Ryosuke scooped up some bathwater, infused it with Ripple energy, and flung it upward.
'Hot Spring Water Ripple Overdrive!'
Like an electric current, faint golden light suddenly sparked, attaching to the warm water. The water instantly became sharper than metal, hotter than magma, like a series of blades stabbing toward the rooftop peeper.
Rip!
The roof was torn open. Lit by the light inside the room, the person wasn't wearing a forehead protector, but that cold look in his eyes, Ryosuke had seen far too many times.
'A ninja from Root Organization!'
"You sure came fast."
Sato Takizo leapt into the air, dodging the water blades.
Information about Ryosuke was no longer a secret, terrifyingly strong melee domination, exceptional combat intelligence and judgment. Weakness, lack of mid-to-long-range options. As long as you keep your distance, you can safely escape.
Following the intel, Sato infused chakra into his eyes to guard against Ryosuke summoning the Evil Spirit Giant, while continuously leaping through the air, preparing to retreat.
At that moment, he heard a buzzing sound from afar. He looked up, "A bird?"
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat.
Aerosmith's twin machine guns flashed with fire, its dense barrage cutting off Sato's escape.
Boom!
Sato burst into smoke and vanished.
'Shadow Clone Technique.'
That too, was part of the intel.
Ryosuke's close-range combat power was too overwhelming, leaving no room for error. If you wanted to survive, you had to use clones to probe.
In the shadows a dozen meters away, a pair of eyes slowly opened.
Sato looked up at the sky, still shaken.
'That thing earlier… was it a ninja beast?'
Whether it was a ninja beast or a ninjutsu, it only proved that in just two short months, Ryosuke had grown even stronger, and even more dangerous.
'This intel must be reported to Lord Danzo.'
Sato retreated stealthily through the shadows, still keeping chakra in his eyes and staying highly alert.
Using the cover of night, he crept for nearly half an hour before finally returning to the local safe house. After closing the door, he let out a faint call, "You've worked hard."
"Not hard at all, it's my respo..."
Halfway through speaking, Sato suddenly reacted, spun around, and drew a kunai.
Click.
A desk lamp switched on.
Ryosuke sat calmly on the sofa, watching him.
Sasuke stood next to him, arms crossed like a loyal bodyguard.
"You two… how is this possible?!" Sato had great confidence in his stealth.
Even in the veteran-infested Root Organization, his hiding and escape techniques were among the best.
But now, he felt like a fool who had actually led the enemy he was tracking back to his own safe house.
Losing to Ryosuke in combat, Sato could accept that.
But to be defeated in his area of expertise… it left him confused and full of fear toward Ryosuke.
'Just what kind of monster is this man?!'
"Mind having a chat?" Ryosuke asked.
"Chat about what?" Sato answered coldly.
Ryosuke tossed a stack of documents onto the table.
He had found these in Sato's safe house. The files were written in a unique code used within Root.
Ryosuke couldn't read it, but it included several photos. The man in the photos held various strange-looking tools. He looked like a dangerous figure.
Given Sato's identity, this was reconnaissance intel.
The fugitives and rogue ninja in the surrounding areas had already been wiped out by Ryosuke.
Now, he needed a new target.
"Help me translate this," Ryosuke said.
Sato gripped his kunai tightly. "Why should I tell you? If I do, will you let me go?"
"I will."
Ryosuke's straightforward reply left Sato stunned, momentarily speechless.
From Ryosuke's perspective, killing someone from Root was meaningless, the soul essence gain would be minimal. It was better to use them to exchange for information.
Ryosuke gestured politely.
"You'll really let me go if I talk?" Sato asked.
It wasn't that he was afraid of death. His trip to the Land of Water wasn't only to investigate Ryosuke, or rather, Ryosuke's priority level wasn't even high enough to justify sending a high-level intel specialist like Sato.
The Land of Water, especially Kirigakure, had pulled off a series of baffling stunts since the Third Ninja World War. Rumor had it that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, a 140 cm tall manlet, had gone completely mad.
Danzo had been trying to probe the internal situation in the Land of Water, and also… accelerate the chaos.
The more unstable other nations became, the more peaceful the Land of Fire would be in comparison.
For context, the previous Mizukage had taken a "low-key growth" route, refusing to participate in the Third Great Ninja War, building ninja academies, and spending decades developing the weak Kirigakure into a stable force.
That gave the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, the resources to squander.
From Danzo's viewpoint, he wished every Kage of the major nations was someone like Yagura.
Sato's current mission in the Land of Water was to investigate Yagura's activities, both on the surface and in secret.
If possible, stir the pot further and make this burning, crumbling ship of a country fall apart even faster.
None of this was truly top-secret intel.
All major nations infiltrated each other constantly, everyone had their hands in each other's underwear, you grab one piece, I yank another, and no one was clean.
Sato had to bring back the intel on the Fourth Mizukage alive.
That was more important than his own life.
Ryosuke said, "You talk, and I'll let you go. I swear on my soul."
Sato stared at Ryosuke, as if trying to determine the truth.
After a moment, he sheathed his kunai.
He was, after all, an expert spy who had infiltrated enemy nations alone. In Ryosuke's previous life, Sato would've been equivalent to James Bond or Jason Bourne, he definitely had guts.
Sato pulled over a chair, sat down, and opened the intel documents on the table.
"There are many details I can't speak about." He opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue.
With chakra injected, a series of pitch-black curse seals appeared at the base of his tongue.
Tongue Cursed Seal of Binding.
Standard issue for Root members, implanted by Danzo to prevent them from leaking secrets.
Ryosuke nodded. "Just say what you can."
Sato began explaining in the simplest, most efficient tone.
As mentioned earlier, the Fourth Mizukage had done a lot of baffling things, and change often meant a shift in benefits, especially in money.
"…A war, at its core, boils down to two things, money and manpower."
Sato said, "From my investigation, the Fourth Mizukage has been gathering wealth through various means. That wealth then disappears through secret channels."
"Where exactly it went, and who received it, I'm still investigating. But I did uncover one lead, someone saw the Fourth Mizukage speaking with a masked man."
'A masked man?'
Ryosuke and Sasuke exchanged looks, remembering the masked man who had appeared with Itachi on the night of the Uchiha massacre.
'Could it be the same person? Or just coincidence?'
Sato continued, "Whether the intel is true or not needs more confirmation. But this..."
He pointed to the document on the table.
"is one of the money laundering channels for the Fourth Mizukage. The ones in charge of this operation are three members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade) owner, Zabuza Momochi.
Samehada owner, Fuguki Suikazan.
Twin Blades Kiba, Raiga Kurosuki.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, during Ryosuke's time in the Land of Water, he had often heard their names. In his mind, they were like local legends, the Avengers.
"That's all the intel I can share."
He waited quietly for Ryosuke's response.
The next second, "Ora."
Star Platinum punched Sato right in the forehead.
"You son of a—!"
Sato blacked out.
Ryosuke lifted him with one hand. "I said I'd let you go, but not right now."
Ryosuke had gotten the intel, but he was definitely going to act on it. Letting Sato go now would only give Danzo time to plan an ambush.
Ryosuke planned to hand Sato over to Kamihara Hayato for a while. Once everything was dealt with, he'd "ship" him back to Konoha. That way, it wouldn't count as breaking his word.
"Are we heading out now?" Sasuke's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Beating up small fry had gotten boring, it always ended with Star Platinum landing one punch and the fight being over.
Lately, Sasuke had been training hard in Ripple Breathing and was eager to test himself in battle.
"Not yet. We still have to go find someone."
"Who?"
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