"Welcome!" Teuchi said as he cleaned up the cooking area, his back turned as he heard a pair of footsteps approaching. After a moment he turned around and he smiled broadly at the redhead.

"Natsumi! Good to see you again. It's been a while."

"Hi, pops!" Natsumi grinned and waved at him. "Sorry for not visiting more. I've had a lot of missions lately."

"Who's this?" The man raised an eyebrow and looked at the dark-haired boy with her. "A hungry new customer, I hope."

Natsumi laughed quietly and gestured to the boy.

"This is Hasu. He's visiting the Leaf, so I'm showing him around."

"Visiting, huh?" Teuchi nodded slightly. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." Hasu bowed his head slightly. "I've been told that you make the best ramen."

Teuchi laughed loudly and put his hands on his hips.

"Well, anyone with such good taste is always welcome at my shop!" He motioned for them to sit down. "What would you like?" He smiled at Natsumi. "The usual?"

Natsumi nodded quickly as she sat and touched her stomach.

"Yes, please! I missed breakfast this morning, and that's the best."

"The usual?" Hasu repeated and looked at her.

Natsumi nodded and looked at the boy.

"A large Miso ramen with all the best toppings." She grinned. "There are other great flavors of ramen here, too, but that's my favorite."

"I'll have that, then." Hasu smiled and rested his arms on the counter. "After all, you're the expert."

Natsumi's cheeks warmed slightly and she looked away. "I-I'm not an expert... I just eat here a lot."

Teuchi looked between the two, chuckling to himself at Natsumi's blush and he turned to begin cooking. "So, you're visiting the Leaf, huh?" Teuchi asked the boy over his shoulder. "How do you like it so far?"

"I've found that it has some lovely views." Hasu smiled, glancing at Natsumi from the corner of his eye. "And there's much that I want to learn about it."

"Oh?" Teuchi chuckled again, glancing at Natsumi as she had gotten lost in thought with her chin resting in her hand, unaware of the conversation. He looked back at the young man, then back at the noodles as they cooked. "That's quite a goal. Could take a while, though; There's certainly a lot to learn in that regard."

"I'm patient." Hasu smiled and leaned against the counter to crane his head to watch the man cook.

"Dad, I'm back from my deliveries!" Ayame stepped inside and moved the cloth aside as she smiled and recognized the girl. "Oh, Natsumi!"

Natsumi blinked and sat upright, blinking and then quickly recognizing the teenager. "O-Oh. Hi, Ayame!"

"It's been a while since you last stopped by. Have you been busy?" Ayame moved behind the counter, setting down the travel carrier and then washed her hands before helping her father.

"Very." Natsumi nodded, relaxing slightly as she leaned against the counter again. "This is my first break in a while, though. Lord Third's given me some time off so that I can watch Naruto in the Chunin Exams."

"Oh, really?" Teuchi asked as he got the bowls ready. "So, Naruto's taking the Chunin Exam already? It hasn't been very long since you graduated."

"You didn't hear?" Ayame looked over at her father. "Naruto and eight other recently graduated Ninja are taking the Chunin Exams this year. People are calling them the Rookie Nine."

"Is that so?" The man looked over at his daughter, then shook his head after a moment. "I suppose I'm the last one to find out."

"Oh, but, Natsumi, aren't you taking the Exam, too?" Ayame poured the soup into the bowls and started to arrange the toppings. "I'm sure you're more than ready, if Naruto is."

Natsumi shook her head. "I'm not taking them this time."

"Eh?" Ayame raised an eyebrow and put her hand on her hip once she was finished. "Why not?"

"That's surprising, considering how you two have always been joined at the hip." Teuchi commented and set her bowl in front of her.

"Yeah..." Natsumi lowered her eyes slightly. "That's... kind of why I felt that it was best for me to sit this one out. I rely on him too much, and if I was there, his teamwork with his squad-mates would be thrown off because he'd prioritizing helping me." She smiled and met his eyes. "I guess I just realized that I was trying to hold onto him too tightly, and now I understand that I have to have more faith in him and his teammates."

"Wow, you've matured so much, Natsumi. I'm so proud. It must be hard to have to sit back while Naruto undergoes such difficult trials." Ayame smiled at her as her father set the bowl in front of the boy.

"It's not easy, that's for sure." Natsumi sighed and then smiled faintly as she shrugged. "But I'll just have to get through this."

"He's lucky to have such a good sister watching over him." Ayame smiled. "Sometimes I wish that I had a sister." She paused and looked over at Hasu, then blinked and held her cheeks and squealed quietly. "Natsumi! You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend!"

Natsumi blushed deeply and jumped and quickly waved her hands.

"I-It's not like that! H-Hasu is just visiting, a-and he's a friend!"

Hasu blushed faintly and nodded, and he met Natsumi's eyes, then averted his eyes.

"O-Oh?" Ayame looked between them, and her father chuckled. "I see." She smiled and looked at Hasu. "Visiting, huh? Are you here to watch the Chunin Exams? Everyone's buzzing about the one-on-one matches of the third stage, even though the second hasn't even started yet."

"Something like that." Hasu scratched his head. "If they are such an anticipated event, then I suppose that I can't miss it."

"But first they've all got to survive the Forest of Death." Natsumi let out a deep sigh, then sat straighter and grabbed a pair of chopsticks and placed her palms together. "Thanks for the food!"

She snapped the chopsticks apart and started to eat, slurping noodles happily and swallowing them. She let out a happy breath. "So good..."

Hasu broke apart his own chopsticks, then sniffed the steam above the bowl and smiled slightly. "It smells good." He tried the noodles and his eyes widened slightly as he slurped them. "It's amazing!"

"Right?" Natsumi grinned and looked at him. He nodded and dug in, quickly slurping down another bite of noodles and she laughed. "It's as I said; this place is the best to go in all the Leaf if you're hungry." Natsumi smiled at herself and then stuck a thick piece of pork into her mouth to chew contentedly.

The phone rang and Teuchi moved to answer it and Ayame looked at Natsumi.

"So, how do you think Naruto and his team will do? I've heard that a large number passed the first phase. There must be some really impressive candidates this year."

Natsumi slurped a noodle and then sighed, wiping her face. "I don't know. I know he's been in tough spots before and has really proved himself, but this time seems serious." Natsumi met the older girl's eyes. "When I was around the foreign Ninja, I felt this horrible aura from them. I can just tell that some of them wouldn't hesitate to kill their competition on a whim." She looked downward. "And, that worries me."

"Why?" Hasu's expression softened and he looked at her. "Isn't your brother strong?"

Natsumi nodded. "But... he's not the type to take a life. He'd fight to defend himself and his teammates, but I don't think he really would be able to handle going against someone with a serious bloodlust. Even the most powerful enemies he'd faced so far, he was able to empathize with them, and he was lucky that they shared some of the same feelings."

"Oh." Hasu paused. "What you mean is that you do not believe that your brother could effectively eliminate a true threat."

She nodded. "He's got a good heart... he's pure. He'd rather befriend an enemy or rival instead of fighting them. I'm worried that if he encounters one of those bloodthirsty Ninja, that he'll... freeze."

"Well, that could happen, I suppose." Ayame sighed softly. "I saw a few of the candidates this past week while I was making deliveries. Some of their eyes were so cold that I felt chilled."

"With his teammates, though, will he not be alright?"

"Those two? No." Natsumi shook her head. "First off, I beat the three of them single-handedly in a match just a few days ago. Sakura may have brains, but she has zero practical skills. She's weak, and easily prone to becoming emotional. I'm honestly not even sure why she was recommended for the Chunin Exams in the first place." She sighed again. "And then there's Sasuke... He's definitely skilled, and smart, too... but he's also got the major flaw of being aloof and distant to his own teammates. Oh, and there's his enormous pride and ego to consider..."

Her eyes furrowed and she clenched her fists as she mumbled. "If only I had been placed on his team... I feel like he's going to really get hurt..."

"Damn it!" Natsumi groaned loudly and slammed her hand on the counter.

Hasu's eyes widened and Teuchi raised a brow at her. She blushed again and covered her mouth, then slouched in her seat slightly.

"S-Sorry, pops." She lowered her eyes, then looked at Hasu briefly. "Sorry. I'm not really being a good host or anything right now. I lost my temper just now, and..."

"You don't have to apologize." Hasu smiled. "You're only concerned about your brother; it's understandable that you are worried. I don't hold you at fault for that."

Natsumi let out another sigh and lowered her head slightly. "...Thanks."

Teuchi hung up the order and crossed his arms as he looked at her. "I know you're worried about him, but you should believe more in his team..."

"I know..." Natsumi bit her lip. "I just hate to feel helpless. I'm his sister, after all..."

"You know what would make him happy?" Ayame looked at the girl. "You both should come here once he's cleared the second stage to celebrate." She held up a finger and winked. "Dad's planning on giving a discount to those who pass the second stage."

Natsumi laughed and then nodded. "Well, we can never refuse a good discount. I guess I can suppress my anxiety for a few days."

"Atta girl." Ayame smiled and crossed her arms. "Moping doesn't really suit a face like yours, anyway."

"A face like mine?" Natsumi repeated.

"Uh huh." Ayame nodded. "You're so cute, after all! A smile suits you much better." She looked at Hasu and held up her hand to her mouth. "Right?"

"I can't disagree with that." Hasu smiled faintly at Natsumi, who blushed and looked down at her ramen and quickly took a bite.

"...You guys are ridiculous."

Ayame laughed to herself, then Hasu continued to eat. After a while, he glanced back at Natsumi, his lips twitching in a faint smirk.

"W-What?" She noticed his gaze and blinked.

"You became agitated earlier when I complimented Sakura."

"I-It's not like I was jealous!" Natsumi blushed and turned her face away, then puffed her cheeks slightly as she muttered. "...I just don't think you needed to use flattery on someone like that, is all. She looks down on my brother constantly and bullies him, so..."

Hasu laughed and then turned back to his meal, watching her out of the corner of his eyes. "Is that so?"

"It is so!" Natsumi turned her face away again and grumbled as she chewed. "I mean... she's not even that pretty..."

"Ah, there was also something that I was curious about."

Natsumi's face continued to burn red and she glanced at him. "A-About what?"

"When we were visiting your brother, I noticed there was someone watching you very intently."

That Grass Village guy?

"I noticed him." Natsumi furrowed her brows slightly. "The creepy straw hat guy's whole demeanor screamed 'I'm a psychopath.'"

"Hm?" Hasu blinked. "I don't know who you mean."

"Huh?" Natsumi looked at him. "Then, who were you talking about?"

"I'm not familiar with the village symbols, but he was wearing what seemed to be a traditional Bunraku Puppeteer's costume." Hasu looked up for a moment as he remembered. "He had interesting purple face paint, too. He wouldn't take his eyes off of you, and I thought it was odd, since he appeared to be a foreigner."

Natsumi blushed deeper and Hasu blinked and turned back to her.

"Do you know why he might have seemed so interested in you?"

"N-No!" Natsumi scratched her head and laughed awkwardly. "N-No idea at all..." She quickly took a bite.

I didn't even notice him at all, since I was so busy trying to be wary of threats.

"A foreign boy staring at our Natsumi?" Ayame thought for a moment, then smirked faintly and looked at the girl. "It seems you're so cute that you're drawing a lot of attention."

"W-What?!" Natsumi shook her head, then stuffed her mouth full again.

This is so embarrassing! I can't let any of them guess how I know that guy!

"Wait..." Ayame paused. "Didn't you have a mission to the Hidden Sand a few weeks ago?"

Crap.

"Ha. Ha ha ha ha." Natsumi continued to awkwardly laugh. "M-Maybe he just saw me around the village then? Who can say?"

Natsumi finished quickly and tipped the bowl up to drink the broth, then set the bowl down again with an exhale.

Teuchi carefully packed the meals inside of the delivery containers and passed them to his daughter and she sighed.

"Already?" Ayame sighed slightly but smiled. "It's still early and I'm already being sent off every which way." She shrugged slightly and smiled. "Well, I guess it's better than not having any orders at all. We're getting a boom in business with all of the visitors for the Exams."

"I'm sure." Natsumi nodded slightly and watched as Ayame prepared to leave again. "Thanks for all your hard work. Without Ichiraku, the Leaf just wouldn't feel like home."

"Aww!" Ayame cooed and smiled at Natsumi, leaning in close. "You're so sweet! Can I keep you as my sister?"

"Naruto might demand free ramen for every meal if that happened." Natsumi smiled slightly and laughed. "That wouldn't be very good for your profits at all."

"That's very true." Ayame laughed, nodding as she stepped out from behind the counter. "I've never seen someone eat as much as him before in one sitting."

"But he's welcome any time, of course." Teuchi chuckled.

Hasu let out a content sigh and set his newly emptied bowl down. "I wish I had a bigger stomach. That was good." He smiled at Natsumi. "Thank you for suggesting this."

"You're welcome." She stood and stretched, then took out her cat-shaped pouch and handed two coupons to the man, and then took out some bills and held them out. "Here. For Naruto's tab."

"Oh?" Teuchi took the money as well with a nod. "This will make him happy for sure."

Natsumi smiled and waved at him. "Bye, pops! See you later."

"Maybe... tomorrow?" Hasu smiled wryly and loved over at her as they started to walk away.

"Tomorrow?" Natsumi looked up for a moment as if thinking before looking back at him. "Alright, you've convinced me." She giggled and put her hands into her pockets, leading him away.

After a while, Hasu looked at her. "Do you pay for your brother often?"

Natsumi shook her head. "No, but I knew he'd be upset that I came here without him, not to mention, he's risking his life in the Exams, so paying for his next meal and paying off his debt seems like a fair trade."

"You and your brother are very close, then." Hasu smiled faintly as they walked and he looked around at the people as they passed. "Do you always do things together?"

"We used to." Natsumi bit her lip softly as she paused. "Once I got serious about my training though, we spent less and less time together. I didn't mean for it to happen, but before I knew it, it was as if we were leading separate lives..." She bit her lip harder and glanced downward. "I don't know what I could do to fix it. Now that we are having to live separate lives because of our roles as Shinobi, I feel like I kind of blew it."

"Forgive me if this isn't what you'd like to hear... but, is it not alright for you to lead separate lives?" Hasu met her eyes and she slowed her pace. "I can sympathize for wanting to close the gap between siblings and strengthen your bond, however... you are your own person, separate from your brother. It's only natural to have your own desires and hobbies. You shouldn't feel guilty for being independent."

Natsumi crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks slightly as she looked away. "I-I guess... But I'm not really sure how to do that because we've always been together."

"I'm sure that your brother understands. He enjoys being a Shinobi, doesn't he?"

Natsumi nodded. "It's his dream to become Hokage someday and gain the village's respect."

"Should I be rooting for him, then?" Hasu smiled and looked toward the faces of the monument. "Do you think he will achieve that dream?"

"I'll make it happen." Natsumi followed his eyes to look at the monument. "That's my dream; to see his face up there."

"What about your own dream?" Hasu glanced at her, and she turned back to him.

"That is my dream. My dream is to support Naruto and see him become Hokage."

"Forgive me again, but that isn't your own dream. It's just the desire to unconditionally support your brother."

"T-That can't be a dream?"

"Well..." Hasu scratched his cheek, then shrugged slightly. "I do not think so, but others may disagree with me, of course." He paused. "Still, you should also have your own dream as well. You don't have to forego having your own ambitions in order to support his."

"My own ambition?" Natsumi murmured and looked away as she thought. "I can't think of anything."

"You don't have to feel pressured to think of one now." Hasu looked at her and smiled, his eyes crinkling shut. "After all, I currently do not have an ambition, either."

Natsumi let out a sigh and then mussed her hair. "It's too hard to think of anything I want to do. My motivation to become strong was just so that I could look out for Naruto. There wasn't any other reason."

"My mother would tell me that the natural ambitions of an individual followed their natural talents."

"Natural talents?" Natsumi mumbled and then look away.

Jiro said something like that, too. "If you don't enjoy what you're best at, you'll lead a miserable life."

She bit her lip, furrowing her brows at the thought.

What am I best at? What is my ambition?

Hasu placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her walking. She blinked and her eyes refocused, and he smiled faintly and pointed toward the building in front of him. "It seems we've arrived now."

"R-Right." She nodded, her cheeks warming and she walked up the stairs toward the entrance. "This is the Library."

Hasu's eyes widened as they stepped inside and he grinned as he walked further inside, turning slowly in a circle as he looked around. "It's incredible! It's even more grand than the library at the castle."

"Where do you want to start?" Natsumi walked up to stand beside him and met his eyes.

"Hm..." He crossed his arms and touched his chin in thought. "That's difficult to answer..." His eyes lit up and he turned to her. "Could we start at the very beginning of the Hidden Leaf's history?"

"The beginning?" Natsumi laughed under her breath and she rubbed her head. "That's a lot of history to cover. Wouldn't you rather narrow down the timeline?"

He shook his head. "On the contrary, I find it highly enjoyable to immerse myself in seemingly tedious exposition or historical records."

"If that's what you want." Natsumi smiled and pointed to a grouping of shelves. "I think you'll enjoy it over here."

She led him over to the first shelf and scanned the shelf, pulling out an enormous tome and holding it out to him.

"Here. The Complete History of the Land of Fire and the Founding of the Five Great Ninja Villages." Natsumi held in a laugh as he took the book from her, wide-eyed. "Part one of five."

Hasu grinned and held the books in his arms. "This is great!" He looked around, quickly finding an open seat at a table, and sat down. He grinned as he turned to the first page and began to silently read and Natsumi stood nearby, looking around for a moment.

Since he's planning on being here a while, I should find something to read, too.

She puffed her cheeks slightly and crossed her arms.

Although the book that I really want to finally finish is at home, and all the scrolls of Jutsu that I want to study are at my secret place.

She sighed and then eyed the shelves around her.

So, I guess... I find something here that interests me.

Keeping Hasu in her line of sight, she strolled over to a different section and started to browse the shelves.

Let's see... what do I want to read?

Her eyes scanned the rows and she brushed her fingertips along the spines as she went. After a while, she stopped and lowered her hand.

Of course. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.

Hasu looked up from his book to see Natsumi looked around, then walked over to the librarian. Natsumi asked her a question, and the woman responded by blinking and making a strange face. He laughed under his breath as Natsumi flushed faintly and stammered. After a moment, the woman pointed toward a shelf and Natsumi nodded her head, quickly shuffling away, and looked over the books.

Hasu's eyes returned to the page and, a few minutes later, Natsumi sat across from him with his own book, opening it up and coughing quietly at the dust that poofed into her face.

"Stupid dust." She murmured, and Hasu smiled faintly and his eyes rose over his book at her.

"Was there an issue with the librarian?"

"W-What?" Natsumi blushed slightly and shook her head, then averted her eyes. "N-No... it's just... my question surprised her a little."

"Surprised her?" He repeated, and his eyes rested on the cover of the book, widening. "You were looking for a book regarding ancient cults?"

Natsumi blushed deeper and waved her hands. "I-It's not what you think! I just..." She swallowed and averted her eyes. "I met someone once who was part of a cult and I just want to... try to understand them a little better." She looked back at him and waved her hand again. "I-It's not like I want to try to join or anything! I just thought it might help me to explain their... behavior."

"It sounds interesting." Hasu lowered his book to peer over to hers as she opened it. "Though, are you certain that a book of ancient cults is the best place to look, if it's regarding someone you've met recently?"

Natsumi shook her head, scratching her cheek. "W-Well... the thing is... the cult's been extinct since before the Village was formed."

His eyes widened. "Then... the person you met...?"

"She's... well... you could say that she's immortal." Natsumi mumbled.

"Imm—" He blinked and lowered his voice. "Immortal?"

She nodded. "It's not a completely accurate description, but it's good enough."

"I suppose that means your choice of reading material is appropriate."

She nodded again, looking over the table of contents. "The only problem is, that cult was extremely secluded, and they've been gone for so long... I'm not sure if I'll find anything about it."

"How interesting." His lips twitched in a smirk. "Perhaps I could be of some assistance. I do enjoy research."

She bit her lip and met his eyes.

It wouldn't really be a good idea to let him get mixed up in this... but, since he isn't a Ninja... would it be safe for him to just read about it?

Natsumi leaned back her seat after a moment with a nod. "Okay. If you want to help, I'd be grateful."

If I can keep Oto from finding out about our research, and especially to keep him away from her, then I won't have to worry about having her try to possibly corrupt him or manipulate me.

"Excellent." He moved to sit in the chair beside her and looked over the glossary. "Now... what is the name of their group?"

Natsumi froze, then blinked repeatedly. "Uh... their name?"

Crap! I don't even know what they're called!

Hasu laughed and touched her hand. "So, we'll be starting at the very beginning of the research, then?"

Natsumi sighed and nodded, glancing away briefly.

I'm such an idiot! How did I seriously think that I could just look them up without even knowing what they're called?!

"A-Ah!" Natsumi blinked. "I do have a few ideas of what might be close."

"Let's hear them, then."

Natsumi nodded. "I'm not sure if they'll be right, but... we should try for things like Snake Worshipers, Ryūchi, White Mother, or Hebihime."

"Hmm..." He furrowed his brows for a moment as he rubbed his chin. "Those seem vaguely familiar for some reason... though I can't recall why."

"Familiar?" Natsumi watched him for a moment as he thought.

"Yes. It's strange, though. I do not know why I would recognize references to a cult." He blinked and rubbed his head. "Perhaps I read about it in a book long ago? I can't be sure."

Hasu paused and skimmed the pages of names. "Could you tell me more about them? Perhaps that could allow us to narrow our search."

"Well, it's a matriarchal society of misandrists who worship snakes and perform human sacrifices..." Natsumi muttered, keeping her voice quiet so that it did not carry.

"They... what?" Hasu made a face. "Human sacrifices?"

"Usually to attain power." She nodded. "And they think being eaten by a snake is 'becoming one' with it, and they think it's an honor." She shuddered. "And they have no problems sending young children to do deadly trials, and then they don't even mourn them if they die because they were 'weak.'"

Hasu stayed quiet for a moment, keeping his eyes on her. "And... how is it that you know that person?"

Crap. Questions.

"U-Um..." Natsumi averted her eyes and scratched her cheek. "I... might have been tricked by her into taking some of those trials... twice."

"Twice?" He raised an eyebrow. "I now understand why you are researching this. You want to understand their culture and thinking so as not to be used by that person again?"

Natsumi let out a sigh and nodded shortly. "Yes." She rested her elbow on her table and her chin into her hand. "I'm sure that she wants to try to groom and manipulate me into joining her cult, and I'd just like to avoid her as much as possible."

"Forgive me for prying, but how did you meet such a person anyway?"

Natsumi looked away and her expression fell slightly. "Almost three years ago, I decided that I wanted to take my training seriously and become a strong Kunoichi. She found me. She told me what I wanted to hear and said that she could make me strong. But she said that I had to prove my devotion to my goal before she would oversee my training."

"And that is when you were made to take that trial?"

Natsumi nodded. "And, well... she did make me strong. I really looked up to her, despite how dangerous the tests were. She ended up crossing a line and left me to die, so my feelings about her have changed."

"I see." He nodded after a moment. "You feel conflicted because she ultimately fulfilled her end of the agreement but you are upset- and rightly so- about the methods used?"

"Exactly." She sighed heavily and laid her head onto her arms. "I don't appreciate being manipulated." She muttered. "But now I have some new abilities that I don't know how to control well..."

Hasu smiled slightly. "You're trying to learn how to use your power on your own instead of having to turn to her?"

He's too smart for his own good.

"Has anyone ever told you that your ability to read people is extraordinary?"

He blinked and laughed softly, his cheeks warming. "Not until this point... I attribute it to all that time that I spent reading. It isn't difficult for me to determine what might have happened since I have read many plots." He cleared his throat and turned his eyes back to the book to hide the pink tint spreading through his face. "Let's see if we can find anything... shall we?"

They leafed through the pages, skimming the first few paragraphs of each section before moving on to the next. After a long time, Natsumi sighed heavily and leaned back in the chair and clutched at her head, ruffling her head.

"Ugh. We're not finding anything!"

"Shh." Hasu sat up straighter and smiled faintly at her. "It will just require more patience. We haven't been at this very long."

Natsumi glanced over to the large clock on the wall, then groaned and lay her head on her arms on the table. "We've been looking for almost an hour now."

"Oh, really?" Hasu looked to the clock, then laughed. "Time seems to fly when reading."

"I can't believe we haven't found anything yet." Natsumi mumbled into her arms, the syllables muffled. "My eyes are going cross-eyed from all those tiny words."

"Rest your eyes for a moment, then." Hasu touched her head gently and Natsumi responded with a tired, muffled grunt. "I'll keep looking and alert you if I find anything interesting."

Natsumi grunted again and closed her eyes, and Hasu watched her for a moment and focused on the book again. He continued to leaf through and stopped. He reached over and gently touched Natsumi's shoulder to shake her.

"Hm?" Natsumi mumbled. "Wassit?"

"Did you fall asleep?" He leaned closer to look at her, and she blushed and blinked, shaking her head as she sat up.

"W-What? N-No! O-Of course I didn't fall asleep, ya know!" She looked away and blushed deeper, covering her mouth as she pressed her lips together. "I-I mean..."

"I may be only just realizing this, but do you... have a verbal tic?" The corners of his mouth twitched in a smile.

"N-no!" She covered her mouth again, her face growing hotter. "I-I mean... I've worked hard for the last few years to stop doing it, but... it slips out sometimes..."

"Stop it?" Hasu smiled. "Why? I find it cute."

Her ears burned and she turned in her seat with her back to him. "I-It's not... everyone used to tease me for it, the same way they made fun of me for my hair."

"For your hair as well?" He frowned slightly. "Your hair is as lovely as a sunset, though. I've never seen such a vibrant color before."

"I used to hate my hair, but then I started to like it." Natsumi turned slightly back around. "Since it's not something that I can change anyway, I figured that embracing it was the better choice."

"I agree." He reached out to move a piece of her hair behind her ear. "The color red is associated with strength, passion, self-sacrifice, and even happiness and good luck. It's the only color that suits you."

She blushed and looked away. "A-Anyway... did you find anything that you wanted to show me?"

"Ah." Hasu blinked and nodded, moving the book closer to her as he pointed to the title of the section.

"The Children of the Divine Bite." Her eyes widened as she read it aloud. "Is this it?"

"I believe so, though I did not read any further yet. I wanted to wake you first."

Is this really it? I hope I find what I'm looking for...

~~~There definitely will be more interaction with a certain face-painted puppeteer in the future :3

Thanks to everyone commenting and supporting this story. It really means a lot. I hope you all are doing well. 3

While I work on the next chapter, you're more than welcome to check out my DeviantArt for some art of my OC's. I'm not that great of an artist, and I've never taken art classes, so please be forgiving when or if you do look at my works.

syrens-kiss/gallery/71880401/mbaj