Chapter 18: Let's Spoil the Plot First!
Ah, another clear and pleasant day! After deepening the communication with the system last night, Kudo Ryoan finally understood why the system wants him to collect Sharingan.
"This Eye of the Divine Path also requires Sharingan and Byakugan?" Fine, for the purpose of exchanging the legendary Eye of the Divine Path, Kudo Ryoan was ready to make sacrifices. After all, these were the last two great clans in Konoha!
Half an hour later, in the Hokage Office.
"Have you decided on the responsibilities you will take on as an Anbu?" The Third Hokage looked seriously at Kudo Ryoan. Kudo nodded earnestly, making a promise as a man!
"Alright, Momoi Ayumu, take him to familiarize himself with the Anbu environment. All B-rank jutsu will be open to him." The Third Hokage turned his head and spoke to the empty air behind him.
With a stylish entrance, a figure suddenly appeared next to Kudo Ryoan. After Momoi Ayumu nodded in agreement, he led Kudo Ryoan out of the Hokage's office.
The two walked in silence. It wasn't that Kudo Ryoan didn't want to talk, but Momoi Ayumu was just too cold. Even with a fox mask covering his face, the faint indifference emanated from him.
"Did I offend you or something?" Kudo Ryoan thought to himself. Just as he was about to ask a question, an extremely ordinary little convenience store came into view.
They entered the store expertly, and after turning a drink bottle on the shelf, the sound of gears squeaking filled the air as a long underground passage appeared before them.
After about five minutes, it felt like they had entered a convergence point. A vast underground building emerged. More people were around, greeting one another. However, upon seeing Momoi Ayumu, everyone's smiles vanished.
"Grandpa Sanda is unreliable; this is simply terrifying! The first time I meet a man, and he already has signs of menopause," Kudo Ryoan grumbled mentally, not noticing that Momoi Ayumu had stopped and accidentally bumped into him.
"I don't think someone who can't walk while paying attention can call themselves a ninja." A cold remark came from the not-so-tall man in front of him.
Kudo Ryoan could only give a naive smile; after all, he was currently weaker than others and needed to keep a low profile. Otherwise, had he reached the level of the Void Realm, he would have already slapped him away instead of letting him flaunt in front!
But that was just wishful thinking. "I was too focused on the surroundings, so…"
"I only care about the results; I don't pay attention to the process. Up ahead is the data room, where all the known B-rank jutsu of the Anbu are stored. But remember one thing!" Momoi Ayumu, having removed his fox mask, looked directly into Kudo Ryoan's eyes, their faces barely ten centimeters apart.
"You must not look, and don't ever think of trying! Otherwise…" After saying this, a chilling smile formed at the corner of Momoi Ayumu's mouth.
After watching Momoi Ayumu walk away, Kudo Ryoan let out a sigh of relief. "What kind of person is he? A dying pervert who can't stand this genius, huh?" muttered Kudo Ryoan, glaring at the man's back before turning stylishly and dashing towards the data room.
Alright, putting aside the unpleasantness, Kudo Ryoan immersed himself in the ocean of ninjutsu. This was the Anbu's data room, which was infamous for its collection of scrolls, including top-tier S-ranked ninjutsu!
An hour passed, then two. Just as Kudo Ryoan was mentally simulating a water ninjutsu, a similarly youthful voice resonated, "Ryoan, what are you doing here?"
"Kakashi?" Ryoan recognized the voice and approached to pat Kakashi on the shoulder. "I just joined the Anbu today! What about you? How did you end up here? It's been a while since I saw you!"
Although he already knew Kakashi would join the Anbu, didn't he just become a chunin at six?
At this time, Kakashi wasn't the emotionless mask of a person he would become after his father's death. With a cheerful explanation, he said, "Ryoan, I'm already a chunin now! Naturally, I would join the Anbu under Captain Momoi Ayumu!"
It seems that Kudo Ryoan, this little butterfly, had already disrupted the timeline.
Right now, Kudo Ryoan's focus shifted away from Kakashi. Since Kakashi had become a chunin, it couldn't be long before White Fang's death occurred. Looking at Kakashi, who was beaming with pride, Ryoan felt uneasy.
Should he reveal the information about White Fang's demise? But would Kakashi believe him? Trying to dismiss these thoughts, Kudo Ryoan began to formulate a plan.
"It's getting late; I'll treat everyone tonight. Let's bring Guy along too and have some delicious barbecue, how does that sound?" This perfectly childish suggestion was immediately approved by the beaming Kakashi.
Still at the same old place, with the same old recipe, sadly, there was no "chance" encounter with Akimichi Chōji again. The three of them excitedly took a booth, beginning their session of wild boasting and chatting.
Kakashi was bragging about his achievements and the number of missions he had completed, as well as the enemies he had sole-killed. While it was pure flaunting, his impressive statistics made Ryoan and Guy feel like they were just wilted eggplants.
After all, to those still in their newbie village phase, Kakashi was like a high-level player who had already swept through a dungeon. They were on completely different tiers!
Soon, an exquisitely carved plate was brought to their table. The aroma of grilled meat made Kakashi halt, mid-sentence, as they all eagerly dug in. Since he was still underage, Kudo Ryoan could only drink fruit juice.
Ultimately, he still chose to tell Kakashi this matter in person.
While they were happily munching, Kakashi and Guy finally noticed Kudo Ryoan, who was staring intensely at Kakashi's forehead with a troubled expression, muttering something under his breath.