BlackStar_BH:
More Power Stones and comments, guys!
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Night had finally fallen over Konoha after a long and extremely eventful day, while only a single light remained burning on the upper floor of the Hokage's building…
A faint glow emanated from Sarutobi Hiruzen's office.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, silent, staring at the open manga in front of him.
His hand did not move, and no sound came from his lips; it was as if time had stopped for a moment on the page that revealed the truth about Naruto's birth.
What truly concerned the Third Hokage about this story was not his grandson's appearance, nor his own as an old man, nor the fact that the Fourth Hokage was 'dead.'
After all, there would inevitably be a Fourth Hokage—then a Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and perhaps more…
Time passed, and it was not hard to imagine such a future, where leadership would pass from one capable person to another.
While the Hokage's mind was busy pondering, the office door quietly opened.
There was no need to ask… the person who enters without knocking, with steps only the vigilant can hear, could only be Danzō.
He stepped forward slowly, standing in the shadows, then spoke in a calm voice that carried the firmness of iron:
"It seems things are unraveling quickly, Hiruzen… perhaps faster than they should."
Hiruzen lifted his head slowly, deep fatigue etched on his features.
"Perhaps you think too much…" Hiruzen said.
"Do not speak words whose weight you do not understand, Hiruzen. What we saw today… is no mere story." Danzō's half-closed eyes gleamed as he said this, his intuition repeatedly telling him that what they had read today was no fabricated tale.
"It is a threat," he said confidently.
"Every truth revealed without permission… is a threat to the system," Danzō added.
Hiruzen remained silent for long seconds, and Danzō began to feel he had won the argument.
But at that moment, a third voice cut through the silence.
"If the system is fragile enough that a single manga page threatens it… Then perhaps its validity should be reconsidered."
The two men turned toward the source of the voice.
Rob was standing at the door, leaning his shoulder against it, arms crossed, looking at them without fear, hesitation, or the slightest respect for the office's dignity.
A stark contrast to the friendly and respectful demeanor he displayed before when receiving customers at his store.
That was the "shopkeeper persona"… but this was Rob's true self. Cold, selfish, prioritizing personal gain; anyone who threatens his interests must submit to his will, regardless of their strength or authority. Rob was now fully confident in himself—no one here could intimidate him.
For this reason, his voice was calm, yet carried embers beneath the ashes:
"The offer you made me earlier, Danzō… I'll say it clearly this time: I am not interested. And I will not be."
Danzō's eyes narrowed, but his smile did not disappear—though it was now less impactful.
"Think carefully before you refuse… no one survives the consequences of standing against me."
Rob stepped forward so that the moonlight fell across half of his face.
Then he said dryly:
"And you should also think carefully… before sticking your nose into matters that are none of your concern."
The room froze.
Not because Rob had threatened Danzō… but because he did it inside the Hokage's office, without showing any fear or hesitation.
Challenging the village's second-strongest authority, building power even greater than the Hokage's, Rob was truly brave in that moment.
Danzō raised an eyebrow slightly, as if testing Rob's reaction, then said in a low tone:
"Did you get that courage from your clan elder?"
Rob patted his jacket to remove nonexistent dust and said: "It has nothing to do with courage or cowardice—it depends on my mood."
"It is unwise to stand against me, and against the Lord Hokage." Danzō wanted to drag Hiruzen into the fray and tie him to the plan.
"The wise move is to not mess with me, Danzō. In this regard, you might benefit from the manga—it will teach you valuable lessons later."
"I know you love the shadows, Danzō… but I warn you, even shadows will appear in my manga pages."
He turned his back and left the office without waiting for permission, leaving silence behind.
…
After Rob's departure, the single lamp's light flickered faintly, as if trembling from the aftermath of the confrontation.
Hiruzen looked toward the closed door… not in shock, but with the expression of a man realizing he had lost control once more. Yet he never considered losing the ability to regain it—otherwise, how could he dare call himself Hokage? He would never allow control to slip from his grasp for long.
The Third Hokage breathed slowly, then said in a tired but alert voice:
"This boy… is not as simple as you think, Danzō."
The relationship between Danzō and Hiruzen had not yet developed into the intensity it would in the future, where Hiruzen saw himself as the light illuminating all of Konoha, and Danzō as the shadow encircling the village… two poles with opposing philosophies, yet both dedicated to protecting Konoha and the Will of Fire. But even so, it was already beginning to manifest: Hiruzen had been the Third Hokage for years, and Danzō represented the weight of political power for many years as well.
"The boy?"
Danzō said sarcastically but without emotion.
"A threat. A threat that must be assessed… then contained," he added.
Hiruzen closed his eyes for a moment. He knew that tone…
Danzō's tone foreshadows rash decisions hidden between the lines. He might be considering something insane, uncontrollable—especially now that Rubiro was backed by the First Hokage's wife, miraculously revived from the brink of death, walking with the dignity of a phoenix in the street, as a legend from the past brought into the present.
With her presence, even if no longer a Kyubi Jinchuriki, she could effortlessly crush them if they harmed her descendant.
"I warn you, Danzō…"
Hiruzen opened his eyes, a mixture of wisdom and political fatigue in them. When a political man is caught in an unsolvable dilemma, he feels this type of exhaustion.
Internally, Hiruzen genuinely wanted to get rid of Rob—or at least restrain him, making him draw only what would benefit Konoha, showing it as a dominant force. But Rob's stubbornness had caused trouble… yet Hiruzen remained hopeful, believing that…
"His soul is not dark. He does what he does with—"
Danzō cut him off sharply:
"Exactly why he is dangerous."
Danzō stepped closer to the Hokage's desk, scrutinizing Hiruzen seated in his chair.
The light revealed only the upper half of his face… the rest remained in shadow.
As if the shadows were made for him.
Then he said in a cold tone that could freeze blood:
"Those without inner darkness… become far more dangerous when they gain power we do not understand."
Hiruzen shook his head wearily: "His soul is not corrupt, Danzō. He is only—"
"Independent," Danzō said.
Then he added: "And the independent… is more dangerous than the corrupt."
This time, a heavier, different kind of silence prevailed.
It was like the silence in an operating room before surgery. Or the silence in an execution square before the blade falls.
Then Danzō said, turning his back: "I will watch him."
Hiruzen responded quickly: "Do not interfere." He feared that it might cause a major political split, dragging the village into a whirlpool of conflicts that could lead to its ruin.
Danzō paused, the air freezing, breaths growing heavy.
Then he half-turned, just enough to reveal half of his face…
The half that bore no human features.
And said: "The shadow… needs no permission from the light to act."
It seemed Danzō's words were a declaration of direct separation from Hiruzen's policy.
From that moment, Danzō's true persona was formed, asserting independence from the Hokage's authority as they were equals in power.
And with those words…
He disappeared as he had appeared—silent, without a sound.
At that moment, Hiruzen's tired eyes noticed the lamp's light dimming, as if symbolizing the shadow's triumph over the light.
Before the lamp completely went out, the Hokage lit another, stronger than the one that had gone out entirely.
"Come here."
When he said this, an Anbu appeared almost immediately, kneeling on one knee in anticipation of the Hokage's orders.
"I want a report on all Root movements over the next three days."
…
At the Art Store, Rob lay on his soft, king-sized bed (purchased from the System Shop), thinking about what had happened in the Hokage's office.
He knew he had crossed a line there, yet he felt no remorse—only excitement!
"To think that Danzō still carries so much confidence, maintaining the idea of taking me under his wing even after being scolded by Grandma Mito… he really is Danzō."
Rob had not been present when Grandma Mito confronted Danzō that evening, as she had with Hiruzen, but he had heard everything from Tsunade, who had briefed him at dinner.
Mito had spoken with the same intensity as before, confronting Danzō, who feigned shock and composure, even promising with a trembling voice never to repeat his actions.
But the conversation between the Third Hokage and Danzō that Rob had been anticipating revealed that neither truly respected Grandma Mito, remaining firm in their views regarding him, the Art Store, and the manga.
"Heh~ That's natural. They think Grandma won't live long… but that thinking will change over time because I'll make sure she lives long enough to give you all a stomachache, my friends, hahaha!"
Rob laughed, genuinely feeling that he had become a heavy political player in Konoha from today onwards.
He was no longer merely a medical ninja to be thrown into the battlefield to treat the injured and die at any moment.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 45: System Level 3!
Chapter 46: Rob vs. Danzō's Root!
Chapter 47: The Third Kazekage!
Chapter 48: The Kazekage's Retreat.
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 65.
There are 21 advanced chapters available now:
5 chapters in the Silver tier ($5 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Gold tier ($10 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Platinum tier ($15 subscription), and 5 more chapters in the Diamond tier ($20 subscription).
On Patreon and Ko-fi, too.
In the coming days, chapters will be made available for all tiers, reaching up to 50 advanced chapters… Enjoy!