Meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi

Lu Mingfei stood in the rain, his school uniform soaked through in an instant, yet he paid it no mind.

He tilted his head slightly, as if sensing his surroundings.

The shadows that had originally surrounded him cowered and trembled, dissipating into the deeper darkness as if they had never existed.

The world had previously seemed coated in a hazy mist.

Now, that mist had been completely blown away, and the world became incomparably clear.

The Nibelungen had vanished entirely, and the three of them, along with the car, returned to the real world.

Then, he turned, took a step, pulled open the car door, and sat back in the rear seat.

He laid Murasama across his knees, his movements as natural as if he had merely stepped out to get caught in the rain.

Chu Zihang and Chu Tianjiao were both left stunned.

They found it completely impossible to believe that Lu Mingfei had dealt with Odin all by himself.

Especially Chu Tianjiao... he had thought he'd delivered a very cool final testament, never expecting that he wouldn't even be needed.

If I'm actually alive, then what was the point of all my previous forbearance?

Chu Tianjiao's mind was a blur. He climbed into the car of his own accord and looked at Lu Mingfei in the back seat, his eyes filled with an extremely complex mix of emotions: shock, awe, realization, bitterness... and finally, an absurd sense of relief.

From this day forward, the suffocating nightmare seemed unlikely to strike again.

He glanced at the Murasama on Lu Mingfei's knees, his lips moving, but in the end, he said nothing.

Du Yang handed Murasama back to the front seat, placing it by Chu Tianjiao's hand, and spoke:

"Uncle Chu, here is your blade. The things ahead have been cleared, the road should be open, let's keep driving."

Chu Tianjiao took a deep breath, a breath so deep and long it seemed as if he were trying to suppress all the doubts in his heart.

He nodded without asking a single question, took back Murasama, and returned it to its place.

"Zihang, you brat, get in the car."

Only then did Chu Zihang climb into the car, looking dazed, his eyes revealing a hint of clear-eyed stupidity and lingering trance.

Then, Chu Tianjiao stepped on the gas.

The Maybach's engine roared to life once more, slowly accelerating as it charged forward along the elevated highway.

Yet, he muttered to himself:

Hybrids, Dragon Kings, Kassel College... what a terrifying monster I've encountered today.

He felt a sense of anticipation, looking forward to the day hybrids and dragons met this monster named Lu Mingfei.

The landscape of the entire world seemed destined to undergo a cataclysmic change.

Wait, did he say his name was Lu Mingfei?

Chu Tianjiao suddenly realized this, and the corners of his mouth curled upward.

If that were the case, things were becoming more and more interesting.

The Naruto world.

Hidden Leaf Village, Hokage Building.

In the top-floor office, smoke swirled in the air.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his large desk, smoking incessantly.

The recent turn of events had increasingly exceeded his expectations.

Originally, he should have met with Uchiha Fugaku a few days ago, but the Uchiha clan head had claimed illness to postpone the meeting, so it had been delayed.

But this was actually to be expected...

The Uchiha Clan was restless now and might very well turn against him.

With movements happening in the shadows, a delay was only natural.

But if they refused to meet, openly tearing off the mask of civility, it would mean they no longer held him, the Hokage, in their eyes, and he would have no choice but to let Danzo take action.

Fortunately, news had come from the Uchiha Clan that Fugaku would come to see him today.

The so-called discussion regarding the Military Police Force that Hiruzen Sarutobi had proposed was merely an excuse; his true purpose was to probe Fugaku and see if there was any room for reconciliation.

Anbu reports indicated that the Uchiha Compound had been relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside these past few days; patrols had clearly increased, but there were no large-scale abnormal movements.

This unnatural calm was, if anything, even more unsettling.

Danzo had urged him several times, believing this to be a precursor to an imminent Uchiha attack, and demanded a preemptive strike.

However, the Third Hokage still held onto hope.

And so, Hiruzen Sarutobi waited here early, having mobilized the majority of the Anbu's combat strength, ensuring that nothing could go wrong.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

When the office door was knocked upon and pushed open after permission was granted, the figure that walked in caused the fingers Hiruzen Sarutobi used to hold his pipe to pause slightly.

The person who arrived was not Uchiha Fugaku.

The leader was a slightly hunched, white-haired old man dressed in traditional dark Uchiha attire. His face was etched with deep, knife-like wrinkles, yet his gaze remained sharp, and his gait was slow but steady.

Hiruzen Sarutobi recognized him: Uchiha Qiantang, one of the few remaining elders of the Uchiha Clan. He held immense seniority, having been active since the era of the Second Hokage, though in recent years he had lived in seclusion and rarely concerned himself with clan affairs.

If the previous Uchiha Setsuna was a hawk, then this Uchiha Qiantang was a dove.

What made Hiruzen's gaze narrow further was that Uchiha Qiantang had not come alone.

Behind him followed three young members of the Uchiha Clan.

On the left was a tall man with a cold expression and eyes like a hawk—Uchiha Yashiro, a veteran squad leader of the Military Police Force. Known for his hardline style and outstanding strength, he was one of Fugaku's staunchest supporters, yet he stood there now with a blank expression.

On the right was a lean figure, Uchiha Inabi, also an elite of the Military Police Force, noted for his quick wit and analytical skills in intelligence.

Those two could be considered elite jonin, second only to Uchiha Fugaku and Itachi within the Uchiha Clan.

Standing in the middle, half a step behind Uchiha Qiantang, was a young man with an unfamiliar face.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze fell upon this young man, and his brow furrowed involuntarily.

As Hokage, he had a slight impression of this youth named Uchiha Du Yang. He was considered one of the rising geniuses of the Uchiha Clan, though his strength barely reached the threshold of a jonin.

Currently, the Anbu was considering recruiting Uchiha Du Yang for further cultivation.

He wore standard Uchiha clan attire and held a respectful posture, but behind his slightly lowered eyelids, a flash of brilliance would occasionally flicker when he looked up.

The reason Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned was that although Uchiha Du Yang had some minor strength, his record was mediocre and he lacked fame; how could he possibly be qualified to accompany a clan elder?

One had to remember, this was a visit to represent the Uchiha Clan before him, the Hokage.

Yet, at this moment, he was standing here, behind Uchiha Qiantang, appearing in this setting.

"Hiruzen." Uchiha Qiantang stopped, his voice raspy yet clear as he explained, "Clan Head Fugaku is indeed unable to come."

Hiruzen Sarutobi set down his pipe and asked bluntly, "Why can he not come?"

Uchiha Qiantang answered truthfully, "Because our clan head is already dead."

"What?!"

Even with Hiruzen Sarutobi's composure, his pupils constricted at this moment, and a look of shock appeared on his face.

Fugaku was dead!

Was he not the leader planning the rebellion? How could he die so inexplicably before the rebellion had even begun?

Uchiha Fugaku was, after all, a Kage-level ninja who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. What kind of person could have taken his life?

What on earth had happened within the Uchiha Clan?

Upon hearing the Uchiha clansmen personally admit that their leader was dead, countless Anbu ninjas hidden in the shadows felt their hearts tremble with shock.