Tsunade understood.
Kyoichi had deliberately split "Black Zetsu" into two identities—one belonging to Madara, and another supposedly tied to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Of course…
Without question, the real Black Zetsu had already been sealed away. Kyoichi merely fabricated this second "Kaguya's Black Zetsu" to force everyone to stay wary.
Most of them didn't believe it.
After all, they had just sealed one, only for Kyoichi to claim an even more absurd one existed—an invisible being none of them could sense. Naturally, everyone doubted him even more.
A long silence followed.
Ōnoki questioned, "What proof do you have? It's not that we disbelieve, but… none of us can sense this creature. How has Konoha determined another one exists?"
Kyoichi mixed truth with falsehood—nine truths, one lie.
Everything he said was real… except he never told them that Black Zetsu was simultaneously Madara's creation and Kaguya's will.
Naturally…
He didn't expect his lie to fully intimidate them. As long as it made them hesitate—kept them from stirring up chaos so the Ōtsutsuki clan wouldn't swoop down to clean up the mess—the lie was worth it.
Kyoichi had no choice.
If the world were kind enough for people to speak only the truth, who would bother lying?
Ōnoki fell silent again.
Every village had its secrets. Many things were classified—external villages had no right to demand answers. Pressing further would be improper, even provocative.
He felt a strong curiosity about the Sage of Six Paths' stone tablet, but…
He could more or less guess what Kyoichi implied.
The Uchiha had now confirmed themselves as descendants of the Six Paths. Naturally, the stone tablet would be in their possession—hidden somewhere within the clan grounds.
Everyone subtly exchanged glances as their thoughts raced.
Tsunade let out a cold snort.
"We only reveal these things so certain people don't assume Konoha seeks to monopolize power. But if anyone thinks Konoha is easy to push around, you're welcome to send people to try."
She didn't flaunt strength—only uttered a few casual lines. Then she dropped the subject.
But…
The others all kept quiet.
Tsunade's warning had weight. Konoha's strength was no longer something they could simply "estimate." Since the Third Shinobi War, their power had only grown. Who knew what level they had reached after two or three years of recovery?
At the very least…
The strength Konoha displayed in the White Zetsu purge was clearly not their maximum.
Kirigakure knew this better than anyone.
When the Chibaku Sphere was formed, it wasn't Kyoichi alone—there was a second person with him.
One was Kyoichi.
The other… no one had seen since.
Yagura had a vague guess.
That person must have appeared at Tsunade's side before.
But…
He didn't dare think too deeply, nor did he wish to investigate.
If anything was clear, it was this:
Konoha was terrifying now.
The Three Sannin alone were enough of a threat.
Add the older generation—each of them capable of dominating a battlefield.
And the younger generation? The "Twin Stars of Konoha"… plus the mysterious shinobi who fought side-by-side with Kyoichi.
Among the six of them, any single one placed in another village would be unquestionably Kage-class.
And yet in Konoha—they weren't even the village leaders.
Konoha was simply… insane.
After a long pause, it was Mifune who finally broke the silence.
"Kyoichi's intentions—we all understand. We've defeated Madara, and the shinobi world has earned peace… but we truly can't let down our guard."
"That's true," Yahiko added, standing up with conviction. "The shinobi world has suffered enough. We of Amegakure know better than anyone the pain of war."
Tsunade remained quiet.
Now was not the time for Konoha to speak. And frankly, the ones who needed to step forward weren't them, but…
"I agree," Rasa said. "Sunagakure has also endured more than its share of suffering—some wars forced upon us, others caused by our own misunderstandings."
He bowed deeply.
"For the lives lost—shinobi and civilians alike—I apologize. And I, too, hope we can coexist in peace."
Sunagakure desperately wanted peace.
Their national strength and village power were a far cry from the other Four Great Villages—especially compared to Konoha.
Yet their cooperation with Konoha and Amegakure was thriving. Land of Wind and Suna were finally developing in a healthier direction.
A war now would destroy everything they had built.
"Decades of constant war—we're all exhausted. Whatever the future holds, let our generation at least avoid any more senseless battles. If necessary, we can adopt another format."
Kyoichi finally spoke.
Everyone looked to him.
Another format?
As village leaders, they all knew exactly what he meant.
Chūnin Exams.
But…
Chūnin Exams alone couldn't stop wars. Many conflicts weren't caused by ambition, but by disputes over resources and territory. Exams couldn't fix those problems.
"I don't mean Chūnin Exams," Kyoichi said. "I mean expanding the idea. Designated zones where conflicts between villages can be settled through small-scale combat. A contained battlefield—preventing full-scale war."
He continued:
"As for referees—we all provide shinobi to form a joint arbitration squad."
The proposal…
Was tempting.
But…
They all knew it wasn't perfect. The Five Great Nations would dominate any such alliance. And among the five, Land of Fire—and thus Konoha—was the strongest.
Still…
A joint system was better than constant war.
Ōnoki weighed it in his mind for a long time, then said:
"There is no perfect system… but this might indeed reduce the scale and intensity of our conflicts."
"Then it's settled. Now—let's talk about how your Kirigakure ambushed our Kumo forces."
Fourth Raikage slammed a fist onto the table.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Raikage, stop hitting the table. It belongs to Mifune-sama."
"A-ah—cough—sorry. Habit. My apologies."
He bowed repeatedly.
Kyoichi's expression twitched.
Tsunade… do you really have the qualifications to say that?
Well…
Compared to the Raikage, Tsunade's self-control was indeed better—but that was probably only because no one had provoked her yet. If someone really angered her…
Kyoichi had no doubt she'd smash the entire table to pieces.
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