Book of Redemption

Zero Two

    ‘Sasuke? Breakfast is ready, hurry up, will you?’ I heard Naruto called from outside. I was just admiring the completed Sharingan in my eyes. It was beautiful but I couldn’t hold it for a long period given my small capacity. I would need to train more to increase it up to the levels of Kagami. He mentioned last night that I had achieved more than he did in one night. He is grateful for it was due to a good cause. To be honest, I, too. I was glad that these people came back and showed the truth before my hatred for Nisan had fully sunk in. Heck, I was this close to losing it after I lost to Haku.

     ‘Coming,’ I answered as I tightened my Hitai-ate. Everyone in the house had already bathed and ready, Natsumi-san was quite the early riser in her right. The clunking noises from the kitchen and around the house isn’t helping either. We all got up around the same time and dazed our way to the bathroom. It was then that I got a look at his body. Although pale, it was littered with scars. I mean, I know that being a ninja, we’re bound to have scars, but this was far from what a normal shinobi would get. Aside from the blade wounds, he had a healing tissue that covered his lower abdomen to his back. It’s like he had been burned by a fire jutsu or something. I don’t know about the rest of his body but that was all I could discern for that morning. Kagami mentioned in passing that we were left with more puzzles about the guy rather than figuring him out. Natsumi-san had served breakfast by the time I got into the dining room. I sat down at an empty seat by Naruto and waited for Natsumi-san to pour my drinks.

     ‘Sorry for the noises this morning, I was finishing the house as well as stocking our supplies of food,’ said Natsumi-san.

     ‘Hn,’ Kagami grunts softly as he nodded at Natsumi-san.

     ‘Why, you’re welcome, Kagami-kun! Guys, let eat, it’s getting cold,’ she exclaimed.

     ‘Itadakimasu!!’ we collectively said. Natsumi-san had cooked us a luxurious, high protein, and high-fat meal for breakfast. It was delicious like last night, of course.

     ‘Oh, I went to Ten-ten’s store this morning. Fetched a set of kunais and shurikens like you two ordered,’ Natsumi-san suddenly said.

     ‘Thanks, Natsumi-nee. I was going to go there this morning but now I’ve got free time for a few hours,’ Hikari said.

     ‘Hn,’ Kagami grunted softly.

     ‘Well, we didn’t exactly bring our weapons to the afterlife, didn’t we?’ Natsumi-san said.

     ‘Not unless it was sealed with you,’ Hikari said.

     ‘Then, what happened to your Kurama? May I meet him?’ Naruto suddenly asked and Natsumi-san’s face turned sad all of a sudden. It was wrong to ask that, for sure.

     ‘He was extracted from me, that’s how I died,’ Natsumi-san said sadly. ‘I missed the old fox, we’ve been through a lot together.’

     ‘Were you close to him?’ Naruto asked.

     ‘Yeah, after the war, I befriended all of the Bijuu. I was the last Jinchuriki ever made since the world was at peace and we were no longer in need of one,’ Natsumi-san explained.

     ‘Need?’ Naruto blurted, surprised.

     ‘Yes, the bijuu, beneath all that scorn that people placed onto the Jinchuriki, is a war deterrent. It is a sign of military might for one village over the other, send an unstable Jinchuriki into the enemy village, and wait it out to see the results. We are weapons of mass destruction. When peace came, the bijuu lived freely and coexisted with humans under my request and hope for world peace,’ she said.