Chapter 185: Orcs
The next morning, as soon as Ryosuke opened his eyes, got out of bed, and was about to head to the bathroom to wash up, he sensed sothing was off.
There were signs—subtle, but present—that another living being had been in the room.
He hurried to the wooden box that contained the Devil Fruit.
Sure enough...
The Devil Fruit was gone.
The lid was open, the box empty. Ryosuke stared at it, sinking into thought.
He had returned ho late last night. Before going to bed, he hadn’t paid much attention to his surroundings.
But one thing was certain—the fruit hadn’t disappeared while he was ho. If anyone had entered, he would’ve sensed it imdiately. That ant... the theft happened when he wasn’t in the house.
Even though an extrely valuable item was missing, Ryosuke didn’t seem particularly anxious. In fact, he looked rather calm.
After all, the fruit wasn’t of much use to him personally. It was mainly for research, perhaps to help the family cultivate a high-end combat force.
He first ruled out the possibility that soone from the family took it.
Long ago, due to the dangerous items he kept in his room, no one was allowed inside. Ryosuke handled all the cleaning himself, and the family respected his space. They’d followed that rule for years.
Based on his trust in them, Ryosuke imdiately dismissed the idea of an internal thief.
So...
Was it an outsider? Or soone from within the clan?
Several figures flashed through his mind.
A traitor within the clan seed unlikely. Ever since the family was reorganized and all dissidents purged, everyone had been united.
After Ryosuke’s true strength was revealed, loyalty to the clan only deepened. The odds of betrayal were close to zero.
As for outsiders—there were too many possibilities. Ryosuke had no way to narrow it down. But the timing was too convenient. He’d only been back for a few days, and soone just happened to sneak into the village and steal from his house while he was away?
It didn’t make sense.
Besides, very few people knew the purpose of that Devil Fruit. Breaking into his house just to steal it—without any guarantee of its use—wasn’t logical.
Still staring at the empty box, countless thoughts flickered through Ryosuke’s mind. Each one lined up, categorized, waiting for validation.
And soon enough—he had the answer.
His sharp gaze swept across the room.
Every tiny crack, every shadowed corner ca into focus. The whole room, in Ryosuke’s mind, beca a map of clues.
Hair strands. Dandruff. Flakes of skin.
These tiny traces—left behind by internal body tabolism—told him that no one, no human, had been here.
Which ant only one thing.
Ryosuke’s eyes narrowed. A thought surfaced... and expectation quietly blood.
There was indeed no second human. But there had been... a non-human creature.
From the marks on the floor, and the scratches on the table and box, it was clear—sothing small, light, and walking on all fours had been inside. It had touched the box.
"Orange cat..."
Ryosuke stepped out of the house, sighing helplessly.
Logically speaking, Devil Fruits should taste terrible—poisonous, even. To soone who didn’t know any better, they’d seem inedible.
So why would an old cat be interested in it?
The morning dew clung to the grass in the courtyard.
Ryosuke walked to the cat house and knocked gently on the wooden board.
There was no response.
Thump thump thump.
He knocked harder this ti.
From inside, he heard faint breathing—steady but weak.
"...Who is it? So early in the morning..."
Finally, a voice erged from the cat house.
A hoarse voice.
Like that of an old man.
A long silence followed. Neither Ryosuke, nor the one inside, said anything more.
Then suddenly, a cat head poked out.
But it wasn’t quite the sa cat as before.
The features were sharper. More... defined.
Then the body followed, squeezing out of the cat house like liquid, landing with a soft thump. It stood upright—on two legs.
Its cloudy cat eyes stared at Ryosuke, filled with confusion and fear.
"Old... Old man, what’s happening to ?!"
The orange cat—who’d always been unusually intelligent—had not only spoken human language, but was now standing like a human being.
Even his limbs and face had shifted.
He looked like so sort of... orc. Like those half-human creatures from Western fantasy stories.
"...Wait a minute."
Ryosuke stroked his chin, analyzing the old cat’s dazed expression.
After a mont’s thought, he turned without another word and left.
Soon, he returned with a white robe made for children.
"Put this on," Ryosuke said calmly. "Now that you’ve turned into a humanoid cat, at least observe so basic etiquette. Walking around like that is... a bit much."
Still confused but obedient, the cat demon took the clothes and began dressing awkwardly.
"I... Did I eat sothing wrong? That fruit?" he muttered, head low.
It was obvious he already knew what caused the change.
"...Yeah. That fruit," Ryosuke replied with a nod. "Didn’t think you’d be interested in that."
Activating his Byakugan, Ryosuke inspected the old cat’s body.
Under the robes, his muscles were dense, pulsing with new vitality. The structure of his ridians, his entire physical makeup—it had transford. The cat now possessed a beast-like strength, but retained human intelligence.
The fruit had also reversed his aging.
This orange cat had been on the brink of death. When Ryosuke returned ho after a year, the once-fat feline was frail, its body shriveled like an old man wasting away.
Ryosuke had expected him to pass within months. The cat never learned to refine chakra, and could never beco a ninja beast.
But who would’ve thought...
He stole the Devil Fruit.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t so bad.
The old cat had stayed with him for years. By Ryosuke’s standards, he was more human than most.
Looking at him now—dressed, standing upright, ears twitching nervously—Ryosuke asked, "How do you feel? Physically, I an. Any changes? Or... new abilities?"
He couldn’t sense chakra or any special energy.
Devil Fruit abilities didn’t have a chakra signature. Nor were they like natural energy, which had substance but no form.
"It feels... good," the old cat said after a pause.
He clenched his fists, then relaxed them. Repeated the action a few tis, eyes wide with wonder.
"I’ve never felt like this in my entire life. It’s like... there’s an endless power inside ."
Then he looked up at Ryosuke, a glimr of pride in his voice.
"I think... with this strength... I could beco the king of the village!"
He paused, then coughed awkwardly, realizing how he looked.
"I-I an, the king of the cat tribe."
But the confidence in his voice didn’t fade.
Anyone who had once bullied him... laughed at him for being old...
Now, he could knock them down with a single paw.
"...Then your strength is a bit of a waste."
Ryosuke looked helplessly at the excited old cat in front of him.
"Judging from your physical fitness, so of the Chūnin in the village might not even be your match—so long as you strike properly."
After all, he hadn’t tested the old cat’s full capabilities yet. He could only make assumptions based on its current physical stats.
"Eh?! Really? Do I... really have the ability to defeat humans?"
The old cat’s eyes widened in disbelief. Then, realizing what he’d just said, he quickly covered his mouth and stepped back.
"Oh? You’ve got great ambitions," Ryosuke said, giving him a subtle, knowing look.
"If you really intend to dominate the ninja world with a band of wild cats, I wouldn’t mind going head-to-head with you."
"No... no need, no need! That was just a slip of the tongue!"
The old cat waved his hands in panic.
When he was still just a regular cat, he’d been by Ryosuke’s side and had seen things most couldn’t imagine.
He knew very well how terrifying this master was—how deep and high his power truly reached.
Fight Ryosuke? The thought had never even crossed his mind. Even now, with his new body and power, he still didn’t dare.
Moreover...
"You saved . You’ve done so much for . I didn’t have the power to repay you before, but now...
Master, if there’s anything you need, just say the word. I’ll go through fire and water for you!"
The old cat didn’t hesitate in the slightest to show his loyalty.
He’d already brushed with death once. He had no desire to go back.
Though he had lived a long life, even nearing the end of his natural feline lifespan, he still wanted to keep living.
"Orders, huh?"
Ryosuke smiled faintly, clearly satisfied with the old cat’s attitude.
"There are indeed quite a few things I need you to do..."
---
At the Hyuga training ground.
Ryosuke looked around, a trace of nostalgia in his gaze. It had been a while since he’d last co here.
"Are you... the old cat from before?"
Hanabi and Hinata were both staring curiously at the muscular man with a cat’s head and human body.
"Good morning, ladies."
The old cat greeted politely.
That morning, he had asked the housekeeper to alter so clothes for him. Now that he was properly dressed, he didn’t feel quite as awkward.
After staring at his face for a while, Hanabi tilted her head and said,
"...I think you looked cuter when you were a kitten."
The old cat’s smile froze. He sighed in his heart.
To be honest, he agreed.
His forr appearance had been more likable.
Now he looked like a short, buff guy with a silly-looking cat head—more comical than anything.
Still, being told that stung a little.
"Hanabi!"
Hinata noticed the old cat’s disappointnt and frowned. Then she looked at him apologetically.
"Mr. Cat, I’m sorry... Hanabi just has no taste. She can’t see the beauty in your new form."
As she spoke, Hinata tried to co up with sothing more positive.
"You actually have... um, a martial artist’s temperant now."
After saying that, she realized it might not have been the best complint.
Honestly, she also thought the kitten form had been cuter.
Now, though the old cat had a human body and obvious strength, he was... short.
A short, stocky man with a strange cat face.
His appearance wasn’t as pleasing as before, and his aura lacked the elegance of his previous form.
Hinata had wanted to describe him as a bandit, but that would’ve definitely hurt his feelings. In the end, "martial artist" was the best she could manage.
"Alright."
Ryosuke cut off the awkward exchange and turned to the old cat.
"Hanabi will be your sparring partner. Don’t underestimate each other. Fight seriously!"
As he spoke, he rolled his eyes slightly.
"This will be your first test—actual combat."
"Observe his strength, speed, technique, and internal energy. There are no signs of chakra, nor any other energy systems. So keep that in mind."
In the center of the training field, the old cat and Hanabi both stepped forward, facing off with eager expressions.
Although there was a clear age gap between them, they were close in height. From a distance, they even looked like an even match.
But that illusion shattered the mont the battle began.
As soon as Ryosuke called for the spar to start, the old cat moved with explosive speed.
In a blur, his compact and muscular body rushed forward, delivering a punch.
Hanabi couldn’t react in ti. She instinctively raised her arms to block—
Bang!
She was blown backward.
"Use your Byakugan! Give it your all! Activate your chakra!"
Ryosuke barked coldly. He was clearly displeased by Hanabi’s lack of seriousness.
In midair, Hanabi flipped to reduce the impact and landed gracefully.
The mont she hit the ground, her Byakugan activated and chakra surged through her body.
She shook her numbed arms, her face now serious.
Though she had trained in the Ninja Academy for years and done plenty of sparring, the old cat’s earlier burst of speed and strength made her regret letting her guard down.
"What are you doing standing there? Giving your enemy ti to recover?"
Ryosuke turned and snapped at the old cat now.
"Why didn’t you follow up your advantage? You had the upper hand—why stop? That’s no better than throwing away a win. No combat awareness at all!"
Or maybe...
"Don’t hold back. I’m watching. If anything goes wrong, I’ll intervene."
His expression turned cold as he spoke. He figured they might be afraid of hurting each other, so they were being too cautious.
With that reassurance, both Hanabi and the old cat changed.
Their auras sharpened. Their eyes lit up with determination.
The atmosphere shifted.
From then on, they held nothing back.
Each move was swift and calculated—nothing wasted. No hesitation.
Hanabi’s techniques, learned from the academy and rooted in centuries of Konoha’s battle history, were sharp and efficient—designed to survive real missions.
The old cat, on the other hand, had no formal training.
But with the powers granted by the Devil Fruit, he had quickly adapted.
Despite being new to this body, he had already found his rhythm—his instincts sharpened by years of wild brawls.
As the fight continued, he slowly began to surpass Hanabi.
"Very good. That’s it."
"The Gentle Fist is a chakra-based taijutsu style ant to shut down an opponent’s internal flow. But the old cat has no chakra. Don’t waste moves that won’t work—adapt your techniques!"
"And where are your Three Basic Jutsu?! You’re a ninja, not a street fighter! Don’t rely on raw physical combat alone!"
---
At first, Ryosuke gave feedback to both fighters.
But as the battle went on, he only needed to guide Hanabi.
The old cat had already adapted—his movents sharper, his stance more refined.
He had no need for further instruction.
"Stop!" Ryosuke finally called out.
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