(Early Access) Arc 2 Chapter 6 Part 1- Age: 10.01, Year: 14.01

...

I was surprised at how easygoing Hashirama was being with all of this, to be honest. He'd accepted my so-called negotiation regarding the Kaguya, in private of course.

His only request was that they were deemed... sane so to speak, and who better to accommodate that little test than our esteemed experts of the mind.

The clans hadn't made much of a fuss following that reveal, not that they ever would've truly. Hashirama wasn't someone you could really gainsay in anything- Hell the Hyuga were a testament to that considering the way they'd dropped the whole caged bird seal. The Kaguya's inclusion? Aside from the unwelcome welcome they'd gotten, it hadn't been nearly as dramatic as forcing a clan known for its traditions to eliminate one of its most vital ones.

And judging by how fast their so-called screening was been dealt with, I had a feeling Hashirama had left a clone in the room with the Yamanaka's talented- The children of the Kaguya hadn't even been allowed to take part in that whole debacle.

Now as far as my punishment was concerned... That solely depended on the charges brought forth.

Meaning I'd be in trouble if Kirigakure decided to, uh, complain and openly admit to the fact that one of their most dangerous units had had its soul stolen. Literally by the way- Oh and the fact that the Kaguya had been taken out of their hands.

And I highly doubted Kiri would openly admit to their current weakness, nor risk any shot at having the Kaguya return for whatever reason.

Granted, I imagine they would've much preferred they'd left without losing one of their main assets but beggars can't be choosers and they sure as hell set themselves up when they put that little unit on that wall.

That wasn't why I was here though, behind a one-way window, with Tobirama practically breathing down my neck as we watched Hashirama on the other side of it 'interrogate' someone.

That someone was a very, very, uncomfortable Kakuzu.

Letting an entire clan's history go unquestioned was evidently less of a concern when compared to a single missing ninja.

Though that might've been due to Tobirama's insistence on accepting my seal's effectiveness, solely because I'd promised to show him exactly how I'd created it once every Kaguya had been deemed safe.

Said man was currently appraising another seal of my creation- The cause of the one way window itself.

I might've not known how to recreate something physically possible through mundane means, but I sure as hell could cheat it through a seal.

"This is rather clever," Tobirama remarked idly as he finally turned a look towards me. "I want a few more copies of this once this is over and done with."

"Shouldn't you be taking this more seriously?" I snorted with a raised eyebrow.

"Inuzuka's report filled me in-" Tobirama responded curtly before giving me a knowing look. "Kakuzu of The Earth Grudge Fear seems to be under the impression that leaving simply isn't an option for his own sake."

"Well, it'd certainly be the last thing he ever did," I lied. I honestly didn't really care all that much- Hell I am surprised the fucker stuck around this long to begin with.

"Considering your habits, short of the man robbing Konoha blind and living to tell the tale, I don't see much of an issue in entertaining his presence- Provided he earns his stay." The man remarked passively before focusing back on the other side of the window. "And I certainly can't see him surviving your claws. Better ninjas than him have evidently tried."

I blinked at that, somewhat surprised at the words. "Meaning who exactly?" I questioned idly. "I don't recall killing anyone that impressive recently."

A surprised and somewhat confused expression filtered over Tobirama's face as he focused back on me, suspicion growing with every passing second in his gaze. "...Inuzuka claimed that you killed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen... Was that a lie to save face?" A dark look was slowly forming over the man's face quickly-

"Them? Ain't a lie- I did kill 'em." I tilted my head at him. "They really that big of a deal?" Short of Kisame and possibly Zabuza, they weren't much of, well, anything in the timeline as far as I remember.

Though it has been a long bloody while since I saw the show.

The confused expression seemed to win over the others as Tobirama blinked a few times at that. "...Brat, do you even know who made up that Seven?"

"Nope." I deadpanned. "I didn't really give them a chance to say hello so... Ain't gonna recognise a name I ain't heard you know?"

"...How exactly did you take them out, if you didn't even have a chance to learn their names?" Suspicion was now the only thing on the man's face- Well that and disbelief, and a slight hint of paranoia and... worry-

"...Have you ever heard of the Reaping Death Seal?" I waited for a beat before turning back towards the window. "'Cos that's the first and last thing they ever heard come out of my mouth."

"Brat." I'll admit the sudden gruff tone to his voice might've startled me somewhat as I turned a bemused look back towards him. "Ignoring the fact you somehow know one of Uzushiogakure's most forbidden techniques...The Reaping Death Seal requires the user's soul to use." He stated with a face full of suspicion and a slight hint of fear hiding in his voice.

"So I found out after the fact. " I lied. I figured suicidal tendencies weren't something Tobirama could really ignore as my teacher.

"...So you found out after the fact..." He repeated with the same tone and expression. "Ignoring the fact you didn't realise its associated cost, despite having learned of it..."

You know, gotta give the guy credit for adapting to my bullshit so quickly.

"...How do you still possess a soul?" His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

I snorted at that. "You ever hear the saying 'Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers?'"

"Can't say I have," He deadpanned.

"Well it's like that, except it couldn't find my soul so I ain't the one weeping."

"...Right," Tobirama remarked surprisingly calmly. "The Reaper couldn't find your soul, so it called it quits... That either tells me you lack a soul which is... certainly an achievement, or you're lying to one of the few people who might have an interest in your survival."

I couldn't help the smile on my face at those words as I fully turned my body towards him and gave him a genuine smile. "I ain't lying but that sure as shit ain't interest sensei, that's called self-preservation."

He frowned at me for my words, a finger idly tapping against the wall before he eventually started leaning against it and crossed his arms together. "You know, your life would involve a lot less complication if you considered respecting your..." He paused for a moment, the frown in his face deepening before he let out a sigh. "...leaders, Shimura."

I snorted at that and looked away back towards the window, a sigh of mine coming out. "You know, I'd take you a lot more seriously if you didn't walk around so many eggshells- I am not gonna look at you any differently considering your own vices if you spoke your mind, but I might answer your questions a bit more truthfully." I pointed out to his surprise, judging by the lack of an immediate response.

"Vices?" He questioned, a careful tone to his voice.

"Your mistrust of everything you can't directly control."

"Meaning?"

"Your hatred for the specially gifted, Tobirama-kun." I turned my face towards him. "Which is surprising considering for all the problems I am causing you, you're no hater of mine,"

He didn't immediately respond, his brows furrowed as he tried to find any other meaning than the blatantly obvious words I'd used. He wanted to deny it, I could tell but for some odd reason, he knew it wouldn't work-

"And I thought my brother's Ninshu was a headache to deal with." He let out with a sigh.

Ah.

"I don't hate the Uchiha, you little brat." He pointed out. "Regardless of what that blasted rumour mill might have you believe, I rather respect their clan's strengths and loyalty." He sighed again. "It's that I have a problem with- Their loyalty is ingrained deep within their fears. They cannot trust others for the same reason I can't trust implicitly- They think everyone's out to get what's theirs and they have no way to prevent it." He shook his head. "There is no middle ground- One cannot trust another without barring their neck, and Senju blood and a Uchiha's eyes are far too risky to let loose outside of one's own control. Inevitably..." He closed his eyes instead of electing to finish his statement.

Honestly, I found that kind of ironic all things considered.

"I babysit your niece." I deadpanned. "You don't have a problem with trusting me?"

He reopened his eyes at that, surprise filling his face for a moment before he let out a snort. "What could a senju's blood possibly offer you?" He questioned rhetorically. "With your talents... You have nothing to gain-" He paused, his eyes widening ever so slightly as a hint of understanding seemed to fill them. "...You have nothing to gain..." A look of what I could only call dumbfounded realisation filled his gaze. "...Of course you treat all of this like some sort of game..." He looked like he was about to facepalm in front of me. "You have nothing to gain out of playing by our rules."

"...You know you're making it sound like you just came up with some big discovery but..." I snorted. "I've been saying that since day one,"

An irritated look filled the man's face at that. "I am aware you little brat... I was under the impression you were simply trying to get under everyone's skin."

"To be fair, that's why I keep doing it." I pointed out to his annoyance.

...

"You were been serious, weren't you?" Tobirama questioned as soon as Hashirama's helper left through the door having provided us and the interrogator and 'ted with some food. The man momentarily watched me grab a box of the laid-out ramen with a somewhat hungry look before he shook it off.

"About?" I questioned after a satisfying mouthful.

I was pretty sure the ramen was laced with something, but I didn't want it banned so best to keep it quiet just in case.

Not to mention we might lose Uzushiogakure as an ally if their favourite brand suddenly found itself under a sanction.

"Using Uzushiogakure's forbidden technique to take out those swordsmen."

I nodded at that and slurped through more possibly drugged strings of ramen.

There was an intrigued look on the man's face- Which all things considered... I mean I know Tobirama got up to some questionable shit but... he wasn't the least bit disturbed about me knowing about that technique, let alone using it and surviving?

How the fuck did this crazy lunatic make it in politics exactly!?

"And you don't find it odd at all that the Reaper couldn't claim your soul do you?"

"Odd?" I blinked at that. "Of course not- If that fucker had any shot at it, believe me, I wouldn't have given him the pleasure."

His face made a strange expression at those words, his eyes clouded with something I couldn't really read- Though that might've been because my focus was on the food. "...You make it sound... human in a way, referring to it like that." Tobirama pointed out warily.

"It's probably more human than me," I snorted. "You should really try this,"

"I'll pass." He immediately stated. "I can't say I am fond of putting anything I don't understand into my system."

"Your loss," I promptly picked up the glass of water I'd been left and washed down the piece of chicken that seemed insistent on trying to kill me from within. Certainly did a better job than those swordsmen.

"Noted," Tobirama said idly. "You told me you'd answer my questions truthfully if I was more upfront with you." He added on. "I am being upfront, Shimura." He uncrossed his arms and let out a slight sigh. "Live up to your end of the bargain, at the very least."

I clicked my tongue at that before putting down the cup of an unfinished FDA nightmare. "Alright then, what do you want to know?"

"How are you still alive?"

"That's not important, and you know it."

His eyes narrowed at that. "That's not what upfron-"

"I mean to say, it's not something anyone else could replicate," I finished the cup of water. "It's a special circumstance. That's all."

He mulled over my words for a moment at that, his gaze trying and failing to find something in my expression before he eventually- "Is it something you can replicate?"

"Not with as much freedom I imagine, or at the very least not a part of a team... I make him sound human because, like a robbed merchant, that little shinigami's rather angry with me at the lack of payment, so to speak."

He processed my words for a moment, his expression turning darker and warier by the second as he took in my own. As he took in the utter lack of worry on my part.

That was the biggest crux for him I think. How little I seemed-

"Why does the concept of an angry shinigami not scare you?" He actually elected to voice the words he was asking himself.

Look at that, he really is adapting to my crap!

"Most wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing-"

"Paint a cat however you want sensei, it's still just a cat." I snorted.

He frowned at that, a different kind of annoyance filtering through his face. "...You're not been upfront." He pointed out.

...Okay maybe I was dialing it up a little too much. "Would you be scared of a Jonin that was angry at you?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow and... Well... I think that kind of just threw him for a loop given his bemusement.

"...Do you consider yourself a shinigami?" He questioned, a disbelieving tone to his voice.

"Well, I'd certainly be a captain, at the very least." I mentally held in the urge to sigh at the fact I couldn't help myself.

He let out a long sigh at that and elected to take a seat on one of the two unused chairs by the table. "You're not making sense, Shimura." He narrowed his gaze slightly. "I will not entertain you if you keep playing the fool." I frowned slightly at that. "You've made your condition clear- If I want a serious conversation with you, I ought to return the favour. That I can understand, but you are currently breaking your own rule." He paused to take a breath, his gaze turning slightly more resigned. "If you will not play by your own rules then you leave me little choice but to treat you like a child."

"I am a-"

"Shimura." He cut me off. "I am serious."

I locked eyes with him at that and briefly considered it all.

Briefly considered the reality of my situation just a tad more.

Really considered the look on the man's face for a moment.

For the first time in a long time, my ninshu truly wasn't picking up anything that wasn't advertised before me.

He was been genuine.

For the first time in his life, Tobirama Senju was truly opening his hands up to someone other than his brother.

I couldn't help the slight tug on my lips at that as I calmly walked closer to the table and took the other free seat.

"Cone of silence, Tobirama-sama." He blinked at that, the surprise on his face just as genuine as his statement. "That means what I am about to tell you, doesn't leave this room- Hell it doesn't even reach your brother." The surprise on his face turned into suspicion and for a brief moment hesitation seeped through him. Hesitation he surprisingly quickly squashed into a-

"Is he at risk?"

"Not at all. The silence is to his own benefit."

"How?"

"Because it's something only a man like you can truly understand." I sighed and leaned back into my seat. "You want to understand me a little more?" I shook my head. "That understanding stays with you, and no one else." I locked eyes with him. "Do you understand?"

For a brief moment that hesitation swept its ugly head again before, to my surprise, Tobirama squashed it. "You're asking me to keep a secret from my brother. "

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Annoyance, anger and a slight hint of regret oozed out of him as he made to open his mouth.

"It's not." I cut him off. "And no, I am not a mind reader but I am very, very good at cold reading a motherfucker."

His eyes twitched at the name. "You need to stop calling me that."

"I am not just calling you that." I immediately responded. "You're all motherfuckers to me."

He twitched again. "I am not married, nor do I have any children." He pointed out.

I almost broke at that- Holy shit his problem with the nickname was that it was factually incorrect!?

I took in a quick breath at that to stave off the snort. "You know what? That's- that's fair." I nodded. "That's completely fair."

A mollified expression took over his face at that.

I took in another deep breath. "Right. Back to the matter at hand. Tobirama-sama." A strange look took over his face for some reason. "For the first time in my life, I am offering someone else a peek behind the curtain." I tilted my head at him. "Do you want to be that person, Tobirama-sama?" I repeated his name for good measure- And there was the same strange expression.

Huh, I wonder if he felt weirded out that I was using the appropriate title for once?

"...Provided I keep it to myself?"

I shrugged. "I mean don't get me wrong, I ain't holding a kunai to your head so... You're free to ignore the cone."

"And go back to the usual Shimura?" He let out a long sigh the moment I confirmed his words with a nod. "And, if I were to refuse the information, would you go back all the same?"

"No," I answered truthfully. "I mean unless you really get on my nerves- I'll show this curtesy, at the very least."

A genuine frown crossed his face at that. "Half of me is tempted to accept that."

"But you're not going to."

"No." He sighed. "I suppose you've read me better than I thought- Or I suppose I am not as good at hiding it as I believed myself to be."

"You're certainly harder to read than most," I admitted. "But all things live and breath chakra and chakra tells even the darkest secrets one holds,"

A strange, somewhat disturbed, expression took over the man's face at that as he came to a new realisation. One that seemed to shift something in him- Or his gaze. I couldn't actually tell.

Huh.

That was new.

Even my Ninshu was confused-

"...That is a disturbing way to use Ninshu." He said slowly. "I didn't even think that was..." A look of self-doubt filled his face while failure for some reason oozed out of him. "I should've paid more attention to it." He said with resignation. "I shouldn't have taken it at face value. The concept itself isn't entirely strange- Rather it's easy to come to and yet..."

I tilted my head as I watched the man's handshake on the table.

What the hell was he thinking right now?

"Sage!" He said out loud, his gaze turning towards the window, locking onto the back of his brother's head on the other side. "Every time I think I've made a few steps forward..."

Okay, this was getting out of hand.

I clicked my fingers and watched his attention snap back towards me, an annoyed expression taking over quickly, though it didn't seem directed towards me for some reason. "Save the complex for someone else man," I shook my head. "Make up your mind, do you want to go down the rabbit hole or nah?"

The expression on his face straightened out as a focused one took over, his gaze trying and failing to read mine, which I imagine was the cause of the slight agitation that swept out of him.

"Give me an example." I blinked at that, very much confused. At said look of confusion, thankfully, the motherfucker elected to clarify. "Give me an example of what to expect- I would at the very least like an idea of what it is you expect me to keep hidden from my own brother."

"You say that like you won't report this to your brother if you decide to not take the cone," I snorted.

"Is that a problem?" He questioned with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Your cone of silence didn't suggest-"

"No, no," I cut him with a chuckle. "By all means, feel free to repeat everything I've said, short of whatever I put under that cone."

A hint of a smile appeared on his face. "I am glad we understand each other."

I snorted at that and promptly reached into my pocket. "This example falls under that cone, by the way."

He nodded at that, albeit slowly as he watched me pull out an empty paper seal, his gaze turning bemused for a moment.

Closing my eyes and taking in deep breath, I promptly focused inwards, brought a single finger up and-

"Hado 1..." I whispered. "Sho," I strained to hold the ability in place, my chakra doing everything it can to prevent the fucking thing from firing. It was visibly shaking as it held itself together in a single point. All the while I could practically feel the heavy drain my reserves went through as it struggled to stop the ability from fully firing.

Slowly and carefully, I pushed the small pinpoint of pure light into the empty seal and breathed a sigh of relief as I watched the technique quickly etch itself onto the paper, my chakra relaxing as the burden quickly disappeared as fast as the light dimmed.

Tobirama's gaze had a strangely fascinated look on his face as he slowly turned towards the strange lines on the never-before-seen seal that had created itself before him. "...May I?" He questioned carefully.

I shrugged and pushed the seal towards him.

He carefully picked it up and appraised it- "I don't recognise these signs," He admitted.

I'd be very fucking surprised if he somehow understood the alphabet used by the bloody Shinigami Acadamy's language studies.

"Use it." I deadpanned, earning his attention. "Just pour some chakra into that." I tipped my head towards it.

He gave me a deadpan look in return. "No." He turned his gaze back towards the paper holding a power no one else on this world would ever understand. "I don't need to understand it, to know the constraints of using a sealed ninjutsu,"

Double the required chakra control baby!

Ie, good odds that might've emptied half his fucking tank- And he's a bloody Senju.

"Do you mind if I keep it?"

"Knock yourself out," I snorted.

He nodded at that and placed it beside him on the table. "I take it the incantation part is important?" He questioned idly.

I nodded at that. "It's actually a lot longer than that- I just happen to be able to short-hand it."

He nodded at that. "And? What of it? Aside from it being a strange, albeit new, way to command your chakra, I don't see what this has-"

"That jutsu pierced through Hashirama's Rashomon Walls." His eyes quickly widened at that. "That jutsu is also incomplete as it lacks a very important, and very much unique form of energy to truly shine." I idly tapped on the table as I let Tobirama process that, his gaze swapping between me and the seal on the table.

"Unique form of energy?"

"Spiritual Pressure, to be specific." I rapped three fingers on the table. "To get a single point of spiritual pressure, one would need to kill over five hundred human beings."

A heavy feeling of wrongness oozed out of the man at those words.

"Which is why that jutsu's going to stay incomplete." I raised a finger. "But that's not the point I am trying to make-"

"Shimura-"

"Let me finish, please." Begrudgingly, I watched the man bite his own question and utter paranoia for a moment.

Better make the most of it!

"Hado 1 doesn't just require a single point to be complete- it requires a consistent stream of that unique form of energy." A beat passed. "And there are over a hundred more spells of its kind, all with vastly higher requirements for true completion."

Despite his paranoia, despite his weariness, despite his everything- Tobirama proved exactly why he was the only one I could truly talk to about all of this as he-

"Spells?" -latched onto the one aspect of it all that truly confused him. "Not Jutsus." He remarked carefully. "Spells you called them."

I smiled at that. "Cone of Silence, Tobirama-sama?" I leaned my head onto my hand.

...

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A/N: Will be released for free on 29/09/2024