'3'
The low hum of an out-of-place microwave filled the otherwise quiet infirmary; harsh white lights flooded the room with a sterile glare that banished the shadows to the furthest corners of the room. The room was void of life but for one figure, a pale young boy; barely seventeen years old.
'2'
He lay unconscious and shirtless on a medical bed clad in only a pair of frayed black pants and a band of white medical tape around each forearm with strange tattoo-like drawings on them, while the one on his right arm was covered by a black wrist warmer. The remnants of tears of blood stained his right cheek. The boys' labored breaths were the only organic sound in the room.
'1'
Bandages covered the lower half of his torso, and someone had wrapped them around his forehead in a manner similar to a headband. Bruising and half-healed cuts littered his hands' arms and chest, and he had a large lump on his forehead from some unknown head injury.
'Beep beep beep.'
Mismatched ebony and indigo eyes burst open in panic. 'Naruto!' He thought as his gaze flung itself wildly in the direction of the noise that had awoken him and a crimson starburst pattern bled into being in his left eye. Oppressive black flames burst into existence, centered on a beeping microwave on a far counter.
Sasuke Uchiha cried out in pain as his body spasmed violently, and the dark fire completely devoured the appliance. Every movement felt like shards of glass had filled his muscles, and activating his jutsu had sent floods of magma surging through his bloodstream.
He lashed out with his limbs and felt his left foot connect with something solid before whatever it was disappeared as the force of his kick sent it flying away. With his vision blurring into a cacophony of white orbs of light and silver steels, and his ears ringing so loud it was as if he had woken up in the middle of an elephant stampede, he didn't even notice as he fell from the bed and landed in a heap on the floor.
After an eternity of laying on the cold metal floor, in pain and confused, he felt a light pressure appear on the sides of his chest. Someone was lifting him, and they were speaking, but he was far too dazed to process the words and only cringed in pain as streams of gibberish assaulted his ears. He was placed gently on a soft surface; his bed, if he had to guess, his vision was beginning to clear, and he could make out vague shapes and colors. He caught a flash of orange after being placed back on his bed, and then with a gentle squeeze on his shoulder and a final unintelligible word, the person left.
(((Twilight Journey)))
"So he's awake." Olga Marie Animusphere spoke briefly as she walked through the silver halls of Chaldea, tilting her head back to glance at Chaldeas' Head of Medicine, "well?"
Romani Archaman huffed, running one hand through his fluffy orange hair. "Yeah, he's awake. But I don't know if you'll be able to get much out of him at this point; he seemed completely out of it when I was in there. He didn't even seem to notice that he'd fallen onto the floor."
The hem of her white skirt twirled as she turned to face him, a look of annoyance on her face. "I certainly hope that's not the case; that was an important meeting you pulled me out of; I shouldn't need to remind you that these next few days will decide the future of Chaldea."
"Mhm. I understand perfectly well." He'd never think to do something that would draw his boss's ire to this extent, but this was the special occasion of special occasions. "Just wait until you see his eyes, their a lot like mystic eyes but way weirder than any I've ever heard of before. One of them was even weeping blood when I found him. Even if he's unresponsive at this point, there should be plenty to learn from a close examination of his conscious body."
"Is that right? Well, tell me about his test results; you said there was something strange about his Od?"
The doctor's eyes shined with excitement. "Not strange, Miraculous. My scans show he's got enough Od inside to wipe Chaldea off the map, including the mountain it's sitting on. Being capable of such things is astounding, and that's right now, while his reserves don't even seem to be close to half-full. Honestly, it reminds me of the stories I've heard of 'The Blue.' He clasped his hands together excitedly. "Even most servants cant process that amount of Prana through their bodies at once unless they're the kind with a destruction-focused noble phantasm."
She was glaring at him now. "A walking thermonuclear bomb is lying in the infirmary having a panic attack, and you, the head of the medical division, are giddy like a child over the fact that he could wipe us off the face of the planet."
Romani could see his nervous grin reflected in her fierce amber eyes. "Well, yes, that does sound like a major issue on paper, but he's just a kid, even younger than you, I would say. A young boy with injuries like that falling into a world that's not his own, I believe he's going to be more scared than anything else."
Scared. Hopefully, that wasn't the case. If he was indeed as capable as Romani was insinuating, then Olga would have work for him. There was no doubt that he was not of this world; he had fallen from the sky in the most remote part of the planet, and his biology was different from regular humans. This meant he was now all alone. As the director of Chaldea, a company in the employ of both the Mage's Association and the U.N, she was technically the most influential person for a thousand miles.
It didn't matter what Lev said; she knew the staff was discontent with her performance, most likely some outright despised the fact that she was made director over Kirschtaria, her late father's star pupil. She had even heard faint whispers that stated the ever-perfect, ever likable Kirschtaria Wodime should have been given her title as head of the Animusphere family. The main issue was that Chaldeas most crucial group, 'A-Team,' who would be leading the charge in the singularities, saw Kirschtaria as their boss more than they did her. She, who had absolutely zero capability as a master; due to her possessing far fewer magic circuits than even an average mage of low birth, would be stuck in the facility ordering around a group of employees who thought she was a joke. Simultaneously, 'Kirschtaria' and his merry band of hero's would be frolicking throughout history, saving humanity. She almost wished 'Singularity F' was a disaster and Wodime tragically—
"Here we are."
"Huh." Banished from her thoughts, Olga stumbled awkwardly into the back of her colleague.
A slight grin wormed its way onto Romanis' face as he stepped back and to the side. He inclined his head towards the door they had stopped by. "He's in this one, shall we."
Olga rubbed her arm anxiously as she stared at the door before her. The doctors' rambling had inspired a faint hope in her heart, "could this boy from the sky really be the answer to all my problems." She nodded and held her hand up to the black panel on the side of the door, letting it scan her handprint to open the door.
(((Twilight Journey)))
Sasuke had pulled himself into a loose sitting position. He sat with his back pressed against the wall; one arm lay perched on his drawn-up knee while the other arm rested in his lap. His thumb was idly tracing a two-inch long scar that was etched in the skin over his heart. His head drooped as he sat silently, but he raised it when he heard the sound of the door opening.
Two figures entered, a white-haired young woman dressed in orange. And an orange-haired man dressed in white. The woman had sharp aristocratic features, bright amber eyes, and hair that was a river of snow turned silk that tumbled down to her waist freely, save for a small braid behind her left ear. Over the top of a white collared dress, she wore a thin orange and black jacket with heavy gold embroidery on its front and cuffs. Aside from a pair of black high heels, her lower half was covered in only a set of waist-high vermillion stockings. The last thing of note about her appearance was the sizeable golden broach tucked into her collar. The broach was attached to a great bow that covered her upper cleavage with crimson frills. The broach nested an immense red gemstone in its center that shone like miniature sun under the harsh light of the infirmary.
On the other hand, her companion had a far more plain appearance, soft orange hair pulled back into a lazy ponytail. White gloves, white boots, and a white stylized lab coat with green trim and gray patterning trailing down the center and biceps. His light green eyes held far more warmth than his shorter companion. She stepped towards him, while the other moved to the side instead, while also staying in the back. "A subordinate then."
Olga took in the appearance of the boy on the bed. His hair was a mess of refined ebon spikes that jutted out from the back, a medium-length fringe connected to two large bangs that framed his face. And what a face it was, sharp, distinctly eastern feature and flawless pale skin spoke of his pedigree. But it was his eyes that were the real marvel. One, his right eye, was the same abyssal black as his hair. The other was clearly the one Romani had spoken of. No sclera was visible; instead, the entire eye was an ellipse of violet save for a black pupil and four black rings that circled it. Three comma-shaped symbols each occupied the two inner rings curiously.
"Are you alright now young man? When I came in earlier, you seemed to be in quite a bit of pain." Sasuke watched the man prattled on while filling up a glass of water and bring it to him. "I apologize for leaving you like that, but it was an emergency, I had to—"
"Where am I?" Sasuke asked coldly, though the effect was diminished some, as his voice was hoarse and his throat raw.
It was the woman who spoke as he down the glass calmly, hiding the immense relief it brought him.
"My name is Olga Marie Animusphere; I'm the leader of the Chaldea security company and the director of this facility." She pulled up a chair and sat down a small distance from his bed. As she reclined with one leg over the other and her hand on her chin, her trailing eyes made it clear that she was attempting to size up his worth. "And you are?"
"Sasuke Uchiha." He watched her eyes, waiting for a flash of realization that did not come. "I'm surprised you don't seem to have heard of the Uchiha clan." "Just where have I ended up?"
"Oh, you are? And why Is that? Do members of the Uchiha clan make a habit of falling from the sky, I wonder."
"Falling from the sky? What?" How had he ended up here? Sasuke couldn't recall. The last thing he remembered was Indra's arrow clashing with Naruto's jutsu and a tremendous explosion with the power to shake the world. But he had been clad in the ultimate Susanoo at the time; there was no way that blast could have put him in the state he was in. "Just what am I forgetting?" His expression had remained as apathetic as ever, even as he processed these grim thoughts. "Tell me, what country am I am?"
"Ah, I'm sorry." The man in the lab coat wore a soft, anxious smile. "But that's classified information."
"That's enough, Romani. I shall do the talking." She sent him a slight glare that held little malice before turning back to Sasuke. "Antarctica is a continent that has no countries. You are currently in an observatory nestled in the peaks of a mountain range 6000 thousand meters above sea level. We're right in the center of Antarctica, an area no nation has laid claim to.
Sasuke listened on as she listed off details of a continent he'd never heard of. "You said I fell from the sky. What did you mean by that?" He interrupted once more.
Though she was unperturbed. "It's exactly as it sounds. At 21:00 hours on the 27th of July 2015, the Chaldea observation facility detected a spatial anomaly in the upper troposphere. From this anomaly emerged a figure who fell ten kilometers and landed on top of the facility's tempered steel roof. The figure was revealed to be a young boy, likely aged between sixteen to eighteen, he was promptly taken into our care. I must say, I'm rather impressed. You fell over ten thousand meters onto solid metal while unconscious. And yet here you are, already up and about by five o'clock in the morning. Not even ten hours later."
"How foolish" It was almost impossible for a shinobi to die from falling. Even a genin could walk off the force of hitting something at terminal velocity. Sasuke himself Had taken far harder knocks before he'd even reach the age of thirteen. "I see. What are the dominant nations of the world?"
"That would be the United States of America, China, Russia, and the United Nations. I assume you've heard of none of them?"
"No… What is this planet called?" This was not going well, Sasuke had goals to fulfill, and his plans could hardly come to fruition in an alien world.
"It's simply named earth."
He Scoffed, his eyes twisted into a frown. "I see, mines called the same."
"Yes, you seem to be from a parallel world, as I suspected. But all is not lost. I have a proposition for you."
"You'll help me return home in exchange for performing some task for you, I assume."
"You catch on quickly. That's good. For now, just understand that there is an expert on traversing parallel worlds on this planet, and I am the only person in a thousand miles with a chance of getting him to meet with you."
As Sasuke drummed his finger on his knee, contemplating her words, the doctor noticed what had become of his microwave. "Ah! My muffin! What happened to you?"
Sasuke and Olga turned to see Romani overdramatically fall to his hands and knees in front of the wreckage that was once his cooking appliance. Where earlier sat a microwave on the countertop, now there was only a half-sphere-shaped gap with melting, slag-like edges, as if the bench had been made of candle wax. There was no microwave in sight.
Ignoring the head of Chaldea's medical division, Olga rounded back on Sasuke. "Recent events and scans of your body have indicated that you possess a substantial amount of power inside your body, correct?"
Sasuke lifted his arms out in front of him and turned his palms to face the roof as if to catch nonexistent rain. Suddenly a tremendous pressure permeated the room. The metal walls creaked painfully, loose papers were scattered into the air, and the lights began to flicker. Olga was forced to the back of her seat until he lowered his arms and the pressure subsided. "I am the most powerful existence in the world. What of it?"
Her body shook as she breathed heavily in relief. "It's rare to see a human release… Huff… s-such a heavy magical aura, especially with just his Od. Is this type of thing common in your world."
Sasuke smirked in dull amusment. "Magic, truly." "These terms are foreign to me. What is it you want me to do exactly."
"I'll tell you, but first," She turned to her companion. "Romani, where did you put his shirt?"
"Oh?" He walked over to a wheeled medical table in the corner and grabbed the crumbled gray shirt that had been discarded on the bottom tray. "Here you go."
She recoiled slightly from the grimy and slightly damp shirt before straightening the garment and aligning the two holes in the chest area. Olga held the high-collared shirt up to Sasuke's now erect torso. The vertical scar over his heart was a perfect fit for the cuts on either side of his shirt. She discarded the piece of clothing, tossing it to the end of the bed. "This is a curious wound." Her voice grew softer as she trailed a single long fingernail down the length of his most prominent scar. "How did you manage to survive it?"
Sasuke hadn't reacted at all to her touch, save for the raising of a single eyebrow. That's right, after awakening from his conversation with the sage, there had been a worm standing over him. "Kabuto." "Hm, I guess you could call it… A final gift from my late brother."
"Hmph, a non-answer then." Well, it wasn't essential to her right now, and she did get quite an informing piece of information out of it. "Dead brother then" She took up her original seated position as Romani handed her a steaming cup of coffee he'd made with the coffee maker that sat only a meter away from the microwave Sasuke had reduced to ash. "Back to your previous question. The Chaldea Security Company is a secret agency founded with the singular goal of safeguarding the future of the human race. You see, this facility we're in is actually an observatory. But instead of merely observing the stars, Chaldeas is equipped to observe the planets temporal axis." She spoke the words in a clear, practiced manner as if she'd said them many times before. "You're role, should you choose to accept my help, would be to travel back into anomalies in the past with the elite masters of A-Team and prevent the extinction of humanity.
"I see." Sasuke would accept for now, for one with the eyes of the Uchiha, there was no risk in betrayal should a deal with this woman turn out to be against his best interests. "Ensure the future of one humanity in order to reform another." How ironic. "Very well, I accept. But I'll tell you now, you mentioned a team… I have no interest in being friends with anyone here, and there isn't any task you could give me that I would be unable to achieve on my own. So there's no need for such a group to accompany me. I can handle anything all alone.
"Yes, well, If what you say about supposedly being 'The strongest in existence is true, then you could be right. But be that as it may, the plans were put into motion months ago and will come to fruition tomorrow. Like it or not, A-Team will be accompanying you on your missions." She gave him a soft, seemingly uncharacteristic smile, and the warmth that now shimmered in her eyes made her seem much younger. "You are doing me a greater service than you know by accepting my offer. I will not betray you; I swear on my family's name, the Animusphere name, one of the ten great families of the clock tower."
"Hn," Sasuke grumbled, and Olga Marie turned to lock at the numbers above the door while Romani flittered his fingers across the glowing screen of some light blue tablet. Sasuke watched as the woman pulled out an identical tablet from some hidden pocket inside her jacket and held the bottom up to her mouth.
"Will Mash Kyrielight, please report to medical-bay seven, I repeat, Mash Kyrielight, please report to medical-bay seven." She moved her legs into a ladylike sitting position, with her knees and ankles together, and rested the tablet on her thighs. "You see, A-Team is lead by a man named Kirschtaria Wodime. He was the star pupil of my late father, the founder of Chaldea. And when he died, many hoped leadership of the organization would fall to him, instead of me, his rightful heir."
"What does any of this have to do with me?"
"Quite a lot. You see, Kirschtaria, even as the director of Chaldea, would lack the prestige required to get you a meeting with the 'Kalidescope,' the man who can get you home. Prestige I have as the head of one of the ten great families. Succeding in my role here is the most important thing in the world to both me, and you now as well. Unfortunately, Team 'A' is the most vital proponent to our mission here. And I'd speculate that at least half or more of its members see Kirschtaria as their true boss instead of me. That's your real responsibility in team 'A'. To be my eyes and ears on the team, My personal soldier, understand. If Chaldea fails its first order, there will be too much political pressure for me to keep my positions, and your chances of returning home will be lost."
Saying things like, her success was the most important thing to the both of them, was manipulation 101. Sasuke could see through even if both his eyes were plucked out. But it was hardly something to concern himself with right now. "Being a human weapon, loyal only to their leader is something all shinobi are familiar with. Erase your doubts, Olga Marie. I already told you, there is nothing I cannot accomplish alone."
"Shinobi." Her face had taken on a troubled look. "I don't mean to call you a tool, but I'm glad you understand. Now then." She rose from her chair and turned to the doctor. "Come along Romani." She walked towards the door and cast her gaze over her shoulder. "We shall return with some suitable clothes for you shortly. If a young girl arrives here before us, please tell her to wait here for me.
The last Uchiha merely nodded faintly and laid back down, resting his head against his palm as the door closed itself behind them.
(((Twilight Journey)))
"Oh, you'd better tell me if he's as cute as I've heard." That's what Pepe had told her, but Mash was beyond confused; she was hardly fit to judge a man's cuteness. Everything she knew about attractiveness came out of the books she'd read. What attributes even qualified as cute in a guy? is it how young he looks? Maybe, but not all children are cute. Was he referring to how soft he looks? But softness could also bring to mind chubbiness, and she hardly thought Pepe was asking how plump the boy was. Honestly, if he really wanted to know, he should have asked Ophelia or Hinako to accompany her… Actually, no, he should have just come along himself.
Mash opened the door to the medical bay and strode in. "Director, I'm here."
But it wasn't the director who answered her. The room was empty of inhabitants, save for a slender teen laying upon a medical bed. He looked up at her with an unreadable expression when she spoke and replied. "She said to wait here. She'll be returning soon."
"Ah! How cute are you?!" She shouted far louder than was acceptable in an infirmary. Her hands shot up to cover her mouth as a mortified expression took over her face. "What have I done!" Her cheeks had reddened to the point that it made her head seem a purple-leafed strawberry. "I'm so sorry, I meant to say how are… You feeling?". Mash drew her arms up and cradled them together as she started nervously tapping the toes of her right foot against the polished floor. "You um… You fell so far, everyone was surprised that you were still in one piece, let alone alive."
He did not reply as kindly as she'd expected. "Would you stop that annoying tapping, my head aches. It feels as if an elephant has played kickball with my skull."
"Oh, of course. Sorry, I'm not used to meeting new people. I shouldn't have been so insensitive." She bowed her head as she apologized.
The boy scoffed. "Whatever, it's fine. As to what you said before. Where I'm from, the people in my profession, 'Shinobi,' are trained from a young age to have muscles tough enough and bones sturdy enough to rip through stone with our bare hands. Falling is nothing me."
This reply seemed like a good enough invitation to have a conversation, so she pulled a chair sitting near his bed closer and sat down. "Do you mind telling me about this profession? I've never left this facility. All I've learned of the cultures of the world has come from books. So I would very much like to hear about your culture. Are you Japanese? That's where shinobi come from, isn't it."
He held her gaze as she sat down. Her hopeful deep purple eyes locked with his spectacularly mismatched black and purple pair that seemed to be contemplating something. Then he shrugged, turned his head to resume staring at the ceiling, and opened his mouth to speak. "Is it? I'm not from this world, and I've never heard of a place named Japan. There isn't anything I could tell you about this planet's culture's that you wouldn't already know".
"Huh… So the spatial distortion had actually been connected to a parallel world, not just another point on the planet." That just ignited her curiosity even more. "Wow, that must be so exciting. To get the chance to experience a whole no world… Wait. But what about... What about…" Her expression of amazement slowly morphed into one of profound sadness. "But what about your friends. And your family, won't they be missing you terribly."
The creak of iron hinges sounded in his head. "Don't worry about it. My name is Sasuke Uchiha, of the Uchiha clan… The last of the Uchiha clan."
"Oh my god, that's terrible. I'm so sorry for your loss. But… But. Surely you must've had friends. They must be missing you, right." How embarrassing, she was tearing up now over the fate of a boy she'd just met.
"No. No friends, I'm completely alone." The two of them obviously had very different opinions on this fact. As Mash sniffled softly and wiped her eyes, while Sasuke, in turn, just continued to look at the ceiling, Having no one to call a friend was not such a terrible thing to him. In fact, it was his most immediate goal.
She smiled a pure smile, filled with innocence and warmth, and her eyes were alight with hope. "Then, allow me, Mash Kyrielight, to be your first friend in this new world. I'm sure We'll get along great."
"Ah, I think that would be a great idea."
Mash swiveled her head around dangerously fast, towards the voice coming from the door. Olga and Romani entered the room. The doctor had a small pile of clothes tucked under his arm and a cheerful grin on his face.
Olga Marie opened her mouth to speak before Sasuke could refuse such a foolish notion. "Of course, I can only recommend close bonds between the members of A-Team."
"A-Team? Is Sasuke going to be joining us?" That would be wonderful, another person to add to her list of comrades.
"That's right Mash, I've decided to add a ninth member to the team."
Mash looked between her boss and the shirtless boy." Um… Not that I'm complaining or anything, but may I ask why? Isn't it a bit late to switching up members?"
"Well, if you must know, It's exactly because of how late it is that I asked Sasuke here to join."
"Because of how late it is." That doesn't make any sense, surely adjusting the team a mere two days before the mission starts is a bad idea. "What do you mean, Director?"
"It's because of you, Mash."
"Huh!? Me?"
"Yes, as you know, 'Singularity F' is located in the midst of a holy grail war in 2004. Meaning the chances of encountering servants are almost guaranteed. Unfortunately, we are unable to summon servants of our own until you achieve your demi-servant state. As it says in my father's notes, the shield your heroic spirit possesses is the summoning catalyst to materialize any of the saint graphs we encounter in the singularities. But unfortunately, we are only a little over twelve hours away from the mission, and you have yet to properly transform."
Oh... So it was her fault this boy would join them on their dangerous mission. All because she wasn't good enough.
"Of course, all theories show that after going through Spiritron conversion, the chance of you being able to successfully transform is near one hundred percent… But if, after the ray shift, you still prove to be unable to achieve the transformation. Then, only Scandinavia will be able to successfully engage any hostile servants in combat. That's why I decided to include Sasuke in the team, as a primary combatant."
"I see. I'm sorry, I'll be sure to succeed this time, that way, Sasuke and Pepe won't have to risk themselves."
"Hm, Don't worry about it, Mash. Sasuke is too injured to partake in the mission on Thursday. So if you are unable to perform the summonings after the rayshift, then the mission will simply be postponed."
"Postponed, but surely that would anger the U.N. They've only given permission for a one-day rayshift!?"
Sasuke had closed his eyes by this point; it wasn't that he was tired precisely, well actually he was, extremely so. Just that, over ninety percent of this conversation was going over his head. And now the doctor was finally joining in on the talk. "Well, yeah. But what the suits don't know won't hurt them, right?"
"Yes, as much as I disagree with Archimans way of putting it. Fudging a few dates shouldn't cause any harm."
"Oh, well, if it's alright with you, then I guess it's okay. Ah! But what about summoning for Sasuke? Is he a master candidate?" Mash cringed as she witnessed a flash of pain in Olga's amber eyes. That's right, Olga had signed up for the master's program, hoping to be a part of A-Team. It had been an immense scandal when it was revealed that the head of the Animusphere family had absolutely no capability for rayshifting or summoning. Mash had even heard rumors that members of the staff had apparently witnessed Olga takeng the tests repeatedly with the help of Professor Lev. She shouldn't have brought up such a sensitive topic.
"Well, that remains to be seen." Spoke Dr. Roman. "We've taken a sample of his magical energy and are running the tests on it as we speak. We should have results in under two hours." Sasuke's eyes flickered open at that. And Olga rejoined the conversation.
"I didn't hire him for the express purpose of being a master. And his magical energy does seem to be, at least marginally different to our own. But based on the results of Romani's earlier tests of his Od, Should he turn out to be compatible, he will be a force to be reckoned with as a master. Easily comparable to Kirschtria and Daybit.
Sasuke pulled himself up into a sitting position and started undoing the bandages on his torso, uncovering the bruise, scrape, and cut-ridden flesh beneath. "You keep saying magical energy. Is that related to the symbol on your forehead, Olga Marie?"
"Y-you can see my crest. That shouldn't be possible."
"Of course I can see it. Are you a fool? Did you really think these eyes were simply for show?" He exclaimed as he raised his hand and used his finger to spread his eyelids, revealing all four black rings in his right eye. "There is nothing in all the worlds that escapes the sight of the Rinnegan. I can even see the presence of another spirit inside that girl." He inclined his head towards Mash.
"Really, that's amazing. Is that all it can do?" Mash wore a look that was a mix between unease and restrained excitement. But it was the doctor who truly seemed the youngest in the room, especially as he clapped his hands like a child while spouting out questions.
"None of you seem to understand what you're dealing with, so I'll put it to you plainly. When a wielder of the Rinnegan walks the Earth, The world bows. They're known as the eyes of God for a reason. With the power of this eye and the eyes of the Uchiha, there is nothing I cannot do." As if in demonstration, he simply held his hand out towards the fresh set of clothes sitting at the bed's edge. But the clothes didn't move at all. No pressure-filled the room. No impossible wind picked up to send objects flying. No black fire appeared to burn everything to ash. The clothes were simply sitting motionlessly on the end of his bed. And then they were merely in his hand, lacking a sign that they had been moved at all.
"But, I didn't ask to speak of myself. I wish to hear about this magical energy you speak of. "
Olga opened her mouth in slight confusion. "Is that not what you possess? Does it go by a different name in your world? Magical energy comes from the root, perhaps called Akasha where you're from. Regardless, the root is a universal constant; it shouldn't matter if you're from a parallel world."
Sasuke hardly seemed pleased with the garments. He's taken one look at them and tossed them back down. "These are no good, but I have a change of clothes of my own regardless. What I could actually use would be a sword belt and a sword to go with it, presuming you have an armory here."
"A change of clothes is something you could have mentioned earlier, but I'm sure Davinci will be able to help you with whatever supplies you need." Olga drawled out, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Sasuke nodded dismissively. "Good, as to your questions from before. I've heard neither name. My people use a power called chakra, that was gifted to us by a god."
"Are you sure that's a fact? Most underdeveloped cultures hold similar beliefs, but all get their magic from the same source as everyone else. Perhaps it's just been so long that everyone takes this story of a god as fact to explain away something they can't understand?"
"I don't take kindly to being called underdeveloped. But regardless, if you'd told me the same explanation a week ago, I'd have probably believed you… But I spoke with that God yesterday. And when his immortal mother attempted to erase the planet I stood upon, he handed me the power to rip a moon from the ground and lock her inside of it. So I'll take him at his word. Look, he even gave me this." Sasuke turned his hand so his palm was facing upwards. The sage had lent him and Naruto some of his undiluted Six Paths chakra, and that power was symbolized by a midnight purple crescent moon upon Sasuke's palm. But Sasuke's mind was hazy, and it was only as he turned his palm over that he remembered that those marks had faded away upon the use of the Six Paths Chibaku Tensei.
Of course, by itself, that was fine. Sasuke knew the potent chakra from the sage was a temporary gift. And his minor lapse in memory could simply be chalked up to the skull-splitting headache he's been doing his best to ignore. And the bizarre events of the last hour or so. The problem was, that when Sasuke looked down at his over-turned palm, a purple crescent stared back at him. Sasuke suddenly felt a chill creep down his spine, and the temperature in the room seemed to plummet, but no one else apparently noticed. "Impossible!" The mark had disappeared, Sasuke had made sure of it, he had checked at least a dozen times after the sealing of Kaguya to see if he still possessed the chakra of the sage, and he knew for a fact that it had vanished. Why was it back now!?, did it have something to do with his appearance in this world. Had Hogoromo Otsutsuki played some part in his current conundrum?
"Why do you look so surprised. Isn't that tattoo what you were going to show us?" The director had arched an elegant eyebrow as she watched the growing confusion in his features."
"Nevermind, it doesn't matter." Sasuke raised his hand and performed the universal shooing gesture. "I'm tired now, leave me. There will be time for talk later." He hadn't gotten his questions about magic answered at all, but this discoveryy had rattled him more than he liked to admit. Something just felt so incredibly wrong about that mark being back on his hand.
"Of course. Of course. You need rest to recover from all those injuries." The doctor ruffled Mash's candy floss pink hair. "Come along Mash, let's leave Sasuke here, to his rest."
"Yes, we shall go for now." Olga looked down at her tablet and then turned to the other female in the room. "Mash, Find Scandinavia and enlist his help in notifying the rest of the team in what has happened here. I know some of them will be still in bed. Just make sure they all know I expect them in the auditorium at eleven hundred hours." She paused in the doorway and looked back. "And as for you Romani, Get Sasuke some food and then go back to your regular duties. And remember what I told you earlier doctor, you are to stay away from the command center for the duration of the operation on the thirtieth. I don't want your lazy attitude causing the others to slack off in such an important operation ." Olga spoke harshly. "Am I clear?"
The doctor looked up from his computer with a mischievous grin. "Crystal Director, don't worry, I've already prepared things to do elsewhere that will keep me busy."
"And what pray-tell will you be doing while everyone else is hard at work?"
"Ah, nothing that will cause any trouble, I assure you, Director," Romani sputtered.
Olga raised an eyebrow at him before turning towards the door. "Make sure it doesn't." Her last words echoed in the doctor's ears as the door closed behind her. "Or else you're fired."
An awkward silence rang out, broken only by the doctor's dry chuckle. "She's pure evil that one, although she's got a pure heart deep down... I think.
"Um, the director isn't so bad once you get to know her." Mash nodded as if she was trying to convince herself instead. "She's just... Under a lot of stress… Yeah. Anyway, I'm off. It was nice meeting you, Sasuke." She said with a slight wave as she, too, disappeared out the doorway.
The doctor gave a light chuckle as he gazed at where she had stood before clapping his hands together and looking back towards Sasuke. "Well, before I sneak off back to bed, is there any food I can get you? We have some of the best chef's in the world here, so you can practically have anything you want."
"Hn." Sasuke gave a light shrug as he pulled the white bedsheets that were tainted by red smears of blood that had flowed from his right eye when he had first awakened, up to his shoulders. "Do you have tomato's in this world?"
(((Twilight Journey)))
Olga Marie was Furious. She had given Romani express instructions. Have Uchiha Sasuke in the auditorium by eleven am sharp. It was eleven forty-five now, and there was no sign of him. As tomorrow was the day the first order would officially begin, A-Team had been relieved of all duties, one last free day of rest, and reprieve before their proper duties commenced. But now, with the arrival of Sasuke and his subsequent joining of A-Team. She had been forced into a somewhat awkward situation.
She could either call a 'hopefully short' meeting with the team, a sort of quick meet and greet, the day before they were transported into Fuyuki. Or she could awkwardly shuffle him into the team after they return from their first official mission. She had chosen the former, even though it was meant to be their off day. Contrary to her expectations, all eight original members of A-Team had managed to show up on time. Even Kadoc, who she had overheard stating he planned to still be in bed at one pm after a late night of listening to music and playing video games.
Looking around the room for the umpteenth time, Olga let her eyes scan over her subordinates. Kadoc predictably was half asleep. He was resting upon one of the numerous benches, his elbow laying atop its ridge and his head in his palm. He sat there swaying in and out of consciousness, and every few minutes, he'd slap himself awake gently to look at the clock before groaning and returning to his previous position.
Ophelia was sitting in a small group with Mash and Scandinavia. She sat quietly as Pepe once again lightly grilled Mash for details about their newest member. Even though she had already told him all she knew several times over. Although miss Phamrsolone was sitting with them, it had been many minutes passed since Olga had last heard her speak. She seemed to be content with using this time simply to send the occasional longing gaze at Kirschtaria. Who, for his part, was either ignoring her or hadn't noticed.
Hinako wasn't worth looking at. She was predictably sitting in the back reading a book and ignoring the world around her. Olga was sure that even if the world as a whole ended right now, Hinako would make sure to mark her page before getting up. Beryl was sitting perched atop a bench, in the same manner, that he'd been told time and time again not to do. He was, like her, dragging his gaze upon the room's other occupants. Although she did not share his rather mischievous looking grin, nor the more than slightly off-putting glimmer his eyes always seemed to hold. She only gave him a brief nod in reply to his wave when their eyes met and then looked to the last of A-Team members.
Daybit Sem Void was sitting quietly next to the team's leader. Kirschtaria would say a few words to him while he nodded idly, his eyes as apathetic as ever. And then, while Kirschtaria was taking a sip of his water, Daybit would share his own thoughts. Which would result in Kirschtaria nodding in turn and his usual smug grin appearing on his face.
After another once-over of her employees and five minutes of pacing the stage, Olga saw fit to walk to the back of the stage, right up to the glass that separated the auditorium from Chaldea's central chamber. Placing her hand upon the screen, she gazed out, looking upon the Animusphere's most outstanding achievement. Her family's dream hovered in front of her, CHALDEAS, the identical miniature replica of the earth, composed entirely of spiritrons. It was surrounded by its six rotating rings, and those were further encircled by the ten glass-pannel-looking observational lenses of SHEBA. CHALDEAS glowed a brilliant cyan blue at the moment, but that was an illusion. CHALDEAS was supposed to show a model of humanities light one hundred years in the future. But at the moment, it was actually set to that time period; all you would see is a lifeless gray rock signifying extinction.
Six months ago, something had gone wrong, and they could no longer ascertain humanity's survival past the year 2016. That was when the unobservable location in 2004 was discovered. A particular town where holy grail wars took place, called Fuyuki. After receiving funding from the U.N, the teams of masters were assembled to rayshift into the now dubbed 'Singularity F' and deal with whatever issue was causing the end of humanity.
As she pondered the upcoming mission, she caught a flash of verdant green in the glass's reflection. "Lev." But it was only Daybit striding across the room to get a drink from the water cooler. "Of course, you fool, Lev said he'd be doing a final once over of every single component in the facility. There's no way he'd take time out of his important job to see me during this silly meeting." She hadn't asked Lev to give the entire facility a final once over before the big day. But it set her heart at ease when he'd told her.
Lev Lainur had helped build every part of this facility; he'd even built some components from scratch all by himself. He knew Chaldea inside and out, and she had absolute faith in him. With Lev taking this task upon himself alone, she was confident that tomorrow, no issues at all would come up on her end. If anything did happen, it would be on A-Team's end. And as the leader, the buck stops at Kirschtaria for any issues that come up. Well, as long as Sasuke, her last-minute addition, wasn't to blame.
It was at this moment finally that the two figures they'd all been waiting for finally entered the room. The doctor looked much the same as he had earlier that morning, but the Uchiha had washed and wore a new set of clothes. He'd replaced his black pants and arm warmers with identical clean ones; he had on a pair of black toe-less and heel-less, but otherwise fully covered sandal's that went up to just under his knees. And he wore a white version of the loose-fitting high collared shirt, with a stylized red and white fan on its back, that he had been found in.
"My oh my. It's just as you said Mash. 'Tall dark and handsome,' to a tee." Scandanavia exclaimed as he covered his smile with a hand.
This time Olga really looked at him, she had been preoccupied in the infirmary, and he had been admittedly pretty scruffy at the time, but she examined him closely now. According to Romani, he was supposedly two or three years younger than her, but his eyes seemed that much older. And speaking of his eyes, truly, what eyes they were. His right eye had appeared a pale indigo back then, and his left eye had been a simple pool of oil. But now, his eyes were equally extraordinary. Tomoe filled heterochromatic gems of ruby and amethyst that glowed with power and contrasted splendidly with his pristine alabaster skin and elegant facial features. His hair was midnight silk, and he stood tall with a slim muscular build refined for speed and power.
Her face heated up when he caught her gaze, and she missed the roll of his eyes as she looked away, blushing like a schoolgirl and embarrassed at her own embarrassment. Romani was waving his hands frantically. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He apologized profusely, but he was quick to throw his companion under the bus. He gestured to the boy beside him who was idly gazing around the room." When Sasuke here, heard there was going to a physical examination, he insisted on taking it then and there; if not for that, we'd have been here much earlier. Although I will say, he scored marvelously on all tests."
As the team unraveled themselves from their various pastimes, Kirschtaria was the first to approach him. He'd set his glass down when he'd risen and was now offering a white-gloved hand in greeting. "You must be Sasuke Uchiha." He nodded his head when the dark-haired boy accepted his handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kirschtaria Wodime. I'm the leader of this lot." He said as he swept his hand out towards the rest of the room's occupants
"Yes." Sasuke glanced at each member of his supposed 'new team.' A scruffy-looking white hair teen boy was giving him a dark if somewhat annoyed look that probably mirrored Sasukes own expression. The pink-haired girl, Mash, was sitting next to an equally pink-haired, horrendously flamboyant-looking man. The two of them were both smiling happily as they waved at him. Next to them was a light brown-haired young woman, who gazed at him curiously. She wore simple dark clothes with white trim and looked the most ordinary of the people he'd seen so far, save for a black eyepatch strapped around her head curiously that reminded him of his once teacher Kakashi.
An extremely long-haired girl was looking up from her book at him. She wore a heavy-looking white coat over top of a longsleeved brown turtle neck sweater and a dark ankle-length skirt. She met his eyes briefly before going back to her reading. He could see the tip of her, so-called command seals on the back of her hand peeking out from where her sleeve had slipped slightly. There was definitely something strange, almost inhuman, about that one. He could see it with his eyes.
Another strange one was the man in red and black. He was watching him with a wolfish grin and a predatory glint in his eyes. The bloodlust he was emanating was, perhaps enough to have frightened Sasuke when he was seven. He too had remained seated, along with a blonde-haired, blank-faced man who reclined in his seat still, watching him with thoughtful eyes. The only other people in the room were the doctor he's arrived with, Olga Marie standing at the far end of the room with an odd look on her face that seemed to be a mix between embarrassment and annoyance. And the man he assumed was this 'Kirschtaria Wodime.' The leader of A-Team.
Sasuke examined his so-called leader, a tall, aristocratic-looking man with ocean blue eyes and long blonde hair that swept down his back like a river of honey. He wore a costly white suit with extravagant gold embroidery on the cuffs and shoulders, he was adorned in a silver cape and a blue bowtie, and he carried a somewhat silly-looking staff in his hand. "Hn. So I've heard."
A few of them had lined up to greet him. He learned their names, and under the order of the director, they were all to share their likes and dislikes. Several of them complained, and two of them didn't bother answering at all. He learned that the boy Kadoc likes rock music and couldn't stand prodigies. "Isn't he in for a surprise?" Ophelia was fond of cheesecake and chocolates but clammed up about her dislikes. Hinako and Daybit had refused to comment. The freak Beryl had simply said he liked interesting things and despised boring things; he then wondered aloud about which one Sasuke was. Scandinavia had mimicked Beryl's style and just said he liked happy things and hated negativity. And crows. Sasuke himself had become quite fond of crows, though he had no interest in discussing his differing opinion with the effeminate man.
In contrast to earlier, Kirschtaria had spoken last. Sasuke was mildly surprised to find out the regal man enjoyed baking, though fencing seemed to suit him. Sasuke sighed as several pairs of eyes settled on him expectantly. "I have no hobbies to speak of. The only thing I truly desire is solitude. As for my dislikes. Almost everything."
Kadoc scoffed, "Jesus christ… Talk about edgy. And just what the hell is up with those eyes!?"
"How strange, Sasuke. Earlier, only one of your eyes was so… Peculiar."
There was a reason Sasuke had activated his Sharingan before entering the room. It was a fact that they would have questions about his Rinnegan, and it would be tiresome to hold another explanation later to discuss his other eye. And seeing as he wouldn't be accompanying them on their mission tomorrow, he had plenty of chakra to spare. "The Sharingan is the unique bloodline of my family. My left eye is simply the type with an... Inactive state, while my right eye is not."
"Hoh, mirror wheel eye. That's quite a fun-sounding name." Exclaimed the pink-haired male.
"Well, would you look at that?" Beryl had made his way over to Ophelia and elbowed her harder than was necessary. "His eyes are even weirder than yours."
"So it would seem." She spat out him while giving him a stern look and widened the distance between them before looking to Sasuke. "May I ask what they're capable of." She trailed her fingers on the band covering her eye. "My mystic eye allows me to see the different outcomes possible to the existence it gazes upon. Is yours anything at all similar?"
Sasuke had thought about what explanation to give for his eyes abilities. He'd decided on simply giving them information on the primary powers of the Sharingan. The doctor and director would most likely notice the missing abilities they had already borne witness to, but he wasn't concerned about them bringing that up. "The powers of the Sharingan are split into two branches. One is the Eye of Insight. Through this, my perception is increased immensely. I could easily see even the most minute movements of your muscles from a hundred meters away. Anything I see once is forever memorized, be those, physical movements, or even your so-called magecraft techniques. And I can see that which can not normally be seen. The second branch is named the Eye of Hypnotism. It allows me to craft illusions and seize control of my opponent's mind and body."
As impressive as that all sounded, Olga would hardly call it the 'Eyes of God,' as he had. Though she had noticed that none of those abilities listed could explain the teleporting clothing or melted metal. And besides, she couldn't remember exactly, but she was sure the name he gave in the infirmary wasn't 'Sharingan.'
Ophelia rested her thumb and index finger on her chin in thought. "Hmm, that's all rather impressive, but I'm not sure if hypnotism will be of much use against heroic spirits."
"Aw, what's wrong little miss. Afraid old odd-eyes over here is gonna make that knight you plan on summoning cluck like a chicken?"
Kirschtaria took this as his cue to step in, and shushed them with a look. "So Sasuke, have you decided on what class servant you plan on summoning. All standard classes have already been chosen, but with Chaldea's FATE system, that doesn't truly matter. Well, perhaps if you have the skill, an extra class servant could be summoned to prevent overlap."
Servants. Sasuke had been hearing that world frequently today. It seemed beyond strange to him. Were they really going to use time travel to fight against, and now apparently alongside maids and butlers? "Are servants familiars or something? If so, I have little need for such a thing."
"Wait, he doesn't even know what a servant is!?. What the hell is he joining the team for then?" Kadoc exclaimed incredulously.
"No, Sasuke has no knowledge at all of magical society." Olga stepped closer to Sasuke and turned around to face everyone in the room save Sasuke himself and Doctor Roman. "Weird." She thought when he saw his giddy grin. It was the face of a man who knew something no one else did. "Listen up, all of you. I'm sure by now you've all heard the rumors or had it confirmed by Mash herself." Her gaze met the eyes of Scandinavia and Ophelia. "That Sasuke is from a parallel world. This is true. I placed him in A-Team as a non-master combatant because of his foreign powers. He was hired without the knowledge of if he was capable of summoning or Rayshifting." That was something she didn't want to think about. If he was as powerful as Romani's tests implied, then the lack of a servant was not such a big deal. But. If he couldn't Rayshift. Then he'd be utterly useless to Chaldea. "Like me." And she'd have just wasted time for nothing.
Kirschtaria looked unpleased. "That's rather reckless, is it not, Director. I mean no slight to you, Sasuke, but A-Team will be on the front lines in the singularities. What use will you be if you're stuck in Chaldea."
"Ah." Romani's smile stretched across his face as he stepped forward. "There is no need to worry about that. Sasuke has one hundred percent Rayshift compatibility."
"His results?. Have they come back, Doctor?" Olga turned to him, hopeful yet dreading the possibility that her 'Soldier from another world' would be of no use to her dream."
"Indeed they have." He moved behind Sasuke and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. In what was, an unwanted reassuring gesture that the boy soon shook off. "Sasuke here, not only got full marks for the physical examination, but he also scored nearly impossibly high on the master compatibility test."
Sasuke raised his arm and showed them the back of his hand. A red tattoo-like symbol now resided there. Its shape was made up of three simple segments. The first stroke was a simple filled-in circle right in the center of the dorsal side of his hand. This small dot was nested inside the other two segments. The second and third stroke of his command seals were two tri-pointed stars layered one over the other. Both were identical bar one difference. The star that had its spokes pointing back towards either side of his wrist, and one pointing towards the length of his fingers, was hollow in its center. This created the illusion of a third tri-bladed star on his hand using the white of his skin instead. It also made it evident to anyone who had had the displeasure of meeting him in combat, just what the pattern was based on. Sasuke did not know what process decided the shape of the marks on his hand. But it was obviously the shape of his Eternal Mangekyou that had been chosen.
The doctor continued. "The tests also revealed that his Od is not only potent enough but, also plentiful enough to sustain an entire grail war. And that's without the back up of either Chadea's or the grails own magical energy."
The crowd was silent. Some were slackjawed. Kadoc looked pissed off. Sasuke himself was indifferent to it all. To him, such praise only brought forth the somber echo of 'as expected of my son' to the forefront of his mind.
Olga Marie was positively glowing. All forty-eight. No. Forty-nine master candidates would be entering Singularity-F tomorrow, save for that one imbecile that Lev had told her was yet to arrive. And now, the one who could assure everything for her would be taking part; Sasuke needed her help as much as she needs his. "That's astounding Romani. To think his compatibility would be this great when he's not even from this planet."
"Indeed, I'm sure he'll be of great help to the team." Kirschtaria twirled his staff as he spoke and then stepped forward and clasped Sasuke on the shoulder. His blue eyes sparkled with friendship. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Sasuke. And I believe our future working together shall be just as good. But now I must take my leave. While I'm sure most of the team plans to use their day off for relaxation, the duties of a leader are not so easily ignored, I'm afraid." And with one final 'I look forward to working alongside you all tomorrow,' He was gone.
The rest of A-Team soon followed him out with mostly similar farewells.
"Seems you're what one would call, a once in a generation prodigy. Huh, Sasuke." The doctor, one of the now three remaining occupants, spoke up.
"It's certainly true that I've been called a genius many times in my life." Sasuke walked towards the door. "But I'm tired and in need of rest. Am I to stay in that infirmary, or do you have another room for me?" He'd had enough talk for one day. The events leading up to his appearance in this world were a foggy haze, but he was certain he'd taken quite the beating. He had several bone fractures in his arms and ribcage. And when he removed the bandages on his torso, he'd uncovered a mess of bruising and swelling. The pain wasn't too bad. Not for him. Sasuke was the kind of uncommon seventeen year old who would run out of fingers counting the number of times he'd been stabbed. Just yesterday, or was that two days ago? He'd been stabbed right through the heart. But even if he could bear that pain. There was no reason to do so out of a soft bed. Evidently, a mere six hours of rest wasn't enough to make him feel refreshed.
The doctor looked ready to open his mouth, but he made the correct decision in waiting for his boss to speak first.
"Yes, we do. Luckily for you, one of the master candidates has yet to arrive. His room is yours for now. The Doctor will show you to it." For some reason, Romani looked disheartened that Sasuke would be receiving this room. "If the fool does eventually arrive, you may be expected to share for the time being. Until another room comes up or some other solution is found. Will that be a problem?"
"As long as he stays out of my way, I couldn't care less about it."
"So be it. I bid you a good rest. And worry not, you shall not be called upon until ten in the morning tomorrow. I want you with me during the operation tomorrow, Your position in A-team necessitates your presence." She turned to the doctor and told him to come to her office later that day, before walking the length of the room and staring out through the glass wall, a look of deep concentration upon her face.
(((Twilight Journey)))
"Hey, so um… I've kinda been using this place as my slack-off room since its owner; a boy named Ritsuka probably isn't going to show up for another six months if he doesn't arrive on the last flight tomorrow. And well, I know it's yours and all now, but this is the place I was planning to hide from the director in tomorrow, and I was just wondering…"
"As long as you're not in the way and don't make too much noise, I couldn't care less."
Romani thanked him more graciously than was necessary as they entered the small room.
His apparent new abode was spartan in nature. Sterile white lights, walls, floor, and roof. A white modern-looking single bed, with a few shelves and a microwave built into the wall. There was also a coffee maker and a large glass display case in the room. Its only decorations were a few small cacti and a man-sized potted tree in the corner. All in all, it made him think of a bleached version of the rooms that he'd resided in whilst training under Orochimaru.
Sasuke ran his hand down the odd curvature of the bed frame. "It's too bright for my liking." As was almost every other room in this building from what he'd seen. "But, it will do."
"Uh. Well. I'm glad you like it. Now is there anything else I can do for you"?
"No, leave me." Sasuke had already unzipped his shirt and left it on the silver bedside table. He was now in the process of kicking his shoes off. "My other questions can wait till tomorrow. If there's an emergency, I'll seek you out."
Romani nodded, if somewhat hesitantly. "Well, if you're sure. I'll be on my way then." As he moved out of the room, his cheery disposition resurfaced. "Good night Sasuke. Or, I guess, good afternoon."
Sasuke sighed in relief after he collapsed onto the bed as soon as the door had closed. He reflected on these past few hours as he pulled the sheets up over his ravaged chest. Somehow, in his final fight with the friend he absolutely must kill, he'd been flung into another world, and now, at the behest of a girl barely any older than himself, he had agreed to travel through time to safeguard her version of humanity, just so she would grant him a meeting with a man that could perhaps help him home. It was utterly ridiculous. But at least he could say one thing. At full strength, Naruto's power shone like the light of a thousand suns and could be felt from anywhere on the planet. Which meant here, for now at least, he was finally alone…
These thoughts comforted him as the gentle darkness of sleep enveloped him. And he entered the familiar nightmare that always began with the creak of iron hinges.