"Have you made up your mind on how you will deal with the Kid's batch?" Sensei asked, his voice a low rumble, breaking the comfortable silence.
Ra's took a moment, swirling the dark liquid in his own cup, his gaze distant. "The boy's meta-human talent has brought an unexpected change and loss. I thought about having him leave his batch behind and join those who came before them." He paused, his eyes finally meeting his father's. "But since our last discussion and understanding the boy's mind, doing such would go against the agreed silent agreement between us and the boy about his talent."
A faint sigh escaped Ra's. "Unfortunately for the kids in his batch, they won't be getting the green paste as planned." Ra's informed Sensei of his decision, and Sensei simply nodded, his expression calm, showing his understanding of the difficult choice.
Ra's set his cup down with a soft click, his gaze distant, already beyond the immediate decision. "While that is unfortunate for the children, it is also their luck to be in the same batch as him."
He leaned forward slightly, a subtle intensity in his eyes. "The League, in all its training, has always tried to simulate an extreme environment to drive growth, but there's a limit to that. Limits that are broken by occurrences like the boy. Now, those left in his batch if they manage to survive this assessment, would add to the League's power and more elite assassins to it."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Ra's' lips. "Even more so if the boy's talent works as we think, we would have more chi masters in the League." The unspoken implication hung in the air: a new, powerful era for the organization, forged in the crucible of unexpected circumstances.
Sensei nodded, a subtle smile playing on his lips as he watched Ra's. "I'd like to hear your assessment of the boy."
Ra's took a moment, considering his words carefully before he responded. "The boy is perfect League material. It's been a while since I've been tempted to choose an apprentice, but sadly, the boy is lacking in the main component of being my student."
He continued, "His talent with martial arts isn't great, as you said, but his meta-talent bridges this gap. From his last bout with his assigned mentor, he's begun to integrate it into his chosen martial arts."
Sensei cut in at this point, his voice a low, inquisitive tone. "What component was he lacking to be your student?"
Ra's met his father's gaze directly. "Goal and ambition."
He elaborated, "The boy lacks both. To be my student means to be in line for the seat of the League throne. For the throne to be handed over, it needs someone with their own goal for this world and an ambition burning bright that would push the League to new heights."
"The boy has none of this. He seems almost mentally ill, moving like a robot because he has to. Everything the boy has done and is doing is for himself and his own survival, which if guaranteed, the boy would stop growing."
Sensei considered his son's words, the nuanced assessment of the boy resonating with his own observations. "So, he is a tool, then? A very sharp one, perhaps, but still a tool without a driving force of its own."
Ra's nodded, a faint hint of regret in his eyes. "Precisely. He excels at adaptation, at surviving. His meta-talent is a testament to that, allowing him to bridge gaps that would cripple others. He learns, he integrates, he fights with a singular focus on self-preservation. But that's where it ends. There is no grand vision, no desire to shape the world or push the boundaries of what is possible, beyond his own continued existence."
"A powerful weapon, yes," Sensei mused, "but one that requires constant direction. Not a leader, then. Not someone to inherit the mantle."
"No," Ra's affirmed. "He would serve the League well in its current form, undoubtedly. His potential for combat is immense, and as we've discussed, his presence elevates those around him. But to lead... to truly guide the League into a new era, requires a different kind of fire. A fire that burns from within, fuelled by an insatiable hunger for something more than just survival."
Ra's paused as a brief annoyance flashed in his eyes "I don't want to admit this but from the boys' action, I can't think of anything that can tie down his loyalty with the league or even give him a weakness we can hold over him"
Sensei asked "What about his dog?"
Ra's scoffed "While there is some emotional attachment with the dog, if needed to be done. The boy will kill the dog without batting an eye or second thought to it"
Sensei leaned back, his expression unperturbed by Ra's's almost frustrated admission. "A creature of pure pragmatism, then. An interesting anomaly in a world often driven by sentiment." He took a slow sip of his tea, his gaze distant. "Perhaps his lack of attachment is not a weakness to exploit, but a characteristic to be understood and, perhaps, even leveraged. If his survival is paramount, then demonstrating how the League consistently ensures that survival could be a path to... not loyalty, but reliance."
Ra's considered this, the annoyance in his eyes softening into contemplation. "Reliance. Yes, that is a more accurate term. He relies on the League for the training, for the resources, for the framework that allows him to hone his abilities and, ultimately, survive. We provide the crucible, and he adapts within it."
"And if that crucible were removed?" Sensei prodded gently.
"Then he would find another," Ra's stated without hesitation, though a flicker of unease crossed his face. "Or he would create one. He is not dependent on us specifically, only on the conditions that foster his growth and survival. That is the core of his being."
Sensei nodded slowly. "So, the challenge isn't to bind him, but to ensure that the League remains the most optimal environment for his continued existence and development. To make it so utterly indispensable to his core drive that leaving would be, for him, a form of self-sabotage."
By the end of their discussion, both could not figure out a way to keep John loyal to the league, they simply decided to wait for his future development once he was done with his training and go back to the normal world. Their might could be a change they could leverage.
The new month flew by fast, a crucible for John's meticulously crafted patterns. His days became a relentless cycle of personal refinement and a new, calculated form of self-training through the manipulation of others.
John's personal training remained a brutal symphony of self-optimization. He immersed himself in the League's vast medical library, devouring ancient texts and cross-referencing intricate anatomical diagrams with the nascent understanding of Chi pathways Sensei had hinted at. His mind, sharpened by a steady supply of food and meticulous Chi recovery, absorbed knowledge at an astonishing rate.
It was within these old tomes that John discovered a crucial insight about Chi breathing methods: there was no single, definitive way. While basic techniques were outlined, the books emphasized that true mastery lay in a practitioner finding their own unique rhythm, a personalized method that resonated perfectly with their individual energy flow.
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