Black Grim Reaper - Sarutobi Ryo

The harbor at night was still and quiet.

After a long day, people turned off their lights after supper.

The whole town slowly disappeared into the darkness.

Soon, the quiet was broken by a loud noise coming closer.

A Yakuza boss, full of food and drink, was heading back to his place with some of his men.

But they stopped suddenly.

Ahead, under the dim streetlights, stood a person dressed in black and wearing a white mask.

The figure started walking toward them, faster and faster.

"Who's there?!"

Because of their lives of crime, the Yakuza were always on guard. They immediately became tense.

As the Yakuza boss shouted the question, Sarutobi Ryo was already upon them.

Completely covered up, only Sarutobi Ryo's hair and ears could be seen.

His face was hidden behind the white mask.

The mask looked like it was smiling, which was very creepy.

Sarutobi Ryo was only about ten feet away.

They were too close to react.

An icy wave of Killing Intent crashed over them, making the Yakuza members feel cold to the bone.

Killing Intent.

In his old life, it might have seemed like magic.

But in the world of Naruto, it was real.

Like when Zabuza used his Killing Intent, making young Team Seven shake with fear.

Or when Orochimaru used his Killing Intent, causing Kakashi to imagine his own head exploding.

Killing Intent is really the release of spiritual energy.

And spiritual energy is part of what makes up Chakra.

The stronger the Ninja, the more people they've killed, the stronger their spiritual energy, and the more powerful their Killing Intent.

Sarutobi Ryo didn't become a Jonin just because he was the Hokage's son. He earned it, step by step, rising from a mountain of dead bodies and a sea of blood. So his Killing Intent was extremely strong.

"Crushing Palm Strike."

Sarutobi Ryo raised his hand, without saying a word.

Bang!

Invisible shockwaves spread from his open palm.

But this wasn't like Jirobo stopping Choji's Human Boulder in the original story.

The attack was too fast for the Yakuza to even see. Their boss didn't have time to react. A sickening crack was heard as his head snapped to the side, and he went flying.

"..."

The other men just stood there, stunned.

They were shocked, disbelieving... but none of that mattered.

Against Sarutobi Ryo, whose strength was at the Jonin level, their bodies were as fragile as paper.

The difference between a Jonin and a regular Rogue Ninja was like comparing dirt to clouds.

Soon, screams filled the air, and the sounds of bones breaking echoed through the night...

----

Not long after, the bodies were found.

That night, the Yakuza went into action, searching the area and asking people questions, trying to find the killer.

But this was only the beginning.

In the days that followed, things happened that the Yakuza didn't expect.

Several bosses were attacked in different ways.

Some had their hearts explode, others had their heads blown off... the only thing they had in common was that they were killed with one hit.

From small searches to the whole town in chaos.

As the Yakuza bosses died one after another, people started to panic.

And according to witnesses, the killer was a person in black clothes with a white mask.

After many attacks, the killer got a nickname.

People called him the "Black Grim Reaper."

----

"Black Grim Reaper, haha... they're really good at making up names."

Yamanaka Hui was clearly excited about this killing game, always thinking of new ways to hurt the Yakuza and giving Sarutobi Ryo ideas for assassinations.

"..."

Sarutobi Ryo frowned.

This nickname isn't very original.

"It's good, Young Master," Yamanaka Hui said, grabbing Sarutobi Ryo's arm. "Look... Namikaze Minato is called the Golden Flash, and you're called the Black Grim Reaper. It's balanced, and the Grim Reaper is much stronger than the Flash, right?"

Sarutobi Ryo shook his head, not caring about such things, and looked at Yakushi Nonou, who looked serious.

"Young Master Ryo, according to our reports, your plan has been very successful... the one in the Land of Fire's capital is getting nervous and is coming here..."

"The one" meant a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.

But even with Yakushi Nonou's skills, she couldn't get close to the Daimyo's mansion without being seen by the twelve highly skilled Ninja.

So, she still didn't know if the selling of state secrets was the work of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, or if it involved high-ranking officials, or even the Daimyo himself.

If a deeper investigation didn't give the right results, the mission would have to be stopped, and the whole thing would be forgotten.

"It's okay. If it's a Guardian Ninja, just kill them. If it's the Daimyo himself, I'll tell the Third Hokage."

Sarutobi Ryo's calm and confident reply, and his strong actions lately, seemed to have changed Yakushi Nonou's attitude a little.

"I need details on the Twelve Guardian Ninja."

Sarutobi Ryo made his request.

If that person was coming, he had to be ready.

"Mm..." Nonou nodded and took out a Scroll.

Sarutobi Ryo unrolled it, quickly reading through the information.

The Twelve Guardian Ninja were basically a private army, just for protecting the Daimyo.

Except for Asuma, who joined later in life, the Ninja were always chosen from the general population.

The Land of Fire was large and rich, and the Konoha Shinobi Village couldn't protect every part of it.

So, different Rogue Ninja with some talent were recruited.

"The Twelve Guardian Ninja must be at least Jonin level..."

Nonou adjusted her glasses and explained.

Each Twelve Guardian Ninja member was at least Jonin level.

"Because they are the Daimyo's private soldiers and not from Konoha, some of their views might be different from ours... They showed less respect for Konoha."

Nonou's words were unclear.

Basically, these people relied on the Daimyo's position and didn't respect Konoha.

"I've gathered the 'Root' members in the area. It's best to capture them alive, ask them questions, and then decide..."

"Understood..."

Sarutobi Ryo replied calmly, putting away the Scroll.

Then he got up and went into the Earth Release-solidified Underground Space.

There, Sarutobi Ryo would start his daily training, as he had been doing every day for the past few days.

Soon, explosions echoed from underground.

In Yamanaka Hui's mind, her Young Master's strength was getting stronger and stronger...