.
Darkness stretched endlessly, a storm without wind or thunder.
Inside that void, a voice whispered.
[System Rebooting…]
[Warning: Energy Circuits Severely Damaged]
[Survival Protocol Engaged]
Fragments of red light flickered across the void. Then came a final pulse:
[Host Awakening Initiated.]
Awakening
Ryuzen's eyes snapped open.
The ceiling above him was stone, smooth and cold, faintly illuminated by lanterns set into the walls. The air smelled of iron and dust. He tried to move — but chains of glowing chakra ran across his arms and chest, pinning him to a slab-like bed.
Every muscle screamed as he struggled, his storm instinctively sparking against the bindings. Sparks of black-blue lightning flickered across his skin, but the chains absorbed it effortlessly, dispersing his power into nothing.
A shadow moved.
"You woke faster than expected."
A figure stepped forward, wearing the same obsidian mask as the warriors on the battlefield. His cloak whispered softly against the floor as he approached.
"You were supposed to be unconscious for days. Interesting."
Ryuzen's throat was dry, but his voice came out steady. "Who… are you?"
The mask tilted, studying him.
"We are Obsidian," the man said simply. "Guardians of the storm. The power you wield is not yours alone. It belongs to something older. And we are its keepers."
The Cage
Ryuzen's storm flared instinctively, but the chains absorbed the energy, dimming his power like water poured onto fire. He grit his teeth.
"You think you can chain me?!"
The man remained silent for a moment, then crouched so their eyes were level.
"We already have."
The words cut deeper than the chains.
System Fragment
Inside his mind, the System pulsed weakly.
[Obsidian Energy Detected.]
[Analysis: 47% Match to Host Signature.]
[Warning: These chains are adaptive — resisting will weaken you further.]
[Advice: Observe. Learn. Endure.]
Ryuzen closed his eyes briefly. Endure. That word again.
The Inner Circle
The sound of footsteps echoed, more figures entering the chamber. Each mask bore a different mark — a scar line, a spiral, a cross. They moved with the same silent precision, standing around him like judges at a trial.
The leader — the scar-marked mask — spoke. His voice was calm, unshaken.
"You will want to resist. That is natural. But understand: you are not our prisoner. You are our investment."
Ryuzen glared at him. "You stole me from my comrades."
"Comrades who could not protect you," the leader replied evenly. "You nearly died on that field. If we had not arrived, you would be nothing more than ashes. We did not steal you. We saved you."
The words stung — because some part of him knew they were true.
Shadows in Konoha (Meanwhile)
Far above, in Konoha's war council chamber, silence reigned.
Sakumo stood before the elders, blood still on his uniform. His report had shaken the room into stillness.
Masked shinobi who wielded storm-like chakra. An unknown division claiming Ryuzen. A battlefield turned by shadows.
Minato stood beside him, fists clenched. "They moved like ghosts. Not Root. Not ANBU. Something else. And they took him."
The elders exchanged wary glances. Finally, Homura leaned forward. "If they are ours, then they act without sanction. If they are not…"
Danzo's single visible eye gleamed. "Then they are a threat. Either way, the boy has slipped from our grasp."
Duy, standing with bandages wrapped tight around his arms, roared in protest. "Ryuzen is not theirs! He is Konoha's! He is—"
He broke off, chest heaving, eyes burning with fury.
The Third Hokage, silent until now, exhaled slowly. His gaze was heavy with doubt.
"The storm has chosen its own guardians," Hiruzen said at last. "And we must decide if they are friend… or enemy."
Back in the Shadows
Ryuzen's chains pulsed, drawing his attention back. The leader stepped closer, his voice low and steady.
"You survived where others would burn to ash. That is why the storm marks you. But survival is not mastery. And mastery is not freedom. You must learn the storm's true nature — or it will consume you."
Ryuzen's voice was hoarse, but firm. "And if I refuse?"
The leader tilted his head.
"Then you will still learn. One way or another."
The circle of masked shinobi moved closer, their presence heavy, oppressive.
For a heartbeat, fear threatened to pierce Ryuzen's resolve. But then, deep inside, the storm stirred again — faint, but alive.
[Survival Protocol Engaged.]
[Directive Updated: Endure — Until the Chains Break.]
Ryuzen's lips curved into the faintest smirk, even as the chains held him down.
"Do your worst."
The Final Note
The Obsidian Division did not reply. Their silence was more unsettling than any threat.
But as the storm simmered within its cage, both sides knew: this was not submission. This was only the beginning.
Author's Note
Ryuzen has awakened in the heart of the Obsidian Division. Bound, chained, but unbroken. For the first time, the storm is caged — and yet it continues to grow.
The war outside rages on, but inside these shadows, a different battle begins: for control, for survival, for freedom.
Next: The Training of Chains.