When a god leaves the battlefield, destiny quietly opens a new door.
"With a falling star of heaven-sundered stone, I proclaim judgment upon those lost in darkness."
The words echoed like a divine decree.
This time, it wasn't only Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura who witnessed it.
Everyone in Konoha saw it.
High above the village, the clouds churned violently as a colossal star-rock emerged from the heavens—far larger than the one that had crushed the Nine-Tails. Blazing geo energy rippled across the horizon, carving Zhongli's silhouette into the sky itself, as if an ancient god had stamped his reflection onto the world.
Golden light flooded the heavens.
For a fleeting moment, it felt as though the sky itself had bowed.
Boom!!!
A thunderous explosion rolled across the land like the roar of an awakening continent. The earth trembled violently, roofs rattled, and distant windows shattered from the shockwave alone.
Fortunately, Ayato had deliberately aimed the strike at a nearby hill.
Under countless stunned gazes, the small mountain vanished.
Not collapsed.
Not shattered.
Vanished.
In its place remained only a massive crater gouged deep into the earth, its edges glowing faintly with lingering geo energy.
Hiruzen and Danzo swallowed unconsciously.
That level of destructive power was simply…
Even if the two of them combined their full strength, they would struggle to produce devastation on that scale with a single attack.
And this strike—
Was even stronger than the one that had struck the Nine-Tails.
Which meant that when facing the strongest of the tailed beasts, this seemingly refined and calm young man had still been holding back.
The realization sent a chill down Hiruzen's spine.
"I understand," Hiruzen said at once, his voice steady despite the storm in his heart. "Regarding Naruto—speaking as the Third Hokage, I agree. I will ensure that his life will never be threatened."
He did not hesitate.
He could not afford hesitation.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo snapped sharply.
"Shut up!" Hiruzen barked without even turning his head. "The Fourth Hokage is dead. From this moment onward, all matters of Konoha are decided by me!"
Danzo's words froze in his throat.
Hiruzen knew exactly what his old friend intended to argue.
Control the Nine-Tails.
Weaponize Naruto.
Expand Root's authority.
But—
There was a time and place for ambition.
If Danzo continued provoking now, the next falling star might not land on a distant hill.
It might land on them.
The invisible pressure of true might lingered in the air like a suffocating weight. Danzo felt his neck forced downward, his body instinctively submitting to power far beyond his control.
His fists trembled.
"Hmph. Fine. I'm done with this," Danzo muttered through clenched teeth. With a sharp flick of his sleeve, he turned and stormed away, his retreat masked by forced composure.
Zhongli's voice remained calm and detached, as though the exchange had been little more than idle conversation.
"Since that is settled, this matter ends here. I will travel this world for a time. The market has closed, and the noisy docks have fallen asleep. Go and rest."
The golden figure blurred.
In the next instant, Zhongli vanished completely from the battlefield, leaving behind only drifting motes of fading geo light.
An autumn wind swept across the clearing, rustling Hiruzen's battle robes.
He stood there for a long time, staring at the empty sky where the god had disappeared, before finally releasing a heavy breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Slowly, he stepped toward Naruto.
The newborn lay quietly on the ground, tiny chest rising and falling, his face still faintly smeared with Kushina's blood.
Hiruzen raised a hand.
He wanted to touch him.
But as if recalling something—responsibility, restraint, or perhaps guilt—his hand hesitated in midair before lowering once more.
Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.
Footsteps approached.
ANBU operatives began appearing one after another, materializing from the shadows like ghosts returning to the living world.
"Third Hokage-sama," an ANBU squad leader knelt respectfully behind him, though his eyes couldn't help drifting toward the sky.
Zhongli's heavenly silhouette had already faded completely, yet the memory of that world-ending falling star had carved itself permanently into the man's mind.
"Pass down the order," Hiruzen said quietly. "No discussion. No investigation. And send word to the Daimyō's residence. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife Kushina have died in action. As for the next Hokage candidate… that will be discussed later."
The tobacco in Hiruzen's pipe had burned out long ago, but he continued puffing at it unconsciously, habit overpowering awareness.
"Yes!" the ANBU responded in unison before dispersing.
"…So it's only his life," Hiruzen murmured softly, gazing at the empty heavens. His eyes were filled with layered thoughts—relief, unease, gratitude, and a quiet sense of powerlessness.
A god had walked through Konoha.
And left behind a contract far heavier than any political treaty.
…
…
Meanwhile, near what remained of the shattered dungeon, Ayato stood alone, reviewing the system notifications.
[Ding. First role-play has ended.]
[Zhongli role time for today has been exhausted.]
[Notice: For every 10% increase in role progress, the host may randomly obtain a skill from the role.]
[Current role progress: 5% (equivalent to acquiring 5% of the role's power).]
[Current skills obtained: None.]
As the prompt faded, Zhongli's appearance dissolved from Ayato's body. The Vortex Vanquisher vanished from his hand, leaving behind only his original form.
Plain civilian clothing.
Black eyes.
The only similarity he shared with Zhongli now was his black hair—though if he wanted to properly replicate Zhongli's hairstyle in the future, he would need to let it grow longer. That elegant style required length and weight to hold its shape.
The one true match was height.
Both he and Zhongli stood at exactly one hundred eighty-seven centimeters.
Ayato exhaled slowly, flexing his fingers as he adjusted to the return of his normal body.
Five percent power…
Not much.
But enough to survive in this dangerous world—if used carefully.
He glanced toward the ruins of the dungeon and considered his next move.
The prison had been destroyed during the Nine-Tails' rampage, yes—but Ayato knew what followed such disasters in the shinobi world.
The Uchiha clan had not participated in the defense.
The Nine-Tails had been controlled by Sharingan.
Suspicion would inevitably fall on the Uchiha.
Surveillance would tighten.
Restrictions would increase.
In such a political climate, the clan would become more cautious rather than reckless.
And as for him…
He would likely be released by tomorrow.
If he didn't return now, unnecessary complications could arise.
So he turned back.
When Ayato reached the ruins of the dungeon, he found a relatively intact patch of ground and sat down calmly to wait.
Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Uchiha personnel and ANBU forces arrived to inspect the site.
When they saw the prison destroyed—and Ayato sitting nearby instead of attempting to flee—
And after verifying that his original detention had indeed been baseless—
The middle-aged Uchiha officer in charge authorized his release without further delay.
…
Following the route stored in his memories, Ayato returned to his home.
Calling it a "home" was generous.
It was a narrow shopfront, with the second floor serving as cramped living quarters. The building was old, worn, and carried faint traces of his parents' presence—the only inheritance they had left him.
Before, Ayato had run it as a small general store, crammed with every kind of miscellaneous junk imaginable.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside.
It was already deep into the early hours of the morning. The village outside was quiet, blanketed in lingering tension from the night's catastrophe.
"May today also bring fair fortune," Ayato murmured softly, deliberately imitating Zhongli's tone.
[Ding!]
[Zhongli signature line spoken. Proficiency increased by 0.1%.]
[Current role progress: 5.1%.]
So both acting like Zhongli and speaking his lines could increase proficiency.
Only 4.9% more until he reached 10% and unlocked a random skill.
That didn't seem too difficult.
As he stepped deeper into the cluttered shop, another system prompt sounded.
[Ding.]
[Mission Triggered: Odd Jobs Shop]
[Mission 1: Convert the general store into an Odd Jobs Shop. Reward: Zhongli role progress +0.1%.]
[Mission 2: Establish a shop rule consistent with Zhongli's conduct. Reward: Zhongli role progress +0.1%.]
[Mission 3: Complete the Odd Jobs Shop's first transaction. Reward: Zhongli role progress +0.1%.]
Ayato stared at the glowing interface in silence.
So the Multiverse Role-Playing System wasn't just about borrowing power.
It wanted him to build something.
A presence.
A role in this world.
The faint glow of the mission interface reflected in his eyes as a slow smile formed.
If the battlefield was where gods displayed their power…
Then the shop would be where destiny quietly changed hands.
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