Ignisha: Chapter 8 is up!

Six Paths in Mahora

Episode 8: Day at Nara and Investigation!

The day went by calmly for Nagato as he walked with group 4 around Nara. Although he liked the prefecture, it definitely reminded him about the Nara clan. As he walked, it irked him that in this timeline, the majority of the forest is gone and replaced with buildings and houses and factories. It made it worst when he found out through reading that many animals are endangered.

Seeing him frown, Ako asked, "Ano, Uzumaki-senpai, are you ok?"

Nagato blinked, turning to his pale-haired companion for the day. He smiled sadly. "I suppose…" His smile faltered a bit. "To be honest, where I was born and raised, I was surrounded by nature. Although there weren't many trees where I lived, animals would still swim around my house when it rained. To see that the trees and lakes dammed and cut, it saddens me…" He said. Even if he was an evil Ninja back in the day, that doesn't mean he cared about his surroundings and nature.

Ako stared at Nagato's sad smile and eyes scanning the surrounding, before blushing a bit at how mature her Senpai looked at the moment.

"Oi~! Ako, Senpai, hurry up!" Yuuna called out as Ako snapped out of her stupor. Nagato chuckled. "Shall we go then, Izumi?"

Ako numbly nodded as Nagato walked ahead of her.

The group arrived at the park where the deer were as Nagato decided to pet a few. Looking around, Nagato held an amused face at how his soon-to-be-students faired with the deer.

Akira was calmly standing with her hand outstretched, assumingly feeding the deer as Yuuna tried to run after them. Ako was giggling at the tickleness the deer's tongue gave when it touched her hand. Makie was behind a tree, trying to hide herself, given that she was a bit scared, only to shock when a deer bit her blouse. Mana, on the other hand, sweat-dropped when she attempted to feed a deer, only for it to walk away. Moving on to the next deer, Mana sweat-dropped again when the deer walked away as well.

"An interesting group for sure…" Nagato thought to himself.

Nagato looked at the sky to see the sun almost directly above them. "Must be close to noon…" He thought to himself as Mana got up. "Tatsumiya, going somewhere?"

Mana nodded in affirmation. "I have to send a letter to a nearby shrine." She responded. Nagato got on his feet. "I suppose we'll have to come along as well." He said as the group whined about leaving, Makie included, who has started to get over her fears.

"No, it's fine, Uzumaki-senpai…" Mana tried to change the red-head's mind. But if there is one thing she should know, it's that those of the Uzumaki-clan are so stubborn enough you can whack them with a 5-ton hammer, and they'll be fine. Looking into her eyes with stubborn eyes, Nagato replied, "We are going together… that's final…!" The voice and eyes he used both said "Do not disobey me!"

Reluctantly, Mana nodded.

(Shrine)

The group arrived to the shrine and Mana immediately went to look for the one in charge as the group slowly separated. Nagato found himself walking aimlessly at the inner parts of the shrine. Immediately thinking that he should leave, a voice stopped him.

"Ah, a visitor?"

Nagato turned to see an old man sitting seiza style as he drank tea. "It's been a long time since I've seen a visitor, especially one like you."

"One… like me…?" Nagato repeated, not liking where this was going.

The old man nodded. "To think I would find one so attuned to the cycle of life… Tell me, how many parts of the Samsara have you witness, young one?" He asked. Nagato narrowed his eyes. "Samsara…? Wait; putting the Kanji in romaji form, it also spells Rinne… Can he be talking about the Rinnegan…?" Clearing his through, Nagato replied, "I suppose I have experienced all of them, Oterasama (monk)…"

The old man perked at this. "All of them?"

"Hai."

"How intriguing…" The man muttered. "To find someone who has experienced all paths in Samsara…" Unfortunately for Nagato, it was this time when Mana overheard the conversation. "Paths of Samsara? Experience? You are becoming more and more interesting, Uzumaki-senpai…" The gunslinger thought, calling out, "Senpai, I've finished with my task!"

"Ah, I must be going now, Oterasama. My students are having a field trip, and I'm accompanying them."

"Ah, I see. Well, I hope you and your students have a safe trip. The spirits be with you." The man said, waving the boy good bye. Nagato sighed, waving goodbye with a small smile. "What we need is luck…" He thought to himself as he met up with his students.

As they walked down to the gates of Nara, Nagato noticed a familiar figure off in the distance. "Negi-san?"

Excusing himself from his group so they could have lunch, Nagato jogged over to where Negi was to find the boy in a daze. "Negi-san?" He waved a hand in front of the boy and received no response. Seeing the swirling eyes, Nagato curiously poked the boy, resulting to Negi toppling to the ground, much to Nagato's shock. "N-negi-san!"

"Wha-, what happened to Negi!"

Turning around, Nagato found Asuna and Setsuna running over. "Um… I'm not sure myself…" Nagato responded as Yue and Haruna ran over. "Whoa, he's over 38 degrees!" Haruna announced with worry, having checked her teacher's temperature.

"Hyaaahh! What happened to Negi-kun!" Konoka asked, having just appeared.

Sighing, Nagato sweat-dropped as the girls began panicking under their teacher's fever. "Surely, this boy will be the death of me…"

(Later…)

Nagato and Chamo calmly ate chips as they watched Negi staring off to space, his mouth gapped open. The two watched with amusing looks as Negi began ruffling his hair before lifting his head up in worrisome. This continued on before Negi stood up and shook his head. The boy then dropped to the ground on his fours before rolling about, Chamo and Nagato sweat-dropping.

Sighing, Nagato turned around to see Ayaka and a few other girls walking up to him. "Ano, Nagato-senpai, is there something wrong with Negi-sensei?" The blonde asked. Nagato chuckled. "No, Negi-san just has a lot in his mind that's all." The red head responded as Makie asked Negi the same question, shocking the 10 year old.

"Uhyaaah! N-no! Nothing wrong! N-nobody c-confessed to m-me or anything!" Negi tried to cover up. Nagato placed a hand on his face and groaned into it. "Does this boy know nothing about keeping secrets…?"

"Eh! Confessed!"

"Seriously, Negi-kun! Who did it!"

"OH SHOOT!" Negi thought in his mind. "N-no, n-not 'confess'!" Negi tried to explain. "U-um, I mean, 'c-cook'! Yes, cook! A cook was putting a cock in a soup, and, um!"

"Cook?"

"I-I have a meeting with Shizuna-sensei! Please excuse me!" Negi yelled, running off with Chamo behind him as his students yelled for him. "Negi-sensei/-kun!"

Nagato sighed out loud in frustration. Shaking his head at the silliness, Nagato proceed to his room to take a look at a scroll. As he left, he never heard his soon-to-be students whispering to each other about whom to report this.

(Meanwhile…)

"EH! There's a Teacher-Student relationship going on here!" Kazumi asked out loud, her face filled with shock. "Th-that's right, Asakura, it's terrible!" Yuuna said as Makie agreed with a nod.

"Well, that's a pretty big scoop! If it turns out true that is. As official camerawoman of 3-A and the Academy Breaking News Division, you can count on me, Asakura Kazumi! If there's a scoop, I'll bring it to light!" Kazumi declared. "So, who's the culprit?"

"Well, there's only one person you have to check on…"

"Alright then, who? Nitta? Seruhiko? Or maybe the new teacher, Uzumaki Nagato?" Kazumi let out, wriggling her eye brows.

"Actually…" Ayaka said, explaining the situation.

"I see, I see… During the Activities in Nara Park… Somebody confessed to Negi-sensei, right?" Kazumi read off her handy notebook as Ayaka nodded. "Wait a min-… This isn't obscene at all!" She yelled. "Wha-what do you mean! It's definitely beyond obscene!" Ayaka yelled. "At any rate, we need you to find out who confessed to Negi-sensei!"

"We're counting on you, Asakura!"

Kazumi sighed. "Fine fine… Geez, this isn't even a scoop… I'm not interested at all…!" Walking down the hallway, she commented to herself, "Well, who knows, maybe it'll turn out to be a killer story. Doing ordinary news the public wants to read. That's all part of a reporter's job, I guess…!" Kazumi chuckled to herself. "A confession, huh? I think there's only one person who would've done that in Negi-sensei's group!" Knocking on the door, Kazumi called out, "Honya! I'm coming in!" Looking in, Kazumi found Nodoka drinking tea by herself. "Ah, you're alone? Perfect!"

"Eh? H-hai, what is it, Asakura-san?"

Taking out a recorder, Kazumi bluntly asked, "So, is it true that you slept in bed with Negi-senei?"

Hearing that shocked Nodoka to the point that the girl spit took her tea all over Kazumi's face. "H-h-h-h-hai! I-I-I didn't do anything like that!" Nodoka tried to deny.

"Nahahah, I'm just kidding, Honya! You confessed to him, didn't you? So, how'd it go?" Kazumi asked, whipping the tea off. Blushing, Nodoka answered, "H-how did it go? Um, well… I was able to tell him how I feel… but I ran off before Negi-sensei could say anything… I didn't want a response from the start, so…" Nodoka twiddled her index fingers.

"Heeh~? So you don't care what Negi-sensei thinks?"

"N-no, I'm just too scared to hear his response, so… um…"

"Ah, I see, I get it." Kazumi sputtered out a laughter as she patted the girl. "Ahaha, you're so cute, Miyazaki! We can't have that! You're not in grade school anymore, you know! Not that it matters, anyway!"

"Aaauu…?"

Letting go of the librarian, Kazumi walked out just as Haruna and Yue came into view. Nodoka, worried, walked out and said, "Um, uhh.. T-this is going to be troublesome to Sensei, s-so please don't tell anyone!"

"Okie dokie! I got it!" Kazumi responded. "I'm supporting ya, give it your best!" Walking down, the reporter sighed. "Well, I've finished my material. Haa~aah, who am I kidding? I can't make a story out of this! This is gonna be a real mess if everyone hears it, so I'll just keep it to myself!" Kazumi said, deleting whatever was said between her and Nodoka. "I'll just let the romance flow on its own. Gomen, Iincho." Heading for the stairs, Kazumi took sight of Nagato sitting his and Negi's room. "Oh? It's Senpai."

Getting a sly look, Kazumi scooted towards the door and peeked to see what the red head was doing. Looking in, Kazumi saw Nagato sitting down seiza style, reading a scroll and sipping tea. By the scent of it, it was Gyokuro Green Tea. Kazumi sweat-dropped as Nagato continued reading the scroll. "Who reads scrolls now a days?"

Sighing to herself, Kazumi continued on down the stairs. Unknown to her, Nagato was gazing at her before looking back at his scroll.

Going down the stairs, Kazumi said to herself, "Sheesh, our class sure is peaceful. I need a bigger scoop that could get their blood going…!" Looking about, the red head spotted her teacher aimlessly walking about. "Oh, it's Negi-sensei. Guess I should interview the man himself…"

Watching her teacher, Kazumi sweat-dropped as Negi walked out the hotel with his head hanging low. "Whoa, seems like he's really worried about something. Receiving a confession… Seems like a real shocker for a 10 year old…"

Following her teacher, Kazumi noticed a cat following Negi out the door and into the driveway. As Negi walked towards the road, she noticed an SUV riding on the road, heading for the CAT! "Th-th-the cat!" She called out as Negi spotted the cat.

Kazumi watched with horror as Negi rushed towards the cat. "H-h-h-he's gonna die! NEGI-SENSEI!"

Suddenly, Negi held out his staff and the SUV suddenly flew into the air, somersaulting once before landing with a bump. "Wh-what the hell?" Kazumi wondered as Negi began talking to the driver. Dashing to the wall, Kazumi peeked on her teacher. "Wh-wh-what was that…?"

"Hehehe, that's my Aniki! Even when he's feeling out, he's still got it where it counts!" The ermine on Negi's shoulder said. "But you should try avoiding using Magic like that!"

"Un, sorry about that…" The teacher responded.

"D-d-d-did the ermine just talk!" Looking at her teacher, Kazumi shocked further as Negi hopped on his staff and starting flying. "H-he's flying!" Gazing at her teacher, she clenched her fist. "This… THIS IS IT! MY ULTRA SUPER HUGE SCOOP!"

As the girl dashed away, she failed to notice Nagato watching the whole thing from his room. Sighing in defeat again, Nagato thought to himself, "Once again, that boy will become the death of me…"

(Girls' Toilet)

"A super hero?" Kazumi started laying down her suggestions. "An ally of justice from outer space! Some kind of Magical Girl (boy version) who has come to the Human World for training?" Shaking her head, Kazumi took out her picture of Negi flying. "No matter which it is, there's no doubt that this is big news. The problem is… how should I report this?" Kazumi mumbled to herself, thinking. "Come to think of it, there were things like that in the photos I've taken before… Hmm… To think that a scoop like this was so close all along and I never realized!" She then clenched her fist. "However! In order to truly shock the world, one piece of evidence is still not enough! ALL RIGHT! If it comes to this, then...!"

As she shouted, a few of her classmates began whispering to themselves at to what the reporter was talking to herself about.

(Bath)

Negi sighed to himself as he and Nagato rested themselves in the bath. "Oi Aniki! Don't make such a pitiful sound!" Chamo whispered, getting out of the bath and onto the rocky floor. "If you let your guard down, the girls might walk in to you again!"

Nagato chuckled as he pretended not to listen.

"Ahaha, don't worry, this is 'Sensei-Time' in the bath." Negi reassured his familiar. "The students won't come in." Sighing, Negi lowered himself down the bath. "Haaah~, but I sure do have a lot on my plate…" Negi muttered to himself, not even bothering to make excuses to how Chamo was talking to Nagato. Suddenly, the door opened as Nagato blinked. "Someone coming in?"

To the red-head's surprise, it was Shizuna, walking in. "Minamoto-san, is it?" Nagato wondered as the teacher herself said out loud, "Ara~? Negi-sensei~"

"APHU! Sh-sh-shizuna-sensei!" Negi sputtered loudly. Shizuna smiled, kneeling down. "You did great today. Do you want me to wash your back?" She asked as Negi tried to refuse. "Ah, n-no, it's alright!"

Nagato hummed, staring at Shizuna with an accusing look. "I wonder what she is playing at…?"

"Uhuhu, the truth is, Negi-sensei…" Shizuna whispered, grabbing the little teacher's shoulders. "I know about your little secret." This perked Nagato, making the ex-leader of an evil organization smirk inwardly. "I see… so this is your plan, Asakura, making Negi-san spill the beans." Nagato watched with distance and interest as "Shizuna" continued trying to make Negi show her Magic until a small mistake broke it all down.

"Eeto, Shizuna-sensei, I know this is rude but… Did you breasts get smaller?" Negi innocently asked as Nagato sweat-dropped. "Truly a very blunt way to say things, Negi-san…"

Nagato watched with even more interest as Kazumi revealed her true identity and began trying to get some interviews with Negi, despite Chamo trying to tell the boy to erase the girl's memories. Suffice to say, Kazumi was aggressive, even going as far as to blackmail Negi into interviewing. "Interesting, Asakura… If you were born within the Elemental Countries' time, you would have made an interesting Ninja." Nagato praised the girl a bit as Negi began having a brain short out. And by short out, I mean bursting out Magic from within and creating a huge shockwave and gust of wind. Nagato stayed put where he was as Negi wailed on.

Chamo cursed as Negi continued on burst out Magic and suddenly, Kazumi was blown in the air. "IYAAAAAH~!" Kazumi screamed as Negi began to cool down. Nagato sighed, raising a hand. Suddenly, Kazumi felt herself stopping midair and suddenly floating slowly down to earth. Confuse as she was, Kazumi found herself even more confused as Negi was tilting his head in confusion as well. Shaking out of her stupor, Kazumi grasped Negi's shoulder. "Th-th-that was great, Negi-sensei! You finally used Magic!"

"Eh! Wha-w-w-wait, that wasn't-!"

"Regardless of who it was, I finally have hard core evidence that Magic really does exist-!"

*CRASH*

Kazumi and Negi paused as a whole was found in the middle of Kazumi's phone screen. "M… my phone…" Kazumi started to sob as bit as the door to the showers opened. "What's going on here!" Ayaka shouted, "What's with these loud sounds!" Needless to say, the class president was shocked and burning in anger as Yuuna, Makie, Fumika and Asuna peaked in. "Wha!"

"Asakura-san! I asked you to investigate, and you go and do this!"

"What are you doing naked, Negi-kun!"

"HIII! HELP!"

"Just a minute here, Negi! What were you doing!" Asuna yelled, grabbing the boy who was trying to sneak out. "AHH! A-asuna-san!"

Nagato sighed as he dried himself, listening to the pains and shouting outside. "Even when I'm having a second life, chaos follows…" He muttered to himself, bidding some of his students goodnight.

Ignisha: And the 9th chapter is coming up! Read and review!