Y24AC: Toshi-kun's Bizarre Family
THERE WERE MORE THAN a few things to say about Toshi-kun, certainly, but nothing more so than when it came to his family.
Certainly, he was peculiar enough on his own. It wasn't just the fact that he wore a scarf in the middle of summer because one of his aunts had apparently once told him it made him look "cute," or that he was at least ten years younger than most of the Path of the Astronomer adepts. And apparently, that wasn't enough for him, as he was also studying the Path of the Warrior. Concurrently.
("Huh? No, the Warrior lessons are not too hard, so far," he said. "But I'm not as good as my brother was, at this age. That's okay, though!")
How he did that was rather unclear, considering he usually seemed to be either spacing out or sticking things together with what could only be chakra — the dominant supernatural substance to living beings from the Rings, which was apparently very different from what was called shinsei, according to Toshi-kun. Why that was, however, remained a mystery to Shizuku.
She had only arrived here — this Celestial Ring place — about a week ago, after all, and joined the lessons they called Path two days after that. Mostly to keep herself occupied while the Healers took care of Grandpa's sickness. Supposedly. She had no high hopes about that: no doctor had been able to figure out what exactly was wrong with him, back home. In the same way, it had been a few days since Grandpa had gone, and she basically had no news from him, aside from the usual perfunctory messages she received through a strange device — a Ring Core.
"Treatment is progressing. No significant changes today. Resting comfortably," or "Your grandfather remains stable. We are monitoring closely. Will notify if any changes occur," and "We hope you are adjusting well. Remember to take time for yourself during this period. Your mental and emotional health is important to us."
It wasn't so different from home. She understood what the messages truly meant: nothing. They were probably studying him right now, intrigued by his condition, treating him like some curious, unsolvable mystery. Cold, unfeeling men in white hospital gowns, taking notes about the peculiar case that was her grandpa.
If there was even the smallest chance they might be able to do something, however, she would take it.
After all, the woman who had invited them to join Ring Five had assured her that everything would be taken care of, including money, which had become scarce back home. Not long after, after she had settled in a place that was supposed to look familiar and easy to navigate to natives from backwater worlds like herself (they called them 'Old World Custodians,' but she kinda got the picture) a kind neighbor noticed her staring up at the night sky and mentioned that the Path of the Astronomer was always in need of more people. She shrugged, thinking, why not? And found the nearest office to go through the admission process. The paperwork for all of this would likely arrive soon, just like the documents for her settlement, though she hadn't received any yet. And so, here she was.
Most of the students — Adepts and Seekers, and a few other titles she hadn't yet memorized — were older than her, although they were quite welcoming. Seventeen wasn't exactly old, of course. It was said that most people who took interest in this Path — and qualified to begin at the level she had, which was 4th Ring, not to be confused with Ring Five, which was the name of the world where she now lived, or Six Rings, which was what Toshi-kun called the rather flashy golden jewelry he wore on his fingers, now that his mother trusted him not to try and swallow them, which raised a few other uncomfortable questions — tended to have studied others Paths before, whether that was the broadest one, whose name she had forgotten, or one of the many others.
She had been offered the chance to start at a lower level, alongside people closer to her age, but had refused, out of slight pride. What did it matter if, for what little time the doctors — no, Healers — would actually uphold the promise and treat (supposedly) Grandpa for free, most of her classmates were older than she was…? She'd have to find a way to support them soon enough anyway, once they reneged. In the meantime, the lessons were rather interesting.
And then, of course, there was Toshi-kun.
Although she had initially dismissed him as a precocious little weirdo — in her defense, he was often sketching bizarre scenes of epic battles, always portraying himself as a grown, overly muscular warrior wielding swords often far too large to be real (her favorite doodle of his was the one she had dubbed 'The Talking Ass, Great and Terrible' which Toshi-kun seemed to find very funny if his boyish laugh was any indication) — he was somehow growing on her.
It was hard not to take a liking to the boy when he came to lessons slightly late, face covered in either soot or mud, accompanied by a man or a woman — a different person each time, so far. When he was so flighty, too — either spending hours entirely focused on the lesson, or playing with little spheres of compacted earth or stone she wasn't sure where he had found. Or when he offered some food that he said his dad or his aunties had made.
Speaking of it, it was always rather strange, the sort of reaction he got from people whenever he mentioned his family — from sheer awe to what seemed like fear. Yes, perhaps if she had known how to operate the very public registry system back then, she would simply have made an inquiry.
But she didn't, and so it was that she found herself accepting the invitation of little Toshi-kun, who was at least six years her junior.
("Do you want to come eat with us?" he asked. "My big brother is picking me up. He's very nice but he was pretty busy this month."
"Sure, okay.")
And so, there she was, fidgeting with the clasp of her bracelet absently, opening and closing it, opening and closing it, a click click click that would likely have bothered anyone who was not Toshi-kun. She stared out at the landscape of the Plateau ('Observatory Plateau Tenmon'), which was slowly becoming familiar, if only a little bit — a vast field under a crystal-clear sky, perfect for astronomers — sorry, Astronomers. It offered an unobstructed view of the heavens and was a great place to see celestial bodies.
She was becoming increasingly conscious of the fact that no matter what Toshi-kun's brother was like, he would likely think her rather odd, at the very least — who in their right mind accepted a child's invitation to go eat out?
Toshi-kun, on the other hand, seemed entirely relaxed, and was currently — high-fiving a hand made of stone...? Yes, yes he was. And no matter how many explanations she would read about it, no matter how many times she saw how commonplace it was, seeing chakra being used weirded her out slightly. The hand in question turned toward her, as though it had a mind of its own, at the same time the boy did.
Shizuku felt a little faint.
"Are you hungry?" Toshi-kun asked, with near universal understanding.
"No — just nervous."
He tilted his head, laughing lightly. "Why are you nervous?" he asked. "It's just my brother."
'Because I have no idea what to expect,' she thought. Toshi-kun usually appeared the picture of ease (except when he was nervously busy gnawing on a pen, which he said his mother insisted he needed to use from time to time so he wouldn't resort to "cheap tricks" to write letters as his father did — Shizuku had no idea what that meant). She imagined his brother would be similar.
"Say, how old is your brother?" she asked. If he came to pick him up, she assumed he might be older — probably not the younger brother he had mentioned having before.
"Uh." Toshi-kun frowned in thought, as though she hadn't seen him do complex calculations much faster in his head than boys twice his age could have done with a manual calculator back home. "He's eighteen years older than me, and I was born during Year Eighteen, and that means he will be twenty-four soon."
Shizuku felt both her eyebrows raise — and not only because it would have been much easier to just remember it meant his brother would have been born during this world's Year Zero. That was quite the gap. And certainly, she was starting to realize there was something strange going on here when it came to people's age, and she wasn't quite sure she was ready for the answer, but still.
"Oh, I see," she said. "Your parents had you later, then."
Toshi-kun laughed boyishly. "My mom is not his mom." ('Okay.' She thought. 'A blended family makes much more—') "His mom's my aunt."
She lost her train of thought. In her head, her first impression of Toshi-kun's family was already, unwillingly painting itself.
|Dad Had Kid with Ex's Sister: -20 points|
Maybe that was why some of their classmates seemed to shy away from the topic of Toshi-kun's family. Messy, rather messy.
"I… see," she said. "A-Are things good at home?"
He tilted his head. "Sure!" Then he thought about something, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Auntie tells my brother he should really learn how to cook, but he's horrible at it. She tells him almost every day."
"Every day?"
Toshi-kun shrugged. "Yes, we all live together."
|Ex's Sister Still Lives With Them For Some Reason Which Must Mean Good Things, Overall: 5 points | Total: -15 points|
"Uh, okay."
"He really can't cook," Toshi-kun said, laughing loudly and boyishly. "I think I'm a bit better than him, probably. Dad says I make good pancakes. Kaizen can eat ten of them, but Auntie doesn't like it when he does. Riku doesn't like sweets, and—"
She wasn't entirely sure who either of the two were. "Your brothers, right?"
"Yes." Toshi-kun nodded. "I'm the second biggest."
"Eldest," she corrected.
He made a grumpy sound that would not have seemed out of place on an old man. "I'm the second biggest."
"Alright."
"Unless you count my cousins."
"You… have many of them?"
He began counting and lost count after he reached a slightly alarming number.
"I'm not sure, but I had to make a lot of pancakes when everyone was here!"
|Toshi-kun is Cooking For Everyone: 5 points | Total: -10 points|
Then, again…
|Toshi-kun is Cooking For Everyone: -5 points | Total: -15 points|
Something else bothered her — it hit her with a slight delay. "Wait, you're five?"
"And three-quarters. Nearly six," Toshi-kun said, with great importance. "I was born in November," he added helpfully.
"But you're…? Muscular? Is that even healthy at your age—?"
("…Why are you curling weights under the table, Toshi-kun?" she asked him once, astonished, during a lesson.
"Everyone has big biceps in the family.")
"I told you I was the second biggest," he said again, frowning. "After my brother — and Dad, but that's different."
"Different how—"
There was no warning.
An ominous crack of lightning, and the portentous clap of thunder; dark light. Shizuku's heart stopped, or it felt like it. In the moment that followed, the rumble of an engine broke the storm's roar.
From the darkness came a motorcycle, emerging from a curtain of rain, its headlights piercing through the downpour like a beacon. Water churned from its tires, splattering mud in arcs behind it as it carved a determined path across the now sodden earth, its metallic frame catching the sporadic flashes of lightning, gleaming as a beast tamed yet wild.
Atop this mechanical steed, a broad-shouldered young man with long, wept blond hair steered with the deftness of a seasoned rider. His eyes, veiled behind riding glasses, remained intently forward, unflinching in the face of the storm's fury. Seated behind him, riding sidesaddle, was a pale woman whose delicate features contrasted starkly with the harsh elements they emerged from. She clung to him, one arm draped nearly possessively across his chest. Her sundress, white and thin and seemingly ill-suited for the storm, clung to her yet remained inexplicably dry as if the rain itself shied away from her ethereal presence.
As the motorcycle slowed to a stop near the cliffs, Toshi-kun stepped forward, nearly running.
"Yū!" the young boy shouted, his voice bubbling with eagerness.
The rider glanced back with a grin, removing his glasses in one suave move, and it was the sort of cinematic smile that people would pay for and practice for hours in front of the mirror to imitate. "Hello."
A smile so charming it could disarm, and its effect was nothing short of devastating.
"Oh, my," Shizuku breathed out.
|Toshi-kun's Brother is HOT: 50 points | Total: 35 points|
"I — ah — Hello." Yeah, she fumbled. "Toshi-kun didn't mention you were so ta— that you had a motorcycle, Yū."
The woman riding pillion behind Yū shot Shizuku a decidedly unimpressed look. The pupilless eyes helped, admittedly.
|Embarrassed Myself in Front of the Big Brother: -40 Points | Total: -5 Points|
"My name's actually—" Yū began, then paused and chuckled. "Yeah, it's Yū."
"Toshi-kun told me," she nodded quickly. "I'm Shizuku, pleased to meet you—"
"She's Shizuku from school," Toshi-kun added. "She knows many stars and constellations."
"Oh?" Yū asked, glancing at her with a charming smile. Her stress levels were climbing — she was half-ready to go and kill people in his name.
"Um, mostly those from my realm," Shizuku said modestly.
"It's not true!" Toshi-kun intervened, offended on her behalf. "She knows nearly all of the ones from Sector Kagutsuchi!"
"…That is my realm."
Toshi-kun paused. "Ah, yes."
Yū only laughed.
"His brother has a rather… fixated interest in celestial bodies," the woman with him said, smoothly. "Which you might know already, then."
Something was terrifying about her, and it didn't have much to do with the twin horns jutting proudly from her forehead — no, Shizuku had already met a few members of her species, as many of them were Adepts of the same Path as she was.
With a graceful leap that was both swift and modest, the woman dismounted the motorcycle. Her movement was a fluid arc that hinted at the length of her legs without crossing into impropriety. Yū was either too much of a gentleman to notice… or possibly too busy getting his ear talked off by his little brother. The Ōtsutsuki woman took notice of it with a slight squint of her eyes. "Thank you for the ride, Nii," she said. "It was quite… enlightening."
"No worries," Yū said brightly, his voice carrying lightly as she stepped away and vanished, after a brief touch on his arm. He turned back to Shizuku with a smile. "That was Eishin, my teammate. She's been very curious about motorcycles, recently."
'I'm sure,' she thought. "Oh, that's nice," she said, and Toshi-kun looked at her with a look that made her feel as though he could see right through her. "Um, do you ride a lot?"
"Sure," Yū replied with a nod. "I've wanted a bike since I was a kid." He shrugged casually, ruffling Toshi-kun's hair when the boy shouted something about 'speed kings,' whatever that meant. "Once I got skilled enough to modify them to do exactly what I wanted, it was inevitable I'd find one that I really liked."
"…To do what you wanted?"
"He can show you if we go with the motorcycle." Toshi-kun laughed, and it was rather clear what he wanted to do. "Are we going, Yū?"
"Depends," Yū said, meeting her eye. "It's not just the two of us, Satoshi. I won't pressure her into—"
"I'd love to try!" she blurted out.
"Are you sure?"
She confirmed her eagerness with a nod, and she thought she heard Toshi-kun chuckle as he ushered her to sit behind his brother, taking the rear position himself.
"Damn, everyone seems to be into motorcycles, suddenly," Yū said and then laughed. "It's great."
Although she wondered for a moment, the jolt that coursed through her when they touched didn't have much to do with romance and more with the little (strangely muscular) oddball himself. And somehow, despite café racers not being designed for three riders, they managed to settle in with an odd comfort. Of course, this comfort had more to do with the motorcycle's clever design — whatever these enhancements must have been, she was sure they were wonderful — rather than Yū's impossibly solid frame offering a reassuring presence.
This impression of comfort lasted for about a whole heartbeat.
Because in the next, Yū twisted his wrist; the motor roared, a sudden burst of power that thrust them forward into a dizzying acceleration.
The world around them morphed abruptly as they shot through a gate of darkness, emerging into an eerily empty landscape — the same place, in appearance at least, but devoid of people. The familiar surroundings blurred into a streaking canvas of colors, the details of the world smearing into the horizon. Buildings, trees, and the distant hills all merged into a continuous wash of motion.
"That's plane shifting," Yū said casually, voice clear over the engine's roar. "We're in a parallel realm now, a sort of limbo that both exists and doesn't. It's a place for those who choose to ride without restraints — and whether you do that alone or not is up to anyone. There are actual roads here. My big brother and my dad helped me set it up."
"I thought you were the eldest!" Shizuku screamed, and only then did she realize it wasn't that Yū's voice was overpowering the engine; rather, there was some unseen mechanism that allowed them to communicate effortlessly without raising their voice.
"Oh, no," Yū said. "Boruto is."
"Broruto!" Toshi laughed in delight, and Yū smiled politely, telling him it was very clever, and he was a very clever boy.
"But Boruto doesn't have the same parents as us," Toshi-kun added.
"Yeah," Yū said. "Exactly. I was afraid she would find this confusing."
"He's our half-brother, technically," Toshi-kun said.
"A different mother, too?" Shizuku asked and tried not to adjust her opinion of their father.
"Yeah," Yū said. "And a different father, too, actually."
"What—?"
"It's… complicated."
Toshi-kun took mercy on her. "Uncle Kage is our father's alter ego from another dimension — and he's Boruto's father — but Dad became Boruto's teacher when he was young, and so he became family."
"…I see," Shizuku said. 'I don't.'
"I'll show you the family tree," Toshi-kun said. "It always helps me, when I need to explain who's who."
"…It might make things more confusing, Satoshi," Yū said.
Yū slowed the engine after a few more instants at what seemed to be light-speed, to her. She was able to take the sights in again.
"You can demagnetize her, Satoshi."
"Demagnetize?" she asked.
"Okay, Yū!" Toshi-kun said, and waved his hand, leading to another jolt. Suddenly, she felt a little less glued in place.
The motorcycle cruised along a stunning oceanfront road, and only a thin line was drawn between the azure sky and the deep blue sea. On one side, white beaches fringed with palm trees whispered under gentle ocean breezes. On the other, the road — a ribbon of smooth, not quite asphalt-like material — curved gracefully around rugged cliffs and sweeping coves, unveiling breathtaking vistas with each turn.
Above, the sky stretched vast, painted in strokes of blue as the midday sun rose high, its bright light shimmering on the water.
The road soon dipped into lush, green valleys sprinkled with wildflowers. Fragrant with salt and blooms, they were little pockets of color along the coast; hydrangeas and bougainvillea were the only ones she recognized.
And there was a city, in the distance, not quite as big as many she had seen so far.
"Welcome to Umi," Yū said with a grin she could almost feel.
"It's on Ring One," Toshi-kun supplied. "That's where we live — near the lake, though. I tried to push Hiro in it, once, because Minori said Kaizen wouldn't dare. But he tripped me, and I fell in instead, and Mom made me apologize." He paused. "I like Hiro, he's a good friend."
"Yes, I see," Shizuku said, absentmindedly, as though she could ever get used to this sort of bending of time and space. Every Ring, for one, was bigger than her homeworld, much bigger.
And before she realized it, as they neared the lake, they went through another portal, reappearing in the same place, but with people in the distance, near a house. This time, there was no ominous crack of lightning and no thunder. ("That's what it runs on," Yū had said. "My power."
"Really?" she had asked. "Does it mean it can go even faster?"
In answer, Yū only laughed.)
The first thing she noticed, when they parked the motorcycle, driving in sand with the same ease as they had driven over, well, anything, was that it was rather warm here. Not uncomfortably so, but almost, as though just a little bit more would be too much. By now, she tried not to question these things.
"…Honestly, devil-man," a woman with pink hair remarked, her voice drifting through the smoke curling from her long, traditional pipe. "This thing is a loud nightmare — louder than even Toru's spawn."
There was something threatening about her, as well, eve, more so, although Shizuki couldn't tell what it was. She had, after all, been lying on a floating deckchair, feet in the sand and crossword puzzle in hand — her only hand.
Yū didn't seem to mind the ominous cloud that seemed to hover around her. "Hello, Auntie."
"Ah." Shizuku realized who the woman was here and then. "I am Toshi-kun's classmate—"
"Fellow Adept," Toshi-kun said.
"Fellow Adept," Shizuku echoed, extending her hand with a bright smile. "Pleased to meet you, Karin-san."
The woman glanced up.
"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. If either Toshi-kun or Yū even noticed how casually intimidating those green eyes could look, it was rather unclear, as of now.
There was a pause, the kind that stretched just a little too long, dangling on the edge of uncomfortable.
Shizuku soldiered on. "Are you not Toshi-kun's mother…?"
After a brief, awkward silence, the pink-haired woman answered. "…No. I am not Satoshi's mother. I am not Karin."
Shizuku's face turned a shade that was a perfect match for the woman's hair, even as Toshi-kun laughed brightly. "Oh, I apologize! I just assumed—"
"Eh, I get it." The woman waved away her hand, with a grin that was probably meant to be playful, rather than shark-like. "Things can probably seem a bit messy, from the outside. Nah, I just share a bed with his parents, Satoshi's not my kid."
|This Shit is So Messed Up : -100 points | Total: -65 points|
"Please don't say that, Auntie," Yū said, with a frown.
Shizuku held onto hope: there was someone here with some common sense. Not Toshi-kun, who clearly didn't understand much, and was saying something about the fact that he shared a bed with his family pretty often.
"Yeah, you're right," the woman said, before turning to Shizuku. "Don't worry, though, most of us are married, aside from devil-man's mother — I know you civvies can be weird about these matters…"
"It's not just weird to non-chakra-users," Yū muttered.
"Oh, grow up," the woman said. "'Weird' is only what one makes of it. Besides, it's not like we're doing things the Mitsuki way — counting your dad, we are not even a dozen."
|This Shit is Soooo Messed Up : -100 points | Total: -165 points|
"Are you doing this on purpose?" Yū asked with a frown.
"Doing what…?" the woman asked, tilting her head.
Yū sighed, turning to Shizuku. "Please excuse my Auntie—"
"N-No worries," she muttered.
"Her name's Sakura!" Toshi-kun chimed in, stepping closer to Sakura, eagerly waiting for what seemed to be his usual head pat — the kind you'd give to a dog, although she did seem rather fond of him.
Shizuku flinched as she heard the name. Although she didn't know much about the Path of the Warrior, there were some things one tended to pick up, willingly or not. "The Sakura?"
Sakura paused, raising an eyebrow. "Pretty sure there's more than one Sakura out there."
Shizuku reddened. "But you're the one, right? The warrior — the one who's said to have fought gods—"
"I killed a few." Sakura shrugged. "Not something I have to bother with much these days — they shat themselves, you know, and are either joining up with the Rings or playing very nice if they don't."
"B-but the story about the battle with the storm that rearranged the stars — Nine against—?"
"That," Sakura said, with a rather vindictive grin, "was just personal beef."
|Toshi-Kun's Aunt Has Killed Gods: ? points | Total: DANGER|
Yū glanced at Shizuku, who looked like she might pass out. "You okay? Need to lie down or something?"
"I'm already lying down," Sakura said, still focused on her crossword. "I'm only outside because Ino's got her panties in a twist."
"Not you," Yū said dryly.
"Auntie's mad at Auntie," Toshi-kun supplied helpfully. "It has nothing to do with panties. I was very confused too, before."
"Right," Shizuku said, staring blankly into space. "…Right."
Yū squinted his eyes at his little brother, and he looked very catlike, at this moment. "…You know what panties are?"
No answer came. A silence followed as Shizuku tried to collect herself.
"Sanctuary, in nine letters." Sakura scowled at her crosswords. "Any idea?"
"Stronghold," Yū offered. "Ah, no wait—"
"Doesn't fit."
"Safehaven, then."
"Tried that."
"Sanctuary?" Toshi-kun offered. "It's nine letters."
Sakura laughed. "Oh, good one, but that's too literal... wait." She paused. "Huh. It fits." She scowled. "I hate when games try to be clever. Thanks, Red."
Toshi-kun beamed. "You're welcome! Can I have a car now?"
"No."
"Why not?" he whined, while Yū, looking away, clearly showed this wasn't their first time with this debate. "Yū has a motorcycle!"
"Yours would be even louder, which is something I'm not looking forward to… and devil-man bought and modified his by himself. Just do that when you're able to," Sakura replied. "Also, Karin would kill me."
"How's that different from Ino?" Yū asked.
"Well," Sakura said, as though imparting deep wisdom, "you pick your battles. Don't piss off more than one partner at a time."
"Ah, yes," Yū said sarcastically. "Fantastic advice."
"What's bought?" Toshi-kun asked.
"You heard it before — From the verb buying," Sakura said. "With money."
"What's money?"
Shizuku's eyebrows rose into her hairline. Was he joking…? Because it didn't sound like it.
Sakura let out a long-suffering sigh. "A medium of exchange for goods and services in words that are not yet post-scarcity." She paused. "Well, mostly not yet post-scarcity. Things can be weird, out there."
Toshi-kun blinked, his confusion deepening. "But why not just trade directly?"
"Because," Sakura replied, pinching the bridge of her nose, "it would take forever, and not everyone has what you need at the right time."
"But I could just—"
"Most worlds don't have replicators and generators, Red."
Toshi-kun opened his mouth and then closed it. "Oh."
"That's part of the reason we make contact with far-off worlds," Yū said.
It wasn't just Toshi-kun who was confused. There were a ton of questions whirling through Shizuku's mind, right now.
But the door slammed open, there was a blur of sound and colors bursting out, and there were suddenly several more children around; it was a gaggle of excited shouting and pushing each other that made the Sakura sigh and return to her crosswords.
Then, a flash of blue light erupted, and Shizuku nearly screamed as a ball of fire shot from Yū's shirt, crackling with energy. The catlike being now perched upon Yū's shoulder flinched at the sudden chaos. It glanced around, eyes wide, seemingly searching for a way out. With a swift flick of her tail, the ball of fire jumped away in retreat, away from the noise.
"Tabi is weird," Toshi-kun explained.
Shizuku's heart was still pounding when the swarm reached them.
"Minori, please stop pinching your brother," a woman's voice floated over the chaos, calm and unruffled.
"I wasn't pinching him!" the girl in question insisted.
"You were!" a boy with hair as dark as hers countered hotly.
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"I saw you, Minori," a blond boy said, sounding rather neutral about the matter. "And you're thinking about doing it again, once Auntie looks away—"
"Oh yeah?" Minori's scowl deepened, her pale lilac eyes flashing. "Well, I think that if Kaizen called you a banana, maybe you would be pinching him too, Riku!"
"She is a banana!" Kaizen yelled, puffing out his chest defensively.
Riku frowned. "Why would I care if you called me a banana?"
"Because I hate bananas!" Minori insisted.
"You are one!"
"I'm not a banana, you — you're a tomato!" Minori shot back, poking Kaizen in the chest.
"Why am I a tomato?" Kaizen's confusion was genuine, his forehead crinkling.
"Because you turn all red when you're mad!" Minori retorted, which was true enough as Kaizen's cheeks were flushing a deep shade of crimson.
"Stop lying!"
In the midst of this, another argument erupted. "This is my princess cape!" the last of the pale-eyed children shouted, toward another blond child. "Give it back, Nori!"
"Sorry, Yumi, but it's my cape now — and it suits me better!" he countered.
"You've had it too long, and it's meant for princesses!"
"I don't care, and I'm not done yet!"
The striking woman, her hair a brilliant white, followed them with calm, serene patience. "You are rather unlucky," she said. "They are usually very well-behaved, but today, they are on a bit of a chakra high." As Shizuku observed more closely, she noticed that two of the children bore a strong resemblance to the woman. Unlike the others, they were unusually quiet, almost peaceful—
Ah, no. Never mind. They were the same.
"Stop pulling my hair, Aoi!" the youngest of the two shouted — Kasumi. "Mom, Aoi is pulling my hair!"
"I'm not pulling it — I'm just trying to make it pretty!" Aoi defended, her hands full of hair ties and her intentions clear, despite her innocent expression.
The woman gently pried Aoi's fingers from Kasumi's hair, her disapproving look prompting Aoi to pout defiantly.
"I have suddenly decided," Sakura said, standing up as the kids swarmed Yū and his laughing brother (and Shizuku, by proxy), "to go back inside."
"Truly?" the white-haired woman asked amusedly. "And here I thought you were afraid of Ino's wrath."
"I am not," Sakura said with a frown.
"Well, you should be!" came a voice from the house, causing Sakura to wince.
"Hello," the woman with white hair said, offering a hand that seemed unaccustomed to fieldwork — it was immaculate. Her warm smile softened the formal gesture. "I hope you are not too bothered by the commotion. My name is Yoisen — you must be Shizuku. Satoshi often mentions you."
Shizuku nodded in confirmation, taking Yoisen's hand (and she had a surprisingly firm grip).
Toshi-kun, who often displayed an uncanny maturity for his age, was momentarily abandoning his usual demeanor for childish play. Beside him, a girl with hair of a red as vivid as his own attempted to leap onto his back, causing both of them to tumble into the sand.
It was starting to sink in that she had followed a five-year-old she didn't know that much about (peculiar details aside) to his home, which promised to be even stranger.
"But please," Yoisen said, with a soft smile, as though literal lightning bolts weren't flashing behind her. "Let me show you around the house."
"What a great idea," Sakura agreed. "You see no issue with leaving the kids under your watch, right, devil-man?"
Yoisen's brow furrowed slightly. "I see no reason to burden Yūshirō with—"
"Yes, it's a great idea," Sakura insisted, nearly overlapping her words. Shizuku, catching on late, realized that 'Yū' was a nickname. "You don't mind, do you?"
Yūshirō shook his head no, with an easy grin. "Of course not," he said, before turning toward the children — part of the sand had been glassed already, apparently. "Now… Who's up for hide and seek?"
It was all it took for them to scatter to the seven winds.
"See?" Sakura asked, shaking her head ruefully. "They don't call him a prodigy for nothing. Incredible."
"A prodigy?" Shizuku asked. "At what—?"
"Violence."
Yoisen shot Sakura a disapproving look. "You, however, have a talent for making things sound quite grim," she chided.
"Oh, come on," Sakura said, wrapping her only arm around the taller (for Sakura seemed rather short, once you managed to get past the feeling of impending doom) woman's shoulders. "I didn't mean to offend you — I know you're much better than even me at sword-murder."
Yoisen's laughter rang out, melodious and light. "Oh, you are dreadful," she said, shaking her head but smiling nonetheless.
"You love me for it," Sakura said. "Right? Right?"
"Why do you not ask Ino for such answers, dear?"
Sakura withdrew her arm. "…Well I deserved it, I guess."
Shizuku dared not ask any questions.
She made herself believe that it might be humor, after all, and she entered the house with them. Within the cozy interior, a very pregnant woman gracefully rose from the couch where she had been engrossed in a book. As she approached, her expression blossomed into a radiant smile, though it shifted briefly into a glare directed at Sakura.
"Welcome," she greeted warmly, kissing Shizuku's cheek. "I'm Ino. It's so nice to finally meet you. Sacchan can be rather picky about his friends."
"Is he?" Shizuku asked, deciding to go along with whatever came and would come. "He always seemed rather friendly—"
"I am friendly!" came a voice from behind her, causing Shizuku to jump slightly. It was Toshi-kun, accompanied by Riku. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you — I just wanted to say hi before I played hide and seek." Toshi-kun then paused. "Mana always hides in the same spot anyway."
"I'm not saying you are not friendly," Ino interjected, her voice steady and devoid of the high pitch some might affect to seem gentler. "You're just selective about who you spend time with."
Toshi-kun frowned. "Dad says it's a good thing."
"I don't know if I would follow all my husband's advice about making friends," Ino said dryly. "Remember what happened with Rio?"
Toshi-kun's expression clouded further, and Riku, sensing his brother's discomfort (half-brother, Shizuku was nearly sure of it) came to his defense. "Toshi was right," he began. "He told Rio it was okay to be sad, and that expressing our feelings is sometimes necessary." He looked to Ino, who Shizuku recognized as his mother. "Isn't that what you taught us?"
"Yes," Ino responded, maintaining her dry tone. "That's true."
Picking up on this, Toshi-kun added, "You also said it's perfectly normal to cry—"
"Why was Rio crying, again?"
Silence.
"Because I hit him," Toshi-kun admitted.
"Exactly."
"Rio is a Warrior, too!" Riku declared. "And he's like, seventeen!"
"Does that make it fine?" Ino mused. "I have trouble remembering."
Toshi-kun paused, as though considering the question. "Rio was talking mad shit."
Ino's expression darkened. "And where did you learn to speak like that?" Her gaze lifted, searching for Sakura, but she had already disappeared. At that moment, Yoisen's laughter tinkled through the air, easing some of the tension in Ino's face. "Yes, go ahead and laugh. I'm sure that won't teach them anything troublesome."
"I apologize," Yoisen said with a small smile. "I certainly don't mean to encourage them..."
"But you find it funny."
After a brief pause, Yoisen conceded, "Slightly amusing, perhaps." Her voice carried a hint of reluctant amusement.
Ino sighed, a playful edge to her frustration. "You're lucky we're already married."
Yoisen tilted her head, her smile growing. "I believe you declared yourself the luckiest woman in the world just yesterday if memory serves—"
"Whatever!" Ino said, cheeks reddening slightly. "That's just the hormones talking, you — you home-wrecker!" Yoisen's smile broadened even more if it was possible.
"Sorry, Aunties," Toshi-kun piped up. "Auntie did tell me not to repeat it or she'd get in trouble."
"You are not exactly to blame here," Yoisen reassured him, her grin evident.
"No?" Toshi-kun asked, hopeful.
"You're not in trouble," Ino confirmed. "Not if Karin doesn't mind."
Toshi-kun flashed a thumbs up, quickly vanishing with the other blond boy once more.
"This woman, I swear," Ino muttered under her breath. "Forehead is an absolute disaster."
"…Sakura?" Shizuku asked.
"Unless you've encountered another walking catastrophe recently, yes, that's exactly who I'm referring to," Ino confirmed.
Yoisen and Ino, who Shizuku surmised had been best friends long before they entered this unconventional familial arrangement, guided her through the house.
They showed her an assortment of things, items, and gadgets so strange, so peculiar, and so far removed from her experience — back home — that she had trouble recalling half of it just five minutes later.
From compact, floating spheres that expanded into a seemingly endless number of furniture items, to walls that could become transparent viewports Shizuku knew couldn't possibly exist within the spatial constraints of the house; bookshelves holding volumes that were paired with an archive larger than anything she had ever seen; a voice—or thought—activated assistant that could materialize from the ether; and much, much stranger things…
"…What is this, above the fireplace?" Shizuku found herself asking.
When they followed her finger toward the strange sculpture — a face seemingly carved from clouds, with hollow, hungry eyes and a beard of the same ethereal texture, glowing with an inner light like that of a brewing storm — two eerily identical grins spread across the women's faces.
"Oh, that?" Yoisen asked, and it seemed like a joke Shizuku wasn't entirely sure she wanted to be in on. "It is a fixture Sakura rather insisted upon."
That was enough for Shizuku not to feel particularly curious anymore.
Her thoughts must have been apparent, because Ino chuckled, all but dragging her along. "Yeah, Forehead has a way of killing conversation — whether she's here or not."
Shizuku relaxed a bit, knowing that her reaction might have been warranted, then. It was rather difficult to know where she stood, right now. And of course, there was that ever-present worry, that she thought she masked quite well.
The two women, as though sensing her uneasiness anyway, guided her through the house, pointing out pieces of unique furniture crafted by a friend from materials Shizuku didn't recognize. Their tour brought a measure of distraction, but it was only a reprieve.
As they entered a sunlit room that overlooked a flourishing garden, Ino turned towards her, a gentle expression softening her features. "Do you want to call your grandpa?" she asked softly. The question made Shizuku stiffen, her mind racing to recall if she had ever mentioned her grandfather.
"I heard he's under observation," she replied.
"He probably isn't sleeping right now, though," Ino added, trying to sound helpful but perhaps crossing an unspoken boundary.
"How would you know that?" Shizuku asked, the discomfort evident in her tone.
Ino merely shrugged, a gesture meant to dismiss the weight of the question.
Sensing the need to steer away from sensitive topics, Shizuku quickly shifted the conversation. "Maybe I'll call him later," she said, forcing a note of lightness into her voice. "Right now, I'm really looking forward to lunch."
Ino nodded, her eyes reflecting understanding and perhaps a hint of regret for the misstep. "Of course," she agreed warmly. "Let's make sure the meal is as enjoyable as possible."
There was another reason for Shizuku not calling: she had never realized it was an option, hadn't followed the initiation process when they came, too tired by the long day before that. And she certainly hadn't gone afterward, opting to figure things out as she went. Now, she realized it might have been a foolish mistake.
As they began to move toward the dining area, Ino paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face as if she'd picked up on an unspoken signal. "You know, if you ever do decide you want to call him, I can show you how," she offered gently. "It's not as complicated as it seems."
Shizuku blinked, too surprised by the offer and the accuracy of Ino's guess. "I… Um, thank you," Shizuku replied, a mix of gratitude and curiosity in her tone. "Maybe after lunch, we could… we could go over it?"
"Absolutely," Ino smiled, leading the way. "Whenever you're ready."
They caught up to Yoisen, who smiled, wrapping an arm around Ino's shoulders. If Shizuku didn't know any better, she would have assumed they had done it on purpose.
Right now, however, she was only too willing to move to some other topic. Besides, there was a question on her mind.
"…Does Toshi-kun really not know what money is?"
Ino simply laughed.
The door opened once more, and though she had never before laid eyes on the man who stepped inside — flanked by a troupe of children, two of whom were nestled in his arms — Shizuku recognized him at once. He stood taller than even Yū, his frame equally robust. His eyes shimmered a rare shade of purple, and his hair, a cascade of near-golden locks, brushed his shoulders. The same curious marks adorned his cheeks as those on his eldest son's face, linking them unmistakably. "Well," he announced, his voice a deep echo of Yū's familiar timbre. "Welcome, Shizuku. Satoshi mentioned you—"
"She knows many stars!" Toshi-kun, barely reaching the man's elbow, piped up eagerly. His small hand tugged at the newcomer's sleeve, eyes wide with excitement.
The man chuckled softly, gently placing the two younger children he had been carrying onto the floor. The two girls quickly scampered toward Shizuku, studying her with curious eyes as if she were a strange new creature in their midst. He then stooped to Toshi-kun's level, his smile radiating warmth. "Please don't do that, Mana, Kasumi — Is that so?"
"Yeah," Toshi-kun nodded enthusiastically. "Actually, she—" His voice trailed off suddenly, and with a burst of energy that caught Shizuku off guard, he dashed away.
There was a sound like thunder, relatively close, and the door opened again.
"Where is that little rat? Sacchan! When I catch you, Sacchan…" A woman who could only be Toshi-kun's mother stepped into the room with a firm, brisk step. She paused just long enough to take a good look at Shizuku, offering her a pleasant smile. "Hello, Shizuku. I don't think we've met, have we? I'm Karin."
Shizuku shook her head, and the hand that grasped hers felt as though it could have lifted her off the ground entirely.
"Stop blocking my chakra senses, Ino," Karin said. "I can barely locate him — don't make me power up."
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, dear." Ino shrugged before she and Yoisen went to greet both newcomers — Toshi-kun's father; Karin; a woman with dark hair, wearing big black sunglasses.
She introduced herself as Hanabi—
"Mom!" the boy with dark hair — which Shizuku now knew to be Kaizen — threw himself behind a couch. "Minori tried to gentle fist me!"
"I did not hit him!" Minori shouted. "It's not true!"
Hanabi raised a perfect eyebrow. "What did we say about calling it that..?"
"To not say it?" Yumi, the last of the three, tried.
"Right." Hanabi paused. "So, why are you saying it, in front of our guest nonetheless?"
There was a silence — during which Kaizen tried to kick at his triplet sister, Minori — "Auntie Sakura said it would be funny," Yumi admitted.
"Right," Hanabi said pleasantly. "And once, she called you three crafty little bastards, which you definitely found less funny."
Minori looked rather sullen. "She just meant Kaizen."
"I'm not a crafty little bastard!" he shouted.
The screaming resumed. Shizuku was not sure what to make of the entire mess, but then Karin snapped her fingers — as one would for dogs in training — and the noise halted entirely.
"Hey," Ino grunted. "Don't do that."
Although she was rather unfamiliar with the entire family dynamics, Shizuku could have expected Karin's answer:
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, dear."
"Well," Toshi-kun's father said, with the ease of someone who was all too familiar with all this. "Shall we go? I am rather hungry."
And so they went.
The group congregated, and a sudden flash of light enveloped them, transporting everyone to an entirely different city.
Intent on escaping his mother's unnervingly sweet smile, Toshi-kun stuck close to Shizuku. Much like Sakura when it came to Ino, he seemed to find a sense of safety near the guest, staying close to her side.
"Don't think you're out of trouble yet, young man," Karin warned him, and from Ino's even look, the same thing went for Sakura.
"I said nothing!" Toshi-kun said.
"What exactly did you do?" Shizuku inquired.
"He knows very well what he did," Karin replied, her voice calm and pleasant.
"Please, Mom — I don't want to talk about it now," he muttered, sulking beside Shizuku and his father — who was laughing freely.
The Uzumaki had a flighty quality about them, Shizuku observed. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly. Their flightiness wasn't akin to Toshi-kun's — it was more about their collectively nonchalant attitude, a trait they all seemed to share.
There was an easy confidence in that, too, as though there was nothing that could truly phase them — not now, not anymore.
Such resilience might have been expected, especially given their backgrounds.
("Dad?" Toshi-kun had blinked. "Oh, he's a teacher, basically."
"…Basically?"
"Well, Auntie mentioned he was involved in politics before, too.")
When Shizuku tried asking a question about it to Sakura, however, the only answer she got was raucous laughter.
"That's not nice, Auntie," Yū chided, his brow furrowing slightly. "…For either of them."
"Oh, sure," Sakura responded with an eye roll, turning to her husband. "Why don't you tell them about the kind of politics you were involved in…?"
Laughing along, the man said, "Oh, the usual kind — the cutthroat kind."
While Sakura appeared amused, Karin didn't share the sentiment, swiftly kicking both their shins — she was quickly growing on Shizuku, something that was entirely unrelated.
"Sorry," Toshi-kun's father apologized, his grin broad and unrepentant — a trait Yū inherited. "To be honest, I kinda helped set this place up, years ago."
Shizuku blinked. "Really…?" She glanced at him again, and nothing about either his or his children's ages made any sense — he didn't look a day over thirty.
He shrugged. "I didn't expect things to turn out quite like this, but yes. It's all in the past now. I did my part—"
"The past...? Dad, I don't think you understand how much Mitsuki actually listens to you," Yū interjected, his voice carrying a note of frustration that hinted at previous discussions left unresolved. "Do you know he actually puts most of your suggestions to the vote—"
"…I guess so," his father said with a sigh. "And no. I know he somehow still holds me in high esteem."
Shizuku wasn't entirely sure whether they meant the Mitsuki, who was the King of the Rings, and if they did, what to make of Toshi-kun's mysterious father having his ear.
"By the way," Hanabi chimed in, adjusting her sunglasses as she herded her children who trailed behind her in a neat line. Her tone was casual, almost too nonchalant. "Are you going to take him up on his offer?"
Toshi-kun's father sighed again, this time more deeply, as he ran his hand through his hair — a gesture of uncertainty.
"You don't have to answer right now," Yū said quickly, a hint of nervous eagerness in his voice as if he were both dreading and anticipating the reply.
"And you don't have to sound so excited about it, either," his father answered with a short chuckle. "I… don't know. I have other priorities."
"I know," Hanabi acknowledged, her voice softening. She offered him a fond smile and linked her arm with his, their familiarity and close bond evident. "Call it curiosity."
"Well," he said wryly. "Part of me is just afraid of becoming the sort of man I used to be again, I suppose."
"It's not warranted," Ino interjected softly, her tone carrying a comforting finality.
As the adults exchanged these cryptic snippets of conversation, Shizuku felt increasingly out of her depth. There was something there, something she wasn't privy to. She tried to piece together their significance, but like trying to read a book in a language only half-learned, she found more questions than answers in there. Her confusion mounted, but she remained silent: an outsider peering into a window had no right—
"We'll tell you what this is all about around lunch," Toshi-kun's father said easily.
And that matter was settled, and they moved on to easy subjects such as what her home was like, and how the lessons were — dreary, and very interesting, respectively.
Hanabi, who was particularly knowledgeable about astronomy, piqued Shizuku's interest. Her expertise seemed extensive, though when asked about her background, Hanabi simply tapped her temples with a knowing smile, offering no further explanation.
Driven by curiosity, Shizuku stole a glance at the woman she had presumed to be blind, given her constant wearing of sunglasses indoors (that, or rather strange). Behind the dark lenses, however, all Shizuku saw was electric blue, gleaming with a strange intensity, and a flower-like iris that seemed to swallow her whole.
It wasn't just the eyes, she supposed, and still. Stories of joy, pain, wisdom, and reckless courage — they all swirled together into a galaxy of experiences, feelings so vivid they seemed more real than anything she had experienced before. It felt as if she were peering into infinities, realms of possibility, past, present, and future lives lived with ferocity, relish, and profound gratitude.
The connection, brief yet profound, sent shivers down Shizuku's spine, drawing her deeper into those infinite realms. The world around them seemed to dim, background noises fading into oblivion, leaving nothing but the shared moment—
But as swiftly as it had formed, the connection was severed. With a gentle pull back, Hanabi broke the gaze. Adjusting her sunglasses with a deft touch, she restored the barrier between them, locking away the infinities that had briefly been revealed.
"Whoops," Hanabi said, as their eyes met once more behind the safety of her sunglasses. "You probably shouldn't do that."
"What—" Shizuku began. "What the hell was that?"
Hanabi shrugged, a hint of apology in her tone. "Sorry, it catches me off guard too sometimes. I'm not sure I know how to stop it."
Shizuku's heart pounded fiercely, a thrum of awe and confusion mingling within her. "…What a beautiful thing it is."
Hanabi smiled. "Right? To me, there's nothing like a reminder of the vastness beyond to put things into perspective—"
"It did wonders for your ego, I'm sure," Sakura quipped with a sly grin.
Hanabi scowled. "Silence, wench." When she heard the words, her most troublesome daughter's eyes brightened with glee— "No."
Sakura grinned in answer. "What was that?" she teased, her tone dripping with mock incredulity. The uncomfortable assumption Shizuku began to make was this was some sex-related thing she was better off not knowing. "Do I detect a hint of—"
Karin reached out and delivered a swift slap to the back of Sakura's head. "No," she interjected firmly. "Just no. Don't start now."
"Please," Yoisen said. "Please, let us maintain some decorum for our guest, at least."
"You know?" Sakura exhaled, resignation in her tone. "I can hardly think of a worse timeline than ours."
Karin snorted. "I'm sure you can think of far worse things than that."
Sakura glanced at the gaggle of children, and then at Karin, meeting her eyes. "…Probably not." Shizuku had the impression it was said in jest, however. Probably.
"By the way," Sakura said, drawing closer to Shizuku — looming. "Shizuku. What do you think of devil-man's resting bitch face? I claim full credit for teaching him that."
"Yū…shirō, you mean?" Shizuku asked.
"Who else?"
Yū frowned, and at this moment, he looked so disconcertingly like his father that she was taken aback. "I don't have a resting scowl."
"Of course not," Sakura replied, her grin broadening. "You're just deeply misunderstood."
"He doesn't look mean at all," Shizuku blurted out. His father, however, would definitely look scary without children around.
"Oh, really?" Sakura quipped. As they went on, Shizuku wondered: it sounded like the sort of thing she would seize upon—
"She just likes prodding," Ino interjected with a knowing glance. "Because she's awkward as hell and hasn't figured out how regular folks tease each other. It's not something Yūshirō's sensitive about…"
"Otherwise, she would find something else to poke him with," Yoisen added, as if the two were accustomed to finishing each other's thoughts. It was kinda scary.
What was less frightening, yet equally peculiar, was how well-behaved the children were at this moment. The squeal of delight from one of the little girls — a red-haired one — as her father swept her up was nearly enough to melt Shizuku's heart. They were all like this, she thought when she saw some of them glancing at their parents, their aunts, and the rest of their family with near adoration. It was obvious they were all deeply fond of each other; it was there, in their bright eyes and the sense of wonder in the air.
"Daddy!" one of the boys pulled at his father's sleeve, trying — and managing — to get his attention. "What's her Innate?" she asked.
The Dad (because that's how she was starting to see him, rather than the womanizer that had been her first impression of him) glanced aside. "Why don't you ask her instead of trying to get a read?"
Shizuku realized then the boy — Riku, she thought — had been asking about her. "What's an Innate?"
The Dad sighed. "It's not innate at all, in spite of the name. And, well, it's a new generation thing," he grumbled. "They're learning everything backward. Instead of understanding chakra progressively, logically, about half of our kids have decided it makes more sense to impose their inner worlds upon reality—"
"Mine's Refraction!" Kaizen exclaimed, bouncing with excitement until his father picked him up by the back of his yukata — one-handedly. It didn't stop him, however. "Wanna see it, wanna see it, wanna—"
Yū laughed and told him it probably wasn't the time, and that she was already likely familiar with Toshi-kun's Magnetism, for one.
Hanabi was visibly amused — her smile, sparked by her husband's words.
"I was joking then," she said, her grin widening. "But it seems you really have become an old man, huh? I expect you'll start cursing at clouds next."
The Dad grumbled good-naturedly. "Bah. I'd be a fool to tell them it's wrong wrong, so as long as they're aware it's only possible because of their gifts, I'll be satisfied."
"Any particular regrets, dear?" Yoisen asked, and it was clear she was brimming with pride for everyone around them.
"Certainly," he said dramatically. "I should never have joined the Path of Mastery. I thought I would give back to the world... and instead, I might have hindered the kids' development by a few years."
"That's not true!" Toshi-kun interjected, currently being held upside down by his mother and seemingly unbothered. "You've read my reports!"
"I've read them," Karin said. "And I'm sure if you could read, you'd be very upset about what Kizaru has to say about you, Sacchan!"
"Whoops," Toshi-kun said graciously. Only then did he seemingly process the rest of her words. "Hey! I know how to read!"
"You're focusing on the bad parts, Auntie," Yū said.
Karin smiled good-naturedly. "Have you read them?"
"…I haven't."
Next to them, Riku and Nori were asking their parents why they had to go out to eat, and why couldn't they just use the replicator to get the food from the restaurant anyway, and oh, did Kisuke pull the recipe back from the replicator database because he was a big traditionalist?
"—Because where do you draw the line?" The Dad asked.
"Which line, Dad?" Nori asked, and Shizuku noticed he had Ino's eyes — or a bit darker, perhaps — when she laughed.
"We could make it unnecessary to eat, yes but… what for?" Ino asked. "Efficiency?"
"Toshi eats too many Cubes anyway," Nori said.
"You're such a tattletale," Riku countered.
A whole lot of the conversation didn't quite make sense to Shizuku. It felt like a consequence of having one foot in, and one out. Most of these concepts, she was probably supposed to have mastered during initiation.
Was it too late to ask for that now? Shizuku wasn't sure about the protocol — or about the personalized tutoring that was apparently available to Adepts. It seemed that the lecture-style sessions were only one facet of the training process.
"You can request help at any time, Shizuku," Ino chimed in, as if reading her thoughts. "Don't hesitate to reach out, whatever the issue may be."
Karin, next to her, smiled. "Or you can just ask us right now, of course."
There were a few questions she did have, actually.
"Well, yes," the Dad would answer. "Mitsuki says things are going as planned — the state is receding properly, and once true balance is reached, we'll probably be able to let it fade away almost entirely. Self-governed realms."
They also had questions for her.
"Why didn't you ask the systems for assistance?" Yū asked, and his expression was one of confusion. "The Ring Core can provide all the information you need."
No real answer from Shizuku.
"I find the systems quite challenging at times myself," Yoisen admitted with a self-deprecating chuckle. "I am something of a dinosaur when it comes to technology."
"Admittedly," the Dad agreed, earning a playful swat on the shoulder from her.
And more things to say.
"She was part of a debate club, Dad," Toshi-kun said earnestly.
"That's very impressive," the Dad nodded, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I was never really that good at debate myself."
"No?" Shizuku asked, a frown knitting her brow. "Isn't that sort of skill important for politics?"
"I managed," the Dad said evasively, Sakura laughed, and someone else hid a chuckle behind a cough.
Some topics were more random.
"Oh, you play music?" Yū asked, with that beautiful smile. "You should join Dad and me some time. Yui would love to—"
"I play, too!" Toshi-kun interjected excitedly. "Drums, of course," he added, which seemed to swell Yoisen with pride — though Karin winced slightly at the mention.
Some were not topics at all.
"See?" the Dad asked, his grin widening as little Kasumi showered his face with kisses. "She's young enough to still think I'm a great role model. Most of the others are starting to decide I'm uncool — which is obviously a complete misunderstanding."
Riku made a face. "Who says uncool…?"
"Just you wait, I might just do that dance you and your friends love. Right in front of them."
Riku buried his face in his hands, groaning. "Ew, Dad, please no."
It was sometimes hard to focus on the conversation.
"Stop making Mana intangible, Forehead!"
"She asked for it."
They met people the group apparently knew quite well on the way.
"Are you planning to write anything new soon?" a woman asked Sakura, her tone hopeful.
"Eh," Sakura shrugged noncommittally. "We'll see."
"Which genre are you leaning towards this time? Romance or horror?"
Karin chimed in before Sakura could respond. "She's already started on a horror story."
"Stop spoiling shit!"
Toshi-kun tried to explain a few things, too.
"—You'll see, Kisuke makes the best seafood ever, nothing compares."
"Yeah?" Shizuku asked, with a hint of skepticism.
Toshi-kun nodded vigorously. "The way he prepares the squid— it's like, it's like — nothing you've ever tasted. It's not just grilled; it's marinated first in this special sauce he won't tell anyone about!"
"Ah," Shizuku said. "I am a vegetarian."
"Oh," Toshi-kun blinked, taken aback for a second. "…Why?"
"I don't want to eat living beings," she said, and when he opened his mouth, she spoke preemptively. "Or dead ones."
"It's fine, then," Karin said. "No food comes from live animals here — it's all synthetic, but you'll never notice a difference."
Shizuku thought about it, now genuinely considering it. "Maybe, then?"
As for some things they mentioned, Shizuku knew that even with context, it would likely be nonsense.
"Well," Sakura explained, "I asked Sarada for my rating to be out of ten, so that, because everyone is using a system out of five, I'd look pretty good…"
And apparently, Karin had some rather important news, too.
"Oh," she began rather casually, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, "I just had Mitsuki on the line. Your grandpa's well and healed."
The words hit Shizuku like a wave. She had the feeling she could trust them, of course, but… It couldn't be, could it? Just like that...?
"They did additional tests," Karin continued, "to ensure it would be easily curable for anyone else in the future. But it's done, and has been for a while."
Relief and a sudden surge of emotion welled up inside Shizuku. Her hands trembled slightly, and Ino gently took hold of one of them — and Toshi-kun, the other.
Karin paused, with compassion and the slightest hint of amusement in her voice. "They aged him down slightly, too — he insisted on nothing more than ten years because apparently, he didn't want people back home thinking he was vain."
"Really?" Shizuku asked, and her voice cracked, barely above a whisper. It had nothing to do with the latter part of the sentence, that she barely heard.
Karin nodded, her expression softening. "Yes, really. He's going to be just fine."
The tension that had been lingering in Shizuku's shoulders, for longer than she could remember, dropped away, and a tear escaped.
She laughed — a soft, disbelieving chuckle muffled by her hand covering her mouth. "I, well, that's — I just can't believe it."
Ino stepped closer and gently placed a hand on Shizuku's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Why don't you talk to him yourself? He's been asking about you."
And suddenly, Shizuku heard his familiar voice, echoing in her head with perfect clarity.
"…Grandpa?" Shizuku whispered, focusing intently on the feeling, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Ino was saying something about not needing to speak out loud, but Shizuku could hardly focus on her right now.
"Yes, yes, I'm here," Shizuku responded, her voice wavering slightly. "Yes — I... I've missed you too. How are you?"
She nodded as she listened to his reply, her laughter breaking through a little. "Oh, Grandpa, that's wonderful to hear — I'm so relieved."
She paused, her smile growing wider. "Really? They did? That's possible…? No —Don't — No, please, don't misuse your newfound youth!"
Her laughter rang clear and joyful. "Nooo, you don't say! She must be quite the charmer! Just remember, no flirting with the nurses — Healers — at your age, alright?"
Shizuku took a few steps away, feeling more relieved by the minute. "I'm doing alright, Grandpa. Just been busy with... Oh, you know, the usual stuff. But tell me more about what the doctor said."
Nodding and murmuring affirmations, she continued, glancing at the people around her who pretended not to hear anything she was saying. "Yes, with friends. I'll tell them you're doing well."
Finally, she sighed, a sound filled with contentment and relief. "I love you too, Grandpa. I'll visit soon, I promise. Take care, okay?"
When the discussion ended, Shizuku's heart was lighter than it had been in days.
"Thank you," she murmured, and Ino simply squeezed her shoulder in answer.
Toshi-kun asked whether she was alright and whether she was sure she wanted to go eat at the restaurant, slightly worriedly.
But she was fine, and for the first time in a long while, she meant the words when she said them.
The sun climbed higher in the sky, and it was a beautiful summer day.
Soon, they made their way to the restaurant, which buzzed with familiar faces known to everyone but Shizuku. And somehow, even then, she felt an unexpected comfort. Near the ball of blue fire she had seen earlier today, Shizuku spotted a smiling woman who might have been related to Yū — perhaps his mother or an older sister — though she decided not to dwell on the speculation. The crowd was diverse, with many sharing similar dark eyes and hair; many others were blond, a gallery of faces she barely had time to fully take in.
Hanabi, with a hint of irritation, noted that a man named Toru was late again, a fact that surprised no one, especially not a man with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. He sat at a large table, surrounded by twins who mirrored his appearance, and a beautiful woman whose eyes reminded Shizuku of Hanabi's — and now that she thought about it, of several others in the room.
More people arrived, more families, and the place started to feel really packed.
"I heard you were talking shi—" one of the newcomers began, before cutting himself off — not because of the jeers that soon met him, however — "Smack. Talking smack. Don't repeat that, Hiro. Sorry for being late — There was a black cat, you see, and — Have you all decided what you want to eat?" He paused, frowning slightly.
"…Why is this girl crying? What the hell did you do this time, Sakura?"
lensdump:
i/nTIZ4A : 'The Talking Ass'
i/nTITak : Toshi-kun
AN: Hullo there, and... welcome back?
I couldn't resist writing this, though I decided it (or rather, a few of the potential future chapters) wouldn't quite fit in Extra — probably the OCD talking, however. So, here it is. If you've stumbled upon this without reading the preceding elements, sorry — it might just make no sense at all. If it even does in the first place.
Regardless, I'll leave this story open, and return to it someday to add a few short stories, at my own pace, without any pressure. Maybe as a palate cleanser from more serious stories...? Crimson Horizons does come first. But we'll see, we'll see...