Chapter 119: Weights and Measures
The shockwaves from the annihilation of the joint force rippled outwards, reaching not only the embattled lands of Suna and Iwa, but also the heart of the victor's own village. In the Land of Fire, within the Hokage Tower, the atmosphere was not one of celebration, but of sober, heavy calculation.
The air felt thick, charged with the tension of an impending storm. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, stood before the large window of his office, his face etched with a solemnity that went beyond wartime concern. The pipe in his hand was unlit, forgotten.
If I hadn't confirmed that neither the Kazekage nor the Tsuchikage have taken the field… I would be in the Rain Country myself by now, he thought. The scale of the event demanded a Kage-level response. But the response had come from within his own ranks, and it was… disquieting.
"The decisive engagement is upon us," he murmured to the distant, invisible border. "And now, Ragnar's power… it has become a pivot. It could tip the entire balance of this war."
A weapon of such magnitude was a blessing. And a curse.
"But can he be trusted?"
The question, once unthinkable for the idealistic Hokage, now sat heavy in his mind. His position demanded it. Ragnar's ascent wasn't just meteoric; it was a violation of natural law. From a traumatized refugee child to a battlefield deity in under a year? The corpses of Sand and Rock ninja were the steps of his staircase, and he now stood at a height that made even Sarutobi, the Professor, the master of a thousand jutsu, feel a primal flicker of fear.
At his age, he has already surpassed the legendary benchmarks set by Hashirama-sensei and Madara in their youth. The implication was staggering. Given another decade or two of this growth curve, who in the entire world could hope to stand as his equal? For Konoha, such a protector would be an invincible shield.
But…
Sarutobi's mind circled the 'but'. The identity. The inexplicable source of such power in a boy from a wiped-out, no-name border village. It defied all shinobi logic. Was it a miracle? Or was it a meticulously planted seed by an enemy, now blooming into a weapon meant to be turned against Konoha from within? As Hokage, he had to consider every possibility, no matter how paranoid.
Objectively, with his current feats, Ragnar's path was clear: ANBU Captain in the near future. Given time and political maneuvering, even a candidacy for Hokage was not out of the question. The highest authority in the village, bestowed upon an outsider with a past of shadows and a present drenched in blood. Would the village accept it? Could he accept it?
The door to his office opened without a knock. Danzo, having returned from the front, entered with the quiet, entitled stride of one who believed he belonged in these halls.
"Ragnar. 'Rakshasa'," Danzo stated, his voice cutting through the contemplative silence. "He is an outsider. His roots are not sunk in Konoha's soil."
Sarutobi didn't turn. "Your point, Danzo?"
"My point is clear, Hiruzen. Use him. Wield him as the sharp blade he is. But under no circumstances should you ever give him the hilt." Danzo's single eye was hard, unblinking. "Do not grant him true authority. Do not let him build influence."
"And would that not be a chilling reward for the one who has saved a Sannin, secured our supply lines, and broken the enemy's most effective harassment force?" Sarutobi's voice was calm, but a thread of steel ran through it.
"Chilling?" Danzo scoffed. "You still see him as a child? A child does not harvest lives like wheat. A child does not leave battlefields looking like abattoirs. I have seen the reports, the scout's sketches. There is something… wrong in that boy's head, Hiruzen. He is a latent tumor. It would be wiser to excise it now, while we still can, than to wait for it to metastasize and consume the host."
Sarutobi finally turned, his expression sharp. "That is enough, Danzo. You are being extreme. He is a powerful young man who needs proper guidance, not a blade in the dark. With the right hand to steer him, he can become one of Konoha's greatest heroes."
"Ha! A young man?" Danzo's laugh was brittle. "You weren't there, Hiruzen. You didn't see the aftermath. The… efficiency of it. It wasn't battle. It was butchery. No child, no matter how gifted, behaves like that. It is the work of a seasoned killer, or something… other. I am telling you, if you do not act, one day you will find that blade turned against you. Against all of us."
"I said, enough." Sarutobi's voice was final, the authority of the Hokage settling in the room. "As long as you do not provoke him, there will be no issue. The situation is under control."
Danzo stared at his old friend, seeing the stubborn idealism he both despised and, in a twisted way, relied upon. He shook his head slowly, a grim smile on his lips. "Very well. We shall see. Time will prove which of us has clearer vision, Hiruzen. Mark my words."
"I am the Hokage," Sarutobi said simply, turning back to the window, dismissing him. "I cannot afford to be wrong."
Danzo's eye narrowed. The arrogance of that statement, the sheer, infuriating certainty, was a spark to tinder. You fool. Your soft heart will be the death of this village.
With a soundless snarl of frustration, Danzo turned on his heel and stalked out, his cloak billowing. The conversation was over, but the divide between their philosophies had never been wider.
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not watch him leave. He gazed at the peaceful, bustling village below, a village protected by walls built by the First, governed by the will of the Second, and now defended by monsters he himself had helped nurture. The unease Danzo had tried to plant took shallow root. Is it paranoia? Or is it prudence?
The Iwa and Sand had suffered a devastating blow. They would not take it lying down. The Tsuchikage would come. The Kazekage might come. The true, bloody climax of the war was gathering on the horizon.
With the White Fang there, the situation was manageable. But the cold, analytical part of his mind, the part that had earned him the title 'Professor', would not quiet. A new, unpredictable variable of immense power was now in play. And he was on their side. For now.
Land of Rain, Konoha Forward Camp
Ragnar had returned to his quarters immediately after the battle, avoiding the inevitable questions and awed stares. He sat cross-legged on his cot, the door closed, the world shut out.
When he closed his eyes, the afterimages were not of strategy or triumph, but of pure process: the arc of a slash, the collapse of a body, the spray of blood against leaves, the muffled crunch of earth compacting flesh. A gallery of endings.
He observed these memories with detached interest. He felt no nausea, no thrill, no regret. It was data. But a deeper part of him, a whisper from the base of his skull, acknowledged a sense of… completion. A job done thoroughly. And a faint, persistent urge for more. Why does the act of ending life feel so… efficient? So correct? It wasn't a question of morality, but of self-diagnosis. This calm in the face of carnage, this professionalism towards slaughter… was it normal? For him, it was. But he was aware enough to know he might not be the best benchmark for 'normal'.
He shook his head slightly, dismissing the philosophical spiral. It was a minor anomaly. His focus needed to be on quantifiable growth.
He pulled up his system interface.
[Host: Ragnar]
[Abilities: Conqueror's Haki Lv.3, Observation Haki Lv.4, Armament Haki Lv.4, Shave Lv.3, Moon Walk Lv.3. (Next Upgrade: 10,000 EXP)]
[Skills: Tornado Comprehension, 36-Pound Phoenix, 72-Pound Phoenix, Ittoryu – Lion's Song.]
[Devil Fruits: Burn-Burn Fruit Lv.4, Human-Human Fruit, Model: Daibutsu Lv.3. (Next Upgrade: 10,000 EXP)]
[Weapon: Yama (Demon Blade)]
[Current EXP: 49,000 / 50,000]
"Almost there," he whispered. Fifty thousand was the threshold. A major evolution.
Next, he summoned the reward from the carnage: the Platinum Treasure Chest. It materialized in his mind's eye, gleaming with promise. With a thought, he opened it.
Brilliant, diamond-white light flared, then resolved. Floating within was a single card, framed in intricate platinum.
He took it. Information flooded him.
[Special Designation: Yonko Summoning Card – "Kaido of the Beasts"]
(End of Chapter)
✨If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/TofuChan
💕Patreon members get early access to chapters, bonus content, and voting power on future ideas.💕
Every bit of support helps me write more and faster. Thank you so much for reading! 🥰
Bonus Chapter For Every 100 Power Stones
Lets hit the goal of 200 Patreon Members now for 5 Extra Chapters 💕