"So that's how it is… He detected that I was watching in secret. What terrifying perceptive ability! My Telescope Technique may be low-ranked, but even Kakashi and Guy were completely unable to sense my observation…"
Hiruzen's expression was tinged with gravity. He'd watched the entire "test" from start to finish, and it was precisely because he'd seen everything that the shock and weight now sat so heavily on him.
With the eye of a forr Hokage, he could tell—
During his fight with Kakashi, Ryū had seed sowhat wary of genjutsu.
But whether that was truly the case… Hiruzen couldn't be certain. Many ninja loved to disguise their greatest strength as a weakness, lulling their enemy into complacency before delivering a killing blow.
But that wasn't the main issue. The main issue was that this "Ryū"… when dealing with Kakashi—
Hadn't appeared to go all out even once. Kakashi's ninjutsu, taijutsu, Sharingan—
None of it had been able to do a thing to him.
As noted before, the only reason the fight had lasted as long as it did was Kakashi cycling through every bizarre technique in his arsenal to buy ti. But the cost was obvious: his stamina and chakra had plumted.
And then "Ryū" had effortlessly found an opening.
Before Kakashi could launch a jutsu—
Or rather, when his hand seals were only halfway done—
That bizarre movent technique brought Ryū directly in front of him in an instant.
Followed by a single, straight kick.
After which Kakashi was, naturally, on the ground.
Hiruzen mulled over the force behind that kick. If he'd taken it himself… his old back would probably give out, wouldn't it? There was a very real chance it would snap his aging bones in one shot.
Because even Kakashi—young as he was—appeared to have suffered fractures.
* * *
"Unexpectedly, overwhelmingly powerful. Even I, were I to face him—confronted with that bizarre taijutsu, and without sufficient intelligence to work with—might not necessarily be able to defeat that strange young man."
Hiruzen rummaged around nearby until he found a thick, heavy ledger.
It was the civilian population registry for Konohagakure, spanning the last twenty years.
Compiled by ANBU over the years.
He'd assud it would never serve any real purpose.
He hadn't expected it to prove useful today.
"For now, we don't make contact with this Ryū. At the very least, until we've established the floor of his abilities, Konohagakure cannot afford a conflict with him. From what I can see, he doesn't seem to harbor any hostility toward the village… or is that simply because he himself is a Konoha resident?"
Flipping through the dense pages, Hiruzen murmured to himself: "Soone who's been able to hide his strength for over a decade… that kind of personality is the hardest to read. Even if he's just a teenager. What a headache…"
* * *
What was going through Hiruzen's mind right now was sothing Ryū, however far away, couldn't possibly know. He wasn't a mind reader.
But he could be certain that Hiruzen had noticed him.
Otherwise, why would he have spent all that ti "sparring" with Kakashi?
He could've gone ho to finish cleaning and then enjoyed so quality chatting ti. Wouldn't that have been nicer?
Hmm… chatting did make one happy.
In the internet-free world of Naruto, Ryū was left with exactly two pleasures: eating every kind of delicious food he could find, and hanging out in the chat group.
Granted, the Dinsional Chat Group wasn't connected to any "internet" per se.
But it gave him the illusion of being online.
That more or less scratched the internet-addiction itch!
He was soone who'd just defeated Hatake Fifty-Fifty, for crying out loud…
And here he was, unable to kick his internet addiction.
Could life get any more real?
* * *
Back ho, Ryū cleaned the last two rooms until they were spotless—practically sterile.
He was a shut-in, sure. But within the shut-in community, Ryū considered himself among the rare few who actually enjoyed cleaning.
He couldn't help it… seeing a ssy desk or a dirty floor gave him a deeply uncomfortable feeling.
Mild OCD, probably.
But it was a good habit, at least.
Kept the place from becoming a disaster zone.
When his consciousness entered the Dinsional Chat Group, he froze in surprise. A look of bewildernt crossed his face as he scrolled through the chat log.
"This userna… new face? When did a new mber join?!"
Ryū muttered to himself, puzzled.
After a few minutes of scrolling, he found the new-mber notification. Checking the tistamp… that was right around when he'd been "sparring" with Kakashi, wasn't it?
No wonder he'd missed the notification. Everything had been exploding nonstop at that point.
The notification sound played directly in his mind, true.
But if external interference was too intense, it was entirely possible to miss it.
A perfectly normal phenonon.
So Ryū didn't think much of it.
"Hold on—this new mber's userna… Terrible Tornado?! One-Punch Man?!"
Ryū's expression turned peculiar.
Looked like a serious powerhouse had just joined!
* * *
Terrible Tornado: I never thought sothing this absurd could actually exist in this world. It's almost impossible to believe.
Terrible Tornado: Then again, on second thought… maybe it's not that weird.
Terrible Tornado: After all, my world already has monsters, espers… and all sorts of other things. Adding a Dinsional Chat Group is… I guess that's normal… AS IF!
Terrible Tornado: If my senses hadn't told nobody was attacking , I would have thought I was under assault by a monster!
Crazy Diamond: Superpowers… monsters… Looks like another big shot just walked in.
The Eternally Seventeen-Year-Old Maiden: Ara? The new mber's adapting pretty quickly! Just a little explanation and she's already on board with the whole Dinsional Chat Group concept.
We, Ying Zheng: At long last, We are no longer the newest mber. It has not been easy!
Terrible Tornado: Your usernas are all so weird. Crazy Diamond? The Eternally Seventeen-Year-Old Maiden? Hmm… 'Eternally Seventeen'? Your actual age must be pretty old, right? No normal person would pick a userna like that.
* * *
In Gensōkyō, Ran Yakumo was in the middle of simring a pot of "Sea King Rejuvenation Soup" when she heard a soft crack.
She looked down.
At so point, a web of tiny fractures had spread across the floor beneath her feet.
She followed the cracks to their source—and her face went blank.
Her master, Yukari Yakumo, had—at so unknowable mont—pressed one hand into the floorboards hard enough to split them open.
What on earth was radiating that much murderous intent?
Through gritted teeth, Yukari hissed, barely audible: "Curse it all… kisama… After the Admin, now there's yet another person mocking this one's userna!"
Ran: "???"
Oh no, oh no. Had this gap youkai co down with a fever? Maybe they should just…
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