[Scene – Kaede's House, Late Night – After the Revelation]
The scroll sat between them on the floor, unrolled now on a clean mat. Candlelight flickered across the delicate inkwork—lines layered over each other in spirals, scripts overlapping as though multiple hands had written them over time.
Riku traced the seal matrix slowly. "I don't recognize this formation…"
Kaede nodded. "Because it's not from the current generation. Some of these arrays predate the Second Mizukage. Look here."
She tapped a curve of script.
"That's chakra script from the Southern Archive. Your father studied forbidden sealing arts to protect what little remained of the Crystal Release. He didn't just preserve these techniques—he rebuilt them."
[Unlocking the Scroll – Chakra Key]
Kaede guided Riku's hand to the center sigil.
"This part responds to your chakra specifically. The bloodline seal will only open to a direct heir. Infuse chakra slowly—steady as you did in your dome technique."
Riku exhaled. His hands still trembled from the fight, but he pressed his palm against the scroll.
A soft click echoed—then the scroll glowed faintly. Runes unfurled like petals, revealing layered sections hidden beneath the surface.
A low hum filled the air. Not loud—more like a vibration that traveled down into the floorboards.
[Scroll Contents – The Crystal Legacy of Keiran Kiryū]
Section I: Crystal Release Techniques
Shōton: Obsidian Mirror Field – A defensive crystal wall that reflects chakra-based attacks. Especially effective against genjutsu and elemental jutsu.
Shōton: Prism Coffin Technique – A highly compressed, sarcophagus-style trap that absorbs enemy chakra while sealing them.
Shōton: Lattice Shards Requiem – An ultimate technique—crystal spears erupt from underground in a binding pattern, forming a multi-stage cage. Only usable with perfect chakra control.
Section II: Bloodline Insights
Detailed diagrams explaining the fusion of Earth and Wind nature transformation to form Crystal chakra.
Notes on how Crystal Release evolved from the now-extinct Shikkotsu Forest bloodlines—suggesting that it was once considered a "living chakra" nature, able to mimic organic formations.
Section III: Summoning Contract – Crystal Jade Beetles
Kaede froze. "No way…"
Riku blinked. "What?"
She reached out and brushed a thumb across the beetle-shaped sigil near the scroll's base.
"This is a contract scroll—not just techniques. Your father made a pact."
[Reveal – The Crystal Jade Beetles]
Kaede whispered as she examined the ink.
"I thought they were extinct… long ago, shinobi from the eastern fringe of the Mist summoned Jade Beetles—insects with crystalline shells that could manipulate light and chakra. They weren't weapons… they were guardians. Scouts. Sealsmiths."
Riku leaned closer. The sigil glowed faintly as his chakra neared.
"What happens if I sign it?"
Kaede hesitated. "Nothing. Yet. The contract binds you to their realm—but they won't answer the call until you prove yourself worthy. Usually through a trial, or a tribute."
Riku dipped his finger in his own blood and pressed it to the beetle crest.
The ink pulsed.
Lines crawled up his arm like glowing tattoos—then faded.
A whisper echoed in his ears.
Not in a voice.
In chitin, and stone, and song.
"We remember the name Kiryū."
[End Scene – Mother and Son, Legacy and Future]
Riku slumped back, drained but alive with quiet wonder.
"Why would he give this to me? I don't even know what I'm doing."
Kaede smiled sadly. "That's exactly why. Because you're still becoming something. Not just a ninja. But something… older. Stranger. Like your father."
Riku held the scroll gently, reverently.
The blood on his hands was dry now.
But the future in them had only just begun.
END
✦ Unlocks
🔷 New Summon Line: Crystal Jade Beetles (Suishō Kōchū)
Passive Traits: Reflective shells, chakra-sensing antennae, silent communication
Special Abilities:
Seal Devourers: Feed on enemy fuinjutsu to weaken barriers or tags.
Light-Benders: Refract chakra and light to obscure visibility or create illusions.
Hive Mind: Can form coordinated formations for defense or offense.
———-
🪲 Riku can start with one small beetle—a scout named Kōten—and gradually unlock larger, rarer beetles through trials and offerings.