MTL - Naruto: Ten-year-old Kaleidoscope, Opening Betrayal Konoha - Chapter 21

They call him Ghost.A name whispered in fear across warzones, black markets, and underworld circles.To the world, he's a phantom—a faceless mercenary who leaves no trace but bodies in his wake.To his enemies, he’s a death sentence.To his brothers-in-arms in Graveyard, he’s family.But to himself... he's a haunted man searching for a past stolen in gunfire and smoke.After a flawless mission deep in the Eastern Province, Ghost returns to the hidden forest base he's called home for sixteen years. Yet the victory is short-lived. His foster father, the commander delivers an unexpected order:“That was your last mission.”Now, Ghost—real name Miles Sterling—must step out of the shadows of war and into a world he’s never known. Guided only by a scarred letter, a fading memory, and the voice of a woman he hasn’t seen since the day everything was taken from him.But war forged more than his body and name.Behind the mask, behind the scars, Miles has another secret.One he’s kept hidden even from his brothers in arms.He’s not just a weapon.He’s a ghost with a fortune—a hidden empire he built in silence, across borders and black markets, forged in strategy and blood.A man of many names, and many shadows.Beneath the bullets, tattoos, and silence lies a truth buried in ashes.And Ghost is about to dig it up—one letter, one enemy, one memory at a time.

of the family. He had to care for his grandparents in place of his father, show respect to his uncles, maintain brotherly love...In this life, he only wanted to breat free from these bloodsuckers, find a sugar “daddy”, and by the way, nourish his stomach.*****Song Jiawen felt something was weird. That guy from next door—who had to return to the countryside to study because his father was imprisoned—suddenly switched from literature to science and joined her class, and even moved to the seat behind her. Ostensibly, he did it so she could tutor him in physics and biology, but why did she always feel like he had an ulterior motive?*****Years later, as Jiang Yan watched the soup simmering in the pot while soothing his son in his arms, he glanced back at his wife, who was leisurely watching TV on the sofa with her legs crossed, and thought miserably, this meal ticket he had married into was proving to be quite a struggle!

The Strongest Magic meets the Mightiest Mecha.

I have stolen Golden Mechas from the deepest vaults of the most tightly guarded fortresses in the world.

I have personally destroyed more armies than the top three superpowers have in the span of the Absolute War - combined.

I burned down the terrorist megacity of Habon.

I was expelled from the Union of Heroes at a younger age than people are allowed in.

I have talked to Ancient Gods, loved women, and devoured mechas that would make superpowers cringe in fear.

I have faced demons head on in moonless nights others fear to speak of during the day.

I am deified in a thousand cultures, and labelled as the devil incarnate in the rest.

I am the Mecha Emperor.

You may have heard of me.

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Excerpt from Chapter 1

This is where it all began.

A junkyard.

Oh no, this isn't your clean, mechas-only junkyard that was the 'starting point' of many mecha geniuses out there.

I have seen and heard my share of rags-to-riches stories, and many of them claimed that they had started from 'junkyards' and slowly grew to be where they were right now.

From Zero to Hero, they declared.

You can do it too, they said.

As long as you work hard, everything is possible, they claimed.

I call bullshit.

Life doesn't work like that.

When Zhaozhao was ten years old, she was brought back to the Marquis household as the true daughter. Her parents doted on her, her brother was close, and even the fake daughter treated her with warmth. Zhaozhao once thought she was dreaming, and she treated them with all her heart.Until they personally sent her into the Tomb Guard City, a place that devours people whole, she realized she was merely brought back to exchange and protect the fake daughter.For five years in the city, the Marquis household ignored her.They let the sons of nobles from distinguished families use her as a punching bag, abusing and beating her, leaving no part of her intact.She died in despair the day before she was to leave the city.At the moment of her death, Zhaozhao awakened.—A hundred years ago, the ghostly gate opened, and the Ghost King led thousands of ferocious ghosts out of the underworld to wreak havoc on the world.She was originally King Yan of the underworld, descended to experience trials due to dereliction of duty.Once Zhaozhao opened her eyes again,The world changed colors, and she held the Book of Life and Death, transforming into King Yan to claim lives.Judging good and evil, slashing enemies.Once she gathered eighty-one evil souls and captured the Ghost King, she could return to her position.—On the day she left the city, the Marquis couple and her brother came personally to pick her up.Zhaozhao didn't even glance at them, turning to get into Prince Su's carriage.Her parents cursed her as an ungrateful ingrate, and her brother sneered that she would come crying back to beg them.Later, all of them knelt on the ground, crying, begging her to return home.Zhaozhao watched coldly.She would no longer want anything tainted.—Prince Su was born shrouded in Evil Qi, and anyone close to him would either die or be injured. Everyone thought he would be lonely for life.He had a delicate young lady by his side.She appeared to be pitiful and charming, but was ruthless and decisive behind the scenes.Once she absorbed the Evil Qi and gathered the evil souls, Zhaozhao planned to pat her butt and leave.Prince Su's eyes reddened, saying, “Zhaozhao, take this prince with you!”