Title: "Senku can be... a bit... eccentric and troublemaker, y'know."
*Crash*
"Ahh!!! What a waste! What are you doing, Senku?" Taiju exclaimed, surveying the broken shards of handmade clay pots, while Yuzuriha stood beside him, her expression filled with panic.
*Crash*
"I'm staging the scene to make it seem that Tsukasa caused us panic and we ran packing nothing else but food." The scientist clarified.
*Crash*
Leaning against the wooden wall, arms crossed, you pieced together the events from earlier.
Tsukasa posed a genuine threat, evident from your firsthand observations.His ability to catch the arrow bare-handed rendered the crossbow useless. His sharp intellect made him a formidable enemy. In this era, he seemed unstoppable, a veritable monster.
You shifted your gaze to Senku's determined expression. Pushing yourself off the wall, you interjected, "He won't fall for it."
Senku paused, and the three of them turned to listen.
"I mean this staged panic," you clarified, gesturing towards the shattered clay pots, "He'll see through it immediately, and will try to stop our plans."
The scientist smirked knowingly. "Of course, I'm well aware."
With a decisive toss, Senku shattered the last clay pot into four pieces. "As long as we succeed in creating the gun powder, we will win. But if Tsukasa finds out before we do, it'll our loss."
He gestured towards the broken pots. "This is just a little distraction I set for Tsukasa to buy us time."
"It's a race against time. That's the game we're playing," you concluded, mirroring his grin.
The reason for your close bond with Senku is the two of you think alike.
.
.
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.
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"Let's gather materials for gunpowder! Our destination is to Hakone. Think of it as an exciting 80-kilometer adventure," Senku proposed enthusiastically.
You inwardly groaned.
"On second thought, I might prefer staying here," you suggested with a sweet smile, inching away.
"Nonsense! We're all in this together," Taiju insisted, placing a hand on your shoulder. "We can make it there in 5 hours. You can handle that, Y/n!"
"Only a fitness freak like you would consider that easy," Senku remarked, acknowledging the difficulty of the journey.
"My endurance is nowhere near yours. I'd say it's more like 5%," you protested. "But if you carry me on your back, I'd gladly tag along."
You found yourself walking while Taiju bore the brunt of carrying the heavy bags needed for the trip.
"Ugh... I can't go on... This is torture..." you gasped, collapsing onto the ground and resting on your back. "Let's stop and rest here, Senku-baby."
Senku nodded in agreement, equally drained. He didn't possess much energy to keep going as well.
After a minute of catching his breath, Senku retrieved a device from his belongings. You recognized it immediately.
"What's that thing, Senku?" Taiju asked eagerly, intrigued by the unfamiliar object. It was his first time seeing it.
"That's a sextant," you answered, your eyes still closed, trying to regain your energy.
You dozed off, only to jolt awake at the sound of fading footsteps.
"H-hey!!! Don't leave me behind!!!" you cried out, scrambling to catch up. Earlier, Taiju had regaled you with a story of him and Senku facing a pack of lions.
"They were huuuuggggeeee," Taiju gestured widely, while Yuzuriha squeaked beside you, "and there were about five of them hot on our heels."
"We ran for our lives," he recounted with a grin, "thinking we were dead meat until we figured out how to escape."
Taiju's story left you with a newfound fear of being alone, or perhaps just a convenient excuse to cling closer to Senku.
.
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.
.
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You halted, struck by awe. Before you stood the imposing statue of the Kamakura Great Buddha, with Yuzuriha standing silently beside you.
"What's wrong, Yuzuriha? Did something upset you? Was it me?" Taiju inquired, joining her side.
"No, I'm not crying... Well, I mean, I am... But, it's not like that, Taiju," Yuzuriha muttered, her gaze drifting upwards to the sky. "I woke up today feeling like nothing was real. But seeing the Kamakura Great Buddha here... It reminded me of Japan, of the thousands of years that have passed... Suddenly, I couldn't help but think of my mom, dad, and everyone else."
You wore a solemn expression, trying to push away the image of a familiar face forming in your mind.
It's in the past now, there's no use dwelling on it, you reassured yourself, closing your eyes.
"You don't have to worry, Yuzuriha-chan," you comforted her. "Everything will return to normal. Senku will make sure of it," you affirmed, believing in his ability to save humanity.
Senku chuckled, "Yeah, there's no need to worry because we're about to defeat Tsukasa and then we'll set out to save humanity."
"Yeah, that's right, Yuzuriha!!!" Taiju exclaimed, giving her the encouragement she needed. Pointing towards the towering statue, he continued, "The Great Buddha has shown us the way."
"No matter how many thousands of years have passed, it still stands strong, just like a god should," Taiju marveled.
"Don't you think it's a miracle?" He questioned.
"The Great Buddha is made of bronze," Senku interjected, his hand resting under his chin. "Scientifically speaking, it wouldn't break down or anything." He muttered under his breath.
Taiju could sense trouble brewing when the young scientist began muttering to himself.
"Uh... Are they about to fight?" Yuzuriha asked as the two men started shouting.
"We'll use bronze to upgrade my crappy sextant!" Senku declared.
"NO, STOP! You'll incur divine wrath, you fool!" Taiju exclaimed, trying to stop Senku from hammering down the Buddha Statue.
"Get off of my back!"
"No! I will not let you!"
"Psh," you waved dismissively, signaling that it was nothing to worry about. "Don't mind the boys."
The journey continued for another day.
Meanwhile, Tsukasa returned to the hut and surveyed the scene of chaos.
"Hmm..." He scrutinized the footprints. "This is what they wanted me to believe."
After a moment of contemplation, his eyes widened. "It's Hakone!"
With determination etched on his face, Tsukasa sprinted along the same path you had taken. "If he manages to create gunpowder, I won't stand a chance," he muttered darkly.
