"Conqueror's Haki," "Armament Haki," and "Observation Haki" are three essential abilities for the top fighters of the Grand Line.
Whitebeard naturally possesses all three types of Haki and is the world's most muscular man.
Whitebeard's mastery over these Haki is unparalleled, especially his Conqueror's Haki, which is beyond the reach of many top fighters.
Precisely knocking out a few individuals with Conqueror's Haki without affecting others was child's play for him.
Only those who have recently awakened their Conqueror's Haki and don't know how to control it would accidentally knock out a crowd.
"Conqueror's Haki?" The unfamiliar term made Kakashi ponder. Is this the name of this strange genjutsu?
Or...
Is it that the shinobi nation Whitebeard comes from doesn't call it genjutsu but Conqueror's Haki?
Kakashi immediately went to check on the three Uchiha.
He found that the worst off was Gan.
The most foul-mouthed Uchiha.
His bones were shattered, leaving him likely confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Even...
It was uncertain if he could be saved.
As for Bun and Tsui, they were in better shape. The former was simply knocked unconscious; the latter had an abdominal injury, but it wasn't fatal.
"A giant, my teacher's child, and the Uchiha... why do I always run into these situations?" Kakashi thought, feeling a headache coming on.
"Um... excuse me..." Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, timidly interrupted: "The ramen... it's ready."
Kakashi was silent momentarily: "Never mind, with such a commotion, others will definitely come, and the Third Hokage will surely find out."
He decided taking the three Uchiha to the hospital was too much trouble.
And he didn't want to clash too much with Whitebeard.
Without the Hokage's orders, he would act as if nothing had happened.
Ichiraku Ramen presented a bizarre scene.
A foreigner who had injured an Anbu member and three Uchiha was sitting on the ground, casually eating bowl after bowl of ramen.
Many call a boy the demon fox. He happily devours his food and admires Whitebeard.
A former Konoha genius, now an Anbu, hadn't touched his ramen. He was watching Naruto eat ravenously, lost in thought.
A ramen shop owner looking dejected, realising he might have gotten into a significant mess.
A strange harmony!
...
In the Hokage's office.
"Hoo—" Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of Konohagakure, exhaled a puff of smoke after putting down his pipe. He tapped his aching back with the pipe: "Getting old, can't sit for long without my back hurting."
Recently, many things have happened in the village, keeping him extremely busy.
From what he gathered...
The Uchiha had been acting suspiciously, not just ordinarily suspicious, but in a way that threatened to undermine Konoha's foundation.
Hiruzen's eyes darkened: "Fugaku, don't disappoint me! This doesn't have to come to that."
He closed his eyes briefly.
He is clearing his thoughts.
Hiruzen smiled gently: "I wonder how Naruto has been lately. It's been almost half a month since I last checked on him."
He pulled out a crystal ball from his drawer.
I am placing it on the desk.
He held his hands over the crystal ball, which revealed a scene of women playing in a bathhouse.
Oh, that one is enormous!
That one is round!
"Oops—"
Hiruzen hurriedly wiped his nosebleed, blushing: "Ahem! Old habits die hard."
A few minutes later.
The scene in the crystal ball changed to another: blond-haired Naruto, sitting on a high stool, eating ramen with a ravenous appetite.
Hiruzen smiled slightly: "Naruto went to Ichiraku Ramen again! Teuchi is one of the few in Konoha who doesn't discriminate against Naruto."
He would occasionally take Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen himself.
"Hmm?" Hiruzen suddenly noticed: "Kakashi?"
Sitting beside Naruto, Kakashi's spiky white hair was hard to miss.
It's impossible to ignore.
"Coincidence..." Hiruzen was about to take a closer look when his eyes widened.
Because...
He saw a hand larger than Naruto reach into Ichiraku Ramen, effortlessly picking up a bowl of ramen with three fingers.
Then.
He heard Naruto speaking: "Dad, this is the first time I've had two bowls of ramen at once. When Grandpa Hokage brought me, I could only have one bowl each time."
"Dad?????"
Hiruzen had an absurd thought.
—Could Minato be alive?
"Gu ra ra ra!" Another voice from the crystal ball dispelled that absurd idea: "Naruto, eat as much as you want! Whitebeard won't let his son go hungry!"
"Whitebeard? Who is this? Why is Naruto calling him Dad? And why does he call Naruto his son?"
Hiruzen was stunned. As Hokage for so many years, he'd seen many unbelievable things.
But what he saw through the crystal ball.
It still shocked him.
What had happened in less than half a month that he didn't know about? Where was the Anbu assigned to watch Naruto? Why hadn't he reported back?
Hiruzen realised something was very wrong. Naruto was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki; if anything happened to him.
Konoha would be in grave danger!
Hiruzen stood up, ready to personally check on Naruto, who was too crucial to Konoha.
He couldn't afford any mishaps!
But someone acted faster than him; the door to the Hokage's office was pushed open. A familiar figure appeared before Hiruzen—it was Shimura Danzo, leader of the Root.
"Monkey..."
"No time." Hiruzen interrupted: "Whatever it is, we'll talk tomorrow."
Danzo was stunned, then angrily said: "Tomorrow, always tomorrow! How many tomorrows are there? Monkey, we have enough evidence that the Uchiha will rebel! Why haven't we acted? Why are we still tolerating them?"
Hiruzen couldn't care less about these issues right now.
"Tomorrow." As he was about to walk past Danzo, Danzo grabbed his wrist.
"Monkey, if you won't act, then I'll have my Root act!" Danzo's face darkened: "We can't delay any longer, the Uchiha are not easy to deal with."
Hiruzen frowned: "I said tomorrow, I have more important matters now!"
Danzo shook with anger: "Monkey! Are you dismissing me after I came in person? You'll regret this! Monkey! If I were..."
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Hiruzen slammed the door shut behind him with a loud "bang," leaving Danzo's face even darker.
...
...