In the back mountains of the village, Ryuma was drenched in sweat as he carried out his daily grueling training.
"One hundred and twelve, one hundred and thirteen, one hundred and fourteen…"
"Two hundred and fifty-one, two hundred and seventy-seven, two hundred and ninety…"
He silently counted in his mind, the ground beneath him already soaked with sweat.
His arms were growing stiffer by the second, his body heavier, as if it might collapse at any moment.
His arms were already numb—no sensation left. The only thing pushing him forward was sheer willpower.
He didn't want to die. He wanted to live. That desire was what gave him the strength to keep pushing, constantly challenging the limits of his body.
Gritting his teeth, he finally completed 300 push-ups. The moment he stood up, the world spun around him. With a loud thud, he fell flat on his back.
Just like a drowning man finally saved, he gasped for breath, greedily inhaling the fresh air.
But not long after, he propped himself back up with both hands and stood again.
"Push-up goal complete—300 reps. Next target: 350. Now, start 300 squats!"
Setting his new goal, Ryuma clasped his hands behind his head and began squatting up and down under the pressure of gravity.
Halfway through, he suddenly felt the strain wasn't as intense as it should be. With a burst, he increased the gravitational force. Then he continued squatting.
Although he hadn't focused too much on developing his Devil Fruit powers, he spent nearly all his time suppressing his own body with it.
This allowed him to wield the power of the Gravity Fruit more flexibly and improved his chakra control as well.
This kind of training truly killed two birds with one stone.
After completing 300 squats, Ryuma rested for a bit, then focused all his strength and struck a wooden post in front of him.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed. The post didn't break, but a deep imprint of his fist was clearly left behind.
Ryuma was fairly satisfied with that. Though he was still far from being able to train in the Rokushiki, it had only been less than a month since he got the fruit.
To have nearly doubled his physical abilities in such a short time was already something to be envied.
With the Gravity Fruit, his attack power could reach unimaginable levels.
Just how strong?
Take the example of the Third Tsuchikage Onoki and the Fourth Raikage A, when they fought together.
Onoki's Earth Release not only boosted the Raikage's speed to lightning levels, but under its influence, the Raikage's punch was even able to pierce Madara's Susanoo defense.
Ryuma's current gravitational control wasn't that precise yet. His limit was just over two and half times the normal gravity—not nearly at the level of the Tsuchikage or Raikage.
But someday, he would be able to unleash strikes as powerful as the Third Tsuchikage and Fourth Raikage combined—or surpass them entirely.
Reaching the gravitational manipulation seen in Kaguya Otsutsuki's "Amenominaka" dimension?
"Found you at last…"
While he was lost in thought, a figure emerged from the forest. Following the voice, Ryuma saw it was Hanabi, the girl he'd met yesterday.
She wore a brightly patterned kimono—or was it a training uniform?—and carried a delicately packed lunch box in her hands as she walked straight up to him.
Ryuma furrowed his brows and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I… I came to thank you, of course. Thank you for saving me yesterday and bringing me home. I made this myself. It's not anything fancy, but… I hope you'll accept it…"
Smiling like a blooming flower, Hanabi opened the lunchbox, revealing several beautifully shaped rice balls.
It was clear she was proud of her creation.
"You didn't need to thank me. Even if I hadn't shown up yesterday, you wouldn't have died—at most, you'd have been bitten by some stray dogs.
And as for bringing you home, that was just on the way."
Ryuma glanced around, expressionless, then turned and walked deeper into the forest.
In that moment, his body felt light and free—he had already released the gravitational suppression once he noticed someone approaching.
Hanabi's smile froze. She bit her lip and chased after his back.
Though she was a twin, her personality was very different from her sister. She wasn't as shy or timid as Hinata.
She was stronger, more opinionated, and far braver. Once she made up her mind, she didn't waver easily.
Watching the girl trailing behind, the mongoose didn't cry out today about killing her or gouging out her Byakugan to trade for a sword.
It clearly sensed the three hidden presences around them. If Ryuma made the slightest move, he'd be struck down on the spot.
"Ryuma, there are three people. All Hyuga clan. Judging by their chakra, one's a jonin, the other two are genin. Whatever you do, don't make a move!"
Ryuma didn't need the mongoose's warning. He had no intention of harming Hanabi.
She was the Hyuga clan's princess, and future heir to the main family. Of course she'd have guards.
But hearing what the mongoose said, Ryuma couldn't help but feel a bit impressed. The Hyuga truly were one of the only clans in Konoha that could rival the Uchiha.
Even inside the village, they'd stationed a Jonin and two Chunin for protection. That was some serious firepower.
Then again, it wasn't surprising they were this cautious.
After all, the Cloud Village's kidnapping incident wasn't that long ago.
After walking a while, Ryuma squatted down and parted the dried grass, revealing a rabbit caught in a trap.
Startled by the unfamiliar presence, the rabbit curled into a ball, its ears trembling—but there was nowhere to run. It was firmly caught.
"What a cute little white rabbit! Can I—"
Hanabi rushed over, reaching out to pet it.
But in the next second, crack—the rabbit's neck was snapped in one swift motion by Ryuma's hand. It instantly went limp.
"Leave. This isn't a place you should be."
Staring at Hanabi's stunned expression, Ryuma reset the trap and, just like last night, turned and disappeared into the forest with the rabbit in hand.
Hanabi stood there, holding her lunchbox, unable to snap out of her daze.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and a gentle breeze swept through the forest, rustling the fallen leaves—a scene of desolate beauty.