Whoosh… whoosh…
The air roared past them as they cut through the sky. Akahoshi used his chakra to shield Ryan from the brunt of the wind—otherwise, Ryan would've been overwhelmed in seconds.
"This is… incredible!"
That was Ryan's only thought as he soared through the heavens for the first time.
Below them, the world passed by like a living map—forests, ridges, rivers all sweeping beneath him. For someone like Ryan—an ordinary person in his past life who'd never even flown in a plane—this was an utterly exhilarating experience.
Soon, Akahoshi brought them to a massive crater, at least a mile across. The ground below was barren and lifeless, littered with blackened stumps of trees scorched beyond recognition.
It was said that this crater had formed after a falling star exploded upon impact. From that explosion, a strange meteorite—about the size of a large fist—had been discovered. That meteorite, brimming with immense chakra, became known simply as "The Star."
Ryan had heard stories that the Star possibly contained a fragment of the Ten Tails' power—its immense chakra influencing the nature of those who trained near it. That's why shinobi of Hoshigakure developed the Peacock Secret Technique.
(At least, that's what the online records claimed—whether it truly came from the Ten Tails was still up for debate.)
In the center of the crater stood a large wooden building. The biggest room bore a bold, black kanji
Akahoshi descended swiftly toward the structure, while Ryan's heart raced in excitement.
He recognized this place. If he was right, this was where the Star had fallen hundreds of years ago.
After the First Hoshikage founded the village, this site had become the sacred training grounds for the Star Technique. Ryan suspected the land had remained barren all these years due to the Star's lingering chakra—likely the reason the Hoshikage separated the ninja outpost from this dangerous zone.
They landed before the wooden house. Akahoshi formed a quick hand seal and retracted his Peacock Technique wings.
"What's your name?"
Though he wasn't yet the cruel man he would become, Akahoshi still held himself with a hint of pride. That said, his tone was calm and measured.
"Lord Akahoshi, my name is Ryan," the boy replied respectfully.
Though he knew Akahoshi wasn't yet the monstrous man from future events, Ryan still didn't trust him. After all, Akahoshi might harbor resentment toward Summer Star and could easily take it out on him.
"Mm. Lord Hoshikage has already read the letter. He asked me to test your aptitude. If it's as good as reported, you'll train under me from now on," Akahoshi said, offering a rare smile.
"Yes, Lord Akahoshi!"
Ryan understood that while the Star Village likely had a few other secret techniques, the Peacock Technique was still the pinnacle. It was, in essence, a slow suicide masked as power—but it remained the village's strongest art.
If they had other high-level jutsu, perhaps even A-rank ones, they'd be using them instead. But they weren't—proof of the village's reliance on the Star's chakra.
"Extend your hand. I'll check your chakra pathways—see if they're really as impressive as reported."
Akahoshi's tone was calm and almost approachable now, which slightly eased Ryan's nerves.
"Yes, sir!"
Ryan stretched out his left hand.
Moments later, he felt a subtle warmth—like a gentle current—flowing through his body's network of chakra veins. The sensation was strange, but not unpleasant.
"Heh… Ryan, your talent is even better than I expected. From today on, you'll train under me,"
Akahoshi grinned with satisfaction after discovering that Ryan's chakra pathways were two to three times wider than most children his age.
"Yes! Thank you, Lord Akahoshi! I'll work hard!" Ryan replied respectfully, excitement surging in his chest. Does this mean I can finally learn how to refine chakra?
"Good. Come with me." Akahoshi turned and began walking. "My current duty, along with two others, is to guard Hoshigakure's sacred treasure—the Star. So I can't leave this place freely. I believe Lord Hoshikage has already investigated your background. For now, you'll stay here, which will also make it easier for me to teach you. That's also Lord Hoshikage's decision."
In truth, this arrangement was indeed made by the Third Hoshikage. With Summer Star and her husband now gone, the village was desperately short on high-level shinobi. Even their so-called Anbu was mostly composed of elite or regular chunin. The Star itself—the village's most important relic—required powerful guardians. If Ryan truly possessed exceptional potential, there was no better person to train him than Akahoshi, who ranked among the top five strongest in the entire village.
Not everyone in Hoshigakure could use the Peacock Secret Technique. Throughout history, only those with outstanding talent were selected to train in it. Akahoshi had once been one of those few, though at this point he was barely at jonin level.
As for the entire village, only the Third Hoshikage had reached the elite jonin tier (and Summer Star, now unaffiliated, didn't count). Thanks to the poisonous Hell Valley that naturally shielded their location, Hoshigakure had long remained in cautious isolation. They kept contact with the outside world, but the Hoshikage line was always careful to avoid conflict. Otherwise, this tiny hidden village wouldn't even be a snack for medium-sized ones like Takigakure—let alone one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
Ryan followed Akahoshi into a side corridor of the large wooden building. He figured the main central chamber was where the Star itself was kept—and likely guarded by Akahoshi's two subordinates.
They soon entered a modest Japanese-style room. The floor was simply laid with bedding, and a low table on the side held a teapot and two cups. Plain as it was, the room was clean and peaceful.
"You'll stay here from now on," Akahoshi said with a faint smile. He was clearly pleased with Ryan—polite, respectful, and lacking any arrogance despite his apparent talent. Such a student would be easy to teach.
"Oh, by the way—can you read?" Akahoshi asked casually.
"I secretly learned a little from my younger brother before…" Ryan nodded. He wasn't lying; the body's original owner had once begged his brother to teach him some characters, even if their relationship was strained.
"That makes things easier." Akahoshi nodded. "Here. This scroll contains the method to refine chakra. Go ahead and read through it—but don't try cultivating on your own yet. It's very dangerous to practice without proper guidance. I'll start teaching you after I report to Lord Hoshikage."
He handed over a scroll, his tone serious.
"Understood." Ryan nodded again. Though he was itching to begin, he knew better than to rush in recklessly.
"Good. Wait here for now—I'll be back later."
Akahoshi gave a satisfied nod before turning and walking out.
…
Once he was gone, Ryan could barely restrain himself. He immediately unfurled the scroll, eager to dive in.
"…What the—this is just acupuncture diagrams and chakra pathway charts?" Ryan stared blankly at the contents, half speechless. No wonder Akahoshi warned me not to train alone. Even a prodigy wouldn't understand all this without a proper mentor—especially a six-year-old.
Trying to refine chakra by trial and error would be a one-way ticket to disaster.
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T/N:
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