In A's eyes, filled with despair, Shin controlled the right arm of his Susanoo, drew the long sword from his waist, and brought it down straight toward him.
The reason Shin struck with the flat of the blade instead of slashing was because he was afraid he might accidentally kill him.
A instantly activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to dodge. But in the next moment, he realized that after dodging, his body had somehow returned to its original position.
Then, the flat of the blade, filled with terrifying energy, struck him directly, and he instantly lost consciousness.
Before blacking out, his final thought was: I...
Well, actually, he didn't even have time for a final thought.
The shocking scene left all the onlookers dumbfounded. Wasn't A supposed to have Kage-level strength, second only to the Third Raikage?
And he was taken out by a single move from Shin? Also, what just happened?
Wasn't he about to dodge? Why did it look like he had rushed straight into the blade?
Shin blinked his somewhat dry right eye, very satisfied with his masterpiece.
His right eye's ability was Kyōka Suigetsu, which could alter reality to a certain extent. With his current power, directly rewriting reality to kill A was still far beyond his capabilities. However, simply changing A's position only required a bit more eye power.
The reason he didn't finish A off from the start was to let everyone see his overwhelming strength, only then would the final strike be truly intimidating.
If he had ended the fight too quickly, it might've just looked like he was picking on someone weaker, and the message wouldn't land the same way. Also, just before delivering the final blow, he used his left eye's analysis and replication ability to copy A's Lightning Release Chakra Mode. He planned to study it thoroughly later.
Once mastered, it could become a powerful weapon.
After all, in normal combat, he didn't need to rely on Susanoo. If he could master Lightning Release Chakra Mode to boost his attack and defense, it would be a great advantage. Even if he didn't need it, teaching it to Minato wouldn't be a bad idea either, after all, that kid had an exceptionally strong lightning nature affinity.
Sensing that A had truly fallen unconscious, he looked down and exchanged glances with Hiruzen, flashing what he believed to be a brilliant smile.
But in Hiruzen's eyes, that smile was a blatant threat, making him tremble uncontrollably.
In the next moment, Shin deactivated Susanoo. As the golden glow faded, he instantly teleported in front of A.
Seeing A with multiple fractures all over his body, he immediately began treating him.
As Shin treated him, A's condition slowly improved. Ten minutes later, he regained consciousness. Realizing he could move again, he leapt to the side like a startled bird, looking at Shin as if he were a monster.
That overwhelming pressure, and the feeling of being struck by that massive blade, he would never forget it for the rest of his life.
Between Tsunade and Shin, both had become his psychological trauma.
Konoha is way too terrifying. I want to go home!
"What do you want now?" Seeing Shin's intense gaze, A trembled all over and asked nervously.
"It's not about what I want, it's about what you want," Shin replied coldly. "Have you forgotten our bet? Or do you plan to pretend I broke your brain and use that as an excuse to deny it?"
A was momentarily at a loss for words. He had honestly forgotten about it out of fear that Shin might keep beating him. But now that things had come to this point, after taking a deep breath, A shouted loudly to everyone around him. "On behalf of Kumo, as a trusted confidant of the Third Raikage, I hereby make this pledge to all of Konoha. As long as Konoha does not initiate any conflict, Kumo will not, for any reason, wage war against Konoha for the next two years. We will live in peace. If we break this promise, then may I be abandoned by both man and god."
As soon as he made his vow, the people of Konoha erupted in thunderous cheers like crashing waves. After all, everyone knew that he had declared when he first came to propose marriage: if the proposal failed, war between the two nations would be inevitable. Though he had only promised two years of peace, to everyone in Konoha, that was already incredibly valuable.
Shin nodded in satisfaction.
Perfect, goal achieved, and he killed two birds with one stone.
A had made his promise in public. If Kumo still chose to provoke Konoha or declare war, it would show that they were untrustworthy. In that case, all their previous talk of alliances and goodwill could be tossed straight into the trash. And if they truly broke their word, even if Hiruzen's plans went ahead and Konoha suffered great losses, no one could blame Tsunade. Instead, it would all fall on Hiruzen himself.
Because the one at fault wouldn't be Tsunade, but the untrustworthy Kumo. And really, what could you expect from someone or some village that broke their promises?
On the other hand, if Kumo genuinely honored the two-year peace, then Shin would be the hero, and Hiruzen's long-term schemes would be cut off at the root.
Looking at Hiruzen's dark, gloomy expression, Shin and Tsunade both felt a rush of satisfaction. After exchanging a glance, they smiled at the same time.
---
In the warmth of their small bedroom, Tsunade lay nestled in Shin's arms, eyes closed in complete contentment, unable to hide the joyful smile on her face.
He had truly stolen the spotlight today, now it was time to see how Hiruzen would respond.
She didn't even need to think about it, he was definitely plotting something shady again. But Tsunade wasn't afraid at all. In fact, she felt more ready than ever to face it head-on.
"Are your eyes really okay?" she asked, concerned, looking into his brilliant, shining eyes.
His eyesight had been restored more than two months ago, and Tsunade had been thrilled ever since.
What she really meant to ask now was: had the use of his eye technique caused any damage?
Shin tapped her forehead with a finger and smiled. "For something at today's level, there's absolutely no problem. I'll be fully recovered in two days at most."
Due to his body not being fully evolved yet, he couldn't recklessly use his eyes like other users of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Although his eye power would regenerate, the process was extremely slow. But today, he hadn't overused his abilities, and the duration of his full-body Susanoo had been brief, so naturally there were no issues.
Looking at Tsunade's face, he suddenly stood up, almost causing her to topple over sideways. Just as she was about to complain, Shin stood before her and began straightening his clothes.
His sudden action made her breath quicken.
She remembered clearly: Shin had once promised her that as soon as his eyes were healed, he would choose a romantic day to propose.
She had never forgotten that promise, not for a second. And in the next moment, just as she had hoped, Shin slowly crouched down before her.
Tsunade's body began to tremble uncontrollably. She was just about to blurt out "Yes!"...
When Shin suddenly leaned forward and looked under the bed, muttering, "I'm pretty sure it fell under here..."