BlackStar_BH:
More Power Stones and comments, guys!
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"Does her surname also happen to be Haruno…?"
In a certain corner of the art store, a 14-year-old shinobi sat silently, staring at the manga in his hands.
Shock and disbelief never left his expression.
He had been completely absorbed by the story so far—by the way Naruto had been introduced, by his transformation from total failure to a flashy victor in the exam, and by the revelation that he carried the burden of being the jinchūriki, unknowingly shouldering the salvation of the village.
The young ninja felt genuine pity for Naruto—abandoned after losing his parents twelve years ago, or so it seemed.
Yet Naruto's cheerful personality had made him laugh countless times… until that laughter suddenly froze.
A girl appeared.
Haruno Sakura.
A member of Naruto's newly formed team—and apparently, the girl Naruto had a crush on.
What truly unsettled the young shinobi, however, was not her role in the story—but how familiar he feels about her.
She possessed several traits that strongly set her apart from all characters introduced so far… traits that mirrored his own far too closely.
The young shinobi's name was Kizachi Haruno.
He was known for his long, light-purple hair that leaned toward pink, green eyes strikingly similar to Sakura's, and a forehead wide enough that one could practically play tic-tac-toe on it.
In truth, when one looked closely at Sakura's character design—drawn with exaggerated precision thanks to Rob's legendary artistry—the resemblance between her and Kizachi was uncanny.
And Kizachi felt it.
"Why all this cruelty, Uchiha boy…?"
Kizachi frowned as he read Sasuke's harsh words toward Sakura—especially after seeing her broken expression, her thoughts turning toward the idea of becoming kinder.
'Haruno Sakura… She must be the representative of my clan in this manga.'
'But why does it have to be a girl… and not a boy?' With a quiet sigh, Kizachi continued reading.
...
[— "Finally! It's over! I wonder if Sakura's still waiting!"
After finishing his trip to the restroom, Naruto sprinted back as fast as he could—only to run straight into Sasuke.
"What are you doing here?!" Naruto exclaimed, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
"A simple rope trick. Any good ninja is an escape artist." Sasuke glanced at Naruto with a mocking smile.
"Try to keep that in mind… dunce."
…
Elsewhere, Sakura sat quietly, dejected.
'I make him sick…?'
'I wonder if Naruto feels that way, too…'
Her heart tightened as she sighed softly.
"Maybe… from now on, I could try being a little nicer…"
…
"This is Naruto's house, isn't it?"
"Yes." Inside Naruto's apartment, the Third Hokage stood beside another shinobi.
"His milk's expired," the man remarked after checking the carton in his hand.
"He's clumsy, but you're the best choice to watch over him. You have a talent for sniffing things out," the Hokage said calmly.
"What's more, another member of the team you'll oversee will be Sasuke of the Uchiha clan. Best of luck."
'This could be a troublesome mission, but…'
"I'll do my best!" —]
...
Spiky silver hair rising upward.
A Konoha headband tilted to cover the left eye, while the visible right eye remained half-lidded, lazy—yet hiding sharp alertness.
The lower half of his face was concealed behind a dark mask, granting him an air of constant mystery.
He wore the green jōnin vest over tight black clothing.
The moment this man appeared, Sakumo's eyes widened.
Instinctively, he turned to the side—where his son was also staring at the same manga page with unmistakable curiosity.
A quiet smile formed on Sakumo's face.
Aside from the mask and hairstyle, the man before them looked strikingly similar to Sakumo himself—especially with that green jōnin vest.
If Sakumo were to wear the same dark mask and undo his ponytail, the resemblance would have been undeniable.
Many eyes subtly turned toward Sakumo.
Hiruzen.
Danzō.
Homura.
Koharu.
Minato and Kushina as well.
Curiosity—and faint shock—filled their gazes.
"So the chapter ends here… what?"
"As expected… his name is Hatake Kakashi…"
"That man's son…"
"No wonder he looks so similar."
"Did Rubirō-kun really draw Kakashi's future self already?"
"Amazing…"
Hearing the murmurs around him—and seeing the next chapter title, alongside the jōnin assigned to lead Team Seven—left young Kakashi utterly speechless.
Sakumo gently placed a hand on his son's head.
"It seems you'll grow up to be a good ninja."
Kakashi's eyes welled up instantly.
Overwhelmed, unable to hold back his emotions as a child—
"Is that… really me?"
His nose nearly ran as tears gathered.
"Don't cry, my son," Sakumo said softly. "You should enjoy this moment."
Then he looked toward Rob, who watched the touching scene silently—with a faint smile.
"Thank you," Sakumo said sincerely.
Why did he thank him?
Because Sakumo understood something precious:
This moment was irreplaceable.
Rob had drawn his son's future self—not only powerful, but important.
A jōnin entrusted with teaching Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
Was that not worthy of gratitude?
Without asking for anything in return, Rob had given his child a future worth aspiring to—a vision that could inspire Kakashi to reach it… or even surpass it.
Sakumo's eyes glimmered.
He desperately wanted to see that future now—
How would his son grow?
How would he train?
Why did he cover his face?
What happened to his left eye?
All of it fueled his curiosity.
Becoming a competent jōnin was no small feat.
And the old Hokage's quiet confidence in Kakashi was unmistakable—even in those brief scenes.
Sakumo wasn't the only one who noticed.
Hiruzen did as well.
"It seems Sakumo's son is the second 'real' character—after me—to appear in this book," Hiruzen said warmly.
"At first glance, I thought it was Sakumo himself."
He smiled softly, clearly pleased by the interaction shown in Naruto's home.
'At least… it appears my relationship with the Hatake clan doesn't decline in the distant future,' he thought to himself.
'Sakumo's son as a future jōnin… how predictable,' Danzō thought, his eyes narrowing.
'After all, he entered the Academy early for a reason.'
Then his thoughts grew colder.
'I already have plans for him—once his father is dealt with. He'll make a perfect ANBU tool at a young age.'
'I'll simply request Hiruzen to hand him over for training after graduation…'
'But first, his father must be removed.'
Danzō felt the weight of the task—but patience had always been his strength.
After all, he had already succeeded in damaging Sakumo's reputation.
And that was enough—for now.
'Now then… when will my counterpart appear?'
'Rubiro-kun's life or death will depend entirely on how he portrays my counterpart in this manga.'
Danzō's gaze hardened.
If necessary, he would risk everything to eliminate Rob—Without hesitation
The moment this manga showed something he disapproved of.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 34: That Doesn't Concern Me.
Chapter 35: The Bell Test.
Chapter 36: Naruto Fights Alone.
Chapter 37: A Battle for Self-Validation!
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 50.
There are 17 advanced chapters available now:
5 chapters in the Silver tier ($5 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Gold tier ($10 subscription), and 5 more chapters in the Platinum tier ($15 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!