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The wooden door of the training hall creaked open. Standing in the doorway was the Third Hoshikage, flanked by two masked ANBU operatives wearing coarse, animal-faced masks. No one knew how long he had been there, but his face was grave, his eyes sharp. The faint light spilling from the hall reflected off his expression, revealing both authority and concern. The two ANBU beside him also seemed surprised by the sight before them — the faintly glowing "Star" meteorite at the center of the room.
The three young shinobi in the hall froze, almost terrified. They knew they were secretly attempting Hoshiton training with the meteorite, which had been strictly forbidden. Now that they had been caught by the Third Hoshikage himself, they were understandably afraid. None of them possessed the strength or courage to defy him. Even though his current abilities were not what they would be in another decade, he was still an elite shinobi and the leader of the village.
"Lord Hoshikage, we…" Audi stammered, panic flickering across his face.
"You're far too bold," the Third Hoshikage said coldly, his stern gaze sweeping over them. "If it weren't for my own decision to keep this matter quiet, do you know what would happen to you? The Star's power is forbidden for a reason." His voice carried the weight of authority. Though he was often underestimated, his position as leader of Hoshigakure still commanded respect.
The three lowered their heads in shame, bracing themselves for harsh punishment.
"Forget it. Your punishment will be decided later, after Chen Xing recovers," the Hoshikage said with a sigh. He understood why so many in the village questioned his ban on the Star training — but he also knew the price the Star demanded. Too many had already lost their lives to it.
---
Chen Xing himself was still at the center of the hall, locked in the throes of excruciating training. The Star's chakra forced his body's chakra network to expand beyond its limits, burning through his meridians. He fought to stay conscious, refusing to faint even when his body begged for rest. If I can't endure this pain, he thought, then what kind of shinobi can I become?
The Third Hoshikage's eyes narrowed as he observed. In all his years, he had never seen such a phenomenon — the Star's glow flaring wildly in response to a trainee. This was unprecedented in the last few centuries. To him, it was nothing short of a miracle. Perhaps Chen Xing truly could become the future of Hoshigakure.
---
Eventually, Chen Xing collapsed. As he fell, a faint, almost satisfied smile crossed his pale face — he had endured to the very end.
With a dull thud, the glowing "Star" meteorite rolled from its pedestal onto the wooden floor. The purple radiance dimmed instantly. Now it looked like nothing more than a smooth, round stone.
The Third Hoshikage and the masked ANBU hurried to Chen Xing's side, checking his pulse and chakra. To their surprise, although his chakra reserves were low, his condition was far better than that of previous trainees, who had suffered crippling damage from even brief contact with the Star.
"Excellent… my village's future may yet be bright," the Hoshikage murmured, tears welling in his eyes as he cradled the unconscious boy.
One of the ANBU retrieved the meteorite, then froze. "Lord Hoshikage… the Star's chakra is gone!"
"What?!" The Third Hoshikage's expression tightened. He took the Star in his hands and checked for himself. It was true — its vast chakra was gone.
In truth, the Star's power had not vanished at all. It had been sealed deep within Chen Xing's heart by an advanced technique, impossible to detect with standard instruments. Over time, that immense chakra would slowly merge with his own as his strength grew.
---
Audi and his two companions were punished with six months' confinement. The reason was never officially announced, and the Hoshikage's authority ensured no one dared to gossip. In truth, the sentence was light — but the village could not afford to lose more capable shinobi to harsher punishments.
The very next day, the Third Hoshikage quietly spread word that the Star's chakra had been completely exhausted. Many outside forces doubted the claim, suspecting it was a ploy to stop others from trying to steal it. Nevertheless, the Star was now heavily guarded.
Among those returning to the village around this time was Summer Star, whose husband, Firefly, had once been hailed as a hero of Hoshigakure. Reunited with her young son Smiley, she was informed of the Star's fate — and that its chakra had been absorbed by Chen Xing. She felt relief, surprise, and no small amount of anger toward those who had pushed him into such training.
---
Four days later, Chen Xing finally awoke in a small, sunlit room. The air smelled faintly of flowers from a vase at his bedside. Fresh clothes were folded neatly on a bench.
As he sat up, his stomach growled loudly. "Ugh… I've been asleep for days, haven't I?" he muttered to himself.
Just then, the door slid open and Summer Star entered, smiling warmly and carrying a paper bag that smelled of freshly steamed meat buns.
"You're awake," she said gently. "You've been out for four days. You must be starving."
Chen Xing didn't argue. Accepting the bag, he opened it to find several hot buns inside and began eating with barely restrained hunger.
"Slow down," Summer Star chuckled, patting his back lightly. "You'll choke if you eat like that."
Between bites, Chen Xing looked at her curiously. "Summer Star-sister… why are you here? I thought you were on a mission."
She smiled faintly. "My mission was to guard the Star and prevent anyone from resuming training with it. But now that it's just an ordinary meteorite, Lord Hoshikage called me back."
Chen Xing nodded slowly. He already knew the truth — the Third Hoshikage had been present during his training — but chose not to say more.
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