Ruri almost jumped out of bed. "This... this is Wood Release!" The legendary Wood Release that can suppress Tailed Beasts. Although its power was exaggerated thanks to Hashirama's immense chakra reserves, there's no denying that, especially in the early stages of the Naruto timeline, Wood Release could crush most jutsu.
It didn't matter whether it was Fire Release or Water Release—when faced with Wood Release, they were rendered useless. Even Yamato, who could only utilize 20% of its potential, was still considered an elite ANBU. If the power scaling hadn't gone off the rails later with the introduction of Six Paths abilities, Wood Release could easily have been considered the ultimate Kekkei Genkai.
[Please remain calm, Host. The prize you won is just a Wood Release technique, not the full ability to use Wood Release. You can only perform the jutsu obtained, not wield Wood Release inherently.]
With the system's cold shower of logic, Ruri calmed down. Thinking about it more carefully, it did seem unrealistic to expect the entire Wood Release ability as a prize. The lottery was only a small branch of the achievement rewards—how could something so overpowered show up here?
The wine brewing method he won earlier seemed more practical. But... didn't the system say the lottery would only grant prizes that help the village develop? How did a jutsu end up in the draw?
[The Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique allows the construction of intricate wooden homes. It's very convenient and practical, and it can even build multi-story buildings. Perfect for providing housing for the village.]
...
That made way too much sense for Ruri to argue. Wood Release for building houses? That couldn't be more convenient!
He had used all three lottery draws: a wine brewing method, a waterwheel manufacturing technique, and now a house-building jutsu. It didn't seem like any of these would be useful at a high-profile event like the Five Kage Summit.
"Maybe I could bribe Hashirama with some good wine?" Ruri mused. He remembered that Tsunade's love for alcohol and gambling originated from her grandfather. Or perhaps he could talk to the Kazekage about the waterwheel? Living in the desert, they probably needed it.
After pondering for a while without coming up with any solid plans, Ruri decided to sleep. After all, with the Truth-Seeking Balls in his possession, he could at least secure equal standing with the other Kage.
The night passed uneventfully.
"Kakuzu, get ready. The Five Kage should be arriving in the city any minute..." Ruri stopped mid-sentence.
"Hey, hey… put the kunai and shuriken down, and don't even think about using explosive tags! We're not here to fight. The Five Kage Summit isn't a battle royale, and it's definitely not a tournament!"
Ruri stuffed all the weapons back into Kakuzu's tool pouch. "Why is it this chaotic first thing in the morning?"
"But didn't you say earlier that you wanted to fight Hashirama?" Kakuzu asked, confused, as he secured his pouch.
"Well… we might not end up fighting," Ruri admitted. Even though it was just a single jutsu, it was still Wood Release. Knowing Hashirama's personality, he wouldn't ignore something like that. If they did end up clashing, it might even be with Tobirama instead—after all, as Hashirama's brother, not even Tobirama had Wood Release. It would be awkward for someone else to wield it.
"Alright..." Kakuzu muttered, clearly disappointed. He had been hoping for a fight with the God of Shinobi, even if it ended in defeat—it would at least make for an impressive story later.
"If there's a fight, it'll be me handling it," Ruri sighed. "No offense, but you'd only end up fighting the Kage's bodyguards."
Ruri could already sense the chakra of the approaching group. Unlike Kakuzu, whose reputation was impressive but whose power still fell short, the guards accompanying the Kage were at least on par with pseudo-Kage.
"I really need to figure out how to boost Kakuzu's strength when we get back," Ruri thought. They couldn't have a village with only one ninja capable of holding his own. If talent wasn't enough, secret techniques would have to do. They'd find a way to strengthen Taki Village together.
Despite his talent plateauing, Ruri had focused on survival skills. If he could achieve Orochimaru-level survival—being able to come back even after death—that would be ideal. Thus, he had gathered many secret techniques.
The chakra detection technique he was using now, for example, was something he had discovered at the ruins of a wiped-out clan.
Ten strong chakra signatures were now at the city gate, each of them blazing like bright lights. It seemed like the Kage had agreed to enter the city together.
Ruri mastered the Body Flicker Technique to perfection. Kakuzu, influenced by him, also became quite adept at it. The two of them teleported in unison, appearing directly in front of the Five Kage.
Hashirama: ?
Shihei (Tsuchikage): ?
Reito (Mizukage): ?
A (Raikage): ?
Byakuren (Kazekage): ?
Five faces of pure confusion. It wasn't often that the Five Kage were caught so off-guard, and Ruri wished the system would reward him with a camera—capturing this bewildered expression on the Five Kage would make for a lifetime of bragging rights.
His daydreams didn't last long. A water dragon surged from his side, roaring toward him with overwhelming force!
Without a hint of panic, Ruri waved his hand. The water dragon vanished without a trace.
"No need to be so hasty..." Ruri said calmly.
The Mizukage, Byakuren, was shocked. To summon a water dragon of that magnitude was already a testament to his mastery of Water Release. But it was as if the attack had never happened—Ruri's clothes weren't even damp.
Despite Byakuren's initial attack, the other Kage remained still. Hashirama frowned, unsure whether the newcomers were friend or foe.
If it had been him, he would have needed to use Wood Release to counter the water dragon. But this stranger had simply waved it away as if it were nothing.
Tobirama stood silently among the guards, observing everything carefully. He had sensed a faint spatial disturbance just now. Although he was an expert in Water Release and had some understanding of space-time jutsu, what he saw was far beyond his abilities. If Ruri had used space-time ninjutsu to redirect the water dragon, he was someone best left alone.
[Name: Byakuren]
[Overall Strength: Kage-level]
[Talents: Kage-level]
[Elements: Water, Wind]
[Special Abilities: None]
[Evaluation: A master who has pushed Water Release to the limit. Despite his immense talent, he's just an old slacker now.]
"Phew, that was close," Ruri thought. He had prepared for such a scenario, pulling out his Truth-Seeking Ball immediately. Just as Kakuzu's intelligence suggested, the Mizukage was indeed an old man with a fiery temper—even more so than the Raikage.
As Ruri walked forward, the Kage looked wary but didn't stop him.
"Who are you?" Hashirama finally asked, stepping forward.
"I am Ruri Amamiya, the First Takikage."