiya raised wall after wall of earth, but they were shattered one by one by the fire dragons. The air cracked and twisted with the heat. He was forced all the way to the edge of the Four Red Yang Formation before finally managing to dissipate the flames.

"This temperature… is insane."

Jiraiya wiped the sweat from his brow, still shaken. He felt that even the Fire Release he used together with the two Great Toad Sages didn't reach this temperature or destructive power.

"Ahhh! That hurt!"

After pushing Jiraiya back, Tsunade charged in again, an enormous amount of chakra condensed in her foot, ready to erupt like a volcano.

Yami calmly extended a hand and caught the kick head-on.

Boom!

The air detonated. A circular shockwave spread out from the clash of foot and palm. Trees were uprooted. Ten open fields were instantly cleared.

Tsunade's pupils shrank.

Yami's body hadn't moved an inch. The ground beneath him remained flat, meaning he had taken the hit without losing any footing.

Yami… is stronger than me?

Just as that thought flashed through her mind, a powerful counterforce rebounded through her leg, sending her flying backward.

At the same time, Yami's indifferent voice reached her ears: "Is this the 'Legendary Strength' that once ruled the ninja world? It's not enough. You need to get back to training, Tsunade."

She was blown back hundreds of meters before her momentum stopped, and she landed in a crouch.

Jiraiya wasn't far off. He shook his head with a bitter smile. "If taijutsu won't work, then we'll have to rely on ninjutsu."

He bit his finger.

Both he and Tsunade used the Summoning Technique simultaneously. The giant forms of Katsuyu and Gamabunta appeared beneath them. Many of the older Konoha shinobi watching were filled with nostalgia.

Back in the day, seeing these two beasts on the battlefield gave them confidence and peace of mind.

Gamabunta took a long puff of his giant pipe, looking annoyed. "Jiraiya, what is it now? You keep calling me. Don't you know I have to train my son?"

"Bunta, sorry. I really need your help this time."

Jiraiya tried to soothe him, then added with a wry smile, "Didn't you say you regretted never fighting the First Hokage? Well, today's your chance."

"…Jiraiya, what do you mean?"

Gamabunta looked toward Yami, who stood alone against the two Sannin. A terrible feeling rose in his gut.

That kid…

No way…

Yami gave the answer through his actions. A massive Wooden Golem rose behind him. It was taller than both Katsuyu and Gamabunta by half a body.

Gamabunta asked, "Jiraiya, why are we fighting this monster kid?"

"This battle determines the future of the shinobi world, Bunta. I'll explain later. Tsunade, snap out of it! We've got incoming!"

As he comforted Bunta and brought the shocked Tsunade back to her senses, Jiraiya felt exhausted.

Every step the Wooden Golem took shook the earth. Even the spectators watching from the village wall felt it.

Many had seen this creature during its earlier appearance in the village, but seeing it again still left them stunned.

This kind of power felt entirely foreign to the world of shinobi they knew.

The Four Red Yang Formation covered a wide area, but for the Wooden Golem, it was nothing. It crossed the field in just a few steps.

"Wood Release: Nativity of a Sea of Trees!"

Atop the golem, Yami pressed his hands together. A massive tangle of roots burst from the ground, forming a sea of trees that surrounded Gamabunta and Katsuyu.

"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

Jiraiya and Gamabunta used a powerful Fire Release to ignite the tree sea. Bunta drew the short blade at his side and slashed through the roots.

Katsuyu spat acid, corroding trees, and Tsunade, now using the Hundred Healings Technique, blasted open paths with each punch.

Bang!

The Wooden Golem threw a mighty punch. Gamabunta raised his blade to block it.

The force, greater than even a tailed beast, sent Gamabunta flying.

Jiraiya seized the opportunity. His white hair grew wildly, catching a tree root and swinging him up to the golem's head.

A spinning blue chakra ball appeared in his hand.

"Rasengan!"

"Too naive."

Yami didn't move. A Wood Dragon sprouted from the golem's shoulder, taking the Rasengan head-on. It left only a small crater.

"You've used Rasengan for years, but you've never tried to improve it. You just coast off the Fourth Hokage's legacy. Giving Naruto to you was a mistake."

Yami kicked Jiraiya away and sent the Wood Dragon to wrap around Katsuyu, who was trying to defend him.

"Let me show you what the Rasengan really looks like."

"Wood Release: Wooden Golem Rasengan!"

Yami formed a tiger seal. The Wooden Golem leapt into the air, raising its right hand.

A Rasengan larger than a Tailed Beast Bomb rapidly condensed in its palm, so massive it blocked the sunlight.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were shocked.

The moment the technique took shape, hurricanes and lightning swirled around it.

"Be careful, Jiraiya!" Tsunade warned, but it was a weak effort. Katsuyu couldn't handle even a single Wood Dragon. Her support-style and taijutsu-based medical shinobi skills were useless here.

Boom!

The terrifying shockwave exploded once again. The ground was upturned, dust filled the sky, and even those on the walls lost sight of the battlefield.

Kakashi raised his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan and staring intently. "Jiraiya-sama… you're not dead, are you...?"

That… is Rasengan?

The chakra inside that Wooden Golem Rasengan was equal to dozens, maybe hundreds of Kakashi himself.

What is Shimura Yami's limit?

This question wasn't just in Kakashi's mind. The Iwa shinobi, who had arrived just two days earlier as part of the Tsuchigakure delegation, had gone pale.

What kind of monster were they facing?

If they'd known Yami had this kind of strength, they wouldn't just have stayed out of the Konoha Crush—they would've paid Konoha to avoid getting crushed themselves.

Finally, the dust began to settle.

Those with sharp eyesight saw the battlefield clearly—and their eyes widened in disbelief.

A crater nearly a kilometer wide had appeared on the once-lush plain. The forest outside Konoha had been completely leveled. The ground was stripped bare in layers, making the area resemble the barren Land of Wind.

The giant toad was gone. Only the Wooden Golem remained standing. Katsuyu was curled up at the edge of the pit.

Jiraiya lay collapsed at the center.

Yami jumped off the Wooden Golem, extended both hands, and formed a conical Dust Release barrier aimed straight at Jiraiya's chest.

"What, don't want to admit defeat?"

"Don't! Yami!"

Tsunade's voice rang out. "I give up! You win!"

With a pop, Katsuyu reached her limit and vanished, returning to the Shikkotsu Forest. Protected by her, Tsunade was unharmed.

After hearing her surrender, Yami slowly dispelled the Dust Release light.

Jiraiya got up awkwardly, gasping for breath.

Tsunade ran over, looked around nervously, and asked, "You didn't kill Bunta, did you?"

She had barely survived the blast herself. If Bunta had taken the full force…

"No."

Yami shook his head. "Jiraiya summoned another Iron Wall Toad. The two of them blocked it together, but they'll need a few months of rest."

"That's good."

Tsunade sighed in relief. The last thing she wanted was for Yami to offend Mount Myōboku right after becoming Hokage.

Seeing Jiraiya alive but in a daze, she let it go. She looked at Yami with a mix of disappointment and resignation. "As promised, I'll no longer compete for the position of Fifth Hokage. I'll leave Konoha."

She had wanted to stay and guide her younger brother, hoping to free him from Danzō's influence.

But all her hopes were crushed before she could even enter the village. Her vision suddenly cleared.

With strength like this, Konoha wouldn't fall no matter how chaotic things got.

"Wait."

Yami stopped her. "I never planned to drive you away. Otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed to let Jiraiya bring you back."

Tsunade frowned. "I don't want to be Medical Director."

Yami offered his conditions. "The village has paid off all your foreign debts. From now on, no more borrowing."

"Ten percent of Konoha Hospital's annual budget will be set aside for your gambling money. Monthly salary, 3 million ryō."

"Still want to leave?"

Without a second of hesitation, Tsunade nodded seriously. "Hokage-sama, from now on, I belong to you. No—don't even treat me like a person if you don't want to."

If Hiruzen had offered conditions like this, she might've thought twice before leaving all those years ago.

"Let's go. The fight's over. Time to attend my succession ceremony."

Yami walked off with Tsunade. The Four Red Yang Formation dispersed, leaving Jiraiya standing awkwardly between inside and out.

Amid the villagers' cheers, Tsunade and Yami walked into Konoha and headed straight for the Hokage Building.

(To be continued.)