Chapter 18: Lord Third, I See the Aura of Death on Your Face!
“Lord Third~”
Byakuya gave Sarutobi Hiruzen a slight nod in greeting.
The old Hokage cheerfully took the pipe out of his mouth, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjomcY4ZoC
pointed toward the bookstore with a warm smile, and said,
“You’re not going to invite this old man in to sit for a bit?”
“This bookstore prohibits smoking.”
“……”
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked slightly awkward as he quickly extinguished the pipe and tucked it away.
“Ahem~ 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs60VlNPx2Z
Getting old… sometimes I just can’t control the urge.”
“Lord Third, please come in.”
The two entered the bookstore and sat down on the sofa.
Byakuya poured him a cup of tea.
Then the two simply sat there… staring at each other.
For some reason, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfm8H0MPHn
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly felt like he was being treated as prey.
“This kid’s eyes are so weird!”
Unable to bear the strange atmosphere any longer, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbmXcnGktX
the Third Hokage spoke first.
“I already know about you teaching Hinata. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGolEZj5utA
Helping a classmate on your own initiative—that’s a very good thing you did.”
He paused for a moment, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt7XeHoUTE
then glanced at Byakuya.
But he didn’t see the happy, flattered expression he had been expecting after the praise.
This made him feel a little deflated.
Still, he didn’t dwell on it and continued.
“Since you’ve decided not to become a shinobi, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eAQQ3uoAA
I won’t try to persuade you anymore. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rJjgrL83Y
But since you have such a talent for teaching… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ppS5GoWYt
are you interested in coming to the Academy to become a teacher?”
“I don’t have the money right now to hire someone to watch the store. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzDBWdIiOI
So… let’s talk about it later.”
“I see~”
Hiruzen took a sip of tea and nodded slightly.
The reasoning sounded perfectly reasonable.
“Actually, you could start as a private tutor, you know~ 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8H4TRkr76Z
Have your students come to the bookstore. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cSdryDRW7
You teach them while keeping an eye on the shop.”
“That’s actually a pretty good idea. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqVZsHiIAt
Lord Third, I’ll think about it.”
“Mm~”
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded again.
He genuinely felt that Byakuya was quite a decent kid—strong, smart, sensible, and obedient.
“By the way, Lord Third… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8vKNUSSDP
Have you ever heard of divination ninjutsu?”
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “?”
“It’s a type of ninjutsu that can predict the future.”
Seeing the confusion on the old Hokage’s face, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zKcVRTuJG
Byakuya smiled and continued.
“I was fortunate enough to learn such a technique. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWEOXG5uI2
And I used this divination ninjutsu to perform a reading. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡji7jxUMZ9c
I received some secret techniques as a result. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIwn3v0aVg
The one I gave to Hinata was just one of them.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “!”
“Not long ago, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvf1MhixvO
I used this divination ninjutsu to read the Chūnin Exams. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZLDcNJ7IS
And I received a truly shocking result. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRZtJDTeIo
A man with a long tongue who loves sticking it out… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABJ3gyt7ZN
will come to attack Konoha. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6hgxuJhgP
And you, Third Hokage… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJZ16HuyH3
will die in this great calamity.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “???”
“Lord Third, I see the aura of death on your face! 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloHQRruxrW
You must be careful!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “???”
“He uses a mysterious ninjutsu to summon the First and Second Hokage. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBiPhiLIG9
You summon a monkey and turn it into a golden staff. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6RSnDl2Fl
The four of you fight fiercely! 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuJ80Dd8AQ
The battle situation looks extremely grim. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3j2npeRe3
In the end, you summon the Shinigami, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRHQk8EoTI
forcefully sealing away the First and Second… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3JWg228Wh
and when you try to seal that long-tongued man, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi42Ji1bfye
you get stabbed to death by his sword! 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdNQjCrwJl
Lord Third, please be careful!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen: “？？？？？？？”
……
Not long after, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6Tmeam4fK
Sarutobi Hiruzen left the bookstore with a belly full of confusion and a mind full of panic.
“Am I… really going to die?”
If Byakuya hadn’t described the Shiki Fūjin—the Dead Demon Consuming Seal—in such precise detail (a technique almost no one else could possibly know), 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWkW7H4S5x
he really would have thought the boy was just spouting nonsense.
After all, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43MqxcWjHX
what kind of “divination ninjutsu” sounds that unreliable? 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zQge4RHxw
Even a shinobi scholar like him, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywEUhJAfem
who had mastered and studied countless techniques, had never heard of it.
“A man with a long tongue who loves sticking it out…?”
The image of Orochimaru instantly appeared in Sarutobi Hiruzen’s mind.
“Summoning the First and Second… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4U0zug4Nf
Could it be… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoxHAbmfaM
Edo Tensei?!”
If it really was that technique… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEDsht9PpC
then being forced to use Shiki Fūjin would make perfect sense.
“Orochimaru… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQQstzHi3a
I never thought you would actually go this far…”
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Hiruzen unconsciously quickened his pace, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIdpc93tm3
planning to have the ANBU investigate immediately.
……
“Plot points received~”
Byakuya released the Telescope Technique, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEfJ12g5a6
a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
“I wonder what Orochimaru will do this time?”
Putting away the crystal ball, he immediately started another round of lottery draws.
【Congratulations! You obtained 1 ton of gold bars!】 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxYB8QcrPI
【Congratulations! You obtained 1 Chakra Permanent Amplification Pill (0.1%)!】 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86kdBqRzk3
【Congratulations! You obtained a Squirtle (Bronze) Card!】 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGEqbYXSiM
……
Meanwhile…
Karin and Izumi had run into a very awkward problem.
They were out of money.
In the wilderness it wouldn’t have mattered—they could easily hunt something and fill their stomachs. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAllZgSkkl
But in a city… it was a different story.
Although with their strength, stealing money would be child’s play, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKIhbmUTNv
neither of them could bring themselves to actually do it.
“Pear Blossom… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcEwhQBGdv
I just thought of something.”
Izumi looked at Karin in confusion.
“As far as I know, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6l3KLWCH3I
for any organization to function normally, it has to take missions to earn money. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgBCsfbt9C
Will we be taking missions in the future too?”
“Uh…”
Karin pushed up her glasses. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyQQCjvjxn
“I heard Holy Master mention some mysterious organization called Akatsuki that operates like that. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqX95pUdLl
I asked about it once too—how does our organization make money? 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsuSDMKWfi
But Holy Master didn’t answer. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmMbTUV661
He just said that if we’re out of money, we should ask him.”
“In that case… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWw2YxyoEqL
the organization is probably divided into money-earning members and field operatives, right?”
Izumi came to this conclusion and felt quite confident in her reasoning.
“Whatever! I’ll just ask Holy Master directly!”
Karin immediately activated the ring to communicate with Byakuya.
“Master~~”
Karin’s face turned red. She spoke in a shy, fidgety tone.
“I really want to soak in the hot springs… but I don’t have any money~~ 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAplTwF66J
If you’re willing to sponsor me a little~ 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAH6upinOt
then I…”
Thud! Thud!
Before she could finish, 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaBeeTrXxi
two huge chests suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of them.
The chests hit the ground hard and popped open. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVxvJWaa3O
Instantly, rows upon rows of gleaming golden bars spilled into view.
At the same time, Byakuya cut off the communication.
“Sigh…”
Karin let out a small sigh. 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFu9vVVipw
Then she turned to the two chests of gold and excitedly told Izumi,
“We’re rich!”
“Uh…”
Izumi’s eyes instantly rolled back into white shock, black lines of exasperation appearing all over her forehead.
“This woman… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWsxhAtxAI
So bold! 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgb3aXwvjOZ
To actually talk to Holy Master like that… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCQdhVfgbc
And even trying to… 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQs2cqulws4
seduce Master? 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbhSK3B3Db
Hmph! 7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7d5HAYjfO0
Shameless!”
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