Chapter 103: The Third Great Ninja War Ends!
Author Note:
Here's the BONUS CHAPTER as promised—thanks for the support, and let's keep this energy going!
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"Even if it was me... what are you going to do about it?"
Under normal circumstances, saying that would be no different than admitting guilt.
But these weren't normal circumstances.
Guts spoke those words without hesitation, backed by overwhelming strength and unshakable confidence.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō both understood that Guts had indeed wiped out the Root operatives. There was no doubt about that.
Hiruzen had called him here to smooth things over, hoping to act as a mediator between Guts and Danzō.
But he hadn't expected Guts to come in this strong...this blunt.
"Haah… this kid really knows how to stir things up"
Hiruzen thought with a heavy sigh. He understood Danzō too well. His old friend would never let something like this go.
Danzō had intended to use this opportunity to suppress Guts, bring him down a notch.
But Guts had flipped the table.
He looked Danzō in the eye and said it plainly:
"What if I did kill them? What are you gonna do about it?"
Translation: What Guts really meant was: if Danzo wanted that smoke, he could step right up and catch these hands—premium delivery, no jutsu required.
"Old man Hokage, I'm leaving. If there's nothing else," Guts said flatly.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the Hokage's office.
"Hiruzen!"
Danzō barked.
"You're just going to let him walk out after that!? Let him act so recklessly!?"
Hiruzen took a long draw from his pipe and slowly exhaled, his expression unreadable.
"Calm down, Danzō. He's done more than enough for us in this war. A little attitude is the least of our concerns. Let it go."
"He's still a child, Danzō… He'll make mistakes. It's our job to guide him...not to push him away with suspicion and hostility."
Danzō clenched his fists, eyes burning.
"You're too soft, Hiruzen. One day you'll regret this."
With that, he stormed out, not even glancing at the five dead bodies on the floor.
As the door slammed behind him, Hiruzen exhaled once more, gazing at the smoke swirling above him.
"Maybe I really am too old for this…"
With Orochimaru and the rest returning from the battlefield, the Third Great Ninja War had officially come to an end.
And Hiruzen knew...his time as Hokage was drawing to a close.
Relief and worry battled in his chest. Relief for peace. Worry for the village's future.
Back home, Tsunade had already woken up.
Guts smiled as he gently carried her upstairs. Before he could say a word, Tsunade, looking thoroughly exhausted, grumbled:
"Ugh, no—don't you dare try anything right now…"
Guts blinked, then let out a soft laugh.
"You think I'm some sex maniac? Just got home and already want more?"
"You're worse than that, and you know it,"
Tsunade growled, glaring at him.
The discomfort in her belly, still full from last night's milky punishment, was enough proof of his "enthusiasm."
After a short pause, her expression softened.
"…We're in this kind of relationship now, but… don't let it get out, okay?"
She murmured, looking away.
Guts was momentarily surprised, then smiled.
"Why? Afraid of what people might say? I'll beat the hell out of anyone who talks shit."
He didn't give a damn about public opinion. He never had.
It was this same indifference that made him think White Fang's suicide in the anime had been such a waste.
Tsunade sighed.
"It's not like I'll never go public… but give me some time, alright? I'm still wrapping my head around the fact I'm dating someone this much younger than me."
Guts grinned and teased
"Isn't that what Transformation Jutsu is for? You could just turn yourself into your younger self if you're that worried."
"Fuck you."
Tsunade snapped, hurling a pillow at his face.
Konoha, Year 47.
The Third Great Ninja War ended with Konoha's decisive battle against Kirigakure.
Victory belonged to the Leaf.
And among the shining new stars of this brutal war, one name burned brighter than all others...Guts.
The man who killed two Kages and severely wounded another.
[The Strongest Taijutsu User]
[A Man Like a Walking Disaster]
[Unstoppable Fist]
Titles like these followed Guts everywhere now.
Second only to him in fame was the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato.
With his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he surpassed even the Second Hokage, reaching near-Kage level in his early twenties.
A once-in-a-generation prodigy.
Other notable names also rose: Kakashi Hatake, already famous as the Sharingan Prodigy; Shisui Uchiha, known as the Body Flicker, and others still.
In the wake of the war, the political landscape of the Ninja World began to shift.
In Kumogakure, the Third Raikage had died. His son, "A," inherited his title without resistance, becoming the Fourth Raikage.
In Iwagakure, although Onoki survived, his spine had been shattered in battle.
A special steel frame now held him upright, but without some miracle, he'd spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
Too broken to continue as Third Tsuchikage.
His granddaughter Kurotsuchi, though bright, was only four years old.
Jinchūriki candidate Roshi had defected. The elders feared Han might follow.
After heated deliberation, Iwa's leadership appointed Kitsuchi, Onoki's son and a peak-level Jonin, as the Fourth Tsuchikage.
Though not quite Kage-level, he was the best available choice. A stopgap solution until a true powerhouse emerged.
Onoki remained active behind the scenes, mentoring his son and guiding Iwa's future.
As for Kirigakure, information was harder to come by due to their isolation across the sea.
But it was almost certain: Yagura had been named the Fourth Mizukage.
Konoha, meanwhile, celebrated like never before.
They had defeated three major powers back-to-back.
As the army returned, the funerals for heroes like White Fang, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin were held. The grief was real...but so was the joy of victory.
The entire village entered a carnival-like state of celebration.
It was at this time that Yuhi Kurenai returned from a long mission with her father, Yuhi Shinku.
Kurenai wasted no time. The moment she saw Guts, she sprinted into his arms, stood on her toes, and kissed him boldly, without hesitation.
Yuhi Shinku stood nearby, seething in silence, eyes twitching as he watched his precious daughter lock lips with the village's most dangerous youth.
Guts didn't even pretend to care about the older man glaring at him.
He just smiled and kissed her back with equal intensity.
Shinku was stuck, too embarrassed to stay, too furious to walk away.
One thing was certain: he would be having a talk with Guts. A serious one.
Still, Kurenai's return came as a welcome relief to Tsunade.
At the very least, Guts's relentless nightly "firepower" now had another target.
She'd been on the verge of breaking down under his constant hunger. Every night felt like war.
In the midst of celebration and rebuilding, an even more important matter loomed over the village:
Hiruzen Sarutobi's abdication.
And the question on everyone's mind:
Who would become the Fourth Hokage?
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