Days blurred into weeks.
Sarutobi Ryo remained in his desert oasis, a picture of concentration as he relentlessly trained.
When fatigue set in, he turned his attention to Maki. Using his mastery of Body Art and Ninja Body Techniques, he'd pummel her, all the while pressing her for information. He hoped to pry loose any secrets she might be hiding.
After a break, he'd be back at it, summoning Shadow Clones to hone his Magnet Release skills.
This cycle of training and interrogation continued, and before he knew it, a week had flown by.
Surprisingly, no one had come searching for him during this time.
This just highlighted the secluded safety of his chosen hideout, and… how deeply corruption had seeped into the Sunagakure Elder Council.
After the Third Kazekage's disappearance, Rasa hadn't immediately ascended to the position of Kazekage.
To secure his place without resistance, he needed to constantly flatter and win over the Elders.
When the Third Kazekage was still alive, the Sunagakure Elder Council had been kept in check.
But with his disappearance, their true, greedy natures surfaced, and they began to exploit the village for their own gain.
As time wore on, their boldness and greed grew, causing a silent crisis within Sunagakure Village.
From the outside, Sunagakure Village seemed strong, but in the ongoing Great War of the Ninja World, they were destined to be the biggest losers.
It was a classic case of internal problems weakening them against external threats.
Then, one morning, all thirteen Shadow Clones vanished at the same time, their collective experience flooding back into Sarutobi Ryo's mind.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Taking a break from questioning Maki, Sarutobi Ryo was suddenly struck by inspiration. After a week of dedicated training, he'd finally perfected the fusion of Wind and Earth, and had successfully created Magnet Release Chakra.
"Magnet Release…"
As Sarutobi Ryo performed the technique, his own Chakra resonated with the very building he was in.
Through geomagnetic control, he tapped into the Earth's magnetic force.
He could hear faint creaks and groans emanating from the luxurious hotel suite.
Then, the magnetic power drawn from beneath the ground… the planet's magnetic pole power, surged into Sarutobi Ryo's body.
It was a form of borrowing power, using a small force to move a great weight.
Sarutobi Ryo used himself as a conduit to channel the Earth's power.
Even a tiny fraction of that power was immense for a human.
Instantly, Sarutobi Ryo, borrowing the Earth's might, felt his bones and muscles creak and strain.
The borrowed power compressed within Sarutobi Ryo's body, like a tightly packed bomb.
It was desperate to break free.
For an ordinary person, borrowing such power would likely crush them into a pile of flesh.
But Sarutobi Ryo was no ordinary person.
After merging with his fourth Kekkei Genkai, his power had soared to the top tier of Elite Jonin.
Combined with the formidable physique granted by his Sarutobi Clan bloodline, he could withstand this force.
Releasing this power would unleash devastating force.
If combined with Body Art or Ninja Body Techniques, its impact would multiply.
At that moment, the veins on Sarutobi Ryo's forehead bulged, and his face flushed red.
The suppressed power in his body quickly sought a way out.
"Haa!"
Sarutobi Ryo roared.
He unleashed a Water Release Ninjutsu, as a final blow, aimed directly at Maki.
Within the stream of water, he channeled the Earth's borrowed magnetic power from his Magnet Release.
Bang bang bang!
It was like firing a cannon.
The Water Release Ninjutsu slammed into Maki.
She screamed, her eyes rolled back, and she instantly lost consciousness.
Her small body was sent flying by the force of the Ninjutsu, crashing into the wall, which demonstrated the sheer force of the attack.
"Hoo…"
Sarutobi Ryo, his chest bare, let out a long sigh as the flush and veins on his face faded.
"Magnet Release… training complete."
[Maki... Progress: 50%! ]
----
Just as Sarutobi Ryo released Maki from her restraints, locked the door, and left to return to Konoha.
Meanwhile, within the Land of Fire, Konoha squads had been under attack for the past week.
Everyone knew Pakura was responsible, and that she was searching for Young Master Ryo.
At the Land of Fire border, facing the Sunagakure front line.
Hatake Sakumo was resting behind the camp.
After a week of confirming the facts, he was certain that Pakura had indeed relearned the Swift Release Kekkei Genkai.
She had launched several attacks in quick succession.
Relying on her elusive speed, no one could catch her.
The difficulty of dealing with Swift Release was, in some ways, comparable to the Flying Thunder God Technique.
It was a Technique with movement speed as fast as lightning.
As long as the opponent wanted to escape, it was impossible to catch them unless a Barrier was set up.
The problem was… Pakura had been famous for too long. Although young, her experience surpassed even Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Ryo.
She had carried out countless missions, rising from nothing, climbing out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
She had an exceptionally keen sense of smell and was extremely careful.
Therefore, Konoha's attempts to capture her had been unsuccessful.
"Still no news of Young Master Ryo?" Hatake Sakumo asked.
His subordinates shook their heads.
Then, an Anbu operative entered to report: "The Konoha Higher-Ups have decided to send the Golden Flash and Uzumaki Kushina to target Pakura…"
Uzumaki Kushina?
A trace of surprise flickered in Hatake Sakumo's eyes.
As an orphan of the Uzumaki Clan, Kushina was skilled in Barrier Techniques, making her a good choice to target Pakura, especially when paired with Namikaze Minato.
Anbu: "They have already left Konoha and will arrive here in two days."
Hatake Sakumo: "Well, that's all we can do for now."
----
In the Land of Fire, inside a hidden cave.
Pakura sat, continuing to train her Swift Release.
Through repeated combat, her speed had increased significantly.
Now, she barely caused any wind, and could even eliminate air resistance.
She had never felt so free, as if she could roam the world unhindered.
"Lord Pakura, we've eliminated several Konoha squads. The Konoha Higher-Ups will retaliate soon!"
As time passed, staying in the Land of Fire would become increasingly dangerous.
Eventually, Konoha would undoubtedly send targeted experts.
"And…"
The Anbu hesitated, then revealed the latest information he had obtained.
"Maki has returned to the Village. She seems to have been tortured by the Black Grim Reaper for a long time, and her mental state has become somewhat unstable…"
"!"
Pakura's eyes snapped open at the news, and an intense Killing Intent surged within her.
But the killing intent came and went just as quickly.
"You guys leave first."
Pakura looked at her four subordinates, suppressing her aura.
"I'll stay a little longer, and when I find Sarutobi Ryo, I'll kill him, then I will leave…"
Knowing that Maki was alive but had suffered so much, Pakura couldn't let the person responsible go unpunished.
If Sarutobi Ryo didn't appear, she would continue to kill!
"I don't believe he won't show up!"
*
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[T/N:
Latest Chapter translated on Patreon - Chapter Access up to Ch 234 (Vol 2 Ch 176)
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 109 PS
Goal : Reach +50 Total PS = +2 Bonus Chapters next day! 🚀
Today's Chapter releases includes the +2 bonus chapter(s)!
Here are the novels I'm currently translating:
-> Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise
-> One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!
-> Young Master, Please Become Hokage!
Want to support my work and get early access to chapters? Check out my Patreon! 👇
➡️ patreon.com/Boundless_Beacon
]