"Athena, if I remember correctly, you're going there this time because you plan to participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament, right?"
Athena nodded, a somewhat helpless expression appearing on her face.
"Yes. Although I don't really care about the money, Master Chin Gentsai said this would give us a chance to see the world's strongest fighters. And if we're lucky enough to win, we can use the prize money for charity. My manager also suggested that I participate. Even if I only make an appearance in the official tournament, it'll greatly increase my popularity."
Thinking about what her master had said, Athena didn't feel much about it herself, but she couldn't help but remember the expression on Sie Kensou's face when he heard their master's decision.
After all, that guy was always slacking off and looking for ways to get something without working for it, so he couldn't help wanting to keep a few million for himself if they really won the prize money.
And then Master Chin Gentsai gave him a thorough beating.
"I see. Then let's head to Japan first. You can prepare for the tournament once we get there, while I'll go meet that person in Japan."
Bulma nodded. She actually admired this master and disciple pair quite a bit. They were participating in a tournament with such an enormous prize pool simply to see whether there was some conspiracy hidden behind it. Even if they won the prize money, they had no intention of using it for themselves and instead planned to donate it to charity. Even Bulma felt that she herself probably couldn't do something like that.
After all, although her family is wealthy, that money had still been earned through their own efforts. In fact, many of her family's products were already priced very cheaply.
"Sure."
Athena agreed without thinking too much about it, just as she had agreed to help Bulma with various things without giving them much thought. Her intuition told her that Bulma wasn't a bad person, so she naturally trusted her.
And so, the two beautiful women once again got onto the motorcycle and returned to the hotel where Athena was staying, preparing to head for Japan.
Meanwhile, in Japan—
Ryu was standing atop an airplane. As the plane was about to reach the airport, he stopped using his ninjutsu and simply leaped off the plane, shooting toward the nearest tall building. He landed lightly and steadily on its rooftop without suffering even the slightest injury.
This was one of his clan's secret techniques. Those who mastered it could not only change direction and jump multiple times in midair, but could even fall from great heights without being injured or killed.
However, someone like Ryu Hayabusa, who could jump from several thousand meters in the air without suffering any harm at all, is extremely rare throughout the clan's entire history. In fact, he had already completely surpassed the limits of his family's martial arts.
And that is indeed the case. If Ryu were ranked according to the ninja ranking system, he would be considered a Super Ninja. But in the eyes of others, Ryu's status as a Super Ninja was completely different from that of other Super Ninjas.
Other Super Ninjas received the title because their strength had truly risen beyond the level of ordinary ninjas.
Ryu is called a Super Ninja because Super Ninja is simply the highest rank available.
It is like how the Third Kazekage and the First Hokage Hashirama were both considered Kage-level ninja, or how the President of Haiti and the President of the United States were both called presidents. Ryu's power had unquestionably surpassed the limits of the ranking system itself.
The moment he landed, Ryu looked in Ryuji's direction.
To ordinary people, there was nothing different about the area where Ryuji was located. It looked no different from anywhere else. But in the eyes of this Super Ninja, the place where Ryuji was located was overflowing with an incredibly powerful life force.
That life force was so powerful that, within his vision, it formed the illusion of a gigantic dragon, roaring wildly at him.
"Hmm... What an intense life force..."
He couldn't help but frown.
The Satsui no Hado was one of the few martial arts in this world that could be compared with his own. Although he had sensed the power of two Satsui no Hado users continuously rising before, he hadn't paid much attention to it.
Because humans have limits.
Even he had only achieved his unbelievably tenacious vitality through various divine artifacts and his inhuman bloodline.
But other people didn't possess the same conditions he did. Even if they possessed the Satsui no Hado, their life force wouldn't be enough to push its power to the absolute limit in battle!
Because when it came to the Satsui no Hado, the most terrifying thing was the amount of life force consumed when its user abandoned all restraint and attacked without regard for anything else.
But the person before him...
If this person fully unleashed the power of the Satsui no Hado, even Ryu couldn't be certain that he would be able to defeat him.
Ryu thought for a moment and touched the sword on his back. He felt somewhat uneasy, because if he really had to use this sword, then his previous plan would be completely ruined. There would be no possibility of success, and his clan would inevitably become coveted by the entire world.
That was something he could not accept.
However, Ryuji is also someone he absolutely had to investigate thoroughly.
"I hope I won't need to use this sword."
With that thought in mind, Ryu had no intention of directly infiltrating Ryuji's residence. Instead, he decided to be a little more polite.
However, after walking a few steps, Ryu suddenly noticed something he had previously overlooked.
"Wait... isn't this the direction of the Shiranui-ryu?"
His brows immediately furrowed. He didn't know how the Shiranui-ryu had gotten involved in this matter, but there was a good chance it would lead to some troublesome complications.
"I hope the Shiranui-ryu isn't involved in this."
~~~~~~~~~~
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