“I’ve reached my stop.”
Naruto said to Yoshi as he left his seat, preparing to disembark early.
“Wait, leave me your contact information, Yahiko-kun. If you have any questions about the Jonin exam, you can ask me. After all, you’re new here and probably unfamiliar with Konoha.”
Yoshi grabbed Naruto, proactively suggesting.
“Contact information… how do I do that?” Naruto hesitated.
“Of course, it’s your phone number. Don’t you have a phone?”
Yoshi blinked in confusion, then pulled out a palm-sized device from her pocket and waved it in front of Naruto.
Hmm.
Naruto’s eyes fell on the device in Yoshi’s hand. The top part had a screen, and the bottom part had several rows of buttons marked with numbers from 0 to 9 and some other symbols.
So, this is a phone?
Naruto remembered Konan mentioning that Konoha had invented a machine called a phone that allowed people hundreds of kilometers apart to communicate instantly. It seemed quite magical.
So, this is what a phone looks like.
Naruto didn’t have one of these.
Therefore,
“Sorry, maybe next time.”
Naruto said, leaving Yoshi surprised as he quickly got off the tram.
Watching Naruto leave, Yoshi felt a bit lost and muttered to herself,
“Did I scare him by being too forward, or is he just not interested in me at all? Sigh…”
For Naruto, the encounter with Yoshi was just a minor episode.
Like a lake with a small stone thrown into it, his mind rippled briefly and then quickly calmed.
A few minutes later,
Naruto followed the crowd to the front of the Hokage Mansion.
This magnificent nine-story tower stood tall in the center of Konoha, resplendent and grand, symbolizing Konoha’s supreme authority and inspiring awe.
Konoha shinobi hurried past Naruto, bustling in and out of the mansion, nearly wearing down the threshold.
So lively.
Naruto mused. He had used his sensory abilities earlier and found that at least all these shinobi were Chunin-level or higher, with many being Jonin.
In the past eight years,
Konoha’s ninja academy had produced a vast number of talents, combined with immigrants from other villages. Konoha’s Jonin numbers now exceeded a thousand, surpassing the entire ninja world.
In comparison, the Akatsuki organization seemed weak, like a newborn baby.
Naruto shook his head and walked straight toward the Hokage Mansion.
However, an arm suddenly blocked his way as he approached the gate.
“Stop, are you a Konoha shinobi? The Hokage Mansion is only open to Chunin and above. Visitors are not allowed.”
The speaker was a Uchiha Jonin in a high-collared blue robe, watching Naruto sternly and issuing a warning.
Naruto glanced at him without any expression, making no response.
Hmm?
The Uchiha Jonin frowned, placing his hand on his waist-mounted ninjatō, and at the same time, a pair of crimson Sharingan appeared in his eyes:
“Young man, I’ll warn you once more. Step back immediately! Otherwise, I’ll have to take you to the police department.”
Hearing the words “police department,” Naruto seemed frightened, hastily chuckling and scratching his head:
“Sorry, I’ll leave right away.”
He turned to leave.
“Rookie.” The Uchiha Jonin commented indifferently, shaking his head as he watched Naruto’s back before returning to his post.
He had no idea that this seemingly naive blond youth could easily take his life.
Naruto hadn’t come for a direct confrontation with Uchiha Dan. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have used the Samsara of Heavenly Life technique.
His goal was reconnaissance.
Specifically, Naruto’s real target was the Uchiha clan’s Naka Shrine—more precisely, a stone tablet within it.
It was said that,
A thousand years ago, the Sage of Six Paths, the Uchiha clan’s ancestor, left a stone tablet engraved with his teachings for future generations and his predictions for the future. Only the ultimate form of the Sharingan—the Rinnegan—could fully decipher the tablet’s contents.
So far, only one person has fully read the tablet: Uchiha Madara.
The true owner of Naruto’s Rinnegan.
What exactly did Madara see on that tablet?
Why did he give his Sharingan to Nagato afterward, and why did his successor, Obito, guide Nagato to gather all the Tailed Beasts?
It’s certain that Nagato was manipulated by Madara, used as a pawn.
Therefore, Naruto wanted to find answers through that stone tablet.
Only by knowing what the Sage of Six Paths had said could he understand Madara’s conspiracy and see the truth hidden behind the mist of the ninja world, thereby gaining the upper hand.
Moreover,
If the Sage of Six Paths truly revealed a way to achieve peace in the ninja world on the tablet, it would be valuable for Naruto as a reference.
After all, he had promised Konan-sensei to fulfill Nagato and the Akatsuki’s ideals.
Before heading to the tablet,
“I’m a bit hungry, let’s get something to eat first.”
Naruto muttered, rubbing his stomach, then glanced at the nearby food street.
Though the street was filled with various food stalls, each with enticing aromas and vendors loudly competing for customers,
Naruto wandered around and eventually entered an inconspicuous small shop.
Ichiraku Ramen.
This place had the best ramen he had ever tasted as a child. Little Naruto could only afford such luxury on holidays or birthdays back then.
Now, he finally had the means to eat to his heart’s content.
“Here’s your tonkotsu ramen, please enjoy.”
Ayame, Teuchi’s daughter, brought out a steaming bowl of ramen from the kitchen and placed it on the counter in front of Naruto.
“Thank you.”
Naruto smiled and eagerly started eating.
Ichiraku Ramen was as delicious as ever.
It brought back memories of his childhood and tasted even better than he remembered.
“Another bowl, please!”
“And another!”
“One more!”
Unknowingly, he devoured five large bowls of ramen in a row, leaving Teuchi astonished.
“Thank you for the meal!”
Satisfied, Naruto wiped his mouth and generously left a hundred ryo tip before leaving.
“Strange.”
Teuchi watched Naruto’s back, frowning thoughtfully.
“What is it, Dad?” Ayame asked curiously.
“I feel like I’ve seen that kid somewhere before, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t remember.” Teuchi rubbed his chin, trying to recall the blond youth.
Ayame covered her mouth, laughing:
“Dad, so many customers come and go every day. How could you remember each one? You might be mistaken.”
“Maybe.”
Teuchi nodded, letting it go and returning to work with his daughter.
Naruto stood outside a phone shop for a moment before stepping inside.
“How much for a phone?”
He went straight to the counter and asked the clerk.
Naruto learned that even the basic model with only call functionality costs three thousand ryo.
Phones with more features, like cameras, voice recording, and video recording, could cost over five thousand ryo, with top models nearing twenty thousand ryo.
Most absurdly, a limited edition Uchiha model adorned with diamonds forming the Uchiha fan emblem was priced at an astonishing fifty thousand ryo.
What a rip-off.
Naruto was shocked and silently cursed.
Coming back to reality, he asked again,
“Can this phone make calls and keep in touch with others from anywhere?”
“Sorry.”
The clerk explained with a smile,
“Phones need to receive signals from base stations. Currently, only the entire Konoha area has a complete network with full coverage.
However, Konoha’s collaboration with the other four great villages has begun. Soon, you’ll be able to use your phone to stay in touch with family and friends anywhere in the ninja world.”
I see.
Naruto fell into thought.
He had to admit, the phone was indeed an impressive invention, greatly facilitating life.
He also had to acknowledge that technological advancements like the phone were positive contributions Konoha had made to the development of the entire ninja world.
“Give me five.”
Naruto held up five fingers, buying five phones at once.
He planned to take these back for research but certainly wouldn’t let Akatsuki members use them, suspecting Konoha’s intelligence department might monitor them.
After purchasing the phones,
Naruto boarded the tram again and got off ten minutes later at the Naka Shrine stop.
Situated by the Naka River, this shrine was one of Konoha’s most popular tourist attractions, a must-see for almost every visitor.
The expanded Naka Shrine was vast and grand.
Naruto moved through the crowd, passing through a row of tall red torii gates, heading deeper into the shrine.
On either side of the path, guides introduced tourists to the Uchiha clan’s thousand-year history, while souvenir shops sold various Uchiha-themed items.
Tourists, out of admiration for the Uchiha clan, generously bought blue robes, ninja tools, books, and headbands adorned with the Uchiha emblem.
However,
The core area of Naka Shrine, the main hall, was never open to visitors.
The stone tablet Naruto sought was hidden there.
Whoosh.
Naruto’s figure flickered through the crowd, disappearing in an instant.
“Uh, did you just see someone…”
A guard at the main hall entrance rubbed his eyes, asking his companion before shaking his head,
“Never mind, must have been my imagination.”
Naruto smoothly infiltrated the main hall, his eyes falling on the tatami mats inside.
One, two, three… found it. The seventh tatami from the right—according to his intel, the Uchiha clan’s secret chamber lay beneath.
Indeed.
He found the mechanism and entered the hidden passage, soon arriving at the underground chamber.
Once illuminated by fire pits, the walls now glowed with warm electric lights.
This was where the Uchiha clan held their council meetings, only elite members qualified to attend.
And the stone tablet Naruto sought sat quietly between two lamps.
However,
A sharp kunai pressed against his waist from behind as he took two steps forward.
Simultaneously, a gleaming ninja blade hovered at his throat.
Two Uchiha Jonin had blocked him.
They were the chamber’s guards.
“Who are you, and how do you know about this chamber? What’s your purpose here? Speak!”
One demanded, his Sharingan ready to unleash an interrogation genjutsu.
“You’re lucky.”
Naruto said calmly.
“What do you mean?”
The one behind him tightened his grip on the kunai, pricking Naruto’s skin.
Naruto remained unfazed, explaining,
“I didn’t come to kill anyone this time, so congratulations, you’ve both won your lives.”
This brat… such arrogance.
The two guards exchanged a glance, ready to subdue Naruto.
At that moment,
“Shinra Tensei!”
With a mental command, a powerful repulsive force erupted from Naruto, sending the two Uchiha Jonin flying into the chamber walls, spitting blood.
Just that single move had injured their internal organs, leaving them unable to use chakra or move for a while.
“Damn!”
Seeing his comrade unconscious, one guard attempted to use his Sharingan to launch a genjutsu at Naruto.
Whoosh.
Naruto’s eyes turned into the concentric rings of the Rinnegan.
In the next second, the guard’s genjutsu was reflected back, causing him to scream and pass out.
After dealing with the guards,
Naruto approached the stone tablet, finally able to decipher its contents.
The tablet’s text was unlike any known language in the ninja world, with complex characters resembling a mysterious script.
But Naruto’s Rinnegan, capable of seeing through everything, illuminated the truth hidden in the mist.
It turned out,
The tablet’s text wasn’t an ancient language but a sophisticated genjutsu.
Only with the Sharingan’s power could it be deciphered.
Moreover, regular Sharingan could only read the beginning, with further information requiring stronger ocular power.
Only the Rinnegan could fully reveal the tablet’s contents.
This is…
Naruto read the tablet, his expression shifting from surprise to understanding, then to a frown, before finally exclaiming,
“This must be a joke. This can’t be true!”
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