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『 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟬𝟬𝟱 』
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━『 Encounter 』
Everyday tasks have become even more draining than usual. Not being able to consume chakra for energy is taking a toll on me. Kawaki can tell and he doesn't hesitate to point it out, often jokingly saying he'll choose someone for me to eat when we go out together. It's irritating, and I often end up stomping on his foot in annoyance.
The Seventh Hokage has been following Kawaki around a lot lately, which makes me wary of what Kawaki might say next.
Last night at dinner, he pointed at Boruto and it caused a scowl to form on my face. I refused to talk to him for the rest of the day and today as well.
This morning, I left the house early. The Seventh Hokage was also awake and we had a brief conversation. He seemed concerned about my well-being, asking if I was okay. I brushed it off and said that I was fine, but it made me wonder why he seemed so caring all of a sudden. It's hard to tell if his kindness is genuine or if there is some other motive behind it that he hasn't shared with anyone.
He offered me money for breakfast, but I declined, feeling like I didn't need it. My response caused a frown to appear on his face, probably worried about what I would eat instead.
The warm breeze brushed against my tanned skin, causing a shiver to run through me. From up here, the village below looked vast and endless. This place was my escape from everything, and another perk is that I can use my dojutsu without anyone watching.
Boruto's little sister has already told the Seventh about my glowing eye, and I hope that will be the first and last time someone catches me using my dojutsu. The more people know about me, the more danger I could be in. The only thing keeping me in this village is the hope that the Seventh will rescue my siblings from one of Kara's bases, and maybe even Kawaki.
Sighing, I laid on my back and used my arms as a pillow behind my head. A memory flashed through my left eye as I activated my dojutsu. It was like watching a movie. A frown appeared on my face when I saw Delta and Kashin's faces, making their way towards the village.
"We have to retrieve Kawaki and Shin," Kashin said. "It's our main objective."
"Whatever," Delta replied. I didn't think they would come for us so soon, it had only been a week or so.
I let out another sigh as I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun on my body. Days spent outside under the sun were rare in Kara, for both me and Kawaki. I want to savor this moment of freedom while I still can.
I know that with my current strength, I am not capable of defeating Jigen, and Amado won't be helping anytime soon.
I was tempted to use my Dojutsu to see what Kawaki was up to, but I resisted the urge. I needed to respect his privacy, and only intervene if he was in danger.
Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by a loud growling from my stomach. One of my hands reached back to soothe the discomfort. Maybe I should have taken the money Lord Seventh offered me to buy food. Hinata said I could help myself to anything in the fridge, but it felt strange to do so without permission.
I stood up, ready to teleport back home, but stopped myself. If Delta and Kashin were on their way, I needed to save my energy for the upcoming fight. I would be useless if I didn't convince Amado to help me.
The pain in my stomach intensified as I continued to think. Without a source of chakra, I was useless.
As I climbed down from the Hokage Faces, I walked through the streets of the village on my way back home. Exhausted from not consuming chakra, I never thought it would be this draining. I had assumed that eating regular food would sustain me, but clearly it wasn't enough.
Lost in thought, I accidentally bumped into someone on the street. Fearful of their reaction, I hastily looked up at them.
The man turned around and I took a step back in anticipation of reprimand. Why hadn't I been paying attention? Before I could apologise, he spoke with concern and a closed-lip smile behind his mask.
"Are you okay?" he asked kindly.
The man assured me that there was no need to apologize as I averted my gaze from his face. My stomach betrayed me with a loud grumble, and I couldn't help but hide in embarrassment. He chuckled softly and nonchalantly put his hands in his pockets.
"Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?" he kindly offered, but I shook my head in refusal.
"Oh, no. You don't have to do that," I replied, too afraid to accept the offer. If it were Lord Seventh, my answer might have been different, but I didn't know this man.
"It'll be my treat," he insisted. "I'm sure my son won't be long. We could all grab a bite to eat."
"No, really," I hesitated, lowering my gaze once again from his piercing onyx eyes, my dual-colored hair covering my vision. "You don't have to do that," I mumbled.
"You seem hungry. Is Naruto feeding you?" he asked, causing my eyes to snap back towards him at the mention of the Seventh Hokage.
"How did you know...?" I trailed off, wondering how he knew I was staying with the Hokage.
"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat? It'll be my treat," he persisted, bending down slightly as he continued speaking. "You're Shin, right?"
"Yeah," I confirmed quietly.
"I'm Hatake Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage," he replied, scratching the back of his head. My eyes widened in surprise as I looked him up and down - this man standing before me was the Sixth Hokage? Confusion filled me as I tried to understand how someone like him could have held such an important position, but I didn't question it.
"I see," I responded slowly.
"So, what would you like to eat-" Lord Sixth was interrupted by another voice. "Look at this makeout tactics book I found- Oh? Who's this?"
I looked up to see an older teenager walking towards us. He must be Lord Sixth's son.
They shared similarities - both had fluffy white hair - but the teen had bright blue eyes while the Sixth had onyx ones. The teen was wearing a uniform I hadn't seen before, consisting of black and grey. He had on a sleeveless turtle-neck shirt with long glove-like sleeves that went above his elbows, baggy black pants, and a grey vest.
When I looked into his deep blue eyes, he smirked at me, causing me to feel flustered and quickly turn away, fleeing from the situation.
"Dad, why did you scare him away?" the boy pouted.
"I think that was you," Kakashi deadpanned.
━
"Hey Shin, you okay?" Boruto asks, looking away from his device to check on me. I had learned that it was called a 'console' and you could play 'games' on it during my time in the village.
"I'm fine," I reply flatly, hoping he would drop the subject. It was strange to have people constantly checking on your well-being; I preferred not being the center of attention.
"Are you sure? You look kinda-" I give him a sharp look with my vibrant purple eyes, causing him to sit up straight. "Well, if you say so!" Boruto quickly adds, returning his focus to whatever game had captured his attention on the device.
As I approached the stairs, Hinata's voice echoed through the house. "Oh, Shin! I saved some food for you from breakfast.
"Come and eat!" Her words caught me off guard, and I took a deep breath, feeling touched by her gesture. Slowly, I made my way into the dining room to see Hinata already setting out plates on the table.
"You boys always worry me," she scolds. "But before you go, you have to eat something. Sit down, Shin." A soft smile plays on her lips as she notices my surprise at her kindness.
"Thank you for thinking of me, Miss Hinata," I say gratefully. "You really didn't have to."
"I can't let you go about your day on an empty stomach, Shin. Eat up, you can have as much as you want," Hinata says with a gentle smile.
As soon as I finished my meal, Lord Seventh and Kawaki returned to the house after their escapades for the day.
"Let's go, Shin!" Himawari exclaimed, attempting to pull me out of my seat.
Despite my protests to stay inside, she didn't listen. I explained that Kawaki and I were not on speaking terms at the moment, but she didn't care. She insisted that we make up and put an end to our disagreement.
Reluctantly, I agree and let her take my hand as she leads me outside to where the three of them were waiting.
"Dad, welcome back!" Himawari exclaims with excitement.
As soon as I step out of the house, my eyes automatically search for Kawaki. It appears that he was also looking for me and we both quickly avert our gaze.
"We got a new vase," Naruto announces.
"A new one huh?" Boruto responds without much interest, though we all know he secretly hopes Kawaki will rebuild the vase he broke.
Kawaki presents the green textured vase to Himawari, and her eyes light up with joy.
"So, you really were sorry. That's unusual," Boruto says to Kawaki, puzzled.
"I already said I was. This not good enough for you?"
"Well, I'll acknowledge your sincerity," taking the vase gently from Himawari's hands and passing it back to Kawaki. Confused, Kawaki accepts the vase while Boruto places his fist over Kawaki's chest, revealing what he had hidden in his palm - glue. "This is my response. You know what to do. You know how to use it, right?"
Lod Seventh inquired, "What is that?"
"None of your business, Dad!" Boruto retorts before storming off.
"Oh," Lord Seventh sighs with a knowing nod, "Honestly, that kid."
After Boruto dashed out of view, Lord Seventh's expression turned defeated as he faced us once again. He nudged Kawaki, who rolled his eyes and shrugged off the Hokage's attempts to talk to him.
Kawaki reaches into the bag and pulls out a piece of fabric, handing it to me. My eyes widen as I unfold it to reveal a white kimono jacket - the same one I had worn before. "You got this for me?" I ask, unsure and hesitant, looking up at Kawaki whose grey eyes widen.
"Yeah, so what?" he responds nonchalantly, but I can tell he cares by the way his expression changes.
"Thank you, Kawaki," I say with a small smile, taking a few steps closer to him.
Confusion crosses Kawaki's face as I stand near him. Without thinking, my hands find their place on his waist, and my arms wrap around him, causing him to tense up. But gradually, he relaxes under my touch and his arms wrap around me in return. A strange warmth settles in my stomach as I rest my head against his neck.
For a moment, Kawaki stands frozen, but then he tentatively wraps his arms around me. The warmth between us grows and he whispers against my neck, "You're welcome."
━
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. . . . .╭──╯╰──╮. . . . .
𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒
. . . . . ╰──╮╭──╯ . . . . .
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(✧) ── wc; 1.9k+
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