The Hatake Compound.
Inside his house, Kakashi stared blankly at the diary, which had stopped glowing.
"So there really is another level above Three-Tomoe?"
Mangekyo?
As he thought, he placed a hand over his Sharingan. The gap was too great. In future battles, his Sharingan might no longer be an aid, but a burden. If he could obtain what the information described, he might be able to improve his physical condition.
But he knew none of the people mentioned in the Diary.
Uchiha Lolicon, for example, or the so-called White Zetsu.
If he couldn't rely on his Sharingan, he could only rely on his own abilities. As a genius, he had no reason to let these things defeat him. Thinking it over, Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique to reach the place where his father's swordsmanship records were stored.
Hatake Swordsmanship.
This was the culmination of his father's efforts. The deaths of one person after another around him had dealt Kakashi heavy blows.
He also feared that practicing swordsmanship would remind him of why his father had died. His father had died for the sake of protecting the village and his comrades, yet those very comrades he had saved had condemned him behind his back, ultimately driving him to suicide.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on those things. He needed to grow stronger, and the only resource within his reach was his father's notes on swordsmanship.
According to the complaints in the Diary, the Third Hokage was too weak and let others push him around.
Then there had to be some incident that demonstrated his cowardice, and it couldn't just be the incident involving Cloud Shadow Village. The writer was close to Hinata, so speaking up for her was perfectly understandable.
But saying he was weak and prone to losing people's trust would have been enough. There was no need to add that he was a pushover, or warn him not to let others push him around.
That remark deserved deeper consideration. It meant other villages would definitely target them with some sort of scheme-possibly that Konoha Crush Plan!
Luo Mang, the diary's owner, hadn't left yet, so there must still be a few years left. If Kakashi started practicing now, he could at least grasp the basics or gain a solid command of it.
Kakashi took a deep breath and reached for his father's swordsmanship notes.
Rustle, rustle.
After finishing his diary entry, Luo Mang grabbed the blanket beside him and pulled it over himself. This time, he dispensed with the elaborate drawing ritual and casually tapped the button.
The clunking of reward balls rattling around instantly sounded in his mind.
Golden light!
Thump!
The moment the golden light appeared, Luo Mang sprang upright in bed!
"Holy crap, what dumb luck!"
He had actually drawn a golden reward from the beginner prize pool. What a jackpot!
A bath, then a good reward from the draw. After pondering for a moment, Luo Mang used his consciousness to strike the golden ball and confirm the reward.
[Pocket World (A portable pocket world that leaves no traces. A must-have for killing, looting, and hiding from enemies!)]
"Oh my god, my luck is off the charts!"
Seeing the reward, Luo Mang jumped straight up. If he ever faced a real crisis, he could enter the pocket world himself and survive!
He could even store supplies in the pocket world and stay there indefinitely.
"What a wonderful beginning!"
He started humming a song as he adjusted the portable pocket world and familiarized himself with how to use it.
It was like a house that followed him around. He felt a bit like a snail...
Still, it wasn't affected by anything outside. It was even safer than a house. Not bad at all.
Looking at the spatial rift that opened before him, Luo Mang stepped inside without hesitation.
Whoosh, whoosh.
It was nighttime inside the pocket world too, and the night breeze was wonderfully cool.
He stood in a forest, but there was none of the chirping he usually heard at night.
It was quiet. He was the only one around. It seemed he would have to add things himself.
After a brief test, Luo Mang stepped back out. Once he confirmed he was inside his home, he hurried outside.
He wanted to test whether he would emerge in the same place no matter where he entered, or whether, like Kamui, moving inside the pocket world would change where he came out.
Whoosh.
He simply went downstairs to change his position, then entered the pocket world. His position inside hadn't changed.
"So it's a turtle shell, then. Still, that works."
Moving inside his pocket world didn't affect his position outside, and moving outside didn't affect his position inside. As long as he had the pocket world, he had his own safe house.
He could also capture people like Kamui did. As the pocket world's master, he held immense authority within it. He could even remove everyone inside with a single click.
For now, however, his control was insufficient. He needed to upgrade it.
"Not bad, not bad. I can stock some food in there and hide inside if I run into danger."
It had been a wonderful day. After exploring the pocket world's abilities, Luo Mang ran upstairs, flopped onto his bed, and drifted into sweet dreams.
Root's testing facility.
A short circuit made the yellow light hanging overhead flicker, casting large shadows over the people beneath it.
The light made Shimura Danzō's face look particularly sinister as he studied the sheet of paper in his hand.
"This is everything your investigation turned up?"
The masked man below him knelt on one knee and looked up as he replied.
"Yes, sir."
"This afternoon, Luo Mang accompanied the Jinchūriki to accept a mission. Later, when he went to the Hokage Building, Lord Hokage received him. He came out roughly ten minutes later."
"Hmm. You're certain there's no other information?"
Danzo placed the paper back on the desk, tapped it lightly, and questioned him sternly.
"Yes. We've compiled all the information we could gather."
The Root member replied in an even tone.
Bang!!
"Hmph. An orphan from another village is bound to have ulterior motives!"
Danzo slammed his hand onto the desk and snorted.
"Hiruzen only values him out of ignorance. As Konoha's root, I will not allow anything to happen to our future Jinchūriki!"
"Lord Danzo, do you mean...?"
The Root member raised his head in disbelief. After all, the Hokage had only just received this person. Wouldn't assassinating him be a little...?
"That's right. Nothing must go wrong with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. This man must die. Arrange a simple mission for him tomorrow. Out in the wilderness..."
After confirming that there were no issues with the assignment, the Root member left to investigate how to lure Luo Mang outside and dispose of him.
What did the Hokage matter? Everyone who joined Root had been brainwashed.
Of course, everything Danzo had said was a lie. He had spread those rumors to drive Naruto mad. Once something happened, he would join forces with the others to resolve it, then have Naruto legitimately placed in his custody and turn him into a weapon.
With such a weapon under his control, along with Yamato, the experimental subject who could use Wood Release, his future as Hokage would be assured, and he could fulfill his dream.
So he absolutely couldn't allow any unexpected developments. If Naruto really grew fond of Luo Mang and formed a bond with him, how could his plan proceed?
Danzo looked around the empty basement, then returned his gaze to the collected mission documents. As he looked at Luo Mang's name, his exposed eye instantly darkened.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi's protection wouldn't save him. He had to die. What did one or two deaths matter if it meant becoming Hokage?
Before you continue