The music stopped, and so did the shaking and thunder, and the world calmed. There was one sentence in the minds of people in the audience:
The music stopped, and so did the shaking and thunder, and the world calmed. There was one sentence in the minds of people in the audience: "What in the hell just happened?"
Ryu looked at the twins, who were drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, who also turned their heads towards Ryu. Ryu said, "You two...join my clan… Become part of my family."
The twins, having spent their lives in an orphanage where they were largely ignored, were utterly shocked and overwhelmed by Ryu's unexpected offer. They had no idea how to process such a sudden, life-altering question, and they remained silent on the stage, their gazes fixed on him.
Daimyo Azuma Kasen, having recovered from his awe, stepped forward and commanded the audience to give a final round of applause for the performers. "What a magnificent performance!" he boomed, his voice full of a new, profound respect. "Let us all give a round of applause to the God of music, the man who shook heaven and the earth, Lord Ryu Hamura, and to the talented children of the River Otter Orphanage!"
Ryu bowed politely to the Daimyo and the cheering crowd. "That was just a coincidence, Lord Daimyo," he replied, his voice calm and reassuring. "A storm and a small earthquake happened at the same time as my performance; that's all."
Ryu then looked back at the twins, offering a gentle, reassuring smile. "I will speak with you later," he said softly, giving them time to process the proposal.
Ryu then turned his head to look at Yuki Sarutobi, who was standing in the wings. She nodded back, a silent understanding passing between them. He bowed to the audience one final time and exited the stage.
Yuki then approached the orphanage union head and instructed them to consider her previous request. "I will come to you again," she said with a tone that left no room for argument.
Ryu approached Dan Hamura, who was standing backstage with Tsunade and Shizune. "Grandpa, should we leave now?" he asked.
"Ryu," Dan said, his voice low and serious. "What was that? Was that some secret jutsu?"
Ryu shook his head. "I honestly don't know what happened. I was just as surprised as everyone else."
Dan believed him. He knew that while Ryu was a man of many secrets, he would not outright lie to him in this manner.
Yuki, having joined the group, offered a possible but improbable explanation to the confused group. "Maybe it was just bad weather and an earthquake at the same time."
Dan agreed, his mind racing to find a logical explanation. "While the event was uncommon, it was not impossible as a natural occurrence. The weather has been strange lately."
"What was that? .... I am sure I felt Mr Beginning and Mr End," Ryu thought. "They warned me that their presence affects a person's soul."
Ryu stared at the sky, a new theory forming in his mind. "It was as if the planet's soul was shaking. Does a planet have a soul?" He nodded to himself. "I'll have to ask them about this next time I get the chance."
Tsunade, also refusing to accept the easy answer, did not believe the earthquake and bad weather story.
"What is it, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked, sensing her master's suspicion.
"Shizune, that was no natural phenomenon," Tsunade stated, her voice firm. She recalled a strange "Chakra Unity Theory" that she learned from the older slugs of the Slug Forest, an ancient teaching. "It's an old theory, but it suggests that long ago, all chakra was connected to nature, and the Sage of Six Paths was the first to tap into it. Now, even though chakra is divided among individuals, it is still part of a greater, unified natural system."
"I don't personally believe in the theory, but now I am not so sure. If this theory is true, I suspect that a part of it may have been at play today, as nature reacted to Ryu's chakra outburst."
"But Ryu has had many chakra outbursts before," Shizune pointed out. "Why was this one different?"
"Something about this one was different, though I'm unsure what," Tsunade concluded. "It was definitely not a natural phenomenon. My soul was shaking, and i know about the soul and arts related to it thanks to your uncle. I'm beginning to suspect that Ryu's chakra is special, and it is not a coincidence."
Tsunade sighed, concluded that it was not the time to ask questions and decided not to approach Ryu.
****
In the Shimura clan's private compound, a girl was holding a bloodied kunai.
It was Mikasa, the girl who treated Ryu like a little brother in his orphan days. She was injured but had completed her first test as a ninja successfully. For the past two years she had been in seclusion, isolated from the outside world with her partner since the day she was taken from the orphanage to join the Root Division.
Today was a coming-of-age ceremony for the root cadets, where they had to kill their partner, with whom they had shared two years of life, including meals and laughter, together.
Danzo Shimura and a few masked subordinates appeared behind her.
"Congratulations on your success on your first test. You did finish the task when I thought you would fail," one of the masked subordinates said.
Danzo looked at her injuries. "What is your name, girl?"
"It's Mikasa, Lord Danzo," she replied, her voice flat.
"Wrong," Danzo said, his tone sharp. "From this day forward, you are no one."
Mikasa paused for a second, then nodded to Danzo and said, "The girl is no one," showing she understood the indoctrination.
Danzo's eyes narrowed. "You got injured, despite completing the mission. That is a failure in my eyes."
"I am sorry for my mistake, Lord Danzo," Mikasa said.
Danzo looked at the trainer and said, "The girl is not a perfect tool yet. Train her twice as hard, almost to the breaking point, but not past it."
The subordinate, surprised by Danzo's rare keen interest in an orphan, understood that Mikasa was special and needed to be made stronger at all costs.
Danzo dismissed them, "Go treat her wounds and plan the next phase of training."
As she was led away, Mikasa's mind drifted to Ryu. She questioned, "Why did I think of him at that moment… I almost died because I was distracted… I should not think of him; he must be dead by now."
She already knew Ryu was dying when she was in the orphanage. She left and joined because she would rather not see it happen. She had been in seclusion all this time and did not know that Ryu was alive.
Suddenly, a man removed his cloak, revealing his face. It was Tatsuma. Danzo turned to him. "Tatsuma, I do not expect Orochimaru to fail, but you must train the girl to be a trump card in case he does. She is from the same orphanage as that boy."
Tatsuam gave an evil smile; he understood all too well what his sensei meant and what to do. There was no need for any more words.
Danzo continued, "Erase her identity and strip every trace of emotion from her. She need not be strong but skilled enough to kill anyone in close proximity using every possible assassination technique in Root's books."
"Yes, sensei," Tatsuma said. "I promise the boy would die at her hands, or it will happen the other way around, and I will finish the job."
Danzo nodded and replied, "Keep any news about Ryu Hamura away from her until she is a perfect, emotionless tool. Do you understand?"
Both sensei and student were a piece of work. Twisted and ruthless, they were willing to do whatever it took to achieve their goals, no matter the cost.
"Sensei, I suggest we put her through the same test exam again but with a younger partner this time," Tatsuma said.
Danzo nodded. "I don't care if you have to repeat the test three or five times, Tatsuma; I only care about the results. I highly value her talent, as she was able to defeat her opponent even while injured. But she is not yet a perfect tool. It is your job to ensure that she is by the time we need her."
Danzo then thought, "For a year or two, we have to let the boy live. Orochimaru is too preoccupied with his own experiments to make a move right now, but that will not last forever."
Danzo turned to Tatsuma again. "Discreetly send spies to figure out what happened in the west and what that mysterious feeling was. I am sure you felt it too."
Tatsuma nodded.
Danzo thought, "I had felt something similar ages ago when I was a kid. And also at that time with Hanzo and that boy. This feeling … that chakra … was similar to that."
Danzo knew that this mysterious feeling was not to be taken lightly, and he needed to uncover its origins.
A/N: The twist with Mikasa was something I planned from the start. I hope you liked the twist of the girl turning into 'No one'.
Double release for crossing 300 on Patreon, enjoy.
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