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『 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟬𝟬𝟯 』
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━『 Argument 』
Confusion spreads through me as I watch Konahamaru and Shikamaru leave Kawaki's hospital room without Lord Seventh. "Where did the liar go?" I inquire, tilting my head to the side.
Shikamaru speaks up, "Don't call the Hokage a 'Lair'. He's currently inside, so feel free to enter if you need to."
Reluctantly, I agree to go inside and brush past him with a blank expression. Ever since the day Kawaki escaped, it has been my responsibility to protect him. That's why I'm careful to comply with everything Lord Seventh asks of me.
I always had to be vigilant, keeping a constant watch with my Dojutsu to ensure that both Kawaki and I were safe from any potential threats. And if a threat did arise, I would have the upper hand.
Kawaki and the Lord Seventh were deep in conversation when I walked in, exhaustion evident on my face. Kawaki's eyes shifted to meet mine before quickly returning to their conversation, while Lord Seventh seemed to take note of our brief exchange.
"Oh, Shin," The Hokage greets me as I enter the room.
"Come in." I had already observed Shikamaru and Lord Seventh's conversation a few minutes ago through my Dojutsu before they came to visit Kawaki in his hospital
Shikamaru strongly opposed the idea of keeping Kawaki and me in the village, fearing that it would put all the people living here at risk.
He reminded him that the Kara were always on the lookout for an opportunity to take us back to one of their bases.
He kept insisting that Kawaki and I were spies, sent here to gather information on this insignificant village. As if Jigen would even bother with something like that.
Lord Seventh argued that if Shikamaru's suspicions were true, then all the more reason for him to keep a close eye on us. But Shikamaru was not making things easy.
He persistently pressed the Hokage to put Kawaki under intense surveillance.
I rested my weight against the cabinet, watching as the two of them chatted. Mostly, it was the Hokage doing the talking.
I crossed my arms and leaned a leg against the wall, activating my Dojutsu. My left eye glowed as I observed their conversation.
I kept going through memories of interactions with the Hokage, and I stumbled upon one where he was in a meeting with four other individuals, which seemed to be happening simultaneously with the events unfolding before me.
My eyebrows come together in confusion as I quietly mutter, "What is the Seventh Hokage up to?"
Scanning quickly, I see that the four people surrounding the Hokage are leaders from the nearby lands.
After reviewing the entire meeting, they decide to keep both Kawaki and me safe within the Village, all in agreement.
I was stop watching when one of the leaders spoke again, his face etched with obvious concern.
The red-headed man rests his chin on his hands, pondering. "What was that boy's name again? Shin?" He asks, recalling the conversation from earlier.
"You mentioned he can create portals with his teleportation ability. That's a rare power, only known to be used by Urashiki Otsutsuki and Kaguya Otsutsuki, as well as other members of the Otsutsuki clan. And those who possess the Rinnegan."
During the meeting, the Hokage states, "We are continuously exploring different possibilities and potential interpretations of this."
"As demonstrated in Ryuten, Shin has the power to absorb jutsu - a fact that was proven when he absorbed the flames. What's even more astonishing is that he can do this without possessing a Karma or any features of an Otsusuki. We are still researching to uncover the potential of what Shin could truly be," said Katasuke.
The female leader raises her head and asks, "Do you believe he poses a threat, Hokage?"
"According to Shin, Kawaki is always the one who fights because he is stronger than him. And from what I saw, Shin was telling the truth. However, there may be some abilities that we are not aware of yet. Himawari mentioned that a few days ago she noticed Shin's left eye glowing in an unusual manner," the Hokage informed his fellow leaders.
My eyebrows knitted together as I absorbed the amount of information being discussed about me. I shifted my gaze around the meeting room, noticing the camera pointed at the Hokage and Kawaki. Meanwhile, I remained out of the frame, only my feet visible to those watching the recording.
I remark with a deadpan face, "They certainly have a lot to say about me."
━
I was jolted awake by the sound of loud yelling coming from downstairs.
Groaning, I forced myself to sit up, annoyed at being woken up so early. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I saw that only half an hour had passed since I fell asleep.
My shoulders slumped in disappointment; I had been hoping for a longer nap. I had avoided relying on absorbing chakra as my source of energy, not wanting to draw attention to myself and cause people in the village to faint.
But it was taking a toll on me; I wasn't used to constantly eating solid food.
Jigen would often make me starve for unknown lengths of time, leaving me no choice but to seek out any available sources of chakra without draining the life out of other members of Kara.
I let out an irritated yawn as I exited my room and made my way downstairs to see what all the commotion was about.
"-with... us?!" I hear Boruto's voice shouting.
"Why is everyone making such a racket," I grumble, running my fingers through my hair which had become slightly tangled during my short nap.
"And you too!" Boruto bellows, briefly looking back at me.
"What's going on?!" he demands.
Naruto speaks up, in an attempt to alleviate the tense atmosphere. "I thought this was the best decision given the circumstances... Please try to understand."
Boruto's anger is palpable as he responds, "How can I?! This guy caused chaos in Ryuten-" pointing at Kawaki before turning to me and continuing "- and so did he!"
Lord Seventh remains unfazed, wearing a casual smile on his face. "Yeah," he responds nonchalantly.
Boruto argues back, "But he escaped from a heavily guarded research facility! Having him in our home is like inviting destruction upon ourselves!"
He then adds, "I can handle him but not this kid with Karma."
Kawaki's voice drags out in annoyance, "You're so loud."
"I can't deal with this anymore," I say, turning to face the small wall separating the kitchen from the dining room. "Miss Hinata?" I ask timidly as Kawaki and Boruto continue their argument.
She responds gently, "Yes?"
I ask hesitantly, my eyes avoiding hers, "I was wondering if you could make me something to eat."
There is a lingering fear in the back of my mind that I will be punished for such a simple request.
Hinata replies confidently, "Of course, I can handle it, Shin," but her words are interrupted by a small gasp as Himawari clings to her hips in fear. "Hima? Cut it out, you two!" Hinata quickly scolds Boruto and Kawaki.
My thoughts wander to the fact that I still don't have a jacket, and my mind is filled with fear at the thought of asking Lord Seventh to come with me to get one. I worry that he might get angry and break his promise to keep me safe. My eyes narrow as I watch Boruto grip Kawaki's jacket tightly, reminding me of my own lack of warmth.
Naruto commands Boruto to halt in his tracks.
He had taken him upstairs for a private conversation, and as the Hokage, he created a clone of himself to keep up appearances.
This piqued my interest in this technique, and I made a mental note to remember their dialogue for later. I also planned to delve into memories as far back as possible to learn how to replicate this ability.
Feeling groggy, I mumble my thoughts out loud. Usually, sleeping helps me recharge and replenish what my body needs. However, it hasn't been working as well lately.
"Stay here, Shin," Lord Seventh instructs, causing my lips to frown in frustration. I follow Kawaki to the couch and sit across from him. I rest my head against the armrest and can feel myself drifting off into sleep.
I need to find a way to absorb chakra. My body wasn't designed to solely survive on food.
In the kitchen, Hinata was comforting Himawari by stroking her hair while Boruto hurried back into the room where the rest of us were gathered.
"Boruto!" Hinata's voice rang out with concern as he approached Kawaki.
I observed the scene through half-closed eyes, trying to stay awake. "Just wait," Lord Seventh's gentle response echoed in the air as he reassured his wife.
"I don't trust you one bit. But I also don't want to assume you're bad just because I don't know what you're thinking. That's why I'm going to make sure for myself. If you want to stay here, don't do anything funny," Boruto warns, then turns to face me. "And you too, Shin"
A few moments passed before Kawaki's patience snapped and he slammed his fist on the table, causing it to flip over and shatter the vase that was sitting on top of it.
"What? You think I'm here because I want to?! Huh?!" Kawaki yelled.
"What did you say?!" Boruto shot back.
I was utterly drained, my body aching for some much-needed rest.
My eyelids drooped heavily and I struggled to keep them open. My breaths felt labored, like I wasn't getting enough oxygen. Maybe if I just closed my eyes and took a short nap, I would feel better. Yes, that seemed like the best course of action.
My head felt as heavy as lead, causing me to slump against the armrest of the couch and cradle it with my arms to alleviate the weight.
━
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. . . . .╭──╯╰──╮. . . . .
𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒
. . . . . ╰──╮╭──╯ . . . . .
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