The Shinobi world can be pretty stubborn sometimes.
Whenever unknown abilities, non-Chakra forces, or even advanced technology show up, the first instinct is to crush or seal them.
Ancor Vantian from the Land of the Sky? Blown to pieces. Dragon veins? Sealed. Orochimaru? Slated for elimination.
Anything outside the ninjutsu system was seen as a threat to tradition and bloodlines. But when "Boruto" rolled around, the rise of technology couldn't be stopped, and the old ways got overwhelmed.
Mufasa, though, wasn't some traditionalist from the ninja world.
He didn't care about ancient rules. His bloodline had nothing to do with this place. Power was power — if it was useful, he would take it.
So of course, he wouldn't let the meteorite slip away.
Mufasa chuckled while Akahoshi looked about ready to cry.
"Give it back!" Akahoshi shouted, clutching at empty air.
The Star Stone had been their village's sacred treasure for generations.
To him, Mufasa was no different from a thief.
Mufasa dangled the Star Stone in his palm casually. "You want it?"
Akahoshi nodded frantically.
"Alright. Catch it," Mufasa said, and with a flick of his hand, he launched the Star Stone like a cannonball straight at Akahoshi.
Seeing the incoming blur, Akahoshi panicked.
He hurriedly unleashed the Mysterious Peacock Method: Dragon Form, summoning a massive chakra dragon to shield himself.
But it was useless.
The Star Stone pierced right through the chakra dragon like a hot knife through butter, shattering the beast into wisps of fading light.
Akahoshi barely had time to scream before the Star Stone punched clean through his chest.
The so-called strongest in Star Village collapsed without ceremony.
His chakra wings vanished in an instant, and his lifeless body thudded against the ground before the Star Shrine.
Natsuhi, Sumaru, and Hokuto could only stand there, frozen in shock.
The Star Village's greatest defender, dead in seconds.
Akahoshi's followers, Yotaka and Shiso, trembled violently, barely able to stay upright.
It was supposed to be "kill a chicken to scare the monkeys."
But this wasn't a chicken.
It was a dragon.
The villagers, watching from a distance, gasped in horror.
Mufasa casually waved his hand, and the Star Stone zipped back to hover above his palm.
His gaze shifted to the cowering Yotaka and Shiso.
"Go join him," Mufasa said coldly, gathering power.
"Scar, please wait!" Natsuhi cried out, running forward.
Mufasa turned slightly, raising an eyebrow. "What is it, madam?"
"Now that Akahoshi is gone, there's no need for more killing," Natsuhi pleaded.
Mufasa sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "But madam, evil spreads if you leave the roots. They were his closest allies."
Natsuhi shook her head firmly. "They were deceived. Please show mercy."
Mufasa looked out at the fields beyond the village.
"You know," he said, "weeds and rice grow together. But weeds are never friends to rice."
"Bad people don't retreat. They only advance when you give ground."
"If you keep backing up, soon there'll be no rice field left."
Natsuhi hesitated, his words hitting hard.
"The more beautiful and precious something is, the less you can afford to compromise."
Before she could respond, Mufasa clenched his fist.
Electromagnetic Release: Iron Flower Bloom.
The heads of Yotaka and Shiso burst like overripe fruit.
"Clear the weeds," Mufasa said simply, "and the rice can grow better."
With Akahoshi and his group gone, the villagers gathered and chose Natsuhi as their new leader.
She rejected the title of "Hoshikage," preferring to simply serve her people.
That night, a huge bonfire roared in the village square.
Villagers danced hand-in-hand, singing a joyful, ancient song:
"Shalala Yo! Shalala Ho! Through starry skies and midnight storms, The shinobi of Hoshigakure soar, Chakra wings shining bright, Our starfire burns ever stronger!~"
Natsuhi understood. The Star Stone would only draw danger if it stayed.
Better to let Mufasa take it away than risk more bloodshed.
"Thank you," she said sincerely, handing over the Star Stone.
Mufasa grinned. "Consider it a reward for services rendered!"
Laughing, he got to work.
First, he had Rhodes and Gojo seal the Star Stone fragments with lead and prepare them for transport back to Tekkadan for research.
Second, he crafted something new.
On the thumb of his left hand, Mufasa now wore a light-red jade ring.
Forged from the fragments of the Star Stone itself.
He called it the Star Ring...
The leader of Tekkadan, Scar of the Star Lantern Corps had gained a powerful new tool.
...
On the coast near Hoshigakure.
Natsuhi brought Sumaru, Hokuto, and others to see Mufasa and his crew off.
They even offered their best ship to Mufasa as a parting gift.
But Mufasa just waved it off.
"Keep it," he said casually. "You'll need it more than us."
They weren't planning to come back anyway. No point wasting a good ship.
Without the Star Stone, Hoshigakure was just another humble village in the Land of Bears. And honestly, that suited them just fine.
Not every village needed to chase after power. Some were better off living simple lives under the sun and stars.
Mufasa picked out a small fishing boat instead—just a skinny hull with a crooked mast. Barely big enough for himself, Shun, Tabby, and Violet.
Natsuhi looked uneasy. "Captain, are you sure that thing won't capsize?"
It creaked just from them sitting in it.
Mufasa shrugged. "No problem. We'll manage."
They set off.
White sand stretched behind them, seagulls cried overhead, and the salty wind filled their sails—what little sail there was.
Life is like the ocean.
Full of surprises.
Some make you laugh.
Some make you scream.
It didn't take long for the boat to get slapped around by waves. It was obvious: this tiny fishing boat wasn't built for the open sea.
Mufasa, ever the problem-solver, came up with a plan.
He pulled out a chakra-formed rope from the Star Ring on his left hand, tied it to the bow, and... started riding a chakra-boosted bicycle across the water, towing the boat behind him.
"Ugh, waaah!" Tabby groaned from the boat, green in the face.
The stoic Tabby—seasick.
Shun handed her a bottle of water. "Here. Rinse your mouth."
"How long until we reach the Land of Water?" Tabby moaned.
Shun scratched his head. "At this speed? Maybe three days… if Mufasa doesn't drift us into a whirlpool."
Three days..
Tabby looked like she was about to cry.
Mufasa shouted back, cheerful as ever: "Ninjas have to adapt to any environment! Think of it as training! I feel amazing pedaling all day and night!"
The three passengers exchanged a look that said, "Yeah, you're a monster."
Suddenly, Violet spotted something floating in the waves ahead.
"Captain, there's someone out there!"
Mufasa squinted, activating his Electromagnetic Vision.
Sure enough, a person bobbed weakly in the water.
"Hold tight! I'm drifting us closer!"
The boat lurched wildly as Mufasa pulled a sharp, graceful arc on the water.
Seconds later, they hauled the figure aboard—a young man, unconscious.
His hair was white, tied back in a short braid. Around his neck were two scarves, one black, one red. He wore a gray samurai uniform with maple leaf patterns stitched onto the scarf, sleeves, and hakama.
Red leggings and black shin guards completed his outfit.
"Who's this?" Violet asked, studying the maple crest.
"No clue," Shun said. "Never seen that clan mark around the Land of Water."
"Let's wake him up," Mufasa said.
He pressed his palm against the young man's chest and unleashed a gentle electric shock.
"Zzzzt!"
The boy coughed and gasped awake.
His eyes opened—deep red, alert but confused.
"Who are you guys?" he croaked.
Then, looking more lost: "Wait… who am I? Where… am I?"
Mufasa grinned. "Welcome aboard! I'm Scar, leader of the Tekkadan. These are my crews. We rescued you from becoming fish food."
The white-haired boy struggled to remember.
After a long pause, he muttered, "Maple… Maple… Maplehara… Manyo."
"Good enough!" Mufasa clapped him on the back. "You're Maplehara Manyo now!"
Manyo blinked, still dazed but grateful.
"Thank you, Captain."
From that moment, Maplehara Manyo became part of Tekkadan.
He chatted quietly with Shun and the others as Mufasa continued pedaling, dragging the tiny boat across the waves.
Suddenly, Manyo's head snapped up, staring at the sky.
"Captain!" he shouted. "A storm's coming! Fast!"
Mufasa glanced up.
Dark clouds boiled in the distance, swallowing the horizon.
"Crap!" he cursed. "Everyone, hold tight!"
He slammed his feet onto the pedals.
"Fourth gear! FULL THROTTLE!"
The bike roared over the ocean, leaving a trail of white spray behind them as the storm closed in.