055 Naruto Mobile Game

[Uchiha Itachi] has been online for more than half a day now.

At this point, almost every player has experienced him—either by using him personally or by fighting against him.

Thinking back to when this ninja was first revealed...

Even though many already suspected he would be strong, no one expected this kind of strength.

To put it simply—everyone now realized how serious things had become.

[Uchiha Itachi] is sweeping through the Duel Arena!

It's hard to imagine that the word "sweep" would even apply here. Isn't that term usually reserved for spending 20 Gold Coins to easily clear the story missions?

Of course, some people might be too stingy to spend Gold Coins and insist on doing it manually—but that's not the point.

The point is...

Since when could the Duel Arena be swept?

Just a while ago, no one would've even dared to imagine something like this.

From [Might Guy] to [Jiraiya], High-Class Recruitment ninjas had always been stronger than normal ones, but never to an absurd degree.

Yet the arrival of [Uchiha Itachi] completely shattered that balance—if there ever was balance to begin with.

"Flawless victory!"

Seeing those golden words appear on the screen was enough to lift one's spirits.

The Third casually tapped "Start Match," and the game entered the Ranked Matchmaking screen.

When it came time to ban ninjas, he ignored the prompt entirely, lifted his cup of tea from the table, and took a leisurely sip. The taste was indescribably satisfying.

That's right—he left it empty.

This renowned "Professor of Ninjutsu" actually did an empty ban in the Jōnin rank. That alone showed how confident he was in his skills.

Or perhaps... in his ninja.

"Itachi really is something else," the Third said as he saw that [Uchiha Itachi] hadn't been banned. His face brightened instantly.

He thought proudly, As expected of my great Konoha—our Uchiha Itachi is so overwhelmingly strong, yet people still don't ban him.

That's pure wishful thinking!

Sure, [Uchiha Itachi] was miles above everyone else in power, but since he was a High-Class Recruitment ninja, not that many people had drawn him on release day.

After all, in Ninja Mobile Game, Gold Coin sources were limited—you could only earn them through story mode or ranked matches.

As the Hokage, of course the Third had plenty of money.

Don't misunderstand—it's not corruption or anything. Anyone could do that, but he wouldn't.

Still, as the head of the Sarutobi clan and someone who'd lived so many years, having a bit of private savings wasn't unreasonable.

And once the Third recruited [Uchiha Itachi], he finally understood what it truly meant to play a game.

What he'd been doing before—was that even playing?

Every match used to be nerve-wracking; he couldn't relax for even a second. One mistake meant total defeat.

Sometimes even when he won, he couldn't smile. His heart would pound uncontrollably, refusing to calm down.

Each match might not last long, but after several rounds, it definitely added up.

Win, lose, win, lose—over and over again in the Duel Arena.

Then he'd glance at the clock. Great—hours gone, rank unmoved!

You think you're playing the game? Wrong—the game is playing you!

(That's the honest truth.)

Even someone as experienced in battle as the Third found it exhausting.

He was getting old, after all—and being Hokage meant he still had to handle paperwork, manage the village, and fulfill all his duties.

If this were back in his younger days, nothing would've stopped him—he'd have climbed the ranks to Hokage-tier in minutes!

But now, with [Uchiha Itachi]... things were different.

The Third rediscovered a sensation he hadn't felt in years—and to think he'd feel it again, in a game of all places.

That's right: Overwhelming dominance!

He remembered his days training students. Back then, it didn't even count as battle—it was just playing around with kids.

Now, his opponents were those kids!

No, wait… that's not quite right either…

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Konohamaru lately," the Third murmured, setting his phone down to pour another cup of tea.

Huh? Wasn't he in the middle of a ranked match? How could he have time to put the phone down?

What are you saying? The match's already over!

Pop!

The phone screen suddenly lit up—a notification appeared: "Your opponent has requested a rematch."

The Third chuckled and tapped "Decline."

You've got to be kidding me. What if he bans my ninja next round? This is what they call the wisdom of the Professor of Ninjutsu!

The office door opened. At this hour, there was really only one person it could be.

"Hiruzen, I was just thinking—Itachi's been infiltrating the Akatsuki for years, yet he hasn't brought back any intel…"

"Grandson!"

Danzo, mid-sentence, froze in confusion.

Wait—who's he calling grandson?

"My apologies," the Third coughed lightly.

He'd just realized it—playing the Duel Arena with [Uchiha Itachi] felt less like sparring with students, and more like teaching his grandson a lesson.

Fighting in the Duel Arena with [Uchiha Itachi] wasn't all that different in difficulty from taking on Konohamaru's daily "Hokage Grandpa Challenge."

Danzo saw that Hiruzen hadn't meant to insult him and didn't dwell on it.

"So, you wanted to talk about Itachi?" the Third asked, starting another ranked match as he spoke.

"You're still playing?" Danzo frowned.

Was this guy seriously planning to discuss official matters while playing Ninja Mobile Game?

"It's fine, go on about Itachi."

"Hmph! Seems that [Uchiha Itachi] in your hands suits you better than the real one!"

"Indeed," the Third chuckled. "Though using him all the time does feel a bit unfair—people might start badmouthing me behind my back, hehe."

He laughed heartily, but Danzo was speechless.

Yes, the ninja village was a hierarchical organization, but even in Konoha, it wasn't common for players to intentionally feed the Hokage points when they met him in ranked.

Not that the Third—or even Danzo or the other two advisors—would ever approve of that.

Sure, some people might try to climb ranks that way.

But for veterans like them who'd lived most of their lives, that kind of fake progress meant nothing.

It wasn't like he'd get angry or retaliate just because someone didn't throw a match for him.

After all, points gained that way weren't real strength—just illusionary ranks. Fake points!

Though the Third enjoyed using Itachi, it was mostly for fun. Soon enough, he removed [Uchiha Itachi] from his lineup.

Of course, this time he made sure to ban him.

While the two elders continued their serious discussion, elsewhere—in a café—a certain blond-haired young man, just off work, was on the verge of a breakdown.

"No way! No matter how I think, no matter what strategy I try, there's no way to win!"

"Idiot Naruto, just ban him already."

"What are you talking about, Sakura? On the road to becoming the King of Ninja Mobile Game, there are no shortcuts!"

"Then keep playing."

"I can't win! Uchiha Itachi—this guy… sorry, Sasuke, but your brother's a total monster!"

"It's fine, I agree. That bastard's completely ruined the balance of the Duel Arena."

"So… just ban him?"

"I said no!!" ×2