"Abnormal chakra fluctuation?"
Yuto looked up from his desk, an eyebrow arched in curiosity.
"Buried Earth Hill? Where is that, anyway? Somewhere near Loulan?"
Loulan was his first guess. In the original timeline, that ancient city was built directly atop the Dragon Vein. If that seal had sprung a leak, it would certainly emit some very strange energy signals.
"No," Pakura's voice crackled through the communicator, her image flickering on the screen. She shook her head. "Buried Earth Hill lies to the northeast. Loulan is in the opposite direction, to the northwest. And don't worry, I already have a squad stationed near Loulan. If so much as a single grain of sand shifts over there, we'll know immediately."
"Good thinking, Pakura. You're as thorough as ever," Yuto said, a note of genuine appreciation in his voice. "Alright, stand by. I'll head over and investigate this fluctuation myself."
"Understood." With a respectful nod, Pakura's transmission ended.
An abnormal chakra reading. Yuto leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming a thoughtful rhythm on the wooden table. Now that was interesting.
He had devoured every scrap of lore about this world, and the name "Buried Earth Hill" meant nothing to him. Then again, the world was vast, filled with corners the main story had never bothered to explore.
But for a fluctuation to be powerful enough to trigger Pakura's attention? That wasn't just unusual. That was a mystery.
BAM!
The door to his office slammed open, crashing against the wall and jolting him from his thoughts.
"We're hooome!"
Kushina and Mikoto practically bounced into the room, their arms laden with shopping bags, faces radiant with the particular glee that only a successful shopping spree could bring.
"Hey, welcome back," Yuto said, a tired but fond smile touching his lips.
"We got you something!" Kushina chirped, rummaging through a bag before triumphantly thrusting a small, blue-wrapped box into his hands. "Mikoto and I spent ages picking it out. Hope you like it!"
"I'm honored you two thought of me," he said, deciding to be a good sport and open it right there. He tore off the paper, opened the box, and stared.
His smile froze solid.
Nestled inside was a pristine red and white shrine maiden outfit, complete with an absurdly large bow for the back.
He blinked slowly, then lifted his gaze to the two women, his expression a perfect blank slate of bewilderment.
"Whoops!" Kushina clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes sparkling with feigned surprise. "Silly me! That one's Mikoto's!"
"You are the worst!" Mikoto huffed, her cheeks flushing crimson as she snatched the garment from Yuto's hands and shoved it into one of her own bags. "You did that on purpose, you menace!"
"Oh, relax!" Kushina waved a dismissive hand. "He'd have seen it eventually! We were just… previewing the collection!"
"Then preview your own gift!" Mikoto shot back, narrowing her eyes.
"Nuh-uh. Mine's too spicy," Kushina retorted with a wicked chuckle. "I'm afraid our dear Yuto-kun here wouldn't be able to handle it." She dove back into her bag and emerged with another, identical blue box.
"Ahem! Behold! The real gift for Lord Yuto!"
Yuto eyed the new box with deep suspicion.
"This isn't another trap, is it?"
"Do you want it or not?"
"…Yes."
With a sense of impending doom, he opened the second box. Inside, nestled on a bed of packing paper, was a bottle of bright yellow hair dye and a tube of instant tanning lotion.
He sighed. Deeply.
"Big sis… come on."
"See?" Kushina crowed, turning to a still-annoyed Mikoto. "I told you he'd get it immediately! He speaks the language!"
"Fine, you win," Mikoto conceded, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Now are you going to explain the grand symbolism to the rest of the class? Why are you giving him bleach and fake bake?"
"It's not bleach, it's yellow dye! For the hair!" Kushina explained, pointing at each item like a proud professor.
"And this isn't 'fake bake,' it's for achieving a rugged, sun-kissed tan! You put them together, and what do you get?" She paused for dramatic effect. "A blonde, tanned beast! The ultimate NTR warrior, specifically designed to seek out and… appreciate… fine married women such as yourself. Capisce?"
Mikoto just stared at her, a single vein throbbing on her forehead. She looked as if she were physically straining to hold her composure together.
'So that's why she was cackling like a hyena in the beauty aisle,' Mikoto thought, defeated. 'This woman is a plague.'
She took a sharp breath. "And by that logic, I suppose you're not a 'fine married woman'?"
"Absolutely not! I'm a delinquent wife!" Kushina announced, puffing her chest out with pride. "If an NTR warrior showed up, I'd be the one giving the orders around here!"
"You have no shame!" Mikoto gasped, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
"Anyway," Yuto interjected, gently placing the box of trouble on his desk. "Thank you for the… thoughtful gifts. But please, for the sake of my sanity, no more. I'm begging you. I, Hayashi Yuto, am a purist. A connoisseur of pure love."
The room erupted.
"Pffft—!"
"BAHAHAHAHA!"
Both women dissolved into a completely unsympathetic laughter.
"You liar! You don't have a pure bone in your body!"
"Yuto-kun, never change."
"I'm being completely serious!" he insisted, though a smile threatened to break through.
"Nobody believes in the power of true love more than I do! Speaking of…" He leaned forward, curiosity getting the better of him. "What did you get for yourself, sis? You said it was 'spicy.' I need to know."
"It's a secret!" Kushina sang.
"It's a magical girl costume," Mikoto said flatly at the exact same time.
"Mikoto! You traitor!"
"You started it."
A magical girl outfit.
Yuto's mind immediately and traumatically conjured an image of Madara Uchiha in a frilly skirt, waving a sparkly wand. He gave a full-body shudder, physically trying to shake the vision from his head.
"Right. Okay. New topic," he announced, desperate to change the subject before his brain broke completely. "We've got a situation in the Land of Wind. You two are coming with me."
---
Land of Wind – Buried Earth Hill
The name was a cruel joke. There was no hill, no rich earth—just an endless, rolling expanse of sand dunes under the brutal, baking sun. And in the middle of all that nothingness, a single, pitch-black sphere hung silently in the air, its surface rippling with unseen energy.
A team of researchers in lab coats—specialists imported from the Land of Waves—were buzzing around it with scanners and datapads.
Leading the effort was Kabuto Yakushi, who pushed his round glasses up his nose as he frowned at a reading.
"Well?" Pakura asked, her arms crossed as she watched him approach.
Kabuto sighed, his expression one of frustration.
"It's no good. Whatever this energy is, it's from outside our database. Our instruments can't get a clear reading. It's like trying to scan a shadow." He shrugged helplessly. "This is a job for Yuto."
As if on cue, the air a few feet away tore open with a low, resonant hum.
Yuto stepped through the dark void of the Garganta, followed closely by Kushina and Mikoto.
The entire research team immediately stopped their work and offered small, respectful bows—the highest sign of respect their nation allowed.
"Whoa, nelly!" Kushina blurted out, ignoring the formalities. Her eyes were wide, locked on the swirling black orb. "Will you look at the size of that thing? That's one dense ball of chakra. Who left this lying around?"
Mikoto, ever the picture of composure, simply observed in silence, staying a protective step behind Yuto.
Yuto himself walked directly up to the anomalous sphere. He reached out and let his fingers brush its surface.
It felt… strange. Not quite solid, not quite energy. He pulled his hand back, a thoughtful frown etched on his face.
"Huh. Now that's interesting," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "This doesn't feel like it's from around here at all."
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