Chapter 191: The Desperate Old Cat
Hokage Building,
The office fell silent once more.
Neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade knew how to begin. The prophecy was too vague, too cryptic to decipher.
But if their suspicions were correct, then perhaps—without realizing it—they had already done something that went against their own ninja code.
"Anyway, Nagato and his friends wanted to stay in the Land of Rain and change their country," Jiraiya said with a wry smile. "Given my personality, I definitely wouldn't have taken them away by force."
"And our current focus shouldn't be on that. I'll confirm the prophecy with the Great Toad Sage personally."
He paused, his face turning serious. "What we should be discussing now is Ryosuke, the Akatsuki organization, and... the masked man."
Tsunade glanced at him and spoke lazily, "You've gathered more intel on the Akatsuki over the years than Ryosuke did in a single trip to the Land of Rain."
"As for the masked man, we've known for a while he was part of Akatsuki. That's old news."
"There's not much to talk about. We'll just have to wait and see. Maybe the ninja world is headed for chaos again. Sigh... I thought the peace we gained from the alliance would last longer. I didn't expect it to only hold for a few years."
Since the death of the Fourth Raikage and the formation of the international ninja alliance, the world had enjoyed a rare stretch of peace.
As the alliance expected, each village had grown stronger, more stable.
With increasing commercial interconnectivity came a vibrant economic recovery.
Even the Land of Wind—historically the poorest of the Five Great Nations—saw significant improvement thanks to large merchant caravans passing through.
And with the alliance's deterrent power, the smaller nations in the ninja world, despite having occasional disputes, dared not escalate matters.
No one wanted to risk drawing the attention of the alliance and giving them a reason to intervene.
But now, the destruction of Hidden Rain Village threatened to shatter that tranquility.
"In fact, there's something you're overlooking."
Jiraiya's gaze turned complicated. "I couldn't find Akatsuki's hideout after all these years. They were just too well hidden. I don't even have a clue where their base is."
"But... how did Hyuga Ryosuke know Akatsuki's headquarters was in the Land of Rain? He said he stumbled upon it while traveling with the fleet, but... you don't accidentally pass through Hidden Rain Village during travel."
As he spoke, Tsunade's eyes sharpened with understanding.
"After Hanzo's death, the Hidden Rain Village became highly restricted. They don't allow tourists. And the surrounding terrain—when we did missions there, we knew how complex and difficult it was. Unless you deliberately infiltrate, there's no way through."
"It only took him a few days from arriving in the Land of Rain to when the incident occurred and he left."
"To understand the terrain, infiltrate Hidden Rain Village, and cause a massive disruption like that—all in a few days? Unless he had detailed intelligence beforehand and was targeting Akatsuki from the start, that's impossible."
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade solemnly. "I've been investigating Akatsuki... but apparently, so has the Hyuga clan. And they're doing it more thoroughly than I ever have. Their intelligence network is even wider than Konoha's."
Tsunade stood by the window, watching him.
In each other's eyes, they saw the same trace of horror.
The Hyuga clan had hidden so deeply that none of them noticed how extraordinary Ryosuke truly was—until the invasion.
To most, the Hyuga were known for their Byakugan and battlefield support.
No one had imagined the clan had built such a massive intelligence network in secret.
After a long silence, Tsunade finally spoke.
"Actually... isn't it useless for us to keep speculating?"
"Huh?"
Jiraiya was confused.
"If a clan is this deeply hidden, with every member keeping quiet and low-key from top to bottom, would they really make such an obvious mistake? And then offer such a half-baked excuse?"
She recalled how casually Hyuga Hiashi behaved at the earlier meeting.
"They probably feel like they no longer need to hide. Ryosuke's strength has reached the peak of the ninja world, while Konoha—after suffering two major invasions—hasn't yet recovered. There's no longer any need for concealment."
"Being a bit reckless, a bit biased when protecting their own... that fits the strength Ryosuke has shown."
She turned to Jiraiya.
"Still, judging by their attitude, I don't think they mean harm to Konoha. With the abilities they've revealed, they could establish their own nation, like the Uzumaki clan once did."
"But they haven't."
"So maybe... their goal lies elsewhere."
---
"Exposure? That excuse was just a throwaway."
At lunch, Hiashi casually brought up the earlier meeting.
When he mentioned how Ryosuke used "travel" as an explanation, Hinata nervously asked if the higher-ups would see through it.
But neither Ryosuke nor Hiashi were worried.
"In Sarutobi Hiruzen's era, we had to keep our strength hidden," Hiashi said. "That was because Ryosuke wasn't strong enough yet, while Konoha was at its peak."
"But times have changed. Now Ryosuke stands at the top, while Konoha has declined. So, of course, we don't need to hide anymore."
"In fact, being more assertive and protective of our own is the only stance that matches Ryosuke's power."
He glanced at his daughter, whose nervous expression betrayed her cautious nature.
Hiashi had noticed it lately—Hinata's approach was becoming more and more aligned with what he had envisioned for the clan's long-term growth.
But perhaps... she was being too cautious.
After explaining, he turned to Ryosuke again.
"So, do you plan to attend the next meeting?"
"I'm guessing not."
"Of course not, Father."
Ryosuke shook his head. "Rather than wasting time debating politics, I'd rather study devil fruits."
He then brought up something else.
"Some of our clan members discovered a man who looked like an alien in the Land of Fire. They also found another devil fruit."
Clearly, he had no interest in meetings anymore.
As for Akatsuki—that was ancient history.
This year was drawing to a close.
Soon, it would be time for the once-every-three-years limiter release.
Ryosuke had poured everything into his training.
Not only had he surpassed the limits of his physical body through the other world's cultivation system, he had also gained deeper insight into the Byakugan.
This transformation would be more drastic than any before.
And with that, even greater benefits awaited.
But before that, he still had half a year to build his foundation.
He didn't want to miss any opportunity for growth.
The old cat—who had been quietly eating like Hanabi—suddenly perked up after hearing the words "devil fruit."
He instinctively raised his head and listened.
"It's just a suspicion. We're still trying to make contact," Hiashi replied with a small smile. "But honestly, I'm more interested in the devil fruit than in any alien trace."
"According to the intel, the fruit has a distinct purple swirl pattern. It's clearly one of those rare treasures from another world."
"I only suggested checking on a whim. But within a few days, the clan found the exact fruit you described."
It had only been a short while since Ryosuke first mentioned it.
But with the Hyuga's vast intelligence network, they had located the fruit at an auction house in the Land of Fire—and bought it at a very low price.
"No one in the ninja world has discovered the special effects of Devil Fruits yet. We must take advantage of this window and collect as many as possible."
Hiashi's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of excitement. "But when I think about how some fruits might be tossed aside as poisonous just because of how they look, I feel a little sad."
Those fruits are treasures—tools that could give even an ordinary person combat strength on par with, or greater than, a Chunin.
"Ten. Just ten more and I'll be satisfied."
He opened his palm and added, "I've already selected the people who will receive them. They're loyal members of the clan, but they lack natural talent as ninja."
"When the time comes, we'll assign them a few tasks to prove their loyalty. Then, we reward them with the fruits."
"It's not that easy, Father. You think too highly of yourself," Hinata said, chuckling.
Come to think of it, her father had changed lately. He seemed... more cheerful, not as cold or strict as before.
I've become a little like him—stern and serious in front of outsiders, but I relax around those close to me.
Perhaps this was who her father truly was all along. Maybe the burden of being clan head had forced him to suppress his true self. Now, with her handling family affairs and Ryosuke leading the clan toward revival, he finally had the space to breathe—and to return to his original self.
Compared to the turmoil among Konoha's top leaders, lunch with Ryosuke and the Hyuga family ended in a calm, relaxed atmosphere.
Instead of heading to Hinata's room to enjoy a knee-pillow massage, Ryosuke and the old cat returned straight to the training grounds where they'd spent the entire morning.
"Same as this morning. Unlimited duel. Drop when you drop."
As soon as they arrived, Ryosuke gave the order casually—then vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared right in front of the old cat and threw a punch.
"Boss! At least give me a moment to digest my lunch!" the old cat shouted, leaping aside to avoid the blow. Agile as ever, he twisted his body and counterattacked.
The wind howled.
Electric crackles erupted from his fist—a body technique from the Hidden Cloud Village!
But Ryosuke dismissed it immediately.
"A waste of chakra. Flashy, but it lacks the destructive core of true Lightning Release."
He raised his palm and casually slapped away the blow—no chakra enhancement needed.
The old cat's chakra control and elemental understanding were far too shallow to harness real destructive power.
"Need time to warm up before switching to combat mode?"
Before the old cat could answer, Ryosuke spun and delivered a kick straight into his chest.
The impact blasted him back more than ten meters, shattering trees along the way as dust exploded around him.
"Compared to this morning, you've regressed."
"Your enemies won't wait for you to adapt or 'activate' your Devil Fruit. Your grasp of ninja power is pathetic."
Ryosuke's eyes, cold and sharp, scanned the old cat's trembling body.
"Or maybe... the more I beat you, the stronger your Devil Fruit becomes?"
"Boss…"
The old cat staggered to his feet, voice hoarse. "Give me a minute. I only awakened this power this morning—I'm not even close to mastering it…"
Before he could finish, he suddenly dove sideways on instinct.
The space he had just been standing in was punched through by Ryosuke—the force of the strike blowing away the freshly raised dust.
"I told you already. Your enemies won't give you time."
His voice was as cold as ever.
If that hit landed, my skull would've cracked again...
The old cat shuddered, barely dodging the next attack, and was forced to defend with all he had.
Bang—
Bang, bang, bang—
Each impact sent ripples through the forest.
Fists collided like thunder.
Each clash sent jolts of pain up the old cat's arms, bones screaming with every blow. Inside, his joints fractured like bricks under pressure.
His flesh tore. Blood streamed down his arms, soaking his clothes.
"Keep going! You've shown zero improvement since this morning!"
When Ryosuke entered combat mode, he was a machine—every part of his body a deadly weapon.
When he taught, his words cut deeper than his fists.
The old cat gritted his teeth, forcing what little chakra he had left to the surface, fighting just to stay standing.
He remembered hearing once: if a person gets angry enough, their nerves and blood vessels can burst from the stress.
But this wasn't anger. It was fear.
Fear pushed him beyond his limits. Fear made him burn his body for strength.
Soon, blood leaked from his nose, ears, and pores.
He fought in a daze. Nausea overtook him. His body cried for rest.
But somehow, he began to embrace the dizziness, as if it numbed the pain.
Guess I'm at my limit again... probably about to pass out...
His punch froze mid-air. His body locked up.
Unconscious, yet still standing—stiff and trembling.
In that haze, a familiar warmth wrapped around him.
Once, that warmth felt comforting.
Now? It terrified him.
He resisted, but the healing chakra flowed into him uncontrollably. His body began repairing itself.
"It's time to wake up."
The voice echoed in his mind.
A sharp pain jolted through his head, and he snapped awake.
Bloodshot eyes met Ryosuke's emotionless gaze.
Looking up at the sky—it wasn't dark yet. Not even dinner time.
His wounds had stopped bleeding. He was around fifty percent healed.
Which meant the pain hadn't ended.
"Five-minute break. Then we continue."
The same sentence he'd heard dozens of times these past days.
The old cat forced a bitter grin.
"Boss… is this hell? This has to be hell, right?"
I can't die. No matter how hard I try, I can't die.
Once, he had clung to life with everything he had.
Now, all he wanted was for it to end.
Right here. Right now.
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