CH5

Popola pulled her straight hair back into a ponytail and got to work cleaning the kitchen. It was the least she could do to keep the kitchen clean. There wasn't much else for her to do at night. She liked the spring night and the fireflies in the flower garden outside. The sweet home was beautiful and she had her own garden to plant whatever she wanted including a few rare teas she enjoyed. Her kettle was about ready to go off and then she planned to enjoy some late night tea.

Dastardly plans to succumb to her tea addiction ended when she heard footsteps. If it was Devola she would get a favor off in exchange for a cup. If it was Tsunade then she didn't know what she would do with the strange super human woman. Zack well sharing tea could be romantic the could go out among the fireflies and beautiful stars.

She froze when she heard footsteps.

It was Zack and he looked troubled. She would do anything to make him feel better. He saved both Devola and herself.

"What's wrong did I wake you?"

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "I had a bad dream a nightmare really."

"You can tell me about it, I won't even tell Devola." Popola said.

Zack's smile dropped. "I can't trust Tsunade with this. Human women use a man's weakness against them."

Popola giggled. "I guess that's one of the advantages of having us. We have no other motive than to help you and other humans."

Zack raised his hand and three fireballs appeared. A fourth one tried to form but two vanished instead.

Popola manifested 10 orbs of magic and let them circle around her hand. "You'll get the hang of it keep practicing and you'll see results. Let me make us something to drink and we can talk about what's troubling you."

"That sounds good."

Cups in hand they moved to the swing set and the fireflies were lovely. He wrapped an arm over her shoulder like she read humans used to do and she was giddy with excitement. If she had a heart she was sure it would be racing instead her macco reactor thrummed with her contained magic.

"Every night I dream of a singularity. I float over it and its terrifying." Zack stared into the distance.

"Light and matter is swallowed up into the unknown and with all my power I can do nothing against it. Every night it looks larger and last tonight it was larger by far. I think I have to destroy it." Zack made a fist and chakra gathered around it until it glowed a soft blue color. "How do I destroy a black hole."

Zack sipped his tea and relaxed a little. "That's good, I feel connected to it and seeing it terrifies me. Do you understand me?" Zack asked.

Popola thought about it before shaking her head. "Nope I can't say I understand. I was scared that humans would never come back and we would live without fulfilling our programming. If what you feel is like that then the only thing I've found that helps is a hobby. I like to collect things and Devola likes to sing and perform. So find something you like to do that has nothing to do with training and have fun." Popola said.

…

They were in the dojo of the sweet home in a pocket dimension, completely protected and relaxed. Tsunade had a smirk on her face through the entire fight as Zack fought her with his meager chakra contending against her kage level reserves. Most of their fighting was her adjusting his form on the fly with chakra strings and beating years of ninja academy into his skull.

She held up a kunai used chakra strings to attach a ninja wire and tossed it in a single fluid motion. He sensed the chakra in the kunai but the wire was invisible to his senses. Only when it entered his 20ft field did he become aware of it. Flaming strings of cut the wire dividing his focus. It was a game of chess more than a simple fight.

Tsunade started to put him in a situation that would lead to his defeat and strung along backups while he was forced to react. A blow to his stomach shot him back like a rocket into the wall of the dojo.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Tsunade asked.

"I need to shut down your traps automatically but how do I train that?" Zack asked.

"No that isn't possible at your level. Do you think your bloodline limit is the first one I've fought. Its basically yin release fire that can effect the natural world. That is far from beyond my understanding. The fluidity of your control and options is your weakness and advantage. Because you aren't limited to a few techniques you have to prepare everything yourself. Your fire-release multi-fireballs are excellent crowd control for specific enemies." She tapped her chin. "What you need is a selection of techniques to fall back on and only do abstract manipulation when you're in a situation they don't cover or training. How many times did you second guess yourself before you used fire to cut my wire?" Tsunade asked.

"At least three. My mini multi-fireballs would have done the job, and I practice them all the time."

"I would say for the time being focus on three techniques and get good with them before adding anything new. Fighting at my level isn't all about power its about being able to use your techniques one after the other while forcing the opponent to lose out in their resources."

"I made snacks," Popola said

Zack smiled as the android made her way into the dojo hips moving back and forth. She knew what she was doing.

"Devola is working on the musket designs. Are you sure you don't want to give them more advanced weapons. Muskets while more advanced won't be enough to counter the dead that don't lose moral from loud noises." Popola said.

She brushed her straight red hair aside and smiled. Popola was a beauty.

Zack took a sandwich from her tray, kissed her cheek, and took a bite. "These are great thanks. As for the muskets, you're right. We are going to give our future soldiers less effective weapons."

"I don't understand." Popola said.

"This world is ripe for a peasant uprising. The local Daimyos have held power for too long." Tsunade said.

Zack sat on a nearby bench. "Give them repeating rifles, and the heads of the leadership might be on spikes in a few weeks. Then there will be chaos and no leaders to direct resources our way. This world is hardly united most don't believe the threat we're trying to deal with exists." Zack formed small fire balls over his hand and let them rotate around each other. "Imagine if WCS was contained for a thousand years and people forgot about it. They remembered something had happened but not how bad it was. Then the legion numbering in hundreds of millions charge at the quarantine guarded by less than a thousand humans."

He considered their situation. "When we settle this world, let's begin making plans to visit Drakenguard and kill the god who wiped out humanity in your timeline," Zack said.

"How are you so sure we'll win?" Popola asked.

Zack stopped the spinning of his fireballs and held them as golden rings nearly frozen despite the flame's attempts to break free of his control. He focused and a 4th ring appeared and none of the others vanished. Four mini fireballs rotated around his hand. It wasn't a matter of power it was all skill.

"I am going to do my best to save this world even if I have to drag the people kicking and screaming to do it."

They spent a week living in the sweet home while Tsunade beat the basics of ninjutsu into his head. Soul talent helped and he was climbing trees before long. He grew more powerful every day and Delola came out of her workship with a nice sleek musket design.

She walked him through the process, and he fired off an iron ball at an aluminum can. The can ripped almost in two as a half inch ball passed through it.

"You do good work." Zack pulled a musket ball out and saw a series of symbols painstakingly carved into them. "Are these enchanted?"

She brushed her red, curly hair aside. "Do you like it? I call them dragon fire rounds. They should put the Wight's down for good." Devola was all smiles.

"You did a great job. I'm sure a blacksmith will be able to replicate them. With these, the night's watch will have a fighting chance." Zack said.

"I know what you're doing when you say that. You aren't slick."

"How does it feel to have humanity back and to have a purpose again?"

"My programming is doing things to my body you can't imagine. I feel fulfilled for the first time, but I don't know how long. I'm full of ideas for upgrades to our bodies, weapons, and even personnel carriers. There is most of a combustion engine that only needs a fuel source. I'm thinking hydrogen but those are rather explosive. Then I started looking at seals from Tsunade's world and I have something that might work."

"Write me a report and I will go over it and prepare to feed it to the natives." Devola smiled and Zack had the feeling she was feeling incredibly fulfilled.

…

Zack left his sweet home and returned to the cave. He needed to get to the wall. Chakra mostly kept him on his feet as he ran for the wall. He unleashed a field of heat and ran with all his might. When he arrived at the next cave it was empty. The Wight Walkers must have cleaned out their cache.

He worked on a piercing attack. Fireballs were for crowd control large or small. Fire was also crap at defense so he took advantage of the offensive qualities of fire and tried to mix the solidity of ice.

Blasts of flame ate through rock and ice. Arrows of ice ripped through stone or melted before touching the target. Zack needed both hands one to form the arrow and the other to contain the heat inside.

He planned to take Tsunade's advice and at a piercing explosive attack to his toolkit. The soul mage pointed fingers like a gun and formed a arrow from ice. It was hallow in the center with a place prepared for the fireball at the weapon's head.

Zack read some sealing text but it was too boring to get into. He would have to give it a second look. Pieces of the cave's roof started collapsing from his practice.

After evacuating a safe distance away he returned to practice.

He pointed his left hand at the sunken ceiling and raised his right like he was pulling a trigger. A halo appeared bigger around than his hand and spun, rotated, and condensed. He fired and watched the ceiling explode tearing a hole in the cave.

3 hours for a single attack was trash. He needed more practice with both soul fire and ice.

Blood dripped down from his nose. His head pounded because he had to push himself. It was the dream. The black hole was changing shape into something human. At first it was getting bigger but lately its shape had changed. Whatever it was the creature wasn't on his side. He needed more power but no matter how strong he grew the black hole felt more formidable.

…

The wind blew cold enough to freeze a man's lungs solid and harsh enough to strip flesh from bone. Zack stood atop a mountain in the frost fangs and barely felt the cold. He could fight off the cold with his pressure alone. Zack stood above the snow with chakra control. By spreading his weight through surface area using chakra control he could weigh less than a feather to the snow directly beneath him. That allowed him to avoid the pitfalls of and cracks in the mountain hidden by the snow.

In the distance he saw a massive weirwood tree red leaves and white bark. Even from atop a mountain he could see the face in the trees trunk. It sent a shiver down his spine. He remembered who resided there.

From what he understood this could either be the book or snow continuity. Either way he really didn't want to deal with the three eyed raven and their nonsense. The children of the forest and their duplicitous nature wasn't doing them any favors. Zack debated the merits of destroying them on the spot.

The more he thought about it the more they felt like black Zetsu. He wasn't dealing with a black Zetsu situation. No he was far too early in his career as an agent for the company.

He didn't want them to try and Fredy Krueger him. Using dreams to subvert people to their goals manipulating the dreams of who knew how many people through their subconscious. All that effort to ultimately hollow out the soul of a child and crawl inside.

No he wasn't going to deal with that. Zack used his arms to measure out what he needed. In the rock with soul flames he carved out and mold in the rock of the tallest mountain in the frost fangs. Sweat froze on his face as he worked. He wasn't making a spear, arrow, or javelin he built a rocket.

He returned to his sweet home and locked himself in his library for hours pouring over seals. What he needed he couldn't get right with his limited time. Who knew how long before the three eyed raven discovered him and then started invading his dreams? He found some books on aerodynamics and rocket technology. A few seals were used to direct force and slow the explosion of a fireball down. He made many rockets because he wasn't confident that he could hit his target.

Zack tested his aim and fired a rocket at another mountain. The rocket immediately went off course and struck a patch of tundra at the foot of the mountain. That was ok it was normal almost expected.

Two weeks passed with no change in the outside. Despite a few explosions there was no sign the tree would pull up its roots and walk away.

…

Popola sat with him on the swing set in the garden. He was awoken by the dream again but having a goal changed him. It gave him perspective. There was nothing like assassinating a body snatching pedophile to make him feel like a good man. He even told Popola about his misadventures with magical rocket technology.

"There I was all set with 20 new rockets this time with new seals to direct them to seek out warmth in the coldest place on Planetos. What could possibly go wrong?" Popola smiled at him waiting for the punch line. "Did you know there are underground hotsprings all over the place? I do. Imagine it geysers of hot water blasted all over the frozen north dropping ice all over the place. So its back to the drawing board." Zack said.

"You don't seem to broken up about it."

He brushed Popola's hair aside and kissed her. "I'm having all the fun. I know I could have chosen half a dozen ways to try and assassinate the old crow but this is fun. I get to research different rockets, come up with new designs, and blow things up. My rockets only take a few hours to make after so much practice."

She rubbed her cheek. "What was that for? Popola asked.

Zack reached a hand under her shirt and down her pants. "Oh!" Popola spread her legs and let him finger her clit. He bumped against it at first and slowly got more comfortable. She shifted giving him an easier time diving between her legs and exploring her depths.

Her insides vibrated around his finger as it entered her. "Eep, I didn't mean to do that." Popola said.

They made out trading tongues while his hands explored her. Popola leaned back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You have so many ridges and folds its incredible." She clenched around his fingers and moaned. Zack pulled his hand away and tasted Popola's juices. "Strawberry, my favorite." Zack said.

He slowly slipped a thumb under her leggings and pulled dropping them at her ankles. Popola rolled her eyes and pulled a shoe off before taking a leg out of her leggings. She placed her hands on the back of the swing and got on her knees in the seat showing her toned sexy booty to him. He lined up with her and humped watching as the swing pulled her away nearly until he fell out and rocked her body back into him.

Popola thrust her booty out and they used the swing to their advantage. Zack pummeled her insides slamming into her like an animal shaking the swing as her vibrating pussy milked him for all he was worth. After he came they kept going spilling seed out of her on the ground as they continued using the swing for its best purpose. Popola moaned in pleasure cumming vibrating on his dick.

Zack stood in his dream watching the black hold as it shifted and rippled transforming from a mere singularity into something more. He didn't dare attack the singularity it wasn't yet time to challenge it. When he did it would be with rockets and death. Perhaps if he hit it with enough force even the gravity holding a collapsed star together could break. Soul fire and ice didn't follow the laws of physics, no they had their own laws.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he sized up the thing that terrified him. For so long it represented death that couldn't be cheated through leaving behind descendants. There was no new angle to attack it from. Zack only felt better about himself. Popola helped him by being present for him an that was enough. He wasn't over his fear by any means it was only a little easier to bear.