Danzō's face turned pitch black.
This time…
he was finished.
Not only had he become the public enemy of Konoha—
even after he dies and goes to the Pure Land…
It looks like things might be even worse for him there.
"Still haven't found Bai Yan!?"
"What are you all good for!? You can't even find ONE man!?"
"Hurry and keep searching!
No matter what it takes—
Bai Yan MUST be found!"
Danzō decided he'd wait just a bit longer.
If they still couldn't locate him…
then he'd have no choice but to @ him in the chat.
At that moment,
a Root ninja appeared.
"Danzō-sama, we have not found the Bai Yan who dominated the top ten of the Summoning Beast Ranking."
Danzō roared:
"Then why did you come back!?
Get out there and keep searching!"
"T-There is another Bai Yan I found in Konoha…
But… he's just an ordinary villager."
Danzō narrowed his eyes.
"Explain."
"He is the son-in-law of Teuchi from Ichiraku Ramen.
He always smiles and works there making noodles.
I don't know if he might be… the same Bai Yan on the ranking."
Danzō:
"You fool!
How could a man capable of dominating the top ten summoning beasts
be standing in a ramen shop making noodles!?
That Bai Yan is DEFINITELY not the one from the ranking!
Continue searching!"
After the Root ninja left, Danzō frowned deeply.
"Everyone has zero information on Bai Yan.
Could it be…
he's just too ordinary, so no one paid attention?"
"So—
could the Bai Yan from Ichiraku Ramen…
really be the same one from the list?"
"No! Impossible!"
Danzō shook his head violently.
"I must be losing my mind trying to save myself.
A man with such terrifying aura and presence
would NEVER spend his days smiling and making ramen."
[Slug @ Manda:
You died so miserably in the future!
After you died, no one blocked the toad oil for me!]
[Manda @ Slug:
That was the future.
Who knows if it's even real?]
[Manda @ Sasuke:
But future or not—
you DARED to use ME as a shield
and got me killed!?
GET OUT HERE AND DIE!]
[Sasuke @ Manda:
Just a snake.
You think I fear you?]
[Itachi @ Manda:
Whom did you say you want to hit?
I must've misheard—
care to repeat?]
[Fugaku @ Manda:
Tired of living already?
Want to die now?]
[Mikoto @ Sasuke:
Go on, dear!
Beat that stinky snake up!
I'm waiting in the Pure Land—
When he arrives,
I'll bully him again!]
[Izuna @ Manda:
Regardless—
you certainly don't seem to respect
the Uchiha clan enough.]
[Gamahiro @ Manda:
When you die,
remember to keep your skin intact.
I happen to need a snake-skin wallet.]
[Sasuke @ Itachi:
Why did you show up?
You looking to die again?]
[Itachi @ Sasuke:
My foolish little brother—
talking is easy.
Didn't you always want to kill me?
Come.
Come and die.]
Kage Banter
[A (Fourth Raikage) @ Hiruzen:
Didn't you claim to be the strongest Hokage?
Yet you nearly broke yourself
just to seal your student's arms?]
[Onoki @ Hiruzen:
Don't insult the strongest Hokage!
In my eyes, Hashirama is the true strongest Hokage.]
[Madara @ Hashirama:
In terms of Hokage—
Hashirama,
I acknowledge you as the strongest.]
At this moment—
The scroll burst with golden light again.
Next to the Summoning Beast Ranking,
new large characters appeared:
"Five Kage Power Ranking"
The moment the new list appeared,
the entire shinobi world erupted with attention.
"What a shame—
this list has nothing to do with us normal ninjas.
Still, if our Tsuchikage gets a reward and becomes stronger,
it'll be great for the village!"
"Five Kage Power Ranking…
I wonder if it ranks only the top,
or EVERY Kage from past and future?"
"Our Raikage-sama is definitely top three!"
"Finally!
Up until now, almost all winners were connected to Konoha—
this time, it's OUR turn!"
[Onoki:
First place will definitely be the First Hokage.
No doubt.
But I wonder where I will rank…]
[Tobirama @ Onoki:
What?
You want to challenge me for second place?]
[Mei:
Well, I can at least win "Most Beautiful Kage," right?]
[Tsunade:
If this list includes the future—
tell me, Mei…
do you still think you'll be the most beautiful?]
[Mei @ Tsunade:
You wrinkled old woman!
If not for your Creation Rebirth technique,
you'd be a grandma already!
You think you can compare to me!?]
[Tsunade:
Even without my jutsu—
I can borrow Naruto's or Jiraiya's Time-Screaming Chicken,
squeeze it once,
and instantly become young again!]
[Mei:
Tch! Shameless!
Still relying on others!]
[Hashirama:
Little Tsunade, enough!
Not to brag—
but first place is basically mine.
If only the prize is another Resurrection Coin…]
[Tobirama:
Big brother—
if you get a resurrection coin,
remember to revive me!]
[Hashirama:
Little brother…
I want to revive you too,
but if I use it on you…
what about me!?]
[Tobirama @ Madara:
You said you would help revive my brother.
You won't go back on your word, right?]
[Madara:
Naturally.
If I say I'll revive Hashirama,
I will.]
[Tobirama:
Brother!
Since Madara will revive you,
then if you get the coin,
revive me.]
The Ranking Appears
A name emerged on the scroll.
All eyes turned toward it.
[Five Kage Power Ranking — 10th Place (Tie):
Fifth Kazekage – Gaara of the Sand]**
[Former One-Tail Jinchuriki;
Hidden Sand Village's terrifying secret weapon!]
[Able to freely manipulate sand-based ninjutsu with enormous destructive power.]
[Overwhelming other contestants during the Chūnin Exam.]
[Evaluation:
Born in darkness,
walked into the light,
then became the light that shines upon the darkness.]
[Reward: Sand-Sand Fruit
—grants immediate awakened state.
User's body becomes sand;
physical attacks and most ninjutsu become ineffective.
Also grants free creation and manipulation of sand.]
Shockwaves rippled across the ninja world.
[Mist Ninja:
Gaara?
Isn't he the One-Tail jinchuriki?
And just a kid!?]
[Cloud Villager:
Since Gaara appears as the Fifth Kazekage,
that means future Kage can appear too!]
[Leaf Ninja:
So the Five Kage list includes anyone
who WAS or WILL BE Kage.]
[Tenten:
Naruto always says he'll become Hokage…
I wonder if he actually does?]
[Shikamaru:
Did anyone notice?
Gaara is tied for 10th.
So someone else is also ranked 10th.]
[Orochimaru @ Gaara:
Once you get the Sand-Sand Fruit,
let me slice off a piece for research, okay?]
[Onoki:
Tch…
This Sand-Sand Fruit seems ridiculously strong.]
Onoki thought to himself:
"If the 10th place reward is this good…
then my reward—
which will be higher—
must be even better!"
[Mei:
I wonder where I'll rank…
maybe I'll get a Beauty-Beauty Fruit
and stay gorgeous forever!]
With such a fruit,
she could finally crush Tsunade in appearance.
[Naruto:
I'm gonna be Hokage!
Does that mean I'll be on the list too!?]
[Kushina:
Naruto will DEFINITELY become Hokage!
Right, honey?]
[Minato:
Of course!
He's my boy,
and he inherited the Will of Fire!
He WILL be Hokage someday!]
[Kiba:
If Naruto can become Hokage,
then I DEFINITELY can!
My ranking shouldn't be lower than Naruto's!]
[Chōji @ Kiba:
You didn't watch Naruto's future battles, huh?
You sure you'll rank higher than HIM?]
Gaara himself was stunned.
"I…
became Kazekage?"
"The villagers always saw me as a threat…"
"Even my father…"
(He remembered the assassination attempts.)
"Even if my father is dead,
the village would NEVER agree to make me Kazekage!"
"What happened in the future…
for things to change so drastically?"
Not only Gaara—
everyone who knew him was stunned.
Some were even frightened.
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