NOVEL WEB Chapter 503: Chapter 501
Hi I have another fanfic on my profile now. it is called "Naruto: The Flame That Reshapes Fate" I hope you will check it out! Got about 26 chapters already.
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"Not bad at all,"
Sadaso murmured, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.
"I wonder when I'll have a dojo like this of my own."
"Mr. Sadaso, we've arrived."
The disciple led him to the door of a study.
"Master, Mr. Sadaso is here."
"Let him in."
"Yes, sir."
The disciple pushed open the door, and Sadaso stepped inside.
A middle-aged man sat behind a large desk.
"Sit."
The man gestured to the chair across from him.
Sadaso sat down, visibly nervous.
"I'm Mitian Doppo."
"I know! I've seen you in the martial arts tournament before, Senior Doppo." Sadaso had watched the tournament every year, always paying for one of the best seats.
The tickets were expensive, but he thought they were worth every Jenny.
Ron was different. He had only watched once and quickly lost interest.
Now, within Heaven's Arena, perhaps only the Master surpassed Ron in strength. Even other Floor Leaders didn't measure up.
So to Ron, watching their matches held no value— Even a battle between a Floor Leader and the Master wasn't meaningful to him unless he was the one fighting.
Ron had considered facing the Master himself, but felt the timing wasn't right yet.
Sadaso knew that among Heaven's Arena Floor Leaders, Mitian Doppo wasn't one of the lower-tier ones—he held a solid mid-level rank.
That made Sadaso even more excited about TST.
Mitian Doppo gave a small nod, then pulled out a document and handed it to him.
"These are the benefits and responsibilities of joining TST.
Take a quick look."
Sadaso accepted it eagerly.
"Yes, Senior Doppo."
The list included several perks:
- As a TST member, he'd gain access to training grounds provided by various Floor Leaders.
These facilities were far superior to the public ones given to regular fighters.
- More importantly, sparring partners.
In Heaven's Arena, it was hard to find good partners for practice.
But within TST, that problem was nonexistent.
- He would also get lectures from some of the core members—an incredibly rare opportunity. Such knowledge and experience would be impossible to acquire elsewhere.
Of course, with great benefits came significant responsibilities. TST wasn't a charity.
Compared to what Ron was offered back then, the terms given to Sadaso were far less generous. And the expectations placed on him were much stricter.
The reason was obvious—
Sadaso's talent and potential simply didn't compare to Ron's.
"You were recommended by Ron," Doppo said, "so I won't make you go through any tests. If you've reviewed the terms and have no issues, you can join TST right away."
Sadaso didn't hesitate.
"No issues at all, Senior Doppo."
"Good."
Mitian Doppo stood up and extended his hand.
"From today forward, Sadaso, you're officially part of TST.
At our next gathering, I'll introduce you to the rest."
Sadaso stood up and shook his hand.
"Thank you, Senior Doppo."
"No need to thank me—you should be thanking Ron."
Mitian Doppo turned and called out.
A young man entered the room.
"This is my disciple," Doppo said. "He's also a TST member.
If you ever have questions, ask him—he'll help you out."
Watching Sadaso leave, Mitian Doppo couldn't help feeling reflective.
Back then, he had simply seen Ron as someone with potential. He never imagined Ron's strength would soon surpass his own. Now, he couldn't even comprehend Ron's level anymore.
Sadaso returned to Heaven's Arena in high spirits.
After a moment of hesitation, he gave Ron a call.
"Senior Ron, I've officially joined TST. Thank you so much."
"No need to thank me."
Ron didn't say much more. Back when Sadaso had shown support for Killua, Ron gave him this opportunity as repayment. But that was the end of it— They wouldn't have much to do with each other from now on.
Sadaso had reached his limit in terms of talent. There was a massive divide between a Nen user and an ordinary person.
In the same way, there was a massive divide between Ron and Sadaso. They essentially lived in two different worlds.
After ending the call, Ron turned his eyes to the document in front of him.
It was the intel Chii had gathered on Kroll.
"The location isn't too far. Two day's travel."
"Secluded. Hidden. Somewhere near the desert."
"No one knows the exact spot. But everyone agrees—it's in that general area."
"Kroll's subordinates appear periodically."
Ron considered the details.
"Kroll was a member of the Republic of Minbo's military. His current actions amount to outright betrayal. Logically, Minbo shouldn't allow him to remain alive."
"But instead of sending their own top Nen users to hunt him down,
they just issued a public assassination request."
"To say Minbo doesn't have strong Nen users?
Impossible.
Back when they invaded the Fiora Kingdom, their Nen users were no joke."
"So there are only two explanations—
One: Kroll is excellent at hiding and escaping.
Two: Someone inside the Republic is protecting him."
"Either way, it doesn't matter to me."
"I'm not doing this job for money— I'm doing it to train my team."
"If Kroll is that good at hiding and evading, then Ponzu's skills can really be put to the test."
"And if someone in Minbo is shielding him? That has nothing to do with me."
"I'm just a hired killer."
The profession of an assassin was accepted—even by the V5.
Ordinary people might seek revenge against assassins, but the V5 wouldn't.
Because the V5 often *worked with* assassins.
Dirty jobs, dangerous missions—those were handled by assassins.
If a country retaliated against an assassin over a job, they'd lose all trust. No assassin would work for them again.
For the V5, that would be a major loss.
And besides—Ron was a Zoldyck.
Of course, dying during a mission was part of the job. It all came down to who was stronger.
Ron stepped in front of the group.
"You've all been training well. Your coordination has clearly improved."
"Now, it's time for a real mission."
"Get ready. We move out tomorrow."