[Author shamelessly reappearing as if he never disappeared in the first place-No-Jutsu!!!]
"No."
The single word hung in the air for a moment before Garp continued, his voice carrying both warmth and steel. "You don't yet have the conviction needed to aid us in our goal, Tsunade. Your heart still belongs to the village your grandfather built. That love, that loyalty - it runs too deep. You aren't even sure if you proposing this right now is the correct decision for you to make."
Tsunade's eyes widened, then narrowed as she processed his words. "How dare you-"
"The Will of Fire still burns bright in you." Garp interrupted, his expression serious but not unkind. "And that's not a bad thing. But to walk this path, to truly change this world... it requires being ready to burn everything down and build it anew. And that mentality is why is something very few have, with most only belonging to a certain clan. Until you possess that... you will never be ready to make that step."
Tsunade's body began to tremble, not with fear but with a complex mixture of emotions - anger, frustration, and deep down, the recognition of truth in his words. Her fist clenched, chakra gathering instinctively.
"Don't do it, kid." Garp warned, though his stance remained relaxed.
But Tsunade was already moving, her legendary strength focused into a single punch aimed at Garp's chest. "Bastard!!!"
Garp met her attack with one of his own, his Haki-infused fist colliding with her chakra-enhanced strike. The impact created a shockwave that rippled outward, cratering the ground beneath them and forcing everyone except Hanzo to fall back due to the immense wind pressure created, with the sheer force of it rivalling Garp's collision with A earlier.
The clash lasted only a second, but the power behind it was undeniable. As the dust settled, Tsunade stood with her fist still extended, a small smile forming on her lips.
"I'm sorry." she said softly, lowering her arm. "I needed to... confirm something."
Garp's booming laugh returned. "Bwahaha! No need to apologize. Sometimes fists speak clearer than words! You've got a hell of a punch there, kid."
'I'd put her physical strength around the level of a First Commander of a Yonko Crew. The brat's gotten stronger over the years. If she can up her speed, she could probably be on the same level as A.' Garp thought to himself.
"Looks like you've grown. You may have the most powerful punch in the Shinobi World, girl." Hanzo commented dryly, "Except perhaps for yours, Garp."
The tension in the air began to dissipate, though the implications of what had just transpired still weighed heavily on everyone present. All three of the other Konoha Shinobi were ready to defend Tsunade if they were to attack her , yet Hanzo raised his palm, with him then stepping forward.
"Well, this has been quite the eventful day." he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Perhaps it's time for our guests from Konoha to-"
"Actually." Garp interrupted, "I'd like these four to stay the night." He gestured to the Konoha shinobi. "We have some things to discuss."
Hanzo tilted his head slightly, considering. After a moment, he nodded. "Very well. The Raikage and his escorts should probably-"
"Finally," A sighed in relief, already turning to leave. "Then we'll take our-"
"Not so fast." Hanzo's voice carried an edge that made everyone freeze. "I believe we need to discuss reparations for this... unauthorized attack on a high-ranking Marine official."
A's face fell as he realized what was happening. Behind him, D and the other escort excluding B began slowly backing away, leaving A barely standing by himself.
"Lord Raikage." D said hurriedly, "perhaps we should report back to the village about the... diplomatic situation?"
A turned to his subordinates, only to find them already moving away with impressive speed for exhausted shinobi. "Wait, you can't just-"
"An excellent suggestion." Hanzo agreed, his mask somehow conveying a predatory smile. "The Raikage and I have much to discuss regarding international cooperation and proper diplomatic channels."
Jiraiya, quickly reading the room, grabbed Orochimaru's arm. "We should probably get settled in our quarters. Long day ahead tomorrow!"
Orochimaru, for once, didn't resist being dragged away. Dan and Tsunade followed suit, though Tsunade paused long enough to give Garp a respectful nod.
"Bwahaha! Well, I'll leave you two to your negotiations!" Garp called out cheerfully. "Try not to destroy any more of the landscape!"
"Garp!" A called out desperately, but the Marine hero was already walking away, whistling a jaunty tune.
Soon, only A and Hanzo remained in the devastated training ground. The Raikage looked at the Fleet Admiral, then at the retreating backs of his so-called loyal escorts, then back at Hanzo.
"Perhaps we should discuss this over tea?" Hanzo suggested, though his tone made it clear this wasn't really a question.
A sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "I don't suppose you have any sake instead?"
"Oh, we have quite a selection." Hanzo replied, leading the way toward his office. "We'll need it for the extensive paperwork regarding property damage, security breaches, unauthorized combat within village limits... I may even have to contact the Internal Revenue Service of the Village."
A felt a shiver run down his spine. Every Village had a branch of the organization, and it was one of the few organizations capable of striking fear into even the Kage.
As they walked away, A couldn't help but think that maybe challenging Garp hadn't been his best decision. The fight had been legendary, yes, but the aftermath was proving to be far more painful than any punch as he limped.
The rain continued to fall over Amegakure, washing away the signs of battle and carrying with it the sounds of A's increasingly desperate attempts to negotiate his way out of what promised to be a very long night of bureaucratic revenge.
~
The sun had not yet risen over the Land of Grass when Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, took to the skies. Below him, over six thousand of Iwagakure's shinobi moved like a tide of steel and stone through the rolling grasslands, their advance as inevitable as an avalanche.
"Tsuchikage-sama." a young jōnin appeared beside him, floating on a platform of rock. "Our forward scouts report minimal resistance. The Grass ninja seem unprepared for an assault of this scale."
Ōnoki's face remained impassive, though his eyes gleamed with cold calculation. "Of course they're unprepared. They never imagined we'd commit our full might to this invasion. They thought their neutrality would protect them."
The old warrior cast his gaze across the landscape before him. The Land of Grass had long served as a buffer between the great nations, its strategic position making it valuable while its proclaimed neutrality had historically kept it safe from full-scale invasion. They would sway towards whatever nation they needed to in a hope to remain alive throughout every battle.
That safety ended today.
"All units, advance!" Ōnoki's voice carried across the battlefield through a network of communication ninja. "Show them the might of Iwagakure!"
The response was immediate and devastating. The earth itself seemed to come alive as thousands of Iwa shinobi unleashed their jutsu. Great walls of stone erupted from the ground, crushing the hastily assembled Grass defensive lines. Boulders rained from the sky, guided by expert earth-style users to devastate key strategic positions.
From his elevated position, Ōnoki watched with satisfaction as his forces systematically dismantled the Grass nation's defenses. Years of neutrality had left them soft, unprepared for the full might of a great nation like the Stone.
"Tsuchikage-sama!" another messenger appeared. "Kusagakure has begun evacuating civilians. They're requesting terms for surrender."
Ōnoki's expression hardened. "There will be no terms. Kusagakure has served as a pathway for our enemies for too long. Today, we eliminate that pathway entirely. I've grown far too patient these last few years."
The messenger's eyes widened slightly but he quickly masked his surprise. "Understood, sir. Shall I relay that to the forward units?"
"No need," Ōnoki replied, his hands already forming seals. "I'll deliver the message personally."
The Third Tsuchikage began to ascend higher into the sky, his small frame belying the immense power he commanded. Below, the battle continued to rage, but it was clear that the Grass ninja were fighting a losing battle.
As he reached his desired altitude, Ōnoki looked down at Kusagakure. The hidden village that had stood for a few decades, playing its diplomatic games between the great nations, was about to learn the price of such games.
"Observe well." he called out to his forces. "This is what happens to those who stand in Iwagakure's path!"
Chakra began to gather around him, visible even from the ground as a brilliant white light. The air itself seemed to distort as Ōnoki calmly raised his palm and made a small object appear.
"Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
A cube of pure white energy formed before him, rapidly expanding to encompass the entire village of Kusagakure.
Below, both Iwa and Grass shinobi stopped their fighting, transfixed by the awesome display of power above them. The Grass ninja watched in horror as their home was enveloped in the deadly white light.
Civilians screamed. Children cried. Women weeped. Yet it all meant little to the Monster of Two Scales.
"Disappear." Ōnoki commanded.
The noise stopped.
The cube of energy contracted suddenly, and in an instant, Kusagakure - its buildings, its defenses, and any unfortunate souls still within its boundaries - ceased to exist. Where a proud hidden village that could be argued to be one of the premier secondary Villages alongside Ame had stood for generations, there was now only a perfectly smooth crater, the very molecules that had made up the village scattered to the winds.
Silence fell over the battlefield as the magnitude of what had just occurred sank in. Even some of the younger Iwa shinobi seemed shaken by the display of absolute destruction.
Ōnoki descended slowly, coming to rest at the edge of the crater he had created. His breathing was calm, as if obliterating an entire city was nothing but a child throwing away a toy.
The remaining Grass Shinobi could only drop their weapons as they were slaughtered, while other raged out like animals before being put down.
And while the chaos ended, the man responsible for this suffering sat patiently, like a parent watching disobedient children or a predator watching the futile efforts of prey.
No, more like a
Fence Sitter.
Read Chapters Ahead on [email protected]/KillerDJ2023
[Author's Corner: Hey everyone, how've you be- wait, wait, put the gun down!!
Listen, life's been good to me. So good that a College Student got caught up in being a student leader that he forgot about his roots.
But I'm back!! I missed you guys!! So don't be too mad, just be a little mad.
As for my question: Who in the Big 3 suffer from Power Creep the worse?]