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Chapter 2: Shinobi
This is a nightmare. I’m having a terrible dream.
There are times when I realize that I’m sleeping and dreaming.
I’m aware that I’m in the midst of a nightmare.
In this nightmare, I’m a child.
The time when I was just beginning to understand the world.
I was about five years old.
Children my age, dozens of them, were gathered in the same facility, undergoing the same challenges and training.
Everyone in my sight, both children and adults, were people I knew, and to me, they were all irreplaceable beings.
I loved everyone around me.
I was happy just being with the people I adored.
But, I can’t meet them anymore.
All of them, without exception, are gone…
⚫⚫⚫
«Shinobu-kun, are you alright?»
«Huh…?»
I was awakened from my nightmare by Shiraishi-san waking me up.
The usual ceiling I see was in front of my eyes.
And beside the pillow, there was the alarm clock that I always turn off every morning.
I prefer sleeping on a futon rather than a bed.
Therefore, my room is styled Japanese, and when sleeping, I always lay the futon on the tatami.
«You seemed to be having a nightmare. It could even be heard from the hallway.»
«Huh!?»
Seeing the attire of Shiraishi-san, who woke me up, I was shocked and immediately woke up.
She was only wearing underwear and a shirt!
She stood in front of another person almost naked, with only her white shirt and white underwear clearly visible.
Without thinking, I leapt out of the futon and moved to the corner of the room.
I couldn’t believe there was a woman who would appear in front of a man she just met in such attire.
«By the way, Shinobu-kun, your sleeping face is quite cute, you know.»
«Hey! Put on your clothes!»
And the cute one is you, you know!
«But, are you okay as a ninja if you didn’t notice when I entered your room and slept?»
«That’s what I’m thinking too!»
This is the first time I’ve seen a woman’s underwear.
She wore a shirt without a bra, so the chest part was also very visible.
I know her skin is white, but her appearance is so perfect and mesmerizing.
This is dangerous. There are many ninjas who fell into honey traps and were ruined, and I might become one of them.
I apologize to the many men who have been defeated by temptation, whom I have underestimated in my heart.
No, calm down, at least I have to pretend to be calm on the surface.
«But I hardly brought any change of clothes, so I don’t have anything to wear for sleeping.»
«I gave you a jersey, didn’t I?»
«I don’t want to sleep wearing your clothes.»
«Ah, yes, that makes sense…»
From the beginning, Mao and I had prepared a private room for Shiraishi Yuki to sleep in.
We gave her one of the empty rooms, prepared a futon there, and asked her to sleep there.
«I prefer sleeping in a bed rather than a futon, so I couldn’t sleep at all.»
Shiraishi Yuki shrugged her shoulders, as if she had seen through my thoughts.
«Honestly, sleeping on the floor with just a futon is very uncomfortable. If the floor is hard, it’s better to use a bed. If you want to use a futon, it’s better to lay it on tatami. That’s the basics, right?»
«You’re asking a lot for someone who wants to stay here…»
However, what she said makes a lot of sense.
After school today, I need to buy everything necessary for Shiraishi’s life here.
«What’s with all this noise so early in the morning…»
From the wardrobe in my room, Mao peeked out.
I prefer sleeping on a futon. Shiraishi prefers sleeping in a bed, and Mao likes sleeping in the wardrobe with a futon, which is quite an unusual choice.
«…»
Shiraishi Yuki looked frozen when she saw Mao.
«Uh, who is she?»
And, she spoke politely to Mao.
«Oh, is this your first time seeing Mao in human form?»
Mao, who came out of the wardrobe, transformed into a black-haired girl.
She looked like a teenage girl, but she had cat ears on her head and a cat tail on her butt.
(TLN: Need an illustration of this >_<)
In short, she is a cat-eared girl.
«Wow, she’s cute… so cute… wait! Mao is a girl!?»
«Well, I don’t know.»
I went out of my room to wash my face, but somehow Shiraishi Yuki followed me.
«So, you stay in the same room and sleep with a beautiful girl every night!?»
«Beautiful girl…?»
«You didn’t realize… you’re lying, aren’t you!?»
Shiraishi Yuki seemed to withdraw from me.
It seems she has a misunderstanding about Mao.
«So, Mao uses a transformation technique. She can change her height, weight, gender, and age at will. Even her original form is unknown to anyone.»
«Huh? So…»
«Yes. She might be female, but she could also be an old man.»
«Huh…»
«So don’t casually hug her just because she looks cute.»
Shiraishi Yuki looked serious.
«Huh? What’s wrong?»
«Um… Mao ate cat food yesterday, right?»
«She did eat.»
«So… is Mao a cat that transformed into a human? Or a human that transformed into a cat?»
«Does it matter?»
«No, no, no! Humans shouldn’t eat cat food!»
«Don’t think too deeply about it. I also don’t know much about Mao.»
⚫⚫⚫
Anyway, after washing my face, I started brushing my teeth in front of the mirror.
Then, for some reason, Shiraishi Yuki also started brushing her teeth next to me.
There was no problem with the toothbrush and toothpaste because I had given her new items that I bought last night, but brushing teeth together made me feel embarrassed.
Together with a girl my age, brushing teeth in front of the same mirror after waking up, it was too much stimulation for me, who is still a naive teenager.
After brushing my teeth, I immediately prepared breakfast without taking a break.
Cooking duty in the Kageyama household is my responsibility.
Basically, I make rolled eggs as a base, add meats like ham, sausages, or meatballs for daily variety, and only include boiled vegetables like carrots, broccoli, or asparagus for a simple menu.
I also pack them for lunch.
Starting today, I need to prepare portions for Shiraishi Yuki as well, so I have to make more.
Mao entered the living room, turned on the TV, and started watching the morning news program.
Shiraishi Yuki also sat next to Mao,
“Mao sleeps in the closet, like Doraemon, huh?”
“Fufufu. You seem to have noticed. My true identity.”
They talk about trivial matters.
While I’m preparing breakfast, Shiraishi Yuki has changed from her sleepwear into her school uniform.
I knew that Mao and Shiraishi Yuki would get along.
Mao is the one who forced me to read JoJo, and Shiraishi Yuki, who likes reading JoJo, would definitely match with her.
But, is it true that if I don’t memorize Doraemon’s secret gadgets and JoJo’s Stands, I can’t survive as a ninja?
I still don’t understand why it’s important to memorize both.
“By the way, Yuki-san. Do you know how tall Doraemon is?”
“129.3 cm, right? It’s famous.”
“Then, how tall is Nobita when he grows up?”
“Huh? I don’t know. Is there such a setting?”
“176.9 cm.”
“That tall!”
“Huhuhu. A character full of mysteries, right? All men in Japan grow up underestimating Nobita, but it turns out, most men live shorter than Nobita as adults.”
“Wow. Indeed, no one realizes that they are shorter than Nobita. But, why did they make such a detailed setting for body height? Doraemon’s birth date is the motif.”
“That, I do not know.”
Nobita is more dangerous in terms of shooting ability than his height.
That’s what I think, but I focus on cooking in the kitchen, so I stay silent.
“Shinobu, I’ll be out for a bit,” says Mao, getting up from our breakfast table for three. She transforms from the appearance of a cat-eared girl into an actual cat.
“I need to inform the higher-ups at Hanzomon that we have protected Shiraishi Yuki at the Kageyama house.”
“What about Fukayama and the others? Should we tell them?”
“If I inform the higher-ups, they will also get the report. Until then, we should try our best to hide Yuki’s true identity. I don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.”
“I understand.”
“Alright, I’m off now.”
Mao leaves the living room with a soft meow.
Of course, she can’t move around in the appearance of a cat-eared girl, but is it safe for her to go out in the appearance of a cat?
“……”
Wait! Now I’m alone with Shiraishi Yuki!
Hey, hey, hey!
They say we only realize how precious something is after we lose it, but how awkward the atmosphere becomes after Mao leaves! Although Mao isn’t exactly gone.
With Mao around, I could live a normal life, but once I’m alone with Shiraishi Yuki, my heart won’t stop beating!
She needs to come back soon or this will be a problem! I don’t know what will happen, but surely something will go wrong!
“The food is delicious, huh. Shinobu-kun, you can cook well,” says Shiraishi Yuki, who is eating breakfast in front of me.
She can talk casually with me and Mao, and that makes me envious.
I try hard to remain calm while responding.
“Yeah, it’s decent.”
“There are two lunch boxes there, did you also make one for me?”
“Yeah, right.”
“……Shinobu-kun, you’re actually amazing, aren’t you? Are you really a talented ninja?”
“No, because I haven’t completed the exam, so I’m not yet a ninja.”
“Exam? Are you talking about hiding your identity and graduating from high school?”
“Yeah, that’s it. After the exam is over, I’ll be a shinobi from Hanzomon.”
“Oh, so the friend you mentioned earlier, Fukayama, is also undergoing the exam?”
“Yeah, he’s my friend. We are in the same school and undergoing the exam.”
“Oh, so there are other ninjas in that school……”
“In a normal school, there are several ninjas undergoing the exam.”
“How are they?”
“……”
Mao has decided to protect this girl, but I wonder if it’s really okay to divulge information about my family members.
However, if Shiraishi Yuki carelessly approaches them at school and their identities are exposed, it would be very dangerous.
“Besides me, there are two other ninjas. There’s Fukayama Akane, a girl, and Fukayama Aoi, a boy.”
“They’re siblings, right, because their last names are the same……”
“Yeah, they are siblings. Akane is the older sister and Aoi is the younger brother.”
While explaining, I continue eating my breakfast.
“They are in different classes, so it should be fine, but it’s better to keep a distance from them.”
“Yeah, it seems we need to be careful until Mao returns.”
By the way, says Shiraishi Yuki
“Are they strong?”
I have no intention of leaking my friends’ secrets.
However, I decide to tell the fact straightforwardly.
“They are very strong.”
“Oh……” Shiraishi Yuki looks somewhat interested.
Although it’s almost time to go to school, there’s something we need to decide beforehand.
“Shiraishi……”
“I’d prefer if you call me Yuki. I don’t really like being called by my last name. I’ll call you Shinobu, too.”
“……But since when have we been on a first-name basis?……”
I feel embarrassed calling a girl by her name.
I rarely even call a girl by her last name.
Calling a transfer student by her last name would be too conspicuous.
Wait, hold on a second?
If she doesn’t like being called by her last name, then she will surely ask her classmates to call her by her first name.
In that case, everyone will call her Yuki.
If I’m the only one calling her Shiraishi, it would be too conspicuous.
“Alright, I’ll call you Yuki.”
I face her again.
From now on, I’ll live with Yuki and lead a high school life, and I want to avoid others knowing about our living together.
It would be big news and could affect the outcome of my exam.
“We need to arrange different times for going to and returning from school.”
“Why?”
“If others find out that we live together, it would be problematic……”
“Oh…… You don’t want others to know that you kidnapped a minor girl?”
“Don’t talk like that. It’s for your own good, too.”
“But, Mao said we should always be together, right? Are you going to leave me alone when going to and returning from school? Remember, I’m under protective surveillance.”
“……”
No response.
“So, so…… Let’s try not to talk to each other at school.”
“Why?”
At that moment, Shiraishi Yuki shows an expression that seems very displeased.
“There’s a possibility that if we talk and it’s discovered we are ninjas, it would be problematic.”
“I don’t think we need to be that cautious……”
“Ninjas don’t talk to each other in front of ordinary people without an important reason. One small mistake could reveal our identities.”
«So, what about the talk on JoJo?»
«……We can only discuss it inside the house.»
«Oh…… I was planning to keep talking about it all the time at school, you know!»
She…… Does she not realize her position?
When she proudly revealed her identity before, I thought about it, but it seems Shiraishi Yuki-san isn’t too concerned about the importance of hiding a ninja’s identity.
It’s her right, but in my case, it’s related to the outcome of my exam.
«Whatever it is, we must not let our identities be known to ordinary people. I don’t want my exam to fail because of careless conversations with you.»
«Alright, alright. I understand. ‘The plan to not talk’ has been approved.»
With a slightly annoyed expression, Yuki-san nodded.
∆∆∆
As a first step, I decided not to talk at all to Yuki-san at school.
Even though she just transferred, Yuki-san has attracted the attention of the male students around her and also got calls from female students.
She responds well to curious gazes and questions, but anyhow, I pretend not to know Yuki-san at school.
«…Hey, Kageyama-kun.»
Lunchtime.
A female student called me.
Me, who enjoys a friendless life, of course, eat lunch alone.
However, that does not mean I eat in the toilet.
I can’t imagine eating a bento in the toilet. I am a person who cleans the toilet, and I take pride because I clean it more carefully than others, but is there a need to eat in the toilet?
Therefore, I boldly eat the bento I made myself in the classroom or I boldly order food in the cafeteria. Alone.
The female student who spoke to me is a different girl.
Before Shiraishi Yuki-san transferred, she was the only one who regularly spoke to me.
She is the class president, Taito Sakura-san.
If you only hear her name, you might think she is a sword master or an old person running a dojo, but you can tell just by looking at her gestures and footsteps.
She is a true ordinary student.
Taito Sakura-san is the student with the highest grades in the class and very serious, so she spoke to me, a loner, but today she looked at my bento with a strange expression on her face.
«Why do you and Shiraishi-san have the same bento?»
«Hmm?»
«Your bento menu and Shiraishi-san’s, everything is the same. It’s too much of a coincidence.»
«Huh?!»
I panicked and made a weird sound.
Oh no! How could I make such a mistake?!
I had been trying hard to keep the fact of living together with Yuki-san from being exposed.
«…!»
I tried to think of a reason, but I couldn’t think of anything at all.
Because Sakura-san sits in front of me, she eats bento together with Shiraishi Yuki-san, who sits next to me.
So actually, it would be weirder if she did not notice, but I had been optimistic because no one sees my bento, which I usually eat alone.
«Of course. Shinobu-kun made my bento.»
Yuki-san, who opened the bento next to her, easily admitted.
Instantly, the class became noisy, and I could feel everyone’s gaze on me.
«Huh? Why did Shinobu-kun make Shiraishi-san’s bento?»
«Because we live together.»
«Huh!?»
Yuki-san smoothly answered Sakura-san’s question.
At that moment, I couldn’t bear the gaze of my classmates and looked up while blowing bubbles.
«Huh, what does that mean?»
«My parents had to go abroad for work, but I can only speak Japanese so I didn’t want to go to school abroad. So, they said I could stay at the house of a distant relative, Kageyama-san.»
Yuki-san smoothly lied.
Seeing how far she could lie smoothly, I felt envious.
I couldn’t come up with spontaneous lies at all.
«So, you two live together? A high school boy and girl? Oh, no. That makes me nervous.»
Sakura-san covered her face with both hands and blushed.
I also feel nervous. Because living together has been exposed.
This is dangerous! Me, who lives together with the transfer student who has become the center of attention, cannot help but stand out!
If I continue to stand out like this, I might make a mistake, and my identity will be exposed in front of my classmates.
No, wait, calm down.
Yuki-san’s reason is convincing enough, and I think there’s no reason for the class to be too noisy, so I looked up and returned my gaze to its original place,
«Huh!»
I realized that almost all the female students in the class had gathered around me and exclaimed.
I never thought I would actually say “Huh!” out loud.
After all, the girls were paying more attention to me than to Yuki.
“Huh? Kageyama-kun made this bento?”
“The rolled omelet is so neatly done!”
“You even made one for Shiraishi-san, you’re so kind~”
“How does it taste? Good?”
“It’s delicious. He also makes breakfast for me.”
Hearing Yuki’s answer, the girls exclaimed, “Wow!”
I couldn’t say anything but “Ahwa” due to the situation where the girls gathered closely around.
I was fed up. I didn’t want to attract attention anymore.
I wanted to disappear right then and there.
Why did I make the mistake of making two bentos with the same menu?
«…Kageyama-kun can cook. You’d make a good husband.”
When Sakura muttered that, I nearly fainted with my eyes wide open.
⚫⚫⚫
I understand the importance and urgency of your requests. Here’s the translation of the provided text, adhering closely to your instructions:
I never thought I would actually say “Huh!” out loud.
After all, the girls were paying more attention to me than to Yuki.
“Huh? Kageyama-kun made this bento?”
“The rolled omelet is so neatly done!”
“You even made one for Shiraishi-san, you’re so kind~”
“How does it taste? Good?”
“It’s delicious. He also makes breakfast for me.”
Hearing Yuki’s answer, the girls exclaimed, “Wow!”
I couldn’t say anything but “Ahwa” due to the situation where the girls gathered closely around.
I was fed up. I didn’t want to attract attention anymore.
I wanted to disappear right then and there.
Why did I make the mistake of making two bentos with the same menu?
«…Kageyama-kun can cook. You’d make a good husband.”
When Sakura muttered that, I nearly fainted with my eyes wide open.
“Damn! What have I done!” I shook my head in the deserted school corridor. The supposed perfect disguise operation had collapsed. Is this what they mean by even a pen in the wrong hands can be a mistake?
“Maybe it was impossible to hide it from the start. Better to just give up,” said Yuki, who wasn’t supposed to talk to me at school, casually speaking to me.
“Now that your secret is out, we can do activities together, right? Let’s talk normally, okay?”
“…”
“Eh? Do you still want to continue the ‘Operation Don’t Talk at School’?”
It’s not about that, but I’m not used to talking with girls.
“Actually, I’m curious, you’ve been at this high school for a year, haven’t you? So, why don’t you have any friends at all?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Are you avoiding interpersonal relationships to hide your identity?”
“Well, that’s true… I’m just hiding my true self in public…”
Actually, I became a loner because my life was normal. But, since she put it in a good way, I just went along with it.
“Shinobu-kun… Sorry, but you stand out, you know?”
“Eh?”
What Yuki said made me doubt my hearing. Stand out? Do I stand out? That’s impossible. If I stood out, I’d at least be able to make friends. At the very least, I wouldn’t be ignored by everyone.
“No, usually one would make friends.”
“Uh!”
Somehow, the phrase “usually one would make friends” felt like a knife stabbing into my chest.
“Trying not to stand out has the opposite effect. If you want to act as an ordinary high school student, better to live normally and make friends, right? Having friends around you will make you less conspicuous. It’s not about hiding behind tree leaves but better to hide in a crowd. You look conspicuous when you’re alone in class. You can’t hide.”
“Well, there’s also that way of thinking.”
I was hurt by every statement like “if you live normally, you will make friends”. No, I became a loner because my life was normal, you know?
But, for me who wants to hide my identity, being a loner is a good thing.
“Shinobu-kun, do you realize that all the male students are scared of you?”
“Eh!? “
“Oh, you never imagined it…”
“Why are they scared of me?”
“When you change clothes for sports, you do that, right?”
Yuki looked at me with a shocked face.
“So, at that time, other students see your naked body, right?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve trained very hard, haven’t you?”
“Like a normal person.”
“That’s not like a normal person. You’re very muscular and full of scars. Anyone would be shocked seeing that for the first time.”
“Why?”
“No, why… Even though you don’t participate in any club, if you see a muscular guy with sword scars and gunshot wounds, you will stand out. It’s clear that you’ve been through more battles than others.”
What’s happening? Although I’ve hidden that I have physical abilities above an average student and lived like that, it turns out my personal life was exposed because of my muscles and scars.
However, I can’t hide my body and scars, so what should I do?
“That’s why, make friends and say, ‘I like physical training~’ or ‘I got injured in an accident~’ and you should be able to easily deceive. But, because you don’t talk to anyone and live alone, you seem like ‘Don’t come near me’ or ‘I’m not an ordinary person’. Even though I’ve only been here for a week, I’ve heard a lot of gossip about you. Are you anti-social, a gray area, a yakuza boss’s child, or just dark rumors?”
“What… what…?”
I was shocked. So, the reason why no one talks to me at school isn’t that I’m being bullied, but because everyone is scared of me? Even though I haven’t done anything to scare others. Even though I just live normally.
“What happened… I thought I was a harmless high school student.”
“Actually, you look like an abnormal monster in the eyes of outsiders.”
Yuki put her hand on my shoulder, which was bowed down.
“For now, let’s go home together and try to emit a non-threatening aura. I will also spread rumors that Shinobu-kun is a good person and not scary.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Why do I have to be comforted by her? Actually, she’s the dangerous one.
Wait? But, it seems like I forgot something.
I was confused because the fact that I live together with Yuki was exposed to the classmates, but I feel like I’ve forgotten something important.
“So, I’ll go back to class.”
As I saw Yuki jogging through the corridor,
“Ah!”
A girl walked towards me, passing by Yuki.
Long black hair that shimmers with a slight red. Breasts so large that her uniform seems about to burst. And red eyes. A beautiful girl who captivates almost all the male students in this school. It was Fukayama Akane.
Akane continued to walk in the corridor, but when she saw me, she touched the collar of her shirt.
The action of touching the collar when passing by. It’s a sign of “There’s something to talk about”, a code known by modern shinobi raised in Hanzomon, the super ninja.
I forgot! There’s another shinobi in this school, so if the fact that I live together with Yuki is exposed, it would be a big problem!
⚫⚫⚫
On the school roof.
I stood alone, staring at the sky.
Not because I couldn’t stand being looked at with curiosity by the female students and jealousy by the male students.
From the start, I didn’t befriend anyone and was ignored by the male students.
If I looked at them, they would avert their gaze, and since I never started a conversation, I was completely isolated.
I never imagined that it would make me feared.
“Sorry for calling you out of the blue, Shinobu.”
“Oh!?”
From behind, a girl called me.
Fukayama Akane told me she wanted to talk when we passed each other in the hallway.
It wasn’t a problem, but when she spoke, Akane’s body bumped into my back.
So, the most prominent part of her body touched.
Of course, Akane’s large chest hit my back hard.
Even through the uniform, it was very elastic.
“……? Why are you hunched over like a shrimp?”
“No, it’s not that. I was surprised because I was suddenly hit from behind.”
I couldn’t say it was because her chest touched.
“You can easily be taken down from behind. Are you too careless?”
She said the same thing as when she poked me with her finger in class.
Why do ninjas like to stand behind others and say “you’re full of openings”?
She is a shinobi candidate just like me, and now she’s undergoing the test “to graduate from an ordinary high school while hiding her true identity.”
We didn’t know each other until we participated in this final exam, so we’ve only known each other for a year.
Since we need to hide our identities around, we also need to hide that we are colleagues.
So, so far, we’ve only interacted as much as necessary,
“You, is it true you’re living together with the transfer student, Shiraishi Yuki?”
This time, it seems she decided it was necessary to exchange information.
Although she says exchange information, I might only be telling her about my situation.
However, there’s no problem.
Shiraishi Yuki is a ninja who has run away, and Mao decided to protect her at the Kageyama house.
Mao seems to have a high position in Hanzomon, so if she knows it was Mao’s decision, she would surely accept.
“Yes, there’s a little reason…”
“You’re living together?”
“Yes, actually…”
At that moment, the sound of a gunshot echoed on the roof.
It was because Akane pulled out a pistol and shot at me.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?”
She shot at me!
She fired at me without hesitation!
She fired her Mauser M712, which she used because she liked its design!
The uniform I was wearing was made of reinforced aramid fibers, so it wouldn’t be hurt by ordinary bullets or knives.
Luckily, I took the shot with my uniform sleeve, but she aimed at my head without hesitation!
“What are you doing!? Why did you shoot all of a sudden!?”
“Hey. Do you know the male-to-female shinobi ratio?”
“Hah?”
Instead of answering my question, Akane started speaking while pointing the gun muzzle at me.
“9 to 1. Women are 9, and men are 1. So, 90% of shinobi are women. Do you know why?”
“No, I don’t know.”
More than that, explain why you shot me.
“We’re forced to learn various techniques, right? Among them are rock climbing, lock picking, and mind control.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Especially, mind control is an amazing technique. Although its effect varies from person to person, some can easily brainwash and turn others into puppets. What would happen if such a technique were mastered by men, you know?”
“Hah?”
“They would brainwash girls and do lewd things. Like in hentai manga. So, male ninjas would fail in exams because they misuse ninja techniques.”
«No, no, no!» At this point, I realized what had made Akane angry. She thought I had brainwashed Yuki and imprisoned her in my house. It was like something out of an erotic manga. «Wait, Akane! It’s a misunderstanding!»
«I, for one, respect you. We’ve completed several missions together, I acknowledge that you have skills, and you’ve never misused those advanced techniques. I admired that there’s a man who doesn’t misuse ninja techniques,»
That’s right! Her opinion was accurate. I’ve never misused ninja techniques!
«You’ve betrayed my trust. You’ve crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed as a human.»
«Wait, wait! Listen to my story!»
«What is it? If you have something to say, say it.»
«Actually…»
«Don’t try to dodge!»
«Which is it!» Akane kept firing her Mauser at me. The sound of gunfire was clear and very conspicuous!
«I understand your feelings. That girl, Shiraishi Yuki, she’s very cute, isn’t she? Her skin is white, and she looks like a fairy. You were tempted by her beauty, weren’t you?»
«Wrong, wrong! I didn’t brainwash her!»
Actually, she was the one trying to brainwash me. The real victim here was me.
«Don’t lie. It’s impossible for you to speak with a woman without brainwashing her. You’re a true loser.»
«That’s harsh!»
«Choose, Shinobu.»
«What do I have to decide?»
«Whether you’ll speak the truth and then be shot, or stay silent and be shot.»
«You’ve already shot me!»
Ignoring my protests, Akane kept her Mauser trained on me.
«I understand, Shinobu.»
«Huh? What do you understand?»
«You’re strong. Maybe you’re far stronger than me. You who received affection from Mao, your strength is the strongest.»
«Well, I’m not sure about that…»
Somehow, she praised my strength just because I was a disciple of Mao.
«Even if I fight with all my strength, I would lose. But I won’t give up! I won’t change my actions just because of a difference in strength! A mistake must be corrected! Even if I have to sacrifice my life!»
«Direct that spirit somewhere else, not at me! I really didn’t do anything bad!»
«Even if I’m defeated, you might do anything to me, but my heart won’t break!»
«I won’t do anything!»
Ignoring all my words, Akane made her Mauser glow.
«Ninja Technique… Demon Bullet…»
«Hey, hey, hey! Don’t use ninja techniques! Seriously, stop!»
From the muzzle of Akane’s gun, a bullet unlike any before seemed about to fly out.
Demon Bullet.
A ninja technique that won’t stop until it hits the target, something utterly unreasonable.
It doesn’t allow you to dodge the bullet’s trajectory or protect yourself with reinforced aramid fibers.
Because of its nature to surely hit the target, even if you try to protect yourself, the bullet would avoid the shield and hit your vital points.
In other words, an unavoidable bullet.
Seeing Akane trying to use that ninja technique without hesitation, I felt I had to prepare to use my ninja technique, when,
«Ninja Technique… Phantom Sword.»
The Mauser held by Akane was suddenly split in two.
And it was split very neatly, into two parts.
I wasn’t the one who did it.
«Aoi!?»
The sound of gunfire seemed to make Fukayama Aoi run to the roof.
A handsome youth with bluish-black hair and blue eyes.
(Note: His name sounds like a girl’s, but he is actually a male.)
He appeared slender and at first glance seemed like a gentle man.
However, underneath his uniform, he was covered in muscles trained to their limit.
Aoi, whose face above the neck looked like a beautiful girl’s, was nicknamed the prince by the girls at school because of his androgynous appearance.
«Nee-san… what are you doing?»
Holding a long Japanese sword, Aoi looked at Akane with a puzzled expression.
Akane and Aoi are twins.
Both, along with me, were undercover and enrolled in this high school, participating in the exam.
«Step aside, Aoi! You know what he did!»
«I don’t know, but perhaps it’s a misunderstanding, Nee-san?»
«He brainwashed a student and imprisoned her in his house! He did it for erotic reasons!»
«…Really?» After hearing Akane’s words, Aoi turned and looked at me. I frantically shook my head.
«Nee-san. Have you jumped to conclusions and acted too hastily again…»
«That’s not true! He’s really living with the transfer student named Shiraishi Yuki!»
«Even so, it’s impossible for Shinobu to do anything bad to a girl.»
«Aoi…»
I was nearly in tears.
Although it’s true that I live with Shiraishi Yuki, Aoi didn’t doubt me at all.
He fully trusted me.
The fact that he trusted me more than his own sister made my eyes water.
«Shinobu doesn’t have the guts for that. Maybe if he’s living with a high school girl, he’d be too scared of being caught for kidnapping a minor and wouldn’t be able to do anything.»
«There’s no man who could live with such a cute girl and do nothing!»
«Turns out there is such a man. A man who can’t do anything because he’s thinking about self-preservation.»
«…»
I felt something was off from that trust, but I took it as just my feeling.
«After all, in the Kageyama house, there’s Mao-sama, right? It wouldn’t be possible to misuse ninja techniques under Mao-sama’s supervision?»
«That’s true… Mao-sama wouldn’t allow the kidnapping of a high school student.»
«In other words, if the student named Shiraishi Yuki is at the Kageyama house, most likely it’s Mao-sama’s wish. Shinobu can’t do anything without Mao-sama’s permission.»
«That’s true. Shinobu wouldn’t go against Mao-sama.»
«Yes. Shinobu doesn’t have the guts to brainwash a girl and imprison her in his house. Even if no one knew, even if she agreed, Shinobu wouldn’t do it.»
Why does their conversation hurt me so much.
«How about we hear Shinobu’s story for now?»
«That’s right. Tell us, Shinobu.»
After ensuring that Akane’s fighting spirit was gone because of Aoi’s words, I started explaining while half crying.
«A ninja fugitive from Rashomon, Shiraishi Yuki?»
«Mao-sama decided to protect her… Is that true?»
«Why didn’t you say it straight away!»
«Before I could say anything, you attacked me! You didn’t listen to me at all!»
I explained everything on the roof, and so far the misunderstanding had been resolved, but a new problem had arisen. Even though it was a quiet roof, Akane had fired a weapon, and Aoi had drawn his sword. Isn’t this a very bad act for a ninja undergoing a test?
«Akane, how will we resolve this…»
«What needs to be resolved?»
«About you firing a weapon at school. How do you intend to hide this?»
«Just say there was a fireworks explosion or something. Even if it’s exposed by school people, we can erase their memory with suggestion.»
«There are individual differences in the effect of suggestion, you know? Don’t be too confident…»
«Don’t worry. If there’s a problem, I’ll take responsibility.»
Akane said that calmly.
«If something happens, I’ll say that I did everything myself, so I don’t intend to bother you two.»
Actually, Akane was the one who did everything on her own.
Her brother, Aoi, frowned.
«Nee-san. At times like this, the responsibility should be borne together. We can’t put everything on one person.»
«There’s no joint responsibility in the ninja world. It’s all my own fault.»
«If there’s responsibility to be taken, I’ll take it. If I had spoken with Shinobu from the start, Nee-san wouldn’t have done something uncontrollable.»
«Why would that happen? I’ll take the responsibility.»
«No, I’ll take the responsibility.»
Somehow, they both started arguing about who should take responsibility, not blaming each other. Listening to their conversation, I felt as if I also had a part in the responsibility. If I think about it well, if I had told them immediately after deciding to protect Shiraishi Yuki at the Kageyama house, such a misunderstanding wouldn’t have occurred. I feel it’s not right to put the responsibility only on them.
«I’ll take the responsibility.»
«No, I’ll take the responsibility.»
«Hey, I also have a share of responsibility…»
«Please, go ahead.»
«Huh?»
Suddenly, both of them, who were arguing with each other, looked at me.
«You just take the responsibility. After all, it’s all your fault.»
«Hah!?»
Akane shamelessly said that with a blank face.
«Shinobu is not guilty at all. However, I thought of blaming everything on Shinobu.»
Aoi seemed embarrassed, but his words were much harsher.
They both didn’t defend me at all!
How weak their sense of solidarity is.
Well, that’s quite like ninjas.
«Hehe.»
When I was in distress, Aoi began to laugh as if it was someone else’s problem.
«I like that part of you, you know?»
«Hah?»
Placing his hand on his chin, Aoi smiled.
«When reporting today’s incident to the examiner, if you blame everything on us two, the problem is solved. But you don’t think like that, so you’re confused, right?»
«Then?»
«You can’t lie, and you can’t frame others. That’s what makes you stupid.»
«Hah? Are you insulting me?»
«No, that’s why I said I like that part of you. I respect you.»
I knew he was mocking me.
It made me even angrier, but even if he really respected me, I wouldn’t feel happy.
Even though he’s neutral, he’s still a male.
«Ugh!»
Before I realized it, some teachers had appeared on the roof.
«What are you doing here! It’s still class time!»
«Oh, that’s my homeroom teacher.»
Aoi spoke casually.
Maybe he heard the sound of gunfire and left the class, which made him curious and came here.
If you listen carefully, you can hear a commotion in the school.
«Hey! Are you listening to me!»
The teacher who came to the roof shouted and walked towards us.
It’s natural for him to be angry.
We skipped class during school hours and didn’t show any guilt at all.
However, unfortunately, the angry teacher placed his hand on the shoulder of one of us who shouldn’t be touched.
It was the only student here, Fukuyama Akane.
«Don’t touch me.»
Akane knocked down the leg of the teacher who grabbed her shoulder.
In an instant, the large body of the teacher spun at an unimaginable speed and fell to the floor of the roof.
That was terrifying…
With that speed, he could die if he hit the back of his head.
The fallen teacher seemed unconscious, and the other teachers were silent.
«Shinobu, I’m not good at suggestion, so you erase their memories. All the onlookers too.»
«After all that, the person who said don’t misuse suggestion is trying to cover up their violent actions.»
I teased Akane, but,
«It’s just erasing their memories, not their lives, so it’s according to conscience.»
She just smiled calmly.
⚫⚫⚫
«Fukayama Akane, Fukayama Aoi, you violated the weapon law. And you, kidnapping a minor… Do you really intend to become ninjas?»
After that, I erased all the memories of the noisy people in the school with suggestion. Changing the memory of the teacher who came to the roof and erasing all evidence that we skipped class took several hours.
Of course, if you do such actions, it will definitely be exposed. By our examiners from Hanzomon.
After school, I decided to stop by a cafe before going home. The cafe was closed, so there was only me and the cafe owner inside.
The cafe looked like an ordinary cafe on the surface, but it was actually one of Hanzomon’s bases located throughout the country.
Now, a young ninja named Oribe Satoru was working as the cafe owner while monitoring the three of us who were going to school and doing missions.
In short, he was a senior and examiner for us.
I explained that I was hiding a ninja fugitive named Shiraishi Yuki at the Kageyama house under Mao’s instructions. And that Akane and Aoi had used weapons and ninja techniques at school.
«Sorry. Akane and Aoi were forced to use weapons. Please give all the deduction points to me…»
«Oh, never mind. It’s complicated, so death penalty for all three of you.»
«Hah…?»
Oribe Satoru cut off my words lazily. He was supposed to be in his twenties, but he was trusted and had completed various missions, and although he was not old, he seemed more mature than his age.
Black hair that seemed green and black eyes. He was thin but tall, and his body was trained, far from the impression of being weak or frail. Of course, because he had passed the exam we were taking and became a member of Hanzomon.
«You, because you have connections, you think you can do whatever you like. You must think you won’t fail, no matter what you do, right?»
«Connections? What do you mean?»
«Don’t you know? People with connections live without realizing their connections.»
As I tilted my head, Oribe Satoru made coffee and gave it to me. For now, I stood turned around with Oribe Satoru with a table between us.
«Do you know who is now considered the strongest ninja in Hanzomon?»
«No, I don’t.»
«Fukayama Suou.»
«Fukayama? So, he is…»
«Yes. He is the father of Akane-chan and Aoi-kun.»
This was new news, or rather, surprising news. Hanzomon is a public security maintenance organization kept secret from the public and also an educational institution. They gather children without family status from all over Japan, provide training, and select those with the talent to become modern ninjas, or shinobi. So, I don’t have parents or family status, and I thought Akane-chan and Aoi-kun were the same, but it seems not.
«So, Akane-chan and Aoi-kun are children of a ninja?»
«Yes. In Hanzomon, strong shinobi are encouraged to have children. Because shinobi abilities are often inherited, the stronger they are, the more children they want to increase their strength.»
«Surely, they both are very strong.»
I know because I’ve completed several missions with both of them, and to put it plainly, they both have surpassed their humanity.
«Even throughout Hanzomon now, they both might be in the top ten.»
«That far…»
«There’s no way we can fail two people with such future prospects. In the end, I would be the one expelled.»
«That’s harsh…»
I could feel the predicament of Oribe Satoru-san, who would likely be burdened with covering up our actions, including the cover-up.
«I understand that they both have connections, but do I have a connection?»
«Oh, you misunderstand. What you have is not a connection, but a ‘cat’.»
«…»
«…»
When I remained silent, somehow, Satoru-san also fell silent. After a moment of silence,
«Oh, is the cat Mao-sama?»
«Yes.»
«Sorry, I didn’t catch that. It was a play on words between connection and cat.»
«Don’t apologize. It just makes it sadder.»
«No, it’s funny once you get it. I think this is what they mean by a burst of laughter.»
«As I said, don’t comfort someone who has failed.»
Somehow, Satoru-san began rummaging through the kitchen of the café and gave me a pudding.
«Is the fact that I’m a disciple of Mao-sama a connection?»
«Mao-sama is the last living founding member of Hanzomon.»
«Since when has Hanzomon existed?»
«The Sengoku period.»
«What!? How old is Mao-sama?»
«I don’t know. At the very least, she must have been alive for more than five hundred years. There’s no member of Hanzomon who doesn’t know Mao-sama.»
What is this.
I knew she could transform into a human or a cat, or whatever she wanted with transformation techniques, but I didn’t know her actual age.
After all, if she has lived for five hundred years, she’s no longer human.
She has reached the realm of a sage or a supernatural being.
«In short, you are the man chosen by a legendary ninja as her favorite disciple.»
«Why me?»
«Who knows. Maybe she saw potential in you?»
I met Mao-sama at the Hanzomon orphanage.
When I was young and frequently skipped training at the orphanage, I met a talking cat and suddenly became her disciple.
And now, I have been with her for six years.
A ninja who has lived for more than five hundred years is a legendary entity.
I have no idea why Mao-sama raised me.
«…»
Moreover, it’s strange that there are two children with the blood of the strongest ninja taking the same exam as me.
There are too many strong ninjas around me to be a coincidence.
«So, the issue of you hiding a fugitive ninja named Shiraishi Yuki at the Kageyama house won’t be a problem. The leaders of Hanzomon also won’t be able to ignore Mao-sama’s wishes.»
«I see.»
Now I’m also curious why Mao-sama is hiding a fugitive ninja named Shiraishi Yuki.
Well, I won’t know even if I think about it, so I can only wait and see what happens.
