And that was only the improvement in mental power. His perception, physical strength, and other attributes had all experienced massive boosts as well.
You could say that in the past, destroying a mountain might have been a bit of a challenge for Ryo—but now, it would be a simple task, hardly requiring any real effort.
Gardevoir and Dragonite both nodded at this, quietly sighing in relief.
"Alright, since you've successfully broken through, we won't disturb you any longer. Nagato's been waiting here for you all afternoon," Cynthia said, seeing that everything was fine.
"Is there something going on, Nagato?" Ryo asked, frowning slightly and turning to look at him.
Nagato nodded, just about to explain when Cynthia's voice cut in again.
"You two go ahead and talk. We'll leave you to it. Come on, no need to keep watching."
With that, she left with the Pokémon in tow. She had no interest in this kind of matter and figured it was better to step away early.
The Pokémon felt the same—stuff like this just gave them a headache.
"Go ahead," Ryo said, turning back to Nagato once they were gone.
"Boss, Uchiha Madara has reappeared."
"Hm?" Ryo's brow furrowed. "He's resurfaced again? What's the purpose of this appearance?"
Nagato shook his head. "We're not sure. His people have been quite active across the ninja world lately, but they don't seem to have a clear goal."
That was the main reason he'd come to speak with Ryo. He couldn't make sense of what was going on.
If they had a clear objective, at least preparations could be made to respond.
But now? It was like wild horses let loose—chaotic, unpredictable.
Ryo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "And what about Madara himself? Has he shown up personally?"
"Not yet," Nagato replied. "But judging from how active they've been, I'd say it's only a matter of time."
"I see. Keep monitoring them, then," Ryo nodded.
Nagato hesitated for a moment before asking, "Aren't we going to do anything? From what I know about him, he wouldn't leave us alone. This sudden reappearance—his goal might be us."
Ryo shook his head. "He's not that foolish. If he hasn't made a move for this long, it means he's aware of our strength. And if he's aware, he won't attack rashly."
Of course, if Obito had full confidence in defeating him, he would strike without hesitation—but clearly, that wasn't the case.
First, Ryo couldn't think of anything in the ninja world that could give Obito such confidence.
Second, if his goal really was to deal with Ryo, things wouldn't be this quiet—he'd be under direct attack already.
Nagato nodded slowly. "I understand."
After hearing Ryo's reasoning, he realized he'd been overthinking things. On reflection, it didn't make sense for them to be the immediate target.
Then he asked again, "But what about the others? Should we intervene?"
Even if they weren't targeting Ryo right now, their ultimate plan would no doubt involve him eventually.
After all, with Ryo and the Pokémon in the way, their real plans would never succeed.
"Leave them for now. Just keep observing," Ryo said. "I want to see exactly what he thinks he can do against us."
He truly wanted to know what had given Obito the confidence to think he could challenge him.
"Got it, boss. I'll take my leave now," Nagato said, turning to go—but before he could take more than a step, Ryo's voice called out.
"Hold on."
Nagato stopped and looked back, puzzled.
"Tomorrow's the Pokémon Battle Tournament. Stay and watch. I know you're always worried about Obito starting another war, but you should take a break too," Ryo said as he stepped up beside him.
He truly respected Nagato.
Ever since agreeing to become a staff member, he had caught one Pokémon and immediately set out to monitor Obito.
On one hand, it was about gathering intelligence. And if he ran into Obito, maybe getting revenge—while there was no conclusive proof that Obito was behind Yahiko's death, all evidence pointed in that direction.
Beyond revenge, Nagato also wanted to stop Obito's plans. He knew what they entailed and understood the war it would bring upon the ninja world. If he could prevent that, he would.
It was also a way for him to make peace with his own past—perhaps to atone for the people he'd hurt during his misguided years.
"Boss, I don't need rest. And I have to keep my eyes on those people," Nagato replied, shaking his head.
Ryo continued, "I understand what you're thinking. But if they really wanted to hide, you wouldn't be able to find them anyway."
With the abilities of Obito's Sharingan, if he didn't want to be seen, Nagato wouldn't detect him—plain and simple.
If even Nagato couldn't find him, then the Akatsuki's peripheral agents certainly stood no chance.
And if Nagato's watchful eye was that obvious, did Obito not know? If he did, and still exposed himself, it meant he had something up his sleeve.
Nagato fell silent at this. As much as he disliked hearing it, Ryo was right. If Obito truly wanted to stay hidden, he wouldn't have noticed a thing.
And Nagato did believe Obito had that level of ability.
"Alright, then. Do as I say," Ryo said. "Watching the tournament isn't just for you to relax—it's also a chance for you to see how others train their Pokémon. You might learn something."
"You already have a Pokémon of your own. I believe you've realized that a Pokémon's potential can be a powerful asset to you."
Nagato was quiet for a few seconds, then nodded. "Understood, boss. I'll watch tomorrow's match."
Ryo nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Go get some rest."
Nagato gave another nod, then turned and left.
Watching him go, Ryo shook his head with a helpless smile. "No wonder he's known as the Peace Seeker. His head's always filled with thoughts of peace."
Ever since Nagato came here, he'd been constantly thinking about peace.
Ryo had tried to change that mindset more than once, but it hadn't worked.
Otherwise, Nagato would've been stationed in some ninja village running a Pokémon House like the other former Akatsuki members.
Sigh
Ryo exhaled and shook his head again. "I hope tomorrow's tournament will help him realize the power and growth potential of Pokémon. Otherwise, having a Moltres follow him around is such a waste of talent."
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