[ Mei & Ao: Hidden Room Beneath the Marketplace]
The rebellion's temporary nerve center was a stone chamber beneath a butcher's stall—hidden behind a chakra-sealed door and masked by genjutsu. Candles flickered. Maps of Kirigakure lay sprawled on a table, dotted with pins.
Mei Terumi stood with her arms folded, eyes fixed on a list of names. One hand rested on a file labeled "Kiryū, Riku."
Ao, standing opposite her, arms behind his back, said nothing at first. The Byakugan in his stolen right eye glowed faintly beneath his headband.
"You're thinking of bringing him in," Ao finally said.
Mei nodded. "He's powerful. Controlled. Smart."
"He's a child."
"He's a child who just beat a Hōzuki without killing him."
Ao's voice was flat. "So did I, once. The boy still bled. Emotionally. That's the kind of bleeding that poisons soldiers."
Mei glanced at him. "You bled the same way. Still do."
"I bled in the dark," Ao replied coldly. "Not in front of other children."
Silence stretched between them.
"…He reminds you of yourself," Ao said finally.
Mei didn't deny it.
"He's not ready," Ao pressed. "Let him train. Let him grow. If we give him a mask too soon, we might never see his real face again."
Mei sighed. "And if we wait too long, we lose him to the other side."
[ Kaede & Riku: Old ANBU Training Hall, Dusk]
The sparring dojo was tucked behind their apartment—a place Kaede hadn't touched in years. Dust clung to the corners, but the floor was clean. Riku stood barefoot, tense and eager. His crystal gauntlets were off. No chakra. Just hand-to-hand.
His mother tossed something at his feet.
A slender blade—curved, black, with a chakra-etched hilt.
"What's this?" he asked.
"An old ANBU utility tanto," Kaede said quietly. "Lightweight. Balanced for speed and precision. I used this in the purges."
Riku stared at it. "You kept it?"
"I kept everything that helped me survive."
Kaede stepped forward, tying her long hair back.
"I never taught you proper taijutsu. You're too dependent on your jutsu, and crystal won't always be fast enough to save you."
She raised her fists. Her stance was elegant, deadly, measured.
"Today, you learn like I did. No chakra. No mercy. Hit me."
Riku hesitated.
Then he moved.
They clashed—her movements refined and efficient, his wild but intuitive. She corrected his form mid-strike, swept his legs, knocked the breath from his lungs.
Again and again.
"Faster."
"Don't drop your shoulder."
"Stop hesitating, Riku."
By the fourth round, his lip was bleeding and his ribs ached—but something had clicked. He was reading her movements. Anticipating. Moving in rhythm, not reaction.
Kaede smiled faintly and called a pause.
"You're adapting."
She handed him the blade again. "And one day, you'll have to decide if you want to wield this as a tool… or a weapon."
——
[Final Intercut – Two Worlds, One Boy]
Mei: "He's dangerous, Ao. The kind of dangerous that could change this village."
Ao: "Or destroy himself trying."
Kaede: "The world won't slow down for you, Riku. So train faster. Think harder. Be sharper."
Riku: Holding the ANBU blade in both hands, quietly whispering—
"I'm not just surviving anymore. I'm choosing who I want to be."
END
Authors note: thank you all for taking your time to read the story even though the chapters are short I try to make them as best. I can usually usually I write longer chapters but I'm trying my hand short ones. Please leave your comments and power stones if you support this thank you