Brimming with excitement, Ye Mizunotsuki returned home and immediately kicked Gratonni, who had leapt up to "act cute," to the side.
Come on, you're not a moe pet—are you trying to disgust me?
Just looking at this little fatty made Ye furious. Its intelligence was basically negative. Always hungry, utterly useless… If it weren't for how easy it was to feed, he would have annihilated it long ago.
"Ye, I'm so hungry~~"
"Go eat dirt!"
Ye pointed to a burlap sack in the corner, speaking impatiently.
"I finished it all…"
Gratonni bit its own finger, looking up with innocent eyes and a few dribbles of saliva at the corner of its mouth. Ye sighed and grabbed the sack, filling it with soil before sending Gratonni away.
"Finally some peace… Second three-star card: Enma Blade, here I come!"
Rubbing his hands, Ye opened the system interface and chose to replace a lower-tier card with a higher-tier one.
In an instant, the character panel flashed. The "Sharkman" Arlong card vanished, replaced by a long, slender katana!
The three-star character card "Ice Queen" Esdeath had already given him a qualitative power boost. The three-star Enma Blade promised a similar increase—no small enhancement to his strength.
Immediately after the replacement, Ye noticed a slight decrease in his physical attributes, and even his chakra nearly dipped below the "Special Jonin" threshold. Thankfully, the Arlong card had provided only minimal stats, so the effect was negligible.
"This is…"
Ye's expression shifted. He slowly reached out, and a subtle ripple emanated from his palm. The long, slender katana appeared faintly in his hand before solidifying.
It was icy to the touch, as if submerged in water. Even through the black scabbard, Ye felt an ominous presence.
The blade, nearly as tall as himself, traced a perfect arc. The octagonal guard was covered in dense scales, while the golden hilt was etched with mysterious runes.
Enma Blade!
In Devil May Cry, a legendary weapon said to separate the human and demon realms!
Clang!
Ye drew the sword, and the room seemed to brighten instantly. The wafer-thin blade shimmered like autumn water, and the ominous aura intensified.
Just gazing at it sent shivers down one's spine.
Hiss!
Ye took a deep breath, his eyes serious. Only weapons honed to perfection could produce such an impression.
Standing slowly, he looked at the dining table. Holding the Enma Blade, he sliced through the corner of the table—a century-old pine wood—with effortless precision, as if cutting tofu.
Next, he tested iron kunai, shuriken, and even ice hardened with his Ice Release chakra—everything sliced as easily as the table corner.
"Spatial Slash…" Ye's eyes gleamed. He muttered to himself, "If I'm not mistaken, this blade's lethality isn't from its material—it's from its innate property! Spatial Slash… it uses space itself!"
No wonder it's a legendary artifact from Devil May Cry!
Cards produced by the system may be dark in origin, but they were trustworthy.
Ye sheathed the blade. Since the card was equipped, he could summon Enma Blade at will. But to avoid misunderstandings, he planned to carry it physically as well.
Otherwise, people might assume he knew spatial ninjutsu.
"This weapon boosts my strength by at least thirty percent," Ye estimated. Conservatively. If he mastered sword techniques, it could double his power.
With Enma Blade's wafer-thin edge, nothing could stand against it.
"I should find someone to teach me proper sword techniques," he thought.
…
The sun set, painting the sky crimson.
Deep in Konoha, a modest but heavily guarded residence stood—the home of the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Inside the traditional hall, Hiruzen sat cross-legged on a wooden platform, having removed his Hokage hat and robes. Candlelight flickered over his aged face, incense filling the air, casting a serene, golden glow.
A tall Anbu ninja stood respectfully beside him, wearing a plain white mask without markings.
"Is this true?"
On the low table before Hiruzen sat a teapot, two exquisite teacups, and several unrolled intelligence scrolls. Hiruzen set down a scroll, his expression stern, commanding respect without raising his voice.
"Yes," the Anbu ninja nodded.
"Recently, several ninjas have gone missing inside the village. I initially thought they were spies from other villages, but soon my men discovered a link to Lord Orochimaru."
Hiruzen's brows furrowed. "You haven't told anyone else about this, have you?"
"The Anbu answer only to the Hokage."
"Good." Hiruzen glanced at the Anbu. Taking a sip of tea, he pondered, then ordered: "Classify this as 'S'-level secrecy. You lead the Anbu to investigate discreetly. Under no circumstances must anyone discover this."
"Understood. And what about Minato-sama…?"
"I am the Hokage!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Anbu bowed and withdrew. After nearly twenty years together, he could read the hidden meaning behind Hiruzen's words.
Though formally master and student, they shared a father-son bond. Hiruzen also harbored a subtle, unacknowledged debt toward Orochimaru…
For Konoha's stability, the Fourth Hokage must come from the common people.
"A generation of great shinobi… is aging," the Anbu thought with a heavy heart. Even five years earlier, Hiruzen likely would not have been so soft; he would have interrogated immediately.
"Orochimaru… I warned you not to get too close to Danzo," Hiruzen muttered, rising and looking toward the horizon through the thick walls.
"What are you planning? I hope you do not go astray, or…"
Hiruzen's gaze faltered. He sighed, staring at his wrinkling hands. "Am I…"
"Old?"
Outside, the full moon rose, bathing the land in pale, silvery light.