Konoha—
Carl, having left Naruto's room, now stood atop the Hokage Rock of the Third Hokage, his hand pinching his chin as he gazed at the sky.
Behind him, a pair of massive black wings slowly fluttered. This imposing posture soon drew the attention of the Anbu.
But before the Anbu could even surround him, a surging aura emanated from Carl, sending them crashing unconscious to the ground.
Anyone who could observe Carl clearly at this moment would see faint arcs of black electricity flickering around him—a unique manifestation of Conqueror's Haki.
With his restored power, Carl was no longer on the same dimensional plane as the shinobi world.
Carl withdrew his gaze and stood atop the Hokage Rock, overlooking the entire village.
Too small.
After all, Konoha was just a village. To someone who could casually annihilate a nation like Carl, this so-called top ninja village of the Shinobi World was no different from sand.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage also sensed the terrifying pressure emanating from the direction of the Hokage Rock.
The chakra crystal that had just formed inside Carl radiated a wave of chakra far beyond the level of any Kage Ninja. Cold sweat dripped down the Third Hokage's forehead. Without hesitation, he dashed out of the office and ran toward the Hokage Rock.
When he arrived, he saw the Anbu sprawled unconscious across the ground and a towering figure standing atop his own stone statue.
The figure's outline felt familiar, yet the profile was completely strange. The Third Hokage furrowed his brow, racking his mind to recall if he had ever seen Carl before.
Carl, however, did not turn his head, as if he had not noticed the Third Hokage's arrival at all. Suddenly, his massive black wings spread wide, casting the Third Hokage in a massive shadow.
The Third Hokage tensed immediately at Carl's movement. Before he could react, Carl's wings flapped, generating a powerful gust of air that sent the Hokage flying backward. He crashed heavily into a tree before finally coming to a stop.
"Ugh!"
Sliding down the tree trunk to the ground, the Third Hokage coughed up a mouthful of old blood. His eyes widened in shock as he looked down at his blood-soaked Hokage robes.
Too strong!
The aftermath of a single movement had reduced the Hokage to such a sorry state. If Carl had actually fought seriously, what would that scene even look like?
Even more terrifying, Carl appeared so young—probably barely over twenty. When had such a prodigious figure ever appeared in the Shinobi World? Even Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage in their time would not have been as absurdly powerful.
What was the purpose of someone like this coming to Konoha? If he were an enemy, how could Konoha possibly respond?
A thousand thoughts flashed through the Third Hokage's mind like lightning. Suddenly, a loud boom accompanied by a cracking sound rang out. The Third Hokage snapped back to reality and hurried toward the source without hesitation.
By the time he reached the location, Carl was gone. Only the flattened ground and the shattered Hokage Rock remained.
The Third Hokage could not even care about his destroyed statue. Recalling Carl's movements—the way his black wings had spread—he looked up sharply, his pupils constricting.
The once-thick clouds had been blown apart, leaving only wisps of white smoke lingering weakly in the sky—a clear result of some enormous force.
The Third Hokage now understood: Carl had only been preparing to fly upward. He had never intended to attack.
Realizing this, the Third Hokage's heart sank further.
A figure flashed behind him—Danzo had arrived, late as always. Seeing the unconscious Anbu scattered on the ground and the grim expression on the Third Hokage's face, Danzo raised an eyebrow and asked,
"What just happened here? I sensed a powerful chakra—"
The Third Hokage raised a hand to stop him, turning to speak gravely:
"An unknown, extremely powerful ninja came to Konoha. He has already left."
Danzo opened his mouth to ask where this so-called powerful ninja had gone, but when he saw the blood at the corner of the Third Hokage's mouth, his pupils constricted sharply.
"You're injured?! You actually fought him?!"
The Third Hokage wiped the blood from his lips and forced a bitter smile that Danzo could not read.
"Fought? That ninja didn't even acknowledge me as Hokage!"
"What?!"
Shock flashed across Danzo's eyes. The Third Hokage continued slowly:
"He is very young, with a pair of enormous black wings. His power is unfathomable. Just the aftershock of his wing flap sent me flying, cough… cough…"
The Third Hokage's throat burned, almost spitting up another mouthful of blood.
Seeing the Hokage in such a state, Danzo could not contain himself. If what the Third Hokage said was true, the newcomer's strength had reached a level beyond comprehension.
In Danzo's memory, only two people had possessed that level of power: the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and Uchiha Madara.
Having worked alongside him for decades, the Third Hokage instantly understood what Danzo was thinking and said,
"Even the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara of the past would probably not match that person. It was overwhelming power."
Danzo shivered and remained silent for a long moment before finally asking,
"So he had no intention of attacking Konoha and was just passing by?"
The Third Hokage sighed.
"Let's hope so. If he had wanted to fight Konoha, I wouldn't have known what to do. Probably the only way would have been to risk my life and use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal…"
His eyes filled with determination. Danzo instinctively touched his chest, feeling an inexplicable embarrassment. He recalled a moment long ago in front of the Second Hokage.
Back then, he had hesitated for only a moment, but the Third Hokage had acted decisively, just like now.
He would never forget the look in the Second Hokage's eyes at that moment—he realized then that the position of Hokage would never be his.
Many years later, a similar event occurred, and the outcome remained unchanged.
He was still one step too slow…
In the Third Hokage's astonished gaze, a strange flush appeared on Danzo's coffin-like face. He stared at the Hokage intently and said word by word,
"You're not the only one who knows sealing techniques. My sealing techniques may very well rival yours!"
-----------
+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg