Rewind to about two hours ago, Marashi was reading some Peak Fiction while blasting music.
Re: Re: (2016 Rerecorded) - Asian Kung-Fu Generation
The bell rang as he turned off the music.
He was approached by a person in a black cloak and pure white mask.
"500ryo an hour." Marashi knew who this ANBU belonged to. It's iconic.
"Danzo-sama requests your presence. Come with me." The shinobi stated without a hint of emotion.
Marashi had a quirked an eyebrow.
"Who…?"
The shinobi repeated.
"Dan–"
"Asked?" Marashi finished.
A blank-masked person just stared at him.
"This isn't a request. Come with me." He repeated.
"But you just said it was?" Marashi tilted his head.
"...I will use force." He warned.
"Force these nuts, bro." Marashi had full control of his shop, so he opened the doors mentally.
+++
It was a peaceful Friday.
There were civilians walking the streets and going about their business. All with their own responsibilities and errands to run.
But that was disrupted when a figure flew out of a store and landed on their face.
"GET OUT!" A distorted sound came from the Computer Cafe as the door slammed shut.
The bystanders were confused as a cloaked man lay in the dirt unconscious, foaming at the mouth.
+++
Marashi laughed a bit as with having full control of the inside, he could create a similar effect to Conqueror's Haki and blast them with spiritual power knocking them unconscious.
Naturally he also could create sounds as he used that famous meme or is it called brainrot these days. He's getting old.
Now he has time to think more. Once he gets stronger and even maxes out his stats, what does he want to do? Play games, of course, but does he want a wife and kids? He's undecided, but with whom? Anko? Nah, I've seen what she's like in Boruto, that's unforgettable. Who else? He ain't Pedomar,u so nobody from the younger generation. The Mizukage? That's something, but still too weak. Tsunade? Potential, but can she even still have kids? She doesn't have Hashirama's healing factor nor the complete Uzumaki longevity, as we see a glimpse of what she really looks like when her transformation comes undone.
Who then? He plays another song.
Devil Lady - Rev & LOAT!
It played, and he was suddenly struck with a realization.
'The woman with the horns…' Now that's an insane thought, but that could work.
Kaguya Otsutsuki. Truly a nonsensical idea, but maybe just maybe. He'd have to beat her up a little. She's one of the strongest in the verse, and we'd have OP babies. If Hagoromo and Hamura came from an ordinary dude, what would theirs be when he has maxed stats? Plus, she wouldn't be a boring wallflower. Who doesn't like a woman with murderous and genocidal tendencies? Marashi is locked in.
He opened the Store and created a portrait from his mind while hanging it up on the other side of Tobirama's famous quote. It costed about 5000ryo for both portrait and frame.
[IMG]
He continued reading while playing music.
Psycho - mxlu
As two hours passed for a total of 3 from when the teams started playing, they came out.
Their ears were immediately assaulted by loud and suggestive music while the beat reverberated throughout the whole room.
The girls blushed in mortification and Hinata looked like she was on the verge of passing out while the boys had nosebleeds even someone as stoic as Sasuke wasn't immune to the vulgar language.
Marashi showed them mercy and turned it off.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Kurenai shouted at him with a blush on her face.
"Game is game." Marashi simply replied.
"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!" Sakura screeched at him.
"Anyway, how was it?" Marashi switched the subject, which irritated the girls.
"It was great, Marashi-san!" Naruto recovered with a smile.
"IT WAS MOST YOUTHFUL!" Lee gave him a thumbs-up.
"Uh, what are you wearing?" Shikamaru noticed after getting his bearings.
That snapped them out of it as they saw the desk had Tobirama bobbleheads, a Kyubi stuffed animal, and portraits on the wall.
"Just showing my support." Marashi shrugged as they felt like strangling him. He was long dead; what support could he need?
Sasuke saw the quote on the wall.
It ignited his anger.
"WHAT IS THAT?!" Sasuke has had a rough day so far and pointed at the portrait.
They all looked at it and gaped once they understood what it meant.
"A little tomfoolery." Sasuke wanted to kill him on the spot, but Kakashi held him back.
Another poster, or rather a portrait, caught their attention.
It caused the men to just stare at the perfection of the woman.
"Hey, Marashi, who's that?" Kakashi asked, mesmerized.
"My future wife." Marashi took a drink of Mountain Dew.
"HUH?!" They all exclaimed.
These reactions were pretty fun. He should do this more often.
"She looks like a Hyuga," Choji commented, eating some Doritos.
Neji and Hinata could see that clearly considering the Byakugan is undeniable, but they've never seen a Hyuga with white hair.
"So you have a thing for a Hyuga?" Asuma had a knowing grin.
Marashi thought on it and felt that it's not exactly incorrect, considering she's the progenitor of the clan.
"Something like that." The store owner shrugged.
"How long have you known each other?" Ino, being the resident gossi,p couldn't hold back her intrigue, even the likes of Kurenai, Sakura, and Tenten couldn't help but be a bit invested in the mysterious shopkeeper.
"We've never met." Marashi took another sip.
The silence was deafening.
Ino felt her brain shrinking from this conversation, but tried to rationalize it.
"Oh, so like love at first sight?" She thought that was romantic.
"I've never seen her." Technically a lie, but truth in the case that Marashi has never seen her in this life.
She was held back by Asuma as she lunged at him.
"Anyway, take a look at the board, there will be a tournament next Saturday at noon, and cool prizes." Marashi pointed at the board.
They were too caught up in the strange things he wore, Tobirama's ridiculous quote, and his future wife, whom he had never seen or met, to notice that the blackboard changed.
Reading through the format and gazing at the prizes, they felt pale as if seeing something impossible. Awakening and upgrading bloodlines, deaging by decades, and future knowledge? Even if they had already experienced the unexplainable, this still seems to be impossible.
Sasuke didn't know what to think, but ultimately felt that he'd believe it unless proven otherwise. He looked especially interested in upgrading his Kekkei Genkai, which would be his Sharingan. Awakening it would be crucial in killing that man, so he had to get first since just unlocking it won't be enough.
What also interested him was the future knowledge. Would he know of his future? Does he kill him? He wouldn't choose that reward, but maybe Sakura would, considering she doesn't come from any clan. Maybe he could convince her once they've won first place. There was no doubt in his mind that they'd win.
"I can sorta get awakening bloodlines and upgrading them because of the Gamer Benefits, but future knowledge? Seriously?" Kakashi had great skepticism.
Everyone else nodded at that. It seemed too far-fetched even for this mystical store.
"What can I say? If you pick it, then you'll find out." Marashi didn't really care either way. They'd find out eventually. Not to mention that they'd need to ask the right questions. If Naruto asks if he'd be Hokage, then he'd answer yes, and that's one question down. There would be no context unless they phrase it correctly.
If Sasuke asks if he kills his brother, then that's a yes, but he'd say nothing about the regret from doing so, nor the reason why he'd feel regret at all.
He had a feeling that Shikamaru could pick up on that along with the Jonin, so that's more like a one-time gimmick anyway. It's not like he has some kind of apprehension of telling them since he cannot be harmed in the store.
"Can you prove it?" Kakashi asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are even worse than trash. That comes from Obito." Marashi didn't know if Kakashi told people that was where it came from, but he was pretty sure he didn't, considering that what followed was his death.
Kakashi's eyes widen as he is taken back to that horrific day and snaps out of it.
His students were also surprised since they had no idea who Obito was.
"I believe you." He hadn't told anyone, not even his sensei.
His colleagues were shocked but came to accept it as they knew Obito but not where that comes from. If Kakashi believes it, then safe to say that the owner really did know of the future. How else could he have known? Spoke to Obito from beyond the grave?
"Hey, do I become Hokage?!" Naruto had an excited grin.
"Do I marry Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura had hearts in her eyes.
"Do I kill that person?" Sasuke brought the mood down among his fellow Genin but the adults knew who he was referring to.
"I know all of that, so just get at least 2nd place." Marashi wasn't about to just say it for nothing.
That lit a fire under them, and Team 7 wanted to go back and practice before Kakashi stopped them.
"We still need to do missions and train, while playing these games makes us stronger, that doesn't replace traditional training." Kakashi gave them his words of wisdom.
"I AGREE, KAKASHI! WE MUST KEEP OUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BURNING BRIGHT!" Guy exited the store in a dash, and his team reluctantly followed, minus Le,e of course.
'What training? You just have us doing teamwork exercises.' Sasuke internally grumbles as he'd rather train on his own or be here at the shop, especially since one of the rewards would awaken his Sharingan.
Team 8 and Team 10 both exit to similarly take missions. Team 7 was about to leave before Kakashi stopped them.
"Now, will you tell us about Naruto?" Kakashi asked as he had not forgotten his reaction to Naruto's affinity.
The others immediately recalled the shop owner's reaction and grew interested.
"Come on, tell me! It's something awesom,e isn't it?!" Naruto had a smug look with his arms crossed.
"You have Wood Release," Marashi told him as they all froze…apart from Naruto.
"Wood? That sounds lame." Naruto pouted before Sakura bashed his head in.
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! THE FIRST HOKAGE HAD WOOD RELEASE AND HE WAS THE STRONGEST SHINOBI ALIVE!" Sakura couldn't believe her ears. She thought that he'd know better, considering he wants to be Hokage, but perhaps she was expecting too much.
Sasuke looked at Naruto intently and thought that maybe he wouldn't be such deadweight after all if he learns how to use it.
Kakashi was greatly confused, on the other hand. Naruto wasn't a Senju, and while the Uzumaki were distantly related to them, that didn't really explain how he had it. He also became pretty concerned since he knows what will happen if enemies of Konoha were to learn of this.
"Don't speak a word of it to anyone, you understand?" Kakashi looked at his team, daring them to say otherwise. They wisely nodded as their sensei wasn't usually this serious, and when he was, it was important.
'Maybe I'll have to ask him for help.' Kakashi thought of someone who could assist Naruto in developing his Wood Release.
They soon left, not long after that bomb was dropped, and Marashi sat back to read some more.
An hour later, a Shinobi Council meeting took place.
+++
The room was filled with the major clans, advisors, and the Hokage himself.
Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe before starting.
"Good afternoon, I called a meeting because of a certain shopkeeper, Marashi. He has devices that allow one to 'enter' a game. I would like to know if any of you have further information about it." The Third Hokage started off looking at the Clan Heads of Konoha.
Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, Inoichi Yamanaka, Tsume Inuzuka, Shibi Aburame, and Hiashi Hyuga.
There were also the advisers: Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura.
-+=[CCS]=+-
Not the biggest fan of the quality of this chapter.
Appreciate the support as always.
Later!