ã€ŠMistake - A Naruto Fan-Fictionã€‹


 1 Error

    I wasn''t born a nobody. I wasn''t someone to be looked over. I wasn''t just ''someone''. I was someone near the top. I had people''s eyes on me.

    I wasn''t a mistake.

    I was blessed.

    Now, in this new life, it seems like I have to start over¡­

    ¡­ as the complete mistake the universe itself had created.

    __________

    I had quite the life.

    Sport cars, pretty girls, huge mansion, and pets of all kinds. That''s what I have. I have a decent family too, I guess. My mother spoils me to the lengths of buying everything I wanted. I''m not that close to my brother¡­ I have a little sister that loves me more than our parents¡­ and I''m in bad terms with my asshole father.

    Okay, a not-so-good family.

    What else do I have¡­?

    Oh, right.

    I''ve been arrested before from false accusations of being with those thugs back in the corner streets because of my all-black clothes and mask, but that''s the second most interesting thing that happened in my life. The first being the short brunette standing by my side.

    I looked down at Cherry, discerning the faint blush hidden underneath her thick red scarf that protected her from the cold. She caught a glimpse of me and looked up, her green orbs and freckled cheeks showing vibrantly. I smiled, she looked away.

    Cherry''s the prettiest girl in my eyes. She''s the most humble person I know. She''s not someone who''s after my family''s fame like those models crazing for the spotlight. I don''t care what people say.

    She''s short? Nah man, she''s cute.

    She''s fat? Nu-uh, she''s sexy.

    She''s an idiot? Bruh, she''s my idiot¡ªhands off!

    Cherry''s my world¡­ as well as Shiro.

    "Orion, Shiro slipped away from his leash again¡­" The girl sighed, stopping on her tracks and pointing at the pure white husky playing in the thick coat of snow on the sidewalk, making it look like there''s a floating red collar if I hadn''t worn my spectacles (hah! Fancy word for glasses¡ª). "¡­ naw¡­ he just wanted to play." She awed as she walked over near the heterochromic pup.

    I followed her as she crouched down to retrieve Shiro. Pushing up my glasses, I smiled at the two while taking out my phone to take pictures. Ignoring a couple of thousands of notifications, I went to the camera and called Cherry to look up and smile.

    I took the photo and fumbled around to set it as my wallpaper.

    We started walking again after letting Shiro play to hopefully get some hot drinks to ease the coldness of the weather. Cherry took the lead as she was walking the white fluff. The busy streets and towering buildings are creating the perfect ambience for this sweet walk with the most precious thing in my world.

    "You know, Ori," Cherry paused on her tracks, making me halt as well.

    "Hm?" I hummed, "What is it? Is something bothering you?"

    "No, I mean¡­ it''s just that¡­" She sighed, "We''ve been together for almost eight years now and¡­ I''m surprised that you haven''t dumped me yet because¡­"

    There was a short pause.

    "Because of what?" I tilted my head to the side and brought down my black mask, revealing my face hidden from the crowds. "People''s way of thinking? Their judgement? I don''t care about them, love." I walked over to her and by her side, brushing my shoulder against hers. Wrapping my arm lightly around her neck, I leaned closer and whispered, "You¡­ you''re my everything."

    I didn''t see it, but I know her eyes widened from surprise.

    I didn''t know she thought that way.

    I continued my steps and took the lead instead, ignoring the crowd that gathered around us upon recognising my face. I then tucked my fingerless-gloved hands in my pockets, holding tight a small box after the touch of it. ''It''s not the time yet¡­'' I thought as I released the velvet box from my tight grip. ''I''m going to take her there first.''

    A bark echoed in my mind.

    Hearing Shiro''s aggressive bark, I snapped out of my trance. That dog doesn''t bark like that unless around my brother. I narrowed my eyes and swiftly turned around, discerning Cherry''s back facing my way. It seems like she still haven''t¡ª

    BANG

    A loud explosion stopped my thoughts.

    Someone let out a scream in that short time span, making me look at the crowd who got their heads all craned up, and some are ready to bail out of the crowded space. I looked up and saw a chunk of the building that has been under construction for a long while now fall at an incredible speed.

    I looked back at Cherry who''s holding Shiro in her arms, frozen shock in place. With just that, I felt my body move instinctively¡ªmore like, unconsciously, as I saw that she was in position where the ruin could crash.

    "CHERRY!"

    Placing all of my strength in one place, I pushed her out of the way before feeling a light sting brush on my back.

    "ORI¡­!"

    I fell forwards and felt blood and gore spill out of this fragile body. I wasn''t in pain, which means the adrenaline from earlier had numbed everything¡­ but it''s slowly wearing off. Since that half of my glasses is broken and bent in the wrong direction, I can only see through my left eye.

    I looked to my side and¡­ oh, it seems like my phone fell out of my pockets.

    Funny, the screen shattered too. It''s even showing the lock screen that contained the picture I took with Cherry and Shiro earlier.

    Speaking of Cherry¡ªwhere is she?

    Oh, she''s right in front of me, a few feet away. It seems like she''s saying something, but I can''t really hear anything except those annoying high frequency sound wave things.

    "Ch¡­ ry¡ª" Huh, weird. It seems like I don''t have the strength to speak. I''m also tired.

    My phone''s screen turned off and it showed the reflection of my pitiful self. ''Oh¡­ the metal pole pierced through me¡­''

    I felt eyes on me, making me notice the crowd that gathered around me. Soon, my precious Cherry cut through the crowd and her step faltered just in front of me before hurriedly cupping my cheeks with her warm, bare hands. Shiro followed her, and he looks to be whimpering.

    "¡­ion!"

    Finally, I can hear things, but the pain is increasing too. I smiled weakly at Cherry, "¡ªC¡­ ry¡­"

    "No, please, Ori¡­ s-save your strength¡­!" Tears were starting to form around her eyes.

    Oh please, I can''t bear to see you with that face. I can''t. I''ll feel like an ass if I leave this world now.

    Right, before anything else¡ª

    I gathered all of the strength I have left to make my left hand go to my pocket and retrieve the velvet box. I slowly, and painfully, took it out and tiredly presented it to my crying, sweet girl. I made the best attempt to hide away any pain on my face, but I can feel the excruciating agony throughout my flesh and insides.

    "Ori¡­!"

    I pushed the box towards her and closed my right eye.

    She hesitated before taking the box with her shaking hands.

    She opened it with utmost care before letting her emotions spill.

    Inside the box lies the simple golden ring with a single diamond on it. It also had our names engraved underneath it. She loves simple things, so I know that she''ll love the ring I was supposed to present to her later this starry night in the first ever place I met her.

    But this is the best time I needed to show it to her, for my own time is running out.

    My eyes feel heavy, and I want to close them so badly.

    And just before I did, I saw orbs similar to my blue ones blended with the crowd. I saw the sadistic smile I know and am familiar with. ''Why is Gerald¡­?''

    With that, my tired eyes and body received their well-deserved peace.

    "ORION¡­!!!"

    __________

    Well that concludes my one hell of a life. I died. It''s game over.

    My sister is going to be upset and my brother¡­ he and my asshole and retarded father would probably throw a party or two. My mother? Oh, dear¡­ I don''t know what she''d do!

    I didn''t even get to know what Cherry''s answer would be. I doubt she''d be happy engaged with a dead man.

    Now that I''m here, dying is not that bad, I think. I have read many books that said that the afterlife is either a black void or the well-known heaven or hell. But it''s none of the like.

    Sure, it''s a void, and I''m floating even without a¡­ body. But it''s a white space filled with reels of memories and past events of my life. Right now, it''s rolling the most memorable times that happened in my life like a movie ¨C the day I became the so called modern piano prodigy; the day my team won the sports competition; the day I received Shiro; and most of all, the day I met Cherry.

    It''s convenient to not have glasses with out of the world optic grade. I can freely see anything, and everything.

    Looking through everything is placing a large amount of regret on my non-existent shoulders in this white canvas full of reels. Knowing that I don''t get to fulfil my plans is a big let-down.

    I''m not bragging but, I''m someone to be called humble. Though my mother would buy everything I wanted, the things I ever wanted were simple garments and a minimalistic room. She was the one who kept buying me sport cars of sorts. Granted, I sold a few to give the money to a couple of charities for children and planting trees¡ª

    Hold up.

    As I''m hovering and thinking back of the things I''ve done, the memory is starting to play in front of me.

    I narrowed my eyes. If I could clear my throat right now, I already did.

    Okay¡­

    Aside from doing nice things and shit, I wasn''t really someone to be called a role model. I was someone to be described as a¡­ bad boy? I don''t know why, but ladies who were after me called me a bad boy behind my back. Don''t ask me how I know¡ªI had my sources.

    As the memory plays in front of me again, I thought of earliest memories and things I have done to see if they''d play and, of course, they did.

    Now this gives me a cheeky idea. I don''t know if it''s possible, but it won''t hurt to try, eh?

    I walked, well, hovered, through the semi-hologram reel that plays the memory and followed it to the very end, leading me to a broken tape that contained the very last moment of my life.

    I swear I saw a familiar lad with his sadistic smile right before I took my last breath, but it isn''t showing in the reel¡­ and since I''m dead, I can''t do shit about it, or to even find more shit about that. I just have to move on.

    ¡­

    Ba-dum tss

    No! Don''t leave! I''m not gonna make another joke in this part of the story¡ªI mean, not gonna break the fourth wall too!

    As I watched the reel replay the last second of my life over and over, the idea in my mind that made me wonder still lingered: Can I seek through the days after my death?

    The silly thought echoed in my mind. It''s absurd to think that I could possibly see what happened after death¡ªthat would break the rules of this universe, I think. Because I know that once you''re dead, you can never see your life, unless for vengeance¡­ it''s just my theory but it makes sense. Probably.

    I will break something if I¡ª

    The reel glitched for a moment, and my non-existent eyes widened at the same time.

    Black, glitching dust started to manifest and create a new reel next to my past. It connected moments later, revealing a holographic screen of broken sound and static. It was a bit scary, considering the fact that I might''ve just broken the universe itself, but it also got my curiousness perked up.

    Soon, I was able to discern figures in the movie reel ¨C a tall, white blur next to a petite one stood on a grassy land. People seemed to gather around, with a striking red blur in front of them next to a black blur. When everything became clear, the realisation hit me upon noticing that I''m watching my own funeral.

    People who stalked and idolized me from all around the globe gathered there. Of course, family members are there. Some silently giving respects, and some are silently cursing me. Cherry is there too, crying while holding a white rose with her hand, hugging a framed picture of mine.

    It seems like she''s wearing the ring I gave her. I hope she cherishes it like how I cherished her. I know it will remind her of the love and care I gave her.

    I still care.

    My mother, whom I got my rosy skin and soft, wavy white hair from (from albinism from her father and mother), have her arms around my sweet Cherry while holding a white rose and Shiro''s leash. Oh, how dear I was for her.

    The scene changed quickly to point at my grave. My name, date of birth and death was engraved in white gold on a marble tomb, underneath those are the words that follow:

    ''A beloved son.

    A lover.

    A humble knight.

    He who lies here now brings his music on the other side.

    He who lies here deserved everything.

    He who lies here saved a life.

    He, who lies here, is a hero.''

    It''s sad to know that people cared about someone like me. I know it''s a bit cheesy, but I can feel their love through that. They¡­ they cared for me, even if I didn''t really appreciate them as much they appreciated me. I don''t know about my little of a dweeb brother, but he''s someone who cared deep inside, so I showed my¡­ care (?) even for a bit.

    I don''t regret buying him and assembling him that gaming setup he wanted. Those seemingly sparkling blue orbs of his said it all.

    My sister, too, cared for me. She''s close to me more than our parents and brother, and we were inseparable, until my end came, I guess.

    She''s one of the three precious thing I have.

    Those last two being Cherry and Shiro.

    They¡­ they are my treasure. I have no words for them other than¡­ I really cared for them and loved them.

    Right now, I don''t really know what to do other than watch my own funeral. I want to know more. I want to know what will happen when I''m gone¡­ when I''m not around anymore.

    I so badly want to shout¡­ to yell that "I''m here!" But even I can''t shout those two words. I don''t have the voice to do so. I can''t say that I''m here, watching them as they stare at my grave with their pitiful faces full of tears.

    The reel extended further with broken scenes.

    At this point, I''m not even surprised anymore.

    The movie continued and showed what happened to each of my family members¡ªwhether they''re days, months, or years prior to my death. But those long hours doesn''t seem to apply in this dimension, in this blank, white space. What would amount to years in the living, only amounts to seconds, or minutes maxed, in this white world.

    Time doesn''t apply here, it seems.

    My mother argued with my father a lot after my death, and separated from him after a fight to build a charity in my name to help the children. Father refused so, she went ahead and built up the charity¡­ that was named after me of all people.

    My little sister went with mom and became the vice president, helping many families, children, and orphans all around the world. And I must say, she grew beautifully. That black hair she got from that asshole of a father grew perfectly for her, but the white hair would''ve been perfect. Just saying. Her blue eyes from our mother burns with passion to help people.

    I''m proud of her.

    Cherry moved on, but remained unmarried. She became the right hand of the president, my mother, of the said charity group. She grew taller and prettier, with the same passion burning in her green eyes. That is what makes me love her even more. She still wears the ring, which puts ache to my non-existent heart.

    Sadly, Shiro died ten happy years prior from my death, but he did left offspring''s to bring joy and happiness to our Cherry. Even his four pups greatly resembled him.

    You go, you little mutt! Daddy''s proud!

    My father was murdered a few years after he and mother separated. But, honestly, I think no one really cared for him except for mother and my little sister (who were the only ones that attended his funeral aside from Cherry). His shits were exposed so people genuinely hated him¡­ but I do feel pity for him. To see that he was just being hard-hearted to protect our family''s name was surprising¡­ but he did become greedy and an asshole as a result.

    My brother? I don''t know.

    The reel didn''t show him.

    Deafening silence followed as the reel reached its abrupt stop. Probably because it has nothing to show after everything else. I did nothing but stare at the tattered edges of the end of the reel. It was like I was having a staring contest with the reel, waiting for something to happen.

    After what it seemed like eternity, something weird happened. The reel''s end flickered, once again extending with long, blank screens that soon revealed many scenes I somehow recognise.

    I narrowed my eyes and leaned closer to one part of the reel, discerning a familiar white-haired, masked man from something that shouldn''t look like real human beings.

    Right before I identify the man though, the screen flickered and shut off.

    Soon, the horrid single word that slowly etched on the screen sent me back in the darkness.

    ''ERROR''

 2 Rebirth

    Life is the most precious thing the heavens can give.

    I know that¡­ so, I gave mine away to save someone who''s more worthy to create an amazing future, because I know that I wouldn''t be enough to suffice the wish of fate. I have sinned more than anyone could think so, it''s reasonable to protect an innocent.

    Not many people know this, but I have accumulated many enemies from the past. Aside from my father, people who are jealous of my fame and talents, and those who just decided I''d be their opponent, have gathered many times to think of a plan to wipe my existence off of the face of the earth.

    But hey, I sure helped them.

    I know that if my death was purely an accident, there wouldn''t be a¡­ ''BANG''. The thing is, there was¡ªthe attack was on purpose. Whoever they were, they came so low. The dirty bastards used a dear loved one as a bait. It''s too low for a criminal¡ªmaking them look desperate.

    So, look where I ended up.

    After that weird blackout, I found myself in a cramped yet comforting space. The last thing I could remember was the faint letters etched in a black screen¡­ other than that, my death, I guess. But I could somehow swear that something happened before I ended up in here.

    There''s a gap between my death and getting here that I can''t reach. Whatever that was, I wish it was nothing important.

    For what it felt like an eternity, I couldn''t open my eyes, and I could barely move. I''d sometimes try to push the space wider by kicking, but the drowsiness is still making me go want to take long naps that felt like ages. The space was also filled with slimy liquid that I could feel wrapped around me so, I don''t want to think that that''s what I think it is.

    Well, until pain and pushing came around.

    I want to scream, but something was stopping me. I feel like something is squeezing my lungs, and I''m just standing here in a black void. Faint light keep flashing at the end of my dark surroundings, and I kept chasing after it, well, my feet do. I don''t honestly know what I''m doing.

    Oh, and I can''t breathe.

    I want to scream as the pain in my chest area increases, and I finally was able to let out a loud cry after I reached the bright light.

    My eyes opened, but the blur greeted me. I blinked tiredly a couple of times as a group of people pass me around until I reached the one with the most warmth and sense of relief. I can hear faint sounds and could distinguish the sound of someone crying, but I was too tired to know more about it.

    Enticing black orbs greeted me when I woke up. Silver hair framing a perfect face touched my skin. The woman who appears to be holding me has a sweet smile on her tired face. If it weren''t for her kind, young and soft expression, I''d say she''s Mother¡ª

    "Ori-kun¡­"

    I shivered at the way she called my name¡­ adding ''-kun'' to it. That aside, her voice is so soft and melodic. Almost as though I can fall asleep with her just talking. It''s so charming and comforting ¨C just like a soft lullaby.

    A young man with long, slicked back hair went next to the silver-haired woman. He placed his slim fingers at my forehead, looking at me with a happy¡­ mixed with a relieved expression. He kissed the woman on her forehead before looking at me.

    Given that I''m trapped and can''t move anything at my command, I simply stared back at him with wonder, noticing that the woman had gave her gaze at me, too. They then both spoke an unknown language.

    At first, they sounded as though they were talking gibberish, but as my ear picked up a distinct and familiar language, my eyes widened. "¡­ welcome to the world, Orion Nara."

    Japanese!

    I can understand a bit, and is really not fluent ¨C oh, tell me I wasn''t reborn! Please, oh, please! Tell me this is just my imagination!

    They smiled at me as this body took over at my panicked mind ¨C result? I screamed at their faces. Well, I didn''t want to, but seeing that I''m in a ''new'' body, it''s kind of acting on its own because of my panicked mind.

    ''I was reborn, wasn''t I?'' I blinked. ''Oh, for fvck''s sake¡ª''

    __________

    Maybe¡­ just maybe I''ve read too much books about being reborn after death. I am, after all, a peculiar young man. I''d rather imprison myself in my own room to read or write books when Cherry isn''t around, rather than hang around the bar like a ''real'' man was supposed to do. By then, I had probably read more fan-fictions than original works. Well, not more than manga''s though.

    But then again, I''m certain that I had already died. Everything is too lucid to be a dream.

    I wandered my eyes and found myself lying in a comfy crib. My curiosity got to me, making my eyes focus on the two scrolls hung on the door. The first scroll contained an image of a diamond-shaped waffle, with kanji''s written at the bottom. The second looked to be a wooden pattern inside of circle, and much like first one, had kanji''s at the bottom.

    ''Hatake and Nara¡­?'' I narrowed my eyes. ''Could it be¡­? Nah, it''s far too early to think of that. It might just be a mere coincidence. I refuse to believe at that absurd thought unless I have evidence.''

    I mentally chuckled at the thought. Me? Reincarnated in ''that'' world? How could it be possible? That''s too outlandish. Even if I''ve read hundreds of fan-fictions ending up in ''that'' world, it will be a complete shocker for me. It seems impossible.

    Well, impossible until my ''mother'' in this new life took me outside, where strange faces carved onto the face of mountain could be seen anywhere, really. I was finally able to control little parts of this body too, only making me frozen upon taking a double-take at the breath-taking sight.

    The silver-haired woman was worried-sick when I fell sick after taking me out for stroll. She thought it was her fault that I fell sick, but it''s really from the shock. I mean, who wouldn''t be shocked? It''s not even Mt. Rushmore! After all, the four Hokage''s faces are engraved on that side of the mountain!

    I''m in freaking Naruto!

    A fvcking Nara too.

    One of the most awesome clans¡ª

    __________

    Since my twenty-eight years old mind is still getting used to my less than a year brain, it took me a while to process everything in one go¡­ which also meant long panic for my parents in this fictional ¨C sorry, not-so-fictional world.

    I wanted to say that I''m okay, that I''m fine¡­ that I''m here to deal with this, but I know I won''t be able to.

    ''Now, why did that thought feel like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu?''

    A-Anyways, when I finally recovered, my mother, who ''insisted'' for me to call her ''kaa-san'' (even though I can''t really speak yet¡­), was relieved. She became extra careful than she already is when taking care of me ¨C taking care of me like I was a kind of treasure that could be stolen away at any given moment.

    Now that I think about it, every time I catch her gaze, I always notice the stare of a grieving soul inside of her enticing, black orbs. She doesn''t seem to hate me, but why is she always holding me like I''m a porcelain doll and could shatter any minute? Did something happen that I wasn''t aware of?

    Sometimes, her sad gaze would be filled with relief and hint of joy¡­ and would rarely be filled with genuine happiness when her husband assures her that everything will be fine¡­ that ''it'' wouldn''t happen again. Don''t get me wrong here, but I think they''ve been avoiding holding too much conversation in front of me even though I''m only a seven-month old, helpless baby.

    Well, I say helpless, but at this age, I''m already running around the household, raiding the bookshelves for entertainment. So, I think they caught the wind that I''m pretty sharp for my given zero-year old status.

    I mean, I was bored so I decided to try walk or something so, lo and behold, a few weeks later, I''m already walking at my five-month old mark. It''s not really impossible so, it is believable. I''ve been aching to go potty by myself without the aid of old people.

    Sure, I look like a baby¡­

    ¡­ buT I''M 28, DAMN IT!

    __________

    I was, still am, a pretty silent baby. I never once uttered a single line of gibberish, so my parents thought that I was mute.

    A few months passed by, and my mother is still trying to teach me how to talk. My lazy old man is trying his best to read stories for me, to encourage me to even utter a single letter. They even took me to a bunch of doctors, but it was to no avail.

    I''m that stubborn.

    Well, I''m just really waiting for the right time speak, and is carefully choosing what my first words would be in this world. I want a word or two to help my parents in this world lift off even a spec of weight they''re carrying on their shoulders. ''Kaa-san'' or '' Tou-san'' wouldn''t be enough.

    Now, nearing the age of one, my mother took me in front of a mirror for me to try and imitate her way of speech. Mirrors were out of reach for me as I was always, and almost, glued on the books in the bookshelves so, it was a bit of a surprise to see myself in this new body.

    Thick and curly silver hair rested softly on my head, with a few curly locks that seemed to be defying the laws of gravity. Black, enticing orbs stared back at my curious ones. Both from my mother, I suppose. I don''t really see any resemblance to my father, but I''m starting to feel like I''m going to develop the same laziness he bears.

    Just like a Nara.

    It''s not like I was already lazy¡ª

    I have a quite fair skin, one that any girls from where I came from would envy. Long, silver lashes that matched my hair and contrasted my eyes is also one of my perks.

    The more I stare at myself and look back at this woman that gave birth to me in this world, is the more I see the resemblance. If one''s ignorant enough, they would probably mistake me for a young girl with short hair.

    A shiver ran down at my back at the sudden thought of wearing a dress.

    Wait.

    I totally didn''t wear a dress when my sister insisted me to¡ª

    Okay, that aside, I almost look like my old self. It''s just that, I had a more of a pure white hair, and had a pair of broken yet enticing ocean blue eyes back then.

    I sure do hope my black orbs doesn''t ''break'' now.

    __________

    October 13th marks the day I was given another chance in life on another world. Though I am thankful for this life, and thankful that I''ve survived boredom up to this point, it also meant that I was born three days after Naruto was born, which puts a bit of ache in my heart.

    I sighed at the thought.

    "Why the long face?" Kaa-san asked me while brushing my already chin-length hair, making me look back at her through the mirror.

    I shook my head, giving her a soft smile.

    "Really? Then I shall trust you." She smiled back, letting me hop off of her lap to give her way to stand. "Let''s go." She took my little hands and walked with me through the hallways, leading me and herself to the courtyard.

    Servants and relatives greeted us hello, and gave me a small greeting for the event before we reached the said place so, naturally, I had to keep my smile on for quite a bit.

    Man, socializing has never been this exhausting.

    Just before my mother pushed the door to the side, the world around me dimmed and showed faint silhouettes of people who seemed to be standing behind the door for a split second, making me blink and almost trip on my own two feet.

    ''What was that?''

    My trance was cut off when glitters and confetti rained down on me after a silent pop. ''What the hell¡ª''

    "Happy Birthday, Ori!"

    I blinked, not in surprise, but in confusion. Aside from my father and a couple of relatives, including Shikaku-sama''s family (of course, duh¡ª), familiar faces stood beside them.

    Might Guy was the one who popped the party popper right on my face, and beside his youthful self, stood a heavily-bored scarecrow ¨C I mean, Kakashi. Sure, that silver-haired ANBU is just as bored as me without something to read or to do, but I''m actually quite happy to see him smile when my gaze landed on him.

    How considerate of him, smiling for some random, young child.

    "MY!" I swear, Guy''s voice almost blasted my eardrums off of their places, and with his aura alone I don''t know what to think, "How youthful you are, young child!"

    I swear to kami, there was a ''bedazzle'' just now.

    While ranting with his youthfulness incorporating with mine, people stared at him boredly, including me. I do not dislike him, in fact, I liked his nice character in the anime, but I didn''t think he''d be overflowing with so much energy that it''s making me feel tired just hearing him.

    It was a good five-minutes or two before he finally went back to Kakashi''s side and chit-chat with him, and I''m not the time to meddle with people''s conversations, but I overheard something that is really¡­ no, will be really embarrassing.

    "¡­ on why you didn''t introduced me to your niece sooner, you unfair rival!"

    I chocked at my own spit at the mention of ''niece'', making me almost cough out loud, but I managed to stop it while covering the lower half of my face with my hand. I then heard snickers coming from Shikaku-sama''s group, and a non-existent tick mark appeared on my head as my brows and eyes twitch.

    "N-Niece?" Kakashi eyed me for a moment before narrowing his eyes.

    Why do I feel like he''s up to no good?

    "R-Right! My bad, Guy." That silver-haired young man is stopping his snickers and laughter!

    How dare he embarrass me on my own birthday?! ¨C is what people would think my reaction would be, but I don''t really mind, and it sure was a relief when he finally said the truth.

    He gestured for me to come his way, making me tilt my head, but I went without a word (it''s not like I''ve spoken yet¡ª).

    "Ori-kun," Still shivering when hearing that nickname, "this is Uncle Guy. Guy, this is my nephew, Ori-kun."

    Guy blinked.

    Kakashi blinked.

    ¡­

    I blinked.

    Kaa-san blinked.

    ''Wait.'' I blinked again. ''Now that explains the Hatake accents scattered around the house¡­'' I looked at my mother, who seemed to be confused at my reaction, ''¡­ it seems like my mother is related to Kakashi, my ''uncle''¡­''

    To this point, nothing really surprises me anymore so, it''s kind of okay that I took it as calmly as possible.

    Though I don''t know how Kakashi knew of me, while I didn''t know of him, it was really not big of a deal. Maybe kaa-san sent him letters, or Hatake''s have their ways to communicate in lightning-speed. It''s also possible that he knew of me before I even existed on this land ¨C when I was still inside of my mother.

    Or, I''m just a complete idiot who didn''t notice the resemblance between him and kaa-san from the very beginning.

    That could be it.

    I sighed, walking back to my mother as Guy ranted at Kakashi of how he didn''t told him earlier that I was a boy. She crouched down and let me hug her for her to carry me in her arms. I tiredly rested my chin on her shoulder and eyed the people who are present at my first ever birthday in this chakra-filled world.

    They looked back at me with their smiles, wishing to see mine back so, I sent a small one.

    Sure, I was a bad boy in my last life but even then, I was taught manners so, when someone smiles at you, just smile back ¨C is what they taught me. But in that world, where fame, status, looks, and money will place you on a pedestal, one smile in a particular direction could lead to a misunderstanding.

    Take it you''re someone famous, like, let''s say, past me. I was famous in my last life, and people would kiss my shoes just to get near me. If I sent a smile towards a general direction, people will assume too quickly and think that I was smiling at ''someone'', and will bash them over social media.

    Heck, if someone tripped in front of me and I helped him or her, it will be hell for them after that day. Aggressive fans are too hard to tame. It will take a lot of time just to make them stop find fault with each other¡­ and that''s why I wore masks.

    Black masks ¨C that hid my cursed face.

    The ever only time I took that mask off in public, the first and the last, was when I was with Cherry before that horrid event. I was ready to reveal my face around to show off my future bride that day, but nothing goes without a bad, bad day.

    And that day was the worst.

    I''m just really glad that in this new life, people doesn''t think that way. Modernity still hasn''t reach the early days, hence not corrupting people''s minds into thinking that money, looks, status, and fame are the greatest thing on the living.

    I''m willing to bet that you can''t even take your physical body (looks) right down into hell so, what would your wealth amount to be down there? Ashes?

    Ah, people in this world are too innocent in what the future could bring. I say that like I was referring to myself.

    Hah.

    I was truly na?ve.

    While deep in thought, my mother and the small group of people in the courtyard had gathered around me. I didn''t even realise that I was already in front of the small cake, sitting on a highchair, until my parents called my name. Kaa-san then took the lead to sing Happy Birthday, making everyone do the same.

    When they stopped, my parents smiled at me. Tou-san placed his hand on my head, ruffling my already mess of a hair, and kaa-san kissed me on my cheek.

    "Orion!" They called me, "Make a wish!"

    I paused, giving them a quick glance before looking at the cake in front ¨C matcha cake, baked by my mother. Kanji''s were written on a chocolate plate with icing on top of the cake, next to a lone candle. I read the characters in mind, ''Orion.''

    I stared at the candle for a while, thinking of a worth it wish before looking up at the people around the table. I immediately caught my mother''s enticing gaze and my father''s small smile that rarely comes up. I then saw the subtle dark circle under their eyes after the sleepless nights of taking care of me from the very beginning.

    It''s hard to believe that a year had already passed from that fateful day that I was reborn in this world.

    I want to say sorry for all of the trouble I''ve brought them. I want to say sorry for giving everyone my silent treatment. I want to say sorry for just being born here, because I have a feeling that I''m not supposed to be here.

    But, then again, a sorry will bring more pain.

    I heaved a breath and closed my eyes, releasing the puff of air and dousing the lit candle with the quick yet weak blow, extinguishing it. I then opened my eyes, preparing for my wish.

    I just want to¡­

    "Kaa-san, tou-san¡­"

    Both Kaiya and Shikakuro Nara''s pairs of eyes widened. They truly didn''t expect for their son, I, Orion Nara, to call them with my soft and small voice, which was almost inaudible. They were shocked, of course. Even the visitors stopped whatever they were doing when they heard of the foreign voice.

    "¡­ Thank you for everything."

    I just want to thank them for bringing me into this world so, I shouldn''t feel sorry for them for having me. I''m the one who should feel happiness for I was brought into this world by them, to have another shot in life, I suppose.

    The next thing I know after the small smile I had presented, I became the filling of a sandwich hug from both of my parents.

    CLICK

    Then, a shutter and a flash of light from a camera sure did took the memorable minute.

    Thanks, Kakashi.

 3 sLucks

    I am not a fan of extreme activities, it seems. I think the Nara blood is getting to me so, I consider the game ''ninja'' as an "extreme" activity. It''s far too troublesome to move around when you can just relax under the shade of a tree and watch the clouds above hover in the blue sky.

    Yup, the Nara blood is getting to me. Definitely.

    Or maybe, the Nara blood was in me from the very beginning since my previous life ¨C I''ve always been like this. I never bothered about anything unless it''s interesting enough to make me work for it ¨C like music, gaming, and reading. But since gaming is nowhere to be found in this world, reading is my favourite thing to do.

    Music is still out of reach because I don''t really want to draw attention to myself. That talent was from the past, and I feel like it shouldn''t be brought up ¨C not yet, anyways.

    Just watching the older kids play the renamed version of hide-and-seek is too tiring for me so, books save me from boredom. Whatever genre they are, if they''re interesting enough, and if I could read those complicated kanji''s, you''ll see me sitting by a stack of books under the shade of a tree, accompanied by Shika.

    Shika, well known as Shikamaru back in my past life.

    We''re both two and a half years old, and got along pretty much the first time we were brought to have a ''playdate'' ¨C a silent one. He''s three weeks older than me, and is already pretty sharp for his age seeing that I''m a young adult in this young body so, naturally, we were both cool with each other''s company.

    Minimum words are spoken between the two of us every meeting so, I know that he''s being nice with someone "younger" than him.

    Naturally, I don''t expect him to start a conversation with me¡ª

    "Ori-kun."

    I shivered almost instantaneously, making me clumsily catch the book that was thrown up when I jumped in surprise. First, the fact that, of all the names he could''ve called me, he chose to call me with ''-kun''. Second, I freaking jinxed my own self. What luck do I have to completely jinx everything?

    I coughed, closing the book I was holding and placing it on the stack, "Hm?"

    He opened his right eye and gave his single gaze to me, "I was just wondering if you''re free tomorrow."

    "I''m always free." I blinked, taking another book from the stack, "Why?"

    "My old man''s gonna start training me tomorrow¡­" He paused.

    "So, what does that have to do with me?" I tilted my head, averting my stare from the book to him, who''s already sat upright. "Don''t tell me that you want me to accompany you?"

    "And that''s exactly what I was going to say, thank you." He gave me a noticeable smirk.

    This little¡ª

    I sighed, returning a small smile that made his eyes avert from me to the park in front. Having a completely normal conversation with him is so comfortable now that we''re at it, that I hope he doesn''t think I''m weird when the time comes.

    Now that I think about it, this is probably the most we''ve spoken in a few minutes. That''s a record, I''d say.

    "Training with you then?" I asked, he nodded. "Why not." I shrugged, "I just gotta ask kaa-san first. You know, because all mothers are scary."

    A snicker escaped his lips. It seemed as though he was stopping his laughter before, but right now, he''s not holding back, and man, his infectious laughter got to me. He rarely laughs out loud, and I''m glad I was one of the firsts to make him this teary-eyed.

    Though I do not know why the words I had let go were funny. I''m just laughing at him who''s laughing at me at this point.

    "You''re¡­ you''re right." He wiped the bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, "You should¡­"

    "Then¡­ if kaa-san let me, where would it take place, and at what time of the day should I meet you?" I smiled, cleaning up the mess I had created when I brought the stack of books into a shambled pile.

    Wait, isn''t training an extreme activity? Why did I agree again?

    Shika pulled back a bit, raising a brow while his gaze was fixed at me. He was showing a flicker of curiousness in his eyes, mixed with his intelligence as his stare pierced through me.

    ''Did I say something bad?'' I thought, packing up the books in my bag orderly, making sure the spine of the books doesn''t get scratched by the zipper. When everything''s nicely packed, I looked back at him. "Shika¡­?"

    "Ah, right." He blinked, standing up from the root he first sat before dusting his shorts, "Nara''s main house, and six in the morning."

    My gaze dimmed. ''Six in the morning? Really? That''s too early¡­ seven would be nice but¡­ okay, fine.'' I shook my head and was about to stand up, only to see an extended arm on my way.

    Now, it''s my turn to raise a brow, seeing as he was looking away whilst trying to help me up. How nice of him.

    I accepted his help and got up with his aid, dusting my shorts before picking up my bag, well, the strap, anyways. ''Urgh¡­ too heavy¡ª''

    Shika, as though he read my mind, asked, "Why are you always carrying a bag of who knows how many books anyways?"

    "To¡­ ease¡ªouch¡ªboredom¡­!" I struggled to pull the bag. ''What a drag.'' I sighed, "Besides, you''re overreacting. There''s only twelve books in there."

    "Twelve books with who knows how many volumes."

    "That, true."

    "Troublesome."

    "What a drag."

    "Shika-kun! Ori-kun!" A sweet voice came and halted our silly conversation, making the both of us look at the pair of women coming our way.

    We stared at each other for a good moment before looking at them. They both got closer and held a short conversation before picking us up and going on their¡ªour separate ways. I waved goodbye to Shika and Yoshino-san, and he did the same.

    What a brief goodbye.

    "It seems like you were having a conversation with Shikamaru-kun before Yoshino-san and I arrived." Kaa-san wondered, humming the tune of curiosity while carrying my bag of books with ease, "What did you two talk about?"

    "Kaa-san¡­?" I called her, making her hum and stop both of our walk. "Shika invited me to train with him under Shikaku-san''s teachings¡­ I was wondering if you''d let me train with him, or at least watch them, if you don''t want me to join them."

    She blinked.

    Of course she''d blink. I hardly ever hold a conversation with her, let alone spew out long sentences in a matter of a minute. She''s surprised, I think.

    She then crouched down to my level, placing her right hand on my left shoulder. "You know that kaa-san can''t say no. And since Shikaku-san is going to be the one teaching the both of you, I trust that he''ll take it easy for you two, and take good care of the two of you."

    A gust of wind passed by us, sending and kaa-san''s silver hair to dance with it, whilst mine only blew on my face. As I tried to get the hair off of my face and out of my mouth, I heard her chuckle.

    "Oh, you sweet thing." She helped me tuck my long, wavy hair behind my ears. "Just promise me that you''ll be very careful when training¡­ and don''t overdo anything too much, because I know you will." She pinched my cheeks before standing up and taking the lead. "Let''s go."

    "So¡­" I followed her, keeping up with her steps, "¡­ that''s a yes?"

    She stopped, causing me to bump on her legs. "Yup." She smiled down at me, ending her words with a giggle before making me continue our merry way.

    __________

    The sun isn''t even up that high yet and me, and kaa-san''s already out and about, strolling our way through the early streets. It''s not that busy in the Nara compound at this time of the day, and only a few people had stopped us to greet kaa-san and I.

    Stopping in front of the yard of the main family, kaa-san patted my shoulders. "Kaa-san''s gonna run some errands while you''re with Shika-kun, okay? I''ll pick you up later at dinner."

    I nodded and smiled, waving goodbye as I watched her figure go smaller and smaller before making my way towards the door to knock. Raising my hand to knock, the door clicked open, sliding to the right, making me retract my small hands.

    "Good¡­ morning¡­ Yoshino-san¡­" My small voice reached her ears.

    She froze for a moment, her eyes flaring with excitement, which meant a big no-no for me. Welp, time to ru¡ª

    ''Too late¡ª''

    Crushed in a tight bear hug, the air got knock out of my lungs.

    "Oh! You sweet, sweet child!" Yoshino-san squealed, "You adorable little thing¡­ you decided to visit aunt Yoshino? How sweet of you!"

    "A-Actually¡­" My voice really didn''t reach her so, I temporarily gave up until my knight in grey clothes came running to, hopefully, save me.

    "Okaa-san! Orion''s here to train with me!" He practically pulled me out of the crushing bear hug her mother gave me, "How troublesome. Don''t kill him with your hug first thing in the morning."

    Yoshino-san glared for a swift moment, before quickly switching to a softer, and friendly one after facing me. "Okay then... Ori-kun, let me know when you need something, okay?"

    When the air returned in my body, I nodded at her, catching her mouth something towards Shika. ''I''m not done with you,'' I read, mentally scared for this poor happy deer [1].

    When she finally left the two of us alone, Shikamaru sighed before silently making me follow him towards their backyard, which I must say, is pretty darn big. Bigger than their house. Like, much bigger. And it''s connected to the forest. Great.

    Before we took another step, I halted, making Shikamaru stop and look back at me.

    "What''s the matter?" He raised a brow.

    "I was just thinking what could''ve happened if you didn''t stop your mother."

    "You would''ve been squished."

    "Yeah, right. Funny."

    "Then what were you thinking about? What could okaa-san do to you?" I paled at his question, already imagining that troublesome woman playing with my hair and dressing me up like I was some kind of doll.

    "N-Nothing." I shook my head, he raised his brow and was about to speak to fulfil his curiousness.

    "Ah! Ori-kun!" Right on time, Shikaku-san! "Good morning. You actually came."

    "Good morning, Shikaku-san." I mustered a smile, locking away the image from my head to the very depths in my mind to, with a bit of luck, get lost, before bowing down. "Kaa-san let me come because she said she trusts you to take care of me."

    "Now, now. Raise your head. We don''t really need formalities in training, do we?" He chuckled, ruffling my hair.

    "Well," I started, fixing my bird nest hair, "kaa-san won''t be pleased if she hears me disrespecting my elders."

    "That just made me feel way older that I already am¡­" He sighed.

    Oops.

    "Yout hit something hard on my old man." Shika chuckled, making me awkwardly laugh just to carry on with their poor humour.

    "Anyways, on with the training." Shikaku-san said lazily, making both of us follow him on the wide space.

    To start, he briefly discussed what chakra was, and didn''t really bother since he said that the topic will be expanded further when we attend the academy, and he knew that the two of us already got the idea of what it was. But, since our chakra reserves are hella small (we''re toddlers, damn it!), he only showed us what we could do when we finally master chakra control.

    He walked flawlessly on the wall, stood underneath a branch of a tree like it was normal ground, and even did a couple of jutsu''s. Nara''s jutsu''s. Ninja magic, is what I call them techniques. Blows my mind every single time I see them ¨C from the anime and manga, to this real-life thing. Amazing.

    After that, he hopped off and landed freely before giving Shika and me a pair of kunai before pointing at the distance.

    "Try throwing your kunai''s at the target. Only two chances, for now." A smirk was definitely on his face. "We''ll see what you two have got."

    Oh, and did I mention that the kunai''s he gave us are actually real? Real and sharp. Really sharp. He ain''t messing around with this training.

    I looked at Shikamaru, who looks like he doesn''t really bother, to be honest. In turn, he looked back, before sighing and walking past me, muttering something like ''what a drag''. "I''ll go first." His tone was lazy, but his gaze looked otherwise.

    He threw it and¡ª

    THUMP

    It was a hit, but not as close in the middle. He then threw the second kunai, but was a complete miss. He turned around and shrugged, not really minding his miss.

    "Hm¡­" Shikaku-san nodded before turning his stare to me. "Your turn, Ori-kun." He smiled, narrowing his eyes as though he''s challenging me, a mere toddler.

    I heaved a long sigh before falling into position, stepping just before the white line directly opposite from the target a few feet away.

    I can''t say I haven''t handled any weapons in my life, past life. I used to play darts, and was pretty accurate since it was light and all. Archery was my vent, and honestly needs polishing. And when it comes to Airsoft, man, that game was made for me¡ªI mean, come on, real life battle-based game, and my team belonged to the great ones.

    I always chose the sniper class because I could just hide in one place and shoot at others, and had daggers as backup weapons. Speaking of daggers, they kinda feel like kunai, somehow ¨C you can throw them too, and maybe use them to slit one''s throat.

    Well, that turned morbid pretty quickly.

    Thoughts aside, I need to do this one pretty quickly. I''ve been staring at the target for quite some time now and can actually feel uneasy glances coming from the two other males in the yard. Lifting one heavy kunai, I took a quick breather, thinking of many ways of how things could go.

    If I do too well, eyes will be set on me. If I do badly, I''d be damned and will probably feel sorry for myself. The best choice is to stay in the middle and to not make a name for myself in this world¡ªnot yet, anyways.

    I calmed myself down and listened to the ambience of the surroundings ¨C tweeting birds and such, before ignoring everything. I drew my hand back, and without really thinking, released the heavy piece of metal just as a white spec decided to pass by.

    THUMP

    "What the¡ª" Shikaku-san paused, making me look at him, momentarily forgetting that I just did something. He was a bit pale, and honestly, made my brain set off an alarm. "Kids these days¡­" He shook his head and seemed to be making a mental note of something, "¡­ sure are scary."

    I tilted my head in curiosity when my eyes landed on Shika''s shocked ones. I then followed where his eyes were fixated and was stunned.

    I did the complete opposite of what I told my own fvcking self. Way to go, Orion, ruining your cover already at the age of two and a half. It''s not in the middle, but close nonetheless. You even managed to pin a poor butterfly on the fvcking target. What luck do I have to have these things happening at once?

    So, I''m a butterfly murderer now?

    I took another glance at the small butterfly, which is now on the ground after its wings tore in half, thanks to my amazing ''luck''. Well, it''s a good thing it''s alive, but it won''t be going anywhere now, seems. At least I''m not a butterfly murderer.

    "I¡­ uh¡­ what?" Those were the only words that managed to come out of my mouth.

    "Would you please throw another one, Orion?" Shikaku-san asked me in a tone of what could be identified as¡­ concerned and very disturbed.

    That''s how it sounded to me, anyways.

    "Okay¡­" I nodded, lifting the other one and taking a lousy stance.

    I really need to miss this one now like, seriously. I don''t even want to make a name for myself yet.

    I drew back my hand and flicked my wrists, not really wanting to hit anything but heard a light thump anyways. This time though, it was really off centre and was literally on edge, slowly falling down. I didn''t know why, but a faint smile ran across my face.

    "It seems like luck left my side¡­" I sighed, stepping off of the line and walking towards the target.

    I heard their steps follow mine so, I stopped right before the target, crouching down to look at the wriggling butterfly with its broken wings. While I stared, the kunai that I threw finally fell off, and was picked up by Shikaku-san.

    He looked at me with complete interest, eyes glinting in curiosity. "That was luck, you say?" He asked, referring to the first one. "Sheer luck, huh?" He repeated, narrowing his eyes as he fidgeted with the sharp object in his hands. "What an amazing luck."

    No shit, Sherlock. It was luck ¨C a horrible one. I mean, how could a two years old land a hit near the centre at their first try? I''m not even someone to be called a genius like Itachi, or as gifted as Kakashi yet here I am, drawing attention to myself.

    "Sheer luck, he says¡­" I heard Shikamaru mutter, "¡­ yet he uses complicated words to talk."

    Wait, he noticed that...?

    "Those were¡­ from books." I tried to sound genuine as I could, and sounded about right. "But the kunai thing? That one surprised me." Well, no need to change the tone of that ¨C it really did surprise me, my own self, surprised at my own freaking stupidity.

    "Potential at its finest." Shikaku-san slowly nodded at himself. "On with the training then." He directed a mischievous smile towards my way.

    Well, shit¡ª

 4 Orion Nara

    A young boy born a Nara. That''s how Shikaku saw Orion, until he started training him. Actually, he was more surprised when his son told him he had invited this young boy, but that''s for later. Truth to be told, he was astonished ¨C especially when he first challenged him with kunai throwing. He was perceptive, and knew that the young boy got the gist of his tone.

    He watched as the young boy, a two year old, nearly three, give a contemplating stare at the target. He watched as the young boy fight with his own self in his own mind. He watched as he debated with himself whether to throw the kunai with much precision, or to purposely miss.

    He watched ¨C actually, he wasn''t able to even see the kunai. It all happened so fast. It looked as though the child had experience throwing something, shooting at least. The young child''s stance resembled someone who''d do archery, but without the bow.

    He guessed that he got that from his mother, the only known Kunoichi who uses a bow in the battlefield. But, does Orion even know of this? Shikaku doubts that the archer actually told her son about that fact, especially since Kaiya wanted to let go of her past.

    Now that he''s been training his son and the young boy for almost half a year now, he''s able to memorise the young boy''s actions and way of doing things, which are pretty unusual for a two year old.

    Orion is mature for his age, using complicated words when he''s comfortably talking to someone, and acts like he''s someone older than he actually is. At least Shikamaru plays with others, unlike that young boy. He''d rather stay under a shade of a tree instead of playing with others. His nose is always stuck in a book that would normally wouldn''t interest a young boy.

    Boring books about Chakra Natures? He got that in the bag. Books about the First and Second Shinobi War? Pfft¡ª

    To be honest, Orion is also a beloved son of a Hatake, a born fighter and a reader so, it wasn''t a surprise he could do things most children can''t. Shikaku wouldn''t be surprised if this young lad turns out like his uncle, Kakashi, a born genius. But, seeing that the young child has been deliberately trying to do worse than best, he really can''t do anything about it.

    After all, Orion is a Nara. Shikaku haven''t seen a single Nara that actually bothers in training or in the academics category. Nara''s are quite laidback despite their serious faces, and are really ¨C really perceptive and intelligent. They just don''t look like they could do anything, but then again, appearances can be deceiving.

    One time, Shikaku started their tree walking exercises to expand their chakra reserves ¨C to, hopefully, start practicing Nara techniques after making them memorise a lot of hand signs, and Orion was the first to get the hang of it, being all excited and giddy after the fact that he was able to stand on a tree for a few seconds without falling off.

    Shikaku noted that Orion is still a child ¨C of course he''d be amazed. Shikamaru on the other hand, he was irritated about the fact that he fell a couple of times, but in the end, he was just as happy as Orion when he was finally able to walk around on the tree a couple of seconds more than Orion.

    The silver-haired child was cool with it, and was pretty mature to deal with his son''s bickering.

    Hah, didn''t expect that Shikamaru could bicker? Well, to be fair, that lazy son of his is pretty loud and talkative when he''s with Orion, who he now considers as his best friend. Both of them are silent when there are people around, but when they''re just with each other, or when they think they are, they''re as loud as they can be.

    Shikaku''s actually glad that Shikamaru had befriended someone. He really didn''t expect that he''d actually be the one to approach Orion when he brought him for their playdate.

    Shikamaru just went over and sat beside Orion under the shade of the tree in the courtyard of Shikakuro''s house¡­ and that''s pretty much how they spent their playdate, both watching the clouds above the blue skies. They just exchanged names and just stayed silent, they''d exchange a few words but that''s it.

    It was a pretty calm playdate. And it was super silent like, really silent. That''s why he was darn surprised when they revealed that they''ve been really good friends since. It was truly a great surprise even for his wife and for Orion''s parents ¨C especially for Kaiya since, again, her child is super talkative.

    Note the remarkable sarcasm from that phrase.

    Fast forward in training, the two children were doing well, up to this point. They''ve reach really far, and can do both tree walking and water walking well, not as flawless as Shikaku though. They''d sometimes fall off of the tree or wall, and really needed saving from him¡­ and when they fall through the surface of the water, their bastard sensei would just laugh before he helps them ¨C if they really need to.

    Like his own son, Shikamaru.

    The bastard laughed when his son fell in the deep lake in the heart of the forest surrounding the Nara compound. When his son was fully submerged, he then remembered that his son doesn''t actually know how to swim yet. Orion was the one to go in action when he was just laughing at the drowning Shikamaru so, he was ¨C still is, thankful for the silver-haired young lad.

    Oh, you can just imagine how Shikaku suffered after that news reached Yoshino''s ears. It was, literally, one hell of a night ¨C a night full of scolding and flying objects from his wife.

    Aside from training, of course, they have free time, which they spend with learning how to play Japanese board games such as Sh¨­gi and Go. Shikamaru is talented with Sh¨­gi, and have great potential with it and, Orion was pretty okay with it, saying that it was familiar with something called "Chess", but doesn''t want to be questioned when asked about it ¨C he''d just shrug and change the topic.

    Shikamaru wasn''t really interested with Go, but would play for the sake of Orion''s boredom. The Nara successor was actually quite surprised when he noticed that the silver-haired boy is actually excelling every play so, he wanted to help him do better than best ¨C like the way the latter is helping him with Sh¨­gi.

    Shikaku would just silently watch them play, and it might not look like much, but both the two years old are taking every game seriously, wanting to master their preferred games to hopefully match with him ¨C which is considered a pretty high dream for two years old since he''s basically the master of Japanese board games.

    There were times that the silver-haired lad seemed out of place. He was¡­ someone to be called outlandish. When speaking, there were times that a weird¡­ accent slip passed through his lips, which didn''t escape Shikaku''s observations.

    It was weird ¨C it sounded Japanese, but isn''t Japanese at the same time. He''d hear him mutter something along the lines of, "British accent doesn''t help me at all in this world¡­" which he doesn''t know the meaning of.

    What is British?

    Over time, Orion managed to fix those slip ups, making Shikaku assume that it was just an imperfect way of his speech. That lad is still a child, after all. He''d still stammer and stumble with his words, but those are to be considered as slip-ups.

    But¡­ is that child really is who he seems to be?

    Those brown orbs that belong to that young lad is showing, aside from intelligence, they''re showing something that shouldn''t have seen by a mere toddler. It''s as though that young boy has been through so many battles in life, but again, it''s not possible.

    Now, Shikaku wanted to ask himself, "Who is this boy?"

    He only have seen him as "a Nara", or simply, "my son''s best friend", but there''s something more to him. That "something" didn''t come from the young boy''s near death when he came to this world.

    Sure, he maybe overthinking, but as the days passed by so quickly, that young lad has something more than being "a Nara".

    Right now, Shikaku is standing by the doorway, watching his son and the said young boy sit by each other like the best friends they are. The silver-haired young boy is giving his present to Shikamaru for his third birthday, as well as giving his almost inaudible greetings.

    The two are laughing together, and are pretty much enjoying their time like the kids they are. If someone as clueless comes in, they''d think that the two are just completely normal children ¨C best friends. They''re just having their time of their life.

    Yeah, he might''ve overthought things.

    Maybe, they''re just normal kids, if you look at this angle. Maybe, there''s nothing wrong with the silver-haired young lad. Maybe, he was just as someone to be considered as normal as Shikamaru. Maybe¡­ maybe what he thought was wrong. Maybe¡­ he was just digging too deep and will eventually come across nothing.

    Maybe he was wrong to assume.

    "They''re precious, aren''t they?" A voice snapped Shikaku from his trance, making him stare away from the two children and look at the speaker, "They''re just having the best of their life¡­"

    "They sure are, Kuro-kun." He nodded.

    "Drop the address, Shikaku-sama." Shikakuro smiled at him.

    "Only if you drop yours."

    "I guess I will, Shikaku." The Nara chuckled before looking at his silver-haired son and his best friend. "They sure did grow fast, huh?"

    "They will grow up eventually, Kuro." Shikaku looked back at his son, "Especially your little genius."

    "Orion?" Kuro seemed to question him, "Well, he did get everything from his mother. He only got my name. I won''t be too surprised is he becomes someone with a name."

    "That is true¡­" The Nara clan head nodded. "Have you caught up with their training? Your child is showing potential. Mine is just pure lazy." He inwardly chuckled, inviting Kuro to play Sh¨­gi with him just on the other room.

    "You seem to think highly of my flesh and blood. What happened in their training, anyways ¨C to make you think of this?" Kuro seemed interested, sitting down opposite from the clan head and making a swift move by lifting a piece.

    "I don''t really know¡­ I''m just getting a vibe from him¡­ something outlandishly foreign." Shikaku took a swift glance at the board, thinking of many ways to deal with the man in front before finally making a move, sacrificing a piece.

    "Ori did came back from the dead so, that''s that." Kuro''s smile was bitter, but he managed to pull off a sensible move after his words.

    "You''re still making a joke from that? You almost lost your child..." Shikaku''s tone became heavier, so did his piece when he placed it down, "¡­ again."

    "The thing is, I didn''t." Kuro''s eyes flashed with confidence, taking a piece and placing it lightly on the board. "Orion''s tougher than you think. Death won''t faze him."

    "Really, now?" Shikaku had managed to soften his expression, placing a piece only to realise it was an absolute mistake, for his Gold General was taken away. ''That was fast¡­!''

    "Really." Kuro nodded, taking a swift glance at Shikaku, seeing him narrow his eyes.

    It became silent for a good moment, as Shikaku called it. Only the sound of wooden tiles being placed are the ones that echoed inside the room. It was music for their ears as it was pleasing and relaxing. Not even when their children entered to watch were able to disturb them. They''re really focused and really drawn into their game of sh¨­gi.

    Well, until Kuro looked out of the window and saw that the sun was already setting. He gave the board one last stare before standing up and stretching his arms. "I¡­ surrender." He said as satisfying cracks came from his arms.

    "Admitting defeat, eh?" Shikaku raised a brow, following the younger Nara with his sharp gaze.

    "Kaiya''s gonna kill me if I don''t get myself and my youngin'' home before dinner." Kuro chuckled, making his son get up from his seat and hold his hands, which was, of course, much bigger than the child''s. "Let''s go, Ori-kun." He smiled at the young child.

    The silver-haired young boy nodded before taking a swift glance at the board with a disappointed look. He then looked up and waved goodbye to his best friend and the clan head, bidding his goodbyes as well.

    "Why didn''t you finish the game, tou-san?" The child''s voice echoed from the halls as they made their way out of the house.

    "It doesn''t really matter now, huh?" His father wholeheartedly chuckled.

    "I guess¡­" The boy sounded a bit disappointed.

    Shikaku laughed at the two, standing up from his seat and stretching his aching muscles. He was about to leave the room to take a breather outside just before dinner, but halted as soon as he heard his own son''s voice calling him to come back.

    "Hm?" He wondered, stepping back in the room and making his way towards his son.

    "Why didn''t the two of you finish the game?" Shikamaru asked him.

    "I would''ve won either way¡­ three more moves and he''s out." Shikaku answered his son.

    "That''s not what I meant." His son shook his head. "Shikakuro-san could''ve finish the game with one more move¡­ see?" He moved the remaining Gold General of the said man''s piece and sure enough, it ended the game. "I didn''t really notice until Ori pointed it out¡­ but yeah¡­ why didn''t Shikakuro-san finish the game?"

    "That little shi¡ª" Of course, Shikaku''s words ended quickly as he ran out of the house in the attempt of running after the bastard so, Shikamaru didn''t hear the rest of it.

    He knew it was futile as the two have already dashed out to save themselves from a bigger threat ¨C Kaiya. No one wants to see an angry Kaiya. No. One. Not even Shikaku so, he let Kuro away this time. The bastard runs away every time before he takes the win ¨C he always does that.

    But, Shikaku was more astounded when his son pointed out that the bastard''s son was the first to notice the possible win. Children do have different ways to look at things so, he guessed that''s why.

    Then again, that child is quite mysterious ¨C just like his father. You''ll never know what they''re thinking until a very subtle hint comes out. For a Nara, they have a different way of thinking, which makes them unique and is probably why people are drawn to them.

    Now, he just wants to focus with the silver-haired boy, not his father. He wanted to know more about him but, at the same time, he doesn''t want to meddle with something that shouldn''t be touched just yet.

    Who is this boy, you ask? Well, funny. Shikaku now knows the answer ¨C he doesn''t deserve to be seen as a nobody. He''s not just someone.

    He is a Nara.

    He is a genius.

    His name is Orion Nara.

 5 Turn of Events

    Shikaku-san stared at the two of us, Shika and me. His eyes glinted with amusement, but his face said otherwise. He''s someone to be called a poker face, yet his eyes showed every intent. He''s enjoying every bit of this.

    Training shouldn''t be hard.

    It shouldn''t be, yet both my best friend and I stood in the middle of a clearing, attempting to control our shadows just to catch as many leaves as we could only by using our, well, shadows ¨C which means once a leaf gets caught, it''s staying mid-air until we release them.

    But, once this pays off, we''re gonna be fvcking amazing controlling these things ¨C just like how we did in chakra control¡­ and that shit was hard to maintain.

    I''m also looking forward to master controlling shadows ¨C I have a particular technique in mind I want to create if possible. Hell, it sounds cool too ¨C Shadow Step. I want to basically be like Shisui, but by just using the Nara techniques, not your normal Body Flicker.

    I haven''t really shared the idea before because they might think that the idea is total crap, but either way, I''m gonna make it work ¨C no matter what. That idea is too good to pass up.

    As I wander into a trance, a tugging feeling snapped me out of it. I blinked and noticed that I was finally able to catch more than five leaves, whilst Shika is still bound with three. I want to show it to Shikaku-san, but he''s talking to someone and I can''t just butt in.

    I narrowed my eyes at the person ¨C ''Isn''t that Inoichi? Inoichi Yamanaka?''

    What is he doing here? I understand that he''s friends with Shikaku-san, but why does he have a worried look on his face? I caught him glance at me and Shika with the exact expression¡­ but why?

    My four year old brain couldn''t understand, but my old mind''s trying to process it.

    "Shikamaru, Orion." Shikaku-san''s stern voice made me lose my hold with the leaves. "Training''s done for now. Orion, make sure you get home as soon as you leave the house, understand?"

    "I will¡­" I bowed and took a glance at Shikamaru, who''s just as confused as I was.

    After a short chit-chat with him about what on earth that was, I finally headed home, prior to Shikaku-san''s request. It seems like there was something going on outside the compound, and it looked to be urgent ¨C more urgent than when the Kumo-bastards made a move to kidnap a Hy¨±ga heiress, Hinata.

    __________

    I was lost in thought while walking alone in the streets, placing my thumb and index finger on my chin. What would be more urgent than the Hy¨±ga Affair? It shouldn''t be worse, right?

    Call that a habit or something, but I just can''t help and be lost in my own mind. When that''s happening, I really don''t know what''s happening around, until someone shouts at me loud enough, or something happens ¨C like when someone bumps into me, like right now.

    I bounced back and managed to regain balance. I rubbed my arm and slowly looked up to someone I just bumped into, meeting his cold glare through his mask that shouts danger.

    I was frozen in spot and stayed silent as the broad man tilted his head to the side. This angle made it easy to look at the man ¨C brown, unkempt, frizzy hair that is tied in a ponytail rested on his head, and his face is covered by a blank, white mask that only revealed his eyes. He wore something that resembled something that a Nara would wear.

    And his eyes¡­ I made contact with them again. It''s giving off a cold vibe¡­ something that''s inhumane ¨C lacklustre and¡­ deadly. His eyes are literally screaming danger.

    "I-I''m sorry¡­" I immediately bowed down before running past him, not looking back as I hear his footsteps follow closely behind.

    ''What the fvck is my absolute luck?!'' I thought, taking the ninja route atop the roofs. ''I''m doing the complete opposite of what Shikaku-san had told me to do! I''m bringing trouble for myself! What the actual fvck?!''

    ''And what''s this other feeling I have that''s tugging in my chest and making my legs tremble? Is that what we call fear? Am I someone to be called a coward? A scaredy-cat?''

    No! I refuse to be that kind of person. I''m not going to be scared!

    Filled with determination, I did a quick hand sign and managed to command my shadow to pull a crate from the side to block the man''s way, which I successfully did ¨C but it sure took a lot of my chakra.

    I don''t know how I did it, but I just did ¨C no need to get distracted with that.

    I kept running and went down on the roads, moving from street to street and creating false trails leading to other streets with the help of my shadow.

    But all of that effort was futile ¨C the mysterious man found me anyways.

    Not only that, he also managed to catch up to me, grabbing me by my shoulders and pushing me behind, and making me knock my back against a hard wall.

    I felt dizzy for a moment.

    The rusty taste of blood came to my mouth alongside a stinging feeling on my lower lip. I bit my own lip, didn''t I? The red liquid flowed down to my chin and soon, dripped on the floor. Well, it''s better than a head injury, at least.

    Heaving a shaky sigh and turning to the nearest way, a dark alley, which, to remind you, is a horror movie clich¨¦ that shouldn''t be done ¨C ever, I immediately regretted my action. What did I expect in an empty, unfamiliar alley, anyways? A portal to a whole new world to save my ass? A knight wearing a black mask to save me? Nah ¨C a fvcking dead ass end.

    I wiped the blood off of my chin, but it still continued to flow. Cold sweat started to run down my forehead as the trembling feeling reached my thighs.

    My heart literally sank as soon as I halted in front of a brick wall. It''s a bad idea to cross over the wall that separates the compound and the forest since I haven''t been given access to it yet, and that will make me a prey to those seemingly friendly deer''s.

    Those motherfvckers are deadly ¨C and the phrase "Appearances can be deceiving," applies to them pretty darn well¡­ but, they will also attack the guy who''s right behind me.

    ''Fvck it.''

    Gathering enough chakra under my feet (which took almost everything), I prepared to jump as high as I could, and when I did, my heart almost stopped ¨C someone snatched me away just before I crossed over the wall! That was my only hope and he caught me already ¨C oh, look, an ANBU ¨C a black-masked ANBU.

    What are the chances?

    I stopped resisting, knowing that I''m in somewhat good hands, I think. The ANBU then hit a point or something on my pursuer''s neck, which made him faint, before dragging him behind while I was in his other arm.

    Honestly, I was so exhausted that I rested my chin on the crook of his neck. I''m not even complaining ¨C my feet hurts, my legs are trembling from all of the running and over-exerting chakra from the jump, I''m just exhausted. This four years old body can''t take much, I guess.

    Given that I have an enhanced sense of smell, thanks to my Hatake blood, his scent is slowly imprinting on me, especially when we''re that close to each other. His scent is absolutely comforting, and somehow fatherly. It''s giving away his friendly vibes, and I feel like I can get close to him if I try.

    Other than that, I''m limited.

    Breathing got harder over time. Exhaustion and fear doesn''t mix well, it seems. Now, my lungs feel like they''re burning for overworking, and my chest is just being the jerk it is ¨C tightening every breath I heave.

    Lifting my dominant hand, I clutched my chest, which seemed to have alerted the ANBU as well, seeing that he''s starting to use a technique that made it seem everything look like a complete blur. Before I knew it, we''re already in front of a place that''s so familiar that I can''t even miss even with my darkening vision ¨C my own home.

    Then, everything went blank.

    __________

    My surroundings felt somewhat empty, and is making me feel lightheaded. It seems like I can move freely, yet at the same time, I can''t. Coldness swarmed over my body as the white light surrounded my vision. Everything started glitching, like a buggy game, before revealing a completely blank, white canvas.

    I feel like I''m just part of the air, hovering around endlessly in the big, white space. Then, a black blur started to appear in front of me, which soon could be discerned as a round "thing", and could be recognised as a movie reel like those from the cinemas.

    I wanted to speak out my thoughts, but I somehow couldn''t. Silence lingered until it was interrupted by a loud, high frequency sound wave. It was deafening, and I feel like my non-existent ears could bleed at any second.

    Why does everything feel familiar? Like, this all happened before?

    I hovered closely to the reel, tilting my non-existent head to the side. But before I even got close, I snapped my eyes open.

    "Ori!" I heard kaa-san call my name.

    It seems like I was just dreaming.

    I was still dazed to respond, and only got to look up to her and to the people surrounding us. I recognised the room as mine, in our house so, it seems like the ANBU took me here.

    Kaa-san then pulled me close, rubbing my back and caressing my silver hair. While she''s hugging me tight, I saw tou-san sitting at the far end of the bed with his hand over my left one. Shikaku-san''s here, too.

    What do you know? Uncle Kakashi''s here too, right next to the ANBU who saved me by the last second¡­ and at the moment, I have a good angle to finally look at him.

    He was short for someone to be in the ANBU rank so, he''s probably still in his teens. He has curly and unkempt dark blue hair. A silver tant¨­ also rested on his back. His black mask resembles a bird¡­ a crow, to be exact, making me blink.

    Now, why does it feel like that is just giving away something simple? Crow? Karasu, in Japanese?

    "Ori¡­" Kaa-san snapped me out of my trance.

    "Huh¡­?" I blinked, still a bit drowsy.

    How long was I out, even? It only felt like minutes, but judging by their faces, it''s not just "minutes".

    "Oh, my dear child¡­" Kaa-san''s sweet voice was filled with worry, worry that even my last mother couldn''t muster, before hugging me again. "You must''ve been so scared¡­ I''m sorry, kaa-san wasn''t there for you¡­" Her hug became tighter, as though she''s not letting me go any sooner.

    I couldn''t help but hug back. She''s just that sweet¡­ as sweet as someone who already lost something.

    "I-It''s okay, kaa-san¡­ the niisan over there helped me¡­" I averted my gaze towards the said black masked man who bowed his head as a greeting. I smiled at him, and he tilted his head, probably raising a brow.

    Kaa-san finally let go, hiding her teary eyes under her hands. "Still¡­ I thought I was going to lose you¡­" She sniffed, "¡­ again."

    ''Again?'' That word echoed in my mind. What happened? I don''t have a single memory of a near-death situation aside from my actual death before I got to this world. Well, if that means I have a lost memory, I can''t do shit about it. I just have to deal with it and move the fvck on.

    Wait, me having to deal with chest pains and overworking lungs¡­ is that what they meant by almost losing me? But this is the first time I ever felt this¡ª

    Actually¡­

    [I want to scream, but something was stopping me. I feel like something is squeezing my lungs, and I''m just standing here in a black void. Faint light keep flashing at the end of my dark surroundings, and I kept chasing after it, well, my feet do. I don''t honestly know what I''m doing.

    Oh, and I can''t breathe.

    I want to scream as the pain in my chest area increases, and I finally was able to let out a loud cry after I reached the bright light.]

    That faint memory explains a lot.

    Wait¡­ fvck ¨C of course I have a weak heart in this world. My luck is THAT amazing. Aside from a limiting body, I also have a GREAT heart. This is just plainly INCREDIBLE.

    "Ori-kun¡­" Shikaku-san''s voice reached my ears, making me look at him, "I¡­ It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have let you go home alone when I knew that there''s something wrong. We''re lucky that Karasu was there before you got over the gates, or it would''ve been harder for you to escape that white masked man in the forest." He looked away and gestured at the ANBU.

    Of course his name would be Karasu. Of course. I really didn''t expect that at all.

    "But, you also did a great job." Shikaku-san walked over to ruffle my hair, "You managed to lead the man into a pinch¡­ It seems like all of your training paid off." He smiled, softening his expression. His eyes are telling me that he wanted to say more, but decided not to so, I tilted my head in curiosity.

    I, too, wanted to know what he got in mind, but I guess that could wait for later. It seems like nothing important, for now, anyways.

    He then stepped aside, giving way to¡­ Kakashi? I''m still not used to seeing him this all "uncle"-ish. It''s honestly making goosebumps appear on the backside of my neck. Sure, he''s been nice, and has been showering me gifts whenever he can, but I don''t really understand why.

    He''s generous, I admit. He showed different parts of him that wasn''t shown in the anime or manga. He looks at me like he''s wanting to make me feel complete¡­ like he doesn''t want me to feel what he felt when his team died right after the other.

    It''s like¡­ he''s doing this to make, other than me, someone happy. For kaa-san, I suppose? He is as close to my kaa-san as he''s close to me. He truly loves the two of us.

    The silver-haired young man sat on the edge of my bed. His masked face hid his smile, but his eyes sure did show ''em. He ruffled my hair while soft snickers escaped his lips.

    ''What''s with people ruffling my hair?''

    "You did a great job back there, Ori-kun." I shivered at the nickname.

    Seriously ¨C I hate the ''-kun''. Ori is good as is¡­ Ori-kun is¡­ blergh. But, I guess it''s also my fault too. I don''t really tell anyone how or what I feel about something. I just keep it to myself so, I''m selfish in my own way.

    "Not anyone could''ve handled that like the way you did." Kakashi chuckled before averting his gaze from me to kaa-san. "Orion''s gonna grow up strong, I can tell you that." He smiled at her, "Just like you, Kaiya-neechan."

    Okay, hold-up.

    That''s the first time I heard Kakashi address kaa-san with ''neechan''.

    Siblings, maybe? But kaa-san said she''s the only child, and Kakashi was introduced as the only child of Sakumo in the manga. So, the only other thing is¡­ acknowledged siblings, I suppose? I mean, that is possible, right? Non-blood siblings acting like they''re real ones.

    How sweet ¨C so sweet that ants are already preparing to nestle around them.

    "Oh, please, Kashi-kun¡­" Kaa-san smiled, patting his shoulder with her right hand before shaking her head.

    It seems like I''m missing something here.

    I shook my head and inwardly shrugged, reaching for the glass water prepared on the side of my bed. I don''t really need to meddle with something that will eventually unfold themselves.

    ""You know that I''ve let go of the past.""

    ""You''re right, sis.""

    I spat all of the water I just drank, drenching my own self in water. ''What the fvck?!''

    "O-Ori-kun?" Kaa-san immediately started rubbing my back with her right hand, "W-What''s the matter? A-Are you okay?"

    "I''m¡­ fine¡­" I wiped my face with the back of my hand, "¡­ thank you."

    ''That was fvcking English just now!'' I''m taking this surprisingly well, actually¡­ them speaking English, that is. ''Why didn''t I know of this sooner?!''

    I smiled at her, despite of having a freaking out brain. "I''m¡­ just exhausted¡­ I think."

    A lot of things happened today¡­ and my brain is just¡­ melting. I really need to sleep this through. I need to rest my disheveled mind.

    __________

    I woke up the next day and came to know about the white-masked man, thanks to Shikaku-san for filling me in.

    Turns out that the white-masked man came from the compound (obviously could be identified from his clothing), and works as a farmer in the fields just on the outskirts of the forest. After breaking his mask, the man told them, probably with the help of Inoichi-san, that he doesn''t remember attacking me nor why he got in the Kaisekihan building of the Intelligence Force in the first place.

    He claims to be innocent.

    For now, they''ve let them free under the watch of the Konoha Military Police Force (which does still exist since this is well before the Uchiha massacre) to let him do his wanted work.

    Of course, they''re also protecting him from kaa-san¡­ because who on earth knows what she''d do. Hell, she broke the one-way window when Shikaku-san and Inoichi-san started interrogating the farmer with Ibiki-san''s help. Who knows what she''d do next if they let her near him.

    I also got a whiff of information from my uncle, Kakashi, about more white-masked men scattered across the whole Hidden Village, which definitely makes me sort of happy.

    I''m just glad that it''s not just from the Nara''s ¨C there''s even reports of white-masked men from the Hy¨±ga''s, Yamanaka''s, and from the civilian families, who also seemed to have forgotten what they did when they were wearing the masks.

    I sighed, staring at the served breakfast on the table while thinking back about the turn of events.

    First, a weird bump-and-run from a white-masked Nara farmer, which made me completely hold my training until I get better ¨C or if things gets worse, until the case of "White-Masks" is solved.

    Second, kaa-san and the others actually use English as their "ninja language" to keep information away from civilians and young children, which would''ve included me ¨C but they don''t know that I was an Englishman. Not yet, anyways.

    Lastly, shit just got real ¨C I was invited as a "witness" for the ''White-Masks Case'' by Shikaku-san himself. I do not know what he''s planning, or what he''s trying to do, but I have a hunch that I''m not gonna be a "witness" here.

    Oh, why do these masked men decided to appear and ruin the whole plot of Naruto?

    "What''s wrong, Orion?" I heard tou-san. "Did I burn the eggs?" He stood up and inspected my plate.

    "No, no¡­" I shook my head, giving him a smile, "I was just lost in thoughts¡­"

    "About the things that happened, I suppose?" He raised a brow before sitting back on his seat.

    "Uh-huh¡­" I nodded, leaning back on the chair.

    "Well, worry not!" He beamed. "Those bad things will not happen again." He sure is reassuring.

    I paused, looking at him and returning a smile, "I guess¡­"

 6 A Challenge

    "This way." Karasu-niisan escorted me towards the Intelligence Force building outside of the Nara compound¡ªand thankfully, not to the T&I building because, who the hell knows what''s in there?

    Oh, and what am I doing here, you ask? Well, I was chosen as a witness, but I doubt that I''d just be a "witness"¡­ why? It has something to do with the clan heads developing interests in me after the story reached their ears¡ªwhich is, honestly, NOT creepy.

    This is actually my first time outside of the compound so, I get stares from people every now and then. Aside from having my hand held by an ANBU, and being a bit too pale for a young boy, I wore a maroon long sleeves paired with shorts so, people were curious as of where the young black-masked man is taking the little "girl".

    ''The fvck? This is my worst nightmare coming to reality¡­'' Then again, it''s better than having those anime clich¨¦ harem happen, right?

    I ran my fingers on my free hand through my four years'' worth of thick, wavy, long silver hair, only to do it again because another gravity-defying lock fell on my face. I honestly want to cut this thing, but kaa-san said to keep it until I step in the academy¡­ so, one more year and this''ll be shortened.

    "Hm¡­" I heard Karasu-niisan hum, making me look up at him and catch his glance. He didn''t bother to look away, showing his smile through his eyes, "Don''t worry, kiddo. We''re almost there."

    I fixed my gaze at his enticing onyx orbs for a while, wondering who could be behind that black mask.

    "Ah! You must be Orion-kun." A voice snapped me out of my trance. "Good morning."

    I looked up and saw a big man standing in front. Familiar purple squiggly clan markings rested on his cheeks, giving away that he''s from the Akamichi''s. Ch¨­za, I think his name is¡ªCh¨­ji''s father. He looks rather friendlier than portrayed in the show, and is quite buffed too.

    Well, he might actually be just being friendly towards a "young child" so, there''s that too.

    Now that I''ve met all three of the 15th generation Ino¨CShika¨CCh¨­, who''s up next? The Hy¨±ga''s? Uchiha''s? That''ll be cool¡­

    "Good¡­ morning¡­" I let go of Karasu-niisan''s hand and bowed towards the kind clan head as I spoke with my small voice.

    "I''m Ch¨­za Akamichi, young one." He smiled, crouching down, "I''ve heard about you and your bravery."

    "Thank you¡­?" Seriously, is my voice even reaching him? I guess that I''m still not comfortable speaking with the others that my voice comes out broken, inaudible, or completely silent.

    "A shy one, eh?" The clan head chuckled, standing up and leading both Karasu and I to the actual inside of the building¡ªto tour me just in case I get¡­ uh¡­ lost?

    To be honest, it was a bit of a surprise to see the inside of the building. It doesn''t look much on the outside, but it''s much bigger in the inside. All sorts of machines rests inside, and rows of bookshelves took my attention, making me halt on my step, falling behind the ANBU and the clan head.

    In the past, the most interesting thing that took my interest, before Cherry came to my life, were books inside of my house''s private library¡ªwhere books from around the world were neatly organized on the shelves. I, myself, wasn''t even able to finish all of the books in there, which is actually quite the bummer. I might''ve only finished sixty to seventy percent of all the books inside there.

    It seems that I''ve also took my reading habits, if you didn''t notice. I''d only read books that take my interest¡ªit doesn''t matter if they have or don''t have any pictures, the information is the most important part. I don''t care if I''m not supposed to read them yet¡ªI just do it to pass time.

    "¡­ Orion-kun?" Ch¨­za-sama seemed like he was talking to me, but I really didn''t catch what he was saying.

    I blinked as I looked at him, wondering what he was talking about while I was in a trance. The two of them are already a couple of steps ahead, and are waiting for me to respond.

    "You seem to be interested with those books." He smiled, I nodded slowly, embarrassed about my trance. "You can borrow some later if you ask Inoichi¡­ and I''m sure he''d let you." His smile grew wider when he noticed that he had grabbed my attention.

    "Okay." I smiled, running after them and grabbing Karasu-niisan''s already extended hand. I''m too happy about the books that I''m already asking them, "Ch¨­za-sama, do you think Inoichi-san would let me borrow some?"

    Both Karasu-niisan and Ch¨­za-sama halted on their steps, slowly looking at me with a sort of shocked expression. ''Did I do something wrong?'' I tilted my head. ''I only asked about the books¡­ I''ve already finished kaa-san''s books in her study, and have managed to borrow some from Shikaku-san¡­ so, I''m pretty bored at the moment.''

    Ch¨­za-sama laughed, taking everyone''s attention¡ªeven those who are currently running errands or just working near. Karasu-niisan and I then shifted our gaze to him, startled about his sudden action. Ch¨­za-sama''s truly found something funny.

    "Oh, you silly child." He wiped the tears at the corner of his eyes. "The only thing that could really get your attention are books, huh?" He patted my head, "Of course, he will. He''s the one who''d been telling me about you¡ªhe''s interested in you."

    "Huh¡­?" I blinked.

    "Now I''m starting to understand why Shikaku and Inoichi are talking about you¡ªyou really are interesting!" Ch¨­za-sama chuckled, "And please, drop the formalities¡ªCh¨­za-san''s just fine."

    "Okay¡­ Ch¨­za-san." I smiled at him.

    "Much better." He nodded once before continuing the tour.

    __________

    Ch¨­za-san is as kind as he was told. He introduced me to a few workers that weren''t shown in the show¡ªand let me tell you, they love children. They really do.

    My cheeks are pulsing red because they kept squeezing them. My hair is a complete mess because of their "ruffling-spree", which makes me wonder if my hair is so attracting to touch¡ªI mean, Kakashi''s is. Oh, and I also became part of a short tug-o-war, thanks to them.

    Thankfully though, Karasu-niisan saved me after a good snicker, and Ch¨­za-san lightly scolded them for me, saying that I may look like a small doll, but I''m not a toy to be played with¡ªafter all, he also said that I might''ve been "traumatized" from the recent events, which immediately put them to a halt.

    I wasn''t really traumatized¡­ I was just¡­ confused. I mean, I was scared and all, but I''m glad I was able to face that fear and live another day¡ªand I''m proud of that. I even managed to do some cool ninja fvckery, which I honestly don''t know how I¡­ did.

    I just did it in a spur of the moment¡­ and when I tried to do it again, I failed miserably¡ªwhich is a week ago. Well, to be fair, I wasn''t allowed to do any drastic activities to not push my chakra to its limits, but I did it anyways.

    I sighed, loosening my grip on my shorts and leaning at the back of the comfy chair I''m on. Currently, I''m sitting on a green sofa inside of the room Ch¨­za-san had lead both Karasu-niisan and I so, I''m really itching to do something to ease the boredom wallowing over me.

    "So, what do you think of the Intel Unit?" Ch¨­za-san suddenly asked, snapping me out of my trance.

    "It''s okay¡­ I guess¡­" I smiled, he perked up. "There''s¡­ a lot of interesting things here¡­" I then met his eyes, wondering about some things.

    Why are they so interested with me?

    Why did they even call me here for?

    Why are they calling me a "witness" when they''re not even questioning me?

    "Um¡­ Ch¨­za-san¡­?" I called his name, making him raise his brow for I was still staring into his closed eyes. "Why are you showing me around when I was just needed as a "witness"? Why was I invited here when I was just needed for information? One person could''ve been asked to question me even when I was still recovering¡­ but it seems like you''ve been waiting for me to be well."

    He seemed to be astonished from my barrage of questions.

    "Is there a reason on why you need me here?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

    A smile curved up at the corner of his lips, and his fingers twitched just the slightest bit. He was getting amused by some unknown reason, and it''s really making me feel left out. A chuckle then escaped from his lips, and soon, ran his fingers through his red hair.

    "You smart child." He smiled. "You''re a Nara, after all." I batted an eyelid at his statement.

    The door towards the right then creaked open, making me look at the general direction of the door, meeting a familiar gaze from Shikaku-san. Behind him walked Inoichi-san, followed by¡­

    Uncle¡­ Kakashi?

    The said silver-haired teen suddenly disappeared from his location and appeared in front of me before scooping me up with his arms, hugging me like we haven''t each other for years, which startled me, making me let go a small squeak¡­ and that squeak was definitely heard by the clan heads just a few steps behind Kakashi.

    ""Should we tell him?"" My eyes narrowed when Inoichi-san started speaking in English¡ªand he seems to be talking to the other clan heads.

    They definitely don''t want me to know about something yet. They''re keeping something a secret from me.

    ""Let Kakashi-kun tell him himself."" Shikaku-san answered the Yamanaka''s question.

    ""I agree."" Ch¨­za-san nodded in agreement.

    Kakashi, as if on cue, let me go and ruffled my already messy hair. "I have a great news for you," he started, "and knowing you, you''d want to hear this."

    Curiosity started to kick in, "What is it?"

    "I''m going to be the one assigned for your training, starting today." With those simple words, I froze.

    That was it? All of this for my training? Don''t get me wrong, it''s awesome and stuff, but that was really anticlimactic. I thought I''d be involved in the case or something, but I was sure wrong.

    "You see," Shikaku-san took the courtesy to speak when he noticed my deadpanned stare, "Karasu here had seen you manipulate your shadows in a spur of a moment when the white-masked man was chasing you." He pointed a smile at the said ANBU.

    Wait, you mean¡­

    "You mean he was watching me while I was being chased by someone behind a mask?" I didn''t mean to raise my voice, but that''s a real shitty move¡ªI almost died, for Kami''s sake! "You mean I became a bait?" I toned down my¡­ tone a bit and pointed at myself, "You mean I almost died, not knowing that I could''ve been saved sooner?"

    "That, my fault." The black-masked man bowed, "I apologise for my actions. I was simply curious when you did something I haven''t seen before."

    I let out a sigh, his words not getting through me. I slumped forwards and placed my left palm on my forehead, "I risked my life and became a lure¡­"

    "But," Inoichi-san sure is optimistic about this, "because of that, you''re going to be training under your uncle''s watch¡ªand don''t worry, Karasu will be there too just in case something goes wrong."

    ''Just in case, huh?'' I repeated in my mind before looking at him. "So, when something goes wrong, he''d just watch until the last second?"

    Shikaku-san chuckled inwardly, shaking his head, "No, no¡­ he won''t do that, right¡­?"

    With his words, I stared at the ANBU¡ªwho''s waving at me like he didn''t hear anything Shikaku-san have said. I could just about tell that he''s smiling behind the black mask, really entertained by this. ''That bastard¡ª''

    I sighed again, standing straight and letting out a small smile, turning my head towards Kakashi. "May I ask why you''re the one training me?" My small voice stretched to him.

    "I just want to help my cute, little nephew to get stronger." He smiled, opening the palm of his right hand, "So, would you let your Uncle Kashi to help you train?"

    I don''t really have a choice now, do I? They''ve been planning this since the crow-guy told them about what I did just to outrun the white-masked dude¡­ and the news sure did get far from home, huh? Everything happened just a week ago, and now, I''ve been giving a choice to be a part of their scheme.

    Well, if this is going to help the mystery, somehow¡ªlike what they''ve planned, I suppose, I''d love to.

    "I will¡­" I nodded and reached for his hand, "Kashi-sensei."

    His single eye widened a bit before giving me an "eye-smile". "That''s pleasant to hear." He chuckled.

    __________

    Well to be perfectly honest, in my humble opinion, of course without offending anyone who thinks differently from my point of view, but also by looking into this matter in a different perspective and without being condemning of one''s view''s and by trying to make it objectified, and by considering each and every one''s valid opinion, I honestly believe that I completely forgot about something important.

    No, seriously.

    I have forgotten about Kakashi''s position when he was still an ANBU. He was a captain of some team, and had lead successful hunt for the snake''s hideouts before going back to standard forces as a reward from the Hokage after revealing his kind heart.

    Don''t mind my geeky mind.

    Come to think of it, I''ve always seen him wearing a simple grey flak jacket over a dark blue overall, with his black sandals and fingerless gloves when visiting kaa-san and I.

    Am I that ignorant about the subtlest things? That''s going to be my downfall, isn''t it? Overlooking subtle details, I mean. I also tend to dwell too deep about something so, I will more likely forget to check for the smallest things than the plan ahead¡­

    Anyways, starting right now, I''m going to be training under an ANBU captain¡­ and I still do not know who on earth the crow guy is. Additionally, I still don''t know the real reason I was brought in to train.

    Maybe uncle''s gonna tell me¡­

    But, I don''t really know what to do. I was told to just stand in the middle of a clearing in an empty training ground away from the Nara compound¡­ and then, both Kakashi and Karasu-niisan disappeared not even a second after that.

    Am I expecting a surprise attack?

    I sure am.

    I heard a rustling sound coming from behind the bushes off to my right, making me almost instantly block out of instinct¡ªand I''m really glad I did. Kakashi was the first one to initiate a swift attack, dumbing down his ability to just be hard enough for me, knocking me back through, I repeat, THROUGH a tree.

    Well, he didn''t exactly tone everything down, did he?

    "Itai¡­" I groaned, standing up from the powdered tree and scattered splinters. ''That''s too harsh for a four year old, Bakashi!'' I screamed in my mind, dusting my once black, now white (from the powdered wood) shorts.

    "I have a little challenge for you!" I heard him shout from the other side of the bush I just went through before I hit the tree, "Snatch away Karasu''s mask for me!"

    I heard a very shocked "What?!" coming from a nearby tree.

    "Maybe then, I''ll start training you seriously!" My bastard uncle''s chuckles echoed, resonating over and over again in my mind.

    My eyes twitched, as I walked back into the clearing, grabbing a small stone as I go. I glared at the silver-haired ANBU captain a few feet away, flicking my wrist as fast as I could, throwing the rock in his direction. Of course, being a trained ninja abled him to just tilt his head to dodge.

    His closed eyes then opened after his laughter stopped. His piercing glare sent a wave of coldness over my body, telling me that I did something I shouldn''t have done. "Is that a challenge now, Orion¡­?" His merciless smile can be literally seen through his mask.

    ''Well, shit.''

 7 Crows Thoughts

    Being sent by an ANBU captain to capture a rampaging member of a known clan, Karasu never really expected anyone to outrun the person he had set his sharp eyes on. It was a small child, too.

    He saw the little child and identified her as a little girl, with wavy and long, silver gravity-defying locks resting on her head, bouncing around and trailing after her. She was quite short and was wearing a bit oversized grey long sleeves paired with black shorts and sandals.

    And phew, with those short legs, she could run¡ªKarasu could tell that much.

    A few minutes of sneaking around later, he decided that he should jump in and take the little girl into safety instead of letting the chase happen, but something interesting occurred¡ªhe didn''t actually expect that the young one is actually a ninja! And she can run along the walls like it was just as normal as it could be in such a young age!

    As someone as young as her, normally, one''s gonna do a single hand seal to focus chakra on her feet and maintain it for a reasonable amount of time¡ªbut there''s no normal in this world, it seems. She didn''t even use a single seal! Well, to be fair, Karasu was just like her when he was a child.

    He was, after all, a gifted child despite of the things that happened, and he was, to be fair, quite surprised to see the same to the girl.

    The little girl''s run reminded him of the Captain who ordered this issue¡ªKitsune-taich¨­. She''s fast, sneaky, and have ways to block out the paths she came from like the said man¡­ but all of that could be improved a lot better if trained well.

    She can jump too¡ªnot a normal one, but a jump enhanced by chakra.

    Karasu guessed that this child had been trained for circumstances as this, but wasn''t really prepared for the actual run-and-hide situation. He could tell that she was mentally panicking, but kudos to her, she kept her poker face on and focused solely on losing the mysterious white-masked man off of her trail.

    He wanted to help, but at the same time, he was curious of what the child is capable of¡­ and his curiosity was fulfilled when his gifted eyes caught her doing hand seals¡ªand those hand seals weren''t just normal hand seals for basic jutsu''s¡­ that rat seal is famous for belonging in the Nara''s famous shadow manipulating jutsu''s.

    For someone as young as her to be able to use such jutsu, it was quite enticing. Though there were a bit of flaws and looked as though it was just did in a spur of the moment in Karasu''s eyes, it was fascinating.

    What was more astonishing was when the girl''s manipulated shadow started touching physical objects¡­ and again, she did another unusual thing¡ªthe hand seal she used didn''t really match for the technique she had used to make her shadow touch physical objects¡ªlike the crates she used as a blockade. She only activated a jutsu seal that would usually trap one in one place¡­ but how did she¡­?

    It was as though she was too panicked to realise what she had done, but continued doing whatever she was doing just to escape the white-masked man who just started chasing her with no reason at all.

    Karasu narrowed his eyes when he noticed that the girl was already shaking when she stopped to catch up with her breath. Was it from fear? Definitely. But, she still didn''t let that fear get to her and started running again, going through different alleys and different turns as though she knew the place.

    She was that determined to escape the crazy man''s chase¡­ and it seems like that determination also abled her to lose Karasu from her trail.

    The ANBU didn''t know where they went¡­ he lost her. It''s not like he can''t find them anymore¡ªhe can amplify his sensing abilities! He''s a fvcking ninja, okay? Well, he was pretty taken aback when the girl managed to lose her even for just a few seconds, and when he found the two again, it wasn''t a pretty sight.

    It seemed like the short time it took for him to find them again abled his target to find and reach the girl to pull her back and made her hit the hard-rock wall behind them.

    Seeing the blood trickle down from her lips made Karasu hurry, Body Flicking his way towards their location, only to instinctively grab something while in mid-air and to realise it was the same girl he was trying to save. He secured the little girl in his arms before landing softly on the ground.

    He then swiftly turned around and struck the white-masked man''s neck, a brachial stun using an open palm strike, to quickly stop the oxygen flow to his brain to make him immobile and eventually, faint. He might''ve struck too aggressively and knocked the man out upon his strike.

    He quickly bound the man with seals before grabbing him by the collar of his clothes, dragging him behind as he carried the trembling child.

    Now, time to "deliver" his target to his captain before finding this child''s home.

    The child made an eye contact with him, to which of course he returned. He met her wondrous eyes that was filled with mixed confusion and curiosity¡­ but there''s something more in those brown orbs of hers. The child''s eyes are filled with intelligence that of a young man, and are mostly enthralling.

    The more he looked closely, the more he realised that there''s a tint of dark grey in her eyes, similar to his temporary captain, Kitsune-taich¨­¡ªwhose eyes are solid dark grey.

    Eventually, the young girl rested her chin on the crook of his neck¡ªfrom exhaustion, he supposed.

    His lips twitched, forming a small smile behind the bird mask. He then paused, returning to his deadpanned face after realising his action, but he still kept walking to his destination.

    Why did he smile?

    The ever only time he smile is when he''s with his younger brother. He is getting that impression from the young child in his arms too¡­ but why? Is it because of the warm and accepting feeling that the child was giving off?

    He snapped out of his thought when the silver-haired child shifted her position, clutching her chest as her breathing became rigid. Worry immediately struck him, narrowing his eyes as he tightened his grip around the girl to make her feel safe.

    His "big-brother" alarm was immediately set off, making him think of a quick decision as the girl slowly drift to an unconscious state.

    The only nearest place where he knows someone that could treat her right away was in the residence of Shikakuro Nara! He knows that his wife knows medical jutsu so, that''s where he''s going. Like, right off the bat.

    He shunshined his way as fast as he could, almost knocking into someone as he did the jutsu. He ignored the person and knocked on the door, which was immediately opened by a caregiver.

    "Orion-sa¡ª" The old woman gaped in surprise. The terrifying sight of the master''s son being carried in by an ANBU tugged her heart, "Kaiya-sama! Kuro-sama!"

    The child was taken from Karasu, and they seem to know the child so, he left to quickly deliver his target to his captain. Well, he was about to go out when a familiar masked man came opening the door and shoving him to the side with a bit of force. He was going to retaliate, but the familiar gravity-defying, silver hair was a giveaway of who he was about to mess with.

    Why didn''t he sense the person''s chakra signature much earlier? He would''ve been in so much trouble if he didn''t notice the iconic hair.

    "Kitsune¡­ taich¨­¡­" Karasu trailed off, bringing up the white-masked man, "¡­ I caught the¡­ huh."

    He supposed it was futile. He just sighed and made the white-masked man''s bindings stronger and started dragging him with him across the polished, wooden floor. He lounged around outside of the door where his captain went too and was a bit restless.

    Was his restlessness because of his captain? Or was it about the little child?

    He doesn''t know himself.

    __________

    Karasu wanted to slap his face from embarrassment.

    It was a good thing that he had his mask on when he was told that the "young girl" is actually a young boy. Turns out his captain is actually the kid''s uncle¡­ whose father''s Shikakuro¡ªTHE Shikakuro Nara, and mother''s Kaiya¡ªthe same Kaiya who holds the name of "Silver Arrow".

    Boy, Orion''s something else. He''d be a legend one day, he guessed. The child''s born from legends who chose to hide themselves from people''s eyes.

    When he finally brought in his target to his captain, the said young captain immediately asked him questions of how his beloved nephew ended up near his deathbed. Of course, Karasu apologised for being irresponsible, and the silver-haired captain understood him, seeing that he didn''t know about Orion''s illness.

    Of course, people from the T&I Unit and Intelligence Unit asked him about the young boy who risked his life to escape, too, but he only told the clan heads of the Yamanaka''s, Nara''s, and Akamichi''s, about it for obvious reasons.

    A week later after that incident, many things have been discussed, and many things have happened¡ªthe White-Masks case shot up from four masked men to thirty-two.

    The 15th generation Ino-Shika-Ch¨­ also discussed something with his assigned captain, borrowing him from the ANBU''s along with him to train the young child after hearing what he had told them¡ªthe crazy shadow manipulation Ori executed during the chase.

    They had thought that it was best if Kakashi''s the one who''ll train the child¡ªto not only enhance the Hatake skill inside of him, but also give him a little taste of a genius''s training system and let him have a chance to develop his own technique from there.

    And since Karasu''s there too, he''d also become a guide for the child seeing that he had experienced training with someone younger than him¡ªhis young bro.

    Now, the said black-masked ANBU is escorting the silver-haired young Nara towards the Intelligence Unit building to reveal the truth on why he was called. He was amused when they''ve revealed everything to him. The way he had reacted after that was way too mature from his age, which Karasu found funny.

    ''Just like "him".'' He mused in his mind.

    When Ori agreed to be trained by his own uncle, Karasu was quite to see an awful bunch of resemblance when the two hugged each other. They truly are blood-related (duh, they''re relatives!) And the child didn''t know what was coming for him.

    Even Karasu didn''t know what was coming for him, too. So, when Kakashi-san, aka Kitsune-taich¨­, challenge the young boy to take his black crow mask, he was surprised and blurted out a loud reaction before he shunshined in another tree to not draw any attention.

    Seeing that the child was pissed towards his uncle, because the bastard scarecrow has knocked him through a bush and a tree, he knew he''d do something stupid¡ªlike abruptly challenging his uncle without him really knowing.

    "Is that a challenge now, Orion¡­?" Kakashi mused as his nephew''s eyes flickered with panic. "Then¡­ try to snatch my mask instead of Karasu''s¡­ if you dare to." He gave the young silver-haired Nara his famous close-eyed smile.

    "I¡­ I''m¡­ gonna pass¡­" Orion laughed, scratching the back of his head.

    "Oh? Then I''m gonna pass training you too." The masked Hatake smiled, placing a hand on his waist.

    The child chuckled, "It''s okay, I guess. I''d rather sleep or read than do this anyways." He waved his hands as he was walking away.

    Both Kakashi, and Karasu, who''s hiding on a branch a few meters away, paused, slowly processing what the four year old had just said. The child would rather read than train? Normally, if given a choice, one would train for a book will seem boring for them¡ªbut for this child?

    Karasu narrowed his eyes as he caught a slight twitch at the corner of the child''s mouth. ''Or is he jus merely planning something?''

    And he was right.

    Right before Kakashi gather himself up after the child''s declaration, Ori swiftly turned around and threw several stones he had picked up using his¡­ shadows? To throw at the ANBU captain like they were normal kunai¡­ but he threw them like how you would throw senbons at an enemy''s vitals.

    What''s up with this kid?! He''s really aiming for his own uncle''s head! It''s not like the man can''t dodge them, but he was a bit slow to register the kid''s lie, making him use a substitution technique with a nearby log to escape the barrage of stones.

    Okay¡ªhow the hell did Ori do that?

    Karasu had never seen such a way to attack.

    He will never understand this boy.

    Attacking an ANBU captain is as good as suicide for most people, but he isn''t most people.

    That boy''s Orion Nara¡ªa Hatake, and a Nara.

 8 Uchihas

    I honestly don''t know how I did that, but that technique was awesome¡ªI mean, making shadows touch physical things? Okay, I mean, I did know the concept, but honestly didn''t know if it would really work¡ªlo and behold, it did.

    For the duration I had been in this new life, I''ve read many books to pass time. I''ve read history books, compilations of different jutsu''s, and so on¡­ and one of them are different uses of chakra strings.

    See where I''m going here?

    Following that concept, but instead of pure chakra, I incorporated the Nara''s clan justu''s I know¡­ and this was actually my first time actually doing it. They''re like chakra strings but with shadows. They''re still a bit unstable, but are still controllable.

    The sound of tiny stones simultaneously hitting a piece of wood snapped me out of my wonder, making me notice that a log had replaced that silver-haired bastard¡ªI probably shouldn''t think that¡­ it''ll make me a silver-haired bastard too.

    Kakashi reappeared to the side a couple of steps away, fixing his already mess of a hair before looking at me with his raised brow. "Sorry for this but, what the fvck are those?" He asked, pointing at the vicious stringy shadows connected to mine, "Those are chakra strings¡­ right?" He asked as a familiar red glint appeared on his left, scarred eye.

    Since the Shadow Strings are still unstable, they faded on their own before I got to look at them again, not giving him any chance to analyse it further with his Sharingan. "Those were¡­ shadows¡­?" My tone sounded as though I was unsure. I shrugged and scratched the back of my neck, "Shadow¡­ Strings¡­?"

    Shadow Strings sounds nice.

    Though, the "Shadow Strings" were thick and visible, but that''s okay, for now. I''m only did that to save my ass from my sadistic uncle. And they did an absolutely great job connecting to those little stones I threw at him. I didn''t know that it will actually work since the idea had only been constructed the moment I turned my back from Kakashi¡ªI did it on the spur of the moment.

    I had to.

    But, the "Shadow Strings" and the one I did back when I was being chased are not the same¡­ these Shadow Strings are a lot lighter and easy to control, while the other one was heavier and felt a lot¡­ darker. I don''t know why it did, but it gave that feeling.

    Oh, and Shadow Strings are pretty similar with¡­ what was that jutsu again? Ah, the Kage Nui, or "Shadow Sewing".

    Wait.

    They are similar! Did I just create a much easier way to activate it? OH MY KAMI¡ª

    "Shadow Strings?" Kakashi raised a brow, making me blink.

    "Well¡­ Kage Nui in a much simpler way of doing¡­ and used in a different way¡­?" I looked down at my own shadow, a bit disappointed that the jutsu I had "discovered" already exists.

    It seems like I''m capable of taking a bunch of trash that will soon turn to something useful when I''m in a pinch¡­ which is a good thing, I guess. Well, I was merely basing off of the information I had gathered¡ªand that''s why I love books. They may be complicated, but once you get the idea, it''ll be a piece of cake.

    Except for that "Shadow Step" that''s still in the "pending" area of my mind.

    Man, I need to work on that move. That''ll be crazy.

    "Kage¡­ Nui¡­?" Kakashi blinked, narrowing his eyes at me. "Shadow Sewing? A Rank-B jutsu?!" He coughed, covering his already covered mouth with his hand.

    "Pardon?" I blinked.

    Ah, right. Kage Nui is a Secret Clan Jutsu, from what I''ve read from the past, and no other information was brought to public¡ªand only a few of the people from the war knew of this technique because, well, the Nara''s used it, duh (info from Shikaku-san).

    "I''m genuinely surprised." Kakashi wiped a non-existent sweat from his forehead. "Let''s put the challenge on hold for now." He cleared his throat as he started walking towards me and giving a signal to Karasu-niisan to come over.

    I just stood there as they both approached me.

    "When and where did you learn that?" Uncle asked as he was crouching down to level with my small figure, placing a hand on my left shoulder.

    "Uh¡­?" I blinked.

    Should I tell the truth? I mean, they could help me develop more knowledge about stuff and¡­ probably help me with my dream technique, if possible. But, I''d make a name for myself for sure. It''s far too early for me to do so.

    Buuuuut¡­ then again, they could help me¡­

    ''Argh¡ªI''m just gonna risk it. Screw it.''

    "Just¡­ now¡­?" I shrugged, "Well, when I did it¡­?"

    His stare intensified, trying to find a hint of "lie" in my chakra signature, but failed for he gave a long sigh before giving me a pat on my shoulder, "You cheeky little genius."

    I cringed at the phrase, finding myself making an eye contact with Karasu-niisan standing behind Kakashi. I''m literally giving him my "please-do-something" look, but he''s just returning the silent treatment I had given him when he was around like the good guy he is.

    Great.

    Kakashi then started pinching my cheeks, "Tell, me¡ªhow did you learn it without knowing "how" to do it?"

    "Owowowow¡ª" I cried, trying to push him away and to pry his hands off of my poor cheeks.

    Seeing that I really can''t answer his question when he''s pinching my cheeks, he let go and softly chuckled, "Oops, my bad."

    I turned to my side as soon as he let go, rubbing my throbbing, red cheeks before giving him a, dare I say, glare. "Meanie." I pouted, showing my childishness, "Bakashi-sensei."

    His eyes twitched. At first, I thought he''d be angry, but he just laughed it off. "Very funny, Ori-kun." He ended, emphasising the ''-kun'' part, sending light shivers behind my neck.

    Ugh. I hate being addressed as ''-kun''. It doesn''t sound right, and I''m still not used to it despite of hearing it since my day zero in this world.

    Kakashi then looked up at the sky and sighed, ruffling my hair before trailing his gaze towards Karasu-niisan, who''s standing straight behind him, "Send him home for me, would you? Thank you."

    The young ANBU didn''t even have the chance to reply since the silver-haired ANBU captain already disappeared. He only managed to muster a somewhat long sigh before looking at me through his black mask. "Let''s go, I guess." I didn''t see it, but I know he smiled.

    "Hai¡­" I answered lazily, displaying the Nara''s name¡­ but I did return a small smile to him.

    He then started walking towards me, holding out his hand for me to grab, which I did. We walked like that the whole time he''s walking me towards home. It was a pretty silent trip, and nothing really interested happened until we passed by a clearing just outside of an infamous clan¡ªthe Uchiha''s.

    I''m no sensor, but I felt a little spark of chakra signature over to where a rustling sound came, making me halt my steps and look up at my chaperone. It seems like Karasu-niisan noticed it as well, looking back at me with his knowing eyes. We both nodded at each other to see who the person is.

    When we got near the clearing to see what was going on, familiar face greeted us as he train with all of his might¡­ and that familiar face is Sasuke¡ªTHE Sasuke Uchiha.

    I didn''t expect to see him this early in the plot, making me sigh¡­ and it seems like he noticed us because of my sigh, sending a kunai towards my direction, which was caught, thanks to Karasu-niisan''s fast hands.

    "Ah! Gomen¡­!" The child Sasuke had realised his mistake and came running towards us, bowing immediately to show his apology.

    I blinked and stared at the bowing Uchiha. Weird¡ªI''m not used to this all-so-nice attitude of his. I''ve always perceived him as someone who''d do anything to reach his goals¡ªeven if he needs to forsake someone. Well, that''s from the manga and anime, and this is the "real world", so I guess it will be a little different? I hope¡­?

    I then smiled.

    Well, playing nice won''t hurt. Who knows? With the plot changed up a bit from the recent events, things might flow in a different way, right?

    "It''s okay." I told him as he raised his head, a streak of red hint forming on his cheeks¡ªwhich I really hope is from embarrassment. Hell to the no¡ªI don''t want a reverse harem happening here. I''d rather jump down to hell than have that.

    "I¡ªI really¡­ um¡­" The Uchiha stuttered. "I''m really sorry¡­ I could''ve hurt you if it weren''t for ANBU-san¡­" He looked up shyly at the masked man he''s talking about.

    "Oh?" I tilted my head to the side a bit, "You really don''t have to say sorry¡­ it was our fault for not giving you a heads-up for coming here." I smiled.

    "Heads¡­ up?" He repeated in curiosity.

    "Uh¡­ notice?" I cleared.

    "Oh¡­." He nodded, understanding what I''ve meant.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    This is getting a bit awkward¡­ the silence is deafening. Someone should really break it up now at this point. My legs are also getting tired from standing around for too long. The jutsu I did earlier also took a bit from me too¡­ I bet I''ll get knocked out once I lie down on my bed.

    "¡­"

    Ah, fork it. "Thank you, by the way." I broke up the silence, staring at his onyx eyes that are looking away repeated me.

    "Why w-would you thank me?" Sasuke asked, and he seems to be pouting, "I''m the one who did wrong..."

    "Uhm¡­ thank you for approaching us?" I questioned my own self. "Well, word of thanks are much better than apologies so, thank you."

    Look at that, I still believe in that logic even after all of these years.

    I felt Karasu-niisan''s fingers twitched when I''ve let go of those words, making me look up at him. He was looking down at me with his curious eyes reflecting mine, trying to get some answers that even I don''t know of, giving away that he''s in deep thoughts as he gave his gaze at me.

    "I guess¡­" Sasuke shrugged as I looked back at him. "Say¡­"

    "Hm?" I raised a brow.

    "My brother''s gonna pick me up later¡­ and I have really nothing to do¡­" He continued.

    He''s gonna invite me to a challenge, isn''t he?

    "We can maybe uh¡­ talk a little¡­ please?" He smiled awkwardly.

    A shiver ran down my spine as I heard his plead, ''This isn''t good.'' Welp, I was wrong to assume and maybe, it won''t hurt to have a seat for a bit. I''m still tired from earlier.

    I looked up at Karasu-niisan with a questioning look. He looked up at the sky before looking at me, giving me a subtle nod. I smiled at his answer and followed Sasuke as he led us in the clearing.

    A tree stump is conveniently located in the middle of the patch of grass, which served as our table as we gathered around it, sitting nicely on the green grass. The air''s quite nice and relaxing, almost inviting me to just li down and gaze at the clouds above, which I did.

    Sasuke tilted his head at me before lying down as well after Karasu-niisan did the same.

    "Ne, Shiro-chan."

    I almost choked from the name the Uchiha gave me¡ªand I hope the crow next to me choke after letting out a noticeable snicker when he heard the name. ''This bastard¡ª''

    I sighed, "Hm?"

    "I haven''t seen anyone like you around¡­ are you new here?"

    "Um¡­ no. I was born in Konoha and I''m not really going outside that much so, that''s probably why you didn''t see me until now."

    I''m chatty now, aren''t I? Well, only I''m chatty when I''m comfortable talking to someone, or I''m chatty when I''m annoyed. I''m probably chatty because of the latter. The former only applies to Shikamaru and a couple of my relatives¡ªand when someone talks about books.

    "You look like you''re around my age¡­" He hummed, "I hope we''ll be in the same class in the next few years¡­"

    "Hm¡­" I hummed before pausing.

    Wait, class? As in THE Academy? Wait¡ªsorry, I was home-schooled in my last life and attended 1st grade when I was only 5 because I''ve passed the exams, which is equivalent to the academy here. I completely forgot that kids here starts ninja school at age seven after being home-schooled or going in nursery to preparatory to be prepared.

    Ugh¡ªso, my hair''s still gonna grow strong for three more years. Man.

    "Say, may I know who you are?" He asked oh-so formally.

    "Only if you say your name first¡­" I lazily answered, still anxious about the fact that my hair''s gonna stay longer than I''ve imagined.

    He sat up enthusiastically, pointing at himself. "I''m Sasuke Uchiha! The brother of Itachi Uchiha!" He beamed, enthusing about his great hero of a brother. He then smiled at me, "Your turn."

    "Orion''s the name." I sat up and smiled at him, letting a couple of long locks fall at my face. "Ori''s just fine."

    He tilted his head and was about to ask another question, but he was cut off as Karasu-niisan stood up and helped me up, indicating that it''s time to go¡ªthe sun''s setting anyways.

    "Already?" The Uchiha-boy asked, pouting.

    "Kaa-san will definitely scold me if I go home past dinner¡­ and home''s pretty far, too." I told, him walking towards him to bid my goodbye.

    "Uhm¡­ I''ll see you around then?" He smiled.

    "I hope¡­" I nodded. ''¡­ not.'' I finished in my mind.

    I looked down at him as he was about to say another word. I smiled at him and leaned closer, lifting my hands and flicking my fingers at his forehead, "Thank you¡­ maybe we''ll see each other next time."

    Karasu-niisan and I then walked away after a short pause.

    __________

    It was getting late so, Karasu-niisan used shunshin to make the little walk a tad lot faster. Before he even took another step to return to his post under the ANBU''s commands, I tugged on his shirt and prevented him to go farther.

    "Karasu-niisan." I called him and he looked back somewhat swiftly, "I really want to learn this ''fast travel''-like jutsu. It''s like you''re teleporting when you''re using it¡ªso cool." I smiled.

    He slowly blinked at my words before nodding with uncertainty, "I''ll try to, I guess."

    "Don''t try." I pouted, imitating Sasuke, "Just do it."

    Ah! Don''t sue me! Nah, it''s not like I''m in my past life anyways. That "brand" doesn''t exist here, or does it?

    "Hn." He shrugged before disappearing in front of me.

    ''Pfft¡ªa typical Uchi¡­ha¡­''

    Then it dawned to me¡ª''Is Karasu really "him"? I might be wrong though¡­ but¡ª"

    "Ori-kun!" Kaa-san''s voice snapped me out of my sudden trance. "You''re right on time¡ªtime for dinner! Also, your father had just came back from his three-day errand. You should greet him, okay?" She continued to rant as she practically dragged me inside the house.

    I was just letting her drag me at this point¡­ I''m too tired to walk anyways.

    "Ori-kun¡­!" A warm voice greeted me as kaa-san pushed me inside the kitchen. He mustered a smile as I started walking towards an empty seat around the table, "How''s your training with Shikaku?"

    "Ah¡­" I guess neither uncle nor the clan head had told them yet about it. "I''m¡­ not training under him anymore¡­" I scratched the back of my neck.

    Kaa-san paused on her tracks and tou-san almost spat out the water he was drinking whilst I was talking. Both of them stared wide-eye at me.

    "What?!"

 9 The Nara Clan

    "Orion¡­?" Kakashi''s voice echoed as his light steps crunch over the dried leaves, "Where are you¡­?"

    ''Shit.'' I gulped, trying hard to conceal my presence when his voice reached my ears.

    Oh, if someone''s ever going to wonder what on earth I''m doing, I''m hiding from my one of a kind uncle¡ªwell, hiding my presence and running away from him. Yes, this is training. That bastard is an amazing sensor¡ªin my view, anyways, and I have to get away from him to not get tied upside down on a branch.

    Knowing him from the show and real life, he''d probably keep his word.

    Also, Karasu-niisan is just watching me, thanks to the convenient seal he placed on my top to easily locate me, from afar, hidden deep in the dark woods surrounding this particular training ground¡ªTraining Ground 13. Yes, thirteen.

    Is it me or this world just associates me with the number 13? I was born in this world on October 13, this training ground is numbered 13, and this book first came out in the same day I was born here¡­ I''m becoming too self-aware, I know. I should stop breaking the fourth wall, which I think is crumbling right now.

    Someone needs to rebuild that.

    Anyways, I really should focus on getting away from my psychopath of an uncle, or I''m going to end up tied and hanged upside down on a tree branch¡­ and no want wants that, especially me.

    This "training" is to test my skills in hiding my chakra signature, and supposed to only last for two hours¡ªbut it feels like it has been a complete eternity since all of this started¡­ and I don''t know how long it has been.

    Even though I have a generally small chakra reserve, it''s hard to stop it from "flickering" so, I took a deep breath and hid my chakra signature much more than an average child in this world would in desperation just to get away. Indeed, I''m desperate.

    Have you seen that scarecrow get all hyped from torturing people? Well, I sure haven''t, but I don''t want to know. Kami knows what on earth that guy is thinking. He''s as random as me¡ªI think so, anyways.

    Oh, and for some reason, he''s never, I repeat, never late, which is quite alarming. I don''t know if that''s ever gonna change, or if he''s still late to other "events" and meetings except if it involves me and just being extra for his "cute", little nephew.

    Thoughts aside, it seems like I''m hidden well enough and far enough from Kakashi¡­ and I''m really tired. I still haven''t fixed my fatigue issue, which I think is being affected by my weak uh¡­ heart? I don''t really know. I''m no doctor in the past up to now.

    Doctor¡­

    Medic ninja, huh? Hm¡­ seems interesting.

    A flicker of chakra signature reached my system, snapping me out of my trance. That chakra is far too familiar to be around right now¡ªthat shit belongs to the person I''m supposed to avoid. The bastard''s being generous, flaring up his chakra to alert me.

    I really need to lay low right now¡ªhe''s like a few meters away, in a pace as though it''s a perfect, sunny day for a walk.

    ''It''s almost winter, damn it! There''s no need for a "perfect summer walk", Bakashi-psycho-sensei!'' Ooh¡­ that name suits him well¡­ hm. But I''m sure I''m not going to call him like that in front of anyone any time soon if I want to live a peaceful life in the next few years.

    I froze instantaneously when a brittle crunch of a dried branch reached my ears. I''m hiding under some giant roots right now, and I can literally feel his presence right above from where I''m hiding. Cold sweat trickled down my forehead¡ªI''ve never been so nervous in my entire¡ªpast included¡ªlife.

    Sure I get scared time to time (like that white masked man disaster), but I never really get nervous like around anyone. It''s literally breath-taking, seriously. Butterflies are rampaging in my insides too, which isn''t good.

    I need to calm the fvck down if I don''t want to get caught.

    And I''m not planning to get caught.

    Now, I''m stuck between debating with myself if I should just bail out of this place or just stay. Bailing is quite the risky one, considering the fact that that silver-haired ANBU is hella lot faster than me, and staying is quite unsafe too, since he''s near and all.

    If I only knew Shunshin, I could''ve ran away ages ago from this nincompoop.

    Pfft¡ªnincompoop¡ª

    A familiar snicker resonated through the forest.

    ''Shit. Did he find me¡­!?''

    "Ah, Ori-kun¡­" He mused as I peeked through a tiny space between the roots that only showed me his back. "It looks like¡­"

    ''I''m screwed.'' He''s slowly turning around like one from those clich¨¦ horror films, and I don''t like it. It fits perfectly for his character, which makes me uncomfortable.

    "¡­ you''ve passed." He smiled, placing a hand on his waist. "It''s already past the two-hour time mark. You can come out now." He assured, signalling someone, whom I assumed to be Karasu-niisan (who else?), to come there as well.

    How ironic¡ªthe scarecrow and the crow seems to be talking to each other.

    The bird swiftly gave his gaze to me before appearing right in front of me, which made me jump. Who''s not gonna jump? Someone with a black mask will suddenly appear right in front of your face and you''re not gonna be scared? Hah. Nonsense.

    My heart pounded for a moment until it finally registered that everything''s fine. "Can you not appear¡­ without a warning at times like¡­ this?" I heaved a long sigh, following him out of the hole I hid in.

    "Oh?" The scarecrow raised a brow, "Good job at suppressing your chakra signature. I actually didn''t know you were there." He then approached us before placing a hand on my head, smiling under his mask, "Though, there were times when your chakra was just flickering and flaring out some times earlier, but you got better at hiding it during the two-hour training."

    I nodded as I peeled off the seal Karasu-niisan placed on my top. "That''s probably when¡­ I was thinking of ways how to hide it better¡­" I told him, giving the paper with scribbles back to the crow.

    "Then, we can proceed to the next part of our training." Kakashi''s words caught my attention.

    Training again? "Can we¡­ have a little break?" I asked him, thinking of ways I could persuade him.

    "Why?" He tilted his head, trying to look for answers in my eyes.

    "It''s just that¡­" I sighed, "I haven''t seen Shika for a while¡­" Look at me, dragging people into my lies. Fun.

    The scarecrow blinked for a moment before his lips curved into a small smile, "I guess you can have your day off for today. You''ve done a pretty good job in training from the past week."

    ''Woah, that was easy.''

    "But, I''m going to have Karasu with you at all times. The White-Masks cases sure did stop for a while, but it''s better safe than sorry." Kakashi''s right¡ªthe cases stopped for no reason, but you''ll never know when they''d be back.

    But¡­ I''d feel like I''m never having my own time seeing that I have an ANBU following me everywhere I go. Stares will surely be directed towards me if I have him right next to me at all times. Ugh¡­ safety purposes my ass.

    I looked at Karasu-niisan, who was bowing from the scarecrow''s order. I raised a brow at him as he directed an eye smile at me. I gave him a bored stare, "Huh." Weird.

    With that, Kakashi literally shooed us away, out of the training grounds and onto the path home. How nice of him. SO nice that it seemed as though he''s doing this on purpose. I narrowed my eyes at him as he watched both Karasu-niisan and I fade into the distance. ''What do you have in mind, Scarecrow?''

    He may actually still be a little disturbed when both of my parents here knew of his schemes¡ªtraining me. I say disturbed, because kaa-san was ecstatic when she heard me say that uncle''s the one training me. She told me about something that "I''d definitely learn" from that man.

    She seemed excited and rushed to Kakashi the very next day, almost suffocating him in a tight hug. I was so sure I heard a crack then, but I chose to ignore the fact that the poor silver-haired young man might''ve broken a bone or two. Who knows? The crack might''ve just came from¡­ uh¡­ weapons being crushed? I don''t really want to know.

    Tou-san, on the other hand, was a bit disappointed that I was placed under the Hatake''s care over Shikaku-san''s, but he saw the pros over the cons so, he chose to just accept it and trust him¡ªnot without giving a warning to the young scarecrow that if something ever happens to me¡­

    That''s where I stopped listening to their conversation. I was just passing by then, but I could tell that whatever tou-san said, it really did get to the scarecrow''s system. Kakashi was to be described as really disturbed then¡ªhe was a bit pale and had a bit of weird aura surrounding him.

    Well, in the end, tou-san really trusts Kakashi that nothing will happen to me, seeing that he had taken great efforts to show that he''d really protect me when the time comes¡ªwhich is nowhere near today, I hope.

    Now that I think about it, I don''t really know my parents well, despite of living four well years in this ninja world. I just know them as my kaa-san and tou-san. That''s all.

    I do not know why several shinobi''s who often visit the house think well highly of them. I do not know why they never go out in public without doing henge''s. I do not know why they don''t want to be involved in public matters. I do not know of their past.

    I do not know what they''re hiding¡­ I do not know them.

    My family sure is shrouded with mystery. Why, you ask? Well, it''s quite obvious and pretty self-explanatory. There''s no need for me to explain why my mother is secretive, and why my father chooses to not be the best because, again, I do not know them well enough to speak for them.

    "¡­go? Orion-kun¡­?" Karasu-niisan''s voice snapped me out of my deep trance. "You seem to be in deep thought¡­"

    "Hm?" I looked up at him, "Were you saying something?"

    "I was asking where you wanted to go¡­" He told me with a hint of curiousness in his tone.

    "Good question." I nodded, he deadpanned. "Well¡­ I want to visit Shika, I think."

    "A bit unsure, I see." The crow chuckled, placing his fingers to where his mouth should be, as though covering them to hide his laughter.

    I just shrugged and continued to walk beside him.

    It was a pretty peaceful walk, and could''ve been better if it weren''t for the stares several civilians and ninja''s gave both Karasu-niisan and I. We stopped by a convenient store first because I haven''t had ice cream in a while so, I got one for myself and for the crow.

    And, if you''re wondering how he ate his with his mask, his mask can actually be separated in half, which is pretty convenient. He ate the ice cream without his¡­ uh¡­ the beak part (lower half) of his crow mask, which I think is quite cool. No pun intended.

    After the short break, we finally reached the forest surrounding the Nara compound. Since I was granted passage in here not too long ago, I can safely travel in and out of this mysterious (and deadly) forest. Karasu-niisan was also granted passage since he''s my bodyguard and all so, that''s that.

    Now, I understand the purpose of "granting a passage" of the Nara''s. The clan head will place a permanent seal (through tattoo or scarring), or just give a paper seal (which needs to be destroyed after use), to someone, allowing them to walk freely in the forest without worrying about the pure and dense chakra in the area.

    Seriously, when I first got out of the compound''s gates with Karasu-niisan, I felt this weird and heavy pressure blanketing over my body. It was as if it was just pure chakra sticking to me, suffocating me with my every step. I was, still am, thankful that the crow used Shunshin to get both of us out of the forest in a blink of an eye.

    The seal will vary in scribbles and design if one''s not a born Nara (visitors and such), or one is a kin, like me.

    Shikaku-san had my pass permanently tattooed on my back, just under the back of my neck. It contained a few scribbles I''m familiar with (I''ve read some stuff about them¡ªseals and the like), like the seal for protection, shadow, and light. Of course, it also contained the Nara clan symbol.

    Karasu-niisan got his tattooed on his right ankle, seeing that he''s going to be stuck with me until my training''s done (he saw it as a convenient seal), and is quite different from mine. His only got the three main seal building the, well, seal¡ªprotection, shadow, and light, with the shadow at the centre. It doesn''t have the Nara clan symbol.

    I remember seeing kaa-san''s seal when I was little, and really didn''t paid close enough attention to know about it and thought that it''s only there for aesthetic. Hers is pretty similar to Karasu-niisan''s, with the only difference is the symbol in the centre¡ªthe light seal. Hers got a small Nara symbol above the light seal, which I find oddly cool.

    Tou-san''s was scarred on his back, which I found a bit strange to see after he let me see it before I got my tattoo. The scar seal''s same as mine, but his got a clean cut running through the middle, which makes me wonder what happened. I didn''t question him, seeing that he kept avoiding the subject.

    Kakashi also has one, placed on his back. Like kaa-san and the crow, his is also different¡ªthe protection seal is in the middle. I only saw it once when he was changing after I pushed him into a body of water when we were taking a short break in training a few days ago¡ªand he wasn''t amused even though he was the one who started it all.

    Ah, the Nara mystery continues. It seems like the manga and the anime really left out these big details, huh? I didn''t even know about the forest''s mysterious chakra until now¡ªuntil I saw it for myself.

    Intruders can really be obliterated when they trespass the area. Seeing that I''m a Nara too, and the forest still "attacked" me when I didn''t have the seal proves it.

    If you think about it more, Nara''s are really interesting¡ªand I''m really thankful I landed in this clan. Landing in the Uzumaki''s or in the Uchiha''s would be a complete clich¨¦, right? Both the Yamanaka''s and the Akamichi''s seems interesting, but the Nara''s tops them more.

    And I''m not saying they''re better¡ªI''m just saying that the Nara''s are quite the mysterious clan, more than the Uchiha''s or the ¨­tsu¡­ ¨­ts¡­ whatever clan that was [1].

    I could literally bend the rules of the Nara''s jusu''s if I have the brain and imagination to do it. Sure, I revised a jutsu or two, but there''s more out there¡ªdiscovered or not. Who knows? I might be the one who will unravel the clan''s secrets and discover what the shrouding mystery of the forest surrounding the clan is.

    That''s actually a pretty high dream. I might consider doing that since it sounds like a good challenge.

    I sighed, noticing that both the crow and I are getting closer to the main household of the said clan. It seems like my thoughts have successfully distracted me from the real world again.

    When we reached the said house, I was greeted by a lazy greeting from my best of friend (singular because I only have one at the moment, I think).

    "It''s been a while, Orion."

 10 Choices

    To my luck, it seems like Shikamaru''s not alone. This was bound to happen, but I wasn''t really expecting the 16th generation of Ino-Shika-Ch¨­ to be gathered in the main household¡ªand they seem to already know me as well, thanks to their parents and Shikamaru.

    "I''m Ino Yamanaka, Ori-kun." The blonde smiled at me, giving a hand for me to shake, "It''s nice to finally meet you."

    I returned the smile and reached for her hand, "Likewise¡­" I nodded.

    "I''m Ch¨­ji Akamichi¡ªi-it''s nice to meet you, Orion-kun." The Akamichi looked away, lifting up his packet of chips.

    I was a bit surprised of his action. From what I can remember, Ch¨­ji only does that to the person he trusts¡ªso, am I that trustable? Trustable in one glance? Seriously?

    "Th-Thank you¡­" I nodded, "It''s nice to meet you too¡­"

    "Hm¡­" Ino''s face popped between Ch¨­ji and I, "Tou-san is right¡­ you do look like a girl." She then grabbed my hands, "Shiro-kun''s kawaii."

    ''Ah, female presence. Help.'' I shot Shikamaru my look, but he simply snickered and looked away before whistling like he didn''t see me.

    After what felt like an eternity, the blonde finally let go of me and dragged me inside Shika''s house towards the backyard like she owns the place. She also filled me in along the way¡ªfilled me in about stuff, like when they met and why the three of them are here together.

    She told me that their parents brought them in a meeting of some sort and basically went from there. They''ve been together training bit by bit since then, considering they''re all heirs of their respective clans. It sounded like it was a drag, but they literally have no choice at this point.

    Ch¨­ji then told me that the two of them, him and Ino, have heard about me from, like I''ve guessed, their parents and, mainly, from Shika. The Akamichi also told me that the Nara was thinking highly of me, and how he was worried when I wasn''t showing up in training.

    "Oh?" A mischievous smile ran across my lips as I looked over to Shika, "You missed me, Shika?"

    He shivered and narrowed his eyes, looking away with an ''I''m-so-done'' look, "What a drag¡­"

    "Don''t worry though," I poked his head, "I missed you too." No homo though.

    But we kids, so we cool.

    "Say," I sat back, making him perk up, "I want to see your progress while I was gone."

    "A spar sounds good." He scratched the back of his head before directing a sharp gaze towards my direction, "Why don''t we add a twist like we used to?"

    "Hm?" I blinked.

    Ah, yes. We used to spar together when both of us were still under his father''s training¡ªand Shikaku-san would often make us do the said activity while making us do something more distracting to up our mental capacity and to make us think quickly.

    I''m pretty sure it''s called multitasking but whatever.

    Well, we''d spar while Shikaku-san would give situational questions that we both need to answer correctly through our critical thinking, to come up with the most logical answer if we don''t want to be stuck playing Sh¨­gi with him. It would be an absolute drag if we get stuck with that old man.

    Talk about prison.

    "Sounds good." I nodded at Shika. "You first."

    It might''ve been a bit confusing for the two heirs standing on the sidelines, but I''m sure Shikamaru will explain it to them later...

    "Oh?" Shikamaru led me in the middle of the grassy yard before jumping a few feet away from where I am. "Then, I''d like to ask what would you do if you were placed to lead the White-Masks case?" Oof¡ªgood question.

    "Nice¡­" I sighed, pulling a few hidden kunai''s from my sleeves with the help of my ninja wires, swiftly running towards him and not minding the brow he raised. "Well, for me," I heaved a quick breath before quickly dodging his kunai-wielded hand, "like what Inoichi-san did, I''d round every suspects for questioning."

    "Hm?" Shika hummed, jumping back and doing a quick seal for a Nara''s jutsu.

    "But, then again, I''d still send out people, specifically from the Intel unit to gather information about their leader. The ANBU corps would do well at that area too¡­" I sidestepped when he threaded his shadow towards mine, dodging his Shadow Paralysis move.

    "Getting a bit rusty here, are you?" Shikamaru mocked, "What if an unexpected army came?" His eyes glinted with curiousness as he ran after me, throwing a few ninja stars my way.

    "Oi, oi¡­" I stared boredly, blocking the stars with my weapon in hand. "Then," I paused for a bit, remembering the Naruto show I used to watch before quickly turning around to face him, "an Allied Force wouldn''t hurt, right?"

    "That''s¡­ a high dream, considering that a war just happened a few years before we were born." He smiled, dodging the blow he was about to receive from my open palm¡ªhe narrowed his eyes at that. "But in situations like that, dreaming like that won''t hurt, right?" He smiled before pushing me away, "Your turn."

    "Mhmm¡­" I nodded.

    I looked down at the ground, smiling softly. This might actually be a good chance to give him a hint if what will happen in the future. I don''t want them to lose their future sensei now so¡­

    "What will you do, Shika, if¡­" I slowly raised my head, putting up a smile that might''ve looked like a solemn one, "¡­ a Zombie Duo came your way with your future team?"

    He scrunched his nose, confused about it, "What ''Zombie Duo'', exactly?"

    "Uh¡­ let''s say¡­" I pretended to think as I run at full speed towards him, appearing right in front of him with my weapon raised, "¡­ one''s an immortal being that literally can''t die even if you severe its head¡­ oh, and he can do some cool voodoos¡­" I pushed back as he blocked my quick attack, "¡­ and the other one is also immortal in a way, made out of threads and have multiple hearts."

    "A weird¡­ choice of pair but¡­" He struggled to block as he skidded back, jumping away and putting a bit of distance between us. "¡­ seeing that you "gave" me a team, I''d say we''d deal with the immortal one before the thread one." He seemed confident with his choice of answer.

    "How, exactly?" I smiled, throwing away my kunai at him for a brief moment before controlling my shadows like the way I used them when I first challenged Kakashi.

    Of course, using jutsu without hand seals startled him and took him off-balance as I weave my threads of shadow towards his way. "When did you¡ª" With a fatal mistake of tripping on a small root sticking out of the ground, he froze, eyes widened in shock as he fell backwards.

    I smiled, ''I might''ve been a bit unfair¡­ but¡­''

    Shika recovered quickly and used the ninja wire that was connected between me and the kunai I had just thrown before quickly dodging to the side, avoiding the thread-like shadows that went his way. "You cheeky¡ª" He saw my smile as I pulled back my shadow. "I''d probably paralyse the immortal one and let my team deal with him¡­"

    I narrowed my eyes. "That''ll be a lethal mistake¡­" I muttered as I dodged the shadow he sent my way. "How about taking his weapon of choice first, after separating him from his partner? Then maybe trap him with ninja wires before severing his head and burying him alive, the head at least?" I asked, he paused for a moment at the detailed answer.

    "That''s a pretty thorough way of explaining it¡­ that it almost sounds like it''s so troublesome." He sighed, before directing a smile at me, "I like it."

    "How about the other one?" I asked as he charged towards me, making me pull back the wires I had sent off earlier.

    "The thread one with five hearts?" He wondered, "I think he''ll be the most troublesome of the two¡­ so it''s best to separate them like you said, right? My team would deal with him last, or at least have another team to deal with him." He twisted his body while in thin ait to dodge the incoming kunai''s his way.

    I smiled as he came close at the speed. "Good choi¡ªoof¡­!!" I didn''t get to finish my words as the air got knocked out of my lungs, with the force knocking me back into the forest as well¡ªinto a bush, a prickly one too.

    I quickly scrambled my way out of whatever bush that was, which I think are roses, and sat down, panting as I looked up to see the Ino-Shika-Ch¨­ trio running towards me with concern written on their faces. I simply laughed and scratched the back of my neck.

    "I might''ve been¡­ I little too troublesome¡­" Shikamaru helped me up by giving me a hand to stand up. "My bad¡­" He apologised.

    "No worries¡­" I assured him. ''I''ve been through worst.'' I looked away as the thought came to my mind.

    To be honest, getting knocked back into a bush full of thorns is a lot better than running away from my sadistic uncle.

    "You could''ve dodged that though¡­ why didn''t you¡­?" Shikamaru sighed after receiving a familiar look from me, "Ah, what a drag. Let''s take you to kaa-san to treat your wounds and uh¡­"

    "You kind of look like a cactus, Orion-kun." Choji pointed out.

    No shit. I literally just grew thorns, thank you very much.

    "I think a cute porcupine sounds better." Thanks Ino¡­ I REALLY appreciate it. "I''m actually surprised that you''re not complaining about those thorns stuck on your arms."

    I blinked at her before looking at my left arm. "They do sting a bit but¡­ meh." I shrugged and made my way towards the door to get in the house.

    After getting scolded a couple hundred times with our reckless actions, Yoshino-san finally treated my small wounds. Now, I look like a wrapped-up mummy¡ªmy arms at least, thanks to that.

    Currently, we''re sitting on the tatami floor, just chilling around and resting after the exhausting spar between Shika and I. Of course, Ch¨­ji and Ino asked a few questions about the fight and was pretty satisfied with Shikamaru''s answers.

    "You do look cool though." Ino poked my bandaged arms.

    "Hn." I almost jumped when Karasu-niisan suddenly appeared by my side.

    "Since when did you¡­?!" I suppose I''ve already given up, "Ah, whatever¡­ you watched the whole thing from the roof, didn''t you?"

    He simply shrugged.

    "Hm?" Ino tilted her head upon seeing the black-masked man, "Who are you?"

    "¡­" Of course, the crow responded in silence.

    I sighed and sat back, using my arms as support, "His name is Karasu¡­ and¡­ he''s my guide, I guess? Guard? Meh." I told her in a very lazy tone before directing a look at the said person, imitating his shrug.

    I still need to know who on earth is behind that mask. Well, I need to confirm it since I already have an idea of who it is.

    As Karasu-niisan get acquainted with the two heirs, I watched them while sitting comfortably next to Shikamaru. He would glance from time to time, and when I caught him, he didn''t look away.

    "You''ve become a lot stronger from these troublesome training, huh?" He smiled.

    "I still have many things to learn." I told him and gave him my closed-eyes smile, "So, it might be a drag but, I need you to do the same."

    "I''m up for it as long as it interests me." He snickered.

    The sliding wooden door then opened, making all of us look at the person who entered. Shikaku-san looked back at us with utter wonder, probably thinking of things that happened whilst he''s gone.

    "Shikaku-san." I stood up and greeted him.

    "Ah, Ori-kun. It''s been a while." He smiled, "I heard that you dove in a rose bush?" His tone was of kidding.

    "Maybe." I waved my hands, letting my torn sleeves slide down from my wrists to my elbow, showing my bandaged arms.

    He simply chuckled, turning his gaze to his son. He smiled at him before walking through the room to reach the other room that connected to this¡ªwell, not before saying something along the lines, "Tell your parents congratulations, Ori-kun."

    I was a bit confused at his words but¡­

    "Seeing that my old man''s already home," Shika turned to me, "it''s probably¡­ already late."

    "Is it?" I wondered and looked out of the open window, seeing the sun setting, "It is." I answered my own question¡ªgreat. "I should probably go before kaa-san wonders where I am." I told him as I waved goodbye.

    The three waved back to Karasu-niisan and I as we disappeared into the horizon. It sounds romantic, but it''s just a masked man and a child walking side by side. Though, it would''ve looked a lot normal if the crow just took his mask off, really.

    I sighed as we both reached the front door of my house. I took a glance at the crow and raised a brow, "Karasu-niisan,"

    "Hm?" He hummed as he knocked on the door.

    "Why don''t you stay for dinner?" I asked him and he seemed a bit surprised.

    "¡­" Ugh, silent treatment¡ªamazing.

    "Ah, Ori-kun." Kaa-san''s voice reached our ears, "Welcome back." She seemed awfully cheerful today. "You''re just in time for dinner. You must be hungry. You too, Karasu." She pulled (well, dragged) us inside and into the kitchen.

    It all happened so fast¡ªwe were already seated around the table with Karasu-niisan joining us. The servants of this household also gathered around us as though they were called for a meeting.

    Just what on earth is¡ª

    "Everyone¡­!" Kaa-san gathered our attention as tou-san walked to her side. "We have wonderful news for all of you."

    I simply remained silent, like Karasu-niisan. ''Just what is going on here¡­?''

    "Especially for you," Kaa-san directed her smile towards me, "Ori-nii."

    "Huh?" I blinked at her as I slowly process her words. ''Could it be¡­?''

    "Yes," Tou-san smiled and hugged kaa-san, "we are expecting an addition in our family."

    Simultaneous gasps filled the room after a silence that felt like an eternity.

    WHAT?!

 11 Raging Flames

    Nothing really interesting happened after I got involved in the "White-Masks" case¡ªuntil a certain news reached both of my ears. No signs were given and the people who knew kept quiet about it until I came back home that fateful day. It took a lot of suppression just for me to not to shout what I had in mind.

    I''m going to be a big brother.

    It was nothing new really, since I had siblings in my past life (though we weren''t that close to each other¡ªonly my little sister would insist for me to be with her every day). Like my former life, I was the eldest, and normally, all of the responsibilities should''ve been placed on me¡ªbut all of us grew up with a silver spoon in our mouths.

    We each had our personal maids, butler¡ªname it. We were raised in a rich family, well, my siblings were. Before my younger brother and sister came to the living, my family was living on the tails of our famous family name.

    To put it into words, we were at rock bottom¡ªwe were just hanging by threads, trying to survive as the successor of the main family, the elder brother of my father, trampled on the image of our family, putting my father into blame for every dirt he made.

    Of course, since I still lack the mind to understand anything at that time, and I seemed to have erased the memory from its insignificance, this story was told to me by my mother when we got everything when the successor died by unknown means. With that, my bastard father had taken the top of the main family, building up the company to its succession.

    It''s a good thing, I know¡­ but I felt like we didn''t deserve that life.

    Enough dwelling on the past¡ªI need to look forward on this new life. Many things are going to my accord, which is actually a bad thing since everything will come back in the worst case possible, from my experience, at least. Good luck would usually come to an end, and bad luck will rise.

    The luck one worked hard to build will soon come crashing down like it''s nothing.

    It''s like snakes if you look at a different angle. The reptile might look enthralling at times, but snakes are still snakes¡ªthey will still bite no matter how tame they are. Luck applies to one like that¡ªit may look like everything''s siding with you but, like I said earlier, it will all bite you.

    Not that the logic happened in this life yet, I think.

    I sighed as I bit into the red bean onigiri kaa-san prepared for me for my lunch. The savoury sweet treat made all of my pessimistic thoughts vanish.

    "I was about to ask why you have a long face, but that''s gone now, eh?" Kakashi sat down next to me, grabbing two onigiri from my bento box, tossing one to Karasu-niisan. "Kaiya-neechan sure do know how to make one smile with her treats." He smiled.

    "Mhm." I nodded as I took away my gaze from him back to my lunch.

    This uncle of mine doesn''t like sweets, fried food, or anything of the like, but he loves whatever kaa-san makes. Sweet cakes, to simple but savoury dishes¡ªname it, and Kakashi will probably there in an instant to eat it. That''s how he is.

    I looked back at him as he was pulling his mask up to cover his face. ''Fast as ever¡­'' I stared boredly at him before letting out a somewhat silent laugh.

    He raised a brow at me, probably thinking I''ve gone mad or something.

    I simply shook my head and took a bite off of my sweet lunch. "What¡­ do you think the baby will be?" I asked with my small voice.

    "A niece would be nice." He looked up to see the blue skies, "But whatever fate chooses, I''d love them as much as I love you, my cute little nephew."

    Too cheesy¡ªI can''t take it.

    After a moment of disgust, I looked up at the sky with him. "A sister¡­ would be nice¡­" I mumbled to myself.

    It may not look like it, from all of my denying with my little sister from my past when I was still alive then, but I do miss all of her mischiefs and sweetness. She may be also the one who motivated me to use my talents long before someone special came. She was my little sister, after all.

    Vinna was my light.

    "Hm?" I heard my uncle hum. I am well aware that he heard what I mumbled earlier thanks to his amplified senses, but I do not know why he chose to have a blind eye over it.

    I shook my head, packing up my bento box neatly before placing it inside of a storage seal. I put it away inside of my pouch before standing up, stretching my back after they got sore from training earlier this day.

    "We finished pretty early, Ori-kun." Kakashi told me, standing up as well. "Why don''t we take a walk?" He smiled, walking past me to take the lead. Without even looking he waved his hand, "Let''s go, Ori-kun. You too, Karasu."

    I wanted to ask where we''re going, but I''m not that bothered, really. We rarely go anywhere where it doesn''t involve training so, this is actually pretty nice¡ªminus the looks we''re getting from the civilians because, again, who wouldn''t do a double take when there''s a bird-masked man walking near a child?

    Call it a stroll or whatever so, it''s supposed to be peaceful. It was, until a blur ran to us¡ªwith its familiar feature in sight.

    "Haha! Taking a youthful walk, I see!" Guy patted (smacked) my uncle''s shoulder. Stepping back slowly to not get noticed, I froze when he called me out, "Ah! Your youthful nephew is here too!" He approached me and held my hands before he started to shake them, "Oh, I''m so happy you''re greeting me!"

    "I haven''t even¡­" I trailed off, seeing that it was no use.

    With that, we got Guy with us in our supposedly peaceful stroll. It wasn''t as tiring before but now, just seeing him with the sun radiating off of him is exhausting.

    I walked by Karasu-niisan''s side, just behind the two rivals.

    This is my safest spot to not get caught with their conversation and to not melt with all of this energy. I''m not really anti-social, but when energetic people are around, I get drained really easily, so I tend to avoid them even if they''re nice. Actually, introvert might be better to describe myself because I''m generally fine with a small group of people surrounding me.

    Wait¡­

    It could be because of my Nara blood¡­ but then again, I''m like this since my past life so¡­

    I snapped out of my thoughts when I bumped into my uncle''s back. Rubbing my nose, I took a step back and was about to say something when a certain item caught my eye.

    "Oops¡ªgomen, Kakashi-kun¡­" The jounin bobbed his head, struggling to lift the heavy item with the help of four more ninja''s¡ªchuunin''s or the like. "The owner doesn''t want us to place it in a storage seal¡­" He semi-whispered. "Although, I think he''s going to get rid of this sooner or later so, we don''t really know why he''s still taking care of this." He awkwardly laughed, moving along and out of our way.

    "It looks sad¡­" I mumbled, realising that I had already took a step in front to see them carry away the dusty grand piano.

    "The piano does?" Kakashi took a glance at me.

    It''s actually been a while since I''ve seen an instrument I''m familiar with. I''ve seen a few traditional Japanese instruments and some are even scattered in the house somewhere, but I''ve never seen a piano here until now. I just thought that there would be none, but I assumed wrong.

    Those words just kind of slipped out of my mouth. I guess that¡­ my love for music is still inside of me, somewhere.

    "It seems like whoever the owner is, they''re trying to get rid of it¡­" Kakashi gave me his eye smile, "¡­ do you want to see it?"

    I know he''s been nice and all, but to see a piano just came out of nowhere... I sighed, looking at my fingers as they began to itch before looking back at him with an uncertain smile. To be honest, I''d love to¡­ but why does he want me to see the poor instrument?

    "Then, let''s go follow them." My sometimes sadistic uncle said in a warm tone, taking my left hand as we walked side by side.

    Sometimes, I don''t understand what''s in his mind¡­ but I still followed him nonetheless. Maybe it was out of curiosity, or maybe it was because of my love for music¡ªso, I really wanted to know what fate will befall on the much-cared piano the four jounin''s were carrying.

    We arrived in an open area full of greens and flowers. The jounin and his team had placed the piano in a flat and raised clearing, looking as though they were taking the masterpiece on its final resting place. We stood at a distance around the dusty piano, pondering on what would happen after they placed it down.

    I looked up at Kakashi, who''s still holding my hand like the uncle he is, and gave him a small smile. I might be too embarrassed to say this out loud, but this scene sure is a beauty.

    "It''s sad, isn''t it?" A hoarse and shaky yet warm voice came out of nowhere, making all of us glance at the owner of the tone. "Letting go of a much-loved treasure is tough."

    The man who stepped in front with those words looked to be around his sixty''s¡ªwith his cane, wrinkles that are scattered throughout his body, and his greying shaggy hair. His square glasses defined his saddened brown eyes that stared at the old piano. He looks like he could be someone who could play the instrument, but why would he give it up now?

    He looked back at us and bowed his head, "My apologies for not introducing myself¡ªmy name is Klavier Rukas." He then gave us a thankful smile, "I''m a bit touched that a few had decided to see this day. I never expected to see anyone except for those four kind-hearted shinobu''s who accepted my request."

    "It''s our pleasure, Klavier-san." Kakashi bowed, and of course, we did too (by "we", I mean myself, Guy and Karasu as well as the jounin group).

    The old man didn''t tell us anything yet, but all of us got a whiff of what''s happening. He approached the piano with a soft smile, sliding his fingers along the dust-covered keys. He took the stool from the top of the piano and set it up in front of the said instrument before sitting on it after, adjusting it, of course.

    "I know that you don''t really know this old man, but I''m here to see this piano one last time¡­ though this dying man wants to hear music from this one last time." His lonely tone reached our ears, and no one dared to speak as we do not know how to deal with this.

    Well, I might be able to but¡­

    As I looked down, I felt eyes fixed on me, making me look up and see the eyes of the old man. I could''ve sworn they flickered in different colour, but it was too quick for me to believe myself. "Your eyes shines brightly with passion¡­" He spoke and smiled, "Your enticing eyes says it all."

    Eyes are the windows of our souls, huh?

    "Why don''t you join me¡­" He patted the space beside him.

    I looked up at my uncle, who only nodded and patted my head, as if he knew that I so badly want to play the precious thing.

    I don''t really know why, but I felt really excited as I neared the dusty, black piano. The old man lifted me up and made me sit down on his lap, seeing that I really couldn''t reach the keys when it''s adjusted for him. He quickly blew the dust away from the covers and lifted them up, revealing the shiny black and white keys.

    "The white keys are merely the blank pages for you to fill with your music and wishes¡­" He suddenly spoke as he smiled down at me, "¡­ and the black ones are the ones that will save your music from their missing pieces."

    I sort of understand his deep words, but I know there are more behind those simple words.

    He then laughed, placing his left hand on the keys in front, "That''s what my son told me."

    I narrowed my eyes as I looked down at his hands after hearing his words. He didn''t say another word after that, and started playing instead.

    I never knew such tune could exist in this world¡ªafter all, the composer of "River Flows in You" came from the world I had lived in long before this life. The old man''s pace was slow, yet it was overflowing with different emotions. Regret, sadness, content, and love filled the tune as he pressed down on the keys.

    Not really thinking about the consequences, I acted on my own and placed my right hand on the keys, matching his pace and filling the song with my sympathy for this old man. It''s been so long since I''ve played the piano, so I admit that I''m a bit rusty due to the fact that I didn''t have the opportunity to play one until now. But since this was also my sister''s favourite composed music, of course, I can''t forget about this one.

    What could be seen as minutes felt like seconds when I played the piano. So, when it came to an end, I was only snapped back to this reality after hearing a soft cough that came from the small group watching us play the instrument.

    A laugh then made me look back at the old man, "I''ve never had a duet ever since that ''fateful'' day happened, b¨­zu." His smile masked the sorrow behind his tone.

    ''I''m more taken aback on how one person didn''t take me as a girl, actually.'' I inwardly chuckled, letting him ruffle my messy hair.

    Not too long after that, the old man escorted me back to our small audience who were seriously giving me questioning looks as we approached them. Cold sweat ran on my forehead as I neared the scarecrow, curious of what he would ask after all of this, since me playing an instrument "new" to my eyes is a sight.

    The uncle of mine simply stared at me with his closed-eye smile, patting my head before lazily placing his hand on my shoulder. "I''m gonna ask later." He whispered in a tone of mirroring curiosity.

    After a short chat, our group finally bid our goodbyes to the jounin group, who later left after us, and old man Klavier since the sun was already setting at the distance. Kakashi, Karasu-nii and I know all too well that once the sun completely sets, we''re gonna be in big trouble since kaa-san''s home and is probably already waiting for us.

    We parted with the scarecrow''s rival just before we reached the Nara Forest.

    We were terrified because of an angered image of my kaa-san appearing in our thoughts, which made us quicken our pace¡ªwith me being carried by Karasu-niisan on his back to not slow our pace down. We really didn''t expect anything major after that, but it seemed that our na?ve selves had caused a single life that following night.

    __________

    His tired eyes blurred as the kind-hearted audience of his disappeared off into the distance. He really didn''t know that he''d be able to play the piano one more time before he leaves his beloved piano into its resting place, but that young child simply sparked his interest in a single gaze.

    He sighed, wearing his spectacles that he took from his inner pockets.

    Klavier was deeply thankful for the white-haired young boy for letting him play once more. The young boy simply ignited something inside of him, which reminded him the times when he used to play the piano for his beloved son. He thought that the young boy resembled his son''s passion with music¡ªand his son was also at the young boy''s age when he started playing the lovely instrument.

    Too bad, after all of the love his son poured into his burning passion for music, all of it also kindled the greed for power and status. Four years ago, he lost his beloved son because of the hunger for power residing in his tainted soul.

    ''He would''ve been twenty today¡­'' Klavier sighed at the thought.

    Almost instantly, he froze up after hearing the sound of a menacing tune coming from a violin echo in the flowery plain. To some, it could be heard as a lovely melody, but some could hear the cursed tune of the forbidden piece¡ªand the old man is one of the ones to hear the cursed truth.

    "He had already died." Klavier said in a cold, yet saddened tone. "Why must you come?" He asked the figure approaching over to him, sending him his icy-cold glare that he could muster.

    The tune suddenly stopped as the white-masked figure nearing the old man pause his actions. Lowering his instrument, he disappeared to where he was once before and reappeared sitting on the grand piano with his right leg over his left¡ªwith his instrument nowhere to be seen.

    It seemed as though, in closer look, there''s something engraved onto to the masked-man''s mask, but the old man''s eyes aren''t fit to see such intricate details.

    Klavier simply sighed, lifting his gaze away from the mask and onto the white-masked man''s eyes. "Xavier had died. He''s no longer here." He stated, bitter about the fact that the one in front of him chuckled at his stated.

    "Why must you not accept the truth?" The white-masked man rolled up his white sleeves, revealing a ticking wristwatch latched onto his left wrist. "The time to rise has already come. An old man like you couldn''t possibly save this cursed world."

    "I may not be the one to save this forsaken land," Klavier paused, running his fingers along the keys of the piano before him, "but a single shadow might be able to destroy your desired pages."

    "Hm¡­" The masked-man hummed pausing at a sudden thought. "I''ve been watching..." He trailed off, glancing at the ticking clock on his wrist, "¡­ you seem to adore a certain young boy."

    "His eyes are burning with passion that¡­ resembled one that had already went through the joys and misfortunes in life¡­ but at such young age, it shouldn''t be in his eyes. The eyes that had seen death doesn''t belong in someone as young and fresh as him." Klavier praised the young pianist.

    "Oh?" The maksed-man curled his lips behind his mask, "Doesn''t it all ring a bell? A d¨¦j¨¤ vu, perhaps?"

    "Xavier is much different than you." The old man said in a stinging tone, full of hatred and bitterness mixed with pity and sadness.

    "But he¡­ died, right?" The younger male emphasized the word of death, sounding as mockingly as possible.

    The old man closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He did¡­" He trailed off, looking at the young man in front of him, "So why should a man like you replace him like he was nothing? Controlling the weak with your image is so low, Shi-kun."

    The young man shuddered at the nickname before regaining his composure, placing his gloved hand over his mask, "Masks as this? Those people were simply enthralled be my music. My beautiful masks have nothing to do with them."

    "A bold statement coming from a bold man." The old man chuckled, clutching something dear from his breast pocket.

    "Welp." The masked-man hopped off of the grand piano after a short chuckle, popping the last letter of his last word before dusting his white pants. "I know you already know why I''m here." He shrugged as a cane suddenly appeared in his hands with a poof.

    "May this last moment remind you of who you were before." Klavier smiled, placing his hands over the piano.

    "Pfft¡ª" The young man laughed. "You''re funny." He started to swiftly go over a set of hand seals.

    "You know," Klavier opened his eyes and stared at the masked man, "Shiro does suit you well."

    The young man momentarily paused at the phrase he considered as an unintended pun¡ªsince he''s wearing a white suit and all, before completing the seals. "Goodbye, old man."

    A flicker of red flames ran across the body of the piano, trapping the kind old man in the middle with his dear instrument.

    Shiro, the masked-man, bit his lips as he turned around and away from the scene before pausing as a tune reached his ears. It seemed as though the old man is playing the piano, waiting for his death to come and engulf him¡­ but this music strongly reminded the young man something that should''ve already been forgotten.

    He slowly faded into dust as the old man was being consumed by the raging flame. ''You''re the worst¡­ pops.''

 12 An Unfortunate Christmas

    Running his fingers through his silver hair, Orion took a deep breath, releasing it visibly thanks to the cold weather. He stared at it as it disappeared, his mind going in wonder. If it weren''t for the lazy author, his story could''ve progressed further. To his dismay, the author added a Christmas Special instead of an actual chapter just to go along the theme.

    Oh, it''s past Christmas too, and near New Year.

    Amazing.

    Orion seriously landed with the most unreliable author in the universe. Granted, the author enjoyed her holiday, but Orion didn''t. Let''s recap on what happened.

    __________

    I ran through the thick forest, senses keen and eyes completely focused on the target ahead. This small task should''ve been finished already but the thick and slippery, snow-covered trees are getting on my way. I nearly died from heart attack earlier because of a small, slippery branch. My heart literally skipped a beat.

    Oh, and did I mention that my scarf is prone to getting caught with twigs and sharp branches? No? Well, it is, unfortunately.

    "Orion." I heard a voice through my earpiece. "Try to overtake it."

    "Copy." I responded, making my pace faster.

    Running around on snowy treetops near the village boarder while chasing a cat seems a great idea. Now, why did Bakashi borrowed the demon cat again? I don''t fvcking know. All I know is that cat is one hell of a runner. I now understand Rookie 9''s pain in this mission.

    Except this isn''t a mission.

    I sighed, pushing a reasonable amount of chakra on my feet to gain speed. Just as I was about to overtake the cat, pain popped out of nowhere on my left ankle, causing me to stop running and lose my balance on the branch I was running on. I quickly back flipped to regain my posture on the ground, only to fall on my back again.

    A breeze went past me but came back another moment. Concern can be seen through his eyes.

    Kakashi stood in front of me, turning his earpiece off and crouching down next to me. "You okay?" He asked as I struggled to sit up. "Wait, stupid question. Don''t answer that." He laughed, checking my injured feet.

    After poking it for a few times and receiving a thrown rock to his face, he did a quick first aid. He then cleared his throat and offered his back to me, "It seems like your joint shattered after you released a load of chakra to it. You won''t be walking for the rest of this training, it seems. Let''s get you back."

    "What about the cat?" I asked, reaching for his shoulders before wrapping my arms around his neck.

    Kakashi stood up and leaped up, chuckling out his words, "Let''s pass on our misfortune to others, okay? Don''t worry about that smartass cat."

    "I second that." I agreed, lazily burying my face on his fluffy scarf as he carried me back through the forest.

    It was silent for a while, but it was the comfortable kind; Kakashi decided to ruin it. "What do you want for lunch?" He asked.

    Kaa-san and Tou-san went out today and left me with Kakashi. I don''t really know where they went, but the scarecrow assured me that they''ll be back soon. He also kind of dragged me into the whole "chase-the-demon-cat" thing first thing in the morning.

    "Ori-kun?" I heard Kakashi call out my name.

    "Yeah?" I raised a brow.

    He sighed, smiling through his mask. "What do you want for lunch?"

    "Uhm¡­" I leaned my head on his, "Ramen?"

    "Sounds good to me." He nodded, "I know just the right place."

    __________

    Kakashi entered the hospital room, careful about the tray he''s carrying. After admitting his nephew to the hospital to treat the boy''s shattered ankle, he quickly dropped by Ichiraku to order two ramen for himself and the young boy. It was on the house on that day, since it was a special day.

    He returned quite quickly¡ªthrough the windows, in fact, startling the young boy lying down on the hospital bed.

    "Careful," He said, placing the tray on the table beside the young boy, "it''s hot."

    Orion gave him a deadpanned look. "You sure care much today."

    "Oh, please," Kakashi laughed, taking his own bowl of ramen and sitting down on a nearby chair, "I care every day." Orion laughed at his words, taking his own bowl of ramen, starting to eat it slowly, blowing the steam off.

    It was pretty peaceful.

    Nothing extraordinary is happening¡­

    ¡­ yet.

    Shattered glass echoed in the boy''s room. Cat screeching to the top of its lungs echoed through the whole building. Hot steam and loud gurgling scream filled the unfortunate place.

    Boy, it was terrifying; Orion was on fire¡ªno one knows how and why; a guy in spandex somehow bathed in ramen and is covered in glass; Kakashi is holding a cat by its tail.

    It was chaotic.

    Running footsteps neared. The door burst open as the nurses and ninjas around the area came in panic. The scene was an absolute surprise.

    After extinguishing the boy on fire and switching rooms to clean up the mess Guy had made when he went through the window, everything, dare I say, finally calmed the hell down. The random event settled down and now, two people are now admitted in one room.

    Kakashi folded his arms and crossed his legs, clearly annoyed about recent happenings. "So," He started, eyes closed but is still emitting a cold aura, "you actually thought that running through an ''invisible wall'' was a great idea?"

    "My youthful rival¡­" Guy laughed, "I apologise. Someone had passed on the misfortune of the mission to catch the demon cat, and I was the one who received it."

    "Ha." Orion chuckled, "Pass on the misfortune! Fun." He rolled his eyes, staring boredly at his uncle.

    Kakashi sighed loudly, placing his palm on his face. "First of all," He looked over at the two, "how on earth did Orion got set on fire?"

    "Because I''m hot." The said boy dropped the sass bomb and put on non-existent sunglasses.

    Kakashi ignored him. "Second of," He gave his gaze towards Guy, lifting up the cat at his direction, "What the hell? Why would you even accept the mission to catch this demon?"

    "Because I can¡­?" Another sass bomb nonchalantly dropped by a teen in spandex.

    The Hatake doesn''t even know anymore. It seemed as though he''s the only sane one in the room at the moment. Kakashi blames the author. The story is all over the place because the author is just throwing stuff in one go. The author needs a boost.

    Everyone, including Kakashi, needs to pull author-san away from Tumblr. No particular reason why¡ª

    The door swung open, and the loud noise had cut off the laughter that filled the room because of Orion.

    They simultaneously looked at the door, meeting an icy-cold glare coming from a motherly face. "What. Happened. To. My. Baby." Kaiya stomped in, taking in the cold atmosphere with her.

    Following her entrance, Shikakuro leaned on the door frame, his arms folded. His soft expression subdued the cold aura his wife had spread. "I assume¡­ seeing that Tora is here, the misfortune was passed onto your bunch?"

    His son gave him an ''are-you-serious'' look.

    "I assumed correctly." The Nara nodded to himself.

    "Oh, Ori-kun, don''t worry," Kaiya moved closer to her beloved son, hugging him, "Kaa-san''s here."

    __________

    Bandaged like a mummy, Orion has been checked out of the hospital (forcefully) by his mother, who stormed out, dragging him out with his uncle, showing her medic-nin ID to the front desk.

    With a quick ninja magic, Orion healed as fast as the demon cat could run. Her mother doesn''t stop to amaze him. Kakashi, on the other hand, received a somewhat light scolding from his ''Kaiya-nee''.

    Sure, the day was chaotic.

    But it can''t just end there, no, no.

    Christmas carols played in the background as the young Hatake-Nara entered the household. Christmas decorations has been put up, and, to his surprise, the long-awaited Christmas tree finally stood tall and mighty in the courtyard. Orion knew it was troublesome to set up and the tree has been there for quite a while now, but in some form of miracle, someone had finally set it up on Christmas day. On. Christmas. Day.

    Whoever that was, bless them.

    Stepping out on the courtyard after getting dressed in his Christmas attire, which consisted a red scarf to go along his white, turtleneck long sleeve and black shorts, Orion was greeted with the falling snow and powder landing softly on the tree. It was a sight, he admit.

    The moonlit night gave the falling snow a soft light as the household gathered around the tree.

    Shikakuro placed down Orion on his lap as the household grew bigger. A few visitors from other clans came as well, mainly the Yamanaka''s, Akamichi''s, a few Uchiha''s, Hy¨±ga''s and other famous clans. Even a clone of the Third Hokage came to the event, holding Naruto with him.

    Orion, of course, didn''t escape the death hugs coming from Ino, Ch¨­ji, and, surprisingly, Shika-kun.

    "Merry Christmas~" The trio greeted him, with one particularly lazy about it.

    "Merry¡­ Christmas to you three too." Orion awkwardly replied.

    As they chatted away, mostly Ino ranting about her Christmas preparations and how her father almost forgot about the event happening in the Nara compound, particularly in the second master''s household, an Uchiha broke away his hold from his brother and cousin, approaching the chatting bunch.

    "Shiro-chan." Orion froze at the familiar nickname he had been given by a duck-haired boy.

    Shikamaru spat out the Christmas tea he''s been drinking, choking at the same time; Ino froze and dropped her cookie; Ch¨­ji innocently stared at his friends who''s acting really weird; Orion is trying so hard to not run away from the Uchiha.

    "Ah¡­" The only silver-haired toddler in the group pretended to not remember the boy, "Who are you again?"

    The Uchiha blinked, mouthing out his name, "Sa-su-ke. Remember that."

    From afar, the Uchiha''s brother raised his brow, while the cousin laughed hard enough to fall on the floor, being stared at by several pairs of eyes.

    "Right¡­" Orion started to inch away from the young Uchiha, only to slide further near the said boy thanks to the Yamanaka toddle who''s wiggling her eyebrows at her. "Wh-What?! No!" Orion tried to push her back instead but to no avail.

    Whatever the Yamanaka was planning, it was up to no good for sure. "Get that boi." Ino whispered in his ear, "Or I''ll take him away." She winked.

    Orion couldn''t overpower her as his stomach started to twist and turn because of panic and nervousness, "OH MY KAMI LET GO¡ªH-Hi Sasuke." He directed a faltering smile towards the young Uchiha.

    The Uchiha simply blinked at him. "Shiro-chan''s acting weird."

    "No shit." Orion muttered under his breath as Ino ran off with Shikamaru and Ch¨­ji, silently observing from afar. ''I feel like I was just betrayed all of a sudden.''

    Sasuke tilted his head, "Hm?"

    "Nothing." Orion shook his head, not wanting to spread his cursed language over to the yet to be tainted Uchiha.

    "Eh?" The innocent raven nodded, "I''m glad I got to see you again. I thought I''d wait for years but here we are." His grin grew wider.

    Our beloved Orion held back a gag. His inner twenty-eight year old self do not approve of this. This is utterly disturbing for him¡­ especially when he just got into a disaster and looks like he''s about to dive head first into another disaster. Oh, wait¡ªhe was the one who got dragged into this in the first place.

    The only thing in his mind right now while the young Uchiha told about stuff was¡­ ''Fvck.''

    He actually prefer to chase after the demon cat than having to stay in this holiday gathering which only happens once in a blue moon. Saying that I his mind now, he doesn''t want to jinx his amazing luck.

    Of course, like what was said earlier, the chaos just can''t end with a burning trip from the hospital. Let this be summed up in a sentence: Orion jinxed himself.

    Out of nowhere, a screech echoed in the courtyard, making all of the people in the area look over to where the ear-scratching sound came from. A well-known black cat ran from the roofs and latched onto the heads of its path before running through guests'' legs.

    The Nara''s don''t know how on earth the cat got through their forest¡ªactually... it''s a cat. It can do whatever it wants. It can go wherever it wants. Cats don''t give a shit about a single thing. That''s why author-san loves them.

    The ribboned cat had caught attention of the anbu''s in the area, creating a not-so-good chase show through the crowds. Jounins also joined in the chase, which caused more trouble since this raised the interest of everyone in the surrounding area.

    People literally joined the sudden ''quest to catch Tora''.

    Orion, known for his bad luck in this Christmas Special, got consumed, with Sasuke, by the crowd. Due to the fact that the Uchiha had grabbed his arm to "protect" him, Orion wasn''t able to use anything to help himself get out of the mess, drowning with Sasuke in the crowd.

    When hope was losing fast, a quick tug and a cold breeze made the two freeze, only to realise that they''ve been scooped out by an Anbu and Kakashi out and away from the crowds (to the rooftops). Both of them were carried like bags of potatoes, or over the shoulders, by the two.

    Kakashi coughed as he put down his nephew, trying to hold back his amusement as Crow placed down Sasuke next to Orion.

    Of course, the younger Hatake-relative gave both of them a deadpanned look. If they were the only people in the current area at the moment, Orion would''ve thrown a flat rock on their faces¡ªor anything that could be thrown. He''s so close to being livid. They were enjoying every moment of his agony.

    "Are you going to stare until the daylight shines?" Orion asked them in a single, low, serious tone.

    Oh, how Kakashi was amused further.

    Orion, without a single warning, grabbed a hold of the scarecrow''s silver hair and started tugging, screaming about something along the lines, ''I''m so done!''

    Crow, however, remained silent, watching from afar with Sasuke, not wanting to get into the fight between the silver haired Hatake''s.

    From down with the crowds, Itachi looked up at his brother on the roof, noticing that Sasuke''s eyes had fixed onto a silver haired child bickering with a higher up. He heard his little brother rant about a young girl he had met a long while ago.

    And Sasuke calls the girl Shiro-chan.

    He sighed.

    "Oi! ''Tachi!" His cousin, Shisui, called him, holding up the cat, "Caught the damned demon¡ª"

    "Idiot." Itachi called him out as the cat jumped from the older Uchiha''s grasp, scratching his face as well.

    The cat jumped into the tree, the Christmas tree, for kami knows how long; spreading a cold silence through the crowd who are waiting for something to happen as the leaves rustle here and there.

    A nasty, loud snap broke the silence. The tree slowly dropped down, puling the Christmas lights and whatever strings tied up there are down with it.

    Lookie ''ere.

    Another fire.

    Orion stared down at the burning courtyard, running his palm down his face. "I''m done for the year." He sighed, Kakashi nodded, "I''m not looking forward to the New Year event."

    "I''m with you on this one." The scarecrow, sat down, setting a water jutsu to help extinguish the fire downstairs, looking at the Anbu behind him.

    Crow chuckled, nodding to himself, "What an unfortunate Christmas indeed."

    ==========

    A/N (since it doesn''t fit in author''s thoughts lol):

    Finally. A chapter published. A special one, actually, which won''t be a part of the story. I''m sorry for making all of you wait...

    I''m not dead, surprisingly lol and I''m going to apologise in advance because I''m going dead for a while again uwu

    In March, I promise to publish chpaters (yes, chapters) since school''s ending by then.

    I''m just here, and this special chapter, to prepare y''all for the upcoming canon chapters. Keep low, peeps. I don''t want to take y''all in an unfortunate journey *wink*

 13 Bad Feeling

    Klavier Rukas had to admit that he had his fair share of wrongs and rights; but never in his life would he think that he''d be afraid of his coming death. Ever since his son had passed away, he knew this day would eventually come, but neither did he expect to feel such sadness nor agony of dying in his own kin''s hands. Though the fated day had come, he wanted to cross over to the other side with his beloved treasure.

    Moving into Konoha was a hassle, but moving AND maintaining a grand piano was a lot harder than crossing through borders and climbing through mountains. It was, in fact, a bit of his fault for refusing to place the damned piano in a storage seal because that''s how he dearly loved the piano.

    And, it wasn''t just an ordinary piano.

    Though dwelling in the past is not good, Klavier recalled the events that occurred hours before; meeting kind shinobis who accepted his small request to move the piano in an open field and for them to witness his last performance just to reminiscence his old days with his kin, and meeting someone who loves music as much as he does.

    Sure, the old man might''ve had rusty senses, but the one thing he''s really good at¡ªlooking into people''s eyes to learn who they are¡ªdefinitely made him discover someone that he thought he''d never see again in his timeline. The young silver-haired child was beyond his expectations.

    Klavier''s keen eyes didn''t ignore this.

    The seemingly innocent face pasted on the young boy''s head truly hid the way how his eyes had looked like. The young boy was pitying the piano. The piano. Moreover, those eyes do tell otherwise of how innocent he might''ve looked; again, those eyes shouldn''t look like they''ve went through hell and back.

    The old man really wanted to approach the young boy, but doing that right now would be a bit inconvenient. He hesitated at that moment. He didn''t want to linger in a child''s memory knowing that this would be his final day.

    But it was too good to pass up. So, when opportunity came, he approached the child when their group decided to come with them¡­ and he was right; the child have a heart for western instruments. It''s rather comforting to know than other than his old clan, another person admires the unusual piece of instrument.

    When he invited the young child to be with him, he couldn''t shake off the fact that the child reminded him of his own son. Though they differ in looks, their passion with music is definitely through the roof. He didn''t think twice and played, preferably his last play, the piano, hoping that the child would be invited by the tune to play.

    To his surprise, the child was a complete natural. The young boy play extraordinarily for his young age. It was honestly enthralling. He didn''t want to question whether the child was only guessing notes beforehand in his mind to play, or he knew the piece from the very beginning.

    Klavier was tempted to sit back and watch the child play. The little fella''s little hands moved like a professional. His closed eyes gave away that he''s confident about the piece he''s playing, not doubting himself to make no mistake.

    It was almost a shame when their duet ended.

    He never really thought that something, or someone, would be able to make him want stir him away from death''s path. He realised that he fears death more than anyone right now. He wanted to say a word to them, hint them something; he knew this day would come, but why did he feel fear all of a sudden? A bit of regret too, since he wanted to see the silver-haired boy grow up with an audience watching him play the piano.

    Then, just like that, they''ve come and gone in a flash; his death drawing nearer.

    Receiving a message saying you''ll be dying on your considered deceased son''s birthday from a mind-controlled Hy¨±ga clan member was rather unsettling, especially when that Hy¨±ga''s eyes are staring deeply into your soul¡ªin a very creepy way, adding the fact that their eyes already seemed empty.

    Klavier, at first, didn''t fear this message, knowing whom the letter belonged to, but as days came and went by in a rather quick rate, he really couldn''t sit still. It was terrifying, knowing when you would possibly die.

    Alas, the day came; the man who had kept Klavier waiting, exchanging some unspoken words together. He himself knew that this day would mark the day a horrid force would loom over the Hi no Kuni because¡­

    ¡­ he knew his son more than anyone else.

    The reason? Xavier would do anything to get what he want¡ªeven destroying the village that once took them in. Though Klavier didn''t exactly know what his son wanted by going with the lengths of using their clan''s Kekkei Genkai, mind control using any musical medium, but judging on how Xavier hated his guts, there''s only one reason.

    He doesn''t want to remember, but the memory kept haunting him. He never wanted for his son to see the horrible mistake he had done yet his son had witness every wrong doing he had made. It only made sense that his son would comb through the whole village to find where he was hiding, for what he did was rather unforgivable.

    He regretted every single bit of it. His wife died in his own hands four years ago, and the worse part it, Xavier was there. He witnessed everything.

    Klavier wanted to speak, but his puppeteered body wouldn''t respond. He was hurt, but he understood that Xavier was more than hurt¡ªsince what his eyes told him was unforgettable, to see his own father kill his mother and own kin.

    Xavier fell sick, and Klavier had to carry him across borders to escape to Konoha; to escape from that man¡ªthough he wasn''t sure whether to call him a man or a young boy. Of course, his son took it hurtfully and started using music to tell untold stories in passer-by''s mind. Soon, Xavier had gone missing¡ªand after days, months, and years of search, he was nowhere to be found and had been considered dead.

    Now, as he''s being engulfed with the warm fire, the masked-man, his son, bit his lips as he turned around and away from the scene before pausing as a tune reached his ears. Klavier started playing the piano, looking over to his son''s sad, warm eyes.

    ''You knew about the truth¡­ yet you still gave yourself away to serve the very person who killed your beloved kin.'' The old man thought, sending him a smile and mouthing a warm sentence, "But I still love you."

    Xavier slowly faded into dust as the old man was being consumed by the raging flame, his tears unnoticed for he was behind his white mask, which was soon left there to be his mark.

    All Klavier wishes was to hug his son one final time, but that won''t happen anytime soon, it seems. He wanted to apologise for being weak¡­ he wanted to sincerely say sorry. He had his share of regrets, but watching his son stir on the wrong path was the worse.

    __________

    "I''m¡­ sorry¡­" Kakashi hung his head low, "I''ve brought you such bad news on this early morning."

    Karasu-niisan and I remained silent after the scarecrow spilled the beans he had been keeping since earlier at midnight. It seemed as though we left far too early yesterday, leaving old man Klavier all alone with his beloved piano¡ªburning grand piano.

    It was still unclear whether the old man burned himself, or someone had done that to him. I''d say the latter for a few pointed reasons¡ªKakashi had told us that the old man only knew how to control music jutsu''s (thanks to his bloodline) and not the angry flames, and he still have his "bucket list" to be fulfilled¡ªbut that won''t be finished anytime soon.

    "It seemed like they both finally reached their well-deserved rest¡ªthe piano and Rukas-san, I mean." It took me a lot of effort to not do a double take at the man who rarely speaks. So this is how the crow pays his respect to the dead, huh?

    The scarecrow slowly nodded.

    I simply whistled and tucked my lips into a thin line, neutral about the news my uncle brought us. "That''s¡­ unfortunate¡­" I scratched the back of my head, making my uncle raise a brow¡ªprobably thinking why I reacted that way. "At least, I made a great memory with him before the incident. He seemed to enjoy the duet I did with him." I smiled.

    Kakashi and Karasu-nii directed their gaze towards me before they revealed their smile through their eyes. "Looking at the bright side, huh?" My uncle smiled and ruffled my hair, "Taking everything easy, am I right, my cute little nephew? Though I still have many questions with your music capability, but that''s saved for later."

    I sweatdropped at the name he called me¡ªstill not used to the "my-cute-little-nephew" thing, like the "-kun" stuff I absolutely hate internally but chooses to not speak about it anyways.

    "For now, we''ll let the Konoha Military Police Force deal with Klavier-san''s death." Kakashi explained with his apologetic stare before walking past both Karasu-nii and I. "Oh," he suddenly stopped, making both of us turn to him, "you have all of this day to train or something¡ªbut your main task, Ori-kun, is to get Karasu''s mask."

    "Huh?" Both Karasu-nii and I blinked.

    Before he could poof away to somewhere, my uncle saluted, "A~nd, you can start now."

    "He''s leaving¡­ just like that?" I asked no one on particular. "What a drag." I sighed, slowly placing my gaze at the ANBU beside me.

    Kakashi had often left without a word for his duties as an ANBU captain. He never once really gave us any tasks before leaving unless he knows he''d be gone for a long period of time. This time, I''m sure something urgent happened, which meant that that Hatake plays an important role on the ''urgent matter''.

    The recent case, maybe?

    "So¡­" I smiled as I cleared away my thoughts, letting my hidden kunai''s fall from my sleeves before flicking them towards the said crow. But before the wired kunai''s pass through him, he had already poofed away.

    Onomatopoeia at its finest¡ªPOOF.

    "Not a chance." The crow''s voice echoed throughout the Training Ground 13.

    I narrowed my eyes, sharpening my senses, trying to find wherever tree the bird perched onto. ''This is gonna be a bit tough¡­'' I thought, suddenly feeling a quick chill at my back, like someone was watching me aside from Karasu-nii, making me look wherever.

    ''Why do I feel like something''s definitely gonna wrong?''

    __________

    Kakashi appeared right outside the Konaha Military Police Force, Investigatory Building, outside where all of the clan heads were meeting to discuss about current matters. The Hokage seemed to be in there as well.

    The reason where he would suddenly disappear out of sight is because of his part in the investigation project for the White Mask Case. It seemed as though when they targeted his beloved nephew, he became prepared to take the case. Though it took them a bit of time to dig in deeper, a crucial clue now appeared to give them the shed of light they needed to finish investigating.

    Pushing the door in a lazy manner, he was greeted by sharp gazes¡ªcourtesy from the serious clan heads. He simply bobbed his head to greet them and went to take the empty space beside the Hokage, who gave him a questioning look. He returned an apologetic eye-smile towards him.

    Someone coughed.

    "¡­ Like I said, for Kakashi to hear¡ªsince he''s VERY early," Fugaku of the Uchiha''s said sternly, "a mask was found near the burnt area. The blank mask that we knew from earlier cases seemed to be connected with this one." he showed a picture of an engraved mask.

    "Music notes have been engraved on them, though we still do not know if it has any meaning. A team''s working to decipher whether the emblazoned marks have meaning or not¡ªbut since no one''s expert in the music area, it''s going to take a bit of time." Inoichi stepped up, flipping through his clipboard.

    "Although the perpetrator only attacked the main families'' children, or the children of the ones close to the main branch, using mind-controlled members of our clans before, the cases from before are sure to connect with this one. Klavier-san did belong to ''that'' clan." The Uchiha''s clan head folded his arms, "These information still haven''t reached the public''s ears since panic may rise, but rumours may spread quick."

    Kakashi observed the meeting room as it fell into silence. Hiashi of the Hy¨±ga''s observed along with him.

    "Does Klavier-san have any living relatives?" The Akimichi clan head asked, tilting his head to the side.

    "Unfortunately," Shikaku took a step front, "there''s no known living Rukas clan members. Those musicians had been annihilated by their own kin¡ªa war between themselves. Only Klavier-san and his son, Xavier, managed to transfer to Konoha in time to save their dying selves."

    Simultaneously, the people inside the room moved their gaze to the Hokage.

    "Yes, I had indeed taken them in years ago." The Hokage heaved a sigh, answering their obvious question, "The only people who knew of this before was Danzo and Shikaku-kun¡ªfor Klavier and his son''s protection and anonymity."

    Fugaku refrained his mouth from hanging to stop his outburst. Instead, he calmly placed his hand over his face and sighed, "A pretty crucial part of the investigation has been revealed. Thank you." The Hokage only gave him a wry smile.

    The Hy¨±ga coughed, "And the son? I assume that he''d already passed away judging by the way you told us that this old man is¡ªwas¡ªthe only known living Rukas in the Land of Fire."

    "His son was considered dead," The Hokage narrowed his eyes, emphasising the past tense he used, "but since we''ve dabbled on this area, I have a faint feeling that he''s connected to all of these heinous acts. The only clan I know that can tackle onto the mind control area, aside from the Yamanaka''s, are definitely the Rukas''s. The music that the mind controlled victims described before falling into their, well, mind controlled state is also an obvious clue since the said clan adores music."

    Kakashi shared the same look as the Hokage under his mask. Gazing at the picture of the emblazoned white mask, he made sure to memorise all of the symbols seeing that he might actually have the gut feeling that someone he knows can crack this case¡ªthe topic is music, after all.

    His nephew has definitely taken an interest in that area. Who would''ve thought that his nephew can play an instrument? That child, for all he knows, haven''t escaped from his gaze so, how on earth did he manage to sneak the time to practice? He definitely need to ask that soon.

    Actually, can Kakashi memorise the marks? There are over seventy music notes on there. He might just actually ask for a written copy directly from someone from them. He doesn''t really have a photographic memory like some people thought¡ªhe just have a good memory, nothing more, nothing less.

    "Anyways," Fugaku sighed, "we also found this from the deceased''s pocket," he raised a plastic bag containing something nearly burnt, "a pendant of some sort. It acts a bit like a storage scroll, only which it needs specific chakra to work. Seeing that we have an idea of who can open it¡ªcommon sense, people, we won''t be opening this unless until we capture Klavier-san''s son."

    "So, our first priority for now is," The Nara head spoke up, "keep this away from the public as much as we can since, whew, rumours fly fast these days, and, of course, catch Rukas Klavier''s son, Rukas Xavier." He then cleared his throat, slipping a glance at the only Hatake inside the room.

    "I''ll be dispatching groups, preferably from the ANBU network since they fit the job perfectly, to stop rumours from spreading, scout for more, what we''ve assumed, mind control victims, and gather as much information as we can. Jounin groups will be needed as well for obvious reasons.

    Consulting people with interest in the music area will definitely be on the priority list too so, if anyone of you have, or know people who have knowledge on that space will definitely be welcome to take a written copy of the code¡ªjust ask from the people leading the Cipher Unit, whom Inoichi will be informing." With the Nara''s stern words, the Yamanaka nodded and quickly informed the people from the said unit using his clan''s ability.

    ''That was convenient.'' Kakashi thought, making sure to remember to stop by to the Cipher Unit to get a copy.

    Honestly, the meeting was definitely boring for Kakashi. He only ever listened to interesting things, and is so close to getting a certain orange book from his pouch to ease definite boredom. The only thing keeping him sane at the moment was the mind-set to get a copy of the code for his nephew.

    Several agonising hours later, the meeting finally ended, ending Kakashi''s boredom. He actually ran out, almost forgetting about the thing he kept reminding himself about. Stepping into the Cipher Unit Building, he was greeted with welcoming stares coming from people behind glasses. He asked for a copy and one of the Cipher agents smiled at him.

    "Oh? You have an idea how to crack this definition of a migraine?" The agent asked in a sarcastic demeanour while handing him a piece of paper, trying to lighten up the anbu in front of him.

    Kakashi whistled, smiling behind his mask. Somehow, one can actually "see" him smiling¡ªhis vibe literally gave it off. "I know someone who might be able to help. He might surprise me again on this one¡ªhe''s full of surprises, really." Kakashi told the agent truthfully, his tone full of pride for his beloved nephew.

    It might not look like it, but Kakashi is the type of person who''d put his beloveds'' safety first before him¡ªafter learning his lesson. After all, in the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, which is very true, but those who abandon their friends, and families, are worse than scum.

    After a brief goodbye, he stepped out of the building, a breeze snatching away the paper from his hands. He swiftly ran after it and caught it, getting a small paper cut as a result. He narrowed his eyes, a bad feeling washing over him. ''Why did I¡­'' he was snapped out as a sudden wave of chakra signal burst near Training Ground #13¡ªwhere he left Orion and Karasu.

    He recognise the repetitive chakra signal bursts being three long bursts between two three short ones (¡­---¡­). "Fuck." He could only curse as he recognised the distress signal, running through a quick seal then quickly appearing in the near radius of the distress call.

    An unmasked, almost unrecognisable Karasu lied down, blood scattered around him with the source being a hole plunged onto his right chest. He was alive, barely. If it weren''t for the crow mask next to him, Kakashi would''ve not recognised him.

    After seeing his subordinate, the only thing inside his mind right now is the safety of his nephew.

    Kakashi whipped his head to his right after hearing a whimper coming from a meter away. The sight of Orion in the hands of a bloodied-white-masked man definitely made his blood boil.

    With his kunai in hand, he slammed his hand onto the neck of his subordinate and nephew''s attacker, pushing the said man through several trees before stopping hard on a boulder.

    "Get the fuck away from Orion."

 14 A Child Full of Surprises

    It''s kaa-san''s sixth month; she wasn''t supposed to be this stressed. Kaa-san has been taking care of me since almost a week ago because of a sudden attack; I don''t want to be the reason to lose my sibling. I made kaa-san worried so much¡­ tou-san too.

    Karasu-nii? I don''t know about him. I haven''t heard about him since I woke up a few hours ago. I''m honestly scared¡ªwho wouldn''t be? We got jumped by an enemy nin because I lowered our guard for a mere moment. If Karasu-nii hadn''t pushed me away to take the blow I would''ve¡­ If¡­ if he hadn''t burst out the wave of distress call before he passed out¡­

    I''m glad someone came, really.

    I''m grateful to have him¡ªI''m not even surprised to learn who''s behind the crow mask; I''m just lucky I''m still alive.

    Hopefully, he is too.

    __________

    Hopping tree to tree, I''ve managed to close my gap between the crow and I. I feel like that crow can go faster but is dumbing down his speed for me to catch up. That jerk. He''s just leading me in circles around Training Ground #13, which is very boring, if you ask me; I want to spice things up.

    Running through a few hand seals, I quickly pushed a steady amount of chakra on my feet (keeping in mind not to put too much or I''ll be damned with a broken pair of feet) and used my shadows to form a hundred of Kage Nui threads¡ªnow much effective and I can control much more progressively than before. What I''m doing right now can be a bit mentally tiring since I''m controlling two things at once, but everything''s gonna be worth it since the reward is the underneath of the crow''s mask.

    Mad chakra control is what''s helping me, which I need to thank the Nara head and my bastard uncle for. At first this stuff was ought to be difficult, but because of the badass I am, I pulled through and even managed to reinforce an existing Nara shadow jutsu.

    Resembling roots growing from a tree in an incredible speed, I extended my shadow threads, ready to cage up the crow inside. With my phase and force, I''m sure I can catch this raven under his mask. "Hah! Got you no¡ªnever mind." I sighed as I helplessly watched the damned crow disappear just when my cage made out of shadow strings was about to enclose him.

    I turned to my right as my Kage Nui slowly go back to my shadow. I was greeted with Karasu''s amused stare through his mask.

    He had his arms crossed while leaning on the tree, watching me through his mask. "That was actually quite surprising, Orion." He mused, "I was lucky I could escape from that one. What would you like to call it? Shadow Cage or something? That would certainly be helpful to catch a target, but not enough to catch me, I''m afraid." He shook his head. His statement was kind of mocking actually; pretty rude.

    I smiled, "You''re being talkative, Karasu-nii. That''s quite unusual." I hummed, stretching my arms up high, "But you know? I actually have a very, very great advantage here." I looked at my nails before looking at him, noticing his curious eyes.

    Of course, it didn''t take long to realise what my advantage was. Distraction was my core, letting his gaze follow my hand. Before he hopped away from the branch, my Kage Mane no Jutsu already reached him. "Shadow possession complete." I imitated what future Shika-kun would''ve said, smiling at the frozen target in front of me. It might''ve been clever, but I just remembered that I can extend my shadow paralysing technique using shadows¡ªsilly me. Pfft. This is a forest, darn it.

    "Clever." Karasu-nii sighed, "Maybe we can talk about this? I''ll take you to the candy store if you let me go?" I shook my head at that. It''s rather inconvenient to hold a conversation right now¡ªI literally only have a minute to maintain this jutsu or I''d be drained. I can''t have the crow to bring me to the scarecrow, proudly saying that he had gotten away.

    Without hesitating, I stood straight and hovered my hand in front of my face, which he mirrored. I motioned myself like I was about to remove my own non-existent mask, him doing the same. I know I have a faint idea of who he is, but I need to confirm it to make myself proud, to get the last laugh.

    "Ori-kun, please¡­" The crow laughed, his hands twitching as he fought with my jutsu. It''s easier to do the damned thing if he''s not resisting. "Not gonna happen." I told him, biting my lips as I prepared to pull his mask away, "This one''s my win."

    Just before I do though, a random, unfamiliar tune played, making me stop and, unfortunately, letting the damned crow break away from my jutsu and disappear off to nowhere. I was thrown back for a moment from the backlash of my shadow binding getting broken, losing my footing on the branch I was standing on. Luckily, I managed to regain my footing once I was down on the ground, stumbling back a bit and landing on my butt.

    "Can we call timeout first, Karasu-nii?" I whispered questioningly, knowing he can hear me since I can feel him nearby. Without a second later, he appeared in front of me, crouching down with his eyes wandering around cautiously. "You heard it too, right?" I asked him in a low tone, he nodded.

    The sound we heard was rather¡­ intriguing and quite unique. I do not recognise it from the modern world I had come from. Sometimes, the chosen keys blends well with each other but soon, it drops into a rather annoying sound then back again to the nice tune.

    I don''t know if my perfect pitch is working in this world¡ªit''s definitely not showing any signs of showing up soon, but training in the music area will definitely aid me again¡ªbecause it can definitely help me identify the notes used in there. I can most definitely hear an A, two E''s¡­ another A¡­ whew. It''s rather hard to follow, but its beat is just right around 120¡­

    Ugh. It''s hard. I need to write it down somewhere. It''s actually a bit convenient for it to play in a loop¡ªI just gotta remember that it starts with A in G-scale, I think. ''Arghh¡­ I don''t know anymore¡­'' I sighed, frustrated about the fact that I''ve gotten rusty in a short amount of time.

    "It''s quite catchy, ain''t it?" The crow asked me, making me forget my thoughts temporarily. "Yup." I agreed, popping the letter ''P'' of my word before diving back into my own mind once again, dwelling in deep thoughts, trying to figure out what on earth the tune is doing in the middle of a forest.

    "It stopped." The crow''s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

    I blinked.

    He returned it.

    Somehow, the atmosphere thickened; absolute pressure pressed onto our backs. It was harder to breathe, but Karasu-nii doesn''t seem to be affected. "Ori¡­?" He trailed of, pausing when we both heard the bush nearby rustle.

    Silence took over as we warily eyed the poor bush. We went on guard, grabbing our own chosen weapon: my kunai and his tant¨­. It was a tense minute, not a single muscle move until the bush shook again. The crow glanced at me, nodding with me as we both cautiously approached the rustling bush. The tune definitely came from the general direction so, we took extra guard nearing the thing.

    We can''t waste this opportunity if it''s an enemy.

    "What the¡ª" Startled by the rabbit that came out of the mentioned bush, I walked back, sighing in relief when the once we thought an enemy turned out to be just a rabbit.

    I didn''t realise that lowering my guard in a split second would cause absolute disaster. Kami knows how fast things happened. I was staring at the rabbit, and the next thing I know, I was pushed out. That fateful second, everything somehow slowed down as I was realising what the hell was happening.

    Note: realising.

    I saw how Karasu-nii''s dark, curly hair shifted into a hue of dark blue as the shy rays of sun went through the thick leaves of the forest; his hair bounced accordingly to his sudden action of pushing me. Slowly, his mask started crumble as a transparent ray, whatever that was, brushed through it and to his right chest.

    "Y-You''re¡­!" My eyes widened. As of now, I don''t need to panic just because I''ve learned who he actually is (and my intuition was right¡ª), but I''m panicking from another reason.

    It went through him, creating a gaping hole through his chest. Through. His. Chest. The formal speed around me quickly went back, and we both skidded on the ground because of the force he had used to push me out of the attack''s way. Fuck pain. I couldn''t feel anything as panic rose. His face was close to mine, right eye closed, his defined, long lashes touching his cheek, with blood dripping from his mouth. He coughed, sending blood down to me.

    He was smiling, damn it. His innocent, bare darn face gave me a reassuring smile. Hell no, I ain''t accepting that smile¡ªhe''s not going to die because of me, but I''m paralysed by shock at the freaking moment. ''Move damn it.'' I gritted my teeth, hands shaking as I try to pose myself up.

    "Shh¡­" He pressed his index finger on his lips, smile not faltering. "I''ll take¡­" His jagged breath made him pause; he coughed again, "¡­ I''ll take care of this, okay? You go hide¡­ hide somewhere¡­" He looked up, standing up before tumbling back a couple of steps.

    "¡­" I was too¡­ shocked to move nor speak. Things happening at once is definitely overwhelming¡ªit takes a couple seconds more to process every single thing.

    The one thing keeping me rational right now is the beautiful sight of Sharingan commas spinning in the wounded young man''s eyes in front of me as I lay prone to endangerment on the ground¡ªeven I haven''t thought I''d be calling the d¨­jutsu beautiful. I could feel dangerous yet warm gaze he''s giving me through those red eyes, as if telling me to ''go and hide because I need you to''.

    He had such understandable warm eyes, yet even those pair of eyes tells me he''s in pain right now. I don''t want to leave him here, running away just to save my sorry arse.

    Breathing shakily, I stood up, him following me with his reddened gaze. "Sorry, niisan, but¡­ I''m staying." He remained silent, trailing my eyes over to where the transparent ray that hurt him came from; from the branches high and above us. "I have a¡­ feeling that¡­ the surprising gift wasn''t meant for you." I narrowed my eyes as I found the attacker, wearing a familiar white mask.

    "Orion." Niisan''s voice was rather stern, as if ordering me to not defy what he had told me.

    "I''m staying." I voiced out, "It''s my fault you''re injured right now. It''s quite troublesome to leave you knowing that¡­ you''re at disadvantage." I''m lying, and he knows that. He knows that even I only have a slight chance of escaping, having a depleted chakra and all from the task to get his mask off before this storm of disaster.

    He remained silent, nodding once in defeat, clicking his tongue. "If you die before me, I''m going to kill you again." He humoured as he disappeared from where he was, appearing above the perpetrator, aiming to knock him in one go to finish everything quickly, but that''d be a great victory if he actually made it.

    The attacker dodged with ease, disappearing without a trace.

    Niisan took his place on the branch, scouting around while also running through some seals that I couldn''t read¡ªit was too fast¡ªcreating tangible after-images of himself that scattered around, with three enclosing me in a triangular defence formation. "Niisan!" I retaliated. He definitely does not want me to fight, resorting me to be enclosed by his¡­ clones¡ªafter-images?¡ªand not get a chance to get out but feel like a bird caged away from freedom. One of his clones looked back down at me, smiling apologetically.

    "Stay put for now, okay?" His lips curled into another caring smile. "Niisan''s gonna take care of this." He looked away, embracing his role as the person whom I''ve been calling older brother from the very first time we met. He''s rather calm and collected in this situation, given by the fact that he had gone through things even before I was born.

    A squelch made me snap my head to where the white-masked man and niisan are fighting. Just then, a clone disappeared. It didn''t poof or anything, it just dissolved into nothing, which leads me to believe that I was right about them being after-images from great speed, usually those who mastered the Body Flicker jutsu and the like.

    Damn. This niisan lives up to his name.

    His opponent, a man behind a white mask wearing pure white clothes¡ªwhite suit, pants, shoes, tie, you name it¡ªlooks like he hasn''t even batted a single sweat over this. Honestly, the only thing missing now is the white hair; his brown, blackish hair ruined his white attire. If anything, I could guess his name would definitely be Shiro. If not, he lost the chance to call himself that.

    The man in white laughed in a mocking tone, placing his hand on his mark, the part that''s supposed to be his mouth. "I expected more from an Uchiha." He mused, grabbing an after-image''s shirt''s collar before wrapping his free hand onto his neck, "I overestimated you." A loud, sickening crunch reverberated in the forest as he crushed the after-image''s neck. It dissipated not even a second later.

    This made me ball my already shaking fists, a bad feeling washing over me. Even though it''s just an after-image, the man in white showed no mercy. If it was the real one¡­ I don''t even know what to think.

    What if we don''t survive? Are we¡­ am I gonna die again? Am I going to die in vain, just being a boulder to slow the one person who could''ve saved himself if he didn''t pushed me away? Am I going to go through the cycle of death once again?

    Just then, a thought occurred to me. I''m not going to see my sibling ever get born if I''m gone. It''s painful enough to leave behind my beloved when ''that'' sudden incident befell on my life. I don''t want to leave. I''ve made this once escape from reality to my reality.

    Right, I haven''t done anything significant yet.

    No one''s gonna miss me here.

    A laugh escaped through my shaking lips, the after-image surrounding me looking back at me with utter concern. "Oi, Orion." He called through his jagged breathing; a smile curved over to my lips.

    Not a second later, the after-images that enclosed and protected me disappeared in an instant, not even leaving a single trace but a soft breeze. I swiftly looked to wherever niisan was, and was baffled by the sight of him; the man in white had his hand over to niisan''s head, gripping so tightly that his curly hair had stood up clear, reflecting the blurred lights coming from above before bashing the anbu''s face onto a tree.

    I froze as the man pulled back the crow''s head that was once dug deep into the trunk of the tree.

    I may sound crazy but, another laugh escaped from my lips.

    The man stepped back and threw the unrecognisable crow onto the ground, bathing in his own blood, before looking back at me, eyes glinting with glee. "Yare, yare¡­" He mused, placing his gloved hands on his waist, "has your insanity already fallen over," he paused, taking a couple steps forward, "O-ri-on."

    "Right now I¡­" I said under my breath, taking a step back, balling my fists harder.

    "Hm¡­?" His amused tone can''t be brushed off.

    "Right now¡­" I laughed, placing my shaking hands on my thigh; he raised his brow at my words, "my sanity can really be questioned¡­"

    The man stopped on his tracks, tilting his head to the side. "Huh?"

    ''Some people might remember me¡­'' I heaved a sigh, my smile getting wider, ''But people will surely mourn over niisan if...''

    "What the¡ª"

    In an instant, using tangible shadows beneath my feet as my stepping stones from instinct, getting some inspiration from niisan''s after-images speed and efficiency (from not disappearing by pouring constant flow of chakra in them), I appeared behind the crazy man (like I can''t call myself crazy) with incredible speed, pointing the kunai in my hand on his neck.

    "It seems like," I whispered in his ears, breathing jaggedly as I push my kunai a bit deeper and causing him to bleed, "my sanity did fall over."

    "Woah, woah¡­!" The man in mask raised his hands in a surrendering manner, "I didn''t expect for you to have that great of a speed. ''He'' only told me about your abnormally high learning capacity, but he didn''t tell a word of your speed, geez." He shrugged, eyes shining through his mask. "But you''re still a child, after all."

    He disappeared from my grasp, making me fall over the ground before reappearing a few feet in front of me. I recovered quickly and stood on my feet. Although shaking a bit from my chakra depletion and state of shock, I forced myself to look up to see where he is.

    He stood tall and proud, not even a hint of hesitation could be seen on him. I didn''t notice this before, but it seems like he had attain some injuries from his fight with the crow, staining his once white tattered attire with his own crimson blood.

    I might''ve missed his and niisan''s fight because I was clouded with thoughts of dying once again. Well, at least my mind is cleared up for now¡­ I can somewhat focus even just for a bit. Maybe use this focus to stall time until someone notices the dissipating chakra coming from this way.

    Then again, this is a training ground¡ªno one will pay attention to the disappearing chakra and would just conclude that people who were using this area had overworked themselves, that or until one of our chakra completely vanish, someone then will come to investigate what had happened.

    "Tired already?" The man in front asked, combing his fingers through his dark hair, "Sorry but¡­ no one will help. People these days are becoming quite ignorant after all."

    His tone tells me he''s very confident with whatever plans he has in tow. "You''ve been¡­ watching, aren''t you?" I threw in the question, playing with the kunai in my left hand. He narrowed his eyes.

    "Oh~ho-ho¡­" He chuckled, "I didn''t actually think you''d notice¡­" He smiled, crouching down before he began playing with the random patch of grass he had touched. "You''ve seen through from the beginning." He paused, eyes sharpening as his gaze befell on mine.

    I stiffened. It wasn''t a question, which means he also knew.

    "Why didn''t you tell anyone?" Why does he sound like¡­ almost like¡­ "You felt my presence earlier yet you wasted the chance."

    ¡­

    He sound like he''s disappointed and¡­ almost sad?

    Why?

    "You. Had. A. Chance." He stopped at his every word as he stood up from his place, "Yet you wasted it."

    My rather young body couldn''t comprehend what on earth happened next. I could explain it as¡­ "painfully beautiful"¡ªwhy? A soothing melody played and danced in my ears, sending me in a calm state. It was not long until I''ve realised that something was definitely going on.

    I was snapped back into reality just in time to see the man, whom I''ve already decided to mentally call Shiro (though I actually regret that a bit because I had a dog named Shiro in my past life¡ªand I love that pup) at this rightful moment, cast his last seal in a graceful way before a familiar transparent ray came out from his hands that I had once seen pierce through the crow.

    I have no time to admire the darn sound wave manipulated to be a killer-weapon for now.

    I need to fucking dodge that or I''m gonna be a goner for real.

    Blasting a bit of my remaining chakra to my left foot, I launched sideward to my right, the ray of sound wave nicking my left arm. I tumbled and skidded onto the ground as I held my painful injury burning in my arm, refraining from shouting and gritting my teeth instead. Now, I look rather miserable; if I use any more chakra, I''d die out of draining my own life force rather than dying in Shiro''s hands.

    "A tough one, eh?" He smiled, taking something from his pockets. Of course, despite having injuries, I went on immediate guard, learning my lesson to never let it drop even by chance. I still kept my guard up as he took out white gloves, wearing them as carefully as he can. "''He'' did say you''re quite resilient for your age. Now that I think about it, I think you''re pretty similar to him..."

    His loud mumble caught my attention. I narrowed my eyes.

    "A body of a child yet a mind of an adult¡­" he pointed out. I didn''t react and raised my kunai in my right hand. "Of course no one would suspect that¡­ you were born¡ªno." He paused, looking at me with an excited stare through his white mask. What he said next really caught me off guard.

    "You were reborn as a Nara, after all."

    I froze, mind ready to shut down any given moment. ''Wha¡ª Who¡ª Just who is the guy behind this curious bastard?''

    "Ah, I wonder what it''s like to know what had happened in the past of your world¡­ and to know what will happen in the future of this world¡­" He smiled. "Well, as crazy as I might sound," he started waving his hands, as if telling a tale to a kid, "I might actually believe him that¡­ both of you came from another world." He snickered, shaking his head.

    "Never mind¡ª''he''s'' rather insane. Who would believe ''him'', right?" He gave his stinging gaze at me, which I''m sure is paired with a sick smile behind his mask, "You''re just a genius from the Nara''s, right?"

    "Right?" He repeated.

    I replied with a nod, still frozen in spot.

    "Hah! Got that right, at least." Shiro laughed, clapping his hands. "Wait until I tell Gee-sama that! Pfft¡ªhuh? Come on. We''re only starting. Don''t drop down now."

    This small body couldn''t do any more after all. I''ve exceeded this body''s limit and it''s giving up on me now. Black dots are appearing in the corner of my eyes¡­ which is definitely not a good sign. I started swaying left and right, soon falling forwards, using my right side for support to not face plant completely on the ground.

    To think that someone¡­ knows that¡­ I''ve been reborn. I do not know who Shiro''s master is, but he sure does know a lot, which is very problematic.

    I didn''t even realise that Shiro''s in front of me now. Everything became blurry. It''s kind of nostalgic though; I became too used to seeing clearly without the use of glasses that I''ve forgotten how it''s like to have blurry eyes.

    Ah, shame. I think I forgot to give Shika-kun that book he wanted... Did I water the plants? Kaa-san''s gonna be sad if the roses in her room wither¡­

    Shiro approached closer, placing his foot onto my back, forcing me down on the ground.

    I suddenly saw kaa-san''s smile¡­

    ¡­ tou-san''s bicker with Shikaku-sama¡­

    ¡­ Shika-kun''s annoyed face¡­

    I wonder what my sibling''s gender is all of a sudden¡­

    An imouto would definitely be nice¡­

    Shiro crouched down and lifted me up by grabbing my hair before using his other to hold me by my neck.

    I''m pathetic, aren''t I? Dying at such young age¡­ even bringing someone rather important down with me. Honestly, I want to live, I really do.

    I trailed my eyes over to the splattered blood not far from me, seeing the bloodied face of the crow that had vowed to be by my side in order to protect me. He gave me a mixture of apologetic and reassuring smile, like he''s saying that "I''m sorry for making you go through this, you''ll be all fine soon so just hang in there."

    He smiled again, firing off a loop of distress signal, wasting his already depleted chakra.

    Niisan''s smiling as he flared off his chakra away.

    Shisui was smiling, embracing the touch of death brushing on him.

    Shunshin no Shisui.

    Body Flicker Shisui.

    The Teleporter.

    Whatever you call him.

    He''s fucking smiling.

    Fear, anger, pity, helplessness¡­ Is this how Cherry felt when I left her with a smile? A god darn smile?

    If it weren''t for me, he could''ve used the max of his ability to take down Shiro yet¡­ he chose my safety over his.

    How selfless.

    A~h¡­ I can''t think straight now¡­ Is this how one''s life flash before his eyes?

    I sighed. I''m just angry right now.

    I gave my glare to the person holding me by my neck as an extremely cold feeling touched my left eye, blurring my right eye''s vision. I gripped tighter on his hand, but Shiro seemed to have been frozen in place. Sadly, I can''t see a thing clearly at the moment.

    The only thing I know is that I''m desperate to live to save Shisui-nii¡­ and all I can do now is to hope that I someone, somewhere, picked up his signal.

    Fuck¡­ I''m gradually losing my consciousness¡­

    ''Not now¡­''

    "Get the fuck away from Orion."

    Well, that''s a pleasant tone to hear¡­

    "You''re¡­ late¡­"

    Then everything went pitch black.

    __________

    Kakashi stared at the masked man in front of him with great fury as he slammed him into trees and finally, onto a hard boulder. "Don''t you dare hold my nephew with your bloodied hands." He couldn''t think straight for a moment, but he soon regained his stand back, tightly gripping onto the man''s neck.

    Then he paused. ''Why didn''t he react?'' Kakashi thought, waiting for the dust and particles to clear out for him to identify the reason. To be honest, he really wanted to kill the guy in one quick swing, but he thought otherwise: resorting to a more¡­ painfully long death for him to give the man.

    The dust cleared, and Kakashi found the reason why his enemy-turned-victim had not reacted from his attack. Through the masked man''s eyes, he saw that fear and terror enveloped the eyes of his nephew and subordinate''s attacker.

    Just what on earth did the man saw to be this frozen in fear? What the hell is the reason for him to¡ª

    "You''re¡­" Kakashi swung his head to hear his nephew''s words, "¡­ late¡­"

    Oh.

    OH.

    He froze as soon as he met Orion''s fainting gaze. ''D¨­jutsu?'' He thought, completely enthralled by the golden glow his nephew''s left eye gave before he closed his eyes and lost his consciousness. ''I''ve never seen such thing¡ª''

    "M-Monster¡­" He quickly looked back to the masked man who spoke chilling words, "Gee-sama was right¡­ humanity will end¡­" Kakashi pushed the man harder onto the hard surface of the boulder, but to his dismay, the man only chuckled, soon turning to laughter, "I will kill him¡­ don''t worry, child. Just you wait¡­"

    The masked man''s voice echoed as he vanished, giving Kakashi no chance to even beat the daylight out of him.

    "Double fuck. Make that triple." Kakashi cussed, punching the boulder with all his might, ''He got away.''

    Holding the self-inflicted wound on his fist, he turned back, quickly making his way to Orion and Karasu, or, well, Shisui. He stared down at his nephew as alerted shinobi''s and anbu''s made their way to them, already assisting the fallen anbu lying down on the ground, making him steal a gaze on the bleeding crow.

    "You did your part, Shisui¡­ I''m sorry¡­" Kakashi closed his eyes before looking back at his nephew, crouching down and inspecting the injury the young child had to endure. "I''m sorry that I''m late¡­ a rather boring meeting held uncle up¡­" He whispered at the unconscious child.

    He could tell that the two fought hard to stall time and to survive, especially Shisui. Kakashi understands why the young Uchiha had taken a liking on his nephew. Orion''s full of surprises after all. Heck, even in battle, the child doesn''t cease to amaze them.

    D¨­jutsu? Really? He doesn''t recall anything like the one in Orion''s eye being told or had been recorded in any book¡ªfor now, anyways.

    He sighed, picking up the young child and carrying him in his arms. Kaiya''s gonna kill her for sure when she hears of this. Shikakuro too.

    Oh, dear.

    Oh-fucking-dear.

    He can practically hear the woman scolding him and practically feel the sadistic man''s torture. Well, being sadistic to fend off of another secretly horrible bastard is actually understandable. You could say Kakashi picked up his sadistic demeanor from him.

    ''Well, that''s two things to worry about¡­''

    Never judge a book by its cover¡ªhe learned that too from his brother-in-law. The man might look like he''s the nicest and "bestest" person ever to be born, but don''t ever get to his bad side. One can never know how on earth he or she died.

    Kakashi most definitely know the reason why Shikakuro was dubbed as "that" name in the battlefields.

    He sighed, rushing to the medics that have arrived at the scene.

    ''Shit.''

 15 Fondness

    Recovering wasn''t really the issue right now¡ªit''s when I''d be able to get out and see Shisui. I still don''t know what happened to him, or what will happen to him. I knew he was still conscious when the Shiro guy was talking about the reborn shit, which I''m still trying to figure out who on earth is behind the information, so he''ll definitely be in danger holding that data¡ªeven if he waves it off as an absurd story.

    Whatever would people think if they hear of my story coming from another world? People might think that I do not, will not ever belong in this world.

    Oh, if I didn''t have common sense in the back of my mind, and if he wasn''t really Shisui, I don''t mind him dying. But the thing is, he is. I''m not an idiot to let a very important person die just because of me. I sighed. I really hate hospitals. I''m confined in a small place and have no freedom until I get better. I want to see the damned crow right now.

    It''s been almost a week too.

    The door opened as I leaned on the hard hospital pillow, taking my attention and my thoughts off of my head¡ªfor now. I was greeted by a worrisome gaze coming from a white-haired woman, kaa-san. She smiled warmly, bringing in a bouquet of flowers to the bedside table near the window. "From Ino." She simply stated, taking the seat next to the bed, I nodded.

    She smiled, placing her hand over her lips, letting out a soft chuckle, "You''re just like Kashi-kun, you know? He hates¡ªno, despises hospitals." She seemed like she''s recalling some worthwhile memories, smiling as she shares them to me. "He hates the medical smell¡­ the way the staffs confines him in a room¡­" She trailed off, her brown, greyish stare falling onto mine. "You don''t say a single word, but your eyes do tell me every single thing. You''re my son, after all."

    My eyes widened at her words, tears dwelling at the edge of my eyes. Right. I''m her son. I was born¡ªno, reborn here for a reason. Maybe. My words remained unspoken, but my thanks reached her, seeing that she had placed her hand over mine.

    "I know how badly you wanted to see Karasu, no, Shisui-kun¡­" I perked up at her words, blinking away the tears in my eyes. "I¡­ He''s¡­ he''s doing okay." She smiled, looking at the bouquet of flowers she had brought me, "The very first thing he wanted to know when he woke up was your condition¡­ though his is rather worse than yours." She started arranging the flowers into a white vase, pouring water into it. "I''m proud at the both of you. He told me how you fought bravely¡ªas reckless as his captain, your uncle." She chuckled, a sigh leaving her lips.

    Kakashi? Oh, yeah¡­ where is he? I''ve never seen him ever since I woke up. "Where is he? Uncle Kakashi, I mean¡­" I need to thank him.

    "He''s with Shisui-kun¡­ that child needed a bit of scolding because of his recklessness. Of course, that goes for you as well." I swear I saw a smile on her face just now.

    Kaa-san, what the heck?

    I shivered, "R-Right¡­"

    Kaa-san''s scary all of a sudden. Is my family full of sadistic bunch or what? First was Kakashi, now my mother. The next thing I''ll see is that my father''s one of them too¡ªand I don''t want that as a reality. Fuck, my fam''s a bunch of scary individuals, though their looks can really be deceiving. Soon, I won''t realise that I''ve become one of them too.

    Or is it just because she''s a Hatake? I''m seeing a blurred pattern here.

    "That can wait for now." Kaa-san smiled, standing and placing her hand on her bulging belly, "I know you''re eager to see the hasty crow." She reached out her hand, "Let''s go."

    I''m more than happy to hear her say that¡ªwell, happier that I''ve dodged the bullet, aka kaa-san''s scolding. I immediately stood up, ignoring my casted left arm before running next to her and taking her hand with my right one. She assisted me and led me to wherever the crow was.

    Along the way, we were greeted by smiles and waves. It might''ve been just their way of respect (because Japanese people are the bestest), but their eyes were definitely looking up to kaa-san. I snagged a glance at her as she smiled back to the people.

    ''Just who on earth is kaa-san?'' I thought. Her smile sure is scarier than Unohana''s from Bleach when you get to her bad side¡ªwhich I''m hanging over by a thin thread right now. I don''t want that thread to break¡­ I need to be careful from now on if I don''t want that to happen.

    "Here we are." Kaa-san''s voice made me look up to her, realising that we''ve already reached the room the crow''s resting in. "Though, I have to leave for a moment, okay? Your tou-san''s gonna pick you up here later on." She smiled, patting my head before knocking. "''Kashi-kun, Ori-kun''s here. I''m leaving him to you." She smiled before turning away and leaving me in the hall, letting her unspoken words of, "Don''t ever let that happen again," flow in her tone.

    "Kami¡­ neesan''s scary¡­" Kakashi opened the door, letting out a breath that he seemed to have been holding. "Then," He sighed, calling me in with his eye smile, "come in."

    I was greeted with a wave from a young man lying on a hospital bed. The light behind him shone upon him, inviting me to approach him and dive in with a hug. I''m too relieved that he''s safe that I moved without thinking, now hugging him with my one working arm. Tears erupted from my eyes, but I kept my face burrowed into his chest.

    Ah~¡­ pathetic me. Can you believe that? A, what, now mentally 32-year old crying over someone? Well, I''m in a four year old''s body after all¡­ maybe it''s also affecting my mind.

    "Now I''m jealous." I heard the scarecrow mutter under his breath, crossing his arms. "My own nephew doesn''t hug me like that, and he loves someone more over me?" Oh, drama queen.

    I sniffed and pulled myself up, meeting the warm gaze coming from Shisui. I then glared at my dramatic uncle, "Shut up¡­" I pouted (pouted? Seriously? I''m disgusted¡ª), sluggishly wiping the tears from my reddened cheeks.

    "Uwa¡ªI didn''t actually think you''ll cry¡­!" Kakashi approached the both of us, taking a handkerchief from his pockets and using it to wipe my tears away. He then smiled, "I know you''re just worried but," he lightly punched Shisui on his shoulder, "this young man right here is tougher than you think, am I right, Shisui-kun?"

    "Itte¡ª" The young man swatted away the scarecrow''s hand, "That hurt ''ya know, captain¡­" He then sighed, ruffling my silver hair, "That''s right. I wasn''t called Shunshin no Shisui for nothing, little Ori."

    I looked down as my small body sat on his lap, still feeling a bit guilty because he got hurt because of me. His finger brushed on my chin, making me look up. He then flicked my forehead with his fingers, which only hurt. "Ow¡ª" I covered my forehead with my uninjured hand.

    "Come on now," He smiled, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side, "that won''t happen next time, okay? I promise that." He then chuckled, placing his hand onto my right shoulder, "Honestly, you''re just like my little brother back at home." He opened his eyes, his pupils glistening in amusement, "You both are tiny, but both have the guts to fight."

    Little brother? I wouldn''t call Itachi tiny though¡­

    "You basically remind me of him." He ended, ruffling my hair again, now into a complete mess. "You wouldn''t mind if I call you my little bro, right?"

    Oh please¡ª"No! Not at all." I forced a smile on my shaking lips, "Shisui-niisan!"

    __________

    He doesn''t know why, but it was rather uplifting to know that the little silver-haired toddler was alright. Shisui was¡ªstill is, very fond of Orion probably because of the fact that the young lad reminds him of someone, and something very important: Itachi, and that there''s no problem that couldn''t be solved by perseverance.

    Hell, Orion actually finally finished the jutsu he''s been working on then and there. He remember how the young child would constantly fall from the heavens (literally) just because he kept going on about this "shadow step" thing he''s trying to perfect from the last few months ever since he''s been with him.

    The lad''s been asking tips on him, and Shisui''s really glad he had helped. The child might''ve actually taken a bit of idea from the after-images he saw from the fight¡ªhe became so fast that even the Shunshin master didn''t even see him. Orion literally combined Shunshin and his very own "Shadow Step" in one move. How? Shisui doesn''t know, but he knows that Orion is a very fast learner.

    If that won''t amaze anyone, Shisui''s gonna punch himself on the face. Like, seriously? A four year old squirt has already created an effective jutsu on his own? That''s more than impressive than four year old Shisui back in his day. If he wasn''t confined in a hospital room right now, he''ll carry the child on top of the Hokage Mountain and present him to everyone and declare him as the real genius in his generation.

    Definitely not referencing onto something.

    Definitely.

    But, thinking back to the white masked man that had attacked them¡ªhis words¡­ are they true? Orion coming from another world through the process of being reborn? Sure, at first, it was rather hard to believe, but considering how the child could understand everything very quickly¡ªand sometimes, it''s as though he''s expecting them, it''s very possible.

    Of course, Orion''s Nara and Hatake blood, the blood of geniuses, might be the reason for this, but those shits may very well add up if Orion had come from another world knowing this world''s future¡ªif that''s what the man had meant with his words to the child.

    ["A body of a child yet a mind of an adult¡­" The masked man pointed out. Orion didn''t react and raised his kunai instead. "Of course no one would suspect that¡­ you were born¡ªno." He paused, looking at the lad with an excited stare through his white mask.

    Shisui narrowed his eyes, activating his Sharingan.

    "You were reborn as a Nara, after all."

    Shisui quickly gazed back at the child, staring frozen as his red eyes locked onto Orion''s golden left eye. It was like the child had been caught¡ªa deer caught in headlights in a highway, as still as Shisui as well. His awakened Sharingan had no match for the chilling gaze of the child''s golden eye.

    ''What the¡ª''

    "Ah, I wonder what it''s like to know what had happened in the past of your world¡­ and to know what will happen in the future of this world¡­" The masked man smiled at Orion as Shisui tried to lift himself up. "Well, as crazy as I might sound," the man started waving his hands, as if telling a tale to a kid, "I might actually believe him that¡­ both of you came from another world." He snickered, shaking his head.

    Shisui narrowed his eyes, fighting off his slipping consciousness.]

    Oh, yeah. There''s that golden eye as well. Kakashi had discussed it with Shisui, but there are definitely no known records of its existence in the shinobi world. Geez. The kid''s full of surprises. It''s common sense that they need to keep that eye a secret for now. Even the owner of the eye looks like he doesn''t know a thing about it nor had he spoken a word about it.

    For now, they chose to not bother Orion about it since both Shisui and the said child needs to recover first. Well, Kakashi took the task to drill questions to his nephew once they get out of the barren hospital.

    Ugh. The strong clinical smell plus Kakashi''s strong sense of smell is not mixing well. "I''m going out for a moment, Shisui-kun." He waved, the young man nodded.

    A knock then made both of them look at the door, eyeing it curiously before gulping as a familiar tone silently threatened them through the door, "''Kashi-kun, Ori-kun''s here. I''m leaving him to you."

    The two men in the room looked at each other, sweat trickling down their foreheads. "Kami¡­ neesan''s scary¡­" Kakashi opened the door, letting out a breath that he seemed to have been holding. "Then," He sighed, inviting Orion in with his eye smile, "come in."

    They expected a silent treatment coming from the little boy, but when Orion ran past Kakashi and jumped onto Shisui, that one really took off their guard. They didn''t expect to see him cry. Seriously. Orion was crying¡ªnever in their life had they thought they''d see that. Sure, Kakashi had seen his nephew cry once, but that was when Orion was born, and that doesn''t count!

    Well, he is still a kid, isn''t he? Shisui smiled at that, rubbing the boy''s back with his hand. It''s funny that no matter how such a strong and brave face you put upon yourself, you''re still a human that have the rights to cry; to show and convey your emotions to others.

    For a split second, he narrowed his eyes, remembering how Itachi had placed such a brave face yet he can''t bear to show his emotions. Looking down at Orion, he hopes that someday, somehow, the child will have the power to change Itachi''s mind.

    Both Orion and Itachi had become precious to him overtime, even though he had just revealed who he is to the young Hatake-Nara a week ago. Since he had such heightened senses, he had picked up that the young boy might''ve already known who''s behind the crow mask after a few days being with him, so it''s not really a big deal. Well, if it weren''t for his captain ordering him to keep his mask on at all times for a specific training sooner or later, he might''ve just removed his crow mask for good.

    Seeing that Orion had already seen who he is, the mask may be a bit useless around him. Of course, he could use his Mangeky¨­ Sharingan to command him to forget him, but he wouldn''t dare do that to young Orion.

    "I know you''re just worried but," Kakashi lightly punched Shisui on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts, "this young man right here is tougher than you think, am I right, Shisui-kun?"

    "Itte¡ª" The young man swatted away the scarecrow''s hand, "That hurt ''ya know, captain¡­" He then sighed, ruffling Orion''s silver hair, "That''s right. I wasn''t called Shunshin no Shisui for nothing, little Ori."

    Raising his hand, Shisui flicked his finger onto the boy''s forehead, smiling at him. Sure, he had this thing for children (in a good way, of course), but Orion is an exception. There''s something cold yet warm that makes one wanna be near the child.

    No, it''s not that sunny, energizing thing surrounding a child¡ªOrion never had that.

    No, it''s not too overwhelming like what other children have, thus draining one''s energy too¡ªOrion never had that.

    Whatever Orion has, it''s perfect¡ªit''s what creates who he is. It''s no matter if what the masked man had said is true, that Orion came from another world, but Shisui is very sure that his fondness over the child will not falter. He could feel something very similar in the child, and that is what makes him adore him.

    Shisui was just as ecstatic when the child accepted him as a big brother. He can''t wait to show him off to little Itachi and ''Suke-kun. Hah, he just remembered a way to tease Orion using Itachi''s little brother.

    He chuckled mischievously, placing a finger onto his lips. Orion looked subsequently pale, knowing that the crow had something bad in mind. Shisui''s eyes then caught something through the windows, making him only move his eyes to see whatever that was. But he was a second too late, and he was sure someone was on top of the trees across the park that is right next to the hospital.

    It was strange, but he could clearly remember the person on that tree¡ªa child. A dark, haired child, staring intently at their general direction, more so on Orion, with his golden eye seeping through his said, thick hair.

    ''What the¡ª''

    Speaking of Orion, Shisui is very sure that the child doesn''t have any siblings yet. But why on earth did that child just gave a way the same vibe of the Hatake-Nara?

    Creepy.

    Welp. He just woke up from an almost week-long sleep, so he''s sure his mind is still all over the place.

 16 Reasons

    He stood atop a branch, staring intently at the white-haired child using the prowess of his golden eye. He subsequently vanished after meeting the eyes of an Uchiha, gritting his teeth for he can no longer observe and play if his identity would be revealed in an inconvenient time.

    Appearing in a black void of mass space, he was greeted with an annoying tone, "Gee-sama~ you''re back! I was getting bored waiting for you." He only nodded at the man behind the white mask that is resting on a bed. Xavier was his name, if he remembered it correctly. "Were you snooping around Konoha again? You''re the one who said it was risky." The masked man told him, as if scolding a child.

    Well, he is in his child body.

    "Of course it''d be risky if it was an idiot¡­ just like you." He spoke with nobility, glancing around the dark void, assessing something. "I never made such a scene when I was out there, unlike you who actually almost got yourself killed by two children."

    "Ah¡ªyou know where to put salt on one''s mood, eh?" Xavier shook his head, tone rapidly becoming serious as he spoke of his next words, "But that child¡­ you sure do know lots about him, and both of you share..." he trailed off.

    The child paused, knowing what Xavier had meant, before continuing creating a screen in front of the two of them, which showed several perspectives of several people making contact with the white-haired child. Some are blurry, some are clear as a glass. "Why wouldn''t we?" He smiled as he stared at the view, leaving unspoken words for the masked man to wonder.

    He pulled up his black mask, hiding his features. "In two months'' time, we will take him back¡­" He trailed for dramatic effects, continuing with such poison in his tone, "¡­ dead or alive."

    Xavier narrowed his eyes.

    __________

    I shivered for a moment, making me hug myself in discomfort. Whoever''s talking ill about me right now should quit their bullshit¡ªit''s very improper. With that, the people inside my hospital room, which had been turned into a meeting room with them (Shikaku-sama, the scarecrow, the crow, tou-san, and a few people from Cipher Unit), abruptly looked at me with their brows raised.

    "What''s wrong, Ori-kun? Is something the matter?" Kakashi asked, taking his eyes off of the piece of paper he had brought to me for a quick moment. I shook my head, casually taking the paper in his hands. "You see," I started, tucking the stray lock of hair that fell between my eyes behind my ears, "I''ve heard this before."

    Kakashi blinked, "Huh?"

    I turned to Shisui-niisan, "We both heard this before, Niisan, before we got attacked by that masked man, which is probably the Xavier uncle and Shikaku-sama is talking about."

    "Ah, that?" He asked, I nodded. "So that''s how it''s written in notes?" He asked, peaking at the paper.

    "Mhm." I said, and started humming the notes written on the paper.

    "Yes! That''s what played before Xavier, dubbed Shiro, attacked." Shisui confirmed.

    Shikaku-sama coughed, "So? Does it contain a code or something?" He asked.

    "Sure?" I shrugged, and the people in the room looked rather disappointed. Sighing, I placed the paper on my lap and smiled at them, "Get me a piano or something¡ªI''ll translate it for you."

    Well, with that, they became somewhat eager and hurriedly sent someone to get me a piano.

    "Oh?" Tou-san mused, sitting on the end of my bed, "Since when did little Orion learn to play an instrument?" I shrugged at his question.

    Shisui narrowed his eyes at the corner my eyes, making me forcibly create an answer, "Well, I''ve been reading books¡­ and self-studying using paper-drawn piano¡­" Actually, that wasn''t really a lie. I was a natural since my last life and only polished my skills even further when my mother had seen me practicing on a drawn-piano in an illustration board.

    A smile flashed onto my face¡­ then a loud crash consequently wiped it away.

    "Do you all honestly need to use the window as a door?" I muttered as they placed the piano on the bed. I sighed, prepping the piano as I eyed them, "Well, first, and explanation is needed on how I could read the code¡­" and it''s rather creepy (left that unspoken for now), "Solfa Cipher; Solfa Code, whatever you call it, the letters D, R, M, F, S, L, and T refer to the seven diatonic scale degrees , Do, Re, Mi, etc.. The numbers refer to one of four possible count placements based on a unit duration, like an 8th note¡­" I stopped as I realised that some of them weren''t following.

    Flipping the paper to have a blank space, I drew the diatonic scale, naming them orderly and giving them placements.

    "For example, Mi2, that one will definitely be translated to A¡ªif we disregard any decoy keys. The position of the notes on the staff will be the same with the decoy, but by selecting a different clef and key signature they will be interpreted as the wrong scale degrees. Selecting a decoy time signature can also help hide the basic rhythmic unit.

    The Solfa Key displays bar lines to indicate when the first note of the tune does not start on a downbeat, like, if it''s not 1. Thus, changing the placement of the first bar line in the decoy would also confound decryption. The original Solfa Key will be needed to decipher the melodic message and should be passed on separately from the encrypted melody.

    If your recipient has a good ear, you could play the melody to pass on the message, which I''ll be demonstrating using the piano."

    Well, seeing that only a few followed, I''ll be definitely lost in explaining this. They''ll just have to bear with me until I show them the code.

    "To extract the solfa cipher from an encrypted melody, you must determine the scale degrees and unit placement for each note based on the original Key." I then drew the cipher grid beneath the diatonic scale.

    Under the Do''s from one to four are the letters T, K, R, F; under Re and Ra are I, Z, C, Y; under Mi and Me are A, X, H, G; under Fa and Fi are S, Q?, M, P; under So''s are E, J, D, W; under La and Le are N, ?, L, B; and lastly, under Ti and Te are O, ?, U, V.

    I then stopped, realising my mistake as soon as I felt people looking curiously at me. I unintentionally wrote everything in the English Alphabet. In. Freaking. English. Well, no matter. No one''s questioning it so I will continue. Turning on the piano, I turned the paper over and started following the notes as I play, adding a beat to it as it was dull the first time.

    "Ah¡ª" Shisui rose from his seat, pointing accusingly at the piano, "that''s¡­! That''s exactly what we''ve¡­!"

    "Mhm." I knew it.

    ""A, E¡ªno, L, L¡­"" I started mumbling, stopping as I wrote scribbles onto the space left on the paper. The contents confused the others, but I continued writing anyways. I''ve tried my best sharing them what I know, but I lack the actual composure to teach them.

    I''m no teacher after all.

    Mi2 La4 La4 Mi2 Ti3 Fa1 So4 Re4 Fa2 La2 Ti4 Fa4 | Do2 Mi2 So3 Fa3 Ti1 Fa4 Fa1 So4 Do4 So4 So2 Do4 Mi2 Mi2 So1 So1 Ti4 Do2 Mi2 So3 So3 Mi2 Re4 Do4 So1 Do3 So3 Re3 Mi2 Mi4 Fa3 Do1 Mi2 La4 La2 So4 | Do2 Mi2 So3 La3 La2 Mi2 Re3 Do4 Do3 So3 Re3 Mi2 Mi4 Fa3 La1 So4 So4 La3 Do1 Ti2 Do1 Mi1 Ti4 Do4 Do4 So4¡­

    Those are what I''ve written on the paper.

    "You actually doing it makes great sense now. Your¡­ big words couldn''t¡­ I couldn''t catch up with them." Tou-san chuckled, ruffling my hair as he eyed what I''ve written.

    ''Lies.'' I rolled my eyes as I started reading the actual code, ignoring a few decoys I purposely left out from writing, ""All hope is lost; the puppeteer had won. The white key has fallen; the black key has been forgotten.""

    Silence rang inside the room. No one dared to let out a single noise as they froze over after hearing the contents of the code¡ªwell, until I broke the silence. I''m someone''s bastard nephew, after all. "Well, ''All hope is lost; the puppeteer had won. The white key has fallen; the black key has been forgotten,'' is what''s written on there," I repeated in Japanese, eyeing the others, "but I''m sure y''all know that already."

    "Analysing that now, is Xavier talking about the man behind this brewing mess? The puppeteer, I mean." Kakashi spoke up, looking at Shikaku-sama who''s writing down everything he had heard.

    "Probably." Shisui nodded, "He kept referring to someone as ''Gee-sama'' or something when he fought with the both of us, well, Orion, mainly." He eyed me after feeling my worry, reassuring me that he won''t say a single word about what he had learned¡­ yet. It''s not like I don''t trust him¡­ but I trust him on this that he''ll keep it between the two of us.

    "I thought things would stop when Xavier had killed his own father but it seems like¡­" Shikaku-sama brought down his clipboard, eyes narrowing, "that was just the beginning."

    "I agree in that case so," tou-san stood up from his seat, walking over towards the window, "it''s possible that they have a specific target and are just distracting the police with other issues, and of course, you, people with high positions," he emphasised his words as he eyes Shikaku-sama, "to get to their goal."

    Shisui immediately looked at me, and I looked back with the look asking him, ''I''m the target, aren''t I?''

    He subtly looked away, his looks telling me he''s blaming himself for not realising sooner.

    "That does make perfect sense," the Nara head nodded, walking over to tou-san, "but who is that target you''re speaking of?"

    "Hah." Tou-san laughed, eyeing me and Shisui-miisan with amusement. Don''t get me wrong, but this father of mine is as sharp as he could be, "Seeing my son''s reaction just now, I definitely know who it is."

    "And that is?" The scarecrow asked the black deer, looking at him with curiosity, "You don''t say it''s¡ª"

    "It''s Shisui." Okay, I take back what I''ve said. Tou-san isn''t that sharp. After a sigh tou-san chuckled, "I''m messing with you, okay? It''s obvious by now that their target is my son. Reason? I don''t know."

    The Nara head pinched the bridge of his nose, swatting tou-san''s head. "Kuro." His tone was full of warnings, "Be serious on this case, dammit."

    "Ow¡ª" Tou-san shielded his head, before his face turned very, very serious. "Why it''s you, Orion?" He eyed me sternly, "Well, why on earth would the one who started everything specifically direct an attack on you? Why would he sought you out, of all people?"

    The room fell in silence.

    I looked down on the piano, distracting myself from them. It''s true. I''m their target, whoever Xavier is with.

    In different perspective though, such as mine, it seems like he''s trying to warn me¡­ help me figure out things that people here couldn''t. Sure, he''s crazy, but I felt sympathy in that man¡ªsadness, even. The pity look in his eyes when he realised that I could''ve called someone to help us sooner but didn''t sure etched in the back of my head.

    He''s the good guy here. He''s trying to help me, help Konoha. He didn''t just kill Klavier just because he could. He did it to sneak out his message from his mask¡­ to relay it to me. I may be thinking out of the box but¡­ it makes sense in my head.

    Just what on earth happened to my once peaceful life here in Konoha?

    __________

    Shikakuro let out a sigh, looking out the window in the Hokage''s Office, thinking about the recent events. He never really knew why people would target out his son, his one and only son, of all people. Sure, he knew Orion is very gifted, special in fact¡ªlearning and picking up on things quicker than any kid, suddenly speaking fluent ninja language in front of people, and a bunch of other things¡ªbut none of that would draw out an enemy.

    From the sound of it, the ''Gee-sama'' guy doesn''t have anything to do with recent enemies¡ªOrochimaru and the like. It could very well be a new person, someone they''ve never heard or seen of. Maybe one of his enemies? It could be since in the battlefields years ago, he had accumulated many enemies, though he doesn''t quite remember some well. He is Konoha''s¡ª

    "Why would someone target your son, Kuro-kun?" The Third asked him. He shrugged, "That''s what I would like to know too¡ªwhy people would dare to target my son."

    Kakashi shared a look at Shisui, who''s behind his crow mask at the moment before he hand signalled the Hokage to activate the seals he kept inside and outside to prevent information leak. The Hokage did it with no hesitation, going to the lengths of letting his person ANBU''s to go out for a moment.

    "You both seem to know something." The Hokage inclined, propping his elbows on his desk before placing his chin on the back of his hands, "Care to enlighten us?"

    Kakashi hesitated for a moment, but since he had started it, there''s really no going back. "Is there¡­ any records for¡­ a golden-eye d¨­jutsu?"

    "Pardon?" The Hokage pulled his head back, tilting his head while Shikakuro remained silent.

    "A d¨­jutsu that is golden in colour and¡­ it gives off a chilling yet warm aura¡­" Shisui remembered back when Orion stared at him, his Sharingan wavering.

    Kuro narrowed his eyes, "You''re not implying that my child possess whatever the both of you are talking about?"

    "Exactly that." Kakashi folded his arms, "Hatake''s and Nara''s do not have any d¨­jutsu, as far as I know."

    Shikakuro nodded, stepping away near the window and next to the Hokage, "So, I''m assuming that the both of you have seen it?"

    "You don''t know about it, Kuro-kun?" The Hokage looked at him with his brows raised. The said man shook his head, "Uh, no¡­ not until today."

    "To answer your question, Kuro-niisan," Kakashi spoke up, "yes, we have."

    "I''m sure it''s as mysterious as it can be, Hokage-sama, Kuro-sama." The crow told them, "Even my Sharingan faltered upon seeing his golden eye."

    The Hokage seemed to be curious, "Really, now? A d¨­jutsu that is potentially more dangerous than your clan''s Sharingan?"

    "You said eye, right?" Shikakuro pointed out.

    Shisui blinked, "Uh, yes, Kuro-sama."

    The Nara sighed, placing his hand on the Hokage''s desk, "I don''t know how they knew about Orion''s eye, but when Kakashi told me how Xavier had reacted when he saw ''something'', before you revealed the eye Orion possesses, made it clear to me." He paused, gritting his teeth. "Now we know why they''re after my son."

 17 Shadowss Prosperity

    My room was filled in with silence as kaa-san stared at me with horror in her eyes. Tou-san stood by the door, his arms folded and his eyes coldly staring at me like he sees the very depth of my soul. Shikaku-san did the same. "Golden eye¡­?" I repeated my father''s words, tilting my head to the side as I broke the deafening silence.

    Okay, now we''re definitely not in canon. There''s no such thing as "Golden Eye" in the Naruto universe¡ªno, no. Heck, the Rukas clan didn''t even exist.

    Well, I did see it coming but I''m still a bit shaken up after my father had revealed what might actually be the reason people are after me. Seriously¡ªwhat is my luck to end up having a potentially useful, maybe even dangerous, d¨­jutsu? What''s more? I now have people, who knows that I had been reborn, who are after my eye, and worse, my life.

    I''m fucked up, aren''t I? Well, to be fair, my life in here had been too normal¡ªin the Naruto Universe, at least¡ªso, the universe might''ve thought to ruin my life for amusement.

    "We don''t know for sure what your eye can do for people to want it badly, but we do know it''s powerful enough to attract enemies." Shikaku-san stared coldly, his words harshly processed in my mind. "We don''t know where it came from¡­ and we don''t know anything about your eye so," Tou-san coughed, "the only way to gain information about said eye is through you, Orion."

    Kaa-san stood up, knocking her chair over, "Wait, no." Her cold, booming voice rang in my room. "I''m not letting anyone experiment on my son, if that''s what you''re trying to say, Kuro."

    "That''s not what I''m saying here, Kaiya. Wait for me to finish." Tou-san didn''t bother to raise his tone, but it was evident that his words are filled with unkempt rage. "Even I don''t want Orion to be put on that horrid thing, so I turned down that idea. The only choice now is for him to train harder and develop whatever his eye prowess is¡ªof course, protected by several, dozens, even, of trained professionals for his safety."

    I''m a bit lost with that sudden spike of rage between my parents, but after collecting my thoughts, I got what tou-san had meant with his stern tone. They''re going to try and learn about my eye by developing it and to see what it can do, if it''s truly worthy to have people set their eyes (no pun intended) on me, well, my eye.

    "I''m taking him under my wings to train for two months before a break. Of course, Shikaku will be there too, to record the progress for the first few weeks and so on." Tou-san walked over to me and held out his hand, inviting me to take them. "We don''t really have a choice for now, Orion¡­" His tone became softer as I stood up with his help. He then scooped me up and cradled me, making me sit on one of his arm with mine slung over his shoulder, facing front.

    "Just¡­ make sure Ori-kun''s safe, okay?" Kaa-san sighed, picking up the chair and setting it down the right way before sitting on it. She placed her hands on her belly, caressing it softly, "I don''t want his imouto to worry."

    I choked, coughing violently after hearing my mother''s words. Tou-san began to panic, rubbing my back to hopeful help his child¡ªme. "Woah¡ªyou okay there, lil'' Nara?" He asked as my coughs slowly subsided.

    I wheezed internally, if that''s even possible.

    Kaa-san giggled as I recovered from that sudden coughing fit, placing her hands over her lips, "I think Ori-kun was taken aback by the sudden news, am I right, deary?" She asked tou-san, smiling sweetly as though the heavy tension from earlier didn''t just happen.

    That was actually quite smooth, dear mother¡ªreally smooth that I almost died choking on my own saliva. A sister? My wish came true, at least, but that wasn''t the reveal that I expected.

    "Ori-kun''s going to have an imouto." Kaa-san repeated, smiling sweetly.

    CLICK

    Kakashi then came through the window, holding a Polaroid camera in his hands with a cheeky smile on his face. "Got that one too, at least." He mumbled, going through the Polaroid''s he has before pocketing them and somehow making his camera disappear into nowhere. "The Hokage awaits your presence, Nii-sa¡ªKuro-sama, Orion-kun, Shikaku-sama." He stated out of the blue, disappearing once more without a trace.

    Lots are happening today, am I right?

    __________

    The Hokage ruffled my hair when we arrived, looking at me with his eyes shining with hope and assurance. Us three whom he had invited walked beside him as he led us somewhere¡ªsomewhere not too deep in the Forest of Death, which is definitely "assuring".

    Just hearing the name of the place creeps me out.

    The Hokage chose this place to be my training ground for the next two months. Is it a good choice? I don''t know, but we''ll see soon enough. The forest is practically a Nara''s great environment, so it''s good to train in here once in a while. The only downside is that, as the Hokage briefly told me, "There are creatures lurking in the forest, but rest assured, once you''re strong enough, you''ll be able to face them."

    It''s like he''s telling me that in order to survive in there, I need to gain control over the forest.

    Bruh, I''m only a kid.

    "I''m going to take over now, Hokage-sama." Tou-san bowed, placing his hand on my head. The Hokage gave us one last smile before turning around and leaving us with a few words, "Good luck."

    "Now then," Tou-san looked down at me, "I heard from a birdie that you created a jutsu in the midst of an attack. May I see it?" He smiled, taking a step back. I blinked at him, not really sure what to do since I only did it once, "Uh, sure?"

    "I heard it was inspired by Shunshin, is it not?" Shikaku-san asked from behind, I nodded.

    Now, if my memory doesn''t fail me, I created a physical shadow beneath my feet. Since shadow has been deemed to be slower than light in previous studies in my last life, I had to bend that concept in my accord, making the shadow, which I''m standing on, speed through the air, making me appear a few steps away from the two under a few seconds. If bending light is possible, then shadows should too. That was my theory, and hey, Nara''s can do said thing.

    No, I wasn''t as fast as before, but I did my first in the nick of time. Replicating such move is hard, especially when two observant people are watching you. "I call that ''Shadow Step''." I smiled at them as they both blinked back.

    "Interesting¡­" Shikaku-san mused, almost in a mocking tone, as he glanced at tou-san, patting his back, "Your son is definitely a genius, Kuro-kun." Tou-san somehow managed to make his surroundings seem colder as he only let go of two, short words, "Shut. Up."

    Shikaku-san raised his hands in a defensive manner, laughing, "Woah, okay."

    I can somehow see similarities between my father and me. He, too, doesn''t like the ''-kun''¡­ and sometimes, I wonder what his ties with the Nara head¡ªthey seem close enough to bicker with each other. I know the Nara head to be a serious man from the anime, but right now, he is definitely out of character.

    "Anyways," Tou-san brushed off, "I agree, it was interesting¡­ but I assume you can go faster? That speed alone is not as distracting based on what a certain crow had spilled to me." He pressed, folding his arms, "I''m sure my son can do better, yeah?"

    As the physical shadow faded away beneath my feet, I lightly dropped onto the ground, slowly nodding at him. "I can maybe use the forest''s shadow at my advantage? The higher the contrast of my shadow is, the faster I could become using Shadow Step, I think." I said out loud, looking around at the scenery around me.

    To be fair, I hazily remember that the forest also helped me that time, when Xavier attacked. It was dark, and the atmosphere was heavy. That plus seeing Shisui-niisan almost die in front of my very eyes pushed me over my limits, creating and perfecting Shadow Step at that moment.

    I''m actually glad that Shadow Step worked out. I mean, I''ve been thinking about creating it for years now, but only got the chance to slowly experiment on the idea from time to time because I focused more on the Nara Clan Jutsus, since they will help me for future references when I decide to make or think of another jutsu.

    Now that I can actually do Shadow Step, the next thing I want to work on that is the silent yet somehow fancy after effects to incorporate with it as I go about appearing here and there when I master it. I want it to be cool like the one Gabriel Reyes (aka the Reaper) from Overwatch uses. Fuck that was cool.

    Oh, how I miss video games¡­

    I''m itching to play one right now.

    "That could be theoretically possible, and of course, since it''s you," Shikaku-san smiled, "you''d be able to prove it, right?"

    "I hope." I smiled back.

    "Also," Shikaku-san placed his hand on my shoulder, "I''m intrigued with the swarming cage that you used to almost catch the crow. The way he told us that move is very fascinating."

    I looked up at him, smile not faltering, "Oh, that?" I began to run through a swift set of hand seals to control Kage Nui more efficiently, releasing hundreds of shadow threads appearing behind me, "Multiple, well, hundreds, maybe more, Kage Nui is used to make it. Of course, mad chakra control is needed but I can manage for a short time. I call it Shadow Cage, for simplicity''s sake."

    Tou-san touched one shadow as it swayed left and right, "These are all solids?" He asked just as when he touched another one, his fingers went through it.

    "Nope." I shook my head, controlling the shadow to follow the nearest entity, which happens to be a bird, and swiftly enclosing it in my shadows, only for it to escape through a small patch of decoys. "A few decoys are mixed in to reduce chakra consumption¡­ but if I encounter a real enemy, I''d be forced to eat up most of my chakra to make every thread solid."

    Shikaku-san, who seemed really fascinated, with his eyes almost showing sparkles, perked up, "Do you have any more remarkable and jutsus in your disposal?"

    "I have¡­" I looked up, dissolving the shadows from behind, "¡­ ideas."

    Yes, I have many ideas. Some are almost impossible, but since we''re in Narutoverse, it''s not going to be impossible. Heck, if one can warp through time and go through pockets of dimensions, why can''t I use the advantage of the darkest night to gain control over everything?

    That will be my greatest feat if I complete that dream of mine. I''ve already created one, and another in a great pinch, so why not dream higher? Controlling the whole other face of the earth during night time will be absolutely amazing since night is just earth''s shadow. It''s going to be much more powerful if it''s a moonless night because it''s going to be total darkness.

    But, I have to be careful on to using it. Shadow is not shadow if there''s no light. That''s the only con that I could think of, for now, at least.

    It''s just great that the sun is producing a shadow over the earth when the said planet is rotating.

    OH.

    CLOUDS TOO.

    CLOUDS ARE USEFUL.

    That''s an idea that popped up just now.

    Also, if there''s enough shadows, I can maybe create giant web-like structure either to aid allies or kill and trap enemies. That''s one of my ideas too.

    Oof¡ªthis is gonna be good¡ª

    A~h¡­ I have soooo many ideas that I want to make real. I sighed, wanting to experiment and think of ideas longer, "My ideas¡­ they''re¡­ not possible for now, seeing where I currently am."

    "So¡­ improvement with chakra consumption, yeah?" Tou-san inquired before ending up to talking to himself, "Maybe even work with expanding your chakra reserves¡­ yeah, that''s a better choice." He then cleared his throat, placing his hand on his waist, "Expansion of Chakra Reserves it is then."

    ''That''s very useful,'' I smiled, nodding at him as his smile widened. The smile on his face is definitely similar to Shikaku-san when he''s training Shika-kun and me. That somehow¡­ does not seem good.

    Why do I feel like it''s gonna go hell from here?

 18 Name Origin

    Honestly, things aren''t really that bad, for now at least. Well, sure, shit''s been happening here in there where some are needed to be hidden but that''s a story for another time. Right now, I need to circulate my chakra well or the explosion seal pasted on my back will literally explode if I mess up even if it''s just one small mistake.

    Thanks, tou-san.

    Thanks to this though, tou-san told me that I''ve managed to increase my chakra reserves for about 2-3%. It''s not much to be really proud of, but it''s still progress. Tou-san''s actually a really big help, becoming strict in a way that is just enough to make me work, and will loosen and soften up when the right time comes. He''s letting me figure things out on my own and would only give me small hints when I''m stuck at doing one thing.

    Shikaku-san is sometimes around, snooping for stuff and observing whatever training I''m doing with tou-san. Shisui-niisan often times visit too, helping me and giving me tips and a few tricks to master other jutsus¡ªwhich helped me discover that I was actually the worst at doing any wind-type jutsus and best at lightning.

    Now that definitely does not give me an idea of what my natural chakra affinity could be¡­ hm¡­

    Keep in fact that I''ve only been in the Forest of Death with Tou-san for only four days. My progress is being helped by my learning capacity, making me pretty much able to find the concept of what one person could show me and replicate it until I perfect it.

    That''s also how I worked about in my past life, so studying then wasn''t a bother for me. In this world, however, since ninja fuckery is amazing and interesting, I''m able to get drawn to it and focus more on the said thing. I''ve already got the basics down, and all I need to do now is mastery.

    Hell, chakra is off of the list because I''m pretty decent to that¡­ but the rest? I need to work on them better. I have a small amount of chakra reserve so, that''s helping me with my mad chakra control for my age, but, again, if it''s not obvious, that''s a con. In order to reach out and get past my limits, I need to expand my chakra reserves.

    Of course, my chakra control will definitely dumb down if I don''t keep up with training. That will definitely be hell, I''m sure. Imbalance in that area will lead to failure, for me, at least.

    I almost panicked when tou-san slapped my back, losing my focus and seriously internally freaking out because there''s an actual bomb behind my back. "That''s enough for now," he said as I abruptly turned to him, ready to flee but only saw the seal that was pasted on my back get incinerated between his fingers, "we''ll move on to another chakra exercise."

    While unconsciously letting out a sigh of relief, I nodded at him, placing a hand on my chest. ''That seriously scared the shit out of me, strangely enough.'' I then smiled, wiping the sweat on my forehead, "What''s the next one then?"

    Tou-san chuckled, bending down and reaching for a fallen leaf on the ground before giving it to me, picking up another one for himself before sticking it to his forehead. It didn''t fall off. "You''re basically doing the same, but you''re gonna concentrate your chakra in one place to make the leaf stick on your forehead. It''s essentially the same as to controlling your shadow since it requires heavy chakra control as well, but you''re doing this until you can unconsciously do it."

    I blinked at him, slowly repeating what he did to his leaf, placing mine on my forehead after tucking stray fringe and locks behind my ear. I led a fair amount of chakra on my forehead to grab a hold to the leaf, making it stick. "I did it¡ª"

    Silence.

    The leaf fell.

    Both tou-san and I stared silently at the green leaf as it slowly fell down to the ground. A loud chuckle broke the fragile silence, making me turn my head to the only person near me. Tou-san had tears at the corner of his eyes as he laughed and clutched his stomach, his somehow warm laughter resonating in the Forest of Death. "Priceless," he breathed, trying to calm down, "really priceless¡­!"

    I puffed out my cheeks in frustration, refusing to believe that I''m blushing from embarrassment right here, right now. I crouched down and picked up the leaf, refraining myself either from crumpling it or throwing it before throwing a Kage Nui to his laughing face.

    When he finally calmed down, he breathed out, "I''m sorry¡­" Wiping a tear from his eye, he smiled, "Ah¡­ it''s just that you actually thought it''d be easy to do¡­" He the ruffled my hair, smiling apologetically, "You see, you need just the right amount of chakra to make it stick¡ªjust enough to hold it consistently without letting it go, or without crushing it with your chakra, unlike using your jutsus, which can hold and carry any amount of chakra that would make the result vary.

    Take your favoured self-made technique, for example. Don''t take this wrong, I mean, your Shadow Cage is ingenious and very useful, but I''ve noticed something that will be very inconvenient in the near future¡ªyou pour ounces and ounces of chakras into it, resulting into hundreds of shadow threads getting released from your shadow. The result is inconsistent, with some time you releasing hundreds more shadow threads than others, and for some time you wasting more chakra than needed.

    This leaf training is just for that, and seeing you struggle with that means that you haven''t fully crossed over mastering chakra control like higher-up ninjas do." He explained, picking up a dried leaf off the ground and placing it on his forehead, demonstrating how he can hold it for so long without crushing it with his levelled chakra.

    I understand what he''s saying. He got a great point. For someone who appears to be serious all the time, he''s a dependable, pointing out my mistakes to correct me as much as he could, being my father and all¡­ though it''s rare to see him laugh whole heartedly like earlier.

    There''s something at the back of my mind who''s saying that I should be proud for making him laugh, and I just am. I see him smile, get serious, chuckle once in a while with kaa-san, but never had I seen him laugh like there''s no tomorrow until now. It seems like small, immature things can make the old man have a good laugh, just Shikaku-san who''ll laugh at inappropriate times¡ªlike when Shika-kun was drowning.

    "For your age though, you are definitely way ahead than any other toddler running around the park." Tou-san said, smiling proudly as he stuck the dried leaf on my forehead. I tried my best to hold it with my chakra for a little while but failed horribly when I heard the words that came out of his mouth, "I''d say you''re just like your bastard uncle, that little scarecrow, when he was young. Though, unlike you, who''s a lot nicer, he got a giant stick up in his ass at that time¡­ maybe at present too, actually."

    The dried leaf on my forehead crumbled into bits as I tried to hold in my laughter when something, or someone, from the trees rustled and fall hard on the ground, and judging by the familiarity of the chakra signature of the one who fell, I''d say my uncle isn''t very pleased with what tou-san had said. Snickers could be heard from all directions, thanks to some selected ANBU''s and J¨­nins scattered around the forest.

    What caught me off guard the most, other than tou-san calling out Kakashi, is what my father''s set of words are. Out of all the words in the dictionary, he chose to describe uncle as "someone who got a giant stick up in his ass", which is ironically right since the Hatake might''ve lived up to his name, which coincidentally means ''an object made to resemble a human figure, set up to scare birds away from a field where crops are growing,'' or simply, ''a puppet made with a stick in its ass to scare out threats in the field,'' a scarecrow.

    A Kakashi.

    A freaking salty-ass Kakashi.

    I lost it when tou-san''s face remained stoic after a few seconds had passed when he spoke. I clutched my stomach as I fell back in a pile of dried leaves, tears leaving my eyes as I couldn''t hold in my laughter. Soon, he too was dragged into a fit of laughter, falling beside me as we laughed about the scarecrow.

    The laughter didn''t end until a very angry masked Kitsune came running through with his Chidori at hand, chasing after tou-san who laughed as he calmly avoided every blow dealt by the Hatake under the mask. It was very amusing, to say the least¡ªespecially when tou-san is wearing a closed-eye smile.

    While they chase around for a good moment, I decided to use the time to calm myself down and release a sigh to start with my task at hand, which is trying to stick a leaf, maybe a dry one, on my forehead and, hopefully, make it stick without crushing it with my chakra.

    I succeeded for longer than before, maybe ten seconds or more, but I crushed the dried leaves soon after. I wasn''t really in focus because pEOPLE ARE RUNNING AROUND THE CLEARING.

    My fringe shadowed my eyes as I stood up. My hands twitched as I swiftly made my Shadow Cage without any help of seals, quickly making them slither on the ground and making them just stick out a tiny bit, enough for one of them to trip and stop with their chase.

    Sure enough, I tripped one.

    "Itte¡ª" Tou-san groaned after his body skidded a few steps away, rubbing his reddened face. "What was that for, Ori-kun?" He sat up, dusting his clothes.

    The scarecrow laughed, "Karma at its finest." He walked over to the Nara who''s on the ground, folding his arms, "A~h, whatever. You''re supposed to be training your son, Kuro-niisan. Though, I didn''t think you''d actually trip on Orion''s shadow, considering that you were able to dodge my every strike with¡­" He smiled, raising his one hand that chirped loudly like a thousand birds, "this."

    Geez. I can literally see the scarecrow''s sadistic smile through his ANBU mask. What the hell¡ª

    "Woah¡­!" I raised a hand and pushed his electrified hand away from tou-san using my shadow threads, walking towards the two of them. "Easy there, dear uncle." I smiled, helping tou-san up, smile not faltering. Kakashi then swiped a strike, but tou-san dodged with no problem.

    To be honest, my heart almost dropped when his hand came close to tou-san''s face.

    Kakashi sighed, waving his chidori-equipped hand and shaking off the jutsu, "Ah¡­ no matter what I do, the Black Death still dodges everything¡­"

    ''Black Death?'' I narrowed my eyes.

    "Come one now¡­ that title''s long gone¡­ haha¡­" Tou-san awkwardly laughed, scratching the back of his neck. He then coughed, his face going back to a stoic one, "Anyways, what you said earlier is quite peculiar, too, Kashi-kun."

    "Changing the subject but okay¡­ what''s peculiar?" The scarecrow deadpanned, his lazy demeanour showing through his actions as he slumped forward.

    I blinked at tou-san when his gaze landed on mine, "It is strange that I didn''t felt the presence of his shadow¡­ but maybe I was distracted by our little chase¡­? No¡­ that''s not possible¡­" He looked over to the slithering shadows on the ground, "I still can''t sense these shadows."

    "I didn''t really pay much attention to it but now that you pointed it out, yeah¡­" Kakashi nodded, also looking down at the threads of shadows on the grassy ground, "Normally, even if it''s the Black Shadow casting jutsus, it''ll release even a bit of chakra here and there¡­" He tilted his head, "Ori-kun, cast your jutsu again, please?"

    I looked at them for a moment before releasing the Shadow Cage, using seals to activate it once more. I got confused when they seemed a bit disappointed.

    "You need to master whatever that was when you figure out how to do it again somehow, my cute little nephew." Kakashi brightened, ruffling my hair, "That''ll be very useful."

    Returning a smile at him, I nodded.

    __________

    Evening quickly rolled around, but Shikakuro hasn''t gone to sleep yet. So did Orion. They sat together in front of a bonfire, the sound of the crackling fire serving as music to their ears. Crickets and other creatures mixed in with the nature''s ambience, and it was rather soothing.

    Kuro looked up, eyes setting on the countless of stars above them. This night is perfect for stargazing¡ªa moonless night, little to no pollution, an open area¡­ perfect for relaxation. It has been a while since he''d been out to see the stars, and by while¡ªit''s been years.

    He glanced down at his son, who''s lost staring at the crackling blaze. He smiled. The last time he had the opportunity to see the stars was with his wife, before Orion was born. Placing a hand on his son''s head, he spoke with his silky voice, "Have you ever wondered where you got your name?"

    The child blinked at him, humming and tilting his head, locks of hair falling on his face.

    Kuro didn''t know why he''s getting all soft all of a sudden. Maybe because of the stars shining brightly upon them that he brought up this subject, or maybe because he got a little jealous when he saw his child smile sweetly to his brother-in-law and decided to take off a bit of his time to tell his child a story to get his attention.

    He looked back up the starry sky, pointing at the stars, "Kaiya and I were thinking of names for you, Orion-kun¡­ Kaiya loves stargazing, so one November night, when the bravest and brightest constellation shone brightly, we thought it''d be perfect for you."

    "The¡­ hunter¡­?" The child blinked, his father nodded.

    "In this ninja world, anything could happen, so when that group of stars disappeared after shining brightly, we thought that the name was destined for you because when the hunter in the sky disappeared, we believed that that brave warrior would descend on this land." Kuro chuckled, "Cheesy, I know. But, Kaiya loved the name¡­ especially when she picked out the syllables for it¡­"

    The child beside him hummed, his short legs swinging back and forth as he leaned back.

    "That same night, we heard a violin play¡ªand your mother absolutely loved it. That''s where the characters from your name came from, ''woven sound''. She told me she felt giddy after hearing the tune, also telling me that she felt as though the waves of the music is being woven around her, hence, Woven Sound, or, right now, is the present, cute and our genius son, Orion."

    Kuro seemed so happy telling the story so, Orion simply smiled and listened to him as he went on telling him about the chaos in the Astronomy Division the next day when several other constellations also disappeared from the night sky. It was rather interesting, really¡ªespecially the part when those said group of stars haven''t been seen ever since.

    "What other constellations disappeared that night, tou-san?" The child inquired interestedly. His father couldn''t really resist the childish glow he was giving off, so he smiled, looking back up to the sky, answering his child''s curious question, "Other than the Hunter, the Scorpion, the Virgin, and the Twins were the ones that disappeared. Well, the Astronomy Division are still shaken up to this day¡­ they don''t know why heavenly bodies would disappear like that. They fear that one day, every stars in the night sky would disappear, placing this world in eternal darkness."

    They had the right to be afraid. The sun that gives warmth to the world they have settled on is also a star, and if that''s the case, when it mysteriously vanish like those group of stars, the world would darken and freeze over. Well, whatever''s the reason those ball of gases disappear without a trace, it''s none of their concern as long as it''s not threatening.

    Actually, thinking back¡­ it is threatening. Their planet would freeze over, dammit!

    "Oh¡­" Orion hummed, smiling at the person he had called his father. He''s thankful, really. Though it''s never often his father would be home, but at least he can put some time to give his love and affection to his family whenever he can. He''s better than his former¡­ old man. "At least Orion''s here." He spoke, looking at the bonfire in front, letting the warm light hit him, making him seemingly glow.

    "You sure are." Kuro ruffled his hair before placing a hand on his shoulder.

    The father adored his child, grateful that the one he considers as a ball of sunshine had come to their lives. They had many tries before, but failed them, until Kaiya''s first pregnancy, but that failed as well. Kaiya was devastated then, of course, he is too. Losing their first child wasn''t really the greatest experience. Ever since they lost their supposedly first child, they thought they wouldn''t have another¡ªbut look at them now, they''ve got their little genius, Orion, and one princess coming their way.

    It seems like the heavens are blessing them after all of the misfortune that happened in their lives.

    They''ve done many unforgivable things as ninjas, killing many back-to-back at the battlefield. But that''s life. If it weren''t for that battle of lands though, they would''ve not met and created lives that they''re cherishing and will cherish now.

    Orion is also a special case. He''s their gifted child, after all. They can''t wait to see him grow up to be someone people will look up to.

 19 Cursed Eye

    It wasn''t a normal day¡ªno, no. Well, if things weren''t better enough, I almost got squashed by a giant centipede and I almost killed clueless jounins and ANBU''s from trauma when they stared into my golden eye, which just came out of nowhere, really. I was panicked more than anyone else, having no actual clue how to turn the thing off before I almost kill them while also trying to calm myself down on how on earth I survived that abomination of an insect.

    I calmed myself down after breathing so heavily, thinking back to a thought in the back of my mind. That thought is very haunting, especially when it''s about me not being able to control whatever the hell the golden thing is. Worst case scenarios also played back in my mind¡ªabout me accidentally putting everyone in their demise with my gaze.

    Tou-san hugged me, "It''s okay, Ori-kun¡­" he assured me, rubbing a hand on my back. "Inoichi''s gonna check them up to see if they''re okay. He''s on his way now." He smiled, leaving the unspoken words of, ''Inoichi''s gonna check what your eye did to them.''

    I nodded, shaking a tad bit before sitting up, rubbing my cold, left eye, refusing to look at anyone directly at the moment and letting my long, curly hair to cover up my eye. It seems like whoever falls into my gaze will land on the same fate as the jounin ninjas earlier.

    I don''t want that to happen again.

    I also don''t want to get eaten alive by a massive centipede, please.

    I sighed, closing my eyes as I lay myself back at the ground. It''s better to be lingering in darkness than having people die because of these eyes. Why does this golden eye feels more like a curse than something that could benefit me in the future?

    Who am I, Medusa?

    One single gaze and you''re good as dead.

    __________

    Kuro sighed as he placed a white cloth over his son''s closed left eye to prevent another disastrous event. Golden light seems to seep through his son''s closed eye, proving him that his son''s eye is overflowing with an unknown and untamed power. Taming such ability could be very helpful, but since his son is still a child, he doesn''t know if Orion could control it by himself.

    Orion slowly opened his eyes, his right eye wandering about and meeting scared gazes coming from the people behind his father and uncle. He only looked back down, eyes filled with disappointment to himself. He felt as though he was responsible for everything¡­ but he really didn''t mean it.

    It all started earlier that day, when Kuro had decided that it''d be a great idea for Orion to conquer a bit of land in the Forest of Death to let every critter and giant, deadly creatures there know the child''s existence¡ªto test his capability to survive in the scenarios as well.

    Orion sighed after hearing this from his father. After all, he believes that nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity¡­ and his father had forsaken that he''s actually a child. Well, sure Kuro''s not that ignorant.

    Orion only thought that because he swear he saw a giant centipede crawl a few feet away from them¡ªand he''s scared of it. The centipede can pretty much compare to Orochimaru''s giant summon snakes in the anime. It''s really big, like, really big.

    The child sighed, colours draining as his father pushed him forwards with a bright smile. "All men dream, but not equally," the Nara started, "those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity," he ruffled his son''s hair, patting his back, "but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." He leaned closer, his chin resting on the child''s shoulder, whispering what he considered his assuring words, "And you are one of them dangerous dreamers¡­ you can make things possible, my dear child."

    His son blinked as he took a step closer towards the dark area of the forest, even though it''s very early in the morning. Though his words are motivational, Orion''s still uncertain about this "little quest" for him to conquer a part of the deadly forest.

    The centipede''s still there, dammit.

    The Hatake-Nara sighed, looking back at his father with a bored gaze. His father gave him a closed-eye smile, waving goodbye and good luck to him. "What''s more dangerous is not to progress and develop anything¡­" The child mumbled, going through the bushes warily, "¡­ this challenge might actually push me over my limit, if things go right."

    Shikakuro and gave his gaze to his son''s back as he disappeared into the forest. Pushing his son to his limits is his plan. It''s not only to make the child stronger, but hopefully make "something" happen. They''ve been three weeks in training and, honestly, his son has improved a lot.

    And this is the best thing to push that improvement further.

    Of course, he''s not gonna let his son wander in the forest alone where a big-ass centipede had taken its territory. Absolutely not. He''s going to follow him in a far distance, along with a Hy¨±ga jounin by his side to monitor his son. He also got several other ninjas and ANBU''s dispersed around the forest where he calculated what path his son could take after parting with him.

    Sure, it might be wrong to, well, let a four¡ªnearly five-year old son wander around a deadly forest to "train". Even Shikakuro had once dreamt of raising his son normally because he doesn''t want to let that silver-haired child turn out to be like him¡­ but as his son grew more and more knowledgeable and aware of thinks, and think maturely than a normal Nara child would, it brought the child more trouble.

    No, Kuro''s not saying having a genius son is a bad thing, but rather, he''s saying that having too much knowledge can bring one down if not balanced enough. Right now, he could see through his son''s eyes this unexplainable gaze of intelligence that one had gone through much¡ªand he doesn''t know why.

    Maybe Orion got it from him.

    Has he become a neglectful parent? He sure has because of his work as a ninja, but he tries his best to set the right example for his son whenever he can, but why did things turn out this way? He wanted Orion to grow up to live his life peacefully, not worrying over people coming for his life for whatever his eye he holds.

    Oh, how fate loved to toy with their life.

    He let out a sigh, watching Orion from a distance as he fought with killer rabbits he had encountered. His eyes followed his son''s movements as the young boy gracefully jumped over the leader of those blood-stained, seemingly innocent, rabbits.

    What actually relieved him, somehow, was when he saw that Orion wasn''t trying to kill the killer rabbits. It might be strange, but it shows that his son isn''t interested in pointless fight.

    Kuro was glad that Orion didn''t become as ruthless as he was back when he conquered this part of the forest, and it became his hideout in war time. He''d use creatures here as practice dummies for his experimental jutsus and would often cause more damage than intended. He did gain respect from the animals living in the Forest of Death, but that respect was earned from fear for him, which he isn''t really proud of.

    Now, those killer rabbits looked as though they''re striking revenge against his son because those types of rabbits won''t attack unless provoked¡ªand the Nara didn''t see his son ever provoking them. It makes sense since his son''s scent is close to his¡­

    But Orion''s laziness to fight with those rabbits is way beyond his imagination.

    Kuro refrained a snicker, but failed horribly as he saw his son just sitting on a branch, watching the rabbits down below as they go crazy around the area. He smiled as his son stared with boredom at the rampaging animals, yawning and muttering about something.

    "Kuro-san," the Hy¨±ga next to him called his name out. The Nara blinked, looking at the ninja, Tsutsuji Hy¨±ga, humming as he raised a brow at the kunoichi. "Your son really got your lazy blood, huh?" She sounded bemused, her Byakugan activated as she kept her eye on the young Orion.

    "Did he?" Kuro snickered, "I''m sure he got his laziness both from the slothful clans. He''s not even eager to fight those rabbits."

    "Ori-kun just jumped over them and ran¡­ we should get going." The kunoichi swiftly moved out, making the Nara to follow after her after a short pause.

    They continued trailing after Orion, who doesn''t seem to be interested in little creatures running about and that are sometimes blocking his way. He''s just casually jumping over them as though he''s trying to find something in particular. This went on until noon, and the child just sat on a tree branch after a long while.

    He seems to be looking at something.

    Tsutsuji didn''t need to hear a command from her superior in order to know what the child was looking at. She didn''t have her Byakugan on, yet she still felt a chilling chakra from whatever the child was looking at. Of course, Kuro knew this as well, narrowing his eyes as the familiar aura made contact with him.

    It was the centipede.

    The King Centipede.

    __________

    It was strange, really. Deadly animals seems to be staying away from this wooded clearing. The killer bunnies that were trailing after me were gone as well, as if they''re hiding from something. Out-of-the-world giant wasps that were chasing me left as well.

    I have a feeling that the one I''m looking for is near.

    I briefly remember what tou-san told me about territorial creatures living in the Forest of Death, and, earlier, before I fully dove right into the forest, the centipede that was lurking near disappeared without a trace, so I assumed it went deep into its territory. Even if my hunch about the centipede being the owner of this part of the forest turns out to be wrong, I''m still gonna go for it.

    It''s worth a shot going straight for the boss, right?

    If I don''t defeat it, or if I fail horribly, I''m sure the ninjas that are behind after me are going to save me. Surely they''re not going to let a child get eaten alive by a ginormous centipede, right? The scolopendra gigantean, or the giant centipede that I know from the world I once came from pales in comparison with the fucking centipede I''m about to fight.

    Getting the high ground is an advantage, for now anyways so, I leaned closer and narrowed my eyes at the centipede on the ground. I shifted my foot from the branch I''m standing on and took a kunai from my pouch.

    Heck no, I''m not gonna throw the kunai at that shit that looks to be 20 or more metres in length. Its exoskeleton could be well harder than the damned bedrock judging from the looks of it. A kunai won''t pierce through that. That''s a bad idea. I''m doing something different.

    Releasing a jagged breath, I was about to jump down, but I hesitated¡­ and hesitation can lead one to their grave. I prove that phrase to be true. I slipped. I slipped and fell into the ground, almost landing on my face but "luckily" managed to land on my feet with a nasty crack.

    If things couldn''t get any better, I broke my right foot.

    Fuck¡ªI''m an absolute idiot. A damned, useless paper clip¡ª

    As I tried my best not to scream in pain, the ground beneath me rumbled and shook. I think my already pale skin lost all of its colour when I saw something move from the corner of my eyes. I slowly looked up, eyes meeting the towering body of the centipede that rose proudly like a king cobra would do.

    "Fuck." I breathed, jumping to one side as the giant insect spat something at me. I turned around just in time to see the "something" melt the ground I once stood. It was purple and gooey yet runny enough to melt the soil and rocks on the place.

    My heart felt like it sank. I suddenly want to go back to where the killer rabbits are. I might''ve picked on something I can''t take fully on.

    I ran up to a tree as soon as one of the centipede''s legs tried to stab me. Yes. Stab me. It was startling, I know, but I managed to get myself together to go to a safe distance away from its pointy legs. My heart is beating like crazy when it spat another goo of poison that I thankfully dodged in time.

    I threw a kunai that just swiftly touched the centipede. I threw another one and it bounced off to the side¡ªand guess what? It made a clanking sound when it hit the centipede''s body, proving my horrid thoughts. It seems like the centipede''s "body armor" is as strong as, maybe even stronger than the toughest metal that exists in this world.

    I might''ve been exaggerating¡­ but it''s very likely to be the case.

    I gulped, pouncing forwards and grabbing onto the centipede as it got close. I stood behind its back, trying my best to hold on for dear life as it tried to shake me off. Using my Shadow Cage, I managed to mobilise a few of its thousands of legs, making the monstrosity fall forwards and make the ground tremble.

    With the centipede''s sudden action, I accidentally placed my weight onto my right foot, making me fall as the pain from it jolted me in shock. My Shadow Cage dissipated as soon as I fell into a muddy pit. I groaned as I sat up, now covered in cold mud.

    I bit my lips as I tried my best to stay silent. I looked up and noticed that the centipede seems to be looking for something¡­ or for its attacker-turned-prey, me. Oh, yeah. Most centipedes don''t have any eyes. Some rely heavily on their sense of smell and sense of hearing¡ªand this monstrosity seems to be one.

    My luck may be horrible, but good luck bounces back.

    I rolled into the mud to conceal my scent, my plan coming to close as I threw another set of kunais around the giant monster. The sound reached the centipede''s senses and it whirled around, as if to face me. I almost froze up but I mustered enough courage to pull all of the ninja wires connected to every kunai I had thrown before.

    As I pulled, the centipede became more and more stuck into the now fully retracted wires¡ªlike an unfortunate insect caught in a spider''s web.

    I smiled. "Yes¡­!" I panted, stepping out of the mud before starting to fall over, but someone caught me.

    "''Ya wild, wild boy." Tou-san chuckled, ruffling my muddy hair, "You did a great job."

    Ninjas started to come out of their hiding spots before surrounding the place. It seems like my father went over the lengths of recruiting a whole squad of ANBU''s and Jounin ninjas just to secure my safety. How thoughtful.

    I smiled at him, lifting a gaze at the trapped centipede.

    There''s one thing we all seemed to have forgotten because of the relief we all felt after I had trapped the giant boss of an insect. I paled, one word escaping my mouth as the centipede released that gooey, toxic thing again from its mouth, "RUN¡­!!!"

    My chest constricted as I pushed away my father and the surrounding ninjas using my Shadow Cage. I over exerted my chakra but it doesn''t matter as long as I push them away from the mess I had started.

    Everything became as slow as they can be when the purple goo came close to where I am. A cold feeling washed over my body and soon, that cold feeling condensed into my eyes. Somehow, with it, I could see everything clearly without a fail as they slowly fall into place.

    Everyone''s¡­ everything''s pace was slow¡­ the toxic liquid too. I was confused of what was happening but, questioning thoughts aside, I dragged myself into a safe place and used another Shadow Cage to pull everyone out of the way.

    A wave of tiredness hit me as everything went back to their original pace, the purple goo hitting the spot to where I was before and melting everything with it until it evaporated. I stared back at the centipede in horror, my eyes feeling as though they''re getting colder every second.

    Silence lingered as I stared into the creature''s soul, if that''s even possible.

    The centipede then deafeningly screeched, squirming in the wire web I had set up.

    I thought it was going to escape but tou-san appeared behind its head without a single warning. He then proceeded to kill it with a single slash using his darkened shadow over his hands (like a chakra scalpel but with shadows), his face all casual yet evidently furious. The centipede''s head rolled over and stop just in front of me, its antennas and sharp, strong jaws still moving like it''s still processing what just happened to it.

    I breathed heavily, stepping back a couple of steps, a shaky smile slowly appearing on my face. Almost getting liquefied because of a toxic liquid isn''t really in my to-do list¡­ and everything that happened seriously felt so surreal. I stared at the centipede''s body that is stuck at the wire web before staring down at the now dead head. It''s definitely unreal.

    My father started commanding everyone to "get their shit together" and go see if everyone was alright. I could hear him approaching while my eyes are still fixed at the centipede''s head, calming myself down and noticing the cold feeling from my right eye vanished, but the cold remained on my left one.

    Another person approached, and I swiftly looked up, recognising the kunoichi as a Hy¨±ga from the sight of her Byakugan. She was smiling when she approached me, but she froze upon meeting my gaze. I blinked at her, looking around as nearby ninjas also froze on their spot, probably from the same reason.

    I then unconsciously covered my ears when they all let out an ear-shattering scream, all falling down to the ground and clutching their heads. I hastily stood up, eyes wandering over them and trying to figure out what on earth just happened to them.

    My sight then became blurry, and my left eye started to hurt like hell. I held it with my left hand, as if it''s going to help to reduce the pain. Flashes of different dream-like vision came into my mind¡ªthey were like perspective of different people facing the deepest horror they had encountered, and my brain couldn''t handle the load. The world around me started to spin, but I recognised someone as he approached.

    "S-Stay away!" I shouted immediately, "I-It will hurt you, tou-san!"

    __________

    Kuro was honestly confused when everyone started to fall over and scream in pain. What worried him more was the fact that his son seems to be the source.

    He jumped down from the centipede''s body, catching a swift glance at his son''s left eye that is now golden in colour, before closing his own pair of eyes. Even with a single, swift glance, when his eyes met the golden gaze of his son, a cold yet warm feeling sparked in him, his mind getting a bit hazy.

    He fought over it and kept his eyes closed, approaching his son slowly. Feeling his child''s panic from his saddening and broken words of "S-Stay away!" and "I-It will hurt you, tou-san!", he bit his lips and leaped for his son, hugging him and caressing his back.

    He had already burned a seal that will alert someone he had in mind so, all he has to do now is to keep things in tow. He sighed, pressing his forehead against his son''s, "It''s okay, Ori-kun¡­" He assured him, rubbing a hand on his child''s back. "Inoichi''s gonna check them up to see if they''re okay. He''s on his way now."

    ''You''ll be okay, I promise.''

 20 Enthralling Gaze

    Help didn''t arrive until later in the night. Orion already fell asleep in his father''s arm and the ninjas around them were still unconscious when Inoichi and his aiding squad arrived. Seals were around the area when they came, and they knew it was Kuro''s doings since he can''t possibly move everyone back to their original camp.

    The Yamanaka assessed the area, eyes locking on the King Centipede''s head lying on the floor, its body hanging still between a web-like structure made out of tough ninja wires. Was it Kuro''s doing? At first glance, it could''ve been, but when the said man filled him in, he was a bit shocked.

    To think that a child was able to nearly end a king-class creature is past his imagination. But it''s Orion they''re talking about. Of course he''s able to do it. The child already showed them that something impossible can really be turned to become possible.

    "So his eyes glowed golden?" He inquired at the Nara while doing his work of getting into ninjas'' heads¡ªinside their mindscapes to see what damage the said golden eye did to them. He heaved a sigh as he realised that something was blocking his jutsu to work¡­ or maybe something just didn''t exist in their minds. He narrowed his eyes.

    "It did¡­ it gave a cold feeling yet¡­ at the same time¡­ warmth¡­" Kuro answered, caressing his son''s face. "It was as if he''s trying to warn me that it''s dangerous, yet trying to care for me¡­ I can''t really describe it."

    Inoichi was already lost in his thoughts after going through all of the ninjas'' heads to even hear what Kuro had told him. The case wasn''t something to be looked over. He had already taken a look into the affected ninjas'' head and it seems like whatever happened to them weren''t accessible even to a Yamanaka. He looked into Shikakuro''s too but nothing really came up.

    It''s rather¡­ intriguing for him.

    The only choice he had left is to look into an unconscious Orion''s head, and so he did¡ªwith Kuro''s permission. Before he did though, out of habit, he observed the young boy.

    Mad was seemed like it was wiped off from all over Orion''s body. His once silver-ish white hair became filthy and a bunch of twigs and soil is stuck to it. His face was cleaned off, by his father, Inoichi presumed, giving anyone a clear view of the boy''s face.

    Inoichi narrowed his eyes when he saw blood marks under the boy''s left eye, like he had cried blood. The Yamanaka then gritted his teeth when his gaze travelled down the boy''s body and onto his small right foot that was bandaged just enough to make it stay.

    What happened to him is what Inoichi wonders. Because of it though, he was evident that what Kuro had told him is true.

    Sighing, he ran through a seal and gently placed his hands on to Orion''s forehead, a little burst of energy released but he paid no mind and simply closed his eyes. When he looked into the boy''s mindscape, however, he was beyond stunned. No one in history had a blank mindscape. He looked around, but it was all white. The floor¡­ the endless sight is all white. The space is never ending, he observed. It''s also as silent as it can be. If one dropped a needle, it could definitely echo in this wide space.

    He whirled around after hearing footsteps come towards him, stepping back as he saw someone was about to collide with him. He closed his eyes and waited for the impact to come, but only a chill came to make him lift his eyelids up. He looked back, looking at the same person that went through him.

    The person was wearing modern civilian clothes¡ªblack coat over his turtleneck cotton long sleeves and black trousers along with his black boots. The person turned around, showing his bare face that gave chills at Inoichi''s back.

    The person looked exactly like Orion, only if he''s older and had pure white hair and deep blue eyes. The Yamanaka then continued to watch, raising his brow as the young man in front seems to be looking at someone behind him. He narrowed his eyes when the young man suddenly leaped forwards, hands reaching out to someone as he went through the Yamanaka.

    Inoichi turned around in time to watch the young man pushed a young, freckled, emerald-green eyed, petite girl out of the way before they both disappeared into dust.

    He then turned around and saw the same young man under rubbles and debris with a long, iron pole sticking out from his back through his chest. A faceless crowd had gathered around them. The young man was coughing out blood as he talked to the same young girl the ninja had seen earlier. He watched as the young man handed something over to the young girl before his death.

    Inoichi blinked when something dark manifested over to one person he had thought earlier to be just part of the crowd. The dark dust surrounded a black-haired young boy, looking cunningly similar to the one that died from getting stabbed by a sharp, iron pole.

    Then everything shattered like glass, making the ninja to try to cover his body. But the shattered glass pieces just went through him. He didn''t feel anything.

    Inoichi opened his eyes again, only making his gaze at a young boy that seems to be in his 12''s or younger. The young boy seems to be the younger version of the young man that had "died" earlier. The Yamanaka stared down at him and the young boy seemed to be looking back, and the said boy seems to be livid.

    The Yamanaka froze when he heard the boy speak, ""You''re a worthless piece of shit, ''ya know that?"" Inoichi was far past dumbfounded when the boy just called him as a "worthless piece of shit"¡ªespecially when it''s also in their ninja language, English. He was going to retaliate but stopped when a hand went through him and grabbed the collar of the boy''s clothes.

    Inoichi leaped back, now realising that the young boy wasn''t actually talking to him, but rather, someone behind him. The man who held the boy by his collar seems to be a tad bit older than him, with raven black hair and stern face¡ªand he looked angry. Who wouldn''t? He just got called "a piece of shit" by a child, no less.

    Now that Inoichi is at a good distance, he noticed that someone¡ªa trembling young girl with raven black hair, was holding on for dear life at the young boy''s arms. The young boy seems to be protecting her.

    ""If you weren''t someone who abandons his family, Vinna would be glad to accept your terms and grow up under your care."" The boy sounded more furious than the older man, ""But did you really need to sell out your own daughter? Don''t get me wrong here, but you just betted my sister''s soul and body to someone you lost to¡ªa pervert at that. Fuck you, Mr. Asshole.""

    The young boy then pried the man''s hand away from him before marching out together with the young girl who appears to be much younger than him, his blue eyes flickering in the golden shade of the spectrum before the three dissipated into dust. Inoichi narrowed his eyes at that.

    Inoichi was confused, he admit. But he was quick to pick himself up together and put things through. These seems to be memories residing deep inside young Orion''s mind¡­ and they seem a bit out of place to be called the child''s so-called "memories" since, the damned boy is still just a child.

    Dreams, maybe? It''s possible, but everything could very well be reality for the young child.

    Oh, only if the Yamanaka knew.

    Inoichi sighed, looking around at the blank canvas he''s on. Things were happening too fast for him to process anything. Anything could happen in here, so he decided to leave since he didn''t really get anything out of this brief search. After running through a swift seal to get out, he froze. He ran through the seal again, but nothing seems to be happening.

    He''s stuck.

    This never happened before. Well, getting stuck in people''s mindscape isn''t new to the Yamanaka, but getting stuck in a child''s mindscape was a first. Normally, someone much more powerful than him could force him out or force him to stay in the mindscape¡­ so what the hell?

    He was sweating when he tried again, heart beating as fast when he''s chasing a particular demon cat. He may actually be panicking.

    He then heard a crunch, making him turn around and meet a golden gaze coming from someone very familiar. "O¡­ Orion?" He called the child out, stepping forward at the items that appeared out of nowhere. He took note that a giant roll of movie reel is playing something in front of the young child who''s sitting on a red couch while munching on a bag of buttery, caramel popcorn (by the sweet smell he got). "Orion?" He called the child again, but the said child doesn''t seem to pay attention to him.

    Inoichi approached the young boy, placing a hand on the boy''s shoulder. The boy turned his head to him, startling him as two golden gaze met his already panicking ones. Inoichi stumbled back. "I''m not the Orion that you know of." The young boy spoke, stuffing his mouth with the caramel popcorn, "Well, I look like him but I''m not him."

    The Yamanaka got goosebumps when the young boy added something after his former sentence, "Not yet, anyways."

    "Oh?" The crunching stopped as the young boy looked back at the old man with his golden gaze, "Too much information in one go, am I right? Well, ninja-san, all I''m going to tell you is this: your Orion isn''t ready to wield my eyes." He emphasised his words and somehow managed to make the couch and his popcorn disappear, only leaving the large movie reel behind him playing.

    He pointed his small thumb towards the reel as it played something that seemed very real, "See that?"

    The reel played something that made the Yamanaka even more shocked. It was someone''s perspective, and it seemed to be owned by the Orion he knows. It was as though every time "Orion" give his gaze to anyone, those "anyone" would cry out blood and give their deafening scream.

    Inoichi was so close to emptying out his stomach. It wasn''t as close as a war scene, but it was enough to be that horrible.

    "When you try to push Orion over his limits just to pry on something you don''t, you won''t understand," The young child sounded so casual and bored at the same time, "this exact scene will happen. It will cause you casualties, trust me. Maybe even worst."

    Inoichi blinked at him, not really getting what the child was saying.

    "You wouldn''t want for the universe to collapse now, do you?" The young boy smirked, his eyes flaring off a cool, golden colour.

    The Yamanaka, of course, shook his head furiously. The young child absolutely looked like someone he shouldn''t mess with. He doesn''t even know what those golden eyes can possibly do. And those very same eyes are definitely hiding a great poison that he doesn''t want to touch.

    "Lemme be blunt with ''ya." The young boy coughed, covering his left eye, "Protect Orion, or else¡­" He narrowed his eyes at the Yamanaka.

    Inoichi paled.

    "I''m kidding." The child waved his hands off in a bored fashion, "Now, run along¡­ you won''t remember much things anyways." He yawned, "Two more things, actually¡ªI''m serious about you peeps protecting this Orion. He''s not someone you should take lightly. He''s far greater than any of you. And¡­ don''t ever go back in here ever again, unless you want your head to go crazy."

    Inoichi knew that it was a threat, so he stepped back.

    "Your eyes clearly says that you''re a Yamanaka¡­ and the dead giveaway is your capability to get in this place that is only accessible for the owner of my eyes." The young child sighed, waving his hands, "I wanted to chat more but I''m really tired¡­ bye now." He smiled just as Inoichi''s surroundings started to crumble

    Inoichi started falling.

    He screamed.

    __________

    "Inoichi!" Kuro tried to snap his friend out of his¡­ shock? He doesn''t know why the Yamanaka suddenly looked so pale and so shocked a few seconds after he had gone into Orion''s mind. He had never seen the Yamanaka seem so scared when performing his clan''s mind jutsu¡ªunless what he''s seeing now is far from horrible.

    He knew Inoichi has a calm and perceptive nature, generally staying calm under pressure¡ªso what could''ve possibly made him this scared? "Inoichi!" He called again as soon as the Yamanaka stumbled back, blinking in confusion. "Are you okay?" The Nara asked the man.

    Inoichi wiped the endless sweat coming from his forehead. He blinked. Is he okay? He doesn''t know himself. He doesn''t even know why he stumbled back. He doesn''t know why he''s sweating so much like he had seen a ghost. He doesn''t know why he feels so panicked. He doesn''t know what the hell happened.

    He doesn''t remember anything, actually¡­ and he has a feeling that if he try to remember what happened, he''s definitely gonna go insane. "Protect Orion¡­" He mumbled, not really knowing why. "Hm?" Kuro hummed at him. "Nothing¡­ it''s uh¡­ I''m¡­ tired." The Yamanaka smiled at him, and he smiled back.

    "Let''s continue tomorrow then¡­" Kuro smiled as he sent out a shadow clone to scout around, "I too needs a little rest."

    "You¡­ do that." Inoichi stood up, almost tumbling down once again but he regained his balance fairly quickly. He sighed as he jumped up to a branch, looking up through the sky shining through the thick leaves of the trees in the forest.

    The Yamanaka needs to think things through.

    From the moment he snapped back out and away from the jutsu he casted to get inside Orion''s head, something felt so wrong¡ªlike something happened, but he couldn''t really remember. There is a blank space of time he was sure he had spent inside the boy''s mind.

    Now what does the boy''s mindscape looked like again? He doesn''t really remember¡­

    The only thing he could remember was a pair of golden eyes staring deeply into his soul, engraving in his mind to treat Orion with great care.

    The gaze was cold yet forgiving.

    It was vicious yet caring.

    It was there, yet it seemed so lost.

    "Protect him or else¡­" He trailed, eyes shadowed by his hitai-ate. He''s very sure himself that he won''t be able to forget that enthralling gaze along with those words.

 21 For The Better

    ["Having seeing so much will definitely change one. You won''t be able to fix me, dear brother."]

    I opened my eyes, blinded by the sun''s light. I blinked and sat up, pulling my knees up to my chest, careful with my bandaged right foot. I then gently placed my left hand over to my left eye, getting a cool feeling from my said eye.

    I don''t really know what happened after I trapped the ginormous insect¡­ but weird things are happening since. I''ve been having weird dreams since after the centipede incident. Things are often going strange around the temporary cottage tou-san built for me to stay in.

    Tou-san''s out and had something to do so he went away, assigning Shisui as my body guard while placing others around the forest for protection. He postponed the training for now, saying he has something to do back in his work. He took Inoichi-san with him too, so I don''t really know where they''re going.

    Inoichi-san seemed so panic these days too. It has only been a few days after the Centipede Incident¡­ I don''t know what happened after I caught the king-class centipede in my trap¡ªbut it seems like it''s enough to shake up the adults. Tou-san only said that I passed out after I trapped the said thing due to chakra exhaustion¡­ but I doubt that. I''m sure something happened.

    The jounins around me are definitely hiding their uneasiness behind their soft smiles. They would often avoid my gaze and just "observe" and "guard" from afar, like they''re more afraid to me than anything else. When I approached one jounin and asked him why they''re sometimes distancing away, he really wasn''t sure and even questioned himself too.

    "You up¡ªwoah¡­!" I heard a voice as the door slid open, making me to turn my head ever so slightly towards the person. It was Shisui. He''s close to dropping the tray he''s carrying. "Do ''ya know how to turn that thing off? It''s cool and all but I''m never gonna get used to it." He pointed at his own left eye. I raised a brow.

    Well, I''m not going to get used to your chatter-box, Shisui-nii.

    I blinked at him as he snapped his fingers, a small mirror appearing between his hands before tossing the said item to me. I caught it, startled from the reflection that greeted me from the mirror.

    A golden gaze.

    I blinked.

    It disappeared.

    ["You do not own that power. That power owns you."]

    "¡­ so yeah. That''s why I''m here¡ªare you even listening?" I heard the Uchiha sigh, "As I was saying, I''m asking you if you want to walk around a bit? Kuro-sama postponed your training but you could definitely use a walk. You have horrible dark circles under your eyes for your age¡ªmuch darker than mine, seriously."

    He placed a hand on his waist in a lazy manner, "You definitely remind me of a little crow back in my compound¡­"

    My head feels light at the moment, so I kinda just nodded at him.

    After breakfast, Shisui-nii prepared me for the walk. At this point, I don''t really care what he''s doing to me. I was really out of it and didn''t realise that he already bathed me and dressed me new, saying that he''s used to this since his brother at home is just the same as me.

    Well, unlike Itachi, the brother he''s talking about, I''ve been feeling off. I didn''t voice it out but just let Shisui carry me on his shoulder, making me sit on his arms for support as we went out of the door and off into the forest.

    I blinked.

    ["I''m really lucky to have a brother like you."]

    What''s with those voices echoing in my mind? Not only they''re irritatingly intriguing, but they seem familiar, somehow, like I''ve heard those voices before¡­ but I really haven''t. Heck, I don''t even know why they''re familiar.

    They had been echoing in my mind these past night.

    This is trippy.

    I''m not high, am I? Definitely not. I''m clean since birth, geez¡ªsince my last life, actually. Never did drugs even though I was mistaken as a part of a thieves'' gang that did drugs while I was just minding my own business

    I rested my chin on Shisui''s shoulder before letting out a big sigh. He raised a bro but didn''t question why I sighed and just continued chatting away.

    I then let my eyes wander around lazily, eyes catching something blindingly white mixed into the greeneries.

    I narrowed my eyes.

    __________

    Kuro never really wanted to postpone training his son¡­ but it''s for the best. He felt that it was his fault that his son''s left eye activated anyways. He was responsible for his son''s endangerment, and he wanted to make up for it, so early break for his son it is.

    He was actually glad that Inoichi brought out the subject of erasing the short memory of Orion using his eye, because they were very sure the child is going to be consumed by guilt when he wakes up¡ªeven when it turns out that everyone that went momentarily crazy are actually okay.

    They removed the particular memory not only to protect Orion''s mentality, but also to protect him from any harm¡ªbecause they had a feeling that things will go wrong if they didn''t. They were about to erase the affected ninjas'' memories too but it seemed like they don''t remember the things that happened to them after they "fought" the centipede.

    It seems like their memories were replaced, but it was for the better. Kuro and Inoichi didn''t know how that happened, but it sure did save them time.

    He was also glad that his child''s right foot is close to being okay now. It was fractured before, but thanks to Tsutsuji, it''s far from worse.

    "It seems like what the eye did is far from its true ability." Kuro said to Inoichi as the two entered the Hokage Tower, "Seeing the eye''s powers is far more different than hearing a story about it. I mean, Ori literally breezed through the air, saving everyone from the King Centipede''s poison."

    He sounded rather fascinated.

    "I¡­ know what you mean." Inoichi slowly nodded, golden eyes still engraved in his mind. "I saw his golden eyes too¡­"

    Kuro halted on his steps, turning his head just enough to see the Yamanaka by the corner of his eyes, "Pardon?"

    "I saw¡­ your son''s golden¡­ eyes?" Inoichi blinked at him, his hands raised in a surrendering manner after seeing Kuro''s panicked face.

    "Eyes?" The Nara repeated, quickly dragging the Yamanaka into the Hokage''s office and closing the door behind him before signalling the Hokage to activate his privacy seals, and the Third did. "Seriously? You''re saying that Orion got both of the golden eyes? And you saw them? How are you okay then?" He simultaneously asked the confused ninja.

    The Hokage narrowed his eyes at the two as they brought up an interesting topic as soon as they got into his office.

    "Yes, I did see them¡­ though I''m not sure if they are ''his''." Inoichi nodded casually, patting the Nara''s shoulder. "You should calm down for a quick moment, Kuro. I should be the one who supposed to freak out, actually." He coughed before clearing his throat. "After I went inside his mind, there¡­ was definitely a lost void of time in there. I didn''t even get to remember what your son''s mindscape looked like. Everything became hazy as soon as I met the pair of golden gaze you described. Then and there, something in the back of my mind is commanding me to protect your son from any harm." He sounded serious.

    "It seems like we don''t really know who your son is, Kuro-kun." Inoichi looked into the Nara''s eyes as sternly as he could, "We cannot take your son''s powers lightly. It is something we won''t understand¡­ so stop trying to dig deeper, okay? It''s okay for you to train your son for whatever reason¡ªbut don''t ever push him over his very limits."

    The Yamanaka bowed his head, turning around and opening the door to leave, "Treat your son well, Kuro-kun." He left those words as he exited the now silent room, leaving the two person inside bewildered.

    The Hokage coughed, snapping the Nara from his daze. "Care to fill me in?" He asked with a casual face.

    Kuro blinked, facing the Third. "Right¡­"

    Kuro explained the situation to the Hokage, and the said old man listen very carefully at his words. The Third understood very well why the two were acting out of their character and why they suddenly barged into his office. It was a rather alarming situation, knowing that the Nara''s child may actually be wielding a potentially useful and at the same time, potentially harmful weapon.

    "Not a single one remember what the eye did to them?" The Third inquired. Kuro nodded, "Their memories were replaced of them "fighting" the King Centipede, but no such thing happened. My son even saved them using an unknown ability."

    Just as the Sandaime was about to speak, another person barged in, screaming the Nara''s name, "Shikakuro-sama!"

    __________

    Narrowed eyes followed a pair of adopted-brothers as they trudged along the Forest of Death. Those eyes belong to a white-masked man wearing his all white clothes. His name? Many probably know him already. He had hypnotized many using his amazing tunes to find the person he had been looking for. He had killed his father and sided to a wrong-doer.

    He''s Xavier Rukas, aka Shiro.

    No, he''s not planning to kill the two, no, no. It took him great trouble to escape from that "Gee-sama" so he''s taking his time to let the two go wherever. He''s even looking out for enemies. How nice of him. He''s just observing them at a reasonable distance, his presence completely concealed as he do so.

    Well, it''s not like he''s blending in really well considering he''s wearing all white all the time, but he''s doing just fine, casually standing and hopping branch to branch to closely follow the two that snuck out of their camp just to take a walk.

    Xavier doesn''t really know why the two decided to take a walk knowing that an enemy could jump at them, but he''s just there to observe, just in case something interesting happens.

    Oh, and the reason he thought to appear now? Well, looking at the young boy, he seemed to be quite out of it, bringing his curiosity to its peak. It''s rather odd for the silver-haired boy to be so out of it when he''s all smart and clever. Xavier saw the child as rational and someone with great stability, but why is the child like that now?

    Why, he wonders.

    He had hypnotised many to find someone suitable to help him defeat the person who killed his kin, and he found Orion to be perfect. The only thing he didn''t consider is the fact that the person he''s serving under is actually targeting the same child he had set his eyes on.

    Well, if things work out on his end though, he''d succeed avenging his family¡ªwith the child''s help, of course. If his memory doesn''t fail him, the child''s name is Orion¡ªa Nara too, so he''s glad he got a sharp black key to his side. Probably.

    If things doesn''t go to plan, however, he''s going to embrace death and accept his failure. It''s not like it''s going to change anything, right? At least he tried even though he might''ve been treated like the villain¡­ but he''s no villain nor hero. He''s just some random dude in white clothing who wanders around endlessly and aimlessly to spread his beloved music for a good cause¡ªbefore everything happened, anyways.

    He casually blinked, stopping on his tracks as he observed Shunshin no Shisui and Orion stop just before a clearing deep in the Forest of Death. His eyes then trailed onto the clearing that is an unsettling sight. Old, deep craters were littered on the ground, so he understands why the two ninjas are intrigued.

    Actually, he too is very intrigued. He had wandered inside the Forest of Death before, and this is the first time he has seen such place. The clearing had a condensed, heavy chakra surrounding it like a barrier, as if one can only get in the area, or even see the area using a specific "key". The chakra is very dense, and quite dark¡­ dark enough to resemble¡ª

    "What are you looking at?" Someone asked him.

    Without really thinking, he answered that ''someone''. "Nothing in parti¡ª" He froze, almost letting out a startled shriek as the person whom he has been looking at is right next to him all of a sudden.

    Orion looked so bored at him. "Is my stealth that good, or you''re just dumb for not noticing that I''m already next to you?" Did he hear that right? Did he just get called dumb by a child no less?

    Oh my go¡ªthis Orion child reminds him of ''that person''. They''re not only similar by the way they do their things, but the way they speak too! They seem so bored all the time like they already know what hell looks like! This is quite unacceptable for him! He''s a young adult and those two treat him like he''s any other person?

    Well, it''s not like he has a choice to retaliate¡­

    He simply sighed, giving his full glance at the silver-haired boy next to him.

    "Okay, I know you''re not dumb, but strange things are happening lately and I just vented that out to you." The young boy sighed deeper, sitting on the branch casually, letting his small legs swing back and forth from his seat.

    Xavier blinked at him and looked back down to where the boy was before he appeared next to him, and wha¡ªhe''s still with the Shunshin Uchiha guy¡­ Now which one''s the clone¡­? He really can''t tell, like, what? Things like these should''ve been easy to figure out but why is it damn hard to look for the fake one, Xavier wonders. He''s someone trained, and could be considered as a ranked ninja¡ªsomeone high up there, at least, but figuring which one''s which is confusing.

    He narrowed his eyes focusing his gaze between the two identical boys. Dark shadow envelops the two''s chakra, so it''s very hard to look for the real one. Come to think of it, when he had "found" Orion, it was the same too. Something dark is definitely surrounding the young boy¡ªsomething more dangerous than his current boss''s aura.

    Well, he could just hit one of the Orion''s but¡­ that''s not a smart choice.

    "So? Why are you trailing after us?" The child asked him casually, "''Ya trynna kill us again or something? You know very well that this forest is surrounded by high-ranked ninjas so you won''t get away like last time."

    "I could very well kill the both of you if I wanted to, little white deer." Xavier smiled behind his mask, sounding amused.

    The child chuckled, "Could you, though?"

    Xavier blinked at the puzzling child. He knows that the child can tell that he could easily kill them this very instance, but it seems like the child is placing his trust onto him. "I could¡­ but I''m too lazy to."

    "Hah." Orion smiled, leaning back a bit.

    The forest''s ambience enveloped the two''s surroundings as they both fell into silence after their short conversation. They both stared down at Shisui and the other Orion he''s carrying on his back.

    "What''s with your code?" Orion suddenly spoke up, "No villain would give out clues to their prey."

    "That''s the thing." Xavier didn''t bother to look at the young boy next to him but kept his gaze down towards the two that wandered below, "I''m no villain¡­ nor a hero. I''m just someone who seeks great revenge against someone I''m sure I cannot defeat."

    "Don''t ever say you''re an avenger because that''s stupid." The child rolled his eyes, muttering about some "duck butt" and "a copycat".

    "Ha. No. Absolutely not, young child. That name''s a trademark. You don''t want to get sued." Xavier chuckled.

    "Really, now?" The child seemed very amused, laughing about as the white-clothed man strengthens his sound barrier for the child''s laugh not to reach anyone else''s ears.

    To be truthfully honest, Xavier was startled when the child started laughing without a care in the world. He didn''t know that something so little could make this child''s day. It even seemed like the dark circles under the child''s eyes disappeared the moment he laughed. He was too bright for Xavier that the young man needed to keep his tainted aura off of the child. His lips curved into a smile, laughing along with the child.

    It seems like he wasn''t wrong for choosing this precious child as his destined black key. How he wished the moment could last longer, but he doesn''t belong in the child''s bright world.

    It''s quite ironic, really. Xavier''s black key is someone blindingly bright, someone too high and priceless for him to reach.

    ¡­

    That''s why it was too great of a shock when the Orion next to him disappeared in a quick poof, making him swiftly glance over to the two below him.

    It wasn''t a pretty sight.

    "ORION!" Shisui called the child''s name, who seems to be clutching his chest.

    Xavier narrowed his eyes at the two and placed a reasonable amount of chakra to his eyes to see clearly what on earth happened.

    His eyes widened when the child coughed.

    ''Is that¡­ blood?''

 22 A Bloody Coincidence

    Spotting something blindingly white in a very green forest wasn''t really that hard per se, but maybe being a chatter box trying to entertain a seemingly "innocent little boy" could hinder one''s senses. Maybe, just maybe, Shisui was able to sense the all-white jerk, but just in case, I sent a clone towards that bastard.

    Making a clone a few meters away is not that hard when you grasp the concept¡ªthanks to tou-san when he was demonstrating how his "stealthy duties" in his line of work, though I don''t know what his work is, up to now, and I doubt I''d know in the near future either.

    As of now, the easiest clone I can make is made out of pure shadow¡­ which makes it a shadow clone? I don''t know. Tou-san showed me once that he can make "copies" or "clones" of objects using his own shadows so I just broke down his concept and made a few "false clones" of things in my spare time. This is actually my first time creating a "human" clone so I don''t know if it works but¡­

    YOLO

    Trying won''t hurt, right? So¡­ Imma just wing it¡ª

    Well, if that white bastard tries anything suspicious¡ªattack us, even, I can just alert the ninjas that scattered around the forest by, well, obnoxiously screaming like the earth''s falling over or maybe even flare out an excessive amount of chakra. Maybe even do both. It will definitely work.

    It''s not like I could actually do anything right now. I still feel too drained after the centipede incident so flaring up chakra may actually kill me so shouting it is¡­

    I''m actually too tired.

    I let out a sigh. Shisui-nii grunted, "You''ve been heavily sighing this morning like you got the world''s problem on your back. What''s up with you?"

    Yeah¡­ what''s up with me? Come to think of it, I''ve been taking deep breaths since this morning, like, my lungs needs more than the intended amount of oxygen a child should take¡­ or maybe I''m just tired. Weird "memories" and voices had been keeping me awake these past nights¡­ so¡­ yes, I''m just tired.

    Really tired.

    "It''s¡­ uh¡­ boring?" I answered the Uchiha. He simply rolled his eyes, "That''s a question, Ori-kun. Just tell me if you''re already tired, we''ll go back with your words." He ended with a smile.

    "Why would I be tired?" I smiled as I rested my chin on his shoulder, closing my eyes, "You''re the one who''s been walking up to this point, niisan."

    "You just seem very tired." He chuckled, propping me up a bit.

    "Do I?" I asked in a hoarse tone.

    "Hn."

    "Don''t ''hn'' me, niisan. It doesn''t suit you when you''re all chatty." I lifted my head up, he chuckled. "I''m just trynna light up the atmosphere." His smile remained.

    "Hm¡­" I hummed, lazily eyeing the scenery forwards before blinking when the greenery rippled and transitioned to a barren clearing. "What the¡ª" I perked up as Shisui halted on his steps.

    "¡ªheck." The Uchiha continued my words. "What the heck indeed." He began looking left and right, assessing the once hidden area that we unknowingly stepped into.

    I pushed myself up and started to observe with the Uchiha. The clearing seemed to be freshly and unnaturally made¡ªseveral deep and shallow craters and molten rocks littering the area. Black smoke is even coming off from one of the craters¡­

    Heavy, dense chakra is also around¡­ which is making me feel really off. Ever since we stepped into this clearing, my heart keeps¡­

    ["My bad, dear brother." He laughed, "You''ve been far too kind and na?ve for your own safety."]

    Snaking my arm onto my chest, I gripped tight on Shisui''s shoulder.

    [The sword glinted as it snaked through one''s body, the other''s victorious smile placed proudly on his also blurred face. Blood seeped through the person''s mouth as he stepped back, his feet dangling near the edge of the universe.]

    My chest constricted, and it''s getting hard to breath. My head hurts too.

    [Using his sword, he pushed the person off.]

    Shisui is talking about something but I couldn''t understand him as my hearing is getting repressed, and my vision is starting to spin.

    [The person fell, his blurred face getting clearer. His saddened eyes looked back at the person who pushed him off f the edge, his gaze forgiving and understanding.]

    It''s like something is lodged in my chest.

    [The person closed his eyes as fell, his face now clear.]

    My eyes widened as the person''s face remained in my mind. I gripped onto Shisui''s shoulder harder, my nails digging deep into his clothes.

    ''The person that fell¡­ looks just like¡­ me.''

    I coughed.

    __________

    Shisui had recently just come home from an ANBU mission, and he immediately got called over into the Forest of Death in place of the Kitsune, his temporary captain, to "take care" of things. Of course, he was more than happy when it turned out that he''s going to be taking care of a white-haired child''s safety. His exhaustion and need of rest immediately vanished when he heard of the child''s name.

    Why wouldn''t he? After hearing a big news of Orion activating his golden eyes and almost defeating a king-class creature reached his ears, it was more than enough to energise him and motivate him to get ready straightaway. He just instantaneously vanished when his Hatake captain gave him the orders coming from a certain Nara.

    Though he came back a few days after the so called "centipede incident", that didn''t stop his curiosity so, he personally went to Shikakuro in order to get the gist of a few things. Turns out why the jounins around the camp are quite the distance away, they still have the irrational and unconscious fear from Orion''s gaze.

    Orion seems to be so drained after the incident, so he wanted to check the child out himself. Taking a deep breath, he slid open the door to the said child''s room, slipping in a few words and momentarily pausing when a flare of chakra first hit his sense before his deep gaze locked with the child''s golden one.

    Something cold enveloped his surroundings as he stared more into the golden left eye of the young boy, a memory flicking inside his mind.

    ["You were reborn as a Nara, after all."

    Shisui quickly gazed back at the child, staring frozen as his red eyes locked onto Orion''s golden left eye. It was like the child had been caught¡ªa deer caught in headlights in a highway, as still as Shisui as well. His awakened Sharingan had no match for the chilling gaze of the child''s golden eye.

    ''What the¡ª''

    "Ah, I wonder what it''s like to know what had happened in the past of your world¡­ and to know what will happen in the future of this world¡­" The masked man smiled at Orion as Shisui tried to lift himself up. "Well, as crazy as I might sound," the man started waving his hands, as if telling a tale to a kid, "I might actually believe him that¡­ both of you came from another world." He snickered, shaking his head.]

    Why did Shisui remember that particular day? He really didn''t question that the first time, but thinking back now¡ªhe didn''t actually understand the "reborn" thing the first time and now that he really has a good view of Orion''s saddened eyes¡­ the cold atmosphere the child''s eyes are giving away heavy details of how he had lived his life.

    Like he had gone through so much¡ªtoo much, and Orion himself doesn''t even know it.

    Well, like before though, the Uchiha doesn''t really want to question it. Though he knows that the child might''ve actually came from "another" lifetime¡ªbased on the child''s actions and perspective in life, he still sees Orion as someone that needs care and attention. He sees him as a little brother that needs to be protected.

    After quickly tossing a mirror to the child and ranting on how they should go for a walk for the said child''s sake. Orion definitely looks like someone who came back from the dead thanks to the dark circles under his eyes.

    The child earned it, like, seriously. Orion hadn''t had any long break since his training started¡ªShisui heard from Kitsune.

    Shisui got the young boy dressed up and ready, carrying him on his back as they both snuck out of their camp. They headed out to wherever he had assessed safe, walking as peacefully as he can as his shadow clones dispose of potential threats running or hopping around, mainly the normal-class beasts in the area. Maybe to even look out for definite threats wearing white clothes and sticking out in the green forest.

    Yes, one of his clones saw Shiro, but it seems like Orion beat him to that bastard so, his clone henge into a crow to follow behind the two because¡­ they seem to be conversing about "something". They''re behind a strong sound barrier that Shisui''s clone could only read what they are conversing about.

    Something about "code", "avenger", or "someone not being a hero nor a villain".

    He couldn''t read everything as he was perched onto an unfortunate spot. The only thing the clone could hear clearly was the laughter that erupted through the barrier for a split second. Shisui is very sure his keen hearing didn''t deceive him. That was definitely Orion''s laughter.

    It sounded vibrant.

    He will be lying if he doesn''t admit that his crow henge smiled a bit after hearing the child''s laugh. It''s like music to his ears. Same goes when he heard Itachi laugh for the first time.

    Children''s laughter are filled with innocence and hope, and Shisui admire them. Sure, maybe he had been longing for sweet laughter since he grew up in a solemn way after pouring his time over to make himself stay on the top, blocking his childhood from ever blossoming, but just hearing one tone of laughter makes him smile.

    The reason?

    He doesn''t really know why. He just get drawn to children and would very much like to hug them if not for his position in ANBU, which pretty much stops him from doing what he''s used to around Itachi and Sasuke (hugging them to death). It may not look like it but, the Uchiha loves children.

    So when he encountered a peculiar, silver-haired Nara that clearly resembles his captain, Kitsune, and the Silver Arrow that once stood on the battlefield, on the day he was supposed to catch a "possessed" Nara member, aside from panic when the child fainted, he felt the same way he feels around his younger cousins.

    It''s his "brother-mode" activating.

    This "brother-mode" grew bigger when the same child gave him kindness while he gave him the silent treatment because of work.

    Sure, he always run away when it''s with the "steal Karasu''s mask mission", but that''s just him being competitive over a smartass child that has the blood of the world''s genius clan running through his veins. It''s petty, but it''s his way of telling himself that he''s still stronger than any child¡ªlet alone a mere toddler at the age of four.

    His crow henge smiled wider when he suddenly remembered Orion getting close to stealing his ANBU mask before a disastrous event¡ªthat being the Shiro-guy appearing out of nowhere and almost getting the two of them killed. No, he''s not smiling about Xavier suddenly ruining their fun, but he was smiling at how stupid he was for being quite petty because Orion almost outsmarted him.

    Snapping back into reality, Shisui''s crow clone looked back at the two targets in front. His beady crow eyes widened before he poof away at the real Shisui''s command.

    Shisui was just talking about how could such a place in the woods exist when all of a sudden, the tiny hands of Orion clutched hard on his right shoulder. He narrowed his eyes and quickly propped the child onto his knee as he crouched down. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the young child cough.

    Orion had covered his mouth with his small hands upon coughing, eyes starting to go wide as the metallic taste of blood reached his senses. He slowly pulled away his shaking hands, eyes meeting the sight of blood on his hands, blood dripping from his mouth down to his chin. He quickly looked up and met a bewildered face of an Uchiha, eyes locked with him as if he''s asking: why? Why is there blood¡ª

    "ORION!" Shisui caught the young boy, voice in panic, "O-Orion?!"

    Well, it''s not the time to panic. He needs to get the young boy to a safe place. Going back into the camp isn''t really the best idea since the medic ninja there is a bit hesitant to go up to the small Hatake-Nara at the moment.

    He quickly looked around, senses active. His nose picked up the most familiar scent.

    Going forwards from where they are, they could easily reach the Uchiha''s with no problem¡­ and is it a coincidence that Orion''s mother could also be there as well? Kaiya would often visit the said clan in order to chat and talk with people there so, just maybe, he could take the child there.

    Ah¡ªShisui''s already headed that way anyways. He had never travelled at such speed like his life depended upon it. To be fair, a child''s life is at stake.

    Arriving at the gates of the clan, he didn''t even worry to check in and just whizzed past everything and everyone before arriving at the main family''s doorsteps. He didn''t even bothered to knock and just barged in when his cousin opened the door coincidentally.

    "Where''s Kaiya-san?!" His voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the whole Uchiha household.

    The young Itachi stared at him indifferently, not noticing the child his older cousin is carrying, "You just missed her. She went back a couple of minutes ago¡ª"

    "Catch up to her, will you? Catch up with her, please, Itachi." Shisui ran past Itachi and went ahead and waltz into the house''s guest room.

    Itachi deemed it as urgent and followed his older cousin''s¡­ order since¡­ the Shisui he knows would definitely bicker and will make fun of him every second. To his surprise though, just as he was about to step out of the door, a white blur shoved him gently to the side before waltzing in the same direction as Shisui went. This makes the Uchiha child wonder why people like to shove him and go past him today.

    What''s the occasion? The person he was supposed to catch up with already arrived.

    Wait¡­ was the thing he saw on Shisui''s clothes¡­ blood? By the smell of it, it is. That made him turn back and curiously walk into the guest room.

 23 Mirror Image

    It would definitely look wrong if a pregnant woman would just suddenly pause walking to turn around before whizzing past everyone just to get back into the main branch''s household. But it''s Kaiya we''re talking about. She picked up the chakra signals of her own son abnormally off after a gust of wind went through the streets, and she just has to get back as soon as possible.

    Following her son''s scent that was also near a familiar one, she ended back up in front of the Uchiha household. She gently shoved Itachi out of her way and followed after Shisui into the house''s guest room.

    What greeted her is absolutely terrifying for a mother like her; her son''s Nara and Hatake-styled clothing is covered with flowing blood that came from his mouth. Orion was shaking violently, skin cold to the touch. Even Shisui was as pale when he had laid the child down onto the bed.

    "What the hell happened?" Kaiya asked as she assessed her son for any type of injuries, but there were none.

    "I-I don''t know¡­ I took him for a walk then he just¡­¡ª" Shisui wiped the cold sweat from Orion''s forehead, "He just started coughing out blood¡­!"

    Kaiya had a quick glimpse on Shisui''s state. She knows that the Uchiha child doesn''t like to lie. In fact, he''s even covered with her child''s blood too. She cleared her throat, "For now, get some fresh set of clothes for my dear Orion, okay? You should get changed as well. I''ll take care of things here." She smiled gently at the Uchiha, "Thank you for thinking fast, Shisui-kun."

    "As you wish, Kaiya-san." The Uchiha bowed, turning around and bumping into Itachi who had just entered the room. Shisui blinked at him before looking back at Kaiya, "It''s my duty to protect the Silver Arrow''s child."

    "While you''re at it, please contact Shikakuro¡­" Kaiya''s smile faltered as she turned back to her son, her fringe covering her eyes. "¡­ Do it immediately, please?"

    "Of course." Shisui saluted by placing his right hand onto his left chest before disappearing completely in a quick puff of thick smoke.

    Itachi read the situation and proceeded to go out to at least serve the silver-haired lady in a room with a glass of water.

    Back into complete focus, Kaiya ran through a set of seals with a quite release of her chakra that flowed over to her son''s body, assessing every body part of her son¡ªinside and outside. She narrowed her already worried eyes, releasing her seal as she proceeded to manipulate her chakra towards her son.

    It wasn''t any physical injury that could be seen outside, but something more¡­ deeper and one''s eyes simply cannot see. Well, Hy¨±ga''s can, actually, but that''s beside the point.

    No, her son didn''t exhaust his chakra reserves. In fact, Orion''s chakra reserves overflowed and went over the limits¡ªwhich worsen his condition even more. Basing from the given signs¡ªstruggle in breathing and Orion''s extremities (tips of fingers, lips, etc.) turning purple due to deoxygenating, Kaiya understood that her son had been struggling even before the "chakra overload" occurred.

    Since chakra''s main point is within the chambers of the heart, the chakra overload overworked Orion''s already weak heart and it imitated something like a heart attack, before the overflowing chakra coursed through his body inside out, attacking the child''s vital organs first.

    It''s a rather scary thing, but Kaiya has an idea how to work over this in order to save her son''s life. It could last long depending how much excessive chakra went into Orion''s system, but as long as he will live, the Hatake-Nara will definitely do it.

    She just needs a vessel in order to contain the excess chakra¡­

    She gritted her teeth as she retracted her hands back to herself, eyeing her son that had already curled himself into a ball in order to keep himself warm.

    Kaiya would do anything just to keep her one and only son safe.

    Absolutely anything.

    Her eyes slowly trailed down to her belly.

    She instantly whirled around when the door slid open.

    "ORION¡ª¡­!"

    __________

    "Hey¡ªhe''s waking up!" Shisui pointed out as the young Orion fluttered his eyes open, only to curl himself back into a ball while clutching his chest with his small hands.

    He was crying.

    ''A~h¡­! I feel like I''m ripping apart¡­!'' The child thought to himself, biting his lower lip.

    "Orion!" Kaiya panicked, eyes meeting her son''s, pausing for a bit.

    "It hurts, kaa-san¡ª" Orion coughed, blood dripping from his mouth, dying the white sheets with the crimson colour. Both of his eyes were flashing between the colours of gradient brown to golden yellow as his tears flowed down his pained face. It seemed like it was ticking, for some unruly reason.

    Kaiya immediately went to calm down her son, but when she touched her son''s skin, he was burning hot. "Aiya? I''ve extracted most of the chakra but why¡ª"

    Shikakuro pulled away his wife before hovering his hand over his son''s eyes, releasing a burst of chakra that would make the young child tired. The said action made Orion fall asleep. It was enough to keep the pain away, for now at least. He hopes that the small thing helped his child.

    "He was conscious of the pain. This is all I can do for now." Kuro said, disappointed with himself.

    His heart ached when he saw his son''s eyes crying for help¡ªcrying for someone to ease his pain. It''s been three days since Orion''s like this, and it''s rather scary to know that you might lose your beloved son when he''s not monitored properly.

    No one wants to lose their beloved child.

    Again.

    "Has Tsunade-sama responded with our request?" Kuro asked.

    One will know that the situation is serious when the husband of a great medical ninja is calling for another. It''s just that Kaiya can''t handle the situation herself¡ªshe''s pregnant, for crying out loud! If she could, she would''ve done everything herself, but there''s a living being inside her that will also take damage if she takes another drastic measure.

    The Hokage had already said he''s help them and their child, and he''s doing everything he can to get in touch with the Senju. But the time''s ticking and Orion is seriously wasting away every second that passes.

    "Unfortunately¡­ no, sir." A jounin appeared inside the room, revealing herself to be Tsutsuji Hy¨±ga. "Shit¡­" Kuro started to bite his thumb''s nail after hearing the answer.

    Everyone in the room fell silent. Shikakuro, Kaiya, Shisui¡­ even Tsutsuji¡ªeveryone one of them. Their eyes all gazed over the helpless child lying down on the bed that was stained with his own blood.

    __________

    It was so cold that I woke up, only to regret doing so. Every inch of my body is in excruciating pain, and it''s not very pleasant. This is definitely worse than getting impaled by an iron pole because¡­ right now, I feel like I''m ripping apart! It hurts!

    I''d rather die! Seriously!

    Tears just rolled down my face because I really can''t take it.

    It may be because of this small body, and its small pain tolerance, but shit¡ªit fucking hurts.

    I met kaa-san''s eyes when I clutched my chest, and she looked absolutely scared. "It hurts, kaa-san¡ª" I couldn''t even complete my words when I started coughing. Surprise, surprise, the metallic taste of blood greeted me again as I stained the white sheets of whoever''s bed I''m curled up on.

    My heart is throbbing like I had consumed twenty energy drinks in one go¡ª

    I was too focused onto trying to ease the pain coming from my chest that I didn''t notice tou-san. He hovered his hands over my eyes and in an instant, I felt drowsy. Well, falling asleep is better than feeling this incredible pain coming from my chest so, I just let myself fall unconscious.

    I think I fell asleep¡­ but when I opened my eyes, it''s blindingly white. The place brings me a sense of familiarity, like I''ve been here before. All the white space is blinding me but I still looked around, only to find the space empty, like a newly bought canvas¡ªyet to be filled with great worlds.

    Am I dead?

    Man, I''m too young to die¡ªliterally. My physical body is like, not even five years old.

    I let out a sigh.

    I didn''t even get to meet my younger sister in the ninja world. Now I''m wondering how she''d look like.

    Would she take the Hatake''s beauty, or the Nara''s piercing, laidback and calculating appearance? Would she take the Hatake''s laziness, or the Nara''s? Maybe both?

    It sucks that I won''t get to see her.

    Just as I was about to release another sigh, something knocked all of the air out of my lungs, sending me skidding away for a few feet. "What the f¡ª" I breathed, catching up to my breath.

    "I didn''t know that you''re such an idiot, Idiot." I heard a voice that made me stop.

    I slowly looked back, meeting a familiar golden gaze¡ªwait, what?

    WHA¡ª

    Why¡ª

    Why does he look like¡ª

    ¡­

    Why does he look like me?

    "It''s funny how you''re panicking inside but your expression tells otherwise." He chuckled before sitting down and making a couch appear out of nowhere to catch him.

    He''s my complete mirror image¡ªminus his golden pair of eyes.

    "Oh, and yes. You''re me¡­ but I''m not you." He said in a rather calm tone.

    "Okay, that doesn''t make sense in my head." I started biting my thumb''s nail, "Afterlife is very confusing." Another cold hit knocked me to the side. "What the hell man?"

    "Stop saying you''re dead. You''re not dead, Idiot-kun." He blinked, "Wait, no. ''-kun'' sounds disgusting. Forget I ever used that."

    "I agree." I nodded after picking myself back up to my feet. "But¡ªwhat do you mean I''m not dead? I have this nagging memory that I''ve been in here before¡­ right after¡­ I¡­ died¡­" I stopped at my words upon the realisation. "Yes! After I died I¡­ I ended up¡­ here." I placed my finger against my chin, "Though I don''t know what exactly happened¡­"

    "Oh, yeah." The other ''not me'' nodded. "I think you were just materialising into the world when you first stepped onto this world."

    I blinked at him.

    "By materialising, I mean that it was when your scattered soul is recollecting itself to form a new¡­ ''you''. When you first entered this world, you feel like you were hovering, yeah?" I nodded at his question. "What I still don''t understand is when you were able to¡ªanyways, never mind that. To put it simply, you were reincarnating by that time. Oh, and you''re still alive, you na?ve mentally 32-year old child." He casually gave me an angry glance.

    And the glance was quite playful.

    Too playful for me to be comfortable with.

    "Well, you are dying, but you''re still not dead, okay?" He sighed, folding his arms together.

    "W-Wait¡ªwhat?" I took a step closer to him.

    "Well, it''s not like it matters. They''re not gonna let you die anyways so, let''s make use of this time, okay?" He waved off his hands, preventing me to ask him any further questions.

    Man. That version of¡­ "me" is quite the bastard, isn''t he?

    "I can hear your thoughts, Idiot." He said in a casual tone, like he''s used to it.

    I sighed. I still have a lot of questions to ask the "me" in front of me.

    "Well, your questions will be answered in the near future. Now''s just not the time." He gave his golden gaze to me. "For now, since you''re here now and I have nothing to do¡ªplus I''m bored, I''m going to teach you a bit on uh¡­ how to use your eyes properly. Well, they''re mine but you have them too so yeah."

    "Pardon?"

    "When you activate your eyes, or accidentally awaken them, you''re just flinging around your powers carelessly, affecting people you do not wish to affect with them." He flared up his golden eyes, "I believe your left eye has the power¡­ to make people see."

    Make people see? "So¡­ it''s basically like¡­ a genjutsu or something?"

    He blinked, pausing for a moment, "Actually¡­ yes? Well, it''s far more superior than that puny thing." I raised a brow at his statement. "Let''s see¡­ your left eye can pretty much reach into the depths of your target''s mind and replay their deepest fear, inflicting the same damage that has been done that particular time. Heck, you could even make up scenarios and play them into their mind. ''What would happen if this happens?'' Bam, you can play whatever scenario you''d think of into their brains."

    "Basically a genjutsu."

    "Wha¡ªno! I told you it''s far more superior!" I smiled when he snapped.

    "Oh? Really?"

    He then stopped, realising what I''m doing to him. "You know what? Think whatever you want. I''m not gonna help you anymore."

    "Hm¡­ petty¡­" I looked away, puffing my cheeks.

    We honestly look like siblings fighting over something.

    He released a long sigh before snapping his fingers, making the once white space change into a green forest. "''Ya better start figuring out how to activate your eyes, you turd."

    I gasp, covering my mouth, "It''s like you''re saying you''re a turd too!"

    He gave a warning look.

    "Okay, I''ll stop. Whatever." I raised my hand in a surrendering manner, smiling at him. "So? What are we doing again?"

    "I''m gonna train you until you''re hanging close to death itself."

    With his simple words, I already know that I''m going to be at hell''s doorstep once again.

    Me and my stupid mouth.

    Shit.

 24 Valentinesâ€¦?

    ''It''s in the midst of October, dammit.'' Orion cursed in his mind, trying so hard not to crumple the bouquet of roses handed to him by a young Uchiha. He was smiling, but he was itching to throw the bunch onto some people, especially after seeing Shisui and Shikamaru trying to hold in their laughter behind Sasuke.

    "Thank you, Sasuke-kun." His lips twitched as he thanked the Uchiha, quietly letting his seal-less Kage Nui reach the people behind the clueless Uchiha, holding them by their feet and hanging them upside down, glaring at them when Sasuke closed his eyes from god knows what.

    "Y-You''re welcome, Sh-Shiro¡ªI mean¡­ Ori-chan¡­" The Uchiha stuttered, making Orion much more flustered, not processing why the cursed Uchiha child is stuttering.

    Orion sighed, leaning forwards, silver locks of hair sliding to his face. To be fair, he looked rather stunning, with the sun''s rays shining through the windows and hitting his pale skin, making him glow effortlessly. His long, curly and gravity-defying silver hair reflected the sun''s light too, and it was really bright.

    The more one stare into Orion''s face, the more they''d notice his unusual, gender-neutral beauty. What''s adding more to that beauty is the mole under his right eye. In Japan, such a mark symbolises a hard, sad life¡ªthe placement calls to mind a tear of sorrow.

    It actually matches his dark, brown eyes that has a tint of dark grey, symbolising the Hatake bloodline. His eyes always make him look like he''s on the verge of crying, but he isn''t. That''s the beauty of his enticing eyes. One''s soul could really get captured into it¡ªit doesn''t matter what gender.

    Sasuke smiled. "I''ll get going then." He beamed, turning around only to tilt his head when he saw everyone lying face first on the ground. He blinked at them, "Are you okay? Okaa-san said one shouldn''t lie down on the cold floor, Shisui-niisan, Shikamaru-kun." He then walked out, oblivious of what happened, but he didn''t question it for he was too immersed in his thoughts.

    He was as red as a tomato too.

    Orion shivered, throwing the bouquet of roses at Shikamaru''s face when the latter laughed out loud. He sniffed before pulling up his covers and lying back down on the bed, holding in a sneeze. "If I hear one of you laugh one more time because of this¡­" His voice was hoarse, but it was threatening, "¡­ I''ll thread Kage Nui through your skin¡­ that''ll be fun." There was a smile there, and the two understood the child''s words. They didn''t know that it''s possible for one to be extra scary when he''s sick so, they simply left and let the youngster rest.

    Orion has been sick for quite a while. After coughing out probably a gallon of blood due to being exposed to a certain place, which had very dense and heavy chakra that resonated with his own chakra, he got horribly sick. Well, catching a cold is better than dying, right? The only thing unfortunate is that his throat is very sore. He''s also sneezing here and there so, the Uchihas'' are very nice to take him in for the time of being.

    Actually, scratch that. What''s more unfortunate is the fact that Sasuke is visiting him every now and then, giving him gifts and the like as "advance valentine gifts", as Shisui calls it, which makes everything ten times worse. Well, it''s not that unfortunate because the child''s being generous and all but¡­ every time Orion brings up the gender topic, Shisui would casually interrupt, thus preventing him to say the truth to the young Uchiha.

    Then and there, Orion swore that he''d drown the crow himself if the said Uchiha won''t stop bringing up the "female Orion" (aka Shiro-chan which evolved into Ori-chan) issue.

    Later that afternoon, Orion was sound asleep, his body temperature still high. The door slid open, revealing a tiny Sasuke carrying a tray of food and water, along with a medicine pill for the sleeping boy¡ªnot that he knows Orion''s a boy, probably¡­ maybe.

    After placing the tray on a nearby table, he quietly sat down on a chair next to Orion''s bed. He observed the youngster. He looked rather peaceful when he''s asleep. To him, Shiro-chan''s so cute, but at the same time, he looks so sad. He doesn''t know why he sees the child as that, but Orion just unconsciously gives out that feeling.

    Resting his chin on the palm of his hands, he became lost in thought. He never really had a friend other than his brother and cousin so, when Orion came through the clearings, something sparked in him. He knew he had to become friends with the child right away, no matter who he is. Though he feels like Orion detests him for some reason, he''s very determined to make him his friend.

    Thinking back, he once asked his mother how to please a friend, so when his mother suggested flowers and food can make the thing easier, he didn''t hesitate to break his porcelain tomato bank to buy lots and lots of flowers and food for the silver-haired child.

    How innocent.

    Sasuke looked rather cute when he was running around their village, buried deep in whatever he''s carrying. He paid no mind when he came back home and saw Shisui snickering about and whispering something to Shikamaru. He just immediately blasted off into Orion''s room and gave him the roses because they were the best looking ones.

    He''s a bit flustered and going red because he really hasn''t approached anyone like before, so getting all this soppy in front of his motivation to try and get a new friend was doing him no good. He''s a bit nervous and started stuttering after his confidence faltered, and he became more embarrassed than before. He picked his thoughts up and made a quick escape after that.

    Though he doubts that the people in the room missed his flushed face.

    He sighed, pouting as he leaned back at his chair, eyes still watching over Orion. He perked up when the child started to shift and move before opening his eyes in a tired manner. He smiled, his legs swinging back and forth, "How are ''ya feeling, Ori-chan?"

    Orion blinked, groaning as he sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he reached out for a glass of water, "A bit¡­ better¡­" He was still half asleep, so all of his words only came out in mumbles. He started to drink the water, waking himself up and noticing the Uchiha child sitting across from him. He stared at him lazily.

    Looking at Sasuke now, he doesn''t seem that bad. After seeing the tray of food and medicine, he presumed that the child had taken them to him. How nice.

    "Okaa-san''s worried over you so I decided to take watch. Kaiya-san went out to pick out herbs and stuff from the Nara compound." The Uchiha said in a carefree manner, smiling away. "Oh, and if you''re hungry, I got niisan to cook eggs and tomatoes for you." He smiled, innocently, looking over at the tray of food at the table.

    Orion blinked at him, his face neutral as the scent of eggs and tomatoes finally hit his nose. He brightened when the savoury aroma reached his system, so he reached for the bowl of food and started to eat. The taste of the dish wasn''t comparable to his mother''s, but it''s good no matter what others say. ''Itachi knows what he''s doing¡­'' he thought as he continued to eat.

    "''Ya know, Otou-san''s very interested in you." Sasuke sparked a conversation, making Orion take a glance at him. "I''ve never seen him very interested in anyone except when an incident happened. He said that a Nara kin was strong enough to fend for himself and his friend before help arrived¡­ I think he mentioned that the Nara kin''s the same age as us too." The Uchiha child is pretty much rambling as of now, and Orion seemed to not care about him.

    ''That''s me, you clueless little crow.'' The Hatake-Nara thought lazily, finishing up his food. What concerned Orion the most was the fact that Sasuke himself told him that the Fugaku Uchiha is interested in him. That''s a bit scary to know but he could live with that as long as the man doesn''t bother him.

    Orion fell silent as Sasuke rambled on, thinking back for himself. He really doesn''t have much to think about so, he kind of just wandered his eyes off into the distance, dazed as he sucked in the peacefulness surrounding him and his circle of friends.

    This won''t last long for sure.

    He has this slight feeling that everything could go wrong in any minute, but he keeps ignoring it, hoping his hunch is very off.

    "¡­ everyone here is very nice, right?" He heard Sasuke, and he absentmindedly nodded.

    Well, everyone is nice.

    Sasuke blinked at him. "Are you okay, Ori-chan?" He asked.

    "Oh¡­ uh¡­ yeah." Orion smiled, fiddling with his fingers, "I''m just thinking of how peaceful it is currently¡­"

    ''Too peaceful that I''m quite worried¡­''

    __________

    Since Orion is able to walk around now without falling (due to being stuck in bed for almost three weeks), Sasuke had decided he''s going to tour the child around his clan. Of course, Shisui''s behind, stalking them while mumbling about something like "date" or something. Orion didn''t really hear him, but he felt his presence around and it''s enough to convince that he''s definitely gonna drown the bastard crow himself.

    Well, that thought got easily forgotten as the Hatake-Nara got distracted with every interesting thing that the Uchiha clan has to offer. It turns out that Uchiha people are quite nice, and they have the best sweets on the village. Orion also learned that his mother had went to the Uchiha clan to learn how to cook deserts from a nice aunt they had went by.

    People instantly knew who Orion was when they saw him. They knew that he''s the son of their beloved acquaintance, Kaiya. Orion thought his cheeks were going to fall off when everyone from a known sweetshop pinched his cheeks¡­ and Sasuke was just a bystander, watching him from a distance with an innocent smile as he drowned into samples of sweets and death hugs.

    After that disaster, Sasuke led Orion into the Uchiha''s only weapon shop, saying that the place is his favourite place since they give him free kunais and ninja stars for training. The Hatake-Nara didn''t get away way freebies too since Sasuke kept saying that he''s his friend and he should train with him sometimes with the weapons made in there.

    Orion supposed it was nice.

    The Uchiha''s are nicer than the anime depicted. The only problem is that they care and love too much that if they lose the one they love, they''ll go crazy.

    Sasuke then led Orion into parks and shops until they finally got back to the main household. It was a refreshing walk for the two, and Sasuke and Orion himself got comfortable with each other.

    "Thank you, Sasuke." Orion smiled at the said Uchiha.

    "Anything for Ori-chan." The child smiled back.

    Shisui, on the other hand, just watched them as they exchanged a few set of words. Well, he''s just teasing Orion with Sasuke because the younger Uchiha thought that the Hatake-Nara was a girl when they first met, but Shisui already explained it to him that Orion just looks like a girl, but he is in fact in the same gender. Sasuke''s just too oblivious and just kept on naming Orion "Ori-chan" so Shisui found a new way to tease the white-haired child.

    Ah, how Shisui loves children. They do the funniest things, and they are too sweet. To some, they are the most annoying bunch, but to him, they are the ones that could make his day.

    If they''re annoying, he''d annoy them too.

    Well, seeing Orion and Sasuke, Shisui''s sure they''re going to be great friends.

    He wishes that this peacefulness would last.

 25 P????a???t?????h???e?????t??????i???c????.?????

    It''s dark, the rain is pouring, and the streets are empty; it was all Orion could see as he dragged his feet along the damp road, painting the said road with crimson blood, and he doesn''t know why that''s the case. He couldn''t feel anything even though he could see himself shaking.

    He looked at his hands before choking at his own breath, ''Blood?! What''s going on?'' He thought, releasing a shaky breath, stopping on his steps after briefly hearing a laughter echoing through the empty streets. ''What the¡ª'' He couldn''t move. He can''t even speak.

    "P????a???t?????h???e?????t??????i???c????.?????" A voice echoed but its words bear a static which made it quite muffled and... creepy.

    A murder of crows flew in front of the shaking Orion, forming a silhouette of a young child, about the same height and form of the silver-haired Orion. It started laughing, "Y?????o?????u?????? ????s????????h??????a???????l?????l???????? ????????w????a???????l??????k??? ???????o??????n???? ???t??????h????????e?????? ??????p????????a?????????t???????h????????? ????o??????f??????? ?????s????????h????a??????m????e??????.????????" Its eyes widened, and its right eye glowed with the brightest golden hue, casting darkness behind the forsaken child.

    A pair of golden eyes narrowed from afar as a loud, heart-breaking scream reached his ears.

    A second later, Orion woke up in a cold sweat.

    __________

    Was it a dream? It''s too vivid to be one. Now I''m horrified.

    Who was it? I don''t recall ever seeing someone who seems too familiar that it''s really scary. The way that person''s eyes flared the same golden hue that¡ª

    "Orion?!" The sound of panicked running filled the room. Before I could even react, I was locked into a welcoming, warm hug. "Oh, my sweet child...!!!" It''s kaa-san... and her sweet, sweet voice. "Thank Kami-sama you woke up!"

    I don''t know why, but... just hearing her voice made tears roll down from my eyes, like, if I ever let go of her, she will disappear from my grasps. I started crying as I hugged her back¡ªfrom soft sobs into a silent cry.

    Maybe... because I''ve slept for too long that I started to miss her. Maybe because I''ve faced death a couple of times that it made me long for some comfort...

    Of course, people started coming in one after the other. It was then that I realised that kaa-san''s crying too.

    Now, what happened again?

    "I''m glad you''re up, lil'' warrior." Tou-san smiled, "Welcome back."

    After tou-san''s greeting, I was tackled by my sadistic uncle, prying me away from kaa-san (who, by the way, just gave me away to that Hatake) before locking me into a tight hug. "You idiot!" He ruffled my hair, "You can''t die before your uncle, geez."

    Oh, right... I was definitely dying.

    While in a tight hug, at the corner of my eyes, I saw... Tsunade leaning at the doorframe with her arms crossed, her eyes looking at someone from the halls.

    She''s probably the one who treated me but... why did she even come? I mean... what? What sort of background do people have to be able to make her return to Konoha? To. Ko-no-ha.

    Everyone fell silent as Shisui-niisan stood by the door. "Come on, Uchiha-kun. The little Nara''s awake now." Tsunade smiled as she pushed in the said Uchiha into the room. Shisui-nii has a rather worried look... and he looks a bit anxious, like he''s done something wrong and is very guilty about it. "I..." He sighed before disappearing into somewhere.

    I don''t know what''s wrong but¡ªoh... he''s probably feeling responsible to what happened to me. I don''t really blame him because neither one of us didn''t expect anything to happen to me during a stroll into the forest.

    I looked down as Kakashi patted my head, "Shisui-kun''s feeling rather guilty to what happened to you... he''s the one guarding by your door day and night, waiting for you to wake up after Tsunade-sama treated you."

    "But no one''s really to blame on that incident." The Slug Princess walked over, "Neither one of you expected that your chakra would violently react with the chakra in an unknown place. People are still searching for the said place, but no one has ever found it... even Shisui. He tried back-tracking but to no avail."

    She stood in front of me with her arms crossed, eyes fixed on mine before letting out a short laugh, "The name''s Tsunade Senju, kid, if you''re wondering, and between you and me," she leaned closer, her uhhh... ''big girls'' a bit too close for comfort before whispering something horrifying for a child to hear, "you''re supposed to be dead."

    What the¡ªcan''t you not be blunt to a kid?

    "Your heart stopped twice, you cheeky Nara... and when I was about to declare your time of death both times, you keep coming back. Why is that?" Judging by the oblivious looks from everyone else in the room, this Senju has sneakily put up a sound barrier just to protect her words from leaking to others... and it probably looks like she''s just using a jutsu to check up on me.

    She then pulled away, laughing, "It''s not like you know."

    I mean, why would I know? I didn''t know until you spilled the beans so bluntly. Can''t you euphemise?

    "Anyways," She pulled up, turning her back towards me, "his chakra''s hardly going up. He needs a bit more rest. I''d like to emphasise the fact that no one''s allowed to make this child exert too much chakra... even himself." She glared at me, like she knows that I spend most of my time, aside from reading, training.

    She probably knew from stories from people around me.

    "We still don''t know if there are any recurrences or side effects left. The chakra that got into Orion''s system is too dense that even I thought it''s too dense to exist in this world and apparently, it does, and y''all need to be thankful because the child survived." She waved her hands and went out of the door.

    I blinked as everyone in the room fell silent, making me notice something.

    "By the way... where are we?" I asked, breaking away the silence while looking down at my own body.

    Wow... I''m wearing something an Uchiha would wear...

    Wait...

    Don''t tell me¡ª

    __________

    After the fact that I''ve confirmed that I''m in the main branch Uchiha''s house and after I caught up to what happened during my "coma", I proceeded to sulk in my own bed to recuperate. The faster I recover, the better. To my luck though, I caught a cold and it''s not really helping me recover. To be fair, catching a cold is better than having my heart stop again.

    I still don''t know the reason why my heart decided to shut itself down twice in the span of my coma. From shock? From the damage the ''dense chakra'' did to me? I don''t know.

    I sighed, staring at the ceiling above me.

    A flare of familiar chakra reached my senses. I sat up and looked through the window, seeing a lone Uchiha holding a wooden sword in front of a hay bale dummy.

    I opened the window and called his name. It''s been a while since I saw him and he''s probably still feeling guilty¡ªwhat the... "Why are you running away¡ªaah!" I leaned too far out the window when I freaked out about him starting to ignore me to run away, making me fall face first.

    Startled by this, I only closed my eyes to embrace the impact, forgetting that I''m a ninja who could probably save myself. To my surprise, the impact never came... and I have an idea to why.

    "Shisui-nii...!" My face lit up when I saw his face... even though he''s avoiding eye contact as he placed me back onto my bed. "Wait." I narrowed my eyes as I tug him. He was definitely about to go off to somewhere... again.

    He pried off my grip from his shirt and is definitely ready to disappear.

    I ain''t letting that happen.

    Performing a quick seal and breaking my promise to not waste my chakra, I quickly wound up Kage Nui around the crow''s arm. His eyes widened.

    "Let go, Orion... please."

    "No. Not until you talk to me."

    "I''ve talked to you. Now, let me go."

    "Stop being sarcastic."

    "Then let go of me, please. Don''t waste your chakra."

    "Don''t make me cast Shadow Cage, Shisui-nii."

    "You cheeky, little...!!!"

    And that, people, is how you win an argument with a stubborn Uchiha.

    Well, to be honest, my Shadow Cage is right about ready to pounce at him if he made another move, which will definitely exhaust me my not even full amount of chakra¡ªwhich will definitely cause death if continued. No, no¡ªI''m not an idiot who will waste away my chakra because I knew that Shisui-niisan is bound to give in with my, quote on quote, stubbornness.

    "Great." I smiled at him as he went at ease, but still stiff enough for me to struggle a bit to pull him in front of me. "Shisui-nii, I''m not gonna beat around the bush¡ªwhy are you ignoring me?" I questioned him and he simply looked away, his chakra flickering ever so slightly. "If it''s about you feeling guilty about me almost dying¡ªthat''s rather lame, honestly."

    Obviously, the young man in front of me froze the instant he heard my words.

    I gave him my most sincere look, mixed with my smile. "You''re not responsible to what happened to me. In fact, I''m thankful because if it weren''t for you acting fast, I would''ve crossed over to the other world immediately. I appreciate the fact that you''re worried over me during the time when I was unconscious, but you shouldn''t feel guilty about it.

    I know you were just worried about me before that incident, so you brought me out for fresh air. I thank you for that, Shisui-nii. It''s not your fault. Neither of us knew that this... would actually happen. None of us expected anything. You were just trying to cheer me up, so no need to be shamefaced about it."

    Finally, he made eye contact with me. His stiffness disappeared too... but he simply turned his back to me and started heading towards the door.

    Before he could open the door, I called him one more time. "By the way, Shisui-niisan," He stopped on his tracks, "I enjoyed that walk. It was refreshing. I''d like to do it again sometime."

    And before he left... there was a smile...!

    I saw a smile, everybody¡ªa smile.

    A round of applause for me for fixing that issue. I earned it.

    Now that''s settled, I can finally rest without feeling guilty about him feeling guilty for me¡ª

    ["P????a???t?????h???e?????t??????i???c????.?????"]

    What the fu¡ª

    I froze as soon as a voice echoed in my mind... I could''ve sworn I heard it before...

    A memory, perhaps?

    Oh, wait... a dream.

    But the more I try to remember about it, the more my body trembles... as if I, myself, doesn''t want to know about it... like I''m subconsciously afraid to unravel the contents of that dream.

    I slowly lifted my trembling hands, only to scream as flashes of blood appeared in my hands...

    ... Along with that blinding golden light...

    I didn''t notice people coming in as I continued to let out a kami-knows-how loud scream.

    __________

    Shisui didn''t really go anywhere after leaving Orion''s room. Instead, he just stayed outside of the room and leaned on the door, his left hand covering his face.

    "A~h, I''m pathetic... acting stubborn in front of a child..." He mumbled, smiling as his mellow dark eyes peeked through his fingers and curly locks. "I''m glad I got to meet that child..." He chuckled and was about to walk away until he heard a heart breaking scream coming from the very same room the said child is in.

    Almost instantly, he burst through the door and came at a rather painful sight: Orion trembling and crying out muffled words¡ªwith one very clear sentence uttered from his mouth, "There''s blood... get it away from me...!!!"

    Another set of words became clear: "I don''t want to see this! Please stop...!"

    People soon filled the room, with the child''s father calling for the Yamanaka''s clan head and Tsunade for their help... but the one remaining frozen still in the middle is Shisui.

    The Uchiha could practically feel the pained screams of the child.

    ''What possibly went wrong?''

    ''Why did this happen?''

    ''What is happening?''

    Those thoughts were left stuck inside his head.

    ''What blood?'' He wondered in his mind, ''Did someone cast a genjutsu to him? How?''

    If it really is genjutsu, it will definitely bring trauma to the child... but when he checked, it seems like that wasn''t the case. He''s an Uchiha, master of this genjutsu stuff yet he couldn''t detectany trace of jutsu around the child¡ªwhich is probably why Shikakuro called for Inoichi in the first place.

    The Nara must''ve noticed it immediately.

    After holding down Orion with a few people, with Shisui, Kaiya, and Tsunade (who arrived after sensing a slight chakra impulse coming from the Uchiha household, which is one step further than Kuro''s intention) at the side, Inoichi appeared in a puff of smoke in the middle of the room.

    The only solution he could come up with to stop the child''s pain is to see what on earth the child is... "seeing".

    But, being honest with himself, he''s still a bit terrified with the child''s mindscape... yet he still threw himself into the said world.

    ...

    He expected something scary...

    "P????a???t?????h???e?????t??????i???c????.?????"

    But not THIS gruesome.

    No wonder the child is traumatised...

    Even the man who went through wars is truthfully disturbed at the sight: Orion himself standing on top of piles and piles of dead bodies, looking at his own bloodied hands.

    The more Inoichi looked closely, the more he realised that the piles of dead people under the child is actually¡ª

    "You''ve come here again?" A cold voice washed over him.

    It''s familiar... and definitely terrifying.

    "Didn''t I tell you not to come back?" A child, similar of appearance with Orion, appeared in front of him, eyes looking at the other Orion.

    Inoichi mustered up the courage to speak, but the child beat him to it.

    "This is inevitable, Yamanaka... and the worst is yet to come."

 26 sNightmares

    "It''s my fault for not realising it sooner¡­ I hadn''t realised until now that this child could actually¡ª" The golden-eyed Orion paused at his words, reminding himself to not talk out loud when an outsider is in his world.

    The child''s words piqued the Yamanaka''s clan head''s interest. "What do you mean?" Inoichi asked, eyes slowly shifting at the gruesome sight in front: Orion''s nightmare.

    "It''s none of your business. I could''ve handled this on my own, but you decided to intervene. I was waiting for a chance to know more about¡­ ''this'', but since you''re now here, it seems like Orion can''t take much of this anymore." The white-haired child casually waved a few signs and¡­

    "What the¡ª" Inoichi was beyond bewildered when the child seemingly sucked in the sight in front with his eyes, a roll of film appearing in the said child''s hands right after.

    What was left of the sight is an unconscious Orion, the one Inoichi probably knows. He was about to approach the child, only to get pulled back by the other Orion with a displeased look.

    "I''ve already removed that¡­ ''nightmare'' off of his memory. It''s best if you actually don''t speak of this as well." The child was about to hover his hand over Inoichi''s face as he float up towards him but stopped as soon as the Yamanaka waved his hands.

    "W-Wait!" Inoichi''s voice crack, but it doesn''t matter, "Why do I have no permission to know of what happened? I want to save this child yet you''re preventing me to¡ª"

    The golden-eyed Orion shrugged and proceeded to wave his hand over the Yamanaka''s face, "It''s best if you stay away from¡­ ''heavenly¡­ affairs''."

    With that, Inoichi''s back to reality, not remembering anything that happened. He blinked several times, taking a step back as he watch the unconscious child''s head rest on a pillow.

    "He''s fast asleep¡­" Shikakuro sighed, revealing a relieved smile, "Thanks, Inoichi." He smiled at the said man, only to raise a brow at him when he noticed something, "You look a bit dazed¡­ did something happen while you''re in there?"

    This snapped the Yamanaka out of his said daze, "Ah, no¡­ it''s nothing to ponder about. I''m just glad I was able to help." It really is something not to ponder about¡­ because Inoichi got a feeling that whatever is inside the child''s mind is something that he shouldn''t meddle with¡­ something beyond his powers.

    He looked at Orion and¡­ something¡­ or ''someone''¡­ is telling him that the child''s "nightmare" has been removed so¡­ "Orion''s memory of his nightmare has been removed¡­ so everything''s fine now." He sighed as a flash of golden-eyes appeared in his mind, playing it cool rather than mentally freaking out like last time. "I¡­ have to go. Just call for me when needed." He smiled, turning his back to the Nara and disappearing off to somewhere.

    __________

    I opened my eyes, sitting straight up before rubbing my blurry eyes. After releasing a yawn, I noticed two heads plopped down at the edge of my bed¡ªone with a familiar spikey snatch (or pony tails for the Americans), and one with a curly blue hue.

    They slowly raised their heads when they felt my movement and both stretched their muscles. "You''re awake¡­" Shikamaru was the first one to greet me, followed by a tired, "Good morning¡­" from Shisui-nii.

    "Good morning to the both of you." I smiled, stretching out my own arms before staying at my comfy seat (the bed), eyes slowly trailing the rays of the sun that reflected off of the white sheets of a very Uchiha-styled white bed. "Oh yeah¡­ what happened?" I yawned, noticing the two beside me stiffen, "I don''t recall Shika-kun ever visiting yesterday¡­ oh and¡­ welcome back, Shisui-nii." I smiled at them.

    "Oh, uh¡­ I came here last night and¡­ I guess I fell asleep here with yah." Shikamaru scratched his cheek, smiling at me.

    Shisui-nii only gave me a smile and patted my head. "I gotta be honest with you two, you both look cute when sleeping. I came here last night with Kakashi-san and the photos he took are definitely for keeps."

    Shikamaru and I shared a horrified look.

    As the Uchiha laughed, a knock made him stop. "Come in." Shisui-nii was kind enough to open the door¡­ and turns out to be Itachi wearing an apron with a tray of breakfast in his hands.

    I salute you for having the balls to wear a pink apron, Itachi. It''s probably his mom''s judging by the giant Kanji''s for "Mikoto Uchiha" at the front.

    "Kaiya-san told me to serve you food until you recover, Orion-kun and¡­" Itachi blinked, "I guess I have to get more servings. I apologise for not realising that you''re here, too, Niisan."

    "I''m here too¡­" I heard Shikamaru mumble.

    "And Shika-kun." The weasel smiled at the once unnoticed happy deer.

    I chuckled, covering my lower face as I do.

    "Then¡ªoops¡­!" Itachi paused after placing the tray down on the near table, making all three of us take a look to what''s up, only for me to mentally sulk as I hear something I don''t like to hear. "Careful, Sasuke. I almost hurt you. Are you okay?" Itachi knelt down at his brother, placing a hand on the child''s shoulder.

    "I''ll go downstairs for a bit, okay? I''ll be right back." The big brother smiled at his younger brother.

    ["I''m really lucky to have a brother like you."]

    I paused.

    My head''s hurting a bit¡­

    I blinked a couple of times before realising that Sasuke''s already in front of my bed and both Shikamaru and the bastard Shisui''s already laughing at the back. ''It''s in the midst of October, dammit.'' I cursed in my head, trying so hard not to crumple the bouquet of roses handed to me randomly by a young Uchiha.

    Yes, I''m smiling, but I''m itching to throw the bunch onto some people, especially after seeing Shisui and Shikamaru trying to hold in their laughter behind Sasuke.

    Yeah, idiots, I totally can''t see the both of you laughing.

    "Thank you, Sasuke-kun." My lips twitched as I thanked the Uchiha, quietly letting my seal-less Kage Nui reach the people behind the clueless Uchiha, holding them by their feet and hanging them upside down, glaring at them when Sasuke closed his eyes from god knows what.

    Oh, look. My Chakra''s back to full. Nice.

    "Y-You''re welcome, Sh-Shiro¡ªI mean¡­ Ori-chan¡­" Sasuke stuttered, making me flinch a bit, not processing why the cursed Uchiha child is stuttering.

    I sighed¡­ and I had a good night sleep as well¡­

    __________

    It wasn''t really noticeable at first, but it gradually got clearer. It''s been quite a while after I woke up from a "coma", and it''s really alarming¡ªand what is alarming? Well, aside from Tsunade''s blunt words, my body seems to be¡­ getting a lot weaker.

    Why?

    I don''t fvcking know.

    All I know is that my cold is getting a lot worse and I seem to be getting dizzy every once in a while. Occasionally, my heart pounds with rage, too, for some unknown reasons. Since I''m not someone who easily voice out their thoughts, I only keep it to myself and only sleep it in until it goes away. It''s not really suspicious since I''m required to rest until I''m more than recovered.

    Though, sometimes, I would feel okay, right after that, I''ll have this brain-splitting headache and I would just stop whatever I''m doing and close my eyes to wait for it to subside. I''m a stupid idiot, I know. I might die from keeping this to myself, but I don''t want people to worry about me. I''m selfish by keeping all of this to myself. I could die again for all I care¡­

    I sighed, pinching my own cheeks for thinking such negative thoughts from being sick for too long. I need to be positive¡ªI still have more years of life to cover, right?

    I sighed again, this time, looking out the window. Then, while my eyes trailed down onto a tree, there, I saw Kakashi leaning on the trunk, playing with a kunai in hand under a moonlit night. The scene is rather eye-catching.

    "Orion! Listen to me!" Someone''s voice echoed in my head.

    Well, that''s weird.

    [A white figure, his hands surrendered up high, cautiously walked towards me.]

    "Woah¡ªwhat the fuck?" I muttered to myself. I swear to kami that that shit is very new to me. ''What the heck''s happening?'' I thought, my eyebrows furrowed. I shook my head, ''Another dream, maybe¡­? Wait¡­ what dream?''

    I feel like I''m missing something here. Then, my whole body jolted. There it is, the head ache, I mean. It''s bearable enough so I could very well sleep through it. Guess what I''d do?

    Sleep.

    Pulling up thecovers, I closed my eyes shut and forced myself to sleep, all in all oblivious to what''s happening around me.

    __________

    ''It''s rather strange¡­'' The ''Original'' thought. "I never knew that this is actually possible." He raised his hands, both containing a roll of film he had spread up, observing every scene with curiosity and wonder in his glistening eyes. "It never occurred to me that this power has such an ability¡­" He mumbled to himself, making his body float.

    Hovering over to the side where he kept his enormous pieces of reels, serving as the giant memory viewer, aka T.V in the previous world, he pushed in the roll of film he had collected, letting it fuse in with the giant reel that span over for miles.

    The reel provided many scenes that show disturbing events. The Original paused, placing his fingers under his chin as his eyes trail over the long scenes uncovering before him, before calmly pulling the roll of film out and inserting another one, sort of comparing the two.

    His eyes widened upon the realisation of something, "Could it be?!" His voice echoed in the vast, empty space. His face grimed as he bit his thumb''s nail, his eyes viciously glowing into a blinding golden light. "This¡­ "nightmare"..." He trailed off, eying the roll of film in his very hands, before holding tightly to his chest.

    "God dammit¡ª" He cursed, clutching his chest, "Not now¡­!"

 27 Warning

    The wind blew strong. The cold air breezed through the abundant village, sending a few some chills. The dark clouds are approaching towards the Hidden Village of Leaf. Birds flew towards the opposite direction, sensing something dangerous approaching.

    Sitting on a porch in a courtyard, a white haired child, with his book in hand, looked up towards the dark clouds that are approaching, brows furrowed and eyes filled with uncertain worry. "Is everything alright, Orion-kun?" Itachi asked the said child as he noticed the look the child was giving.

    The first born of the main branch of the Uchiha''s was assigned to watch over the Hatake-Nara in place of his cousin, Shisui, and the child''s uncle, Kakashi, as they were called for a short mission a few days ago, and would probably come back later in afternoon, and if not, in the evening. Add to the fact that other adults are gone as well because they''re having their meeting of some sort.

    Only a few ANBU''s and ninjas are around the household for safety.

    That said, Itachi''s okay with it since he has no school and can watch over his little brother as well. Seeing that his brother and the Hatake-Nara are getting along with no problem and are not as wild as other children, he didn''t see any problem with this.

    Well, except for one thing; the sickly child seems to be bothered by something.

    "No¡­ I''m okay¡­ it''s just¡­" The child sheepishly shook his head, providing a small smile as well, "It got a bit colder, right?" The child sneezed right after that, proving his point.

    "Now that you pointed it out¡­" Itachi looked towards the direction where Orion was originally looking at, "it indeed got colder."

    "I know¡­!" Young Sasuke popped out of nowhere, tackling his brother''s back, "I''ll go grab a blankie." He beamed with a brimming smile. Itachi chuckled and ruffled his young brother''s hair into a mess, "Okay, okay... You go do that¡­" With that, young Sasuke left.

    That only brought silence and awkwardness between the remaining two on the porch. Well, not until Itachi caught something from the corner of his eyes. He swear he saw something fly towards the white-haired child''s direction. He simply narrowed his eyes and stayed silent, standing up from his seat and looking out to and fro at the bush.

    It seems like he was a bit paranoid because, if something indeed flew from the bush''s direction to Orion''s, the child would surely react¡ªbut no, he didn''t; and, to be sure, he looked over at the child, but the child is still as the same as before: letting his small feet dangle over the porch with a book in hand.

    Nothing seems out of the ordinary so the Uchiha went back to his seat and, at the same time, his younger brother came scurrying, buried with fluffy blankets in his arms. Of course, being the nice brother he is, Itachi helped his younger brother with a smile on his face.

    As he turned around though, he almost immediately stopped as the sickly white-haired child turned to face him with a rather disturbed look.

    Now, this time, there really is something wrong.

    Before the "oldest" in the bunch could even speak, the white-haired child beat him to it. "I¡­ don''t feel so good, Itachi-niisan¡­ let''s¡­ let''s go somewhere¡­ anywhere but here, please." Orion''s voice was shaking, and it was enough to make Itachi drop the blankets in his hands to grab Sasuke''s hands and carry Orion in his arms.

    The child seemed really disturbed to the point that it made Itachi alert.

    Then, a chill ran down the spine of the first-born Uchiha, making him stop momentarily, ''What on earth was that?''

    __________

    Today, I woke up with a cold sweat. I''ve been having strange, vivid dreams lately, and, honestly, it''s quite unsettling. Why? It''s because the dream just keeps repeating over and over, showing me blurs of colours fighting and clashing, but the colours that are definitely standing out are the colour of crimson red and a golden hue.

    Every single time, that shade of red¡ªreminding me the colour of blood, is appearing with that golden light¡­ and every single time, there''s that same white blur emerging from the said colours¡ªand it''s like providing a way for me to get through that nightmare, and wake up, apparently. It''s like telling me to, literally, walk towards the light in order to "survive" that nightmare.

    Well, I''m thankful for that bright light, whatever that is.

    I let out a big sigh as I sat up, pulling out my blanket away and going out of bed to get ready for the day. I quickly fixed the bed before picking up the clothes that''s on the table. I snagged a towel as well before going out of the guest room, making my way down the hall to reach the bathroom to, well, what else? Eat¡ªjust kidding, I mean, who in their right minds would eat in a bathroom? Disgusting.

    I''m taking a bath, of course¡ªa bath.

    While making my way down the hall I almost slammed into someone while thinking about how eerily quiet the house is. Thankfully, the person who I was about to bump into, called me out. It''s Itachi in a pink apron again. With, this time, a wooden spoon in his hands.

    "Where''s kaa-san?" I asked him, staring at his coal eyes.

    "All of the adults went out for a meeting." He smiled, his short voice, softened down for a child, reaching me.

    "Oh, okay¡­" That makes sense because¡­ I heard them talking about a plan or something the other day, after my uncle and Shisui-nii left for a "mission". I gave him a small smile, "Thank you, Itachi-niisan." I then proceeded to walk past him to get to the bathroom.

    Now, finally at the place I''m supposed to be, I quickly locked the door and took a short, ice-cold bath. After drying myself, I noticed that the clothes I was given is in the Uchiha style, more so identical with Sasuke''s since I''m just a little taller than him. So, basically, I''m either going to wear Sasuke''s clothes, or Itachi''s old ones. Probably the latter judging how new they look.

    It''s not really bothering me but after I wore it¡­ it''s kind of scary how I like this style more than the traditional Japanese clothes I wear back at home. I guess it''s because this style is close to the style I always wore when I was a 28-year old guy, minus the shorts of course.

    I looked myself at the mirror and¡­ not gonna lie, I''m rocking this dark blue turtleneck right now. No, no¡ªI''m not a narcissist, it''s just I''ve missed this kind of clothing. I have some like this back at home but they''re quite light coloured, and I don''t like those blinding colours.

    I chuckled at myself before proceeding to brush my teeth at the sink.

    Now finished, my hair is still not dry so I took the towel with me and went to the kitchen, straight to the electric fan by the sliding door. I faced my back at it and sat down in front of it, letting the wind blow through my hair, drying my thick hair. Kaa-san does this with a blow dryerso my hair''s always fluffy, but I don''t think I can get a hold of one right now, unless I ask for it¡ªwhich I''m not gonna do because my anxiety will punch me in the face.

    Oh, look at me: a "4-year old" with an anxiety¡ªhaha¡­ ha¡­ It''s not funny, Orion, geez.

    I heaved a sigh, but Itachi, who''s cooking up something that smells really nice, probably took it differently and proceeded to walk towards me while removing his apron. He picked up a brush that was conveniently on the table and grabbed my towel off of my hair gently.

    I think he thought that I''m having trouble drying my hair. Well, he does have a long hair so I think he understands me so, he started brushing my hair while I stare at the floor because I have nothing to do. He paused for a moment before standing up and leaving the brush with me.

    I thought he got bored and went off somewhere, but it just turned out that he¡­ he actually grabbed a hairdryer to dry my hair. Oh, bless him. I give you my good luck for drying my hair since even kaa-san''s having troubles drying it. But hey, kaa-san loves my hair because once it dries neatly, it''s so fluffy and shiny¡ªthat''s what she told me, at least.

    I got so carried away by my silly thoughts that it startled me when he gathered my hair into a bunch. Through the reflection from the window, I saw him as he bit onto a hair tie, running his long fingers through my silver-ish hair. He then proceeded to put my hair into a pony tail, which actually worked out even though my hair is just around an inch under my neck.

    Well, if my hair isn''t curly, it would surely be longer than this. Also, I''m not really¡­ used to others putting up my hair. It was always kaa-san and¡­ Cherry¡­ who''ll put up my hair into a snatch. I looked down and spaced out a bit after remembering Cherry¡­ A~h¡­ it''d be nice to know how''s she doing, but something''s telling me that she''s become successful in life.

    It''s quite odd to have such feelings.

    I really do hope she got over this dead man.

    "Ah¡­!" A voice snapped me out of my daze, "Shiro-chan''s kawaii." Sasuke''s face popped in front of me, making me blink¡ªhow long has he been there?

    Wait¡ªwhat did he say?!

    "You''re so cute but you look so sad..." Sasuke tilted his head before turning to his brother, "Don''cha think so, niisan?" Itachi took his time to glance at me. He then proceeded to give me an apologetic smile, "Does he now?" The younger Uchiha nodded, "Mhm¡­! Because¡­ he always looks like he''s gonna cry, see?" He then pointed at me.

    Guys, you know I''m here right? There''s no need to talk about me. Now it''s awkward that Sasuke''s words made Itachi do a double take on me and look at me straight in the eyes, like, bro, it''s quite uncomfortable don''t you think?

    I proceeded to cough and the Uchiha blinked, shaking his head and is probably wondering why he was staring at my eyes. "Oh, uh¡­ breakfast''s ready." He then walked over and placed the dishes on the table, proceeding to get servings of fried rice for the three of us.

    Yo, his cooking''s hella good.

    I didn''t realise that I had my chopsticks resting on my lips as I smile at the food. I only snapped out when Sasuke started chuckling. "It''s good, right?" He smiled, "My niisan cooks amazing food, doesn''t he?"

    I then gave Itachi a small smile, "Mhm¡­ he does¡­"

    After breakfast, and because Itachi had forbidden both Sasuke and I to go out, the younger Uchiha proceeded to drag me to his room to play something. I''d absolutely be thrilled if he has some sort of console, but, of course, that is not possible.

    Instead, he has this Sh¨­gi table at the corner of the room. Of course, I was interested at the Go board next to it.

    "You like to play Sh¨­gi." That wasn''t even a question, Sasuke¡ªwhat are you trying to say? Just because I''m a Nara I love playing that thing? Is that a common Nara stereotype in this world or something?

    Well, I don''t hate playing Sh¨­gi, but I would sure pick any other game if there are opportunities¡­ like right now, "Oh¡­ no¡­ I prefer Go over Sh¨­gi¡­" because I like war-based games¡­ I left out my thoughts and proceeded to smile when he eagerly went to pick it up.

    Well, Go is just a simple strategy game. Whoever captures more¡­ "territory"with their stones wins the game.

    "Here''s the thing, Shiro-chan¡­" He looked away, face reads embarrassment, "I¡­ don''t really get how people play this game¡­ this is niisan''s board game¡­"

    "Eh¡­?" My eyes twitched. Seriously? Well¡­ time to put whatever Shika-kun taught me in use, "The most simplified way of explaining the rules is¡­ uh¡­ you may place your stone on any point on the board, but if I surround that stone, I will remove it." Thank you, Shikamaru for telling me that. I didn''t think that a day would come that I''d be the one saying this.

    "Wait, really?" He blinked, most likely out of surprise.

    "Mhm."

    "How about Sh¨­gi, then?" A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead when he asked about Sh¨­gi.

    "I¡­ don''t really play Sh¨­gi that much¡­ I probably only played it once or twice with Shika-kun¡­ so I didn''t bother going through the rules since he would casually remind me of them¡­ I don''t think I could help you with Sh¨­gi¡­ sorry." I started ranting without knowing it so I kind of stopped when Sasuke started to stare at me weirdly.

    "I¡­" He breathed in, "¡­ didn''t know you could actually talk that much, Shiro-chan."

    Oh, please. I didn''t, either. "Uh¡­ s-sorry¡­?" I scratched the back of my neck, trying to stop the heat rushing up my cheeks.

    "No, no¡­ it''s okay¡­ it''s just¡­ it''s weird hearing you talk for over a minute¡­." He shrugged, giving me the bowl of stones for the board game.

    We casually started the game with him horribly losing, and with me having to explain things along the way. After he got the hang of it, I dumbed down my play to match his for a few moments to see how he is doing. He falls in traps here and there but, all in all, he can go in a round alone without any guidance.

    "Eh¡­ Go, huh?" Itachi entered Sasuke''s room while wiping his wet hands with a towel.

    "Niisan! Look¡­! Shiro-chan teached¡ª"

    "Taught." Itachi corrected.

    "¡ªtaught me how to play." Sasuke beamed, bragging to his brother.

    "That''s great." The older brother smiled.

    "You said you''d teach me next time but Orion already taught me so¡­" Sasuke puffed out his cheeks, looking a bit disappointed.

    "Did I?" Itachi wondered as he opened his room''s door, which is right across Sasuke''s so, naturally, I had a glimpse to what his room looks like and, honestly, I was a bit surprised when I saw a guitar sitting at the corner of the room.

    "Ah¡­! I know." Sasuke has a cheeky grin on his face, and it seems like I''m not the only one who saw the guitar, "Play some music for us."

    Itachi momentarily paused before grabbing his guitar and making his way towards us with a blank face.

    I didn''t know guitars already exist! Well, pianos does so¡­ why didn''t I think of a guitar?! Ugh¡­ so many lost opportunities; I could''ve pretended to be interested with that instrument and "learn" it for a couple of months before playing on my own.

    I could start now, actually¡­ so, I stared at the guitar with¡­ "interest"¡­ and Itachi looked back with a passive look. He smiled at me, "You''re curious?" I nodded at his question, and he simply let out a chuckle. "Sasuke, too, was interested so, I don''t know why he doesn''t want to touch it anymore." He smiled pettily at the younger Uchiha.

    Oh my¡­ I didn''t know Itachi has THIS side of him¡ªwhat the heck? There''s so many things left out in the anime, geez.

    "W-Well¡­ the strings broke, okay?" Sasuke folded his arms.

    "Anyways, come here, Ori-kun." Sometimes he''s unreadable, and sometimes, Itachi''s rather gentle¡ªespecially to younger kids, like Shisui¡ªbut less annoying than Shisui. I suppose he''s just passive, because that''s how he was portrayed.

    I placed my bowl of stones down and went to him. He made me sit on his lap and positioned my hands on the guitar and¡­ I just realised that the guitar''s too big for me.

    Oh¡­ so that''s why he''s letting me strum instead of teaching me the chords.

    "Strum for me, okay?"

    "Mkay¡­" I first strummed randomly to figure out what chords he''s doing at the end of the guitar and once I figured it out, I started to go along, placing some mistakes here in there for "naturalism"¡ªbecause why would a 4-year old know how to play a guitar instantly, right?

    "Oh¡­" Sasuke leaned closer and smiled, "Lemme try¡­!"

    I crawled away from Itachi and almost had a heart attack when Sasuke started strumming¡­ violently. No wonder the strings broke.

    After that "music session", Itachi whipped something quick at the kitchen for some snacks, then we hung around and I stumbled across Itachi''s mini library in his room so, I brightened up and asked if I could borrow some to read and, oh gosh¡ªhistory? This is amazing. I need to borrow some more often.

    I''ve read all of tou-san''s book at home and almost all of them are about Nara Medical Jutsu''s and Nara Jutsu''s. I''ve even read some over and over so I''m really looking forward for something new to read.

    Time seems to go quickly because, after Itachi let me borrow some to read, I was immersed into the world of history and didn''t notice that a lot of time had already passed and¡­ when did I get to their porch? I must''ve mindlessly followed them when they went here.

    By them, I meant Itachi and Sasuke.

    I''m already through four books and, this is my fifth one and I''m in the middle of it, so I placed it down for a moment to get back into reality. Well, a cold brush of air is what told me to stop reading for a moment, actually.

    It suddenly became cold, and I have a bad feeling about this¡­

    I quickly glanced up when I heard birds chirping weirdly and¡­ they''re flying all over the place. I looked up and saw the darkest clouds I''ve ever seen in this timeline of my 4, almost 5 years of life and I paled. Who wouldn''t? That cloud brought this nasty feeling with it, geez.

    "Is everything alright, Orion-kun?" Itachi asked me.

    "No¡­ I''m okay¡­ it''s just¡­" I sheepishly shook my head, providing a small smile as well, "It got a bit colder, right?" As if on cue, I sneezed.

    "Now that you pointed it out¡­" Itachi looked towards the direction to where I was originally looking at, "it indeed got colder."

    "I know¡­!" Sasuke popped out of nowhere, tackling his brother''s back, "I''ll go grab a blankie." He beamed with a brimming smile. Itachi chuckled and ruffled his young brother''s hair into a mess, "Okay, okay... You go do that¡­" With that, Sasuke left.

    I sighed and shook whatever I was feeling off to continue reading the book I was recommended. I didn''t even bat an eye when a bush from the Uchiha residence''s courtyard shook¡­ not until something stuck under my hands, which made me stop.

    No, scratch that¡ªmy whole world stopped as soon as my eyes read the contents of the flash card that slid under my hands out of nowhere.

    The bits of chakra infused into the card tells me that this came from¡­ "him". He won''t lie to me, right? He''s an ally, right? To me, at least¡­

    I slowly turned around, dropped my things but held onto the card, swallowing whatever''s stuck in my throat right now.

    Woah¡­ I''m actually scared? What the heck? Aren''t I supposed to be the character who''ll always dive right into danger and break fourth walls?

    Alright.

    I''m actually scared.

    I can''t even think straight.

    "I¡­ don''t feel so good, Itachi-niisan¡­ let''s¡­ let''s go somewhere¡­ anywhere but here, please." My voice was shaking, and it was enough to make Itachi drop the blankets in his hands to grab Sasuke''s hands and carry me in his arms since my legs are not working properly.

    I closed my eyes and the words on the card seemed to have been etched into my mind... and I can''t take them off of my mind.

    ["He''s after you. He knows you''re here. I can''t help you further. I tried. Run. ¨CXavier."]

    Whether his words are true or not, it''s definitely setting all of the alarms of my soul and body¡ªlike I badly want to get away whoever Shiro is talking about.

 28 Why?

    It''s¡­ odd¡­ very¡­ very odd.

    Why is he even doing this? He doesn''t know himself. All he knows is that he''s doing the right thing. He can''t let someone innocent die over something pointless again because¡­ he himself had already dyed his hands in red countless of times, more than one could think.

    Call this his repentance or whatever but, right now, he''s risking his life just to get in contact with that little white-haired child he''s supposed to have been killed countless of times already. He just can''t bring himself to kill that child. Something about that child is rather special.

    Xavier appeared in a bush, chakra and appearance completely concealed. He didn''t hesitate to throw the card at the child sitting worriedly at the porch next to a high risk individual¡ªalso known as Itachi, before proceeding to escape in his rabbit henge and appear somewhere away at a considerable amount of distance, far enough to not sense the child''s chakra.

    This man in white could rest easy now, right? The child will escape, right? He can save one more life¡­ right? Right?

    Oh, how wrong he was¡ªhe didn''t think he''d be found this quick. The air got knocked out of his lungs as he was lunged onto a boulder (the second time, actually¡ªthanks to Kakashi) with a hand wrapped around his neck. "O-Oh¡­! Hey¡­! Gee-sama¡­!" Xavier struggled to breathe, but he still kept a smile on his face under his mask.

    "K???n?????????o????????w?????????? ????????y?????????o????????u?????????r????? ????????p?????l????a????????c???????e?????????,???? ???????????y???????o?????u????? ????d????????e????????s?????p??????i????c??????????a???????????b????????l???????????e???????? ????????c?????h?????i???????l???????d???????????.????" This person just had to use that scary voice. How ironic, really¡ªa figure no taller than a child is calling him, a young adult, a "child", but he''s used to it. It has always been like this, ever since fate let them meet. Well, if fate could undo their meeting in the first place, it wouldn''t be like this, would it? But they just had to meet.

    And he finally showed his true colours, "I''ve been putting up with your idiot mind, and I know you''re helping him." One golden eye stared at his brown ones, and he knew he wouldn''t be able to keep himself sane anymore. "You''ll be useful after this." The flaring golden eye showed sinister joy, and he knew what this meant.

    He''s caught.

    It''s game over.

    He just had to meet this person.

    Why him, of all people?

    Tears started to flow down from Xavier''s eyes. No one would be able to see his sorrowful eyes that are filled with regret and hatred. No one would be able to tell how he''s feeling.

    Why didn''t he meet that child, Orion, instead? It''s pleasant being with that child. Well, he did help the said child a few times behind "this" person''s back, but he guessed that concealing himself wasn''t enough. It didn''t pay off. All of his hidden hope for that child instantly vanished as he knew that his memories are being erased one by one, becoming his puppet¡­ again.

    He can''t help that something of a child anymore.

    He''ll be succumbed into this darkness from the figure in front of him.

    No one would be able to save him from this hell he''s going through.

    __________

    A teen stood in the midst of corpses, piles and piles on top of one another. His black hair covered his devastated features. He was trembling as his eyes trail on one particular corpse¡ªit''s not her, is it? Blood trailed from his steps as he took one step closer at the corpse, his body giving up as he finally identified the said body.

    "O-Okaa-sama¡­?" His voice cracked, tears are starting to stream down from his brown eyes. He fell down on his knees as he took the cold body closer, he gave a faltered smile, "Y-You''re kidding me, r-right¡­? This is not true¡­ right¡­?" He laughed, hugging his mother''s cold body.

    A heart-breaking scream echoed throughout the ruined village when reality finally sunk into him. His mother, his one and only mother¡­ had already died. He''s livid as he sensed a faint chakra not far from where he is¡ªand it had to be him. Why didn''t that asshole die instead of his mother?!

    Why her?

    Why HER?

    His asshole of a father just had to live... and everyone else had to die. Well, sure, his father isn''t really an asshole, but he is now¡ªfor living, that is. He''s probably just too mad to think straight, which led him to think this way. Then, soon enough, he cried himself until he fell unconscious.

    His father, someone in his old years, stood up, clutching his stomach that has a gaping hole. He frantically searched for his whole family, mainly for his sons and wife, but he could only sense one person in the whole area. It''s rather scary after witnessing¡­ "that".

    So it means that only one of his sons survived? Where''s the other one? Well, he supposed that his adopted child wouldn''t survive "that" rampage since that child is only a month old¡­ but he''s glad that one of them survived.

    He then quickly used a swift technique to stop the bleeding from his stomach before proceeding to the direction to where he heard the scream came from earlier. He found his son, lying on the rubbles, holding his dear mother in his arms.

    "I''m¡­" The father paused, holding back his tears, "It''s¡­ my fault¡­ Xavier¡­" He was crying, placing a jutsu to his son with a single touch to let him sleep for a while longer, making sure to remove and replace every single thing his son''s eyes had witnessed, only leaving one truth over the thousand lies.

    After placing his son in a safe place, he gathered every single corpse from the once small village that is now in ruins before placing them in their graves, one by one. Of course, he couldn''t name each and every markings, so he decided to leave every stone blank, except for his wife''s¡ªhe carved a music note on the rock he placed on his wife''s grave before casting a prayer for everyone¡­ and before noticing that one particular body was missing.

    He didn''t have the time to find the body, so he simply created a small shrine for his adopted son, even though the child didn''t deserve one. He then started gathering supplies from the ruins and placed them in a scroll before proceeding to carry his son on his back; to escape from ''the one who started this mess''. Before he could go across his village though, he saw the piano that he must absolutely keep.

    He can''t place it in his scroll since the scroll only has little space left for the said thing so, what''s better to do than pull the piano with him, right? Turns out it was a bad idea, but it''s worth it. It''s taxing, especially when going through forests and mountains. It paid off in the end when they finally arrived to Konoha. The Hokage there was really nice¡­ and he provided them a house to live and he even sympathised with them for their loss. He even talked to him too.

    Of course, the old man left out the part that he rewrote his son''s memory for a much gruesome one to repent for his sin for not being able to protect him. He knew his son would hate him for it, but once he returns, he knew he''d be able to go peacefully by the hands of his son.

    Sure enough, his son left without a notice, and then and then, he knew his time is coming. He considered his son dead, until the day he comes back arrives. He knew that his son, his supposedly successor, would do anything to get back to him.

    When Xavier woke up, he knew he had to get away. It turns out that rewriting his memories didn''t really work since¡­ as a successor who''s hungry for power, he''s always stronger than his old man. He was able to repel the jutsu the moment it was casted upon him, and then and there, it was clear to him that his father was trying to make him hate him because of¡­ hatred for himself, probably¡­ and regrets, maybe.

    Now that his mind is finally cleared though, he has lots to think about, to why he went on a rampage. He covered his face with his hands, ashamed of what he had done. He could still remember when¡­ while in search for more ways to get more powerful in order to protect his future small village¡­ he suddenly went nuts.

    Why?

    He''s so mad to himself that his nails are starting to dig into his face. Blood was drawn but he still kept blaming himself¡­ he couldn''t stop crying. He could still remember¡­ he could still remember that¡­ when he wasn''t in control of his body¡­ he¡­ he killed everyone.

    Xavier could still remember the touch of her mother when she tried to stop him. She hugged him, even though he was struggling¡­ and that single action brought him back to himself¡­ but when he was back, he only saw his father''s hand through his mother''s chest.

    His mother was smiling, telling him something¡­ but he was already blinded by rage to hear her.

    Right now, he just wanted to bash his head through a boulder¡­ but he''s too done with the world to do so. He''s just gonna let himself die there.

    Why must he experience all of this?

    Why him?

    It could''ve been anyone else other than him. He had such a perfect life¡­ sure he was a jerk for being power-hungry, but all of that is for the sake of his future men.

    His future family.

    Speaking of family¡­ where on earth is his younger brother? Going through his memories, he could clearly remember not seeing that adopted child in any part of his rampage. Well, maybe that child got crushed by the rubbles that flew¡­ basically everywhere thanks to him.

    He sighed, placing a hand over his eyes.

    "What are you doing?" He heard a voice.

    He didn''t bother to look at whoever was talking, "I''m trying to die, go away."

    "Why must you die when you can still live?" Judging from the voice, it''s a child, but his words are rather mature than his age¡­ so Xavier got a little too curious, making him take a look at the said person and, indeed, it''s a child.

    "Looks like you know about this world more than I do, lil'' child." He said in absolute sarcasm.

    "I actually do." The child blinked at him, "It just doesn''t look like it right now. I''m still growing." Xavier thought the child was messing with him, but with the child''s sinister look... who the hell is this child? He just looks like a¡­ what? 2-year old or something.

    Wait¡­ how can this child even talk? And¡­ sensing the child''s huge amount of chakra totally pushed out all of logic in his mind. What the heck? The child''s as strong as him? What the fuck?

    "Who the hell are you?" Was all Xavier could say.

    "Are names important? I don''t really find them useful¡­ even back then¡­" Xavier didn''t really catch what the child said at the end because he was too baffled when he heard the child say that he doesn''t understand the concept of names.

    He immediately stood up from where he was lying down and looked at the child, "Seriously? Even if I''m actually half dead, I''m seriously concerned about you, what the heck?" He looked at the child straight in the eyes, "Let''s call you Gerard. Gerard Rukas because you look like my missing brother. Actually, you look more feminine than that baby brother of mine."

    Xavier took his time to look at the child in front of him. Silky and curly raven hair, brown eyes¡­ and more soft features. The one that caught his eye the most is the child''s mole under his left eye¡­ which adds to the adorableness of the child.

    "Gerard¡­ interesting¡­" The child placed a hand under his chin, "Just like last time¡­"

    Okay, this time, Xavier heard that. "Huh?"

    "Going back here was really unexpected¡­ but to have the same name as last time? Very intriguing." The child nodded.

    "Anyways¡­ I should probably get both of us out of here¡ª"

    "I could do that¡­ I will do that." The child, Gerard, blinked and one of his eyes turned golden and, all of a sudden, they''re in a blank space¡ªliterally. "Oh, that still works, apparently¡­" The child tilted his head, as though this is completely normal for him.

    "Okay, what the fuck?" Xavier breathed in, too shock to even move.

    "Too vulgar." The child said, sitting on a couch that appeared out of nowhere.

    "WHERE THE FU¡ª"

 29 The Truth

    How long has it been? Three years? Four years? Yeah, almost four years¡ªXavier has been with the person he thought was a child¡­ turns out that that child is quite mysterious for him to know. Who knows? Maybe Gerard is actually older than him judging by how the child thinks, but that''s just a silly thought coming from him. He''s used to him now, unlike the first time they met¡ªhe''s always freaking out.

    Well, since almost four years had already passed since they''ve met, they''ve become¡­ stronger? Yeah, stronger. Xavier managed to salvage a lot of jutsus from the ruins of his old home and managed to practice them a lot and make them stronger, and Gerard is¡­ who knows what he''s doing?

    The last time Xavier saw Gerard is when the child''s practicing necromancy¡­ which is¡­ unique¡­ and that was like¡­ a year ago. He never really knew much about that child. That child''s always in his own space, observing people through their eyes with his monitor thing.

    Xavier knew better than to mess with that child. He admit that¡­ that child is someone he could call the strongest. It might not look like it because Gerard''s a child but¡­ One time, when they were gathering supplies through a small town beside a small lake, one townsman tried to kidnap him and¡­ let''s just say the whole town didn''t survive after the child''s one glance with his golden eye.

    That was one the first year they were travelling together and¡­ it''s scary¡ªGerard''s a child, for crying out loud!

    Conveniently enough, while walking around, Xavier suddenly got sucked into Gerard''s space. "G-Gee-sama¡­! It''s been a while¡­!" He almost had a heart attack, he had to admit. Getting sucked into a void isn''t really the best of experiences. He''s not going to get used to it any time soon. "You¡­ called for me?"

    "You know how you can control people with your music?" Really? What kind of greeting was that? Immediately asking about this?

    Xavier really can''t complain. "Uh, yeah? Why?"

    "I''ve set an eye to¡­ someone¡­" Gerard said, an eye flickering through golden hues, "I''d like you to find him for me."

    "You can track someone with your eye, can you not?" Weird, the child''s asking a favour¡­ actually, it''s more like giving him orders or something.

    "I can''t. He''s rather¡­ uncommon. My eye cannot track itself." At this moment, Gerard completely lost Xavier. There''s actually something he can''t do! What a surprise. "I want him either dead¡­ or half dead." Okay, Xavier can''t argue with the child¡­ because Gerard had this sinister look on his face.

    "Who''s this unfortunate someone, anyways?" Xavier asked as he fixed his white mask over his face. "Sounds like someone important."

    "He''s not really important¡­ just someone who came from another world¡­" Gerard seems to be going through books and is just ranting, "¡­ through reincarnation. He''s a monster that needs to be exterminated out of this world because he knows too much¡­ holds too much."

    A monster? Reincarnation? The heck''s he talking about? Xavier''s lost at the moment.

    "He''s probably around my age, now that I think about it. We''re basically growing at the same rate right now since I haven''t really been active since last ti¡ª" Gerard just realised he''s talking too much, so he stopped mid-turning page. "Anyways, for you to find him, just know that he''s someone completely opposite of me. Now, go."

    Xavier didn''t even had the time to ask more questions lingering in his mind when he suddenly appeared back to where he was before¡­ which is conveniently near Konoha. Things are working out for him, wow. The only thing he doesn''t like is that he''s going to meet his bastard father¡­

    Actually, he could deal with that man now¡­ so while trying to find the "complete opposite" of Gerard, he''s going to find his father.

    During the night, he played his music¡­ and anyone who heard his tune, he will be able to control them however he wants. He can even use them as markers for quick travels.

    He first used the people who are living under the name of noblemen, the Hy¨±ga''s, a few Uchiha''s, Yamanaka''s¡­ and Nara''s to find the person he needs to deal with before sending a few commoners out to search for his father. He got pretty lucky and found the person Gerard told him to look for, which is rather troublesome because the target''s living under a protected name, and right after that, he found his father.

    He actually had to take a double take to the child, which he later learned is Orion, because that child is the complete opposite of his Gerard back in the void realm. But that child has to wait. His father comes first so, he sent a note to his father and kept a few controlled people around that man.

    Xavier didn''t actually expect that his targets would meet and¡­ what the heck? The child could play piano well, he has to give the child that. While watching them from afar, he could see the look in his father''s eyes, which is filled with a lot of emotions¡ªregret, happiness, sorrow.

    And¡­ now that he got a good look at his father¡­ he can''t help but see that he had become really old.

    Is he really going to kill that old man? It would be his loss as well because¡­ his father wished for this to happen. He got one last glance at his two targets, reminding him of what it was like when he and his father bonded like that¡­ his mother would cheer for them¡­ praise him for his amazing play¡­ and would do duets with them with her violin.

    Oh, the innocent days. How he wished the thing four years ago didn''t happen¡ªtheir lives would''ve been perfect.

    The day ended and he finally confronted his father, killing him slowly with fire. He can''t help but shed tears because¡­ something is telling him that this shouldn''t have happened.

    He simply left and went alone for a few days, or maybe even weeks¡ªhe doesn''t know how long. He only knows that when he finally decided to go back, he immediately went for the kid named Orion. He''s feeling something he should not be feeling¡­ was it rage? Envy?

    Are you kidding? He''s envious to that kid? What''s with him?

    He simply sighed and once he found the child, he immediately sent a Sound Wave towards his direction. His mind was completely filled with thoughts that it slipped his mind that the child actually got a bodyguard now¡­ and it''s someone inconvenient¡ªan Uchiha; Shisui, to be specific.

    It was fun to see them fighting for their lives until the tables turned. Now he understood Gerard''s statement about his eye cannot find itself¡ªbecause this child has the same eye¡­ and it''s terrifying. He thought he''s strong enough to evade the mental attack the child''s eye casted upon him, but no.

    He was immediately sent back to the worse day he had ever lived through, and he will live through it again¡­ and he doesn''t want that. He thought it''s going to send him back to his most painful day, but¡­ well, it did send him back, but to a different perspective.

    It''s like he''s someone watching through another person''s eyes, just like what Gerard is doing back in his place, and, honestly, he wasn''t ready for the truth to hit him so hard.

    He knew he was watching through his father''s eyes¡­ and it''s horrible.

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    The mental torture started at when his father came home with his adopted young brother. It showed how happy his family was¡­ and he, his young self, was happy.

    When was the last time he smiled with a real cause, and not just smiling to hide his true self? He worked as a disguised musician during his travels to get stronger, and, of course, he had to smile every single time for everyone to see but¡­ he may be smiling¡­ he may be laughing with the children who adores his music¡­ but he''s at the point where he''s completely broken inside.

    His face outside is just a show for everyone to see. It''s not like people see him smiling because he has a mask, but that''s beside the point.

    He''s broken.

    [ b r o k e n ]

    The next scene came, about a few weeks after they had adopted the little baby. His past self was throwing a tantrum about how to get stronger quicker and got into a small argument with his father. In his father''s view, he looked pathetic¡ªthat''s what he thinks to himself¡­ a complete fool.

    The next thing he knew, a black wave of¡­ something burst from the baby''s room and the whole house exploded. Luckily, his family was safe¡­ and his past self was being protected by his father¡­ and his past self was just looking at his father with worry.

    His father was frozen in shock as something from afar came to his view; a murder of crows formed to where the baby was supposed to be and a silhouette of a tall man was formed. Its one eye was glowing brightly, looking for something around the area.

    Its eyes fixated on his past self''s back, and his father tried his best to hide him, but failed as the man in black beat him to him.

    The next thing he saw was¡­ unforgivable.

    He wasn''t the one who started his rampage four years ago¡­ someone else started it, and someone else controlled him¡­ and the person is just controlling him like a puppet¡ªa puppet that is attached to many strings.

    Wait¡­ puppet?

    That style is rather familiar.

    Necromancy? Gerard''s necromancy? That child''s necromancy? The Necromancer Puppeteer?

    What the¡­

    As his rampage closed to end, his thoughts halted when the view changed to where his father is behind his mother¡ªwho''s hugging him to stop his rampage. The thing is, he stopped, but he was struggling, trying to kill his own mother, but¡­ as soon as he raised his hand to kill¡­

    His father beat him to it.

    Klavier killed his own wife.

    Xavier''s world stop, and back in the real world, he''s going crazy.

    But his mother''s voice brought his sanity back, "It''s okay dear¡­ I can''t let you have the burden of me dying in your own hands¡­ I''m dying anyways¡­" She chuckled, coughing out tons and tons of blood, bathing them both in red.

    ''Wh-what?!''

    So even though it''ll be a scarring event, Klavier chose to kill his own wife in order to not have his son bear it? It''s rather selfish to his part but¡­ it was what his wife told him, anyways¡­ that if the time comes that Xavier would be too hungry for power and decided to go against them, Klavier would be the one to bear all the pain for their beloved child¡ªthe pain of having to kill his own kin.

    Alas, Klavier failed¡­ but he did fulfil his wife''s wish at the last second¡­ and his wish of dying in his own son''s hands arrived.

    When Xavier came back to reality, he was already slammed through trees and to a boulder, thanks to Kakashi. He couldn''t think straight and just laughed, calling the child a monster for he hasn''t processed everything yet before disappearing into somewhere far away.

    He was too shocked to move, so he stayed put for who-knows-how many hours, or days. During those times, it was enough for Xavier to rethink and go back to what he had witnessed while under Orion''s power. He''s broken anyways so¡­ he can''t do anything to undo everything¡­ or can he?

    He''s pretty sure the one who controlled him during his rampage was his adopted brother, Gerard¡­ the same Gerard he takes orders from¡­ but was it possible that Gerard''s already old when he met him in the woods when he ran away?

    Well, he guessed that it''s from his practice of necromancy because¡­ he could clearly remember, back in that town the child wiped out since he almost got kidnapped, he gathered every dead people''s soul and kept it to himself.

    Is it possible that he gathered them for his power?

    Thinking back, when the murder of crows appeared that day, it wasn''t taking any form close to human, just a silhouette¡ªbut every time he used Xavier to kill a person, he would materialise and¡­

    Xavier''s eyes widened.

    So his father knew he was siding with the enemy all this time? The one who started everything? The one who ruined his life? He didn''t kill his mother because of blind rage?

    Ah¡­ and after all of this time, Klavier believed that he had successful overwritten his son''s memories¡­ he believed that his son believes he killed everyone, to repent for the wishes of his wife, but Xavier knew he had done everything.

    Klavier''s such a bastard¡­

    "Tou-sama¡­" Xavier cried, clutching the pendant his father always wore around his neck, and the one he stole back from the Konoha Police Force. "You¡­" Xavier clicked his tongue, "You fucking bastard¡­!"

    It was rather awkward when he came back to the wolf''s den. He was praised by the child, Gerard, for injuring Orion¡­ but Xavier''s seriously rethinking his life choices.

    Who would''ve thought that he was being manipulated by his own "adopted brother"?

    So¡­ whenever he had a chance to go out, he will, and will immediately look for the kid¡ªOrion. That kid''s rather pure and¡­ it was good for him to leave a clue in the first place. He wants to help the child survive now, so he''s almost always hanging around the area to where the child is and would kill any threats. It''s a small price to pay because¡­ that child did show him the truth over the thousand lies he had believed in.

    He wants to be helpful for the child, but he can''t go all out because¡­ he''s quite bound to Gerard at the moment. The child''s capable of killing him in an instant¡ªhe knows that. The child could even track him down if he does something out of ordinary.

    He wants to¡­ save someone¡­ even if that someone doesn''t know. Orion would probably get his message at the last second because¡­ who knows what Gerard would do?

    Maybe even right now he''s being watched.

    Seriously, Gerard''s golden eye give him the chills¡­ and his fear for him increases whenever that child plans something¡ªespecially that plan to kill Orion after two months'' time. Xavier just can''t sit around during that time. He has to do something.

    Sure enough, he ended up snooping around here and there, but the most interesting encounter with Orion was when he actually found him hiding and following them. Xavier was really surprised to know that the child had his senses heightened in no time. Well, Orion is a mix between a Hatake and a Nara¡­ maybe his, quote and quote unquote, "past life" too.

    While talking to the child¡­ he realised that the child is really something else. He realised that he really is envious of Orion¡­ because he''s someone who''s admirable. Despite having his child life taking a turn, Orion was still able to go back up¡ªthat''s how Xavier admires this child.

    They were closing in the conversation while following the two: the real Orion and Shisui, when, suddenly, Xavier noticed a barrier wavering. The child next to him didn''t say anything, so Orion must''ve not noticed.

    ''That was weird¡­'' Xavier thought, but carried on with their conversation.

    The child''s clone was laughing about when all of a sudden, the clone disappeared and¡­ Xavier immediately whipped his head towards the real Orion''s direction and saw¡­ blood gushing out of the child''s mouth.

    He felt sick for a moment¡­ this heavily reminded him of his mother¡­

    Same scene¡­

    Same red blood¡­

    He felt sick for a moment, disappearing after making sure Shisui got the child to safety. Xavier then threw up whatever he had this morning¡­ he couldn''t help it really. It''s such a traumatic scene for him¡­ especially when it involves someone dying while coughing out blood.

    Xavier''s pretty sure that Orion''s dying, judging from the chakra overload the child''s having.

    He suddenly got chills.

    He doesn''t want that child to die¡­

    Weeks passed and¡­ look where he is; carefully planning on how to save Orion, which is recovering well, because the two-month mark is coming to an end. Gerard could attack at any moment without notice. He could kill whenever he wanted¡­ just to get what he wants¡­ whatever that may be.

    Well, he is a rather bold man. He loves to take risks¡ªthat''s how he has always been, so this isn''t really a big deal¡­ or so he thought.

    The day arrived when Gerard finally decided to attack. Almost immediately, Xavier went out of the void realm to find Orion¡­ to warn him¡ªno matter what''s at cost¡­ even his life or sanity.

    Alas, he was caught.

    ["K???n?????????o????????w?????????? ????????y?????????o????????u?????????r????? ????????p?????l????a????????c???????e?????????,???? ???????????y???????o?????u????? ????d????????e????????s?????p??????i????c??????????a???????????b????????l???????????e???????? ????????c?????h?????i???????l???????d???????????.????"]

    What a rather chilling voice.

    Maybe¡­ the only regret Xavier will ever have is¡­ for not knowing the truth sooner. Had he known the truth, his life would''ve been much more peaceful¡­ but fate just decided to play around and thought it''d be a great idea to mess with his life.

    He sighed as, finally, the last of his memories has been erased, his body going limp as Gerard held him by his hand. Xavier''s eyes reflected nothing but emptiness, and the raven-haired child with a golden eye just stared back with a look of indifference, like he''s trying to not think about something.

    The child simply sighed and lowered his hand, letting the young man''s body slide down the boulder. He then looked down at his fingers, eyes trailing to the black strings at the tip of his fingers.

    He''s the only one who can see his own strings¡­ maybe that person too.

    He then glanced at Xavier one last time, "You wanted to help that monster, right?" He had this sinister smile on his face, "You''ll get to meet him soon. Don''t worry."

    Then he had a second thought before a wider smile appeared on his face. He casually raised his hands and pulled his strings, "Actually¡­"

    "¡­ Why don''t you go to him right now?"

 31 Familiarity

    Night time struck without a warning. Neither Itachi nor I knew how many minutes or hours it has been since we''ve both began fighting off Xavier. The man seems to be breaking no sweat whatsoever, but I''m already at my limit¡­ I''m sure Itachi is nearing his too.

    At this point, both Itachi and I are very sure that Xavier''s just tiring both of us out for¡­ whatever reasons, and¡­ it''s working out for him, unfortunately. We''re also pretty sure that something big is going to happen once¡ª

    My golden eye, or whatever it is, is gone ages ago and it completely drained me. It, fortunately, left enough chakra for me to avoid basic attacks coming from the man in white, but it completely made me useless whenever the man uses his Sound Wave or whatever. Itachi saves my butt every time the mad man unleashes it now. Itachi and I have switched roles protecting each other from that attack ever since my golden eye flickered out.

    I quickly flipped back (oof, gymnastics) to avoid a kunai hurdling towards me. It cut a few strands off of my shoulder-length hair but it''s nothing to worry about. I''m going to be a dead weight if I can''t protect myself, geez. I''m a ninja, for fuck''s sake.

    But, then again, not all ninjas can protect themselves. They''ll more likely want to protect their home land rather than themselves. Of course, I want to protect mine as well but if I die now, I can''t protect this land later, am I right? Who knows what''s to come in the future?

    I certainly don''t. Totally.

    Actually, I may be one of the ones who can''t protect themselves because¡­ I completely lost my footing upon landing from the backflip I used to avoid the kunai¡­ and at the very end of my vision, I saw Xavier disappearing from where he was before abruptly appearing just a few feet above me.

    I very well knew of what''s happening, but it seems like my body''s reaction is way too slow than my brain''s. It''s, like, my brain already knows what''s happening, so it goes on and tell my body to react, but my body is way too delayed to do so.

    This is where I, for once knew, that I horribly fucked up.

    At the corner of my eyes, I saw Itachi''s expression change when he realised that Xavier finally reached me. His reaction was a bit delayed as well, probably due to his injuries and fatigue that had built up over the course of time.

    Just before my mind had the chance to flash my life before my very eyes, and before my back hit the hard ground, two shiny silver arrows knocked back Xavier away from me. Another arrow passed by me and landed a good feet from me when fell on the ground.

    I quickly picked myself up and backed away from Xavier and neared Itachi, wandering my eyes around to see whoever shot those arrows. It was to my surprise when I heard a familiar voice coming from the back.

    "My, my¡­ I missed one arrow¡­" I turned around to witness my very pregnant mother bringing her bow down to check on us. "Are you boys okay?" She asked in her rather disturbingly sweet tone, "I suppose not because of the injuries that you both have acquired?"

    "We''re a bit late, aren''t we?" Another familiar voice came in. Then, black shadows came from behind kaa-san and snaked its way through us until it reached Xavier, completely immobilising him. "I hope nothing serious happened while we were being held off?" Tou-san came out of the shadowy forest, his arms casually folded despite of him casting a strong jutsu to hold off the man in white.

    Okay, I need to learn that. I can''t even hold off Shisui with my Shadow Paralysis for more than a minute.

    Wait. I don''t need to get side tracked because¡­ dear god, my parents are way stronger than I''ve ever imagined.

    "K-Kaa-san? Tou-san?" I blinked, astonished to what they had just done, "Wha¡­ how? I mean¡­???" We can''t even hold off Xavier yet my parent''s combined attack already brought him down.

    "Oh, sweetie. We wouldn''t just let you get taken away like that." Kaa-san then casually strolled over to me, her free hand already glowing green as she hovered it over my fresh flesh wounds. Her chakra felt warm as it coursed through my body, healing every wound I have, piquing my interest.

    Medical Jutsus really are interesting.

    "As soon as Sasuke-kun arrived, he basically screamed for us to come aid my dearest son and his dearest brother." Tou-san chuckled, giving his gaze to Itachi, "I swear, Itachi-kun, Sasuke-kun will grow up with no shame at all."

    Only if you knew, tou-san, only if.

    "Anyways," Kaa-san then turned to heal Itachi, "on our way here, we were stopped by many people with masks. It was rather creepy. They were acting against their will, as if the mastermind knew that we can''t mindlessly attack since they are villagers, after all¡­ so it took us a while to get here." She then smiled at Itachi, who just stared at his disappearing wounds, "There are people on our side coming as well¡­ they let us go here first though." Kaa-san finished, just as she finished healing Itachi.

    "That''s just first-aid, Itachi-kun." Kaa-san reminded him, "Don''t move around anymore if you don''t want two of your broken bones to stick into your lungs." she casually followed up. I found it very creepy to hear my mother say those words with an everlasting smile on her face.

    "Isn''t this the one who put both you and Shisui in a near death situation, Orion?" Tou-san asked me, standing in front of the pinned down and bleeding Xavier. "His appearance matches the description of that uncle of yours. His mask''s detail is also hard to miss. So, this is Xavier?"

    "Uh¡­" I don''t really know if I should answer his question¡­ he seems¡­ furious.

    It doesn''t look like he''s furious, but, trust me, he is. He''s giving off such deathly aura that it''s very suffocating. It was enough to make the ones present at the scene, Itachi, kaa-san, and me, to suffocate in it.

    "Orion." His somehow calm voice gave away that he is furious.

    "Yes¡ª" I couldn''t finish my words when I saw him raising his shadow covered hand that looked like it could erase whatever''s in the way, about to strike down Xavier. I quickly made myself appear in between him and Xavier with my body blocking my father. "Wait." I said, standing bravely in front of my father, despite of having my hands shake nonstop, "Listen to me first."

    I may have sounded rude, but tou-san is literally going to kill off Xavier right in front of his child''s eyes¡ªand that child being me, of course¡­ and that''s just totally messed up. I didn''t know a seemingly harmless (actually, he is sadistic, isn''t he?) Nara like him could be this ruthless when it comes to situations like this. I understand that he''s very angry at the man who almost killed me, his son, but that''s just¡­

    "Orion." Tou-san lowered his hand, fixing up his composure, "Why are you protecting him?"

    I sighed, clenching my fists to hide my shaking hands. "Tou-san¡­ you were about to kill in front of me." I emphasised his words, his eyes twitching as he realised what he was about to do. "Tou-san, as a child¡­ do you really want me to see that? I''ve accumulated enough trauma to fear for every day¡­ and this one''s going to be one as well?"

    "Orion¡­ I¡ª"

    "One other thing, tou-san." I brought my arms down, "Xavier saved me¡­" I turned around, looking at the pinned down man in front of me. He''s not struggling nor moving a single muscle. He''s just there, bleeding because of the two silver arrows stuck to his side. "I know it might sound unbelievable, but I know you''re smart enough to understand." Now I''m just plain rude, but I can''t have Xavier dying just because of a misunderstanding.

    I quickly shuffled through my short''s pockets and reached for the note Xavier had thrown to me earlier before all of this happened, handing it over to my father. "He''s been secretly helping me¡­ He''s always around protecting me whenever he could, tou-san¡­" I breathed.

    "Itachi-niisan and I already noticed that Xavier-san is being¡­ controlled of something much more¡­ menacing." It''s true. We only realised it when Itachi pointed out that the strange chakra that is surrounding the man in white is in control of every inch of the man''s body thanks to his trusty Sharingan. I didn''t notice it until he pointed it out¡ªit''s quite hard to feel or notice the strange chakra. "He''s basically just like a puppet being controlled by somebody¡ªactually, he''s just as that."

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    I then turned around to face tou-san once more, "Tou-san! Don''t kill Xavier-sa¡ª"

    I got pulled away by my father and felt a cold breeze brush over my back. My eyes widened when I realised I''m being hugged by father in a rather protective manner. I looked up, only to see that he''s looking quite cautiously to where we were before, making me curiously look back and¡­

    Xavier broke free from tou-san''s Shadow Paralysis.

    I then felt the wind touch my back. It seems like Xavier''s sudden attack had sliced my clothes open across my back. It didn''t reach my flesh though, fortunately.

    "Is he really someone who''d save you, Orion?" Oh, heavens no. Tou-san''s very, very angry. He tightened his hug at me, "Because it sure looks like he''s not one for me."

    "Tou-san! Look closer, please! Xavier''s being controlled!" I struggled and tried to squirm out of his grasp. I even tried my Shadow Step but for naught as he''s suppress my chakra with his, making me quite hopeless.

    I then froze as tou-san narrowed his eyes when clapping echoed around. It doesn''t sound like it''s Xavier who''s clapping slowly.

    My heart momentarily stopped when I heard a voice.

    It shouldn''t be familiar but¡­

    "I''m¡­ surprised you''re still¡­ protecting this idiot despite of him nearly killing you¡­"

    Why is that voice giving me this¡­ sense of¡­ familiarity?

    "Humans are¡­ still very interesting¡­" There was a pause before a fit of laughter, "Oh, oh¡­ I forgot you''re not a human¡­ my apologies."

    He''s definitely referring to me, alright.

    "I can''t believe you''re helpless against this¡­ lowly human¡­ and is in need of protection." He sounded rather fascinated, "Have you completely levelled yourself to be a human as well?"

    Tou-san''s grip loosened a bit, making me grab the opportunity to slide out from his grasp. I then noticed why he loosened his grip: he''s looking a bit horrified. I then looked at kaa-san and Itachi who¡­ share the same look as my father.

    I turned around, finding its cause.

    My world seemingly slowed down when my eyes landed on a very¡­ very familiar face. Why wouldn''t I be familiar of¡­ my own face? It''s as though I''m standing in front of a mirror, the only thing is¡­ my reflection has black hair instead of white, and has a mole under his left eye instead of his right. His hair is also rather long, matching mine''s length.

    To simply put, he''s the very opposite of my being.

    His golden right eye glared and glowed, sending chills down my body.

    I thought I was the only one who possess this¡­ abomination.

    The longer I stared at him, the more feeling of sorrow and guilt sunk through my very being. I do not know why these feelings are in me, but they''re definitely there, nagging my heart, my mind, my body to do something about it¡­ but I don''t know what to do.

    I subconsciously raised my hand, reaching out to him. Something in the back of my head says that I should pity him¡­ that I should protect him.

    He reminds me of someone who shouldn''t be here.

    "Ge¡ª" Without a warning, we all got knocked back by this¡­ weird force, giving me no chance to say whatever the hell I was going to say.

    I got knocked into a tree pretty hard and I''m pretty sure I''m inches into the trunk of a tree, completely stuck. I hit my head pretty hard and it''s pretty hard to stay conscious, but I somehow managed pull through and stay awake. I also managed to unstuck myself out of the tree trunk before I completely fell over to my knees.

    My body completely went numb. Blood slowly leaked from my head over my eyes, making me temporarily blind in red with my right eye. I could see red in half of my vision, but it didn''t really register in my mind until someone approached me, supporting me to stand, only to sway to nowhere and land on my knees again. Only then I realised that whoever approached me is saying something, but I couldn''t clearly see nor hear them.

    "Hey, can you hear me? Orion?" When I finally got my hearing back to normal, I realised that it was my father who''s helping me.

    My vision is still doubled and hindered though.

    "As expected, you''re still awake¡­" I heard a faint voice as the familiar person walked closer.

    His next words sent my senses back as soon as they reached my ears, making my world utterly stop.

    "¡­ dear brother."

 33 Raziel of the Cosmos

    Perhaps, it''s fate that chose to end this never ending thing, or perhaps, the universe had seen enough and wish for the two to end this ''cycle'' for once and for all. One thing''s for sure though; in this universe, only one of them will survive because¡­

    Two suns cannot exist under the same sky.

    What is this "never ending cycle" in the first place?

    Why is it even happening?

    Why, of all of the possible people out there, it''s these two that had fallen into this fate?

    Questions remained unanswered as Orion slowly fell unconscious. Staggering pain struck his chest when Gerald took a chance to attack, causing him to cough out a rather huge amount of blood. Aside from that, he''s already bathing in blood thanks to the hole that his brother bore through his left shoulder.

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    It''s safe to say that he might actually die from blood loss at this point.

    He can''t even control his body anymore¡­

    He doesn''t even know what''s happening.

    Orion can''t deny the fact that, when he''s on the verge of death from losing so much blood, he felt¡­ peace. It''s an unexplainable feeling that kept washing over him. He just felt light, as if the wind could carry him elsewhere¡ªthat''s the best way possible to explain it, he supposed¡­ because¡­ he can''t really put it into an exact sentence.

    He blinked and, all of a sudden, he''s in a familiar white space. Still feeling a bit dazed, he looked around, noticing his¡­ other self, standing with his head hung low. It seems that his other self hasn''t noticed him yet.

    "Hey¡­" Orion''s voice is quite soft, as if he knew that one loud thing could shatter the whole world.

    "¡­" His other self finally noticed him, but he didn''t say a word.

    Orion approached for he had seen distraught over his other self''s face. He felt his heart sink upon seeing his face. He didn''t realise he could look this pitiful, as if he had lost his whole world in a blink of an eye.

    "I¡­" Orion perked up when his other self finally let out some words, "¡­ I never¡­ I never imagined things would go down this way¡­" He sighed. "Well¡­ it''s¡­ inevitable but¡­ I didn''t realise it would happen so soon." He clicked his tongue, "So soon that¡­ this might actually be the end¡­"

    He sounded so broken.

    "What''s¡­ happening, even? Why is it happening?" Orion asked in the calmest way possible.

    His other self looked at him, his golden eyes glinting and reflecting his brown ones. "Come to think of it¡­" He paused, biting his bottom lip too hard that it started to bleed, "¡­ I can''t believe I looked over the god damn signs¡­ I''m so stupid."

    "Hey¡­ me, I don''t understand a thing about what you''re saying." Orion''s brow furrowed, eyes seeking for answers. "You must know about something, right? I mean¡­ you¡­ you know that I''ve existed prior to this life, right? You¡­ you must''ve always kept watch, right?" He couldn''t help but to raise his voice a little, "Why is Gerald killing me? Isn''t he satisfied by my death last fucking time?"

    His other self simply sighed walking over to him before cupping his cheeks, "You¡­ a fragment of myself who had made this life as your own¡­" He sounded rather defeated, "¡­ do you really want to know¡­ all of the pain I have¡­ caused¡­?"

    "I-I¡­¡ª" Orion didn''t get a chance to even answer as his other self touched his forehead with his own, summoning up a bright light that enveloped over the already bright world.

    Orion felt as though he''s getting sucked into somewhere, and he couldn''t move out of it. The next thing he knew, he''s standing over a grassy field with his bare feet.

    __________

    I opened my eyes, greeted by the refreshing breeze and sweet scent coming from the grassy land. I was confused, to say the least because, holy shit I became tall. I tried moving my body, but¡­ somehow, I can''t. It''s as if I''m only watching everything through a certain perspective¡ªand, mind you, no one is going to get used to this.

    "Elder brother!" Someone''s voice reached my ears, making my body move on its own.

    Wait, is this even my body?

    My thought ended when my gaze landed on¡­ a familiar face? It''s¡­ my brother¡­ but with a¡­ soft and rather pure look¡ªwithout spelling murder in his eyes. Is that even Gerald? He looks too¡­ innocent and¡­ carefree¡ªnot the one I know of, at least. He''s also wearing clothes that are foreign looking and¡­ it''s as if his clothes are shining.

    "Father has been looking for you¡­" He panted, wiping a bead of sweat that rolled down from his forehead, "You can''t just run away from things¡­!" He scolded¡­ ''me''.

    "Did I?" ''I'' spoke.

    Woah¡­ so it is like I''m watching a scene¡­ from one''s perspective. If I put two and two together, I''d say that this is what my other self wants me to see¡­

    ¡­ but why am I afraid of knowing what''s to come?

    "You did." Gerald sighed, placing a hand on his waist, "Let''s go back to the stage, please? Father''s going to scold me later if I don''t get you back sooner."

    "I''ll abide, then." ''I'' chuckled, walking towards him before pausing, "But, you know, dear brother," ''I'' smiled solemnly at him, "we won''t have a chance to go in this secret place as we wish¡­"

    Gerald blinked.

    "I just hope that¡­ things won''t change after¡­ this." ''I'' then walked passed him, bearing sorrow in my heart.

    Is it weird that I''m feeling the emotions of my other self''s body?

    "Come on, brother!" Gerald caught up, smile as wide as possible, "Cheer up! Things won''t be the same as before, but I guarantee you that we''ll still be able to go here."

    I''m not going to get used to that smile¡­ but I do wish to see it on my brother¡­

    "I''m¡­ sure." ''I'' smiled back at him as I closed my eyes.

    The scene shifted quickly when I opened my eyes, catching me off guard. I''m pretty sure I was at a grassy land but, all of a sudden, I''m in front of a large audience, seemingly standing on top of a stage with all of their eyes glued onto me. It''s pressuring, to say the least.

    Well, this body isn''t feeling any kind of nervousness at all. This body is¡­ kind of just standing proudly, and, instead of feeling nervous, it felt¡­ sadness?

    Why would it feel sadness when¡­?

    "I, King Aeron Cosmos, is bestowing the gift of "Void" and "Light" to my dearest sons, Uriel Cosmos and Raziel Cosmos, respectively." A man shrouded mostly in mystery for me gathered everyone''s attention to him as he spoke of his words.

    The crowd cheered upon hearing the sentence.

    Okay, weird. Who are the two other Cosmos''s? I get that the man in front of this body who just let go of those words is Aeron, whose, now that I look at him, stature is almost that of a leader¡ªa king, so to speak. Well, he is one, duh¡­ but he doesn''t suppose that those are actually this body''s and its brother''s name, does he?

    Given by the fact the ''I''m'' standing in front of the crowd alongside my ''brother''¡­ I think¡­ I was spot on in guessing that.

    The¡­ king, Aeron, then turned around to our way with two boxes at each hand. He first handed one wooden box to¡­ ''my brother'' before giving me the other one. He gestured for us to open it and, without hesitation, ''my brother'' opened his after bowing down to him.

    Black mass started to pour out of the box before gathering into a sphere, hovering over ''my brother''s'' face. It''s safe to assume that that black mass is what the king had called the Void, so the Gerald I know is actually the Uriel Cosmos here and¡­ this body''s, I mean, my other self''s name is actually¡­ Raziel Cosmos.

    The Void then started to hover towards Ge¡ªI mean, Uriel, before fusing into his chest, releasing a black aura that could make anyone fall onto their knees¡­ but damn this body is sturdy. It only felt like a breeze for Raziel, but for the weak among the crowds, they''re down on their knees.

    Raziel then looked down at his own wooden box, staring at his own reflection through the glossy surface, making me notice his light blue eyes. He looked rather hesitant, unsure if he should really receive this gift of¡­ Light, treating it like some sort of variant of Pandora''s Box. He looked over at his brother, before closing his eyes and sighing as he opened the box.

    The body felt rather overwhelmed when a bright light condensed and hovered in front of it. I suppose Raziel doesn''t want whatever this gift of Light is because¡­ I can feel it through his body¡ªhe doesn''t want any part of it, as if he knew something bad is going to happen once the Light binds onto him.

    He simply closed his eyes, accepting the Light as it coursed through his body. I, too, felt it¡ªits radiating cold touch covering my other self''s body then¡­ it''s suddenly gone.

    When Raziel opened his eyes again for me to see, the scenery had changed as well¡ªnow, it seems like he''s in a large room, sitting on a chair that faced towards a long, white table. People seemed to have sat on the number of chairs, too, with Aeron sitting on the main one whilst Raziel is across Uriel.

    Things seems to be quite serious in this grand-looking meeting room.

    "Brother, is it true?" One sweet voice called out the owner of this body, making Raziel turn to his right, "Elder Brother¡­!"

    I, on the other hand, is completely at lost. No wonder the voice is familiar¡­ it''s the same as my sister''s¡ªin my last life, anyways. Also, the person who called Raziel ''brother'' just now is¡­ the definitely the spitting image of Vinna.

    "Mallory." Aeron''s voice silenced the poor girl, who is, apparently, Mallory, who pouted back.

    "It''s¡­ okay, Father." Raziel sighed before reaching his hand out to, who I suppose is his sister, before ruffling her black hair.

    I''m pretty sure I just skipped through a long-ass meeting¡­ so this must be an important part?

    "Elder brother and Uriel are going to the frontlines¡­" Raziel''s soft voice made the little girl tilt her head, "¡­ pray for us, okay?" He simply smiled.

    Aiya¡­ I can feel whatever Raziel is feeling and¡­ it''s unpleasant. It feels like there''s a heavy burden resting on his shoulders, like, he''s carrying the whole world''s problems. Damn, Raziel is one hell of a depressed boy¡­ I wonder what''s up¡­

    Well, I guess he said that I''m his fragment, or whatever that is, so¡­ I picked my depression off of him?

    Also, in addition to this heavy feeling that he had shared to me, there''s this nagging feeling that something is going to happen when Raziel said something about the frontlines.

    There''s a war or something? Is that''s why everyone''s serious?

    "But isn''t it dangerous?" Mallory asked, her light blue eyes welling up in tears.

    "It is," Raziel nodded, before looking over to Uriel, "but we must secure the heavenly powers¡­ they cannot fall into the hands of the wrong people¡­"

    "A calamity will occur if those powers end up on the wrong side, Mallory." Uriel told her, "You must understand."

    "I¡­" The girl sighed in defeat, "I understand¡­" She then stood up from her seat knocking back her chair before hopping up onto the table and pointing at the brothers.

    "Ah¡ªprincess! A lady shouldn''t¡ª" Someone from the back couldn''t finish their words as the child beat her to it.

    "Promise me one thing, Gemini! Both of you must come back to play with me or¡­ or else!" Raziel''s heart sunk upon hearing their sister''s words.

    "We, will, we will," Uriel chuckled, hopping up on the table and swooping up the child off of it before seating her back to her seat, "no one can beat the Gemini, Mallory, right, Elder Brother?"

    "¡­ right." Raziel nodded hesitantly.

    Why is he so¡­ hesitant? Am I missing something here? Everything doesn''t make sense to me¡­ not yet, at least. If only I could know about what''s going on inside his mind, things would be easier.

    "Actually, you can. I''m right here." If I could jump, I already did. My other self literally came out of nowhere and¡ªwait, I thought I was in his perspective? How the fuck did I suddenly end up in a¡­ movie theatre?

    "DON''T¡­ do that, geez¡­!" I held onto my chest, "You''re literally going to give me a heart attack."

    "Ah, my bad." He simply said in his monotone voice.

    I sighed, "So, Raziel, is it?"

    "Mhm." He hummed, eyes looking at the giant screen that appeared out of nowhere with him. "You were¡­ pretty immersed in my¡­ perspective. I guess, it''s yours too, but you simply don''t remember¡­ or you don''t have this memory of mine¡­"

    "¡­" I blinked at him, "¡­ pardon?" I''ll just pretend I didn''t hear him¡­ his words are pretty ominous.

    "It''s¡­ nothing of your concern¡­" He shook his head before¡­ making his eyes glow in a blinding manner, literally pushing me back into the movie screen and into the ''person'' I was before he decided to jump scare the hell out of me.

    It literally felt like I got knocked into a barren hole in the most horrifying manner, and I hate it¡ªI really do.

    It''s awful.

    Now, it seems like I''m already back in Raziel''s perspective in a¡­ room or something. It actually feels like an office, to be honest and¡­ look at that, Raziel''s reading some files with random outlandish scribbles.

    I decided to just look around the room since I can''t read that shit¡ªhell nah¡­

    ¡­ until I took a double take on the shitty scribbles.

    How the fuck¡­?

    Well, this will certainly help me figure out what the hell is happening.

 35 Never-Ending Cycle

    Drawn into the perspective of the Crown Prince, Raziel Cosmos, Orion couldn''t believe what he''s seeing. Raziel is being praised for his return back to his kingdom. Though many have died from the hands of traitors and enemies, the Crown Prince got all of the unwanted attention coming from the citizens of the Light Kingdom.

    People showered him with gifts upon entering the gates of the capital and¡­ was immediately brought onto stage, ordered by his father. He was pushed onto stage and¡­ an advisor held a speech for his¡­ greatness for obtaining and securing the Nebula.

    "Wh-What about Urie¡ª" Raziel didn''t get to finish his question as the advisor kept speaking.

    "¡­ and truly, Prince Raziel is born to be a god." The advisor praised him, "He led our army towards victory, and even vanquished the traitors that had set their eyes on the chosen god!"

    Everything¡­ happened too quickly. Raziel didn''t have the time to react nor to think. This is far different than what he had seen from his visions, thanks to his clairvoyance. He underestimated how much greed would surface once the Nebula bound itself to him, claiming him as its owner.

    It seems like the advisor is taking advantage of this, swindling many to serve the "true god".

    Faced with this unwanted attention due to Raziel''s cowardice, this dragged on for many, many hours, days¡­ weeks. Because of this, casted behind his shadow, stood his younger brother who had lost his radiance after the war. The younger twin lost his shine as he faded away in the background. Raziel knew of this and¡­ now that regret succumbed to him due to his negligence and fearful side, he¡­ he wanted to change the future path that is to be taken, even if he also knew that it''s already too late.

    Every day, he''d approach his younger twin, who in turn kept avoiding him while wearing the same pained smile.

    "Uriel, please¡ª"

    "No, elder brother," Uriel smiled, "it''s¡­ I''m okay. I''m sure you have a lot to do." He then vanished by the help of the Void''s gift.

    Every day''s the same.

    "Uriel¡­!"

    Uriel would always avoid him and¡­ this time, for the first time, he doesn''t know why. His clairvoyance keeps dissipating every time he tries to see why his younger twin is being like this, but all is for naught. Something greater has been cancelling out his power that is amplified by the Nebula, and it''s rather disturbing.

    Because of this, he decided to take a break from all of the work that is placed upon him after the war. He escaped from his works, sneaking out and teleporting to what used to be his and his twin''s secret place¡ªthat even their younger sister doesn''t know about.

    The same grassy field that Orion had seen through Raziel''s eyes appeared. The Hatake-Nara has mixed feelings about all of the things that happened¡ªhe didn''t have the time to comprehend what''s happening. One second, he''s looking at war, the next, he''s looking at a crowd that gathered around a¡­ what they considered to be a "god", and now, he''s watching as Raziel is slowly suffering from all of the things that are happening in his life.

    Orion looked up as Raziel paused on his steps, looking over at a familiar figure sitting amongst the flowers and patch of green grass. The Cosmos doesn''t know what to do¡ªwhether to approach his brother or to just stay and watch. For the time of being though, he successfully concealed himself to¡­ observe first.

    He activated his clairvoyance towards his brother, but was for naught once again. By the third time he tried, damage was inflicted back to him as the backlash from using his limited clairvoyance ability, which was also enhanced by the Nebula, ruptured his eye. His left eye bled, but he simply covered it with his palm and bit his lower lip, still keeping his soft gaze at his brother''s back.

    He could always heal up anything¡ªor maybe even lose a limb and regrow it back, but he can''t undo the mistake of not having to alter the things that led to this path when he had the chance.

    When he finally decided to stand up to approach his brother to know what was going on, a surge of power blasted towards him. He was standing firm and with the help of his powers, he didn''t get flown back by the ominous blast. However, the blast¡­ left him feeling uneasy and weak¡ªit''s far different from anything he had experienced.

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    Clutching his stomach, he struggled to stand up, but still tried his best to look up to see if his brother is alright. He hoped that his brother didn''t get caught up by the blast¡ª

    He froze, previous visions coming back to him. He had taken notes of things similar to this event taken from his visions, but all of those has been burned out to not be discovered by anyone.

    His eyes widened as a faint gold glow became prominent over the black fog that had covered the area from the blast.

    He knew that, at some point¡ªthanks to his clairvoyance, the Nebula would split into two, giving birth to another Eye¡ªcaused by unknown means. He expected this to occur¡­ but he didn''t expect for it to bind itself to his twin, out of all people.

    He stood there and fell on his knees, dumbfounded as his golden eye reacted to the golden glow coming from the shadows. The golden glow seems to be staring right back at him and¡­ when the fog and dust slowly cleared, his younger brother''s menacing face imprinted itself into his mind before the young Cosmos disappeared in a black smoke.

    Whatever that was, it totally broke Raziel. The power Uriel exerted left him paralysed in fear.

    This reached the spectator''s, Orion''s, leaving him frozen as well. The young child had never felt this kind of fear in his entire life¡ªeven in his previous life. It''s like witnessing a foul creature come to life in unknown reasons¡ªthat''s how he describes it anyways because, he can''t really put it in exact words.

    Either way, it was awful¡ªit was horrifying¡­ Horrifying enough to make Orion''s chest tighten¡­ or is it Raziel''s? He doesn''t know.

    Raziel remained there until, eventually, people found him¡­ but it doesn''t get any better. The knights who found him carried an unexpected news. Apparently, he''s been gone for half a day and¡­ it was enough for things to go south¡ªthe king, his father, was killed.

    By whom, one might ask?

    Raziel''s heart sunk when the name was uttered to him.

    "The king was¡­ killed by the Second Prince, Prince Uriel, your highness." The knight dropped the news to him.

    "It appears that¡­ he possesses the same eye your highness has acquired, and it made us think of the worst." The second knight spoke up, "We thought he had ended you to gain your power, your highness¡­ so the Princess ordered to search for you and, worst case scenario, for your remains, your highness¡­" He then perked up a bit, "But we''re glad to see that you''re all right, your highness, despite of attaining serious injuries."

    "It seems like the Second Prince and his highness has confronted each other?" Another knight questioned.

    Raziel covered his bleeding golden left eye and supported himself to stand up. He stared at the knights in front of him and, without himself knowing, gave them the coldest glare they had ever seen from him. "Enough." He said in his most dead tone, before sighing and brushing past against the knights to make his way back to the kingdom''s palace.

    The knights, of course, froze up. They had never seen their highness like that before. He was always so kind, gentle, and silent¡­ but¡­ they never expected him to be as scary as he had just shown.

    The Crown Prince''s feelings were conveyed to Orion and¡­ the child understood. No one would ever believe that the closest person they had ever been with would do such morbid thing. Well, would you look at that, it''s just like Orion''s last life. He cared so much for his own brother yet he¡­

    Sure, he had seen that, through Raziel''s notes, there was a chance that the King would be killed after or during the war, but he nor Raziel didn''t expect Uriel to be the culprit. That, until Raziel arrived on the fresh murder scene that occurred in the throne room.

    "M-Maybe it was just an impostor! An impostor that had taken the second prince''s face as a disguise to tarnish his reputation!" The advisor was violently shaking as he spoke to the Crown Prince.

    "Br-Brother wouldn''t do such horrible thing to father, right, Elder Brother?" Mallory cried as she hugged their father''s corpse.

    Raziel¡­ knew otherwise. His Nebula reacted negatively towards the remaining substances flowing with the air. His eye sight with his left eye became¡­ almost statically glitched, like, it doesn''t like whatever''s floating around them. He was getting livid¡ªhe''s mad at himself, Orion could feel it. Granted, he has a lot of mixed emotions at the moment but sadness and anger are clashing together furiously.

    "It wasn''t supposed to be like this." Raziel gritted his teeth, closing his eyes as the memories of his and his family''s joyful past when they were little played through his mind. Uriel and Mallory''s smiles replayed in his mind, together with their father''s and mother''s when she was still alive.

    Orion sees what Raziel sees, and they both had the same thought: maybe, if Raziel''s mother was still alive, things wouldn''t go this way.

    Well, it was just a thought.

    Raziel couldn''t remember much about their mother. Every memory of her is a blur. All he remembers about her is her kindness, gentleness, her sweet smiles, and kind¡­ face¡­ no¡­ at this point, he couldn''t remember her face. It''s not like that would change a thing.

    Orion thought it was weird that Raziel would think of his mother at such random time, but he didn''t say a word. He then got a bit dizzy as Raziel''s world seemed to have skipped a week, or probably a month. He was still in Raziel''s perspective and it seems like the said prince is getting crowned as king.

    The crowd cheered as Raziel wore the crown his father once owned. He then sat at the golden throne, with Mallory by his side. Neither of them wore a smile¡ªjust both with their dominating stature.

    Orion saw that a lot of things changed in a span of a month¡ªthe late king was mourned by the whole kingdom, Mallory and Raziel drastically changed, statues and monuments for the second prince were put into ruins by the people who held grudges and anger¡­ the kingdom was in a bit of chaos when there was no ruler¡­ maybe that''s why Raziel was crowned as king for he was favoured by many.

    Orion blinked as everything seemed to have paused. He looked back and saw the Raziel he knows sitting back in a couch with an indifferent face.

    "Nothing really happened after I was crowned king¡ªjust my workload getting bigger." He told the child, "You really don''t want to see that. You will have a headache."

    "After seeing the moment you locked yourself in your room, no." Orion chuckled but stopped half way, "I have a hunch that things will eventually go downhill?"

    "Well, things already went downhill," Raziel mustered up a bitter smile, "but, yeah¡­ things got way down after a three-month silence."

    "Lemme guess," Orion''s piercing gaze met Raziel''s, "Uriel?"

    "Hm?" Raziel blinked before letting go of a solemn smile.

    Orion just looked back at the movie screen, and at the same time, he got sucked back into the past Raziel''s perspective¡ªthis time, it''s been three months since Raziel became king. This is his first break ever since becoming a king.

    The king stood atop a green cliff, watching over the edge of his kingdom¡ªthe void of the universe, where the stars, planets and other kingdoms are scattered. A breeze swept through his unkempt hair, making it dance with the wind. His cape that draped over his shoulders did as well. He was just letting the peacefulness sink into him. It''s a nice feeling.

    Well, until he felt someone familiar appear behind him.

    He simply sighed, "Welcome back, dear brother."

    Uriel chuckled, making Raziel finally turn around to look at him. Raziel saw that Uriel changed a lot¡ªhe too now has unkempt hair, but his face seemed more clear and relaxed compared to his pale and tired one. His brother wore something that would fit someone from the royals of the Void Kingdom. Black cape draped over his shoulders, with a familiar silver crown clasped as an ornament.

    "It seems like you too has become king." Raziel took note.

    "I did." Uriel stared back at him. Raziel just gave him a pitying look, which greatly irritated him. "I hate that face you make¡­ every time you look at me, you hold those pitying eyes¡ªafter getting the Nebula and the people''s favour? You looked at me that way." Uriel then snarled, "I hate it."

    "I¡­" Orion narrowed his eyes as Raziel try to make up his words. It seems like Raziel feels rather guilty. He can''t really blame himself for worrying over his brother. Even though Uriel fell out with the whole kingdom, and even killed their father, Raziel couldn''t help but feel worry and pity for his brother.

    "You¡­ always casted me behind your shadows¡­" Uriel stepped closer to him, "And I''ve always hated it."

    "Why¡­ did you kill father?" Raziel stood firm as Uriel got closer.

    "Why?" Uriel paused, "Well it was to make you king! Aren''t you proud of me, elder brother?" He laughed, "You''re going to be king anyways, and I just sped it up."

    Raziel knew it wasn''t the answer he was looking for, and Uriel caught the gist of it.

    "I can see that you''re not satisfied with my answer¡­ shall I find a more suitable one then?" Uriel mocked him.

    "You weren''t like this, brother¡­ why have you become like this? I never planned to be king¡­ I didn''t want to be king¡­ I didn''t want to be the ''chosen god''¡­ I didn''t want any of this! I¡ª"

    "You didn''t want to, but you have to, I know." Uriel stopped him, "I, too, didn''t want to step back to make way for you¡­ I didn''t want to be casted behind, but I had to¡ªbecause father favoured you more, right? You''re gifted since your birth, brother. You''re the genius of the kingdom. You had powers ever since your youth¡­ you can even see the future! You''re everything everyone dreams to be!" His words then became bitter, "Even me¡­"

    Raziel''s eyes widened.

    "I''ve looked up to you¡­ and dreamt to be you¡­ but I didn''t have the abilities and powers to do so¡­ had the Void Kingdom not gifted me their treasure, I would be powerless¡­ but you¡­ you had everything¡­" Uriel clenched his hands, "But you''re such a coward."

    Raziel looked away.

    "You had every opportunity to rise on top faster, yet you refused to do so¡­ you were scared to even show your abilities that I had envied for¡­ you have such a soft heart." Uriel swiped away his cape that hid his hand that held a sharp sword.

    Raziel stood his ground, regret swarming over him as he realised why everything happened. It makes sense to him now. This made Orion scoff as how na?ve Raziel has been.

    "You''ve¡­ changed a lot¡­" Those were the only words Raziel could let out his mouth.

    "Having seeing so much will definitely change one." Uriel spoke before he vanished, "You won''t be able to fix me, dear brother."

    Orion froze when he heard those exact words. They''re familiar.

    Raziel, on the other hand, couldn''t react in time as Uriel appeared in front of him and dug his sword through his chest. His chin rested onto his younger brother''s shoulder as blood flowed through his mouth, dripping down to his brother. His golden crown fell from his head and it made a sound that reverberated in the empty space. For him though, it was somehow deafening.

    "My bad, dear brother." Uriel laughed, "You''ve been far too kind and na?ve for your own safety."

    Tears made Raziel''s vision blurry. He shakily raised his arms and wrapped them around his brother, hugging him as tight as he could. The sword glinted as it snaked through Raziel''s body. Uriel''s victorious smile placed proudly on his face. Blood seeped through the Raziel''s mouth as he stepped back, his feet dangling near the edge of the universe, making Uriel pull out the sword and flick off the blood that covered it.

    Somehow, Raziel couldn''t heal. Whatever sword his brother used, it prevented him from using any of his abilities. His golden eyes doesn''t even work because Uriel is around¡ªthis will be his end, he was very sure. Still, knowing that this is his demise, he held the same worried, pitying, sympathetic gaze in his eyes.

    Uriel hated it.

    Even in Raziel''s coming end, he still managed to look at him that way. His eyes caught the crown his brother wore. He picked it up and looked at it before looking back at his dying brother. He smiled at him before raised his sword and pushing his brother off the cliff and into the void.

    Raziel wasn''t able to do anything as the final images that cascaded over him was the rare sight of his brother''s eyes that told him he''s sorry.

    Orion stayed silent as the movie-like show finally ended.

    The movie set slowly disappeared and the present Raziel appeared beside him.

    "Hate." Orion suddenly spoke.

    "Pardon?"

    "It was because of jealousy that eventually turned to hatred." Orion clarified, "Isnt it?"

    "Maybe¡­" Raziel looked away.

    "I suppose that was when the reincarnation started happening? After your death?" Orion asked.

    "Yes, it was the start of the never ending cycle¡­" Raziel sighed, "Are you familiar of the story of Cain and Abel?"

    "Mhm."

    "It''s like that, right?" Raziel chuckled before pausing, "Except we always know what happened in our past life¡­ but then you came."

    "What do you mean?" Orion was abit offended by Raziel''s words.

    "You see, when I was always reincarnated, after a few years in my mortal life, I would always remember my past lives¡­ even Uriel did¡­" Raziel sounded a bit bitter, "But you, you never received those vital memories and, instead, manifested me inside your very mind. I''m trapped inside you."

    Orion was a bit lost, but he''s getting it.

    "It seems like you''re the one destined to end this." Raziel then paused, "Well, I''m still you so there''s that."

    "What?" Orion raised a brow, "No, you''re not me, and I''m not you. I''m entirely different from you. I would''ve made entire different choices than you had I''ve been placed in your situation."

    "That seems to be the case," Raziel agreed, "but what you said about the choices thing does not matter, I''m afraid. The universe will do what fits for itself. What happened to me would''ve eventually happened to you too. It''s inevitable."

    "Well, fuck the universe then." Orion showed his stubbornness, folding his arms, "I''ll do what I want."

    "If that''s what you want," Raziel cracked a rare genuine smile that caught Orion off-guard, "I''m sure you can do it."

    "Well¡­ that''s a rare sight." Orion told him.

    "Is it?" Raziel faced him and raised his hand over the child''s face, "Well, you should go back now¡­"

    "Wait!" Orion put his hands in front of him, stopping him from his movements, "What about you?"

    "What about me?"

    "I thought you''re gonna take over when you showed me your¡­ uh¡­ supposedly our past?" Orion raised a brow. He honestly thought that.

    "If I could, I would''ve done it already, child." Raziel pointed out.

    "Ah, point taken." Orion nodded.

    "Oh, and you probably won''t see me for a long time after this." Raziel told him before touching his forehead.

    "Wha¡ªwai¡ª" Orion couldn''t finish his words as he was sent back to¡­

    ¡­ a horrible reality.

 36 Unfair

    Shikakuro was honestly losing hope. He has already established the probability that his son is going to die in the fight. The said probability is higher than the chance Orion would live. It seems like the puppeteer, the supposed brother of his child, Gerard, or Gerald, is keeping his son alive enough for him to control. He also deduced that their sole enemy controls his puppet with his eyes, seeing that his child''s eyes are both glowing in the colour of gold¡ªsame goes with the man in white.

    \"Kaiya,\" He called for his white, \"I''m afraid if it comes to worst¡­\"

    \"No, Kuro.\" Kaiya knew of his plan. This is how her husband deals with complicated battles in the battlefields after all. \"I''m not letting you do that to our child.\"

    \"Well I''m not letting him kill you, Kaiya. The others are already down and knocked out.\" Shikakuro''s gaze sharpened as he looked around. They were the only ones left standing. \"You have someone important inside you.\"

    \"Is Orion not important?!\" Kaiya shouted at him as their puppet child attacked.

    To be fair, the thought of killing your own child horrifies him, but it was the only solution if worse comes to worst. It was the most logical thing to think of at the moment. His defence in his mind is the fact that his wife and daughter will survive this fight¡­ and the other defence he thinks of is¡­ before Orion gets to them and eventually end them off, if that happens, he can''t bear the thought of his child becoming a killer of the innocents.

    \"He is important¡ªbut I don''t want to lose everyone, Kaiya.\" Shikakuro blocked an attack from his child. He backed away and narrowed his eyes when his child is starting to use his shadow jutsus, \"I''ve already lost enough.\"

    \"Then I''m backing away from this fight, Kuro.\" Kaiya started to step back, \"Just¡­ please save our son.\" As Kaiya prepares to leap back, Xavier got her way. She was caught off-guard and was captured into the man''s arms, with a sharpened kunai pointed at her neck.

    \"I''m afraid¡­ I''m not letting the two¡­ no, the three of you live.\" Gerard spoke up as he emerged from the shadows. \"Come to think of it, I haven''t properly introduced myself, no?\" He wears a similar smile that Orion holds.

    Shikakuro clicked his tongue as the child that looked similar to his approached them.

    \"I''m known to this world as Gerard¡­ and maybe Gerald¡­ but I, too, has chosen a name befitted to me.\" The child smiled and closed his eyes, bowing down at them, \"Scorpius at your¡­ no, at no one''s service.\" He then straightened up and ran his fingers through his wavy hair before looking at the two.

    An idea then came into his mind.

    \"You know what, elder brother''s parents¡­\" A smile crept into his face, \"I just had a great idea. I didn''t plan this initially, and I was only going to make you kill Orion, but that would not be fun and we''d just probably reincarnate again¡­\"

    ''This does not sound good.'' Shikakuro narrowed his eyes.

    \"I''m going to make him kill all of you.\" Scorpius held a disturbingly happy smile on his face as he said those words.

    Shikakuro does not get what the child is thinking. Scorpius, as he claims his name to be, is rather random and hard to read. He seems to be manipulative, seeing that he had successfully twisted Shikakuro from thinking that he should kill Orion, but that''s all the Nara got.

    \"This is going to be difficult.\" The Nara sighed, looking back at his wife, who seemed to have handled her situation seeing that she''s already at his back, facing Xavier who stood a few feet away, while he on the other hand, faced his own child with the look-a-like just at the back.

    With that, the fight commenced. It was a struggle for the two as the strength of the man in white and their child seemed to have multiplied ever since being controlled by Scorpius. It''s even getting stronger as the time went by¡ªand Scorpius is just standing from afar with his arms folded. Well, it seems like he was getting impatient so he quickly pulled away his puppets for a moment to get them together before throwing them again in battle.

    Kaiya wielded her long bow, which is pretty peculiar for a ninja. She took a shot at Xavier but he swatted it away with his sound wave and the arrow got redirected towards Orion. It was a close call¡ªOrion got hit, but he didn''t suffer any injuries¡­ it''s only his hair that got cut off short by the sharp arrow.

    Xavier was then accidentally thrown harshly towards Orion. Shikakuro didn''t mean it¡ªit was just that at the same time he pushed back Xavier, Orion backed up to the path he pushed the man into and they crashed into the ground. Thick dust covered the two, which even made Scorpius narrow his eyes.

    Shikakuro narrowed his eyes as well, because something is off.

    Shikakuro and Kaiya took the quick pause of battle to catch their breath. Kaiya is already on her limits. Well, she should be. She''s pregnant, geez. She''s one hell of a fighter, lemme tell yah. Shikakuro could still manage but he''s almost at his limit as well.

    Nara''s do not have that much of a chakra capacity¡­ and the man''s used to using his chakra at bursts¡ªnot prolonged fights. Actually, it is also to his advantage since it''s night time. He wasn''t known as the Black Death for nothing. He quickly gathered up his remaining chakra and used it to perform his, probably last, jutsu. This is his most dangerous technique and he had only used this thrice in his life time, and this would be his fourth and final.

    As the dust settled down, it revealed Orion underneath of Xavier, both looked like ragdolls thrown away harshly. Scorpius didn''t think of it and continued using them. It seems that his capacity of control over the two dwindled as he now doesn''t use their techniques. They were just using melee and long-ranged attacks.

    Shikakuro was finishing up his seals as Scorpius continued to control the two. He didn''t think of Shikakuro''s shadow technique as the man''s gonna die anyways. He simply prepared a barrier from his power to protect him from what''s coming. Black mass concealed him from everyone''s sight, but he''s still there, controlling away.

    Shikakuro finished his seals, making Kaiya look at him, \"Kuro? You''re gonna use that?!\"

    \"You bet I am.\" Kuro simply smiled at her before releasing his attack, not towards Orion nor Xavier, but towards the person inside the black mass.

    Black fog started to surround Shikakuro before condensing into his palm and creating a phantom black beam that went through Scorpius''s barrier. The attack was simple yet so powerful that the forest behind Scorpius was incinerated along with his barrier. Unfortunately for Shikakuro, Scorpius managed to get away from his attack just in time to not get blasted off.

    Still, Scorpius was badly injured. The right side of his torso up to his shoulder bore a hole not much larger than his head. It was so bad that he was brought to his knees. For a moment he lost control of Xavier and Orion, but he simply laughed and took control over Orion, now letting go fully of Xavier.

    \"Oh, you''ve angered me now.\" Scorpius shook his head as he slowly stood up, spitting a reasonable amount of blood, \"Tonight, a massacre will occur.\"

    Using Orion''s body, Scorpius basically started to, this is very petty and too much, he started to kill the ones who were already knocked out on the ground. He then piled them up and, eventually, Shikakuro, with his dwindling energy left, tried to interfere.

    But, as every story goes, it will eventually end.

    __________

    \"Kaa-san?\" I happily called for my mother as I walked into the kitchen. She has my younger sister, Vinna, strapped on her back whileshe cooked dinner. She turned her head just a bit to greet me with her smile.

    \"Ah, Ori-kun.\" Kaa-san smiled, \"Would you like to help kaa-san?\" I didn''t make her wait and just simply went by her side and washed my hands in the sink before taking a carrot in the basket. She hummed happily while instructing what to do, \"We''re cooking curry for tonight''s dinner, your tou-san''s favourite.\"

    We had the vegetables ready and not long after, she made me sit down at the dinner table to wait for her dish to finish. She also placed Vinna in her seat next to mine, so, like any loving brother would do, I placed my chin on my palm and admired my little sister. She has black hair like tou-san''s, and silver eyes like kaa-san, a total opposite of me. Though my eyes would occasionally glint silver, it''s not as silvery as hers. Her eyes would be the very feature people would look at first when they see her¡ªit''s rather enthralling.

    Vinna seemed to have caught me staring at her. She smiled at me and clapped her hands before reaching out her tiny hand to me, closing and opening it as though she wanted me to hold it, so I did. I couldn''t really hide the smile plastered on my face¡ªthe joy of having a complete, loving family that I didn''t have before is truly¡­ heartwarming.

    With that said, tou-san suddenly popped out of nowhere and sat beside me, teasing me as he does, \"You two look very cute.\" He chimed, smiling wholeheartedly. With the spatula in her hand, kaa-san also joined in, \"They honestly do.\"

    I just chuckled along as you don''t really get this kind of peaceful day in the ninja world. With everything that had happened, I really should not take everything for granted. My life''s been exhausting as it is¡ªI don''t want anymore shit to happen in my life, this is enough.

    Kaa-san finally finished the curry, so I got up and helped her set up the dishes on the table. While helping her, my uncle, Kakashi, popped in to eat with us. He started to play with my little sister and I could really see that he adores her very much.

    Bruh, if I see him torment my little sister in anyway like what he did to me, no one should hold me back¡ªI will kill him. Of course, I can''t really kill him, but I will make him suffer. But, honestly, at this rate, I can see that he won''t do anything. He honeslty loves my sister as much as he loves me and kaa-san.

    I smiled as I placed his plate in front of him. He ruffled my hair in return, \"How''s my pretty nephew?\"

    I rolled my eyes, \"What''s with you today, uncle?\" I chuckled at him.

    \"I wonder, if you were a girl like your sister, you''d probably be as cute as her.\" He teased me, and both my parents snickered at his words.

    \"No,\" I looked at him in his eyes, \"I''d be a lot cuter.\" I stuck my tongue out at him, playing along, and we all laughed harder.

    Dinner was served and kaa-san and I are finally on our seat. As we ate happily, I start to remember the things that had happened. It was a bit, traumatising, but we all survived and that''s the greatest feat I could ever get. I''m thankful for that.

    In the middle of dinner, I suddenly paused, and they all looked towards me because I was laughing along with them but I suddenly stopped.

    \"Ori-kun?\" Kaa-san called for me, \"Are you okay?\"

    After her words, I could only hear this defening ringing in my ears. I could read their lips as they''re calling my name. Tou-san placed his hand on my shoulder which made me look at him and he looked very concerned. I seriously could not hear anything.

    The white light in the kitchen suddenly got brighter and, before I knew it, my vision was engulfed by the pure white light.

    I slowly opened my eyes, gritting my teeth as my body ached all over. My left eye seems to be badly injured as I could not fully open it. I then slowly sat up and was greeted by silence¡­ only the sound of crickets and other night time animals echoed every now and then. I was going to put my fringe behind my ear when I only just noticed that I was holding a bloodied kunai.

    Wow, why am I only just noticing this? I''m drenched in blood¡ªno, scratch that, the air reeks the scent of blood¡­ but, I am not really hurt anywhere except for my left eye¡­ and my energy seems to be coming back as well, which is pretty weird.

    I swear I was just in the kitchen with my family¡­ with my mother¡­ father¡­ sister¡­ and¡­ uncle.

    What happened?

    I paused as I heard running footsteps coming in closer. I still can''t move, but I''m hoping that I''m not in bad terms to the people who are approaching¡­ but this scent¡­ this is familiar.

    Kakashi?

    But why?

    The footsteps approached closer and Kakashi appeared from behind the bushes. He swiped through the greens and suddenly stood still as he looked at something from afar. Our eyes then met, my curiosity growing stronger.

    People then started appearing from behind him.

    \"Oh¡­ my god.\" One spoke in a heartbreaking tone.

    Kakashi then raised his hand towards my direction. I could see that he''s trying to stop his shaking and he''s trying his best to fix his composure, \"Orion.\"

    Huh?

    Weird, you don''t call me by my whole name, right, uncle?

    \"Please, for the love of god,\" he opened his arms for me as he slowly approached, \"do not¡ª\"

    I blinked at him and with my absolute mistake¡­

    \"ORION, NO!\"

    I looked at what''s behind me and my heart sank.

    \"DON''T LOOK¡ª\"

    Tears started to flow uncontrollably.

    This is unfair.