Standing atop the dragon's head—
Ryujin suddenly felt something strange.
A sense of isolation.
Like—
Standing too high above everything else.
"…So this is what it feels like."
For a brief moment—
A faint sense of loneliness brushed past him.
But then—
He smirked.
Because honestly—
Riding a dragon like this?
The style was insane.
If only—
He knew Shinra Tensei.
If he did—
Standing up here—
Looking down at everything—
And then calmly saying—
"One sack of rice… how many floors does it take to carry?"
Before releasing a devastating repulsion—
That would've been—
Peak dominance.
Absolutely explosive.
Unfortunately—
He didn't have that ability.
Not yet.
But—
If he ever fought Madara Uchiha—
Then everything…
Would be his.
That—
Was the true terror of his left eye.
Below—
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the ground—
Looking up.
And in front of him—
A small Earth Dragon.
Compared to Ryujin's colossal dragon—
It looked…
Almost comical.
Like a child—
Facing a god.
Or more accurately—
Like a son…
Standing before his father.
The difference in size.
In presence.
In power—
Was overwhelming.
Even the atmosphere—
Felt ridiculous.
But Ryujin—
Wasn't laughing.
Instead—
He was calculating.
How long should the dragon remain?
How long before the fear settled in?
How long before every clan—
Truly understood—
Who stood above them?
Even in battle—
His mind wasn't focused on Hiruzen.
If Hiruzen knew—
He would probably spit blood in rage.
Because while he fought with everything—
Ryujin—
Was thinking about politics.
About power.
About control.
Before today—
Everyone followed Hiruzen.
Because he was the Hokage.
But now—
Things were changing.
After Danzo's death.
After Ryujin's overwhelming display of power.
Some clans—
Were already wavering.
And now—
With the dragon dominating the sky—
That hesitation—
Was turning into fear.
And fear—
Would soon become submission.
Ryujin observed everything.
Every expression.
Every hesitation.
Every flicker of doubt.
Because this—
Was the real battle.
Not strength.
But control.
When he conquered the Senju Clan—
He used absolute force.
Overwhelming power—
To crush resistance instantly.
But today—
Was different.
Today—
He needed legitimacy.
He needed the village.
And for that—
He needed these clans.
After the battle—
If he became Hokage—
Would they support him?
Would they betray him?
Would they secretly resist?
Every possibility—
Had already been considered.
Because Ryujin—
Was no longer just a warrior.
He was a ruler.
Two lifetimes of experience—
Had turned him into something far more dangerous.
Even in politics—
Hiruzen couldn't compare.
Because Ryujin—
Understood something Hiruzen never could.
The future.
But just as he was thinking—
A voice echoed in his mind.
"Guild notification: You have been @mentioned."
Ryujin paused.
"…Now?"
Of all times—
Someone was calling him?
Curious—
He shifted his consciousness into the guild.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura:
"@Ryujin @Ryujin @Ryujin! Boss, boss, come welcome the newbie!!"
Three consecutive tags.
Ryujin raised an eyebrow.
A newcomer?
Before he could even check—
Another message appeared.
Utaha Kasumigaoka:
"You stupid blonde dog! What if the Guild Master is busy? If something goes wrong, will you take responsibility?"
Eriri:
"Ah… (pout.jpg)"
Surprisingly—
She didn't fight back this time.
Maybe—
She realized she went a bit too far.
Then—
A calm, gentle voice appeared.
Asuna Yuuki:
"Alright, alright. Don't scold her too much. She just wanted the Guild Master to notice the newcomer."
Asuna:
"Don't worry. Someone like him… he's probably busy doing something important right now."
Saeko Busujima:
"…Agreed."
The tension—
Dissolved instantly.
Ryujin couldn't help but smile slightly.
"…Asuna really is reliable."
Not wanting them to worry—
He sent a quick reply.
Ryujin:
"Bullying noobs. Don't worry. No need to reply."
Message sent.
He was about to refocus—
But then—
Eriri again.
Eriri:
"Bullying noobs? That sounds like a fight!"
Eriri:
"Boss! Guild Master! Can you open a livestream?! I wanna watch you beat them up!!!"
Ryujin: "…?"
Above the battlefield—
Standing on a dragon—
Facing the Hokage—
And now—
Someone wanted a livestream.
…This guild.
Really had no sense of timing.