*The war is over—but the real danger steps forward with a single greedy glance.*
"I hope… you can protect Konoha," Minato said, coughing violently as blood stained the corner of his lips.
The golden chains binding the remnants of the Nine-Tails were already fading. His strength was nearly gone. Every breath sounded like it might be his last.
Ayato stood quietly before him, the faint glow of geo light reflecting in his eyes.
"I'm afraid I can't accept that contract," Ayato replied calmly, narrowing his eyes just slightly.
Minato froze for a moment. Even in his weakened state, surprise flickered across his face.
"Yes… I suppose that makes sense," he said after a breath. "But may I ask why?"
Ayato looked toward the ruined battlefield, where shattered earth still steamed faintly from residual chakra. The wind carried the scent of scorched soil and blood.
"Konoha's surface may appear peaceful," Ayato said evenly, "but beneath it lies endless conflict. Shadows feed on stability. Power invites greed."
He paused, his gaze distant.
"I have no intention of becoming a guardian deity for this village. Morax protected Liyue because its people stood on their own feet. A nation must learn to survive without leaning on gods."
Minato closed his eyes briefly, absorbing the meaning behind the words.
"Then… you won't help us at all?"
Ayato turned back toward him.
"I said I cannot accept that contract. But I can offer you a different one."
Golden light gathered between Ayato's fingers. The glow compressed, condensing into a tiny fragment of crystallized starlight—radiant, stable, and humming with quiet power.
Minato's breath caught.
"What kind of contract?"
"I will observe your son's growth from the shadows—Uzumaki Naruto," Ayato said calmly. "I will ensure only one thing: that his life will never be placed in mortal danger."
Not protection from hardship.
Not protection from pain.
Only protection from death.
Minato understood immediately.
Tears welled in his eyes.
"That… is more than enough," he whispered. "Thank you."
Summoning the last of his remaining strength, Minato lifted his trembling hand and pressed it against the glowing starstone. Blood smeared across its surface.
Light flared.
The crystal dissolved into golden particles and merged into Ayato's body like starlight sinking into deep earth.
"Since we are bound by contract," Ayato said quietly, "I shall honor all matters within its scope."
Minato's hand slipped from the air and fell limp.
Kushina had already passed moments earlier, her expression still soft despite the pain she had endured.
If not for the contract stabilizing lingering spiritual interference, Minato's soul might already have been claimed by the Shinigami.
Ayato lifted his gaze toward the fading spectral form of the Reaper Death Seal.
The god of death…
Golden light reflected in his eyes, a faint ripple of curiosity surfacing.
So this is the god of this world?
As the sealing array dispersed, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence. Only the bodies of Minato and Kushina remained, with Naruto lying peacefully between them.
Ayato stepped forward and knelt slightly.
The infant stirred, blue eyes blinking open.
Instead of fear, curiosity filled the child's gaze as he stared directly at Ayato's face.
A fragile life… yet carrying unimaginable potential.
Ayato allowed himself a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"Who exactly are you?" a voice demanded.
Hiruzen Sarutobi approached cautiously, pipe clenched between his teeth, his gaze sharp and wary.
Ayato's falling star had shaken every belief Hiruzen had held about power.
Defeating the Nine-Tails in a single strike—
Even Hashirama Senju had not done so in such an overwhelming and absolute fashion.
Hashirama had sealed it through raw dominance and suppression.
Ayato had crushed it like a falling judgment from the heavens.
"I don't recall anyone like you in Konoha," Hiruzen said slowly.
Ayato rose to his feet and turned toward him, expression composed.
"I'm not necessarily from Konoha."
He still had less than ten minutes of role time remaining.
This moment mattered.
He needed to establish a clear identity—one that separated Zhongli from Ayato, one that would echo through the village long after this form vanished.
After all, the system only allowed thirty minutes per role. He would need new identities in the future.
Might as well let this one leave a deep impression.
Conveniently, his own temperament aligned closely with Zhongli's.
Before Hiruzen could speak again—
"How about joining Root?"
The voice cut in sharply.
Danzo Shimura stepped forward without hesitation, his visible eye burning with ambition. Several Root operatives silently fanned out behind him, positioning themselves with practiced efficiency.
The air shifted instantly.
Ayato frowned slightly.
A heavy pressure descended like a falling mountain.
The Root operatives stiffened as geo energy pressed against their bodies, forcing shallow breaths from their lungs.
"Danzo! Stand down!" Hiruzen barked, anger flaring in his voice. Had this man not just witnessed overwhelming power?
Provoking someone like this was suicide.
Danzo ignored him.
His greed drowned out caution.
"[Dominus Lapidis]."
The words fell like a quiet decree.
Two massive stone pillars erupted from the ground with thunderous force, anchoring themselves beside the Root operatives. Golden runic patterns ignited along their surfaces.
The air vibrated.
Geo resonance surged outward.
Because Ayato had designated only Danzo and his operatives as hostile targets, the energy slammed into them with crushing force.
"Urgh—!"
Blood sprayed from multiple mouths as bodies were hurled backward, crashing against shattered earth.
Danzo staggered, barely managing to keep his footing. His cane cracked against the stone as he steadied himself, fury blazing in his eyes.
"You—!"
"This is your first and only warning," Ayato said flatly.
The pillars continued humming, their power restrained yet unmistakably lethal.
Hiruzen stepped forward immediately, placing himself between them.
"Danzo, step back. My apologies for my companion's recklessness."
He bowed slightly.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself. Former Third Hokage of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi. This is Hokage Advisor Danzo Shimura. And you are?"
Hiruzen could tell—Ayato had held back massively. Otherwise, even the entirety of Root would not have survived that exchange.
"Zhongli," Ayato replied calmly. "You may also address me as the Geo Archon."
The title sent a subtle chill through the air.
A god.
Hiruzen's grip tightened around his pipe.
"Lord Zhongli," Hiruzen said respectfully, "Konoha has no intention of becoming your enemy. We hope instead to establish a friendly relationship."
He was no longer the ambitious Professor of Ninjutsu from his younger years.
Stability mattered more than pride now.
Especially when facing something that clearly existed beyond human limits.
"I likewise bear no hostility toward Konoha," Ayato replied. "However, there is something you must understand clearly."
Hiruzen nodded. "Please speak."
"I have just established a contract with your Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened instantly.
"A deathbed contract is never trivial," he said gravely. "What does it concern?"
Ayato lifted a hand and pointed toward the sleeping infant.
"His life… is my contract."
Silence fell.
Hiruzen stared at Naruto, his expression complicated.
"…And if not?" Danzo challenged recklessly, bitterness seeping through his words.
Ayato's eyes shifted toward him.
"If not?"
The Vortex Vanquisher manifested in Ayato's grasp, its golden edge humming with restrained power.
Hiruzen snapped sharply, "Danzo, enough!"
"Good," Ayato said calmly. "Since you asked, I'll answer. Otherwise, the outcome would be the same."
His voice cooled, carrying unmistakable authority.
"[This is the will of heaven.]"
The sky trembled.
A familiar pressure descended once more.
Hiruzen's breath caught as the heavens rippled with golden light, the outline of celestial power faintly forming once again.
Danzo's blood ran cold.
He remembered the falling star.
He remembered the crater.
He remembered the helplessness.
The pressure vanished just as quickly, leaving only the echo of terror behind.
"I understand," Hiruzen said immediately, lowering his head. "Naruto's life will never be threatened under my watch."
Danzo clenched his fist in silent rage—but said nothing.
Ayato allowed the spear to dissolve back into light.
"Then our contract stands."
A soft breeze swept across the ruined clearing.
Zhongli's figure began to blur, fading like drifting golden dust.
"The market has closed, and the docks grow quiet," his voice echoed faintly. "Go and rest."
Then he vanished completely.
Hiruzen remained where he stood for a long time, staring at the empty sky.
Danzo's gaze lingered on the place Zhongli had disappeared, hatred and obsession burning beneath his calm exterior.
A god had entered the board.
And Danzo intended to claim him.
Whether by force… or by blood.
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