"Theory #134 fail. Failure to link sealing tag with chakra even through a medium. Failure to link Flying Raijin formula with Chakra Sealing formula and failure to link it with a Storage Seal formula."
Minato considered himself a very organized person. His books were always neatly packed into his bookcase and his office was always tidy with anything he needed being easy to find because of distinct labels. Now it was nothing more than a cluttered, confusing mess. All thanks to his 134 theories he'd been able to come up with.
It didn't take him long to realize that he could no longer use his signature technique. He could feel no connection to it when it was supposed to be linked with his chakra. The Second Hokage, when making the technique, inscribed a chakra formula so detailed and precise that chakra would not disappear no matter how long the technique was active. Meaning if he placed a seal on something or someone, it would never disappear. What is confusing him is that the inscription of the seal remained but the chakra that connected him to it disappeared. That wasn't supposed to happen. In theory, if the chakra disappeared then so would the inscription itself.
Sealing inscriptions are all classified as reactive. Every Sealing Jutsu is supposed to react to chakra, no matter if it is a rejection or an acceptance. It isn't simply supposed to do nothing at all. It didn't work that way and as of now, finding a way past it proved difficult.
"Still having trouble?"
He hadn't noticed her come in at all. He didn't have the energy to be surprised. Frustration was beginning to kick in hard.
He nodded as Kushina set down in the seat in front of his desk.
"You look tired, Minato. It's ok to take a break. I can pick up the slack."
"No, you've just come from your Jinchuriki thing with Mito-Sama. You need to rest."
She was frowning hard and grabbed his chin harshly so that he could look up at her.
"You need more rest than me. Your eyes are drooping."
"I've been more tired."
"That's not the point." She sighed and let go of his face. "Yellow Flash or not, it isn't healthy."
"And eating ramen is?"
"This is serious, Minato!"
With that yell, he was forced to think that if she was truly worried for a reason or was he just not taking his health as serious as he should.
"You're getting older. We both are. You can't sit here all day and night with your theories. Kakashi may be a child but he is a Jonin, Minato. He's capable. Rin is too, and Gai is with her. None of them would want you to do this to yourself."
"You know she's right, kid."
That voice. Startled, he rose his head to the door to see his smirking Master.
"Jiraiya-Sensei?"
"Hey kid, been a while. Seems Kushina has been rubbing off on you since the last time I was gone. Your room is a mess."
He hadn't the chance to say anything before a book flew through the air and smacked Jiraiya upside the head.
"What was that, Dattebane?!"
"Ouch! You're still the same after all, Kushina! So violent!"
She turned away with a pouty face. "That's 'cuz you talk too much. Learn to shut it up."
Minato chuckled. "Please be nice. Anyways, how come you're able to be here, Master Jiraiya? I thought the Mist were beginning to make a push now that the Stone are beginning to thin out."
"Yes, the Mist are planning something but they seemed to have just stopped. Going by information I was able to gather from grunts and living in one of the less guarded rundown towns, I was able to gather that it had something to do with the Three-Tails."
"Their Bijuu?"
"Yes," he nodded, grim. "Since they don't have a Jinchuriki I would bet my marbles it would be something like that."
"But I don't get why they would stop all of a sudden. What could have been the reason?" Kushina asked. "I don't really see a way for us to not know if the Three-Tails broke loose."
"I wish I knew the answer to that. Can't gain much more information and most other towns are too secure. They regularly check for Genjutsu wiped minds or any interruptions in regular brain activities to accurately identify when residents have been interrogated. Regular Genjutsu will always leave some sort of footprint and I suspect only skilled Sharingan wielders like Fugaku will be able to fully ride theirs."
Suddenly, Kushina had her nose turned up.
"Please don't bring it Fuga-face. Mikoto talks about him enough as is."
"Ha! Well that is her husband." He laughs. "Anyways, what's all this work about? Kushina's told me bits and pieces but I want to hear your theories."
"You really don't." Kushina mutters to no avail.
Minato beams, gathering a big stack of papers. "Great! I have all 134 theories you can look through and some ideas I just came up with."
The face the old sage made was as priceless as any.
"E-Ehhhhh?!"
Kushina sighed. "I'm gonna go watch some tv. I can tell you guys will be cooped down here for a while."
"W-wait, hold on Kushina! Take me with you!"
"If you can sit down and write those disgusting novels of yours, surely you can sit their and go over some notes! If you come out of this room and you aren't finish, you're answering to me! Are we clear!"
A noise of pure terror escaped his quivering lips. "I-I understand." When the door closed, he whined. "What type of girl do you have, Minato?"
His smiled stretched from ear to ear. "The best kind. Now, theory #1 started with..."
XxX
The cup in her hand was steaming hot, and yet she couldn't find it in her to care. She didn't know exactly where she was, confusion set in fast. But so did expectance. Once she gained her bearings, the first thing she found was a huge brilliant light on a giant tv screen displaying Kakashi, her last teammate alive.
He was here. Tears had came and went. She had been so happy. All she had to do now was find him. She'd spent her first 24 hours in this strange place just looking for him. Every spot she went to looked like the red light district in the village, something she'd always avoided. She might be a Shinobi capable of killing, but she considered that part of town a bit too adult.
It only came natural that she decided to end her search in what seemed like the red light district of this town. It was so much bigger than the one back in Konoha. Bars and clubs had customers lined up, even all the way to the street. Machines that flew through the street struggled to get past all the people. She akined the machines to carriages once she saw that people were inside of it. Wherever the ended up outdid any technology back home by miles. It was all fascinating really, and it sucked in her curious mind. She'd spent a bit more time in the district and it was only on her way out did she spot something her heart could not ignore.
A boy who looked just a tad bit older than her being bullied by strange looking grown men. It was like a scene out of those movies Obito loved to watch. He was being picked on and treated like trash. Something she knew Obito had gone through as well. It never sat right with her, but he always seemed to fight back. He always seemed to come back. But this boy let it happened. It was like he was accepting what was happening to him, his slouched posture and downtrodden face, eyes lowered to the grown as another fist slammed into his stomach, forcing a pained groan as he fell to his hands and knees.
She could feel her face tighten. Her hand bawling hard into a fist as she quietly made her way into the dingy alley.
Rainwater caused his hair to hang off his head, his purple hair drowning in a pool of dirty water.
One of the main chuckled, huge muscles bulging. Her eyes scanned his right hand, being replaced by a huge hammer that still looked to be made of skin.
"Don't you know how things work, you purple-haired fuck? Your mother owes me money. No one takes money from Hammerhand."
"How stupid is your family? Geez, and here I go thinking I had the stupid family members." Another man, more skinny like the teen on the ground rubbed the back of his long pointy hair, a dagger in his hand. "Where's your mom, kid? We're losing patience, you know."
"Heh,"
He actually had the gals to chuckle. Rin had thought he was the type to just let it happen and keep moving with his day. She's thought it happen often enough for him to just be used to it. The moonlight bouncing off her steel Kunai reflected off the shadowy wall.
"You guys didn't bother me and my mother before all this drama started. Don't you think it's time to cut the act?"
His words and the next brutal action barely had any time of relapse between them. The skinnier man slammed kicked the boy up aside his head that his head snapped to the side and he felt his world was spinning. He barely felt the man plant his foot atop his head.
"Don't you know we know about that Quirk of yours? Your mom gave it up already."
The big man chuckled again, but it was lower, filled with unholy intent. "Wouldn't it be better for you if you could keep all of your limbs? It's a simple case of telling us where she is. She gave you up, it's only right you return the favor."
Spittle escaped his mouth as he slowly clambered back to his hands and knees, struggling to make it any further.
"Don't you realize this is just how things work around here? Family, friends, partner, anyone. Anyone can sell you out, give you up, and get you killed. You'll be better off without the bitch fucking up your head. When we find her, that'll be the last time you see her."
Rin had heard enough. These men were sick. They enjoyed what they were doing. They were worst than most Shinobi. Most hated it.
They turned around to her once she made deliberately loud steps coming out from the shadows. Their cautious looks turned into amusement. A look she was familiar with. She knew her appearance gave the impression of a defenseless girl. To most ninja's higher than Chunin, she was, but here she knew she was fine. Their movements were slow and deliberate, telling her that when they moved to attack the boy that they were trying their hardest. They couldn't fake it either, she was trained in looking at muscle movements to tell.
"Leave him alone. Find someone your own size to mess with."
Obnoxiously, they laughed, faces pained with laughter as their mouth stretched wide. The boy was perplexed looking at her curiously but obviously not thinking that she was smart for stepping up for him.
"Whoa, I think I might've knocked an organ loose." The skinny one wiped his mouth of spittle. "What're doin around these parts all by yourself little girl. I didn't think brats like you even be around these parts. What, your parents owe him too or something?"
"No, I don't owe anything."
A breath from clear annoyance escaped his mouth as he held up the middle finger. "Then fuck off. We don't babysit around here." He said as he turned around.
So, gestures like that were the same around here.
"Go find somewhere to run and hide, girl. This is hour where girls find themselves missing, ya' know. Lots of men that run these streets like young girls like you. Consider that a favor."
"I'm not leaving unless I take him with me." She said before he could even turn around.
"Move on, bitch. Don't make me say it again."
"No."
The silence after her refusal was tense.
The man broke it with a annoyed sigh. "Fuck this." He suddenly turned on her, his giant hammer dragging along the ground. He swung it like one would a baseball and it smashed into the side of the building they were in between. She would've been crushed by it had she not leaped up out of its way.
"You're fast you, little bitch. So, what's your quirk? How in the hell are you up there?"
Chakra held her up against the wall, above where a huge indent of his hammer was. She doubt it could kill her but being hit by it would certainly hurt.
"I'm giving you one last chance to let us leave." Her warning would be final. She couldn't spare getting seen like this. She still wore her Konoha headband. If Kakashi could be captured by whoever did the capturing, she was positive she could as well. She wouldn't burden Kakashi anymore. She came to save him.
"You've got some gals, bitch! Die!"
He whipped his hammer back and it smashed into the other building before he swung it back at her. She grew sad, her face feeling heavy as the hammer smashed into the building.
"That'll teach that little bitch. Fucking kids have no manners these days."
Before he could turn around back to the purple haired kid, a Kunai went through his head, right between his eyes. Both the boy and the man's partner looked on in muted shock as the man fell down and didn't move again.
In the exact spot where she first confronted them, her hand still outstretched and fully showing who committed the murder.
"You fuckin' bitch!" The other man raged and ran at her. To her surprise, his dagger transformed into a katana that could've killed her had he been fast enough. She slipped underneath his strike, tapping him on the nape of his neck when she got behind him. A technique she learned to sever connection of pain receptors to the brain. That way, he'd at least feel no pain.
"The fuck! My sword!"
His breathe cut off violently as his own sword went through his back. His sword going through his stomach was the last thing he saw before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground.
Quick pants escaped her but it wasn't because she was tired. She hadn't expected to kill and never liked doing it. She joined the medical corps for that specific reason, but finding herself on the battlefield so often with allies dead and being chased by the enemy caused her first kill to be almost animalistic. She clawed at her enemy, kicking, screaming, and fighting. That first kill always haunted her. She wished she could never do it again.
"What the fuck?"
"Call the police!"
She was standing in the middle of the alley, her thoughts taking over. The boy cursed and got up to grab ahold of her arm whilst holding his stomach.
"Hey, come on! We've gotta get out of here!"
She found herself being pulled along, ducking between alleys and climbing gates to get away as police sirens roared in the distance.
"Where are we going?"
"To my house. We've got to lay low for a bit." He said in between heavy breaths. They hadn't gone far, so physical movements definitely wasn't his forte.
Luckily, they'd made it to a building after breaking out from what seemed a maze of alleys and broke out running across the street. It was a tall building, a collection of apartments not to different than where she lived. Thinking about it, this world wasn't so much different than her own.
...
All that brought her to where she was now. Inside of his small, clammy home. She'd set the cup of tea on the table in front of her, sighing as she rubbed her hand on her thighs. She was tired. The day had been exhausting, and she hadn't slept since losing both her teammates back to back. For some reason, she still couldn't find it in herself to sleep. She felt far too uncomfortable. Not because of the boy she was alone with, she knew she could probably kill him or knock him out with little effort, but the world at large. She was unfamiliar, and those sirens still blared in the distance. Red and blue lights could be seen from outside the windows. Those could be the people that got Kakashi. She needed to stay careful.
Water from the shower in the next room over stopped. The boy was done with his shower. It was only a limited time before he'd show. She hadn't explored his room much, only internally mapping out the layout in her mind and settling herself on the couch where a sneak attack could only come if it were in front of her or they came through the wall behind her.
She heard the door open behind her, followed by footsteps until he stopped at the door. Through clothed, he looked like he hadn't fully dried up, water from his hair dripping onto the floor, thankfully most of it catching onto the towel around his shoulders.
"You shouldn't come out of the shower still wet. You might catch a cold." She couldn't help her own nagging.
"...it's fine. I do it all the time. By the way, what's your name? I'm Shinso. Shinso Hitoshi."
"Rin Nohara. Nice to meet you."
"Thanks." He said after an awkward silence, rubbing the back of his head. "You know. For back in the alley."
"Ah, yea. It was no problem. If you don't mind me asking, why were they beating you?" Other than the fact that his mother seemingly owed them money.
He adverted his gaze, sitting down in an old sofa chair. "It was nothing. Just theatrics. This part of town is rough, going through what's happening with the media now. Guys like those do that to show that they're changing as well. It's nothing special around here."
"Oh." She said, not knowing what to say otherwise.
Another silence. They truly didn't have much to talk about.
He sighed and began wrapping the towel around his purple hair. "You can go ahead and use the shower if you want. All the shampoo and body wash is in the cabinet under the sink. You can spend the night if you want, that should be enough time to figure out where you want to go."
"Ah, I-I didn't...don't want to intrude."
"You're not." He said pointedly. "I'm doing this because I want to. You killed two people for me. It's the least I can do. I've just gotten out of debt, I don't want to get another one."
"Ok, thanks."
He nodded, getting up and heading into the kitchen.
She slipped the last bit of tea she had left, knowing it would be too cold to drink when she got back.
"Towels are in the cabinet too!" He yelled out as she shut the door, ready to let the sound of water tapping against the floor to overtake her.
...
Feeling fresh and tired all at the same time, she came out of bathroom. Of course she cleaned up and all. She was a guest, well if she could call herself that.
"Ah, thanks for the clean clothes."
"You're welcome," he replied, not turning around from the show he was watching. He looked comfortable, even if she couldn't see his full body. "The laundry room's straight ahead. It's empty."
"Thanks," she said with a nod and followed his directions. It was a bit hard to understand the way to use the thing but luckily it wasn't too different from what they had back home and eventually she figured it out. Once her clothes were washing, she looked down at the large hoodie and shorts he'd given her, and blushed when she felt a small draft. She didn't even remember the last time she went commando. At most she'd have to wait an hour.
She turned off the light and went back into the living room, settling on the couch beside the chair he was sitting in and silently watching whatever he was watching. She really had nothing else to do.
Then a question came to mind.
"So, do you live by yourself?"
"No, mom is in the other room." His voice sounded its usual bored. It didn't sound like he cared about answering even though his mom was involved in the answer. She thought she remembered those men saying bad things about her.
"Oh, but... never mind."
She didn't want to be intrusive. Whatever their relationship was, it sounded personal.
Surprisingly, he answered. "You're thinking about what those guys said, right?"
"Yea," she nodded. "Were they lying?"
"No, they were right. She did give me up."
She was horrified upon hearing that. "Huh?"
"My mom has owed money to those guys for as long as I remember. She's been holding out, but she's gotten sick for this past year. It's made making money hard. And the money they tax a month is more than I can afford because of school. I was thinking about dropping out. Until you killed them."
He had turned to her after saying that.
"Now I don't have to worry. That's why I'm doing you a favor."
"Oh," she said, looking as she played with her hands in her lap.
"Yea," he muttered turning back to the tv.
"But, you didn't really explain..."
"My mom, I know. I was thinking on whether I should tell you. I decided that I would." He said, then sighed. "There are times where information is more important than money. Sometimes she would gain information and sell it to those guys. Sometimes for extensions, and sometimes to hold over until the next month. It depended on what she knew. One day, she was desperate. She had began showing signs of slowing down, there were things she couldn't do anymore. So when the payment day came, she offered up me. Not as payment but information on my Quirk. They took that, and they also began using me to help them with whatever."
"Oh," Rin knew it was still bad, but it sounded more desperate than the malicious way those men made it sound. Now it just look like they were trying to make him give up his own mother. "I thought it was worse than that. Still, it's horrible. How is she now?"
Rin hoped she wasn't still sick. She knew what disease could do to a body given time.
"She's sleeping. She does it all the time. I checked on her while you were in the shower."
She could almost feel the hesitation creep into her. "Can I see her?"
Noticeably, he flinched. He no longer hung on the couch lazily. His back had stiffened, as if the chair was uncomfortable to sit in for very long periods. Maybe she was asking too much. But she was adamant.
She held out her hand as if she were holding something out for him. Chakra built up in that hand, slowly swirling to life and began to fill her palm with a calm green. The unnatural light drew Shinso in, his eyes watchful and curious as the light from her reflected off his eyes.
"My power is that of healing and I have medical knowledge. I can help. Will you let me?"
He looked unsure. Looking back and forth between her and the room his mother was in. Untrusting of people because of his background but considering the idea that she could help.
She was glad when he made his decision.
XxX
He was completely immune to the drugs the were using to debilitate him. He had time to flush it out of his system. His senses felt no longer dulled. His nose was sharper, he could hear well past the thick walls he was held behind and could see every minute detail in the darkness. He felt better. His chakra system was less strained. The sharingan put enough pressure on it as he still had to get used to it. Even whilst it was covered up, the chakra it used was tremendous and he recognized his chakra wasn't as strong as it was beforehand. He theorized that Uchiha's systems were built to hold the sharingan. It would explain why he felt weaker.
Still, he was rapidly gaining strength. But now he had no reason to wait. Even while drugged up, he could've most likely broken out. It would only take a single chidori. He found no one yet to be able to keep up when he used the burst of speed and as long as he didn't frequent the technique he could get away easily. Disappearing was his strong suit and doubted he'd be found.
He'd thought he'd just escape and then find his way home, but the League had contacted him once more. This time, they had contacted him through speakers he hadn't known to have been placed inside the room. No one came in to disrupt their conversation, leaving him to assume that somehow they couldn't hear them. It must've been another shut down of their computer, or something he didn't understand. Regardless, they gave him their plan and the date. It started with him, then into a full assault on the hospital. He only agreed to stay on their good side. Genjutsu may not work. He's had mixed results in regards to its use and even then he may gain information that could be of no use to him if he didn't know how to use it. He had the basic idea of what quirks were from his own observation and the other aspects that Midoriya knew but that was it.
He knew something like dimensional teleportation was more complicated than the science of Quirks. He could only hope that it could be further explained so he could explore possibilities of its use. He was getting home. He made a promise to Obito. He would keep Rin safe.
He heard a shift near the door of the room. Someone was about to come in. The nurse probably. He wasn't notified of a visitor, not that they promised to tell him if he would have any.
It was the nurse. She walked in with a tray of food, rolling it in on a cart. She took his old tray he didn't touch and sat the new one down. Miso Soup and fried fish. Things mostly light but they just let him start eating on his own. No more IV but that could move his plans back if they put something in his food. It smelled fine but drugs could be odorless, especially in fried food.
Speaking of that, the nurse laughed as he turned his nose up at the fried fish.
"Sorry, I don't choose what you eat. I know you don't like anything fried."
If she knew, she could've at least took it off his plate. Smelling it was probably worse than eating it in of itself.
"May you stand? I have to change your sheets and such."
He stood up without indication, standing slowly and stiffly to act as if the drug that was running through his system was working. It was painfully slow and monotonous but worth it. Being a Ninja meant being flexible in multiple areas. Deceit was a specialty for him.
Whilst she did her job, taking off his covers, sheets, and pillow case to replace them, he used his nose to scan her. She smelled of green tea and soap. Her white uniform both clean from what his nose could tell and clean from his sharp eyes. Now that the dim lights were on, it was easier to see.
He couldn't tell where exactly she was before she got here but she smelled of the hospital itself, telling him she'd been here for a long time. He needed another smell off her to tell just how long, but he could conclude it was definitely more than 5 hours. She could be on shifts similar to the nurses and medical personnel from the village. 8-12 hours, maybe less. Those were hours during war.
"You're very clean for someone so injured. How do you do it?"
"Shower."
Her movements paused, and she turned to him agonizingly slow. Her eyes widened and mouth partly open.
"Y-you spoke?"
"I'm not mute." Should he feel offended by that?
I...can see that." She sighed pulling the last of his sheet over the corner of his bed, leaving only the covers and pillowcases to do. "You're very unnerving when you don't talk."
That meant all the time. He hadn't talked after the visit from that winged man. Cautious and very unnerved by his lack of understanding and the knowledge known by his captors. He already planned on killing the president and her goons but now he had to kill one of the top heroes in the country. A test of his abilities is how he'd treat it. A deep part of him doubted very strongly that any hero in this world could match his skill as a Shinobi. They didn't have it in them to kill him and perhaps use their full strength because he was a child. A child they didn't know who's body count laid in the hundreds.
"Just like right now." The view of the women's back came back to him. He blinked out for a second. "It's unnerving. It's like you're a ghost. Like you're not even here."
He could've chuckled.
He wasn't supposed to be.
It wasn't long until she left, finishing her duties for a bit. His routine was mundane. Being left by himself or most of his time and only changing it up with mental training and meditation. He didn't want to strength train, wanting them to think of his as weak as possible. They hadn't figured out that he wasn't from this world, but they did figure things out he rather not have them know. He wasn't going to show them his fast recovery or much of anything else. He knew it was what they were waiting on.
Throughout the dark, he could only think of Rin. She was the one he could save and do right by. The one he wouldn't lose. The one he couldn't lose. He was given a task. He had to succeed. He had to stop failing.
X
A day had passed. That woman would be visiting.
Kakashi knew he was more impatient than he let on. Shinobi needed patience, especially on the front lines where one mistake could cost you your life. Patience kept him alive, so he learned to have it. But his natural instincts always screamed at him to attack. He wanted to run through the enemy forces and slaughter them. But training and patience kept him back. Kept him alive. It was the only reason he'd yet to kill that woman.
He was no stranger to disrespect. He'd gotten that ever since his father's failure and death. This woman was different from those villagers. He couldn't kill them, but he could her. He could kill her without trying, rip through her chest with his bare hands and enjoy every second of the sound of ripped and the smell of burning flesh. Alas, patience kept him rooted as she stalked into the room, looking at him as if she were above him.
The dark room did nothing to hide her aging face at it frowned back at him. One of the men beside her whispered into her ear briefly, saying something about them being on a time limit. So, they couldn't stay long? Good for her. Maybe he could restrain himself then.
When the man came back to look at him, he was glaring and part of Kakashi found it insulting. Such a weak glare. He wonders if this man would be around the president when he went to go and kill her. The satisfaction of seeing that glare turn into fear for his life seemed so close.
She clears her throat, and she's got his attention fully.
"You've been healing quite well. Are our accommodations for you treating you nicely?"
He chooses not to answer that question. That isn't what she's here for. They both know it. He decides to get to the point, seeing as getting her to leave as quickly as possible would do well to avoid killing her.
"Let's cut to the good part. What are you really here for?"
Her face doesn't change, and she doesn't look bothered by his bluntness.
"You've got a week left before you are to depart from this room. I'd like to see where you're mind is before then."
His mind? That could only mean she was trying to see if he'd join her or they'd have to get rid of him. She should know what he'd choose really. It wasn't hard for anyone to see. That showed some type of desperation to nab him and use him. He was a Shinobi that only the Shinobi system could use. This world, this woman was far too weak to want to control him, and he'd show them.
"Are you suggesting that I'd come with you?"
"You're quite a bit more blunt than I last remembered," the small intrigue on her face is hard to miss.
"I don't recall you seeing me more than once."
"Not in person, no." She admitted. "But I've had my eyes on you. You're exceptional. Talent unparalleled. Tell me, have you ever thought about using this talent for others?"
He's used his talent in the service of his village, but he never used it for someone specifically. "I shouldn't have to answer that for you. You know my answer."
"People change. Obedient become uncontrollable. Heroes become villains and vice versa. It was a lesson I was able to learn through the people I've helped. People like you. Struggling to get by in this world and not knowing what they-"
"You can save your story. I know where this is going. Trying to recruit me to your organization? How crude. You've locked me away for who knows how long. What makes you think I would trust you?"
"You don't have to trust me. That's not what I am asking of you. I'm asking you to save yourself. How do you think this will end. That we'll let you go. If you do not join me you will be sent to a maximum security prison where you'll never see the light of day again."
"Much like this place, right?"
Her eyes blankly scan the room. "It would be a lot less comfortable, I'll admit."
"So what you're offering is my servitude for my freedom, right?"
"To sum it up, yes."
Kakashi didn't know what to think of her. She was being far too blunt. Was she trying to scare him into submission?
"Your offer is noted but I'm afraid I won't be taking your offer. I'd never be loyal to you and I'd rather be locked up than on a leash."
She frowned, hard. As blunt as she was being, it seemed more genuine of a response. "It seems that you are not as smart as I thought. To take your promised freedom and throw it away, not even trying to take advantage of it." She stood up, fast with a tightened posture. "You are a fool. And you will understand, eventually."
That was the last visit from anyone he'd gotten that day.
XxX
The train's station automated system spoke over the many conversations taking over the silence of station. The train passed seconds after he'd gotten off, surrounded by other passengers. He'd never been this far before besides school related reasons. He knew it traveled far but it certainly looked different than ones he was familiar with. More graffiti toned the stone gray walls, brighter than he'd ever seen. More variety of people. Quirks he hadn't seen before. More for him to write down.
He shook his head. Todoroki called him for a reason. He couldn't distract himself. He pulled out his phone to call but a hand grasping his shoulder made him stiffen and his heart drop.
"You need to pay attention to your surroundings." He thanked god when he remembered that voice.
He let out the breath he hadn't known himself to be holding and turned around. "Please don't scare me like that. I thought my heart wouldn't start up again." He still felt queasy. Disrupting a hearts normal rhythm was dangerous indeed.
"Be more mindful of stalkers and such. We might be strong but we aren't allowed to use are Quirks. We'll get charged for anything we do." Todoroki voiced, freaking him out as he began to follow after.
"What do you mean? Someone's following us?"
"No, no, I didn't say that. I'm telling you just in case. Our names are hotspots right now. You're the type to read up on the news and stuff, especially when it's about heroes, right?"
"Yea."
"Then I know you've seen what regular people are saying about us. Even now, we're getting looks."
He didn't know how he hadn't noticed it at first. But when he noticed the piercingly judging stares with every passerby his hand twitched and he began scratching his arm. For the second time that day, his heart had stopped and it felt like he couldn't breathe. The swarm of glares was never ending, like a angry hive of bees.
"Midoriya, you have to realize that our world isn't so simple anymore. Things have changed."
Those words swirled round and round in his head. They didn't break his frantic spell and it was only when the reached the stairs did it break. There were less people. He felt less crowded and breathing didn't feel like a knife was sitting in his lungs.
"Our every move is being watched. People want to know why we weren't punished for participating in a battle that killed someone too. Mirko's biggest fans are claiming conspiracy. It's ludicrous, but it gained a following."
Breath now was natural. He couldn't feel his heartbeat in his chest. It didn't hurt with every pump. "Todoroki, don't you feel like we could've saved Blade? That we could've done more to help the people of Hosu? We let so many die. We destroyed homes and apartments during that fight. Places where people worked. How were you able to cope?"
"I wasn't."
Midoriya looked at him, his mix matched eyes showing the same emotion.
"I... don't think it has registered. I don't know how else to explain it, so I can't answer your question. I'm sorry." His eyes roamed to the ground and he was unusually stiff.
Midoriya can see he's still dealing with his emotions. They only came out recently, during their fight. And they were notoriously hard to understand and deal with.
"It's... ok. Come on, let's go. We still gotta make it to the party on time." His lips stretched into a desperate smile. "It's for us after all."
"Yea, let's go."
X
Midoriya followed Todoroki passed the city limits and into the ghetto that surrounded it. Midoriya knows the surrounding cities of Masutafu, and most aren't considered very dangerous. But they were high status within the hero world. They'd made their mark with fashion, and that naturally gained them attention. Good, bad, or otherwise.
"How far now?"
"Not too much longer. We're getting very close."
They cut through a maze of alleyways and came off into a street that looked like the upkeep wasn't all too important.
"What could you have found all they way out here?"
"I didn't find it, I heard about it."
It was a house, that would've looked like every other on the dirt trodden block had most of it not been covered in black soot and terrible burns. Even now he could smell it. At higher concentrations, it could give a scar to the nose. A smell to remember for life.
"What is this place?"
"A burned house. Come on." Todoroki walked underneath the police tape that circled what remained of the building.
"W-wait! We can't go pass police tape!"
"Keep up, Midoriya." The multi-colored hair of the teen disappeared behind a partially destroyed wall.
He gulped. Breaking the law again and again. Dang it. Carefully, he ducked beneath the tape and walked behind the wall Todoroki disappeared behind.
He found his friend quickly. He hadn't moved much, but he was looking down and he only saw the sight when he'd gotten past the taller Todoroki's shoulder. His breath hitched. Chalk outlining two bodies lined the floor. The sight wasn't grizzling but it was enough to stop anyone in their tracks. Suddenly he felt emptiness. These people died.
"Why this? Why show me this?"
"Because," in his hands was a nearly destroyed picture, two figure behind him cut off as the picture was burned badly, leaving a dazzling boy left, smiling with glee. "this is Aoyama's house."
XxX
Minato, even with Jiraiya's help hadn't much luck in his experiments and after 200 theories and attempts, it was clear that he had nothing more to give to the experiment. He'd given all accounted variables a go, but none were successful. Still, the support he got kept him from being discouraged and now he'd decided to take a break.
He'd yet to tell the higher ups of Konoha of his disability, fearing that the standing he was given in the government of Konoha could be taken away. Danzo would love to see that, and even if he only told the Hokage, during war everything important had to be shared with the council. While he shared a good relationship with the Hokage, the village came before all relationships.
Minato sighed, which seemed to come out of nowhere as he, Kushina, and Jiraiya sat in the living room.
"Don't stress too much about it, Minato. It isn't like they're aren't more options. We aren't the only sealing specialist in Konoha."
Minato felt an uneasy feeling quell in his gut. "I know where you're going with this, and not a single part of me likes it."
Jiraiya gave a heart laugh. "Oh come on, it isn't that bad. Don't you think you're overreacting?"
"I think you're the only one under-reacting. I'm not the only one who thinks he's a creep."
"He might be a bit weird, but he's helpful, and he'll help you in this situation. He's a master with all things sciency and the like. There's no one better suited."
Minato couldn't deny that. Still though, he held doubt. "And you'd think he'd help his rival in the Hokage race?"
"Oh, I think he will. Most likely, he'll think of it as a way of testing you."
Minato knew it was most likely what was going to happen. Jiraiya knew his friend well and he looked serious about it.
Kushina huffed and crossed her arms. "Just be careful, Minato. He might try and possess you or something. There's been a lot of people going to therapist saying the ghost of Orochimaru haunts them from only catching a glimpse of him."
Jiraiya gave a hearty laugh. "So, in the time I've been gone Orchi's gone and made a name for himself."
Minato could barely hold back his laughter, his lips quivering. "A-anyways, I'll see you guys later. If there's one thing I know is that he's hard to find. I'll be looking for awhile."
A sudden puff of smoke enveloped the room. Immediately, all three Shinobi were ready, just like the sharpened veterans they were. Minato, clutching his three-pronged Kunai in a reverse grip so that he could defend and counter. He felt the elevated chakra levels of the his wife and master before him, no doubt ready to fight themselves. Yet nothing happened. The smoke cleared within seconds, seconds too long—and revealed a familiar face.
"Pakkun?" His muscles loosened upon seeing the familiar face.
"Kakashi is in some type of new world! And he's in trouble!"
XxX
It was hard to think that so much had happened in so little time. The USJ, the Tournament, then the addition of Kakashi to their class, Stain and Blade's rampage through Hosu, and then the grand funeral. Tenya had a hard time wrapping his head around it. But as baffling as those events were, nothing compared to his guilt.
The deaths he was responsible for weighed heavily. It was hard to be himself most of the time. He found more solace being alone and dealing with how he felt alone. No one understood his grief. He didn't blame them for it. It wasn't their fault.
Things would be different today, however. He'd be with friends, people who would help him forget. He felt selfish, using them to forget about his grief, but it would only be just this once.
"Wow, Iida! You're here pretty early!"
With bright smiles and good moods, Ochako lead several of their classmates through the entrance of a public park in the heart of the city.
Their smiles aren't like his. They were real, genuine. Carefree and full of life. Life he wanted back desperately. It only made him feel worse.
It wasn't long before most of the class showed up. The warm sun rays beamed on them as they laughed and joked around. Truly, it had been a while since they were all together. Not since the Sport's Festival.
But why hadn't he laughed a single time? Why hadn't he smiled? Why wasn't he happy? Watching them all together like they were brought some sort of satisfaction, but that was it. His feelings went no deeper. He still felt chills.
He suddenly backed away in surprise when a hand touched his arm. He met Uraraka's curious face, her hand still resting in the air where his arm had been.
"Oh, Uraraka. I'm sorry, I did not see you."
Her eyes were searching, but he didn't know what they were searching for. He found it a bit off putting that she hadn't spoken since they met eyes.
"Um, are you ok?"
"Are you?"
For some reason, he flinches as she leans forward. Why is he so on edge? She's just his classmate.
"You're not having any fun. Is it something any of us did?"
"No," he blurts, "no, no, no. It's me. I'm the problem."
Her deep brown eyes keep searching. It's as if they're trying to find meaning in his words beyond what he spoke.
The small smile that stretches across her face is light, and yet still confusing. She hold out a hand before him. "Follow me. I know a secret place where we can talk."
X
Sneaking off was easy when the others were having fun with one another. She lead them through the park until they reached a swing set that was partly broken. On if it's two swings dangled as the chain connected it to the bar had snapped. It probably wasn't new. The chains had needed changing for a while. Exposure to the elements and rust had caused it to eventually cave under the weight of whoever had been on it.
She gestured to it with a large smile. "Want a push?"
"Ah, no. I'm good, thank you."
She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward it. "I-I insist!"
"Are you trying to pull my arm off!"
It wasn't long before he was sitting in the swing, looking out toward the sun as it began leaking from behind a large building.
"It's all been so weird lately." Curious, he turned to face her as she stood beside him, where the broken swing was. "Suddenly, being a hero just doesn't seem so appealing. Everything from the news to blogs bash them. Every thing we do is scrutinized and we aren't even heroes yet. We're still in school."
"I-I know what you mean." Slowly, his eyes lock onto the ground in front of him. "It's been hard for heroes lately. To tell you the truth, I thought about quitting."
She sharply inhaled air in surprise. Their president wanted to quit.
"I know, it may come as a shock. Did I ever tell you why I went after Stain?"
"No, but I... already searched it up."
He nearly got up from the swing upon hearing that. "What?!"
"It isn't hard to figure out why when you look at all the recent heroes he had beat. Your brother was one of those heroes. That's why you-"
"I tried to kill him. It was all I could think about. Vengeance wrapped tight around my heart, clogging my judgement. I tried to forget, I really did but I soon found myself planning what I'd do to him. Dreaming about it." His fingernails began digging into his shoulder. "After the battle, I wanted to quit. I didn't think I had what it took to become a hero. And I still don't think that."
A beat of silence had passed.
"The media wasn't the real reason I wanted to quit. It's just part of it." When he looked at her face, tears were running off her chin, dripping and drying on the dusty ground. "Sure the media is bad, but it's always is. Whether idol, celebrity, or hero, gossip and scrutiny come with the territory. The real reason I wanted to leave was because the thought ran through my head that I wouldn't make any money."
He remembered what she said about her family, and why she was doing this in the first place.
"Being a hero, putting myself in danger; none of it is what I'm passionate about. I want to make money, and as soon as a doubt had ran through my mind I thought about going to a regular high school and getting a regular job." She wiped her face with her sleeve and sniffed. "You aren't the only one who thinks they are unworthy of becoming a hero, but who's really in charge of that?"
"Huh?"
"What makes our mistakes so awful? Who decided that just because our goal isn't just to protect people that we aren't deserving of becoming heroes?"
"No one's decided this for me. I decided-"
"Because of the virtue a hero is supposed to have. You wouldn't think that otherwise."
He tried to retort, but nothing made it out of his patted lips. "I suppose you're right."
"Revenge isn't a good motivation for a hero, yea, but it's human. Anyone would've done the same in your position. You don't have to be so hard on yourself."
The rays of the sun peaked brilliantly. Sun rays shrouded golden over the city. Suddenly, he felt a push and he moved closer to it. He turned around as he was coming back to Uraraka.
"I said I'd push you! I don't forget!" She said, pushing again. "We should make this quick though! You're so heavy my arms are about to fall off!"
As they laughed, in the distance Aizawa stood in the darkness of a tree, unable to keep a smile off their face. 'It's good to have friends to have your back. I'm glad their getting along, even in this situation. Since they can take care of themselves, I'll deal with the one that can't.'
They were returning back to the rest of their class when Iida remembered something. "Uraraka, do you remember when you said you wanted to quit?"
"Yea."
"What made you stay?"
"I won't lie." She raised her fist and grabs her bicep with a goofy smile on her face. "It was Deku!"
"Midoriya?"
"Yep. He's always struggling, but he never gives up. If he can find the strength to keep pushing, then so can I!"
Iida chuckled, "true, he's a fighter. He protected me when Stain almost killed me. I'm forever in debt to him."
"Well if you feel that way, you should stay by his side, dummy!" She said, knocking on his head like one would a door.
A smile softened his features. "That's not a bad idea."
"Where have you guys been?! Everyone who could make it is here!" Mina asked as they walked up toward their classmates.
His eyes landed on Todoroki and Deku, both sporting serious looks on their faces. Both stared directly at him, as if trying to say something to him. Todoroki made a gesture like a phone and when he took his out, he saw a picture of Aoyama and his family, slightly burnt.
"What th-"
Uraraka stared at him, confused.
Author's Note:
This is the last chapter of set up and the arc fully gets underway next chapter. It took a while but at the end of this chapter I found my flow and most of this turned out the way I wanted it to.
This has been the longest I've built up an upcoming arc with a smaller arc. Its been building for 8 chapters and I've taken my time to try my best to flesh out most of the characters that will have major impact.
Tell me what you think, and thanks for reading!