[Land of Waves Arc — End]
...
Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage set down his phone and picked up the pipe beside him, taking a slow puff.
The second chapter of the story had unlocked today as well.
As expected, the perspective followed Team 7—an event that took place in the Land of Waves.
"The Falling Pure White Snow, huh."
The Third couldn't help but sigh softly. Ninjas truly weren't simple beings.
A man who killed all his classmates in the graduation exam, yet in the end, shed tears.
It showed that no matter how strong a ninja seemed, there would always be a trace of tenderness within his heart.
And that was precisely why ninjas could never be seen as mere tools.
With a loud bang, the door was pushed open.
"Hiruzen, we must make preparations for what happened in the Land of Waves," Danzo said bluntly as he entered.
"So what do you plan to do about that wealthy merchant, Gato?" the Third asked calmly.
"...It's not just about Gato. The Land of Waves borders our territory. Without a ninja force, it's easy prey. Naturally, we should station some of our own there."
"Then perhaps you should also send troops to the Land of Rivers... and the Land of Rain?"
"What do you mean by that? This is for their own good!" Danzo's face darkened.
"Then you should consult the Daimyo about what happens when you meddle in another nation's internal affairs," the Third said, pausing deliberately. "Don't oversimplify things, Danzo!"
Danzo stared hard at Hiruzen.
The Third ignored him and lowered his gaze back to the paperwork on his desk.
There was no way around it. Danzo knew the moment the conversation reached this point, anything further would be useless. He hadn't expected the Third to be so firm about it this time.
With a cold snort, Danzo turned to leave.
What else could he do—stay and humiliate himself?
But just as he reached the door, something seemed to cross his mind. He stopped briefly, then threw a final remark over his shoulder.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage."
Bang! (door slams shut)
Watching his old comrade storm off, the Third rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
He wasn't entirely sure how the conversation had spiraled that way, but he did have his reasons for rejecting Danzo's idea so harshly.
The situation right now was far too delicate. No one dared to stir trouble openly—because everyone feared that mysterious, unknown power.
And yet Danzo wanted to send troops into a defenseless small nation? That kind of brazen ambition could not possibly go unnoticed!
If that mysterious light curtain truly possessed the power to resurrect the dead... Then who could say it didn't also have the power to turn the living into the dead?
"Oh-ho! It actually does exist!"
...
Cube Internet Café.
Kuroda scrolled through the system's various functions, clicking his tongue in wonder.
Though the system's capabilities had their limits, within the Shinobi World, they were nothing short of miraculous.
Not that Kuroda cared much about that—he was more interested in figuring out how to properly run Ninja Mobile Game.
Just then, the door opened, and customers walked in.
"A café, huh? Anyone gonna tell us what's on the menu? Waiter?"
"Ya, don't yell so loud," said a girl softly.
"That's right, if you must ask why..."
"What can I get you all?" Kuroda approached, and when his eyes met the four newcomers, his gaze flickered slightly.
Boss… isn't that the host?
Kurenai was a little curious, but didn't ask further. They just came in to sit for a bit.
Team 8 found a table and quickly noticed a menu sitting on it.But it was all kinds of coffee—nothing else.
"Black coffee? Akamaru, you wanna try this?" Kiba asked, looking at the little white dog lying on his head.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Akamaru barked a few times.
"I'd advise against it, Kiba," Shino said, adjusting his glasses. "If you must ask why—Naruto brushed his teeth seven times after drinking it last time."
Kiba jumped. "Really? You mean that idiot Naruto just couldn't handle it, right?"
"He still handled it better than someone who throws tantrums every time he loses a ranked match," Kurenai said dryly.
"Come on, Kurenai-sensei, that was ages ago!" Kiba scratched his head helplessly.
Hinata giggled softly, then picked up the menu and began reading.
Did Naruto-kun drink black coffee too...?
After the four of them ordered, it didn't take long before Kuroda brought their drinks over—only to find them already playing in pairs, locked in a fierce match.
Perhaps... it was time to ask his players a few things.
"Yo, you guys playing Ninja Mobile Game too? Funny—every customer that comes in ends up playing while waiting for their coffee," Kuroda said with an easy smile.
"That's 'cause we've never seen anything like it before—HEY! SHINO, YOU CHEATER! You attacked while I was talking!"
Kiba glared furiously at Shino after watching his on-screen character get wiped out.
Shino's expression remained calm as he picked up his cup and took a sip—then his face shifted subtly.
"This is...?"
"Good, right? The beans are top quality! Pure as can be!" Kuroda said proudly, his eyes glinting with confidence.
Shino... and the others... all went silent after their first sip. After a long, long moment, Kurenai finally spoke up.
"... I kinda wish it wasn't that pure," she said in a strangled voice. "Uh, can we get... no, make that four glasses of water, please?"
"Eh?!"
Kuroda's expression visibly dropped as he turned away muttering,
"Man, people in this village sure have picky taste!"
Who's got the picky taste here!!!
The four of them exchanged helpless looks. Then Kurenai suddenly called out toward Kuroda's retreating figure.
"Four glasses of plain water! Nothing added! Pure and natural!"
"Got it, got it, I know all about purity," Kuroda replied, waving a hand without turning back.
Hey, hey! Do you really understand!?
For once, Kurenai felt genuinely nervous. Not since passing the Jōnin exam had she felt this way.
If it was really that bad, they could endure it—they were ninjas, after all.
But that taste...
It was just... impossible to describe.
That first sip felt like getting hit by steam, a thick, scorching liquid sliding down the throat while an overwhelming fragrance exploded straight to the brain.
It was said that chakra was a mixture of physical and spiritual energy produced by 130 trillion cells in the body.
Right now, it felt like every one of those 130 trillion cells had awakened—gasping, inhaling, exhaling madly.
Only after several minutes could they finally feel alive again, as if their souls had just returned to their bodies.
Even then, their stomachs still churned violently, like a rampaging tailed beast was wreaking havoc inside.
It wasn't that it tasted bad—it was too good. So good that the human body simply couldn't handle it.
Yes, that had to be it!
"Hmm-hmm-hmm~ hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm~"
As Kuroda hummed an unfamiliar tune behind the counter, Team 8's hearts thumped nervously. Why did they suddenly feel so uneasy?
But then, the humming stopped. They didn't know why—but somehow, they all let out a sigh of relief.
At that moment, a glowing system screen appeared before Kuroda. It displayed a map of the Shinobi World.
Two red dots were moving—not fast, but steadily drifting away from their previous location.
Kuroda's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.
"They've logged out from the Land of Waves server, huh!"