Chapter 75: Flight, the Breath of Freedom
Outside the waterfall.
By the pool's edge.
Bathed in the light of the rising sun, Li Yao extended his right hand. From his palm shot out countless fine threads of black iron chains.
The black iron chains did not have a fixed size.
Being composed of chakra, they were energy-based chains that could shrink or expand—depending entirely on the user's control.
The stronger the chakra control, the more one could scale and shape the black iron chains while maintaining their stability.
For most people—even someone like Uzumaki Mito—shrinking Adamantine Sealing Chains to the size of a hair without compromising their structure was nearly impossible.
Only Li Yao, who possessed absolute control over his chakra, could do it.
Thus, not only could he weave clothing from his chains, he could also craft the form of animals.
Above the water, under his manipulation, countless threads of black iron chains wove together into layers, then into form.
Before long, a massive black eagle with a wingspan of twelve meters hovered above the pool.
Its reflection on the water's surface was lifelike, as if a real giant eagle were suspended in midair.
Li Yao's weaving and shaping skills weren't bad at all.
Flap!
Flap!
He had the iron eagle flap its wings twice. The lift was impressive—it could definitely fly.
But… something still felt off.
"What's wrong here?"
Li Yao tilted his head and carefully compared the proportions of his iron eagle to the real hawk he had chained nearby.
Aside from size, the proportions were the same. Nothing seemed wrong.
Whoosh!
Just then, a sparrow flew out of the trees across the water, catching his attention. Watching the tiny bird twist and flip agilely in the air, something clicked.
"That's it!"
He slapped his forehead and chuckled. "How did I not think of that?"
Looking again at his scaled-up iron eagle, he finally realized the issue.
Birds may share a general shape, but birds of different sizes have very different proportions.
Smaller birds are lighter and have proportionally shorter wings.
Larger birds, being heavier, require longer wingspans and sleeker, more streamlined bodies for gliding and maneuvering.
Li Yao's twelve-meter wingspan iron eagle was based on a one-meter hawk.
So while the scaling looked correct, the actual body was too bulky.
Much of the lift generated by the wings was being wasted compensating for the overweight body. No wonder it didn't feel as effortless as it should.
If Li Yao and two shadow clones stood on it, even with a twelve-meter wingspan, it likely wouldn't lift off at all.
Realizing this, he began adjusting the design.
He slimmed the body, making it more aerodynamic.
He also extended the wingspan to fourteen meters, increasing surface area and thus lift.
Flap!
Flap!
Waves rippled across the pool as the longer wings stirred powerful air currents.
Li Yao severed the chains connecting him to the eagle.
Now the iron eagle floated above the water under its own power, held aloft by wingbeats alone—no chakra connection needed.
"This is… easier than I expected."
Li Yao smiled, pleasantly surprised. He checked again.
With the redesign, just one flap provided ample lift. It flew effortlessly.
Compared to the old prototype in the cave—which required twenty wingbeats per second to get airborne—this was infinitely easier to control.
Still, even now, flying the eagle diverted some of his attention.
Unlike Deidara's clay birds or Sai's ink creations, which had independent motion thanks to special jutsu, his construct relied purely on physics.
That meant he had to control everything manually.
It was a flaw—but manageable with shadow clones.
Whoosh!
Li Yao leapt onto the eagle's back.
Time for a real test.
The moment he landed, the iron eagle sank slightly under the weight, as if crushed by a boulder.
Quickly, he had it flap its wings with force several times to stabilize and lift them both into the air.
"Hahaha!"
"It flies!"
Li Yao couldn't contain his joy. The black iron eagle could not only fly—it could carry him with it.
FLAP FLAP FLAP!
The massive wings stirred a gale that dented the water's surface and bent the surrounding trees backward.
The resulting lift sent the eagle soaring.
Whooosh…
The air howled past his ears as wind whipped against his face.
Li Yao spread his arms wide, gazing down as the world expanded beneath him.
Soon—
At 2,000 meters altitude.
He looked down over the Land of Fire. Forests stretched in every direction. Distant mountains shrouded in mist dotted the horizon.
The land was a tapestry of green and gold—autumn mingling with the last breath of summer. Even now, life thrived.
Whoo… whooo…
Li Yao inhaled deeply, letting the crisp wind fill his lungs. His eyes softened as he reached toward the clouds, clenching his fist.
Freedom.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Li Yao felt it—true freedom.
A fish leaps in the sea, a bird soars in the sky.
From this moment forward, my fate is mine alone.
Pride and conviction surged within him.
This was the moment he truly established himself in the world of Naruto.
Flight meant freedom. It meant escape at will.
With this power, the sky was no longer a ceiling—it was a gateway.
Even if Konoha had other ninja who could fly using ink birds, Li Yao no longer cared.
He believed his iron eagle was faster, could fly longer.
In the sky—he feared no one.
(END CHAPTER)
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