5 Friends

(A/N: Rewritten)

In a field, a boy sat quietly on the ground; in front of him, a training dummy. The boy held his hand up toward the sturdy mannequin, motioning a grasp.

Then, the dummy had dissipated into thin air.

The boy was, of course, Yasuo Uchiha. He had been monopolizing his time, or rather the abundance of it, by practicing his [Skills]. More specifically: [Atomic Authority].

Yasuo opened his palm, and the dummy had once again taken shape. By manipulating the atoms of the mannequin, Yasuo was able to change objects into different phases. He had willed the clumped-up particles of the dummy into something much like gas.

Gas particles, being gas particles, couldn't 'stick' to one another. Otherwise, the gas could no longer be considered a 'gas.' However, Yasuo was able to control that factor. By keeping all of the masses of atoms apart, yet close enough for him to reform the dummy, he could effectively change it into the different phases.

Yasuo took a deep breath as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead. Controlling atoms was naturally a tiring effort. Having to manipulate quintillions of tiny particles all at the same time required intense focus and precision.

Fortunately, Yasuo had [Mangekyō Sharingan]—a complete cheat. It not only helped him with controlling the practically innumerable amount of atoms but, it also significantly assisted in the 'leveling' of the [Skill]. So much so, that it was now at [Lvl. 52]!

But even then, it had taken five whole months to do so, compared to the few days it took to obtain the [Mangekyō Sharingan].

Of course, there were reasons why.

The most 'important' one was Yasuo's idiocy. During the first four months, he frankly didn't consider about the [Sharingan] helping with the 'leveling' of [Atomic Authority].

The second was simply the amount of time needed to level the ability. It was, after all, a [King Tier] [Skill] that required a lot of 'EXP' to level up. And third was, rather obviously, the concentration needed to perform the ability.

Nevertheless, the one month that he did use his [Mangekyō Sharingan], everything was smooth sailing with steady levels. Unfortunately, even at [Lvl. 52], he was still unable to use [Create] and [Destroy]. Though, he imaged he would be able to do so at [Lvl. MAX].

During those couple of months, other than [Atomic Authority], Yasuo had also focused on 'leveling' up [Ninjutsu Mastery], his [Affinities] and [Absence of Fantasy]. [Ninjutsu Mastery] and [Affinities] had gone hand to hand, the former quickly reaching [Lvl. 63].

And, for [Affinities], his central 'Basic Nature Transformation' of [Fire Release] had achieved [Lvl. 71], while his other nature transformations of [Lightning Release] and [Water Release] had reached [Lvl. 56] and [Lvl. 79], respectively.

His use of [Water Release] to assist in 'leveling' [Atomic Authority] and [Absence of Fantasy] had, in turn, raised it to an even higher level than [Fire Release].

Nevertheless, [Absence of Fantasy] was, without a doubt, the hardest [Skill] for Yasuo to level. It was, after all, a [Universe Tier] [Skill]—his highest tiered ability yet. And, quite obviously, the superior the [Tier] of a [Skill], the harder it was to increase its levels.

After much effort, [Absence of Fantasy] had—somehow—reached the level of [Lvl. 37].

"I need to find something better to do," Yasuo muttered to no one in particular while lifting his hand down. It was now the third day straight that he was on this 'grind' to level up [Atomic Authority], and he was mighty bored!

He willed the dummy into his [Inventory] and stood up. It was something he had, unfortunately, discovered he could do not too long ago. He had strained his body a tad too much and, being unable to pick up his weights, he had decided to test out some things with his [Inventory]—and it worked!

Nevertheless, after some light stretching to relieve some stiffness, Yasuo began randomly wandering about, endeavoring to find things to do. Providentially, he had soon found a someone that would most likely help with the 'problem.'

"Ah, Yasuo-san!" A boy wearing a unique—to put into words—green jumpsuit, orange striped leg warmers, and a yellow scarf around his neck shouted cheerfully. Yasuo turned his head toward the voice and found a classmate, Might Duy, waving at him, grinning.

Yasuo currently had his glasses off, but Duy had still recognized him. The two had met once before, on total coincidence. Yasuo had met him within a restaurant that he and Vyra were visiting, with Shisui as body-guard, of course.

Might Duy had instantly recognized Vyra and, being decently intelligent, had come into conclusion that the guy next to her was the dork in class. Though, not that he would ever think of Yasuo as a dork.

Yasuo smiled back while giving a wave of his own. He liked the boy—he was untalented yet hardworking. It was inspiring. Though, some wouldn't agree and would mark him as useless; much like some of his classmates!

What a worldly coincidence.

"Hello, Duy-san." Yasuo lightly greeted back, before tilting his head sidewards to express his curiosity. "What are you doing here?" He was going to lead the conversation, not wanting Duy to question him—small manipulations.

"Training!" Might Duy replied exuberantly, but Yasuo could see he had slightly flinched at the question.

'He has a secret,' Yasuo inwardly thought. 'Maybe that's what's preventing him from doing anything but [Taijutsu].' But, he quickly erased his musings. What Might Duy was doing or at least is going to do was of no concern to him. Unless it directly involved him, of course.

"Would you like to join me, Yasuo-san?" Might Duy asked, his grin suddenly widening.

Yasuo blinked as he looked slightly taken aback. "Sure!" he replied as he gained back his smile. How great, something to keep him distracted while helping with his training! 'Maybe I should do this more often...perhaps with Vyra?'

"Then let's begin, Yasuo-san!" Duy's expression brightened even more as he struck a swell nice-guy pose. "First, ten-thousand handstand steps!" Almost instantly, Might Duy had transitioned into the position and had begun.

Yasuo was surprised. Might Duy's physique was superb even without much natural chakra supplementing his body. He smiled, before quickly catching up with Might Duy, doing the same exercise.

He had however used the [Gravity Suit] on [3x Gravity] to make things more difficult.

Unfortunately...*PLOP*!

Unused to the sudden increase in weight and [Stats], Yasuo had abruptly fallen onto the ground.

"Yasuo-san! Are you alright?!" Might Duy came rushing toward the Uchiha boy, his face doused with concern and alarm. There was a slight frown upon his face as he held his hand out for Yasuo. "What happened? Are you injured?" he asked.

Yasuo smiled reassuringly, taking Might Duy's hand and pulled himself up with its help. "I'm fine, Duy-san. I'm just not used to doing such exercises," he answered. "Don't worry about it, let's continue, Duy-san."

Might Duy stared at Yasuo for a short while before finally nodding. A frown stilled marred Duy's face but, he had gone back to handstand position nonetheless. As Might Duy began 'hand-walking,' Yasuo had as well—though not before changing the [Gravity Suit] to [2x Gravity].

The two started slowly. Might Duy was still worried about Yasuo, but seeing the Uchiha boy was doing fine, they began to pick up the pace. Eventually, after thirty minutes, the pair had completed the ten-thousand steps.

"What do we do next, Duy-san?" asked Yasuo. He was quite happy, with the [Gravity Suit] on, the gains from Might Duy's exercise were significant. It was also rather early in the day, so he had plenty of time to do more, though that was only if Might Duy would not stop training for a while.

"Five-thousand one-handed push-ups!" Duy grinned, "Two-thousand and four-hundred for each hand!" Yasuo nodded. He wasn't going to point out Duy's mathematics mistake as he already looked somewhat tired from the first workout. Ten-thousand handstand steps were quite a lot after all; not to mention they were still children.

And with that, after multiple hours of intense training, the two prepared to go home. But, not before a peaceful rest on the chill grass, gazing at the now setting sun.

"Hey Duy-san," Yasuo spoke.

Might Duy turned his head toward the Uchiha boy.

"Yeah, Yasuo-san?" he asked back, his bushy eyebrows slightly raised.

"Let's be friends!" Yasuo grinned widely as his eyes turned into a smile.

"Wha-what?!" Might Duy was shocked to the point he was nearly speechless. For the first time of his life, someone had asked to be his friend. "O-o-of course!" he stammered while his eyes unconsciously became teary. As he slowly regained his composure, he smiled brightly and repeated, "Of course, Yasuo-san!"

"Welp, it's getting late," Yasuo stood up with a smile on his face, "I'll see you later, my friend!" He began running back home as he waved his hand back toward Might Duy, hearing 'You too!' from the boy in the distance.

On the pleasantly quiet journey home, Yasuo viewed his [Status], recounting his growth over the nearly five-hour training period.

His [Endurance] had had the greatest increase, going from one of his lowest stats, [55], to one of his highest, [103]. Equal to his [Endurance], was [Agility], turning from an already quite high [77] to [103].

[Power] had nearly reached the [100] threshold, stopping closely at [93], while [Dexterity] increased to a whopping [119].

[Charm] had also miraculously increased to [25] somehow, but for now, it was unimportant.

A few [Skills] had also come along with the massive gains, all three obtained from attaining [100] on a stat:

[Tear Body]: Passive - Lvl. 1 -

[Description]: [This skill was gained through relentless tempering of one's body. Once mastered, one can take on physical attacks head-on without fear]

[Effect]: [All 'Physical Damage' is reduced by 0.5% - increased by 0.5% every 'level']

[Flicker]: Passive - Lvl. 1 -

[Description]: [This skill was gained through intense training of one's deftness with their hands. Once mastered, one can confidently attack an enemy with elite precision and haste]

[Effect]: ['Attack Speed' is increased by 0.5% and 'Accuracy' is improved by 0.1% - 'Attack Speed' is raised 0.5% every 'level' and 'Accuracy' is upped 0.1% each 'level']

[Journey]: Passive - Lvl. 1 -

[Description]: [This skill was gained through having tough endurance to travel long distances and the agility to accompany it. Once mastered, one can move through great lengths in a short amount of time.]

[Effect]: ['Speed' is increased by 10% after traveling for a determined period (ten minutes) - 'Speed' is raised by 2% every 'level' and the time required is lowered by five seconds each 'level']

___

Yasuo smiled happily at the acquisition of the three [Skills], as they were all fantastic, even the non-combat ability [Journey]. Especially with crossing countries, and the addition of using the [Body Flicker Technique] with [Journey], that is whenever he had the chance to learn the [Jutsu].

But, he couldn't help but wonder: "Why didn't I get a [Skill] for the [Magic] stat, AM? Heck, even the [Luck] stat?" he quietly whispered, not desiring unwanted attention from other pedestrians or rather, not any more than there already was.

As usual, the mechanical voice of the Ancient Manipulator came wondrously through his head.

[As Host's Magic and Luck statistic was many times above Host's other stats, the system had determined it was proper to withhold it. The Threshold Skill will be unlocked when Host reaches Magic and Luck: 1000]

Yasuo lightly frowned at the new information. He was still a distant way until any stat reaching [1000]. But, from what he had noticed so far, the more he had of a stat, the harder it was for him to increase it. Though that was rather obvious otherwise, he would already have much higher stats than now.

'AM, can you show me the skill I would obtain if I had reached a [Magic] stat of [1000]?' Yasuo steadily probed. Additional information is always great, especially if said information was beneficial to himself.

However, AM responded in negative: [Unfortunately, the system cannot give the Host such knowledge, as Host's Threshold Skill is determined randomly upon Luck]

Now, that was useful information. It was quite evident that the more [Luck] he had, the possibility of a [Threshold Skill] being good increased as well.

'Well, never-mind that, lets just head home. Getting higher, well, everything can wait for, hopefully, the near future.' Yasuo thought as he cleared his frown and picked up his pace, now much more eager to return home.

As if it was a habit, with Yasuo quickly arriving close to his household, he held his arms wide open. And, moving like an incredibly fast dart into his embrace was Vyra, smiling marvelously sweet.

"Welcome home, Onii-chan~!" Vyra joyously beamed as she leaned a bit too closely to Yasuo and grinned. "Would you like dinner, a bath, or...me?"

Yasuo's eyes twitched in slight irritation, but it quickly went away. He lightly coughed, before replying—though not to her question—"Good to see you too, Vyra-chan. How are you doing? I'm sorry I couldn't come home earlier. I was a bit distracted from training with a new friend."

Vyra opened her mouth to speak, her eyes clearly showing displeasure. But, before Vyra could respond, Shisui had come forward and said, "Welcome back, young master. " He then slightly bowed before adding, "You two might want to go inside, you're already attracting quite the crowd."

The twins both raised their eyebrows in confusion, but one look around them had quickly cleared it. They both nodded, as the group headed indoors, with Vyra almost naturally holding onto Yasuo's arm while walking.

Dinner was already prepared by Shisui not too long ago, as the food was still rather hot. It was as if Shisui knew what Yasuo was doing twenty-four-seven. But, Izuna and Miyrae were home today as well, a rather rare occasion.

Yasuo quickly sat down on his usual seat -the furthest one to the left- and started wolfing down food without hesitation. Everyone else did the same, though in a much more reserved manner, while conversations began here and there.

Izuna did most of the talking and, surprisingly, Shisui was usually the one to respond. The talk was concerning rumors on who the next Hokage would be, which the likely candidate was either Tobirama Senju or Hiruzen Sarutobi—more presumably the latter. Tobirama Senju was already quite old, perhaps too aged, for the position.

"I'm going to go outside for a while," Yasuo said as he finished the last bit of his delicious dinner. He rushed out of the house, waving everyone goodbye. He was going to train again; his family knew it and even supported it.

"Have a safe trip!" He had heard his mother shout, and he couldn't help but smile.

Staring at Yasuo's departing figure, Izuna sent a meaningful glance toward Shisui. The summoned Uchiha nodded and created a [Shadow Clone], immediately chasing Yasuo in secret, leaving the clone to man the cleaning of the dishes.

Yasuo was heading toward a different training ground this time, the so-called 'Twenty-Fourth Training Ground.' The previous area was the 'Tenth Training Ground,' where it was mostly unused as more people preferred ones with dummies.

The Twenty-Fourth was a bit different than the usual practice fields. The training dummies there were several times sturdier, but—though quite dumb—the overall space of the area was reduced to prevent possible damage. Luckily, it was still rather large, about two-thirds of a regular training ground.

But, soon upon the road, a particular group of six kids surrounding a white-haired girl had caught his interest. The girl seemed to be his age, and Yasuo presumed it was a typical bullying scenario. It was something that unfortunately happened quite often in the streets of Konoha.

'Jeez...Where even are the adults at this time?' Yasuo wondered.

But thankfully, it appeared that the scene had just begun.

"Ha, ha! She looks like a grandma!" One of the boys with larger-than-average front teeth had joked at the expense of the girl, as the rest of the group laughed loudly. Another boy, one who had short -nearing bald- hair, joined in the 'fun,' kicking the girl in the thigh, grinning during the entire effort.

"She's an old, blind grandma!" yet another joked. The girl's eyes were seemingly pupilless, and very cloudy—almost to the point that she looked Hyūga, only with white hair.

Nevertheless, the girl had done nothing to stop it, either.

Yasuo scowled.

Ordinary verbal oppression was one thing, and it was bad enough. But, once it was taken a step higher, within the territory of physical and vocal harassment, it was simply too much.

Yasuo knew the severity of the issue, having personal experience of it during his rough childhood in the Orphanage. The conditions were either live or die, and he had chosen the former. Due to that, young Nobles would take advantage of their positions, ruling over both the 'lower' commoners and the 'lowest' orphans.

"Hey, stop that now!" Yasuo shouted toward the group, and he only became angrier as they sneered at him. The white-haired girl looked up at Yasuo as her eyes glinted a brief flash of hope, only to disappear soon after.

He was, after all, only one four-year-old trying to face multiple—at a glance—seven-year-olds. Naturally, a child of seven years would be more experienced and skilled than one at the age of four. However, Yasuo was by no means a 'normal' four-year-old 'kid.'

The white-haired girl had glimpsed Yasuo charging toward the group of bullies, and she couldn't help but quickly look back down, keeping her eyes tightly shut. Although she knew closing her eyes would not help, she did not want to see someone getting hurt, especially one who was trying to help her.

She began waiting for the screams of the boy, but it never came. There were only the sounds of bodies dropping and short grunts of pain.

Yasuo had first aimed for the closest one to him, an average-looking boy. He swiftly knocked the boy out with a quick chop to the neck, as he almost immediately dashed to the next -well- victim. Only after Yasuo had knocked-out yet another boy, the group began to realize their situation.

They began trying to run away, extremely frightened. But, one by one, all were knocked unconscious without even the ability to scream. Yasuo, being decidedly civilized, carried each of the kids onto a nearby bench. He covered them with spare blankets from his [Inventory] - they were still children, after all.

Though, they could only unconsciously hope that they didn't have any personal belongings that some random mugger on the street would steal from them.

Nevertheless, he continued to the white-haired girl and asked, "Are you alright?" before promptly facepalming. 'Obviously, she's not alright, you idiot.'

The girl turned to face the red-eyed boy, her hero, and she couldn't help but become teary.

But, looking at her face, something entirely different was going through Yasuo's mind: 'Is...she a boy or girl?' The girl, or whatever she was, had an extremely androgynous appearance. Her chest WAS rather flat, and touching or asking about her private part was inappropriate.

Thus, Yasuo's tiny brain had determined, 'Ah! He must be one of those—um, what was the word—right, Traps!' Yasuo mentally nodded, smiling proudly to himself. 'This is one of those anime worlds, after all. Naruto must have had traps!'

He inwardly wiped the metaphorical sweat on his forehead. 'Whew, I almost mistook a boy for a girl...'

Yasuo faked a cough.

"Hi! I'm Yasuo, what's your name?" he asked with a smile - a small start, but he could look for his parents with his name. The 'boy' didn't respond to his question and instead looked around 'his' surroundings. Quickly noticing the lack of bodies, 'he' stared at Yasuo with a hint of fear.

'Oh...he must think I killed them and hid their body or something.' Yasuo thought; he ought to explain himself.

"Are you worried about those kids?" The 'boy' hesitantly nodded. "Well, you see that bench right over there?" Yasuo continued, pointing at its direction. Upon seeing their unconscious forms, the eyes of the 'boy' light up, 'his' fear fading.

"M-my name is Kumiko...Yuki," 'he' murmured. Yasuo had barely caught 'his' voice, but upon hearing it, he couldn't help but think: '...He has feminine looks as well as a girlish name, what is this strange world? No...why are Traps even in anime in the first place?!'

Suppressing a twitch on his eyebrow, he quickly took hold of himself and let smiled even broader. "Well, nice to meet you, Kumiko-kun!" He noticed 'his' slight jerk but paid no mind to it. "Why are you here this late in the night by yourself, and why were those kids picking on you?"

"I-I don't know..." 'he' quietly muttered.

Yasuo kept his smile but inwardly frowned.

"Then, do you want me to lead you to your family, Kumiko-kun?"

The 'boy' shook 'his' head before looking away from Yasuo in -what Yasuo thought to be- embarrassment; after all, his face WAS quite red.

"Well, how about this," Yasuo began, "-You can come to my house, and maybe my father could help you with whatever you need?"

The 'boy' stared at Yasuo for a short moment, before nodding 'his' head in accord. Seeing 'his' agreement, Yasuo grinned and carried the 'boy' into his arms. The 'boy' lightly squeaked in surprise but soon quieted down as the short journey continued.

The distance that was between the previous location and the Izuna-Uchiha household was not far. And as such was the case, the pair had quickly arrived at their intended destination—not to mention Yasuo's [103] [Agility].

As usual, Vyra had quickly detected his presence and had gone outside to greet him, but she had sensed another entity's chakra with him. She was unable to sense distinctions in chakra, such as age and gender, but she was still nevertheless working hard.

Her face, which had a small frown, was quickly replaced with a lovely smile once her dear brother had come into view. However, upon seeing that he was carrying a girl home, her smile had soon sunk in intensity.

"Welcome back, Onii-chan," said Vyra, waving her hands in greeting. "Who is that Onii-chan?" she inquired, staring at the girl who was now standing silently—away from Yasuo's arms. Kumiko glared back with a light frown, as small sparks of enmity had seemingly passed between the two girl's eyes.

"This is Kumiko-kun!" Yasuo introduced with a wide grin. "I asked him to follow me to meet Father. He was out in the street, alone," he tilted his head, "He IS one of the Commanders of the Konoha Military Police Force, right?"

Vyra nodded her head. "Yes, that's right," she replied, still firmly staring at Kumiko, but in a somewhat...smug way? She looked like she had won the lottery or something.

"Well, Onii-chan, Kumiko-KUN, please come inside," Vyra said, emphasizing the '-kun' honorific, as she led the two indoors.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late, and everyone was still up and about. Izuna and Miyrae were both relaxing on a couch—the former reading a newspaper that he had already previously read—when Yasuo had come home.

Shisui had stealthily gone into the kitchen, replacing his clone that was—for some reason—still washing the dishes.

Izuna looked up, hearing footsteps coming toward the living room. "Ah, Yasuo-chan! How was the walk? Good weather?" Izuna said as he joyously smiled. He looked at the newcomer beside his boy, "Hmm? Who is this young lady, Yasuo-chan?"

"Well, Kumiko-kun-" Yasuo grinned, dragging the 'boy' in front of him. "-wanted help." He smiled brightly. "So I brought him here for you to help him!" But, the entire time thinking: 'Why does everyone think that Kumiko-kun is a girl?'

Izuna stared at Yasuo's face as he mentally frowned before glancing at the young girl. For all he knew, the girl could very well be a spy sent to observe the Uchiha. There were child soldiers in every country, and one smart enough could easily be trained as a spy, even at an incredibly young age.

Nevertheless, that was merely an assumption he had no evidence to support.

"Please sit down." Izuna invited the girl as he gestured to a free couch.

Izuna smiled toward the young girl, still couldn't help wondering why his boy ha addressed the girl as male. Perhaps it was part of an inside joke? But, that was nonetheless unimportant. "What can I do to help you, Kumiko-san?" Izuna queried. "Of course, only if you want my help, that is."

The girl subtly nodded, muttering an almost imperceivable 'Yes, sir...' The vice-leader of the Uchiha Clan nodded, continuing his interrogation-but-not-quite despite the lack of real responses from the young girl: "How about you tell me some about yourself?"

While Izuna was asking his questions, the rest of the family had been preparing to go to sleep. They had let the Father do most of the work, as everyone was already quite tired, and Izuna couldn't be a Commander without real skill. Not to mention he was an experienced Jōnin.

"M-my name is Kumiko Y-Yuki, and...and, and..."

"It's okay if you don't want to answer, Kumiko-san," Izuna sympathized. It was either this girl was abnormally shy, or there was something that she didn't want to talk about - perhaps her family? There were honestly a lot of explanations for such.

Manipulation was one.

"N-no, it's fine..." She took a deep breath, and Izuna waited patiently. In such a case, psychological instability was detrimental. "I-I'm an orphan, and I don't have anyone or anywhere to go to..."

Ah. Now, that explained a lot. Of course, not everything—like: "Kumiko-san, couldn't you have gone to the Orphanage instead?"

"T-the Missus had kicked me out..."

"Why would she ever do that?" Izuna visibly frowned, controlling his voice to sound upset at the revelation - not that it wasn't upsetting. Subtle suggestion—indirectly influencing whether or not the girl would answer the question, as well as whether or not she would tell the truth of the matter.

Her eyes began to become teary as she stuttered even more. "One o-of the b-big kids told the Matron that I s-stole his money." Hiccup. "A-and he took o-out all the money f-from my box a-and added some of his m-money as well to s-show the Matron..."

"And she believed him?"

The girl nodded.

Izuna's frown became much more intense as he became genuinely upset. The girl—and he had been monitoring her very closely—hadn't shown any signs of deception during the entire questioning. And, the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks were very, very real.

In most simple terms, the girl was innocent. Suspicious, the indeed was the story—but the girl had shown no signs of trickery or espionage. That or the puppy eyes of the young girl were getting to him, which they were most definitely not!

Izuna stared at the young girl for a good while, before finally sighing. "Then, how about this - you can stay here for the night, and we'll see what we can do tomorrow. Is that alright, Kumiko-san?"

The girl's white eyes began shining in conspicuous delight. "Thank you, thank you!" she happily exclaimed, joyously hugging Izuna.

Yasuo had just finished his long, and refreshing shower, coming downstairs for some calcium-heavy milk before hitting the bed. However, just as he reached the floor, what greeted him was Kumiko, standing right next to Izuna, staring at him rather fervently.

Even before he had the chance to ask Kumiko the issue, the 'boy' had grabbed him into a tight hug. "Thank you so, so much, Yasuo-san!" she gleefully beamed.

Yasuo hugged the 'boy' back as he glanced at his father. Izuna let out a slight, but meaningful smile, gesturing a small thumbs-up toward the boy. Well, at least he could assume that Kumiko would be taken care of, seeing how happy the 'boy' was.

"You two can talk with yourselves," Izuna interrupted as the two now stared at the adult. "Oh right, Yasuo-chan, show Kumiko-chan the bathroom. A shower would do her much good. I'll be upstairs in the other bathroom—in my room—if you need me."

The boy nodded, and Izuna headed up the staircase, leaving the two kids alone. "I guess I should show you the bathroom now." Yasuo grinned as they broke apart from their hug. Kumiko slightly bobbed her head, getting faintly flustered as Yasuo held her hand and led them upstairs.

As the bathroom was not much of a distance away, the two had quickly reached it. "Wait here, Kumiko-kun," Yasuo said. "I'll get some clothes for you to wear." He pointed at a large basket. "Just put your old ones in there."

With that, he quietly sprinted to his—and Vyra's—room. He gently opened the door, nearly tip-toeing as he walked to the closet, careful not to wake his sleeping twin. He grabbed a plain t-shirt, some pants, and blindly took some underwear—all of which were Vyra's, of course.

Kumiko and Vyra were very similar in height and body, heck, even age. But, Yasuo knew Kumiko was a 'boy,' and his sister was most obviously not.

Yasuo exited the room, rushing back toward Kumiko, softly closing the door behind him. "Here you go," Yasuo hummed as he handed Kumiko the clothes. He pointed at a purple-white towel, "Use that one to clean your body afterward." He smiled. "I'll be waiting outside. I'll show you your room later."

The 'boy' nodded, entering the bathroom, closing the door behind 'him.'

Yasuo had planned —note planned— to use this time to maybe work on his [Skills]. Perhaps a bit of [Atomic Authority], then possibly some of his [Affinities]. But of natural course, almost every part of the said plan was in ruins mere seconds later—not even a minute had passed!

Yasuo stared at the newly clothed Kumiko with a deadpan. "Go back inside," he sighed, stoically pushed the 'boy' into the bathroom. "Don't worry about wasting water, or whatever. You can stay there for as long as you want."

He knew personally about the struggles orphans had to face, well, guessing that Kumiko was an orphan. He was one in his previous life, after all.

Yasuo began almost mechanically off taking the 'boy's' clothes, setting them up on a hook rack.

He unconsciously stared at Kumiko's crotch before quickly looking away and lightly pushed her back into the shower. He kept his face as expressionless as possible, stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door without looking back.

He took a deep breath, his mind racing. Now, he wasn't one for embarrassment. But he knew full well what they felt like, and right now, it was as if he had just stepped right into a death trap filled to the brim with it.

Maybe he needed a bit of alcohol, something real potent to kill those brain cells and drown out his thoughts. Though unfortunately-but-not-really, he is way too underaged for liquor—though sometimes he forgets that he was only four-years-old. And, even then, he hasn't had alcohol in some time just about forever.

Suicide was also a good alternative. After all, nothing comes after death, though that might not subject to himself due to the whole rebirth thing. But, there was also a big problem with that, as in—he couldn't die. The insanity that was the [Phenex Bloodline] had given him immortality. It wasn't perfect, but still undying nonetheless.

But even more importantly, SHE was a GIRL!

"Yasuo-san, a-are you alright?"

The Uchiha looked up, just realizing he was sitting on the floor, to see Kumiko staring at him. He lightly coughed before standing back up. "Y-yeah," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "Um, I'm sorry about, um...before." Hearing himself, he cringed on how stupid he sounded.

Kumiko waved both of her hands as she shook her head. "N-no, it's fine..." she said in a bare whisper, looking down at the floor, blushing bright red. 'Wow, it's like she didn't just get sexually harrassed however long a-' Yasuo quickly stopped his thoughts.

Then, began the awkward, and very uncomfortable silence.

"W-well, let me show you your room Kumiko...san." Yasuo forced a smile, taking her hand - careful not to grab her palm - and leading her to the barely-used, rather empty, and strangely clean guest room. He could only assume Shisui culprit - the cleanaholic.

Opening the door and entering the room, Yasuo pointed toward the closet to the left. "The bedding is inside there," he instructed before promptly heading to the exit. He wanted to leave the room as soon as possible. The shorter he stayed, the less uncomfortable he would be.

"Have a good night, Kumiko-san." He waved, leaving her to her own devices, as he went back to his room and fell asleep.

___

"Kumiko-chan," Izuna spoke up at breakfast. "-We're going to adopt you!" He dropped the bombshell, grinning almost wildly.

Vyra and Yasuo spat out her food in shock, as Kumiko blinked before tears began quickly gathered. "W-what?!" The fairer of the twins exclaimed, while Shisui swiftly cleaned up the mess of food that was on the floor and table.

"R-really?" Kumiko asked, just barely able to find her voice, almost lost in hope.

"Of course," Miyrae nodded, smiling gently toward the young girl. "Izuna and I talked in the morning, and both of us decided that it was best to adopt you."

"Tha-nk...y-ou so muc-h...!" The girl cried in joy within teary hiccups, hiding her face with her hands. Everyone—except Vyra, who had ever-so-slightly frowned—smiled as Izuna, the one Kumiko was sitting next to with Shisui to her right, patted her back.

"Well then, let's continue with breakfa-" Izuna's sentence had been cut short with the doorbell ringing to interrupt him.

"I'll get it!" Yasuo quickly stood up and ran to the door. He was pleasantly surprised when the one to show up was his very pale and anti-social friend. "Orochimaru!" Yasuo let out a friendly grinned. "Welcome...what brings you here?"

"I wanted to trai-"

"Oh, great!" Yasuo interrupted him, his face lit with a bright smile, pulling the pale-skinned boy inside. "Then stay for a bit. I was going to ask my new adopted sister if she wanted to come with us!" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in puzzlement but just shrugged it off.

As the two entered the living room, Izuna greeted the newcomer. "Ah, good morning, Orochimaru-kun. Would you like to join us for breakfast?"

"No, thank you, sir." The pale-skinned boy shook his head. "I'm only waiting for Yasuo-san to get ready to go, sir."

"Well, how about you take a seat and wait then?" Izuna offered. "Just standing there certainly won't help any—especially not your legs." Orochimaru complied, nodding in gratitude, before taking a seat at a couch near the corner of the room, quietly waiting.

As everyone finished their meals one by one, Yasuo asked the newest addition of the family: "Hey Kumiko-chan, wanna join me and," Yasuo pointed toward the boy in the corner, "Orochimaru for some sparring?"

The girl stared at Orochimaru, slightly wide-eyed in brief recognition, before turning her gaze toward Yasuo, eventually nodding with a light blush. "Y-yes, please—t-thank you..." she happily answered, smiling with evident joy.

Yasuo grinned, getting up from his chair, and pulling Kumiko and Orochimaru toward the front door. "Then let's go!" Yasuo cheered. "See you lat-"

"Wait!" Vyra stopped the three, as Yasuo tilted his head in confusion. "Kumiko, come with me for a minute..." she said, taking Kumiko's hand and dragging her upstairs. Yasuo looked toward Orochimaru, eyes seemingly asking for answers, but the pale boy only shrugged, equally ignorant.

The two girls soon back down. Their faces had lovely, yet terrifyingly abnormal smiles that just creeped out him out. "W-what did you two talk about?" Yasuo tried to sound like usual, but only to fail horribly.

"Nothing much, Onii-chan—just some girl things," Vyra responded cheerily.

"Indeed, Yasuo-chan," Izuna commented offhandedly, "Learn one thing from this father of yours: don't question girls when they taught among themselves...it's a scary experience." He mumbled the last part, the only one hearing it was Miyrae, who playfully pinched thigh.

"Okay, then..." Yasuo assented, once again taking Kumiko's hand before grabbing Orochimaru's, and departing into the streets.

"Later!" he shouted, as Orochimaru made Yasuo unhand him. Taking no offense, he waved back toward the house as an alternative, before just holding onto his elbow.

"S-see you soon!" Kumiko shouted back as well, albeit not as loud.

Yasuo looked at his two companions, grinning and tightening his grip on them. He began to run full throttle toward the Twenty-Fourth, only barely hearing the screams of Kumiko and the cursings of Orochimaru. He honestly couldn't blame them—they were being treated like ragdolls by him.

"Aannnnndddd...we're here!" Yasuo abruptly stopped, letting go of Orochimaru and keeping Kumiko stabilized with his now two free hands. Without the Uchiha holding him up, the pale-skinned boy quickly found himself losing balance, falling onto the ground.

"Hey! What the hel-"

Yasuo quickly covered his uncouth mouth. "My sister is right here~ don't say that in front of her," he whispered to Orochimaru before pulling the boy up. Looking around the empty field, Yasuo then clapped. "Let's spar," he proposed, "You two versus me!"

Orochimaru nodded, having already faced against the Uchiha many times in the past, and—not that he would ever admit—losing very one-sidedly.

"Yasuo-san a-are you sure?" Kumiko couldn't help but ask, her face filled with unwillingness. She was concerned about her new big brother's safety, not knowing whether or not he would be able to fight both of them unscathed.

"Yup!" Yasuo smilingly replied. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise, Kumiko-chan!"

Kumiko reluctantly nodded.

"But! Before we start, you two should discuss your strategy. Maybe tell each other what you can do, or not do?" Yasuo suggested, which Orochimaru quickly replied with a 'Yes' and a nod. "Alrighty, I'll give you two minutes!" With that, he left the two alone, vanishing into the nearby forest.

"Tell me your powers, and amount of experience you have with fighting," Orochimaru demanded, going straight to the point.

"I-I can use ice, but I've only practiced it at night..." Kumiko answered, leaving the part where she WASN'T supposed to do ANYTHING at night a secret. Of course, Orochimaru already knew, being an orphan himself and, not to mention that he was still staying in the Orphanage, but chose not to comment.

"What can you do with your ice?"

"I can t-turn them into small spikes and fire them..."

"Then, here's the plan, you stay back and try to hit that bastar-, your brother with your ice. Make sure you avoid anything that comes," though Orochimaru doubted Yasuo would use lethal attacks, "I'll be in the front, using Taijutsu—make sure you don't hit me, eith-"

"Alright!" Yasuo popped back into view, "Two minutes have passed, you two ready?" Kumiko opened her mouth to answer, while Orochimaru got into battle position. But, the girl was interrupted as Yasuo said: "Welp, doesn't matter, 'cause you two already had time to prepare!"

Yasuo charged at Orochimaru, giving a chance for Kumiko to get in a better position, which she took. The girl unhesitantly jumped backward, using a series of hand seals to prepare her [Jutsu]. Though, unfortunately, rather slowly due to her inexperience.

On the other hand, Orochimaru was having trouble blocking Yasuo's barrage of annoyingly painful punches. Knowing he had only a few more seconds before his hands gave in, Orochimaru decidedly leaped to his left.

Orochimaru's maneuver also conveniently gave Kumiko the optimal space and interval to unleash her [Jutsu].

"[Ice Release: One Hundred Petals]!" she yelled, putting her hands forward and releasing many needle-like ice projectiles.

"Lesson?-" Yasuo grinned, using pure speed to get in front of Kumiko, "-Don't shout out your attack's name!" He flicked her forehead with just enough force for her to fall, and that, she did. He smiled, "Annndd, you're out."

She silently stared at the floor and didn't complain, mature enough to know that she would already be dead in a real fight. She then and there decided mentally she would work harder to become more powerful, having Yasuo as the spark that ignited her passion.

But, she also decided she wouldn't hurt people who couldn't fight back, even if they were hurting her—just like those bullies. She was no saint and didn't dedicate to be one, but she wanted to help people, not hurt.

Not knowing what going through his sister's head, Yasuo turned to Orochimaru and dashed. His pale friend undoubtedly saw it coming with his smarts, though all he was doing was running toward him. But, Orochimaru couldn't make his body react in time.

Yasuo managed to land a hit, square in the middle of Orochimaru's stomach. Fortunately, he made sure to hold back, severely. The pale boy was thankfully not hurt, too much, and was still able to walk; though more like wobble than walk.

Eventually, Orochimaru could only fall onto his butt, thus giving up, leaving Yasuo the only one standing. Yasuo could hear the boy mutter something about unfairness, but ignored it.

"Welp, that went horribly for you two!" Yasuo laughed, provoking the two—more Orochimaru than Kumiko—before making them feel much worse: "By the way, we're doing this until the end of the day, so hurry and get your butts up!"

The three continued until nightfall slowly came; after saying goodbye to Orochimaru, Kumiko and Yasuo went back home.

Yasuo counted his gains in stats at dinner, with the one having the most increase: [Agility], going from [103] to [111]. The two other statistics that increased, [Power] and [Endurance], were raised to [97] and [105] respectively, while [Magic] and [Dexterity] did not change.

Yasuo inwardly laughed. He had gotten more stats in a day of training than in one whole year of practical-procrastination.

Nevertheless, with that, the day ended for the family after dinner.