Hello, my fellow Fanfiction lovers. After some deliberation and a lot of self encouragement, I finally decides to post my own story in English, even though it's not my first language, so you can expect some grammatical error. I'm still learning though, so I hope I can improve on that part as the story goes. :)

I'm gonna say this in advance, but I can't promise you guys a routine update.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.


DISCLAIMER

Naruto and Kono Subarashii Sekai no Shukufuku Wo! is not my property. Both belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Natsume Akatsuki respectively.

I merely borrow their characters for my story.


--KoNoSuBa!--

PROLOGUE

The battle between Itachi and Sasuke is almost over when the younger brother's jutsu suddenly crashes into the older brother's body with great force. Almost. If not for a crimson giant ethereal ribcage of Susano'o protecting him, Itachi would surely die.

Now the tables have turned. It's Sasuke's turn to desperately try to fight him, using everything he has left. Paper bombs, shuriken barrages, Kusanagi swords, everything. Yet Itachi's Susano'o stands tall without a scratch, thanks to the amazing defensive ability of Yata's Mirror. "No! Stay away from me!" Sasuke shouts in panic.

Itachi's march was halted for a moment when he coughed up blood. He knew he didn't have much time left, so he hurriedly walked toward his terrified little brother. Truth to be told, it still deeply saddened him to see the raw hatred and fear in his little brother's eyes. Just like back then at the Uchiha compound. It had been years, but time hadn't healed his wounds yet.

No, Itachi thought. He can't afford to be lost in deep thoughts now. He must finish this battle, for the sake of Sasuke. Still, his conviction almost shattered when the regret and guilt suddenly overwhelmed him as he got closer to his brother. Resisting as much as he wanted to, Itachi couldn't help himself when he stood face-to-face with Sasuke. His vision was already blurry from overusing Mangekyou Sharingan, and a black fog appeared at the corner of his sight. But still...

A smile formed on his face. A genuine smile filled with guilt, regret, and love. All for his beloved little brother.

"Forgive me, Sasuke... But there won't be a next time..." he muttered softly, and he flicked his brother's forehead. The sensation of rain droplets hitting Itachi's face slowly disappeared as the black fog completely devoured his vision and numbness took over his whole body. He couldn't even hear the roaring sound of Amaterasu black flames surrounding them. Then something strange happened to him.

Itachi felt as if he were drowning, yet he was still breathing fine. Muffled voices started to appear from all around him. He recognized them. Of course; how could he not?

"I didn't expect to see you so soon, Itachi."

"Shisui..."

"I've been waiting for you, my son."

"Father..."

"Welcome home, Itachi."

"Mother..."

"We're finally meet again, Itachi-kun."

"Izumi..."

Itachi felt four pairs of hands on his back, supporting his body so he wouldn't drown deeper and hugging him at the same time. A single dot of light shone through the dark water around him. He felt strangely serene and calm. That's when all kinds of thoughts suddenly crossed his mind.

What if he had made a different decision at this and that point? Should he have let Sasuke know the truth and guide him from the very start? No, Itachi thought to himself. There was no point in speculating about what-if scenarios. What mattered was that he had already done what he needed to do and hoped that his final plan had worked.

He sincerely hopes that Naruto can pull Sasuke back from his dark path.

Itachi notices that the bright little dot above him is getting bigger after every second. It's blinding light slowly dissipate the darkness around him, and he can clearly see the water surface getting closer. He braced for impact as he crashes through the surface, and he fainted again.

When he opened his eyes, Itachi noticed that he was sitting on a single chair in an empty place. He stood up, looking around for clues to his whereabouts. He found nothing among the stars around him. There was only a single empty chair positioned across from him.

Wait a minute, he thought. He can see his surroundings very clearly. He looks at his hands and he can see every crease on them without using his Mangekyou. Speaking of it, Itachi tried to activate his clan's forbidden technique to no avail. For some reason, he also couldn't feel his chakra. Perhaps because this is an afterlife? It makes sense if this place doesn't have any chakra.

A sudden footsteps from his behind startled Itachi. He quickly turned around to saw the person behind him.

"Welcome to the afterlife, Uchiha Itachi."

Tho owner of the voice is a small boy with a bowl cut blonde hair. He wears a white cassocks with golden trim, a tome in hand, and a gentle smile on his face. "Please, do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm." he said gently. Everything about the boy should've made Itachi feel at ease, yet his instinct screamed at him about danger.

"Who are you?" asked Itachi apprehensively. The boy walked to an empty chair across from Itachi and made himself comfortable. "Please, call me Folset." announced the boy with divine authority.

"Folset?"

"Yes. It is my duty to guide your soul and pass any judgement you will receive." he said solemnly. "But before that, I sincerely offer my condolences for your losses. It is truly unfortunate for such event to occurred."

"I appreciate it, Folset." Itachi responded. "But i have to ask, what is this place?"

Folset, still smiling, answered Itachi question. "This is a place for souls to rest and judged before being sent to The Afterlife. It has may names such as Limbo, The World in Between, and lot of others, so it is rather irrelevant whatever you want to call it."

Itachi hummed, taking in the information he received. He sighed and leaned on his back, already predicting what fates will awaits him. Folset opened his tome and a bright light shines from there, but the boy seems unfazed.

"This is your life record. It contains every action that you have committed during your life." said Folset. The boy turned hundreds of pages in a few seconds as he read the contents of his tome. "Your life was full of hardship. You committed so many crimes and shed so much innocent blood. Yet the Heavens has recognized your sacrifice to avoid a greater disaster and your devotion towards your loved ones." he continues.

Itachi didn't deny anything that Folset has said. While his motives was to avoid a needless war, he did takes so many innocent lives in the progress and it still haunts him to this very second. All those children and clan members that had nothing to do with the coup d'etat, no one was spared except Sasuke. Itachi swears that he still can see the blood stains in his hands sometimes.

"I... I won't justify my decisions. I realize that it was a foolish and desperate action to take." uttered Itachi as the images of corpses in the compound's road flashes in his mind. "What i did that night... What i did to Sasuke...", He's dead, but the pain in his heart ache all the same as if he's still alive.

"I can only beg for their forgiveness, but I know it's not possible. Even my death won't be enough to atone for what I did."

Itachi took a deep breath, trying to rein in his emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He was ashamed. To Shisui, to Izumi, and to his parents. He had failed on his promises to them.

He promised Shisui that he would save the clan and the village, yet he purged the clan that night.

He promised Izumi that he would always be there to protect her, ye he killed her with his own hands.

He promised his parents that he would take care of Sasuke, yet he left his brother alone and tortured his minds for years to come, all while feeding him lies and hatred that will start Sasuke's descent into darkness.

Itachi knew he had failed as a friend, a lover, a son, and a brother. Instead of fulfilling his promises, he chose to be a coward and run away from his responsibilities.

Folset, sensing Itachi's feelings, came down from his chair and slowly approached the Uchiha. His small body suddenly levitated until he was high enough to pat Itachi's head. The man went very still, but slowly relaxed as he felt the soothing sensation on his heart.

"Don't blame yourself too much, Uchiha Itachi. You must understand that you were a mere child when you were forced to take action." He reassured Itachi. If anyone could see this, perhaps they would be shocked. Uchiha Itachi, the most wanted criminal from Konoha besides Orochimaru, the one who slaughtered his own clan in cold blood, is consoled by a small child.

"No matter, it wont make my actions less horrible." argued Itachi, but Folset countered his argument. "Regardless, it is a fact that you were only 13 years old back then. Those burden shouldn't be yours. It's your Hokage's, your father's, and the council's responsibility to find a solution."

"Sarutobi Hiruzen's indecisiveness and lack of will to control his colleagues is also a key factor in that tragedy, so don't act like you were the only one to blame." He continues. Itachi can't argue with that. As much as he respects the Third Hokage, he hates that the man was so powerless in front of Danzo and the Council.

"I..."

"Enough of that. I don't call upon you here to blame you, my friend." said Folset. The small boy distanced himself from Itachi and levitate higher. The gentle tone in Folset's voice has lost and replaced with an authoritative one. "Uchiha Itachi." he called.

The soothing feeling in Itachi heart has gone and his sharp awareness return as he stare at the small boy in front of him, pointing towards him with a serious looks.

"My name is Folset, and I am here as a messenger, to pass upon you the Heaven's decree and judgement for your sins and virtues." Folset states with a deep and commanding voice that shouldn't belong to a small boy. It triggers something in Itachi, like how you unconsciously focused and silent when the Hokage is speaking. It demands your whole attention.

"We agree that you are guilty. And for that, you are to be exiled from The Heaven until you have completed your atonement."

Itachi hung his head down and take a deep breath again. He's ready for whatever punishment he might receive. "We also have agreed that you are to be locked in The Purgatory for five hundred years as an atonement." Folset declared.

There it is, Itachi thought. His punishment. If he must be locked inside whatever The Purgatory is, then he'll gladly do it. He just hopes that it will be enough for every single innocent soul he took while he lived. Just when Itachi accepted his fate, what Folset spoke next confused him.

"Is what The Heaven's decreed before." said Folset with his gentle voice again. He levitated down and flew towards Itachi. "You see, my friend, The Heaven's had changed their minds and agreed to give you a choice." he said as he flew around Itachi.

"Tell me, are you familiar with the concept of Inter-realm Travel?" asked Folset. Itachi shaken his head as an answer. "I believe i've never heard of that term."

"Well, let me educate you, my friend!" his gentle voice now carried a giddy tone as he perched himself at Itachi's shoulder. A path made of stardust and clouds formed besides him, and Itachi followed Folset prompt to walk.

As both of them walked, well actually it's only Itachi as Folset is sitting on his shoulders, Folset explained to him the concept of Isekai.

"You see, your world is not the only one that exists. There are countless others out there, and your world is among them. Some of these worlds are linked together, while others are completely cut off.", some pictures of the different worlds appear among the stars. Some of them look similar while others are the opposite. Some are bright and colorful, while others are dark and grim.

"Although they may be look similar, each one is unique. Let me show you one." said Folset as he pointed to one of the projections. It was an image of a town where the inhabitants use many strange devices that he had never seen before. They use metal carriages as their main form of transportation and a small box-like object emitting light for communication.

"And look for that one." Itachi followed Folset finger, where an almost similar situation was shown. "Both are looks the same, aren't they? But they're actually different."

The two projections are changing. One shows a teenager with red gauntlets fighting against an older man with silver metallic wings, and the other shows a man whom Itachi swears could be Kakashi's brother fighting against a monster.

"Whether it's the form of power, history, or continent, there's always a difference between worlds."

Itachi hummed, understanding what Folset had said. "This is new to me...", he said. Folset nodded his head, seemingly pleased with something. "I know. Seeing what the other worlds have to offer is fun!" Folset beamed. His giddy tone was more noticeable now that they were seeing and discussing a lot of different worlds.

After walking for a while, they had arrived at the same place from the start. Both were sitting on their respective chairs facing each other. "Now that you're familiar with the terms, I want to give you a proposition." said Folset. He opened his tome and spoke again, "The choices that were given to you are either to follow your punishment from before, or..."

"...Travel to this particular world, and do your atonement there."

The following silence lasted for a while before Itachi asked a simple question. "What?"

"What do you mean by that, Folset?" he inquired. Folset gave him a smile and patiently explained the situation. "It is exactly what you've heard, my friend. The Heaven has deemed you worthy to be given a second chance and atone for your sins." he clarified.

"But what is the task for my atonement?" Itachi asked again, but Folset just shrugged his shoulders. "They didn't say it. From my perspective, it seems like they gave the freedom on how you will atone. It is up to you."

"Up to me?" Itachi mumbles. Is he really deserves this? The difference between the two options is huge, unless the world that Folseth means is a very dangerous place. Should he take it? But what can he do there? The only thing he's good at is manipulation and killing people. He didn't have a hobby before, except gardening and cooking, but was it enough to help his atonement? How-

His thoughts is interrupted when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks at Folset, who gave him a soft gaze. "Do not think about it too much, my friend. Just do your best to do good this time." Folset reassured him.

It's funny, really, when Itachi thought about Folset again. The boy looks like he's not an age over ten, yet he act so maturely like someone more than twice his age. The only time he didn't is when they talked about the other worlds. Itachi can't help but smile at that.

"Perhaps, I'll do just that." said Itachi. Folset returns the smile and pat Itachi shoulders. "That's good. Now..."

"There's a rule for a world traveller such as you." said Folset while he walks away from Itachi. "That is you can't keep your powers to the new world."

Itachi's raises an eyebrow, prompting Folset to explain his words. "Yes, you can't use your chakra in this new world." elaborates Folset. Itachi's mind is already working, wondering if he's physical ability are enough. To be honest, he prefers to end the battle as fast as he can using Mangekyou Sharingan ability, but he's pretty confident with his Kenjutsu and hand to hand combat prowess. He should be able to survive. He has to.

"Don't worry, though. There's a compensation for that." said Folset. He tear a single page from his tome, and the paper suddenly shines as soon as he throws it into the air. It's suddenly multiply into so many pages that are rotating in the air around Itachi.

"The law stated that every traveler may select a single boon of his choice, whether it's a weapon or an innate ability like high mana reserves." Folset explained. The rotating papers were slowly halted, leaving a single page in front of Itachi containing an explanation about the boon. Itachi moved his hand in a swipe motion instinctively, and the papers began to rotate again.

"There are usually thousands of them, but I sorted out the boons that will complement your ability, personality, or both."

Testing Folset words, Itachi stopped the turning pages and read the contents of a page in front of him.

Bender of Reality

Will makes the user a master of illusion magic and halves the mana consumption of any illusion magic.

"Magic?" Itachi asked. "Yes, magic. It's like jutsus, but anyone can learn it without the need of affinity and it consumes mana instead of chakra. That being said, some of the advanced magic can only be learned by a specific class." informed Folset, but it only made Itachi more confused.

"Wait, class? Mana? What are those?"

"I suppose your world isn't familiar with the concept yet. Listen, class or job is a specific occupation or specialization that depends on someone's ability. Let's say that if you have a high intelligence, you can be a mage or priest. One excels in combat magic and another in support magic. Or if you have a great strength and endurance, you can be a swordsman." explained Folset. "It really depends on your innate abilities such as strength, intelligence, dexterity, and etc." he added.

"Do you understand it?" asked Folset. Although Itachi was still a little confused about it, he nodded anyway. Maybe he'll learn about it later.

"Good. Now about mana. It's an energy that is used for magic. You can think of it like chakra. Both are an external energy that will be absorbed by the body and saved for later use."

Now that is easy to understand. "I get the gist of it." Itachi nodded. Floset appeared hummed approvingly, and let the Uchiha continues his work. "Don't worry. You'll understand it when you go to this world."

True to Folset words, some of the boons he saw were really suited him. That being said, it does make his choices harder. He spends quite some time to choose one.

After making sure he that had made the correct choices, Itachi grab the paper in front of him. Folset flew towards him and see what kind of boon that Itachi had chosen.

"An interesting choice, my friend. I thought you would picked something related to an assassin or a healer." Folset said, nodding his head. "Though i suppose you can do both offense and defense with this. Good pick."

All the papers turn into lights again and are absorbed back into the tome in Folset's hand, except for Itachi's chosen page. Folset flies towards Itachi and puts his glowing palm against the Uchiha's forehead, and Itachi suddenly feels something enter his mind.

"There you go. Why don't you try it first?"

Following Folset advice, Itachi used the information on his brain to summon his new power for the first time. He wills his power to come forth, and it works. A wall of thorny vines stand tall in front of him like a shield. He tries a different thing this time and a sharp trunk shot out from the ground besides Itachi and pierce the vine walls form before. "It is truly versatile. No wonder the first hokage are so powerful with this kind of power." he bemused. Then, he moved his arms upward, and a single apple tree sprout out from the ground, complete with a bunch of its red fruit hanging on the low branch.

Itachi picked one he could reach and took a bite. Surprised by its taste, Itachi picked another and handed it to Folset. "Here, try this." he said. Folset accepted it and tasted the red apple. "Sweet and delicious. Looks like you don't have to worry about food, my friend." Itachi's mouth formed a small smile and he made all the plants disappear.

"Looks like you found quite a useful ability, my friend. Now keep in mind that the more complex and bigger the scale, the more mana it will consume."

"I'll remember that."

"Good."

Suddenly, a bright magic circle formed beneath Itachi's feet, and a light beam crashed down upon him. He saw Folset give him a soft smile as his body slowly floated upwards.

"Live your life to the fullest, enjoy your time there, and try to do good things as much as you can." said Folset. "I pray for your success in this new world, Uchiha Itachi. Once your journey is over, we will meet again." he added.

"But how can i know when that'll happen?" inquired Itachi. Folset. still smiling, answered enigmatically. "You will know when it happen."

That didn't help at all, think Itachi. His body keep ascending towards the bright white light, but he still can hear Folset voices from up there.

"Now go, my friend! And remember what i said to you before!" Folset shouted.

Both are giving each other a genuine smile like old friends parting. As he ascends, Itachi makes a silent promise to himself, Folset, and his loved ones' spirits.

He will pay for his sins and live his life to the fullest.

--KoNoSuBa!--

Itachi was suddenly awoken by a buzz of people's chatter. He quickly became aware that he was currently inside a small wagon. There was a note written in a foreign language, and beside him was a bag.

He took both and read the note. He was shocked to know that he could read the content.

Consider this a parting gift to help you as you settled into Axel. And don't worry about the language, i've made sure you'll be able to read and write in it.

Your Friend.

Itachi sighed with a small smile and took out what was inside the bag. Turns out there was a black cloak, a small dagger, and some money inside. He really didn't deserve this, he thought before he shifted his focus to somewhere else.

The wagon has stopped, and Itachi takes it as a sign for him to get out. He's equipped his cloak, fasten the dagger to his belt, and steps out of the wagon. He's greeted by a peaceful and serene sight. A pair of kids chasing each other around the streets, some group of people wearing strange equipment talking about something called dungeon, a couple bickering, and so many more.

"So this is Axel? It's quite a nice place." he mused to himself.

Another wagon stopped next to Itachi, and a teenage boy stepped out, carrying a big sword in his hand. "Axel, the Town of Beginners. Please watch over me, Lady Goddess." He said, mumbling as he ruffled his short brown hair. At that moment, their stares met. Giving Itachi an easy smile, the teenage boy approached and greeted him.

"Hey, are you new in this town too?" he asked in a friendly manner, to which Itachi replied with a simple "Yes."

The boy offered his hands, "My name is Mitsurugi Kyouya. Nice to meet you." he said. Itachi shook the Kyouya's hand, albeit a bit hesitantly. "I'm Itachi, and it's nice to meet you too, Mitsurugi."

"Please, call me Kyouya."

"Alright then, Kyouya."

Itachi admitted that he was reluctant to use the Uchiha name again. While some parts of him wanted to honor his family, Itachi felt like this was his chance to turn over a new leaf and make a fresh start.

"I suppose we should look for the Adventurers Guild. How about we find it together?" Kyouya asked. Itachi agreed; he was still unfamiliar with this world, and Kyouya seemed to know what he was doing. As for what an Adventurers Guild is, he supposed he'd find out soon. Both of them were walking down the streets, trying to find the building.

"Nice sword you've got right there." commented Itachi. Kyouya glanced at the sword tied to his back fondly before saying, "Yes. It's a gift from someone."

"That person gave this sword along with a mission for me to complete." elaborates Kyouya. He then turned the question to Itachi. "How about you? Where are you from, Itachi?" he asks curiously.

Thinking for a split second, Itachi answered "A land far from here called the Land of Fire." Mixing the truth and lies are always the best option in a situation like this. He know he shouldn't say that he came from another world so casually.

"Truly? I thought you're from the same place as me, judging from your name. I'm from a far away country named Japan."

A mixed lie too, thought Itachi. It's either Kyouya really came from another place in this world, or he too is a world traveller as Folset called it. Anyway, he won't call him out for now, so Itachi decided to play along. Unfortunately, the conversation died after that and both of them continued their journey in silence. After asking a couple of times, they finally found it.

"So this is the Adventurers Guild. Come on, let's get inside."

The inside of the building looks very busy, stunning both Itachi and Kyouya for a moment. A shout from a muscular man with a mohawk shifted their attention from the lively scene.

"Yo! Haven't seen either of you around before." he yells. "Yes, we are new in town. We're looking for a job right now." Itachi responded.

The man grinned at them and said, "Is that so? The guild is rarely short of work, so perhaps you should ask the receptionist." The man pointed at a blonde woman in a very low-cut white dress that somehow contained her large bosom.

"Thank you, good sir." said Kyouya, and they walked to the reception desk. "Welcome to the gates of hell, both of you!" shouted the man from a distance.

Kyouya shakes his head with a smile on his face. "That's quite the welcome." commented Itachi. "It is. But Axel is a town for beginners, so what he said wasn't wrong." Kyouya added.

Seeing a pair of man approaches her, the receptionist professionally greets them. "Welcome to the Adventurers Guild. I'm Luna, and how can i help you both?" she asks with a smile. Itachi stepped back a bit and let Kyouya, who knows more about this thing, do the talking.

"We want to join the guild as newbie adventurers."

"I see. In that case, please pay for the admission fee." she informed, to both of them are quickly give her the total sum.

"Great, now please follow me."

Kyouya and Itachi followed Luna to a strange-looking device with a big blue crystal orb. She took two pieces of cardboard and showed them to him. "Let me explain it first. This is your adventurer card, and it helps to track the number of monsters you have defeated." She explained the cards. "It contains additional information such as skills and levels as well. As your level increases, you will get skill points to trade for skills." she adds.

Now that's an interesting system, Itachi thought. Is this skill really something that can only be learned with skill points? So no matter how much you train, you can't use a skill if you don't learn it from the cards? He was curious about how this system worked.

Itachi looked at Kyouya, who seemed to understand right away. Perhaps he was already familiar with it. But how could that be possible if he came from another world? "There are so many questions to answer." Itachi muttered very quietly. Luckily, no one else had heard him.

"Now, please put your hand on the top of the crystal." she prompted. Kyouya stepped up first and placed his hands on the crystal's top. The orb suddenly glowed, and the pen below it moved quickly, jotting something into the card. After a quick second, it stopped and Luna grabbed the card.

"What an amazing stats you have!" she exclaimed. "Great in strength, good in speed and defense, but also decent in dexterity and intelligence. With this, you can be a Swordmaster or Crusader!"

Kyouya didn't look very surprised, Itachi noted. In fact, he seemed to have already predicted this outcome. "I'd like to be a Swordmaster." he proclaimed confidently. He took the cards from Luna and smiled at Itachi. "It's your turn, Itachi."

Itachi stepped forward, following Luna's lead and placed his hand on the crystal. The crystal's light began to shine again, and the same thing happened. When it was over, Luna read the card, and her eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Wow! You too have an amazing stats! With exceptionally high speed, dexterity, and intelligence stats, it almost feels like you are meant to be an Assassin! Dark Stalker and Arch Wizard are also an option!"

Hearing the commotion, many guild patrons turned their heads and stared at the two newcomers with awe, guessing that their guild had just recruited two people who would surely become powerhouses in the future.

Yet, what's on Itachi's mind is a different thing altogether. Luna's word ringing in his head and replayed over and over again.

You are meant to be an Assassin.

Regrettably, that's true. Itachi knew he would always be a monster lurking in the dark. That's a part of him; it was ingrained into his being from a very young age. Being a captain of a black ops squad specialized in sabotage and assassination was the proof of that.

Before the dark thought could shroud his mind, Itachi quickly banished them away. He already resolved himself to start a new beginning. He won't become the monster he once was.

"Please, set it to Priest." he said, surprising everybody. If what Folset said was true, then Priest is the class that excels in support magic. "A-alright then, but with your stats, you're able to be an Arch Priest, the advanced version of Priest. Would you like that?" respond Luna after momentarily confused.

"Really? Then please, do so "

"Great!" she exclaimed with excitement. Luna then gave Itachi's card to the owner and congratulated both of the new adventurers. "I, as a representative of the Adventurers Guild, welcome you two! We are expecting great things from the two of you in the future!" The rest of the guild cheered. Many adventurers offered congratulations and a place in their party.

"Well, Itachi, how about we form a party for now?" asked Kyouya, eager to start hunting. Without thinking much, Itachi accepted the offer. His healing ability and Kyouya's offensive capability are enough to cover the basic needs for a party.

"I'll follow you for now, Kyouya." he said, accepting the offered hand shake from Kyouya.

--KoNoSuBa!--

Later that day, Kyouya and Itachi are standing in the open savannah right now, looking for their first quest target. As soon as he sees it, Itachi hastily informed Kyouya and both of them are running towards a group of Chestnut Rats near a farm.

Kyouya immediately jumped and slashed one of them. "That's one!" he cheered, earning an affirmation from the older man. He attacked another one in his front and failed to notice a surprise attack from one of the rats on his back. Luckily, a small pebble hit the rat's head hard enough to kill it, courtesy of Itachi.

"Watch your surroundings, Kyouya!", warned Itachi. Kyouya nodded and continued his attacks while Itachi healed and buffed him sometimes. It wasn't long before all the remaining Chestnut Rats were dead.

"Phew... We're off to a good start, Itachi!" Kyouya exclaimed. He looks tired, but happy for completing their quest for the first time. On the other hand, Itachi's amusement is drowned by disapproval and concern. "Yeah, but you seriously need some proper training. You can't just jump into the fray like that, and your movements are inefficient. If you include your lack of awareness, then it'll be the end of you." he criticized Kyouya.

Like a scolded child, Kyouya hang his head down. "I'm sorry. I'm just excited, you know." he murmured and let his body fall down on the grass. "To be honest, this is my first fight against monster."

Huh, is that so? Itachi thought. It's clear as day that Kyouya is an amateur in combat arts. He's guessing that this 'Japan' is a peaceful place, judging by Kyouya lack of experience. Sounds like a nice place.

Itachi sat down beside Kyouya, holding an apple in his hand, and offered it to the younger man. "Where did you get this?" Kyouya asked. "I picked it on our way here." Itachi answered vaguely.

"Hey, Itachi," chimed Kyouya. "I noticed your actions back then. You know, when you threw some stones at the rat while evading them at the same time." He added as he looked at Itachi. "Where did you learn to do that?"

He answered simply, "Back in my hometown."

Kyouya wasn't satisfied with the vague answer; he decided to press further. "Is that so?" he asked again, but he didn't get an answer. Instead, Itachi looked at the sky fondly, as if reminiscing something.

Kyouya just about to ask another question when he's interrupted by a growl from somewhere along the tree line. He and Itachi get up from the ground and prepare themselves. He saw Itachi grab a few pebbles and pocket them in his cloak.

An arrow almost hit him in the chest if it weren't for Itachi pushing him down at the last moment. The arrow whistles past and hits the ground nearby. From the bushes, a pack of Kobolds emerges with weapons in hand. Most of them wield spears, but one has a bow.

"This is not good." murmured Itachi. The kobolds ran at once and intended to surround them both. His first suggestion was to retreat, as Kyouya was tired, but a Giant Toad approached from their backside, making that option unavailable.

Itachi heals Kyouya again and gives him a mana recovery potion. He moves to stand back to back with Kyouya. "We can't take them all at once." said Itachi as he gives Kyouya some buffs.

"Agreed. Let's take care of the toad first." suggested Kyouya, but Itachi disagreed, earning him a confused glance from the younger man.

"You can't fight with enemies from two sides yet." countered Itachi. He drew his dagger and glared at the Kobolds' pack. "I'll leave the toad to you. I'll deal with the kobolds."

Kyouya wants to protest, but Itachi darts off quickly to the Kobolds' pack. He grabs the pebbles in his pocket and throws them at multiple enemies at once. Somehow, they manage to hide their heads, stunning them for a bit.

Itachi didn't waste any time and went for the one with the bow, taking it out with a quick and precise dagger throw to the head. With his speed, Itachi pulled the dagger from the kobold's head before its corpse fell and he slashed at another one nearby.

The other kobolds, already recovered from the stun, surround Itachi and attack him at the same time. But Itachi manages to weave between the attacks, thanks to his reflexes.

A spear thrust aimed at his chest, but he quickly stepped aside, letting the spear fly right past him before gripping the handle. He yanked it quickly, let go of the handle, grabbed the unfortunate kobold by the neck, and threw it to its friends.

The other three kobolds in front of him looked nervous, but they pressed on and moved to attack him.

One of them swung its spear at his right leg, but Itachi jumped and evaded the attack. He then stepped on the spear and landed a front kick at the struggling kobold, who was launched backwards as a result. It didn't want to give it a rest, so Itachi threw his dagger again and hit the kobold's neck.

Not a moment later, Itachi spun around and threw a pebble at each of the other two dog-looking monsters. One managed to strike the eye, killing it instantly, and the other was hit in between the eyes. Stunned for a second, the kobold was surprised to see Itachi already swinging his dagger to its neck at a blinding speed. Unable to defend itself, the kobold died with its head rolling on the ground.

Itachi then turned his attention to the three kobolds he had thrown before. All of them were running towards him. He threw his dagger again at the middle kobold, hitting it in the forehead. And then he ran towards the others. They swung their spears horizontally, aiming to hit Itachi's abdomen, but the ex-ninja slid below the arc, completely evading the attacks.

Still shocked from the pain it had received when stabbed with a dagger to its abdomen, the kobold didn't notice that Itachi was already preparing an attack. He pushed the kobold's jaw up with his palm, snapping its neck in the process by sheer force. He yanked his dagger back and lunged towards the others with lightning speed.

The kobold on his right was the next victim of Itachi, who suddenly stabbed the monster in its neck. The other kobolds couldn't do anything to avenge their fallen comrade, as Itachi's dagger was already flying toward it. With a loud thud, the last kobold fell, with a dagger buried deep in its heart.

Itachi quickly turned around to check on Kyouya. He saw the young swordmaster frozen on his feet, awestruck by the scene he had just witnessed.

"You're done? Good. Let's head back to the guild hall." said Itachi when he saw the giant toad corpse behind Kyouya. With a bit of hesitation, Kyouya answered, "Yes, let's go.".

It didn't take long for them to return to the guild and claim their quest rewards. It's not much, but at least they got some money.

"7000 for you, and 7000 for me." said Kyouya as he split the money. He pushed the stack of coins to Itachi who was sitting across him. "Good work today, Itachi." he added.

"You too." Itachi responded, and awkward silence filled the air again. Kyouya seems a bit hesitant and wary at Itachi since the arch priest fight against those kobolds. The occasional glance was s not lost to Itachi's eyes as well.

Kyouya finally relented after a while and opened his mouth. "How can you fight like that?" he asked. "Back then at the field, I killed the toad in a hurry because I worried about you, but I was surprised to see how you fought them." he continued.

Kyouya looked at Itachi again, who was staring back at him in silence. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked.

Itachi's face wasn't showing anything, and they both stared at each other silently before he answered the question.

"In my hometown, I was trained from a young age to fight like that."

Kyouya can feel that there is something the older man is hiding, but he doesn't want to press further and accepts the answer. "I see..." he says.

"Can you teach me?"

"No."

Surprised by the blunt rejection, Kyouya was speechless. "What?" he blurted.

"It's not suitable for a swordsman like you." Itachi explained, his words seemed to lower the swordsman's spirits. Seeing the pitiful display, he sighed and continued. "But I guess I can show you the basics."

The word has a positive effect, as Kyouya's face lighten up considerably. His smile is back and he gratefully thanked his companion.

"It is better for you to develop your own style, but I'll help you as much as I can." he added.

"Thank you! Truly, with your help, defeating the Devil King will be easier." said Kyouya.

"Devil king?"

"Yes. I ..." Kyouya trails off, contemplating his next word for a moment. "I want to defeat the Devil King." He continues, looking directly at Itachi.

"I made a promise to someone, and I want keep it." he states earnestly.

"If you may, please lend me your strength, Itachi." said Kyouya as he bowed down to his fellow adventurer. The ex-ninja stared at Kyouya for some time before simply stating, "Alright. Like I said before, I'll follow you for now, Kyouya."

Kyouya beamed as he heard this, feeling relieved by the answer. A second later, a waitress approached them, bringing their food with her. After murmuring a quick thank you, Kyouya raised his mug, offering Itachi a toast. "Here's to our new party!"

And Itachi responded by raising his own mug, accepting the toast with a small smile on his face.

"To our new party."

-KoNoSuBa--


A/N: I used the AI feature for proofreading and checked it again after that, to make sure the original meaning of the paragraph wasn't lost. What do you think of the result?

No comedy yet in the Prologue. The madness will start in the next chapter as Itachi meet our beloved Party!