"Since the plan is set… inform me when execution begins tomorrow."
Ryujin spoke calmly. Without waiting for a response, he turned and left.
No hesitation.
No attachment.
War councils…
He had never liked them.
The tension.
The suffocating atmosphere.
The constant presence of death.
Compared to that—
He preferred something far simpler.
Warm water.
Silence.
Control.
Back at his temporary quarters, he ordered hot water to be prepared.
Soon—
Steam filled the room.
Ryujin sank into the bath.
Relaxed.
Unbothered.
On a battlefield where death lurked at every corner—
The man was… bathing peacefully.
If anyone witnessed this—
They would be speechless.
…
Meanwhile, inside the command tent—
Jiraiya clicked his tongue.
"That guy… still as unsociable as ever."
He crossed his arms and glanced sideways at Orochimaru.
"Honestly, he's even worse than you."
Orochimaru ignored the remark entirely.
Instead, his golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"Perhaps."
"But his strength…"
"…is likely above both of us."
A faint chill crept into his voice.
"This operation's success may depend on Ryujin-kun."
Jiraiya exhaled slowly.
"Yeah… that guy's strength has always been a mystery."
Even now—
He couldn't grasp it.
"The ability of his Mangekyō Sharingan… no one knows what it truly does."
He had only heard rumors.
Something terrifying.
Something capable of instilling fear into the very soul.
But—
No one had truly seen it.
Not completely.
And that made it even more unsettling.
"Then again… makes sense."
Jiraiya scratched his head.
"Overusing the Sharingan ruins eyesight. Can even lead to blindness."
"So if he can avoid using it, he definitely will."
Orochimaru's gaze deepened.
"…The Mangekyō Sharingan."
Each eye—
A different ability.
Unknown.
Unpredictable.
His curiosity surged.
What kind of power…
Did Ryujin possess?
Orochimaru had always been like this.
A seeker.
A researcher.
A man drawn toward the unknown.
It was this very curiosity—
That would one day lead him down a forbidden path.
But for now—
There was no time to dwell on it.
Survival came first.
War was unforgiving.
…
Meanwhile—
Ryujin had no such concerns.
Leaning back in the bath, he lazily opened the Interdimensional Guild.
And immediately—
He noticed something strange.
"…Hmm?"
The member list—
Had changed.
He tapped it open.
[Trainee Guild Master: Ryujin]
[Member: LinglongIsCute]
[Member: Asuna]
[Member: Utaha Kasumigaoka]
[Member: Eriri]
[Member: Yuzuriha Inori]
[Member: IAmNotAPsychopath]
Two new names.
Ryujin raised an eyebrow slightly.
But then—
His attention shifted.
"…Trainee Guild Master?"
When did that happen?
And more importantly—
Why?
As he entered the chat—
His name appeared.
Golden.
Radiant.
Almost… over-the-top.
"…So this is what they call… special effects on entry?"
Even he found it a bit excessive.
But clearly—
The others did not.
The moment he appeared—
The chat exploded.
Eriri: "WHOA!! That entrance—so flashy!! Golden light and everything! Is this how big shots show up?!"
Asuna: "Trainee Guild Master? Ryujin-kun became the guild master?"
Utaha: "Interesting… Ryujin-kun disappears for a while, then returns as Guild Master. Care to explain?"
Eriri: "Can I apply to hug a thigh online?"
Eriri: "Boss, carry me!!"
Eriri: "[Sticker: Hugging thigh.jpg]"
Eriri had completely abandoned any sense of dignity.
Not that she cared anymore.
Because lately—
She had been suffering.
Chakra extraction.
No matter how hard she tried—
It was slow.
Painfully slow.
And worst of all—
Utaha was faster than her.
And never missed a chance to mock her.
"Blonde loser."
That phrase had appeared far too many times.
Enough was enough.
Eriri had made a decision.
If she couldn't win alone—
She would rely on the strongest.
And in this guild—
There was only one choice.
Ryujin.
IAmNotAPsychopath: "…What is this? This 'Interdimensional Guild'? Why is it in my head?"
A new voice appeared.
Confused.
Wary.
Linglong responded immediately.
LinglongIsCute: "Meow meow! New member, hello!!"
IAmNotAPsychopath: "New member? What are you talking about? What is going on?"
Clearly—
This newcomer was completely lost.
Even more confused than the others had been at first.
Utaha stepped in, calmly explaining.
Utaha: "The Interdimensional Guild… we're still not entirely sure what it is."
"But based on our observations so far…"
"It appears to connect different worlds—a platform for communication between them."
Asuna added gently,
Asuna: "It exists within our minds. That's the simplest way to understand it."
IAmNotAPsychopath: "…I see."
Another name appeared quietly.
Inori: "…"
No explanation.
No reaction.
Just silence.
Ryujin leaned back in the bath, watching the conversation unfold.
New members.
New variables.
And a new title.
Trainee Guild Master… huh.
A faint smile formed on his lips.
This "boring" guild—
Might be getting interesting after all.
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