The forest east of the village was unnaturally quiet.
Hamura stepped through the underbrush, guided only by the fading trails left by cart wheels and crushed grass. The sun had just begun to rise, casting golden slivers of light through the thick canopy.
His breath hitched as he spotted the crater.
It was as wide as a house and smoldering faintly. In its center lay the stone—blue, crystalline, pulsing like a beating heart. The Stone of Gelel. It radiated a hum, not sound exactly, but a vibration in his bones. Something ancient. Powerful. Hungry.
Hamura stepped closer, then paused.
"System," he whispered. "Do I have an inventory?"
⮞ Affirmative. Inventory unlocked.
"Good," he muttered, eyes fixed on the glowing stone. "Can you store the Stone of Gelel?"
⮞ Initiating containment…⮞ Warning: Unstable energy detected…⮞ Adaptive field compression successful.⮞ Item stored: [Stone of Gelel – Sealed Core Fragment]
He exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders. The hum vanished as the stone disappeared into the blue interface only he could see.
He wasn't sure what it could do yet, but every instinct told him it was dangerous—and precious.
With the stone secured, he climbed out of the crater and made his way back to the village. The streets were still empty, save for a few early risers tending to animals or sweeping porches. Chiaki saw him from across the road and gave a small nod.
Hamura didn't stop to talk.
He'd made his decision.
He was leaving.
Later that day, after gathering a bundle of travel rations and a crude map from the village elder, he stood at the wooden gates. The old man squinted at him.
"You're sure, lad? The road's long, and you're still just a boy."
"I have to find someone," Hamura replied, gaze steady. "My mother. My brother. I don't know where they are, but I'll walk until I do."
The elder grunted. "You've got fire. That'll help."
And with that, Hamura began walking. East, toward the land beyond the river, the hills beyond that, and the mountains beyond them. Somewhere past that horizon, he believed, his family waited.
His thoughts turned inward as the sun dipped toward the west behind him.
He wondered what his mother looked like now—if she even remembered him. And his brother… Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths. What kind of person was he now? Did he already suspect something strange about this world? About Hamura?
The road ahead was quiet.
Each night, Hamura camped beneath the stars. The system occasionally offered guidance—small quests, stat boosts, skill unlocks. One night, it even taught him how to light a fire with raw chakra, though the spark had nearly singed his eyebrows.
But he learned.
He grew stronger.
He crossed rivers, spoke with wandering traders, and stayed away from larger settlements. He practiced kata under the moonlight, system-guided movements that felt ancient and precise. His body was adapting—becoming something more than human.
More Oni. More Dragon.
One morning, after a week of travel, he stood on a high ridge and looked across a sprawling valley.
In the distance, he could see the ruins of an old shrine nestled among cherry blossoms, untouched by time. Something about it tugged at his memory. Maybe a forgotten place from his old life… or maybe the next piece of his destiny.
Hamura tightened the straps on his pack.
"I'm coming, Mother," he whispered. "Brother. Just wait a little longer."
And then he stepped forward, the wind rising behind him like a promise.