Mokuton Phantom in Naruto

Ryuusei and Misaki, after their first harrowing mission, threw themselves into intense training, desperate to escape the dark, lingering thoughts.

After years of relentless practice, they discovered something remarkable, their Uzumaki lineage made their bodies naturally resistant to the meteorite's radiation.

While most shinobi could only train near the meteor for a few hours without suffering permanent damage, the two of them could endure twice as long without any side effects.

The wind howled through the forest surrounding Hoshigakure.

In the middle of a clearing, three silhouettes faced each other.

Ryuusei closed his eyes, feeling the energy pulsing within him.

Beneath his feet, the ground glowed faintly.

They stood near the meteorite, where the star's radiation hung like an invisible mist.

Seiryu panted softly, sweat beading on his forehead as the energy weighed down his body.

But Ryuusei and Misaki stood firm, seemingly unfazed.

"I don't get it…" Seiryu spat on the ground, frustrated. "How can you two train for so long without breaking down?"

Ryuusei grinned.

"Maybe it's the Uzumaki blood."

Seiryu clenched his teeth.

"Hah! Genetic luck, huh? That's just unfair!"

Misaki shrugged.

"Or maybe you're just weak."

Seiryu's face flushed red.

"Damn it! You'll see!"

And with that, the battle began.

WOOSH!

The Kujaku Myōhō flared around them, vibrant and alive.

Ryuusei shaped purple chakra into writhing tendrils, while Misaki formed razor-sharp claws.

Seiryu, instead of crafting weapons, enveloped his body in a chakra cloak, boosting his defense and physical strength.

Each had developed their own style.

And now, they would clash.

"Here I come!"

Seiryu charged first, aiming a direct punch at Misaki's face.

But before the blow could land…

BAM!

Misaki vanished in an instant.

Using the Kujaku Myōhō, she had formed tiny chakra wings, propelling herself backward with blinding speed.

Seiryu stumbled forward, off-balance.

"Too late."

Ryuusei appeared behind him.

A black circle of intricate symbols glowed beneath Seiryu's feet.

"Enkan Fūin!"

Flames erupted, forming a ring of fire around Seiryu.

But before the seal could fully activate, Seiryu roared.

BOOM!

His chakra exploded outward, shattering the seal mid-formation.

"Hah! I knew you'd try that, Ryuusei!"

Ryuusei frowned.

"You broke the seal… that fast?"

Seiryu laughed, chest heaving.

"If I didn't learn how to counter your Fūinjutsu, I'd never beat you!"

Misaki reappeared above him, her eyes cold and calculating.

"That won't save you."

Before Seiryu could react, an invisible mark glimmered in the air.

"Shinsei Fūin!"

Seiryu froze.

"W-What the…?!"

His muscles spasmed violently, as if lightning had coursed through his body.

"You're still weak against this," Misaki muttered, landing gracefully.

"Damn it!" Seiryu struggled to move, but his body refused to obey.

It was the perfect opening.

Ryuusei lunged forward, ready to deliver the final blow.

But just as he closed the distance.

"Like I'd fall for the same trick twice!"

With sheer force of will, Seiryu broke through the seal's hold.

"Got you!"

He spun and lashed out with a vicious sidekick, aiming straight for Ryuusei's face.

The impact was brutal—

But it hit nothing but air.

"Tch…!"

Seiryu's eyes widened.

Something felt off.

Beneath his feet, the ground glowed once more.

"What…?"

And then it hit him.

"Damn it."

Another seal.

Misaki had already set a second Fūinjutsu trap.

"Game over, Seiryu."

Purple chakra wings unfurled from Ryuusei's back as he shot forward.

Seiryu tried to react, but his body was already caught.

BAM!

The strike landed cleanly.

Seiryu flew backward, crashing into the dirt, utterly defeated.

Ryuusei and Misaki stood, panting lightly.

Seiryu lay on the ground for a moment before letting out a tired chuckle.

"Okay… okay… I give up."

Ryuusei smiled.

"You've gotten a lot better, Seiryu."

Misaki crossed her arms.

"And yet, you still lost."

Seiryu sighed, sitting up and wiping his face.

"You two are monsters."

Running a hand through his hair, he muttered,

"I guess… I've got a lot more training to do."

Ryuusei glanced at the sky.

"We all do."

One Year Later – The War Expands

After a year of conflict, the major villages began recruiting support from smaller ones.

The call for aid finally reached Hoshigakure.

The Hoshikage's tower was silent.

Eizen stood over a map sprawled across the table, marking each battlefield from the past months.

Konoha was constantly advancing, fighting on two fronts without faltering.

Iwa struggled to gain ground, their offensives repeatedly repelled.

Suna faced crushing defeats, while Amegakure fought tooth and nail just to protect its borders.

The tide of war was shifting in Konoha's favor.

And so, the decision was made.

"We'll send fifty shinobi to support Konoha."

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Then Kousei nodded.

"I'll lead the squad."

The Uzumaki Household

The Uzumaki house was filled with tension.

Ryuusei stared blankly at his plate, unable to find the words.

Keiko and Tadashi sat quietly, while Aiko drummed her fingers on the table, visibly agitated.

Finally, she spoke.

"This is a mistake."

Kousei looked up.

"We don't have a choice."

Aiko clenched her fists.

"Since when is trusting Konoha the only choice?"

Ryuusei's stomach churned.

He'd never seen his mother so furious.

"We have no proof, Aiko," Kousei replied, his tone calm but firm.

"No proof?" Tadashi scoffed, a bitter smile on his lips.

Keiko shook her head.

"Uzushiogakure was destroyed. Konoha, our so-called ally, never showed up."

Aiko's gaze locked onto her husband's.

"And now you want to fight alongside them?"

The silence was suffocating.

Ryuusei didn't know what to feel.

He'd grown up admiring Konoha.

But now… were they truly trustworthy?

"It doesn't matter anymore," Kousei finally said.

"The war has already begun. It's not about trust, it's about survival."

Later That Night

Ryuusei slipped away to train alone.

His mother's words echoed in his mind.

"They betrayed us."

"You want to fight alongside them?"

He looked up at the sky.

The war raged far beyond the mountains.

And now, Hoshigakure was part of it.

He drew a deep breath.

"Is the ninja world really nothing but power and destruction?"

A fierce determination ignited within him.

Visions of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, filled his thoughts.

The man who tried to end the cycle of violence by creating the village system.

But in the end, even Hashirama's dream had failed.

"Strength… I need to become strong."

"Even if I can't stop the wars, I can protect my family."

With fists clenched, Ryuusei stepped into the moonlit clearing, ready to push himself further than ever before.