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In the depths of the Mountains' Graveyard, where time seems to stand still, Uchiha Madara was still clutching the seventh volume with a hand trembling from old age.
The lone Sharingan in his socket flickered with a dark red glow, as if absorbing every drop of ink spilled to depict the tragedy of his clan, a tragedy not yet fully portrayed in the manga, as everything shown so far was merely a glimpse of the memories of the boy.
"Uchiha Sasuke..."
"So... this is the Curse Mark of Hiruzen's little student."
Madara muttered in a rasping voice, running his thumb over the image of Sasuke in agony as he tried to activate his Sharingan, only to be overwhelmed by the pain of the Curse Mark.
"Using raw natural energy (Jūgo) to feed the hatred within the soul... clichéd, but effective for making pups believe they've become wolves."
Madara closed the volume with a force that echoed through the desolate cave, then stared into the void as if his vision could pierce through the stone walls to reach Konoha.
"Humph... a Curse Mark, is it?"
A cold smile played across his aged face as he watched the black markings crawl over the boy's shoulder, twisting as if they were a living being demanding more.
"Power granted... not earned."
He closed his eyes for a moment, then continued in a tone of quiet disdain...
"This is nothing but a shackle disguised as strength. The more you think you control it... the more it is the one slowly devouring you..."
"Hashirama... it seems the world we built on the corpses of our friends was not content with swallowing us, it is now vomiting our secrets onto the village streets as a commodity to be bought and sold."
Madara exhaled coldly, then added in a tone carrying a hidden threat...
"Uzumaki Rubiro... you have made me feel something I haven't felt in a long time... curiosity."
"And curiosity is the first step toward falling into my web."
He turned toward the black mass crouching at his feet.
"Zetsu... leave now. Konoha is no longer just a primitive village; it has become a stage for a puppet pulling strings I haven't even moved yet. I want a daily report on every move that the artist makes. If he possesses the Eye that sees the future, then I want that eye before he sees my end with it."
Saying this, Madara tossed the manga volume aside and closed his eyes, resting and sinking into his thoughts.
...
A few days later... in Konohagakure...
The village was living in a state of eerie calm following the end of the Volume Seven fever.
The Art Store was relatively quiet, and Rob sat inside his private office, drawing the pages of Volume Eight with precision and enjoyment.
From the moment Madara closed the volume in that distant cave, Rob had never once left the store.
It wasn't out of fear, but a sovereign caution. He knew that the System protected him absolutely within these walls, and that any being, no matter how powerful, would turn to dust if they tried to violate the sanctity of the Art Store.
"Heh~ Come on, what kind of information do you think you can gather about me?"
Since the Art Store feature Fortress Beyond the Fortress has an external range of 10 kilometers, Rob could sense anyone with ill intentions within that field.
Thus, he identified the distinguished guest immediately upon arrival.
...
Outside, specifically in the shadow of a massive oak tree overlooking the store's gate, a small rift appeared in the ground.
A sticky black substance emerged, intertwining with the tree's roots with a brilliance that even the eyes of the ANBU could not detect.
It was Black Zetsu.
'This place... the chakra surrounding it is abnormal. No, it's more accurate to say there is no chakra surrounding it at all...' Zetsu thought while watching from the shadows.
'Madara-sama was right. There isn't a single flaw in this guy's defenses. He doesn't go out, he doesn't sleep in the open; it's as if he knows the whole world is watching him.'
Zetsu tried to sneak closer, even approaching the edge of the store's pavement. He felt nothing, as if he could enter the store if he wished.
However, since it was currently night, the art store doors were locked, and entry was impossible.
Therefore, Black Zetsu tried to phase inside. Unfortunately for him, the building seemed like a solid cube with no gap to enter through, even for a liquid-like creature such as himself.
Despite this, Black Zetsu did not give up and attempted to force his way in.
...
"Should I play with him a little?"
"No, I don't think it's the right time yet. I can let them find whatever information they want..."
Rob's current goal was to allow the status quo to continue for as long as possible.
Since the real threat from Madara and Black Zetsu was still far off, they could be set aside, their official appearance wouldn't happen for years.
For this reason, Rob didn't want to bother dealing with them now.
"You can enjoy my manga as readers... but do not try to interfere in my affairs..."
"This will be a small punishment..."
...
As soon as Rob said that, Black Zetsu, who was trying to seep under the store door, shuddered and immediately retreated deep into the shadows.
'Impossible... a suffocating pressure almost erased my existence just by the thought of trespassing! Madara-sama... this guy isn't just an artist, he sits in a fortress that transcends our understanding of power.'
'No... this unexpected variable might affect Mother's return! I must never lower my guard regarding him...!'
...
Inside the store...
Rob stopped drawing for a moment. A faint, barely visible smile played on his lips as he looked toward the glass door.
"Still there?" Rob muttered to himself.
"Stay there, Zetsu... watch as much as you like," Rob thought as he calmly returned to his drawing, his brush moving with incredible skill.
Lifelike scenes for Volume Eight were forming with every completed page.
"For the more you watch, the more certain your master will be that this store is the only place he cannot touch... even in his dreams."
"The time for the prelude is over, Madara... Now, I will draw for you how the powerful fall one by one into the traps of destiny."
Rob was excited to release Volume Eight and draw more chapters afterward.
...
Inside the office of the Third Hokage, candlelight cast shadows over several open volumes of the Naruto manga on the Hokage's desk.
The moonlight was very bright today, yet despite this clarity, none of the Konoha shinobi, including the Hokage himself, could sense Black Zetsu watching the Art Store from afar after being intimidated.
Unaware of the danger lurking outside, Hiruzen smoked calmly, staring at the manga pages and thinking.
His eyes were focused on the last two volumes, specifically on the scenes where Orochimaru appeared.
"It seems my student Orochimaru will lose his way in the future... Is this manga a message to me from the future to adjust my affairs and know how to handle it before it begins?"
"Is Orochimaru's nature truly so foul that he is just waiting for the right moment to strike?"
Hiruzen felt deeply confused, no longer knowing what to do, how to think, or what to decide. The manga scenes had caused a real dilemma for him.
"Hiruzen... you already know in your heart that that student is a bad egg."
"A snake's egg."
Another person had been sitting in the darkness the whole time, only when he spoke could his presence be felt.
"Danzo, let's not jump to conclusions... Uzumaki Rubiro's goal might be political division within the villages. He has already done it with Kirigakure..., and now he's moved on to us..."
"Don't forget that he ended Zabuza's story in the best way possible... even as a traitor, everyone in Kirigakure grew to appreciate him... But what about Orochimaru?"
"He looks like a textbook villain who will bring disaster to Konoha."
Hearing that, Hiruzen's brow twitched.
"Let's wait and see what happens in the coming chapters."
"We should not believe blindly in what happens in the manga."
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 153: System Level 7! The Age of Anime Begins.
Chapter 154: The First Episode of the Naruto Anime!
Chapter 155: The Second Episode of the Naruto Anime!
Chapter 156: Volume 8 of the Manga Hits the Shelves After Two Anime-Filled Weeks!
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