After personally experiencing the mysteries of purified chakra, Haruki broke into laughter. He raised a hand to cover the upper half of his face, leaving his left eye visible through the gaps between his fingers as his laughter grew louder and louder.
"Hahahaha—!"
"I've endured for so long… and now it's finally time for me, Tamura Haruki—no, Tamura 'World-Fucking Destroyer' Haruki—to rise! My parents really didn't name me wrong after all!"
"At this moment—Tamura World Fucking Destroyer Haruki, reporting in!"
"From today onward, I'll use the most efficient, the most scientific—no, the most shinobi-academic methods to grind all of you into the dust… or get ground to dust by you!"
"Hey, Haruki! Did you eat something rotten? What are you cackling like a ghost for?!"
Just as Tamura World Fucking Destroyer Haruki was laughing wildly while fantasizing about the future, a thunderous lion's roar erupted from upstairs, scaring him into a full-body shiver.
"Sorry, Aunt Ruth! I was just reading an exciting part of a novel and couldn't help myself. I'll keep it down!"
Haruki hurriedly replied, then shut the window tightly.
For now, he still needed to lie low and grow quietly. No recklessness, no showing off. The name World Fucking Destroyer Haruki was far too cringe—better to stick with Haruki for the time being.
Once he calmed down, Haruki focused his mind and connected to the jade fragment, consuming fate power to boost his comprehension. Using that enhanced insight, he began refining chakra and attempting to further understand and optimize the process.
A ninja's chakra was fundamentally different from things like aura, internal energy, qi, mana, psychic power etc, from his previous life's novels. There was no magic circle, core, or dantian for storage; chakra was only refined at the moment it was needed.
The refinement process involved first merging spiritual energy with physical vitality to create something akin to stamina, then converting that into chakra. Crucially, the ratio between spiritual energy and physical vitality had to be exactly one-to-one.
Of course, there were exceptions—special chakra types like the Sharingan's ocular power, where the spiritual component was clearly far greater.
Haruki had no Kekkei Genkai, no Yin–Yang affinity—only Lightning Release. He could only follow the orthodox one-to-one fusion method.
Fortunately, perhaps due to having lived two lives, his spiritual energy far exceeded that of his peers. This allowed him to refine chakra faster, more efficiently, and with superior control. He had mastered chakra threads early on, and tree-walking and water-walking had come easily to him.
Now, what he needed was to refine and improve the chakra refinement technique he'd learned—and see just how much the comprehension boost from his cheat could truly achieve.
---
While Haruki was immersed in training and experimenting with his newfound ability, over in the Raikage's office, the Third Raikage was reviewing his new student's personal file—then glancing at the crate filled with those explicit novels. His expression gradually twisted into something downright ferocious.
Off to the side, Dodai stared at the tip of his nose, focusing on his breathing and doing his best to reduce his sense of presence.
As for A—he'd long since disappeared. No matter what, he absolutely wasn't going to show his face in front of his father today.
"…Is it still possible for me to regret this?"
After a long while of facial contortions, the Third Raikage covered his face, feeling as though his lifelong reputation was about to crumble.
No wonder that little brat had insisted on securing his acceptance as a student before revealing all this. Truly calculating.
Dodai remained silent. This was something the Raikage had to come to terms with on his own—there was nothing Dodai could say.
"…Are they really that profitable?"
After quite some time, the Third Raikage finally regained a bit of composure. Staring at those lurid novels, he genuinely couldn't understand how something so indecent could make that much money.
Seeing that the Raikage had calmed down, Dodai finally spoke.
"Based on sales investigations, his books cover a very broad range. Men and women, young and old—there's something for every age group.
"He's also extremely prolific: roughly one hundred thousand words per book, one book per month. Each sells for ten thousand ryō. Because he's a top-tier contracted author with the publishing house, the revenue split is nine-to-one—he takes ninety percent.
"According to our current findings, at least seventy percent of Kumogakure's ninja are his readers. Among civilians, it's at least thirty percent. Other villages are likely similar, and major cities even more so—some nobles included.
"Our preliminary estimate puts his accumulated assets at around two billion ryō. And this income is sustainable—his earlier works from years ago are still selling and continue to generate revenue.
"If he maintains this output, in a few years his personal income will surpass the village's total revenue."
Even Dodai was astonished.
He'd always known those famous authors were wealthy—after all, Dodai himself spent twelve thousand ryō every year buying their books—but after conducting a proper investigation, he realized the reality was even more outrageous.
And this was only village data. Extrapolated outward, sales elsewhere would surely be just as high—especially in Konoha.
Many characters in those novels bore names or titles linked to Konoha's ninja clans, making the stories far more immersive and appealing there. Sales would naturally be even stronger.
"…That profitable?"
The Third Raikage was stunned. He knew the village's income well—but he never imagined a single individual could earn more than the village itself.
"People today are under immense psychological pressure," Dodai explained.
"Especially ninja, who live alongside killing every day. They need some way to release their darker impulses."
He didn't add that, after reading those novels, even he felt clearer of mind—often entering a peculiar state of calm, free of desire, ideal for contemplation.
"But he's only ten years old. Five years ago, he was just five. How could he write things like this?"
The Third Raikage still couldn't wrap his head around it.
Dodai couldn't fully understand it either, but he had some guesses.
"Perhaps he learned in Konoha. There are rumors that the Third Hokage once used secret jutsus to spy on bathhouses.
"And one of his students, Jiraiya, is notorious for peeping—he's been chased through the streets by angry women countless times, even clashing with the Uchiha clan, who controlled the police force.
"Our investigation shows that after arriving in Kumogakure, when he was six or seven, he frequently bathed in women's bathhouses under the excuse of being a child, and even worked in the entertainment district—likely gathering material.
"He was also diligent at the academy, often borrowing books from the library, especially historical records—particularly those concerning the major villages and ninja clans."
That was the most reasonable explanation they could assemble. Everything lined up neatly.
Perfectly logical.
Yet the Third Raikage's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably as he listened, his regret deepening.
Should he just go clean house now and spare himself future disgrace?
After hesitating for a long while, he finally clenched his teeth and issued an order.
"Classify all information related to this aspect of him as the village's highest-level secret—on par with intelligence concerning our two Tailed Beasts.
"…Also, he's been diligently training in swordsmanship. Assign Fukai as his jōnin team leader."
That brat had enormous potential—and he was extraordinarily profitable. For the sake of the village, the Raikage's personal reputation was a small price to pay. That was the resolve and magnanimity required of a Kage.
Of course, if it could remain secret, all the better—then everyone wins.
Security had to be airtight. And someone trustworthy had to guide the boy.
His nephew fit perfectly.
The nephew was an exemplary ninja—outstanding in ninjutsu, bloodline, ability, and character—and had even been selected as a candidate for becoming the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki.
Moreover, Fukai was skilled in swordsmanship, making him an ideal instructor for Haruki, at least for the fundamentals.
This way, the Raikage wouldn't need to interact with the boy personally, avoiding any chance of suspicion.
This Teacher-Student relationship had to remain hidden. If his reputation truly collapsed someday, he'd become the clown of the entire shinobi world.
He wasn't as shameless as Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Come up with a reasonable explanation for today's events to present externally," the Third Raikage added. "Shimura Danzō won't be easy to fool."
At the mention of Danzō, the Raikage's expression darkened. That man was a dangerous and ruthless adversary.
"The matter of the one billion ryō will be difficult to conceal—it may already have leaked," Dodai replied calmly. "But we can turn that to our advantage. The spies we previously identified can be eliminated."
Dodai already had a plan.
After all, this was Kumogakure—not Danzō's Konoha.