The Star was completely depleted!
To many in Hoshigakure, this was a devastating blow. But the Third Star Shadow didn't feel too bad about it. After all, he had banned Star Training long ago. Now, with the Star powerless, it was nothing more than a symbolic artifact—no longer worth guarding or fearing theft over.
For Akahoshi, however, it was a personal loss. Still, if Ryan had truly absorbed the entire Star's chakra and would bring prosperity to the village… the trade-off was acceptable.
Medical scans confirmed that Ryan had suffered no side effects from the Star's chakra. There were no signs of corruption or degeneration.
That puzzled the doctors.
By their logic, if Ryan had absorbed the Star's chakra, his reserves should've been far larger. Why, then, did he only have about as much chakra as an average jonin?
In truth, most of the Star's chakra hadn't entered his network at all.
Instead, it had been sealed by the Dimensional Seal, stored in his heart. The Seal had used its own energy—not the Star's—to expand Ryan's meridians and reinforce his body.
In fact, over 90% of the Star's chakra was still sealed inside Ryan. As he grew stronger, the seal would slowly release it into his system—giving him exponential growth over time. But ordinary medical tools couldn't detect the seal, so no one had a clue.
As punishment, Akahoshi and his subordinates were placed in confinement for six months.
The reason for their punishment wasn't disclosed, sparking curiosity among the villagers. Still, with the Third Star Shadow issuing a gag order, no one dared gossip.
Truth be told, the punishment was lenient. In any other village, sneaking around with forbidden jutsu would've brought severe consequences. But Hoshigakure lacked strong shinobi. Harsh discipline would only weaken the village further.
The very next day after Ryan's coma began, the Third Star Shadow quietly spread word through ANBU:
"The Star is dead. Its chakra mysteriously vanished. It's now just a rock."
In a world constantly brimming with tension, this announcement stirred a small wave of attention. Some shinobi villages dispatched scouts to verify it, and after thorough checks, most confirmed it as true.
Still, a few suspected deceit—believing Hoshigakure had fabricated the story to ward off enemies.
At the same time, the Third Star Shadow arranged for the return of Natsuhoshi—Ryan's mother—who had been living in secret outside the village. Her return was declared as the completion of a long-term classified mission. Her husband, Hotaruboshi, was proclaimed a fallen hero who had sacrificed himself for the village.
In truth, both had indeed sacrificed greatly for Hoshigakure.
Natsuhoshi was finally reunited with her toddler son, Smyle. Overwhelmed with emotion, she clutched him and wept, having once believed she'd never see him again.
When she later learned that the Star had become a regular meteorite—and that Ryan had absorbed its chakra perfectly—she was astonished.
And when she discovered that it was Akahoshi who had secretly subjected Ryan to Star Training… she was furious.
Despite Akahoshi being confined, she still stormed into his holding cell and gave him and his men a well-deserved beating.
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