Chapter 24: If That's the Case, Then We're Good Friends!
At this moment, within the borders of the Land of Fire—
Compared to before, the tension of battle had eased a little.
Here and there, conversations broke out among returning ninja.
Walking beside Tsunade, Aoyama Ryūun silently opened his "Character Template" panel, scanning it briefly before a small, satisfied smile appeared on his face.
[Divine Template System]
Compatibility: 70.5%
Template Abilities: Advanced Armament Haki! Advanced Observation Haki! Supreme Conqueror's Haki! Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit!
Bloodline: None
His gaze then drifted to the current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kushina, and he muttered under his breath,
"She didn't do that on purpose, right?"
Pulling his thoughts back, Ryūun turned toward Tsunade.
"Do what on purpose?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Obviously—deliberately showing off my abilities in front of everyone!"
Ryūun himself wasn't too bothered, but Tsunade had clearly noticed something.
Her sharp eyes swept briefly toward Hatake Sakumo and Nara Shikaku not far away, then returned to Ryūun with a knowing smile.
"If you think about it," she said, "that display probably earned you Sakumo and Shikaku's goodwill."
After witnessing Ryūun's unrestrained power last night, both Sakumo and Shikaku looked at him now with far greater respect.
Hatake Sakumo — the White Fang of Konoha — wasn't someone easily impressed.
And Nara Shikaku, though not as powerful as Sakumo, held enormous influence within the village.
Tsunade casually explained the significance of the Pig–Deer–Butterfly (Ino–Shika–Chō) clans:
The Yamanaka clan's secret techniques made them unmatched in interrogation.
The Akimichi clan ran most of Konoha's barbecue businesses.
The Nara clan was responsible for Konoha's battle strategy and intelligence.
At first, Ryūun looked completely confused by the political connections Tsunade was listing.
His brow furrowed slightly as he processed it all.
"So… does that mean if I go to an Akimichi barbecue restaurant, I don't have to pay anymore?" he asked half-jokingly.
"..."
"If Ryūun-kun ever comes to an Akimichi barbecue restaurant, it'll all be free!" said Akimichi Chōza with a broad grin.
Though he looked a bit simple-minded, he wasn't stupid — compared to saving a few ryo on food, befriending someone like Ryūun was a much bigger gain for the Akimichi clan.
Ryūun slung an arm over Chōza's shoulder. Despite Chōza's size, he looked almost small next to Ryūun's tall frame.
"Haha! Anyone who feeds me for free is my best friend!" Ryūun said, laughing heartily.
Chōza laughed too, though he wasn't entirely used to being grabbed like that.
Still, he didn't dare complain.
Meanwhile, Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku both exchanged approving looks — forming ties with Ryūun meant strengthening the bond between their three clans and a rising powerhouse.
Seeing this, Tsunade couldn't help but sigh.
As expected… I'm really getting old. He probably didn't even mean to do that, and yet everything worked out perfectly for him.
Ryūun wasn't scheming or political — his charm and strength naturally drew people toward him.
—
When Tsunade finally led her group of ninja back to Konoha, the heads of every major clan came out personally to greet them.
"Excellent! Excellent! You've truly made me proud, my student!"
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, beamed as Tsunade entered.
After praising her for a while, his gaze swept over the rest of the returning ninja.
"You are all heroes of Konoha!" he declared solemnly.
To onlookers, the elderly Hokage seemed like the perfect leader — selfless, devoted, willing to die for his village.
And his emotional speech brought tears to more than a few eyes.
"For Konoha!"
"For Konoha!"
"For Konoha!"
The voices echoed throughout the Hokage building, a chorus of loyalty and pride.
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