I woke up today knowing that I had superpowers. I didn't know what it was but I knew I had to activate it.
Before I could think about what I was doing, before I could process having a superpower or this alien instinct inside me to use it I, press the mental trigger needed to activate it.
A white portal, large enough for me to walk through opens up in front of me. I don't care about the four bracelets that had appeared on my wrist. All that mattered to me was to get through the portal.
I get near the portal and as soon as I do. Five options appear on the five ends of the portal.
Survive
Slaughter
Save
Solve
Steal
I don't care about the options. I only care about passing through the portal. I press the first option that looks right to me. The portal changes its colour to green and I walk through it.
—
[Mission: Survive.]
[Engaging Tutorial Aids - Memory Sharing, A Stranger's Favor, Hub World Time Freeze, Accelerated Pain Relief (Mental), Accelerated Pain Relief (Physical), Relevant Loot, Soul Sheild, Translation(Minor), Appeal to Authority]
Suddenly I am somewhere else. My mind clears and I start to panic.
What did I just do? Was I mastered?
I try to activate my portal powers but I fail to do so. As far as I can tell I am standing on a street in a village. It's approaching dusk here and the architecture around me makes me think I somehow teleported to a Chinese village. I know that the CUI doesn't like it when movers teleport to their territory, They must have thinkers to alert them when someone portals to their borders and tinker-tech or other means to stop people from teleporting back.
"Hey there, Didn't you hear about the curfew? You can't be here."
I hear this in unaccented English. I hadn't heard anyone approaching, I take a moment to look over the cape that had probably come to arrest me and force me to be a part of CUI's army.
Great job, Taylor. It didn't even take you a minute to get arrested by a foreign government after gaining your power.
The panic that was being kept inside me comes bursting.
"I am so sorry, I didn't—I didn't know. I didn't mean to do this. Please don't master me. Please let me go. It was a mistake. I will never—"
"Wow, calm down. It's fine. Just go back into your house. The curfew should be lifted in a few hours anyway. It's nothing serious."
"—Curfew?"
"Didn't you hear? We have a curfew today. The fourth's orders. Civilians are to stay put at home today and Ninjas are to be on alert and be in the village. You don't look like a ninja. Something happening so I recommend you go back to your house."
Ninjas? Is that what they call their capes here?
"You are not here to arrest me? Also, why Ninja? aren't you a cape?"
"Why would I arrest you? Do you want to be?"
I shake my head and the man—no the boy chuckles.
"Yeah, I thought so. I expected that some people just didn't hear about the curfew, it was announced pretty late anyway. And what did you mean by a cape? You don't see me wearing one do you?"
This is when I finally take in the cape's appearance. He is wearing a bandana with a logo on his head, has sunglass on and is an Asian guy. He has suspenders on and he is wearing a black t-shirt and black pants. He also has bandages wrapped on his left leg over his pants.
"Forgot to introduce me. I am Chunin Ebizu. Now would you like me to walk you to your house?'
"No- I mean no thanks. I can get there by myself."
"Is it close by?"
"Yeah. Right, that way." I point in the opposite direction he came from. I can't tell if he bought my lie or not. His face is serene.
"Ok. Be safe and don't linger."
"Absolutely, Thanks Ebizu."
While it would have been nice if he could tell me where I was, I can't risk him figuring out that I got here by mistake. I start walking fast towards the direction I was facing, looking for someplace that was open to get in and wait out this curfew. Who knew, my power could just be on cooldown.
I found a building that looked like a library and thankfully it was not closed. I walked into the building. There were no librarians to be found nor was there anyone using the library at that moment.
I decide to pass time and get my mind off of potentially being stranded in a different world by reading a book. I pick up the first one I see and open it. The words are written in what looks like Chinese or English—no wait did that just get translated right before my eyes? Now the words are in English. And I think that the Cape—no, Ninja I was talking to was also speaking some other language. My mind translated it. That's nice.
I decided to read books to pass time, I will have to wait for my power to become available again. The first book I pick up is "Advancements in paddy farming from the Land of Water". I don't have any interest in the book so I put it back and try to pick up the other books. I move from one shelf to another. Most of the books here are non-fiction or I just haven't found the fiction section yet.
As someone whose mum was an English teacher and thus very familiar with libraries, I must remark that they need better librarians. The books should be arranged better.
The book genre keeps jumping from partially informative sounding titles like "Trades routes between Nishikawa region and fire country capital" to mystical sounding titles like "Meditation, shi-chakram manipulation and the songs of Arran." and then what I am pretty sure is erotica "Icha Icha Paradise" with appropriately racy cover art.
My scathing criticism of library arrangement besides I pick up a random book that I think might be interesting and sit down to read it.
"Fundamental Theories on Natures of Chakra By Tobirama Senju."
I have been thinking about expanding my cultural horizons via literature anyway. So far I like my translation power more than my portal one. The book had multiple copies and was on a shelf that only contains works by Tobirama Senju, Who seems to have been a well-respected author to have earned that.
It was a choice between this book and "A Treatise on Organization of Modern Ninja Villages." by the same author. I sit down to read the book and commit to testing my power at every 5-minute interval.
—
"—Thus the nature of earth chakra and the lineages in which earth attuned chakra is found can at least in part be explained with the help of how the third meridian relates to the spine—"
The book is fascinating, the author mixes eastern philosophy and spiritualism to try to explain how his mystical magic system works. It's not the best thing I've read or even close to it, I am still reading due to the novelty of the concept. The presentation is dry and this is essentially a worldbuilding and powers system-building document without any narrative. I suppose there is a market for that here.
I try to create a portal again with no results. My dad must have noticed that I have gone missing by now. But I try to distract myself from my continued failure by reading the book.
That's when the world shakes. The earthquake is quickly followed by an ear-piercing howl. A howl of intense malice. The world quakes and I freeze. I can feel the hatred for the world within that howl. An invincible force pushes me down. But something tells me that If I don't move I will die.
I have no time to figure out what is going on I let my instincts move me as far away from the scream as I can.
I run out of the library in a hurry. I take a second to look in the direction where the scream is coming from. And what I see almost makes me faint.
It's a four-storey-tall monster. It looks like a jackal or a fox. Orange furred. Its eyes have a rotating spiral. But the feature that stands out the most is the multiple tails it has. Each lash of the tail produces an intense gust of wind. And throws trees around.
A new endbringer? Here? 1 minute after I gain my power I break international laws and 1 hour after it I cause the place I landed to be attacked by a new endbringer.
I don't notice how I am rooted to the ground. Staring up at the fourth monster. Another Endbringer, as if three weren't enough. I know how useless my power is. Should I even fight it? What are my unresponsive portals and translation powers going to achieve here?
"Hey you, Follow me. I will take you to the civilian evacuation shelter."
I look to my side and it's Ebizu. He looks panicked.
"B—But, I can help. I can make portals, but I can't get it to work now."
"Portals? What are you talking about you are not a ninja are you?"
"I am not but I have power. It's new and I have not figured out how to use it yet but I can make portals. At least I am sure I have made one. I should be able to—"
"Some sort of bloodline limit? Can you make a portal now?" His voice is tinged with disbelief as he asks me that.
"No. I've been trying—"
"Ok, we don't have the time. The fourth will fight the fox off soon, he is strong. I will take you to the shelter. Chunin and below are not to engage the fox. Follow me."
He starts to jog away from me. There isn't anything I can do here. I am less useful than an average civilian with my weak body. I hate my power. What is the point? It doesn't even make me better at evacuation. So I decide to follow the boy.
He starts to speak as he is leading me.
"I know that look on your face. I know you feel useless. I do too. I am a trained ninja. My dad is moving to engage the fox as we speak. But what I can do now is keep as many people safe as I can. You get that?"
I slowly nod my head and he seems to have understood me.
"We do drills on what to do in case of foreign invasion. But nothing about what to do in case of a bijū attack. Funny."
Is a bijū what they call an endbringer? Are they in more danger from wars than endbringer? Are internal wars something that CUI keeps under wraps? Am I even in the CUI?
I hear strange sounds in the direction of the fox and it looks like the capes have started mobilizing. Large fantasy-like elemental attacks are being directed toward the fox. All of which barely graze its fur. I see large swathes of fire, Water shaped like dragons, and Lightning attacks falling from the sky. None of them seems to hinder the fox too much. The fox in turn seems to simply brush the capes and attacks aside.
"What is it doing?"
Ebizu who has been screaming for civilians to follow us looks back.
"Oh, the sage forbid. It's doing a Biju Bomb. It's aimed at the village."
We watch in horrified fascination as the ball of energy forming in front of the beast is let loose It soars over the village walls and hits buildings I can see on the horizon.
"That was one of the paths of the evacuation shelter. If it was a tiny bit to the left it would have hit the hospital. Where the hell is the Hokage."
I watch as the attacks by the other capes continue. This Hokage must be a powerful cape for him to think there is any chance that he fights the fox off.
We soon continue our evacuation, Ebizu either has some training or is experienced. He doesn't let the hopelessness of the situation get him down.
I occasionally look back at the fight happening on the horizon. The fox fires another cannon blast. This time it is redirected by what I am told is a monkey holding a staff. He says it's the third Hokage's summon. The questions I had kept piling up.
The next hour or so moves in a jumble of fear and tension. The fight rages in the background. Huge frogs were summoned and the fourth Hokage finally joined the fight. He was redirecting the blasts from the fox. I was told he is a teleporter. The fight rages on. Without me being able to contribute anything. If anything I learned how to help with evacuation from Ebizu. I was carrying a hurt child on my back. She was trampled by the panicking crowd. That's when it happens.
One of the beast's attacks comes in our direction. It was almost as if it was directing the blast to catch as many people as it can. The atmosphere sears and the heat increases as the beams come ever closer.
Just before it can hit us. A yellow-haired Ninja appears before us. He does something and distortion in space appears in front of us. The man looks tired but the distortion swallows the beam whole.
He doesn't wait for anything before teleporting back out.
And the crowd starts cheering.
"Yaay, that's our Hokage. Kick the Kyuubi's ass."
So that's the strongest cape here. No not a cape, a ninja. I am pretty sure that I am not on Bet anymore. It's a multitude of small details that have bought me to this realisation. But what firms my resolution is that I have never heard of someone with that diverse of a powerset. This is some other universe's endbringer I am in a different dimension.
My power doesn't sound boring now. Only I hope it would come out of its cooldown.
On one hand, I am relieved that bet only has to deal with three of those monsters, on the other hand, if my power can't take me back I don't know how I will.
"Everyone let's move. Don't stop anywhere for too long or we will become targets to the Kyubi."
So we continue our journey.
—
"Miss please help my mom she is—she is—"
A crying kid tugs at my legs. I look around for anyone with that headband that marks them to be a Ninja. Everyone is busy with something and I don't see anyone nearby who might be able to help.
I put down the girl I was carrying and ask an old lady nearby to carry her instead.
"Take me to her."
I tell the kid. He leads me to where his mother is lying.
Her legs are crushed under rubble and her cries tell me she is still alive. I know first aid, I have a box of it in my hands and I know what we are taught about evacuation in the case of endbringer attacks in school.
"Please mam, stay still. I am here to help. I will start by removing the rubble."
All I get in an answer is a nod and a cry of pain.
I look around to make sure that removing the rubble won't cause any structural issues and bend down to pick up the rubble that looks within my ability to pick up.
I had been ignoring the beast's rampage on the horizon as best as I could to focus on the people. I had been tuning out the beast's laser attacks. Since they were most of the time being redirected. I don't know if the Hokage was too tired to redirect this one or if he was knocked out or killed by the beast. Either way, a blast reached near us. It pulverised the ground and knocked over the house I was standing under to save the kids' mom.
I was swallowed under rubble. I didn't die at once. The rocks and wood pressed down on me. Crushing my chest. Bones pressed into me. For enough time to think of a hundred regrets, I was crushed, I couldn't breathe, My glasses shattered and pressed into my eyeballs. Agony swallowed me as I died.
I am sorry dad. I wish I didn't have to die. Not like this.
[Mission: Survive.]
I open my eyes again to the fading sunset. In the same street, I was standing when I first got here.
My ears were ringing. I can't think, I can't see anything even with my glasses. I was stuck in hysteria.
"Hey there, Didn't you hear about the curfew? You can't be here."
The familiar phrase knocks me out of the state I was in. And then I start screaming and run up to hug the guy.
"Wow, so— what? Miss? What are you doing? Please let—"
I let out my tears. I still feel the phantom pain of being crushed. Of letting down my dad. Of dying in a different world with no one to mourn me.
"Please calm down and tell me what happened. Whatever it is, we can help you. Please miss."
He let me cry for a bit more. I finally calm down. I saw five—no, four now—hearts when I died. And that was enough for me to figure out what was going on.
"Thanks, Ebizu. Thank you for everything."
"-um, I don't think I know you, what's your name, miss?"
I did never give him my name the last time. Someone here should at least know my name if I die here.
"I am Taylor. And I am a precog, I have bad news."
No reason to not try.
"A precog?"
Does this world not have precogs?
"I mean, I am a seer, a diviner, a soothsayer, a prophet. Does any of the words mean anything to you?"
His face crutches in confusion.
"A—prophet. Like someone that can speak of prophecies?"
"Yes, that's it. A prophecy, though something that's going to happen a whole lot sooner and without any riddles."
Confusion turns to disbelief as he asks.
"Are you pulling my leg? Or do you have a prophecy from a summon clan elder?"
"A summon clan elder? You mean like those giant frogs?"
"Yeah, did they somehow contact you and tell you about a prophecy? I heard tales of that happening, Does your family hold a summoning contract?"
To lie or not to lie. I make my decision as I remember a term he had mentioned during my last—life.
"No this is more like a—bloodline limit. I can see a bit into the future."
He doesn't look convinced. So I continue.
"At least hear me out and then decide what to do."
"Ok. But you know what happens to civilians wasting a ninja's time during times like these right?"
I don't but I nod.
"So, in an hour or so a giant nine-tailed fox attacks the village. It destroys large swathes of the place. There are beams going everywhere. Its malevolence was covering the entire village. It was so terrible. And the fourth tries to fight it off but I don't think he was able to. We have to tell him that the attack is going to happen or else we are going to die."
There is silence then. He seems to think of what I just said. He finally opens his mouth.
"Ok, get on. Let's go tell someone important."
I wasn't expecting that. Not for him to believe me so fast. Me being so open was primarily a result of my hysteria. I wanted to tell someone what happened. I wanted to be believed. So I wasn't going to look the gift horse in the mouth.
"Umm—get on, Where?"
He effortlessly picks me up in a princess carry.
"Hey what are you doing? I can walk."
"Pfft walk, You said we have an hour, right?"
I nod.
"Hold on tight, prophet. We are going fast."
"You mean to go as fast as you do when jumping from one rooftop to another? I don't think you have a breaker state to—"
I don't get to finish my sentence. A thing I noticed that happens a lot when talking to him. He starts running.
He jumps from rooftop to rooftop, spaced by occasionally jumping to trees. He moves with inhuman strength and skill. We move faster than what humans should be capable of. Chakra's benefit, no doubt.
I don't even try to not scream. My heart beats at a minute a second. Scenery blurs past me as we move.
Experiencing this world has recontextualized that book I read. All of the ninja abilities seem to stem from that magical power. Does everyone in this world have it? Do I? More questions to the pile I already have built up.
It is not long before we approach an important-looking building. There are ninjas on guard here.
"Chunin Ebizu. Code 2a4erwNaga, Emergency request to speak with the jonin commander regarding critical information." He speaks to a ninja holding a clipboard.
"Better not be a timewaster kid. Or you are getting endless D-rank missions from now on. Follow me."
He knocks on a door. And soon hears confirmation to go in.
"The civilian necessary?" asks the clipboard ninja.
"Yes sir."
"Ok go in."
The office space I walk into is sparse with things but the person sitting in the office immediately catches my eye. He is a study in contrast. His slouch on the chair lets me expect a lazy pencil pusher but the scars on his face tell a different story. His hair is tied in a bun. Though he doesn't even bother to look at us as we walk in.
"Chunin Ebizu. Code 2a4erwNaga. Here to report information regarding a potential threat sir."
I hear a lazy drawl from the commander.
"Go ahead. Noone's stopping you."
"15 minutes ago on street Kuwabara, I found this civilian standing outside in violation of the curfew—"
He continues to draw out the details in a mechanical, practised manner. It dawns on me that this is a military of Capes. Capes or ninjas working in such a disciplined form is new to me. Protectorate works to never portray their heroes as soldiers. That went double for the wards. ABB and The Empire both try to show capes as the leaders and the special ones not one cog in an army. The closest it has gotten to a cape army back home was during Endbringer fights and the Yangban under CUI. Neither I nor the public knew much about it due to the information lockdown on both.
" —I decided I will take her to you, commander, to determine the validity of her claims."
At some point, the commander had sat up. We walked out of his chair.
"Please, Miss Taylor. Sit down."
He finally offers me a chair. There is no sign of the slouching intellectual left in the Ninja Commander. I sit down on the chair. He leans on the table as he asks me the first question.
"Where did you buy those clothes from?"
That was not what I was expecting him to ask. I was caught off guard by the question and before I can answer he rallies.
"Your glasses, I haven't seen even the nobles wear such fine glasses. The dyes on your cloth are not sold in any of the five great nations. Your shoes are made of a material I, the jonin commander of the world's most prominent ninja village, have never seen before. Not to mention those four bracelets of yours, they look almost ethereal, like chakra constructs. I don't doubt if it was for sale even the fire country princess won't be able to afford it."
I drop of sweat drops from my forehead. Suddenly the atmosphere is almost as heavy as during the beasts' rampage. It's only because I had encountered it before and was able to move and even help people during such a dire circumstance that I can even talk.
"Aren't you losing sight of what's important, Commander?"
"You are a fierce one. Yes, I suppose I am. I would love to hear your story. But let's hear the story that you claim is from the future."
I tell myself that I have no right to be angry with the commander. I walked into here of my own accord.
"The nine-tailed fox started its rampage from the east. It was—"
"Describe the fox."
Is he deliberately trying to piss me off? Or does everyone here have a hard-on for cutting me off?
"The fox had orange fur. Had nine tails, duh. It had a large snout, It was smacking attacks left and right. Oh, and its eyes had these swirling things—"
"Stop."
I look up at him angrily. What is wrong with him?
"Describe the eyes."
I let out an audible exhale. I calm myself. He has something to get from me by angering me. Or he is just an asshole. Another asshole in a position of power. I thought this world might be different after seeing the Hokage stand in front of a blast to save us, but power seems to do the same thing to everyone everywhere.
"There were these red swirly things. One black pupil, three things that look like commas swirling around."
He waits for a second. He looks like he has come to some sort of an epiphany. He shows a paper in front of me.
"Draw a 'comma'."
Wait, what? But he doesn't wait for me to ask for clarification.
"Anbu Bear. Come out."
And a Ninja in a bear mask and a sword strapped to his back drops down from the ceiling. He kneels in front of the Commander.
"Get me Fugaku Uchiha and Inoichi Yamanaka. Code G90PIG2RED. As fast as they can."
"Yes, Commander."
"No, wait. Not Fugaku. Bring me, what's the name of that girl with Sharingan in team R6? Yes, Hazuki Uchiha instead."
"Yes, Commander."
He then suddenly vanishes. Can everyone here teleport?
"While we wait why don't we continue? Tell me about what you saw."
I continue my recollection of events. With as much detail as I could give. It only took two or three minutes for the man who introduced himself as Inoichi Yamanaka to enter.
"Shikaku, What's going on? Why the code red? Did Kushina somehow make giving birth an even bigger ritual than a matter of village-wide alarm?"
I saw the Commander, Shikaku's eyebrows twitch. Is there an entire village-wide alarm for someone giving birth? Who is this Kushina?
"Inoichi Yamanaka. Just the man I was waiting for. We don't have much time If what Miss Taylor describes is true. And Miss Taylor, Meet Inoichi Yamanaka, Head of the Analysis Team of the village's Intelligence Division."
Am I going to be tortured is this the result of me wanting to do the right thing? Do these people have no equivalent of endbringer accords?
I like to think I didn't let my apprehension show on my face. Dying once has unlocked something in me. I noticed that my power-given bracelets that I had when all this started are now only four. I know deep down that I can crush another to restart this loop. Even if I have to go down a life, if they start torturing me, I will do it.
"Now Taylor. I am sure you don't know, but Inoichi here can read minds. It's his clan's bloodline. I wanted your permission for him to go in there are read your thoughts."
I don't have to think before I answer him. "Absolutely not. I will not allow anyone to read my thoughts."
"If this is a code red situation why are we asking for permission?" Asks the Mind reader. Would that be a thinker or a master? And my blood chills.
"Inoichi my man, I love you like a brother but shut up." There is venom in Shikaku's voice. And I feel some relief. He is at least pretending to need my consent.
"Ok Miss Taylor. I understand your reluctance. A very small number of non-Konoha citizens would ever come into my office and alert me of an impending disaster. I am truly thankful for what you are trying to do. Coming into here without a lick of Chakra must have been terrifying but you still did it. You wanted to save people."
"Yeah but I still don't want a stranger in my mind."
"I get it, I don't want my mind to be read by this guy either. And we've been friends since both of us came out our respective mothers. No one want's their mind read. We don't ask our shinobi to present their minds, not even in emergencies. They have to ask us to do that."
"Then why? Is it because I am not your 'Shy—Shinoby'?"
"No. It's because we teach our Shi-no-bi to be eloquent in their reports. To give us the best intelligence, The most important facts, the information that decides the tide of battle. Am I wrong in assuming that you haven't had any such training?"
All I can do is reluctantly nod.
"Yes, that's why I am asking you as a personal favour. Please let Inoichi in. Let him look at the last three hours of your memories. Nothing more nothing less. Please, it will help us save people. It will let us coordinate better and maybe even avert the disaster altogether."
I had a decision to make.
"What If I say no? Wouldn't you just do it anyway?"
"No. We will use what you have given us to create a response. We will do our best to protect the people."
"So you trust me? That what I am saying is not made up."
"Too coherent to have been made up. Your lack of knowledge about anything shinobi is what made me believe it. Right now I am going to declare a village-wide red alert either way. Whether you chose to do this or not is only going to determine how well we are going to be able to defend the village."
Looking back I can see how he masterfully manipulated me to get my consent. I nod my head.
"Ok. But only two hours. And you can see what I see through my eyes, no reading my thoughts at the moment. No more than that."
"Inoichi you can do that?" Shikaku asks, probably only for my sake.
"What do you take me for? Easy as a cake."
" You heard him. We will respect your choice, Miss Taylor. Inoichi, go ahead."
"Should I do something? I c—"
I don't get to finish my sentence when I lose all my strength and faint. My heart starts beating fast.
"Ah, I forgot to mention that motor functions stop for some people under the Jutsu. Just hold on, it should be over soon."
Contrary to what I was thinking I don't feel any alien presence in my mind. I don't feel a headache or start tripping. I just slump forward before Shikaku catches me.
"Done."
That was faster than I expected. I can see so many uses for this power. No wonder Inoichi is so friendly with someone so high up. He mentioned that this is a power that runs in a clan, does that mean everyone in his clan has this power? Or is it a variation on this? An entire extended family of mind readers sound like a nightmare.
"Before you give me the rundown, How was it?" Asked Shikaku.
"Bad. Our village would be barely standing after all that bad." Answers Inoichi.
Shikaku let's out an intense sigh. He then starts barking orders.
"Ok, Start the evacuation. Tell the third and fourth to get ready. Summon the clan heads to the central hospital. The secret is blown we don't need to play espionage anymore. I want every resource we have on alert to protect that birth. I want every Uchiha in the village with the Sharingan accounted for. If the elders make a fuss tell them it's a temporary measure. Cat, Tiger, Lion go."
"As for you miss Taylor. I have a choice. You now know that this entire thing is dependent on a fulcrum. That being our lord Hokage's wife's childbirth. We want to prioritise your safety. For bringing us this warning, I can assign you some of our most competent Shinobi. And you can be far away from the village before the hour of disaster as one can be. Or you can stay at the heart of it. Protected by our villages might. Because I do not doubt that whoever arranged for this will want a pound of your flesh."
Another choice. Two equally dangerous paths open in front of me. But at that moment the choice was obvious. As I answered his question I wondered how much autonomy I had since I entered his office.
—
