Chapter 55: Shennong's Proposal
Huu—
After the leader of the Sand Shinobi left, Ryuya sat cross-legged atop the giant green snake and regulated his breathing for a while, only then recovering part of his strength.
Once he finished adjusting his chakra, Ryuya formed hand seals with both hands. In a puff of white smoke, the green snake vanished on the spot.
Landing steadily on the ground, Ryuya turned his head toward a forest several dozen meters away and said calmly,
"Come out."
As his voice fell, a figure slowly emerged from the woods.
A burly build and a face full of thick beard made the newcomer stand out clearly—it was none other than the medic-nin, Shennong.
Clap! Clap!
"Ryuya-kun, your strength is truly astonishing,"
Shennong said as he walked toward Ryuya at an unhurried pace, clapping his hands with an expression full of admiration.
"My strength is nothing worth mentioning. I merely got lucky and managed to subdue a powerful summoning beast,"
Ryuya replied calmly.
"On the contrary, Doctor Shennong, you're the surprising one. Where are the others?"
Ryuya looked at Shennong with an even gaze, showing no surprise at his appearance at all.
From the moment this mission began, Ryuya had already guessed that this man probably wouldn't be returning to the village.
The reason he noticed Shennong's tracking wasn't because his sensory abilities surpassed those of the Sand Shinobi leader—it was because Shennong had deliberately leaked his presence.
"They're all dead,"
Shennong said indifferently.
Ryuya's pupils contracted slightly, and a trace of gloom appeared on his face.
Although he had already anticipated this outcome, actually hearing the news still made him feel somewhat heavy-hearted.
After all, they had traveled together for half a month. Just like that, they were gone.
The shinobi world truly was a place that devoured people.
"Ryuya-kun, do you know who the Sand Shinobi that chased you just now was?"
Shennong asked, watching every change in Ryuya's expression, a rare hint of amusement appearing on his face.
Ryuya raised an eyebrow, his gaze calm.
"Oh? Who was it?"
Shennong replied,
"It was the young elite jōnin of Sunagakure—Baki."
"Maki!"
Ryuya's expression shifted slightly at the name.
Within Sunagakure, Baki's strength was absolutely top-tier—a genuine elite jōnin.
In his previous life's anime memories, this capable shinobi of the Sand Village had once killed Konoha's Special Jōnin Hayate Gekkō in a single move.
How did Shennong know Baki's identity?
It seemed that the remnants of the Sky Ninja still retained considerable strength.
"Ryuya-kun, if the news that you forced Baki to retreat were to spread, it would already be enough to make your name known throughout the shinobi world,"
Shennong said.
"Is that so? Just luck,"
Ryuya replied noncommittally.
"That's no mere luck. You managed to hold out against Maki for so long even before summoning your beast,"
Shennong continued.
"I remember that back when you were in the Academy, your grades weren't particularly outstanding. So how is it that in just about a year, you've undergone such earth-shaking changes?"
Shennong's gaze gradually sharpened, like that of a hawk.
He had already begun to suspect Ryuya regarding the forbidden techniques Body Activation and Body Regeneration that had been secretly learned.
Moreover, he had deliberately exposed his presence earlier, yet when Ryuya saw him, there wasn't the slightest hint of surprise—this only deepened Shennong's suspicions.
Clearly, this young man knew something about him. The only question was how much Ryuya truly knew.
"Doctor Shennong, people have to grow, don't they?"
Ryuya said calmly, meeting Shennong's scrutinizing gaze.
"A momentary difference in speed doesn't mean much. I merely grasped a few small tricks."
Outwardly calm, Ryuya had already prepared himself to strike at any moment.
This old schemer's strength was not to be underestimated—Ryuya had no intention of falling into his hands.
"Ryuya-kun, I obtained a secret technique from Orochimaru,"
Shennong said slowly.
"It originated from the Akimichi clan's family techniques—or rather, it was derived from them. I hear this technique originally came from you."
He paused, then continued,
"However, the version I obtained is incomplete. I wonder if the remaining part is still in Ryuya-kun's possession?"
Shennong licked his lips, his eyes shining as he looked at Ryuya.
The effects of the Sealing Glutony Method were immensely beneficial for cultivating forbidden techniques such as Body Activation and Body Regeneration. Shennong had already tasted tremendous gains from it.
It was precisely because of this rapid increase in strength that he chose to leave Konoha ahead of schedule.
Upon hearing this, Ryuya's expression changed drastically, his gaze toward Shennong turning icy.
Damn it.
Orochimaru had actually handed that clan seal over to Shennong.
Although the secret technique scroll Ryuya had given Orochimaru back then was incomplete, it still contained a complete replica of the clan's sealing formula. That formula alone was enough to grant Shennong enormous benefits.
With the help of that technique, Shennong's strength was bound to enter a period of rapid growth.
His threat to the village had increased dramatically.
At that moment, an intense killing intent rose within Ryuya's heart.
"Heh heh, Ryuya-kun… it seems I hit the mark,"
Shennong said with a smile, sensing the dense killing intent radiating from Ryuya.
Facing Shennong's unrestrained demeanor, Ryuya did not move.
Gradually, the smile faded from Shennong's face.
"Ryuya-kun, I want to make a deal with you."
"Impossible,"
Ryuya refused without a moment's hesitation.
"Ryuya-kun, you could at least hear my terms first,"
Shennong said calmly.
"I have a forbidden technique here—the Eight Gates Technique. It's an extremely powerful forbidden art that specializes in taijutsu. Combined with your secret technique, it can unleash power surpassing the Kage level."
He took a scroll from his robe and waved it lightly.
"I want to exchange this forbidden technique for the remaining part of that secret art. Are you interested?"
Eight Gates!
Ryuya's eyes narrowed slightly.
As expected, Shennong had already obtained this forbidden technique from Might Guy and his father.
"That secret technique was merely something I stumbled upon within my clan's techniques,"
Ryuya said, shaking his head firmly.
"The version I gave Lord Orochimaru was already complete."
Compared to how Shennong used the Eight Gates versus how Guy and his father did, it was clear that Shennong's version was incomplete—at the very least, techniques like the Primary Lotus, Asakujaku, and Hirudora were missing.
Even so, simply being able to open the Eight Gates was already terrifying in terms of the boost it provided.
But trading a complete Sealing Acceleration Method for it was unacceptable.
Not to mention, this old fox had clearly come prepared—Ryuya wouldn't dare use anything Shennong handed over without caution.
Hearing this, Shennong's expression gradually turned cold.
The atmosphere grew tense and heavy.
"Heh… if Ryuya-kun isn't willing, then forget it,"
Shennong said after a moment, seemingly recognizing the determination in Ryuya's eyes.
The chill on his face faded as he spoke, then he turned and left.
But at the instant he turned around, his expression twisted into something extremely ferocious.
Ryuya remained standing quietly in place. Only after Shennong had gone did he move as well.
This location was too close to the site of the earlier battle. If the Sand Shinobi made another return assault, he would be in serious danger.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Several minutes later, accompanied by a series of sharp sounds cutting through the air, the Sand Shinobi leader arrived with more than a dozen Sand ninja.
"Damn it!"
The Sand Shinobi leader growled in a low voice as he stared at the now-empty forest clearing.