After reading the letter from Ikkyu, Ryu said, "Uchiha are indebted to me; I can count one vote from them. That would be repayment for saving Itachi's life and awakening a few Sharingan. And the Senju clan is also cool with me. Knowing that Aunt Tsunade is in town, the Senju clan leader must have discussed it with her. I guess that could be my second vote. Hokage could be third. A few ministers from supporters of Ikkyu. I doubt other ninja clans would vote for me, as it undermines their power in the village.
Ryu said, "Sigh... I guess all is up to luck now. I will know soon enough. Let's leave that thought and get back to work."
Ryu entered his workshop and said, "Secretary Enjomi instructed everyone at the company to proceed with the product launch."
Ryu was waiting for Ikkyu to receive the Solar Paint technology first. He was his best source of publicity. Now that the installation and commissioning are complete, this product will be the topic of conversation for some time.
Ryu then said, "We will strategically position the Solar Paint technology in the market for maximum impact and profitability. Maintain a high price for two or three months, followed by a gradual price reduction. We will eventually make it affordable for everyone, but for now let's make sure we capitalise on this opportunity and make it a success."
The secretary was shocked by the instruction but quickly understood his plan
Ryu continued with his instructions and said, "Tell the sales team to not miss this opportunity and approach every noble house and every major business house in the country with the product. Tell them that we have installed this product at Ikkyu's mansion."
Ryu thought, 'The nobles will be the most eager customers to purchase the product after seeing it at Ikkyu Mansion. Once they saw this at Ikkyu Mansion, they wanted it for themselves to raise their status. I will milk the rich and nobles for the time being. I have better use for that money anyway.'
Secretary Kaori thought, 'He is considering scamming the nobles and the wealthy. He is being too greedy.'
He looked at his secretary and said, "Prepare a three-panel team in all major regions of the Fire Nation and launch a subsidy for small businesses and low-income houses after the prices are lowered. Also offer long-term payment options for everyone as well that can not afford the upfront cost."
The secretary thought, 'Amazing, his business sense is also top-notch. He is like a predator. If he drops being a ninja and solely focuses on business, then he will swallow every other company in the entire world.'
She said, "Yes, boss, I have written every instruction. I will immediately do a briefing and will relay it to your instructor. Rest assured, everything will happen as per your instructions."
Ryu smiled at her and replied, "There's no rest for the wicked, Secretary Kaori. It's training time for me now."
The secretary thought, 'This kid is a monster. He is either building something or training. He is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future.'
She said, "I will take my leave then."
The secretary left, and Ryu started training. Ryu placed the [R.A.T. seal] first on his chest and then on the heads-up display in his mind.
- [R.A.T. seal] activated.
- Suppression rate: 2%
Ryu thought, 'This much suppression doesn't feel like much, or maybe it is perfect for long-term benefits. I will see the effects when the suppression increases. It's a good thing I have added an inbuilt increment system. Once my body adapts to the current suppression, it will automatically increase.'
After that, Ryu started moulding soft clay into bricks using his chakra. He was done making small, toy-sized clay shapes. Now he was making full-sized bricks to speed up the training, all while the [R.A.T. seal] was actively making it difficult for him in moulding the earth chakra, acting like a training weight.
Ryu thought, 'This debuff seal is working wonders. What if I could apply it remotely on my enemies? That would be awesome. I will. I also need to look into the opposite effects and create a buffing effect also.'
"Grandpa, I'm leaving for the academy," Ryu called out, wiping the sweat from his brow as he headed towards the gate.
As Ryu walked towards the academy, he found Saya on the way.
"Hey, Ryu," she said, falling into step beside him.
"Hey," he replied with a smile.
Saya asked, "How's your training going with Earth affinity?"
"It's going smoothly. How is your wind training going?" Ryu replied.
"It's… going," Saya admitted, sighing. "I can't seem to cut that leaf in half. Half the time, I end up burning it instead."
Ryu nodded thoughtfully. "It's because you're so used to using fire affinity. Your chakra is naturally attuned to it, so switching to Wind is going to take some time. Or…" he paused for dramatic effect, "you could try using a suppression seal."
"A suppression seal?" Saya's eyes lit up with interest. "What's that?"
"It's a seal that suppresses a specific affinity," Ryu explained. "You could ask your clan for one. The Uchiha Clan specialises in fire, so they must have a fire suppression seal somewhere."
"Thanks, Ryu," Saya said, determination in her voice. "I'll ask Lord Fugaku about it."
"How are the others doing?" Ryu asked, changing the subject.
"They're doing better than me, actually," Saya admitted. "I thought I was falling behind, but I guess it makes sense since they're all training in their primary affinities."
Ryu nodded. "Exactly. But you're trying to switch affinities, which is always going to be harder. But you're doing great, Saya. In a month, you'll be cutting leaves like a pro."
Saya smiled, feeling a bit better. "You think so?"
"I know so," Ryu said with a grin. "And once you master that, you'll be using Wind jutsus in no time."
As they approached the academy, Saya turned to Ryu with a curious expression and asked, "How's your training in medical ninjutsu going?"
Ryu's face lit up. "It's going great, actually. I recently published a paper on a new drug for a serious illness. If things go well with the research, it could turn into a medicine that actually cures the illness."
Saya's eyes widened in surprise. "Ryu, that's amazing! Congratulations! It was your dream to save lives, wasn't it? And you haven't even graduated from the academy yet."
Ryu shrugged modestly. "I'm just trying to do my part. But yeah, it's a big step."
Saya laughed. "And here I am, stuck on cutting leaves. You're making me look bad, Ryu."
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Ryu said, clapping her on the back. "You'll get there. Just keep practising."
The two of them arrived at the academy, where they engaged in rigorous training sessions, attended lectures, and practised various jutsus throughout the day. By the end of it, Ryu reminded Saya and the others to keep up their training during any free time they had.
After the day's classes, Ryu made his way to Nono Yakushi's lab. Nono was already there, her face lit up with excitement as she greeted him.
"Ryu-kun, the research paper was a success!" she exclaimed, barely containing her enthusiasm. "I've been getting invites from all sorts of high-profile people in the medical council. They all want to meet both of us."
Ryu raised an eyebrow. "That's unexpected. I thought we'd have to push harder for recognition."
Nono shrugged. "I think they're aware of your connection to Lady Tsunade. You two have been seen together quite a bit around the village."
Ryu nodded thoughtfully. "I see what you mean. They probably think they can reach her through me."
Nono nodded in agreement. "It's a smart move on their part to try and get closer to Lady Tsunade through you."
Nono added, "Or maybe they're just interested in your genius. You're not exactly someone they can ignore."
Ryu chuckled. "Well, whatever their reasons, it's good for our cause. Let's make sure they know we're serious about this."
The two of them spent the next hour discussing the research paper and their plans for the anti-TB drug. They decided to share the credit with Leaf Central Hospital, a decision that Nono found both admirable and a little enviable.
"I don't know how you do it, Ryu," she said, shaking her head. "I wish I could say I didn't care about the money, but I have the orphanage to think about."
Ryu smiled. "I understand. But I have more than enough money to take care of myself. Besides, I think I can make a bigger difference by donating my share of the rewards to the orphanage."
Nono's eyes softened. "You're a good man, Ryu."
Ryu waved it off. "It's just the right thing to do. Besides, I'm sure you'll make sure the money is put to good use."
Nono nodded, a determined look on her face. "You can count on it."
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