ALL NOVEL Chapter 18: Chapter 18
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After going downstairs, Toshi Ikeno headed toward his new house.
On a quiet, flower-filled path, there stood a Japanese-style courtyard with a lawn. It was antique, spacious, and grand—like a large estate!
"Wow! Is this really my new home!?... Wait, why is there someone here?"
At that moment, a man in a white kimono stepped out of the house. His face was as cold as ice, and his eyes were pure white.
Oh no! It's Hinata's dad!
"This is the residence of the Hyuga clan..."
Out of courtesy, Toshi greeted his "future father-in-law."
Hiashi Hyuga, embodying the indifference of his clan to the extreme, glanced at him coldly and walked away.
Next to the mansion, there was a unique courtyard with a two-story wooden building.
"This is my home."
Though not the biggest in Konoha Village, it was much better than his old house. In his previous life, this would have been worth millions!
Overjoyed, Toshi rushed inside.
The first floor consisted of a living room, dining area, and kitchen, while the second floor had three bedrooms.
He took half the day off to move and make the place warm and inviting.
The living room had high-end leather sofas, handmade camel hair carpets, unique wooden furniture, and perfectly placed pillows. The kitchen featured integrated cabinets and top-tier appliances.
It was more modern than the homes of famous figures from multiple nations.
Of course, everything came from his universal space.
He used to worry about others growing suspicious of him constantly pulling out "Doraemon" gadgets. But he later remembered:
The system's products were flawless and came with built-in illusions to hide the truth...
The living room's south-facing floor-to-ceiling windows let sunlight flood in, making the room bright and cozy. Through the glass, one could see the lush backyard garden with its sparkling swimming pool, where the breeze made ripples on the water.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, would have been stunned if he had seen it. He might have wanted to move the Hokage office there!
This warm, comfortable space was especially alluring to someone who had lived alone for so long.
Because here, it felt like home...
Several more days passed.
At night.
In the Hokage Building's conference room, a large Konoha logo adorned the walls.
Four elderly figures sat around a wooden table: Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo.
Though their roles differed, together they formed a special council—the Konoha Elders Group! Whenever a major issue arose in the village, they would discuss it and make decisions.
At that moment, the four wore grave expressions. Danzo was putting pressure on the Third Hokage.
"Having Naruto as the only Jinchūriki is already concerning, but now we have another individual who can form seals quickly and possesses the Dead Bone Pulse. His unpredictability far exceeds Naruto's!"
Danzo expressed his unease.
"What exactly are you suggesting?" Sarutobi asked casually, taking a puff from his pipe.
"I'm suggesting that he could pose a threat to Konoha. We should expel him from the village!"
"Expel him? Haha, haven't you already taken action without consulting us?" The Third Hokage retorted sarcastically.
Danzo fell silent, unable to respond.
He turned to the other two advisors for support.
"Ahem, we've investigated secretly. The boy, Toshi Ikeno, has a good character, simple background, and a solid foundation," Homura remarked.
"Yes, we should try to keep him rather than suppress him… but you sent people to assassinate him!" Koharu added, shaking her head.
Danzo was speechless.
What he didn't know was that Toshi Ikeno, skilled in building relationships, had already won over the two elderly advisors ahead of time…
"That's settled. Toshi Ikeno poses no threat to Konoha, and I expect certain people to stop targeting my student!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was stern, emphasizing the word "student" as a warning to Danzo.
Unable to argue further, Danzo left the building, fuming.
After he left, the two advisors pulled out some comics to read, and Koharu munched on plum snacks—handmade by Toshi Ikeno himself.
For more than a month, Ikeno was left undisturbed. Life became peaceful.
In just three days, the graduation exam would take place, and the original story was finally about to unfold!
Once he passed, Ikeno would officially become a Konoha ninja.
It was a step closer to his goal of becoming Hokage and uniting the ninja world.
But for him, the exam was nothing to worry about.
At that moment, Naruto, still obsessed with defacing the Hokage Rock, was being chased by ninjas…
The next day.
In the classroom.
"Today, we're reviewing the Transformation Technique. Tomorrow is the official exam. Those who pass, please step forward!" Iruka announced.
The students lined up for Iruka's assessment.
Ino, no longer by Sasuke's side, stood next to Ikeno, brimming with enthusiasm.
"What a troublesome girl," Shikamaru muttered lazily.
"Yeah..." Chōji agreed, munching on potato chips.
Hinata gazed shyly at Ikeno, as if he were her source of strength.
Ikeno made a heart shape with his fingers and blew a kiss toward her.
Hinata fainted on the spot…
Naruto, meanwhile, looked dejected.
Ikeno sighed softly as he glanced at his friends, knowing that becoming a ninja would lead to bloodshed and sacrifice. They would never again experience the simplicity of school life…
Ikeno appreciated beautiful things. Although he wouldn't intentionally alter the main plot, he knew that some characters' fates might change at his hands. He could also tweak minor details that wouldn't affect the story's direction. And those truly despicable villains? He'd never go easy on them!
He wanted to deal with those guys himself.
Just then, the system seemed to read his mind, issuing a new task.
[Ding! Host, please have Sasuke and Naruto kiss earlier than in the original story.]
In the original series, this moment occurred during the orientation after graduation. Now that the mission had been issued, it indicated that this small tweak in the timeline wouldn't cause any issues.
Ikeno accepted the task with ease.
But... how would he make them kiss smoothly?
While pondering, Naruto's antics caused Iruka to nosebleed.
Naruto was declared to have failed amidst the class's laughter, left to clean the Hokage Rock after school.
"Okay, tomorrow's exam is the Clone Technique!" Iruka cleared his throat.
"No way, the one jutsu I'm worst at?" Naruto groaned, scratching his head in frustration.
Sasuke sneered, "Idiot, which jutsu are you good at?"
Angry, Naruto jumped onto a desk, his eyes wide as he shouted, "Stupid Sasuke! What's your problem?"
"Super idiot!" Sasuke glared back.
The moment had come!
Ikeno dashed behind Naruto and gave him a little shove, causing a classic scene from the original series to play out—earlier than expected!
Though awkward, Toshi endured it, knowing the task was complete.
Now, what would his reward be?
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