Gradually, I felt my life coming back.
I felt the steady movement beneath me.
The breathing.
I opened my eyes, and a sharp pain shot through my chakra coils, as if they had been twisted and turned, "Aagh!" I grunted in pain.
Then came the voice of Shikamaru, "Kai? You awake?" he asked.
I opened my eyes fully, and realised I was on someone's back.
Mr. Shensou.
I groaned and said, "Huh... Did I pass out?....." I groaned again, "My body feels sooo weak..." I said.
Shikamaru sighed with relief, and say with a slightly annoyed tone, "Yes, you have been out for hours. You passed out right after you told me to sever the connection."
My eyes widened and I looked at Shikamaru, "Hours?!" I said, suprised.
Shikamaru simply nodded, "You were even writhing on the ground, but Lady Mystery over there came and 'stabilized' your chakra. Atleast that's what she said." He said, looking ahead of us.
I followed his eyes, and there she was, walking quite some distance ahead of us.
I looked down at Mr. Shensou, "Mr. Shensou, I am sorry you had to carry me, you can put me dow-" I wasn't able to finish my sentence.
"Oh nonsense! I am a weaponsmith, I think I should be able to carry a 8 year old! And shut up, just look at your dead tone, feels like you'll die if you walked three steps." Mr. Shensou proclaimed loudly.
I smiled a little and sighed, there was no convincing him.
Then I looked around.
And there they were, the divine dogs.
But they weren't just normal like before.
They were bigger, their fur was slightly different, they looked more oppressing.
They looked in my direction.
And there were their eyes, now bluish green slits, different from the usual black slits.
But why? Why were they still there?
They should've been dispelled when I fell unconscious.
"How.." I said out, looking at the divine dogs, "How are they still there? They should've been dispelled when I lost consciousness..."
Shikamaru followed my eyes and moves his to the divine dogs as well, "That's what I've been wondering about..." Then he looked at Aelira, "But with you out gone, I was just relieved that they were still there with us two alone with her."
Aelira stopped in her tracks and looked back at me, "You are wake." She said.
"Yes."
She started walking towards us, slowly.
I immediately tensed on Mr. Shensou's back and so did Shikamaru, "Hey! Hey! Stop! We agreed on a deal, remember?" Shikamaru said, raising his kunai.
The demon dogs by Shensou's side came and stood infront of us, baring their teeth at Aelira.
"They didn't dissipate because they were never summoned in the first place." Aelira said, looking into my eyes.
Shikamaru raised his eyebrows, a deadpan expression on his face, "What are you talking about? Did the natural chakra fry your brain already?"
I looked at Aelira, waiting for her to continue.
Aelira narrowed her eyes in annoyance at Shikamaru, "You sure have some snark for an 8 year old." She sighed and looked at me, "They are not just summons, they are different."
"Oh? Where in the history books shall we write your name miss for making this great discovery?" Shikamaru said, hitting back with even more snark.
Aelira's right eye twitched but she sighed and ignored Shikamaru, "They are constructs of your chakra, no- They are extensions of you."
Shikamaru and I both raised our eyebrows, "Extensions of me?" I asked, puzzled.
"I immediately sensed there was something wrong with your chakra when I first encountered." She said, putting her hand on one of the divine dogs, who had seemingly calmed down?
"Your chakra is layered, different from the rest, it's complex, and somehow.... has some identity and shape of its own." She looked down at the divine dogs, "Not just one, but many. These, are the extensions of that pattern."
She looked at me, directly into my eyes, as if looking at the most strange puzzle she had ever seen, "Your chakra is not only yours, but theirs as well. Or, your chakra, has different forms and shapes, and it is utilised by your technique to form these extensions, those shapes have been there, from the start, you didn't just learn them, they have been imprinted onto you."
Shikamaru's expression didn't change immediately.
But I felt it.
That shift.
That sharp, silent calculation.
And then—
"…What?" he said flatly.
Aelira didn't look at him.
She kept her eyes on me.
"…It is not a learned technique," she continued. "It is not something artificial."
A pause.
Then—
"…It is a bloodline."
Everything froze.
My heartbeat stopped.
Just for a second.
Then it came rushing back.
Fast.
Too fast.
Shikamaru's kunai was up again instantly.
"…Careful," he said, voice low. Dangerous.
Not loud.
Not angry.
Just—
Sharp.
I didn't say anything.
But my fingers curled slightly against Mr. Shensou's shoulder.
Aelira noticed.
Of course she did.
"…So it is a secret," she said quietly.
"That's not your concern," Shikamaru cut in immediately.
His shadow stretched slightly beneath him.
Not attacking—
But ready.
"…You're talking too much."
Aelira's gaze shifted to him for a moment.
Then back to me.
"…I am not your enemy," she said.
"…Then stop acting like you know things you shouldn't," Shikamaru replied instantly.
Silence.
Tense.
Heavy.
Then—
Aelira exhaled softly.
"…Very well," she said.
But she didn't back down.
Not really.
"…I will not speak of it beyond what is necessary."
That wasn't reassuring.
But it was… something.
Shikamaru didn't lower his kunai.
"…Continue," I said quietly.
His eyes flicked to me.
"…Kai—"
"It's fine," I said.
It wasn't.
But we needed information.
Aelira nodded slightly.
"…Those 'shapes' within your chakra," she continued, "…they are not passive."
She gestured slightly toward the divine dogs.
"…They carry traits."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Traits?"
"…Abilities," she clarified.
Shikamaru frowned.
"…You mean like techniques?"
"…No."
Aelira shook her head.
"…More fundamental than that."
She looked at the dogs again.
"…When you use them… you are not just summoning external entities."
Her gaze returned to me.
"…You are manifesting parts of yourself."
A pause.
"…And in return… you share in what they are."
My breath slowed slightly.
"…Explain properly," Shikamaru said.
Aelira obliged.
"…The wolves," she said, nodding toward the divine dogs, "…they possess heightened senses."
"…Smell. Hearing. Vision."
She took a step closer.
"…You must have experienced it."
I didn't answer.
But—
I remembered.
Tracking.
Hearing things I shouldn't.
Seeing movement before others did.
"…When they are active," she continued, "…you are not separate from them."
Her eyes locked onto mine.
"…You are partially becoming them."
A quiet silence followed.
Shikamaru glanced at me again.
"…Kai?"
"…Yeah," I admitted quietly.
"…That's… accurate."
He clicked his tongue.
"…Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"
But his grip on the kunai loosened slightly.
Just slightly.
Aelira continued.
"…This is why your chakra is layered," she said. "It is not a single flow."
"…It is multiple… coexisting patterns."
Her gaze sharpened.
"…Which is why my chakra did not remain separate."
My chest tightened slightly.
"…It followed the connections," she said.
"…From the extensions… back to the source."
"…Me," I muttered.
"…Yes."
Shikamaru exhaled slowly.
"…So her chakra entered your system because your technique is directly linked to your coils."
"…Exactly."
Silence.
Then—
"…That still doesn't explain why he didn't die," Shikamaru said.
Aelira paused.
Just for a fraction of a second.
"…It should have overwhelmed him," she admitted.
"…Natural energy is not something the body can handle without balance."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Yet… you endured it."
I looked down.
My hand clenched slightly.
"…Barely," I said.
"…Still," she replied. "You adapted."
That word again.
Adapted.
Something deep inside me—
Shifted.
Quietly.
Faintly.
Like something listening.
Learning.
Waiting.
Aelira noticed my silence.
"…Your chakra responded," she continued. "It did not reject mine entirely."
"…It adjusted."
I swallowed slightly.
That feeling—
That moment—
It hadn't felt like resistance.
It had felt like…
Understanding.
Just a little.
Just enough.
A flicker.
Gone as quickly as it came.
Shikamaru crossed his arms.
"…So what, he's just built different?" he said dryly.
"…In a sense," Aelira replied.
"…That is not normal."
"No kidding," Shikamaru muttered.
I glanced at the divine dogs again.
They stood there—
Calm.
Stronger.
Changed.
Their eyes met mine.
And for just a moment—
I felt it again.
That faint connection.
That overlap.
Like they weren't separate.
Like they never were.
Aelira followed my gaze.
"…They have also changed," she said.
"…Because of your interaction with my chakra."
"…Yeah," I said quietly.
Shikamaru sighed.
"…So to summarize," he said, ticking off points on his fingers, "your 'not-summons' are actually parts of you, they share abilities with you, her chakra piggybacked through them into your system, and instead of dying…"
He glanced at me.
"…You adapted."
A pause.
"…Great."
Mr. Shensou chuckled softly.
"…You boys talk about this like it's normal."
"…It's not," Shikamaru said immediately. "…None of this is normal."
I exhaled slowly.
"…We'll deal with it later," I said.
Then I looked at Aelira.
"…You said you maintained them."
She nodded.
"…Yes."
"…Using what you learned from the connection?"
"…Yes."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…And you didn't try anything funny?"
Aelira's expression remained calm.
"…If I wished to harm you," she said, "…I would not need such methods."
Blunt.
But true.
"…Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered again, finally lowering his kunai completely.
The tension eased.
Just a little.
I leaned back slightly against Mr. Shensou.
My body still felt weak.
But my mind—
Was wide awake.
Too awake.
"…Kai," Aelira said quietly.
I looked at her.
"…Be cautious with that ability."
Her eyes held mine.
Serious.
"…If what I sensed is correct…"
A pause.
"…Those 'shapes' within you…"
Her gaze flickered—just for a moment.
"…They are not all like these wolves."
A chill ran down my spine.
But I didn't respond.
I didn't need to.
Because deep inside—
I already knew.
And somewhere in that silence—
Something stirred again.
Patient.
Watching.
Waiting to adapt.
Of course, it was him.
No, it had to be.
Because it all made perfect sense.
"One more thing." Aelira said, looking at the dogs, "When you extend them from those patterns of your own chakra, it's not just your chakra that helps in manifesting them."
"It's not?..." I asked.
Aelira shook her head, "No. If it were, you wouldn't be able to maintain them for such long periods, nor would they as strong as they are. You would've long died from chakra exhaustion. Although..." She looked down at the divine dogs, "I can't find any logic outcome as to what the other source is... My best assumption is that the patterns within you are just blueprints, and that your chakra and something else works together to bring them to form."
Of course...
Wait, but why has this 'adapting' phenomenon never occured before?
Did it occur now because I was gonna die?
Who would know.
"Let's just... Set camp and go to sleep." I said, slumping against Mr. Shensou, tired.
Mentally, I was 22 years old, 14 years from my previous life and 8 years of this one.
But this body was still that of an 8 year old.
No matter how many factors were giving him advantage, running out of chakra was guaranteed at some point.
That's why this revelation from her could help him with something in the future.
"Yeah..." Shikamaru sighed and looked forward, "I am thinking of doing the same... There's a clearing up ahead, let's set camp there."
The clearing wasn't far.
Just a few minutes ahead, like Shikamaru said.
A small open patch in the forest, surrounded by tall trees, their shadows stretching long under the dimming sky. The faint orange of sunset was already fading into blue.
Perfect place to rest.
Or as perfect as it gets out here.
Mr. Shensou finally crouched down slightly, letting me slide off his back.
The moment my feet touched the ground—
My legs almost gave out.
"…Woah there," he said, grabbing my shoulder.
"Yeah… yeah, I got it…" I muttered, steadying myself.
Barely though.
I walked and sat down against the bark of a nearby tree, gasping for air as I sat down.
There were so many limits to being an eight year old.
I looked at Shikamaru, then Mr. Shensou, then at Miss Mystery, and clicked my tongue.
"Shikamaru..." I looked in Shikamaru's reaction, "Do we have enough food for all of us?..." I asked, groaning.
Shikamaru scoffed and looked at Aelira, "We can all eat food if we split the supplies for three people thin and eat little." He snarked at her.
Aelira looked at Shikamaru and said, "It's alright, I am not hungry, I don't need to eat." A slight annoyance in her tone.
I sighed and shook my head, "No need, the wolves can hunt." I looked at the divine dogs and mentally commanded them to go hunt for food.
"Well," Shikamaru looked at Aelira, "go get wood for the fire, we aren't running a charity here, you have to contribute for something." He said.
Aelira raised her eyebrows at his hostility but then sighed and turned around, "Alright.." and went to gather wood.
I sighed and looked at Shikamaru, "You might as well be a little bit nice to her since we already agreed to help her, no's telling you to trust her, I don't trust her either, but we might as well not piss her off." I said, seriously.
She looked a gone in the head, who knows if she would kill us all even if it meant her ownself being hunted and killed.
Shikamaru scoffed and said, "Fine. But we are sending a letter to Konoha as soon as we get to that small village Kuriki. She is a national level treasure if everything she said is true."
I nodded, "Good, we might as well let them handle her at this point, besides, I am sure the village wouldn't pass up on having another powerful bloodline under their control."
Shikamaru didn't reply immediately, watching Aelira disappear into the woods and then remarked, "You are way too calm about this..."
"I am not," I said, "I am just too tired to deal with it right now."
Mr. Shensou chuckled, "You boys really are something, discussing such things so casually, i wouldn't believe you two were eight years old if I didn't know any better."
A brief silence settled in.
The forest was quieter now.
The sun had dipped lower, shadows stretching longer, the air cooling slightly.
A few minutes passed.
Then—
Aelira returned.
She walked out from the trees carrying a bundle of wood—far more than what we needed.
She dropped it near Shikamaru and looked at him and said, "This should be enough."
"Yeah..." Shikamaru said, looking at the bundle of wood, "More than enough."
Aelira hadn't even sat down yet when the divine dogs came back, bringing back a whole deer with them.
"Nice." Me and Shikamaru both called out in unison.
"Nice! Let me handle this boys! I'll prepare the meat." Mr. Shensou said excitedly and immediately went and took the deer carcass from the wolves and started working on it.
Aelira looked at the deer and then went and sat down across of me, looking at me, "You... You don't look like or talk like a eight year old." She looked at Shikamaru, "Neither of you, are all children from Konoha really like that?"
Shikamaru looked at her while arranging the wood in a fire pit, "Hey hey, Lady, who said you could ask questions? It's our turn to ask questions, all we know about you is that your name is Vaelira and you are from an extinct clan named... I forgot what the name was, and that you can use 'senjutsu' which I've never heard of you, and we are bringing you along on our mission and are willing to vouch for you to enter Konoha, it's only fair that we get to know some things about you first."
Vaelira looked at Shikamaru and nodded, "Of course, go ahead." She said.
"Your clan," Shikamaru said, setting the wood aside, "What are your clan's origins? Where was your clan's home? How did you all die? How did you survive?" He asked, eager to know the answers.
Aelira stayed silent for a moment then spoke up, "We, the Velkyn, were a distant branch formed from the Senju during the warring states period... Ratan Senju, a warrior of the Senju clan, was the first Velkyn, he defected from the Senju clan after acquiring a constitution that allowed him to channel natural chakra without any repercussions, turning even his own into natural chakra, through means I wasn't told of... He and his wife took the name Velkyn and fled the land that is now known as the Land of Fire."
"Senju?!...." Me and Shikamaru both said and looked at each other and then at her.
Shikamaru raised his hand to his mouth and said, "If you are indeed the descendants of the Senju clan, there are definitely gonna be records of that 'Ranta Senju' in Konoha. What could he have possibly done to achieve a constitution that's fully compatible with natural chakra? And why did he flee?"
"As I said.." Aelira said, resting her hand on her knees, "I do not know. My parents never told it to me, as for the reason why he fled, it was probably because the means he used were probably deemed too costly or immorale by the Senju."
"How-... You know what, never mind. Continue." Shikamaru said, leaning back on his hands, eager to listen to her.
"Far away North from Amegakure, in the deep forests, our clan lived in a valley, Ranta Senju had cast a genjutsu over the land, in order to avoid exposure to outsiders. We rarely interacted with the outside world, although the outside world wasn't alien to us, we would occasionally go out, disguised most of the times, or most of the times to gather information on the ongoing events, the Genjutsu cast over the land always protected us, it was so masterfully done that once even an Uchiha who followed my uncle there didn't detect it." Aelira said, "Although... When they came, it ultimately proved useless.."
"They?" I asked, raising my eyebrow, "Who is they?"
Anger filled Aelira's eyes and she gripped the cloth of her pants with her hands, her voice now filled with more emotions than he had seen from her all day, "The Pains...."
My eyes widened, 'The Pain?!' i thought.
I knew who the Pains were, but I couldn't let them know, Shikamaru didn't know them afterall either.
Akatsuki wasn't supposed to be getting famous, it won't be till until the death of Lord Third, that the Akatsuki started getting involved, me telling them that I knew Akatsuki when most people didn't have a clue who they were would only raise suspicion.
"The Pains?" Shikamaru asked, raising his eyebrows, "Who are they?"
"They.... are a group, no, not even a group, more far more than that..." She looked down at the ground, "Six people, all possessing orange hair and the same eyes."
"Eyes?" Shikamaru asked, "What kind of eyes?"
"Purple...." Aelira replied, "With concentric lines."
"Huh?" Shikamaru's eyes widened, "A Dojutsu? How come I've never read about something like that..."
"You wouldn't." Aelira said, her eyes looking into the fire infront of Shikamaru, "Those weren't the eyes of a shinobi.... Those... Were the eyes of a god. All seeing, all powerful, all knowing."
"It was the 17th of March, more than 3 years ago, 1071 days ago, it was around 10 in the morning, that, was when they came."
"At first, we thought they were some lost travelers who exactly bypassed the Genjutsu and entered."
"But then, the first one to fall was my uncle, Masamichi, the brother of clan head, Takamichi."
Aelira clenched her clothes even harder.
"Then, one of them, who seemed to be the leader, flew up in the sky, and started talking, talking about how pain was the only path to peace."
"We tried to fight, but our clan was small, at that time, only 43 clan members were alive, that was because for some unknown reason, women from our clan bearing children was rare, only one out of 5 women would conceive children. As expected, he destroyed is."
She said, anger no longer present in her voice, only flat.
"Then, he said one thing." Aelira said, a slight fear getting into her voice, "Shinra Tensei...."
Of course.
One of the many powers granted to Nagato by the rinnegan.
The Almighty Push and Universal Pull, or, Shinra Tensei and Banshō Tenìn.
"With that single chant, he destroyed the entire valley, killing most present...."
Aelira's voice didn't waver.
Not anymore.
It had gone past anger.
Past grief.
Into something… quieter.
Empty.
"Those who survived that attack, were eventually killed by him and the others...."
She looked down at her palm.
"I was the last one left... I was the only one who managed to survive.... And he didn't attemp to kill me."
She gripped her hands tightly.
"Maybe, it was because I was one of the 'Blessed'." She said, lingering at the last word.
"Blessed?" Shikamaru and I asked at the same time, breaking the silence we had maintained.
"The 'Blessed' were unique individuals within our clan, although all clan members possessed the ability to use natural chakra, their ability to harness it from nature itself and use it still had quite many limitations, and still needed training and proper balancing. The 'Blessed' however, were individuals born with the same level of natural chakra compatibility as Ranta Senju, being able to effortlessly harness chakra from nature itself and turn it into their own. I... Was one of them, i was only the 6th ever 'Blessed' recorded in our clan's history, it was said that there cannot be more than one 'Blessed' alive at the same time, such individuals being born very rarely once in one or two or even more generations." Aelira said, a hint of pride in her voice at her own abilities.
Aelira's fingers slowly loosened from the fabric of her clothes.
The fire crackled softly between us, its orange glow dancing across her face—but it did nothing to warm the cold stillness in her eyes.
Silence stretched.
Then-
"…He looked at me," she continued.
Her voice was steady.
Too steady.
"Not like the others."
Shikamaru didn't interrupt this time.
Neither did I.
"…Not like prey. Not like an enemy."
A pause.
"…Like something… useful."
A faint chill ran through the air.
I didn't move.
"…I couldn't move," she said. "My body wouldn't respond. My chakra was… suppressed."
Her hand rose slightly, unconsciously, as if recalling the weight of that moment.
"…He descended from the sky."
The fire flickered.
"…And stood in front of me."
Her eyes dimmed slightly.
"Those eyes…"
She exhaled softly.
"…They weren't human."
Shikamaru's expression had completely changed now.
No snark.
No sarcasm.
Just focus.
"…What did he do?" he asked quietly.
Aelira's lips parted slightly.
Then—
"…Nothing."
That answer hung in the air.
Heavy.
Wrong.
"…What?" Shikamaru frowned.
"…He didn't kill me," she repeated.
Her voice dropped just a little.
"…He said I was 'blessed by the world itself.'"
My fingers twitched slightly.
"…He knew," she continued. "The moment he saw me… he knew what I was."
Her gaze lowered again.
"…A 'Blessed.'"
The word felt heavier this time.
"…He said…" she paused, as if recalling it perfectly.
Then, in a slightly altered tone—colder—
"…'You have known loss. You have known despair. You have known… pain.'"
The forest felt quieter.
"…'Now you understand.'"
Aelira's hand clenched again.
"…'Peace cannot exist without pain.'"
A faint tremor passed through her voice—
The first crack.
"…'Go.'"
Silence.
"…'Live.'"
Her breathing slowed.
"…'And spread that understanding to others.'"
The fire popped.
No one spoke.
"…Then he left," she finished.
Flat.
Empty.
"…Just like that."
All of us were silent.
Shikamaru gulped and finally broke the silence, "If what you say is really the truth, then that Pain individual, he might just be as strong as Lord Third, if not stronger due to his old age... Do you know just important and valuable this information is? How come we don't know about him?... How come you never approached anyone and told them about him? This person.... Pain.... he could be a serious threat to all the five great villages, no i one knows who is alive other than the Sannin Jiraiya, Lord Third, The Raikage or the eight-tails Jinchuriki who has complete control over the powers of his tailed beast is even strong enough to face him...."
"Because I was being hunted." Aelira said, "For two years, since that incident, i have been running aimlessly. Before our clan got slaughtered, I had rarely gone out to the outside world, I didn't know much, i didn't the directions, i didn't know who was worthy of trust. With our death, many had found the destroyed ruins, and they started hunting me after one of them found me and I blabbed everything to her, and she realised I could be the thing that gets her the fortune she wanted, through her, information about me spread."
Aelira's words lingered.
The fire crackled.
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So you've basically had a target on your back this whole time," he said.
"…Yes."
"Troublesome," he muttered again, but quieter this time.
Not annoyed.
Just… thinking.
I leaned forward slightly, resting my arms on my knees.
"…Then how did you end up here?" I asked.
Aelira looked at me.
"…Near the Land of Fire."
"…If you were running blindly, you shouldn't have been able to navigate this far."
A pause.
Then—
"…I didn't," she said.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
"…Elaborate."
Aelira nodded slightly.
"…A few months ago… I found someone willing to help me."
Shikamaru immediately frowned.
"…Help? Or use you?"
"…Both," she said calmly.
Fair.
"…He was a merchant," she continued. "Or at least, that's what he claimed."
"Which means he wasn't," Shikamaru muttered.
"…He had connections," Aelira went on, ignoring him. "Information. Routes. Names."
She looked at the fire.
"…In exchange, I… assisted him."
"Assisted how?" I asked.
"…Protection. Tracking. Things like that."
Makes sense.
"…And?" Shikamaru pressed.
"…And through him… I started to learn."
Her gaze lifted slightly.
"…About the Five Great Nations."
"…About shinobi."
"…About Konoha."
That got both of our attention.
"…He had something," she said.
"…A book."
Shikamaru tilted his head slightly.
"…A book?"
"…A Bingo Book."
That—
That made sense.
"…It contained names. Faces. Abilities. Threat levels."
She paused.
"…Important people."
Aelira looked directly at Shikamaru.
"…Your father."
Silence.
Shikamaru didn't react immediately.
But I saw it.
That flicker.
"…Shikaku Nara," she said.
"…Strategist of Konoha."
"…High value target."
Shikamaru exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah. Sounds like him."
But his tone had changed.
Slightly.
"…That is how I recognized you," Aelira continued.
"…The resemblance is… very clear."
I almost smirked.
Shikamaru clicked his tongue.
"…Great. So I'm famous now."
"…Not just you," she added.
Her gaze shifted slightly.
"…Other clan heirs as well."
That made my attention sharpen.
"…The Uchiha," she said quietly.
"…I heard about them."
Shikamaru's eyes flickered.
"…Yeah?"
"…Their massacre."
The fire cracked loudly.
"…An entire clan… wiped out in a single night."
Her voice was calm.
But there was something beneath it.
"…That kind of event… spreads quickly."
Shikamaru didn't reply.
Just stared at the fire.
Thinking.
Calculating.
"…So you've been gathering information this whole time," I said.
"…Slowly," she corrected.
"…Carefully."
"…I couldn't afford mistakes."
"…Then what about that rogue ninja?" Shikamaru asked suddenly.
"…The one you were with."
Aelira didn't hesitate.
"…The same reason."
"…Information."
"…You trusted him?" Shikamaru frowned.
"…No."
"Then why—"
"…Because I could get information from him, I knew he was gonna take me to some noble from the start, but I tried to get everything out from him that I could."
That shut him up.
"…He talked more that way," she continued.
"…People always do."
A pause.
"…And eventually… I ran into you two, and I recognised you."
"…Why Konoha specifically?" Shikamaru asked, though I already had an idea.
Aelira answered anyway.
"…The Senju."
Of course.
"…They were one of the founding clans," she said.
"…If what I know is true… then my clan… the Velkyn…"
A slight pause.
"…Are descended from them."
Her gaze steadied.
"…So I believed…"
"…That I would be accepted there."
Silence followed that.
Shikamaru leaned back slightly.
"…That's a big assumption," he said.
"…Konoha isn't exactly… welcoming to unknowns. Especially ones with—"
He stopped himself.
Glanced at me.
Then back at her.
"…Abilities like yours."
"…I know," Aelira said simply.
"…But it is still the best option."
She looked at the fire again.
"…Better than running forever."
That…
That I couldn't argue with.
Shikamaru sighed.
"…You're either really smart…"
A pause.
"…Or really desperate."
"…Both," she replied.
Silence settled over the campfire.
Great.
Just great.
Moments like this is what having The Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga is for.
Wait- I guess he did indeed help me this time.
Ding!
Oh it's been a veryyyy long time!
Ding! 4x Hidden Quests Completed! 2x Achievements Unlocked
Rewards:
Ability [Passive] Unlocked!
[Adapting.] [Level 0]
[Can only trigger in situations where the user is experiencing great danger to their life. Further access can be unlocked after fully taming Eight-Handled Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga.]
[Natural Chakra compatibility.] [Level 1]
[Allows the user to not die when exposed to slight amounts of Natural Chakra, and even allowing them to use it to certain extent. Cannot be improved yet through normal means, training with / consumption of Natural Chakra at slight quantities required.]
[Active] Ability Unlocked!
[Natural Sensory.] [Level 5]
[Upgraded version of normal sensory, allowing the user to not only detect chakra signals and distortments on a much higher scale, but also allowing them to feel emotions of others and pin point the location of chakra signals, also allows them the user to sense elemental chakra]
Rewards: ..... blah blah blah blah....
I zoned out, who cares anyway? It's not gonna make me instantly stronger, it's steady progression.
"Well..." Shikamaru said, "I guess we can trust you for now, but if anything off happens, we need you to protect us. And remember, try anything funny and your name will die with you."
Aelira nodded, "Don't worry, if anything poses a threat to you, I'll deal with it myself." She said.
Mr. Shensou had now finished skinning the deer and was cutting it now, "Well, let's get our stomachs filled, enough talking for the day, someone help me."
Shikamaru nodded and walked towards Shensou to help him prepare the food.
Vaelira looked at me, staring into my eyes, "You..... You are really are intriguing...." She said.
"Hm...." I said, opening my eyes and looking at hers, "How so?" I asked.
"Your abilities... Having such 'patterns' within your own chakra, having such powerful extensions of those patterns in the form of those summons, having the ability to withstand natural chakra without ever having even seen it before...." She said and paused for a minute, "And your eyes....." She said.
"My eyes?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "What about them?"
"The children of Konoha must really be something else.... Your eyes are no that of a child.... They are older, much older than your age." She said, and looked at the divine dogs, "It seems me and you have quite the complimentary abilities.... Your chakra completely let mine in, like mine was complementing yours.... I've never seen anything like this before..."
Aelira looked at me, "And for some reason, it's like something inside me is compelling to trust you."
Ding!
+400 Likeness with Aelira!
Very convenient system.
Aelira looked down at the ground, "It's logical, I guess... Your chakra accepted mine, maybe I might get assigned as your sensei or whatever if I become a Jounin in Konoha."
"That's... Quite a leap." I said, looking at her, "I can't guarantee what occupation or position you will be given in Konoha. But I can guarantee one thing, whatever happens with you, we will be meeting each other frequently, because it's not every other day that I can find someone who can supply me with Natural Chakra which I just happened to be compatible with."