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Four months had passed since Rob first set foot in this world as Uzumaki Rubiro, and a full month had gone by since the release of Volume Three.
The four great villages were living in a state of silent alert.
The monthly update of the Art Store was no longer just a commercial event—it had become a political earthquake that everyone awaited with tense anticipation.
In Kumogakure, the spies hidden among the rocks and clouds had expected nothing more than to see the metallic store appear out of thin air, just as it had in their own villages.
But what they witnessed in the past few hours shattered their understanding completely.
They did not see Uzumaki Rubiro build an impregnable fortress and hide within it to avoid confronting the strongest military power among the Five Great Villages.
Instead, they saw something no one had ever expected.
A direct confrontation between one man… and an entire village!
At first, they thought the famous author had lost his mind.
But then—
They saw with their own eyes the towering Cloud Mountains evaporate beneath the fist of a single man.
They saw the so-called "Strongest Shield" fall to his knees before a power never before recorded in shinobi history.
After that, none of them dared to remain and gather more intelligence. The aura Rob released was enough to paralyze their limbs from miles away.
By dusk, supply and intelligence lines were in complete chaos. Ninja from Konoha, Iwa, Suna, and Kiri were all fleeing madly toward their borders, carrying trembling reports that all said the same thing:
"Forget about the author… he's a real monster. Kumogakure has already fallen!"
…
At this moment, inside the halls of the new store—filled with the scent of fine paper and magical ink—Rob stood behind the main counter, far removed from the noise of the outside world.
In his hand, he held the original copy of "Naruto – Volume Four."
"It took me a full day of absolute concentration to draw these eight chapters,"
Rob said with a smile, recalling his monthly ritual—drawing the manga using extraordinary skill that far surpassed the quality of the original version.
"With this level of craftsmanship, readers will feel as if the characters are about to step out of the pages."
Rob admired the cover with deep satisfaction.
Naruto and Haku stood at the forefront in exquisite detail. Behind them, Zabuza emerged in a misty watercolor style, with blood-red eyes radiating killing intent—giving a clear sense of the tragedy to come.
On the back cover, the carefully prepared summary read:
In the Land of Waves, Naruto and his teammates, Sakura and Sasuke, along with their teacher Kakashi, fight to protect the bridge builder Tazuna and his family from Gatou's hired thugs. When one of Naruto's friends falls in battle, Naruto faces the hardest choice of his life. How far will he go to protect his friends? And does he truly have what it takes to become a hero?
"Perfect."
Rob smiled, feeling the artistic weight of the volume. With a simple gesture, he extracted thousands of copies from his storage, arranging them in perfect order on the shining shelves.
"Alright then. It's time to return to Konoha."
There was no longer any need for him to remain here in his real body now that his authority had been firmly established.
He headed toward the teleportation room.
Before stepping inside, another Rob emerged from behind the curtain—wearing a gray formal suit. He was distinct from the other clones.
Rob's Kumo Clone.
"Are you ready for your new role?"
Rob asked, glancing sideways at his living clone.
"Completely ready,"
Rob's Kumo Clone replied with a smile.
"Good. From now on, take care of Kumogakure's affairs. Make them understand that art is the only truth worth following."
"Rest assured... myself."
Rob's Kumo Clone smiled as he watched his 'other self' step into the teleportation room.
With a faint flash, the real Rob vanished—leaving the clone behind to manage the village that trembled beyond the store's doors, waiting for their new fate.
…
Not long after, the golden doors of the Art Store opened with a low sound.
The Third Raikage entered with heavy steps, followed by his son A, Killer B, and Dodai.
The Raikage's body was covered in bandages. His face carried the exhaustion of a man who had lost an entire war in mere minutes.
Yet his eyes searched for only one thing:
The truth behind that man.
"If the price of peace with you is allowing your store to exist on our land in peace… then I agree."
He said this while looking at the Rob sitting calmly behind the counter.
Neither the Raikage nor his companions suspected that the man before them was merely a clone—despite knowing of his ability to create living clones and leave one in each village.
There he sat in an elegant formal suit, as if the brutal battle moments ago had been nothing more than a fleeting dream.
Rob's Kumo Clone said nothing.
He simply gestured toward the front shelves, where the fourth volumes stood in vivid colors and detailed artwork.
"30 ryo for volumes one through four. Volume one is free."
"I assume you already know the basic rules of the Art Store, but there's no harm in repeating them. Physical damage is meaningless here. However, every insult carries consequences—behavior points will be deducted. With enough deductions, you will face punishment: temporary or permanent bans from the Art Store. Please read the rules carefully."
Rob's Kumo Clone pointed to a prominent sign on the counter listing all that should be done and what should not be inside the Art Store.
It also included important information, such as the Preparation Room, designed for those who cannot read or write.
There, they could take a magical pill regularly provided by Rob, allowing them to temporarily master reading within the Art Store. With cumulative effects, they could eventually learn permanently.
Of course, Rob did not provide such a magical product for free—
It cost 50 ryo, a nearly symbolic price.
The Third Raikage and the others nodded after understanding everything.
Then Killer B rushed forward first, overcoming his natural caution, and grabbed a copy of Volume Four.
"I've already read all the previous volumes! So I'm taking this!"
He placed 30 ryo beside the shelf before taking his copy.
"Man… this cover… It's overflowing with killing intent!"
B muttered as he stared at Zabuza's bloody image.
The Raikage, meanwhile, picked up the volume with his massive hand as if holding an S-rank secret scroll.
'Why am I even pretending to be interested… sigh. I didn't know the bitterness of defeat could be this hard to swallow. My village and I are completely at this man's mercy…'
With those heavy thoughts, the Raikage opened the first page and began reading with forced focus.
The first chapter of the volume (Chapter 28 of the series): "The Nine Tails."
"The Kyubi?"
The moment he saw the title, his expression grew serious.
He stopped pretending.
He was quickly drawn fully into the chapter.
"This… is incredible… Is this what it means to be the Kyubi Jinchuriki!? The most terrifying and powerful of all the Tailed Beasts!?"
The Raikage's breathing grew rough as he watched the opening scenes—where Naruto, transformed into a monstrous form, completely dominated Haku and crushed him in battle.
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WOW! I just noticed that it's chapter 100 already!!
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 101: What Seals Cannot Hide
Chapter 102: Astonishment! Naruto Crushes Haku!
Chapter 103: Cursed Blood
Chapter 104: Hunting in the Mist… Kakashi's Fangs!
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 128.
There are 30 advanced chapters available now:
5 chapters in the Silver tier ($5 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Gold tier ($10 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Platinum tier ($15 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Diamond tier ($20 subscription), and 10 more chapters in the Emperor tier ($30 subscription)
On Patreon and Ko-fi, too.
In the coming days, chapters will be made available for all tiers, reaching up to 50 advanced chapters… Enjoy!
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