The morning after successfully forming the Adamantine Sealing Chains for the first time, Ryu found himself back in the academy classroom. Things he had already grasped and ninjutsu he had already learned were now being taught to him by the instructor.
"Too boring," he thought. "Maybe I should apply for early graduation."
Beside him, Saya leaned over. "Lost in thoughts again…"
Ryu replied, "Yes, this class is too basic for me."
Saya replied, "No arguments there. How's your training going?"
"It's going smoothly," Ryu replied. "How about your wind element training?"
"The first phase is complete, but I'm having difficulty with the second phase," Saya said. "Your advice helped, but now it's not progressing."
"It's common for individuals to encounter bottlenecks and hurdles during their training." Ryu assured her. "You'll get through it after some time. Just keep training."
In front of Ryu, Fumi turned around. "Both Takeshi and I have progressed with our primary affinities."
Saya smirked. "I'm already on my second affinity. You two are still on your first."
Ryu burst her bubble. "I've already moved on to my third affinity."
Saya's eyes widened. "Third? How many affinities do you have?"
"All of them," Ryu stated simply.
"You're joking," Saya said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Rare, but not impossible," Ryu replied. "I have high affinity for all the basic chakra natures. Must be due to my mixed lineage."
Saya's voice filled with hunger. "I wish I had all the affinities. Not just the basic ones—the rare ones too. The unknown ones. Every single one in the world."
"She's driven by something deeper," Ryu observed.
"It's not necessarily good," he said pragmatically. "If you're not talented at all of them, you cannot train effectively. You'll waste time and lack in other departments like taijutsu. That's why I stopped at three."
"After the satellite launch and the IronHeart City infrastructure are completed, I need to focus on transport infrastructure."
Three days had passed. The control room hummed with tension. Ryu stood at the centre, monitoring the launch pad displays.
The centripetal force launcher was a marvel—designed to push the payload into space with enough velocity to break through the atmosphere. The payload was a lens-shaped fuinjutsu storage scroll with remote-triggered summoning. Heat-resistant tiles Ryu had developed lined the critical surfaces.
Masato had returned from the Land of Rivers just in time. He'd been supervising the IronHeart City project, the River Communication Tower, and prototyping vehicle designs with village blacksmiths. Mukai Kohinata had accompanied him as a guard and escort.
"How many things did you invent while I was away?" Masato asked.
"None," Ryu replied. "But some projects are nearing completion."
He turned to address Kohinata, who stood nearby. "The pacemaker's been given to the Leaf Medical Council for testing. Mikaika's heart is stable with the seal, so there's no urgency. The electronic pacemaker will be his main device; the seal is a backup. Your son is safe."
"You've given him a new life," Kohinata said quietly.
"What's next for Mikaika?" Ryu asked.
"His friends are taking the academy exam next year," Kohinata explained. "Now that he's better, he's thinking of joining them."
"I'd hoped he'd team with the twins, Akihiro and Kaia, but I respect his wish."
Masato chuckled. "The kids at your home are more mature than actual kids. After that Fire Capital performance—they're calling you the 'God of Music'—I wonder if you're really a child."
Ryu waved dismissively. "Just nobles exaggerating."
"I was thinking of teaming Mikaika with the twins," Ryu admitted, "but I'll find someone else."
"I'll talk to him about the Hamura training programme," Kohinata offered.
Ryu shook his head. "He's been dreaming about joining his friends. Let him enjoy his dreams."
"You're very considerate," Kohinata acknowledged.
"Don't worry," Ryu added. "I'll find someone, or someone will find me."
Kohinata nodded. "The twins have grown remarkably under your guidance."
"They're progressing faster than anticipated," Ryu confirmed. "But every child deserves to chase their own dreams."
Kohinata's voice grew emotional. "My son has his heart beating properly for the first time. And you're giving him freedom to dream. How can I ever repay such kindness?"
"By being the father he deserves," Ryu said. "That's payment enough."
An assistant entered. "All checks complete. Ready for test launch."
For the test, they'd prepared a lens-shaped storage scroll of the same weight as the actual satellite.
Masato frowned. "Since storage scroll weight doesn't change, why store anything for the test?"
"Identical variables," Ryu explained. "All variables should be the same even if we believe they have little effect. The difference between screwing around and science is documenting everything and controlling every variable."
Masato nodded. "Too meticulous."
"In our line of work, being meticulous is crucial," Ryu said.
They proceeded to the observation deck. Through reinforced windows, they could see the launch pad—the centripetal arm, the lens-shaped scroll secured at its terminus, and the heat-resistant coating gleaming.
The countdown began.
"Ten... nine... eight..."
Ryu's expression remained calm, his gaze distant for a moment. He'd run every simulation in his Mind Palace. "It will work."
"Three... two... one... Launch!"
The centripetal launcher erupted into motion. The arm whirled with impossible speed, the air screaming. The heat-resistant tiles flared brilliant white. Then, with a sound like thunder, the scroll was released.
It shot upward, a streak of light punching through the sky. The monitors tracked its ascent—higher and higher, through clouds, through the troposphere, into the upper atmosphere.
Silence reigned. Everyone held their breath.
"Evacuation confirmed," a technician reported. "Launchpad clear of all personnel."
Then another technician shouted, "Payload confirmed in space!"
Ryu performed a hand seal. Monitors displayed the launchpad through tracking cameras. Remotely, the scroll unfurled, releasing the ice lens.
The lens caught sunlight and redirected it, shining like a lighthouse in the sky—almost a shining star. The single lens lacked significant focal length, but it was enough to divert light in a specific direction, creating a brilliant beacon visible even in daylight.
For a moment, everyone simply stared. The implications of this success went beyond what anyone had imagined, opening up new possibilities for energy collection and innovation.
The room erupted in applause.
A young technician, eyes wide with wonder, spoke in awe. "We just turned space into a mirror."
"A lighthouse," another corrected softly.
Kohinata stood silent, his veteran eyes fixed on the monitors. "In all my years, I never imagined humanity could reach so far."
Mesmerised, Masato gazed at the monitors displaying the radiant lens gleaming in orbit, awe reflecting in his eyes. "What's the purpose of this?" he asked. "Beyond demonstrating the launcher works?"
Ryu turned to him. "What if we focused light on the area we've reserved for energy collection? Somewhere there are no birds and it is otherwise uninhabited?"
Masato's mind clicked instantly. His eyes widened with sudden understanding. "The Sunfurnace of the IronHeart City!" He stared at Ryu in wonder. "How far ahead can you see?"
Ryu's gaze turned to the monitors showing Earth from orbit. "Far enough to see that the sky was never a limit."
"You weren't just testing the launcher," Masato breathed. "You were testing solar energy collection from orbit."
"The actual satellite launch is a week away," Ryu said. "But now we know it's possible."
"When I created the wireless communication device, I thought I'd reached the peak of innovation." Masato shook his head, almost laughing. "But this... this makes that look almost laughable."
"Distance will no longer silence voices," Ryu said.
"Thank you for making me part of something bigger," Masato said.
Ryu gestured to the monitors still showing the glowing ice lens. "The ice will vaporise soon due to the conditions in space. The lens—the mirror made of ice—will disappear. Till then, enjoy a new star in the sky."
Ryu stepped forward, addressing the team. "Thank you for your hard work. This success belongs to all of you. We've proven the concept works. The launcher functions perfectly. We're ready for the main launch."
Another round of applause filled the room.
***
As the events unfolded, the scene shifted to the cold void of space, far above Earth. The ice lens, slowly sublimating, floated in darkness—a glowing beacon still catching and redirecting sunlight.
Near the ice, two figures hovered impossibly. One had his eyes closed, serene and otherworldly. The other possessed white eyes—pale, featureless, yet all-seeing. Both have a crest on their backs, a sun enclosed in a crescent moon.
The void remained silent, yet between them, chakra pulsed—a sensation beyond sound, beyond sight.
The one with closed eyes reached out toward the sublimating ice. A sphere of chakra extended from his palm, capturing some of the vapour before it dispersed.
"I always loved fresh water from Earth," he said, condensing the vapour into liquid within his chakra sphere, "rather than stored and recycled water."
He addressed the other with profound respect. "Master."
The figure with white eyes—Master Taro—turned slightly. His voice was ancient, resonant with power.
"They have stepped into space. They will soon find out about us. We need to find whoever is responsible for this."
"Yes, Master Taro," Kiyomizu replied, still holding the water within his chakra sphere.
The two figures remained suspended in the void, watching the distant planet below—watching the ice lens continue its slow transformation from solid to vapour, a lighthouse in the darkness. Their presence remained unnoticed by those who celebrated far beneath them.
"Let's go back now," Master Taro said, his gaze fixed on the planet. Kiyomizu nodded as they disappeared with the icy gift from Ryu.
The ripple of Ryu's existence had now extended into space, catching the attention of individuals who were never meant to notice, setting the stage for unforeseen consequences. Only time will tell what butterfly effect it will cause.
##PoWeR StOnEs PLeaSE##
A/N :
For those who are wondering how both the new characters are breathing in space, the answer is ninjutsu or ninshu; as for the identity of these two, you can comment your guess.
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