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After leaving Mount Myoboku, Ryujiro and Jiraiya didn't use Reverse Summoning Jutsu to return.

It took about a month for Jiraiya and Ryujiro to return to Konoha.

When Ryujiro returned to the village, he heard a surprising piece of news.

It was that Gaara, a Jinchuriki from the Hidden Sand Village, had been declared an S-rank missing-nin after defecting from the village.

In the original story, Gaara was supposed to become the Fifth Kazekage.

Now that Gaara had defected from the Hidden Sand Village, who would take the position of the Fifth Kazekage? 

The only one who could possibly take the position now was Chiyo.

The development of the plot exceeded his expectations.

After returning to the Hyuga house, although it had only been a month since they last met, when Hinata heard that Ryujiro had returned, she rushed crazily and threw herself into Ryujiro's arms.

Feeling the faint fragrance of Hinata, a faint smile appeared on Ryujiro's lips.

Even in this world, he could still experience the feeling of home.

He wondered if his Hogyoku could help Hinata evolve her Byakugan and awaken the Tenseigan.

The power of Hogyoku was immeasurable. After all, Ryujiro was now capable of creating terrifying creatures.

He didn't mind stirring up some trouble in the shinobi world, becoming a mastermind behind the scenes in the storm that would engulf the entire shinobi world, opposing Uchiha Madara.

Nagato's desire for peace was nothing but a futile illusion, imagining himself as a godlike existence.

Moreover, those Rinnegan weren't originally Nagato's. 

If Nagato hadn't been a member of the Uzumaki clan he would probably have died long ago after using the Rinnegan so frequently.

"Ryujiro, why do you feel a bit different?" Hinata asked, staring at Ryujiro.

Ryujiro gently stroked her hair and smiled faintly. "I've changed a bit."

Ryujiro's strength was several times or even dozens of times greater than before, so now he was at least confident in facing opponents like those at the level of Six Paths.

But even so he wanted to remain cautious whenever facing anyone because things like Truth Seeking Balls could obliterate everything.

In terms of overall strength, he did surpass the previous super Kage-level shinobi, and even if Uchiha Madara were to be resurrected now, Ryujiro was confident in dealing with him.

Of course, at this stage, the only one with strength surpassing that of the Kage was Nagato. 

Although Nagato possessed the Rinnegan and had the ability to absorb ninjutsu, Ryujiro's sword attacks didn't have a chakra nature. 

Even if his attack carried a portion of Sage chakra, it could only absorb the Sage chakra attached to the sword attack.

After spending some time with Hinata at the Hyuga house, Ryujiro went to the Hokage's office. As an assistant to the Hokage, he couldn't afford to be idle.

He couldn't just come back and not even meet the Hokage.

At this time, Tsunade in the Hokage's office already knew about what Ryujiro had done at Mount Myoboku.

In less than a day, he had mastered the Sage Mode, and it was a perfect Sage Mode. According to Jiraiya, even in his normal state, Ryujiro was in Sage Mode.

It seemed that Ryujiro's physique had transformed into a Sage's body like her grandfather's, able to automatically heal even if it's heavily injured.

Tsunade couldn't understand how Ryujiro had done it.

Seeing Ryujiro arrive at the Hokage's office, Tsunade frowned and glanced at him but didn't say much.

"I thought you'd spend the whole day with Hinata," she said. 

"I didn't expect you to remember your Hokage."

Ryujiro smiled faintly, "What are you talking about, Hokage-sama? You're the Hokage. I'm your assistant. How could I forget you?"

"Alright, stop being a jerk," Tsunade didn't believe Ryujiro's words. This kid wasn't that nice.

"Now that you're back, half of these documents are for you to handle," Tsunade pointed to the large stack of documents on the desk.

These days, she had been busy dealing with matters in the village, and being the Hokage wasn't as easy as Tsunade had thought.

Although she had prepared for it beforehand, she hadn't expected it to be so difficult.

Looking at the table full of documents, Ryujiro couldn't help but feel a chill.

When would he finish dealing with so many documents? Despite his reluctance, he still agreed to Tsunade's request.

After all, he wouldn't have to do it himself, and he could just hand it over to a shadow clone later.

He agreed so quickly.

Tsunade was somewhat surprised by Ryujiro's quick agreement.

But as an assistant to the Hokage, Ryujiro should handle some things. If she were to handle all these documents by herself, who knows when she would finish.

The power Tsunade had given Ryujiro was even greater than that of the previous assistants to the Hokage. Ryujiro could act on behalf of the Hokage.

Although there were objections from the two elders and the higher-ups of Konoha, Tsunade managed to suppress them.

As for the means she used, if Tsunade didn't sit in the Hokage's position, no one in the village would be able to take the position of Hokage, and by then, Konoha, which had just restored order, would become chaotic again.

Ryujiro didn't just come to see Tsunade. He asked about Gaara's defection from the Hidden Sand Village.

It had been a week since Gaara left the Hidden Sand Village. Although the Sand Village had sent some Jonins to track him down, they were no match for Gaara.

Though Gaara didn't kill them, being buried in sand up to their waists wasn't pleasant.

If this had happened in the past, those who pursued Gaara would probably have already perished.

A Jinchuriki defecting from a shinobi village, once this news spreads throughout the entire shinobi world, all shinobi villages will take action. 

If they could obtain a Tailed Beast, it would give any village the power to disrupt the balance of the shinobi world.

Tailed Beasts were known as weapons of mass destruction.

---

After leaving the Hokage's office, Ryujiro hadn't gone far before a cold voice called out to him.

At this time, Sasuke hadn't defected from the village. Perhaps it was because the right time hadn't come yet, or perhaps it was because he had been influenced by Ryujiro and the plot changed.

Sasuke looked at Ryujiro with a complex expression.

It had only been a short time since Ryujiro had become the assistant to the Hokage, and he was still just a Chunin. 

This gap crushed the last bit of pride he had as a member of the Uchiha clan.

His strength wasn't enough to kill Itachi.

From Kakashi, he learned that not long ago, Itachi returned to the village, and Ryujiro fought against Itachi.

And what shocked him was that Itachi's Genjutsu not only didn't affect Ryujiro, but it seemed to backfire and injure him.

Ryujiro's current strength completely surpassed Itachi.

If he wanted to defeat Itachi...

He would have to let go of his pride as an Uchiha and ask Ryujiro for help.

For revenge, for killing Itachi, nothing else mattered to Sasuke. He finally understood that without strength, everything was meaningless.

Only with strength like Ryujiro's could he control his own destiny.

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"Sasuke, if you have come here to test the gap between us..."

"Then there's no need for that."

"With your intelligence, you should understand that the difference between us is like an abyss which is impossible to cross."

Ryujiro spoke lightly.

He had no interest whatsoever in Sasuke right now. It seemed Sasuke could only pique his interest after unlocking the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Even if Ryujiro didn't say it, he already knew the immense gap between him and Ryujiro.

It was a gap that seemed endless, so much so that right now for Sasuke, there was no hope of catching up to Ryujiro.

"Ryujiro, please help me to become stronger!"

"I want to have strength like yours!"

"Please!"

Sasuke blurted out his inner thoughts in one breath, his breath becoming rapid, his heart pounding wildly.

Ryujiro's expression shifted ever so slightly.

What did he mean?

Sasuke wanted him to help him become stronger.

It seemed that the plot had truly been altered by him. What surprised him more was that Sasuke had actually set aside his pride as an Uchiha to ask him for help.

Sasuke feared Ryujiro would refuse. If Ryujiro rejected him, Sasuke's remaining shreds of self-respect would be shattered.

"Why do you want to become stronger?"

Ryujiro asked lightly.

Sasuke lifted his head, his eyes filled with hatred. "To kill a man."

Sure enough, Sasuke's current desire to become strong was to kill Itachi.

Sasuke, you really don't understand Itachi's intentions.

Ryujiro had no interest in being anyone's teacher, nor did he have any good ninjutsu to teach Sasuke. However...

"Follow me."

Ryujiro said lightly.

Sasuke's face lit up, thinking Ryujiro had agreed to help him.

He quickly caught up with Ryujiro's pace.

They arrived at a relatively remote area from the village; there were no Anbu ninja in the vicinity, meaning no one was monitoring this area.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Sasuke barely kept up with Ryujiro's speed, panting heavily when they arrived.

"I'm not interested in you, but there's someone here who might be suitable for you."

Sasuke furrowed his brow.

Someone suitable?

Did that mean Ryujiro intended to introduce someone else to help him become stronger?

"There's no need to hide any longer, Orochimaru."

Ryujiro's voice was indifferent.

"Heh heh, as expected of you, Ryujiro. It seems you've anticipated my resurrection."

Orochimaru, who had been previously killed by Ryujiro, reappeared before him, with Kabuto standing beside him.

It seemed Kabuto had assisted in Orochimaru's resurrection.

Even with Orochimaru's protection, Kabuto was still filled with fear towards Ryujiro.

Such power was simply not of the same dimension.

Initially, Ryujiro had no hesitation in killing Orochimaru.

Moreover, Orochimaru mentioned that Ryujiro seemed to know everything about the ninja world.

That was terrifying.

Just like how Ryujiro knew Orochimaru would be resurrected.

"It's you!" 

Sasuke's eyes shrank at the sight of Orochimaru, looking at him with some fear.

"Sasuke-kun, we meet again."

"It seems you've successfully integrated the power of the curse seal."

Orochimaru admired Sasuke.

Sasuke indeed didn't disappoint him. The Curse Seal of Heaven had a death process, and it seemed Sasuke had successfully overcome it.

This body...

Orochimaru greedily licked his lips.

Such an action made Sasuke feel a little scared.

Did Ryujiro really sell him out?

Was this guy the one he was talking about?

But considering the curse mark Orochimaru placed on his own neck, which significantly boosted his strength, perhaps following this guy would indeed make him stronger.

Orochimaru hadn't carefully sensed Ryujiro's aura before, but now as he scrutinized Ryujiro, his eyes couldn't help but shrink.

This feeling...

Senjutsu!

Although Orochimaru couldn't use Sage Mode right now, he could still sense natural energy, and he had also seen Jiraiya using Sage Mode.

While Ryujiro's current state was no different from usual, the feeling he gave off undeniably resembled Sage Mode.

His Sage Mode was active even when he was in normal state...

Orochimaru couldn't help but take in a sharp breath.

Eternal.

Ryujiro was able to maintain Eternal Sage Mode. Orochimaru's mind went blank.

He had underestimated Ryujiro's potential and abilities. There was definitely something hidden within him that he couldn't reveal.

"Ryujiro, it's only been a short time since we last met, but you've become even more terrifying."

Orochimaru looked at Ryujiro with fear.

Ryujiro chuckled lightly. "Orochimaru, it seems you've sensed it too."

Kabuto and Sasuke were utterly baffled. The two of them had no idea what Orochimaru and Ryujiro were talking about.

"I won't waste any more time on nonsense. My disappearance from the village for so long will raise suspicions."

"I'll leave Sasuke to you."

"I'll come find you in a while. I hope you won't disappoint me."

With that, Ryujiro's figure disappeared from the sight of Orochimaru and the others.

Not with Body Flicker Jutsu.

Orochimaru was slightly surprised once again by Ryujiro's displayed capabilities.

At this moment, Sasuke stood still.

Was he just sold out by Ryujiro like that?

Orochimaru looked at the now-confused Sasuke and said slowly, "Sasuke-kun, I don't like to make things difficult for others."

"The choice is yours."

Sasuke fell silent.

If Orochimaru was in collusion with the village's rogue ninjas, it meant he had to defect from Konoha too.

But if Orochimaru could make him stronger, then even if he had to defect from the village, he felt it was still worth it.

In the end, Sasuke followed Orochimaru.

Although Sasuke left on his own, with the power of Kyoka Suigetsu the village's elders, even Tsunade, were hypnotized by Ryujiro.

And one of the hypnotized ninja leaked information.

He saw Sasuke with Orochimaru.

This news shocked Tsunade. Wasn't Orochimaru killed by Ryujiro?

How could he reappear again?

Resurrection!

Could such a thing really be done?

In the end, the village's senior members issued a notice declaring Sasuke a rogue ninja of the Konoha village.

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"Why! Why is Sasuke wanted as a rogue ninja?"

"What's going on pervy sage!"

Naruto grabbed Jiraiya's sleeve, incessantly asking.

Jiraiya sighed, "He went with Orochimaru."

Orochimaru?

Wasn't he killed by Ryujiro?

Upon learning that Orochimaru had been resurrected, Naruto was even more shocked.

resurrected!

How is that possible!

Is there a Jutsu that can bring someone back to life?

"Damn it! Why did Sasuke leave!"

Naruto clenched his fists in frustration.

Even though the plot had been drastically altered because of Ryujiro, the bond between Naruto and Sasuke, two good friends, remained unchanged.

Naruto wanted to know where Orochimaru was and wanted to bring Sasuke back.

But....

Even Jiraiya didn't know where Orochimaru was, let alone how Orochimaru was resurrected.

Initially, he and Tsunade had personally witnessed Ryujiro killing Orochimaru. What Orochimaru had been researching in the years since leaving Konoha was a mystery.

Orochimaru was no longer a human.

But why did Jiraiya always feel like something was missing? When he was smashed away by Tsunade and saw Orochimaru killed by Ryujiro as he crawled out of the rubble.

What happened during that time? Jiraiya and Tsunade had no idea.

He hoped his worries were unfounded.

----------

Land of Rivers

Gaara, draped in a brown cloak, arrived in the Land of Rivers.

He finally experienced how liberating it felt to be free from constraints.

In the eyes of the village elders, he, as a Jinchuriki, was nothing more than a weapon of war for the great nations.

As for being Kazekage, he had no interest. Even powerful leaders like his father, the fourth Kazekage, ultimately died by someone else's hand.

Freedom!

It's truly wonderful!

In a small town near the Land of Rivers, Gaara stopped at a dango shop.

Smelling the fragrant aroma, Gaara couldn't help but lick his lips.

After walking so far, he was too tired. It's better to rest here.

After entering the shop, Gaara ordered two servings of dangos and sat down at his table.

But as he glanced around the shop, his gaze suddenly stopped.

That feeling!

Gaara's eyes contracted, staring at the middle-aged man with extraordinary demeanor, carrying a huge black sword on his back, the blade adorned with exquisite patterns.

Those eyes!

Yes, those eyes were just like the guy from Konoha, those eyes.

Both used swords, both possessed that sharp edge.

Could this man be related to that guy from Konoha?

Mihawk, who was drinking, seemed to sense Gaara's gaze, and their eyes met for a moment.

Gaara's heart trembled, and he turned his head away.

That feeling!

He was sure.

He had felt this from Ryujiro before, and this man was the second person to give him such a feeling.

"Shukaku, you saw that, right?"

Shukaku, residing within Gaara, could share his vision and naturally saw Mihawk.

"Yeah, I saw."

"That man is very powerful, not inferior to the brat from Konoha."

Even Shukaku's tone became more serious.

When did the Shinobi world produce so many terrifying figures? If this man could produce slashes like Ryujiro, then he would be too terrifying.

Did this man teach that brat from Konoha?

"Ding-ling—"

The wind chime at the door rang, and two men dressed in Akatsuki robes walked in.

"Gaara of the Sand, you've made it easy for us to find you."

Deidara's face showed a sinister smile, while the shorter figure beside him, Sasori now inside his puppet Hiruko, emanated a gloomy gaze.

The atmosphere in the dango shop seemed to instantly chill.

Even the shopkeeper sensed that something was wrong and ran out in fear without even making dangos.

"Who are you people?"

Sand spilled out from Gaara's gourd behind him.

"Akatsuki."

Gaara frowned.

What's Akatsuki?

"Sasori, leave the Jinchuriki to me."

"I'll use my art to defeat the Jinchuriki."

Sasori glanced deeply at Deidara, "I don't like waiting."

"Don't worry Sasori, it'll be over soon."

Even the Akatsuki hadn't anticipated that a Jinchuriki would defect from the village.

If he had been inside the village, it might have been tricky, but outside, they could deal with him without any worries.

"Now!"

"It's time to show my art."

Deidara's face revealed an artistic smile.

At that moment, Mihawk, who was drinking, glanced at Deidara and Sasori's position.

This was the Akatsuki that Ryujiro had mentioned?

Mihawk had already witnessed Jutsus in the Shinobi world that were beyond his comprehension, using chakra to wield different attributes of ninjutsu, much like Devil Fruits in his world.

The only difference was that chakra was a form of energy inherent to the human body.

Gaara of the Sand.

"Hey, Deidara, looks like there are other powerful players here."

Sasori felt a sense of dread from Mihawk.

Other powerful players?

That man?

Indeed.

He didn't seem ordinary, but this operation wasn't just him alone.

With him and Sasori here, even a Kage would fall.

They had the confidence that they could make the Jinchuriki fall here.

Their target was the One-Tailed Jinchuriki. As long as that man didn't intervene, Sasori and Deidara wouldn't act against Mihawk.

Unfortunately.

Not long ago, Ryujiro had conveyed a message to Mihawk, instructing him to add Gaara into the Gotei 13 as soon as he saw him.

Akatsuki's goal was to capture the Tailed Beasts, and Mihawk couldn't just stand by.

As Mihawk stood up, Sasori and Deidara instinctively narrowed their eyes.

The aura emanating from this man was also too sharp.

Just like a sword.

"Deidara, capturing the One-Tailed Jinchuriki won't be easy."

Sasori felt the pressure from Mihawk and said deeply.

"What do you want?"

Deidara asked Mihawk in a low voice.

"Akatsuki, this boy is joining our organization."

"So, leave him alone, otherwise the consequences won't be too good for you."

Organization?

Both Sasori and Deidara frowned.

There were organizations other than the Akatsuki collecting Tailed Beast Jinchuriki?

How was that possible!

"Tch!"

"Deidara, I'll leave the Jinchuriki to you and I'll deal with this man."

With that, the battle was about to begin!

Boom Boom!

Sasori opened his mouth and shot out countless poisoned needles. These needles were all coated with deadly toxins. If even a little touched, death would follow shortly.

"Ding ding ding—"

Mihawk effortlessly deflected the poisoned needles with his black sword.

This was just starting, and the real battle was about to begin.

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