139. The Hokage Bows, Konoha Surrenders (5K)

Konoha Village.

As far as the eye could see, there were nothing but ruins and debris, with massive craters scarring the streets. Utility poles and trees lay toppled along the roadsides, igniting fires that sent thick smoke and flames billowing into the sky.

In just one day, the village that generations of Konoha citizens had painstakingly built over more than forty years was reduced to rubble.

Yet, for the surviving Konoha ninja and the villagers huddled in underground shelters, the crisis was far from over.

Inside the air-raid shelter, the villagers trembled at the sound of explosions and deafening roars echoing from the surface. Families clung to one another, weeping incessantly.

Standing at the front of the crowd, a teenage girl looked up through a window, her eyes fixed on the black monster looming high in the sky. She had long, curly black hair, large red eyes, and a slightly chubby face that made her look quite adorable.

She was the Chunin, Kurenai Yuhi.

*Is that terrifying monster really Kisame Hoshigaki?*

Kurenai found it hard to believe.

"The next time we meet, it will likely be on the battlefield."

She recalled those words Kisame had once spoken to her; she never imagined they would become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Kurenai tightened her grip on the kunai in her hand.

On the surface.

"Lord Hokage, almost all the buildings in the village have been severely damaged. The hospital, the Ninja Academy, and the Police Force headquarters have been bombed repeatedly and are now completely ruined. Fortunately, the Hokage Building and the Sarutobi clan’s estate have not suffered too much damage..." an ANBU ninja reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"What about the casualties among the villagers?" Hiruzen pressed. When he learned that there were not many casualties, he let out a sigh of relief.

A destroyed village could be rebuilt. If the people were gone, Konoha would truly be finished.

At that moment, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and a group of Konoha Jonin gathered around Hiruzen, staring up at Kisame in the sky.

After launching a massive bombardment on Konoha, Kisame had remained high in the air. He did not attack again, but he had no intention of coming down, either. The Konoha group could do nothing but hold their ground in a passive stalemate.

A few minutes later, Jiraiya let out a muffled groan. The sage markings on his face rapidly faded, and he reverted to his normal state, unable to maintain Sage Mode any longer.

Just then, Kisame moved, swooping down from the sky with a sharp whistle.

"Prepare for battle!" Hiruzen shouted in a deep voice, raising his Adamantine Enma staff. The staff could extend or retract, grow or shrink; the moment Kisame entered its range, he would be met with a crushing blow.

However, to Hiruzen’s surprise, Kisame did not attack the Konoha group. Instead, he stopped at a relatively safe altitude.

Then, in front of everyone, he pulled two Konoha prisoners from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, holding one in each claw. They were two Konoha Jonin, one from the Aburame clan and one from the Inuzuka clan.

"Third Hokage!" Kisame looked down at Hiruzen and shouted, "Your village has been destroyed, and a large number of Konoha ninja are in my hands. As the Fifth Mizukage, I command you to surrender to me immediately! I can tell you clearly: this is the only way for Konoha to survive."

The moment these words were spoken, the Konoha crowd erupted in uproar.

Surrender to the Hidden Mist? What a joke!

As expected, "Delusional," Hiruzen cold-snorted, refusing Kisame without hesitation. As the Hokage, he would not be easily threatened by an enemy.

"As expected of the strongest Hokage in history, you are truly stubborn. Or is it that these two ninja from the Aburame and Inuzuka clans simply aren't important enough to you?"

Kisame mocked sarcastically. As soon as he finished speaking, he tightened his claws and squeezed hard.

*Snap.*

With the crisp sound of breaking bones, the two prisoners let out agonizing screams before being crushed to death on the spot. Their bodies were tossed from the sky, falling toward the ground.

Below, ninja from the Aburame and Inuzuka clans rushed from the crowd, catching their clansmen’s remains with faces full of grief.

*That damn bastard.*

Seeing Kisame’s brutal atrocity, the others gritted their teeth in hatred. But it wasn't over.

Hardly had Kisame killed the two prisoners than he pulled three more Jonin from the Box—members of the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans.

Hiruzen’s expression finally changed.

"Lord Hokage, if the 'small fry' from the Aburame and Inuzuka clans didn't catch your eye, surely the famous Ino-Shika-Cho trio is enough, right?"

Kisame began to threaten Hiruzen again, trying to force him to submit. "These three clans are the loyal dogs you raised yourself. Can you really bear to watch them die before your eyes?"

After hearing Kisame’s words, Hiruzen took a deep breath, his gaze turning cold.

"Fifth Mizukage, I remind you not to forget that aside from you, there are thousands of villagers currently in the Hidden Mist Village. With you absent, do you think they can withstand a second attack from Konoha?"

Hiruzen stared intensely at Kisame, using the same tactic to threaten him with the Mist's own villagers.

"Where is Minato Namikaze?"

At his sharp command, Minato stepped out from the crowd.

"Immediately take the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, use the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel to the Hidden Mist Village, kill all the villagers, and capture the Mist's high-ranking officials."

Hiruzen issued this order to Minato in front of Kisame.

"Yes, sir." Minato nodded, exchanged a glance with Kushina, took her hand, and prepared to activate the Flying Thunder God. With their combined power, they were more than capable of returning the favor, destroying the entire Hidden Mist Village and wiping out the remnants of their forces.

Just then—

"Hahahaha!"

Kisame in mid-air erupted into wild laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Hiruzen asked, his brow furrowed.

"Although I hold the title of Mizukage, do you really think I, Kisame Hoshigaki, care about the lives of that bunch of losers in the Mist? Go ahead and kill them all; it would be better if not a single one remained."

Kisame spoke with a playful, indifferent tone.

At these words, all the Konoha ninja were stunned. Not caring about the lives of his own villagers—was that something a true Mizukage could say?

However, the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha, who understood Kisame’s character better, realized simultaneously that what he said was likely the truth...

Minato and Kushina stood frozen in place, hesitant to act. Seeing this, Kisame became even more arrogant, addressing the Third Hokage by his name:

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, listen well, you old man. What I, Kisame Hoshigaki, want is for Konoha to submit to me."

Before he finished speaking, he acted again, crushing the three Jonin of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and letting their bodies fall from the sky.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

The three bodies hit the ground with a dull sound. Their clansmen rushed forward, weeping over the corpses.

Hiruzen remained silent, but he gripped his Adamantine Enma staff so tightly that the veins on his hands and forehead bulged.

"It seems that the so-called 'Ino-Shika-Cho' were just three dogs raised by the Hokage, not worth grieving over when they die. I cannot help but ask: besides the Sarutobi clan, is there any other family in the vast Konoha Village that you, Hiruzen Sarutobi, truly care about?"

Seeing Hiruzen’s silence, Kisame openly questioned him.

Hearing this, Hiruzen finally broke his silence. His face was solemn as he said firmly, word by word:

"In my eyes, I treat all families in Konoha, every ninja, and every villager equally. This is the equality advocated by the Will of Fire."

"Tsk, tsk. Truly a politician; you don't even blush when you lie. Then, surely you will treat these next two people with equal indifference, right?"

Kisame mocked him mercilessly and, for the third time, pulled two prisoners from the Box of Ultimate Bliss. It was Fugaku Uchiha, who had his eyes gouged out, and Hiashi Hyuga, whose eyes were still intact.

"They say not to do things more than three times, so this is the last chance I will give Konoha. Lord Hokage, you had better think clearly."

Kisame held Fugaku and Hiashi in his claws and issued an ultimatum to Hiruzen. "Either surrender, or not only these two clan leaders, but all other Konoha prisoners will be killed without exception. Now, make your choice."

Under Kisame’s threat, the crowd on the ground fell into a panic. The Uchiha and Hyuga were the two great noble clans of Konoha; compared to the Ino-Shika-Cho or the Aburame and Inuzuka clans, their status and prestige in the village were far higher.

At this moment, many elders and Jonin from the Uchiha and Hyuga clans stepped forward, emotionally distraught, pleading with the Hokage to save their leaders.

In particular, Hiashi Hyuga, as the head of the Hyuga, had yet to produce an heir. If he died here, the lineage of the Hyuga main house would be broken, which was absolutely unacceptable to the clan.

At this moment, facing the immense pressure from Kisame Hoshigaki and the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, Hiruzen Sarutobi once again chose silence.

Surrendering to Kisame was impossible. But if he did nothing and allowed the enemy to kill Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga, he would have no way to answer to the two great clans.

After a fierce internal struggle, Hiruzen’s gaze turned cold, and he suddenly struck at Kisame.

*Whoosh.*

The Adamantine Enma staff in his hand extended dozens of meters in an instant, thrusting toward Kisame in the air like lightning.

But Kisame had long been guarding against such a move; the moment Hiruzen acted, he flapped his wings and shot into the sky, dodging the attack.

"Deliberately making a symbolic attack against me to 'borrow a knife to kill,' thereby successfully eliminating the leaders of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans. The Third Hokage truly has clever methods; I, Kisame Hoshigaki, am filled with admiration."

Kisame raised his voice, exposing Hiruzen’s hidden intentions to everyone present.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Hiruzen said, retracting his staff with an expressionless face.

"Hahaha."

Kisame laughed again and continued, "I heard that the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, once had a famous saying—to be Hokage means to embody a ruthless attitude. During his reign, he fiercely suppressed and persecuted the Uchiha, even using them for human experiments. Now it seems that as his most prized student, you have inherited his philosophy and methods quite well."

His words, which sounded like praise but were actually meant to incite and provoke, fell upon the ears of the Uchiha clan like a spark hitting a powder keg.

Because what Kisame said was true. For so many years, the Uchiha clan had been secretly and openly suppressed by the Konoha leadership, and the clan members had long been filled with resentment.

Soon, an Uchiha elder stepped forward on behalf of the clan and shouted to Kisame in the sky:

"Fifth Mizukage, what must we do for you to release our leader? The Uchiha clan can negotiate with you separately!"

Hardly had he finished speaking than the Hyuga clan also rushed to send an elder, shouting the same demand to Kisame.

The thoughts of these two great clans were simple: they had to save their leaders' lives at any cost. Since Hiruzen Sarutobi could not—or perhaps "would not"—do it, they would negotiate with the enemy themselves.

At this moment, the internal division of Konoha had become a reality.

Tsunade could no longer stand it. She stepped out, waving her fists and shouting at Kisame in the sky:

"Kisame Hoshigaki, you bastard! Do you think the Third Hokage is some cold-blooded, heartless person like you?"

It would have been better if she hadn't spoken, for as soon as she did, Kisame became interested.

"Poor, foolish woman."

He looked at Tsunade with pity and unleashed a barrage of psychological warfare. "The Senju clan was once the undisputed number-one clan in Konoha, yet now only you remain. On the contrary, the second-rate Sarutobi clan has not only moved next to the Hokage building but has become the most populous clan in Konoha. Have you never wondered why?"

"What are you trying to say? Our Senju clan voluntarily gave up our surname and integrated into the various clans of Konoha to follow the will of the First Hokage," Tsunade sneered, still feeling proud of this.

Kisame, who had expected this response, immediately pressed:

"Oh? Then can you tell me why your brother, Nawaki, the last male of the Senju clan, was sent to the battlefield shortly after graduating and died the very next day? Do you really think it was an accident or a coincidence?

Let me ask you again: would the Third Hokage send his own son to the battlefield? Of course not. I heard that Asuma Sarutobi, the 'second-generation' of the Hokage, isn't even in the village; he’s been traveling the world for a long time, living a carefree life somewhere right now!"

His words were, of course, a complete conspiracy theory, but they struck the deepest pain in Tsunade’s heart. She stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, there’s a limit to nonsense. I will not allow you to slander the Hokage any further."

Following Tsunade, the young and passionate Minato Namikaze stepped out to defend Hiruzen.

"Whether I am talking nonsense or slandering, why don't you ask the Kushina Uzumaki standing beside you?" Kisame suddenly asked.

Before Minato or Kushina could speak, he continued: "As everyone knows, the Uzumaki clan and the Senju clan of Konoha were allies for generations. However, after the Konoha leadership, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, obtained the sealing techniques of the Uzushiogakure and the candidate for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—Kushina Uzumaki—they stood by and watched as the Uzushiogakure was destroyed by an alliance of other ninja villages. Why do you think that was?"

"This..." Minato was at a loss for words and could only look at Kushina.

Kushina clenched her fists, bowed her head, and remained silent. As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she was a tool of Konoha. There were many things she didn't talk about, but that didn't mean she hadn't thought about them.

"You bunch of fools, I think you've all been brainwashed by the so-called 'Will of Fire'."

Kisame mocked them once more before looking at Hiruzen.

"Congratulations, Third Hokage. The Sarutobi clan now has thousands of people, and as the most populous clan in Konoha, most of them must be hiding safely underground right now. As long as I help you eliminate the leaders of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, there will be no one left in Konoha who can threaten the Sarutobi clan. It will be your world forever."

As soon as he finished, he tightened his claws, causing Fugaku and Hiashi to wake from their unconsciousness and let out screams of agony.

"No!"

Seeing this, the Uchiha and Hyuga clans on the ground nearly went mad. They pleaded with Kisame while rushing to surround Hiruzen, questioning his sinister motives.

It looked as though the two great clans were about to revolt on the spot.

"Stop!"

Hiruzen finally let out a roar, a surge of power erupting from his body that forced everyone around him to retreat.

*Clang.*

The Third Hokage of Konoha dropped his Adamantine Enma staff to the ground at that moment. He looked up at Kisame in the sky and said, word by word:

"Release them. I announce... Konoha surrenders."

Surrender.

The moment these two words were spoken, Hiruzen slumped like a deflated balloon, appearing ten years older in an instant.

"Teacher..."

Jiraiya and Orochimaru wanted to say something, but in the end, they remained silent.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to do this sooner? All those prisoners who died before died in vain, sigh."

Kisame said with an expression of regret, slowly descending to a certain altitude. Although he spared Fugaku and Hiashi, he did not release them, instead returning them to the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

Such important hostages were meant to be used for negotiations with Konoha; how could he simply let them go?

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*

He opened the Box of Ultimate Bliss again and released more than a dozen Konoha ninja at once, letting them land on the ground unharmed. These people were all ninja from the Sarutobi clan.

"Third Hokage, this is a token of my sincerity. I will give you half an hour to regroup. You can let the villagers hiding underground come out, tell them the good news of peace, and clean up the village a bit. After that, I will personally go to the Hokage Building to negotiate with Konoha. Be prepared to accept my terms."

After saying this, Kisame shot into the sky once more and quickly disappeared above the clouds.