Failure... This was a word almost never heard within the Zoldyck family, a name renowned throughout the world as the number one clan of assassins.
Either the target was eliminated, or the employer was dealt with instead. One way or another, a mission was never allowed to fail. But then again... did the Young Master's current endeavor even count as a mission?
Tsubone was slightly dazed, finding it hard to believe. In the eyes of the old butler, the current Roy was certainly not weak. In fact, he was likely stronger than both Lord Zeno and Lord Silva were at his age.
The old woman adjusted the glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. As her two pink ponytails swayed, she watched the father and son—one standing, one reclining, both lost in their own silence. She sensed that something significant was brewing.
"I killed them, but it didn't feel real," Roy said, lying in the rocking chair. He watched the sun dip toward the mountain peaks outside the window, replaying the battle in his mind. Guzman, Otsuka Yu, and the other two had all turned into dolls. It made him wonder if the person pulling the strings from behind the curtain was that specific individual from the original story—the man who once joined the Phantom Troupe and was later killed by Hisoka.
Omokage, the Divine Puppeteer and collector of eyes.
He was also known for using puppets and could seize the Nen abilities of others through them. The only difference was that this version seemed far more powerful.
The [Eye of Delusion Breaking] could pierce through falsehoods, and the parasitic heart-worms could eavesdrop on inner thoughts. Roy was certain that the person he had been fighting was indeed "Psychic Morphine" Guzman. However, at the very moment he was about to deliver the killing blow, Guzman—along with Otsuka Yu and the others—had been swapped out.
"Do you want me to step in?" Silva finally broke the silence.
He glanced at Roy. The boy stood up, seemingly having grown taller during his time away; he was now nearly level with Silva's nose.
"Free of charge," Silva added.
Roy laughed, a genuine and happy sound. He didn't say anything at first. Instead, he took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Silva in a hug—just as Silva had held him in his dreams. He patted his father's back twice. "I can still handle it."
"If I really can't, I'll let you know then, Father."
Silva's massive frame stiffened visibly. He had been about to pull his hands out of his pockets, but a sudden gust of wind swept through the room. By the time he looked up, the boy had already vanished out the door on a spiral of wind.
Silva stood there, momentarily overcome by a sense of loss.
Click.
The study door was gently closed. The man turned around, crossing his arms as he stood by the window. Suddenly, he spoke. "Investigate. Scour everything."
"I want to see exactly who thinks they can target my son."
Tsubone bowed deeply. "Understood!"
A cold glint flashed behind the lenses of the old woman's glasses.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the mottled corridors of the Zoldyck estate.
After leaving his father's study, Roy walked alone under the setting sun. Before he had gone far, he saw someone waiting at a corner near the study.
Illumi was leaning against the wall, mimicking Silva by crossing his arms. Seeing Roy approach, he said flatly, "Let me go."
"I'll kill him for you."
"Kill who?"
"That Guzman."
"Can you find his real body?" Roy asked.
"If I keep looking, I'll find it eventually." Illumi stared back stubbornly. "Do you not believe in me?"
Roy didn't answer, simply looking at him. Illumi dropped one hand to his waist, reaching into his pocket to touch the Divine Spear wooden nails. He tilted his chin up. "I have the wooden nails you gave me."
"And then?" Roy countered. "Have you mastered [En]?"
"Have you mastered [Ken]?"
"Have you mastered the Breathing Style?"
"No..." Illumi muttered weakly.
Roy flicked his forehead with a sharp pop. "Then why are you standing around? Go train."
Illumi lowered his head, his voice barely audible. "Fine..."
He turned and walked toward the training room without another word.
The wind played with the boy's long, straight black hair. Roy paused, watching him leave. His thoughts drifted as he watched the sunset, and he let out a soft sigh.
It was a vast world with no shortage of wonders. The world of Nen was bizarre and multifaceted; today had been a valuable lesson. Even though his father hadn't criticized him, the fact remained that he hadn't truly killed Guzman. That was something he needed to stay vigilant about.
The boy watched Illumi disappear around the corner before speaking. "Grandpa, doesn't it get tiring to peek all the time?"
From a shadow untouched by the sun, a head of unruly white hair emerged. Zeno walked out with his hands behind his back, the eight characters on his chest—"One Kill a Day, Active for Life"—on full display. He stood beside the boy, looking at the sunset. "Your great-grandfather said he wants to eat your cooking tonight."
"I didn't prepare any ingredients."
"He already prepared everything for you."
Roy: "..."
"You're not willing?" Zeno asked.
"How could I be?"
"Good." Zeno pulled the boy closer, standing foot-to-foot to compare their heights. He patted Roy's shoulder with a sigh of emotion. "You're growing up. You need to learn to take things in stride. Failing once is nothing; you'll fail many more times in the future."
"Huh?"
"Is that so strange?" Zeno glanced at him and held up four fingers. "Your grandfather failed four times back in the day."
Roy was stunned. Zeno pretended not to notice his bewildered expression and gazed out the window. "Don't look so surprised. Your father failed three times as well."
The old man hunched his back, speaking with deep meaning. "So, Roy... there's no need to be discouraged. If you fail, you fail. If someone hits the small one, the old ones come out to play. If you can't handle it, your father and I will back you up."
"And if we can't handle it..."
"Then I will." A raspy, light whisper drifted from the direction of that dim little room.
The image of Maha listening to cartoons while happily swaying in his rocking chair seemed to appear before Roy's eyes.
Roy snapped back to reality, his heart feeling warm. He rolled up his sleeves. "I understand. I'll make a feast tonight."
Zeno's old eyes filled with gratification. He smiled. "That's the spirit."
The grandfather and grandson shared a smile.
They went their separate ways—one to the kitchen, the other to the training hall. That night, after a lavish meal, Roy washed away the fatigue of his journey. He returned to his bedroom and locked himself in the bathroom to begin distributing his points.
He had rescued Razor and traveled to the bottom of the sea with Ging. During that time, he had also opened the second "Gate of Cognition"—the Naruto Gate.
Roy opened his system panel and saw a long list of [Believers] and [Prospective Believers] providing him with a steady stream of Faith Power.
[SYSTEM: Faith Power: 45 points]
[SYSTEM: Life Energy: 70 points]
He turned on the shower, letting the water pour over him.
As usual, he spent a few seconds mentally preparing himself for the pain. He then dumped all of his Life Energy into his Constitution.
[SYSTEM: Life Energy has been cleared]
[SYSTEM: Constitution: 877.5 -> 944.5 (Note: 1 for an average human)]
[SYSTEM: Manifested Aura: C (40,517/100,000) -> C+ (51,420/100,000) (Note: Evaluation relative to Chimera Ants)]
[SYSTEM: Latent Aura: C+ (67,157/100,000) -> C+ (87,841/100,000)]
[SYSTEM: Evaluation: C+ (Note: Peak Chimera Ant Squadron Leader level)]
The familiar, agonizing pain arrived on schedule. Cell division accelerated, bone density increased, and muscle fibers were torn apart and rebuilt, becoming thicker and stronger. Finally, his heart gave a heavy, muffled thud.
Roy stumbled, his fingers digging into the wall and leaving ten deep gouges in the surface.
He exhaled slowly. Ten seconds passed, then a minute. After about a minute and a half, the pain receded.
The boy spat out a mouthful of turbid air and looked at his Faith Power. Without hesitation, he added it all to the Nen Property Change section.
[SYSTEM: Faith Power has been cleared]
[SYSTEM: Nen Property Change +45]
[SYSTEM: Nen Property Change:
Yang: lv4 (42,416/100,000) -> lv4 (43,515/100,000)
Yin: lv2 (743/1,000) -> lv3 (142/10,000)
Fire: lv3 (3,451/10,000) -> lv3 (6,471/10,000)
Water: lv3 (1,450/10,000) -> lv3 (2,474/10,000)
Wind: lv1 (94/100) -> lv2 (547/1,000)
Earth: lv2 (457/1,000) -> lv2 (987/1,000)]
[SYSTEM: The amount of Faith Power provided depends on the importance of the believer. The stronger the believer, the more points they provide. The greater the "Causality" involved with the believer, the more points they provide. The reverse is also true.]
As the system notifications finished, Roy let the shower wash away the grime from his skin. He focused on the word "Causality." It likely referred to important figures who could change the fate of the world.
In Demon Slayer, that meant the Ubuyashiki family and the Hashira. In Hunter x Hunter, it meant the Zoldycks, Ging, Netero, Beyond, and Pariston.
In Naruto, that meant the Third Hokage, the Sannin, Danzo, the various bloodline clans, and... the Uchiha!
And among the Uchiha, the most significant were Shisui, Itachi, and... Obito!
'Nii-san... wake up... Obito is looking for you.'