BlackStar_BH:
More Power Stones and comments, guys!
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"This…"
Dark lines appeared on Hiruzen's forehead as he watched the scenes of Naruto teaching Konohamaru the Sexy Technique…
"He's really teaching him that demonic technique."
Seeing Konohamaru transform into a chubby woman dressed in a swimsuit made the vein on Hiruzen's forehead throb even harder. For a moment, he didn't know whether to cry or to laugh.
On the other hand, Kushina was laughing uncontrollably, slapping her knee as tears streamed down her face.
This scene only made the Third Hokage even more distressed.
"Hahahaha! Look, Minato—he's really teaching him that technique!" Kushina laughed as she pointed at the manga.
Minato kept a calm expression, but inside, he was laughing just as hard.
"Looks like Naruto found himself a naughty disciple," Minato said.
"Hahaha! What makes it even funnier is that the tutor ninja in charge of Konohamaru… what was his name again? Ah—Ebisu! Looks like Naruto is giving him even more work to do, hahaha!"
Kushina felt like she hadn't laughed this hard in ages. This was truly entertaining.
"…Looks like I appointed a real clown as my grandson's tutor…"
Seeing the frantic thoughts running through Ebisu's head as he searched for Konohamaru made Hiruzen want to find the man right now and beat him senseless.
After all, a little kid had managed to slip past his supervision, go looking for Naruto, and now Naruto had become Konohamaru's real teacher!
"The kid's morals are already lost. It's too late…"
Hiruzen smacked his forehead as he continued reading with teary eyes.
"My good grandson… he's becoming an exact copy of that demon fox."
Hiruzen flipped to the next page, his attention instantly captured. Naruto and Konohamaru were talking openly, from the heart.
…
[—
"…My name—Konohamaru… My grandfather named me."
"Like the village, right? He said it would bring me luck…" The little boy sighed as he said that, then added:
"But even though everyone in the village knows that's my name… no one ever calls me that!"
Naruto listened quietly as the boy spoke about what troubled him.
"It's always just 'Honored Grandson.' No one ever sees me for who I am…"
"Just who I'm related to. And I hate it!" Konohamaru showed an angry expression, like the furious emoji on his cap, before speaking of a distant goal.
"But it'll be different when I become Lord Hokage, and that's gonna be real soon!!"
After listening silently, Naruto finally spoke: "No way! Who'd respect a Hokage like you?"
"Huh?" Konohamaru almost stumbled.
"It's too big a name for such a little guy!" he added.
"What!?" Konohamaru jumped up angrily.
"You idiot! It won't be easy to win the Hokage name!… You don't get it just because you want it!" Naruto paused for a moment before continuing: "If you want to become Hokage that badly…"
"Well? What?!" Konohamaru clenched his fists, ready to hear the rest.
Naruto stared at him with sharp eyes and a dangerous smile, speaking with clear provocation, making him sweat.
"You'll have to get past me first!"
—]
...
Hiruzen felt a heavy weight settle in his heart as he stared at the top half of the page, unable—or unwilling—to move past it easily.
At this moment, Hiruzen felt as if the book in his hands were sending him messages from the future. He had sensed it faintly before, but with this chapter, the feeling became far stronger.
"This feeling… It's as if the future is an open book in my hands…"
"When I woke up this morning, I never expected to receive a message like this," Hiruzen thought, describing his current emotions.
Seeing Konohamaru tell Naruto that his grandfather, the Hokage, named him after Konoha for good luck made Hiruzen smile.
He thought that he would certainly do the same when he had a grandson… but having everyone in the village call him 'Honored Grandson' instead of his actual name—
"That really is a predicament for a small child. An old man like my counterpart might not notice it…"
No one ever sees me for who I am…
That particular line struck him deeply, especially the accompanying image—the grandfather like a shadow looming over the small grandson, preventing him from forming his own true identity.
"But if you don't grow up under the shade of a great tree, you won't enjoy its fruits once you mature…"
Hiruzen still wanted his grandson to grow up under his shadow. It was far better than growing up with no shelter at all to protect him from rain and cold—like Naruto, who had suffered, and was still suffering…
"Hardships make men, but they also break their spirits. You're still a child, so you can't see the bigger picture… but I understand the identity crisis you're going through, my good grandson."
Hiruzen felt that he understood now. He would not repeat the same mistake in the future—no matter what!
…
'Everyone wants to become Hokage… Damn it!'
On the other hand, Danzō paid no attention to the children's chatter, yet at this moment, a sense of unease crept into his heart—when he saw Naruto's eyes as he said:
You'll have to get past me first!
Earlier, he had felt as if Naruto were speaking directly to him when he said that you couldn't become Hokage just because you wanted it.
'I want it… In fact, I want it desperately. I'll do whatever it takes to become Hokage. Hiruzen stole what I deserved—Master Tobirama acknowledged him, but not me. It's infuriating… yet it only makes me want it more.'
'Who are you to say I can't become Hokage just because I want it? I want it—and I will become Hokage someday, because I desire it that much.'
Determination rekindled in Danzō's eyes. Power—that was what he sought. To be the supreme ruler, to unify the five great villages, and why not become the sole king of the world? He had a plan, and he had already begun executing it.
The first step was to eliminate Konoha's White Fang. With his terrifying strength, he was the prime candidate to become the next Hokage after Hiruzen.
When the opportunity fell into his hands, Danzō spared no effort in destroying Sakumo's reputation. Knowing the disposition of that man, pushing him just a little to the edge would make him collapse—perhaps he would commit seppuku and end his own life. That was exactly what Danzō wanted to see.
But at this moment, Danzō's eyes widened when he saw Sakumo sitting directly in front of him, reading the manga with his young son and laughing…
That's right—laughing as he hadn't laughed in a long time. Even his son, Kakashi, was laughing hard while holding his stomach.
Father and son were happy. Behind them stood Rob, laughing as well. At that moment, Rob's eyes glinted as he stared straight at Danzō.
'Try harder next time, Danzō… It'd be better if you followed Naruto's advice and became a bit more obedient in the future.'
Rob thought this with satisfaction as he enjoyed Danzō's pale expression.
…
"I didn't expect this story to be this funny… hahaha! The interaction between Naruto and Konohamaru is hilarious."
Sakumo laughed as he wiped away tears, speaking to his young son, who was about the same age as Konohamaru.
"Hahaha! See! I told you, Dad—you wouldn't regret coming here! Naruto is super funny, and Konohamaru too! That annoying Ebisu is funny too! Even the old Lord Hokage is funny!"
Young Kakashi wiped away his own tears. Konohamaru's failed attempt to transform into a seductive woman had made him laugh so hard that tears poured out.
This was the exact scene Danzō had witnessed earlier.
"To think the Lord Hokage would have such a funny grandson in the future… The future will be interesting. I wonder if I'll have a role in it…"
Sakumo's expression soon darkened as he thought about his current circumstances.
But seeing his happy son beside him gave him inward encouragement.
'At least inside this store, no one looks at me with those hurtful eyes… Everyone seems too busy reading the manga.'
Sakumo thought so, an indescribable sense of relief washing over him—something he hadn't felt in many days.
"Dad, Naruto says you can't become Hokage just because you want to… Is that true?" Kakashi asked curiously. He wanted to know his father's opinion.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 28: The Fourth Hokage — Konoha's Hero.
Chapter 29: A Truth from the Near Future.
Chapter 30: The True Shinobi!
Chapter 31: An Unexpected Kiss!
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 41.
There are 14 advanced chapters available now:
5 chapters in the Silver tier ($5 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Gold tier ($10 subscription), and 4 more chapters in the Platinum tier ($15 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!