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Kirigakure:
Just like the Third Hokage, the Third Tsuchikage, the Third Kazekage, and the Third Raikage, the Third Mizukage, Hozuki Mizuru, was also sequestered behind closed doors.
After finishing the events of Volume 5, he spoke to Rob's Kiri clone.
"I know you are merely a clone. These little tricks won't work on us... If you think you can control our Kirigakure with a mere clone, you should think again very carefully."
Having said that, he turned to leave without waiting for a reply from "The Clone of Rob." Yet, Rob's response reached him just before he crossed the store's threshold.
"If you think I'm just an ordinary clone, you're welcome to try your luck."
Rob replied with a calm smile. These people believed he was a simple Shadow Clone, but the truth was far more terrifying. His presence there was identical to the real Rob without the slightest difference, despite technically being a clone.
…
What the Third Mizukage brooded over all night in his office was that final remark made by the "clone."
"What did he mean by 'try your luck'?"
"Do you think I won't? Damn you!" Mizuru cursed, staring at the five volumes scattered across his desk. The volume of his outbursts caused the candlelight to flicker violently.
The thick mist surrounding the village was unusually heavy today, even for Kiri, to the point that it almost suffocated the villagers in their homes. To the Mizukage, this heavy fog felt like an ill omen.
"What should I do...? Should I attack or not?"
"Even if we could destroy the clone and seize the Art Store, how would we deal with the real one who would surely come?"
The news of what happened to Kumogakure and the Third Raikage (that beast of a man) was still fresh in his mind. If Uzumaki Rubiro was capable of crushing the pride of Kumo, what would stop him from doing the same to Kiri? Or worse?
This was what truly terrified the Third Mizukage. He rubbed his hair with both hands; it was a dilemma without a solution.
"Sigh... only now do I realize how difficult it is to be a leader. I wonder how the other villages are handling this..."
In that moment, the Mizukage surrendered to the idea of more patience. Even if his negative thoughts urged him to strike the Art Store now, he knew he couldn't even force an entry or damage the building. The first day the Art Store appeared was burned into his memory; no matter what they tried back then, they couldn't even scratch it.
As he overthought, his gaze fell upon a specific scene in the open manga before him. The scene showed Momochi Zabuza pointing his great sword, confirmed to be the Kubikiribōchō, at Gatou.
"So... how is our guest?" Mizuru asked, seemingly addressing the empty air.
In the next instant, water poured profusely from the void, and a masked shinobi appeared, kneeling on one knee.
"He is fine. He understands the situation, but he requests a meeting with Uzumaki Rubiro. He claims the manga is weaving fairy tales about him and that he is currently just a young man aspiring to live a carefree life. He says he doesn't even want to inherit his father's trading company..."
The masked shinobi reported everything.
"Hmm, did we get the wrong Gatou? Or is he lying—"
Before he could finish, a terrifying pressure descended, paralyzing both the Mizukage and the masked shinobi. They instinctively wanted to retreat as their shinobi instincts screamed in warning.
"Didn't I tell you that meddling and messing with the real-world counterparts of manga characters is a red line not to be crossed? Huh, Mizukage-san?"
Rob, who was by no means a mere clone, but the real Rob, walked through the office door. He arrived calmly at the Mizukage's desk, carrying the terrifying pressure of Conqueror's Haki. It pressed against their chests so hard the ANBU shinobi nearly lost consciousness on the spot.
The Mizukage managed to stay on his feet despite the crushing weight threatening to pin his upper body to his desk. He looked directly into Rob's eyes, which were devoid of any emotion.
The look in Rob's eyes was like a human looking at an insect, wondering whether to crush it underfoot or leave it to fate. His eyes were dark, devoid of light, reflecting only the sparks of reddish-black lightning emitted by the Haki radiating from him in abundance.
The sheer force of his Haki began to blow away the thick mist in the vicinity.
"Y-you... you are the real one!" the Mizukage gasped.
The suffocating pressure, unlike anything he had felt in his life, caused bells to ring in his head. His sharp instincts, honed through countless battles, assassinations, and wars, told him clearly: 'I will die before this man. No matter what I do, there is no escape.'
His back hit his chair. Seeing that resistance was futile, he simply chose to submit to fate.
As he did, the terrifying Conqueror's Haki dissipated, and the suffocating pressure finally vanished. Rob's expression remained unchanged, staring at the Mizukage with cold indifference.
The masked shinobi had been reporting collapsed unconscious, with white foam appearing through the gaps in his mask.
'A genius shinobi, one of the top talents in the ANBU, fainted just from this man's presence...?' Mizuru could not believe his eyes. Once the pressure lifted and his analytical mind returned, this realization deepened his fear even further.
"What does Rubiro-san wish to discuss with me at this late hour?" Hozuki Mizuru stood up again, trying to reclaim his "lost" Mizukage dignity.
"Didn't you hear me well? I asked why you are messing with people who have counterparts in the manga. Why did you arrest Gatou?"
Rob had realized this earlier that evening when he received curious notifications that Gatou had a "low impression" of his manga, translated into a pathetic amount of Art Coins. This made Rob suspicious. A person seeing themselves in a manga wouldn't give just a dozen coins unless their life was in danger because of it.
Rob had dropped what was in his hand (his brush and an unfinished volume) and used the Teleportation Room to travel from Konoha to Kiri.
Hearing Gatou's name, the Mizukage realized the source of the Store owner's anger and tried to rectify the situation.
"We arrested him, yes, but we used no violence. You can verify the truth of my words—"
"Enough nonsense!"
Before the Mizukage could finish, Rob slapped him so hard his body was pinned against the wooden wall of the Mizukage building.
…
Amegakure:
Far from Kirigakure, the situation in Amegakure wasn't much different from the other hidden villages, except for Kiri, where events had escalated to a different level.
Unlike the mist of Kiri, there was a continuous rainstorm over Ame, even at night. Because of this, one did not see earthen or stone buildings, but metal structures, even metal skyscrapers under construction.
The land of Rain was a prime industrial zone; the harsh weather hadn't stopped it from flourishing in that field. Its past as a battlefield for the surrounding Great Nations (Fire, Wind, and Earth) drove it to evolve to escape its grim fate.
Because Hanzo ruled with an iron fist, many skilled assassins were trained under his care. But this control had begun to shake since the Art Store appeared this morning.
Indeed, only one day had passed since the art store, and another clone of Rob had settled there, and that alone gave Hanzo insomnia.
"The only satisfactory solution is to isolate the Art Store, control it, and kick the bastard named Uzumaki Rubiro off my land... but how!!"
Hanzo removed his respirator since he was alone in his office. Here, the light didn't come from candles but from electric lamps, illuminating the desk brilliantly.
"I think I know how I'll do it... I'll try, at least."
Thinking of the faces of the children reading the manga, especially those annoying orphans, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, Hanzo could not allow such a future to take shape. A soft future generation brainwashed by manga... Just thinking of Naruto's "Talk no Jutsu" working even on a cold-blooded man like Zabuza and sending him to his death made Hanzo want to vomit!
"That brat's tongue is more dangerous than even my poisons!"
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 133: Two More Art Stores Open!
Chapter 134: The Predator Reads About Himself!
Chapter 135: I Must Survive in Order to Kill My Brother.
Chapter 136: The Terrified Orochimaru!
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