"That's great!"
Kurenai Yūhi, who had been worried about implicating Liu Yun, finally felt relieved.
Aoyama Ryuyun smiled casually, his tone calm.
"Alright, there's nothing to worry about. Come, let's eat."
"Huh? Liu Yun made this?"
Kurenai looked surprised; she had never known Aoyama Ryuyun could cook.
"Yep," he said simply.
"Coming! Coming!"
---
More than a month had passed since the end of the Second Shinobi World War, and Kurenai Yūhi had already begun attending the Academy.
Aoyama Ryuyun spent most of his time at home, though he occasionally went out for walks.
"I'm so bored. Tsunade actually made up her mind to train seriously," he muttered as he strolled lazily through Konoha's streets, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Although it had been his idea to push Tsunade to train harder, Ryuyun hadn't expected her to actually commit herself so completely. Yet, knowing her lineage as the granddaughter of the First Hokage, he wasn't surprised by her results.
He had visited her a few times, and her progress had been remarkable.
In just over a month, Tsunade's chakra control and physical prowess had improved tremendously—she was now only a step away from reaching true Kage-level strength.
It was good news for Konoha, but for Aoyama Ryuyun, her absence brought an unfamiliar silence.
He had grown used to her loud voice and teasing presence; the sudden peace felt almost unsettling.
"Lord Liu Yun!"
"Hmm."
He still heard people greet him as he passed, and he responded with a light nod.
Over the past month, Aoyama Ryuyun's fame had slowly faded from its wartime peak.
Although many still recognized him, it wasn't like immediately after the war, when everyone would stop and bow.
That was partly because he seldom went out anymore; time had begun to dull the public's memory.
But Ryuyun didn't care for fame or recognition—those things had never mattered to him.
"Forget it. I'll head home."
He turned down another street, planning to return. Yet, moments later, his expression sharpened slightly.
"Hmm?"
With his Kenbunshoku Haki, Aoyama Ryuyun could clearly sense someone's gaze fixed on him.
"Interesting," he murmured, a faint smile playing at his lips.
It seemed his quiet days were about to get a little more lively.
He altered his route, heading north toward Konoha's training grounds.
---
Not far behind him, a masked ninja wearing the standard Anbu uniform crouched among the shadows, observing his every move.
"Was I discovered?" the operative muttered, realizing Ryuyun's abrupt change of direction wasn't a coincidence.
But instead of retreating, he decided to follow. This might be the opportunity he had been waiting for.
Through his sensory perception, Aoyama Ryuyun could 'hear' the faint movements behind him.
The corner of his mouth lifted in quiet amusement.
Ten minutes later, he arrived in the dense northern forest of Konoha, where several unused training fields lay forgotten among the trees.
He stopped in an open area and turned his gaze toward a thicket not far away.
He didn't speak.
He simply watched.
The hidden Anbu stiffened. He could feel that piercing gaze aimed straight at him.
"So, I've been found," he muttered under his breath.
But what truly angered him was the look in Ryuyun's eyes—amusement, almost as if watching a child's trick.
That quiet arrogance was infuriating.
His hands blurred through hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
A serpent of packed soil erupted from the ground, its maw firing high-velocity mud projectiles toward Ryuyun.
Ryuyun merely tilted his head slightly, dodging each shot with effortless precision.
"So fast!" the Anbu thought, astonished by the casual evasion.
But he wasn't done.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
With a deep rumble, the ground beneath Aoyama Ryuyun shifted. The soil liquefied into a raging torrent of mud that surged toward him like a flood.
Still, Ryuyun didn't move. His expression remained unchanged.
"Earth Scroll."
Bang!
A massive earthen wall burst from the ground beside him, halting the river in its tracks.
The Anbu agent was stunned.
"When did he form hand seals?"
He hadn't seen any. How could the jutsu have activated so suddenly?
The answer, of course, lay in Ryuyun's unique ability—the Float-Float Fruit, which allowed him to freely manipulate the ground he stood upon.
"You're Sarutobi Shinnosuke, aren't you?" Ryuyun said, arms crossed and smiling faintly.
"You—!" The masked ninja froze. He had been recognized.
After a brief pause, he removed his Anbu mask, revealing his face. It was indeed Sarutobi Shinnosuke, eldest son of the Third Hokage, and elder brother of Sarutobi Asuma.
"How did you know it was me?"
Ryuyun's tone was calm and mildly amused.
"In Konoha, there are many who can use Earth Release—but only a handful are as proficient as you."
Shinnosuke blinked, then exhaled through his nose. "So that's it, huh?"
But the faint smile that followed carried a trace of challenge.
"Well, it doesn't matter. I came here to teach you a lesson anyway."
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters