Chapter 54

Third Person's POV

Lhexi was mute, the dead silence gave her a chance to free her mind, allowing her to think things through. She sat on the empty stool beside the patient she brought in. Revenge was never the right choice but, it was the best course of action to take.

If she doesn't seize it when the next opportunity comes, they would live and if she does, they won't be living to see another day.

"Lhexi-chan...!"

She jolted, mouth hanging open as she look up to see two yellow-haired grinning at her.

"You two. When did you get here?", she turns around to face the father and son duo.

"Well, we kinda felt bad seeing you take care of the mess we made.", Boruto scratches the back of his neck as he looks around the room.

"Lhexi-chan. Why did you help him dattebayo?"

"Well, he passed out on the street. It would be no good if I just left him sleeping there, doesn't it?"

Naruto pursed his lips as Boruto clenches his fist, trying to control the boiling anger within. "But, that guy is a really, REALLY, bad person. Are you alright with that?"

Lhexi swivels the chair to face the patient lying down. "Mah. He already paid the price. There's no need to further torment him. He will remember what he did when he woke up. By then, I'm expecting both sides to apologize."

"But, that's not how reality works Alexa-san." Boruto faces forward, leaning his hand against the small table on the side of the bed. "When a person commits a crime towards another, and the receiving end does the same. Their argument won't simply cease away just because both of them apologized. Both would try anything in their power to pursue justice through revenge. But, that will no longer be justice, right? It would simply be an endless cycle of hatred."

"Oi Boruto...! What are you saying...?!", Naruto panics, telling him to shut his mouth off.

"Then when that happens to you, what will you do?", Lhexi was surprised at the boy's maturity.

Boruto glances at her. "Hm? That depends on which side I am."

"What if you were the victim?"

"It depends on the scope of the crime."

"Do you have a sister, Boruto-san?"

Naruto looked from side to side as they carry a rather heavy conversation with smiles on their faces.

"Hm? Ah, I do. Two to be exact."

Lhexi raises an eyebrow.

'Two?'

"Then take for example. Both of them get taken away from you. What would you do?"

Naruto dropped his jaw. "Oi, Lhexi-chan..."

"Hm...Then I would probably..."

"Would you kill the perpetrator?"

"Yeah. That might not be the best course of action to take but, it's the only reasonable one for me. Well, I love my siblings more than anything. I can't imagine seeing them get hurt even the slightest.", he looks down at the floor, staring off into space before he looks sideways. "What if you were the one who took them? What would you do? Will you get down on your knees and apologize sincerely or would you rather forget?"

"That's interesting. But, I'd rather forget what horrible thing I've done. After all, neither apologizing nor forgetting will bring them back to life, correct? I'd pick the most efficient decision."

Boruto smirks. "Figures."

Naruto suddenly tugs on Lhexi, the latter raising an eyebrow in exchange. "Sakura-chan...Ah! I completely forgot about Sakura-chan!"

"Hm? What's the matter Naruto?"

"I think she doesn't know yet that you're alive!"

"Ah...is that so?"

"Then. You need to check up on her.", Boruto added and Naruto nodded.

"Yeah!"

..........

The room was dark and cold as a pink-haired girl opened the door. Her hand immediately went to find the switch as she tiptoed lightly to reach it.

The lights turned on and she walked calmly towards the sink. Turning on the faucet, she began scrubbing off the blood painted on her hands.

Looking at the mirror, she simply flutters her eyelids narrow. Her white coat was drenched in red and so was her face. Dark circles surrounded her shallow emerald eyes and her lips were chapped to the point her skin was peeling. Using the back of her hand, she wipes away the blood from her neck.

She returns to washing her hands, desperate to take the blood off. At the tender age of 13, she saved yet another person from the brink of death. She was the youngest and the most inexperienced among all the medical ninjas, but that never stopped her talents from blooming. Allowing her to become an assistant during surgeries.

And yet.

Just when she found her talent of hers. She began experiencing the same fear her master faced. Just the scent of iron and the sight of crimson blood can make her faint.

"Shit...shit...shit..."

She curses as she forcefully scrubs her skin against each other.

"Get off...! Fuck! Get off me!"

The light dazzled upon her pink butterfly-like lashes. Waking her up from the deep slumber caused by shock and panic. She was numb to everything at first. Until a high-pitched noise came buzzing into her head. 

"Sakura! Can you hear me?! Sakura!"

Her emerald eyes landed on the raven-haired sitting close to her, his face dangerously close to hers. She focused her vision and saw his disheveled and lost expression.

"Sa...suke...?"

He looked frightened and alarmed as she finally felt his hands continuously shaking her whole body.

"Sakura...!"

There was a sense of relief in his voice when she quietly pulled onto his coat. She grabs a fistful of his cloak to help her sit up. Sasuke hissed in pain, his brows furrowing when Sakura holds onto his arms, burned and scarred.

She shakes her head as things came to focus only to see steam and fog covering her vision. "What...? What happened?"

"There is no time to explain. Quick get up."

She felt Sasuke's shaking hands on her waist and her shoulder forcing her to get up. She didn't say anything much after that, she felt like she would lose all her energy just to move her tongue. Sasuke supported Sakura as they walked with her arm over Sasuke's nape, their destination unclear.

The soft snow that they stepped on a few moments earlier became puddles and Sakura looked down, wondering why she couldn't feel her legs.

She only stared at the huge chunk of her flesh hanging on the back of her left leg. A bandage was hanging loosely on her ankles. She raised her head and simply said something in her head.

'He's pretty bad at this.'

Somehow, it didn't hit her in the head that her leg was almost torn off. She would probably lose her mind after. And she did. But, not before seeing half-torn bodies and human guts decorating the destroyed town. People who somehow survived treated themselves as unlucky, witnessing how their families and friends split into halves.

From a far distance, she could see two black silhouettes. No. One and a half to be exact. Sasuke seems to be helping her get closer to them.

She didn't react after seeing the brown-haired male's torn stomach.

It felt paralyzingly numb, from the tip of her fingers to the ends of her hair.

"Kyuuji? Can you still move?", there was distress hinted in Kakashi's voice as Kyuuji did not answer, his eyes were lifeless and the only thing that was moving was his chest.

'How did he end up here?'

It was as if Sasuke heard her inner thoughts we he answered. "He took the most damage among all of us. He directly tried to stop this from happening. Tch. Does he think he's a hero or something?"

Sakura felt like she was going to fall back to sleep any time soon. But, not until she saw three shadows from a distant corner. Behind a broken wall. One was red-haired, one white-haired, both of them wearing glasses, and the last one, was Lhexi, looking at them in horror an undetermined expression in her eyes.

She saw the red-haired one beginning to walk toward them only to see crimson blocking her view before she passed out once again. She woke up, seeing the rest of them alive and kicking. Kyuuji, who was supposed to be meeting his demise was breathing, the remnants of his injury were only seen through the torn fabric of his clothes.

No one had a damn clue what exactly happened and how their wounds healed in less than a day.

She began crying after all the nights she stayed awake, worrying to death about her friends. All the heavy burdens on her shoulders were lightly lifted hearing news that Naruto has woken up and Lhexi came back.

"You idiots...! Hic--! Why did you come only now?!"

She looks in the mirror, at a blonde and a jet-black-haired girl standing behind her.

As Sakura approaches them, Naruto wasted no time and immediately embraced the girl who flooded his jacket with tears. Somehow, despite all the shit all three of them went through, they wore a calm smiles on their faces.

"For fuck's sake! Why does it always have to be the two of you?!", Sakura cried. 

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan! Mah, I can't make sure that I won't get into trouble again but, I will always come back alive! Anyways! You will be there to heal my injuries right?", Naruto assured as he held Sakura's shoulders. 

"You idiot!"

Naruto expected a smack or a punch coming his way but, he felt nothing and only saw Sakura still sobbing like a child. Her teardrops won't stop falling as she wipes them with her hands and in return, Naruto laughed lightly.

"And you!", Sakura exclaimed pointing her forefinger at Lhexi. "Why did you only show up now?! Do you even know how worried Sasuke and sensei were 'cause everyone kept telling us that you died!"

Lhexi eyes smiled, "Well, I'm alive now so, all is well."

Sakura retreated her finger back before pouting. "But still!", she looked down seeing her arm re-attached. "W-what...?! I-I mean how did you get your arm back?! And in a few days too?!"

 Naruto blinks at Sakura's question. "Eh? I mean it's her arm, right? Why would it not be attached?"

Sakura punches the poor boy's head and a tiny bump appeared as Naruto fought the urge to cry. 

"You probably don't know because you slept the whole time. When Sasuke protected me from the enemy, Lhexi rushed to save both of us and in return, she lost her arm.", Sakura sighed. 

Naruto snapped his head towards Lhexi. "Eh?! Something like that happened?! Lhexi-chan, you okay?!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Someone 'kind' with a heartwarming soul saved me, well, to be honest, I also don't know how I got my arm back.", Lhexi uttered.

 "That's weird. Then, perhaps did they use some secret technique or something?", Sakura pondered and Lhexi nodded.

Upon that, the three of them jolted at the sound of a bell coming from the speakers of the hospital. At the same time, Sakura pulled her pager from her pocket. 

"What was that?", Naruto inquired as he creases his eyebrows.

"Attention to all medical workers and staff. Code Yellow. I repeat. Code Yellow."

Sakura nodded at the person calling her from the pager before she shoved it back into her pocket. "Mattaku. Someone opened the door to a patient with Alzheimer's and now he went missing."

"Seems like, you're gonna get busy once again Sakura.", Lhexi commented.

"Yup! Then I gotta go help!", Sakura hollered.

"Good luck Sakura-chan!", Naruto cheered as the remaining two watched Sakura's back disappear into the hallway.

Naruto placed his hands behind his back, smiling to himself. "Sakura-chan is working hard dattebayo! I don't know but, it feels like we're growing up hehe."

Lhexi stared at Naruto for a while and the latter raised an eyebrow. "Lhexi-chan? What's wrong--", she cuts him off by ruffling his yellow hair.

"Say that once you grow taller than me.", Lhexi joked before she smiled at Naruto's red puffed whiskered cheeks. 

"Ya'know that's not funny Lhexi-chan.", Naruto mumbled. 

"Hai hai, gomenasai little Hokage-sama.", Lhexi playfully teased until she looked back at Naruto's angry red puffed whiskered cheeks. Before Naruto could tackle her to the ground, Lhexi made a run for it. 

"That's not fair, Lhexi-chan! If I catch you, you're gonna get it!", Naruto screamed, his voice echoing through the walls. He ran as fast as he could, to catch the little trickster who had teased him again. 

The girl sighed as Naruto ran opposite the course she took.

"What is that boy doing? He's an Uzumaki and yet his sensing ability is really bad.", Lhexi closed her eyes for a while, wondering if Naruto will come running back. 

She waited patiently for a few minutes before she sweatdropped. He can't be looking for her all over Konoha. 

Scratching her arm, she walked towards the room of the patient she brought in to find Boruto sleeping on the empty bed next to the patient. She smiled to herself before picking up the white sheet that have fallen on the floor. She laid out the sheet first before covering the sleeping boy with it. 

Her eyes glued on the boy's sleeping face. If he had three whisker marks, instead of two he would look like an exact copy of her little pumpkin. She unknowingly smiled to herself before gently stroking his golden hair. 

She stood up properly and wrote a message on a small piece of paper. She placed the vase of flowers on top of it to prevent it from flying elsewhere then she left the hospital.

Walking alone once again on the crowded road, she visibly shivered when she felt two pairs of eyes on her form. "Yo Lhexi-chan, what'cha doing there?"

She turned to the side to see her two teachers sitting across each other enjoying a small tea time inside a teahouse. She bowed in respect at their presence before smiling at the silver-haired who beckoned her to join them.

Kakashi eye smiled at his student, assessing how well her condition was. "How did your three-day survival trip go?"

"It was hectic sensei. I had to enter a snake's den to stay alive. Then I became an experimental subject for two days. Well thanks to them, my arm is back. Although I had to beat his minions after that.", Lhexi finished when she sat on the empty chair on the other side of the table. 

Kyuuji didn't speak a thing and sipped his tea quietly, reading his book. 

A light shade of blush crept on Lhexi's cheeks seeing someone reading her book and seemed genuinely interested. 'This is more embarrassing than I thought.'

Kakashi narrowed his eye worriedly. "How did you escape?", the Jounin asked.

"I made use of Orochimaru's curse mark. I had a hard time controlling it but, if I didn't I would be sitting in one of his cells instead of drinking tea.", Lhexi casually replied.

Kakashi steals the book Kyuuji was reading before lightly hitting his student's forehead. "Aren't you being too brutally honest today?"

Kyuuji scowled at Kakashi for one moment before he took back his book. 

"Kyuuji, you need to read other books for now. How many years have you been rereading that?", Kakashi asks. 

"Well, thanks to the author I had to reread all of his books to prepare myself for the upcoming volume. And--", he snapped his beaming eyes towards his senior. "Please don't compare my taste with yours, senpai."

Kakashi felt attacked by his junior's words. Sure those books his favorite junior was reading were noteworthy, but Jiraiya-sama's Icha Icha paradise series is a masterpiece. 

Lhexi looked up to see a waitress placing a cup of tea in front of her. She bowed as a sign of gratitude and looked away at the two adults acting like children.

'Youngsters these days.', Lhexi looked down, sighing tiredly.

"By the way Lhexi-chan.", Kakashi chimed and Lhexi looked up a little bit annoyed. 

Kakashi quickly caught on to Lhexi's annoyance and he smiled to himself. 'She doesn't really like being addressed like that huh?'

"Kyuuji and I sent a Jounin recommendation letter for you, Lhexi-chan."

Lhexi's annoyed expression immediately warped to that of shock and incredulity. "Eh? Me? Jounin?"

Kakashi bobbed his head as he close his eye. "That's right. The stunt you pulled off last time reached the higher-ups' ears. Even if we didn't sent a letter, someone else will sooner or later."

"Sensei.", Lhexi interjected. "I know this is shameless of me but, will you please withdraw your letter?"

Kyuuji side glanced at her, closing his book to question his student. "Why is that?"

Lhexi scratched her arm. "I...I believe I haven't reached yet the necessary qualities to become a Jounin."

Kakashi crosses his arms over his ribs. "Eh? You know more than everyone else that you are qualified enough to become one. You...", Kakashi towered over her and Lhexi looked away from his intense stare. 

"Is it because of Naruto?", Kakashi asked.

"Of course not.", Lhexi replied with a straight face.

"Liar.", both her teachers retorted back at once.

"I'm sorry.", Kakashi rubbed his temple when Lhexi didn't even deny the accusation. 

Kakashi rests his chin on his palm, there was no way he could convince the girl especially when he is aware of the strange obsession of Lhexi over Naruto. "I don't understand. Care to explain?", Kakashi's smile can be noticed by the crease of his mask and the arc of his eyelid.

"Nope.", Lhexi countered with a smile copying her teacher.

Kakashi was inwardly dumbfounded as he dozed off into space. "Ah, I see."

Kyuuji faces the girl sitting comfortably while sipping the hot tea. He glances at his senior who became unusually quiet. He was usually quiet but, not when he wanted to annoy his students. 

His eyes traveled to the girl's purple eyes down towards her collarbone, decorated by a tear-drop gem hanging on a thin thread. 

He simply narrows his eyes without saying anything. 'A seal...'

Lhexi noticed his apparent gaze, she raised an eyebrow first before tilting her head to the side.

"Kyuuji-sensei?"

..........

"Kyuuji-nii? What's wrong? Did Daichi-niisama bullied you again?"

Asuna questioned worriedly the moment the young boy entered her chambers. His face was filled with black and blue bruises accompanied by several scratches and shallow cuts. 

He shakes his head from side to side before smiling in response. "I was just helping him with his training, hime-sama."

Asuna puffs her cheeks."But still, even if you're just helping him, you got hurt a lot."

The little princess boiled with anger this time around when she noticed his bandaged hands oozing with blood. "You! Are you lying to me?!"

She runs towards him, before tip-toeing in front of him because of their sheer distinct height. Young Kyuuji simply smiles it away when Asuna's upturned, golden eyes pierced through his lie.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to lie to you. I was simply worried that you might yell at your brother once again. Please don't worry about me. These wounds are nothing.", Kyuuji assured, and the princess bit her inner cheeks.

She glances to the side, at the servants present in her room. She frowned at them. She likes no one among the people her father designated to help her. She only had one favorite and that was the young boy standing in front of her, whose hands were held together against his stomach.

"Kyuuji-nii.", Asuna called before pointing at one of the servants standing against the wall. All of them were nervous at the next two words that came out of the princess's mouth. "Pick one."

"Hai?", Kyuuji was puzzled.

"You can beat any of them if you want.", Asuna blurted out with an innocent grin and Kyuuji's eyes widened at her next words. "Or you can kill all the pests in this room if you're not satisfied. They're better off serving the soil as fertilizers." 

Starting from that day on, Kyuuji became aware that the girl he gained favors from was far from how he expected her to be. Sure she was arrogant, loud, and authoritative but, he didn't expect her to be purely evil, just like the rest of her clan. And the worst was that she wasn't even aware of the difference between good and evil. 

"Kyuuji-nii? What's wrong? Are they not enough? If you want to, I can just ask chichiue to bring out some slaves from the cages. You can play with them.", Asuna noticed her servants shaking and the princess wondered why.

"Hime-sama. Instead of doing that, I would rather spend my time with you.", Kyuuji was afraid. His fingers were trembling. 

The princess was nothing but, a frail girl. But, still, she was a princess of the most blood-quenched clan and at the same time the most loyal bloodline, he knew. She was so weak and yet so powerful.

If he loses her favor for just one moment, he will surely lose his head.

..........

The fear that he felt whenever he gazed at Asuna's golden orbs was not present when he looked at Lhexi's purple eyes. Was it because of the difference in the shape of their eyes? 

He simply watches her as he rests his lips on his fingers, contemplating the same thing in his head that he thought about the previous days. 'How should I deal with her?'  

His eyes graze towards the silver-haired who stole his book once again but, this time he was burying his nose in between the pages. 

"Lhexi.", the brunette called. "I have a mission in Yamagakure. I'll retract my letter of recommendation if you come with me."

Kakashi looked up. "What about Shinui and Hikari?"

Kyuuji closed his eyes. "They're occupied."

Kakashi had a bad premonition that he just couldn't shake. "Yamagakure, that's pretty close to Takigakure. Lhexi, isn't that your hometown?" 

'It's also close to the Ryuugaime compound.', Kakashi was skeptical about the mission. 

"Ah hai.", Lhexi scratched her arm before responding to Kyuuji's offer. "Kyuuji-sensei, can I visit my family after the mission?"  

"Yeah. You can do whatever you want after that.", the brown-haired male tapped his finger on the table, waiting for a response he was expecting. 

"Sure.", the conversation about the mission ended after Lhexi approved.

She felt a pair of arms around her shoulders causing her to lose her balance and she landed on the floor. She didn't react nor countered on time because she knew she deserved it. 

"Ah! You're so cruel Lhexi-chan! I roamed the whole village just to find you here having tea time with Kakashi-sensei ttebayo!", Naruto burst out as soon as he had the girl tackled on the ground. 

"Ah, Kyuuji-sensei is also her--", she looked to the side when she saw no one seating on the opposite side of the table. Not even a trace of his existence.

"Good Job Naruto.", Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair before looking at the girl on the ground. "Take good care of the kids, Lhexi-chan. I'll be heading out for my next mission you see. And! Can you write a report on our last mission? As you can see, I don't have any free time right now." 

Lhexi blinks her eyes as she tries to sit up and Kakashi clapped his hands. "Ah! Really?! Thanks a lot, Lhexi-chan. And--", Kakashi squats down, gently resting his hand on Lhexi's hair with a soft expression on his smile. "I'm sorry for being late once again. I promise we'll talk later."

"Then I gotta go now.", their teacher even sent off a salute before he disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving nothing but, a couple of bills on the table.

"AH- Bye sensei!", Naruto shouted late. 

Lhexi lamented at the boy who looked away looking for the silver-haired Jounin who have disappeared. She raises her right leg from the ground to send a gentle push against the boy who dropped to the ground, reversing their position.

Lhexi flicked her finger against Naruto's forehead and the latter cried out a little, a little bump appearing on his head. "Hai, you just died. Never look away from your enemy Naruto."

The coal-black-haired girl stood up from her position, wiping off the dirt on her bottom. She looks at the boy who was holding his head groaning in pain. "Ouch, Lhexi-chan. Your flick hurts ttebayo."

"Don't be absurd Naruto, here.", Lhexi reaches her hand out and the boy puffs his cheeks a little annoyed now that she got him twice. He holds onto her hand as she pulls him up. 

He pats the dirt on his clothes as Lhexi does the same to hers. "Hey, Naruto."

"Hm?", the boy looks up.

"Wanna go on a date trip with me?", Lhexi asks and the boy instantly turned tomatoe-red. Steam rushed out from his ears, and he repeatedly blinked his eyes to make sure he was not dreaming. 

"Eh? Ah-Uhm...Y-yeah...? I-I m-mean sure!", he trips on his words, scratching his hair in embarrassment. 

The girl smiled at his answer as she firmly held his hand, squeezing it lightly. Naruto bounced on his step as they walk hand in hand. 

..........

Naruto tossed and turned around his bed focusing his eyes on the silver ring he held using his index and thumb. It was too big for him, but it will surely fit him when he grows bigger and taller of course. He grins to himself, bubbles of joy popping inside his belly. 

"You're quite noisy up there, aren't ya?", Boruto asks as he sits up from his futon. 

"What?", Naruto questions with a light giggle still looking at the silver ring, he points it against the moon, and the light reflected on it. 

"That looks pretty.", Boruto commented and Naruto whips his head towards the young boy.

"You think so too?!", Naruto asks excitedly and Boruto couldn't help but, smile, nodding at the same time. 

"Lhexi-chan gave it to me.", Naruto boasted as the other teen went back to bed, resting his head against his crossed hands.

"Alexa-san, what kind of person is she?", Naruto glances at the boy who asked something out of the blue.

"She's kind to me most of the time. But, sometimes she can get really scary dattebayo. She always treats me like a kid and at the same time, she also likes playing tricks on me. She can get protective you know! And when I say protective, she becomes so different from how I'm used to seeing her that it's kinda scary ttebayo, and...", Naruto draws in a breath. 

"I already know about how inhumane she can be to her enemies. But, somehow I don't get angry. It's like I can't get angry at her. I don't know why. It's not like I'm supporting her in everything she does especially when it's wrong but...I can't find myself getting mad. 'Cause I have this feeling that no matter how cruel she can be, she will always be that kind Lhexi-chan to me."

Boruto didn't smile. "Hai hai, you said a lot, now go back to bed."

Naruto clenches his right fist in annoyance. "I was just answering your question ttebayo!"

The yellow-haired boy closes his eyes as he rests his head against his overlapped hands. "All people change you know, Alexa-san is no different...you too....", the last two words remained unheard by Naruto.

"Yeah right!", Naruto places his ring on the side table before covering himself with his blanket. "Oyasumi!", he grumbles.

"Yeah...oyasumi stupid Oyaji.", Boruto whispers back before he smiled to himself. When was the last time his father bid goodnight to him? He can't remember.

..........

Darkness has befallen Konoha when an unknown man walked down the stairs near the Hokage Monument. He had retrieved the necessary scroll he needed to go back to where he and his student were supposed to be. 

The future.

But, before that, they still had to take care of something. A particular entity that shouldn't be in Konoha.

The adult looked up at the building, at the shabby apartment from the tree he had teleported on. The lights were out and so were the kids inside. He didn't wake up his student knowing that the kid will never get a chance like this again to get to know his father. 

He sits against the trunk of the tree, planning to sleep there for the rest of the night. Only to open his eyes, his bangs covering his purple-ringed eye. He looked down seeing the same girl from yesterday. 

She smiled at him and raised a white plastic bag. "You haven't eaten yet right, Ojisan?"

He mulled over the idea of eating a warm meal with her once again after two decades. He can barely remember the taste of his favorite tomato soup, which she used to cook for him.

Even still, he found himself right in front of her apartment. "I cooked too much food today, you see and I don't think I can finish all of them.", Lhexi opens the door and removes her black boots, placing them arranged neatly inside the shoe cabinet. "Even if I leave the leftover for tomorrow's breakfast, I won't be able to eat the rest anyway."

The stranger silently walked inside, doing the same thing with his shoes. 

The cozy atmosphere and the warm floors made him want to take a rest and fall asleep. 

"I'll just heat the food for you. You can sit anywhere you want.", the girl smiles at him and he nodded nonetheless.

He looked around her living room. It was arranged just like how he remembered. He places his fingertips against the furniture, it was spotless, unlike the dust that was familiar to his touch. 

He removes his black robe, placing it on the arm of the sofa before he sat quietly. He rests his elbows on his knees while interlocking his hands. The white noise engulfed his head bringing him peace and comfort as he closes his eyes. The sound of the cold breeze entering through the glass doors of her balcony, the humid air of her apartment, the smell of newly cooked rice, and the soft voice of Lhexi as she hymns to herself.

The sense of his melancholic loneliness disappeared for a brief moment.

After Lhexi finished preparing the food, she removes her apron and she approaches the adult sitting quietly on her couch. "Ah, Ojisan, it's time to eat. Gomenasai, did I take too long?"

The stranger opened his mouth, glancing at the girl. "No."

Lhexi nods awkwardly in return as she purses her lips.

The raven-haired girl tucks her bangs on either side of her ears, getting ready to fill her stomach. "Tsunade-sama ordered me to watch on you so, I hope you don't mind it too much. You're Boruto-san's master, right? I heard you two are traveling performers."

"Yeah.", the man replies as he slowly scoops some soup from his bowl with his spoon.

Lhexi didn't further say anything after his indifferent reply. They sat in silence, eating peacefully. Not a word came out from the man's lips as the warm sensation of the food slid down his throat.

As soon as they were finished, the adult man helped her with the cleaning tasks and Lhexi stared at the two empty pots of curry and tomato soup. She was sure they were at least four servings each. 

The man stared at the familiar grey ceiling as he lay on the couch. He places his hand over the sheets Lhexi has lent him, he touches his abdomen before sighing to himself, he sure ate a lot tonight.

The next morning came and Lhexi places the paintbrush to her side, after sensing a familiar chakra signature flaring up inside her apartment. She stands up from her sitting on her bed, before carefully walking on the empty spaces between scrolls and books scattered around her room.

She opens the door only to see two raven haired staring at each other. The younger one was glaring down at the adult who had his legs crossed over one another as he casually sips a warm black coffee without batting an eyelid.

"Who the hell are you?", Sasuke asked first thing in the morning.

Lhexi stepped in immediately after. "There seems nothing to be good about your morning, Sasuke."

"Yeah, especially when a friend is alright with a perverted stranger who harassed her yesterday stay at her home."

Lhexi chuckles, finding herself amused at the boy who rolled his eyes at her.

Sasuke glanced at her for a second before shifting his charcoal eyes back to the stranger.

"You.", the man replies and the boy creases his eyebrows in slight confusion. "Your name. It's common courtesy to say your name first before asking someone else's."

That was the longest sentence Lhexi heard him say and he did it just to roast the shit out of his younger self.

"Uchiha Sasuke.", the proud kid acquaints himself, adding a little strain to his last name.

"Chitai.", the adult responds back.

"Oji-san. I'm sorry for the rude greeting of my friend.", Lhexi approaches before stepping over the pinky toe of Sasuke's and the latter kept the pain to himself.

Sasuke sweat-drops upon seeing the unusual smile of Lhexi as she turns her eyes towards him. "Hokage-sama ordered me to watch over him. You're not here to ask him rude questions, are you?"

Sasuke looks away as he quietly tries to remove his toe from Lhexi's foot. "You should have said that sooner, idiot."

"And any later, you might have punched him. But, it's not like you can land a hit.", Lhexi responds.

Sasuke turned his body, facing Lhexi with an annoyed expression on his face. "Says the crybaby who can't even handle a few bruises."

Lhexi raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me Mister-Almighty-Great-Uchiha-Sasuke-san, you choked the hell out of me."

The stranger looked at them with an undetermined expression. As he rubs his fingers at the white cup he was holding, he slightly tilts his head to the side, even if it was only for a moment, his eyes relaxed at the sight of the two kids bickering at one another.

"You're too weak, idiot. You can't even block properly."

"Says the boy who threw tantrums at his friend for saving his life.", after Lhexi said that, Sasuke sewed his lips tight.

Lhexi smirked in triumph before she looked back at the self-proclaimed traveling performer. "If you need to go somewhere, please let me accompany you. It's my mission after all."

"Hn."

Sasuke grumbles lowly, annoyed at the fact that the stranger can't even answer properly when Lhexi was asking in a respectful tone.

..........

Tsunade clasps her hands behind her, looking outside the window from her office.

"So? What did you find out?", she turns her heels around at the brown-haired male who bowed in respect. She walks towards her table, taking a rest in her seat. "You told me you still had to verify it."

The man nodded his head as Tsunade's heavy gaze protruded through his black emotionless eyes.

..........

Sasuke blinked at the two yellow-haired twin-like.

"Two idiots...", Sasuke whispered, flabbergasted.

"Oi! Don't lump me in with him!", Boruto yelled and Naruto held himself back from punching the two.

"Shut up! You don't have any right to criticize me when you look exactly like that old perverted dude over there!", Naruto shouted pointing his finger at the cloaked man who sweatdrops in return.

Just how many times was he called a pervert already?

"Usuratonkachi.", Sasuke calls him, running out of words to say for he was still processing the fact that someone in this world would actually possess the same features as his friend.

"Why you...!! Konoyaro!", before Naruto could advance, he felt himself getting lifted in the air as red threads wrapped around his body.

Everyone looked up at the white-haired perpetrator who laughed in return as he lick his lips. "Itadakimasu."

"Wait! You bastard! Let him go!", Boruto and Sasuke simultaneously jumps in the air, the other one had rasengan and the Uchiha's spinning red eyes pierced like daggers as a thousand birds' chirps could be heard around the forest.

At the same time, the adult man pulled the other two quickly evading a sharp white fragment that was aimed at their heads. Urashiki, the name of the Otsutsuki immediately clenched his fist together and the three were instantly swallowed by a cave that appeared from the grounds.

Lhexi calmly observes the Otsutsuki who have taken Naruto. She chomps down on the last dango on the stick she was holding before running towards where the unusual being could have taken Naruto.

Jumping from one tree to another, Urashiki immediately took notice of her presence as he looked down from the sky. Her purple gaze screamed venom and the man scrutinized his eyes, immediately feeling a sense of odd deja vu.

"King Ryuujin...?"