Chapter 77: Not Angry is Your Lie

Chapter 77: Not Angry is Your Lie

Kakashi, on a personal level, didn't want his teacher's child to attend the Academy's opening ceremony without a single adult to accompany him. But as a member of the Anbu, he was powerless to do anything about it.

The Third Hokage wasn't the type to be overly suspicious, but another highly influential figure, who was also a favorite of the Third, might not be so lenient.

Tobirama Danzo, the leader of Root, was extremely paranoid, cautious, and ruthless. He didn't trust anyone and couldn't tolerate the slightest possibility of a mistake. He would only feel at ease if things went exactly according to his plans.

This old man was like a venomous toad, capable of both biting and annoying people. He spent his days doing nothing but finding faults, and even a stray dog on the street wouldn't be safe from his kicks!

If he found out someone was attending Naruto's opening ceremony, there would be trouble.

Kakashi could almost predict Danzo's thought process:

Why are you attending the opening ceremony of a child you don't know?

Haven't you heard the rumors about this child being the Nine-Tails?

Do you know this brat is a Jinchuriki?

Are you trying to kidnap a strategic weapon of Konoha?

Forget it, just kill them.

Better to kill by mistake than to let a potential threat go.

Thinking of this old man, Kakashi felt a wave of fatigue.

Unfortunately, the Third Hokage's attitude towards Danzo was like that of a foolish ruler blinded by beauty. Even if Danzo committed various wrongdoings, the Third wouldn't impose severe punishments, often just giving him a verbal reprimand and letting it go.

What was this? A bond between men?

To be honest, if Kakashi were the Hokage, he wouldn't be so lenient with Danzo.

But on the other hand, Kakashi felt that comparing the kind and gentle Luke to the sinister and ruthless Danzo was a desecration of his friend.

"I will inform the Third Hokage about this. If anyone asks, tell them I asked you to attend Naruto's opening ceremony."

Given his status as the Fourth Hokage's student, it was reasonable for him to request someone to accompany Naruto.

After rehearsing their story, Kakashi vanished with a swoosh.

The progress bar dropped to 36% again.

Luke sighed with melancholy, unsure if he could get anything useful from Kakashi before leaving the village. Although it might not significantly boost his strength, the value of having a top-tier ally like Kakashi was unparalleled.

He needed to collect this stamp too!

...

Back in the forging room, Luke closed the door and hung a "Working" sign.

Over this period, he had gradually mastered several complex runes, including "Spatial," "Malice Detection," and "Spirit Gathering," and successfully crafted a few magical artifacts.

First was the "Swallow Pouch," which, in terms of storage capacity and portability, far surpassed a ninja's scroll. It could even carry unconscious living beings, making it a safe place to hide anything that needed to be kept out of sight.

Next was the "Seamless Cloak," a garment he focused on fashion rather than defense. It was beautifully ornate, and the "Luminous" rune on it made it glow brightly.

Then came the "Divine Footsteps," a pair of shoes that increased speed, engraved with "Lightness" and "Dustproof."

He also crafted a few defensive artifacts, but the higher-tier ones were beyond his current material resources, and the lower-tier ones weren't very useful to him.

With a body that could match Garp's punches and the Ancient Dragon physiology from the Mist Dragon, he wasn't easily intimidated by the current level of threats.

This time, he planned to create a "Silent Band," a type of artifact similar to the "Faceless One," which would reduce his presence, making ordinary people ignore him and ninjas more likely to lose track of him if they weren't focused.

As the sound of hammering filled the air and the artifact took shape, Luke felt as refreshed as if he were wearing new underwear on the first morning of the new year.

The ability to customize artifacts was incredibly satisfying, like having GM access in a game.

Forging was truly fascinating!

Luke felt his mind gradually becoming as sharp as a well-honed blade.

Once the artifact was complete, the sense of accomplishment slowly faded, and the urge to work diminished.

Having been obsessed with forging for a while, he hadn't spent much time with Shizuka lately. To avoid making his girlfriend angry, Luke took a shower, freshened up, and headed to Ichiraku Ramen.

But he immediately encountered his girlfriend's cold shoulder.

Shizuka greeted other customers with a smile, but her face turned sour as soon as she saw Luke.

After the lunch rush, with fewer customers around, Luke waited for Shizuka to take a break and then approached her.

"Are you angry?"

"Angry? Why would I be angry?"

Shizuka's face remained cold. "Would I be angry because my boyfriend is too busy working to spend time with me? Do you think I'm that kind of woman?"

"Of course not! My girlfriend is dignified, gracious, gentle, and the most beautiful and adorable girl in the world," Luke quickly reassured her.

"Then you must think I'll be angry because you're always hanging around with Kakashi."

"What does Kakashi have to do with it?" Luke was genuinely confused.

"Hehe, who knows what you men are up to when you meet in secret."

Shizuka felt a pang of jealousy. Recently, Luke had been distant, and she suspected he might have found another woman. This morning, she saw him talking to Kakashi, and after Kakashi left, Luke looked melancholic.

It was confirmed; his cheating partner was Kakashi!

She had long suspected that Konoha's atmosphere was corrupt. Over the past twenty years, she had often seen two men who initially competed for a woman's affection eventually become affectionate with each other, while the woman was left behind.

Konoha was a den of snakes!

Seeing that words wouldn't soothe her, Luke decided to take a more direct approach. He kissed Shizuka, effectively silencing her acidic words.

The effect was immediate. After a few barely noticeable struggles, Shizuka melted, her arms changing from pushing him away to embracing him tightly.

Lu Ke finally relaxed, realizing that pacifying an angry girlfriend required more than just sweet words; actions spoke louder than words.

He dragged her out of the store and back to his room, the process going surprisingly smoothly. Ichi had grown numb to such occurrences, and his parents were conveniently out visiting old friends. His dim-witted younger brother had been deflated by Naruto's mental attack, and Shizuka had easily distracted him with a bag of candies.

Closing the door, Lu Ke skillfully locked it.

Shizuka, blushing, sat on the edge of the bed, her voice barely audible. "It's still daytime..."

If you were really against it, would you have prepared candies to deal with your dim-witted brother? Accurately gauging his girlfriend's true thoughts, Lu Ke took her soft, pale hand in his, his tone so gentle it could make anyone swoon.

"Daytime is the best time to see your beauty clearly."

The power of his sweet talk was overwhelming, turning Shizuka's brain to mush and dropping her IQ.

...

Twenty thousand words omitted.

Lu Ke lit a cigarette, smoked it leisurely, and then cleaned up the room. He went to the kitchen and prepared a few home-cooked dishes, setting them by the bed so Shizuka could eat as soon as she woke up.

After that, he estimated the time and left the house.

...

"What? You want me to go to the Land of Iron to investigate their weapons market?"

Maito Gai, who was in the middle of his training, looked surprised and puzzled.

"Technically, it's not a ninja tool market but a weapons market," Lu Ke explained. "The Land of Iron has almost no ninja; it's a paradise for samurai. Shuriken and kunai sales are low, and there are hardly any explosive tags, scrolls, or senbon for sale. Swords and blades are the main commodities."

"Why are you doing this?"

Lu Ke thought for a moment and fabricated a reason. "As you know, our family business has always focused on high-volume, low-margin sales. But now, more and more shops are entering this market, and the Thousand Rivers Blacksmith Shop's survival space is shrinking. To avoid being phased out, we need to make changes."

"The Land of Iron is famous for its forging skills. Although they lack in ninja tools, their craftsmanship in swords and blades far surpasses other countries. I want to go there to study for a while."

"I see." Gai nodded in understanding but then hesitated. "But I'm not the type of ninja skilled in gathering intelligence. Why don't you ask Kakashi?"

Gai specialized in taijutsu and knew very few ninjutsu or genjutsu, making such a task unsuitable for him.

"Kakashi is an ANBU member and needs to be available at all times. He can't handle a task that requires a significant amount of time."

The distance between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron wasn't too far, but it wasn't close either. The round trip, plus the investigation, would likely take about a month.

Seeing Gai's hesitation, Lu Ke decided to use his charm, a tactic that worked wonders on boys but not so much on girls.

He looked at Gai with a slightly disappointed expression.

"Gai, the only person I trust is you."

"To help the Thousand Rivers Blacksmith Shop overcome its challenges, I've been working hard. Do you think breaking through the technological barriers of traditional ninja tool shops is easy?"

"Even if I gather the information, there's no guarantee I'll be accepted as a student in the Land of Iron. Even if I am accepted, there's no guarantee I'll learn well. Even if I learn well, there's no guarantee I can make the business succeed. But I'm still trying!"

Lu Ke's emotions grew more intense, and his disappointment made Gai feel a deep sense of shame.

"Gai, are we only supposed to do what we're good at? Should we back down when faced with difficulties? Is your youth limited to this?"

The three questions struck Gai's heart.

No!

He was not someone who backed down from challenges. He was the Blue Beast of Konoha, Maito Gai!

"I understand. You're right, Lu Ke. Youth cannot be halted by such trivial problems. I promise, the Blue Beast will complete your mission with flying colors!"

Gai raised his thumb, his entire being brimming with enthusiasm.

"Your words put my mind at ease."

With his goal achieved, Lu Ke breathed a sigh of relief and bid Gai farewell.

...

In the Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was preparing his speech for the upcoming school opening ceremony when he suddenly frowned, sensing an ominous premonition.

Sure enough, the unexpected happened.

The next moment, the office door was kicked open, and Danzo stormed in. Seeing the speech in Hiruzen's hands only worsened his already foul mood.

He should be the one giving this speech!

"Hiruzen, we can't keep indulging the Uchiha! The evidence of their plans to betray the village is clear. We should issue an order to eliminate the Uchiha clan!"

Facing this frustrating yet indispensable companion, Hiruzen refused his request. "There's still room for negotiation. Give Shisui some more time."

Give him a break!

The time to act was now—strike while the Uchiha clan is unprepared, seize their vast wealth and assets, and send their bodies to Orochimaru for study.

"Hiruzen, you're too soft. You've lost the spirit of the great ninja you once were."

Danzo said this with a deep, serious tone.

"Hiruzen, I am the Hokage!"

Hiruzen didn't even look up, using his authority to suppress Danzo.

"Hmph, you'll regret this!"

Enraged by Hiruzen's authoritarianism, Danzo took a deep breath, left a menacing threat, and dejectedly left the Hokage's office, which he had always dreamed of occupying.

Bang!

The door slammed shut with a loud noise.

Danzo's face was dark as he walked out of the Hokage building.

In the end, he was not the Hokage, just the leader of Konoha's Root.

But a person's dreams never die.

Danzo was determined to climb step by step, step by step, to the very top. He would reach the highest position and become the Hokage!

Really, no details, Brother is too strict.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end