Introducing a bit more to Obito's future arsensal here.
A relationship to be in a Toji Fushigoro style.
~NRK~
He growled at the livestream screen, the air growing hot and electrified.
Seeing that filthy quirkless touch her, speak to her, even KNOWING HER made his blood boil!
'A defect like that shouldn't be near such an attractive beauty!' He wanted to smite him then and there! "Tsk," he pulled out his phone before making an important call. "... Pick up," he told the ringtone before it did.
-Oh, it's you. Why, how can I help you, Kenju-san-
"How long will it take for another 'job' for Hood?"
-I think you'll have to find other 'workers', Hood's currently on another mission that we need him for alongside another subject because we lost something important near Hiroshima- The man whined. -And that was such a useful one, too-
Kenju scoffed. "Tsk… Any other ideas?"
-Well, there are bound to be enough villains you can 'interest' if you tell them about him. For example, like our recently incarcerated friend? Kunieda-kun didn't seem to enjoy his new scars and my network tells me he IS still alive-
"Do I look like someone who's trying to cause a jailbreak?"
-You're already dealing with villains, at this point, you can only go 'up'- The man over the line chuckled. -Bah, there's sadly nothing else we can add. We're busy, too, you know-
Kenju grimaced, tapping his desk in his stud-
-The, perhaps, WE should introduce ourselves- A voice sparked to life, startling him. -Hmm, Kenju-san, my group's heard of your work and we're interested in your cause-
"Who the hell is this?" He growled, sharp teeth gritting on display.
That distorted voice spoke once more. -Someone who's also interested in that idol group. You see, my organization is in need of such powerful animal-based quirks. We could both kill two birds with one stone- The person on the line said. -You all may not know this but Creatoria sports several incredibly unique animal-based quirks I need under my control, most notably, four of them. The bodyguard of Habami Touko, Shinji Shinya, sports an old-generation ox quirk. The second, Taira Goumou has an actual kamaitachi quirk, one she's shown great control over. Thirdly, the one known as Ryuuki Tsuuka has a 'lizard' quirk that I'm sure isn't what it seems… And, finally- They chuckled. -ASUKA DOKUDAMI has a quirk beyond a mere bodyguard, she's not only the prime target, she's the perfect storm of a quirk-user I NEED-
"And the others?"
-All yours for the taking-
Kenju smirked. "Good, we'll do business…" He frowned flatly.
-Ah, not on a shared line. I'll send a more, hmm, primitive message in… Three seconds-
There was 'thunk' outside his window, Kenju hurrying towards it and retrieving an arro-No.
A SCALE arrow, a sort of thin pine cone of spiky scales with a folded bit of parchment tucked into one crevice.
Reading it, the wealthy man's eyes gleamed.
The thunder raged as heat coiled.
"As long as I get what I want, I don't care."
He'd have his queen.
~NRK~
Obito was glad they'd run when they did.
"D-Did we get away?" Ippan squeaked in the waves with him, the two of them far away from the teasing shores. "T-That was so rude!" She whined.
"Agreed," he said with a look around. "... Come along," the quirkless man pointed at what looked like a small island. "Let's go over there, we can enjoy a little exploring if you want."
"Sure."
They swam further away from Hiroshima's shores towards that decently far island, their powerful bodies cutting through the waves with ease.
It took them five minutes to reach it, ten miles between this small island and the other shore.
Getting out of the water, Ippan shook her head without care, Obito not bothered by the water as he looked around them instead.
"We're close to Miyajima Island," he told his girlfriend, the kitsune woman looking around at the large number of rock formations, thin grass, and palm trees.
"I can see the torii gates," she smiled as they looked to the side where those things laid before finding one large one standing amongst them all. "Itsukushima," Ippan had never been much of a spiritualist.
At least, not before Obito had come into her life and piqued her interest in her mutant nature.
"Are there any idol groups from here?"
"Yes, Perfume comes to mind."
"... I'm not even going to say it," Obito said flatly as she giggled.
"There's also an acting school here that's lasted over 200 years," Ippan beamed, surprising him. "It's where Perfume started if you'd believe it."
"Are we heading there?"
"I mean, it's not on our itinerary."
"But do you want to go there?"
Ippan perked up at his smile before reciprocating fondly. "I do, at least, I'd like to see if there's anything they have here based on their dances," she told him.
"We'll spend a bit of time here and then go afterward, okay?" Obito offered before smiling into the hug she'd given him. "Alright."
Holding her close, they parted before walking off into the rock formations planted around this small island.
As they spent a little time adventuring, going up rock formations with small leaps and climbs, Obito raised a brow as Ippan landed on one specifically large rock right behind him.
"I know what you'll say," she said sheepishly.
"And you don't push your body like I do, I'm utterly baffled by how enhanced you are," he said, honestly surprised. "But, another thing, I can't help but believe your current exercises do hit the spots they're supposed to. You're limber, flexible, and agile, all the right things for your occupation."
"Yep!" Ippan said happily. "I'm not… I-I've gotta make my appearance seem normal."
"I think a better phrase would be to 'show what your body can do'," Obito smiled as she nodded bashfully. "It's fine, still…" His eyes went out around them.
They looked down the length of this odd thirty-foot stone.
It watched them, sniffing the air with interest as it burrowed out of the ground to allow its snout to reach air.
Several twitches, its body slithered out in interest as it coiled out of the forested space of Miyajima's outer islands.
It ignored the pain of its rather pained body, the wounds of its escape, without issue.
Of all things, the serpent could ignore such things, it'd been tested on without issue before.
Pain was accepted as a part of its reality… Yet it left for its own, cloudly, unsure reasons.
And now it smelt something curious. Something so dissimilar to itself that it couldn't help but to follow its scent.
Obito blinked as they found a short forest on one portion of the island, the wet dirt beneath their feet squishing with each step.
"All these islands have such green forests on them," Ippan said as they entered.
"It's because of three things," Obito began, three fingers raised. "One, it's climate, second, its closeness to so much water, and thirdy? There's been a lot, and I do mean A LOT, of efforts in the past to return it to its former glory. Afterward, the people around just spread out more and helped the islands as well."
"That's amazing," she said, awed, as the smell of salty earth filled her nose. "I-It's a bit strong, though," Ippan covered her snout as Obito chuckled.
Walking towards the already easy-to-see light on the other side of this small forest.
Yet, they stopped at the sound of something… Out of place.
The sound of something slimy, the departure of water, and suddenly rattling.
Obito's arm wrapped around Ippan's midsection and brought her to a halt, his girlfriend looking at him in confusion.
"Obito-kun?" She asked. "What is i-" Her ears twitched before she froze. "... A-A snake?" Ippan whispered, worried.
Obito frowned as he closed his eyes. "Seems s…" He perked up, head turning to the side as his senses… What was that? 'Wait, no, I can't sense that far though,' what was that?
It was so distinct, likely because of the lack of quirks or animals around them perhaps, that it stood out even with his meager sensory skills.
"What should we do?"
"It's close… Let's go."
They turned around and began their trek back, eyes searching the area around them to see nothing but shadows… Wait.
Obito blinked at a scent that had Ippan covering her nose again. "I-Is that blood?" She whispered worriedly.
"It is… But that doesn't make sense," he said with a soft frown. "There aren't any animals on this island, which is weird enough, but the sounds… Whatever this snake is, it might have brought back some fresh kill."
"Wouldn't we hear it?"
That was true, they would have heard this thing if it'd just wrestled something into its stomach.
Which meant…
"Ippan?" He rubbed her back, confusing her as his free hand reached for his neck's wrappings. "We need to find this thing," Obito said for his own reasons. 'I need to get rid of it,' because this might not have been a small snake.
The thing is, within the world of quirks, Obito had long since learned that the animals in this world had truly grown past their limits even if not to the extent of the shinobi world.
Hell, the cows he'd corralled or milked had been almost six-feet-tall at the shoulder with the bulls easily reaching ten feet.
So, the former shinobi was well aware of how big some of these animals could get and if he was dealing with a snake of the usual larger varieties? Well.
He might need to put it down-
"Alright, let's go," Ippan told him determinedly.
"...?"
"I-It might be hurt."
Watching his girlfriend fiddle with her claws, Obito was reminded of why she'd snuck into his heart so easily.
"Look, it might be but we have to do what has to be done if… If it turns out to be a danger," he told her.
"I-I get it," she said, looking a bit surprised if not saddened.
Obito felt his chest throb painfully. 'Please, just be safe,' he thought but didn't say. "We'll try our best," he told her and wore a weak smile as she perked up with a growing smile.
Hugging for a moment, they walked towards the noise, the smells, and the odd signature.
Noting that the closer they got, the more odd the scent got.
"That's not a normal smell," Ippan said, rubbing the side of her snout in confusion. "It's definitely a snake… Right?"
"I don't know. I'm sure it's supposed to be but it feels muddled," Obito frowned. "There's another scent in there but I have to be smelling it wrong because there's the scent of metal?"
They locked eyes before hurrying a bit, eyes looking around as Obito removed eight feet of elastic bandages from his neck.
As they got closer, there was another round of hissing but not the kind of a snake.
"It got warmer," Ippan told him as Obito raised a brow once they saw the light at the other end of the forest. "What is that?"
Getting closer, the sight of the shore confused him further as they broke out of the forest.
They looked around in disbelief. "Where is it?" Obito wondered with a deep frown. "I can smell it just fine, where the hell is it?" He looked around as Ippan nodded before flinching at something.
She held his arm tensely while looking at the ground ahead of them. "O-Obito?" Ippan whispered.
"... Oh shit," he cursed. "It's in front of us, isn't it?"
She nodded as he looked down at the sand with scrutiny.
And found a pair of shining 'stones' looking back at him. Now that he was looking more, he noted a bit of steam from what he'd thought was red seaweed before that glistening red slowly grew smaller and smaller.
Twenty seconds later, they stopped hissing and became a bit stiffer-looking like rocks.
When they stopped hissing, the area was filled with the soft crashes of ocean waves, the silence of the forest, and the softness of their breaths.
Staring at it, Obito's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "... It's not moving," he said, gently pushing Ippan back behind him as he kneeled down closer. 'The moment it moves aggressively…' He'd strike it down, the weight of Butsuri within his left wrist band.
Those stark-white 'stones' gleamed a bit more before something within them shifted.
"Those are the pupils," he realized as that large flat 'bit of sand' lifted closer and closer to him while Obito felt Ippan's hands tense on his back. "What are you going to do?"
As it got closer, the sand fell away to reveal its surprising coloration shifting in the sunlight.
'It's an albino,' Ippan thought, noting that the head alone was huge.
It was easily the size of her head!
As it came out of the sand more, Obito slowly stood to find its head going higher before it settled almost silently.
'This isn't a normal snake,' the male thought as its head lowered to his level and tilted. "It's too smart," Obito realized as the snake inched forward. 'What exactly is this thing?' He thought as he looked atop its noggin where a sextet of black backwards-facing horns came out of its noggin. "Is this thing a salamander?" What the hell was before him?
When it got close enough, he hesitated before reaching out with his free hand and laying his hand along its snout.
They went still, Obito in tension and the snake in confusion, before the latter pressed back.
When he found a giant snake nuzzling into his palm, Obito had officially been left unsure of what the hell he was supposed to do?
"It's not dangerous?" Ippan asked.
"I wouldn't go that far," he told her, eyes still on the now-looking down snake? "... Wait," he tested its patience.
Obito brought his hand around the side of its head to lift it up by the chin.
Those hard to see dots for eyes looked up at him.
"... Can you understand me?" He asked, a heavy sense of rising horror beginning to flow down his spine.
And then it nodded, leaving him frowning softly-
'I am 'San'.'
And, all of a sudden, he was officially left speechless. "WHAT?" Obito gawked like an idiot.
"Obito?" Ippan whispered, peeking over his shoulder. "W-What's happening?"
'I am 'San',' the snake repeated.
"... San?" Obito asked unsurely.
And got a nod in response, okay.
"I don't know what to do."
Ippan was of the same mind before her eyes went to its crusted-over wounds and noted how they bled a bit, likely just from that little movement alone.
"He's still hurt," she told him softly.
Obito looked at the reptile's wounds before looking down at his right hand.
"Trust me," he told the snake and Ippan, locking eyes with that glossy-gazed serpent who tilted his head. "You're hurt," Obito explained.
'Pain. Normal,' San said, confusing him.
Pain was normal? Well, that didn't bode well.
"No, it's not," he emphasized to the confused snake. "... Pain is important, not because you dwell on it but because you moved past it," Obito frowned. "There's pain you have to go through to become a better person, a better fighter, and so on but there's no good in pain that someone causes to you for the sake of their own wants and needs."
'Not. Normal?'
"No. That's also why I'm going to wrap your wounds," Obito told the beast as he showed the bandages. "If you're pained, you can be healed but there are different ways to do that for every kind of pain."
He moved around the snake with a look at his wounds, San not doing much else besides watching him.
Obito elongated the Support Item. 'I guess this is going to some kind of use.'
He tied what he could, San being incredibly helpful in raising some of his body where necessary as Ippan helped to wrap alongside Obito.
Three minutes later, they finished all but one foot of unstretched bandage.
"Hehe~," Ippan smiled happily as Obito rubbed the back of his head. "All dressed. Sadly, you didn't have any disinfectant but it's the best we could hope for."
"I'll need to remember to pack some within these things," Obito said with a nod. "Alright, San, you're good to go. We have to head back to the others before they get worried," he said as he unzipped his left pocket and pulled out his completely dry phone. "Hmm… Oh, Taira showed up."
"She did? We should hurry! There's likely going to be some practice with her coordinated dances!"
"Alright. Take it easy, San."
The large snake tilted his head as the two hurried away.
Their next steps sent them blurring into the forest.
San watched them go, confused. He looked at his bandages before wiggling his body.
The pain was muted, it seemed, and when he moved they didn't scrap or more.
Was this 'healed'?
The large serpent heard the splashes of water far ahead before he slithered into the ocean.
His mind was filled with nothing but the couple, purely white eyes seeing through the waves with ease.
They 'healed' him. There was no pain with those two, the one most opposite himself even said 'pain' was bad.
"Goodness, he's just a worthless snake," his Creator said with a whine. "No human intelligence with that 'Genius' quirk even though that doesn't make sense?" He told his companion.
"Well, it's what it is, experiments are for the sake of trial and error," the Suited Man said with a shrug. "Number 3 is a failure but nothing is lost here, it's just copies of some really useless quirks."
"Are you sure? We could just take them back."
"What's a serpent like him to do? No, hahah, maybe he'll be a useful 'tool' in the future."
~NRK~
Getting back to Hiroshima Bay's shores seemed like it'd been at an opportune time.
Because everyone else was gathered up by a certain arriving wind weasel.
"There you are!" Taira declared excitedly at the sight of the two, ogling Obito without hesitation. "Welcome back, handsome & friend."
"Girlfriend," Obito declared flatly as he gestured to the bashful Ippan, his significant other currently wringing out her hair with ease.
Wearing a salmon-colored bikini with frills coming down from the bra and a series of decorative arm bands, Taira smirked at him as she pulled down a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses from her forehead.
Behind her, her trio of personal guards stood within more modest-looking attire with sunglasses of their own plus earpieces.
Asumi scoffed at his presence while Obito rolled his eyes.
"What's happening?" Ippan asked as Hosoi & Sensoji came up on their sides.
Wearing a simple pair of orange trunks & a hanging-from-his-neck snorkel, Sensoji crossed his thick arms as Hosoi rubbed the back of her head in a white tube top & spats combo.
"She's most likely organizing a team game," the bulky man said. "Probably gonna have it do with you ladies and some aspect of flexibility since she is the most flexible member of Creatoria."
"Alright, it's time for a Flex Game!" Taira grinned excitedly.
"See what I mean?"
"What's happening now?" Shouta asked, wearing a pair of opaque yellow goggles and a pair of black swim trunks with a white waistband.
"Seems like some fun," Hizashi smiled in a bronze full-body swimsuit with a black surfboard underarm. "Still, this is probably just for them, huh?"
"Most likely," Oboro grinned, wearing a pale-blue pair of swim trunks, a 'cloud floaty', and sunscreen across his nose.
Landing beside Obito, Keigo tilted his head with his arms folded behind it in a pair of red-and-yellow trunks.
"What are you guys talking about? You're involved!" Taira grinned.
"What just happened?" The winged teen asked the quirkless man who shrugged.
"We're getting sucked in," he told him.
"Huh."
"What kinds of Flex Games?" Ippan asked, Nemuri tilted a pair of shades down from her curious gaze. 'S-She's so daring!' The kitsune couldn't imagine doing what that woman was.
Wearing a purple rear-emphasizing bikini bottom, a straw hat, and some shades, Nemuri had on a very small set of bikini bras that b-barely covered 'the bits'!
How confident was she?!
"Asumi-san!" The kamaitachi woman clapped her hands as the female bodyguard came forward. "Set up the 'Cage'!"
Holding out her arms at their side, Asumi's hands released a soft green glow before a structure composed of light green beams formed.
It was a big cube with no 'walls' but numerous light beam obstacles within.
"The Flexibility Dome is constructed," she bowed to the weasel idol.
"Good work, it's more complex than last time," Taira smiled happily. "Alright, bodyguards, get out of it," she beamed at the startled guards.
"Hah, no," Sensoji said flatly.
"I'd take a shot at it," Obito shrugged.
"It looks interesting," Shouta admitted.
"I'm good, can't be doing that kind of stuff in this outfit," Nemuri said without a hint of embarrassment as Oboro swallowed before looking excited.
"Hey, you never know, just try it!" He said quickly.
"You're not fooling anyone, bud."
"I can try."
"Anyone else?" Taira asked, intrigued, as Shinji came forward before they found three brunette guards moving towards it. "Hehehe~ The black-haired boys are going first!"
"Hmph," Obito rolled his shoulders while Shouta looked around the cube and Shinji stretched his legs. "I'll go first if you don't mind," he told his fellow brunette male guards as he stretched his arms behind him. "I like the look of this for a workout, I need to find new ways to push my training."
"I have some ideas if you're fine with this trip, we have some older weights I used to use but my sister can't yet so I don't mind lending you some," the older brunette said.
"Is that so? How heavy?"
"They've gotten up to 1000 pounds each before."
Obito was intrigued.
"Alright, who's up first?" Taira asked, looking at them all before Obito stepped forward. "Ooh~ Leading the pack we've got the power-less wonder!"
"Perhaps, do we have a timer?" He asked.
"Right here," she giggled as she raised one. "Can you make it to the end? I wanna see how far your body goes," she wiggled her eyebrows.
Obito rolled his eyes as an 'entrance' formed in front of him on the cube by a disgruntled Asumi.
"On your marks, get set…" Taira grinned before her thumb hit the timer. "GO-!"
There was an explosion of sand as Obito slid below the first three obstacles before flipping up over a ten-feet-high 'wall' of light beams.
"E-Eh?"
He spun around a pair that shot out at him at odd angles before hopping over the next only to find one at eye-level half a breath later.
His foot shot down before he dug in and turned his hop and land into a sidewards spin that ended up with him in the middle of it all before Obito kept running.
Juking a flying laser beam, he leaned back on a dime to dodge a pair of crossing light beams before flipping back to dodge a hidden third from below.
"Y-You got this!" Ippan cheered as Oboro laughed.
"Yeah! Lean into it!" He declared as Obito snorted before skipping in and out of sudden attacks of 'slow' light beams.
IMeaning he could barely see, and oddly feel, them before they hit so he could dodge as best he could.
As he approached the last third of the Flex Cube, the level turned up.
"Think you can beat MY score?!" Taira yelled at him from the side of the obstacle box. "Try a level ME!"
Obito sweatdropped as damn near the entire thing grew more complex and complicated as bars of light came out from the bottom like spikes traps, other flashes down from angles on the 'walls' sporadically, and several light structures formed shapes in the air near the end where a large hole sat.
Obito smoothed his hair back before rushing into it.
~NRK~
Himiko's mouth dropped as she rested in her resting room, her leotard and ballerina ensemble on.
That quirkless guy's bodily movement startled her, his slides into backflips, rotating hops into splits, and then his fast rolls into freeze frame perfect positions?!
D-Did he do ballet?! Was that it?!
~NRK~
He stared at him in awe. "H-He's so flexible!" A little boy cheered in wonder as he watched that livestream he finally found.
He'd been looking and looking and LOOKING for more news on 'Obito Uchiha' a-and he found it!
The boy had found him and learned just how incredible he was!
Then, the man reached the final section of this Flexibility Cube.
"Do it!" He cheered him on.
~NRK~
Obito rushed towards those last four meters.
As he did, his ears twitched before he was bouncing in and out of circles of light while leaning back from bars.
As he did, his eyes snapped up as a trailing tower of light bars appeared before he focused.
His next sandy step had him launching up that 'vaulting tower' with his form barely scaling it.
Obito tossed his body over the top as light bars crossed on his previous location.
Coming down, he saw the only clear circles of 'free sand' before slamming his feet into them.
Light crossed above his chest as he pushed up on his toes while leaning back, the lights below his hair untouched as he froze for the very second those lights took to vanish before lunging towards the end.
His only 'hint' had been that all the lights had cut off for a single second.
So, he pulled some bullshit.
Outside of the cube, Ippan smiled for him before gawking at all the lights.
"Freeze Frame!" Taira shouted at him in challenge, right by the end. "We'll see if you can do it-"
Obito's body came to a powerful stop before he put his hands in his pockets and 'sat down'.
The light constructs shot out at him as he 'leaned back in his seat'.
Ippan's head tilted to help her see this right. "... W-What the?!" She gawked along with the others.
As Obito sat on air with one leg crossed. No, the man did not seem bothered as he smirked his way through that five-second 'Freeze Frame' before it ended.
He 'stood up' and walked towards the exit, Taira's dropped jaw amusing him as he hopped out through the final hole.
"There," he told her, leaning down to her level with a lazy smirk before he stood up straight and rubbed the back of his neck. "I won't lie, that's some serious training, I'm honestly impressed," Obito complimented as he got crick out. "You're up, Shinji-senpai."
"Fascinating," the bull man said with a smile as Shouta's eyebrow trembled while he began to sweat. "I'll try my best despite how big I am," he chuckled as he walked to the entrance of the Flex Cube.
Obito nodded as he made it over to Ippan and co. "That was honestly a bit fun," he chuckled even as Oboro threw him two manly thumbs-ups while Hizashi choked before he started to laugh.
"O-Oh man, Shouta's dead!" The blonde wheezed as he hit the sands. "O-Ohhh! Here WE GO!"
"Quiet, oh God, I'm gonna look like an idiot," Shouta muttered.
"You'll do well enough, Shouta-san," Obito said with a shrug. "You seem to have a high sense of spatial awareness, that's about half the exercise," he told him as the hero raised a brow while Nemuri looked awed.
"Honey, your boy's fit," she told Ippan who nodded in disbelief.
"O-Obito-kun, I-I don't… How?" The kitsune asked her significant other in a breathless tone.
"I've gotta focus on all aspects of my body to get my advantage," Obito explained. "Besides, I'm a fighter who's using all my body with grapples being a key technique in my skill set. I have to be flexible in every way."
"That's not fair," Hosoi whined as Sensoji raised a brow in thought.
"What exactly is your training regimen?" The carrot top asked.
"I use my limiters," Obito pulled the weighted limb limiters out of his right ankle band. "Each of these weighs around 200 pounds and I'd wear around five of them," he told the staring man. "Two for my legs and arms, and one for my chest. I'd exercise with these for around two to three hours every other day while performing parkour in between to keep myself limber."
"Why?"
"Because we live in a world where that only makes sense? I'm going to be honest, a LOT more people should be healthy and fit in a world where villains exist."
~NRK~
The boy blushed at the man's words, looking down at his scrawny limbs.
"I-I'm still a kid," he told himself with a pout. "I'll get bigger," the boy muttered as he flexed non-existent muscle. "..."
~NRK~
La Brava gawked at him as the chat went wild once Habami came in close.
"What the HECK are you doing in your downtime?!" The bat idol yelped on screen. "W-What's with that 'sitting' crap you pulled?! I'll have you know only two of us can do that and only Taira-chan loves it!"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" The weasel idol barged in. "I'll have you know, it's nice to be flexible," Taira smirked at Habami's pale face. "Oh, right, ONE of us doesn't know how to stretch."
"That wasn't my fault!"
"Lies!"
"But that ain't normal flexible," Hosoi said as Oboro chuckled.
"Yeah, I only know a few heroes who could probably get away with that, one of 'em's Midnight over here," he gestured to that clearly confident bombshell of a heroine.
"I-It's almost ALL out there!" La Brava said weakly as that woman flaunted without giving a damn. "S-She's too dangerous!" She typed.
No she's not, she's beautiful!
Hehehe, dude, no way. He's SIMPING.
Are you kidding me? I'm simping! Midnight's a baddie as is and THAT'S HER SWIMSUIT?! Between her and the Quirkless Hotcake, I'm living LIFE right now!
She burned at all their comments about the matter.
~NRK~
Himiko swallowed as she put her phone away into her cubby hole before putting on her ballet flats once more, her break over.
'He's so flexible,' she'd been taking ballet for two years and could NEVER imagine being THAT flexible. "Mmmm," Himiko pouted at that flame in her tummy.
She felt so weird and excited.
~NRK~
Watching the other two go had been enlightening.
Shinji chuckled. "Only one got me near the end," he said with a shrug. "I'm simply too big sometimes," he admitted.
Shouta mumbled something. "I guess it wasn't that bad," he grunted as Hizashi leaned on his shoulder with a grin.
"Hey, you only got caught… Six times! It's fine," he elbowed him a bit as Oboro pat his back.
"It's what it is, man, you guys have got different specialties," the cloud-user grinned.
"He's got a point, Shouta-san," Obito said.
"Hearing it from you is only slightly better," the Erasure Hero said.
"Apologies."
Watching the women go through a lesser-version of the Flex Cube that the brunettes had gone through, they went one by one before Ippan stepped up.
And 'stepped up' she did, Obito's eyes watching the display she'd put on as she ran thorugh the adjusted cube with a focused stare.
That fifty-yard construct's first third was beaten in two seconds.
"I always say it to her," Obito said proudly as Ippan twirled, crouched, and flipped through beam obstacles. "Her physical abilities are incredible, her quirk is absolutely confusing at times," he chuckled as Nemuri nodded with an observant eye.
Then, Ippan flowed in and out of constantly angled beams and shooting light, the kitsune's eyes dilated as she widened her stances, shot forward with those powerfully long legs of hers, and performed acts of acrobatics that couldn't be downplayed in any sense of the imagination.
By the time she dived through the hole out the other end, Taira's jaw dropped again.
"W-What the heck is with this couple?!" She yelped as Habami snorted before laughing at her while Hosoi took notes… Yep, she was taking notes, alright.
"So, a couple is similar like this," the bobcat muttered. "So, I do need to find someone who's athletic."
"Is she serious?" Keigo asked in disbelief before focusing back on Ippan's blushing visage as the others clapped with Hachika going overboard with jumping cheers on the other side. "Y-Your girlfriend is downright crazy," he told the smirking Obito. "How in the world is she just a dancer?"
"She's an idol trainee but I know what you mean. Ippan simply doesn't desire such a life, it's not like it's something she has to be," Obito said. "For many, our positions might look confusing but this is life, there are some who don't fight and others who do."
The winged boy considered him for a moment as the others continued. "I mean, yeah, you're crazy, too. I guess it's just weird to me," seeing such skill outside of his profession, hell heroes in general, made Keigo confused and yet intrigued.
How? Why? Were these pursuits of theirs honestly so important?
Actually… "Obito-senpai, what exactly do you want to do with your life?" He asked.
"To stand by Ippan's side until the very end," Obito answered without hesitation, alarming Keigo.
"Hehehe~ That's what a loving man looks like, Kei-kun," Nemuri smirked while adjusting her shades as Habami grinned. "Take notes."
"I am," Hosoi said immediately as the woman, Hizashi, and Oboro laughed while Obito sweatdropped.
"I won't say it isn't an incredible thing, Hosoi-san, but are you actually taking notes about dating?"
"You bet your butt, I have to up my femininity," the idol said sheepishly. "And maybe I also want a little lovin', too, I'll have you know."
"... I suppose I understand that more nowadays," Obito said with a shrug. "It's why I keep pushing my training and equipment, there are situations where I need to do more. I've got good speed, strength, and skills. You all have seen my agility," he crossed his arms. "I just need more scenario training or weaponry to handle more problematic elemental quirks."
"The Nagoya Slicer didn't leave ya with much, huh?" Sensoji said as Shinji & Habami looked alarmed alongside the others.
"Yep, he knocked-out a serial killer in Nagoya, that's where we met him & Ippan-chan," Hosoi told them as she put her phone away in a bicep band. "I guess that's where the weaknesses showed up, like in manga."
"Not wrong, though, in that regard," Obito began. "I still have nothing besides parrying which won't exactly work with fire, lightning, or most other things."
It was true. Even with the time between now and when that event had happened, Obito hadn't found an answer yet.
Sadly, he wasn't sure if he ever would.
"Ain't got a Support Item for it?" Oboro asked with a cupped chin. "Not gonna lie, I don't think most of us got an answer for that besides… Shou, Hiza, and Sensoji. Shou can just shut 'im down while Hiza & Sensoji got the range advantage."
"I'm sure they would have, Hanzo wasn't a threat without a nearby water source."
"That's why those guys are such bums," Sensoji said as the training came to an end. "They can do all that shit but become villains, I don't get it."
~NRK~
Two hours later, they were walking around Hiroshima's streets towards Perfume's origin.
"Actors School Hiroshima," walking with them were Keigo & Hachika, the others split-up into groups of their own as well. "That's certainly a name," Keigo said, the whole group back in their usual attire.
"It's not like everyone's got a namin' sense," the octopus woman told him.
"I mean, you're not wrong but I'mma still call it how I see it."
"We're about to be there," Obito said. "When we get there, the idea is for Ippan to try and find more ways to stand out," he explained.
"I can bet, maybe Perfume left a few videos behind," Hachika offered. "I'm wondering what their singing's like. I'm more of a singer," she said sheepishly.
"You're an amazing singer, Hachi-chan," Ippan smiled as the octopus giggled.
"Well, you are a flex mistress. Ipp-chan, I've never seen you move like that before."
"W-Well, Obito-kun's been helping me with my agility," a very true statement.
Before he'd gotten his papers and returned, Obito had offered her the idea of training with him and Ippan had considered it before but had chosen to do it to spend more time with him.
And spend time they had as Obito took her to nearby parks with large statues to move about in.
Ippan could say, without question, she'd never felt more capable than that. Moving around high perches, rolling, running? Moving at her absolute best had been liberating.
"We set-up a membership with the Quirk Coliseum," Obito said. "Keigo-kun would know."
"Yep, the Commissioner was really intent on him being good enough around her daughter before giving him a bit of a 'push'," Keigo told Hachika. "Quirkless people aren't really allowed to have memberships at those places despite how off that is yet she gave him clearance for a few other things," which had been interesting.
Why had his bodyguard-senpai wanted access to a smithy? Not just that, a materials license?
"Still wondering about that."
Obito considered his answer before nodding. "I guess I should bring that up," he said, the four stopping by a bus stop.
"Obito-kun?" Ippan tilted her head.
"I needed to tell you that I needed to go and meet someone in Fukuoka's mountains near the movie set," he explained, surprising her. "It's… It's a family rite situation that's come about since I received Butsuri. Apparently, my mysterious grandfather set me up to meet the person who made my blades and I'm going to learn from him."
"T-That's so manga-like!" Hachika squealed while Keigo's eyes widened.
'He'll learn how to make more weaponry like that?' Well, well, well.
Suddenly, he was very intrigued.
"That's fine, you should have said so earlier," Ippan smiled at him.
"I know, I was just waiting for the best time. The thing is, I do want you to come for several reasons. For one… Well," Obito looked unsure before nodding. "I'm your bodyguard, best to protect you," he said sheepishly as she beamed. "Secondly, we've received Black Lists on fans."
He explained the situation with the 'Top Worst' and revealed what he knew about them from his own reading & Sensoji's words.
"I-I understand," Ippan looked worried.
"I promised you, I'll protect you. This just happens to be another method to it," he smiled for his relaxed girlfriend. "Thirdly… It's something that'll come up during that time, alright?"
"Sure, I can wait."
"Thank you. Now," he gestured to the building across the street. "Let's go and help make your dreams a bit more possible," Obito chuckled as the Actors School Hiroshima building sat on the opposite corner.
Ippan beamed before they blinked at a commotion.
"W-Wait, what's going on?"
"I'm never coming back here again!" A young man shouted with an audible hiss, his cat tail slapping against the sidewalk powerfully. "I don't need this pathetic school, anyway!" He turned and walked off with a scoff & smirk.
Obito raised a brow at the scents coming off from that murmuring group. 'They smell incredible.'
That was curious, even now as that young man walked off, the scents seemed to differentiate with ease to the point of being unique.
"What's with all the scents?" Keigo asked, rubbing the side of his nose.
"... That's gotta be it," Hachika realized with awe. "Y-You guys, think about it, Perfume came from here. What if they adapted a sort of scent skill?"
"W-Wait, is that a thing?"
"It seems about right," Obito said, closing his eyes like Ippan.
Their noses twitched and the different smells were downright baffling as they didn't intertwine.
It was like over ten different scents that could each be focused on even from here.
"That's a surprising technique."
"It's oddly strong and yet distinct," the kitsune said. "But…" Ippan looked unsure as they noted the worried group. "It might not be the right time for this."
Obito nodded. "We'll come back in thirty minutes-" He tried to say only for there to be a scream. "Oh fuck my life," he mechanically turned around with the others to see that same feline young man in the clutches of a large metallic man with a steel rope.
"Help! I'm too pretty for this!" The clearly vain male yelped.
"That's not a crazy thing to say or anything," Keigo said flatly. "Geez, what? Did he get his food chewed for him since he was three?"
"Yes, well, we can just wait," Obito said as that large villain laughed raucously. "The heroes should be here soon enoug-"
That villain grinned down at the cat boy and began to tighten his metal rope-
A wave of white and flying red slammed into his legs before bringing the villain to his knees.
Keigo slammed into his face feet-first while Obito slid between his legs.
"San-Mon," he whispered as he re-sheathed his weapon.
Three arcing slashes, bearing a torii gate-like shape, cut into the man's back before he released his hostage.
Keigo snatched him up before the villain went down.
"That's annoying," Obito scoffed as Keigo chuckled once he landed, releasing the alarmed feline.
"It's what it is, senpai," he told him. "Alright, take it easy," the winged boy told his 'luggage' as Obito walked past. "Oh, right, go call the police," Keigo said before following after the quirkless man as those on the street looked alarmed, the two bodyguards returned to their charges.
Ippan smiled as Obito nodded. "All solved," the brunette said. "Now, we should probably head out," he told them.
The four left like that, going in one direction under the confused eye of those on the street.
~NRK~
They'd decided to get a snack that Keigo enjoyed immensely.
Eating those chicken tenders made him look like he'd found the meaning to life itself much to Ippan's amusement.
She giggled and he froze before looking horribly red.
"S-Sorry!" He said quickly.
"It's fine, Keigo-kun, you enjoying something is a good thing," she smiled for the surprised teen who looked sheepish if not caught off-guard.
"Right, um, sorry again," he said sheepishly. 'Really?' He'd always been told to keep his emotions close to his chest.
Obito raised a brow at the flustered boy before shrugging as he finished his own food while Hachika enjoyed her drink.
"There you are," a voice from behind them said, the group turning as one to see a surprising man. "Yes, yes, pleasure," the arrival smiled.
He was a short man of average build with slightly tan skin, a boyish yet handsome face, black eyes, and short black hair. Dressed in a white dress shirt, green slacks, black dress shoes, and a pair of white gloves with 'ASH' on the back, he bowed to them.
"I'd like to thank you for helping out Akakega-kun," the man said with a focused expression. "The name is 'Natsu Kaheikaori', I'm the lead trainer at ASH."
"Really? Erm, we actually wanted to go there," Ippan said, surprising him.
Natsu looked up and grinned nervously. "Ma'am, you are huge, you'd stand out almost immediately," he grew excited. "In fact, I can work with that!"
She blushed as Obito chuckled while Hachika smiled around her straw. "Apologies but she's already an idol trainee," the former shinobi said, gaining the man's attention.
"Hmm!" Natsu's eyes shone as he observed Obito's forearm currently pressed over the back of his chair. "It was incredibly obvious from before but those forearms don't lie, you're that young man, Obito Uchiha-kun, yes? If so, that makes you Ippan Josei-kun," the trainer said to the two, looking at Keigo and Hachika. "Apologies, young man, I don't know your name but you, ma'am, must be Hachika Nanen."
"Correct all around," Keigo said. "The name's 'Keigo', I'm a temp bodyguard compared to Obito-senpai and the others," he explained.
"I see, I see. I know Aki told me you all would be passing through but I didn't think I'd meet you. So, you wanted to come and see our practice? I'm aware you all won't be here for too long."
"We'd love to," Ippan smiled. "A-And, well, I'm trying to find ways to enhance my presence."
"Let's see," Natsu closed his eyes before a pair of black circles formed on the sides of the bridge of his nose. "Mmm," he sniffed the air.
And Obito's eyes widened at a feeling of being 'recognized', if you will. 'His quirk has to do with scent,' his name should have been a dead giveaway but now Obito was curious on what it did.
"Let's see, I'd like to thank you for helping out so I can offer a good technique," Natsu grinned, eyes still closed. "Ippan-kun, your fox-like scent isn't that strong which is surprising but not impossible. I'd suggest applying tart apple perfume that can be found at most beauty stores… Yes, on your knees, elbows, shoulders, and back."
Ippan quickly brought out a notepad from her pocket before writing into it. "Those specific places?"
"Yes, the power of 'scent' is impossible to ignore for most anyone," the trainer explained. "For example, your boyfriend's body is releasing a wisp-like strength in aroma. The smell of metal is strong on you, sir."
"I see, I guess that's not surprising," Obito said as Butsuri sat in his lap.
"Yep, is there anything you desire with such a thing? Presence? Defense? There are several scents that align with those."
Keigo looked alarmed while Obito cupped his chin in interest. "Well, I would like to imbue a more powerful presence. Despite my skills, quirklessness is still quite looked down upon," the quirkless man said.
"Then, I'd suggest a slightly sweet scent, Sakura Blossom cologne from the Oigo Company is known for its surprisingly shocking intake upon second breath. I'd put it around your neck, armpits, thighs, and back."
The former shinobi was intrigued.
~NRK~
Getting back to their hotel, the four looked thoughtful.
"I didn't think scent was so important," Keigo said, looking sheepish. "He even gave me a 'hidey' scent," he snickered.
"It's a powerful thing to understand," Obito said, a bag of oils/scents in hand. "But this is another step for you two," he smiled as Ippan nodded determinedly. "I'm sure this will boost your presence so you have to make the most of it."
"I'm going to be watching their dances a lot tonight," Ippan smiled.
"Let me know when."
"Of course."
~NRK~
The following day, they all ate in the hotel lobby before taking off towards the road once more.
With Taira's tank of a vehicle right behind them, what the hell?
-Is… Is that actually a car?- Keigo asked over the walkie-talkie, alarmed as they drove towards the ferry towards Kitakyushu Port. -Guys, seriously, that's a tank. I don't care who says otherwise, that's not supposed to be on the streets!-
-Uh, yeah, I'm with Kei here- Hizashi said. -There's no way that's street legal-
-She's got specialized permissions for it and you wouldn't believe it but tanks without weapons aren't exactly illegal- Sensoji explained as Obito snorted. -It's registered via route, mileage, staff, and more. That thing requires so much damn paperwork but I can't deny that it's useful. It's got specialized equipment inside to help keep things astock. Radar, communications, a special satellite, and more-
"Wait, is Taira-chan that wealthy?" Ippan asked in disbelief.
-It's less 'wealth' and more about who she knows, her dad's a big time military man, got trophies, medals, all of that. He's also the former second-in-command to a big military branch before he joined Feel Good Inc-
-Indeed!- Taira declared over the line. -Why, I'm honestly impressive- She flaunted.
Ippan giggled while Obito shook his head. "Certainly," he smirked. "So, we're to meet Ryuuki Tsuuka at the port, correct?"
-Yep, she's the owner of the ferry- Habami said.
"Every one of the idols seems to have a big investment," Ippan said, awed.
-Hey, in our line of work, it's only expected-
-Correct- Aki said. -Understand, they get a good amount of coaching from most of their producers and even the collective. We won't let them fall into any monetary traps and they can ask us about personal interests-slash-wants-
-Have you been a big-time producer before?- Hachika asked without filter.
-Yes, I used to manage Habami before taking over the school-
-Hehe~ Yep, he's my former Producer so he knows what he's talking about, girls. Don't hesitate to ask questions- Habami said.
Continuing on like that, Obito looked down the road as he shifted a bit to the side to look past the bus.
"Hmm?" He frowned at what looked like a large gathering of vehicles sitting on the side of the road in colorful vehicles. "What in the world?"
"W-Who are they?" Ippan asked, concerned.
-Oh, don't worry… Those are our groupies- Habami said with a nervous giggle.
The closer they got? The more apparent that became as Obito's eyebrow trembled at totally kosher decals of the idols on the sides of those soon following vehicles.
"My God."
-Yeah, uh, there's a good reason guys like these end up as only groupies- Hosoi said. -Yikes-
-To be fair, they also work as word-spreaders- Taira said. -I mean, word of mouth is powerful and they're likely the pre-registration group like always-
Minding the vehicles that tried to keep up at his side, Obito's eyes focused on the road ahead.
Their trip to Yamaguchi's Shimonoseki Port had been a simple one but it got annoying upon reaching the ferry's private area.
The flashes of cameras, yelling fans, and more from those passenger cars had gotten on his nerves a good bit.
Pushing the Juubi onto the ferry's specialized vehicle storage, he departed the area before watching as a large door closed behind them.
Walking up to Ippan, Keigo, and Hachika, they hurried towards the group by the entrance to the port before groaning under the cameras once more as the idols waved the fans off.
Getting onto the ferry had been simple and quick, leaving them relieved.
"That's annoying," Keigo whined over the railings as Obito nodded, Ippan with the other trainees getting dancing lessons from Hosoi and Taira.
"It was very unpleasant," the quirkless man shook his head. "People can be the oddest thing at times."
"It's what it is, boys, trust me," Nemuri chuckled in her casual clothes. "It doesn't get better when you're famous, either."
"It's alright," Oboro said as he flew beside the ferry. "Still, it's pretty cool to be welcomed like that," he laughed.
"For you," Obito shrugged as Keigo nodded. "I'm not interested in such things. If I ever was before, this would be the 'stake' in my proverbial coffin."
"I understand that," Habami said as she came up to them. "How's it hanging? All good on this side of the ship?" She asked as another pair of figures arrived. "I'm taking these two around to introduce 'em to all our new faces. Ryuuki-chan, Takeshita-kun, meet Obito-kun, Loud Cloud-san, Keigo-kun, and Midnight-san."
Looking at the two individuals who'd arrived had Obito growing intrigued. 'Ryuuki Tsuuka and Takeshita Shigoki, hero name: Master Bam,' he observed.
Starting with the idol, Obito found one thing about her to stand out.
She seemed extremely strict, especially as she adjusted her glasses and they gleamed in the sunlight.
She was a tall curvy woman with white skin covered in a few green scales on an angular face, glossy pink lips, brown eyes with a no-nonsense strobe effect in them, and slightly long dark blonde hair set up into a bun atop her head.
Wearing an open white blazer that ended at mid-thigh, a forest-green shirt, a black skirt that ended at her shins, and a pair of brown heels, she cut quite the figure.
"Hmph, you're that odd one," she observed without a hint of amusement.
Keigo snorted before he laughed with Oboro at Obito's trembling brow.
"... It's nothing," he said as the Lizard Idol shot him a look of disapproval.
"I'm not sure how you did it but convincing my mother of your skill is a soft agreement at best."
'I don't even know what you're implying, woman, but I'm sure it's no good.'
"Come on, it's nothing so strict," the man beside her, Takeshita, smiled disarmingly. "Ryuuki-dono, it's not like your mother does things half-baked."
The idol looked unsure before crossing her arms under her sizable bust and glaring up two inches at Obito.
"Two inches grown since the beginning of all of this," the woman jotted this down, forever confusing him.
"... Wait, what?" Obito touched his noggin, surprised. 'Will I NOT end up the same height as I did in the Elemental Nations?' That was honestly intriguing.
This meant he was almost 6'3.
"See, she can be nice, observant even!" Takeshita said with an outstretched hand. "Pleased to meet you, young man, I've heard a lot about you."
Takeshita was another tall figure who was around Obito's height with slightly tan skin, a bit of stubble on his chin, small olive eyes, and short slightly messy straw-colored hair.
Wearing a pair of brown boots, green pants, a skintight black turtleneck top, and a closely-tied green haori with rolled-up sleeves, he had on brown fingerless gloves, white leather pauldrons with pale-blonde fur that crossed over his chest via black straps, what looked like a pair of crossing bamboo chutes on his back, and a bamboo-shaped headwear that sat on the sides of his head.
Shaking his hand, the two males didn't look surprised so much as assured.
The man before each of them was indeed a blade-user.
"I can tell, your feats are honestly the real thing, those grooves would be hard to miss," Takeshita said with a sheepish grin. "I wish meeting our other blade-user was so easy."
"You mean Asuka-san, right?" Obito asked as the older man nodded.
"She's… An acquired taste," the Pro gestured with gentle hand chops after they let go. "The thing is, she's honestly an incredible swordswoman but she's kinda haughty," the man chuckled before shaking Keigo's hands. "Oh?"
"Not the same as you," Keigo answered before he could ask, his free hand taking one of his feathers off of his wings before it elongated.
"Wait, that's how your quirk works?" Obito asked, surprised.
"It's a part of it. My feathers can extend a good bit, be controlled telekinetically, and grant me flight. I'm sure there's other things I'll learn to do with 'em I haven't yet."
"I'm sure, your quirk's incredibly versatile, haha, not like mine!" Takeshita laughed.
"Your 'Plant Enhance', right?"
"Correct."
Letting go of Keigo's hand, Takeshita removed one of those two three-feet-long bamboo chutes from his back before it extended.
"You guys know how Yoroi Musha's quirk works, right?"
"Frost Soul," Obito nodded. "It allows him to imbue his icy samurai soul into his effects. Frost, extension, size, and power/durability are all at his will."
"Yep, I figured I was similar to him as a kid," Takeshita said as the bamboo spun in his hand before he stamped his six-foot-tall bamboo staff. "But my quirk only works on plants with bamboo being the best for weaponry and stuff," he explained as the pieces on the side of his head expanded before forming a conical hat that returned to normal.
"Your quirk's still amazing, though," Nemuri said. "You can freely control small plants and pump-up big ones."
"Yeah, it's got its pros."
"Hmm… Right!" Oboro tapped the bottom of his fist to his palm. "Obi, I'm looking for a spar when we get to the spot."
"Really?" Obito looked intrigued. "I'm open to the idea, it'll definitely be eye-opening to see what more you actual weapon-using Pros can offer."
"Wait, ya sound like you already fought one of us," Takeshita looked confused before Ryuuki nodded.
"He defeated the Erasure Hero in a three-point sparring match," she informed him while observing Obito a bit more. 'Mother, surely, there's some sort of foul here,' Ryuuki couldn't believe that a quirkless young man could defeat a hero in their element.
It just didn't make sense and, as such, she focused on this little set-up of theirs.
"I'm up for a fight, too," Keigo said, intrigued. 'I should have sprung this on him earlier!' He totally could have just sparred with him before this!
"Hmm, Shinji-kun would probably want a shot at this," Habami chuckled. "He's a knucklehead like that, we could probably go to the Quirk Coliseum in Kyushu! Why, you guys might even get signed-on for some deals~," her eyebrows wiggled. "Strutting around with your combat skills might actually grab you some attention."
"Wait, does that happen often?"
"Often enough. The Idol Capital, Neo-Tokyo, has a large acting hero presence," she explained. "The amount of heroes who are actors over there is 50%."
"That's crazy," Oboro gawked.
"In a way, it makes sense," Obito said. "The popularity rankings, remember?"
That aspect of this world was utterly confusing to Obito. Why would you care about popularity? Why not focus on several aspects that would promote herodom?
Saving lives, cases, public service, or even Support Item design. Why NOT focus on those instead of making popularity a big part of it all?
"I'll never get it. There are surely better ways of ranking them via their actual efforts than making popularity a part of it."
"Think so?" Nemuri asked curiously. "I think it makes sense, how you're seen in the eyes of the populace is one of the biggest ways to be seen."
"I understand that but it instantly leaves several heroes disadvantaged from the offset. Think about those heroes with more plain costumes but far better cases solved, public service, and more. I've literally watched a few of those ones get lower rankings because of stuff like that."
"Huh, never thought about it," Keigo said, surprised. "Wait, so, who are your favorite heroes?" He asked sheepishly. "You strike me as a type who didn't have any."
"I do have a few, two specifically," Obito said with a shrug. "If I had to say, I can support Endeavor & Yoroi Musha the most out of the Top Ten."
"Whoa?!" The bird boy's jaw dropped. "Y-You're an Endeavor fan, too?!"
"Well, look at this, two Endeavor fans all at once, didn't see that coming," Takeshita said in awe even as Ryuuki cleared her throat.
"I-It's nothing so surprising for them," she said defensively as he snickered. "Ahem, clearly, they focus on results which can be… Acceptable," Ryuuki muttered as a reptilian tail peeked out from her behind.
"Whatcha guys like about him?" Oboro asked, intrigued. "I expected at least an 'All Might' from Keigo."
The winged teen looked sheepish.
"Because they're dedicated to the proper aspects," Obito explained, nodding to Keigo's look of relief. "Endeavor, for one, is one of the smartest heroes with a focus on cases that he can solve especially with his agency's numbers. He's clearly mastered his craft through his speed of solving crimes that don't require long-term investigations and then even those are one of his fortes," he continued. "He's also clearly a hero that actually trains often enough that he's not lacking in strength. There are no 'apologies' in his style, essentially."
Habami considered that. "I don't watch him enough to know, mostly, I'm a Wild Wild Pussy Cats fan," she said sheepishly.
"The rescue hero team," Keigo honestly didn't feel surprised. "Can I guess most idols like hero teams?"
"... Perhaps," Ryuuki admitted after a bit of thought while Takeshita smiled knowingly. "H-Hmph, don't push your luck."
"They're a good team who do what they specialize in properly, I'm a big fan of people focusing on their skills and excelling," Obito said. "Which is why Yoroi Musha edges out Endeavor for me, he's another master of his craft but he also provides a good public service in his dojos. They're rather thorough and provide not just lessons on swordsmanship but philosophy, hand-to-hand, and environmental awareness. They mix together in tests that aren't redundant."
"Wait, have you gone?"
"Of course, I went to one of his schools in Osaka for over 4 years."
"No wonder ya like him so much!" Nemuri grinned as Obito smirked. "A teacher-student relationship," she said.
"It's not like I've ever met him but I do know one of his Shadows taught there: Sarutobi, the Monkey Mask," he explained.
Ryuuki's fingers flew across her phone's screen before her eyes narrowed as she looked up articles and locations.
"He's telling the truth," she huffed quietly as Takeshita chuckled.
"You're being paranoid," he told her.
Ryuuki simply put her phone away and crossed her arms.
~NRK~
Reaching one of the far sides of the other island, they quickly got to their vehicles.
Obito looked over the Juubi, checking all that he could for any foul play. "Hmm… Nothing's amiss," he told Ippan as he got up before opening up the large side compartments.
The area's released a light purple glittery glow before releasing their futons, luggage, and more.
"Whoa, wait, you got more Support Tech?" Keigo asked, alarmed.
"Of course, I learned the whole process of this bit of technology," Obito said, tapping his wrist bands. "I used it on these things as well to keep more on my person than anything else."
"You are thorough," Taira said with a whine as a single person peeked out from her tank-car. "D-Dammit, woman, I am fuming," she cried as Ippan blushed.
"Obito-kun's always been smart, it's surprising but I think it fits," the kitsune said as her boyfriend nodded.
"I'll learn what I need to improve my life," Obito said. "No more, no less."
"Hmm," Ryuuki observed them from the entrance to the vehicle hold while Takeshita whistled at the sight of the O-Dai. "His mindset could be worse," she muttered.
"Hmm?" He turned to her before looking amused as his charge blushed.
"Q-Quiet!"
"Yes, yes."
~NRK~
Being back on the road, Obito groaned in deja vu as familiar cars appeared around them.
"Just what we needed," he groaned as Ippan hummed.
[I think they're not so bad, they're just big fans.] She told him with a bit of a squeeze.
[I know, I know, it's just… I don't like being crowded by unfamiliar individuals. We've both seen those videos, these fans can get problematic.]
[Yeah. Still, it's not like I'm trying to get that big.]
[Ippan-chan, it might be a bit premature but I don't think you're going to have trouble becoming an idol.] Obito said, surprising her. [You're learning, you're applying yourself, you have the knowledge, and you're a masterful dancer.] He continued on as she burned. [I'm going to be with you for as long as I can but I think you'll make it and be flooded with fans, that'll be annoying.]
[... I-I know you'll be there, you're a strong guy, Obito-kun.] She beamed as she nuzzled him a bit. [I'm… I don't really want to be that big.] His chuckles had her pouting. [Mean.]
[A bit, apologies.]
[Mmmm, STILL, you're always there learning with me. I think I'm fine just being well-known.]
[Well, what comes after?]
[... A-After?]
[Yes.] Obito smiled. [I think you've got a curious future ahead of you. I've just been wondering. If you don't wish to be THAT famous, what do you WANT to do?] What would his girlfriend, who simply wanted to be 'accepted', do when that came to pass?
Ippan's eyes widened at the question, her hold growing unsure. [I… I-I've never thought about it.] She whispered. [I mean, where do you go after becoming an idol in one of the top ones?]
[I don't know.]
Considering his words, Ippan released a small whine.
[Sorry.] Obito said honestly. [I didn't mean to make you concerned.]
[Y-You're just being supportive.] She whined, chin on his shoulder. [I don't know, though.]
[Why not a dance instructor?]
[Hmm?]
She looked at him, alarmed, as he lifted his visor to show his smile. "You're an incredible dancer, Ippan, why NOT make the most of it?"
Her eyes widened before she nuzzled him once more, his exposed cheeks growing red as he dropped his visor.
Ippan giggled as Obito smiled.
~NRK Out~