[Summon Character: Edward Newgate (Old Age)
Nickname: Whitebeard
Honorary Titles: Yonko (Comprehensive Power Boost 5%), World's Strongest Man (Comprehensive Power Boost 10%)
Abilities: Tremor-Tremor Fruit (Awakening Sealed), Peak-Level Three Types of Haki
Weapon: Murakumogiri (One of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords, comparable to the sacred artifacts of the Naruto world)
Power Level: Peak Kage Level
...]
Looking at this luxurious status panel, Naruto couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
'No wonder the system says I already have the strength to escape from Konoha. And this is only the elderly version of Whitebeard, whose physical attributes have long deteriorated. If it were the prime version of Whitebeard, he'd definitely be at the Super Kage level, possibly even advancing to Six Paths level. If that happens, it wouldn't be Guy Sensei kicking out the final boss, but Whitebeard's one punch…'
With Whitebeard's assistance and a new mission from the system, Naruto made up his mind in just a few seconds. His face flushed red, tears welled up in his eyes, and he looked up at Whitebeard, saying in a small, pitiful voice:
"Dad, I've been bullied."
That little expression, that soft voice...
It was so pitiful it could make anyone's heart ache.
"Gurararara~ Is that so? My newly acknowledged son has been bullied, huh? Well then, let this old man give you a welcoming gift! Gurararara~"
As Whitebeard let out a hearty laugh, he swung his fist, wrapped in a white halo, towards the shop behind Naruto.
**Tremor-Tremor Fruit, activate!**
The terrifying shockwave instantly reduced the entire shop, along with the shopkeeper who had just thrown rotten vegetables at Naruto, to dust. A breeze passed by, and there wasn't even a trace left. Where the shop once stood, now lay a bottomless pit.
"Amazing!" Naruto's eyes sparkled with excitement. Then, his eyes darted towards a tall building not far away, and he shouted joyfully:
"Dad, there's another one! The old man inside is super mean! He's taken all the inheritance my parents left for me and makes me eat expired food every day. He even lets his people spread rumors that I'm a demon fox, turning almost the entire village against me. Dad, you should teach him a lesson!"
"Gurararara~ To think he'd do such things to my beloved son, that old man is indeed vile! In that case…"
Whitebeard furrowed his brow, gripping Murakumogiri with both hands and raising it high towards the Hokage building. The white aura unique to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit quickly enveloped the entire blade, and even the slightest wisp of energy escaping caused the space around it to crackle with shattering sounds.
"Hah!"
With a mighty roar, Whitebeard slashed down. A white shockwave burst forth, obliterating everything in its path, reducing all to nothingness.
…
The scene shifted to the Hokage's office, at the top floor of the Hokage building.
The self-proclaimed strongest Hokage in history, ninja hero and scholar, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, was sitting there, peeking into the mist-shrouded women's bathhouse through his crystal ball with his Telescope Technique.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was utterly perverted, and the two streaks of red emerging from his nostrils only made him look even more disgraceful.
If someone unfamiliar with him were to see this scene, they would never believe that this was the Hokage, revered by everyone in Konoha. They would more likely assume he was a dirty old pervert who had no respect for his age.
"Almost, almost… just a little lower…"
Just as Hiruzen reached the peak of his voyeuristic joy, suddenly—
Boom!
A violent tremor shook the office, nearly knocking the crystal ball off his desk. Hiruzen quickly grabbed the ball, and the Telescope Technique was immediately disrupted.
"What's going on? An earthquake?"
Before Hiruzen could figure out why the ground was shaking, a far stronger tremor followed, accompanied by a sense of danger that sent chills down his spine. Realizing the impending crisis, he quickly used a jutsu to escape the Hokage building.
The next moment, a white light shot into the sky. In Hiruzen's gaze, the entire Hokage building shattered, crumbled, and disintegrated into nothing, vanishing as if it had never existed.
Luckily, today was a rest day, and there weren't many people in the Hokage building. Most of the few who were inside had sensed the danger and managed to evacuate in time, so the casualties weren't too severe.
The white light didn't stop after destroying the Hokage building. Everything in its path met the same fate until it finally collided with the Hokage Rock, obliterating the statue in the center before dissipating.
'Why was it my statue that got destroyed?!' Sarutobi Hiruzen cursed inwardly, then turned to look in the direction from which the white light had come.
A giant holding a sword (Whitebeard's towering height of over six meters) and a child.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's brow furrowed deeply.
'Why can't I sense any chakra from that giant? And that child… Naruto?!'
As Hiruzen reeled in shock, an ANBU ninja finally arrived, sweating profusely, and knelt before him.
"Hokage-sama, an unknown giant wielding a sword suddenly appeared beside Uzumaki Naruto. His strength is terrifying—he destroyed a shop with just one attack… and also the Hokage building, along with everything in between, including the Hokage Rock."
'Heh, I already saw it, no need for your report, thank you very much~'
Sarutobi Hiruzen shot a cold glance at the kneeling ANBU ninja, whose sweat poured even more heavily under his gaze.
Heavens, the ANBU had rushed to report the giant's appearance the moment he showed up, but who could have known Whitebeard would be so strong, so fast, and so precise in his attacks?
"I understand. Go ring the alarm. An enemy has invaded. Summon all available Jonin in the village to face the threat. I'll go meet him myself."
Sarutobi Hiruzen stripped off his Hokage robes, revealing the black battle armor beneath.
"Yes, sir!"
…
Hiruzen activated the Body Flicker Technique, arriving in front of Naruto and Whitebeard in just a few breaths. After landing, he deliberately took a few steps back, placing his hands in front of him in a defensive stance, then spoke.
"Who are you? Sneaking into the village and publicly destroying the Hokage building—do you intend to make an enemy of Konoha?!"
"Gurararara~ You bullied my beloved son. I'm just helping him vent his anger."
'Son? Which little bastard offended such a powerful man's son while on a mission?! Since I took office, I've repeatedly emphasized that Konoha's ninjas must show restraint when outside the village, and not disrupt the precious peace we've worked so hard to build… Did you all think I was just spewing hot air?! If this continues, Konoha is doomed at your hands!'
Sarutobi Hiruzen cursed inwardly, but on the surface, he smiled amiably.
"As Hokage, I will launch an investigation. If Konoha's ninjas truly offended your son, I will see to it that they are severely punished. However, what you've done today cannot go unanswered. Konoha will not let you leave so easily. And you, a man of your stature, hiding behind a child—doesn't that seem a bit beneath you?"
As he spoke, Hiruzen gestured towards Naruto.
"Naruto, come over here to your Grandpa Third. Don't worry, with me here, he won't be able to hurt you."
Even now, Hiruzen still believed that Naruto was being coerced by Whitebeard.
Naruto himself couldn't help but feel exasperated at Hiruzen's lack of intelligence.
"Gurararara~ Old man, where do you want my beloved son to go?"
'Who are you calling old man?! I may be old, but you're not exactly young yourself!'
Hiruzen cursed silently, but quickly realized something, turning to Naruto with a look of disbelief.
He pointed a trembling finger at Naruto, then at Whitebeard.
"You… You're his son?!"
"Yup." Naruto fearlessly met Hiruzen's gaze.
"I just acknowledged him as my dad. What, is that a problem?!"
Naruto then turned to Whitebeard, patting his giant leg—well, his ankle.
"Dad, this is the old man I was telling you about, the one who took all my parents' inheritance!"
"Oh, it's him, is it? Don't worry, son. Watch how your dad handles it! Gurararara~"
In stark contrast to the warm interaction between Naruto and Whitebeard, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was filled with horror.
"Do you… already know about your heritage?!"
Forcing himself to calm down, Hiruzen questioned in a deep voice, "Naruto, since you know the truth about your lineage, why incite your… this man you call father to destroy the village? You should know that your real father…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't even finished speaking when Naruto loudly interrupted him.
"He is him, and I am me. He was the brilliant flash of the shinobi world, Konoha's hero, the Fourth Hokage. But what about me?
Don't forget, old man—I'm the 'demon fox' that the people of Konoha love to hate, the one everyone here wants to chase away… the only outcast."
Naruto paused briefly, then continued, his voice softening.
"I'm sick of expired ramen and sour milk. Now, all I want is to leave Konoha and live a different life."