The wind continued to blow softly, carrying with it the scent of blood and the traces of a day that would never be the same on Crystal Island.
Elian walked slowly toward his small house. Each step echoed through his exhausted body. The bag containing half of the Berries weighed against his hip, while the other half, meant for the system, rested in his pocket. He could also feel the weight of the stolen items he had set aside to return to the villagers.
Night was gradually falling. The sky shifted from pale pink to a deep violet, almost matching the color of his hair. The air was still warm, filled with the salty scent of the sea and the resin of the pine trees in the grove.
When he pushed open the door of his house, the room felt smaller, quieter than usual. He set the bag on the table, lit the oil lamp, and sank heavily into one of the chairs. His hands were still trembling slightly. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to find that small ember of chakra deep within his chest. It was there—faint, almost extinguished—but it still existed.
He remained like that for long minutes, breathing slowly, letting the fatigue wash over him without resistance.
Outside, the soft sound of Shikamaru's footsteps could be heard much later. The young Nara entered without knocking, closing the door behind him with his usual nonchalance. His hands were clean, but his clothes still bore traces of dirt and leaves.
He sat across from Elian without speaking at first. He observed the boy for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
"You held out longer than I would have expected for a first real fight," he finally said in a low, drawn-out voice. "Most beginners would have panicked long before the throw. You aimed, you hit, and you kept enough clarity to think about what to do with the money. That's… not bad."
Elian raised his eyes to him. His violet gaze was tired, but a spark of determination still flickered within it.
"I couldn't have done anything without you," he murmured. "If you hadn't been there…"
Shikamaru shrugged slightly.
"If I hadn't been there, you'd probably be dead or captured. But that's not the point. You did your part. The rest was my calculation. Fewer risks later."
A comfortable silence settled between them. The oil lamp cast dancing shadows across the wooden walls.
Elian placed a hand on the bag.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll quietly return what was stolen to the villagers. I'll say I found their belongings near the grove after the pirates left. They don't need to know what really happened."
Shikamaru nodded.
"Good idea. The less they know, the better. Normal people have trouble sleeping when they learn that shadows can kill."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table.
"And now? Are you going to open your Shop with your half?"
Elian hesitated, then slowly nodded.
"Yeah… I think so. But not tonight. I'm too tired. Tomorrow, when I've regained my strength. I want to see what I can buy with it. Maybe tools, or things to train better."
Shikamaru let out a small breath that almost sounded like a muffled laugh.
"Tomorrow, then. Tonight, rest. Your chakra needs time to recover. Forcing it now would be pointless."
He stood up slowly and walked to the window, looking out into the darkness.
"Crystal Island is calm again. For now. But things like this happen more often than you'd think in the East Blue. Next time, it might not be just four amateurs."
Elian remained silent, his eyes fixed on the flame of the lamp.
Shikamaru turned to him one last time before heading for the door.
"Sleep. Tomorrow, we'll resume training. More seriously this time. And we'll see what your system offers with that money."
He opened the door, letting in a breath of cool sea air.
"…And don't spend the night thinking about what happened. It's done. We move forward."
The door closed softly behind him.
Elian remained alone in the small room lit by the lamp. He rested his head on his crossed arms on the table and closed his eyes. Exhaustion completely overtook him, but deep inside, something had changed.
The wind had brought danger.
It had carried away the lives of the pirates.
And it had left behind the first seeds of what Elian would become.
Outside, the sea whispered against the rocks, calm and steady, as if nothing had happened.
The next morning, the sun rose with an almost solemn slowness over Crystal Island. A soft, pinkish light gradually spread across the sea, then over the thatched roofs and dirt paths. The air was cool, slightly damp, filled with the salty scent of seaweed and the wet wood of the docks.
Elian got up without haste. His body still carried the fatigue from the day before, a dull heaviness in his muscles and a slight tension in his chest. He took the time to drink some fresh water, then quietly stepped outside with the bag containing the stolen items.
He walked slowly through the still-sleeping village. Each step was measured. He placed the belongings near doors and sheds: a pocket watch in front of the old sailor's house, tools by the blacksmith's hut, a few pieces of jewelry near the affected homes. He left no note, no sign. Only the faint sound of his footsteps was carried away by the light breeze.
When he was done, he stood still for a moment at the edge of the path, watching the sea shimmer under the rising sun. He felt a little lighter, but not truly at peace.
Later, when the sun was already high in the sky, he joined Shikamaru in the small grove. The young Nara was there, leaning against the same tree as usual, hands in his pockets, his gaze lost on the horizon. He didn't move when he heard Elian approaching.
Elian sat cross-legged on the ground, at a respectful distance. He slowly took out the 250,000 Berries he had kept for the system and placed them in front of him on the grass. Then he closed his eyes.
The silence stretched for a long time before he spoke.
"I'm opening the Shop," he finally murmured, his voice low and calm.
The options appeared one by one in his mind, simple and precise:
Price – Item Name
15,000 – Set of 5 shuriken
30,000 – Kunai
30,000 – Pack of explosive tags (x5)
70,000 – Small dose of chakra (increases base reserve)
2,800,000 – Dancing Leaves Style (basic stances and movements)
5,500,000 – Spinning Fist Strike
18,000,000 – Shadows of the Wind (fast movements and evasions)
Elian remained silent for a long time, letting the numbers slowly sink into his mind. The breeze gently rustled the leaves above them.
"The taijutsu techniques… are much more expensive than I imagined," he finally murmured, almost under his breath. "Dancing Leaves Style is 2,800,000… Spinning Fist Strike is 5,500,000… and Shadows of the Wind is 18 million. That's… far. Very far."
He paused for a long moment, his gaze drifting into the void.
"The elemental affinities are still at 40 million each… completely out of reach."
Shikamaru didn't respond right away. He let the silence settle deeply, as if allowing each price to find its place in his thoughts.
"It makes sense," he finally said in a calm, drawn-out voice. "Taijutsu requires the body, repetition, muscle memory. The Shop knows that. The stronger the technique, the more it costs. It shows how much you're still at the beginning of the path."
Elian slowly nodded. He remained seated, hands resting on his knees, feeling the weight of the 250,000 Berries in his pocket. Compared to the millions needed for taijutsu, the amount suddenly felt tiny.
"For now," he continued softly, "I'll take the shuriken. 15,000 for a set of 5… I'll buy 150,000 worth. That's ten sets… fifty shuriken in total."
Shikamaru gave a slight nod.
"That's reasonable. Shuriken are light. You'll be able to throw many without getting tired too quickly."
Elian confirmed the purchase in his mind. Ten small packs of shuriken materialized softly on the ground in front of him, without a sound. He picked them up one by one, with an almost ceremonial slowness, and carefully stored them in his leather pocket. The metal felt cold against his fingers.
With the remaining 100,000 Berries, he continued in an even quieter voice:
"With what's left… I'll take the small dose of chakra to increase my base reserve… and a pack of explosive tags."
A gentle warmth suddenly spread through his chest. The luminous substance merged directly into him, with no visible object. He felt the small ember that already existed grow slightly, becoming a bit more stable, a bit deeper.
At the same time, a small pack of five explosive tags appeared before him. Each thin paper talisman bore subtle symbols and gave off a faint smell of powder. Elian picked them up carefully and stored them in a separate compartment of his leather pocket.
Shikamaru watched Elian without saying anything. The wind continued to move softly through the trees.
"Fifty shuriken… a dose to increase your chakra… and five explosive tags," he finally repeated, almost to himself. "That's a good balance. Explosives can be useful for traps or diversions, but you shouldn't use them before you have better control."
He slowly straightened against the trunk, as if even that movement required effort.
"We'll be able to resume training. But not right away. Let the chakra dose settle."
Elian nodded. He remained seated, hands resting on his knees, feeling the weight of the shuriken against his hip, the subtle presence of the explosive tags, and the new, steadier warmth in his chest.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shifting patterns across the ground. The murmur of the sea reached them, distant and steady.
Shikamaru half-closed his eyes, as if thinking about something far away.
"Tomorrow… or the day after," he murmured. "We'll resume the throws. More calmly. For longer. And we'll also look at those taijutsu techniques. Even if we can't buy them now, they give us direction."
Elian didn't respond. He simply breathed slowly, letting time pass.
Around them, the grove seemed to hold its breath, patiently waiting for what would come next.