Fukkatsu: The New World Order
Chapter 4: Premonitions
As Susumu squirmed on the ground, clutching his head as emotions, images, and persona's flooded his psyche, his two watchers glanced nervously at each other.
Midori began to fidget agitatedly, glancing about for other people who may have been watching Susumu's fit. "Hm. Perhaps this wasn't as brilliant of an idea as I once thought."
Jason could only shake his head. "You outdid yourself, Itachi." Suddenly, a kunai appeared in the boy's hand, and he glared up at the taller female. "Now, what else did you have in mind? He is still my pupil, somewhat. I won't allow you to hurt him."
From seemingly nowhere, a very feminine persona replaced the cool, calculating one. Midori was once again herself, and the fear and sorrow she felt for Susumu pervaded even Jason's mind. "I don't know who you are, Kakashi, but I won't hurt him, and neither will Itachi."
Inside of her mind, Itachi could only smirk. I was never planning on hurting him, Midori-san. I was simply attempting to open his mind.
Midori half-nodded to herself, half to Itachi. "I know, Itachi-kun...I know."
"Was this really necessary, Midori-san?" Jason asked, Kakashi having retreated back into the recesses of his mind. As Jason understood it, the longer an entity had control, the weaker it became. Soon, it had to relinquish control, or risk damage to its hosts' body. Or, that's what Kakashi had explained to him, at least.
Midori sighed as she continued to watch Susumu writhing on the ground. "Yes, Jason-san. Someone had to tell him. If no one had told him, his personality and self-consciousness would have been swallowed up by his other self." She seemed to not even notice Jason's reproving glare. Her legs began to move forward, and silently, she went to the boy, kneeling and holding his shoulders, attempting to support him as his convulsions worsened. "You're going to be ok," she cooed, stroking his shoulder. "Just...just don't let him take over. Fight it, kid. Fight."
She felt bad for him. Sasuke's memories couldn't be pleasant, especially after she had gone through Itachi's memories. One Uchiha's memories were plenty for a single life-time. Two life-times was far too much. You made sure that he was miserable, right? Are you proud of yourself, Itachi-san? She said, sneering slightly at her other half.
I had my reasons,Midori-san, Itachi replied non-chalantly.
You're right, Itachi-san. Snapping out of her inner conversation, she saw the twitching beginning to diminish. "Hold on, Susumu. Hold on!"
Nervously, Takziki stood behind a lone trash receptacle in the back-alley where he had retreated to. He hadn't thought about the consequences of using chakra, jutsu's, or anything like that. All he had wanted was the ability to be something else, something besides a screw up who was just good at math. He didn't want to be just a baker's son in the middle of Tokyo. He wanted to grow up and do something with his life.
As he stood in the alleyway, willing his hand to return to normal size and smiling when it finally did so, he began to think. What about this new power he had discovered? What could he do with it? When should he use it? Why or how should he use it? Could he be a superhero? He pondered it more and more...but never took notice of the stranger, slowly creeping up behind him.
"Oy! Kid, give me your money. Now!" Takziki yelped slightly, jumping around to stare at the man behind him, brandishing a very dangerous looking knife. Probably thirty years old, ratty and torn looking. He held nothing more than the knife, but it was enough to put fear into Takziki's heart. Never really one for fighting or being at all brave, the boy shrank back, trying to find a route for escape.
"I...I..." Takziki stuttered. He didn't have any money, and what money he did have was safely tucked away in the sock drawer at his small apartment.
The man snarled, taking a menacing step towards him. "Don't you play smart with me, you little son-of-a-bitch! Just give it up...or things are going to get real bad like, got it?" Takziki gulped, trying to walk slowly back into the street. The man must have picked up on it, because he threatened him again. "I said don't play smart, kid! Stay right there and hand it over...or your parents are going to need to find themselves a body bag!"
After nearly a half-hour of teeth grinding and muscle twitching, Susumu's spasms began to diminish. "Mi...Midori-san? Wha...what happened?" Susumu stuttered, holding his aching head as visions continued to swim shakily through his vision.
Midori just hugged Susumu closer, a tear etching down her face. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alright, Susu-kun. So glad..."
Jason's eyes rolled as he knelt down, placing a hand on Susumu's arm and sending a small shock of chakra into Susumu's shaken body, trying to ease the flow of blood pounding through Susumu's frame. He knew what it was like, reawakening into the other's psyche. He had had the unpleasantry of discovering them in school. He was still being called names.
As he felt his body give in to the chakra surge, Susumu sighed. Blinking through the haze, he stared up at what he could tell was a silvery form in front of him, giving him a small nod of the head. "T-thanks..." he managed. Then, he blinked. "K...Kakashi?"
Jason frowned slightly at having been called that, but slowly, he nodded. "Hai. Kakashi."
"Good job," Midori said, nodding at Jason. Lowering Susumu to the ground slowly from where she had been holding him, she stood, wiping off her forehead. Good. He remembers now. Not everything yet, but now he knows who he is and where he comes from. She smiled, and then a thought occurred. Wait. He knows who I am then. Her teeth clenched in reaction. Let's see...a logical reaction or a murderous rampage? Crap...why did he follow us again? Damn curiousity. Well...goodbye peaceful night.
Hina tried not to cry out as Moriko grasped her hand and dragged her around the corner towards the ramen shop. But, as they bolted around the brick building, Hina's eye caught something. Looking back, she gazed past pink pair and busy streets to see the boy that she had run into, trapped in the back of an alleyway. "Wait! Momo!" She shouted, tugging back against the blond.
Momo felt herself be completely reversed, catching her footing luckily and letting Hina pull her in a different direction. Had she run the wrong way?
Hina tugged fervently. "That boy! That boy from the street! He's being mugged!"
Momo's eyes widened and blinked rapidly as what Hina was saying penetrated her. Mugged? Momo was pretty sure that being mugged was just as bad in Japan as it was in America.
Now Hina had done it, and she knew it. She had heard enough already about Moriko's felony-filled past, and Hina knew that the blond could kick some serious ass...and kick it hard. Gesturing down the dark alley across the street, she implored again. "Over there, Momo! We have to help him!"
Narrowing her eyes and quickly reversing her position, Momo began to pull Hina along with her, heading across the street and toward the alley. Her free hand balled into a fist as her eyes adjusted quickly to the dim lighting.
Diving forward, Momo positioned herself in front of Takziki, taking a street fighter's stance. Her hands outstretched and her knees bent as she stood, despite Momo wearing a fairly tight fitting skirt. Glaring balefully at the man in front of her, she grinned.
He was old. Old...and most likely, probably very slow. At least, slower than Momo at any rate. As she entered the scene, his eyes widened in surprise. Never thought a girl would come to the rescue, huh tough guy? She thought to herself. Her eyes skimmed him, and she took in his ratty appearance and shoddy look. Deducing that the man only carried the knife that was in his hand, she smirked. None of his pockets held anything, and nothing seemed tucked away in a waistband.
Momo rolled her eyes. Amature...
As she watched, what she said went through Hina's mind over and over. Okay, so Momo had to help him. Come on, Hina she thought to herself sourly, almost as if she were ashamed, or as if she should have known better. Seriously, this was the same mousy, near-sighted, pink-haired fifteen year old girl with the four-point GPA.
But that was the jist of her accomplishments. Excluding Momo, who was newly acquired and didn't even make the tally, Hina had no friends or social life outside of the nerdy study groups she attended. She didn't even have any friends at the dojo.
She didn't even want to imagine what would happen if she involved herself in a battle against a mugger. Sure, Hina had this odd, unimaginable strength that she still had a hard time comprehending, and she was a black-belt at the aforementioned dojo, but she didn't have the guts to harm another human being...even if he was a mugger. Because, once standing face-to-face with him, she wouldn't see a mugger, or a killer, or a bad person. She would just see a man.
"I'll let you off easy...if you just go away now," Momo said, tucking in her right arm in a ready position for a punch or snatch. Motioning at Hina, she gestured at Takziki. "Hina, can you get this guy out of here." He seemed in shock at the moment, and Momo didn't need him in the way if she had to fight.
The man grimaced, twirling his knife with more expertise than Momo would have given him credit for. "No one is going anywhere, little girl. Now you're all gonna pay up, or your blood is going to be all over this nice, tidy ground we're standing on. Give it up...now!"
"Shut up, you sorry excuse for a human being!" Momo retorted, cracking her neck in anticipation. Though she didn't want to admit it, this was exciting! She almost would have felt ashamed, but getting into a fight was thoroughly the best time she ever had.
Grimacing to herself, Hina thought about how badly she wanted to slam the guy's face in, and she would do it to if someone else didn't. But she knew afterward that she would be plagued by the guilt of having struck another person down. She would go over and over in her mind about the thrust, the impact...the blood.
Stepping to the right, Hina slowly took Takziki's hand, leading him away. "I'm sorry," she said to no one in particular. She couldn't fight in real life, and she couldn't put herself in harm's way. Best to let Momo take care of things.
"I said...you aren't going ANYWHERE!" The mugger yelled, taking a few steps forward to counter Hina's movement. Seeing this, Momo stepped over as well, her right hand snaking out and grabbing hold of the mugger's right, the knife poised. With a twist, it dropped painfully onto the ground, the mugger giving a small cry as his arm wrenched. Momo's foot came up, planting itself firmly into the man's cranium, her hand not letting go as she jumped up, her other foot swinging about forcefully and planting itself into his head. Head over heels he tumbled, slamming into a dumpster. A bag of trash rolled sloppily off of a heap, directly into the man's face as he stuttered to get his breath back.
Her eyes flaming, Momo got back into position, glaring directly at the man on the ground. "I warned you...but you tried to get to my friend. I can't forgive you for that..."
Hina watched the scene with a grin, watching her friend throw the man around. Giving Takziki another small yank, they both began to back out of the alleyway, Takziki shaking slightly in Hina's grasp. Poor guy, she thought. This can't be much fun.
Slowly, the man got to his feet, clutching his shoulder and ribs. Spitting out a small stream of blood, the mugger gave Momo a long stare through an eye that was almost shut. "You...stupid little girl. I'm going...to kill you..."
"I'd like to see you try, asshole," she said, still smiling. His roar echoed through the alley as he began running straight at her, his fist cocked back. Suddenly, her mind went blank, her fists and feet moving on their own accord. As the man reached her, his fist coming down, she dodged under, both hands moving like flashes. Her right smashed into his face, her left crushing into his lower ribs. As she connected, she grunted out words that she had never heard before. "OTO...MI...YA!" As the man staggered backwards under the force of the blows, Momo glanced to the side, eying a trash can with interest, jumping into the air, she landed gracefully on it, flipping in mid-air. Her right foot came down, smashing into the back of the man's head as her words echoed about her. "MORIKO RENDAN!"
The mugger went down without another word, lying prostrate on the ground as Momo stood up, catching her breath. She didn't know if the man was out cold, but she could tell that he was done.
Seeing the knife on the ground where the man had dropped it, Hina took the opportunity to snatch it up, not taking a closer look at the intricate carvings and dropping it into her purse. Watching Momo in action gave her a new found respect for her friend, and as Momo gave her final farewell's to the man lying in the alley, Hina only smiled. "I suggest you don't do this anymore, dude. Honestly...you pretty much suck at it. So, don't quit your day job. Unless, of course, you know...this is your day job, in which case, you may want to quit it."
Flipping her blond pigtails, she sighed as she walked out of the alley. Hina was there, along with the boy they had rescued, and Hina let loose with a whoop. "Momo! That was fantastic! Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Momo smiled, her hand coming up to rub her head ruefully. "Um...well, on the street, I guess. It was nothing, really. Nothing. But, that was busy work. I'm hungry!"
Hina smiled. "I'm hungry too," she agreed. Suddenly realizing that the two weren't alone, she turned, nodding at Takziki. "My name is Hinageshi, by the way. This is Moriko. But, you can call us Hina and Momo. Would you...um...care to get a bite to eat?"
Interrupting, Momo smiled, throwing an arm about both Hina and Takziki. "Yep! Full name, Otomiya Moriko Usagi. But, as Hina here has said so quaintly, Momo will work just fine." Relaxing, she cracked her knuckles, stretching her arms out. "You two are alright then, yeah? Right?"
Hina blinked, trying hard not to say something sarcastic, but thinking it very loud. Yeah, because I tooootally got my hands dirty in the one, Momo. With a gasp, she clasped her hands over her mouth and her eyes went wide. "I'm so sorry, Momo!" she apologized.
Momo gave her a strange stare, and Hina suddenly remembered that she had an internal dialog. Blushing furiously, Hina shook her head and put on her best fake-your-best-smile smile. "Yep! I'm alright. Thanks Momo! You were great!" I don't know why I'm so jealous all of a sudden, Hina thought to herself, giggling softly to write off her prior strange behavior. Everyone had been acting a bit strangely lately, and she wasn't certain why. Maybe it was PMS...but then again, the boys seemed to be acting out, too.
Momo continued to give her a loose stare, then shrugged. "Hm. Well, it's only my first day here in Japan, and already I've beaten someone up." She giggled. "Well, that's promising." She knew her father would not be pleased at all, but then again, he didn't have to know.
Suddenly, her nose twitched as she caught the scent of beef flavored ramen. She felt her toes practically curl...she could almost taste it! She caught herself. She had never had beef flavored ramen before, or at least, never had the real stuff. So...why...?
She shook off the feeling as extreme hunger. Smiling, she turned to the other two. "Come on! I need ramen...right now!" she said, clapping her hands together.
It was then that Takziki found his tongue. Having never been mugged before, or even been in a good fight before, he was still in a daze. For some reason, he also felt vulnerable. He had had two girls fight a battle that he had been incapable of moving in. While they had been talking, he was still sorting the fight out. The invitation to the ramen bar had barely registered. Am...am I really that weak? No...no, of course not. But still... He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. As soon as he knew the expansion jutsu, it would never happen again.
His mouth opened, and words came forth. "T...thank you both. I...well. I think I'll join you after all. I think ramen is just what I need, in lieu of other things." As both girls turned to look at him, he slowly bowed his head. "My name is Takziki. Fujiyomo Takziki. You may call me Taki, if you wish."
Smiling, Hina nodded at him. "It's lovely to meet you, Takziki-san. I'm glad that you'll be joining us." Suddenly, her feet left the pavement, and she began sprinting towards their destination, the words, "RACE YA!" lingering in the air. Both of the other teens glanced at each other before smiles plastered on their faces, and they took off into the crowd, making their way towards the ramen bar at the end of the street.
Ichiraku's ramen bar, the best known ramen bar in Tokyo.
Slowly regaining his senses, Susumu staggered to his feet. Clutching his head, he smiled weakly at the two still watching him. "S...Sorry."
Throwing a glare at Midori, Jason sighed. "It's not your fault, Susumu. Don't be sorry."
Midori sighed as well. "He's right, Susumu. It's my fault. I'm the one who should be sorry." Bowing her head in regret, she closed her eyes.
Quite quickly, Susumu's attitude changed slightly. Giving Midori a sharp look, he grunted. "I can't believe someone like you ended up a girl." Still trying to orientate himself, he attempted to get under control. If Midori was who he thought she was, than he was in no condition to fight just now. Still, Itachi...apologizing? What was the woman playing at?
Brushing himself off, as if he had phantom dust on himself, Jason sighed, turning. "Just go home and think for a while. I'll be...around. As Kakashi always says, walking on the path of life and what not," he muttered, walking into the street and heading back to his own home. It had been a rather strange day, and he needed to do some reading and get to sleep.
Midori remained, smirking at Susumu, who continued to glare at her. "He can't believe it either. But, before you judge me, you must know that Itachi and I are not the same person. Now, do as Kakashi says, and go home." Smiling, she turned, giving him a butt-flounce and a wave of her hand. "Ja ne...little bro. Teeheehee..." Then, she poofed away, her smoke billowing around Susumu's form as he glanced nervously about.
Unsure of what to do, Susumu took the advice to heart. Head aching, Susumu turned and made his way back to his house. He had a LOT of thinking to do, and he felt that he hadn't slept for days on end.
It didn't take him long, and he wasn't sure how he had managed to get home, but he did. Walking into the house and kicking off his sandals, he made his way wearily upstairs, where he knew his bed was waiting for him. Ignoring his father who asked him where on Earth he had been, and his mother's worried "Susu-chan?" as he passed, Susumu entered his room, closing the door and giving into the pain.
Whimpering, he covered his eyes as he crawled into bed, not caring about the clothes he wore. Curling up, he let himself drift off into an uneasy sleep filled with partially formed memories and feverish nightmares.
Being as athletic as she was, Hina made it first easily to the ramen bar. Of course, the head-start that she took was a contributing factor. As she dove into the ramen bar, her arm extended out, tagging the bar. A triumphant smile plastered itself on her face as she turned and watched Momo and Takziki filter in slowly. Sticking out her tongue, she shrugged at both of them. "Sorry. Just thought it'd be fun for a change. I guess I didn't deserve the head-start." Bowing, she apologized again, but the grin never vanished from off of her face.
It would have been something spontaneous that Momo would have thought that she would have brought up, but oh well. "Cheater..." she murmured softly, and then laughed. "Naw, just kidding. That was an awesome race, Hina!" Pulling Hina into a half-hug, she hip bumped her, making the pinkette lose her footing slightly and laughing at the awkward way she pulled herself back up.
Momo winked at her as Hina threw her a pout. "All's fair, all's fair. Now, let's order! Takziki-san! Over here!" She gave Takziki a wave as he glanced about nervously, motioning to a booth.
The boy looked around for a moment before where they were dawned on him. Ichiraku's Ramen Bar, huh? Good. Seeing the casual glances people were giving him, he coughed politely, going to the booth and sitting opposite of Momo and Hina, who had just sat down herself.
A kindly girl walked up, holding a pad of paper and bowing formally to them. "Welcome to Ichiraku's Ramen Bar! Can I be of service today?"
Takziki smiled at her, raising his eyes. "Oy, Mizu-chan."
The woman blinked for a moment before she smiled. "Oh...Takziki-san. Konnichiwa! I didn't recognize you at first." Then, she leaned down, winking at him. "Who are your lady friends, huh?"
Takziki blushed, nodding at each of them in turn. "This is Moriko and Hinageshi, Momo and Hina. Can we get some ramen, Mizu-chan? We had a long day, and I almost died...seriously, almost died. At the moment, we're all dying...of hunger. Not really, but you know what I mean."
Mizu blinked. "Almost died? What happened, Takziki-san?"
Momo smiled, leaning over the table. "It was awesome! Some guy had Takziki cornered in an alley, and Hina and I were all like 'oh no! Let's go save the day!' And then this guy totally took out a knife, and I was all like, 'wahhhhh!' and hit him in the face! And he was all like, 'bam!' and smashed into this dumpster, and then I was like, 'boom sucka!' and hit him in the head with my foot, and Takziki and Hina here started hitting him with bats! It was a-ma-zing!"
Mizu glanced at the three strangely, a smile cracking on her lips. "Riiigght...three bowls of ramen, coming right up. Interesting friends you have, Takziki-san. Interesting..."
As the girl left, Momo burst out into raucous laughter, more at the sake of her own account of what happened than the girls reaction to it. Takziki even allowed himself a small smile.
Hina turned to Takziki, crooking her head slightly. "How did that girl know you, Taki-san?"
"My father supplies this place with their noodles and bread," Takziki replied. "We should get good service here." Sometimes it helped to be the son of a bakery mogul after all.
Momo smiled brightly, her laughter having subsided. "Wow! That's really cool, Takziki-san!" Then, she sighed, snuggling down in the bench seat. "This day just gets better." Her hand wandered on the table, and she picked up the utensils. They were only chop sticks. Furrowing her brow, she gazed at them. "Hmm...do you think they have spoons or something?" She whispered lightly, poking Hina.
Takziki smirked. "I'm sure American tourists come here every once in a while, so they have to have forks for those without the...ahem...sophistication to use chopsticks." Making sure to smile at the last part so the blond would know he was joking, he grabbed a pair of the chopsticks, whittling them apart in his hands. Than, he began strumming on the table top.
"This seems rather boring, just waiting. Especially after what happened today," he said to himself, almost thoughtfully.
Momo's eyebrow had risen slightly at Takziki's joke, but then, her humor got the best of her, and she smiled along with him. Hearing his comment, she nodded. "Hai, Taki-san. It does seem boring." Then, she turned. "Did that guy in the alley just randomly jump you? Or was that creep following you for a while?" Her eyebrow rose slightly as well. "Just curious, but...what were you doing in that alley anyway?"
Taken slightly aback at the question, Takziki blushed, lowering his head to try and regain composure before the girl saw. Sitting near a pretty girl had already began to make him nervous. How was he going to ever answer that question? "Oh...well...erm...he...uh..." He coughed, regaining some sense of dignity. As nonchalantly as possible, he said, "I think that he was always in that alley. I just didn't see him when I walked into it. As for me, I was...well..." He glanced about, trying to find an answer before locking eyes with Momo. "I was reading. I guess I was trying to find somewhere more quiet. So much for that, huh?" He hoped the answer would be good enough. Damn it. I need to get this chakra control thing down pat. Otherwise, something else might happen like it did today. Only next time, I may not have heroes on my side...
Hina merely smiled politely, fingering her chopsticks. Somehow, I'm just not buying into that explanation.
Momo nodded. "So...reading?" She asked slowly. Shrugging, she added, "well, just stay away from those alleys." Winking at him, she said, "you might not be saved next time." Giggling, she reached over the table, giving him a slight punch on the arm for emphasis. "I'm sure any alley anywhere in the world is going to be dangerous, so...yeah."
"Here you are." The waitress had come back, placing two bowls on the table. Momo sighed with contentment, reaching over and taking her bowl from Mizu herself.
"Thank you soooo much!" Momo said, placing her bowl on the table and eying it with sadistic pleasure. "Looks soooo good!"
"Actually, the book I found is quite interesting," Takziki said, picking slowly at his food. The nervous energy he felt had sated his appetite easily. "Here, take a look." He began digging in his pocket, coming up with a small handbook. It was only a hundred pages or so, and the author wasn't well known, but it was interesting. Especially in the way it talked about chakra, and the ability to use it. "It's called Past Warriors: A Look Into Ancient Fighting Styles and Element Manipulation. Here." He laid the book near Hina's arm, turning back to his ramen.
Glancing at the book with a mouthful of ramen, Momo blinked at the title. "Past Warriors: A Look Into Ancient Fighting Styles and Element Manipulation?" Furrowing her brow, she took the small book and opened it, reading a passage to herself. "Hm...interesting." She leaned over, allowing Hina a look at it as well.
Staring curiously at the book on the table, Hina tried not to show too much interest as she began picking at her ramen. She didn't wish to splatter broth all over her brother's sweater. If she did, she would have to wash it for the fourth time that week.
However, Momo's interest in the little book made it hard for Hina to resist. What about the book was so special that Takziki had to read it in a shady alley? "I hope you don't mind," she whispered, motioning at it. Takziki nodded as she picked it up, fingering the spine and flipping through the pages. The entire time, she held onto the title, the words ringing around in her head. Past Warriors: A Look Into Ancient Fighting Styles and Element Manipulation she thought over and over again. As her eyes skimmed over the words on the pages, she frowned, feeling strangely familiar with the book.
As her eyes zipped over the words formed in the ink, she seemed to recall having read it somewhere before. Everything she read in the small pamphlet she seemed to have already known somehow, but the title of the book was unfamiliar to her, as well as the author. Whether or not the author was a big bestseller or not, Hina had a photographic memory and would've recalled the heading or novelist if she had read even a paragraph in the entirety of her short lifetime.
That's strange, she thought, putting the book back down on the table. Takziki sure had an extraordinary taste in books. "Well, it's certainly interesting," she said, humoring herself and her friends. It would probably be best if Hina just wrote the recollection off as a fraudulent deja vu. But...where do I know this from?
Momo idly watched as Hina flipped through the first few pages of the book. She had found it very interesting as well, but she didn't have the patience to read and she knew it. It was just a curse. No matter how much she'd want to read it, she'd end up skimming the good parts. Momo always waited for the movie version, anyway.
Turning her attention from the book to her ramen, she began to dig in. Realizing how hungry she really was and how empty her stomach was, she found that she had a knack for using chopsticks and that the ramen was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted before. No American food could hope to compare with the Japanese art form.
Though, maybe that was because she was so hungry. A part of her just couldn't help but love the meal. Bringing the bowl to her lips, she slurped down the remaining broth, politely putting down the bowl and licking her lips. Turning, she offered the dish to Mizu, who had walked back to the table. "Seconds please!" She chimed with sparkling eyes, not resisting having more. She smiled across the table at Takziki and nudged Hina. "This stuff is good!"
Takziki watched the blond down her bowl of ramen, shaking his head. Strange, he thought. People think that I eat too much. Ha!
Laughing softly, Hina eyed Momo teasingly. "You want seconds already?" She was wondering just how the tiny blond girl had managed to down that bowl of ramen so quickly. If anything, Momo definitely had a boy's appetite. "Well, I think just this one is good enough for me," she admitted, gesturing down at her half-empty bowl of ramen. Her eyes were still peeled to the book. "I have to say, Takziki-san, this book is rather interesting."
Takziki smiled half-heartedly, picking up a piece of beef and eating it. "Yeah, it kinda grows on you. I don't really know how I found it. I saw it on the counter of some mom-and-pop bookstore, and it looked like a good read. Though, some of it is...a bit dry." He turned back to his ramen, stirring a noodle into a whirlpool shaped pattern. His thoughts went briefly back to the day he had gone to the fortune teller's for a reading.
"Dad, why am I here again?" he asked.
His father was a superstitious man. Turning to his son, he smiled. "You're going to talk to a fortune teller, son. Isn't that interesting?" Takziki snorted, turning his head and facing into the distance.'Yeah, thanks dad. Thanks for ruining my whole day with this...bull.
Walking into the small room, Takziki peered about at all the oddities sitting on the shelves and bookcases. Tons of weird stuff. Eyes and tongues, ears in jars, pickles wings of animals, extracts from the roots of strange plants. "Do I really have to do this, dad?" he asked, attempting to appeal to his father one last time.
His father merely snortled. "Yes, Takziki-kun. It's good for you to know things like this." As they stood, an ancient looking old hag walked in, pointing at them to sit. They did, Takziki taking the chair closest to his father...and the exit.
Cackling lightly, the crone sat as well, staring across the table directly at Takziki, who fidgeted nervously. "Come...come. Tell me what you wish of me."
His father cocked his head at her, motioning at the boy next to him. "Can you tell us the boy's past and future? He needs to know that kind of stuff."
The old woman wheezed slightly, pouring something onto the crystal and staring at it. "Very well. Come young one. Gaze into the crystal ball. See your fate." Rolling his eyes and sighing, Takziki did as told, wondering how fast he could run out of the building. Suddenly, a picture appeared, and he glared at it. It was his reflection, only...he was much larger, and different looking. The person he was staring at had paint and tattoo's on his face. His hair was different, but the body...and the face.
"What is that?" Takziki asked, glancing at the woman. She shrugged, pointing at the ball again.
"That is for you to know. I can only show what has happened and what may happen. Only you may see it."
Takziki nodded at her, gazing back at the crystal. There he was, just standing there. Slowly, his body transformed, becoming a ball. Another image. This time, a girl with blond hair, and a boy that had hair that looked like...a pineapple? They were standing there with him. Others appeared as well. A boy with blond hair and whiskers on his face. A girl with pink hair. Another girl with dark hair and pearl colored eyes. A boy with a dog on his head. A boy with his hair cut in a bowl. Another boy with the same, pearl covered eyes as the girl from before.
Takziki watched as more faces and bodies emerged, wondering at the lifelike reality he was seeing. It was quite the show. But, that's all it was. A show.
Standing, Takziki snorted. "This is stupid dad! She's just a crazy old woman and this is nothing but a hoax. Let's get out of here." Turning, he marched resolutely out the door. His father must have paid and apologized, because he had taken a few minutes to join him. Takziki was already in the car, muttering to himself. He had much to think about that day. Was it all a sham? Was it...something more? What exactly was it?
A commotion from behind him brought him back to the present. He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. They still nagged at him, nonetheless.
The waitress returned, bowing as she laid the bowl of noodles in front of Momo. Clasping her hands together in delight, Momo turned to her. "Arigatoo, Mizu-chan!"
The waitress seemed to enjoy being called by her first name, as she smiled sweetly, bowing again. "Hai, Momo-chan." As she left, Momo glanced to the left at Hina's half-empty bowl, and she quirked an eyebrow at the pinkette. "You're already done? You hardly ate anything, Hina!" Momo smiled, tapping Hina's forehead with her chopsticks. "So, where are we heading after this, huh?"
Hina sighed, picking up her purse on the bench. "Well, I suppose I should be getting home. We have school tomorrow, and I need to study. I have a huge math test, and I have studying up the yingus to do."
Takziki nodded. "Hai, I think I'm in your class. That means that your math test is my math test. Maybe I'll see you there?"
"Of course!" Hina quipped, smiling. Turning to Momo, she gave the blond a hug. "Thanks for coming out with me! This was fun!"
"Are you kidding!?" Momo said, taking another bite. "I got to have the best ramen in the world, meet new people, and beat up a guy in an alley! Today was great! I should be thanking you!"
Finishing the bowl of ramen, Momo and the others stood up, walking out of the restaurant and getting a ride back to their side of the city on the monorail. As they left the bus station, they waved at each other. "See you at school!" They all said together, turning and walking off in their prospective directions.
Susumu watched the ceiling dully, one hand behind his head, the other covering his still aching forehead. Somehow during the night, Susumu had managed to sort out most of his, or Sasuke's as he had learned, memories. He was making sense of some of them. Some of the mental footage was still a blur to him, but from some of the things Susumu remembered more clearly, he hoped to god they stayed that way. He felt things he had never felt before, such sadness and rage that it had left him feeling emotionally drained. According to his memories, he had been some kind of shinobi of a powerful clan called Uchiha. What he wanted now was answers. Surely there had to be reasons for him remembering all of this stuff. There had to be reasons his old sensei and brother had been reincarnated.
Suddenly, Susumu sat up and choked. His brother, the murdering guy that he was, was a girl...and worked with his father! If that wasn't enough, it sounded like she actually cared for him, which freaked him out. No way! What was he...uh, she playing at!?
Susumu put his head in his hands and groaned. Why couldn't he be a normal guy? Why did he have to have the messed up past and have to remember it? There was only one thing he could think of now. Why were the shinobi of the past being reincarnated? Did it mean something?
"I think..." he muttered softly to himself, "that I need to find Ita...I mean, Midori." He tried hard not to think about Itachi. He didn't want to ignite the sleeping rage that lurked deep within him at the thought of that name. "Maybe I should find Kakashi or whatever his name is now. Maybe they'll have answers, or some idea. It can't all be coincidence that..."
"Susu-chan!" Susumu almost fell off of his bed as his name was yelled into his room. Then, his pride as Sasuke kicked in and he grimaced at being called -chan at all. "It's time for school, Susu-chan! You don't want to be late on your first day!"
Susumu blinked, wincing. "I don't really need this right now," he moaned. His head still felt muddled and confused, as if someone had stuffed cotton into it. Still, he reluctantly pushed himself out of bed and got ready. He would think about everything later. Right now, he needed to do something...Susumu-ish, before he went completely insane.
Once again, that dreaded alarm clock. She had had to borrow her father's because she had broken her last one. It beeped...and beeped...and wouldn't stop beeping. Tsumi-chi's hand slammed down on the button and...broke it. Hearing the crackling of wires, she opened one eye groggily.
"Kyaa..." Staring at the alarm clock smashed on her dressing table, she gazed down at her own hand. "Eh? How did I..."
"What was that noise?!" Her father asked, walking straight in without knocking. Seeing his messy haired, barely dressed daughter, kneeling on her bed, desperately shoving clock parts under her covers, he smiled, shaking his head.
"Oh...um...Daifu...heh...hehe..."
"Mhm. Tsumi-chi, it's time to get up. School..."
"Hai," Tsumi-chi nodded, not caring about her physical appearance as her head nodded rapidly. Her father turned, about to walk out, before he stopped at the door, almost leisurely.
"By the way, you're paying for a new clock."
Tsumi-chi paused for a moment before groaning heavily. Her father chuckled as he left the room, and she dove off the bed, cleaning herself up before tugging on her uniform. Adjusting it slightly to suit her needs, slightly loose but not sloppy, she added a few hair-bands round her wrist before putting on a skirt.
Her arm slipped, and she heard the rip of fabric of one of the hems. "Aw geez..." Why did she feel so out of place lately? Forgetting how to put on a skirt...feeling dizzy...the deja vu...breaking clocks?
"Hurry up, Tsumi!" Her mother called from downstairs.
Rolling her eyes, Tsumi-chi rushed down the stairs, shoving a piece of toast in her mouth whilst brushing her hair and preparing rice balls for lunch. Thank the gods I'm a girl or this multi-tasking thing would be impossible. Hopping on one foot as her other slipped into a shoe, she waved a hasty goodbye to everyone in the house as she slipped out the door. Glancing at her watch, she grimaced. Only a few minutes before the train gets there. I have to hurry!
Susumu had managed to get out of the house avoiding his father and only having minimal contact with his mother, since she was fussing about the state he had come home in the night before and left at a jog, sighing. Acting normal was odd, especially when he had two sets of normal acting to do. The first thing he wanted to do was be indifferent and slightly shy, the other being stoic, cold, and icily angry with a righteous fury behind it. It was scary. However, he had managed to focus on Susumu long enough to get out without raising suspicion, heading off to the train. Maybe he would see Kakashi there. Perhaps he could explain some of what he was feeling, and help sort out some of the memories.
Sighing into her pillow, Hina balled her fists around the cool cover, inhaling the fresh, crisp scent of her herbal shampoo. She knew it was Monday morning, and that she had school in about an hour and a half, but her alarm clock had yet to ring and she knew the little regulator in her head had chosen to wake her up a few minutes early.
Rolling over to shut the little purple mechanism off before it could begin blaring in her ears, she clicked the on/off button and slid off of the bed, leaving the covers in a relatively neat form behind her. Walking over to her vanity, she began to brush her hair, which wasn't much of a task considering it didn't tangle too easily.
She washed up in the too-large bathroom (with the checkerboard tiles and the shiny porcelain appliances), and got into her closet, dressing in the dry-cleaned skirt and shirt which was her uniform. It was rather impressive attire for just a standard high school, though theirs was far from standard. The Academy was a private high school, filled with cliques and clubs.
Like a good girl with something to do, she went to check yesterday's mail. She had come home so late from downtown after picking up Momo's uniform from the little tailor, that all of the chores had to be ignored. There was no note by the door and she was wondering if her parents had even come home work.
As she picked up the mail, she sighed. It was all junk mail.
Walking into the kitchen, she ate a small breakfast before pulling on her knee-highs and her shoes. Remember your glasses, she reminded herself, finding them with ease and slipping on the silver-framed spectacles.
Shortly afterward she was on the metro's first-class car in her uniform and her reading glasses (which she only wore to school). Only half-way to school did her head jerk up and a gasp explode from her mouth. "I forgot about Momo!" she shouted. Hadn't they set up transportation arrangements? Hina cursed softly to herself. She was a genius, sure, but she could be such an airhead at times. "Please forgive me, Momo," she said over and over to herself.
There was no way back home at this point. The metro had almost reached the school district station where she could either take a bus or walk the rest of the way to the Academy. Then again, those were really only Hina's choices of preference. It was a private school, after all, paid for by rich parents and rich guardians, so chauffeurs were also an option.
Momo rolled over, the blankets randomly tossed and messed up. One blanket wrapped around her arms and limbs, her clock beeped a total of four times, already muffled on the ground by one of her many blankets. A curse of having a huge bed...
"Otomiya-sama...Otomiya-sama!" The maid looked puzzled as Momo slept on, snoring like a bear in a cave. The maid brushed her hands nervously on her apron and sauntered up. She gave Momo a quick shake, gently at first, but when Momo simply brushed her off with a lazy wave, she shoved her a bit harder.
Momo woke with a start, bolting upright in her bed and glancing at the maid. "Huh...wha?" she murmured, still half-asleep.
"You're going to be late," began the maid, and then, noticing Momo's blank expression, she continued to say, "for school, Otomiya-sama."
"Oh...alright. Five minutes..." Momo said, turning around and laying back down. Then, the realization hit her. "Oh...damn!" She yelled, bolting upright. Getting to her feet, she ran to her closet, pulling out her uniform. She smiled as she yanked it on. She liked it. It was so adorable!
Hopping into her shoes, she ran to the bathroom, washing and brushing this and that. Her thoughts drifted to Hina, and she hit her forehead with her brush.
"Oh! Hina! Damn damn damn! Damn it all!" She cursed.
Running from the bathroom, she quickly grabbed her books and smiled at the maid, who was standing with her mouth slightly agape. "Um...can you...uh, clean this up? Ok, thanks!" Momo flashed a smile, heading towards the staircase and running down them two at a time. Running into the kitchen, she fumbled around for something to eat, but found nothing, except a note on the fridge.
You're late.
Momo's eye twitched. She recognized her father's handwriting. That makes two days not seeing him, she thought. He didn't come home when planned and he left earlier than planned. She rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore it.
Quickly grabbing her backpack from the living room where the maid had generously brought her things, she slung it over her shoulder and ran from the house, running down the street and glancing about the neighborhood for Hina and a limousine.
She tapped her foot on the pavement and sighed. Maybe she left? Glancing at her cell phone to check the time, Momo nearly screamed again. Of course Hina had left! She didn't blame her, it was Momo running late...on her first day! Just great...
Breaking out into a run, she began jogging in the direction that she knew school was in, she hoarsely caught her breath. After three blocks, she knew it was a lost cause. She would never get there in time. Suddenly, a honk from behind her turned her head, and her grimace of anger was quickly replaced by a smile of relief. That was her driver, her limo, and her salvation! She gave the chauffeur a thumbs up and quickly jumped in the back. "To the school!" she yelled dramatically, her smile still plastered on her face.
Takziki stood at his mirror, finishing his hair half-heartedly. His night had been full of tossing, turning, and nightmarish dreams, all reflecting something that he didn't fully understand. In one dream, he had been fighting other people, all with the same, strange powers that he had been learning about. One of those was a big guy, a much bigger guy than he could ever imagine. As they fought, he was saying words, making gestures. He watched the dream play out, almost giving himself a cheer as he won...or rather, whoever it was won, giving the big guy a one-two punch and knocking him down and out.
In another, he was running for his life, running through the streets of some city. Behind him, figures in cloaks trailed, each spouting fire, blowing things up, destroying, causing death. Men...men and a woman. Black cloaks with red clouds, destroying everything in their path.
Another dream. Big, huge...monsters? As a child, Takziki had had monsterous dreams before. Child-like imaginations will do that. But, these monsters he saw. They were far too real. A huge, raccoon shaped monster with an attitude. A gigantic turtle with multiple tails that spit balls of water. A wolf, and a snake. But above them all...the fox! A nine-tailed monstrosity that killed and maimed, rip and tore. It was horrific. The fear it put into Takziki, even when he was awake, was unbearable.
As Takziki grabbed his bag, walking out the door of his house, he gave his mother a smile as she pulled weeds in the yard. Smiling as well, she waved at him as he left for school, walking down the drive and heading towards the inner-city. He enjoyed the walk, and it wasn't far. Maybe he would even see Hina or Momo. It was a nice day, so children tended to walk to school, even from miles away. It was cheaper, and better for you.
"So...you are back, yes? Do you wish to call me a fake again, then?" said the old woman, who had moved into the inner sanctum of her hut.
Takziki stood in the doorway, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "No, actually. I...I want to ask you if you would do it again. I'm...sorry about before. I...well..."
The old woman cackled. "I understand. You young ones with your television and your MTV and your video games. The old ways are new and strange, and you would rather not believe in them if you could help it." Taking the crystal ball from the shelf, she placed it gingerly on the table, taking a seat. "Very well. Look ye into the crystal ball, young one. See what only you may see." She began reciting the words from before, and, entranced, Takziki watched the images wax and wane.
Forming slowly, the faces appeared. The blond girl and pineapple head. The blond boy. The pink-haired girl. A boy with hair shaped like a duck's butt. Then...other images. Cloaked figures. The beasts. The...the...
"EEEEEKKKK!" Jumping up, Takziki glanced about nervously, wondering where the shriek had come from. Wondering if he had inadvertently cried out, he glanced at the old woman, who seemed to be asleep. Her eyes flickered slightly, and he blinked at her.
"Hey! Old woman...are you..." He began, touching her shoulder. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, and she glared at him. Shifting nervously, he sat back down as her hand rose up, a finger pointing accusingly at him.
Her voice took on an eerie tenor, and she began to speak, as though in a trance. "From night you come, and stealth you use, a hidden power nature fused. Fleet of foot and swift of hand, protector of an ancient land. One who ruled, to command, gone all gone, by the god's command. Each of you a part to play, coming to the end of days! Beware the one who's ringed by fate, whose heart drips with angered hate. Band together the good must be, or the end of days the world will see!" Then, she slumped in the chair, her chest hardly lifting.
"Hey! Wake up! Stop sleeping! What are you saying! Who's ringed? What are you talking about!?" Takziki shouted, giving her another shake to try and wake the old hag, but to no avail. No more visions appeared to him. Nothing. Sighing, Takziki left money on the table and strode from the tent, his head feeling fuller and more confused than ever.
Takziki still had his thoughts with him as he glanced up. The school lingered in front of him. Sighing, he continued walking towards the cross walk. It was going to be a long day.
A crowd had gathered at the train station, and as Tsumi-chi hurried up, she glanced hurriedly at her watch. "Aiya! I'm gonna be late! Damn..." Running up to one of the multiple ticket counters, she hastily placed a few yen into the machine, grabbing the ticket that popped out and running to the train yard, tapping her foot in anticipation for the arrival of the transport.
Susumu was also busy waiting, his father having thought ahead and having bought a roll of morning and afternoon tickets for Susumu to use. One was readily in his hand as he waited with everyone else. So, when the train rolled up, he quickly deposited the slip of paper into the counter, walking to the back of the train and taking one of the few available seats. He wondered how school was going to be when he had a ninja's memories.
Sighing with relief as she stepped into the back of the train, Tsumi-chi glanced about for anyone she knew. The train made a sudden lurch, and she fell forward...onto the lap of an old man. Flipping over, she smiled up at him, and he down at her. Turning tomato-colored, she blinked. "Heh...sorry."
"That's alright, young lady. My pleasure," he said. She gulped, hopping up and moving swiftly back further. Suddenly, she saw a familiar face in the crowd. Oh! That guy from yesterday. Well, that's lucky. I can't find anyone else anywhere.
Sidling up to him, she sat opposite, staring across him towards a window. "Hi! I didn't know you went to this school too! This seat taken? No? Great!"
Susumu froze at the sound of the voice. It sounded a little different, but he could tell who it was immediately. The attributes of the voice were definitely feminine, but the voice still had that sound of authority with the charismatic tone. Another reincarnation. T...Tobi? MADARA! He thought incredulously. However, he stopped himself from turning and putting a chidori through the girl's face. She's not him, Susumu reminded himself. That was what the other two had said. Even though I have Sasuke's memories, I'm still me...
Glancing up at her, Susumu shrugged, turning and staring out the window. "Don't care. Go for it."
"Thanks!" Tsumi-chi said. Tapping her foot, she glanced about. "So...how you been, Sas..." Whoa! Sas...Sasuke? Where the hell did that come from? Shaking it, she continued the conversation. "Er...how do you like Tokyo so far? It's nice, huh? Too early to tell?"
She glanced away, completely confused. What was it she said? Sasuke? His name wasn't Sasuke...was it? No. Definitely not. Not Sasuke. But...it was so familiar.
Susumu blinked, giving her a dead-pan stare with wide eyes. Maybe he had misheard her? He hoped so, but doubted it. Instead, he played dumb. "It's been...strange..." he said. It was the truth, at any rate. Discovering you're the reincarnation of a vengeful shinobi that could take out a demon in someone's head definitely classed as strange.
Tsumi-chi stared at him in surprise. "Um...strange?" She thought about it for a moment. For all her life, nothing had been that strange. Not until she had bumped into this guy. Then, things just started going crazy. "Well, I guess Japan could be...er...strange...But, we have good food! The Ichiraku Ramen Bar is the best! Oh, by the way, I didn't get your name."
Susumu blinked at her. Isn't Ichiraku the place that Naruto used to go to? Weird. "Uh." He stopped, forcing the memories down. "Susumu. Aoru Susumu. I didn't ask before, but..." he said, leaving the question hanging.
Tsumi-chi heard the name Uchiha flash through her head. Blinking, she shook it off. "What's an Uchiha?" She said out loud. Then, as if noticing Susumu, she let her statement go. "But what?" He looked uneasy, as if something were troubling him. Tsumi-chi raised an eyebrow, confused. What was going on?
Covering up his unease, Susumu turned back to the window. "I never asked your name," he said simply, the Uchiha calm from his memories replacing his Aoru indifference. "I told you my name after all."
"Tsumi. Nakaowa Tsumi," she said, leaving out the -chi part, which she didn't care to pass about. The train suddenly halted, their school about three blocks from the stop. People began to pile out, and Tsumi-chi smiled. "This is our stop, Susumu-kun! Come on!" Grabbing his hand, she led him out of the train, weaving in and out of the people. "This is gonna be a fun first day, I can tell!" She said, leading him to the traffic stop in front of the school, waiting for the light to turn green.
Momo stepped out of the limo, smiling at the chauffeur. "Thank you so much! I swear that when I get the chance, I'm gonna get my dad to give you a raise!"
"My pleasure, Otomiya-sama. Have a good day." Smiling as he drove off, Momo turned to face the school. Luckily, it hadn't been bad traffic, and she didn't live too far away. She hadn't arrived late at all, which she was most thankful for.
Walking away from the pick-up/drop-off zone, she began towards the place where the students seemed to gather. Quickly, she scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face.
Tightening her grip on the little briefcase, Hina stared down at the shiny floor of the metro and tried not to sigh again. The entire trip, Hina had been trying to preoccupy herself but was having little to no luck. Her guilty conscience was racking her brain and punishing her for forgetting Momo.
So wrapped up and distracted by her mistake, Hina almost didn't realize the metro had reached the school district station. She could hear the hiss of the door as it was preparing to shut. Luckily, she was able to dart off of the seat and make it out before it closed, the train once again rolling down the tracks to its next destination.
It took Hina no more than five minutes to get down the escalators and out of the station. Her next choice was a quick one. She never used the chauffeurs and she never rode the bus the rest of the way to school. Every kid in Tokyo was a natural-born walker.
After she had finally begun to forgive herself for her blunder, Hina began to go over her algebra notes in her head. She had a quiz today. A big one. She was wishing that she was Momo. The lucky girl wouldn't have to take the test, which counted for more than a third of their grades.
Going over a problem, she sighed. "Let's see. Do you multiply the exponents on a monomial if it's in parenthesis, or do you add them?" She couldn't remember, so she puzzled over it for a moment before fishing about for her notes in her bag. Coming out with a sheet of paper, she stopped on the sidewalk, going over it. "Oh wait!" she exclaimed, clicking her fingers together. "You multiply them! How could I have forgotten that! It's so easy!"
Takziki glanced about, waiting for the light in front of him to change so he could walk across the street to the school. He was still in his own world, thinking about changes to his life. Taking out his book, he began going over the parts about chakra. "When balancing chakra, one must know their own limits and adjust the flow accordingly. If the flow is uneven or interrupted, the person using the chakra risks damage or death." Death? Really? Wow, who knew that chakra was so important. "Everyone on earth, regardless of ability or understanding, can use chakra. Everyone has chakra as a child, which begins to strengthen during the person's lifetime. However, only a handful ever realize this potential and have the ability to harness it." He smiled, nodding. He was one of the few. At least, one of the few who knew about the potential. That fact made him feel good. "However, chakra can also be provided through contact with another person. This is called chakra transfer. Helpful when one's chakra is low and a comrade has more than enough to sustain his/her life."
As he read, he began to see more images in his mind. The faces that he had seen before. The beasts. The black cloaks. The red clouds. One image in particular. A name. Who...what was it? Then, his mouth opened, and a word issued forth. A simple word, something that wasn't commonly used, but still very common in and of itself. Something he didn't recognize.
"Wait...what did I just say?" he said to himself. Instead of saying it again, he took out a pencil, etching it into the back of the book. He would remember it later, if it was important at all.
A flash of yellow in front of him turned his attention to the other side of the street. Momo's blond hair stuck out in the sea of brown and black like a neon sign. Smiled, he gave her a wave, which she didn't seem to see. The light went green, and he took off like a rocket, attempting to catch up with her. He didn't want her to wait on his behalf.
On his part, the truck driver never did see red light in front of him. He had no idea what a genjutsu was, either, nor did he see the boy running across the intersection. As for his part, Takziki never felt any pain. He was dead long before his body hit the pavement, rolling to a stop a few feet down the road as the grill of the truck struck him side-on. Feeling the bump, the truck driver stopped, swearing under his breath at every stray dog and cat in the neighborhood. Getting out of the cab, the genjutsu ended, and the man was left staring at the red light, the boy's body, and the intersection in chaos. Honking cars, panicked people.
Above them all, high on top of a building, a strange figure lowered his chakra level, staring down into the masses of people. A small smile graced his lips, and he uttered three more words before signing away in a puff of smoke.
"One...more...down..."
As the intersection broke into chaos, Takziki's book lay on the ground, pages flapping in the wind. A large, black word etched into the back continued to flap easily.
AKATSUKI...
Credits:
(American) Jason McOrmen/Hatake Kakashi: snowymountains56
(Japanese) Aoru Susumu/Uchiha Sasuke: Chosha Kurenai
(Japanese) Koyuki Midori/Uchiha Itachi: (Now) Dorothy- TheInsaneArcobaleno
(Japanese) Haruki Hinageshi/ Unrevealed: (Now) xXSoldierXx
(Japanese) Otomiya Moriko/ Unrevealed: Inuys-hispanicgirl
(Japanese) Fujiyomo Takziki/ Akamichi Chouji: Uzuki-kun
(Japanese) Nakaowa Tsumi/ Madara: xkawaiichix
Jutsu's: Otomiya Moriko Rendan : Moriko Otomiya Barrage
Next Chapter: After the school settles down, it is time for classes. A mysterious stranger shows up, and things begin to get strange for Susumu, Hina, and Momo, who has to deal with something far more terrifying than a mere mugger in the street.