The twins' room was dim, lit only by the weak glow of a lantern. Kaia sat rigidly on the bed while Akihiro leaned against the wall, one eye
The twins' room was dim, lit only by the weak glow of a lantern. Kaia sat rigidly on the bed while Akihiro leaned against the wall, one eye swollen from a fresh bruise. Ryu lowered himself to their level, his gaze steady and calm.
"Who did it?" Ryu asked again, his voice dropping to a low, knowing tone. "It wasn't a fair fight, was it?"
Akihiro turned his head away, shoulders stiff, refusing to answer. The bruise was answer enough. Kaia stepped slightly in front of her brother, her fists clenched tight, glaring at Ryu with fire. "What difference would it make if we told you? It won't change what happened."
Ryu tilted his head, watching them both. "Defiance. Good. Better than fear." He leaned back with a sigh. "When I was in an orphanage like you, a black eye was a good day. Some days, it was a bloody nose or cracked ribs for looking at someone the wrong way. The pain wasn't the worst part—it was the cold floor under your cheek when no one helped you up. It was knowing no one cared enough to stop it."
Ryu leaned closer, gaze sharp. "Were you forced to agree to this adoption?"
Kaia shook her head firmly. "No. I don't want anyone beating my brother again."
Akihiro muttered bitterly, "Maybe our next life will be better than this shithole."
Ryu placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your next life begins now. I'm proof it can change. Three days from now, people from the Daimyo's office will escort you to the Leaf Village."
Three days later, the group assembled at River City's gates. Souji sat in his new wheelchair, smiling faintly yet genuinely, a small beacon that drew every eye. Rina stood close beside him, her hand intertwined with his.
Kaia and Akihiro, now dressed in clean clothes, shifted nervously, eyes wide as they took in the grandeur of their transport. The Daimyo of the Land of Rivers himself stood with his personal guard at attention. His presence wasn't just a courtesy—it was a statement.
Ikkyu had arranged the horse carriage for everyone, its cushions and polished wood a comfort none of the orphans had ever seen.
As the group left, Kaia looked out the window and saw the fields that went on forever in the River Country. Rina leaned toward the twins. "First time in a carriage?" she teased.
Akihiro signalled using hand signs, and Kaia spoke on his behalf, "He said… I like solid ground under my feet…"
In a few days, they reached the Leaf Village. Kaori and Kohinata had travelled with them as far as the gates. There, Ryu clasped Kaori's hand briefly, repeating, "Remember my offer, Kaori. Take care of yourself." She nodded quietly before stepping away.
Ikkyu stayed in the Leaf Village instead of returning to Fire Capital, explaining that he wanted to witness the launch of the communication project. He clasped Ryu's hand before parting. "Good luck tomorrow. I'll return soon to see what you've built."
Before moving on, Ryu turned to Kaori and Kohinata, who had accompanied them. To Kaori he said, "Take care of yourself, and don't forget my offer still stands." Kaori gave a faint smile in return. To Kohinata he said, "Bring your son to my house with all the medical reports." Kohinata bowed respectfully. "I will come the day after your launch event," he promised.
They all then moved to Hamura House. The children followed Ryu into the compound yard, where Yasashii and Jiyuu waited. Jiyuu, no longer confined to bed, sat upright in a wheelchair, a wide smile lighting his face.
"Everyone," Ryu said, pride in his tone, "meet your family."
Ryu gestured in turn. "This is Yasashii. Next to him is Jiyuu—he suffers from brittle bone syndrome, but you'll find his spirit harder than steel. Over here is Rina. She lost her leg on a mission, but she never lost her courage. Beside her is Souji. Once totally paralysed in a mission, he's learning to move and smile again. And now, the two of you—Akihiro, who is blind and mute, and Kaia, who is deaf."
Ryu continued, "Some of us can't walk, some can't talk, some can't see, some lack bone density—but everyone is in it together; all of us are family now."
Kaia, still looking around the yard with wide eyes, muttered with a faint smirk, "I wasn't expecting so many wheelchairs."
Kaia's and Rina's eyes lingered on Jiyuu. He couldn't walk, yet there was a resilience in his smile that unsettled them. Weakness, they'd always been taught, was a liability. Here, weakness was worn openly—and somehow it radiated strength.
Rina smirked at Yasashii. "Wow, I didn't expect to meet someone who is shorter than me."
Yasashii giggled, unfazed. "At least I have toes, and I can wiggle them."
The yard fell silent, and then Ryu let out a deep laugh. "Already fighting like siblings."
Ryu turned to Jiyuu. "How's the hormone therapy going?"
Jiyuu grinned wider. "I can sit up now and have gained some weight. The synthetic hormones are working, and the diet and supplements you recommended have been helpful. Thanks to improvement, I was able to train in chakra control effectively."
"You completed the chakra control training?" Ryu asked, looking at Jiyuu and Yasashii. "That was fast."
Yasashii nodded, while Jiyuu raised his hand, conjuring a small [Water Release] sphere that hovered before dripping into a cup. The others clapped as Jiyuu flushed with pride. "Not just chakra control, I did water affinity training too. I had too much free time, and I spent all of it on training. Brother Yasashii focused on the book you gave him on fuinjutsu."
Ryu nodded in approval, impressed by Jiyuu's dedication. "You did good. Better than my expectations. Keep it up; you're all making great progress," he said with a smile, feeling proud of his students' growth.
"I think it's time for the next phase for Jiyuu," Ryu said.
Tsunade frowned and said, breaking the suspense, "Finally… the suspense is over."
Ryu smiled at the remark, admitting he kept them waiting too long. He then took out a scroll and summoned a nearly full bowl. Inside, a pale, thick liquid rippled. "This is Oobleck."
It looked like cloudy milk. When Ryu slammed his fist into it, the impact rang out like a wet slap on stone, the liquid holding firm with no splash. Then he dipped a single finger slowly, and the surface gave way, and his hand was submerged into the white fluid.
"Do you notice something strange with this liquid?" Ryu asked.
Jiyuu asked, "Yes… but how does this help me?"
Ryu smiled. "Hormone therapy will improve your bone density, but your bones will remain fragile compared to the average ninja. This liquid will serve as both armour and exo-muscles."
"Exo-muscles?" Jiyuu echoed.
Ryu nodded. "It will be harder to explain in words, so let me show you."
Ryu snapped his fingers. Tsunade, Dan, Yuki, Shizune, and the children all found themselves within a genjutsu. It had become a habit for the adults there, so they were not bothered, but for kids it was a bit unnerving.
Tsunade said, "He is getting better at genjutsu every day… Now he surpasses even the Kurama clan."
Dan gave a nod and said, "Right."
With that kind of genjutsu, even Akira, who is blind, could see what was going on for now.
Strange seals glowed across Ryu's body. From them, white liquid poured like controlled streams, coiling around him. It hardened into armour clinging to his frame, grotesque and fascinating. Then the liquid formed a hooded face over his own, a new jaw extending like something alive, covering his head completely. The transformation writhed and clung to him, disturbingly organic—like a symbiote from the stories of another world—as his size kept on growing, now towering over everyone. Ryu flexed the white muscles formed using the Oobleck liquid.
"Now you see what exo-muscles are," Ryu growled.
He roared, the sound guttural and inhuman, as one of his arms warped into jagged scythes and the other elongated into grotesque blades, giving the impression of something monstrous and definitely not human.
Gasps echoed through the illusion. Ryu said, "How is it... did you like it?"
Tsunade spoke first. "The concept is ingenious."
Ryu replied, "It's still just an idea until Jiyuu makes it real."
"Once an idea is available, a lot of people can make things," Dan retorted. "The hardest part, though, is actually coming up with an idea."
Yuki said, "Dan is right… Impact-hardening liquid... That's why you call it a liquid plan instead of a solid plan… You have a way with words."
"An 'impact-solidifying liquid' plan would be most appropriate," Ryu corrected.
"This plan is all about water control, but other than water, there would be more things added in the mixture. It will be harder than water control but not impossible. Once Jiyuu is able to do this much, it all depends on how creative he can get with it."
Ryu just then had an amazing idea. The armour rippled, shifting colour until he vanished into the background. Rina's eyes widened. "Where did he go?"
Akihiro tilted his head, listening carefully rather than relying on genjutsu-given sight. He then signalled using hand signs: "He's behind us. I can hear him."
Kaia, who understood, turned back the fastest, and then the others. Then a predator-like shimmer of invisibility rippled. Ryu disabled his camouflage and reappeared with a grin. "Not invisibility. Camouflage. With sharp senses like Akihiro's keen hearing or the Inuzuka clan's sense of smell, I'm still detectable. But imagine wielding this—Jiyuu could be a new breed of ninja."
The twins were speechless. Finally, Kaia found her voice. "You want to turn us into ninjas too?"
"Only if you choose it," Ryu replied. "No one will force you. But remember—without strength, you cannot protect anything. I already have a bounty on my head. Enemies have tried to kill me. If you walk with me, you must have the strength to stand."
The room fell into silence. Kaia and Akihiro exchanged a glance, fear and determination warring in their eyes. Their next life had already begun.
As the silence stretched, Kaia thought to herself, "If he can get better, maybe we can too."
Beside her, Akihiro's hands moved in a small, private sign she could see: Hope.
A/N: Please donate some power stones and leave a review if you liked the story. And check out free chapters on P@treon @PageTurnerPJ