Chapter 307: Cooperation
"It's good to be young..."
When Ryosuke completed his life's work and followed the threads of fate to the Valley of the End, he arrived to find two bodies lying motionless on the ground—uncertain whether they were alive or dead, having fought with all their strength.
With a single glance, Ryosuke saw the entire course of their battle reflected in their fate lines. And in his heart… he felt envy.
Stepping through the fluctuating space, Ryosuke approached the two unconscious warriors. His steps fell silently upon the scorched earth—so light they stirred neither dust nor sound.
The Valley of the End now resembled a volcanic basin. Rivers of molten magma trickled down the rock walls. The smell of scorched wood and smoldering stone lingered in the air. Trees lay splintered, gravel was blackened, and heat shimmered like a curtain across the battlefield.
Yet amidst the chaos, the spot where Naruto and Sasuke had collapsed remained untouched. It was clear—one of them had carried the other to safety before finally succumbing to unconsciousness.
Two small slugs clung to their bodies, delivering rudimentary healing.
"It's time to wake up."
Judging from their fate lines, they had slept for a full day and night. Ryosuke didn't wait longer. He spoke softly—but with strange precision, as if his words held power over destiny.
As though answering his call, the two began to stir. Their eyelids fluttered open slowly, their expressions dazed. It was as if they were being pulled forcefully from sleep.
As awareness returned, so did their instincts—one tense with caution, the other blinking in surprise.
"You made quite a mess," Ryosuke chuckled, gazing at the two. "What's this? A reunion between old friends starts with a deathmatch?"
"It's because Sasuke is… still too immature," Naruto said, shaking his head. "I had no choice. I had to throw my life into it and play along."
"Hey…" Sasuke frowned, clearly annoyed by the comment and itching to retort. But when his gaze shifted to Hyuga Ryosuke, he stopped himself and stepped back, eyes narrowing.
Unlike Naruto, his relationship with Ryosuke was lukewarm at best—more like classmates than comrades.
"Really now?" Ryosuke eyed him with a teasing smirk. "Didn't seem like you were holding back at all."
"You looked pretty thrilled during that fight."
A trace of regret passed through Ryosuke's heart. Even though he hadn't witnessed the clash directly, the fate lines had shown him everything. He could feel the heat, the pride, the struggle. He felt it through them—the fire of youth, the joy of meeting an equal on the battlefield.
When… was the last time I fought like that?
Power kept growing within him, but the opportunities to let loose were becoming fewer.
"Speaking of which…" Naruto suddenly grinned and glanced at Sasuke. "Looks like I won again, huh?"
That familiar smugness returned—just enough to irritate.
"Hmph!" Sasuke scoffed, unwilling to admit defeat. "Fine. You win. So what do you want? Kill me? Lock me up?"
He knew Naruto had dragged him to safety. That memory wasn't gone. It was because of Naruto that he had allowed himself to fully black out.
"Deal with you?" Naruto blinked, then scratched his chin, genuinely thinking it over.
"Then… you have to fight me once a month. With everything you've got."
He said it without mentioning Konoha at all.
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. He knew Naruto's relationship with the village was complicated—but this response was unexpected. Naruto didn't hold the same resentment as Sasuke, but he clearly didn't revere Konoha either.
Sasuke had walked alone for so long. Naruto still had bonds—his master, his master's master, villagers who admired him for being Minato's son.
But…
"I only care about the people I care about," Naruto said, seeing the conflict in Sasuke's heart. "But there's something you should remember—Konoha… is what your brother chose to protect."
"You destroyed what he spent his life building."
His tone hardened. The playfulness vanished.
Sasuke stood in silence.
He knew.
He had always known.
But standing by and pretending none of it happened? Living like a loyal child of Konoha while his clan's blood soaked the village's roots? He couldn't.
Right or wrong—he had to act. Otherwise, that pain would rot inside him forever.
"So… you've resolved your issues, right?" Ryosuke finally spoke, having watched the exchange in silence. "Good. Then let's talk about mine."
He turned to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, what do the people from your world call that warrior again? Ultraman? Tiga?"
"…You." Sasuke stepped back, stunned. A flicker of horror crossed his face.
"So I was right." Ryosuke nodded with faint amusement.
"Then… would you grant me access to the space-time gate?"
"The Hyuga Clan is willing to cooperate with you—to explore that world together."
While Ryosuke could peer into Sasuke's fate within the ninja world, things grew murky when other worlds were involved. Just like Iroha and his squad, who once pioneered the journey into the Teigu World, Ryosuke's vision was limited to this world's threads.
As for Tiga… that was an educated guess. He deduced it based on Sasuke's control over Golzan and the telltale signs of a foreign presence.
Ryosuke had seen Sasuke's limits. He didn't need to press further or overpower him. Not yet.
Cooperation was far more useful.
"…So you too?"
Sasuke's voice dropped. The implication was clear—Hyuga on the other side had already grasped the method to access and utilize the space-time gate.
But he quickly calmed himself. "No wonder you're so strong. Pioneer status, huh? So the Hyuga… have already set their sights beyond this world?"
It made sense now.
While he and Naruto had thrown themselves into battles over Konoha, the Land of Fire, and the ninja world itself, this Hyuga Ryosuke had been looking far beyond them all.
The pattern had always been different.
As for Sasuke's assumption, Ryosuke didn't bother correcting it. His initial power had nothing to do with foreign realms. The exploration project had only begun in recent years. But there was no need to explain that now.
"How do you want to cooperate?" Sasuke asked, after a pause. "And how many worlds do the Hyuga control?"
Straightforward.
Ryosuke almost laughed.
After dealing with far too many roundabout politicians and schemers, this kind of blunt honesty was refreshing.
Direct is better. No layers. No posturing. No empty words.
Just purpose.
"Let's talk somewhere else," Ryosuke said with a shake of his head. "This doesn't seem like a place suited for discussion."
"I'll choose the place," Sasuke replied cautiously.
"The location doesn't matter to either of us, does it?" Ryosuke reminded him gently, though there was a clear undertone. "If I truly wanted to act, you wouldn't even be standing right now."
"And if I really wanted the time-space gate from you, there are plenty of ways to make the controller surrender it willingly. You're free to doubt that… and I'm more than willing to prove it."
He didn't bother hiding the confidence in his power.
Sasuke went silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
Ever since his return to the ninja world, Sasuke had been doing his homework. He had thoroughly investigated the publicly available information—especially the Water Country Battle, which he had missed.
Even though he hadn't seen the terrain-shattering clash firsthand, the intelligence leaked by various nations was enough for him to understand Ryosuke's level. A man who defeated Uchiha Madara—even one wielding the evolved Rinnegan—was not someone Sasuke could currently match, even with his Mangekyō and Golzan.
Maybe someday, he thought, but not yet.
Seeing that Sasuke had accepted the truth, Ryosuke gave a satisfied nod before turning toward Naruto.
"What about you? Want to come with me?"
"No." Naruto shook his head. "I want to return to Konoha first… then decide what to do."
In reality, he had already made up his mind.
He was seriously considering leaving Konoha. Up until now, he had believed that he was making unprecedented progress—especially in his mastery of bloodline selection. In all of ninja history, no one his age had reached that level.
The moment he succeeded a few months ago, he thought only Ryosuke stood above him.
But now, seeing how Sasuke hadn't wasted his time—had instead grown to rival him—Naruto felt a creeping urgency.
Had he not made that breakthrough, he might have truly lost today.
If he stayed in Konoha, stagnant and too comfortable, the next time they met… he might lose for real.
"The method to gain access to a time-space gate," Ryosuke said, opening the dimensional rift, "is to unleash overwhelming power in a short window right after the gate appears."
"If your attack is powerful enough to 'authenticate' the world beyond, you'll be granted permission to step through it."
Just then, Sasuke turned to Naruto with rare seriousness.
"In other words," he said, "if you want access, you need to be able to release that kind of power instantly."
"The way you summoned your lava giant earlier—it took too long. You'll need to find a method to activate it faster. Your Rasengan might be a better foundation."
Naruto blinked in surprise, then smiled and nodded. "Thanks. One month. If I succeed, or even if I'm still here, I'll come back to fight you again."
"Hmph." Sasuke let out a low snort, then turned and stepped into the rift with Ryosuke.
Ryosuke, watching this exchange with approval, nodded again.
The two passed through the shimmering portal and arrived at the Hyuga Clan's domain in the Land of Rain.
The capital city looked completely different now—adorned with vibrant lights, decorative banners, and rows of glowing lanterns. Flower boats drifted along the waterways as joyful music echoed through the streets.
"Is this… some kind of festival?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," Ryosuke smiled, "I'm getting married."
"If you're free, you're welcome to attend."
He paused briefly.
"Oh, right. I forgot to send out the invitations to some people in Konoha. I was going to ask Naruto to take them back."
He thought for a second, then waved it off.
"But never mind. I'll deliver them personally. It's more sincere that way."
"You're getting married?!" Sasuke looked genuinely shocked. "But… Konoha's in no state to attend a wedding right now."
After all, he had just destroyed it.
But looking at the joyous atmosphere of the city, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a strange sense of displacement. Until now, he hadn't even considered the concept of celebration. Yet even a man like Ryosuke—the strongest in the world—was preparing for a wedding.
"Your partner… must be Hinata Hyuga, right? I remember she was engaged to you."
"That's right," Ryosuke nodded. "Is that so surprising?"
"I just didn't expect someone like you to bother with that kind of thing." Sasuke hesitated. "Aren't you… far beyond the lifespan of ordinary people?"
"In a way, yes," Ryosuke admitted. "I won't die of old age anymore. My lifespan is no longer a concern."
"But that doesn't conflict with marriage."
"Emotions are intrinsic to all living beings. As long as emotions exist, human connections are inevitable. And without them… it's hard to pursue training with a focused heart."
Then, as if changing the subject, Ryosuke glanced sideways.
"By the way, you just told Naruto how to access the time-space gate. Aren't you afraid he'll surpass you?"
Sasuke shook his head. "I don't want to win through deception. If he's capable of unlocking another gate, of becoming stronger by entering another world, and surpassing me…"
"I'll be happy for him."
"Because I'll still keep chasing him. Until I surpass him again."
He looked directly at Ryosuke.
"You too."
Ryosuke smiled.
"Good. I'll be waiting."
That's how rivals should be.
Not bitter. Not envious. Just a relentless pursuit—pushing each other forward, never letting the other rest.
"Your relationship with Naruto… that's friendship."
"But what I have with Hinata—that's love."
"They're different, yes. But sometimes… that love drives me even further than competition ever could."
He paused, watching Sasuke carefully.
"Maybe… you should ask yourself."
"What is it that you're really chasing?"
"What are you working so hard for… that you're willing to give up everything else?"