Chapter 10 - Again? Really?!

Ryu continued to perfect his new twist on the Transformation Jutsu, working to understand the range of the technique. He discovered that the range depended on the amount of chakra he channeled. When he channeled only a small amount, his range was as short as a few meters. However, if he went all out, he could potentially reach up to a kilometer away.

To practice the Jutsu, Ryu began transforming blades of grass hidden in nearby trees into swords. He also started to secretly pluck strands of his hair and turn each one into a miniature object, aiming for the transformation to be permanent. While he made steady progress with the former, the latter required more trial and error. The Jutsu wasn't stable and tended to collapse after a few minutes.

As Ryu grew more engrossed in his practice, he let out maniacal laughter every time he made significant progress. Due to his extensive experience with the Transformation Jutsu, these moments occurred quite often. The driver and passengers grew increasingly worried about him, attempting to initiate conversations without success. Eventually, they caught him during a break with a self-made dagger and a small cut on his hand from playing with the weapon. This incident led to a misunderstanding, as they believed he had started to harm himself.

Ultimately, Ryu found himself tied to one of the benches in the carriage, unable to move a muscle. Although he could have easily escaped by transforming the rope, he wanted to keep the Jutsu a secret and knew he could still practice while restrained. Moreover, he appreciated the concern his fellow travelers showed for him.

They eventually released him on the condition that he would stop hurting himself. However, even with his promise, they continued to watch him closely for any new injuries. Ryu resumed transforming distant objects into weapons for practice, but to work on making transformations permanent, he began experimenting with less obvious methods, such as elongating his hair.

Ryu's mind wandered as he daydreamed about the incredible feats he could achieve after mastering the new versions of the Transformation Jutsu he had developed. Forget about the Hidden Leaf, he'd be able to execute the grand plan he and Haru made on his own. If he could create a sea of blades, no ninja would be able to stand against him. And if he could make those blades permanent, he would easily surpass his father's abilities.

And the money! The prospect of the immense wealth he could gain excited him, sending shivers down his spine. Typically, swords were expensive due to the high-quality materials, time, and tremendous effort required to forge them. But by growing blades from the ground, Ryu would bypass all those obstacles.

He didn't intend to flood the market with excessively superior swords, as that was the very thing he sought to fight against. Nevertheless, even moderately good swords fetched a handsome price.

Ryu knew he would become extraordinarily wealthy in no time, especially since the constant threat of war loomed over the Hidden Villages. The thought of his potential fortune fueled his motivation and determination.

However, Ryu was not without his limitations. Frustration coursed through him as he collapsed onto the soft grass, his body in a nauseating state. As a half-Uchiha, he already possessed an enormous Chakra pool, and his passive Chakra training as a blacksmith had honed his Chakra control to near perfection. Chakra depletion was an entirely new and unwelcome experience for him.

Caught up in his intense training, Ryu failed to notice the toll it was taking on his body. The once-brilliant blacksmith now lay sprawled across the ground, a pitiable mess. "Never again!" Ryu protested.

---

At last, Ryu achieved a significant breakthrough. The elongated hair he had created for himself didn't vanish, and the Jutsu remained stable, ensuring that it wouldn't disappear either. Overwhelmed with joy, Ryu trembled as he realized that his carefully crafted formula had succeeded.

Initially, he had assumed that this particular transformation would be more challenging than working with other objects. However, he soon discovered that he was mistaken. All he needed to do was remove a specific part of the Jutsu's formula, a part that didn't even interfere with the transformation process, making it less difficult than he had anticipated.

Of course, there was still work to be done. Ryu knew he would need to refine this new technique, just as he had done with his previous methods. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at his accomplishment.

---

"Stop!" a shout came from the front of the carriage, and Ryu experienced a strong sense of deja vu. 'Again, really?' he thought as the carriage came to a halt. "Did you happen to encounter a kid lately? He has dark hair and eyes," a shinobi asked, suddenly appearing in front of the driver. The passengers cast curious glances toward Ryu.

"Yes, sir," the driver answered honestly. "Show him to me," the ninja commanded, pulling out his kunai. Ryu slowly stepped out as the ninja questioned the driver about him. 'Honestly, it took them long enough... I expected their second team to track me down sooner. I guess the trick I pulled with the first tracker confused them.

And they probably weren't expecting a Jonin to be killed by a seemingly ordinary 12-year-old. They must have waited for him to return,' Ryu thought. "So you believe him to be only a witness," the ninja summarized the driver's explanation. "Yes, and he was traumatized, so please don't treat him roughly," the driver nodded in agreement.

"I see... Eh, I'll kill him just to be sure. If he's really the only survivor, then I can consider this job done," the shinobi said, hurling a kunai at Ryu. Ryu's head transformed into fire just as the kunai was about to hit him, causing the smoking weapon to embed itself in the tree behind him.

"So he was the boy wonder himself! You tried to hide him from me, huh?" the shinobi accused the driver. "N-no! We didn't know!" The driver stared at Ryu with a mixture of emotions.

'This is actually a good opportunity, I can test 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 out,' Ryu thought as he formed a hand seal. The shinobi didn't even have time to react as one of the pebbles between his legs transformed into a spear, impaling him instantly.