4 Different

//Before you say anything, I want you to know that having someone force their way into someone else's mind is pretty bad, but it in no way affects Zetuo. My man has gone through WAY worse sh*t then some small time mind rummaging and you'll see that in later chaps. That's all I had to say.

The Mind Reading Technique was a powerful jutsu in its own right. Rather than it being an overpowered and flashy move that dealt physical damage, it allowed the user to enter the mind and sift through it, flickering through the memories of enemies and gathering the desired intel.

It was this very thing method that had been used on an unconscious Zetuo, who was currently positioned on a soft and rather springy bed, his wrists and ankles strapped to the arms and legs of the mattress. Even if the youth was awake, he would find himself unable to move so much as an inch, completely at the mercy of those that had 'kidnapped' him.

The room the youth was positioned in was mostly bare with only a simple desk situated on the far side, away from the door, and a small bed set square in the center of the room. There were no decorations on anything, neither the wall nor floor, just straight-up white on all sides, making everything a bit disorienting.

"So, are you sure he had nothing to do with it then?" Hiruzen asked once again, his attention fully focused on Zetuo's unconscious figure. "I was told you gave the green light, claiming he isn't a threat."

"Lord Third, with all due respect, you can rest assured that this kid isn't an enemy. I can GUARANTEE that he had no correlation to the barrier." Inota Yamanaka, a tall man in his mid to late thirties with blonde-haired tied in a ponytail, repositioned himself at the edge of the bed. "Hell, he isn't even related to this WORLD, much less the barrier."

About a whole day had passed since Hiruzen had forcefully made Zetuo undergo the Mind Reading Technique and it was only now, a few hours after the procedure was concluded, that he had been informed. Though he had been busy attending to a few other matters, he had pushed everything aside to come and personally inspect the child himself. If he was being honest, something about the youth had intrigued him. It could've just been the numerous scars and the air of mystery but, whatever the case, he wanted to know more and couldn't help his own curiosity.

"Can you explain further?" Hiruzen asked politely, also sitting on the edge of the bed as he smoked out of his pipe.

"Well for starters, this kid's brain is wired completely differently than ours. Instead of scattered memories and stray thoughts, everything was neat and tidy, even containing the time it was 'filed' down to the second." Inota leaned forward, intertwining his fingers and resting his head on them. "I could scan things so much faster than normal because he remembers everything so thoroughly that it borders on scary. Of course, that's just the tip of it all."

"Okay," Hiruzen was kinda amazed by the photographic memory, but he wasn't content on only knowing that. "What else?"

"Simply put, he's from a different world altogether. There were things in his memory that I couldn't even BEGIN to describe." Inota took a deep breath before continuing, his eyes slightly glazed as if he was looking without truly seeing. "It's why I said you needn't worry. He doesn't even know where the hell he is, let alone what the barrier is."

".....You must be joking."

"If only that were the case." Inota responded, head resting on his folded hands, eyebrows scrunched together. "There were so many things that were beyond my ability to understand, let alone point out by name. Metal birds that could fly, giant metallic machines riding on wheels, and so many other things that's something out of dreams."

"Is he himself harmless though?"

This question made Inota flinch as he turned his head to look back at the sleeping youth. "Maybe not. This kid probably has the worst luck I've ever seen, but he also has this thirst for survival. In the whole year, I examined his life, not a day went by that some unfortunate event happened but he went through it like a simple learning experience. To be honest, he could bring some us some bad omens if we keep him alive."

"Okay," Hiruzen stood up and readjusted his hat as he walked to the door. "When he wakes up, have him checked up to make sure he's in appropriate shape. I want a full report on his health later today. When you're finished with that, have him escorted to my office."

"Lord Third. Do you want to keep him alive? His luck could pose a potential risk. Not only to himself but possibly to the Leaf as a whole. I strongly urge against it."

Inota had seen what kind of situations Zetuo's luck had put him through and the danger he brought everywhere he went. Though it was rather hard to believe that rotten luck could cause such severe, life-threatening scenarios, this kid was an anomaly that could bring about problems at the drop of a hat. While he believed the kid himself harbored no I'll intent, the same couldn't be said about the bad luck which caused stuff to happen without discrimination.

"I believe I made my stance clear Inota," Hiruzen stated, pausing by the door. "Killing someone just because they may be a slight inconvenience makes us no better than murderers. Bad luck or no, we should at least hear the kid out first, don't you think?"

With those parting words, he left, closing the door behind him.

Inota let out a small sigh after a few seconds before also getting ready to leave, pushing himself off the bed and onto the tips of his feet. While not really agreeing with the orders he was given, there wasn't really much he could do given the circumstances. The only thing he had to do now was follow the Thirds instructions as best he could, starting by having the youth checked up on.

Undoing the wrist and ankle restraints, Inota took one last look at the boy before turning around. "I guess I'll assign someone to watch him for a while," Inota said, shaking his head as he walked out the room. "How annoying."

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When Inota had said a "while", he probably hadn't known that Zetuo would proceed to sleep for quite a bit afterward, approximately another three hours after the conversation with the Third Hokage.

The black-haired youth slowly opened his eyes, blinked a few times before finally sitting up at a rapid speed.

Zetuo took note of his surroundings in the mere seconds he had awoken, taking every detail into account as he gained his bearings. Not being one to stay and take things slow, he immediately looked around for a potential weapon, anything he could use to inflict as much harm as possible.

To others, it might seem strange how fast he had transitioned from being asleep to full-on prep mode, but for him, it was as natural as breathing. As someone who spent their whole life teetering on the edge, stuck in between a rock and a hard place, it was a basic habit for him to think a few steps ahead and be ready for the next playthrough. This was no different as he reached towards the head of the bed where he had been laying and untied the cord.

"Alright, I'm ready. Bring it on." Zetuo wrapped a bit of the end around his hand, ready to utilize it at a moment's notice. "That old man won't get the better of me this time."

Five minutes passed. Ten. Twenty. A whole half-hour passed with Zetuo just gazing at the door with a poised stature, ready to go on the offensive.

Eventually, he realized that he had perhaps riled himself up a little too much and sought to calm himself down.

Truthfully, inwardly he was still reeling from the moment the masked man had disappeared in a cloud of smoke. It had been a scene that had remained at the forefront of his mind since he had woken up as it was just something that he hadn't been prepped for.

Another thing he hadn't exactly expected was for the old man, someone who looked old enough to be a grandfather, to be so damn fast. To his own eyes, it was akin to a blur. From the second the man had opened the cell door to the second he blacked out, it had all seemed to happen within an instant of each other. He had never had that happen, even against trained experts who did nothing but hone their skills.

"Tch, I'm messing with the WRONG people. Is my luck getting worse?" Zetuo asked himself this question as he stepped around the room. "Maybe the world finally decided to fully test me. Fine!! Let's see what you got then ya damned flake. We'll see who's stronger. Either your hate boner or my intelligence."

Nodding to himself, Zetuo took his place on the side of the door and once again began to await his next prey patiently, standing still with the cord in hand. He didn't know how long he'd have to hold his position but he figured he'd hold it as long as he could. Not knowing whether or not these people were friendly, he needed to make an escape as soon as possible.

Then, out of nowhere, a random thought hit him.

'Is that door even locked?'

It seemed so absurd considering that he was a captive but the fact that he hadn't even tried was another thing that was quite illogical. There was always the chance that they could have left it open on purpose for him and WANTED him to make his way out. Having gone up against someone who had done this before, a wannabe trying to play some twisted games with him, it wasn't too far out of the question.

Lowering the white cord until it was held against his legs, at the ready just in case, Zetuo reached out his hand and gripped the handle, his fingers tightening around it. He was calm and collected, ready to do what he had to in order to survive. The only thing he needed to do was maintain rationality and conduct his plans around all obstacles presented before him.

"Alrighty then," Zetuo pulled the handle and felt his heart skip a beat when it opened. "Let's get jiggy with it."

Stealthily creeping up to the crack in the door, the black-haired youth peeked his head out. As his black eyes peered out, some light blue ones peered back.

"Hello," The blue-eyed individual said through the crack. "How's it goin?"

"Oh...nothing much. Nice day we're having here right?" Zetuo casually responded back with a smile.

"Can I come in," the figure asked politely. "Or you can come out if you want. I was told to come and get you when you woke up. Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you."

Zetuo was hesitant at first for obvious reasons, the major one being his immense bad luck making it unlikely that anything could go this smoothly. He wanted to fight, to push his way to freedom, and kiss this crappy scenario goodbye. However, his instincts told him that that wasn't the proper play and his gut was usually correct. As much as he wanted to simply lash at the figure, he refrained, opting instead to introduce himself.

"Names Zetuo Tetsuya. What's yours?"

"I'm Minato Namikaze. It's a pleasure to meet you."