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While the winds of panic were still sweeping through the hearts of the spies fleeing from the borders of the Hidden Cloud Village—reports that would take days to reach the Kage offices—Rob had already shortened time and distance with a single thought.
Thanks to the advanced teleportation system of the Art Store, the return journey took no more than the blink of an eye.
...
Konohagakure:
In Konoha, the atmosphere was calm as ever—the scent of ramen drifting from Ichiraku's shop, the sound of shinobi leaping across rooftops. Nothing in the village had changed over the past four months, except for the growing crowds gathered in front of the main Art Store, all waiting for the fourth volume.
Rob stepped out of the transfer room inside his Konoha store and brushed the dust from his clothes.
There was no sign of fatigue or arrogance on him after crushing the Raikage; he was completely calm, carrying the power of advanced Conqueror Haki in his veins like a still ocean beneath a surface of ice.
He knew for certain that the news would arrive, that Hiruzen's and Danzō's offices would soon ignite with unbelievable reports—but for now, his priority was purely commercial.
"More Art Coins will start flowing in again!"
Rob felt delighted just thinking about it!
[Art Coins: 10M]
Simply looking at the number filled him with comfort.
He clicked his tongue when he noticed the familiar faces of Root shinobi, disguised as civilians, who had been visiting the Art Store for months.
"Let them watch all they want…" Rob muttered as he headed toward the empty shelves reserved for Volume Four, preparing to place the new copies. "Soon, none of them will dare watch me without trembling."
With confident steps, Rob signaled his system to begin the monthly update in Konoha, Kiri, Iwa, and Suna simultaneously.
It was time to launch Volume Four for all five great villages of this world.
…
A green beam of light shot into the sky from the Art Store, announcing the long-awaited release that the people of Konoha had been eagerly anticipating all month.
The fourth volume of the Naruto manga was now on the shelves.
A large crowd poured into the Art Store with excitement.
Hiruzen Sarutobi entered first, wearing the Hokage's robe and holding the ever-present tobacco pipe, surrounded by elite shinobi. Directly behind him walked "Konoha's White Fang," Sakumo Hatake, with calm steps, his hand resting on the shoulder of his young son Kakashi. Unusually, Kakashi wore a simple white mask covering his face, though his eyes shone with unmistakable curiosity toward the shelves.
"Are you comfortable wearing the mask?"
Sakumo asked with interest.
"It feels like people are staring at me a lot less this way."
Young Kakashi replied. Ever since his name became famous through the manga, his reputation had spread widely throughout the village.
Even as a child, crowds of children—and even adults—would follow him through the streets asking for autographs, and even inside the Art Store, it caused him great annoyance.
Especially those crazy people who were curious about why his older version wore a thin mask covering the lower half of his face.
They wanted to know the reason from him, since he was "young Kakashi."
"You'll have to get used to all of this," Sakumo replied with a smile.
With the rumors and news about his past mission failure and damaged reputation now gone, Sakumo's mood had become far more stable. With the appearance of the manga, his focus had shifted entirely to his son Kakashi. Thoughts of suicide no longer existed in his mind.
Danzō's grand conspiracy to bring him down had vanished as well—the direct reason being Rob and the Naruto manga, which had become Danzō's primary obsession.
Moments later, Might Dai burst in wearing his familiar green outfit, shouting enthusiastically about the "springtime of youth," followed by his son Gai, who tried to imitate his father's pose, adding a lively, noisy energy amid the dignified atmosphere.
Dai was extremely excited to read the new Naruto developments; this new routine had become the thing he looked forward to most with his son.
Then a sudden silence fell when Tsunade entered, her overwhelming beauty and authority as the First Hokage's granddaughter filling the room, holding the hand of her little brother Nawaki, who was hopping around joyfully.
Beside them walked Mito Uzumaki, carrying the dignity of a wise elder, though her youthful appearance created a strange contrast. She was accompanied by Kushina, her red hair flowing as she chatted animatedly with Minato, who wore his usual calm smile—even as his sharp eyes, those of a genius shinobi, analyzed every corner of the store.
At the entrance, a charged visual clash occurred as Jiraiya and Orochimaru arrived at the same moment. Jiraiya wore his playful expression tinged with irritation, while Orochimaru's cold, serpentine gaze met his.
They exchanged a brief look filled with old rivalry before entering silently and taking their places.
The flow did not stop there. The village elders, Koharu and Homura, entered with serious expressions, followed by a large delegation from the major clans.
Uchiha Hugaku led the Uchiha clan with sharp eyes and visible pride, while Hyūga Masanori entered at the head of the Hyūga clan with noble composure, their Byakugan eyes observing the strange flow of energy within the space.
The store gradually filled until it was packed with Konoha's strongest men and women. Then, at that moment, Danzō Shimura entered, his eyes sweeping the room with deadly coldness.
He walked slowly through the crowd, which parted slightly to make way for him, until he reached his usual spot beside the elders and Hiruzen.
He sat in silence, his eyes never leaving Rob, seated behind the counter, as if trying to deduce everything that had happened over the past four months from his expression alone.
…
[— Manga Scene —]
('Wha– What…? This chakra is…!?') Haku froze in place when he sensed Naruto's chakra changing into something far more violent.
The face of a ferocious fox formed from pure chakra above Naruto. ('That's impossible for chakra to change like this!!! And such an evil chakra…!!')
The wounds on Naruto's body began healing strangely. ('The cuts on his hand…!! They're healing… What is this boy…?!')
Haku's hair stood on end as he looked at Naruto, who was completely immersed in pure rage.
…
"Is that Zabuza?" Kakashi sensed the unusual chakra and wondered if it belonged to his enemy.
('No!! This terrible chakra… It can't be…!!') Kakashi quickly realized something was wrong.
'This chakra… something isn't right…'
'Kakashi? No, it's far too strong to be his!?' Zabuza was also confused.
('Naruto!!! This is bad, could the…')
"Has the seal been broken!?" Kakashi broke into a sweat at the thought.
[— End Scene —]
Inside the store, silence reigned for a few moments before rapid breathing began to surface. The colored pages of the fourth volume made the red chakra of the Nine-Tails seem as if it were bleeding from the paper, triggering instinctive reactions among those present.
Kushina's eyes widened, and she instinctively placed a hand over the seal on her abdomen. She felt her blood boil the moment she saw the illustration.
"This… this isn't just a drawing, Minato…" she whispered with a trembling voice. "I can feel it… the rage, the hatred… how did big brother Rubiro manage to depict its 'weight' so accurately? The little Naruto in the story… he's letting the seal loosen!"
Minato's usual smile vanished completely, replaced by the expression of a genius shinobi analyzing an impending catastrophe. His gaze locked onto Kakashi's line in the manga.
("Has the seal been broken?")
Then he said, "If Kakashi in the story is panicking, that means the situation is already out of control."
Minato realized that Rubiro wasn't merely portraying power—he was portraying the shinobi's lack of understanding of the power of the Tailed Beasts. Both Kakashi and Zabuza were clearly confused the moment they sensed even a fragment of the Nine-Tails' aura.
Mito appeared the calmest on the surface, but her fist tightened, betraying her inner turmoil.
She looked at Naruto's furious face and the fox's head above him and said with a dignity heavy with the bitterness of years:
"This young man, Rubiro-kun, has succeeded where history books have failed… He has drawn the essence of the Kyubi. Not as bijuu power, but as pure hatred. Kushina, my child… what you see here is the truth we always try to hide behind seals."
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 102: Astonishment! Naruto Crushes Haku!
Chapter 103: Cursed Blood
Chapter 104: Hunting in the Mist… Kakashi's Fangs!
Chapter 105: Sacrifice!
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 129.
There are 30 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), 5 more chapters in the Diamond tier ($20 subscription), and 10 more chapters in the Emperor tier ($30 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!
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