Natasha Romanoff didn't even try to hide it.
The moment she saw that familiar face, she crashed straight into Ryuuto's arms, burying herself against him like she'd been holding her breath for days.
"It's okay… you're here," she whispered, squeezing him tight, refusing to let go.
For a heartbeat, the entire hideout went silent.
Just Ryuuto and Natasha clinging to each other, warmth against violence.
Then a cold snort cut through everything.
A man in a matte-black mask stepped forward, rolling a few steel spheres in his palm. His eyes, barely visible behind the slits, radiated pure killing intent.
"Boy," the Black Mask growled, "do you even understand what you're doing?"
The surrounding thugs stiffened instantly. Fear turned into desperate bravado as they squared up, ready to charge if their boss so much as blinked. Everyone here knew the reputation of the Black Mask. No one crossed him and lived comfortably afterward.
Ryuuto didn't step back. He didn't even blink.
"You don't deserve my name," he said, voice low and sharp. "But since you touched her, you're all already dead."
A ripple of unease shot through the room.
Even Black Mask's eyes twitched.
Natasha tightened her grip on Ryuuto's hand. "Ryuuto… that guy is Black Mask. Tony and I hunted him for months. We lost good people. Be careful."
"I know," Ryuuto murmured. "Leave the rest to me."
[Host, this is a great time to show off. Please try not to die. I haven't backed up your embarrassing memories yet.]
Shadow Clone Technique.
Secret Art: Worm Jade.
Ryuuto burst forward like a thunderbolt.
Hundreds of clones tore across the room, and a sky-darkening swarm of insects poured out behind him. Screams erupted. Bodies hit the ground. The hideout dissolved into chaos, a living storm eating everything in its path.
"You little brat!" Black Mask roared, veins bulging as he watched his men get shredded. "You dare destroy my base right in front of me!?"
Ryuuto didn't bother answering. He cut through the last row of thugs like they were cardboard, Natasha watching with a mix of shock and pride.
Black Mask finally snapped.
"Roar!"
He lunged, swinging a modified Mitsuboshi military blade. Each step he took cracked the floor. His fury ignited his men, pushing them into a suicidal frenzy. Gunshots, screams, broken bodies—it turned into a brutal battlefield.
Natasha moved too, firing clean shots, but her eyes kept flicking to Ryuuto and Black Mask.
Light and Heavy Rock Technique.
Stone armor coated Ryuuto's body. He met Black Mask's slash head-on.
The blade bent like cheap metal.
Black Mask's expression faltered. "Your fists are… hardened?"
Ryuuto smirked. "You can test them with your face."
He grabbed Black Mask's wrist, then whipped a fist straight into the man's chin. A crack echoed through the hall. Even the watching thugs felt their spines tingle.
Before Black Mask could recover, Ryuuto drove a heavy kick into his gut and launched him across the room.
Black Mask rolled, then stood.
Bones shifted. Muscles bulged. His body twisted unnaturally until he looked like some monster out of a nightmare.
"You hit hard, brat," Black Mask snarled. "But you'll regret mocking me."
"Oh relax," Ryuuto said, flicking a handful of shuriken at him. "I'm not into guys. Especially not whatever you are. I heard your face's been ruined for years?"
That got him.
"You want to die? Fine! Come and face my peak physical fitness!"
The hideout trembled as Black Mask powered up.
Strength and speed surged tenfold. Muscle cords bulged like steel cables. His killing intent became a suffocating haze.
Ryuuto just tilted his head. "That's it? I expected more."
Black Mask blitzed him, fists flying like machine-gun fire.
Ryuuto flowed around every blow. Not a single hit touched him.
Leaf Great Whirlwind.
His kick ripped through the air, shattering the overhead chandelier into raining shards.
"GOOD!" Black Mask roared, lunging with monstrous claws. He caught Ryuuto's ankle mid-spin, ready to slam him.
But Ryuuto moved faster.
He slipped in close and locked Black Mask in a grapple.
"Too slow. Go say hi to the ceiling."
Lotus Blossom.
Bandages snapped out like white lightning, wrapping Black Mask into a human cocoon. Ryuuto leaped high, spinning, flipping, accelerating.
Then he drove Black Mask headfirst toward the ground.
"Boss is in danger! Move!" one thug screamed.
"Stop that kid!" another howled.
They rushed in desperation—too late.
The earth was waiting.