At that moment, a familiar, radiant light portal enveloped Ryan's body.
The dimensional pull had begun, a powerful force surging through him, dragging him away. As his form started to fade, Gojo stood there, watching him with an easy smile.
"Not bad," Gojo said, hands in his pockets. "Next time, drop by for a visit instead of wrecking the place, yeah?"
His voice carried through the portal just as Ryan fully disappeared, leaving behind only the swirling remnants of light.
—
Meanwhile, in the chat group's meeting space…
A swirling, multicolored portal flickered into existence. From within, Ryan stepped forward, his return greeted by an eruption of voices.
Tsunade smirked, crossing her arms. "About time! I was starting to think you got yourself killed out there."
Naruto grinned widely, punching his fist into his palm. "Heh! Took you long enough! We were getting bored out of our minds waiting!"
Hashirama let out a dramatic sigh. "We waited so long, even the flowers I planted started wilting… and that's just tragic."
Madara scoffed, arms folded. "Enough with the chatter. Let's see what you brought back."
The room buzzed with anticipation as the Hokages gathered around, eager to see the results of Ryan's mission.
Ryan blinked, momentarily taken aback. Had they really missed him that much? It had only been three days…
Shaking off his surprise, he moved toward his seat, but something immediately caught his eye—the massive light curtain at the center of the room. A video was playing.
His battle with Sukuna. Every clash, every devastating blow, and every technique he had used in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen was captured in perfect detail. His brow furrowed as he glanced at the others.
Tobirama smirked, arms crossed. "Wondering how we passed the time? This."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "A recording?"
Hashirama chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Not just a recording—live footage. We watched everything as it happened."
Minato nodded, his usual calm smile in place. "From the moment you stepped into that world, we had front-row seats."
Madara stroked his beard, a rare, pleased smirk on his face. "Hmph. I'll admit, it was quite the spectacle."
Ryan blinked. So they had been watching him the entire time?
Now that he thought about it, there had been a hint in the mission details—while only he could enter that world, others had the option to spectate. A real-time spectator function.
With a quiet nod, Ryan exhaled. "I see."
Another detail caught Ryan off guard.
In the world he had just returned from, he, cursed spirits, and Gojo had spent three days scouring for resources. Yet, in the chat group's space, that time had passed in an instant, as if it had never existed. He shouldn't have been surprised.
The chat group's meeting space was a universal nexus, a realm that connected countless worlds. It was a place where the laws of time and space bent effortlessly, dictated by an incomprehensible force.
Manipulating time? Child's play. To ensure the Hokages weren't forced to wait, the chat group had compressed three full days into a single moment.
At this moment, the discussion had shifted. Everyone was analyzing Ryan's battle.
Madara smirked, arms crossed as he leaned back. "That was incredible."
"Yeah, his strength and speed have reached a ridiculous level," Hashirama admitted, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Even I would have trouble keeping up with him!"
Minato nodded in agreement. "Even without the Flying Thunder God Technique, he moves like he's teleporting."
Ryan's performance had even surprised him. Back when they fought side by side, Minato never had the opportunity to fully observe Ryan in action. He had only caught glimpses, flashes of motion in the chaos of battle.
But this time, he had watched everything.
As a bystander, the difference was clear—Ryan's current level of power was terrifying.
Even without relying on abilities, even without using techniques, his raw physical prowess alone was enough to overwhelm many formidable warriors.
How strong had he become?
The answer was simple: absurdly.
But that was to be expected.
Ryan carried the blood of a Saiyan, and with it, the limit-breaking potential of his race.
With every moment that passed, he only grew stronger.
What stirred even more discussion, however, was Ryan's Kokugan.
Now that everyone had seen its abilities firsthand, they couldn't deny how convenient-no—, how utterly broken—it was.
"Damn, that Rinnegan is too cool," Naruto said, his eyes practically sparkling.
"Yeah," Sasuke muttered, scrutinizing Ryan with an unreadable expression. "Anything he wants to collect just gets stored in another space."
"No need for seals, no preparation—just a thought, and it's gone," Minato observed.
"And when he wants to use it, he can just summon it instantly," Kakashi (Canon-like) added, already analyzing its applications.
"It's ridiculously overpowered," Obito muttered, eyeing Ryan with something between admiration and frustration.
Tobirama, arms folded, couldn't hide the envy in his eyes. "Tch."
He had spent his entire life researching and refining sealing techniques, yet Ryan's Rinnegan bypassed all that effort with sheer hax-level convenience.
Before today, he hadn't even imagined such an ability existed. But after watching it in action?
He understood. This power wasn't just useful—it was game-changing. His mind raced. If wielded properly, this ability could be far more versatile than anyone realized. That thought alone sent a surge of excitement through him.
After the reward ceremony was over, he had already made up his mind. He'd head straight to the chat group's exchange mall.
Check his points balance. See if this ability was available for purchase. And if it was? He was getting one.
And he wasn't the only one thinking that. Across the room, similar expressions of greed and interest flickered in the eyes of others.
"Admit it," Tsunade said with a knowing smirk. "You're all thinking about buying it."
Hashirama grinned. "Can you blame us? That kind of ability completely changes the way you fight!"
Kakashi chuckled. "I'm almost afraid to check the price. If it's even available, I doubt it'll come cheap."
Tobirama exhaled sharply. "Hmph. If it's obtainable, I'll find a way to get it."
Tsunade (Road to Shinobi) hummed in thought. "It's definitely powerful, but I wonder how practical it is for medical ninjutsu... Imagine instantly accessing a vast stockpile of prepared treatments during battle."
Madara scoffed. "You're all too focused on logistics. The real question is—how do we counter it?" His crimson Sharingan gleamed. "If this power exists, someone else could get it too. You better hope you're not the one fighting it."
Naruto winced. "Yeah… good luck dodging an attack that's already stored and ready to be launched in an instant."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "If I had something like that back then, the war would've ended much faster."
Obito smirked. "And yet, you still would've lost to me."
Sasuke clicked his tongue but didn't argue.
Minato shook his head with a sigh. Regardless, we should keep an eye on Ryan. He's growing at an impossible rate, and if he keeps this up… well, next time he fights, we might not even be able to follow his movements anymore."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Because deep down, they all knew—
Ryan was only getting started.
But before the discussion could spiral out of control, Hashirama's booming voice cut through the chatter.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down! The rewards are about to begin!"
"Isn't this what you've all been waiting for? Hurry up and see what's up for grabs for this special mission!"
The moment his words landed, the room fell into anticipation-filled silence. Excitement buzzed in the air.
Even though the reward technically had nothing to do with them, since it was Ryan's mission alone, curiosity had won out.
Because of this type of mission…
It was a first. No one had seen this format before, and the novelty alone had them on edge. Then, as the tension reached its peak—
DING!
[System Notification]
▶ Mission Completed: Conquest Across the Worlds – Complete Success!
[Displaying detailed completion results below.]
The moment the message appeared, murmurs rippled through the group.
Excitement, curiosity, and—above all—a sense of realization flickered in their expressions.
This mission…
It was different. But at the same time, there was something familiar about it. The format, the wording of the system's prompts—
It was just like before. It seemed that Ryan had completed this mission alone, yet it was still categorized as a World's Mission.
Which could only mean one thing—
The rewards would be just as grand.
At that realization, many turned their gazes toward Ryan, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and envy.
A chance like this…
Who wouldn't want it?
And then—
DING!
The chat group displayed the mission completion status.
[Mission 1: Collect all the fingers of the Two-Faced Su Nuo!]
[Status: Perfect Completion!]
[Reward: 50,000 points!]
The moment the announcement dropped, the chat group fell into silence.
Tobirama frowned, arms crossed. "Fifty thousand points—for a solo mission?" His voice was sharp, analytical. "That's the standard payout for a full group mission. If the system considers the dangers equivalent, then the only logical conclusion is that solo missions are exponentially riskier. Only those who can handle an entire world alone should even consider them."
Madara scoffed. "So the system sees no difference between a team effort and one person doing all the work? Tch. Typical." His eyes glinted with something unreadable. "This isn't a reward—it's a warning. If you're not at a level where wiping out an army single-handedly is trivial, you have no business taking solo missions."
Tsunade (Canon-like) sighed, rubbing her temple. "I had a feeling something was off when I saw the payout. It's not generosity—it's balancing. The system doesn't care if you live or die, just that the risks match the rewards."
Minato nodded thoughtfully. "That means we need to reconsider how we approach missions going forward. Solo missions aren't just dangerous—they're a test of whether you're strong enough to survive on your own."
Sasuke glanced at Ryan. "You pulled it off this time, but if the system expects solo participants to fight on the same level as a full squad… It's only a matter of time before someone overestimates themselves and gets killed."
Kakashi (Darker Timeline) exhaled, shaking his head. "Then the rule should be simple. Only take a solo mission if you're confident you could take on an entire world by yourself. If not, don't bother."
No one disagreed.
The system wasn't being generous. It was setting a brutal standard.
---
Enjoyed the chapter? You can read 40+ Chapters more now on P*treon/Marioni.