Somewhere in the Cloud Village, Kaminari was being treated by medical ninjas.
Onnen, a high-ranking Cloud ninja, stood over him. "You are the only survivor," he stated. "I suppose you completed that part of the mission, eliminating the Jisatsu Squad. However, you failed the main objective. This will not go down well for you, Kaminari."
"Yes," Kaminari replied, "but I got valuable information on the target. Information that is valuable."
Onnen scoffed and said, "At least you did something useful. Now, please tell me everything, starting from the beginning."
"No," Kaminari said, his voice surprisingly firm, meeting Onnen's gaze.
Onnen's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Kaminari repeated, "I said no."
"You understand that I have your life in my hands, Kaminari." Onnen's voice dropped, a dangerous edge to it. "I can end your life with a snap of my finger."
"I know," Kaminari replied, a strange calm settling over him. "Go ahead. And lose all that valuable information."
Kaminari smiled and said, "I just saw a brat less than ten years old who is not afraid to die. After watching him fight for his life, I'd be damned if I was afraid to die."
Onnen's face remained outwardly calm, but internally, he was beyond pissed with this insubordination.
"Okay, fine," Onnen conceded. "What do you want?"
"Freedom", Kaminari stated, without hesitation. "What else?"
"Okay, fine, I will remove the seal now," Onnen said, already reaching for Kaminari's neck.
Onnen removed the [Jisatsu Seal] on Kaminari, the faint chakra lines dissolving. "Now tell me everything," he commanded, his patience wearing thin.
"Do you honestly believe I'm that naive?" Kaminari retorted with a mix of disbelief and defiance.
Onnen was beyond pissed now, his composure cracking. His hand twitched, ready to strike.
Kaminari continued, undeterred. "You may have removed the seal, but I am still a prisoner here. And you don't have the authority to give pardons."
"Don't test me, you criminal," Onnen snarled, his voice a menacing growl. "Spit it out; what have you uncovered?"
"Criminal!" Kaminari scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping him. "I have committed a significantly smaller number of crimes compared to both you and the Raikage."
Kaminari met Onnen's furious gaze, his resolve unyielding. "The village will regret it if they miss out. I won't share what I know without my freedom. Fetch the Raikage. Inform him of my valuable intel, and I seek a complete pardon in return. The information is invaluable; convey this to him."
*****
The scene shifted. Ryu sat in the Celestial Void, across from Mr Beginning. They played chess.
This was no ordinary chess. Three-dimensional, larger, more complex. More pieces, strange moves, intricate rules. The board transformed periodically. Pieces glided through looped pathways.
"This chess is harder than two-dimensional," Ryu commented, leaning forward. "Like playing on rotating 100x100 Rubik's Cube cubes in zero gravity."
Mr Beginning replied, "Yes. But isn't it fun, Mr William? Or should I say, Ryu Hamura?"
Ryu smiled slightly and said, "I'd prefer if you called me Ryu Hamura. Ken William is... well, that life is over. He's dead."
Mr Beginning paused, then a deeper, more understanding smile spread across his form. "Very well, Mr Hamura," he conceded. "We still have time. The place we are now is in sync with your world. There won't be much time difference... perhaps a week or so, at most."
Ryu's eyes widened slightly. He said, "So this place can also work like a hyperbolic time chamber, then?" as a spark of his inner anime fan ignited. "Like that chamber in Dragon Ball?"
"Indeed," Mr Beginning confirmed, a subtle cosmic chuckle vibrating through the void. "Here, time flows nonlinearly, depending on the will of the viewer. Your perception shapes its passage."
Mr Beginning then made a complex move, shifting a knight across three planes simultaneously, cutting off Ryu's queen. "You handled it well," he complimented, his gaze warm. "Your recent decisions have been… quite entertaining."
Ryu raised an eyebrow. "Entertaining? You mean my near-death experience or the part where I almost got my head planted in the earth?" He paused and then asked, "Be specific. Which decisions are we talking about?"
Mr Beginning replied, "The decision to help your comrades, despite the clear order to run away. And the decision not to sign the contract with Katsuyu, Tsunade's slug summon. Every choice you've made, every path you've forged, has made your story far more engaging than many others."
"Others?" Ryu questioned, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean, 'others'?"
Mr Beginning gestured to the swirling bubbles around them. "Every decision you make, or do not make, gives rise to a new universe, a new variant of your existence. We see all the echoes, possibilities, and stories playing out in the universe at the same time."
"So, there's a universe where I actually signed a contract with Aunty Tsunade's summon, Katsuyu?" Ryu mused, picturing it.
Mr Beginning said, "Yes, and in your fight with the Cloud ninjas, you summoned a giant slug to protect yourself and everyone else?"
Ryu laughed, a genuine, amused sound. "Man, this is some next-level TVA variant shit."
Ryu then asked, "Are there other versions of me in this very void right now?"
Mr Beginning only grinned and said, "Maybe..."
"But you said my story was 'more fun' than others," Ryu pressed, a hint of pride in his voice. "Does that mean I'm among the best?"
"You are among the most dynamic, yes, and kind," Mr Beginning affirmed. "There are only a handful whose stories possess such… unpredictable vitality and fun."
Ryu leaned back, thoughtful. "So, a Council of Ryu? A grand assembly of my best variants, deciding the prime variant?"
Mr Beginning just smiled, the cosmic equivalent of a shrug.
"You handled your fight with Cloud ninjas well," Mr Beginning reiterated, his tone shifting slightly, becoming more reflective. "One of the variants, in similar circumstances, left his comrades to die. Not all your variants are nice, but every single one is fun to watch."
Ryu's expression hardened. "What an asshole," he muttered, a flash of genuine anger in his eyes. "If I ever meet him, I'll kick his ass."
Ryu then asked, "What happened to him to be that way?"
Mr Beginning responded, "Your mother Yuki died, and that happened right in front of him, and brutally at that. That complicated his timeline."
Mr Beginning continued, "Leave that guy… We should be talking about you, as our time here is limited. Besides, you are you, and that guy is an asshole variant, as you have said."
Ryu paused, then a playful smirk touched his lips. "So, do I get a power-up?"
Mr Beginning chuckled, "Consider meeting me a gift."
"I figured," Ryu sighed dramatically, though a smile played on his lips. "But why am I here? Just for a chit-chat?"
"So that we can have a one-to-one talk," Mr Beginning explained, his gaze steady. "It's not normal for us to talk to the reincarnation subject, as it may have unforeseen circumstances. I would like to use this chance to talk to someone."
"What a lonely guy," Ryu thought, feeling a pang of unexpected empathy for the ancient entity.
"I am not lonely," Mr Beginning corrected, as if reading Ryu's very thoughts. "Just bored. Immortality is not very fun, Mr Hamura. It gets… repetitive."
"Agreed," Ryu conceded, a wry grin on his face. "You are not reading my mind… are you?"
Mr Beginning replied, "No, I just guessed it. Mind reading is also not fun, so i am not doing it."
Ryu then asked, "Unforeseen circumstances, you said earlier? Like what?"
"Like personality issues, mind fracturing, and our mere presence may affect the soul," Mr Beginning elaborated. "My brothers may end your life prematurely if you meet him alive. I also have some effect on souls, but fear not; you will not be affected, more or less. You have a very strong soul, Mr Hamura. Resilient, even when compared to other variants of you."
"That's good to hear," Ryu replied and thought, "Maybe his sole is fractured."
Just then, Mr Beginning made a swift, unexpected move on the 3D chessboard, a piece sliding through the intricate maze. "Damn… you got me again," Ryu groaned, seeing the inevitable. "Checkmate."
Mr Beginning chuckled, a deep, resonant sound. "Hahahaha… you think you are the only smart one in all of creation? There are many like you, Mr Hamura. Many."
He then sighed, a cosmic breath. "Okay… time is up. I hope you won't be beaten up too much that you have to meet me again so soon."
Ryu pushed himself up from the ethereal chair, stretching. "You say it like it's in my control," he retorted, a final, defiant spark in his eyes.
"If you meet the asshole evil variant of me, tell him I am disappointed." Ryu said offered a casual wave. "Okay… See you at the end… or beginning… whatever it will be."
Mr Beginning just smiled and said, "We will meet again."
##PoWeR StOnEs##
A/N: I thought about giving Ryu another power-up but decided against it. I am already worried that he will gain too much power too quickly; I don't want that to happen any faster. So let him break a few more bones here and there. I hope readers will agree.
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