Dogs can talk?!

I slowly opened my eyes, the morning light filtering through the curtains. After the events of last night, I had slipped into a sleep-like state, attempting to sort through the jumble of memories, both mine and Shin Ten's, trying to gather information. It was a futile effort; the gaps in his memories refused to give any more substantial information about this strange world.

I also tried to think in my own language, the one from my world, which also proved equally fruitless. Each time, my thoughts inevitably reverted to the unfamiliar language of this world. It was a relief, at least, to understand it, even if I couldn't escape it.

I shifted my gaze towards the door, sensing a presence beyond it, and sighed. It had occurred to me to inform the family of this body that I had taken command; however, I was uncertain of what happened to the prior soul that occupied it, so I couldn't. Two possibilities crossed my mind: one being that the soul had simply departed, leaving the body empty, and the other, more likely scenario that my own soul had overpowered his and crushed it.

That would explain why I have his memories. The hippocampus is where memories are stored in the brain. Obviously, this body wasn't my own, so it seemed my soul must have been carrying them. That theory also made more sense since he now cannot recall all of the past events of this body clearly due to its soul being crushed and him absorbing some fragments. But, of course, all of this was just speculation... I hoped.

I pushed the thoughts aside and rose from the bed. I walked to the door and stood there for a few seconds and sure enough, a knock was heard. I hesitated for a moment before opening the door. Standing there was my sister, her eyes a shade of deep brown, wide and expectant, a cascade of dark hair falling over her shoulders.

"You... you are already awake?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of surprise. "You said you would help me make breakfast, so hurry up and let's go get some eggs."

I nodded my head slowly and turned around. She stared at me for a moment before speaking, "Are you alright? Did something happen?"

I made an effort not to show a reaction, turning towards her. I looked at her, raising my eyebrows in inquiry. "It's still so early in the morning, sis! Of course, I'm not okay! I could be sleeping right now!"

She eyed me for a moment before giving me a smile. "How do you expect to be a ninja if you sleep in? If you want to be a ninja, you'd better hurry up. I'll be waiting for you downstairs," she said gently.

She spun on her heel and walked away from me. I stood in the doorway, observing her for a few seconds before shutting the door. That was close. From what I recalled, she had started learning ninja skills at the ninja academy. I didn't know what they taught these kids in that school. I could have been detected or appeared suspicious. Thankfully, I also remembered how the previous owner behaved, which helped me blend in.

Making my way to the closet, I opened it up and pulled out his usual outfit from the clothes hangers inside. It was a blue, form-fitting jacket with various pockets and straps, a black t-shirt, and white shorts.

"I find these clothes quite strange, no matter which way I look at them," I muttered to myself as I changed into the outfit. The clothes were quite different from what I was used to wearing in my own world. After I finished changing, I made my way downstairs and met my sister.

"Ah, you're here!" she exclaimed. "Let's hurry before the line gets long." She quickly tied her hair into two buns and picked up her bag. I followed her out the door, the cool morning air hitting me in the face. As we walked, I took in the sights and sounds of this new world. It was vastly different from what I was used to. People walked around in strange clothing, even stranger accessories such as a green vest. The buildings were different too, with intricate designs and architecture that I had never seen before. It was overwhelming, but I tried not to let it show on my face.

My sister groaned in frustration as she spotted the elderly ladies in front of her at the eggs stand. "Ugh, I knew it! Those grandmas always beat us here," pointing to another, shorter line in the distance, she said firmly, "Wait here and don't move an inch!" then quickly took off to join the others waiting there.

I was captivated by her speed for a few seconds before I turned to look around. A group of children were gathered around a man, laughing as one shouted, "Come on! Turn yourself into a dog next!" This quickly caught my attention.

The man grinned and moved his hands in a pattern before a puff of smoke filled the area. Suddenly, a dog was standing in the spot where the man had been moments earlier. I shook my head at how simple the trick was; he must have used a smoke illusion paper or something similar as a distraction to get the dog there. Suddenly, the dog lifted itself up on its hind legs and grabbed hold of the stool behind it, climbing onto it for a seat.

I observed the scene before me with a mix of confusion and disbelief, and to my utter shock, the dog started talking. "Now, kids, pay up and I will do a trick!" it said, its voice clear and articulate.

My eyes widened in astonishment. Talking dogs? Tricks for payment? This was beyond anything I could comprehend. I watched as the children, seemingly unsurprised, dug into their pockets and handed over some coins, and in return, the dog performed a series of impressive tricks, much to their amusement.

I couldn't wrap my head around what I had just witnessed. Was this a normal occurrence in this world? Could animals talk here? It seemed that the rules of reality in this place were vastly different from what I knew.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice my sister returning until she nudged me with her elbow. "Hey, what's with that shocked expression? Haven't you seen a ninja before?" she teased, clearly amused by my reaction.

A ninja? That's a ninja?! Damn these broken memories! What sorcery was that man practicing? I would have noticed if he was utilizing mana, yet I felt nothing. Whatever he did, it must have been similar to a Rank 1 illusion magic and without the use of mana? I turned to my sister in alarm, "No way - it just always takes me by surprise.... Hey, sis, could you show me how to do that?"

She rolled her eyes before she started walking away and I hurriedly followed her. "I can't do that yet, I'm still training," she said. "And why are you always so impatient? You start the ninja academy in just two days. You'll be able to learn it then."

"But... Fine," I sighed in resignation, not realizing I was speaking my true feelings. "Alright then, let's get home quickly so I can prepare for the Academy."

Two days huh, seems like I have some time to get used to this new world before I start my training. I need to learn.

-----

"Ah, so that's how you do it?" exclaimed a kid with wild, yellow hair, leaping off a tree with a triumphant grin. Without a second thought, he darted away. Remarkably, even in the densest crowd, people seemed to instinctively part ways, creating a path for him. Their faces were a mix of emotions, but among the myriad expressions, fear and anger were the most prominent.