Konoha: I have a clone in One Piece.

Chapter 190 Ninja World News Report: The Era of the Great Treasure

The secret agents knelt respectfully on one knee on the ground.

A flicker of surprise crossed the Anbu's eyes as he looked at the two Hokage in the office, but the ninja, well-versed in workplace dynamics, quickly lowered his head and reported to his superior without looking at anyone:

"Lord Hokage, we've found the reason why so many half-human, half-beast monsters have suddenly appeared in the Land of Fire..."

"The culprit is this strange-looking fruit!"

As he spoke, the ANBU raised his left hand, which was holding the Devil Fruit.

"According to our investigation, those orcs were originally ordinary civilians, but after eating this strange fruit, they inexplicably gained power similar to a bloodline limit."

"After gaining power, those commoners caused quite a stir in the Land of Fire."

"Many nobles were killed by them, and their mansions were smashed and looted."

"There are also some ninja squads in the village that carry out clearing missions. When they unexpectedly encountered bandits who had eaten this fruit, many squads were in danger and returned with many wounds."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work!"

After listening to the report from the Anbu, Minato Namikaze's expression turned serious.

However, just as he was about to stand up and take the newspaper, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood up first.

"Minato, you can continue."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a kind expression:

"You're still young. Learn how to handle conflicts properly first. Leave this kind of thing to me!"

After saying that, he walked up to the Dark Guard and took the fruit.

Looking at the strangely shaped fruit in his hand, completely different from normal fruit, Hiruzen Sarutobi said with some surprise:

"This fruit does look very strange."

"And, it can actually turn people into half-human, half-beast creatures...?"

At this moment, the member of the secret service suddenly raised his head, pulled a newspaper from his chest, and said with a hesitant expression:

"And... Lord Hokage, this is the latest ninja world news report..."

"Oh?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi placed the Devil Fruit on his table and then picked up the newspaper.

"What did the Ninja World News report this time?"

Just then, Minato Namikaze, instead of sitting back in the Hokage's chair, came to the Third Hokage's side.

The Fourth Hokage said calmly:

"Let's watch it together, Lord Three."

Looking at Minato Namikaze, who was standing close to him, Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled kindly and gently:

"……good."

Soon, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, opened the newspaper and began to read it.

[Latest report from the Ninja World News]

"In the new year, we have ushered in a period of easing tensions in the war, which is something to be happy about!"

"But at the same time, we've also discovered entirely new changes in the ninja world!"

"As many people know, a while ago, a lot of strange creatures that were half human and half beast suddenly appeared in the ninja world. This inexplicable and bizarre thing has made many people panic."

"People are also having a lot of opinions about this."

"Some speculate it's some kind of strange curse, some think it's human experimentation conducted by some dark organization, and others say it's caused by ninja techniques..."

"For this reason, our newspaper specially dispatched several reporters to conduct investigations in various parts of the ninja world."

"Finally, after our reporter's tireless and thorough investigation, the cause of this phenomenon was discovered!"

"First of all, it should be clarified that it is not a curse, nor is it human experimentation or ninjutsu. Those humans who inexplicably turned into the appearance of wild beasts did so because they ate a magical fruit."

[This refers to the oddly shaped fruit (picture of a Devil Fruit attached)]

"At the same time, in order to obtain true and accurate information, our reporters also interviewed several loyal readers of the Ninja World News who had accidentally eaten the miraculous fruit..."

[The following is the interview report—]

[The Elephant Chapter]

Q: Hello, what caused you to become like this?

[Answer: Haha, turning into an elephant? I gained this ability after eating a strange-looking and awful-tasting fruit.]

Q: Can you turn back into a human? Did you experience any discomfort after eating the fruit?

[Answer: Of course! I can turn into an elephant whenever I want, and I can turn back into a human whenever I want. As for discomfort, no, this fruit is perfectly fine... except... it tastes absolutely awful!]

Q: After you ate the fruit, did anything change in your life?

[Answer: Hahaha... You asked that? Of course there is! For example, I used to be a farmer, barely making ends meet. But after eating the fruit, I gained strength comparable to an elephant, able to kick and shatter huge rocks! Even the nobleman in our town treats me to the best of his ability now.]

Q: Okay, thank you for your reply. May I ask where you obtained this magical fruit?

[Answer: Uh… well… okay, anyway, so many people have already eaten it. I found it in my own vegetable garden. It was originally a tomato seedling, but somehow it grew into a strange-looking fruit. Later, I was so hungry that I couldn't resist eating it.]

Okay, thank you for your answer!

[The Wild Wolf Chapter.]

Q: Hello, I heard you were a samurai before?

[Answer: Ah, yes, but after eating the fruit, it probably doesn't count anymore. Hahaha, I've already received a title from the monarch; I'm now a nobleman of the Bear Kingdom!]

Q: Okay, may I ask where you obtained this magical fruit?

[Answer: One of the apples in my house suddenly turned into a strange shape...]

[The Leopard Chapter.]

Q: Hello, I heard you're a ninja?

[Answer: Yes, but no one in my village knows I can turn into a leopard. By the way, you're not exposing my privacy, are you?]

Q: No, please don't worry! May I ask if you experienced any changes after eating this fruit?

[Answer: Yes, I used to be a genin, but now I think I'm stronger than some of the chunin in the village!]

Q: Where did you get this fruit?

[Answer: Hahaha, I bought it by chance at a fruit stand...]

Q: Okay, thank you.

[The Duck Episode...]

【…】

"That concludes the interview. From this, we can conclude that—"

"This fruit, once eaten, can transform a person into the appearance of a wild beast, but it won't actually turn them into one. Furthermore, the number of animals this fruit can transform a person into is quite large, such as elephants, wolves, leopards, ducks, and so on..."

"Therefore, we can reasonably speculate that perhaps all animals in the ninja world possess a corresponding Devil Fruit?"

Upon seeing this, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, widened his eyes and couldn't help but glance at the strange fruit on his table.

He then suppressed his shock and continued scrolling down.

"At the same time, in order to understand the abilities and origins of this fruit, I have conducted several comparative analyses (thanks to reader xxxx who provided private data, and thanks to reader xxxx who actively cooperated with the testing)."

The following is the analysis report:

"After eating this fruit, people will have three forms—human form, beast form, and half-human, half-beast form."

"During the tests, we discovered that even an ordinary civilian, after eating the fruit that can turn them into an elephant, could instantly increase their strength from several hundred kilograms to tens of thousands of kilograms, which is almost comparable to a ninja who uses chakra."

"Detailed power data for each form is attached (...)"

"This clearly demonstrates the immense benefits this fruit offers for improving human health!"

Upon seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

Then, with a serious expression, he lowered his head and continued reading the newspaper.

"So, how did this fruit come to be?"

"A new thing doesn't appear out of nowhere; it must have its own mission!"

"Tomato seedlings, fruit stands, forests, fruit at home suddenly mutating, etc..."

"The chaotic and random way in which they appeared initially puzzled our reporters. However, after listening to the analyses and speculations of many experts, we have finally found the most likely answer!"

"—A gift from the gods!"

"As everyone knows, the auspicious, multicolored glow that filled the sky some time ago was a sign of the world's revival, and now, this miraculous fruit is undoubtedly a gift from the world!"

"Whether it's its close connection with nature, its seemingly disordered way of appearing, or its generous bestowal of power, it's all a selfless and magnificent act!"

"Please allow us to describe this gift from heaven as a 'treasure,' for there is truly no other word that can better express its magnificence!"

"Wild animals are not synonymous with disaster and ferocity; on the contrary, biodiversity is the best proof of our world's 'prosperity'!"

"The world cheered for this!"

"He bestowed upon us this wondrous 'treasure' as a token of his deep love for the children who live within it!"

"The 'secret treasure' has silently appeared in every corner of the ninja world!"

"It can empower commoners, elevate samurai to nobility, and allow ninjas to break through their limits..."

"But it's not chakra, so it doesn't have any restrictions on qualifications."

"It doesn't need to learn ninjutsu either, eliminating the difference in talent!"

"As a 'treasure' bestowed by the gods, all we need to do after finding it is eat it! Of course, its only drawback might be that it doesn't taste good."

"Power, wealth, beauty, fame... these are the pursuits of almost everyone, but ultimately, they all stem from strength!"

"But now, there are vegetable gardens, fruit stalls, forests, orchards..."

"A power that is effortless and accessible to everyone has emerged! Yes, everyone!"

"—So, everyone!"

"What are you waiting for?"

"The tide of a new era has risen, and a change of destiny has arrived..."

"The era of the Great Treasure has arrived!"

……

The newspaper fell to the ground.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had trembling hands.

He felt as if his head had been struck by a heavy hammer. The sudden shocking news and the declaration of a new era were hard for the old man to accept for a while.

Immediately afterwards, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly picked up the newspaper and looked at the words "The Era of the Great Treasure" on it.

After watching it repeatedly to make sure he wasn't seeing things, he couldn't help but shout in shock:

"How is that possible???"

Minato Namikaze, who had just finished reading the newspaper, couldn't help but frown and fall into deep thought.

"Secret treasure? Resurrection of the world?"

"How could this happen?"

"not good!!"

Suddenly, as if they had thought of something, the two of them looked at the Anbu who was still kneeling on the ground waiting for a response.

"How many people in the village bought this newspaper?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, his voice trembling.

The ANBU member lowered his head and gave an answer that the two Hokage did not want to believe:

"When I arrived, they should have already sold over a thousand copies, and now... there should be even more!"

"!!!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock!

……

Meanwhile, in an underground laboratory in Konoha Village.

"How interesting..."

Looking at the bandit leader, whose internal structure remained serpentine even after being dissected, Orochimaru's face was filled with possessive desire.

"This body is so wonderful..."

As he spoke, he glanced at the strange fruits that his men had collected on the shelf beside him, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Then, Orochimaru looked down again at the long snake lying on the lab table, a thoughtful expression on his face:

"You turned into a snake because you ate this fruit."

"So..."

"What effect did it have on you? And where on your body is it now?"

After saying that, Orochimaru chuckled and picked up the scalpel, preparing to conduct a slicing experiment.

Just then, a white snake suddenly appeared and spat out a newspaper.

"Um?"

Orochimaru stopped what he was doing, picked up the newspaper, stood in front of the lab table, and began to observe intently.

Not long after.

"Hehe, hohohoho..."

Laughter suddenly broke out in the dimly lit laboratory.

aside.

Originally, Mitarashi Anko, who was lying naked on another lab table, was waiting to eat the strange fruit and provide experimental data to her teacher. At this moment, she couldn't help but turn her head and look over with curiosity:

"Teacher, what's wrong?"

"Is something making you happy?"

As she spoke, her ears twitched, she frowned, and then said with some doubt:

Why is it so noisy outside all of a sudden?

"Heh heh, how can one not be delighted to see something decaying undergo new changes?"

Orochimaru couldn't help but lick his lips, then looked up at the ceiling. At that moment, his eyes revealed an unprecedented anticipation:

"And... Red Bean... that's the sound of a windmill turning!"

……

Konoha Village.

At this moment, both ordinary villagers and ninjas were incredibly excited.

"Quickly, give me five tons of fruit!"

"Boss, I want ten tons!"