In the late afternoon, an ANBU comes to report to the Hokage about an incident.
"Lord Hokage," the ANBU reports quietly, "Naruto Uzumaki visited the Hamura Clan's estate earlier today. According to surveillance, he spent approximately an hour there and appeared to leave in good spirits."
Hiruzen leans back in his chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I wasn't aware they had made contact. How did they meet?"
The ANBU captain pauses, mentally reviewing recent surveillance logs. "They were both at Ichiraku Ramen several days ago, Lord Hokage. I believe that's where they first encountered each other. I am sorry I didn't report it earlier, as I did not approach them close enough. Another ANBU unit was already watching Ryu Hamura at the shop so I did not bother to get close and did not hear what transpired inside."
"It's not your fault," Hiruzen nods. "Naruto is a regular there, and Ryu is also a protected asset of the village. What a coincidence that both protected assets would meet there."
The captain hesitates. "Should I investigate further, Lord Hokage?"
Hiruzen waves a hand dismissively. "No need. Ryu Hamura poses no threat to the boy. Just keep watching and report if there is anything new."
As the ANBU captain bows and vanishes in a flicker of movement, the Hokage's expression grows contemplative.
"Good. Ryu could be a positive influence on him."
But his expression darkens almost immediately. "However, the elders will never agree. Naruto is seen as a weapon, and no clan wants another clan wielding such power. My clan also cannot take Naruto—the council would see it as favouritism. And they certainly won't allow him to go to any major clan. But the Hamura Clan is different... they aren't part of the council, nor a great ninja clan. They operate independently. This wouldn't be seen as a power grab."
Hiruzen's eyes narrow in calculation. "Ryu is close enough—he can pass as an Uzumaki adopted by the Hamura. If I play my cards right, this could be the best thing that ever happened to Naruto."
His thoughts turn grim. "But Danzo will surely oppose this. He'll try to rally the other elders against Dan. I need to speak with Shikaku Nara, Natsurama Senju, and my closest aides in the council. I'll need their backing."
The Next Morning — Hamura Compound Training Grounds
Ryu rises early, stepping into the familiar training grounds to master the Uzumaki Clan's signature Adamantine Sealing Chains. The arrival of Naruto at his home marks the start of the clock. Any time now, the Hamura clan could be called to a meeting. He needs to hurry. He has already written a letter to Ikkyu Madoka, the son of the Daimyo, for a recommendation, but Ikkyu can only recommend—the final decision is up to the ninja council.
Ryu sits in the training ground and begins. After studying the previous night, Ryu recalls the detailed notes Grandpa Dan preserved—teachings inherited directly from Mito Uzumaki herself. The chains are legendary. Chakra given physical form, dense enough to restrain Tailed Beasts, creating perfect seals.
"Dense Uzumaki chakra and Yin Release must be the key," Ryu thinks.
Ryu closes his eyes briefly, his analytical mind dissecting the problem methodically.
"And unconscious shape manipulation ingrained in the bloodline," Ryu says. He visualises it clearly and imagines his chakra as interlocking oval links, each connected to the next, extending outward like living metal. The image is crystal-clear in his mind's eye.
Chakra pools at his centre, that familiar warmth spreading through his pathways. Then, suddenly, it clumps together and rushes outward. Ryu feels the chakra lock into place—like pieces of a puzzle clicking together. Three chain links materialise out of him. Four. Five.
A chain hangs suspended before him, glowing brilliantly in the morning sun—but with a faint golden tint, different from the silvery chains he'd seen in the anime.
"I did it!" Ryu's eyes widen, genuine surprise flickering across his usually controlled expression.
"Golden, not silver. Already different."
The chains form perfectly, appearing solid and complete with their interlocking structure intact. But within seconds, they begin to lose cohesion—edges blurring, connections loosening—and they start melting.
"What—no!" Ryu pushes more chakra into the construct, willing it to stabilise.
The chain holds for three more seconds before melting away like wax under heat, dissolving completely into formless energy before dissipating into the air.
-Total manifestation time: 5.4 seconds.
"Five seconds. Mito Uzumaki bound the Nine-Tails for nearly half a century. Five seconds isn't much... but it's a start."
He tries again. And again. An hour passes. Sweat soaks through Ryu's training clothes, his muscles aching from repeated chakra moulding. Yet he continues, adjusting his approach with each attempt.
"This is harder than I thought," Ryu admits to himself, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension.
After countless repetitions, Ryu can now form longer chains and faster, but the pattern remains consistent—chains form in under a second, hold for five to seven seconds, then melt away.
The key problem isn't formation—it's duration. If Ryu ever needs to prove his Uzumaki heritage to the Hokage or the council, the chains need to hold for at least ten seconds.
"Maybe not," Ryu thinks. "I can recall them before they dissolve."
Ryu knows from the anime that the Adamantine Sealing Chains can go back into the body of the user. On the next attempt, as the chain forms—but before it can fully dissolve into dispersed energy—Ryu wills the chakra chain back into his body. The golden-red energy snaps back into his chest.
"Success," Ryu murmurs, satisfaction colouring his voice.
He feels the returned chakra flow smoothly through his pathways—almost the entire amount he'd used to create the chain. Minimal waste.
"If I can recall the constructs before they melt away, I can demonstrate them convincingly. And conserving chakra means I can use them for longer."
He tests it again. Form the chain. Hold. Recall before dissolution. The chakra returns smoothly, efficiently.
A small smile crosses his face. "It is better than using ninjutsu. I wonder if this was also the reason the Uzumaki were feared. A fighting style with monstrous chakra efficiency."
But the core problem remains. The chains can't hold for more than a few seconds.
Ryu sits down cross-legged on the packed earth, resting his chin on his hand as he thinks through the problem.
"But why do they melt? They form correctly, function properly... but can't maintain their form. Are my chakras not strong enough?"
The answer comes naturally, assembled from fragments of knowledge, observation, and deduction.
"How did Obito control chains without Uzumaki blood? He wasn't even remotely related to the clan, yet he manifested them when controlling the resurrected Jinchuriki. It must have been the Rinnegan—that eye granted him abilities beyond normal limits."
"But wait... those were Nagato's eyes originally. Nagato was an Uzumaki. Could there have been residual chakra from Nagato in the transplanted Rinnegan? That would explain how Obito accessed Uzumaki techniques without the bloodline."
"Maybe my mixed heritage is the reason... but it's not a weakness. It's just... something different."
Ryu pushes himself to his feet, cracks his neck, and says, "I need to add something extra to the chains. Something that strengthens them. Makes them last as long as needed."
He looks at his hands again, flexing his fingers experimentally.
"Could I apply my Iron Skin Jutsu to the chakra constructs? Or maybe use fuinjutsu. I heard there are reinforcement seals for strengthening ninja hideouts and temporary structures on battlefields. Can I explore them to stabilise my unstable construct to maintain its solid form longer?"
The ideas swirl, each one promising but incomplete.
"Traditional Uzumaki can form chains that last longer. I don't know how long, but longer than my current level. And they can only form chains, nothing else," Ryu continues, pacing slowly. "Because 'sealing' and 'binding' are ingrained in their blood. But I'm different. I'm also a Hamura and Senju. I come from a family of builders. My chakra creates, adapts, and builds."
A smile spreads across Ryu's face—not the mischievous smirk he wears when teasing others, but a genuine expression of understanding.
"One more test. If chains work but don't last, what about something that embraces that adaptive nature? If it is malleable, then maybe it can also change into another shape."
Ryu centres himself again, but this time he doesn't force his chakra into rigid chain links. Instead, he lets it flow naturally, guiding it toward something different—a different shape.
"Let's make something different. Segmented. Flexible. Adaptive," he whispers.
Chakra erupts from his chest—golden-red and brilliant, more controlled than before. This time, what forms isn't a traditional chain.
A serpentine construct emerges, segmented like vertebrae, each section flowing seamlessly into the next. The appendage writhes in the air with fluid grace, moving like a living thing responding to his thoughts. At its end, three chakra-formed claws open and close experimentally—a tri-claw grappler that moves with surprising dexterity.
It feels different from the chains—less like a rigid tool and more like an extension of his own body, responsive and fluid. The second it forms, Ryu wills it, and it moves very fast and grabs a wooden log nearby, lifting it up.
Ryu stares, breathless.
For two seconds, the construct holds. He can feel it responding to his will—bending, gripping the wood, moving with far more natural ease than the rigid chains had.
Then, before it can fully dissolve, Ryu wills the chakra back into his body. The construct snaps back into his chest, energy flowing smoothly into his system. And at last, the wooden log drops into his hands.
Ryu drops the log from his hands, breathing hard. But he's smiling.
"Different doesn't mean inferior," he says quietly, a determined edge to his voice. "The Uzumaki mastered one form over generations. I'll master my own."
His mind settles on the path forward. "Iron Skin reinforcement. Fuinjutsu stabilisation. Whatever it takes, I'll make these constructs better."
For now, a few seconds of manifestation is enough. It's enough to prove his Uzumaki lineage when needed—enough to show the golden shimmer that marks his unique heritage.
His morning routine has been rewarding. The discovery about his chakra's malleable nature opens possibilities—he can shape it into forms beyond simple chains and utilise it in ways not seen before.
He glances at the sun's position in the sky. It is now time for Ryu to head to the academy for his classes.
##PoWeR StOnEs PLeaSE##
A/N :
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