BlackStar_BH:
More Power Stones and comments, guys!
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Hiruzen Sarutobi was so stunned that he didn't know what to say at first. But he quickly regained his composure, stood up calmly, and ordered the ANBU to leave, closing the door behind him.
The ANBU vanished in a puff of smoke, followed by the soft sound of the door closing.
"I'm truly shocked. Words cannot describe my joy and astonishment at seeing the esteemed Princess Mito-sama visit my office today!"
Hiruzen stood with a straight back. Rob could see the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, though they quickly disappeared as Hiruzen forced himself to calm down.
Mito sat with elegance, like a beauty stepping out of a painting. Her aura was warm, generous, and unconstrained—but the Third Hokage felt no warmth at all. In fact, all he felt at that moment was confusion.
What was the First Hokage's wife doing here? Hadn't she released the Nine-Tails two months ago? Shouldn't her remaining vitality have run out, allowing her to pass away peacefully? Why was she sitting in front of him now, looking youthful again?
He had already been preparing a grand funeral worthy of the wife of the village's founder… but…
'What is going on!?' Hiruzen wondered internally. He even wanted to pinch himself to break free from the genjutsu he suspected… but who could cast such a precise illusion on him?
'The Uchiha clan head? Impossible.'
He dismissed the thought instantly. Even if Hugaku possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, it wouldn't be enough to trap the Hokage in an illusion of such accuracy.
(Author's Note: Utchiha Hugaku is the current Uchiha clan head, Sasuke's grandfather—an OC.)
'Am I really under genjutsu…?'
"You seem to be thinking too much, Hiruzen," Mito said with a bright smile.
Her words snapped the mentally absent Hokage back to reality. He glanced at everyone present—Minato, Kushina, Tsunade, and the person he was expecting to arrive alone: Uzumaki Rubirō.
Jiraiya had already left earlier and had not accompanied them here.
Rob gave the Hokage a gentle smile when he noticed Hiruzen staring at him.
…
After half an hour, Rob left the Hokage's office with a bright smile, completely satisfied with what had taken place inside.
The last sight before the door closed was the pitiful expression on Hiruzen's face—he looked as though his soul was trying to escape his body.
"Who's left? I'll speak with Danzō next," Mito said with a casual smile before turning her attention back to Rob.
"So, what do you want to do next, my good grandson?" she asked warmly. The irony was that her youthful appearance didn't make her look like Rob's grandmother at all—they seemed more like siblings, perhaps with her as the elder sister.
"I'll prepare the next manga volume, and I'm thinking of taking a trip to Sunagakure…" Rob said.
"Sunagakure? Why?" Mito asked, surprised.
"Well, I'm thinking about opening my second art store… Expanding outward is the foundation of my idea. What I'm aiming for, grandmother, is far bigger than it seems at first glance. As a business project… I'm betting on Naruto for the sake of this world's future."
Rob's eyes were sincere—but internally he was screaming for more Art Coins! He wanted to gather enough to buy some overpowered items!
"Oh… really? Is Naruto that great? Isn't he just a mischievous kid from my clan…?"
Mito glanced teasingly between Kushina and Minato, who were standing very close to one another. After observing for a moment, the manga image of Naruto popped into her mind.
'These two… could it be?' she wondered.
"Well, yes, that's true, and it will stay that way for quite some time. But any change in people's hearts takes a lot of time anyway," Rob said.
"I don't just want the good to this village—I want the good to the entire world. That's what the Lord Hokage doesn't understand… nor Danzō-san."
"To think my good grandson has such aspirations… You're reminding me more and more of Hashirama. If he had your talent back then, he would've done even more than you…" Mito said with nostalgia. A warm smile softened her expression, her eyes growing gentler.
"The First Lord was incredible—I can't compare to him… for now," Rob said earnestly.
"No need to be too humble. If he were here, he'd be praising you nonstop."
…
Hiruzen snapped back to his senses once they had all left.
"What just happened…?"
He still couldn't fully comprehend what had transpired. His heart was weighed down by the crushing pressure Mito had put on him.
"How many years has it been? Thirty or more… and yet time seems to stop around her again… Is it because of the Hundred Seal? She's nearing a hundred years old, yet she looks younger than me!"
The Third Hokage sank back into his chaotic thoughts.
He had entirely lost the conversation that took place—no, not just lost. He had been scolded. He, the leader of the village, the respected Third Hokage… had been scolded.
"That little brat really played his cards well…" Hiruzen sighed as he scratched his head with a defeated expression.
He thought extracting money from Rob would be easy, but after the grandmother's interference, everything went up in smoke.
"Well, at least he paid for the land and complied with the tax laws. He still has some morals… He's not completely evil."
"But the thought that Danzō wanted to control him… looks like he'll get scolded even worse than I did…"
…
Elsewhere, Danzō stood silently, hands behind his back, when a masked shinobi appeared beside him.
It seemed he had already established Root—the secret branch of the ANBU operating outside the Hokage's authority.
"What happened…?" Danzō asked without turning around.
"Princess Mito-sama is looking for you, sir…"
The masked shinobi said everything in one breath. Mito's appearance in the village had indeed caused a major commotion—but the real commotion was inside Danzō's heart.
"Is that true? How is that possible?"
"She was supposed to die soon… How did this happen… dammit."
"You may leave," Danzō said.
His expression was grim, annoyance clearly visible on his face.
'To think that Uzumaki brat went and revived such an incredible supporter… Tsk. I really underestimated you. So that's why you refused, huh?'
'What do I do now?'
'I must maintain a peaceful façade… at least until I understand exactly what's going on.'
With that thought, Danzō regained some composure. At the very least, he knew Mito had looked for him even before Hiruzen knew that. His performance wouldn't be as pathetic as the Hokage's.
'No matter what, I won't let myself get scolded!' he encouraged himself before heading out.
…
Back at the Art Store, Rob lounged on a couch, browsing through his system notifications—the profits, the store features, and, far more importantly, the terrifying System Shop filled with countless items.
"Well, it seems the shop is fully unlocked without restrictions. I can request anything by name, or even by world… everything exists—but the prices are insane."
Rob sighed as he viewed the prices of incredible items from Marvel, DC, Harry Potter, and the worlds of Xianxia and Wuxia… Everything was there, and the prices reflected the value of their respective worlds.
With the coins he currently had—over 400K—he couldn't even dream of buying anything beneficial from those worlds.
"To think I'm this pathetically poor… sigh…"
He looked for instant-power items like Devil Fruits from One Piece. Even the cheapest ones cost hundreds of thousands!
"Unbelievable."
"It seems the Art Coin conversion rate is extremely weak… a currency that appears from thin air—it makes sense…"
Rob planned to strengthen himself before going to Sunagakure, and the best way to do that was through his System Shop.
[Devil Fruit — Suna Suna no Mi: 2,000,000 Art Coins.]
Rob had been eyeing this fruit for the strategic advantage it would give him in the Land of Wind. He was certain Sunagakure wouldn't welcome him peacefully, even if he disguised himself as a merchant—his Uzumaki appearance alone would expose him instantly.
That's why he needed to prepare for conflict—and the best preparation was strengthening himself.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 44: The Heavy Political Player in the Village.
Chapter 45: System Level 3!
Chapter 46: Rob vs. Danzō's Root!
Chapter 47: The Third Kazekage!
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 63.
There are 20 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!