You and I know what it's like to be kicked down
Forced to fight
But tonight we're alright
So hold up your light
Let it shine
Lighters (original Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars) {?}[We both know what it's like to be knocked down,]
White light...
Blindingly sunny.
It's everywhere. All around. Where am I?
This heavenly, unpleasant light grew brighter and brighter with each second.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but it wasn't enough, so I had to cover them with my hand and turn away.
Why's it so bright here? A dream? Then why so realistic?
And I feel like this place is familiar. Too...
Déjà vu for sure. Like I've been here before...
The light dimmed, like someone covered the source. I slowly opened my eyes and lifted my head to look around, then froze.
Three unidentified silhouettes hung in the air. They floated. Their bodies hidden by white cloaks, couldn't see them better.
"Who are you?!" I shouted nervously into the silence.
The one in the middle silently pointed behind me. I turned immediately.
Against the white space a few meters away, a small black line appeared, growing longer and longer each second. Like space sliced with a knife through butter.
I took two steps back. Wanted to run farther, but couldn't move. No strength. I watched stunned as a painfully familiar inhuman hand emerged from the black tear. This hand with dark-gray wrinkled skin and long black claws tried to make a passage.
'It wants to come through... I remember... remember... who this is... I'll never forget you, Devourers...'
July 16, 1056
9:58
I couldn't open my eyes under the weight of my own lids. My head ached faintly, softness enveloped my whole body, no desire to get up. Seems I dreamed something, but don't remember what... My mind was blank.
After lying like that a while, fully awake, I realized I needed to get up and see where I was.
I sit up and open my eyes, but the sunlight forces me to squint. Getting used a bit, I looked around and realized I was in a small bright room furnished in "Wabi-sabi" style. Not many like this in Konoha. Only in clans, and not all. Only strong clan members or leaders of weaker ones can afford such luxury.
In the corner stood a tansu—a small cabinet for storage—and next to it a shoji—sliding door. That's basically it. Not counting the big rumpled futon I slept on and my sandals by the shoji.
Which clan am I in, and even in Konoha—not sure. How I got here—don't remember. What happened—no idea. Trying to recall makes my head hurt.
Seems someone brought me here, since I never sleep in street clothes, especially dirty ones. Checked my kunai pouch, confirming my guess. Whoever brought me doesn't wish me harm—otherwise they'd take the weapons.
Without thinking long, I headed to the door to put on shoes. On the way, pulled two kunai: one in hand, second in seal, since main thing—be ready to block any strike every second.
Didn't manage the second boot when I heard noise in the corridor. I froze a second, then quickly finished buckling and rushed to the sound. Burst from the room, turned right, ran into the kitchen.
Right in front of me stood... Jiro?! Not just Jiro! Jiro in an apron, holding a frying pan with scrambled eggs sizzling, staring at me in bewilderment.
"What the hell? What am I doing at your house?!" I didn't lower my kunai.
"Please sit down, then we'll talk," the Uchiha politely gestured palm to the plain table, and I, sighing deeply, sat.
"Why such a table, doesn't it break tradition?" I wondered. Whole house in old Japanese style, only kitchen modern.
"I just like it, not too tied to traditions," he replied and turned off the stove. "Tell me, will you eat scrambled eggs?"
"Um... yeah." Jiro set a plate of food before me. "Thanks... Uh... and you?"
"I have something to eat," he smiled kindly and, pulling salad from the fridge, sat across.
"Enjoy your meal," I said and slowly started eating.
"Thanks, you too."
"By the way, you cook really tasty," even I couldn't make scrambled eggs this good. I can cook, sure, but not this well.
"Thanks, I love cooking, especially new dishes," he blushed a bit and changed topic: "But better tell me, do you remember yesterday?"
"Yeah... sorta," staring at my plate, I started recalling. What happened? Remember waking up, training, going to exam, writing it, helping Naruto and... that's it? "Wait though," I tried to recall evening, but mind blank, "I don't remember the second half of the day or evening. What happened?" I looked up at Jiro, waiting.
"Don't know," he shrugged. "I don't remember day or evening either. Woke up on the street, you unconscious next to me. Since I didn't know where you live, took you home. Could've taken to hospital, but didn't think of it."
"You and I both unconscious?" I wondered.
"Probably someone attacked you."
"Then us, we both lost memory," I smirked and kept eating. Waking in stranger's house without memory—unusual. Worrying, but need to pull together and get info. "Any fight traces?"
"That's the thing—no. Sure, night, felt bad, but I'd see obvious signs."
"Fine, where was it? I'll check on way home."
"Across from Ichiraku Ramen are two alleys. Walk right one a bit, reach fork: one to park, other to Uchiha clan..." Jiro said while pouring tea.
"And we were on the one to clan..." I continued for him.
"Yeah," he nodded and set mugs on table, "like attacked me heading home after evening village walk."
"I usually walk village evenings too," I sipped tea, "you don't think we walked together, or I attacked you?"
"No, unlikely. We barely know each other for that, no reason for you to attack," said Jiro, and I nodded agreement. "Notice neither you nor I have a scratch. Like we surrendered without fight."
"Or opponent too strong," I added: hate thinking I surrendered without fight. "Listen, can Sharingan holder erase memory?"
"No, impossible," he shook head, and I mentally crossed him and other Uchihas off suspects. Though... still suspect him.
"Got it... Who to tell then? Need report what happened. Maybe enemies."
"If we knew important enemy village info, they'd slit our throats, not wipe memory. Easier, cleaner," he said calmly, sipping tea.
"Yeah, true. But then only option—we learned our village's secret info. But why? How?"
"Can't imagine. If we knew each other better and had grudges against government and village... possible," noted the Uchiha.
"Mda... sounds dumb. Still think tell Hokage."
"I think so too. Meet after exam, talk more?" Jiro smiled and finished salad. How eat salad with tea?
"Yeah, let's. By the way, second exam stage today, could be long. Full on veggie salad?" I asked.
"Yeah, always just veggies and fruits, enough for me," he shrugged and stood.
"You're vegetarian?!" my brows shot up. Never heard or seen shinobi vegetarian! Girl maybe, but guy, Uchiha even! Is he really Uchiha?
"Please don't look at me like tomato sauce ramen," he chuckled and refilled our tea.
"But tomato sauce ramen doesn't exist," I skeptically raised brow.
"That's what I mean," Jiro sipped tea carefully and continued: "Know when second stage starts?"
"Dumb question. Know as much as you," I lied. "Deal: heading home, drop by Naruto, ask when/where exam, tell you right away. What time?"
"Ten twenty now," he glanced behind me at clock. "Good, I'll wait."
"Thanks."
"What if drop by Sasuke? His house close."
"Know, but no extra questions. He'd be surprised I slept over," Jiro just smiled at my answer and kept sipping tea.
We talked a bit more, then I left his house and ran outside. Uchiha clan district looked impeccably groomed, just lacked people for full beauty.
Enough admiring.
Gotta scram quick, or deal with Sasuke... Hope he's not tied to yesterday. Want him clueless. God forbid something happens to friends. Especially Sasuke. Inside shakes at thought.
To switch from worry, started thinking yesterday.
Why'd Jiro take me home? Could hospital, clan head, someone else? Fine, not that important. Who attacked, why? Did we really learn forbidden knowledge?
Last glance at Jiro's house, left clan.
Need do few things: check attack spot, check Training Ground 44, home to change. Awkward ask Naruto/Sasuke exam time. Surely knew before last night. Don't want suspicions.
Made two clones: one to Training Ground 44, second check alley by Ichiraku. I ran home.
Oddly, home spotless. Surprised, usually no time clean—sleep polygons free time. Examined apartment, but then spotted scroll on sofa.
"No way... Seriously?" headed to new item in house, yet familiar. But never saw such scrolls before. Did Jiro and I do something bad? Or I did, thought both?
Took scroll, turned in hands. Red paper gold lines, iron inserts recessed ornament. Definitely seen before... where?
Unrolled: white parchment with six digits: "250257". Interesting... why fancy scroll for numbers? Secret code? Show Jiro, maybe knows.
'If so much changed outside, what inside?' thought flashed, decided visit inner world. Maybe changed.
Made clone watch me meditate, dove inner world. No one knows who might come for scroll. One clone won't save, but warn.
As always in inner room, everything same. Probably never changes but light. Shines different each time: sometimes bright, not.
Know last here yesterday. Weird after don't remember. Felt someone behind, hurried out. Better stayed.
Approached laptop, turned on, sat chair. Yesterday's events wouldn't leave head, many guesses, no idea confirm/refute.
Desktop up, clicked "status." If memory serves, same as yesterday—no evening training.
Anyway, assumptions.
Clicked mental health: 50% status. Below: memory problems. Below button "fix," new function:
"Emotions:
on/off"
If just this, it'd catch eye, but now only "fix" hooked.
Clicked without thinking: empty purple screen gray circle below: "Loading… 0%"
What's "Loading"? Recalled past life English, while puzzled percentages rose fast, circle green.
'Great! Didn't think fix this easy!' rejoiced, but joy gone quick as came.
Stopped 99%, nothing recalled... Shame... so shame. Started so well.
Minutes sat staring sadly at damn 99%. Even recalled past life slow internet loading same speed. Mda... was cripple with that net.
Patience ending. Wanted reboot laptop, but it finished me: white window:
"ERROR! Memory recovery impossible."
"Damn! Only chance learn what..." watched window close, "fix" and "Problem: memory" vanish. Under mental health status only "Emotions: on/off."
Cool try new, but no. Scary can't turn back. Why? Doubt use ever. Know... uncomfortable, mildly, live without emotions—endure any pain over that.
Probably changes from yesterday, definitely check chakra room.
Thought, ran to pool room. Could walk, but boring, no want. Not pretty view. Just white walls.
Close when black flashed in wall. Stopped instant, backed up to black door. Pure black door. Wonder what's behind? Why black?
Curious tried open—nothing. What! Why subconscious shoves unopenable weird doors?!
Five minutes fiddled door, tried ways, nothing—disappointed to pool. Nothing changed: same. Fine, enough riddles. Lately just guessing.
Back real world, clones' memories hit. One good news, second not. First—to Training Ground 44—learned exam starts three hours, 2 PM. In Forest of Death. Well, Training Ground 44, wait!
Second: nothing at spot we found. Really. No fight traces! Clone checked nearby yards—nothing. Not sure good or bad.
***
13:07
Mda... not good!!! Oh, so not good! Promised Jiro drop by tell exam time! Forgot him! Ungracious—he welcomed, fed, I can't keep promise.
"Shame!" slapped forehead, heading Jiro's house. Under hour to exam. Should be there preparing.
Reached door, panting, knocked.
"Jiro, it's me, Ariza, open!" shouted shaky worried voice.
Opened calm shinobi, fully geared, only now realized how mentally unready for trial. Surrendering to emotions blocking cold analysis, forward thinking.
"Hi, why knock like that?" Uchiha smiled, stepped out, closed door.
"Sorry, under hour to exam..." admitted reluctantly.
"No worry, we'll make it, let's go," said slowly, jumped nearest house, looked back.
"Good," smiled, jumped after, ran to polygon.
Not far, five-ten minutes, then split. Jiro to team, me to mine.
"Didn't even know you wield tekko-kagi," eyed my sword. "When? Takes effort. In our class only one I know: Sasuke Uchiha. Saw him train backyard home."
"Um... got into it academy days, nothing more say," pursed lips—hate lie, but keep tongue.
"Good, hope answer next," focused on Uchiha, intuition said question unwelcome. "True all rumors you and Sasuke village?"
"Damn..." when spread—we don't hold hands village walks. "Where'd you hear?"
"Never had that many girls chasing before."
"Can't live peacefully?" smirked. Know well—Sasuke fangirl club stalks from spite, envy. Canon they'd left Sasuke long ago.
"Not can't live, just tire questions. Don't talk Sasuke often enough tell how you took him."
"Kami-sama, like object..." not person, toilet stall.
"You really dating? No worry, won't tell," chuckled. Why info?
"Too personal, Jiro," dodged. Don't know if keeps secrets. Still remember smart guy past life: "All words once said used against you eventually." "By the way, almost there, time split."
"Yeah, good luck exam," smiled, offered fist.
"You too, bye!" bumped fist, parted.
Didn't think Jiro so... Thought like anime Sasuke. But too unlike avenger—no hate, aggression eyes; calm, rational unlike peers. Even Sasuke not that mature. Big mistake: should've befriended academy. Now barely know.
"Should fix someday," said aloud, jumped tree branch. Before me many genin on spacious green clearing. Some stretched hard, some nervously checked gear. Missing one kunai costs life. Some scanned for teammates. Guess who? Yeah, poor Naruto, Sasuke probably searched me. Fine, tease bit more. Need check if Orochimaru here.
"Damn..." focused chakra, instantly spotted huge source weird repulsive energy. "It's here..." can't call otherwise. Stared person with tons mixed chakra. Scary.
Sannin stood with his back to me. I thought I could watch and analyze for a few more seconds, but suddenly he spun around sharply, and his gaze locked right onto me. From fear and surprise, I nearly fell from the tree. He stared at me with his serpentine eyes, then smirked slyly and licked his lips with an inhumanly long tongue.
"Oh, God. God! I need to get out of here. Run," my eyes darted everywhere except at him. Anywhere but his insane face. How could I have been so wrong! How could I have so naively assumed that if the Fourth Hokage was here, Orochimaru wouldn't be at the exam?!
So, he really did come for the Sharingan... He came for Sasuke. Okay, Ariza, calm down, double your vigilance! With a participant like that at the exam, our survival chances are plummeting. Which means I need to be maximally prepared.
I decided not to head straight to my friends, so as not to draw Orochimaru's attention to our whole team. I vanished in a shunshin and reappeared several hundred meters away, then instantly joined them. Yes, it cost a lot of chakra, and Orochimaru surely noticed, but I only had myself to blame.
"Hey, friends," I landed beside them, "how's it going, how's the mood?!" acting like I was in great spirits and totally unconcerned about that damned sannin standing just a few dozen meters from us.
"Ariza! Where were you? We looked everywhere for you, the exam starts in just a few minutes! You missed the interview with Konohamaru for the school paper," Naruto pouted at me.
"Sorry, what's with your cheek, Naruto?" I noticed.
"It's nothing," I got no answer from Uzumaki, so I shifted my gaze to Sasuke. He silently looked over at our examiner. It was Anko, if I wasn't mistaken, and she was dressed just like in the anime. A few seconds later, she asked Naruto to hand out the consent forms.
When that lovely piece of paper ended up in my hands, I read it carefully. Though I already knew it would say in black and white that we could die in this forest. Well, nothing unusual—plenty died or got maimed in previous exams too. I checked the stats from past years, and honestly, they surprised me a bit. This was some Hunger Games!
Anko showed us the map of the training ground, ten kilometers in radius, with a building in the center. We had to fight, get the scrolls, and bring them there. And we had five days for it. So we'd finish on July 21 only. Anko explained a bit more, gave advice not to die, and we went to exchange our consents for scrolls. We got the Scroll of Heaven, and we agreed Sasuke would carry it.
Two minutes to go, and we were at the twelfth entrance. Naruto had been exploding with eagerness to charge in and beat everyone the whole time—same as us! Just a few seconds left...
"So, ready for the meat grinder?" I put my hand on my tekko-kagi. I knew what was waiting...
"Of course, Ariza-chan, Sasuke! We'll hit 'em like this!" Naruto punched his palm.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Sasuke said as the gates opened before us, and we bolted.
Soon...
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan