"Since the plan is set… inform me when execution begins tomorrow."
Ryujin spoke calmly, his tone leaving no room for further discussion. Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked out of the command tent, his steps steady and unhurried.
There was no hesitation.
No attachment.
War councils had never suited him.
The tension, the suffocating atmosphere, the constant awareness that every decision could send people to their deaths—it was all too oppressive. Compared to that, he preferred something far simpler.
Warm water.
Silence.
Control.
Returning to his temporary quarters, he gave a quiet order for hot water to be prepared. It didn't take long before steam began to rise, filling the room with a faint, soothing haze.
When everything was ready, Ryujin stepped into the bath and sank into the water, his body relaxing almost instantly. The warmth spread through his muscles, easing the strain from days of travel and preparation.
On a battlefield where death lurked at every corner—
He was bathing peacefully.
If anyone had witnessed it, they would have been left speechless.
Meanwhile, back in the command tent, Jiraiya clicked his tongue, watching the direction Ryujin had left.
"That guy… still as unsociable as ever."
He crossed his arms and glanced sideways at Orochimaru. "Honestly, he's even worse than you."
Orochimaru didn't respond to the jab. His attention was elsewhere, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as his thoughts turned inward.
"Perhaps," he said calmly after a moment. "But his strength…"
His voice lowered, carrying a faint chill.
"…is likely above both of us."
The words lingered in the air, heavy and undeniable.
"This operation's success may very well depend on Ryujin-kun."
Jiraiya exhaled slowly, scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah… that guy's always been hard to figure out."
Even now, he couldn't grasp the extent of Ryujin's strength.
"The ability of his Mangekyō Sharingan… no one really knows what it does."
There were rumors.
Fragments of stories passed between shinobi.
Something terrifying.
Something capable of instilling fear at the deepest level.
But no one had truly seen it in full.
And that uncertainty—
Made it even more unsettling.
"Then again… it makes sense," Jiraiya muttered. "Overusing the Sharingan damages the eyes. Push it too far, and you go blind."
"If he can avoid using it, he definitely will."
Orochimaru's gaze darkened slightly.
"…The Mangekyō Sharingan."
Each eye carried a different power.
Unknown.
Unpredictable.
His curiosity stirred, sharp and restless.
What kind of ability did Ryujin possess?
Orochimaru had always been drawn to the unknown. That thirst for knowledge, for understanding, for uncovering hidden truths—it defined him.
And one day—
It would lead him somewhere dangerous.
But for now—
Survival took priority.
Because war did not allow distractions.
Meanwhile, Ryujin had no such concerns.
Leaning back in the bath, he lazily opened the Interdimensional Guild. The familiar interface appeared within his mind, clear and effortless.
And immediately—
Something caught his attention.
"…Hmm?"
The member list had changed.
He opened it, scanning through the names.
[Trainee Guild Master: Ryujin][Member: LinglongIsCute][Member: Asuna][Member: Utaha Kasumigaoka][Member: Eriri][Member: Yuzuriha Inori][Member: IAmNotAPsychopath]
Two new additions.
His gaze lingered briefly.
Then shifted.
"…Trainee Guild Master?"
When had that happened?
And more importantly—
Why?
Curiosity flickered faintly in his eyes as he entered the chat.
The moment he appeared—
His name manifested in golden light.
Radiant.
Overly dramatic.
"…So this is what they call a special entrance effect."
Even he found it a bit excessive.
But clearly—
The others did not.
The chat exploded instantly.
Eriri was the first to react, practically shouting through the screen as she marveled at the golden glow, calling it flashy and asking if this was how powerful people made their entrance. Asuna followed more calmly, though her surprise was no less obvious as she questioned when Ryujin had become the guild master.
Utaha's response came with her usual composure, noting that he had disappeared for a while only to return with a new title, and asking him to explain. Meanwhile, Eriri had already thrown aside any pretense of dignity, shamelessly declaring her intention to "hug a thigh online" and asking Ryujin to carry her, even sending an overly enthusiastic sticker to match.
She didn't care anymore.
Because recently—
She had been suffering.
Chakra extraction had proven far more difficult than she expected. No matter how hard she tried, her progress was painfully slow. And to make matters worse, Utaha was improving faster than her—and never missed an opportunity to remind her of it.
"Blonde loser."
That phrase had appeared far too many times.
Enough was enough.
Eriri had reached a conclusion.
If she couldn't win on her own—
Then she would rely on someone stronger.
And in this guild—
There was only one obvious choice.
Ryujin.
At that moment, a new message appeared.
The user named "IAmNotAPsychopath" spoke, their tone filled with confusion and caution as they questioned what this so-called Interdimensional Guild was and why it had suddenly appeared in their mind.
Linglong immediately greeted them with her usual cheerful enthusiasm, welcoming the new member without hesitation.
The newcomer remained confused, clearly struggling to understand the situation.
Utaha stepped in, her explanation calm and structured. She admitted that even they didn't fully understand the nature of the guild, but based on their observations, it seemed to connect different worlds—a platform for communication across dimensions.
Asuna added gently that the simplest way to understand it was that it existed within their minds.
"…I see," the newcomer responded after a moment, though uncertainty still lingered.
Another name appeared quietly.
Inori.
No greeting.
No reaction.
Just silence.
Ryujin leaned back in the bath, watching the conversation unfold with quiet interest.
New members.
New variables.
And a new title.
"Trainee Guild Master… huh."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
What he had once considered a trivial distraction—
A passing amusement—
Was beginning to change.
This "boring" guild…
Might actually become interesting after all.