Chapter 218: Chapter 218: Shave
Chapter 218: Shave
"Young Master... Young Master!"
Ryosuke and his friends had just carried Saki Yu, his body red and blistered from the giant’s scorching heat. back to the doorstep of Saki’s residence.
Coming toward them were members of the Saki family, who had been preparing to evacuate with the rest of the townspeople.
"Son... My son!"
Among the crowd, the white-haired Nozomi Sasaki stepped forward, eyes brimming with tears, rushing toward Ryosuke and the others.
"Father!"
After surviving a brush with death, Yu saw his father’s familiar frown and tear-streaked face approaching. The burly man in his forties could no longer hold back his emotions. Breaking free from Shanks’ support, he took a step toward his father.
But his body was too weak. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he collapsed.
Thankfully, Mr. Nozomi Sasaki was still strong enough to catch the big man in time.
"Yu, it’s enough that you’re alive! That’s all that matters!"
Nozomi Sasaki’s hands trembled as he gently stroked his son’s bloodied, blistered body. "Don’t move you’re injured. You’re my only son, and I’ve always thought you were destined for great things. Don’t go dying young on me."
His comforting words came out sounding more like a scolding, but they carried the weight of a father’s deep concern.
Then, his tearful eyes suddenly shifted to Ryosuke. His expression darkened.
"Young Master Hyuga... was this an enemy nation attacking our Land of Fire in the middle of the night?"
Given his son’s condition, Nozomi Sasaki’s tone was understandably filled with bitterness and suspicion.
Ryosuke hesitated. "That giant wasn’t a shinobi, and I can’t determine where it came from. Maybe... it’s the work of a hidden force in the ninja world."
After speaking with Shanks, Ryosuke understood that the Saki family wasn’t aware of the otherworldly elements involved. It was better not to explain too much.
"Hidden forces?"
Nozomi Sasaki’s gaze grew cold. "Young Master Hyuga, your clan has a long-standing history. You mean to say even you can’t recognize its origin? Are you mocking us?"
His tone was sharp, heavy with doubt.
Even if Ryosuke had saved his son, the fact that the disaster occurred the same night Ryosuke arrived right at their home felt too coincidental to ignore.
Coincidences like that do happen, but the more thoughtful the person, the more likely they are to overanalyze.
Still, even if the incident truly had nothing to do with Ryosuke and his group, explaining it without revealing the truth about another world was difficult.
"This matter has nothing to do with Lord Ryosuke, Father. Let’s return inside first."
Just then, Sasaki Yu, propped up by his father, finally caught his breath and spoke up.
"Master Ryosuke, it’s already late. Why don’t you rest at our home tonight?"
He cast a cautious glance at Ryosuke as he spoke, even nudging his father gently with his elbow, urging him not to be too aggressive.
Nozomi Sasaki was stunned by his son’s deferential tone. His expression shifted rapidly.
"I’m sorry, I truly am. You’re my son’s savior, I shouldn’t have doubted you."
"The city is in chaos. Please, come into the mansion and rest."
His sudden shift from hostility to warmth was almost comical. Even a master of Sichuan opera face-changing might envy the speed of his transformation. But with his son acting so cautiously, Nozomi Sasaki had little choice but to rein himself in.
"Then, I’ll accept your hospitality," Ryosuke said.
He and the others did not decline. Given the circumstances, there was no reason to rush.
Shanks, standing beside him, spoke up in a timely manner. "The giant has been handled by Lord Ryosuke. Lord Saki, you can organize your men to assist the people and secure the city walls to prevent further panic."
...
"It’s all right now! The ninja from Konoha has defeated the giant!"
"Everyone, please remain calm!"
"If you still wish to leave the city, please do so in an orderly manner, we won’t stop you!"
...
With most of its lights extinguished, Saki Castle looked somber and dim. Samurai clad in dark red kimonos held torches as they walked the streets, spreading word of the threat’s end and trying to ease the frightened citizens’ nerves.
This was both Saki Castle and the Saki Family’s burden to bear.
Though the giant had appeared for less than five minutes before being brought down by Hyuga Ryosuke, its sheer size alone had caused devastation. Merely standing in place, it crushed houses and killed civilians in their sleep.
The panic that followed in the darkness triggered a chaotic stampede as people fled the city, leading to further tragedies.
...
"Are you feeling any better, Yu?"
Inside the Saki family’s inner quarters, Nozomi Sasaki, who had stayed awake all night, asked in a low voice as he gently applied medicine to his son’s burns.
After Ryosuke and the others were welcomed into the mansion, he had stepped away under the excuse of tending to his son. But in truth, he was troubled by how deferential his son had acted toward Ryosuke earlier.
"Father, you’re right. The Hyuga... maybe they really are a clan that hides their true strength!"
After the medicine cooled his skin and dulled the pain slightly, Yu forced himself upright on the bed.
"You can’t imagine what I just saw. That giant, it was like a god. Do you know how Hinata Ryosuke took it down?"
He grew excited, trying to explain, but Nozomi Sasaki raised a hand to stop him.
"You’re being too hasty, Yu."
Nozomi’s expression was calm. "That giant was massive, you could see it clearly even from outside the city. I caught a glimpse."
He paused before continuing, "That thing wasn’t a shinobi, nor did it even seem human. It resembled more of a wild beast."
"Despite its size, the giant moved with surprising speed. Still, it was just a physical body. For a ninja, taking it down shouldn’t be difficult. You should understand this."
Nozomi Sasaki didn’t think the giant was much of a threat to skilled ninja. Its bulk made it powerful, but also an easy target.
"...Did you really witness their battle?"
Sasaki Yu questioned his father’s judgment.
"Although the giant radiated intense heat, it wasn’t actually burning."
Nozomi explained, "It was so dark, and the giant so massive, I could only make out the general shape."
"As for Hyuga Ryosuke, he was too small to see clearly in the night."
"But judging by the explosion that followed, I suspect he used chakra to scale the giant, planted explosive tags across its body, possibly even inside it and detonated everything in one go. That would explain the complete lack of remains."
Speaking of this, he couldn’t help but admire the immense financial resources of the Hyuga clan. With such overwhelming force, an enormous number of explosive tags must have been used.
Then again, it might have been the result of some unknown high-level ninjutsu. Nozomi Saki had heard that the Hyuga clan had begun expanding beyond their traditional secret techniques. Lately, they’d been dabbling in the Five Elements and Yin-Yang Release—areas typically pursued only by ordinary shinobi.
"Wrong!"
Yu shook his head, rejecting the assumption. "Father, you’ve misunderstood the situation entirely!"
"Taijutsu. Hinata Ryosuke defeated that giant using Taijutsu just one punch! One single punch!"
He stressed the crucial detail he had witnessed.
"Taijutsu?" Nozomi Saki frowned. "No... that’s impossible. Physical techniques alone can’t produce such devastation. That debris... that rain of blood... only comes from an explosion within the body."
"Even the Senju clan, masters of supernatural powers, have never been known to blow someone up from the inside like that."
"That’s why I’m telling you—this Hyuga is hiding something far deeper!"
Sasaki Yuu spoke solemnly. "That giant was over ten meters tall, and yet Ryosuke blew him up with a single punch. What would happen if he used that on a regular person?"
It was the question that had haunted him since witnessing the scene.
"No matter what techniques his enemies use, he just needs to land one punch."
"I honestly don’t think anyone in the ninja world can survive it. And Ryosuke can fly! His speed is unreal. When he rescued me, I didn’t even see him move!"
Because of his proximity at the time, Yy had a clear view.
In the darkness of the night sky, the giant had lunged at Ryosuke with a devilish grin, swinging a massive punch.
But Hyuga Ryosuke, floating calmly in the air, simply countered with his own punch. When the fists collided—boom—the giant exploded!
From fist to torso, head to heels, the entire body erupted. Though the punch had landed on the giant’s fist, the impact traveled through his whole form. Yu, who didn’t have much knowledge about high-level combat, couldn’t quite grasp the principle behind it but he could feel, instinctively, how terrifying the Hyuga truly were.
In terms of pure strength, Ryosuke was clearly several times more powerful than the giant. Yet that same giant had the strength to lift houses like toys.
"...From what you’ve said... it does make sense."
Nozomi Saki’s expression shifted. If events had happened exactly as his son described, then perhaps... no one in the ninja world could withstand a punch from Ryosuke.
. . .
"You two are up pretty early."
Due to last night’s chaos, Shanks—freed from his usual role as the swordsmanship instructor had woken up with no sense of urgency.
As he stepped outside, he noticed the young couple from the Hyuga clan already training in the dojo. Ryosuke appeared to be guiding his wife through a Taijutsu routine.
"Mr. Shanks."
Ryosuke and his wife stopped their movements upon noticing his approach, bowing respectfully.
The night had passed quickly. After staying at the Saki estate, they resumed their early morning regimen just like they would back home.
However, the reception they received this time around was markedly different from their previous visit.
While the Saki clan had been respectful before, they’d been cautious always assigning someone to follow and monitor them.
This time, however, there were no such restrictions. They moved freely within the mansion, encountering no resistance or surveillance.
"Training again?" Shanks asked, his tone casual as he drew closer.
Ryosuke smiled. "Interested?"
As usual, Shanks declined politely.
"I heard there was... considerable damage in the city last night. Hundreds of casualties."
Wanting to shift the topic away from awkward small talk, Shanks brought up the previous night’s events.
"Only a dozen or so were crushed directly by the giant, but hundreds more were trampled during the panicked stampede."
Ryosuke had heard the same from the Saki estate’s housekeeper that morning.
The Saki family had worked through the night. Before dawn, they’d already calculated the damage.
Ironically, the chaos hadn’t stemmed from the giant itself—but from the citizens of the city. As people fled in blind panic, they trampled one another in the dark.
"If we ever establish our own nation," Hinata whispered to Ryosuke, concern lacing her voice, "we need proper crisis management. Our people should be mentally prepared and trained for evacuation."
"I hate the idea that the panic of our own citizens could cause more harm than an enemy ever could."
"You’re right," Ryosuke nodded. "People lack basic awareness. And ignorance... it makes them easier to control."
In this world, not just in the Land of Fire but everywhere, countless civilians couldn’t even read.
Educational systems were lacking. Most knowledge was hoarded by the elite, while the middle and lower classes relied on bits and pieces passed down orally by their parents.
"That’s true in our world too," Shanks said with a sigh. "Only those with wealth or high status get to study."
"For the rest... even surviving is a struggle. But compared to ours, your world is more stable."
Shanks had grown up in a world overrun with pirates, and he knew how unstable life could be.
But he soon shook his head, clearly not wanting to dwell on a morally gray discussion.
Turning toward Ryosuke, he asked, "Let’s change the topic. There’s something I’ve been wondering since last night. Mr. Ryosuke... how many punches did you throw?"
Ryosuke understood immediately what Shanks was referring to.
"Seven punches," he answered calmly.
He was mildly surprised, though. Shanks had seen through the deeper mechanics of his Taijutsu.
That giant, despite being a strange variant, was easily the most physically powerful opponent Ryosuke had ever encountered. Its sheer size alone made it formidable.
Though its chakra strength wasn’t high, its brute power required Ryosuke to get serious. That’s why he used his ultimate physical technique—Eighty Gods Vaccum Attack.
The strength of Ryosuke’s self-developed technique lay in superposition.
He could unleash a flurry of fists in an instant—each one stacking upon the others, compressing, and detonating to unleash overwhelming force.
The more punches he layered, the more devastating the result.
But in hindsight, the giant had been weaker than expected. He probably didn’t even need seven punches—just four would’ve sufficed.
After a short silence, Shanks asked, "I sensed something... familiar. A trace of Soru in your movements. I’ve fought enough naval officers to recognize the signs. Would you mind sharing—do your skills incorporate it?"
He paused, adding politely, "Only if you’re comfortable sharing, Mr. Ryosuke."
"There’s some truth in that," Ryosuke replied without hesitation. "My Eighty Gods Aerial Strikes were inspired by Tendo Pain’s Chibaku Tensei... and refined with elements of Shave."
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