In Aetheria, the sun draped low above the floating islands and cast golden rays upon the towering cliffs and glimmering rivers below. The gates of the Elemental Village buzzed with activity as on any normal day. Traders hawked their wares, children darted between the stalls, and the guards next to the entrance seemingly stood watch in blissful idleness. It would be three long years since Riku and his companions had set out upon their journeys. The gossiping villagers wondered in soft tones whether the once fiery, reckless boy would ever really return.
As a light breeze wound its way through the square, a figure clad in dark blue was seen marching steadily toward the village from afar. Laughing heartily next to him was a second figure: white-haired hair, streamed out behind him—Jiro, the man called the Wild Sage.
The guards in the gates stood straight. "Who's that?" one of them whispered. "Wait... that can't be... Riku?!" The other guard squinted and gasped.
In a blink, Riku was gone—whoosh—with a lightning-charged vanishing act behind the guards. Power pulsed through his body, aura visible to some degree. His simple tunic had been replaced with a stylish suit of war marked by the symbols of Wind, Fire, and Water—denoting his elemental prowess.
The first guard stumbled back. "H-He's completely different!"
Riku grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Yo! I'm back!"
Behind him, Jiro caught up, stretching and yawning. "Man, three years and you're still all dramatic."
As Riku and Jiro made their way into the village, the guards moved aside, whispering with excitement. Heads turned at every step he took. Villagers dropped activity, eyes glued to the transformed warrior who just a few years back had been the greatest of the village's mischievous troublemakers.
Flashback: The Three-Year Journey
Riku, in the vast and hidden training grounds at the Floating Isles, had pushed himself beyond all limits. Under the sarcastic but ever-amusing gaze of Jiro, he learned the art of fusing his Rubber Fruit powers with his elemental jutsus into annihilating combinations:
Rubber Tempest Strike - punching from huge distances, charged with roaring winds.
Blazing Rubber Whip - fiery whips off the elastic arm burning enemies from great distances.
Aqua Springboard - water functioning beneath rubber soles propelling the person into lightning-fast aerial attacks.
Of course, those were just some of the rather powerful combinations. He had also come to master high-level jutsus-how-to perform elemental clones faster to teleport in mid-battle using the springy effect of his rubber body, and to even issue a very powerful new technique:
➡️ Elemental Storm Cannon: a compressed simultaneous shot of all three elements, fired out at bullet speed through the stretched palm.
Yet it had not been just about power.
Riku matured; he became wiser and more strategic. He would not unwisely go rushing into every battle. He had become sharp in movement and polished in instinct, an Aetherian warrior in essence.
Return to the Village...
As Riku walked up toward the village center, he could see the tower of the Elemental Sage. Word of his arrival spread like wildfire: Children blared ahead screaming, "Riku's back! Riku's back!" Older villagers stood aloof, almost in disbelief, but soon Mira, Kira, and some of the elders were present.
Sayuri—the new Elemental Sage—looked down from the tower, her mouth half-open, utterly stunned.
"He has changed...," she mused.
Suddenly, a massive BOOM! erupted in the training grounds plaza, for without further ado, Riku had issued a friendly spar challenge to the Elite Guards. Grinning cockily, he said, "I'm gonna show you all what real training looks like!"
In no time, Riku was dancing between the attacks, twisting, stretching, and warping at unbelievable speed with his body. He was dodging, countering, and overwhelming his opponents with ease through using a combination of his Rubber powers and elemental jutsus.
Though Mira, now a strong Lightning user herself, remained speechless.
Kira, still in the darkness, smirked.
Taro... he was nowhere to be found; he was somewhere beyond far away, training to avenge the destruction of his clan.
Jiro laughed loudly, as the dust settled. "Not bad, kid. You sure made this old man proud."
Riku landed smoothly, his signature goofy smile beamed to all watching. "Did ya missed me?"
The village erupted with cheers.
The boy who left like a hopeful warrior had truly returned...
No longer a child, but Aetheria's rising storm.