As Tsunade left, Ryosuke didn't try to stop her.
In truth, once a ninja reaches the peak of the world's power structure, advancing further is no longer a matter of mere "talent" or "hard work."
Ryosuke's intense pursuit of Sage Mode was driven by the realization that he had reached a bottleneck. In the world of Naruto, a shinobi's strength is often determined by their access to unique bloodlines, powerful chakra sources, or legendary techniques. Without a breakthrough, even he, the Fourth Mizukage, would remain stagnant.
At this level, sheer numbers no longer mattered.
A true Kage-level ninja could crush dozens of Jōnin but couldn't completely ignore them in battle. Given enough coordination and numbers, even Kage-level shinobi could be overwhelmed. The same principle applied to Ryosuke—his power was terrifying, but not yet insurmountable.
The only true ways to surpass this threshold were to master Sage Mode or awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—two feats that only a handful of shinobi in history had ever achieved.
For instance, Jiraiya, despite being a formidable Kage-level ninja, could only reach the pinnacle of combat when he entered Sage Mode and fused with Fukasaku and Shima. This was a significant gap—one that Ryosuke intended to bridge.
But there was another matter he needed Konoha's hand in—something even more crucial.
From this, Ryosuke had devised his own ranking system for the shinobi world. He categorized strength into several tiers:
1. Jōnin-Class – Standard high-level shinobi. Elite Jōnin might stand out, but ultimately, they remained within this category.
2. Quasi-Kage – Those who could annihilate standard Jōnin with ease but still struggled against full-fledged Kage-level opponents.
3. True Kage-Level – This category encompassed the Five Kage, mature Sannin, and powerful Akatsuki members.
4. The Pinnacle of the Ninja World – This level included legends like Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Madara, Perfect Jinchūriki Naruto with Sage Mode, and One-Eyed Rinnegan Sasuke. These shinobi were capable of battling entire villages single-handedly.
5. The "Exceptional Class" – Individuals whose power completely transcended Kage-level standards, allowing them to reshape wars single-handedly. This included figures like Nagato (Six Paths of Pain), Hanzō of the Salamander, the Third Raikage, and Ryosuke himself.
6. The "Six Paths Level" – The realm of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, Ōtsutsuki Hamura, Kaguya, Six Paths Madara, and Six Paths Obito. Those at this level wielded god-like power, capable of obliterating nations with ease.
At this moment, Ryosuke had come to a harsh realization—no matter how powerful he became, there was one force in the ninja world that could never be ignored: Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Throughout history, Konoha had always been the center of every major conflict in the ninja world. Whether it was Madara's rebellion, Orochimaru's invasion, Pain's assault, or even the formation of the Akatsuki, everything inevitably traced back to Konoha. Even the great wars of the past had Konoha's shinobi at their core.
If Ryosuke wanted to ensure his own security, he needed to gain leverage over Konoha.
In this world, raw power wasn't enough. No matter how strong an individual was, the power structure of the ninja world could not be ignored. Kage-level power could devastate battlefields, but only those with divine-level abilities, like Six Paths Madara, could truly dictate the fate of the world.
Thus, Ryosuke knew: if he wanted to break through this bottleneck, he had two choices—master Sage Mode or seek the path of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Both were immensely difficult, but only by acquiring one of them could he transcend the limits of humanity and step into the domain of legends.
Ryosuke continued sipping the tea that Tsunade had prepared, his thoughts filled with countless possibilities.
At this moment, he wasn't concerned with the immediate battles before him.
Instead, he was considering the bigger picture.
Because those who fail to seek eternity will inevitably lose even what is temporary.
And those who fail to see the grand scheme will never be able to protect even a single corner of the world.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 100+ CHAPTERS
PATREON.com/Kora_1