Oasis in the Dunes

"You're really leaving?" Naruto asked, looking a little sad.

"Yeah, heading off to Suna for the Chunin exams," I replied with a nod. "Going to see if I actually have what it takes to be a Chunin. I'll be gone at least a month and a half, depending on how long the trip takes."

"Wow. Well, I'll miss you," Naruto said with a smile. "Good luck, hope you do well."

"I do too," I said, pulling a rectangular-shaped present that had been gift-wrapped to perfection from my storage seals. "Also, I got something for you."

Naruto blinked at the sight of the package. "What for?"

"Because it's your birthday," I explained. "Or it's going to be. I'm going to be in Suna for it, so I decided to get you something early."

He tried to say something, but honestly didn't seem to be able too. Was Naruto actually speechless?

"So, uh…yeah. Happy Birthday, since I'm not going to be here for it," I said, handing Naruto the package I had carefully wrapped.

"Thanks Daisuke," He said, taking the package gingerly and carefully starting to unwrap it. That's…odd, I thought he'd be the type of person to just rip the package open. The contents came into view. "A collection of spices?"

"For your ramen," I explained. "You know, extra seasoning for your noodles if you don't want to use the stuff that comes with the package."

"Oh," Naruto said. Then his eyes started to get a bit wider. "Ohhhhhh. Okay! Thanks, Daisuke!"

"You're welcome," I said with a smile. The suggestion actually came from Hiashi Hyuuga who, surprisingly, has shot up to 'total bro' status with this one thing alone. I almost forgot about the Caged Bird seal nonsense from that alone, but one does not simply forget the Caged Bird Seal nonsense. "I'm happy I was able to get you a good gift, actually."

"I...honestly, I didn't think you knew when my birthday was," Naruto replied with a blink. Then he hurriedly smiled and tucked the spices under his arm. "Don't worry about it, though. This is perfect, thank you."

He didn't think I knew when his birthday was?

"Daisuke?" Naruto began.

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry about it," Naruto repeated forcefully. "The present is perfect, thank you. You're fine, I'll miss you when you're gone. Hope you make it through the exams."

"I…yeah, I do too," I replied with a forced smile. "Thanks, I'll miss you too."

I should've been getting him presents way before now. Where was my head at?

Bum-bum-bum-Bum!

Level Up!

Level 24.

Well, you know what I realized? When I get almost Perfect, I'm going to get 10 extra points in every non-intelligence based skill, so maxing out all of those skill points? So, it would've been pointless if I wasn't going to max out all the skills anyway without the boost, but it's good to know. I went ahead and grabbed the Fire release element, leaving Wind as my only hole and spent all 23 points in Ranged Weaponry, bringing it up to 90 without bonuses.

10,000 EXP flat until level 25.

So glad that heat doesn't bother me anymore.

The forests of Konoha had faded away into sandy desert hours ago and the sun, as awesome as it was, had declared this desert a 'no growth zone' as the heat beat down on everyone, making the sand beneath me radiate warmth that reached up through my boots.

It was still kind of annoying, though, so I had gone ahead and made myself a board that resembled half of a walnut shell and just surfed down the sand dunes which was a lot of fun. I think one of the things I actually enjoy a lot is finding new ways of locomotion or new methods of accomplishing the same locomotion because moving around really, really fast is, well, fun.

We were moving as one party, my team somewhere in the middle of the jounin escort that accompanied them. You know who else is accompanying us? Anko.

Yeah, I'm shocked. She actually recovered more or less to completion before we had to go, garnering the Hokage's, the Doctors and my seal of approval for the trip. Honestly amazed. And happy to have her around.

Perception Check Success: 8/5.

…now that I think about it, the amount they're sweating might mean that this trip is very, very uncomfortable for them. Maybe I could offer that AC seal that I came up with? Might be good. But I don't want to upset Hisako, who might still take issue with what I can do…in fact, I'm pretty sure she does.

Maybe I should offer anyway? I should offer anyway.

It was only a few minutes after I decided to offer before the Hokage stopped us all for a water break. We weren't technically in enemy territory and we were expected so I guess we could afford to stop. Since everyone else needed to drink to stave off dehydration, I guess it makes sense.

"So, guys," I started, sliding backwards with the group on my nut-shaped board up to the members of my team. "I developed a seal for temperature regulation. You guys want it?"

"How does it work?" Nichiren asked.

"It takes just a bit of your chakra and cools you down, meaning you can journey through the desert in comfort," I explained. "Would that be okay? You guys can remove the seal yourselves if you don't like the chakra-drain effect."

"Wait, how does that work?" Anko had sat beside Kakashi and Nichiren and asked that question with an analytical look on her face.

"Just feed some chakra into the center and the seal will break," I replied with a shrug. "Pretty easy."

"…okay," Anko said, cupping her chin in thought.

"You know what, sure," Nichiren said. "I'd like to try."

"Cool," I put my hand on his shoulder and wrote the seal there. The breaking point was in the center as advertised and the actual cooling part was a ring compacted into as thin a line as I could get it. "There you go. Anyone else?"

Hisako…slowly put her hand up. "I'd like one."

I put my hand on her shoulder, writing the seal there as well. My hand felt oddly tingly as I moved it.

After a second, she smiled. "Oh, yeah. That's much better. Thanks!"

"You're welcome," I replied with a smile of my own. "Kakashi-sensei? Anko?"

"I'm fine, but thanks for offering," Kakashi eye-smiled.

"I'll pass, thanks," Anko said. "I appreciate the offer but I…don't feel like putting a seal on me right now."

"Alright," I replied with a shrug.

"Everyone, attention!" The Hokage called and we stood straight up. "The meeting place is just over the next dune. I want to remind everyone that we are guests in their village. Do nothing to deliberately antagonize members of their village, am I understood?"

I raised my hand with a disconcerted look on my face.

"And Mitarashi, if you'd be in charge of chaperoning Shimoda-kun to make sure he doesn't accidentally start a war?" The Hokage added upon seeing my hand and face.

"You got it, Hokage-sama," Anko replied cheerfully.

Oh, good. I've got a chaperone. Yay.

"Does anyone have any questions before we head to the meeting point?" The Hokage asked, scanning the crowd, specifically the group of Chunin that had been shepherded in the center of the formation.

Ai, a redheaded applicant that was in my academy class raised her hand. I hadn't associated with her since she called me a know-it-all when I tried to help her with her chakra-control but maybe she's grown up a bit? "What kind of things should we avoid talking about?"

"Anything to do with how many missions we get or how economically prosperous our village has been," The Hokage answered. "The Suna Daimyo has shoved missions off to our village and left them to hang on multiple occasions. And they know it. Don't say a thing, understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Everyone said at once.

Why do I get the feeling that perhaps Suna should've had a coup going if that was the case?

You know, I'm wondering if that might be what's going to happen soon. Or if something happened to stop it from happening in the series. That almost bears investigating, right? I mean, I'm really curious.

Quest Accepted: 1001 Tales.

Search for signs of a Coup against the Sand Daimyo: (0/3).

(Optional: Find documents for each Great Shinobi War): (0/3)

(Optional: Don't get spotted once).

Okay, before I just gun it for-oh, we're moving.

The meeting place was at the bottom of a steep cliff where the Kazekage and two guards waited for us. I recognized one of the other guards immediately – red hair, giant gourd on his back, the darkest rings around a person's eyes that I had ever seen, Gaara of the Desert. He perked up for a second when the group arrived and began scanning the crowd. Wonder what he's looking for.

How much ryo would I bet that there was an army of Jounin at the top of that cliff waiting for something bad to happen? Anyway.

"Kazekage-dono," The Hokage and the Kazekage exchanged bows. "It is good to see you."

"Likewise, Hokage-dono," The Kazekage replied courteously but with no sense or trace of friendliness. At least I think he was being cool about this, I can't imagine he'd actually be happy to see the Hokage given the amount of business we're stealing.

Gaara's still scanning the crowd. What's he looking for?

You know, I wonder what the probabilities of having to fight Gaara are. Probably pretty good. I'd actually be sort of excited for that actually. I mean in the series he was built up to be this almighty lord of the sand that was nigh unbeatable. You know what that screams? Life-threatening challenge. You know what I live for? Life-threatening challenges.

Not because I'm suicidal. Pretty sure I dispelled that myth a long time ago. Just that there's an extra spike of adrenaline in there when your life is at stake that makes it way more fun. Anyway, better pay attention.

They exchanged further pleasantries and before long, a large line of Shinobi that was not visible showed up at the cliff, parting at the middle to grant us entry. We followed the Kazekage, his son and the other shinobi, whatever his name was, up the cliff and over, laying eyes on Sunagakure for the first time.

It was a city in a bowl and I wondered how bad sand-storms ravaged it when they kicked up. But the tanned, domed buildings were a far-cry from the wheels on squares design philosophy of Konoha buildings. Suna's buildings actually reminded me of honey-pots from my old world, actually. Not sure why, but they did.

Honestly, I enjoyed seeing it. Not going to lie, I did like Konoha, but after almost thirteen years of seeing the same place, it was nice to have a change. And a change it was, the city was literally made of sand. Well, hardened sand. Brick. Likely made through Sand Jutsu.

Going on with that last thought, that quest. I don't want to just go through with this, giving it the old college try and likely starting a war by just not thinking it through. I don't want to risk a war just because I was impatient for a few extra EXP points. Danjuro would be so disappointed if I did that.

But I am curious about the history that Suna has. It's account of what happened because I'm sure what got taught to me in history class was heavily edited to paint us in the best light possible and I have a problem with people editing history to promote political causes. So, in the interest of getting the complete picture…I should do this quest.

But is it worth possibly starting a war with perhaps our biggest allies?

I can be patient.

Let's wait until after the exams and port back here. By then I'll have maxed out Sneak and I'll be able to move around without risking detection. Because as much fun as a war would be, and I'm ashamed to admit the last war I was in might've been the best thing that ever happened to me, I don't want my friends in the middle of one.

Actually, while I'm on that subject, would I even be able to fight a war? One that I don't agree with? I'm 100% capable of disobeying orders, this I know for a fact and the only reason I fought alongside the penguins besides desperation for EXP was because I'm against genocide. Like, I really, really don't like the idea of genocide. But if we went to war, there's a good chance that there would not be a peaceful outcome.

Naruto, after all, could fail. He didn't in the manga, but he's only human. Heck, I'm most certainly not human anymore and I could still fail any number of tasks. Skill check or not, I'm not omniscient.

"Daisuke?" Hisako asked quietly, nudging me with her elbow.

"Hm?" I turned to her.

"Are you okay? You look like you're…" Hisako paused before completing the sentence. "Crying."

"Wha-?" I brought a hand to my face and…huh. That is a tear. "That's weird. Eh, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, Hisako."

She looked at me quizzically then had a sort of…dawning realization draw on her face. What? "Yeah, no problem."

Odd.

We handed our passports in at the gate as instructed and were then shortly thereafter shepherded over to a hotel that had been prepared ahead of time for us to stay here. Honestly, it reminded me more of a lodge – there was a lobby with almost a dozen rooms branching off of it and there was more than one of these lobbies, so it was just me, my team, and Anko in this particular wing.

The lobby had the bare necessities for guests, couches which became futons, a game table with chairs around it, a fireplace, etc. I stood to the side of the couch looking around while Hisako laid down on it folding her arms behind the pillow she rested her head on. Kakashi and Nichiren sat down on the sofas and Anko sat on the spot of the couch that Hisako did not take up, throwing her feet up on the coffee table.

"Well, that was a fun trip," Nichiren sighed, taking his glasses off and started cleaning them. "I've never been in the desert before."

"Here I thought Konoha got hot," Hisako took a breath, looking up at me with a grateful smile. "Thanks for the seal, Daisuke-kun."

"You're welcome," I replied with a nod. "It was really easy to make."

See, it's weird. I don't think I like her, then something happens and I find myself daydreaming about her, then Ino tried things and then I thought I might've liked her but what I really want to do is take Anko or Ayame or someone closer to my age group but then I still want to date Hisako for some strange, inexplicable reason and…you know what, this is why I decided to wait until Almost Perfect. This relationship crap is too confusing for me and I don't like it. Sure a relationship right now might make me happy but right now all it's doing is sending me into an emotional tailspin. That's with Charisma scaling with my level, I might add.

"So, are you three excited?" Anko asked with this big, sadistic smile on her face that I've come accustomed to seeing from her. You know, when she wasn't ridiculously happy that I had brought her dango.

"I'm excited that I might be able to do missions on my own," I shrugged. Not going to lie, even with my increased emphasis on learning how to work with other people, going on my own would be…much less complicated. "After this, I mean."

"What, you don't like having us around?" Hisako pouted, her hands behind her head and clutching the pillow against her scalp.

"Uh, well, uh, see what I mean is-" I hate you, hormones. Make my brain go fuzzy, why don't you?

"I'm kidding," Hisako smiled. "Yeah, I understand. I've been wanting to try some solo missions myself, actually."

"Usually solo missions are reserved for Special and regular Jounin," Kakashi-sensei corrected, his eye half-closed in irritation. "So, don't go thinking your free to do whatever you want."

My head snapped to him. "Wait, you're kidding."

"Nope," Kakashi shook his head. "I mean, it's not going to be the same three people going on missions together each time, but it is a team."

I groaned in irritation. "Fine. That sucks."

"That just means we might all be doing missions together again, right?" Nichiren asked with a grin.

"I hope so," Hisako replied. "I like my team."

"I probably won't be with you," Kakashi replied with an eye-smile. "Because you need to learn how to function without me, my cute little Genin."

"It won't be the same without you, Sensei," Nichiren told him with a sad smile.

"Besides, it might not take you long to make Jounin," Anko offered from her position on the couch. "The way I hear it, you've all done missions that would be given at that paygrade anyway, right?"

"Yup," Nichiren nodded.

"Eh, if you do well as Chunin, you'll probably just get field promoted, then," Anko shrugged. "I'd do that if it were up to me."

"That'd be great," Hisako sighed. "Be jounin before thirteen. That was when you became a Jounin, right Sensei?"

"That's actually when I got into ANBU," Kakashi replied with an eye-smile. "So…not quite, but it's still impressive, Hisako-chan."

"Thanks, Sensei," She still looked disappointed.

"So, I brought a deck of cards," Anko said, whipping out said deck from nowhere like she was a freakin' magician. "You kid's ever play poker?"

My eyebrow twitched, but I don't think Anko noticed.

"Didn't sensei tell us no gambling?" Nichiren asked, his brow knitting in concern.

Kakashi shrugged. "If you make Chunin, you won't be beholden to me anymore and you might need to gamble on a mission of some kind."

"We gambling for actual money?" I asked with a frown.

"If you're brave enough," Anko replied with a sly smile on her face.

"Gonna pass then," I replied with a shrug. I had max luck, which meant I automatically won games of chance. As much fun as it was, I had enough awareness that my friends wouldn't take kindly to being cleaned out.

"We don't have to use actual money," Kakashi's eye narrowed at Anko. "Besides, you're stressed enough as it is with the exams. Right, Anko?"

"Right. Yeah, totally," Anko nodded rapidly. "I brought chips we can use too."

She produced the box, a rectangular thing made of very high-quality wood.

"I'll pass," I said with a frown, turning on my heel. "I'm going to my room. It was a long trip, right?"

"Yeah," Hisako nodded.

"Go ahead and…decompress, Daisuke," Kakashi added and I slid off to the room that I had designated as mine.

Inside, was simple. Desk, chair, futon. Easy. First, put FTG seal under the carpet, then lock the door, then put a seal on the door and window to let me know if either are being opened. Now none of the other Chunin exam applicants were Hyuuga, so I was able to create a clone.

"Nap time?" It asked me quietly.

"Yup. Off to the vault," I replied before porting straight there.

Ahhhhhhh…

When I get here, it's always like a sigh of relief. A better future underground indeed.

Now what was it that I had? Right, I had fire in my tool belt, which means that I need to find out what the combinations with fire do. I'm also in Suna, so I need a seal that filters poisons because I want to make their puppeteering corps. cry and give it to my teammates. And the other teams too, even though one of them called me a name a few years ago. Doesn't mean she deserves to be poisoned to death, just punched in the face.

And who knows, maybe I'll get my chance.

Okay, uh…blood-type's not going to be an issue, will it? No. Mass and body weight…might be taxing on their chakra but unless they're literally bombarded with a poison-nuke or something it should be negligable. So…

+1200 EXP.

8,800 more EXP until level 25.

Alright, one poison-filter ready for application. This'll get my team through the Chunin exams. I'll make something later that they can turn on and turn off and I'll have to explain what to do if the seal gets damaged.

Actually, is there a seal I can write that would transfer damage to them to my skeleton? Well, there is. It would just be extremely chakra intensive. On them. Lethally so. So no, no indestructible seal for my friends. Sad.

Chakra Exhaustion is no joke.

Next, let's figure out some of the Fire combinations. First, Earth and Lightning.

You have unlocked Explosion Release!

+1200 EXP.

Oh, wow. Explosion release. Combined with explosion…actually, hang on. I need a name for my fighting style. Grenade Fu? Red Gibbing Fist? The Bloody Mess Style? Whatever. Point is, my punches are going to be even better.

Fire and…Water.

+1200 EXP.

You have unlocked Boil Release!

…okaaaaay then. What's the point of this? I already have Acid. And Acid is literally better in anyway. Like…you know Waterbenders? From Avatar: The Last Airbender? Imagine everything they can do, but with the ability to generate and manipulate the most caustic and corrosive material that I've ever had the privilege to work with. I mean, that stuff burned through my vaults lab table, the floor and then through three feet of solid stone beneath that.

Given how it ate through my vault like it did, it likely goes through chakra enhanced materials too. Like Gaara's sand, which if I'm forced to fight him, would be very, very handy.

Fire and Earth next.

+1200 EXP.

You have unlocked Volcanic Release!

You know, the text books I read mentioned a theoretical Lava Release. I wonder why the game changed it. More honest perhaps?

Next, Fire and Lightning.

+1200 EXP.

You have unlocked Plasma Release!

Ooh, now we're talking. Nice, glowing green aesthetic…that was just like Acid release. Only this was on fire. Well, kind of on fire. It's directly from Fallout, basically. Same look and feel, which is interesting and raises a question: Was it like that already or did the game make it that way because I invented the combination?

Or is it just assets being reused?

Not sure I'll ever answer the question, but let's move on.

4,000 until level 25. Fun.

Now, the tri combo…Fire, Earth and Lighting?

+2400 EXP.

You have unlocked Fission Release!

Fission Release. As in Nuclear capability. As in the single most Fallout thing that I have in my arsenal. That…holy cow. This isn't Fusion Release, so it's not like I can make anything now. This is Fission. As in the same process which causes nuclear explosions. This…is my new favorite. I may be trying to go for a peaceful run now, but I can appreciate having a nuclear weapon at my beck and call.

I have nukes. Nukes. This actually almost makes me regret trying harder for pacifist…well, it's not like I have to follow the no kill guideline to the letter, right? There are people that deserve the complete and total annihilation that I can now provide them. There's got to be one such disgusting, black-stained soul that can only be cleansed by the bright, burning light of a nuclear bomb, right?

Orochimaru is one such soul.

Ohohohoho…yes. Wipe out the snake with a Fatman? Yes please. Most certainly. Let's go make a jutsu right now!

I ran down the stairs, past the robotics bay where my incomplete Mr. Handy laid on the floor in pieces and into the target range. I popped my knuckles and grinned.

Yamato Cannon.

+600 EXP.

Inspired by Starcraft, the ball of glowing red energy flew from my hands and engulfed the entire end wall in devastating heat, setting the wood on fire and causing the garbled sound of ticking and static that I hadn't heard in so long to fill my ears.

I didn't even know I had a Geiger Counter.

My mouth fell open as the counter faded away and it came to my attention that I had just taken rads. I'm going to need to be very careful with this nuclear jutsu. To many rads and I'll die right away.

And I'll need to put out the fires currently engulfing my shooting range. Yeah, that'd be important.

Hydro Pump!

Volcanic Release to store the melted stone below in a seal…

Lava Scoop…that is such a bad name.

+300 EXP.

700 until level 25. So at least two more jutsu, unless I decide to make a big one, which I might. Probably won't make a huge Fission Release one because that could turn accidentally suicidal. But before I do that, I want to take care of the rads.

Wood release was perhaps the best crafting investment I've ever made. I took a turn down the right corridor into the hydroponics garden that I had made, seals keeping everything running smoothly. A glowing fungus that I figured would have enough anti-radiation juices floating around that I started growing for novelties sake was picked and I took the stalks over to the chemistry station I had rigged up to produce stimpacks and got to work. In about twenty minutes, helped along by jutsu, the dose was ready and I, using a wood-release based needle, injected it into my arm.

My Geiger-counter showed up again, this time showing what little rads I had sink to zero before disappearing again.

I almost wanted to dose myself with rads again, just to hear the familiar sound of the Geiger counter. Almost, but no. That's a little much.

You know, if I'm going to be using a lot of Fission Release, and I am, I need to make room foreither Rad Absorption or Irradiated Beauty. Since I had a pair of vacancies show up, I think either one of them can slide right on in without issue. Should I pick one or the other or both? Rad Absorption simply takes rads down no matter what as long as I'm not being exposed and Irradiated Beauty lets my sleeping remove all my rads.

…maybe Absorption, since I don't plan on sleeping a lot. If I'm sleeping, I've been taking damage, and that's not a good thing. Also, creating a seal-based defense against my own radiation…may actually remove the need for those perks entirely. Huh.

Anyway, I've 700 more exp until I level so…an A-rank jutsu would just finish it right off. I don't think there's a jutsu that'll turn Radiation into health like the Perk Ghoulish does, but there is a jutsu that'll just keep it off of me at the expense of chakra, which isn't too bad.

+600 EXP.

Alright, just 100 more. As I walked back up to the targeting range, I was thinking.

You know, I haven't actually hit the most powerful jutsu I can create. The ones that, conceivably, would do damage in the trillions of points. The reason being that those are most likely suicide jutsu, jutsu that would burn my body up or disintegrate me or turn me into a living bomb. The only things that would be left would be the adamantium that currently covers my skeleton. Not the skeleton, the metal that covers the skeleton.

I can't really think of any reason I'd ever use a jutsu like that, so no point in thinking about it anymore.

How about a Fission Flak Cannon?

Yeah, there we go. That'd be kind of cool!

Fission Flak Cannon!

+300 EXP.

Exploding into scattered bits of yellow light off in the distance of the target range, the cannon did its job. Probably best against a swarm of enemies, like clones or something. I'd never use a fission jutsu on Naruto…ugh…

Memories of the vision I had at the monster house filled my mind, watching Naruto die of radiation poisoning…no. Nope. Even if we ended up as enemies for some reason that I can't fathom, I'm never using a Fission Jutsu on him. Even if it costs me the fight.

Bum-bum-bum-Bum!

Level Up!

Level 25!

Finish Sneak, bringing it up to 100. Put the remaining 3 points into Genjutsu since, as distasteful as I find the subject, I need to bring it up so that I could afford my epic level perks later on. So it goes from 70 to 73.

10,550 more EXP until level 26.

Alright, there goes that.

I arrived back at the room and dispelled the clone without a thought. Okay, nothing happened, he was just having a weird dream about unicorns, cars and Christmas.

…oh man. I haven't thought about Christmas in forever. It's even December. The Elemental Nations, naturally, didn't have a Christmas. Or a Hanukah. Or Kwanza. Or even a Festivus (another thing I haven't thought about in a while). It was just business as usual. Man, it's been a while…you know what my favorite Christmas song is? I'll be home for Christmas…oh, man. Now I'm getting emotional.

There was a knock at the door.

I slid over and opened it and…there was Hisako. She was dressed, sans jacket and she looked…concerned. "Daisuke, hey…were you asleep? I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," I replied with a shrug. "I just got up. What do you need?"

"Well…" She started, looking concerned. "I wanted to apologize."

I blinked. "For what?"

"For the book club," She answered, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "You really just wanted to talk about books and I…helped turn it into an argument with Ino about…stuff. I didn't mean for it to turn into that and…I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I replied with a shrug. "I don't think you wanted to turn it into an argument."

"But, I kind of did…" She replied quietly.

"Why?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

"Well…Ino was just…trying to score points with you," Hisako explained with a shrug. "And I got mad about it and as a result, ruined your effort to expand your social network. I'm really sorry."

"Score points-?" I started before cutting myself. "I don't think you invited every single clan to the group meeting. I mean, yeah, it was a little annoying how you and Ino were forgetting details about the book we were talking about, but it becoming a circus wasn't your fault. At all. That's what I was mad about."

Hisako blinked. "Thanks, Daisuke…that actually made me feel better."

"I almost can't believe it turned out that way," I replied with half-closed eyes. "…did you need anything else?"

"Well, I also wanted to say sorry about," Hisako began with a frown, letting out another breath. "How much grief I gave you over your bloodline and your…difficulties. With people."

"But my bloodline and difficulties with people caused you a lot of grief," I replied with a blink. "I figured we were even."

"No, not at all," Hisako shook her head. "At first, I thought it was so unfair you could do so much impossible stuff just by existing and I hated that that much power wound up in the hands of someone who can make you feel terrible just be being around you."

"Sorry about that," I replied automatically.

"No, no. Stop, let me finish," She waved it off. "I…realized that you had a lot of problems because of your difficulties and that the power you have came at the cost of being terrible with people."

"That's putting it mildly, yes," I replied. She wasn't wrong. My power did come with a cost. I lost my life, my family, my friends, my culture, my civilization. All of that.

"And I didn't realize that," She said after a minute of holding her tongue. "So, I'm very, very sorry for being so unfair to you and I hope that I can…help you be happy in the future. Or at least just be a good friend."

"Hisako, I appreciate it," I said, trying to be diplomatic. "But being…handicapped the way I am doesn't change the fact that I hurt people. Hurt you. And I'm sorry for that. It's…part of why I'm dreading the social powerup, actually. I'm going to be able to see all the myriad ways that I caused people duress."

"Oh," Her shoulders drooped. "You shouldn't really dwell on it, you couldn't help any of that."

"I could've," I replied with a blink. "If I hadn't sacrificed my social ability for insane amounts of luck."

"You…when did you do this?" Hisako asked with a deep frown.

"I was in the orphanage," I explained. "I was only a year old when I was able to…lay out my initial set of powers. I wasn't talking to anyone that much, no one really seemed interested in talking to me, I doubted I'd ever get adopted and I didn't think charisma actually did anything. So…charisma became the dump stat and Luck was brought up nearly to max."

Hisako was blinking. "…you must've hated yourself for doing that."

"On more than one occasion, yes," I replied with a sigh. "So yes. I'm sorry."

"So, we're both sorry for stuff we did," Hisako replied. "Can we accept our apologies and move on with our lives?"

"Sure. I accept your apology," I said, shrugging.

"And I accept yours," Hisako replied with a smile. Then she gestured down to the table in the lobby. "We're still playing cards…you want to join us now?"

I blinked, and looked at her. She was still smiling, holding the gesture out to the table, her black eyes locked on mine.

"Sure," I answered. "I can play a hand or two. I guess."

Her smile got wider and I followed her down the stairs.