When he heard Ryun say he would kill him within three moves, Sasori of the Red Sand finally submitted...
He had no choice but to submit!
Before, when he had puppets to stall with, throwing tantrums and making threats was one thing, and only puppets got dismantled. Now, his trump cards were mostly used up, and most importantly, Uchiha Ryun's patience had run out. If he still refused to submit, the next to die would be his real body...
"I submit. You are the boss. From now on, I will do whatever you say..." Sasori of the Red Sand said very pragmatically after putting away his puppets.
"If you had said so earlier, you wouldn't have lost the Hiruko puppet..." Ryun said with a laugh as he released the sealing technique on the Kazekage puppet.
"You even know about Hiruko..."
Sasori of the Red Sand looked shocked. He did not know why all his information was completely known, and most crucially, he had been completely unaware of it.
Uchiha Ryun not only had terrifying strength, but he had also figured out all his details. No wonder he dared to demand submission right from the start... He had him completely figured out!
"Of course I know. After all, you are the number one puppet master in the ninja world. There aren't many people who can catch my eye, and you are one of them." Ryun suddenly gave a small acknowledgment.
This sentence had a great impact on Sasori of the Red Sand's heart. He inexplicably felt a sense of pride.
"To receive recognition from the Dragon Lord, losing an arm and the Hiruko puppet is indeed worth it..." Sasori of the Red Sand said faintly, raising his head.
The weak submitting to the strong is something that happens all the time, and it is not shameful to speak of.
"What do you need me to do?"
After a moment of silence, Sasori of the Red Sand asked this question.
"I don't need you to do anything for now. In a while, someone will ask you to join a rogue ninja organization called 'Akatsuki'. Agree to it then. I will contact you if there are any tasks in the future."
As Ryun spoke, he spontaneously reached out his hand towards Sasori of the Red Sand.
"!!!"
Sasori of the Red Sand was somewhat puzzled by this action, but after a moment, he steeled himself and reached out to shake it.
Instantly, a special Flying Thunder God mark was branded onto his palm.
"I can find you through this mark. If this mark ever glows, it means I want to find you. When that happens, you need to go to Otogakure. My main base is there."
Ryun briefly explained the mark's function.
Staring at the special mark on his palm, Sasori of the Red Sand was dazed for a good while before nodding lightly.
Actually, he was thinking at that moment whether cutting off this hand would easily free him from Ryun's control...
It seemed simple, but the subsequent risks could be fatal. The price of betraying a powerful figure like Ryun might be more than he could bear.
The more relaxed Ryun's control seemed, the more awe Sasori of the Red Sand felt towards him.
"Any other questions?" Seeing him deep in thought, Ryun asked.
"No... no problems..." Sasori of the Red Sand hurriedly replied.
"Good, that's fine..."
After saying that, Ryun's figure instantly vanished from the spot.
"This ghost-like movement... Could it be the legendary space-time ninjutsu!"
Witnessing Ryun's figure and presence disappear completely in the blink of an eye, and finding no trace after searching around, Sasori of the Red Sand immediately thought of this possibility.
"That guy Uchiha Ryun... his strength has probably already transcended the category of a ninja!"
...
After parting ways with Sasori of the Red Sand, Ryun made a detour to the nearby Ancient Land of Loulan and left a Flying Thunder God kunai there for easy access later.
He found Queen Sara and inquired about the food situation. Receiving confirmation that supplies were sufficient, the two of them proceeded to the location of the Dragon Vein.
After this period of accumulation, the Dragon Vein spirit liquid had indeed recovered somewhat, but the rate of recovery did not satisfy Ryun.
"What a pity..."
This Dragon Vein treasure trove, reputed to have unlimited chakra, does not truly have infinite reserves. In Ryun's eyes, this spirit liquid was still too little, not enough for sustained use.
"Um... could you send a few skilled ninja here to help stabilize the chaotic situation? The fires of war from the ninja world seem to be reaching us..."
Seeing that Ryun was about to leave, Queen Sara hurriedly made this request.
"I will pay them for the mission, the price will definitely be satisfactory..."
Upon hearing this, Ryun visibly paused for a moment, then nodded lightly. "I will arrange for Jonin to be stationed here for defense. You need not worry about Loulan's safety."
"Wonderful, thank you, Dragon Lord!"
Sara was as happy as a child. If she didn't know Ryun was a married man, she would have tried everything to keep this reliable man by her side.
Ryun smiled and waved his hand, then his figure abruptly vanished from the spot.
"!!!"
"He is quite easy to talk to. I shouldn't have been afraid of him back then..." Sara couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Ryun had stayed in Loulan for so many years; logically, there should have been many, many opportunities for them to be alone together. It would be false to say he wasn't bored or lonely cultivating within the Dragon Vein. But remembering Ryun's fearsome dragon form that he maintained for years, Queen Sara instinctively shuddered.
...
After leaving Loulan, Ryun entered the Land of Fire.
Originally, he planned to take a shortcut back to Otogakure, but when passing by Konoha, he chose to return home for a visit.
Firstly, to leave a unique Flying Thunder God coordinate point at home for easy travel, and secondly, to fetch some personal items for Kushina that she often mentioned missing.
When Kushina went to Loulan to find him before, she only brought her wallet and a few changes of clothes. Many things were left behind at their home in Konoha.
Like some personal jewelry, like the Red Hot Habanero pillow on her bed... all sorts of strange things. Ryun planned to pack them all and take them back to Otogakure, saving the girl from always murmuring about them.
Ryun casually threw a specially made kunai into Konoha Village. A few seconds later, after forming a single hand seal, he immediately appeared in the courtyard of his home.
"Hmm??? The Konoha Twelve Ninja Vanguard, they've all been born already..."
When his Sage senses subconsciously covered the entire Konoha, Ryun's eyes widened in surprise.
Namikaze Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Hyuga Neji, Hyuga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Tenten, Rock Lee... all twelve members of the Vanguard were present, every single one born early!
"Knowing that the 'Ten Year Peace Period' I established is about to end and war is approaching, so they all chose to have children during that last period of stability..." Ryun murmured to himself.
In fact, during the last three years of the 'Ten Year Peace Period', many, many children were born in Konoha and throughout the Land of Fire, while the number of newborns this year was pitifully small. Clearly, Konoha had done some propaganda and reminders regarding this matter.
Among the Twelve Vanguard now, the oldest were already three years old, with Naruto and Sasuke roughly around two years old.
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