Fortunately, Arata had already recovered, and after surviving that brutal life-or-death battle, his strength had taken another step forward.
If he were to fight Zōshirō again right now, he was confident he could win far more easily—certainly not in such a tragic, near-death fashion as before.
Standing before the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen, known across the shinobi world as "The Professor"—and Shimura Danzō, a veteran Kage-level powerhouse, Arata felt no fear. If they really wanted to act against him, he was certain he could hold his own.
With his lightning-fast speed, he even believed he could kill Danzō outright if it came down to it.
Danzō, at this stage, hadn't yet transplanted the Sharingan. Aside from proficient kenjutsu and wind-style ninjutsu, he had nothing that truly threatened Arata.
In terms of swordsmanship, Arata was already among the strongest in Konoha—and sooner or later, he would surpass Hatake Sakumo. As for wind-style jutsus, his current speed rendered them almost meaningless.
Having this level of confidence, Arata no longer bowed and scraped. Facing the two men who held the greatest political power in Konoha, he spoke calmly and directly:
"Hokage-sama, I heard that Mito-hime is living outside the village?"
Not fully understanding Arata's intention yet, Danzō remained silent.
But at the mention of Mito's name, Hiruzen's brows knitted tightly.
Of all the people he feared most, aside from Tsunade—who carried the Senju bloodline—the other was Uzumaki Mito.
Everything he had done back then… Mito had witnessed it all. Were it not for using Tsunade and Nawaki's lives as leverage, he doubted he would have survived this long.
"Yes," Hiruzen answered. "Because of Mito-sama's… special circumstances, no one may meet her without extraordinary cause—not even me."
What he feared most at this moment was Arata meeting Mito. Who knew what the old woman might reveal?
He wasn't worried about Tsunade or Nawaki; he and Mito had an agreement—if she exposed anything, those two would die. But Arata was different. He had to prevent that meeting at all costs.
If Arata, Tsunade, and Mito joined forces and openly rebelled, Hiruzen and Danzō would have no way to handle them.
Arata completely ignored the Third's excuse.
"I believe my circumstances are special. I'm going to marry Tsunade. As Tsunade's only remaining elder, of course I should pay my respects to Mito-hime."
The moment the words left his mouth, Danzō shot to his feet.
"Absolutely not! You would put petty romance above the safety of the entire village?! Unthinkable!"
Hiruzen's tone was gentler, but his stance was just as firm.
"Mito-sama is old. The Nine-Tails within her has become unstable. There's no need to trouble her. You and Tsunade may proceed with your wedding."
Any other shinobi placed before these two—the absolute top of Konoha's hierarchy—would have no choice but to submit.
But Arata was not "any other shinobi."
He had slain Zōshirō, and thus received his system reward for completing the border mission. Checking his inventory, he confirmed: Kamui was already there.
With Kamui, he could enter and leave Konoha freely. With that kind of escape ability in his hands, his confidence surged.
Arata rose to his feet, killing intent rolling off him.
"And what if I insist?"
He wasn't afraid to turn hostile. If they pushed him too far, he could always defect—taking a few of them with him before he left.
Never before had Hiruzen or Danzō been spoken to like this. Both men immediately stood up in anger.
It had never occurred to them that Arata's victory over a Kage-level opponent would swell his confidence this much.
Did he actually believe he could fight two veteran Kage-level shinobi at the same time?
Just as tension peaked—
Knock, knock, knock.
The knock on the door shattered the standoff. Hiruzen and Danzō exchanged looks and slowly sat back down. Arata lowered himself into his chair as well, though his killing intent remained sharp and unhidden.
"Come in," Hiruzen called.
He had given strict orders that no one was to interrupt this meeting. So who could it possibly be?
The door opened, and a man in a black combat uniform entered. A fan-shaped crest was emblazoned on his clothing, his black hair unmistakable.
A member of the Uchiha clan.
At this point in time, the Uchiha had not fallen from grace. Aside from the missing Uchiha Madara, the clan was at full strength—still one of the two great pillars of Konoha's founding.
While the Senju had nearly vanished, the Uchiha remained powerful and intact. Within the village, only ANBU and the border forces rivaled their influence.
Arata spoke the man's name instinctively.
"Uchiha Tsuki…"
Uchiha Tsuki had never appeared in the original story, but his identity was anything but ordinary:
He was the current clan head of the Uchiha—and a fully fledged Kage-level shinobi.
Hiruzen's expression tightened. He instantly sensed trouble.
This man might seem gentle and easygoing, but when the Uchiha clan's interests were involved, he never bowed to the Hokage.
And for him to appear here now…
It meant only one thing:
He was here because of Arata.