The Jumiboro Clan's inner sanctum was not a place of warmth.
It was a vault of secrets, a dojo of discipline, and a throne room of cold ambition.
The walls were lined with ancestral katanas, each vibrating faintly with the residual frequencies of their fallen masters—a silent choir of the clan's deadly legacy.
[Ryuji Katana (B)]
[Tenson Katana (B)]
[Brodo Katana (B)]
Despite their beauty and sharpness, the system gave out a painful assessment of mediocrity. Jonin-level gear at best. The Jumiboro clan was never a strong clan to begin with.
The air smelled of medicinal herbs used to treat injuries, and ceremonial tea.
Patriarch Toyo Jumiboro sat upon a simple stone seat at the head of a low, black-lacquered table. There was no luxury in this room, despite being in the inner circle of the Jumiboro clan compound.
Flanking him were three elders, their faces carved from the same stern granite as the mountains outside. They were mostly old, the youngest being in their sixties.
Hibeki knelt slightly behind and to Toyo's right, her posture perfect, her eyes fixed on Ryugo as he entered and knelt before the assembly.
[Elder Gorou Jumiboro – Lv. 88 Jonin]
[Elder Misaki Jumiboro – Lv. 92 Jonin]
[Elder Bonsuke Jumiboro – Lv. 85 Jonin]
The blue text flickered, quantifying the power in the room. All were specialists in the Resonant Blade technique, their Kenjutsu skill levels hovering in the high B-ranks.
They were the clan's pillars, and their collective gaze was a physical weight.
Most had already drawn blades with him.
All were disappointing. Low proficiency in the Otogakure Kenjutsu style, most of them hovering around 100 proficiency level.
Strength in balance.
This was the clan's belief, its nindo.
However, in Ryugo's eyes, they were mediocre everywhere
The clan's philosophy was to train the skills to their limits, but the reality proved otherwise. At 14, Ryugo was confident in beating the elders of his clan in one on one combat.
The only exception was his own grandfather who taught him the way of the blade, from the meditation techniques to strengthen his spirit to the foundations of the Otogakure Kenjutsu Style, derived from their own Jumiboro sword art.
"Ryugo", Toyo's voice was a low rumble, like distant collapsing stone. He dispensed with titles. Here, in this room, they were blood, "Your report to the Council was succinct. Too succinct. You accepted the A-rank without hesitation. Explain your tactical assessment"
Ryugo kept his head level. "The mission is a logical escalation. The Council's greed has outpaced Otogakure's conventional strength. They are using my unit as a precision scalpel to sever key arteries in River's trade, believing our past success guarantees future results. They invested two ANBU squads and a medical unit. A big investment in their eyes, but lacking in quality from my point of view. But such an opportunity won't come twice"
Elder Gorou, a man with a beard like iron filings, grunted: "You see it as an opportunity. Good. But do you see the trap? The Council's avarice may have blinded them, but it should not blind you"
"The trap is geopolitical", Ryugo merely stated, "Securing a monopoly on the River Run will not go unnoticed. Sunagakure's economic interests are tied to overland trade through the region. Iwagakure's Explosion Corps often escorts precious mineral shipments across the Eido Bridge. By moving in force, Otogakure is not just picking a fight with the failed Tanigakure. We are testing the periphery of two Great Villages"
A subtle shift in the elders' postures. Approval. He was not just a blunt instrument. They had long known that his intellect was above average. Even the patriarch often incorporated him in strategy meetings.
"Precisely", Toyo said, his scarred face grim, "The Shiin's intelligence suggests Suna will deploy a Genin Corps—a large, expendable screening force—to apply pressure and gauge our response. Iwa is unlikely to move. They have lost several teams over the past months, and will likely observe the situation first. You are the key to this operation, but in the Council's eyes, you are a mere gatekeeper. They trust their ANBU more than they trust you"
Toyo leaned forward, his purple-veined hands gripping the edge of the table, "Therefore, you will listen to this order, and you will obey it as your Patriarch. Your survival is paramount. If the battlefield shifts against you—if a Suna jonin commander appears, if an Iwa Explosion squad flanks you, if the situation exceeds the parameters of an 'economic enforcement'—you will disengage. You will retreat. You will abandon the mission, the ANBU, the Danki medics, and even your own team if necessary."
The words hung in the humming air, brutal and absolute.
Elder Misaki, a sharp-faced woman with eyes like polished flint, spoke softly. "Do not mistake this for cowardice, Ryugo. It is asset management. You are the clan's greatest investment. Your… unique insights and growth rate are irreplaceable. A stained reputation can be washed clean later with blood and success. A dead genius is merely a memory"
[Quest Updated: Economic Enforcement on Eido Bridge]
[Secondary Objective Added: Prioritize Survival. Retreat if hostiles exceed regular parameter]
[Reward Adjusted: +2000 EXP, +50 Reputation with Jumiboro Clan]
The System's blue text validated the command, integrating it into his very framework. Free experience. His years of grinding reputation with the clan were starting to show fruits.
"I understand", Ryugo replied, his voice neutral. The logic was impeccable. It aligned with his own core directive: to grow stronger.
Sentiment was a luxury his Gamer's Mind easily suppressed. Dosu, Kin, Zaku… they were valuable tools, but tools nonetheless. Expendable if the cost outweighed the return.
"Good," Toyo said, settling back. Some of the tension left his shoulders. "You will not be without support. The ANBU squads assigned are not just faceless shinobi. One of the jonin commanders is personally invested in your continued existence"
He gestured with a tilt of his head.
Hibeki Jumiboro bowed her head slightly, then raised her eyes to meet Ryugo's. Her expression was unreadable, a professional mask, but a fierce, clan-loyalty burned in her gaze.
"I have been assigned command of the Alpha ANBU Squad for this operation, Ryugo-sama. Our mandate from the Patriarch is clear: ensure your extraction at any cost. We will handle perimeter security, intercept reinforcement waves, and provide a retreat corridor. You may consider us your strategic reserve and your escape route"
[Hibeki Jumiboro – Mission Assignment: ANBU Squad Alpha Commander. Primary Objective: Ryugo Jumiboro Extraction]
The system did not just make him stronger. It made those with high reputation stronger as well.
His team, namely Dosu, Kin and Zaku were the perfect examples. After every mission, they would grow stronger. Slightly. Slowly. But surely.
The clan was the same. Over the past four years, since Ryugo awakened the system, he was not the only one growing stronger. The whole clan had been gaining several levels on average every year. A small, but non-negligible growth when considered on such a scale.
The pieces snapped together.
This was why Toyo had allowed the mission. He had embedded his own insurance. The Council got their scalpel, but the Jumiboro Clan had sheathed it in a hidden guard.
Elder Bonsuke, the most battle-worn of the three, finally spoke, his voice a dry rasp.
"Use the terrain. The Eido Bridge spans the Ryū no Geka canyon. Sound travels in strange ways in deep gorges. Amplifies. Distorts. Your Acoustic Pulse will be your greatest asset. Their numbers will mean nothing if they cannot coordinate"
"I will leverage the advantage," Ryugo affirmed, bowing slightly to signal gratitude.
However, such low-level information was something he had thoroughly studied, analysed.
Toyo gave a final, slow nod. "Then go. Prepare. And remember," his eyes hardened, the purple veins seeming to throb, "the Council sees a useful weapon. The other clans see a rising rival. We see the future of the Jumiboro . Do not die for the fools' dreams of an empire built on sand and screams"
The dismissal was clear. Ryugo bowed deeply, not just to the Patriarch, but to the assembled elders and to Hibeki, acknowledging her unspoken vow.
As he rose and turned to leave, the blue text in his vision flickered once more, not with a mission update, but with a simple, stark line.
[Reputation with Jumiboro Clan +200]
[Reputation with Jumiboro Clan has improved: 'Trusted Heir' → 'Vital Asset'. Clan-wide Buff: 'Unwavering Support' Active, 'Systematic Growth' Active]
He left the sanctum, the echoes of their strategy meeting fading behind him, replaced by the ever-present thrum of Otogakure.
The Jumiboro patriarch and elders sheltered him, viewed him as their legacy. The truth was that if he were untalented, they would not have considered him more than an expandable tool.
That was the way of the Jumiboro clan.
Strength in Balance.
The weak at the service of the strong.
It was not unpleasant.
However, Ryugo had his own agenda. Unrelated to Otogakure. Unrelated to the Jumiboro clan.
He had three years.
Three years to grow influent enough to become patriarch.
To become more than a mere pawn on Orochimaru's board.
To become the one who would backstab the snake sanin in the back, and suceed him as the Second Otokage.
Such was his plan.