Root's underground base.
[YOU DIED]
The screen that had appeared on his computer for the umpteenth time was driving Danzo mad.
Danzo's hair was a mess, and dark circles had formed beneath his one exposed eye. The white of that eye was completely bloodshot. Without a close look, someone might have thought he was about to awaken the Sharingan.
"Damn it... am I really that far behind Hiruzen Sarutobi...?"
Danzo thought of how Hiruzen hugged his computer every day, grinning away.
"Can Hiruzen Sarutobi really clear this game that easily? I don't believe it... I don't believe I'm worse than him!"
Danzo's right hand, which gripped the mouse, was somewhat pale-not from anger, but because of the hashirama cells.
Danzo took a deep breath. Something suddenly occurred to him...
"Whew... looks like I've let my emotions get the better of me!"
"Looks like my composure doesn't measure up to Hiruzen Sarutobi's... I bet he keeps dying too! To keep smiling under these circumstances... Hiruzen Sarutobi, I was right about you. You really are the greatest rival of my life!"
Thinking about composure reminded Danzo once again of how Hiruzen Sarutobi had become Hokage.
If he had been a little calmer back then, he would have realized that staying behind to cover their retreat had merely been their teacher's test...
Danzo shook his head, then took a deep breath, cleared away his distracting thoughts, and returned his gaze to the screen before him.
Once he had settled his nerves, Danzo found that he really could dodge the monsters' attacks more easily.
Twenty minutes later, he finally cleared the stage that had held him up for hours.
"Heh heh heh... Hiruzen Sarutobi, I've definitely surpassed you!"
He moved on to the next stage, and [YOU DIED] began appearing on the screen at a furious pace again.
Little by little, Danzo began losing his composure again.
"Damn it... looks like I'll have to get myself a Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"With the Mangekyō's visual perception, I'll definitely be able to dodge the monsters' attacks with ease..."
"But... who has a Mangekyō Sharingan?"
What Danzo did not know was that, before long, an unfortunate young man named Shisui Uchiha would deliver a Mangekyō into his hands and tell him about its ability.
Of course, that was a story for later.
At the thought of the Mangekyō, Danzo said coldly, "Put more pressure on the Uchiha. And listen... keep the entire Uchiha Clan Compound under watch!"
The moment Danzo finished speaking, two figures abruptly appeared behind him, then dropped to one knee and answered, "Yes, Lord Danzo!"
With that, the two Root ninja vanished.
"Hmph... even if I can't get a Mangekyō... with a few more pairs of Sharingan, surely I can conquer this game?"
As he spoke, Danzo glanced at his pale right arm, which bore two grotesque Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
At first, Danzo had felt somewhat conflicted about his plan against the Uchiha.
After all, the Uchiha were Konoha's foremost clan. If they were truly wiped out, the other villages might once again begin eyeing Konoha.
But... thinking of the Uchiha's inherent nature, Danzo felt he was doing nothing wrong. Even the spirit of his teacher, the Second Hokage, would support him from beyond the grave.
Besides that... Danzo truly needed power. Like Hiruzen Sarutobi, he was getting older and older.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi aged, he gradually became more diplomatic in handling everything-or, one could say, more indecisive.
But Danzo was different. Although his strength was declining too, and faster than Hiruzen Sarutobi's at that, he felt he definitely had more fighting spirit than Hiruzen Sarutobi. He would never be as indecisive as him.
As for stirring up infighting within the village? Heh... that was all for Konoha.
Konoha would only improve once he became Hokage. Eliminating everyone who stood in his path to that position could certainly be called an act for Konoha's sake.
For the sake of power, the Uchiha had to be destroyed.
At that thought, Danzo looked at the screen before him, where [YOU DIED] had appeared again.
"So that I can clear this game faster than Hiruzen Sarutobi, Uchiha... you'll just have to make a sacrifice! This is all for Konoha..."
Elsewhere, the Third Hokage, who was also playing a game, found himself torn as well.
Unlike Danzo, who was going mad from being killed, the Third Hokage was agonizing over which girl to romance next.
The girls all had their own distinctive charms, and each required a different approach.
In the end, the Third Hokage decided to challenge himself by going straight for a high-difficulty option: dating two girls at once.
He felt he could experience in a game what he had never managed to accomplish in the Real World.
When he first started playing this game, the Third Hokage had felt guilty toward his late wife, Biwako... but as he kept playing, that feeling faded. After all... this was only virtual.
Hiruzen Sarutobi figured that he was already so old, and he had never sought another companion in all the years since Biwako's death. Surely playing a game wasn't going too far. Biwako would understand.
Inside the Sealing Space.
Naruto was delighted to learn that Zeff was going to train him.
Seeing how happy Naruto was, Zeff showed a smile he had not worn in a long time and thought, I bet you won't be so happy once the training starts!
Then Zeff began writing Naruto's training plan.
He also asked Wolffy to help make some training equipment.
What sort of training equipment? In truth, Zeff gave Wolffy very few requirements and left it entirely up to him. Aside from weights and medical equipment, he would use whatever Wolffy came up with!
Wolffy was a little conflicted at first. Weights were actually easy enough-he only needed to make a Gravity Bracelet!
But... the other equipment... left Wolffy rather stumped.
After he agonized over it for quite a while, a light bulb suddenly appeared above Wolffy's head.
He had thought of some excellent training equipment.
Meanwhile, Naruto stood behind Zeff and began looking over the training assignments Zeff was writing for him.
After reading those inhuman training assignments, Naruto's expression immediately soured.
"Um... Mr. Zeff..."
Before Naruto could finish, Zeff turned around and said, "Call me teacher!"
"Oh... Teacher Zeff, are you sure this is one day's training?"
Naruto pointed at the sheet of paper on the table, already densely covered in writing, as he asked.
Hearing that, Zeff smiled and said, "Of course it's for one day! If you think it's too little, I can add more!"
Naruto: ...
"Um... can I back out of having you train me now?"
Naruto asked with a miserable look on his face.
"Heh... of course not!"
Before you continue