Chapter 44 - Doubt

Ryu grinned as he greeted the group of Hyugas entering his workshop, led by the muscular man he had spoken to the day before. "You have impeccable timing. I just finished your sword."

The muscular Hyuga's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Lucky us! May we see the finished product?"

"Of course, follow me," Ryu replied, leading them to the sword, which lay on a table across the room.

Even with the sheath covering the blade, the Hyugas could tell that the sword was something special. The guard and handle were unique, unlike anything they had seen before. When Ryu carefully unsheathed the weapon, they couldn't help but stare in awe at the craftsmanship.

Ryu, noticing their reaction, asked with a smirk, "I take it you're happy with the product?"

The muscular Hyuga stammered, "O-of course! It's breathtaking! Is its price truly only 80,000 Ryo, as you mentioned before?"

"Yes. As I said, this particular design isn't overly complicated to make. If you're satisfied, shall we proceed with the payment?" Ryu inquired.

The muscular Hyuga hesitated for a moment before responding, "Yes, but first, could we ask for your help with another matter?"

Ryu raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I don't see any reason to refuse. What do you need?"

The Hyuga's voice trembled slightly as he continued, "We'd like you to remove the seals that bind our family members. How much will that cost?" The people behind him, presumably his and his friend's family, looked at Ryu with a mix of hope and doubt.

Ryu considered the request for a moment. "It's 50 Ryo per person, and you've got 10 people that need my services. That comes out to 500 Ryo, bringing your total bill to 80,600 Ryo since I also treated you two yesterday. Is that alright?"

The muscular Hyuga agreed without hesitation. "Yes, absolutely!"

Ryu nodded and began to work, moving methodically from one family member to another, removing the harmful seals and replacing them with harmless ones. As he finished the last person, he snapped his fingers. "Alright, done. I've removed the harmful seals and replaced them with useless ones, just like I did for you two."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Kajiya!" the muscular Hyuga said, his gratitude evident. He handed Ryu a suitcase full of bills. "Here's the payment."

Ryu opened the suitcase and eyed the money. "Is this really 80,000 Ryo? It looks like there's more."

The man chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head. "Wow, you caught us so soon. There's actually 100,000 Ryo in that suitcase. We wanted to express our gratitude for not only creating a masterpiece but also freeing us from the burdensome seals."

Ryu hesitated, looking at the extra money. "Are you sure you want to pay me this much?"

The man insisted, "Yes, you deserve it and so much more!"

Ryu nodded, acknowledging the man's generosity. "Thank you. I just realized I never got your name."

The muscular Hyuga smiled warmly. "My name is Nozomi. I guess I never introduced myself."

"I see. I hope you enjoy your new freedom, Nozomi," Ryu smiled.

"We certainly will," Nozomi replied, chuckling. With that, Nozomi and the group of Hyuga family members said their goodbyes and returned to their homes.

Upon their return, a young boy, who appeared to be around ten years old, looked up at Nozomi with questioning eyes. "Father, did that really work? I don't feel any different."

Nozomi knelt down beside his son and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, my boy. While you may not feel any different, the main branch no longer has any power over you. The harmful seals are gone, and we are free from their control."

The boy's eyes still held a glimmer of doubt, but he nodded, trusting his father's words. Nozomi hoped that, in time, his son and the rest of their family would fully comprehend the newfound freedom they'd gained, thanks to Ryu's help.

---

Several days passed since the Hyugas came to Ryu's smithy.

Naruto, who had just finished an intense evening training session, had sweat dripping down his face as he huffed and puffed, completely drained from his efforts.

"Oh, I see you actually followed my instructions," Ryu observed, reading Naruto's mind as he approached the exhausted ninja.

"Go to hell," Naruto mumbled, causing a vein to bulge on Ryu's forehead. "Naruto?" Ryu said gently, his lips forming a wide, disconcerting smile.

"Yeah-" Naruto began to reply, but seeing Ryu's expression, horror engulfed him.

"I don't think you crawled enough. Go do a lap across the village," Ryu commanded, making Naruto's face turn paler than a sheet of paper. "Wait, Ryu, I'm-" Naruto tried to apologize, but it was too late. "Let me show you where to start!" Ryu exclaimed, grabbing Naruto by his jacket and hurling him into the sky.

"Was that too cruel? Nah, I can just heal him up if anything happens," Ryu shrugged nonchalantly.

Suddenly, loud and frantic yells echoed through the air as someone desperately sprinted toward Ryu's smithy. "Mr. Kajiya! Mr. Kajiya!"

Recognizing the voice, Ryu asked, "Nozomi? What's wrong?"

"It's my son! He didn't believe your method worked, so he tried to fake an accident with the main clan's daughter. He bumped into her, and when her bodyguard tried to punish him with the mark, it didn't work. Now they've kidnapped him and are torturing him to find out who helped him remove the seal's effects. They'll come after my family and then you!" Nozomi explained, panic evident in his voice.

"Calm down, I'll take care of this. In fact, this is a good opportunity. This way, I can remove the seals from all the Hyuga at once. You stay here, and I'll go have a talk with your clan head," Ryu said confidently, smirking as he began to walk toward the Hyuga residence.

---

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ryu's conjured an Anbu army. These amalgamation Shinobi contained all the skills and abilities of everyone he scanned so far, resulting in an army of Kage-level Shinobi that were now setting their sights on the Hyuga clan. As the first Anbu operative leaped into action, the rest followed suit in perfect synchronization.

They moved like shadows, their swift footsteps not making a sound as they traversed the rooftops. Maneuvering effortlessly around any obstacle, they seemed to defy gravity with their fluid, nimble skills.

The air was silent and still as the Anbu flickered from one rooftop to another, closing in on the Hyuga residence above the heads of unsuspecting villagers. Their Chakra-enhanced speed and agility were unmatched, allowing them to cover vast distances in mere seconds.

As the Anbu closed in on their targets, the Hyuga Shinobi had no inkling of their impending doom. One by one, the Anbu struck with unbelievable precision. A swift strike to the side of the neck, a clean blow to the solar plexus, a well-placed pressure point strike to the base of the skull. Each takedown was calculated and executed with brutal efficiency. Not even gasps could escape the mouth of the Hyuga Shinobi as they fell unconscious.

Even with their Byakugan active, the Hyuga simply didn't have time to react. Before they could warn their comrades, or even let out a sound, an Anbu found them.

The chilling efficiency of the operation was a horrifying spectacle. Ryu's Shinobi were an unstoppable force, relentlessly picking off their targets with cold, dispassionate precision. As the Hyuga Shinobi tried to fight back, their desperate efforts were met with swift, merciless retribution.

And as the last Hyuga Shinobi fell to the ground, Ryu came out of the shadows.