BlackStar_BH:
More Power Stones and comments, guys!
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[— 'Kawarimi no Jetsu' It's the third article in the first scroll of ninjutsu! You act with speed and skill to swap places with one of the plants, animals, or people in the landscape.'
'Part of the technique is to make it look as though you've been struck, and in the interval, strike back…'
'That so-called elite shinobi traded places with one of Naruto's clones. When he was attacked, not only did he create an optical illusion, but he also used Naruto's actual attack against him.'
Sasuke was analyzing the technique Kakashi used to trick Naruto based on what he knew—but at that very moment, Naruto caught his attention again.
…
"A bell!!!" Naruto spotted one of Kakashi's bells lying on the ground and rushed to grab it with bright enthusiasm.
"Hehehehe! He must've been pretty flustered to drop one… Hah…"
"Huh!?" The moment Naruto bent down to pick it up, his body flipped upside down.
"WHAT THE HECK—?!" Naruto dangled beneath a tree, flailing as he screamed.
'Of course it's a trap… But what's even more troubling… Master Kakashi didn't drop his guard even once during that whole fight with Naruto…' Sasuke watched with sharp, focused eyes, pleased that he wasn't as foolish as Naruto. —]
…
Jiraiya wasn't surprised by how easily Kakashi toppled Naruto, but he was surprised by Kakashi's unique teaching style.
"Interesting… This is the perfect way to teach a wild brat like Naruto."
A ninja must be able to read what's underneath the underneath.
"That's absolutely right." Jiraiya nodded in approval.
He genuinely liked Kakashi. From the moment he saw him pull out a book called Icha Icha Paradise… for some reason, he felt a strange affinity toward Kakashi and that book, too.
(Author's Note: Jiraiya hasn't written any books yet at this point in the timeline.)
It wasn't just that.
Kakashi's playful yet mysterious personality made him seem like a truly qualified shinobi.
Looking at the sweet, gentle son of Sakumo, and then at the Kakashi depicted in the manga, Jiraiya found it unsettling…
Would this adorable child really grow into that tough man in the manga?
The thought alone couldn't be dismissed as a simple prophecy.
Reading the manga felt like stepping into the future itself—living among characters who either didn't yet exist in this era or should have been far younger.
That was what pulled Jiraiya toward this manga…
And the other reason?
He wanted to see his own future self.
"If I even have one… What if I've already died?"
Jiraiya chuckled at the thought.
Life and death were beyond anyone's control. Of course, he would accept dying in the manga's version of the future… or never appearing at all.
After all, nothing guaranteed his survival in this war-torn world.
"Well… I'll accept dying if it's at the hands of Hanzo the Salamander, or a Kage from another village. Anything else? I refuse."
He glanced at Rob, noticing that Rob had also been watching him quietly from afar.
"But I won't accept seeing Tsunade die, okay? I can't wait to see her in the manga. I bet she's drawn way younger than she actually is."
Jiraiya whispered the last part under his breath—he had no desire to receive a lethal punch from Tsunade and truly die… in real life, let alone in the manga.
Rob, fully understanding what was going on, let out a small laugh and gave a thump-up toward Jiraiya—signaling that everything would be fine, and he should continue reading.
…
"Is he really explaining the Kawarimi technique so openly?"
"It's a pretty detailed explanation, but who can master it unless they're a trained ninja?"
"Forget that—Sasuke's explanation is nothing like what's written in the scrolls."
"Is that so? I'm afraid this manga might end up spreading forbidden techniques in the future…"
"Can the Hokage even control how widely this manga spreads outside the village?"
"I don't think that's possible… And why would he even do that?"
"This manga is definitely going to stir a massive reaction across the Five Great Villages—especially if future volumes keep this level of art and storytelling."
"I think what's coming next will be even better."
In another part of the Art Store, several shinobi were discussing their thoughts.
Seeing Sasuke provide a detailed breakdown of the Kawarimi, and then watching Kakashi demonstrate it in battle, made this feel like a genuine ninjutsu lesson—something any inexperienced young ninja could truly benefit from.
If ordinary shinobi could grasp this truth just from reading the manga…
How could the Hokage, the clan leaders, or Danzo not notice?
…
"What do you think, Danzo?"
This was the first time Hiruzen turned to Danzo to ask for his opinion, wanting his input before moving on to the final chapter of the volume.
"Heh~ Looks like you're in quite the dilemma, Lord Hokage."
Danzo sneered, though his face remained emotionless.
"Clearly, this manga will continue exposing our techniques to the public. Naturally, its spread should be restricted."
"Restrict its spread? What exactly do you mean?" Hiruzen asked again.
Hearing that, Minato and Kushina both tensed in worry for Rob…
The village leaders were discussing something that directly affected their older brother's project, right in front of them.
Of course, they'd worry.
They even stopped following the manga's events for a moment because of their anxiety.
"I mean preventing Rubirō-kun from opening additional stores, imposing taxes, and punishing anyone who pirates or leaks the manga outside the village."
Danzo spoke with chilling calm.
"That seems a bit harsh. I can overlook the taxes—that's reasonable. But why restrict the spread of his art?"
Hiruzen asked, unconvinced.
"The story depicts our Konohagakure. And already, many secrets have surfaced in the early chapters… Do you want our enemies out there using this information against us?"
Danzo said this with a suspicious expression, fully confident he had convinced Hiruzen.
Later, he planned to relax the restrictions if Rob agreed to join his faction.
Hiruzen couldn't see through Danzo's intentions… but he did find the reasoning sound.
He certainly did not want Konoha's secrets falling into the hands of enemy villages.
That was a line that could not be crossed.
…
From behind the counter, Rob continued mixing drinks calmly, occasionally glancing toward where the Third Hokage and Danzo sat.
Of course, he knew what they were discussing.
But why would he care?
Why should he care?
They could do whatever they wanted.
But could they really affect the Art Store?
Of course not.
They lacked the understanding of what the Art Store truly is.
Unlike the Rob from the pirate world who had opened his first store in Ohara—where no top-tier powers were nearby—this Konoha was full of them.
For that reason, Rob's situation seemed precarious.
Yet he wasn't worried—not even a little.
Rob's eyes gleamed as he looked at his accumulated, ever-increasing coins.
[Art Coins: 123,000]
With capital like this… why would he worry?
…
In the manga's events, readers were all enjoying the final chapters of the volume, not wanting it to end.
"Sigh… she fainted…"
Seeing Sakura collapse from the Genjutsu Kakashi had shown her—
"Using her feelings for Sasuke and showing him in such a pitiful, fatal condition… well, she's weak after all."
Kizashi Haruno understood this well.
So he didn't protest or say anything.
He continued reading.
'Even Naruto, the protagonist, fell for the same trap right after escaping it… so there's really nothing to be upset about.'
…
At that moment, Fugaku was surprised by how deeply moved his usually expressionless father was by Sasuke's portrayal in the manga—especially after scolding the clan members who disliked seeing a child represent the Uchiha.
But he was even more surprised by how attached Mikoto had become to Sasuke.
To him, there was nothing particularly special about Sasuke so far—aside from his desire to revive the clan…
A desire that gave Fugaku a genuine sense of dread.
"It seems they all fell to Kakashi easily… Only Sasuke was left standing."
I'm not the same as them.
Hearing Sasuke say that at the end of the chapter made Fugaku raise an eyebrow with interest.
"Sasuke-kun is confident in his abilities… He really seems like a talented child."
Mikoto said with a warm smile.
She loved seeing Sasuke standing so confidently before a jōnin—she wanted to see him succeed in the test and take a bell.
In the seventh and final chapter of the volume, a spectacular fight began between Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 38: Might Duy's Appearance!
Chapter 39: End of the Volume — Team 7's Failure!
Chapter 40: Be on My Side.
Chapter 41: Are You Kidding Me?
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 54.
There are 19 advanced chapters available now:
5 chapters in the Silver tier ($5 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Gold tier ($10 subscription), and 5 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!