???
That stung. It felt like something went "piak" and shattered...
Zeno clutched his chest... Oh, it was his Dao heart.
'Damn it!' 'This is only because it's Maha!' 'Go ask anyone on the streets. Who wouldn't respectfully call me "Master Zeno" upon seeing me?'
'So... "Grandfather, in your heart, I'm just a piece of crap?"' Zeno laughed angrily.
"You're quite self-aware." Maha dug his nose, casually flicked the booger onto Zeno, and said airily, "You saw it yourself..."
"How fast that brat Sean is improving."
"So..." Maha paused, looked meaningfully at this grandson of his, and said earnestly, "You need to work harder, Zeno."
"Just think, if you, as a grandfather, really can't beat your own grandson, how embarrassing would it be if word got out..."
"Who knows, the reputation this old man fought so hard to build might just be ruined by you."
Maha rambled on, saying a lot...
But by the end, Zeno couldn't hear anything clearly.
His hands and feet were cold, his eyes were dull, and there was only one thought in his mind—
'To hell with this! If I ever come to Sean's room again, I'm a dog!'
'This is beyond insulting!'
Finally, Zeno couldn't take it anymore. He suddenly interrupted Maha, "Tell me, Grandfather, will you also face such a day?"
Zeno sneered, "You said it yourself, Sean is improving very quickly."
"If one day he surpasses you, what will you do then?"
Maha froze. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
'That brat wants to beat me? In his dreams!'
'I am Maha Zoldyck, one of the five greatest Nen users in the world, the true number one assassin!'
'Even if that brat Netero came, he wouldn't get any advantage over me!'
'Therefore, I will never lose!'
"That's not necessarily true." Zeno retorted, saying faintly, "Grandfather, nothing in this world is absolute."
"It's not about the ten thousand; it's about the 'what if'."
"I've said my piece. I won't disturb your rest any longer, old man."
"Good night."
The little old man's face had already darkened...
Zeno sensed trouble. He didn't linger for a moment, disappearing from Maha's sight in an instant.
The old man watched him go, stunned for a long while...
He suddenly shivered, as if he had thought of something terrifying.
All sleepiness vanished!
For a moment, the rocking chair stopped rocking, and the H-manga was no longer being read.
He muttered intermittently, "It can't be..."
He was sleepless all night.
The next day.
Early in the morning, the breeze was cool, and the air was fresh.
Sean woke up early, before the sun had fully risen.
He changed into his training clothes, preparing to start his "Ten Thousand Swings" for the day ahead of schedule.
He had to deliver double chapters from now on; not a single second could be wasted.
After washing up, he had just closed the door when he turned around and ran into Maha, who was sporting two huge dark circles under his eyes.
"What's wrong, old man? Masturbated too much?"
'Tsk. Even got dark circles...' "Be careful not to kick the bucket..."
Maha said nothing, just stared fixedly at Sean. Sean's hand slipped, and he pushed him aside. Thinking he was just having one of his usual episodes, Sean didn't think much of it and stepped out the door.
But what Sean didn't expect was... the old man followed him like a shadow.
He followed him during training, followed him while he ate, and even followed him while he drew manga. 'When I was taking a damn shit, I could look up and see him poking his head around the bathroom door.'
After several consecutive days of this—
Sean couldn't stand it anymore. He finally snapped!
He slammed his pen down and glared at Maha, exasperated. "If you have something to say, please just say it."
"Stop following me around like a ghost all day, appearing and disappearing!"
The old man still didn't speak. He picked up the line art Sean had just finished on the desk, looked it over, and finally broke his damn silence!
"Sean, what do you think of Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
Pot Shadow Ninja had now reached the climax of the "Chunin Exams."
Orochimaru was about to lead the Sound ninjas in an invasion of Konoha.
'The old man is starting to care about the manga's plot now? He seems to have returned to normal?'
Sean quietly sighed in relief and sneered, "Finally willing to talk?"
"I thought you'd suddenly gone mute."
"Answer my question." Maha seemed very concerned about Hiruzen Sarutobi.
'But... he's just an old fogey in a manga. What's there to be concerned about?'
Sean shot Maha a sideways glance, leaned back in his chair, and pouted. 'What do I think? I "think" while lying down...'
"Why do you care about him so much? Feeling pity for a kindred spirit?"
Maha's heart skipped a beat. Sean had unintentionally poked a sore spot.
He just wanted to use the character "Hiruzen Sarutobi" to probe Sean's attitude toward him!
Zeno's words were still ringing in his ears. 'If one day I really can't beat this brat, will he instantly turn hostile and disown me?'
"Sort of, and sort of not," Maha said, feigning calmness. "When people get old, they tend to get sentimental."
"The Third Hokage has given so much for Konoha. I, this old man... I'm just a little curious about his later years."
'Heh. Are you curious about Hiruzen Sarutobi's later years, or your own later years?'
Sean didn't believe Maha's nonsense for a second. 'Expecting the world's number one assassin to have empathy? Does he think my brain is mush?'
Sean sneered. "If you want to know, I'll tell you."
Maha's ears twitched.
He saw Sean recall the plot of Naruto and say leisurely, "In my plan, the character Hiruzen Sarutobi has a turbulent life, lives through three wars, has had glorious moments, and also low points."
"His later years... are not very good. In fact, they could be described as quite tragic!"
When Maha heard this, his heart couldn't help but sink. He couldn't stop himself from asking, "The Kage of a village, and he still can't have a good end?"
"Among all his disciples and grand-disciples, isn't there a single one who is filial to him?"
'Ha? Talking about filial piety with a ninja? Is your brain broken, or is mine?'
Sean rolled his eyes at Maha and scoffed, "Forget filial piety..."
"In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi dies at the hands of his own student!"
'Heh. The "Sannin"... one a gambler, one a pervert, one a traitor... What "Will of Fire"? It's truly ironic!'
"Hm? Dies at the hands of his own student?"
'I, this old man, can't listen to this... Quick... quick... stop talking...'
Maha's eyelids twitched!
'Let's compare—'
'Myself = Hiruzen Sarutobi. Sean = Hiruzen Sarutobi's student.'
'As expected, this brat was born rebellious. He's destined to "rebel" in the future, isn't he.'
The old man's face darkened. He said, exasperated, "Can't you just give him a good ending?"
"That man dedicated his entire life to Konoha. He deserves respect."
'Bullshit!'
Sean rolled his eyes impatiently. "Who reads happy endings?"
"True art is tragedy!"
"You have to twist the knife and ruthlessly stab the readers' hearts!"
"Only by making them hurt will they remember it deeply. Only then will the manga sell well."
"An amateur like you wouldn't understand..."
Maha: "..."
'I'm going to kill you right now!'
T/n:
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