Chapter 195: I Have to Run
The raging sea of fire was extinguished in an instant.
Within the training ground, now shrouded in rolling black fog, Ryosuke stepped carefully across the scorched earth littered with charred wood and thick smoke. In his arms, he carried the unconscious wildcat, its small body limp.
"Someone's coming!" "It's Ryosuke-sama!" "Ryosuke-sama made it out safely!"
With such a massive commotion, there was no way the Hyuga clan hadn't noticed. From afar, Ryosuke could see a large crowd gathered just outside the iron fence of the training ground, eagerly watching and calling out.
At the front stood his wife—and the future head of the Hyuga clan—Hyuga Hinata. Though her expression was touched with worry, she held herself with composure. When her eyes met Ryosuke's, a warm smile gently curved her lips.
"I'm glad you're okay."
Even before he reached her, Ryosuke heard her soft voice float to him. He couldn't help but chuckle as he replied, "Things just got a little too intense."
Hinata nodded, then finally took notice of something else in his arms. "Wait... is that the old cat?"
She stared at the wildcat he held. Its fur was soaked in blood, its body wet and unmoving—as though lifeless. But its features were unmistakable. It was the same wildcat that had consumed the devil fruit and taken on a human form.
"Why did it revert back?" Hinata asked, frowning. "Don't tell me you missed."
Though she trusted her husband's strength completely—convinced that even the earlier sea of fire couldn't touch him—her concern now centered on the feline.
After all, the old cat had returned home with Ryosuke nearly dead on more than one occasion. She had reason to worry.
"It's fine," Ryosuke said lightly. "Probably just burned through too much chakra and transformed back."
He then shifted his gaze past Hinata, to the gathered clan members. "Excuse me—could anyone help clean up?"
"Of course!" "Me, me!" "Master Ryosuke, I worked logistics on the battlefield! I'm great at cleanup!"
The crowd burst into enthusiasm. Dozens of hands shot into the air as everyone vied for a chance to be useful. Some waved eagerly, some tried to sell their qualifications.
Ryosuke smiled. "Thank you for your eagerness—but we won't need that many."
He turned to the dozen or so people at the front. "Let's have those in the front row help clean up the training ground. Also, could you transplant some trees from outside the village? The area's scorched beyond recognition."
Turning back to look over the blackened training ground, he continued, "After that, dismantle the nearby fencing. Merge this training ground with the others in the compound."
The crowd murmured in surprise.
Ryosuke met their confused looks with a calm smile. "From now on, there's no need to separate the training grounds of the main and branch families."
Ever since the family system had changed, the distinction between main and branch houses was no longer rigid, and territorial restrictions had been lifted. Though branch members could use the main family's training ground, old habits meant few did.
In truth, the space was now used only by Hinata, Hanabi, Ryosuke, and recently—the old cat. Four people occupying such a vast area? It was simply wasteful.
Moreover, Ryosuke no longer needed conventional training. What he pursued now was comprehension—understanding his path through the perspectives of others.
To hold on to such a large space for personal use was pointless. It was better to rebuild it for the benefit of all.
"Yes, sir!"
Whether due to the task itself or Ryosuke's words about unity, the crowd erupted with even more energy. Their voices rose in unison, a mix of excitement and pride.
"Then, I'll leave it to you. I have some matters to attend to."
There was no need for pleasantries—this authority was rightfully his.
With the warm cheers of the clan behind them, Ryosuke and Hinata turned to walk home…
...
"You're awake."
Far away—in the hidden corners of the Land of Water, inside a shadowy chamber—two masked figures stood over a figure lying in bed.
Obito and Black Zetsu stared at the man who was just now stirring from unconsciousness. After nearly two weeks of coma, it had taken continuous infusions of White Zetsu's life energy to bring him back.
Nagato opened his eyes slowly.
The first thing he did wasn't to ask questions—but to reach for his eyes.
Upon feeling his Rinnegan still intact, he exhaled in relief. He looked at the two silently watching him.
"You saved me? Where's Konan?"
The room was small—cramped even—and surrounded by the living bark of some massive, hollowed-out tree.
Obito, seated beside the bed and toying with a shuriken, answered casually, "We haven't told anyone about you. You've been out cold for almost two weeks. Konan doesn't know you're alive. The others think you're dead."
Nagato frowned. "You didn't see her? Didn't she call you to rescue me?"
Obito shook his head. "We had business in Amegakure. But when we returned... the village was gone."
His tone hardened. "You really are pathetic. With those eyes, and you still lost to a Hyuga."
Nagato's brows shot up. "A Hyuga? You're saying that guy was from Konoha's Hyuga clan? Impossible! Their Byakugan doesn't have those kinds of abilities!"
Then, as if struck by realization, he twisted around and glared at Obito. "Where's Pain? Did you retrieve the body of Tendo Pain?"
His mind, still groggy, was slowly piecing things together. The memory of defeat, shame, and pain returned.
Yahiko—where was Yahiko's body?
"Don't give me that look. I saved your life. Maybe show some gratitude."
Obito scoffed, his voice cold. "I didn't check the battlefield. But it's gone."
He hadn't had time to search. The sight of Amegakure in ruins had demanded his full attention. And then, Black Zetsu had pulled him away.
"It's turned to ash."
The quiet, chilling voice belonged to Black Zetsu.
"Your puppet was completely annihilated. Not even dust remained."
Not White Zetsu this time—but the silent and calculating counterpart.
"Gone? Not even a trace left...?"
Nagato stared, dazed. His gaze drifted past them—as though peering across mountains and rivers to the Rain Village.
No matter how hard he tried... he couldn't feel Yahiko.
No chakra signature. No response from chakra receivers.
Everything... had been destroyed.
Even Yahiko's body.
"Don't you think you should be more concerned about what to do next?"
Obito looked at him with disdain, clearly unimpressed by his willpower.
"What are you going to do now? The Hidden Rain Village was destroyed by that Hyuga brat, and no one in the organization dares to show their face. In this situation, how are you going to continue our plan?"
After a pause, he added coldly,
"He's from Konoha. And the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is also in Konoha."
"If you don't have the power to face him, you won't be able to collect all the tailed beasts. And your dream? It'll remain just that—a dream."
Nagato, however, remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Obito didn't push. He simply sat down, waiting calmly.
After a long silence, Nagato finally spoke.
"But it's impossible for a Hyuga to possess that kind of power."
"With that kind of divine strength, it's impossible that he's using a Byakugan. And during our fight, he didn't show any traits of it."
"Oh?"
Obito sneered.
"But he is from the Hyuga Clan. His name is Hyuga Ryosuke—he's the current head of the clan."
"I've been observing him for a long time. Even had a few people test his strength. The results?" He leaned forward slightly, eyes hidden behind the mask.
"Hyuga Ryosuke single-handedly wiped out a ninja army strong enough to rival the five great nations."
"Do you even understand the level of power we're talking about?"
Nagato froze, stunned, as something clicked in his mind. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the two figures before him.
"You... don't seem surprised at all by my identity or appearance."
Since awakening the Rinnegan, Nagato had never revealed his true face within the Akatsuki. He always used Pain's puppets to command the group. For those who joined later, Pain was all they knew.
Only Konan knew his true form—and she would never betray him.
So how did they know?
"I told you. I am Uchiha Madara," Obito said coldly. "Did you think your little act could fool me?"
With a chill in his voice, Obito rose to his feet.
"That Ryosuke brat already has enough power to rival me—Uchiha Madara. And you? You'd better focus on your role and start collecting the remaining tailed beasts."
"I didn't join Akatsuki because of its members. I joined because I believed in your dream. Don't disappoint me."
He sounded proud. Confident. Unshakable.
"...Dream..."
Nagato glanced at the masked man, suppressing the doubts swelling within him.
"I understand. I'll handle it."
Although he was highly suspicious of Obito's identity, one thing was clear—the masked man knew his strength and wasn't afraid of him. That meant he was just as powerful—if not more.
Maybe... I need time to re-evaluate things. I was too arrogant before. Lacked intelligence.
With Ryosuke's emergence, Nagato could no longer believe the Rinnegan alone made him invincible.
"Take care of your injuries. I'll share your information with others who may try to stop us."
Obito cast him one final glance, then turned and walked out.
Zetsu's pitcher plant form followed close behind.
The two exited the dark room smoothly and stepped into another chamber.
"He's a far cry from the self-proclaimed god he used to be," Obito muttered, now free from the raspy, ancient voice he normally used. "Falling so fast... his mentality's pretty fragile."
"Don't underestimate Hyuga Ryosuke, Obito."
Black Zetsu didn't react to Obito's mocking tone. His attention was focused elsewhere.
Obito raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Of course I don't underestimate him. He wiped out a ninja army, though it's possible others from Konoha helped."
"I admit it. Right now... I might not be able to defeat him. Maybe I need to recover something first."
"No. You're missing the point."
Black Zetsu's tone grew serious.
"You need to elevate Ryosuke's threat level in your mind. Put him on the same level as the real Uchiha Madara... or even higher."
Obito's playful expression vanished. His voice turned low and cold beneath the mask.
"That serious? You've been acting strange ever since you encountered him. Did you find out something?"
"Did Madara tell you anything about the Hyuga?"
"In any case, don't act rashly. Just like you told Nagato, start with the other tailed beasts. As for the Nine-Tails..."
The Black Zetsu half separated from the pitcher plant body.
"Leave Uzumaki Naruto alone for now. Wait for my instructions."
As he spoke, Black Zetsu's form collapsed like mud and began to seep into the ground, disappearing into the shadows of the chamber.
Only when completely submerged did he feel the faintest trace of safety.
But in his mind, the image from more than a week ago refused to fade.
Technically, that had been his third encounter with Ryosuke.
The first was when he went to Konoha to investigate signs of unrest. While buried deep beneath the village, he suddenly felt someone observing him—directly. Spooked, he immediately fled.
At that time, he hadn't known the observer's identity.
It wasn't until the second encounter that he put a name to the sensation—Hinata Ryosuke.
After fleeing Konoha, Black Zetsu couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. When reports came in about invaders from another world, he altered his plans. He instructed Obito to send a team of Kirigakure shinobi—led by one of those otherworlders—to Konoha to test the situation.
The result?
Disaster.
A complete loss of a ninja army, a powerful otherworlder with crucial intel, and even a White Zetsu clone. The only surviving knowledge was that Ryosuke had identified them—and destroyed everything.
The destroyed White Zetsu had transmitted no intel.
All subsequent information came only from Konoha shinobi conversations.
Both previous encounters had failed to yield anything useful.
It wasn't until the third contact that Black Zetsu truly met him—face to face.
And what he saw chilled him to the core.
Bathed in sunlight,
A man as pale as snow, fists blazing like divine thunder, standing tall against the might of reincarnation itself.
Every motion felt... destined.
Distinct. Familiar.
That man matched the Otsutsuki recorded in his mother's memories.
He's not Hyuga.
He's Otsutsuki.
An Otsutsuki... with the same power as Kaguya.
Suddenly, Black Zetsu had panicked—and run.
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