The sound of birds outside woke Sora from his sleep. He was in a modest room, which was quite different from sleeping on the floor of Fire Temple.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, telling himself that although it felt strange every morning, he had beco used to things at the plaza.
The first thing he did was don the white cloak everyone here now wore. Unless it involved sleeping or showering, they were to wear it everywhere, both in and outside the plaza.
Before leaving his room, he tied it at the waist and wrapped it around himself.
After walking outside early in the morning, his gaze shifted to the building that he and Ryugetsu had been constructing. It was a sturdy little wooden monastery that had a clear mission.
They had been working on this project every day, and it was almost finished.
Inside, he discovered Ryugetsu kneeling in a tiny alcove, coming out of what he had once called a "prayer closet."
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret..."
Those were the words said from Matthew 6:6, of which Sora was given an explanation after this prayer closet was built.
As he moved deeper inside, Sora bowed respectfully and said, "Good morning, brother Ryugetsu."
Ryugetsu stood up and said, "Good morning." His expression was one of satisfaction as he looked around the room. "It's almost finished."
"I'll say!" he exclaid, observing the details.
The wooden beams, the angles, and the areas where light filtered through—all of them were built better than the boy had imagined.
Truth be told, it was really Ryugetsu who had done most of the work while Sora was asleep.
"Sorry for not helping as much as I should have," Sora stated.
In a modest tone, Ryugetsu remarked, "The work was done while you dread... No need for apologies."
Feeling guilty, Sora complained, "But I didn't help at all."
"Not your fault." Ryugetsu dismissed. "You make contributions that you are unaware of. Your presence is sufficient."
Those words ward Sora. He was still unsure of his position, so Ryugetsu's advice gave him peace.
"So what're we doing today?" he inquired.
Ryugetsu folded his arms and said, "I have an assignnt from lord Arthur."
Sora beca curious as he asked, "What is it?"
"A pressing issue. I can't give much away, but it needs all the other lords' attention."
The ntion of Arthur made Sora wonder. He knew of Arthur but had never actually t him yet. All he understood was that Arthur ruled this place and that everyone was to follow under his guidance.
"I hope to et him in person soday," Sora addressed.
Ryugetsu replied, "In ti... Until I get back, I need you to finish the remaining parts of the monastery, understood?"
Sora confird, "I can do that!"
At that, Ryugetsu pivoted and moved toward the door. Sora watched him disappear down the trail, feeling a little too anxious for his return.
And who could bla the boy? He had been rescued from the darkness that was plaguing him for months at the Fire Temple. It was only natural that he loved to be by Ryugetsu's side.
Footsteps echoed as Ryugetsu walked through the plaza. He first walked to the laboratory where Brie was slumped over a table.
Even though her features were gentle when she slept, they showed the effects of working late.
He looked at her for a while without saying a word.
Her projects seed to be getting longer and longer as a result of Arthur's absence. That was only proving how loyal she was to him.
Careful not to wake her, Ryugetsu walked to the shelves and carefully unfolded a scroll from inside his cloak. The parchnt contained text and diagrams that described barrier ninjutsu techniques.
Known as "Kekkai Ninjutsu," they were barrier ninjutsus that used chakra to form force fields—also called concealing or protective barriers—over particular regions.
These techniques have several uses, such as preventing intruders, ensnaring adversaries, and limiting movent inside the barrier's boundaries. They're also used by species, including toads at Mount Myōboku.
The strategic uses of these tactics in defense and combat are demonstrated by the fact that barriers can be made to carry out particular tasks. For example, the technique known as the Four Violet Flas Formation limits the capabilities of individuals trapped inside, while the technique known as the Five-Seal Barrier blocks external entry.
The thod and skill of the practitioner determine how effective barrier ninjutsu is. While the Six Red Yang Formation is the ultimate barrier technique, requiring advanced skills like the Rinnegan and the Six Paths Power, other barriers, like the Self-Repairing Barrier and the Four Red Yang Formation, call for cooperation among strong shinobi.
Barriers can be overco despite their nature by controlling openings, taking certain steps, or even using good enough force. They're often useless against space-ti ninjutsu like the Flying raijin.
For Ryugetsu, this information was crucial, particularly in light of the situations that Arthur would have to deal with soon.
Ryugetsu read the notes for hours on end, losing himself entirely. As ti passed, he stayed in the lab until he grasped the chanisms to perform the "Ninja Art: Four Crimson Ray Formation."
It was a potent formation ant to form a strong barrier that, if used properly, could even withstand the Ten-Tails' might.
Long ago, Arthur had delved into the Sound Five's minds to extract their skills and knowledge. Knowing that their abilities might be required, he gave Ryugetsu a lot of it.
He and Arthur could probably use the thods with little trouble, but the effects wouldn't be as powerful. In order to fully comprehend the complexities of the barrier, Ryugetsu had to practice diligently till it was perfect.
After he had finished reading, without at all disturbing Brie, he finally walked out of the laboratory and away from the plaza before stepping into the Cayman Jungle.
To start, he channeled his chakra and then ford the correct hand signs. As the barrier ford, a swirling mass of crimson light erged almost instantly.
Many would have been impressed that he had managed to create it on the first attempt. However, the size was relatively small compared to what it should have been. On top of that, the defensive capabilities seed to be lacking.
In Ryugetsu's eyes, he had failed.
Hours passed while he concentrated on extending the barrier's range; he felt that quick changes were required. So he adjusted his strategy with every attempt, giving up so power in exchange for a wider field of effect.
He eventually experienced a breakthrough as the sun began to set.
The barrier now covered a wider radius and went farther than before. Even though its defensive power had significantly diminished, it was a necessary first step toward why Arthur needed it in the first place.
After finishing the training, Ryugetsu was suddenly transported back to the throne room, where he was standing next to the other clones, Kaito, Hoshikaze, and John—all of whom were wearing their white cloaks.
Sitting on the throne was Arthur, who continued to exude a regal and commanding presence.
"Ryugetsu..." Arthur began, "I take it your training has finished."
The others remained silent as Ryugetsu took the lead and said, "I've learned the jutsu, but there's still room for improvent in terms of duration and quality."
"We can refine it later," Arthur replied.
The speed at which his clone learned such a high-ranked technique was already impressive enough. Especially considering that his next task needed to be completed soon.
Extending his arms, Arthur got up from his throne. The white cloak materialized about him from thin air. Then, without a mont's thought, he perford the Flying raijin and arrived at a hilltop in the Land of Waves with all of his clones.
There was a village below, a remote hive of trouble. Untrustworthy individuals, including thugs and black arms dealers, road the streets, adding more layers of corruption to the already unstable environnt.
The police on patrol were just as corrupt as the criminals they were supposed to catch. And while its history was fascinating for non-do-gooders, it was far from other settlents to receive any attention from any ninjas.
Impending doom was about to comnce.
The tension was broken when Arthur finally called out, "Do it..."
Then all of his clones except Ryugetsu dispersed. The strategy was clear, and they all had important duties to make sure their mission was successful.
Ryugetsu pulled a kunai with a sealing tag from his belt and quickly pressed it into the earth beneath his feet. He then launched himself eastward.
Ten minutes later, he planted another kunai down with the sa tag. He carried on in this manner two more tis until a total of four kunai were placed.
Now he was in the right position.
'Ninja art: formation of four crimson rays...'
From all the kunai, four red beams shot out, joining one another as they began rising toward the sky and descending to cover the village with a translucent red wall.
Inside the unsuspecting village, a shadow passed over a young boy who was playing with a ball. He abruptly stopped as his laughter faded. His companions did the sa before raising their heads.
All their faces changed from happiness to perplexity. The sun was obscured by an increasing, unnatural darkness as the shadow grew.
Their expressions were soon followed by the villagers, who stopped talking to look at what was going on. The streets echoed with worried murmurs. Businessn stopped as many of their brows knitted suspiciously.
Then they looked at each other to try and find an explanation.
Five white-clad figures stood on top of a nearby house. Unnoticed by the villagers, who were too preoccupied with the weird darkness to glance up, the clones and Arthur observed the scene below.
"Only a select few who could put up a fight," Hoshikaze relayed.
"If fight is the right word to use," John added.
It only took three words from Arthur for them to know what to do next: "Leave no witnesses..."
The figures then dispersed into the mayhem.
A geyser suddenly erupted in the village square, spouting a magnificent display of water that shimred in the gloomy light.
With amazed eyes, the villagers stood to marvel at it. However, the water droplets changed into sharp icicles and hung in midair.
The change was quick.
Three villagers were impaled, and the first scream pierced the air, followed by a red splash of blood. They scrambled in all directions as panic swept through the village like wildfire.
Desperate to keep his family safe, a man called out for them to flee. At that mont, chains erged from the darkness and cinched firmly around his waist. The screams that filled the square were a sharp contrast to the crunch that ca as he was flung against a nearby building.
His wife watched in horror as a chain sprang from the shadows and rcilessly wrapped itself around her neck. They quickly tightened until her cries were muffled.
The children in the vicinity froze with their eyes wide, traumatized by the terrible scene they were witnessing.
A group of ard n and won gathered to stop this mayhem. In the midst of the confusion, they noticed a lone figure in white standing motionless.
"Are you to bla for this?" one of them yelled as they advanced.
The others encircled the figure in a semicircle. And when the figure stayed motionless and silent, the tension rose.
"Get him!" one shouted.
They all charged in. The first assailant was struck by a spin kick in the head, and another was hit in the throat. Then the figure skillfully sidestepped the blows of the remaining fighters before elbowing one of them in the back and throwing projectiles that hit their marks.
In a matter of seconds, everyone was defeated and sprawled on the ground—all with the figure barely moving from his original spot.
Reviews
All reviews (0)