Danzo muttered darkly.
He had dealt with the White Fang several times before — none of those encounters had been pleasant.
And now, Hatake Sakumo's reputation in Konoha was soaring.
Some even whispered that the next Hokage could be the White Fang himself.
Danzo's eyes narrowed. He would never allow anyone to stand in the way of his path to Hokage.
---
"I'm home!"
Aoyama Ryuyun's house was a modest two-story building with a small yard reserved for taijutsu practice.
Even though he knew no one was there to answer, he still called out habitually each time he returned.
As a transmigrant, Aoyama Ryuyun had come from a civilian background. His parents were ordinary shinobi — loyal, dutiful, and long dead from the previous Great Ninja War.
Ordinarily, with such humble origins, he would never have been able to afford a house with its own yard. But his talent had opened doors.
Though Hiruzen Sarutobi was far from a saint, he maintained his façade of benevolence. To preserve that image, he would not dare mistreat Konoha's rising heroes. This residence had been personally allocated to Aoyama Ryuyun by the Third Hokage himself.
After tidying up, Aoyama Ryuyun picked up his ninja sword and stepped into the yard.
Once, his training posts had been made of wood. Now, they were solid iron.
Even so, many had already been worn down and discarded.
Fortunately, after becoming a shinobi, Aoyama Ryuyun had learned how to make money — enough to sustain such costly training.
"Today's the day…" he muttered, excitement glinting in his sharp eyes as he held two finely crafted ninja blades.
Years of waiting had led to this moment.
---
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The once-quiet yard rang with the relentless clash of steel.
Aoyama Ryuyun's twin blades danced like lightning, striking the iron posts again and again.
Training this way devoured not only stakes but also the blades themselves.
Hours passed. By the time dusk fell, his well-toned body, sculpted like metal, was drenched in sweat.
From the awkward movements of his youth to the flawless precision of now, his speed and strength had long reached perfect harmony.
"Ten thousand!"
With his final swing, a surge of triumph flashed across his face. The blade in his hand quivered from the force.
Swish!
A brilliant arc of sword light cut through the air — and the iron stake before him was severed cleanly in half, the cut smooth as glass.
But his weapon couldn't withstand it. The blade fractured, pieces scattering across the yard.
"After all… it's just a standard-issue ninja sword."
Unbothered, Aoyama Ryuyun tossed the broken weapon aside.
Ordinary swords could no longer handle his strength.
Unfortunately, true legendary blades were scarce in the shinobi world.
He had spent years searching for even a rumor of the Kusanagi Sword, but not once had he glimpsed it.
---
Exhaling slowly, Aoyama Ryuyun sat cross-legged in the yard, closing his eyes.
He wasn't meditating — he was connecting with his system.
That's right. As a transmigrant, he naturally possessed a cheat.
The title "Golden Lion" was something he had earned through that system.
---
God-Level Template System
First Template: Golden Lion Shiki
Compatibility: 49.99%
Template Abilities: Intermediate Haoshoku Haki, Intermediate Armament Haki, Intermediate Kenbunshoku Haki, Swordsman's Sword Art
Skills: Basic Three Body Technique, Body Flicker Technique
Daily Mission: Swing sword ten thousand times (Completed! Claim reward?)
---
Most of Aoyama Ryuyun's current strength came from this Golden Lion template.
The Three Body Technique he had learned at the Academy; the Body Flicker from Hatake Sakumo himself. Beyond that, his skills were self-forged.
Many underestimated Golden Lion Shiki because he had once been defeated by Monkey D. Luffy early in his journey — but the template Aoyama Ryuyun possessed represented Shiki at his peak, the era when he stood as one of the Three Great Pirates alongside Gol D. Roger and Edward Newgate.
The Flying Pirate Admiral.
At his height, Shiki's mastery of all three Haki types was top-tier, and his dual-wielded swordsmanship rivaled the world's greatest.
Yet Aoyama Ryuyun's current compatibility was far from complete.
His Haki stood only at the intermediate level, and his swordsmanship — while capable of cutting steel — remained limited to basic flying slashes.
Once compatibility reached one hundred percent, he would inherit the full power of the Golden Lion's prime.
But that was for the future. For now, one thing mattered most.
"Claim daily mission."
He had been waiting years for this moment.
"Daily Mission: Swing sword ten thousand times! Completed. Reward: Compatibility +0.01."
As soon as he confirmed, the system shimmered to life.
---
God-Level Template System
First Template: Golden Lion Shiki
Compatibility: 50%
Template Abilities: Intermediate Haoshoku Haki, Intermediate Armament Haki, Intermediate Kenbunshoku Haki, Swordsman's Sword Art, Float-Float Fruit (Beginner)
Skills: Basic Three Body Technique, Body Flicker Technique
---
A new power stirred within him.
The Float-Float Fruit — the very ability that had earned Shiki his title as the Flying Pirate.
Aoyama Ryuyun could feel the energy coursing through him, light and boundless.
With his compatibility now at fifty percent, he could finally use the Golden Lion's Devil Fruit ability.
He had prepared for this day from the very beginning.
"Now… let's test the skills I've been imagining all this time."
Though he had inherited Shiki's abilities, Aoyama Ryuyun refused to be a mere imitation.
He was a transmigrant — and with that came the imagination to forge something entirely new.