Konoha.
No matter which world it was, this place could always be called the center of the shinobi world—the focal point of its ever-changing tides.
Compared to what it would look like in a decade, the village hadn't changed much, aside from the Hokage Rock only bearing three faces.
The current Hokage, Hiruzen, had already begun showing signs of aging, but his ambitions and authority remained firm.
Because of this, even Danzo, who constantly lurked in the shadows, eyeing the Hokage's seat, had to remain dormant, only occasionally testing Hiruzen's limits.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Bang!
The doors slammed open.
Having had his latest request to expand the Root division denied once again, Danzo threw out his usual threats and stormed out.
Hiruzen watched his old friend's angry departure without a change in expression, slowly drawing a puff from his pipe.
He knew Danzo's ambitions all too well.
And as long as he remained Hokage, he would never allow Danzo to cross the line he shouldn't.
As for why he hadn't dealt with Danzo already?
Their long-standing bond was one reason.
The other?
He had to admit—Danzo was a perfect scapegoat.
The Hokage had to be a symbol of light.
But reality was always intertwined with darkness.
For the Hokage to keep his hands clean, Root had to exist in the shadows.
Even if it sometimes harmed Konoha from within.
Still, Hiruzen was confident he could keep it under control.
After ruling for nearly thirty years, he knew every corner of Konoha like the back of his hand.
Nothing in the village escaped his will.
Except for one thing—
The White Fang's suicide.
His brows furrowed.
He had allowed the rumors to spread.
Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo, had held too much prestige—even greater than the Sannin.
Hiruzen had planned to use this opportunity to suppress him.
But who could have expected that a ninja of his stature would actually take his own life over mere rumors?
It had shocked Konoha to its core.
Even worse, other villages—especially Sunagakure—were ecstatic.
Under the Third Kazekage's leadership, Suna had even begun testing Konoha's defenses at the border.
Hiruzen exhaled a long puff of smoke.
As the mist obscured his face, he suddenly thought of something.
He reached for his crystal ball and activated the Telescope Technique.
Moments later, the image of a white-haired boy appeared.
Kakashi.
Sakumo's son.
Graduated from the Academy at five, became a chūnin at six—his talents had earned him the village's expectations.
"Let's hope you can become the next White Fang."
Watching Kakashi train with his father's tanto at the practice field, Hiruzen sighed softly before deactivating the jutsu.
Little did he know—
Not long after he turned his gaze away, a shadowy figure appeared at the edge of the training field.
"A perfect candidate for the path of darkness."
...Too bad Kakashi didn't have Uchiha blood.
Otherwise, Madara and Black Zetsu would have been thrilled.
The shadow stood up, its form expanding and shifting into Gensou's figure.
His gaze fell upon the young Kakashi.
There had always been something he found strange.
A mother who died early.
A father who committed suicide.
Two best friends who died in succession.
A teacher and his wife, both perishing on the same day.
This was a man who had lost everyone—
And yet, he never fell into darkness?
How was that even possible?
People often joked that Sasuke was the most mentally stable character in Naruto.
But in reality, Kakashi deserved that title just as much.
Maybe it was a master-disciple thing.
Gensou stepped forward.
Kakashi barely had time to react before everything went black—he collapsed unconscious.
"Since the system hasn't even noticed we're in a different world... treating this world's Kakashi as my mission target should be reasonable, right?"
Gensou mused aloud.
Sure enough—
[Ding!]
[Main Quest: Long-Awaited Reunion (Completed)]
[Congratulations, host! You have successfully defeated Jōnin Instructor Hatake Kakashi!]
[Rewards: Standard Jōnin-level chakra reserve; Mastery of Lightning Chakra Nature and Shape Transformation; Diluted Ōtsutsuki Bloodline.]
"Ōtsutsuki bloodline..."
A thousand miles away—
In the middle of a leisurely tour across the shinobi world, Gensou's true body closed his eyes, sensing the faint traces of the new bloodline.
It did nothing for him.
But for an ordinary ninja?
It would be an earth-shattering enhancement.
"Good, let's keep going."
Gensou reopened his eyes, feeling rather pleased.
"Oi! Gensou, how long are you planning to stick with me?" Tsunade, looking annoyed, finally spoke up.
Gensou turned to glance at Shizune, who was struggling under the weight of a mountain of cash.
Then he casually replied:
"You're a local. You have money. I'm a traveler. I don't. Since I want to enjoy this tour, of course, I'll stick with you."
Tsunade had traveled far and wide, knowing all the best places to eat and sightsee.
And lately, she had been winning non-stop.
Gensou, having contributed significantly to that success, naturally decided to tag along.
It had been far too long since he experienced the simple joys of the world.
As for whether he would stay here forever?
Of course not.
He would soar above the heavens once again.
Village life was charming—but only for a while.
If it lasted forever... that's when revolution became inevitable.
Hearing this, Tsunade gritted her teeth.
She had always been the one taking money from others.
Yet now, there was someone freeloading off her—and acting proud about it.
And worse...
She couldn't beat him.
In the end, Tsunade resorted to reasoning with him.
"Don't you have important things to do, Gensou?"
Gensou met her gaze and replied with a knowing smile—
"Who says I'm not doing something important?"
At that moment—
Not only was there a clone of him in Konoha...
But in Rōran, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and other key locations, his presence was already at work.
In just a short span of time, between moments of sightseeing, Gensou had already spread his influence across the shinobi world.
For someone at the Six Paths level, this was effortless—it barely took any energy.
And as time passed, intelligence from all over the ninja world gradually flowed back to his true body.
Rōran.
Standing in mid-air, Gensou overlooked the desert city below, an expression of surprise on his face.
"The Dragon Vein... isn't here?"
...
The Hagoromo Clan's ruins.
Staring at the half-familiar, half-strange remains of the settlement, Gensou stood in silence.
Then, without hesitation, he turned away.
The same face, the same bloodline...
But a completely different person.
This was true for an individual, a clan, and an entire world.
Gensou had no interest in chasing ghosts.
He knew where the real roots lay.
And so, he left.
Shinobi World.
From countless locations, his clones scanned the lands.
"So... Ōtsutsuki... where are you?"
(End of Chapter)
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