A meeting was taking place at Root Headquarters. Only the Root Commander Danzo and his right-hand man Tatsuma Aburame were present at the meeting.
Tatsuma Aburame asked, "Danzo-sensei. Is there any new development?"
Danzo said, "Azuma Kasen, the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers, is going to meet with Dan Hamura in a few days. Ikkyu Madoka, the son of Fire Daimyo, was in the Land of Rivers a few days back. Our spies in that country submitted a report he would be here to meet Dan Hamura."
Tatsuma Aburame thought for a second and then asked, "You suspect that the land for a factory he is looking for will be in the Land of Rivers?"
Danzo replied, "I came to the same conclusion. Their expanding influence needs to be stopped."
Danzo looked at his student and said, "Leak the information. They would have ample time for an ambush. Surely Dan Hamura will make a visit to the Land of Rivers with his grandson. Make sure the boy dies but Dan Hamura survives. He still is valuable to the village."
Danzo and Dan were not on good terms, but he had to agree that his contribution to the village in the last year was unquestionable. The new seal he developed had made the already number one position of Leaf Village at fuinjutsu to an unreachable new height. Danzo plans to break Dan's will and control him.
Tatsuma suggested, "I am taking the new recruit from the Yamanaka Clan. If I had a chance to read Dan Hamura's memories, he would come in handy. It will be good for him to observe the actual mission as well."
Danzo replied, "That is a good idea, but he is not mission ready. Fuu recently joined the Root. He lacks sufficient training. However, I will allow it if you are personally handling this mission. Ensure his safety, as he is a valuable asset to the Root, and his loss would be detrimental."
Ryu was in the academy class, and like always, he was training his affinity under the desk. In his outstretched palm there was a lump of clay.
- The [R.A.T. seal] Active
- 5% resistance
The clay constantly changed shape, transitioning from a cube to a sphere and then into various abstract forms as per Ryu's will, as part of his ongoing training to develop earth affinity to finally have a better chance at [Carbon Control].
He glanced around the classroom, observing his classmates, and a spark of mischievous inspiration ignited within him. In a playful tone, Ryu said to himself, "Let us make the training more difficult."
His gaze landed on Kanji in the first row. With a mischievous grin, he pointed and said, "Let's start with him."
The clay in his hand started to take shape with a flick of his wrist, turning into a figurine of Kenji with its pinkie finger buried deep in his nose.
"Fuuu," Ryu tried to hold his laughter in. Ryu took another handful of clay, and a new figurine morphed into a person. It was Akira Uchiha. They engaged in a game of rock, paper, scissors, with the loser receiving a punch to the face.
He moved on to his next target. Hikari Hyuga's figurine looked adorable while mimicking the Gentle Fist pose. When she saw it, she blushed a bit. As the class started giggling, Ryu quickly hid the figures below the table.
He then shifted his target from his rivals to his friends. The clay in his hand began to take shape, morphing into a figurine of Noboru, complete with an exaggerated expression and a comically oversized head, fast asleep with drool dripping from his mouth and an oversized snot bubble.
"Hey, Noboru, look at this!" Ryu called out, holding up the figurine.
Toshiro Senju was trying his hardest not to laugh. So were other friends of Ryu, like Saya, Takeshi, and Fumi. Noboru Nara's eyebrow twitched as he thought, 'This brat is annoying.'
Ryu looked at Noboru and thought, 'He is pissed,' but the glint in his eye suggested he had no intention of stopping.
Ryu continued and created two figurines, one of Fumi Suzuki and another of Takeshi Yamamoto. Both started fighting much like the Street Fighter video game, with their expressions and moves exaggerated for comedic effect. Then it shifted to more straightforward strangulation of Takeshi by Fumi, like she always does when she is angry. And at the end of the fight, Fumi's clay figurine also posed like how a game character poses after the win. Now Ryu was looking for another classmate to annoy.
"Now", Ryu thought, "for a real challenge." He shifted his focus, attempting to recreate figurines from memory, adding even more complex details.
With remarkable precision, he fused both pieces of clay together to create a flawless replica of Saya Uchiha.
Saya, who had been quietly observing, suddenly gasped as she realised what Ryu had created. She thought, 'I am going to hit him in the head if he does anything stupid using that doll with my face.'
The figurine began dancing energetically, starting with a cheerleader routine to the tune of the "strikeout song" before smoothly transitioning into a lively K-pop performance.
Saya was fuming with anger and broke the pencil she was holding.
When Ryu heard the pencil break, he saw Saya's aura flare up like a phoenix. He gulped his saliva and thought, "Maybe I overdid it a little."
As the class concluded, Toshiro Senju approached Ryu, a curious expression on his face. "Ryu", he asked, "how did you become so proficient with Earth nature manipulation so fast?"
Toshiro then said, "I thought you were training only in Senju Taijutsu."
"It's simply a matter of training and hard work," Ryu replied, a hint of nonchalance in his voice.
"Any tips?" Toshiro pressed.
"I'll give you some tips when we're at the training grounds," Ryu assured.
Ryu was then suddenly hit in the head. Saya Uchiha stood behind him, her eyes flashing with mock anger, much like an angry anime character. And Fumi and Takeshi were also behind her.
"You made my figurine look ridiculous!" she scolded, her voice laced with playful irritation. "And what was with that stupid dance?"
"It was a realistic portrayal," Ryu retorted, rubbing the back of his head, only to receive a much harder hit in the head. Then all three of them beat Ryu senseless, and Ryu was seen raising his hands in surrender as he apologised profusely with tears from his eyes.
"I will not do that again. I promise," Ryu said, pleading with his friends/beaters.
"Fine, fine," Saya relented, though still looking annoyed. "But how are you so good at it?"
She added, "Is there some training method you are hiding from us?"
Both Fumi and Takeshi also closed in to listen to Ryu. Both were training in chakra nature manipulation and knew that it had not been long since Ryu had started training in earth nature manipulation, but the control he showed in the classroom was not anything a beginner can do.
"Basic training is essential," Ryu explained. "Many children overlook it because it's tedious, but it's the foundation for everything else."
"Are you sure you're not an old man in disguise?" Saya teased.
Eager to start their training, Toshiro asked Ryu, "Shall we go?"
"Go where?" Saya enquired; her curiosity piqued.
"To the Senju clan's private training grounds," Toshiro revealed. "Lady Tsunade is training Ryu."
A collective gasp swept through the group. "Tsunade-sama is training you?" Fumi asked, their voice filled with disbelief. "How did that happen?"
"She probably lost a bet," Toshiro said, shaking his head.
Takeshi replied, "Yes, everyone knows about her gambling habits and bad luck."
Ryu announced, "I have to go now. I'll share some tips with you next time we meet."
Saya said, "Okay, that's a promise then. I am having difficulty with cutting the leaf. If your tip won't work, I will beat you like today."
With that, Ryu and Toshiro departed for the Senju clan's training grounds.
Inside the Senju clan's secluded training area, Toshiro asked again his question about Ryu's training methods in Earth affinity. "So, about those tips," he said.
"Turn training into a hobby," Ryu suggested. "Create something, like a moving earth castle or underground tunnels. Make it engaging for yourself. And you will find your training progress faster."
Toshiro nodded, grasping the concept, and began to experiment. Ryu, meanwhile, thought, "I will keep the [R.A.T. seal] techniques within the Hamura clan, but I will help him in other ways."
Tsunade entered the training grounds. "Ready for training, Ryu?" she asked. "I received the advanced copy of your research paper on the new anti-TB drug. I'm impressed."
"Thank you, Aunty Tsunade," Ryu replied.
Tsunade summoned a bowl of water before Ryu. "Begin," she instructed.
Ryu focused his chakra, carefully moving the water within the bow using just impulses of chakra through his fists on his first attempt.
"Impressive," Tsunade remarked, though inwardly, she was astonished. She thought, 'To move water so quickly after just one day of training... if he continues at this pace, he'll master the superhuman strength that comes with Senju Style taijutsu in no time.'
"You're making great progress. Continue practising," she said. "Change hands repeatedly, and don't stop until your chakra is depleted. Repeat this tomorrow also. I'll teach you the next step in a few days."
Tsunade disappeared in an instant, leaving Ryu and Toshiro to proceed with their training alone.
##PoWeR StOnEs##
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