Makoto's return drew a spectrum of reactions.
Mrs. Yukinoshita and Kayoko Akizuki watched him with eyes that could have melted steel. Tomoya Aki collapsed into another round of hysterical sobbing, jealousy and helplessness gnawing him hollow. And the most anxious of all, naturally, were the Nakiris.
"Um, Lord Nishikado, you'll save my sister now, right?"
Soe hurried forward, tension wound tight in every line of his face. As far as he could tell, the fact that his niece had come back with Makoto meant the deal was done.
Makoto didn't answer. He walked straight to Mana Nakiri, crouched beside her, and pressed his palm to her shoulder, channeling Chakra into her body in a slow, steady stream.
It wasn't medical ninjutsu. He couldn't heal her directly. But he could disrupt her internal energy structure enough to force her awake.
The instant Mana's eyes fluttered open, before she could even register what was happening, his pupils shifted into three spinning tomoe.
Genjutsu: Sharingan.
Mana's gaze went slack, hollow and unfocused, like a puppet with its strings cut.
"There. Feed her."
"M-Makoto, what... what did you do?"
Erina stared at her mother, then back at him, bewildered.
"I shut down her sense of taste." He kept it simple. "Right now, her tongue won't react to anything."
The five senses were all governed by the brain. And the Sharingan's genjutsu worked by directly manipulating sensory perception. It couldn't match Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu in sheer absurdity, but sealing off a single sense? Child's play.
Relief flooded Erina's face. She snatched up the portable rations that she and her mother had always viewed as slop, and began feeding Mana in careful, tiny bites.
Mana swallowed mechanically, puppet-like and silent, but color crept back into her cheeks at a visible pace.
Then Makoto cast the same genjutsu on Erina, sealing her taste as well.
Eating without flavor was like chewing cardboard. But the warmth spreading through her stomach, the simple reality of being full, drew a long, shuddering breath of relief from the Queen of Totsuki.
"Erina, what was it like?"
Alice Nakiri materialized at her cousin's side, gossip radar fully engaged.
"What are you talking about!? We didn't do anything like that!"
Erina swatted her cousin's arm, the blush she'd barely suppressed roaring back to life.
"Huh?"
Alice's jaw dropped. "Makoto was that generous? He saved her without getting anything in return?"
Erina's voice shrank to something barely audible, her face crimson to the roots of her hair.
"He... he said he wanted to taste my God's Tongue first... the rest is... I owe him. Tonight..."
Alice: "..."
How kinky.
"Erina, you..."
By now, Mana had fully regained consciousness. She looked at her daughter wolfing down cheap rations beside her, then registered the unfamiliar fullness in her own stomach, and couldn't believe it.
This feeling of having food inside her. She hadn't experienced it in years.
"Mom, it was Makoto who saved us."
Erina quickly explained how he'd used genjutsu to seal their sense of taste.
What she'd paid for it, she left out entirely.
"I had no idea such a method existed... Thank you so much, Lord Nishikado!"
Mana bowed deeply, gratitude plain and unguarded.
"Don't worry about it. Your daughter already paid the bill."
Makoto waved a casual hand.
Mana: ???
He gathered his people with a beckoning gesture, pulling them close.
"We'll be splitting up after this, but to improve everyone's survival odds, you should still form teams and watch each other's backs. Who do you want to group with?"
Discussion broke out immediately.
Utaha Kasumigaoka and Megumi Kato exchanged a glance without hesitation. They'd been roommates back in the Naruto world. Now that they'd shared the same dick, staying together was a given.
Ichinose Chizuru turned to Yui Yuigahama and her two friends, keeping her voice low.
"Let's stick together, Yui."
The four of them had been Makoto's "maid squad" back in the ninja world. None of them objected. Chizuru hadn't fully integrated into the little clique yet, but she was closer to them than to anyone else.
"Um..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka spoke up, hesitant. "Won't grouping by familiarity create huge gaps in combat strength between teams?"
"Meaning?"
Makoto glanced at her, expression neutral.
She steeled herself. "I understand wanting to be with people you know. But that leaves every remaining group packed with ordinary civilians. Couldn't we assign one player with abilities to each group? It would raise everyone's chances."
"Ha?"
Airi Akizuki let out an exaggerated scoff. "Why should their survival be our problem?"
She'd barely spoken two words to these people. Why would she risk her life protecting strangers?
Shizuka's face went pale.
It was cruel, but it was true. In a world this dangerous, players could barely protect themselves. Babysitting strangers was a luxury nobody could afford.
"Don't be like that, Airi."
Surprisingly, Makoto spoke up.
He gave Shizuka a brief glance, then addressed the group.
"To stay under the radar, you should avoid using ninjutsu until I've dealt with the Control Devil. Live like normal people. Having a few extra roommates will make things easier financially, too."
His gaze shifted to the Food Wars crew.
Soma Yukihira and company stiffened, spines snapping straight like a row of soldiers at inspection.
Makoto pointed casually at Megumi Tadokoro, Ryoko Sakaki, and Yuki Yoshino.
"You girls, go with Aunt Kayoko's group."
"Really!? Megumi, that's amazing!"
Yuki seized Megumi's hand, practically bouncing.
Megumi was still processing, managing only a dazed "oh, oh."
"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"
Ryoko bowed rapidly, the generous curves beneath her top bouncing with each dip.
"Wh-what about us?"
Soma and the other guys looked around at each other, lost.
Makoto glanced at them and jerked a thumb toward Hachiman Hikigaya and Saika Totsuka.
"Ask them if they're willing to take you in."
Hachiman nearly jumped out of his skin.
Oh come on, boss. Why are you thinking of us NOW?
As a hardcore pragmatist, playing the good samaritan was the absolute last thing he wanted to do.
"Yotsuba, would you mind joining Megumi's group?"
Makoto turned to Yotsuba Nakano.
Being singled out by name sent a spark of joy through her chest. She nodded hard.
"Yes!"
Then she turned to Megumi Kato, fidgeting slightly.
"I hope I won't be a bother, Kato."
"Not at all. Just call me Megumi." A warm smile, soft eyes.
"Miss Hiratsuka, why don't you join our team?"
Yukino approached the teacher on her own initiative.
The woman had looked out for her at school, pulled strings to help her create the Service Club, and had been her sister's teacher before that. Their family owed her.
"Oh, yes, thank you."
Shizuka nodded quickly. She could handle problem students in her sleep, but after witnessing the Gun Devil's power firsthand, she harbored zero illusions about her usefulness in this world.
She turned to Mrs. Yukinoshita and dipped her head.
"Then I'll be in your care, ma'am."
Mrs. Yukinoshita blinked, a faint crease of confusion crossing her brow.
"When did I say I was joining your group?"
The blood drained from the faces of both Yukinoshita sisters and Shizuka simultaneously.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita glided over to Makoto's side, her movements languid and graceful.
"Makoto, then where should I..."
He glanced at the Yukinoshita sisters and Shizuka, who looked like they'd been struck by lightning, and thought for a moment.
"Go with Yui's group."
It made sense. Mrs. Yukinoshita and Mrs. Yuigahama were both mothers of the two leading ladies from the Oregairu world. They'd probably get along.
Mrs. Yukinoshita didn't argue. She turned to Mrs. Yuigahama with a polite half-bow.
"I hope I won't be an imposition."
"Oh... oh, not at all."
It took Mrs. Yuigahama and Yui several stunned seconds to process what had happened.
They couldn't fathom why Mrs. Yukinoshita wouldn't group with her own daughters.
"Mom..."
The Yukinoshita sisters bit their lips, watching their mother's retreating figure, powerless to stop her.
Do you really hate us that much, Mom?
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So-so sorry for the late chap, my wifi was cut off and i slept early.