14 Thoughts

//I added on to this chap so make sure to scroll down

Minato wasnt entirely sure why he was assisting the otherworlder.

At first it had been because he had pitied his new friend and wanted to help him in adapting to this perilous new environment he had wound up in. It would've no doubt eaten away at his own conscience if he had refused, leaving him with the only possibility that wouldn't make him feel like a complete ass, which was to help train and gather information for him.

Of course, now that he had hung out with the youth for a bit and learned that he wasnt so helpless, his thoughts and feelings had changed little by little. He wasnt sure if Kushina had felt the same, but he reckoned that at this point it would be fine to just leave the boy to it and continue towards his goal of one day becoming Hokage, to train himself instead of Zetuo. It was hard to believe that anyone would hold him at fault for ditching him as technically he wasnt going back on his word so long as he still provided information occasionally.

The only problem with this was that he didn't WANT to leave. This was the part that was so perplexing as even though he knew he had no real gain and that it was essentially a waste of time, he couldn't bring himself to permanently detach himself. Be it raging curiosity or utter foolishness, Minato was stuck with the otherworlder for the time being as he tried to decipher just what about Zetuo forced him to stay put.

Of course, with that being said, he couldn't deny that he was downright fascinated by the youths mentality as it was something he himself couldn't comprehend. Calm and collected despite living his entire life with what could only be described as having the worst plot armor in existence, nearly dying time and time again without fail. Cheerful and downright optimistic during their spars and training that he even wondered where the calculative and cunning Zetuo had gone, making his head spin in confusion. No matter how hard he tried to analyze the mindset of the unluckiest boy alive, he would only end up in circles.

As he arrived home that night, after bidding Zetuo and Kushina farewell, Minato wondered yet again just how he himself would've faired if he had been plagued with such a dastardly curse, unable to ever truly find peace. No matter how he sliced it, he only found himself being broken in the end, and that was even assuming he could manage to live long enough to feel the hopelessness of the situation in the first place. Zetuo was probably the only one who could survive due to his unwavering spirit and, perhaps, his apparent optimism.

While most others would be crushed by the weight of despair and seeking a way to end it, the young man had instead found a way to live with it, pushing past and breaking his own destiny time and time again.

(("Maybe that's what draws me and Kushina in,")) Minato thought as he got ready for bed. (("The fact that he works hard to overcome what's been dealt and the effort he puts in to literally everything."))

However, this was all mere speculation as the blonde had literally just met Zetuo yesterday. It was foolish to think that he understood anything about the black haired youth or his past as he had yet to fully comprehend the most basic things about him. Hell, he didn't even fully understand Kushina and here he was trying to ascertain the thought process of someone who was completely mysterious and unique.

"I need to calm down and relax my thoughts a bit," Minato muttered as he fell onto his bed, blue hues staring up at the cieling. "Dont know how I got so worked up from WATCHING someone train like a madman but it's high time I rest my brain."

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Zetuo truly had trained like there was no tomorrow and he, as well as his body, were well aware of this fact. He trained relentlessly without end for 4 straight consecutive hours, his body threatening to give out nearly every step of the way, pushed to his limits as he fought Minato and the Kushina in a rotating cycle. The only times he would break from battle was to meditate, seeking to manipulate the energy within his own body, desiring to touch the cool and intangible substance if even for a brief moment.

Even when the four hours were up and Zetuo had been escorted home by his new allies, he didn't cease to train, opting to meditate instead of simply falling asleep. He wasn't willing to stop, harboring a fighting spirit kindled by the blistering need to survive. He had to get into the habit of meditating and, to him, now was as good a time as any.

"Just a bit more," Zetuo muttered for the umpteenth time. "I know I can do it. I can sense it so I MUST be able to control it. No excuses!!"

Naturally, he would fall asleep sooner or later, but he needed to put in even more effort to obtain the desired results, accepting nothing less then success.

However, with that being said, he was interrupted by a knock on the front door, the banging on the wood breaking his concentration. Zetuo didn't know who had business with him at this time of night but he knew that he didn't like it as he got off the bed and walked towards the apartment entrance, swiping his katana on the trek forward. As someone who prepared for any possible scenario, neglecting to bring a weapon to answer an unknown summons was too idiotic an action for Zetuo to take, hence why he unhesitatingly drew the blade from the scabbard.

Of all the things Zetuo had learned in his life, martial arts was possibly the most frequently studied area and also being the most used. While being fluent in quite a few styles and knowledgeable about every other one, the blacked haired youths most prominent skill was kendo, something he excelled in due to his inhuman reflexes and analytical abilities. When he had been handed a katana from Hiruzen before, he had actually been very pleased as it had been a near perfect weapon for him.

If it came down to a fight, Zetuo had a much. better chance with a sword then if he went in barehanded.

Holding the slightly curved sword at the ready, Zetuo stopped just before the entrance, positioning himself slightly to the side, preparing to either defend or attack. "Who is it?"

"It's me," Kushina shouted, making sure she was heard through the rather thick wooden door. "Can I come in?"

Zetuo tilted his head, thinking about the girls tone and pattern of speech. It all seemed to be on point and his palm, which hadnt been tingling ever since he had gotten back to the apartment, was still as still as ever. Though the odds of this being the real Kushina was rather high, he still needed to be sure.

"Okay, I'll let you in," Zetuo said back, lowering the katana slightly. "As soon as you tell me just how many times you punched me yesterday."

There was silence for a brief second before Zetuo heard a sigh, a sound of annoyance that Zetuo had heard a few times before which was already more then enough to confirm that he was indeed conversing with the young redheaded woman. "I punched you twice."

"Hmmmmm, nah I still dont trust you," Zetuo said as he completely lowered his sword. "What's your favorite color?"

"Damn it Zetuo," Kushina yelled, banging on the door again. "Just open up."

"Careful now or you'll wake the neighbors," the youth stated happily as he leaned up against the wall beside the entryway. "Don't wanna cause a ruckus do we?"

It took a second but Kushina finally managed to calm down enough to drag her fist away from the door, sending the room into complete silence. It seemed that this girl had quite the fiery temper as well as a bit too much built up energy which she unknowingly channeled into a slightly violent nature. While Zetuo had no doubt she was a kind and caring soul, the young girl had yet to show those traits around him. Of course, seeing as they were very near complete strangers, this was only to be expected.

"My favorite color is blue," Kushina finally said, her voice oddly soft for someone who had recently been super irritated. "Can I please come in now?"

"That's good enough for me," Was Zetuo's only response before he finally opened the door. "Come on in and make yourself at home."

Kushina stayed at the door boundary for a few seconds, her violet eyes gazing at Zetuo with unintelligible emotion. Cluctched in her right hand were clothes while in her left she held some rather odd looking sandals, footwear that appeared to be common around the Village. From the black haired youth perspective, she seemed to have brought him a change of clothes from what Zetuo could only guess originally belonged to Minato. Himself and the blonde were roughly about the same size so it did indeed make sense, but as to why the boy did it was put to question. Either it was kindness or Minato was simply doing his duty as a new ally, Zetuo was unsure.

"Here," Kushina finally said after a lifetime worth of staring. "These are from Minato. We cant have you smelling horrible every time we see you. Those clothes HAVE to be smelly and dirty by now."

"I mean, they are. Thanks, I appreciate it." Zetuo flashed a smile as he gently took the clothes from her hands, grabbing the shoes along with it. "I had planned on asking the Hokage for some tailored clothes from my own world but these will do for now. I'll thank Minato personally tomorrow."

Kushina nodded, her eyes drifting from Zetuo towards the katana hanging by his side, her eyes narrowing. It was obvious that she immediately understood why it was in his hand as Zetuo noticed the narrowing of her eyes as well as the lack of questions she asked about it. Instead of asking, she merely turned around and began to take her leave, saying something that made Zetuo actually feel a bit better.

"You dont have to always hold that blade to defend yourself. Try holding it for a different reason."

Before Zetuo could respond, she leapt off the second story railing and disappeared, once again plunging everything into silence.

"Silly girl," Zetuo muttered to himself as he happily shut the door. "I dont have any choice but to use it in defense when fate itself wants my head on a pike. Maybe when I'm stronger I'll hold it high for someone else's sake. Hell, maybe I'll even wield my blade for you or Minato. Only time will tell."

Shortly after talking to himself, Zetuo hopped into the shower, letting the water wash all of his thoughts away for just a few short minutes. After that, he donned the new clothes gifted by the blonde youth, meditated for another hour before finally going to bed.

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Deep underground in an unknown location, a small squad of masked figures gathered before a man in his mid to late forties. Nothing was said as they all knelt before the individual, appearing to be awaiting orders from their superior.

The man in question, a elder looking figure with a scar in the shape of an X located on his chin, appeared to be lost in thought, cold and calculative black eyes staring yet not seeing. It was almost as if the figure was a statue, unmoving from his seat, perched on a seat made of solid stone. Eventually however the man moved, his finger tapping on the armrest, the sound echoing unnaturally with each press of his finger.

"So, Hiruzen has found this...'otherworlder' and is attempting to use him to further the power of the Leaf. How interesting." Danzo Shimura gave a small smirk as he readjusted himself on his seat. "Such a smart move. Of course, extracting all of his memories through force would've much more logical. As usual, you're far too soft Hiruzen."

"Would you like us to apprehend him for you?" One of the figures from the crowd asked, voice void of any emotion. The tone was robotic and lifeless with no feeling whatsoever involved in a single word, akin to a machine.

"No, let's allow it to play out for now," Danzo said with a knowing smile. "We cant simply snatch such a valuable specimen. Stealth and secrecy is the name of the game and swiping him would make it quite obvious that it was us who enacted the deed. We shall simply make our own opportunity by manipulating events surrounding him and THEN move forward with the kidnap. We must be patient."

The group said nothing as Danzo rose from his chair, black eyes gleaming in the dim lighting.

"Let's send Konoha to a new era. We shall become the foundation on which the Leaf thrives, empowering it from the shadows."