Chapter 118 – The Silent Five Kage
Kazane had always walked the path of invincibility. Ever since defeating the Third Raikage, his Conqueror's Haki had undergone a breakthrough.
Now, among everyone present, only the village leaders and a few top-tier combatants remained standing.
Even the jōnin-level shinobi, and those samurai whose strength rivaled jōnin, had all collapsed under the pressure of Kazane's Conqueror's Haki, unconscious and unmoving.
Everyone still on their feet focused their gaze on Kazane. Their eyes revealed a mix of shock… and fear.
Ōnoki, in particular, was overwhelmed.
He had lived through the era of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. But even then—even during Madara's most fearsome days—he had never witnessed such overwhelming aura.
His worst fears had come true.
Konoha had birthed another shinobi who had surpassed the Kage level. And worse—this one was still young, arrogant, and completely unrestrained.
Unlike Madara, there was no one left to check his power.
Aura didn't always reflect strength. But any man who could wield such dominance wouldn't fall far behind in ability.
And the last so-called "strongest in the world" had only died a month ago…
"Hatake Kazane…"
Yagura murmured, staring at the youth standing so casually before him, clearly dazed.
He had spent the last several hours shouting at Hiruzen Sarutobi, demanding Konoha hand Kazane over. But now, facing him in person, he suddenly realized—he didn't have the courage to oppose this man.
What's the point of all this? he thought. What could I even do against someone like him?
Then, driven by hatred, the Fourth Raikage Ay began to stir.
"Hatake Kazane! I'll avenge my father! I'll kill you!!"
Roaring, Ay tried to charge forward.
But the hand on his shoulder didn't budge.
Killer B, standing behind him, held him in place.
In truth, Ay was already extraordinary. Though only a jōnin at his age, he'd withstood the pressure of Kazane's Conqueror's Haki through sheer willpower.
He could stand. He could move. He even dared to fight.
He was impressive.
But he had picked the wrong opponent.
"Let me go! Let go of me! I'm going to kill him! That bastard!" Ay screamed, tears of frustration sliding down his face.
He had never hated his own weakness so deeply.
If he had just been stronger… his father wouldn't have died. He wouldn't have to stand here, helpless, as the man who murdered him stood right in front of his eyes.
But Killer B knew better. He had witnessed Kazane's strength firsthand, back on the battlefield.
He wasn't restraining Ay out of cowardice—he was trying to protect him from certain death.
Kazane smiled faintly and brushed off his sleeve.
"So you've all been looking for me, huh? Well, here I am. If anyone wants to fight—come on. I don't mind if you all come at me together."
His voice dripped with contempt.
And the truth was—he genuinely felt no interest in any of them.
From where he stood, all he saw were has-beens, lone wolves, or unripe children. And those he didn't know had no fighting spirit in their eyes.
As for the five Kage… all of them had gone silent.
None dared answer the challenge—not even the ones who'd been shouting about killing him just moments ago.
Aside from that one hot-headed fool from the Cloud, no one had the courage to act.
The three villages that had spent the last week plotting how to handle Kazane? Now that he stood before them, they fell into complete silence.
The entrance to the meeting hall descended into stillness.
As though time itself had frozen.
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—who had been worried for Kazane when they first saw him—now felt something else.
Shock.
Orochimaru finally understood.
All the problems he'd been fretting over… were irrelevant.
All those obstacles he thought insurmountable… were nothing to Kazane.
With a single thought, Kazane could bulldoze straight through them.
Orochimaru had even worried that the foolish villagers might push Kazane too far. But now, he realized he'd been thinking backward.
It wasn't Kazane they needed to worry about—it was the villagers.
Kazane wasn't someone known for patience. His kindness was reserved only for his friends.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya felt something entirely different.
His eyes sparkled with admiration.
Yes, he thought. This… this is what a true hero looks like!
To stand before the pinnacle of the shinobi world—the five Kage—and render them speechless with a single glare?
This was the kind of hero he'd dreamed of witnessing his whole life.
Well, four Kage, technically. That dumb kid doesn't count…
"Ha! Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!"
Suddenly, Kazane threw his head back and laughed, unable to contain it.
So these are the mighty Five Kage?
He had traveled all this way… for this?
They weren't even worth the journey.
"This is the great Five Kage? Killing you would just sully my blade."
There was genuine disappointment in his voice.
So these were the people standing at the summit of shinobi power?
It seemed power had long since worn away their edges.
If it were the Third Raikage here instead, he wouldn't have cared about winning or losing. He would've charged straight at Kazane without hesitation.
Because true strength isn't afraid of challenge.
…Though that idiot squirming in Killer B's arms didn't count.
That one had no sense of self-awareness. Even before Kazane's rise, he would never have dared bare his claws at someone far beyond his strength.
But this fool?
He was pitifully weak, yet still thought to challenge a giant.
Kazane could send him to the afterlife with a single flick of his blade.
He actually felt bad for Killer B. With a reckless Raikage like this, he was bound to get himself killed someday—and probably drag others down with him.
Look at someone like Ōnoki.
Now there was a man who knew how to stay alive.
He stood motionless, pretending none of this involved him—like Kazane's words were aimed at someone else entirely.
In truth, if all the top-tier shinobi here attacked together, even with Orochimaru and the others, Kazane might not be able to win.
But none of them dared move.
Each watched the others, unwilling to be the first to strike.
That… might just be the saddest thing about this era. Now, Kazane could finally understand the feeling the Third Raikage must have had—
Standing alone at the summit of the world, surrounded by cowards…
It was a lonely place.
And until Madara Uchiha was resurrected, it seemed Kazane would remain alone for a long time.
As for Obito—still living comfortably in the village—Madara was likely still struggling to find someone who could guide Nagato. Black Zetsu must be running back and forth trying to piece it all together.
If Kazane ever felt bored enough to take a walk through that part of the world…
He might just rewrite all of it himself.
Complete version available at P@treon, Zynos