Chapter 8 - Can't help everyone

Ryu had a sneaking suspicion that Mother Nature had a vendetta against him. He couldn't pinpoint what he had done to earn her wrath, but her fury was evident. His continued journey had only just begun when the rain started to fall, and it wasn't just a light drizzle. It was an intense, relentless downpour that showed no signs of stopping.

In an attempt to protect himself from the downpour, Ryu put his newly acquired Jutsu to the test, transforming a nearby branch into a makeshift umbrella. The thought was good in theory, but the fierce winds quickly became a challenge.

The gusts were so strong that Ryu and his umbrella found themselves being lifted into the air several times. The skyward adventures were far from fun, and Ryu was growing increasingly frustrated.

And then there were the animals. Oh, the animals! Ryu couldn't help but feel like a magnet for the local wildlife, and not in a good way. In just a few short hours, he had already been targeted by three ferocious predators. First, it was a bear. Then, a pack of wolves. And, as if things couldn't get any worse, a downright furious honey badger decided to join the party.

Fighting off the relentless beasts wasn't the most difficult task for Ryu, especially since it allowed him to practice his Jutsu and refine his control over the Silver Eagle. However, the constant barrage of animal attacks quickly lost its novelty.

Suddenly, Ryu heard a rustling sound coming from the nearby bushes. His instincts kicked in, and Ryu swiftly drew his sword from its scabbard. Channeling Chakra into the weapon, he prepared himself for the potential danger that lay hidden. His gaze remained fixed on the source of the sound, his muscles tense and ready to strike at any enemy that might emerge.

However, what appeared from the bushes was not an enemy, but rather a creature in desperate need. A scrawny wolf emerged, weak and unsteady on its feet. It snarled at Ryu, revealing its terrifying fangs despite its weakened state. Ryu could see that the wolf was starving, its bones visible beneath its thinning fur, and he couldn't help but wonder why it was in such a dire situation. While wolves weren't the top predators in these parts, they were still skilled hunters.

As Ryu studied the skeletal wolf more closely, he noticed a large, festering wound on one of its back legs. It was clear that the wound had become infected and should have led the wolf to seek shelter and succumb to its injuries. However, the wolf's desperation to live on made no sense to Ryu until the reason stepped out of the bushes.

A tiny, equally malnourished pup emerged, joining its mother by her side. It became apparent that the mother wolf had been trying to survive for the sake of her offspring.

Ryu let out a sigh, feeling a sense of empathy for the pair. He wanted to do something to help them, and if he couldn't heal their wounds, he would at least ensure their suffering was short-lived. He knew the mother wolf would never be able to hunt again with her injured leg, and it seemed merciful to end their lives quickly. But before he took any action, he decided that he would allow them to share one last meal together.

Ryu realized that his approach to the weakened wolves needed to be gentle and relaxed in order to avoid triggering any fear or aggression from them. He knew that any sudden movements, even if he'd just transform the ground beside them, would startle the wolves and the two would run away.

With each step, Ryu placed his foot down softly, making sure to avoid any twigs or leaves that could create noise and scare the wolves. He moved while maintaining a non-threatening posture as he closed the distance, his eyes remained locked with those of the mother wolf to communicate a sense of understanding.

Ryu slowly knelt down as he gently touched a puddle that was near his feet, transforming the water into a giant piece of meat.

Ryu backed away slowly as the mother wolf cautiously approached the meat that lay before her. With hesitance, she sniffed at the red substance, seemingly assessing the situation. Satisfied with her inspection, the mother wolf began to ravenously tear into the meat, her small puppy following suit as it mimicked her actions.

Finding a spot near a tree, Ryu sat down, patiently waiting for the wolves to finish their meal. In the meanwhile, Ryu busied himself by using his abilities to transform two small branches into replicas of the Silver Eagle.

The minutes ticked by as the mother wolf and her pup continued to feed. Their hunger seemed inextinguishable, but eventually, after half an hour, the pair appeared to have eaten their fill. As they turned to leave, their bellies full, Ryu acted quickly and decisively by launching the copies of Silver Eagle at the unsuspecting creatures.

The weapons found their marks, piercing the heads of both the mother wolf and her pup. Their bodies crumpled to the ground, life snuffed out in an instant. Ryu allowed the transformed branches to revert to their original forms as he exhaled a deep breath.

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As the sky gradually darkened, Ryu couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. 'I need to find shelter soon,' he thought, gazing up at the sky that threatened to swallow the last remnants of daylight. He estimated that he had about an hour before the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving him shrouded in darkness.

Desperate to find a dry place to rest and recover his energy, Ryu couldn't help but feel disheartened by the unrelenting downpour that seemed intent on making his search that much more difficult.

"Ugh, why can't I just find a cave or something around here?" Ryu grumbled, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rain pelting the ground. Frustration chewed at him as he scanned the area, hoping for any sign of a safe haven from the elements, yet he only spotted a nearby hill as anything noteworthy.

"I refuse to sleep in the rain, and there's no way I'm pulling an all-nighter," Ryu thought resolutely. Suddenly, an ingenious idea sprouted in his mind. "Hold on, can't I just morph that hill into a cave? It's worth a shot. Alright, let's figure out what I need to do," Ryu mused.

After some contemplation, Ryu devised a plan. He would partially transform a section of the hill to carve out a hollow space, possibly converting the rock into air. It was a simple transformation, so it shouldn't be too challenging.

Ryu focused his attention on the hill, particularly the spot he wanted to change. In his mind, he pictured the solid rock turning into air, creating a hollow space. He made a hand sign to help him and used his Jutsu. The hill opened up, revealing a cavity, but it wasn't exactly what Ryu had in mind.

He had hoped for a large cave, but instead, he created a small opening, three meters wide and tall. To make matters worse, the cave's walls had strange patterns he didn't mean to make, and they were rough rather than smooth. Still, Ryu thought it was good enough for now.

'What if I turn the ground into a pile of hay?' Ryu wondered, focusing once more. This time, the task was smaller, and he succeeded in changing a thin layer of stone into hay. 'That's better... But I need to practice my Jutsu more. It won't be useful if I can only change things I know really well. If I want to make swords, that's easy, but I mustn't limit myself. I need to learn about all sorts of new things. This is going to be tough,' Ryu thought, already feeling tired.

Ryu knew he needed to reach Konoha for the plan to fully commence, but he was engulfed by the endless opportunities of his new invention. He wanted to explore it, he wanted to refine it, he wanted to perfect it!

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A bit of a slow chapter, but don't worry, the action will return soon. The next few chapters will focus on Ryu exploring his new invention. I hoped you liked the chapter, and as always please leave your opinion and feedback in the comments and I'll try to reply to them. It helps me immensely.