- CHAPTER 9 —

The Adversary


How did it come to this? I asked myself.

I tried to focus on the play unfolding before me, but Sakura's tension was impossible to ignore. Her mood shifted since our initial introductions, which had started pleasant. The turning point came when Ino casually referred to me as "her sister". The simple phrase triggered something deep within Sakura.

Now, she sat rigidly on the other side of Ino, leaned forward with her arms tightly crossed, radiating a palpable sense of displeasure. Her earlier warmth had evaporated, replaced by short, pointed comments and charged glares.

She's threatened that I'm going to replace her as Ino's best friend.

Sakura's territorial instincts were on full display. I understood the feeling, even if I found her reaction frustrating. The delicate balance of friendship can be so easily upset, especially among young people still learning to navigate the complexities of social relationships.

She was fighting for what she considers important. Friendships are precious, and the fear of losing them can make people act in unbecoming ways.

I pinched my upper lip.

What to do, what to do?

The play continued, but my attention was elsewhere.

I wished to get up and walk to provide some therapeutic relief but seeing how engrossed Ino was watching along, I decided not to disrupt her. I took a couple deep breaths and despite my eyelids being lifted and the light of the surrounding world returned revealing the stage and actors, I still couldn't shake my intrusive thoughts.

Should I even care? Don't Ino and Sakura end up splitting up soon? Maybe instead of worrying so much, I should do nothing?

A sinking sensation settled in my stomach as Sakura and I exchanged another uncomfortable glance, our eyes quickly darting away from each other.

My focus jumped to the presence of a boy seated to my left, some random stranger.

His black hair was meticulously styled. Each spike was arranged with a seeming deliberate precision. Not a strand appeared out of place. My eyes drifted to his hands, noting the distinct calluses marking his fingertips. Those rough patches told a story of practiced skill - likely a developing ninja in training, or perhaps a dedicated musician, or maybe even someone who engaged in consistent physical labor.

He caught me studying him, and our gazes met. I offered a quick, disarming smile, hoping to dissolve any potential social discomfort. He responded in kind, his own smile warm and practiced.

"You like plays?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I do," he replied, nodding. "But I like to hear the music I wrote being played too."

Without missing a beat, his fingers began moving. They danced through the air, perfectly synchronized with the background music accompanying the actors' movements. Each invisible strum and pluck matched the rhythm precisely, as if he were playing an unseen instrument.

Music… He wrote?

Abruptly, he stopped. His body froze mid-motion, becoming almost statue-like. Then, with a knowing smirk, he gestured for me to come closer.

I leaned in, expecting a casual comment. Instead, he approached too close, his mouth close to my ear. His whisper, soft yet deliberate, sent a small shiver down my spine.

"Let's talk privately, my dear sister Miriam."

The vision of the demonic parasite flashed through my mind. Then came the horrific memories of the nightmares spawned by Ba'al during my imprisonment. For a moment, my chest felt compressed, as if an invisible hand squeezed and held my heart in place in its grasp, momentarily stopping the beat and pulse.

My fingers clenched together, the knuckles turning white as I sought inner strength, desperately trying to find the courage and wisdom to make the right decision.

The boy who had spoken to me moments earlier was now rising from his seat, moving towards the theatre's front entrance. My heart suddenly lurched back to life, pounding with an erratic, chaotic rhythm that seemed to echo my internal turmoil.

Do I follow him?

A stern internal voice cut through my hesitation: This is one of the Templars of Singularity. Do not meet with them privately! We should leave with the princess and inform Inoichi-sama immediately.

I wrestled with the warning, my response rising from a place of deep spiritual conviction: You realize that serving my God comes first… right? So stop trying to make the decision for me, and let me give it back to my Heavenly Father.

The boy had already passed through the theatre's entrance. I wasn't certain how long he'd wait, or what consequences might arise from delaying.

I sat in indecision.

Seconds went by and by, accumulating into minutes.

I should at least check and make sure everything is alright… Plus– I don't even know which one of my brothers he is… or if he became possessed too… It is my duty to be diligent and hear him out.

Please do not.

I must. Haven't you seen the relationship between us? Why would you argue against this?

Yes, I've seen your experiences, and that makes it all more important that you avoid them at all costs right now while you're vulnerable.

You have zero trust in my important people.

The prince of darkness has swallowed you, exploited at a crucial moment of your weakness. You have pride as a named Child of the Night… but that symbolically represents the Fallen One's favor. What is most disturbing is that he only values those whose faith is strong but has been twisted through lies into a muddled gray mess. God's boundaries of white and black no longer matter, filled with exceptions, so his agenda can come to fruition.

"What the f–" I caught myself from finishing swearing under my breath.

Until now, I could say with confidence that the Singularity is the One True God, but all of the misgivings that I long ago cast aside made a grand return. The seed of doubt germinated and sprouted its roots. I thought back to my former life, and my time inside Eden and the White Room.

After all of that, what if It wasn't God I met with? What if I got tricked by the devil? And right now I'm just dancing along in his palm?

I closed my eyes then pressed my hands together in prayer.

Lord… God… Please help me understand what I should do.

A strange transformation occurred around me. The sounds of the theatre - the murmur of the audience, the actors' voices, the musical arrangement, and even the subtle background noises - underwent a metamorphosis. They became muffled, as if our world was now submerged underwater. The world's audio landscape transformed into a dampened, indistinct blur.

I have to be faithful. I need to talk with him and give it a chance. It should be fine to meet him in public. If it starts going bad, I'll make an excuse and leave. Satisfied?

No. Not in the slightest! This isn't a joke. Your safety is my primary concern.

You would make my choices for me? Suddenly I want to follow your advice even less. Are you sure you're not afraid of them detecting your presence for your own safety? You oppose my brothers and I, but I'm not one hundred percent certain that what you're saying is a lie. However, I don't have any evidence that supports your argument at the moment. I've made my decision… but I'll take your concern under advisement and tread carefully from now on.

Okay, I'll pray for our safe deliverance.

My hand dropped onto Ino's knee succeeding in getting her attention. "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

"Okie," She nodded.

I squeezed past the other members seated in my row to the nearest aisle.

So God led you to this answer?

I… Don't know! I'm scared, but being scared doesn't mean that I should run away from problems when they get tough.

Sometimes no answer IS the answer. Perhaps you're being led to let it go for now. God reveals all in time.

I'm Sorry I'm stubborn. My mind is made up now.

I smoothed down my clothing and quickly checked my hair before stepping out into the front lobby.

After surveying the crowd, I detected the person of interest, then walked up to him.

"Ffshh– Stopped serving– beer to me. You gotta buy it instead." The man beside us stumbled back and caught himself using the wall to regain his balance.

My footsteps slowed, then stopped as I stood before the child roughly my same age.

"I think you've had enough, honey." A woman standing beside the drunk consoled him right in front of the two of us.

"I'll tell you – about er– when I" the drunk dude said tapping on his chest in emphasis "Whe-when I said…enough is enough."

I stopped in front of the boy while he and I both side-eyed the couple, delaying the restart of our conversation.

"If you say so darling…" The woman sighed, her words defeated. She drooped her shoulders and hid her face in her hands.

"Can you grab er- One–na–two yeah, two for me," the strange drunk man spoke.

The sloshed negotiator made slow progress in scoring himself more alcohol from the concession shop.

We weren't exactly out of earshot of the people around, but they seemed either drunk or distracted.

"Free will… Is both beautiful and ugly." My brother said, gazing at the woman falling to pressure and heading to the concession counter.

"As God intended." I said. "We are given many chances, and can always turn things around for better or worse."

"It's great to see you again! I hear things have been difficult for you. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner."

"Things have been very chaotic, but I finally got a sliver of freedom after all this time! It's funny that we met here, because this might be the first opportunity we had to see each other. Did you come here specifically to find me?"

"I admit my mission given to me was to connect with you to coordinate our plans for the future. What a pleasant surprise to find you enjoying a production I had a hand in."

"Uh… I see. What exactly did the Singularity say?"

"That you were experiencing many problems, and that something began blocking your connection to Him. What happened?"

"The Hyūga are very strict and most are against me, even going as far as locking me away in a prison to serve years in solitary confinement."

I didn't want to reveal too much information first without assessing the situation, especially if I couldn't verify this person's identity or intentions.

"Give me your hand. I wish to check something." He smiled, but it gave me an uneasy feeling, and I took a step back, realizing that perhaps I should have heeded Santa's warning and gathered more information before jumping headfirst into this.

"Brother Judah?" I asked, uncertain if my deduction was correct.

He flashed a grin and nodded. "You could tell. Impressive. I'm glad it appears you're okay!"

My heartbeat picked up in pace a little, and the image of Hitler's form materialized in my mind's eye over the child.

I wonder… Do you think he's likely possessed by a demon?

My opinion is that the likelihood is rather high, but confirming that would be far too dangerous.

I held my composure and smiled back to mask my inner thoughts, paying close attention to him on the lookout for anything telling that could help me gain deeper insight into our situation.

"A woman's intuition, I guess." I shrugged, trying to remain calm and not give away my doubts in the authenticity of his concern for me. "—And I'm doing better now."

"Disconnected from our Lord, and you say you're doing better?" He appeared shocked. "Together, we are strong. When we are one with God, who can oppose us?"

Judah's posture straightened, tilting his face to the ceiling and punching his fist into the air with gusto. "Take my hand. I might sense what is disrupting your connection." The child's arm extended towards me, his palm upright, inviting me to hold hands.

Do not let him touch you!

Frozen in indecision, not knowing exactly which side to trust, I paused for a moment before responding.

"I don't think it's safe. We should wait until a better time to figure things out. I have people waiting for me too and I'm sure they'll be wondering why I'm not back, so let's just exchange some information and figure out the details later."

"Not safe? What do you mean?"

"The Yamanaka's are overseeing me and weary of our connection to God. If you fix the connection now, then I'm certain it will cause big problems for me. This is something we need to take care of delicately." I spoke the truth, but deliberately excluded any notion that I began questioning if the Singularity was the one true God, or Samael masquerading as God.

"We need to get everyone together to meet and discuss our future plans. The Academy starts in less than a week. We'll arrange a time and place to figure out what our plans will be there."

"I'm… Okay. I can't wait to see everyone again and be part of my heavenly family."

There is something very off about this person. Santa noted to me in my head. So he is Hitler from your memories?! We must alert Clan Master Inoichi of his identity to find out more about him.

I wasn't sure that was the best plan of action for the future, but something felt wrong and off about him, even now.

"Excellent." He reached out towards me, approaching my shoulder, and in reflex, I took another step back, weary of my brother's intentions.

He narrowed his eyes and his pupils focused in and directed into mine. "Do… you still have a problem with me?"

"No-no-no… "I denied. "I just…"

Brother Judas's brows pinched together in frustration. "We've seen each other's memories. Are you unsatisfied with what you've seen?"

He was right. Everything made sense after we became one with God together. He did plenty of terrible things, but many credited to him weren't his plans and were beyond his control. He became the perfect scapegoat to sacrifice to divert attention away from the monsters who orchestrated it all. I knew that… I should be more suspicious of the Yamanaka by comparison…but something still didn't FEEL right. With logic in mind, everything checked out, and I'm a sucker for logic… but I couldn't shake the feeling that the goodwill and advice from both Inoichi and Santa were authentic and for my well being.

"I think you're a genius, and undoubtedly a wonderful asset to our family. I appreciate you, and I'm proud to call you my brother."

"So then, why did you avoid my touch when I know you like physical gestures of intimacy?"

"Don't make it weird. You're reading into it too much. I've suffered a lot, and I know this might sound self-centered, but I'd rather play things safe right now… This is the first taste of freedom I've gotten since being reborn, and despite being disconnected from our Lord, I know he still watches over me and guides my actions. Plus, if I'm being transparent, I'm still uneasy with letting guys touch me. It's a lot to handle mentally now that I'm…" I traced my figure, then pulled the edges of the skirt of my dress out to each side. "A girl."

"I see. I'm sorry if I seemed pushy. I was excited to see you again after several years and wanting to show you that I care and can be attentive. If you think this is for the best, then we can postpone the diagnosis of the connection failure. Also, let me just say that I empathize with you on your situation. I know you didn't want to be born a girl, and neither did I. I respect the sacrifices you have made and apologize if it seems I've made light of them…"

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I thought I was judging him far too harshly, but that feeling appeared again, a cold chill that swept over me and raised goosebumps everywhere it traveled.

I closed my eyes and fought my emotions down, not willing to let them win, and only after I felt ready, I nodded to him and opened them once more.

"Thank you so much for your understanding and patience. I'm sure I'll grow more comfortable over time, but for now… Are there any messages from our Lord that you can share?"

"The rest of us have received our Divine Blessing, and it's an INCREDIBLE power." His facial features shone with satisfaction, but his eyes revealed an inner hunger he didn't touch on. "I can say with confidence it exceeded my imagination."

"Mizuki?" A familiar voice appeared behind me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin after being so engrossed in the private conversation being interupted by someone that knew me, and here of all places?

I spun around on my heels and faced Ino, who did several takes looking between Judah and I with an air of curiosity.

"It was wonderful meeting you, cutie," He winked at me then waved to Ino. "You must be her friend. Pleasure to meet you too."

"You're making new friends?" Ino cheerfully smiled and radiated excitement. She patted and squeezed my shoulder. "That's my sister," Ino congratulated me with the heat of pride in her voice.

One of brother Judah's eyebrows rose while witnessing this display, but quickly reverted back to an innocent cheerful grin and didn't mention it in conversation.

"It seems you two are very close. What is your name?" He asked Ino.

"Heh—Jealous?" She perked up even more by teasing him. "—And I'm Ino Yamanaka. You better not forget it." She finished with a wink of her own to which he returned with a confident smirk.

"Mizuki, you failed to warn me your 'sister' was such a charmer, haha."

"I failed to warn you I had a sister at all," I facepalmed. "—But we did just meet, so you can't expect me to tell you everything about me." I shrugged to finish it off, then Ino and I exchanged glances between each-other.

"You're right. Maybe some other time then. Well, this has been fun, but I really must be going." He turned to walk off, but swiveled his head to look back over his shoulder. "I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Haru Shimura, it's been a pleasure. I trust we'll meet again," He finished sending both Ino and I another wink before walking towards the building's exit and out the doors.

Shimura… Shimura… Oh my God… He's one of Danzo's clansmen?

Lost in thought with goosebumps breaking out over my arms, I imagined if I was the one reincarnated into Danzo's clan. I liked the idea of being a Hyuga, except that I was chained and shackled to the branch family, but it's very likely Judah–or Haru, whatever title it doesn't matter, that he'd be under a similar restriction of freedoms and a slave to Danzo's will. I guess we really are in similar situations.

"He was pretty cute! And also a bit mysterious… I can see why you followed him out." Ino nodded with approval.

"Eeehhh?!" I exclaimed.

"Shh—shh—shh…" she put a finger in-front of her lips. "Your secret is safe with me," Ino winked playfully. "MIZU!" she exclaimed. "Your name means 'Beautiful Moon' and his means 'Sun' and 'Light,' That's totally got to be a sign, right?"

"You're the one overthinking now, haha. Please don't play matchmaker for me. If I find someone I'm interested in, I'll shoot my shot and see what happens."

"So… were you not feeling him, then?"

"Wah— NO!" Dumbfounded, I stared her down, full of disbelief at what I'd just heard.

"Not at all?" Ino said, continuing to press me with squinted eyes as if not believing my protests.

"No means no. What would have even given you that impression?" I asked in sincerity.

"Right. You like girls," Ino nodded with enthusiasm. "…So then if you aren't interested in him… you won't mind… if I told you I think I like him?" A devious grin spread across her face as if begging me to reveal my hand at play.

A pain appeared in the pit of my stomach.

No! ABSOLUTELY NOT! That monster cannot be allowed to have our princess. You must go back to Inoichi and report all these events to him in detail.

"You know next to nothing about him. I'll support you no matter what but that being said, I think you need to know someone way better before deciding stuff like that," I said.

"That means so much to me! Who do you think he was winking at? He did call you cutie, maybe he likes you?" Ino pressed her thumbs together and lowered her gaze to the floor.

"Uhh… probably you? I mean you DID wink at him first, and I didn't want him to get any misunderstandings, so I avoided participating in his flirting."

"You didn't flirt with him at all?" Ino asked, brandishing her big puppy dog eyes.

"Nope. Zero interest. Though, while we're still talking about him. Did you by chance… get a weird feeling from him?"

"Hmm… Maybe I did, or maybe I didn't. You first!"

"He seemed… nice… and logically he was acting like a good guy… but my gut is telling me to be careful of him."

"You—to be careful—of him? Hahaha'' Ino giggled and wiped a tear from her eye. "Daddy says you are INCREDIBLY capable and predicts you'll be the top ninja of our year… which is frustrating 'cuz we're gonna be in the same class! … hm, I wonder what class Haru is going to be in?" She seems to realize she derailed the topic of the conversation and quickly shifted back. "If he tries anything funny, you can just kick his butt and set him straight," she shrugged, nonchalant in the matter.

"You make everything sound so simple…" I said.

"—and you make everything sound so complicated."

"—So you didn't get any weird feelings?" I checked with her again to confirm if it was just my imagination.

"I didn't say that… but I liked how he made me feel, heh." She folded her hands together at her waist then they rose and shot apart like a firework.

A bit of worry blossomed in my heart for her, so I attempted to run some interference to nudge her away from chasing him.

"Don't you think it's odd he left with like a third of the play remaining?" I tried to open her up to some healthy skepticism.

"Maybe he's busy but loves plays so much he wanted to see some of it anyway!" Ino lifted her arms in front of her chest and did a little jump. "That would be so cool!" She gushed over him.

"Didn't Sakura mention that you both liked Sasuke? What about him?"

Ino grabbed her chin and tilted her head looking at me with newfound curiosity. "You do like Haru a little bit, don't you?"

"I told you that I don't."

"But you keep trying to talk me out of liking him. Make that make sense for me."

"I have a bad feeling about him, and did you hear his family name?"

"Shimura? So what?"

"His clan master is the leader and founder of an elite underground organization of Anbu who carry out the darkest and most gruesome missions in the village. I'm certain he's been raised and trained with the purpose to join them and be one of their special weapons."

"..." Ino fell silent. Her eyes widened and shimmered with welling up tears. "So… All this is because you're worried about me?"

"Of course I am," I nodded.

"But still… It's pretty cool that he's like a secret agent, and I bet he needs some love if his situation is as bad as you say…"

"Dear Lord Ino… You're not fantasizing about fixing him… Are you?"

"...Maybe?" She grinned, flashing me her brilliant smile.

"Maybe?" I asked, throwing my hand over my face in dismay. I moved my hair out of my face, then ran my fingers through it to soothe a bit of my rising concern.

Her hand came up to her face and nearly pinched her thumb and pointer finger together, leaving a small gap. "A little?" She said blushing, then fell into a daydream.

"You're too boy crazy," I warned her, shaking my head with disapproval.

"That's rich coming from you. Maybe you just want me all to yourself?" She puckered her lips and made kissing noises. "Haha—just kidding. That would be weird." Ino blushed and then hid her face from me.

"You are a weirdo, and that kind of weird is right up your alley," I teased, then gave the same wink she often handed out back to her to give her a taste of her own medicine. "Just kidding" I giggled. "You should have seen your face!" I pointed at her, holding back from spurting into laughter. "I'll have to draw the expression you just made and show it to you, haha."

Ino stomped the floor with a foot and scowled before her composure broke and she could no longer hold back her laughter behind her fake stern persona. "You're totally the weird one out of us, but let's just say we're both weird in our own beautiful ways. Heheh," Ino snickered.

"True. Everyone is blessed, despite our differences."

"Are you really going to draw me?" Ino asked.

"Do… you want me to?" I asked.

"YES! Are you going to make me super cute?!"

"I'll do my best." I replied.

"I'm sure it'll be awesome!" Ino cheered, pumping her fists into the air.

I grabbed her by the hand and began pulling towards the theatre. "I don't want to miss out on any more! Let's hurry back!" I said.


The curtains closed. Next all the aisles lit up. People everywhere were raising to their feet and collecting their belongings. Our group of three spilled out of the auditorium and pulled off to the side alongside a poster.

"I want to get more chocolate before they close." said Ino.

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you. I like to see the faces of people leaving after watching a performance."

"How did you feel about it?" Ino asked.

Many faces leaving the theatre adorned a smile, and I knew that I'd missed out by not paying close enough attention.

"Uh…" I froze, having mentally checked out through a bulk of the time. "I'm super glad that I came out with both of you today. We should visit again, even if it's the same play. I'd rewatch it!"

"Right? It was great! My favorite part was when it was like all hope was lost then surprise! The doctor that came from out of town figured out the sickness going around was actually poison, and I couldn't believe it was the main character's best friend who was behind it all. I wasn't expecting that, he seemed like such a cool guy!"

"There were hints the whole time." Sakura proclaimed with pride. "I figured it out half-way in."

Wasn't she too focused on me to concentrate on the play too? Maybe I'm just a terrible multitasker…

"I want to buy more chocolate… Sakura, can you keep Mizuki company 'till I get back?" Ino asked.

"But—" Sakura began but was cut off.

"Pleeeeeeaaaaaseee?" Ino begged, pressing her hands together. "I'm supposed to be responsible for her and it would mean so much to me!"

"…Fine." Sakura grumbled.

"Perfect! Don't be shy. I know you two just met, but I know you'll become good friends soon, so try to get along for me?" Ino said, flashing a big smile to us.

"Okay!" I said with a nod.

"Okay…" Sakura said with the deflated energy of a defeated soul.

Ino hurried off on her mission and left Sakura and I behind. Sakura's body stiffened and her posture became more rigid. The air of hostility still brewed between us.

"Sakura… I know you don't like me, and I'm sorry that I'm affecting your friendship with Ino and that I've been avoiding you, but these are the kind of things I'm the worst at… I don't want you to think I don't care… because I'd like it if we could all be friends." I said.

"Wah–" Sakura said, turning her head and avoiding my gaze. "That's not fair! You're stealing my best friend and making me feel bad for it! You're not mad at me?"

"I'm not stealing your friend. I get that she doesn't have infinite time, but we can both be her friend, and we could also hang out together. I know you wouldn't act all possessive like that if Ino wasn't someone important to you, right?"

"You're SORRY?! Well you should be...but…you deserve to be mad too. I was mean and rude to you on purpose. You're weird. Stand up for yourself some."

"Friend or Enemy… If I get a choice, I'd rather make friends, especially with someone who cares about Ino so much. I've only just met her, but she's awesome! She's confident, and kind, and isn't afraid to say things the way she sees it, and that's the same way I want to live too."

"You're actually… pretty straightforward… and cool." Sakura said, pointing to the last of the crowd exiting the theatre, many with a sparkle in their eyes and conversing. "I never thought about watching people leaving a show… It's kinda fun, you know?" Sakura blushed.

"Right? Imagine if you were one of the actors, musicians, or even wrote the play. Watching people who appreciate your hard work one way or another leave satisfied…That's gotta be so special. That's what I usually think about in times like these."

"Wow… I'm sorry, Mizuki. I was too worried about how I felt that I didn't care about anyone else's feelings. Please forgive me…" Sakura fiddled and pushed her thumbs together with folded and interlocked hands. "Let's be friends?"

Sakura's vulnerability in putting herself out there caused a well of heat to pulse from my core.

"Duh, Of Course we can be friends!"

"Awwwww, soooo cute! See I knew you two would get along. Nothing can beat my intuition, heh." Ino crashed into my back, wrapping an arm around my neck, an arm around Sakura's neck, and hanging her weight between us.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Sakura shook her head in exasperation "Mizuki was just telling me how she wants to be like you. She's such a fangirl."

I shielded my face with my hands on instinct not prepared to be called out like that.

"Hahaha. Didn't you also say you wanted to be like me first?" Ino's snickered, waving her hand fanning her face.

"SHHHHHHH! That was forever ago."

"-That was like two weeks ago!"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"

I giggled. "Sakura, you can be more honest with your feelings."

"Woah, Even you're teasing me now? You've gotten full of yourself Mizuki-kun."

"You started it!"

"Fine, maybe I deserved that, haha." Sakura said.


We split up after checking out Ino's family flower shop and getting lemonade from a popular stand nearby. Ino and I returned to the Yamanaka compound, and Ino gave me a more comprehensive tour of the estate. It was truly splendid, but many questions came to my mind based on what I witnessed.

The resources and labor required to build the Yamanaka's private District that oozed creative style and a mastery in the trade was daunting even to me with some experience in the field.

The cathedral, ceremonial hall, and even the warehouse storage buildings were all crafted with such a keen attention to detail that I had few viable ideas to reproduce it. There is so many things that can be learned, it becomes very important to identify which things need to be learned. Self defense and building relationships with people were musts, but even things like this fascinated me.

"You really like stuff like this. You had the same light about you when we left the theatre and all we're doing is looking at some walls…" Ino teased me, poking her finger into my armpit.

Now on high alert, I swiveled and turned making sure to defend myself from a repeat attack.

I caught her wrist, but she smiled and said "Sneak attacks are your weakness? Eh?" Ino rotated one of her wrists and gave me a thumbs up.

"You're a goofball. Don't touch my armpits without permission."

"Oh, so I just need permission first?"

"On second thought, just don't touch my armpits…"

"No promises!"

We walked and walked, but there was so much to take in, I couldn't resist striking up a conversation with Santa during a quiet spell.

How did the Yamanaka's acquire their wealth? Who did all this construction work, especially the awe-inspiring masonry structures?

The Yamanaka have an alliance between another two allied clans that we share a flourishing mutualistic relationship with. We often trade favors, resources, and intelligence with the Akimichis' as well as the Nara clan.

I see… the Akimichis' expansion jutsu enhances their capabilities by many magnitudes, so that makes sense from a labor perspective… and I hear many of the Nara's are experts in refining medicinal and pharmaceutical compounds. My clan sells many ingredients that are harvested in our Hyuga gardens to them, so I had a hunch that was their primary source of income.

You have the insights of a savant in many areas. With your wisdom and talent, we could have a profound impact on many peoples' lives for the better. I can feel Master Inochi approaching. I expect he'll be able to explain the situation of everything better, but since you have my memories and are already a born again christian, I already view you as one of us. I'm certain the Yamanaka Clan would accept you if you wished to join us and also inherit the birthright of those reborn through faith in Jesus Christ.

It had to be too good to be true. Why does everything have to be so confusing? The Yamanaka's spiritual and psychic powers can be used in so many ways, and if they intended to control or harm me, I'm certain they could, but instead of becoming a formidable foe, they intend to forge a supportive relationship as allies and siblings in christ?

The proposition offered, if it lived up to expectations of its face value, was exactly something I desired, but because of how much I wanted to believe that I wasn't being misled by Santa and Inoichi, my inner skeptic kept looking for holes and inconsistencies in their story.

My access to Santa's memories felt eerily similar to how I accessed my three brothers' memories, The family given to me by the Singularity. It was precisely because everything was so similar that it made it hard to know which side was telling the truth.

A knock came at the door, and Ino and I looked up to see the door pop open with Inoichi standing outside, shielding his eyes with his hands.

"We're dressed, dad… Geeze," Ino sighed, her face reddening all the while.

"Great. It's getting late, princess. Please get ready for bed. We need your sleeping schedule to be ready to start the academy soon," He said with a nod.

"Ahhhhhhhh! But—"

"No buts missy. You'll have plenty of time to talk and play with Mizuki tomorrow. This is her new home for now."

"Goodnight! I had so much fun today!" Ino announced and crawled to me over my bedspread on her knees, wrapping me up in a hug. "Things are much less boring now with you around. I hope I didn't annoy you too much today, hehe." She giggled, squeezing me.

"Annoying? What? No way! Today was so special for me. Thank you for making me feel welcome and spending your time with me. Goodnight."

I squeezed back and her warmth from her body and kind soul seeped into me. I couldn't help but to feel my facial muscles hurt a bit from a day full of smiles.

"Awww! You two are soooo adorable!" Inoichi let out a girlish exclamation that sounded genuine as could be, which also made me chuckle.

"See you in the morning," Ino said, departing for the door. "And you…" she sent a glance over to Inoichi. "You better be nice to her!" Ino crossed her arms across her chest and walked out with the air of a compassionate and protective sibling.

Inoichi closed the door and waited to begin talking until her footsteps became inaudible down the hallway.

"You must have left a very good impression on my daughter to have her acting this way. I must thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing joy to my precious little girl's day," He said.

"You have a wonderful daughter that's got a heart full of kindness. I'm sure that's at least somewhat in part to being a great father to her."

After speaking, I averted eye contact from him, remembering my lack of a proper Father in my life, on Earth and in Konoha, but I was given a perfect Father in heaven, which is more than I could ever ask for.

"What's troubling you Mizuki?"

"Hmm… I guess there's several things, and we haven't really gotten a great opportunity to talk about everything that's going on yet."

"Well, from now on you can come to me if you have any problems or questions, and I do have several things I'd like to discuss as well, so this works out perfect. Do you want to talk first or would you prefer me to?"

"There is so much I could talk about… I guess first off I should ask… Can we get Santa and that demon out of my head? And if so—What happens to me then?" I asked.

"You're curious about what the future holds, which is no surprise. I aim to have this problem resolved in a couple days, and if you'd like you can start at the academy with Ino. Don't worry, whatever happens, I'll be sure to protect you Mizuki." As his words ended, his hand fell atop my head with a few soft pats in an attempt to comfort me.

I couldn't help but still feel restless, and envision several scenarios that could be impossible for Inoichi to shield me from.

Perhaps Lord Hiashi would petition the Hokage to take action over me, or find a way to force Inoichi's hand. It wasn't out of the question, as Hiashi was very stubborn and persistent in his methods.

"You don't look convinced," Inoichi stated.

"Sorry. We don't know our exact futures… so such a promise feels empty." I said.

"This much is true. But I strive to honor all my promises."

"—And I appreciate that. I'll do my best to trust you, but I am curious about something before moving forward… How did you come to learn about Jesus and God?"

"The Yamanaka clan is very special. We have rules against writing down our secret history, speaking it, or passing it along to anyone who is an outsider."

"Why follow that rule? Who even decided? What does being an outsider even mean? Also, As christian's aren't we supposed to spread the good news?"

"I say that it's a rule, but it's actually enforced as a Divine Law. We are incapable of discussing it with an outsider, and in this case an outsider is someone who doesn't know the truth."

"..."

"You realize what that means, right?" Inoichi spoke to me.

"That the reason you could talk about Jesus with me is because I already knew?"

"That's right. But the other questions you have… You'd need to become an initiated Yamanaka to get the answers you want."

"I see…"

"You are welcome to join and experience our history as a family member, but if you decide to accept, you will also be bound by our family's Divine Law."

"… So anything that I find out through this I won't be able to express in any way to someone who isn't initiated or doesn't already know the truth?! Writing… speech… Nothing?"

"Correct… any information learned through this method is impossible to communicate with someone who is ignorant. So unless you can learn the same information from a different source, it's not possible. Language, sound, sight, touch… every sense we use to interpret our reality… they all bend and block us from passing on our forbidden divine knowledge."

"So it's a curse?!"

"No! It is a lot of responsibility… A Yamanaka typically isn't given an opportunity to experience their birthright until they graduate the academy, but we both know you are no simple child. Do you wish to learn the secrets of Heaven and Earth? It's not like the responsibility all falls on your back. All initiated Yamanaka shoulder some of the load, and we lean on each other, and can still communicate without a filter amongst us. I view it as a huge blessing in my life… however accepting is sure to cause problems for you with the Templars of Singularity. If you undergo our initiation, it's near certain you will never be accepted as one of them again."

"Really? I don't think my brothers' would reject me and certainly not my God."

"What if they do?"

"Then I guess I woulda been wrong… and if that is true, then maybe you're right and the Yamanaka really know all these secret truths," I said.

"You've already experienced the effect of a Divine Law… Samael's which makes it impossible for you to speak the whole truth to anyone not bound by it."

"Is… is that why I failed to reach anyone when I tried to preach?" I asked.

"You did reach them. You reached them with a molested message that led them further into the grand illusion."

"Oh my God…"