Konoha, Hokage's Office.
"So, the Daimyō really does have another motive?"
"Forming his own ninja army…?"
"Hey, isn't Konoha already the military force of the Land of Fire? The fact that he's doing this is really disappointing."
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, frowned deeply.
Kazuyama had returned to the village and immediately sold out the Daimyō's plans.
Every little detail—bribery, the formation of a personal ninja force—he reported everything to the old man without hesitation.
In return, he received exactly the kind of reward he wanted.
[Ding! The system has detected that the host has perfectly demonstrated a two-faced approach—betraying the Daimyō to gain the Hokage's favor. Special reward: +5 to hand seals proficiency.]
[Ding! The system has detected that the host has perfectly embodied the art of deception—completely ignoring the Daimyō's invitation, backstabbing him without hesitation. Special reward: 100 million ryō!]
In an instant, a check for 100 million ryō appeared in Kazuyama's hands, making him grin from ear to ear.
"Kazuyama, well done. We've fully grasped the Daimyō's intentions now."
"There's no need for you to worry about what comes next."
Hiruzen looked at his grand-disciple with satisfaction, thinking to himself, This is what a true Konoha shinobi should be! Hahaha! Orochimaru, you've trained him well—very well indeed!
"You also handled the matter with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen excellently."
"Raiga Kurosuki, Mangetsu Hōzuki—both formidable opponents. Especially Mangetsu, a genius of the Hōzuki Clan."
"When he fought against our village's shinobi before, he caused quite a number of casualties."
"Kazuyama, it seems your strength has reached a commendable level. Not bad."
"In light of your recent achievements, I'll be discussing an appropriate reward with the village elders."
Oh? A special reward?
Kazuyama's interest was immediately piqued.
"Can you give me a hint about what the reward is?"
Forget the Scroll of Seals—I've already read it.
"If you really want to reward me, I recall that the Second Hokage left behind a sword. Can I have that?"
"If you really want to reward me, I recall that the Second Hokage left behind a sword. Can I have that?"
"Lord Hokage, you can't blame me for this. You see, my chakra nature lacks lightning. I went through all the trouble of taking down Raiga, only for my own students to snatch the ninja blade."
"As a sensei, I can't exactly fight my student over it, can I?"
"And my sensei, Orochimaru, also has a sword, but it's not suited for me."
Hiruzen nearly smacked himself in frustration.
Why had he even mentioned a reward?!
With the way this kid was talking, what was there to reward?!
Asking for things so boldly—and with such shameless justification!
The Sword of the Thunder God?
That was his own sensei's weapon—Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's personal blade! The sharpest weapon in the shinobi world, imbued with the boundless power of lightning.
And this brat actually knew about it?!
"Hmph! The door's behind you—don't let it hit you on the way out!"
Kazuyama, having just been thrown out of the office, pouted in dissatisfaction and muttered, "That old man is so stingy."
"He said he'd reward me, then turned around and got all tightfisted. It's just a sword, isn't it?"
"What's the point of leaving it in storage to collect dust? Might as well give it to me…"
Before he could finish, the Third Hokage's furious voice boomed from inside the office.
"You little brat! I can hear you! Get out of here!"
The sheer volume made the entire Hokage Building tremble. Startled, Kazuyama took off running—only to crash headfirst into something massive.
Feeling the unexpected softness, he instinctively blurted out, "Whoa… soft… big… bouncy…"
"You little bastard! Watch where you're going!"
"You're dead!"
"Boom!"
A wall shattered as Kazuyama was sent flying through it, taking part of the structure with him.
Tsunade, shaking out her hand in irritation, glared at him and snapped, "Kazuyama, you'd better watch yourself!"
Still airborne, Kazuyama was completely dazed from the punch. But the moment he heard Tsunade's enraged shout, a shiver ran through him.
"Hiss… And that was her holding back, wasn't it?"
"If she hadn't, I'd be in pieces by now…"
"That monstrous strength is terrifying…"
Yes, despite her moment of rage, Tsunade had pulled her punch the moment she realized it was him.
The force was still immense, but at least he wasn't broken into bits—just left in agonizing pain.
...
Lying outside the Hokage Building, staring up at the sky, Kazuyama felt like he had just caught a glimpse of his ancestors.
That hurt…
Fine, Tsunade. You gave me such a warm welcome—don't blame me if I pay you a little visit in your dreams tonight!
Hmph!
...
"Old man, I'm here."
"What do you want?"
Pushing open the office door, Tsunade still had a trace of irritation on her face.
Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe and suddenly chuckled.
"You're the only one who can put that kid in his place. He really took a beating from that punch."
"Well done."
"Anyway, I called you here because I've decided to approve your proposal for increasing medical equipment. The follow-up work is in your hands."
Hearing this, her previous annoyance vanished instantly, replaced by a pleased smile.
Since the Second Shinobi World War, she had repeatedly pushed for greater investment in medical facilities and personnel, only to be met with resistance.
She hadn't expected her request to finally be granted today.
"Don't celebrate just yet. You know how things stand. Besides developing the medical sector, you'll also need to head to the front lines."
"Orochimaru will be deployed to the Land of Rivers, but I need you to assist Jiraiya in the Land of Grass."
Tsunade nodded. If it meant advancing medical support in the village, then heading to the battlefield was a small price to pay.
"There's one more thing. Because of Kazuyama's contributions, I plan to give him a reward on behalf of the village."
"But that little brat outright asked for the Second Hokage's Thunder God Sword. What do you think?"
The Thunder God Sword, like the Scroll of Seals, was one of the Second Hokage's relics. However, unlike the Scroll of Seals, which was kept within the village archives, the sword had always been stored in the Senju Clan's ancestral home.
Now that Lady Mito was gone, Tsunade had taken over its care.
Since the Second Hokage was her great-uncle, any decision regarding the sword naturally required her approval.
Yes, Hiruzen intended to give the Thunder God Sword to Kazuyama.
After all, he was practically family. If he wasn't going to take care of his own grand disciple, who would? And while the kid was undoubtedly a troublemaker, his abilities spoke for themselves.
"Just give it to him—it's not like anyone's using it."
"Did you really need to ask me? You're the Hokage—you make the call."
"Alright, I'm heading out. I've got surgeries waiting for me at the hospital."