Now that Ryu's generous donation had inspired many, a stream of nobles from the Land of the River came forward to donate. The announcements
Now that Ryu's generous donation had inspired many, a stream of nobles from the Land of the River came forward to donate. The announcements kept organisers busy.
Kaia, the deaf girl, was gently guided to the stage by Akihiro, the blind boy. Kaia sat on the bench in front of the piano, while Akihiro took a seat beside her, picking up his cello. Kaia's fingers finally descended on the piano keys, unleashing a melody that was at once sad and beautiful.
Kaia, unable to hear the beautiful music but feeling the vibrations through her fingers, played with perfect rhythm, her eyes reading the subtle shifts in Akihiro's fingers and hands, as well as the silent lip movement. Akihiro, who couldn't see, moved with her, his fingers and bow dancing in perfect, breathtaking synchrony. They formed their own symphony, perfectly complementing one another.
Ryu stood amazed, a small, genuine smile on his face. "I'll be damned," he whispered to himself, finding that two of them have such talent.
As the final notes of the sorrowful melody faded, leaving the hall in a stunned, appreciative silence, Dan Hamura and Tsunade approached Ryu. They found him lost in thought, his gaze still fixed on the twins who were now receiving a standing ovation.
"They're a remarkable pair, aren't they?" Tsunade said, a note of awe in her voice. "Are you planning on recruiting them?" Dan Hamura asked, his voice low.
"I am," Ryu confirmed, his eyes still on the twins. "I want both of them."
The Minister of Innovation, having approached the trio, overheard Ryu's words. His face, usually a mask of regal composure, was now a mix of curiosity and concern. "Recruit them? I was told you are interested in 'broken people'. But them…" The minister pointed to the blind and deaf twins. "They would be of no use to your ninja force."
Ryu turned to the minister, his usual calm demeanour replaced by a sudden, passionate fire. "I'm not interested in them because they are 'broken people'," he countered, his voice firm and unwavering. "I'm interested in them because they are just people. They have already overcome things that would break a normal person; for them, these challenges are just every Tuesday. They are the most unbreakable people in the world and exactly the kind of people I need to change the world."
The minister looked at the twins and then back at Ryu. He bowed his head in shame, a silent acknowledgement of the wisdom in Ryu's words. After a moment, he excused himself as the Daimyo was calling for him.
Tsunade, her gaze thoughtful, turned to Ryu. "So, you plan to cure them?" she asked, her voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and scepticism.
"A cure for these kinds of disabilities is far beyond my current capabilities," Ryu replied. "It would require medical breakthroughs that may not happen in years to come."
"Then I don't see how they can contribute to your clan's ninja force," Tsunade said, her tone suggesting that the matter was settled.
"You're wrong," Ryu said, a confident smile spreading across his face. "In fact, their unique abilities and challenges are what make them perfect for what I have in mind."
Ryu leaned closer, and in a low voice that only his close circle could hear, he laid out his revolutionary training plan.
"Their musical talents are key here," Ryu replied with a smile and a spark of genius in his eyes.
"Musical talent?" Tsuande was surprised. How could music possibly be relevant here?
Ryu replied, "Look at their hands…. Their mind and body coordination, especially the fine motor control in their fingers, is very high. This, combined with their ability to coordinate with each other without words, is what makes them so perfect."
Ryu explained how he would turn their so-called disabilities into advantages. "I'll improve their spatial awareness, balance and the senses they already possess. Akihiro, who cannot see, has an incredibly heightened sense of hearing. Kaia, who cannot hear, has an exceptionally responsive sense of sight. I will train them to use these enhanced senses to perceive the world in a way no normal shinobi can."
"I'll use the concept of [Mind Palace] and create a minimal version of it for them using Fuinjutsu," Ryu continued, the idea solidifying as he spoke. "I'll train Akihiro to visualise the rough shapes of objects with mental constructs like I do in my mind palace. If he could do that, his lack of vision and endless darkness would be replaced by an 'aura' of things and people that he can imagine in his mind. And I can teach him to amplify his senses using ninjutsu through a combination of chakra, wind, and earth sensing."
"For Kaia, I'll apply the same concept with a few additions. Her mind palace will create not just auras in the darkness like I planned for the boy but virtual constructs rendered on top of her visuals, a kind of guidance system in her eyes."
Tsunade retorted, "A guidance system for eyes? … That's the least baffling idea I have heard from you all year."
Ryu just smiled at her joke and continued, "By combining this guidance system with support ninjutsu like wind sensing, she will have a form of hearing—not perfectly clear, but enough to at least notice sound from silence. On top of that, a small virtual assistant will help take her lip-reading to another level, with many more features."
"After witnessing our work on [BodyGPT], I've learnt never to doubt you," Tsunade said with a sincere smile. "If you say it's possible, then it must be. "And I have no doubt after a few months of training that seal too will work."
"Every time I think your ideas can't get any more out of this world, you go and surprise me," Dan said, shaking his head with a fond smile.
Ryu smiled back. "Ideas are the cornerstone of the future. Society only advances on new ideas; without them, we are just a flock of sheep, following the same path to the same old pasture." As his gaze settled on the twins once more, he felt a subtle, almost imperceptible surge of energy. He turned back to Dan and Tsunade, his smile now one of sheer discovery. "And that's not all," he said, his voice filled with newfound excitement. "I just realised they have a higher-than-average inactive chakra. It's built up like a dam because of the hardship they've faced, and that will be a huge advantage for them."
"That's all well and good," Tsunade said, her voice serious, "They will be able to see through your fuinjutsu seal, but what about their actual fighting abilities?"
Ruyu smiled and said, "Are you forgetting the blessing feature of [BodyGPT]. The fighting sense will be ready for them to inherit by the time they start seeing the world around them in a different way."
Dan replied, "Ryu is right. If that seal worked as intended. The only problem we have to worry about is their disability, not their battle sense. "
Ryu smiled and continued, "Combat abilities are not just about fighting. It's also about what you can perceive with your mind and spirit," he said softly. "I'm not just going to make them into shinobi; I'm going to turn their unique perspective into an advantage that no one else can match. The world will be open to them in a way it never has been before."
"The so-called 'limitations' you see will become a form of sight and sound that will leave every other ninja in their wake. I promise you this: their senses, honed by hardship and powered by my techniques, will surpass even the all-seeing eyes of the Hyuga clan."
The Daimyo's gala continued, but Ryu was no longer a part of it. He stood quietly in a corner, his mind already far away, planning a future for two people he had only just met.
Ryu watched as Kaia and Akihiro stood up from the stage. Akihiro helped his sister to find her footing, and his delicate fingers danced over the cello strings as they passed by, playing a silent song for her. Ryu's gentle smile was a promise to honour their unbreakable spirit, which would one day define them as shinobi like no other.
##PoWeR StOnEs##
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