Chat Group Escanor 23 (Patreon)

Kushina stopped looking at him, as if even one more glance would dirty her eyes.

She turned to Mikoto, the coldness on her face melting away, replaced by a bright smile.

"Mikoto, your younger son should have been born by now, right?"

Taken aback by this abrupt transition, Mikoto nodded. "Yes, his name is Sasuke."

"Let him be friends with Naruto, okay?" Kushina's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Naruto is too lonely. He needs a cute and smart friend like Sasuke."

Hearing this, Fugaku's brow furrowed imperceptibly.

Letting the second son of the Uchiha Clan Head be friends with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?

The political implications and potential risks of this...

He was just about to speak when—

Escanor's gaze swept over indifferently.

Fugaku felt an invisible pressure envelop his entire body. All the words at the tip of his tongue, all his thoughts of weighing pros and cons, dissolved under this gaze.

Mikoto didn't think so much. Looking at Kushina's expectant gaze and remembering Naruto's pitiful appearance just now, her heart softened.

She smiled warmly and nodded. "Sure. Sasuke needs a good friend too. Although Itachi dotes on his little brother, he is always so solemn. Sasuke needs a playmate of his own age. They will definitely become great friends."

Hearing Mikoto agree, the smile on Kushina's face grew even brighter, as if she had finally accomplished a major task.

"Then it's settled. I'll bring Naruto over to visit in a bit so they can meet."

The matter seemed to have come to an end. Kushina had vented her anger, secured justice and a future friend for Naruto, and meted out the deserved punishment to Hiruzen and Danzo.

"Mikoto, let's go see the children." Kushina took Mikoto's hand and left.

Mikoto glanced at her husband. Seeing that Fugaku had a complex expression but did not object, she nodded.

Hand in hand, the two walked toward the office door.

Seeing Kushina leave, Escanor felt there was nothing left for him to do. He had come here primarily to save Naruto and, incidentally, to watch the show. Now that the show was over, it was naturally time to leave.

However, just as he turned and prepared to leave—

He paused slightly in his tracks and turned back, his gaze falling once again on Danzo.

Danzo remained curled up, his breath faint, but he didn't seem to have breathed his last yet.

Escanor walked to Danzo's side, and crouched down. He extended two fingers and reached into Danzo's remaining left eye.

Squelch!

He gouged out Danzo's only remaining eye as well.

He looked at Danzo, who now had two empty eye sockets and whose body was twitching slightly from the intense pain.

"Didn't you like gouging out other people's eyes?"

— — —

On the top-floor balcony of the central castle in the Wooden Fortress.

Escanor lay on an ergonomically sculpted recliner he had meticulously crafted with Wood Release. He was basking in the afternoon sun, casually sipping from a can of iced soda.

Below him, the city after his renovation had taken shape: clean and tidy streets, orderly planned houses, lush forests on the perimeter, and even occasional laughter from children playing on the newly built small plaza.

The air was much fresher. Though still far from matching the Naruto World, it was a world of difference compared to the nauseating post-apocalyptic atmosphere from before.

Octo was now full of drive, managing city administration and resource distribution impeccably. He had even begun organizing people to try cultivating fields at the edge of the forest outside the city, planting seeds brought from the Land of Fire.

Everything seemed to be on the right track, moving slowly but steadily toward a sustainable, less boring life at the apex.

However, precisely because everything was so normal and smooth, an idle sense of emptiness began to quietly entwine itself around Escanor's heart.

With nowhere to exert his strength and the novelty gradually fading, his daily routine consisted of nothing more than sunbathing to replenish energy, occasionally using Wood Release to tweak urban details, checking the Chat Group for updates, or picking a different flavor of ramen from his personal warehouse.

Just as he was feeling utterly bored, almost resorting to counting the clouds drifting in the sky to pass the time—

[Ding! Detected that group activity and cross-world energy interaction have reached a new threshold, meeting the conditions for summoning new members.]

[Randomly selecting eligible individuals from the multiverse...]

[Target locked...]

[New members are about to join the Chat Group!]

Oh? Newcomers again?

He immediately sat up straight, focusing his full attention on the Chat Group interface. New variables often meant new fun, or new resources.

A familiar glow with swirling star effects flashed across the chat group interface, and two new avatars and IDs surfaced, appearing side-by-side at the end of the member list.

ID: The Handsomest Old Guy

Avatar: A bust of an old man with a strange hairstyle, a beard, and a bright smile tinged with cynicism. The background seemed to be inside an airplane cabin or some kind of vehicle.

ID: Charcoal-selling Boy

Avatar: A boy with dark red hair and a strange scar on his forehead. He carried a large bamboo basket on his back that seemed to contain charcoal, against a background of snow-covered mountain woods.

Escanor scanned the two new avatars, a flicker of understanding and amusement passing through his eyes.

Joseph Joestar.

This name was certainly no stranger to anyone who enjoyed the work "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure."

Not only was he the male protagonist in Part 2 of the series, but he was also an indispensable main supporting character in Part 3.

The reason Joseph was so eye-catching lay not only in his outstanding appearance and demeanor, but even more so in his extraordinary resourcefulness and astonishing luck. In particular, his classic line—"Your next line is..."—became one of his most iconic traits, captivating countless viewers.

In the story, Joseph was capable of turning danger into safety with his keen insight and witty mind. Whether skillfully dealing with formidable foes or coming up with ingenious ideas to resolve complex problems, he demonstrated the charming nature of his extraordinary intelligence.

Kamado Tanjiro, an ordinary yet extraordinary character, hailed from the work "Demon Slayer."

He was originally just an ordinary charcoal-selling boy, but fate pushed him onto a heart-pounding journey of adventure.

Tanjiro was gentle and kind-hearted, filled with care and affection toward family, friends, and strangers alike. However, this gentleness did not mean he was weak or easily bullied. On the contrary, deep within him lay a strong power of tenacity. No matter what trials or setbacks he faced, he could persevere and continuously surpass himself.

Apart from his admirable qualities, Tanjiro had two special traits: first was his extraordinarily keen sense of smell, and second was his unique headbutt technique.

The former allowed him to detect subtle changes and even dangerous scents in the environment, while the latter served as one of his sharp weapons to defeat enemies in battle.

Escanor really did think of all these background stories for the new group members in his mind. It definitely wasn't because the author was fluffing up the word count.

[Ding! Congratulations to new members 'The Handsomest Old Guy' and 'Charcoal-selling Boy' for joining the Multiverse Chat Group!]

[To celebrate the arrival of new members, rewards are hereby granted: New members each receive 1 Point, all existing members receive 1 Point.]

[We hope all group members communicate harmoniously and achieve mutual benefits!]

Just as the welcome prompt disappeared, an energetic voice filled with obvious joy immediately sounded in the group.

Uzumaki Naruto: "Ohhh! Welcome, newcomers! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Dattebayo!"

Ever since that incident, his life had undergone earth-shattering changes. His identity had been publicly vindicated, making him known as the son of a hero.

Although some people found it hard to change their mindsets right away, the overt discrimination and malice had largely vanished on the surface.

Yet the emotional distance in his heart wouldn't vanish so easily. Precisely because of his past experiences, even with a changed status, opening his heart completely would take time.

Danzo and his subordinates were imprisoned as the main culprits in the deepest prison of Konoha, including Itachi. However, his ambitions were far from over.

Hiruzen's eye condition was publicly declared to have been Danzo's doing as well.

More importantly, Naruto had gained a friend in the true sense of the word.

Red-Hot Habanero: "Are those new group members? Welcome. I'm Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto's mom."

Her mood at this moment was clearly very good as well. Her son in her world, Namikaze Naruto, was healthy, and though Minato was busy, their family was harmonious.

The "older son", Uzumaki Naruto, had finally stepped out of the shadows, even making friends with that tsundere boy from the Uchiha clan.

As a mother, nothing made her happier than seeing her children happy.

Pride: "Welcome. As for what this Chat Group is about and what functions it has, you can check the group announcements first."