Droplets fell down on a white towel, slowly but surely making it damp. A shadow loomed over it, outlining a figure. Sometimes it was bold and defined. Other times, it was further than it was and smaller in comparison. Fading...
In recent times, something has been lost to the ages. It left its mark in history and now lays forgotten — buried deep under the crust. What made great men of ancient times prosperous and mythical? It's nothing that needs scientific research to prove.
The questions often asked in this current era are, "How can I succeed when I'm not given the chance?" or "Why is it me suffering out of all people?"
'Suffering is where growth is born. Stagnation befalls the ones who do not act and wait for chances.' That phrase rang in a certain greyhead.
People of old understood that there is victory in a risk that had benefits. A dreamy thing one would imagine. Everyone indulges in it, hoping that one day something will happen. They put all their heart and soul into waiting.
A miracle... A stroke of luck... Even a fluke... A slip-up on fate's part... They will never realize their downfall when it is all said and done.
Kaien was doing his thirtieth rep before he had to reset. Only two sets on diamond pushups and a couple of other exercises, and he would be done for the day. As always, Naruto would have his leg above Naruko's thighs and she would, in turn, have a hand on his face. The bedsheets were messed up, reminiscent of their sleeping postures. They still wore the same night pyjamas as before. When he took a look at his own clothing, he was wearing nothing but a vest and boxers.
Perfectly normal for a person who was older than Kaien by ages.
He rolled over, releasing heavy breaths and clutching his chest. 'Maybe I should pass on that second set and focus elsewhere.'
And that was when he decided to do sit-ups. The empty bed, clean and delicate, was a much better object for stable support. He positioned his feet under the mattress, his knees bent and palms against his head. He then started counting the number of reps he could achieve.
His target? Thirty.
And yet he did double because he did not feel any pain with the original reps. 'Strong core or is this just normal? I couldn't even tell in the past.'
Only then could he feel pain.
He did the needful—caring for his hygiene after every workout. Afterwards, he walked into the room and sat on the chair. It was quite dark, so he had to turn on his desk lamp. "Exactly like how Dad used to do it."
He was a decent man in his terms. He had to lose him too. He did not have any familial ties with them besides respect. He still needs to investigate the cause of their deaths. 'For their sake, not mine.'
He opened a book with a piano on the cover, learning about forming basic chords. That was where he learned the names of notes, why it came to be, and the foundation behind the twelve chords. He memorized the C Major scale, as that was less complex than the ones he saw.
Now he was about to get started on drumming. There seems to be a pattern behind every random beat of a drum. A progression, just like a keyboard. He had to create a basic rhythm and guideline that was simple for even kids to follow.
They also need to learn how to read English and Japanese.
A yawn brought him out of his thoughts, compelling him to focus on the blonde look-alikes for a moment.
Both of them blinked once, then twice before war ensued.
"Get your hand out of my mouth!" Naruto shoved quite the delicate hand off his face.
"Get your filthy chicken legs off me!" Naruko shot back in kind.
Kaien felt bad for his bedsheets. They got involved in the tussle, bonding the two siblings as they tried to separate. 'Fate, huh?'
A loud thud sounded as the two of them dashed away from the scene of impact. Kaien's eyes widened, his pupils flickering in the moment.
Fox tails appeared, sprouting one by one until they were nine. The ears followed suit and their pupils turned into dangerous slits. Both of them took a look at the figure staring from the chair. His eyes were blankly staring at them.
They flinched, as they immediately power-walked towards the door. No questions were asked. No explanations were needed.
Wrong territory...
"Good, we were just about to leave as soon as we woke up. Get dressed." His voice came out dry and dull.
To the two blondes however, it moved them to tears. They recalled the unpleasant eyes they received from everyone. The looks of curiosity further turned to scorn. They expected a glare that would tear their souls apart.
All they got were words they did not think they needed.
"I will be honest with you. I was scared, but you wouldn't do anything to me willingly," Kaien stated with his usual blank stare. "You wouldn't be you."
The twins flinched, but they now understood something from his words. Even though he was afraid of what they could do to him, he still trusted them enough already.
'Still, it sounds like he was expecting worse...' both of them thought.
A door creaked wide open, footsteps echoed with every step. Then they stood, the three of them observing the room. From his pocket, the silver-haired boy removed a phone. The time displayed was 10:00.
'Right on time.'
"Are you kids sure you want to stay here?" spoke a calm and soft voice.
He turned around to see a woman, well in her 30s. A busty figure, one might add, but nothing the silverette wanted to acknowledge. He may be young, but the same could not be said about his mental age. He just preferred keeping a clear conscience in this second life he was blessed with.
"We will pay a visit once every evening. Is that good?" Kaien asked, looking straight in the eye.
The woman sighed heavily. There was no talking him out of it. A shrug came with her response.
"Good enough. I don't wanna hear a word of you three disappearing. It'd be my fault." She slowly walked away from the house.
Kaien rubbed the back of his head, eyes closed. 'She holds herself accountable.'
The woman's appearance then appeared in his mind again. She had a beauty mark near her nose. Her attire consisted of a long blue dress and black shoes. Her spiky, auburn hair reached her lower back—tied in a messy ponytail.
Sure that description is diverse, but her athletic figure, coupled with a rather cold expression, may be unique. He thought that only Naruto and Naruko were the only ones here.
He would have never known that the fifth Mizukage, Mei of the Hidden Rain, was actually the landlady. The biggest question was...
Is this a modern version of the Naruto world?
Or even worse.
An amalgamation of worlds?
'I hate reading fanfic right now.' Was his closing thought on the matter.
Right now, more important matters needed his immediate attention.
"What do you know, my stuff has arrived."
A large truck had just made its stop in front of the house. On the door was a logo showing two mics and a few notes. He had just ordered some quality instruments a few days back. Mei had walked up to the truck and was handed a clipboard.
Naruto watched this all happen. Unblinking as he may be, he had a sneaking feeling that his new toys were in that truck. Needless to say, he sprinted there to have a look.
'A peek hurt no one.'
"Oy, Naruto! I wanna see it too!" Then his sister followed in kind.
The only one left was Kaien, stuck in a mental debate. "I could just wait here, or..."
He didn't finish that last option. He already found himself beside Mei as she handed the clipboard back to the driver. Taking a look at her, he noticed she was staring at him with a raised eyebrow. Her hand slowly reached out towards Kaien's shoulder.
Feeling the light tap, he remained unshaken. He did, however, gaze at her pointedly.
"So, you can be a kid too? I thought I'd never see the day..." A faint smile adorned her lips.
"Why the surprise?" he placed one hand in his pocket, but besides that, his posture remained the same.
"Oh, nothing." She replied as she watched the other two staring at the instruments being carried into the residence. "Promise me you'll put those into good use."
The man blinked at the sudden arrivals. Of course, he greeted them with a smile. "How do you do?"
"Good, and you?" Kaien replied, stone-faced as he has always been. Something about the kid threw him off his game. It seemed as if he was constantly being watched. Why? When he took a glance at the auburn-haired hottie's rack, Kaien's grey eyes caught him in the act.
There was nothing in there. No flicker of emotion. No intent behind it too. Only his hand slowly gravitated toward the man's object of attention.
Mei watched that hand, ready to intercept it if it got too close. The thing was, it never did.
Only his index finger pointed upwards, towards her boobs. His arm was closer to his own body than hers. That was as far as he would go.
"Will there be a next time, sir?"
Mei blinked, understanding the clear message Kaien was sending her. When she gazed up at the man who was on a higher vantage point, he seemed stunned at being exposed.
It was a reckless gamble he bet on. For that, he received the most painful uppercut of his life.
'He might lose his job for this,' he thought indifferently, watching as the man rubbed his cheek with a bloody nose. 'And additional medication costs.'