"AHH! FUCK!" (Hotaru)

 

“You did a pretty good job though.” (Hibiki)

 

“Do you mean it?” (Hotaru)

 

“Yeah, it’s alright. As long as you cover three days we’re good but that was alright if nothing else really happened.” (Hibiki)

 

“W-well…” (Hotaru)

 

“If nothing was spending time with the main character then sure.” (Kohaku)

 

“Still salty, I see.” (Hotaru)

 

“Why you?!” (Kohaku)

 

“Enough, I believe it’s my turn now.” (????)

 

“Go ahead, we’ve much to discuss afterward.” (Hibiki)

 

“So be it.” (????)

 

*Click*

 

***

I got out of the shower and dried myself off before entering the room, you could think of it as a guest room. To this day it bothers me. Have you ever been assigned a project for a month and completely forgot about it until you had to present it in a week?

 

That was my room when I first got here.

 

And to THIS DAY, you know what, forget it.

 

 The room now however was livable, it had a bed frame and mattress in the center now, a drawer to the right along with be spent some time in the mirror admiring my… birthday suit, a daily ritual of mine at this point. My hair and eyes were lackluster, being a plain light brown. It was something I found to be relieving…

 

With the training I was getting, I’ve gotten used to the motions and sensations of throwing around shurikens while my taijutsu was progressing better now that I’ve been using it a lot more although I’d rather have a sword in my hand I’ve been told that I should stick to the basics before using a weapon. 

 

Me, go back to basics.

 

…

 

That was supposed to be funny…

 

…

 

Okay… 

 

***

 

I think I died a little inside. (Hotaru)

 

You got this! (Kohaku)

 

***

 

Well, I guess the biggest difference for me was something I was still coming to terms with at the time, hardest part of being here was getting used to the altitude.  It's only been a month since I’ve been in the village in the mountains known as Kumogakure. I guess everything was in preparation for this.

 

I took a look around the room I’ve been allowed to stay in for now as I’ve been under the surveillance.  I’ve gotten a lot of help to survive this far so I wasn’t going to take this chance for granted. 

 

From the left side of my chest, I pulled out a grey scroll and begun to look over the details inscribed. One of the things that have truly been a lifesaver for me, although I was unable to learn much about our use of elements called a kekkai genkai or bloodline limit.

 

 Even before the system came into my life were a pair of ninjas named by Hiko and Rinko. They handed this to me, inscribing a few techniques of the family my mother came from, the Yuki clan. 

 

I placed the scroll up to my chest again and watched it fade until it was as if nothing was ever there and went into the drawer, getting into a black pair of shorts and a blue shirt with that oddly had the face of one of the people who found me along with my “guardians.”

 

Sitting on the bed, I ran through the course of events that somehow got me into here. My friend Machi was talking about being ‘isekai’d’ being better than dealing with our problems and I couldn’t exactly disagree. Just when I was about to close my eyes-

 

“MAKOTO, WE’RE HOME!”

 

There was also the constant annoyance in life. But today was the day I was going to put that all aside.

 

I looked in the mirror one last time. Short, spiky brown hair and brown eyes to match, I was supposed to get some marking on my face but dad said that they weren’t very conspicuous so we were holding off. 

 

When I mentioned this to Hiko he talked to Rinko about it and Rinko went ahead to engrave my gray scroll with the markings he said he was 98.2 percent sure dad was talking about, only a 1.8 percent chance of being wrong! I asked him how and then he described this to me.

 

I got up and started making my way down the hall with a faint smile on my face that I couldn’t keep from growing larger, slowing down when I made it to the steps so as to not make a repeat of last time I let my emotions get the best of me.

 

I grabbed the railing as I took it step by step to see the blonde asymmetrical mop-heads of my favorite and least favorite person.

 

***

 

“Alright dunderhead, I get that it’s been a lot but this is probably my favorite part. The possibilities, the drama!”

 

“R- …Rinko!”

 

“Aw, C’mon Hiko. At least let me have this!” (Rinko)

 

“Just tell him.” (Hiko)

 

“Ugh, fine. Well, I had my fun digging so I’ll spare you this time.” Rinko flicked my forehead

 

“Ow!”  (Makoto)

 

“That’s more like it, Look alive cause this is your chance again.” Said Rinko, smirking like the devil incarnate he was.

 

“Rinko!” Hiko insisted. my angel, my saving grace. 

 

“I’m getting to it geez! Makoto, while our time has been short. I’m glad to say that you're both-”

 

***

 

-???’s POV-

 

The sky was dark as I looked at the snowfall, with our last ninjas returned for the day

 

I filed the last of today’s documents as the Raikage leaned back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling before heaving out a sigh.

 

“Is something on your mind, A-sama?”

 

“What are your thoughts on what’s going on?” A lurched over his desk with his elbows on his 

desk.

 

“Could you specify?” I turned back to the furrowed brows but with clarity in his eyes, it couldn’t be helped that things have begun to be more erratic. 

 

Some of our ninjas have become deranged, some going to the length of attacking their teammates. We’ve kept those members in isolation to keep things under control.

 

“... Maori’s message for starters.” A-sama slid the message over from his desk, so I looked.

 

Dear Lord Hokage,

 

Hopefully, this letter finds you in good fortune, I’m unsure if this will find you but to anyone who reads this. I must inform you of the events of the last month. In order to check on the status of how other villages are recovering and to offer support, I’ve been sent under the Raikage’s order to travel to Kusagakure.

 

While the village was peaceful, underline it was anything but. I’m looking into it at the moment but 

 

MoreoDditieShavebeenoccuring. It’sgettingHaRDeRtothinkstraightpeopleareactinglikeanimals. Nosenseofselfcontrol.

 

IfearimayDIELIKETHIS!

 

Going from formulated sentences to chicken scratch, words continued to blend together at that point. It was like he kept writing on the paper over the rest of his words.

 

“Look at the back once you’re done.” (A)

 

When I flipped over the paper it was a simple seal, well, that was when I first looked at it. 

 

The longer I spent trying to recognize it, the seal glowed and expanded, and the writing spread into lines of ink that swirled about the page into a drawing. 

 

I looked back at the Raikage who let out a weak laugh, “So I’m not the only one, would you tell me what it looks like to you, Mabui?”

 

“A spider molting into something… no…burning, the only thing I could make out it that it looks to be growing something out of its back. It says, ‘At the chime of thunder and crumbling waves, the bug seeks shelter, in fear of what they’ve learned.’” (Mabui)

 

“Really now?”  A-sama has been keeping up a nonchalant air about him, but his body has always been more honest, the veins bulging out of his forearm, a finger tapping onto his desk… he was anxious.

 

“Yes A-sama, was it not the same for you?”  (Mabui)

 

What ensued from there was a long silence. I would say you could hear a pin drop but the tapping was insistent and consistent. Growing louder, faster until I let out a small cough and A froze.

 

It only took a moment for him to recover, he said “In the middle of the sea… I couldn’t make out what it was. But it did show a bit of what you’re talking about, the water was struck by thunder, making a shadow of a building in its light.”   

 

“A building?” (Mabui) 

 

“I believe so.” (A)

 

“Should we be worried?” (Mabui)

 

“I don’t think so, anyone could be trying to scare us. We’ll investigate them just in case.” (A)

 

“Understood.” (Mabui)

 

“But if you wouldn’t mind, could you inject some of your chakra into it.” Sounding more like an 

order than a request. I wasn’t going to question if it said something he didn’t share

 

“Of course, A-sama.”

 

***

 

“Samui-nee!” I ran into her arms as she picked me up into a hug, from the stoic look she keeps, Samui always dropped the mask once she’s home. The smile on her face was small but it meant worlds of difference to me.

 

Oh, and then there was the louder of the two. Already looking like he was going to pop a vein, Atsui’s smile was faltering as his eye twitched. My expression just went deadpan, what Samui is outside is what I was to Atsui at any time.

 

 Which also served to be the reason why he liked poking at me more. Contrary to Samui, his hair was more of a dirty blonde while his green eyes reminded me of my younger brother, well my twin back home that is. 

 

Anyways, he placed a closed basket he was carrying onto the floor. He then took in a large inhale before slowly exhaling as he crouched onto his knees. Samui put me down and gave me a soft pat on the back.

 

“Are you sure? Take your time if you must…” (Samui)

 

Just as Atsui did, I took an inhale and exhaled slowly. Today was going to be the day! 

I walked forward, step by step as the sound of sniffling hit my ears but I kept going.

 

“It’s alright, congratulations!” 

 

Atsui relaxed his shoulders and tried to keep a straight face like Samui but struggled so he just scrunched up his face and shut his eyes.

 

“Congratulations! Huh? D-don’t cry!” 

 

The shadows were dimming around the room as the pressure was sinking in. My hands started shaking and my steps faltered.

 

No! I want this too!

 

That when I saw this light peek in from behind Atsui and I rushed for it. My heart began pumping out of my chest, but I put that all to the side. Tackling Atsui a little but wrapping my arms around him tightly.

 

He jumped a little but kept put. He was loud, annoying, and impatient but he was always compassionate.

 

“Yo- You can hug back...” (Makoto)

 

“A-are you sure?” (Atsui)

 

“…Mhm…” (Makoto)

 

He slowly wrapped his arms around me, and it wasn’t the same. It was such a cold feeling anymore, it was… warm. At least that’s the best way I could put it.

 

Atsui’s body was muscular, not in a suffocating body builder sort of way. It wasn’t hard to tell from either one of them that they actively use their bodies for anything. But I guess that was just the life I was going to have to prescribe myself to. 

 

I don’t how long we just stayed there but after a while, Atsui let go, quickly grabbed the basket and handed put it in front of me before running upstairs.

 

“I-I got something in my eyes! I’m not crying!” (Atsui)

 

Samui patted my head before going to the door. “Sorry about that, you can come in now.”

 

“I was worried you forgot about me.”

 

“I’m still getting the hang of this.” (Samui)

 

“What? Having people over?”

 

“...” (Samui)

 

“Y-you’re kidding right?”

 

I took the basket into my arms while the blanket slowly lifted up and down.

 

She’s asleep, as usual.

 

Peeking under the blanket, I saw the adorable curled up form of my pup, the snow-white coat of my small great Pyrenees, Yuuma. But before I could indulge myself further with the fluffy snowball, two sets of footsteps started to approach.

 

One is Samui, while the other one was her friend. But that wasn’t what bothered me as the moment. The same shadows around the room began to rescind the closer they got. That’s when I saw it, the same light taking over the room to the point that I thought I was going to go blind.

 

Then everything just froze as I felt this heat rising from my chest, or rather the scroll was reacting, and everything was suddenly taken over as two deafening roars took over the room. In this moment I looked at the person I was dealing with.

 

Staring at me wide-eyed was another blonde, her hair in a twist. Her left eye was green while the right was yellow and when I blinked it was like nothing was ever there. It also wasn’t helpful that she looked as freaked out as I was.

 

I couldn’t tell you how happy I was that the tension just dispersed as Samui entered the room, “Makoto, I wanted to introduce you to my dear friend and our second Jinchūriki, Yugito!”

 

< Starting Phase- Boot Up, 33% >

 

***

 

-Mabui’s POV-

 

Just as I injected my chakra the lines reverted into the seal and disappeared off the page and we covered our eyes in a flash of light as another picture appeared,

 

“This is-” (A)

 

“It couldn’t be serious, right?” (Mabui)

 

What laid before us was a picture of Matatabi roaring in front of a barred cave in the middle of a blizzard with the only words being ‘Well. Looks like the show has begun. Hope you’re in for the ride.’

 

***

 

“...” (Yugito)

 

Listen Makoto, even if everything feels like it’s about to go to shit, fake it till you make it! (Rinko)

 

So, without reacting to everything else around me, I took Yugito’s hand in mine and shook her hand vigorously.

 

“Hello, I’m Makoto! Welcome to our home!”

 

< Quest Complete! >