Guren

The next instant, the six Shadow Clones disappeared, and Sarutobi Ryo received all their memories, experiences, and the Chakra they held.

The remaining four Shadow Clones straightened up and walked toward Sarutobi Ryo, his main body.

Thwack...

As the four Shadow Clones took their fighting stances, their fists and feet rained down upon him.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The underground space filled with the sound of the impacts.

Sarutobi Ryo, in the center of the storm, stood firm, like a mountain.

When the flurry of blows stopped, Sarutobi Ryo dispelled the remaining four Shadow Clones.

"Haa..."

He took a deep breath, carefully examining his body.

The Steel Release Chakra flowing just beneath his skin felt even stronger, more concentrated.

This Kekkei Genkai, similar to techniques like External Hardening, the Golden Bell Iron Shirt (a defensive martial arts move), or even the Transformative Power from his previous life, gave Sarutobi Ryo extra protection against physical attacks.

He casually picked up a Kunai and drew it across his palm.

A faint red mark appeared, and a trickle of blood slowly welled up.

Sarutobi Ryo nodded to himself. "The resistance to blunt force has really gone up… and it looks like there's some resistance to sharp things too..."

Successfully mixing Earth Release and Yang Release in the right amounts to create the Steel Release Kekkei Genkai wasn't just about getting a new ability.

Kekkei Genkai… they subtly change a person's DNA.

From the moment Sarutobi Ryo created Steel Release Chakra, his body had begun to transform in ways he couldn't fully understand.

Think about Pakura, who used Scorch Release, from the original story.

Normally, the harsh desert climate of the Land of Wind would really damage people's skin over time.

So, people living in those desert areas, especially Ninja who spent their lives outside, wouldn't usually have great skin.

But… Pakura was different.

She had fair skin, an impressive figure, and long legs… her skin was often exposed, yet it was as white and smooth as milk.

That's because the Scorch Release Kekkei Genkai was a mix of Wind and Fire.

Pakura could not only handle the desert heat but also ignore the scorching winds.

This was the way a Kekkei Genkai could change someone's DNA.

Now, Sarutobi Ryo could clearly feel that his skin and the tissues beneath it were changing noticeably.

The Steel Release Kekkei Genkai had permanently altered them.

"Now, let's see how much stronger I am offensively..."

Sarutobi Ryo took a fighting stance and walked toward a block of iron, about a cubic meter in size, in the corner.

"Haa!"

He threw a punch, and a deafening crash echoed through the space. Yamanaka Hui, still below ground, covered her ears. "Ugh..."

A sharp ringing sound filled her head.

The girl with the blond ponytail couldn't help but be impressed. "Young Master is becoming unbelievably powerful... "

Most people, not just ordinary ones, but even most Ninja, wouldn't dare to punch solid metal with their bare fists.

That would be crazy.

Sarutobi Ryo pulled back his fist, satisfied. "Not bad… my offensive power has definitely gone up. And the force of the impact spreads from my fist to my arm, spreading out the impact, which indirectly boosts both my offense and defense..."

"Young Master, congratulations," Yamanaka Hui said, walking over to congratulate him.

"Thanks. Now, give me the report on the situation."

Sarutobi Ryo turned and started heading back up to the surface.

His training was done; it was time to rest and get some sleep. When he woke up that evening, he could put his plans into action.

Yamanaka Hui followed, explaining what had been happening.

With Ruri's Byakugan vision helping, the Port Town had been completely cleared of criminals.

The Yakuza Gangs that had been causing trouble had been turned into legitimate Transportation Companies that could provide jobs for regular people.

Former Gang members had become Security Guards and members of the Urban Management team.

Of course, those with especially bad records had been taken care of by Yamanaka Hui. In a short time, the entire Port Town had become much safer.

"Here's last month's income…"

Yamanaka Hui produced several bankbooks. "This bankbook shows last month's income, which, after taxes, was used in this way: the money that had been stolen was returned to the local people, and some was used for construction and development."

"The rest is the net profit"

Sarutobi Ryo casually picked up one of the bankbooks and handed it back to Yamanaka Hui. "Ah Hui, thank you for all your hard work..."

The girl fidgeted slightly, her face turning a little red.

She said softly, "This is… ours…"

Ever since he kissed her and filled her with the Will of Fire, some subtle changes had started to happen.

Then, Yamanaka Hui snatched the bankbook and carefully put it away.

When Sarutobi Ryo reached the surface, all the furniture was in place.

From now on, this place would be both an industry and a base of operations.

In the Ninja World, it wasn't unusual for Ninja to have other businesses.

For example, the Nara Clan owned a forest in the Land of Fire. In the original story, Shikamaru planned and buried Hidan in that forest.

Danzo's Root also had its own businesses to keep its underground dark operations running.

There were so many examples...

Wherever there are people, there is Ninja World.

Instead of letting others mess things up here, it was better to do it himself. That was Sarutobi Ryo's idea.

At least… he would make this place better than it would be under someone else's control.

"What's Nonou doing?" Sarutobi Ryo asked, sitting down and taking a sip of tea.

"She went to the Land of Waves to gather information."

The Land of Waves… it was only a few hours away. You had to cross the ocean to get there.

With a Ninja's speed, they could get there even faster.

The Land of Waves was similar to the Land of Whirlpools geographically. It was located north of the Land of Whirlpools Ruins.

If Kirigakure wanted to invade Konoha, they would usually choose to land at the Land of Whirlpools Ruins or the Land of Waves.

The Land of Waves was good because it didn't have a Ninja village, and it was small and neutral.

The problem was that it was too small and poor to hide a large force. Only small groups could operate there.

"I arranged for Nonou's Root comrades to stay at the Manor..."

Yamanaka Hui mentioned another arrangement.

To avoid alerting the People of the Kirigakure and arousing suspicion, Nonou was personally investigating the enemy's movements in the Land of Waves.

When it came to gathering intelligence, maybe only Kabuto in the future could compare to Nonou.

The Root members were hidden, concealing their presence.

"Yes, I understand."

Sarutobi Ryo stood up, planning to take a shower and get a good night's sleep.

Just then, a series of surprised shouts suddenly rang out from outside.

"What's wrong?" Yamanaka Hui rushed out immediately.

By the time Sarutobi Ryo arrived, the commotion had died down.

Several Root Ninja, wearing masks and their usual Anbu uniforms, were giving off killing intent, all directed at…

"A child?" Yamanaka Hui exclaimed.

Before them, a little girl, about Kakashi's age, was being held on the ground by a Root Ninja, struggling to get free.

She had light purple hair, with a braid tied behind her head.

Footsteps approached quickly.

Several bruised and swollen Yakuza members walked over, trembling as they looked at Sarutobi Ryo.

"L-Lord… we really couldn't stop her…"

To keep the upcoming operation with Kirigakure secret, the Yakuza members were acting as a fake front.

To outsiders, it just looked like a fight within the Gang, followed by the town suddenly becoming safer.

But really… this was a secret base of operations for Konoha.

Since it was a secret location, they couldn't let outsiders know about it, much less let anyone in.

They knew Sarutobi Ryo's ruthless methods, of course.

The name Black Grim Reaper had spread throughout the entire Gang.

Now that they had let someone in, failing to do their jobs, they were terrified, afraid that Sarutobi Ryo would kill them with a single punch.

"Is she a spy from Kirigakure?"

Yamanaka Hui's lips curved into a smile as she considered the possibility.

The People of the Kirigakure might use a child as a spy to gather information.

"Wait."

Just as Yamanaka Hui was about to use the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Technique to mess with the girl's mind, Sarutobi Ryo raised his hand, stopping her.

He looked at the little girl on the ground again and asked calmly, "What's your name?"

The little girl, who had failed to break free, slowly calmed down. Then, she spoke, and what she said made Sarutobi Ryo's eyes light up.

"Guren."