Ryu stepped out of the Hamura Industries main office, squinting slightly in the afternoon light. His employees were arriving, gliding smoothly on electric mini scooters. It was the new product of his company, currently only available to employees. Ryu also wanted to take a ride but he was a ninja, and regular travelling without such amenities must be a habit for him; otherwise, it would be a bad example for his friend and siblings.
A small smile touched his lips. "When this thing begins the production phase… it will sell well," he thought.
Kaori approached, a briefcase in her hand.
"Has anyone from outside the country approached us about the communication tower, Ms. Secretary?" Ryu asked.
She shook her head. "Some chatter is going on, but they are hesitant for now."
Ryu nodded. "In this ninja world, everything is seen with suspicious eyes at first… Let them wait... We have many other projects to focus on… Let's go."
They walked through the streets of Leaf Village, eventually reaching a structure that looked more like a workshop than a home. The building showed years of weathering. Heat radiated from within, carrying the smell of coal smoke and hot metal.
Ryu and Kaori entered. Inside, a boy with his left arm missing struck red-hot iron with a hammer gripped in his right hand. An elderly man held the iron steady on the anvil using tongs, his hands trembling with effort.
The grandfather was trying his hardest not to move the piece in the slightest, but his age made such tasks nearly impossible. His arms shook.
The next strike almost made him lose his grip. The red-hot iron piece slid and fell to the ground.
The old man fell back. He cried out as his hand and back struck the ground.
The boy dropped his hammer and rushed to his grandfather.
"Grandpa!!! I told you I was fine… I did not need any help … It was a bad idea."
Ryu and Kaori watched from the entrance. The elderly craftsman was in so much pain that the kid beside him shouted for help.
Ryu stepped forward. "I will take a look. I am a healer."
The boy's eye widened with desperate hope.
Ryu knelt beside the injured man and focused his chakra.
- [Temporary Enhance] working on [Improved Eyesight] and [Infrared Vision]
- [Electromagnetic Vision] activated
His vision shifted as he adjusted the spectrum, pushing into high-penetrating X-ray wavelengths.
Bone structure became visible under Ryu's enhanced vision. Three metacarpal fractures in the right hand. Moderate soft tissue swelling along the lumbar region—probable muscle strain, no spinal displacement.
"His hand has been fractured in many places," Ryu said. "His back also hurts, and his muscles are swelling."
Shiroi's grandfather was shouting now, consumed by pain.
Ryu formed the hand seals for genjutsu, attempting to ease the man's suffering. The technique briefly took effect but then failed. The pain was too intense for a stable illusion.
"Genjutsu is not working," Ryu muttered. "We need to ease the pain first."
He took out a scroll and summoned his medical tools. They appeared in a small cloud of smoke—syringes, bandages, herbs, and vials.
Ryu selected a strong analgesic and filled the syringe. He injected it into the elderly man's arm.
"If it was a ninja who was used to injuries and pain, then I could go straight to healing," Ryu explained to Kaori. "But for a civilian, I need to calm them down first."
The analgesic took hold within moments, and the old man's screams faded to laboured breathing.
Ryu placed his hands over the injured areas. Green healing chakra gathered in his palms as he activated [Healing Palm Jutsu]. The chakra flowed into the old man's body, targeting the fractures and swelling. Ryu moved his hands methodically across all the injured spots, guiding the healing energy like a careful massage.
He held the broken bone in the correct posture while the healing chakra worked.
The wrist was stabilised, though bones would need weeks to properly mend.
Ryu took a nearby wooden stick used as fuel. He fashioned a makeshift splint using wood and bandages, wrapping it securely.
The grandfather's breathing steadied. His eyes fluttered open, clarity returning. He met Ryu's gaze and gave a single, slow nod.
Ryu secured the final bandage and stood, wiping his hands. His gaze shifted from the injured grandfather to the one-armed boy who'd been doing the work of two.
"Bones take time to heal, especially at this age," Ryu told the boy. "You need to take care of him, not the other way around."
He looked at the workshop, then at the grandfather. "What was an old man doing such heavy work?"
The boy's expression turned pained. "I apologise. Usually, I try to work alone, but my grandfather wanted to prove he was still useful. That he wasn't a burden. I should have stopped him, but he insisted on helping today."
The boy bowed deeply. "It will not happen again. Thank you for helping my grandfather." He looked up at Ryu, genuinely surprised. "I have never seen a healer as young as you."
Ryu nodded. "You are welcome."
The boy straightened. "I am Shiroi Okami."
Ryu looked at his missing arm. The stump was clean but old—a long-healed wound.
"You are working too hard for a one-armed man… You don't have parents?" Ryu asked even though he knew the answer. He wanted to start a conversation about the boy and his work.
"I lost my parents, who used to run this workshop," Shiroi said quietly. "I also lost my hand in a ninja mission."
He paused. "And that was before the Hamura Care insurance programme started. The village now provides insurance to all genin, but for me, it came too late."
Something flickered across Ryu's face. Hamura Care had been one of his first innovations, born from watching too many shinobi families left destitute after missions went wrong. He'd built that safety net before anyone else in the ninja world had thought to try. Genin are insured by village and chunin and jonin have to insure themselves.
"I apologise," Ryu said softly.
Shiroi frowned, confused. "Why are you apologising?"
Ryu met his gaze. "I am Ryu Hamura. I am sorry my help failed to reach you … "
Recognition flashed across Shiroi's face. His eye widened slightly. "You are that kid everyone is talking about."
"What brings you here? You want to buy ninja weapons?" Shiroi asked.
"I am here for you," Ryu replied.
Shiroi blinked. "For me? But why?"
"I am looking for special people to include in my clan," Ryu said. "And you are one of them."
Shiroi's face twisted into something between a grimace and a bitter smile. "In case you haven't noticed, I am missing an arm."
"It's fine," Ryu said. He gestured to Kaori. "Show him."
Kaori opened the briefcase she was carrying. Inside was a prosthetic leg—polished joints, articulated segments, each piece fitted with precision that spoke of master-level engineering.
Shiroi stared at it. His eye, trained for years in metalwork, immediately recognised the quality. "That is solid craftsmanship," he whispered. "Too advanced for anything I have seen."
Then he tilted his head in confusion. "They say you are the smartest person in the village, but I doubt it now… I have to tell you—that is a leg piece, and I am missing an arm."
Ryu smiled. "Good joke. But this is not for you. It's for a girl named Rina. She's a double amputee. With this, she'll be able to walk again."
Shiroi's expression turned sombre. "Double amputee… I would give away my legs in exchange for an arm any day."
Kaori frowned. "Why would you say that?"
Ryu glanced at her. "For a crafter, hands are everything. You can forge sitting down, even lying down if you must. But without hands?" He looked back at Shiroi. "You lose your craft, your identity, your purpose. A blacksmith without hands is like a painter without eyes."
Shiroi nodded, surprised that Ryu understood.
"You know how a crafter feels," Shiroi said.
Ryu nodded and said, "My family is also a family of crafters."
Shiroi nodded. "I know about the Hamura Clan... Many old generations of blacksmiths used to train by them… My question was to you."
Ryu answered, "Yes, I know how you feel; I am a crafter myself. So would you like to join my clan?"
His gaze drifted to the forge. "I am grateful for your offer, but all I want now is to provide for my ageing grandparents, even if I have to swing my hammer with my only hand."
"I can take care of your grandparents," Ryu said. "I have the best all-round retirement plan with all facilities—medical and otherwise—and all-round care. You can visit them anytime you want."
Shiroi's eye widened. "What is in it for you to help me?"
"I will tell you only the truth," Ryu replied. "I want to change the world, and I am looking for people who can support me in doing that."
Shiroi laughed—a harsh, bitter sound. "I am anything but useful. I am a broken genin."
Ryu smiled. "Wrong. You are a fighter, and you are a person who never gives up. You… crafting with a single arm… is proof of that."
Ryu raised his hand. Chakra flickered around his fingers.
- [Genjutsu - Mind Palace Projection] activated
The air shimmered and the view shifted. A three-dimensional design appeared between them—a prosthetic arm. It was beautiful and detailed, every joint and mechanism visible. The design rotated slowly, showing every angle.
Then Ryu attached the floating prosthetic to the body that will be attached to this arm eventually. An image of the overlay fitted perfectly onto the missing arm of Shiroi in this genjutsu.
Shiroi gasped. He moved his fingers—or tried to. The prosthetic fingers moved. The illusion was so detailed he could almost feel them respond.
Almost. The sensation remained just beyond reach—a phantom promise of what could be.
"This…" Shiroi whispered.
He tested the grip. The fingers closed. Opened. The vision was vivid.
Then Ryu snapped his fingers and the genjutsu ended.
From the side, Shiroi's grandfather pushed himself up slightly, his splinted hand trembling. "Shiroi… listen to me." His voice came out hoarse but firm. "I am old. My hands shake. And I have nothing more to teach you… It's better if you join his clan… and learn from a Hamura just like I did when I was your age… They are good people… Take up his offer, son."
Shiroi turned to his grandfather, conflict clear on his face. But then his gaze shifted to the prosthetic leg in the briefcase, then to the missing arm where a genjutsu arm was attached a few seconds ago, and his expression hardened.
"You healed my grandfather. I don't doubt your skill." Shiroi's jaw set. "But words are cheap. If you want me to believe you'll actually build that arm—prove you understand the craft. Forge something. Show me you're not just another noble's son playing at charity."
Shiroi's jaw tightened. "A beautiful dream. But dreams don't forge steel."
The grandfather tried to protest, but Shiroi continued. "I can craft blades with just a single hand... No pun intended." He paused. "If you can craft a blade, I will join you."
The challenge hung in the air.
Kaori looked at Ryu. She'd seen Ryu accomplish impossible things before, but bladesmithing by himself was different territory entirely.
Ryu's smile widened.
A/N:
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