"He's so handsome!"
Kurenai Yūhi couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Honestly, Kurenai, I know you admire Aoyama Ryūun, but you're still a young lady. Show some restraint," Shinku Yūhi scolded irritably.
"Let's go."
Without another word, he pulled his daughter away.
Aoyama Ryūun paid no attention to their departure.
What preoccupied him now was what Shinku had mentioned at the dinner table earlier.
> "White Fang's mission… Has it already come to that?"
So the higher-ups had begun targeting Hatake Sakumo.
But that was expected. Sakumo — the White Fang of Konoha — possessed immense power and influence.
He belonged to neither the Hokage's faction nor any of the other political circles within the village. His fame eclipsed even his superiors. Naturally, they would fear and isolate him.
And soon, that meant the White Fang would die.
"Tch… To choose death over pride — in the end, the White Fang is nothing but a coward."
The great Konoha White Fang — a hero revered across nations —
didn't die on the battlefield.
He took his own life.
How laughable.
At least, in Aoyama Ryūun's view, if someone dared to conspire against him, he would destroy them all — not surrender to despair.
Suicide? Disgraceful.
After tidying up his things, Aoyama Ryūun went to rest.
---
The next morning, two exquisitely forged ninja swords hung from his waist.
Because of his training, Ryūun always kept spare blades at home.
He planned to take a walk today — more accurately, to test his newly awakened Float-Float Fruit powers somewhere beyond the confines of his yard.
The courtyard was far too small for real experimentation.
Besides, Ryūun was fully aware that Hiruzen Sarutobi's crystal ball could observe everything within Konoha.
Until his strength reached its peak, he had no intention of drawing unnecessary attention.
After all, though Konoha was known as the cradle of geniuses, under Hiruzen's leadership, few of those geniuses ever met good ends.
Just as he was about to step outside, a commotion broke out near his door.
> "Didn't I warn you already? Do you have a death wish?"
Tsunade stood there, glaring at Dan Katō, who was once again trailing behind her.
What is he, a cockroach? she thought with irritation. His persistence is almost supernatural.
Although Tsunade's punch yesterday had left him badly injured, Dan had recovered quickly — a testament to a jōnin's physique.
Of course, that was only because Tsunade hadn't intended to kill him. Otherwise, he'd have been buried by now.
"W–wait, Tsunade! I'm only worried about you!"
Dan scratched his head awkwardly. He was terrified of Tsunade's monstrous strength, but his infatuation outweighed his fear.
"Worried? You're just a nuisance. Get lost."
Tsunade's sharp glare could have pierced steel. Were it not for their shared Konoha affiliation, she might have knocked him unconscious on the spot.
At that exact moment, Aoyama Ryūun opened his door.
He was greeted by the sight of Tsunade and Dan arguing on his doorstep.
"Did you two take a wrong turn?" he said dryly. "Arguing in front of my door first thing in the morning — seriously?"
"I was actually looking for you!" Tsunade said, her eyes lighting up as she turned toward him.
She instantly lost all interest in Dan.
Leaning casually against the doorframe, Aoyama Ryūun glanced at her, his tone cool but curious.
"Oh? And what business does Lady Tsunade have with me?"
Despite the honorific, there was no hint of deference in his voice — only the calm arrogance of someone who saw the world from above.
Tsunade didn't take offense. In a world where strength decided everything, a boy who could block her monstrous strength punch had earned the right to speak candidly.
Dan Katō, however, did not share her leniency.
The woman he'd pursued for years had never sought him out — yet here she was, approaching a teenager.
What made it worse, Ryūun hadn't even looked at him once.
"Watch your tone, brat! Do you even know who you're talking to?"
Ryūun's golden eyes flicked toward him — a faint glint of amusement crossing his face.
"Hmm?"
He hadn't cared about this minor jōnin before. But the sheer arrogance in Dan's voice piqued his interest.
Even Tsunade frowned.
This fool's going to get himself killed… Don't drag me into it, she thought, stepping back slightly.
"Even if they call you the Golden Lion," Dan declared, puffing his chest, "I'm Dan Katō — a renowned jōnin of Konoha!"
In his mind, Aoyama Ryūun was nothing more than a young prodigy — strong, yes, but still just a boy of fifteen. Dan had been famous long before Ryūun was even a ninja.
Ryūun smiled faintly, his gaze sharp as a predator's.
"Oh? So what?"
"So, when you meet a senior like me, you should show respect!" Dan snapped.
Ryūun nodded lightly. "I see."
Dan mistook the gesture for submission and smirked in satisfaction.
Tsunade sighed and quietly retreated another step. She had no intention of stopping what was about to happen.
"Good! As long as you underst—"
"Tell me, Dan Katō…" Ryūun's voice cut through his words like a blade.
"Who do you think you are?"
His lion-like eyes glowed with dangerous intensity as his hand gripped the hilt of his sword.
An overwhelming wave of killing intent — no, something far beyond that — exploded outward.
Conqueror's Haki.
The invisible pressure radiated from Aoyama Ryūun, shaking the air.
Dan froze, his body trembling under the crushing weight of the aura.
Tsunade's pupils widened.
"What… what is this?" she whispered, stunned.
Though Ryūun's presence was focused entirely on Dan, Tsunade herself could feel the oppressive might — wild, regal, and absolute.
It was the aura of a king.