Merry Christmas!
Hoo, am I in the holiday mood. Christmas covers and fanfics everywhere… What a time to be alive.
But hey guys! It's been quite a while, ne?
Oh right! This fanfic will now have music, given how well that was received last chapter.
You'll be able to view the musical playlist on my YouTube, but I wouldn't recommend it just yet. Some of the tracks have original voice acting on it, and therefore, potential spoilers.
In other news, I've been told that the romance has moved a bit fast. So I might rewrite the last few chapters.
Also, has anybody else noticed that Kanon looks a lot like Kamila from Ghost Trick? Short, pink hair with yellow ribbon? I'm just saying.
Ah, whatever. On with the update!
Flag 2.0 - Wind
Day 18
8:41 A.M.
"No way! You're joking!"
"No, I'm not! I'm completely serious!"
Apollo and Mars were in a heated discussion (*read: argument) about the events of the previous night. Minerva and Diana were present as well, eating their now-soggy cereal in silence, secretly listening in on the conversation.
"So you're saying you actually saw Uzumaki-san cry?" asked the Goddess, for clarification.
"Yeeeeeess!" was her sister's exasperated response.
"Are you positive?"
"How many times do I have to tell you, yes!"
Mars damn-near scoffed, "Yeah, right! Why on earth would he cry over something like that?!"
Two sets of lavender and magenta eyes flew between the two as the conversation continued.
"How should I know?! He just played it and cried to himself at the end!"
This time Mars did scoff, "As if! You can't just cry without a reason!"
"Then, may I offer a suggestion?"
The quarreling siblings looked over at Diana, who'd just interjected.
"Perhaps the reason for his tears is not the song itself, but rather the reason he played the song in the first place?"
Mars twirled a bit of long hair on her finger, "Yes, that's entirely possible."
The middle sibling looked over at her elder, "What can you tell us about the circumstances?"
Apollo idly flicked one of her hair's 'antennae', "Well, not much. There really wasn't anything special about yesterday."
Diana tapped her chin in thought, "Are you certain? Because there has to be something… Ah!"
"What? What is it?" asked Mars.
"Well, I'm not sure if it's relevant," she said, "But it was a full moon yesterday."
"Huh? How would you know that?"
"I'm the Goddess of the Moon," she deadpanned, "It's kind of my job."
"Well then, what is it about the full moon and the song that triggered it?" mumbled the blond Goddess.
…
…
…
"A-ano…"
The three girls' attention turned to their forgotten 4th member.
"What is it Minerva?" asked Apollo.
"W-Well, about the book I showed you the other day…"
"The one with 'Namikaze Tsukasa' in it?" she asked, flicking the same lock of hair back and forth, "What about it?"
"Wait, what book are you referring to?" asked Diana.
"I-It's a book Uzumaki-san wrote. It's the 5th in a series of romance novels he's published."
"Wha!? He writes books too!?" asked/yelled Mars incredulously.
"Wait, that was a romance novel!?" asked/yelled Apollo.
Diana nodded in understanding, "So what is it about these books that makes you think they're relevant?"
She looked down with a blush, absent-mindedly poking her fingers together.
"W-Well, two of the five have story elements and concepts involving the m-moon, so I thought…"
She shook her head furiously, hands over her face.
"Never mind! Forget I said anything!"
Diana smiled at her younger sibling, "No need to feel embarrassed Minerva. You may be on to something."
"I-I might?"
She nodded, "Maybe. Do you think you could show us these books?"
"Y-Yes! Come with me!"
She shuffled out of the room, Diana on her heels.
…
…
The remaining two girls looked over at each other, before shrugging and following.
Day 18
9:02 A.M.
Library
"H-Here they are!"
Minerva took five books from a rather large stack and laid them out on a nearby table.
"Alright. So which of these are the two you talked about earlier?" Diana asked, calling over Apollo and Mars, whom had just entered.
"These two…" she said, separating them from the others.
The ravenette nodded in understanding.
"Alright then," she said, picking up one of the two, "I'll read this one. Fly Me to the Moon, hm?"
"Okay! I'll read this one!" said an enthusiastic Apollo holding Moonlight Sonata.
"Th-Then I'll read this…" murmured Minerva, with a copy of Do You Remember Love?.
"I'll read this one then!" said Mars, picking up Doki Doki Fantasy.
And the four girls sat down and began to read.
-Day 18
12:37 P.M.
Mercury
(*TMP TMP TMP*)
My footsteps echoed through the empty hall as I walked to the kitchen. It was rather quiet today, if the lack of flying pies (courtesy of Apollo) were any indication.
What this implied? I wasn't entirely sure.
Setting those thoughts aside for later, I walked through the kitchen door. The usual heavenly aroma of breakfast greeted my nose as I took a seat.
I took a couple of pancakes off the platter at the table's center and placed them onto my plate. Oddly enough, they were still piping-hot, but the glowing symbols on the dish before me explained it.
I sighed to myself, 'Those hooded guys and their seals, I swear.'
It was true, Nearly every aspect of the mansion was powered by, or related to Fuuinjutsu. The walls and floors were lined with durability, and static seals. The durability seal, much like those on the cuffs weeks ago, kept the walls from being destroyed. They also reinforced the strength of the other seals. The homeostatic seal kept the wall in a state of constance, allowing the masked men to wipe away Apollo's failed attempts at pranks quite easily.
There were even seals outside the actual mansion. Barrier and Reflection seals kept unwanted intruders out, and let Uzumaki know where everyone was at all times. There was also an Airlock seal that did exactly what it was named for; it protected the mansion from all forms of weather, leaving the sky spotless, day after day.
Setting my plate in the sink, I moved out into the hall, making my way toward the library.
I certainly didn't expect what I saw.
'Mars and Apollo reading something?' I remarked, 'Never thought I'd see the day…'
I saw four of my elder sisters sitting around a table, each with a book in hand. Now, while Minerva-sama's presence was a 'no-brainer', as Uzumaki-san liked to call it, and Diana-sama's was somewhat plausible, Apollo and Mars?
Not a chance in Hell.
Apollo'd rather die that read a book most of time. Even with medical practices and healing techniques, she preferred hands-on experience over anything else. And Mars would certainly concur with that view, lest that book had some kind of relevance to combat.
And pictures. Pictures certainly helped.
"You're up early."
"Hm?" I turned my head, "Oh. Good morning, Uzumaki-san."
He blinked and checked his watch.
"...It's 12:30."
"Is that so?" I yawned, "Well, good afternoon then."
I looked over at my siblings.
"Any idea what they're doing?"
He glanced over.
"...They're reading something."
I gave him a look, "Thanks."
"Not a problem," he shrugged, "In all honesty, I've no idea. Why not ask them yourself?"
I turned it over in my mind a bit, before walking over to do just that.
A thought struck me, "Hey, Uzumaki."
"Hm?" he looked up, "Did you need something?"
I looked over at the seemingly-endless rows of shelves.
"Do you… happen to have any books regarding magic?"
He frowned, "You mean like 'rabbits out of hats'? Or tomes and spells?"
"The second one. The first is more up Apollo's alley."
He grimaced, "Yeah, try to keep her away from those if you can. I'd rather not have to deal with throwing knives and doves in my hair."
My brow rose in confusion, "...Just exactly what do you think Street Magic is?"
He shook his head, "Not important."
"Back to the matter at hand," he tapped his chin in thought, "I definitely do. There's a bunch in section 4-T, though I haven't been able to confirm their authenticity. I can't use magic you see, so I'd take those particular scriptures with a grain of salt if I were you."
I nodded, "I'll take my chances. Thanks for the help."
"No problem," he called as he walked off, giving a gesture of farewell over his shoulder as he did so.
I stood there for a moment, before turning to the looming shelves.
"...Here we go then."
Without much hesitation, I picked a tome off the shelf and got to work.
Day 18
11:31 P.M.
(Apollo)
'Maybe I'll treat myself to some ramen tomorrow...'
'Yeah, that sounds good.'
I shut the book, wiping my face. Without realising it, my eyes had become wet.
I glanced up at my sisters, finding the, in a similar state.
"Well…" I muttered, trying to keep my voice from breaking, "That was certainly…"
"...Yeah…" they agreed, knowing exactly what I meant.
…
…
I hate these silences. I should probably say something.
"So did any of you find anything?" I asked hopefully.
They shook their heads in the negative.
I let out a sigh, "Then this entire 'lead' was a waste of time…"
"Least we got a good read out of it..." Mars offered, before catching herself, "Wow, never thought I'd hear myself say that."
I leaned back and ran a hand through my hair, the action causing the book to fall from my lap. It hit the ground with a loud (*CLUNK*), falling open to the second page.
I moved to pick it up, but something caught my eye.
"This book is dedicated to Sasuke Uchiha," it read, "We're all waiting for you, you bastard."
I stood up sharply, accidentally knocking over my chair. I read the text again and again to make sure my eyes weren't fooling me.
"Nee-sama? Did you find something?"
"Yeah! Look at this!" I showed them the passage.
"What is it?" Diana asked, "A dedication page?"
The other two saw this, and began skimming through their own books in search of a similar page.
"Found it!" called Mars, holding it open for us.
"Moonlight Sonata: This book is dedicated to Sakura of the Cherry Blossom. May you rest in peace."
"'Sakura Haruno' and 'Sasuke Uchiha', hm?"
Diana bristled lightly at the name.
"And who might they be?"
"I haven't the slightest…" she muttered.
"Then let's keep looking!" Mars exclaimed, "Let's search this place for anything related to 'Sosuke Ushiha' and 'Sagura Baruno'!"
"That's 'Sasuke Uchiha' and 'Sakura Haruno'."
Mars said nothing, puffing out a cheek in irritation.
I nodded in agreement, standing up and popping my back.
"Alright, let's get to it!" I said, "No time like the present!"
"On second thought, perhaps we might get some rest?" Diana offered, "I feel somewhat fatigued. We can get a fresh start tomorrow."
I looked out one of the many windows to see the moon shining brightly in the sky.
"Wow… It's nighttime already?"
(*GRWWWL*)
"Ah!" I covered my stomach in embarrassment, "Then we missed lunch and dinner?!"
Mars nodded, "It appears we were too engrossed in our work to notice."
(*GRWWWWWWLLL*)
"Ack!" I cried, clutching my stomach again.
Mars grinned, "C'mon. I'll whip something up."
The three of us groaned at the thought of Mars making anything other than a sandwich.
She sweatdropped.
"On second thought, maybe one of you better cook."
Diana rolled up the sleeves of her robe, as I pat my sister on the shoulder, consolingly.
Day 19
12:07 A.M.
…
…
…
(*Tmp...Tmp...Tmp*)
A blond man walked over to the table the girls had been reading at mere minutes ago. He ran his fingers over the front, feeling the difference of texture between the print of the letters and the velvet-like fabric of the cover.
"So this is what they were doing…"
And he vanished in a flash of light.
Day 19
2:54 P.M.
(Uzumaki)
"Morning... Uzumaki-kun…"
"Hm? Oh. Good morning Apoll-ooooh~?"
I looked up at the girl's half-lidded eyes as she let out a tired yawn. Dark crescents had formed beneath her eyes, and she moved with the grace of a drunken elephant.
!~
A similar scene with another pink haired girl flashed through my mind. She'd said something about another late night at work and...
For an instant, it was like I was back there again…
And it vanished, just as quickly as it had come.
I mustered a grin.
"You look like shit," I said bluntly.
She gave a half-hearted smile, "Thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear."
This time, the grin was genuine.
"Late night last night?" I asked, pouring her a cup of tea.
"You could say that…" she said vaguely, downing the liquid in one go, "Add that to the fact that I haven't eaten in over 24 hours."
I sweatdropped, "Is that why we're able to hold an actual conversation right now? You know, one that doesn't involve some kind of contraption you've set up in my house?"
She nodded numbly as I refilled her cup for her. She drank this one in three gulps, before wiping her mouth on her sleeve and putting food on her plate.
"So how's the seal coming along?" I asked, refilling my own.
"Slow…" she said simply, attempting to bite into a piece of tonkatsu.
I say 'attempting' because she actually missed her mouth the first couple of times. It was kind of amusing to watch.
"...Need some help there?" I asked.
"That won't be necessary," came a curt voice from the doorway, "A Goddess is perfectly capable of feeding herself."
"I was referring to the seal…" I quirked a brow at Vulcan who took a seat, "But you might want to put those psychic powers of yours to use and help the poor girl eat."
A simple flick of the woman's hand left the fork engulfed in a purple shroud of energy. With another motion, it leapt out of Apollo's hand and had its prongs mere inches from my jugular.
"Do not speak to me in such a familiar tone, Uzumaki," she said with a slight distaste, "Know your place."
And with another motion, the fork was on autopilot, stabbing into food and bringing it to her younger sister's mouth.
"Thanks Vul..." the girl slurred between bites.
"Don't speak with your mouth full," Vulcan chastised, like a mother would scold a child, "It's unbecoming of one of your standing."
"Oh… My sincere apologies..." she giggled, doing a mock curtsey.
"Ignoring that…" she turned to me, "We don't need your help. We are Goddesses. While I appreciate your allowing us to stay here and the use of your library, we don't require further assistance from a mortal."
She spat the word like it was some kind of curse.
"Oh?" I mumbled, sipping my tea, "Is that so?"
I stood up, a masked man taking my plate and cup.
"If you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
Behind me, I could hear Apollo's chewing slow as I walked out of the room.
Day 19
3:01 P.M.
(Apollo)
I frowned, "You didn't have to be so harsh. And we do need the help."
She 'looked' at me with closed eyes, "I was simply stating the truth. It was no fault of mine it was misconstrued."
My frown deepened as I stared at the open door Uzumaki had left from.
Day 19
7:32 P.M.
Library
"Got it!"
Apollo looked up at her younger sister in surprise, "You found something?"
They'd been searching the library for nearly five hours now with nearly no end in sight. There wasn't anything on 'Sasuke Uchiha' or 'Sakura Haruno' anywhere they looked.
"How'd you find it?" she asked as she made her way over.
"Diana searched 'Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno' on one of those computers over there," she said, jabbing a thumb at said items.
"A 'computer', huh?" she murmured, "Never heard of it."
Diana nodded, "It's a fairly recent invention, having been created within the end of the last century. They aren't a common sight in Oni no Kuni; the priests have little need for such things."
"They're only used as an interactive library catalogue," Minerva mumbled.
"And Minerva and I are the only ones here who frequented said library," Diana finished.
"Hey! I visited the library tons of times!" she grumbled.
"Only when you run right past Minerva's room because you forget where everything is."
"...Hmph," she changed the subject, "What did you find, Mars?"
"It's called a 'Bingo Book'," she explained, "They're a list of famous and dangerous individuals and organizations, the feats they've accomplished, their danger level, their bounty, and whether or not they're a missing nin. A new version is released by the month; this one is rather dated."
"You seem to know a whole lot about this…" she observed.
Mars shrugged, "You never know when the newest contender will pop up."
She sweatdropped, "But aren't you the Goddess of War? How exactly does one compete with that?"
"I never said anything about competing," she specified, "It's still impressive to see what mortals can do."
"That aside…" Diana steered the, back on track, "What did you find?"
"Sasuke Uchiha: Last of the Infamous Uchiha Clan. Ex-SS-Rank Missing Nin, Apprentice to the Snake Sannin Orochimaru, master of several S-Ranked Kinjutsu, and the Dreaded Sharingan, as well as the Fabled Rinnegan. Orders are to Flee on Sight; confrontation will result in heavy mutilation or dismemberment. Dead - 17 mil. Alive - 20 mil. Teammates are 'Sakura of the Cherry Blossom' and 'Child of Prophecy… Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Wait, really?!" Apollo exclaimed, "They were Naruto-sama's teammates?!"
"Well, if they were, why is Uzumaki-san dedicating books to the,?" pondered the War Goddess.
"Who said they were his to begin with?"
The two whipped around at Diana's voice.
"What do you mean?"
The woman snapped her fingers, pointing to Minerva.
"When was the Uchiha book written?" she asked.
"Umm…" she picked up the book, flipping through the pages, "About… a century ago!"
"Wha!? There's no way Uzumaki-kun is that old!"
"Exactly," Diana affirmed.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked the blonde.
"Like Apollo said, there's no way Uzumaki-kun is that old," Diana continued, "Therefore, 'Namikaze Tsukasa' must be Naruto Uzumaki!"
"But look at this!" said Apollo, showing the far more recent 'Fly Me to the Moon', "This was only written five years ago! So why is the 'About the Author' picture the same? And since when did you call him 'kun'!?"
"I-I was just quoting you, alright?!" she shouted, face red as her eyes, "And perhaps Uzumaki-san is simply carrying on the 'Tsukasa' penname. I'm not certain; we'd have to ask him to be sure."
She directed her next question to Mars, who was still holding the Bingo Book.
"What's in there about Sakura Haruno and Uzumaki Naruto?"
The blonde flipped through the pages.
"Sakura Haruno, also known as 'Sakura of the Cherry Blossom'. Apprentice to Godaime Hokage, the Sannin 'Legendary Sucker Tsunade'. Teammates to Black Raven Sasuke Uchiha, and Child of Prophecy Naruto Uzumaki. Orders are to approach with extreme caution. A-Ranked Ninja. Alive - 8 mil. Dead - 2 mil."
She flipped through the book again.
"Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze-"
The pink-haired Goddess looked to Diana.
"Looks like you were right."
She nodded, "It would appear so. Mars, if you would?"
"Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, also known as 'Child of Prophecy Naruto Uzumaki'. Son of Yondaime Hokage 'Yellow Flash' Minato Namikaze and Second Uzukage 'Red Hot Habanero' Kushina Uzumaki. Apprentice to Jiraiya of the Sannin, Third Jinchuuriki to the most powerful Bijuu, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Second Toad Sage, and Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. An SS-Ranked Ninja with knowledge of several original techniques such as the infamous Kinjutsu 'Rasenshuriken', among many other derivatives of his father's parent jutsu, the A-Ranked Rasengan. Level 9 Sealing Master, able to perform his father's signature 'Flying Thunder God' technique, the Hiraishin. Orders are to flee on sight. Teammates are 'Black Raven Sasuke Uchiha' and 'Sakura of the Cherry Blossom'. Dead - 25 mil. Alive - 15 mil."
Vulcan whistled, "Impressive background."
"Yeah, it is…" agreed Apollo.
…
…
…
(*KSH*)
As one, the four Goddesses fell out of their chairs.
"N-N-Nee-sama! Wh-What are you d-doing here?"
"Well…" the Goddess started, crossing her arms, "I'd noticed that none of you were contributing to the Seal, despite the fact that you all appear to be rather busy. Care to explain?"
"Erm…" Apollo stammered, "...we k-kind of… um…"
"We were trying to find out more about Uzumaki-san!"
"Minerva!"
The girls looked at their shortest sister, who'd cracked under the pressure.
Vulcan's eyes narrowed.
"Him again? Really?"
"Look," she turned to face them fully, "If you want to go off and play 'detective', that's fine by me. But we're on borrowed time here. The World is going to end because you girls can't control yourselves!"
The woman was practically shouting by the end of her rant, startling the siblings at her drastic change in demeanor. Mars stiffened, Minerva hugged her knees to her chest, and Diana looked down in shame.
Of course, different people react differently.
(*K-PMM*)
"N-Nee-sama!?" Minerva squeaked.
It was then that Apollo had stood up and slapped her palms upon the desk, staring down her older sister across the table.
"Well maybe if you could just swallow your stupid pride and let Uzumaki-kun help us, the seal would be done by now!"
The crimson-haired woman levelled a glare with her younger sibling.
"It's be 'done by now' if you all would stop obsessing over him and help me!"
"H-Hey…" Mars called.
"Honestly, what is it that's gotten you so interested in him?!" Vulcan muttered, "Everything you do seems to be related to him, one way or another! What, don't tell me you've fallen for him!?"
The girl's magenta eyes softened.
"I… I…"
The red-eyed girl almost sneered.
"That man is a scoundrel. You'd do well to stay away from him."
Apollo's gaze hardened at that, as she beat her hands upon the table once more. The aged wood creeaaaked against the strain.
"What did you just call him?!"
"You heard me," stated the Goddess calmly, "He's just like all men! A disgusting, unsophisticated beast!"
"Y-You guys…" tried Diana.
"'Unsophisticated beast'!? You're kidding, right?!" was her incredulous reply, "A master of Fuuinjutsu, adopted into one of the most prominent clans in the Elemental Nations, and you dare call him 'unsophisticated'!?"
"Please," the girl scoffed, "If you put a rat in a bird's cage, does it become a bird? Even if he were chosen by one, he has no place among them."
This time, she did sneer.
"On second thought, he's perfect for you."
"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!"
!
Everyone present turned to their quietest sibling, who'd just screamed at the top of her lungs.
"M-Minerva…"
Vulcan's eyes went wide as she realized what she'd said.
"A-Apollo… I… I didn't mean-"
The girl's expression was shadowed by her hair as she slapped her sister's hand away.
"Fine… If that's how you really feel about me…"
"...Then save it."
And she walked off without another word.
The red-haired goddess extended a hand after her, as if she were going to chase after her…
...But it was too late. Her arms were heavy, and the hand fell, unheard. The other girl disappeared, never looking back.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked to her younger sibling.
"D-Diana?"
The woman offered her a small smile.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
Vulcan gave a small nod, still shaken by her own actions.
As the Moon Goddess ran after her sister, their eldest fell to her knees and stared at the floor.
"...I've made a mess of things, didn't I?"
Day 19
8:17 P.M.
Workshop
(Uzumaki)
(*NOK NOK*)
"Come in," I called, not looking up from my work.
The door didn't make a sound as the visitor entered, but the light footsteps assured me that it wasn't Apollo, Mars, or any of my clones. Vulcan was out too, since she didn't walk anyway, and Minerva wasn't the type of person to seek me out, even if she needed something. So that left Mercury, or…
"...Diana," I said, still not looking up, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Uzumaki-kun..."
The inkbrush in my hand almost faltered when I heard that. Her too?
"I have a big favor to ask."
"Name it," I said simply, dipping the brush back into the inkpot.
"Leave."
I froze, before placing the brush down and finally turning to face her.
"...Beg pardon?"
"Just for a few days, not that long," she said.
"...And I should do this, why?" I asked, folding one leg over the other.
She began to fidget slightly.
"Well… something happened," she said, looking down, "I won't tell you the details, but it'd probably be better for everyone if you just… weren't around for a while."
I removed my glasses, placing them on my desk.
"So just to be clear," I said, crossing my arms, "You're kicking me out of my own house?"
Her expression turned to one of pleading.
"Please? It's for Apollo."
At that, my gaze softened. I turned the idea over in my head.
…
"...Fine. But you owe me big."
"Of course," she nodded, as I stood.
That expression turned into a smirk.
"And just to be clear…" she clarified, "As soon as Apollo was involved, you were all for it?"
I half-glared at the woman, "Shut it."
My reply only made her smile wider.
Day 20
5:57 A.M.
(Mercury)
(*AAAAUUHHH*)
I let out a tired yawn as I roamed the empty halls. I'd just pulled an all-nighter in the library, looking into magic to seal the Demon King. Specifically, the history of magic.
Magic was pure spiritual energy, or rather, mana. Sorcerers would use this power, often stored in tomes or channeled through some kind of specific shape, like a circle, to cast spells.
However, over time, mankind developed the ability to combine mana with physical energy. The resulting combination was thrice more effective and powerful, rendering magic obsolete, as 'jutsu' took its place.
Since then, through some form of evolution, humankind has adapted to only produce this combination. Separating the physical from the spiritual came just as easily as separating Yin and Yang. That is to say, not easy at all.
For most people anyway.
But we, the Goddesses, were special. We were born humans, but imbued with the power of the heavens. As a result, we could use both mana and 'chakra' without issue.
Once we received this power, since our bodies were already quite familiar with chakra, and due to the massive influx of mana, our energy levels skyrocketed. As such, we were able to accomplish legendary feats that no mortal could ever-
(*Haaaaaangh….*)
...What in Heaven's name?
Apparently, the noise had been a loud 'sigh', coming from the kitchen.
And that was surprising, since it hadn't come from me.
I looked inside to see Uzumaki sitting there, decked out in full ANBU combat gear. It was entirely black, aside from the porcelain Kitsune mask resting on the side of his head, which was a mix of white, black, blue, orange, and crimson.
Geez. Weren't those things meant to be simple?
He adjusted said mask with his gloved hand, the metal plates on the back glinting against the light.
"Going somewhere?" I asked, walking in.
He flinched at the sound of my voice, before slowly turning to face me.
"...Mercury?"
"Yes?"
…
…
He formed the Ram Seal.
"Kai."
…
…
…
"...I'm not a genjutsu, you moron."
His expression turned to one of chibified-annoyance.
"Well, excuse me for not exactly jumping to that conclusion."
I took a seat across from him, crossing my legs as I did.
"So, where are you headed at…" I glanced at the clock, "...6:07 in the morning?"
He gave me a look.
"Wouldn't the better question be as to why you're awake at 6:07 in the morning?"
"...Fair enough," I admitted, "I just pulled an all-nighter in your library looking through your magic books."
He sipped his coffee, quirking an eyebrow.
"Find anything worth mentioning?"
I mock-winked at him, "That's 'a secret'."
He scratched the back of his neck nervously, "You heard about that, huh?"
"How could I not have? Apollo won't shut up about you," I shrugged, "And I quote: 'I'll get his name if it's the last thing I do!"
A sweat-drop appeared on the back of his head, "She really said that?"
I smiled, "Yes, she's quite determined. Apollo hates mysteries, and that's exactly what you are."
His expression changed.
"Speaking of… the incident yesterday. Do you know what happened?"
"Not a clue. I slept right through it," I admitted, "Why?"
"Well…" he started, leaning back in his chair, "Because of whatever happened, Diana's kicking me out of the house. I'd just like to know the reason for it."
I almost did a double-take.
"Wait, she asked you to leave? And you're actually going not just without complaint, but without even knowing why?"
He shrugged, "She said it was for Apollo's sake… but that's all."
I gave a devious smile.
"Oh really now?" I said, "So all she had to do was mention Apollo and you were on board?"
One of his eyebrows rose.
"And what exactly are you implying?"
I shrugged, "I wasn't implying anything. Whatever you inferred was all you."
"Either way…" he interrupted, "It doesn't matter. All I want to do here is stop the world from being destroyed."
He nodded to himself.
"Either way, I'll do anything I can to help."
I gave him a dead-panned stare, "If you really meant that, you'd be helping us work on the seal."
"Hey, I'm letting you use my library aren't I?" he pointed out, "Besides, I'm not sure how much help I would be. Vulcan said you didn't need me anyway."
"Yeah, well, Vulcan doesn't know what she's talking about," I yawned.
He scoffed, "Honestly, what's with her? Talking about 'mortals'... What a joke."
"She acts like they're worse than trash," he continued, "She's arrogant and stuck-up all the time… She just rubs me the wrong way."
"Having grown up with her, I'm a bit biased in saying this…" I admitted, "But you get used to it. But I've never really seen her treat a mortal like this before. The only one she seems to insult like that is you."
"So what, she's got some personal vendetta against me?" he asked, incredulously, "What the Hell did I do to her?"
"Well, detaining someone, robbing them of their power, and making them walk at least 20 miles barefoot doesn't exactly leave the best impression…"
"First of all, don't blame me for that one. Blame the masks for overreacting to trespassers. And that one's kind of your fault for not wearing shoes."
I conceded to that one. A fair point.
"And hey, that was almost a month ago! Whatever happened to 'forgive and forget'?"
"Maybe that wasn't a common practice during Vulcan's time," I offered, "I'm sure the world from two-hundred years ago was a heck of a lot different than this one."
"...I'm sorry… 'Vulcan's Time'?"
I shrugged, "Yeah. Different century, different upbringing, I'd think."
"...Beg pardon?"
I blinked upon realizing he was serious.
"...You… do know that we're Goddesses, right?" I made sure, "Immortal, Agents of Heaven? Blessed with the Power of Jupiter?"
He sighed, "There it is again."
I stopped stirring the sugar in my coffee, "What?"
"That word. 'Goddesses'. Why would you call yourselves that? Seems kind of pretentious, wouldn't you say?"
I gave him a curious look.
"...Wow, you really are serious. I thought Shion-sama's letter would tell you…"
He returned the look, "Tell me what?"
"Well, we are, in nearly every meaning of the word, Goddesses. We were born mortals, yes, and raised as Priestesses of the Land of Demons, apprenticed under Shion-sama. We were all descendants of prosperous clans, and we were extraordinarily talented for our age."
"Descendants of clans? But aren't Goddesses born Goddesses?"
"Usually, yes. But we're a special case."
He nodded slowly, "That's… quite a bit to take in."
I nodded back, as he asked his next questions.
"Alright then. I'll bite. Which clans were these?"
"Well, I myself am a descendant of the Nara Clan. Minerva-sama is a distant relative of the Hyuuga Clan, and Mars-sama is a member of the near-extinct Fuuma Clan. Those are the only ones I know."
I blinked.
"Actually… I don't think I was supposed to tell you that…" I looked back to him, You didn't hear that from me, got it?"
"...Yeah, I got it."
It was his turn to blink.
"Wait, you're from different clans!? I thought you were sisters!"
"In all but blood," I said, "We left everything behind when we accepted these powers. Names, faces, and all."
"...That's terrible," he murmured, "I don't think I could ever do that. Give up who I am…"
"It was a difficult decision for us as well. And looking back on it…" I looked down, "Well... not a day goes by that I don't regret it."
"But that's how we were raised," I said, "We were like livestock, raised for the sole purpose of being vessels. Mars was already adept with weaponry, and trained to be even more so, so her transition into the Goddess of War was without issue. Minerva had always liked books, and that was pushed to be her field of expertise. Apollo had liked practicing medicine, and that became her main topic of study. I had always enjoyed-"
"I get it, I get it…" he assured me, waving his hand slightly, "But that's… wow."
"It does make a lot of sense in retrospect," I murmured, sipping my coffee, "Hindsight is 20/20 I suppose."
"...Wow…" he muttered, still reeling, "So then, Mercury isn't even your real name?"
I shook my head, "It was the name I was seen fit to be given by Jupiter. And these…"
I pointed to the white bar-like markings beneath my eye.
"They mark me as an Agent of Heaven. A brand, almost."
He sighed.
"Immortality… It's a curse, isn't it?"
I smiled grimly.
"Of course it is," I said, "And that's not everything. This power, these faces, who we are…"
"...We're Icons. Idols. Literal Deities," I continued, "People look up to us; and we're assigned the Herculean Task of defending them."
"It's exhausting…" he finished for me, "I can only imagine what that's like…"
"...I don't suppose that's a job you can retire from…"
I shook my head, "Not at all. The only way out of something like this is death."
His expression changed, "But I thought you were immortal? Doesn't that mean, you know, you can't die?"
"To some degree, yes. But as you've seen, we can be injured: wounded," I said, "And in that way, we're just like you."
I traced the marks upon my cheek, "...We just have a lot more on our shoulders. That's all."
I took a moment to finish my drink, placing the cup on the table.
"...So, if you don't mind me asking…" he started.
"What's your real name?"
I looked at him, a tired look in my eyes.
"It's been almost a century since then, Uzumaki-san… And honestly...?"
"I have no idea."
Day 20
9:26 A.M.
Hokage Tower
(*Haaah…*)
A rather old man sat at a large oak desk, a towering pile of paperwork surrounding him like some kind of bizarre fortress. He'd just let out a tired sigh, running a frail hand through his grey hair, as he finished stamping his approval of a new restaurant opening.
He pushed up his thick glasses as he moved on to the next one. This time, it was a mission report for a B-Rank to the Land of Iron.
It was really a shame. Over the years, in these peaceful times, Konoha's Military had greatly declined in both quality and quantity. As of now, there were barely enough Jonin to tutor Genin. Not only that, but now, the majority of said Jonin weren't even ready for anything above an A-Rank, severely limiting the Village's Mission Income.
And don't even start on ANBU.
The group probably had 70 members tops, and the majority of them were A-Ranked level at best, C-Ranked at worst; an unthinkable state in previous generations!
He sighed again.
'Honestly… It was so much better when…'
'...he was Hokage...'
(*NOK NOK*)
'...Well, speak of the devil...'
The man grinned, and looked up from his work as the person came in. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
"Well, well. Look who's back from the dead."
The blond at the door smirked, "I could say the same to you, Junior."
The two shared a hearty laugh, as the blond walked up and they shook hands.
"Good to see you, Naruto."
"You too, Itachi."
And we're done.
I'd imagine you all have a lot of questions…
But I'd like you to take a look at every conversation regarding Uzumaki's identity. Then come back to me.
Review, if you'd be so kind?
- Objection234 (Akane Sasu Sora on YouTube)