14 Chapter 13 : Well of Seperation

I'm back! Had a few things to deal with, but now that they are done, I can finally focus on my hobby! Thank you for waiting for me.

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{Narrator : Protagonist}

{After a week since I last met Tsunade}

{Uzushiogakure}

Things have been moving all according to the plan. Although the spy still has to let himself out. Not that I don't already know who it is, but I can't do much without a solid evidence and that's what I'm waiting for. Right now though, I am making sure to avoid letting him cause harm to the village, especially avoid him getting anywhere close to my kids.

The problem here is that the spy has already finished what his objective was, so now he's literally taking his original role with all honesty. All the evidence were long erased before we even found out there was information being leaked. Well, not all, but all the solid ones have been erased.

One good thing that happened was many corrupt officials got caught because of this. Some tried to erase their evidence but it was too late. They were already under surveillance. So many scums got caught but the one we wanted was still free.

'Is this how they felt when they had a criminal right in front of them, but they couldn't do anything because of the lack of evidence? Feels pathetic. All these powers and I'm still...nothing.' That was the thought I had in my mind.

'Damn! How can I forget this! Danzo must still have some evidence prepared so that he could later use to blackmail! I need Tsunade!' Right at that instant I got my answer.

It must've been some sort of mental defense instincts or something of sorts. The moment I start to go self-depreciative or degrade myself, my mind seems to work extremely fast to find solutions.

Or... It could be because the word 'pathetic' triggered something to remind me of Danzo. Maybe?

"You kids can take a rest, I'll be back in a few hours. Stay out of trouble." I told to the trio exercising in the backyard.

"Sensei, where are you going?" Yahiko asked a little curiously. I have to say, he indeed has some qualities of a leader. He could vaguely understand what's going on in the village right now. His view about his social surroundings are much broader than kids his age.

"Do you need to ask? He must be going to meet his girlfriend. He seems so excited! Ne~ Sensei, who is it?" Konan chimed with a teasing voice.

"What do you mean? And why are you talking like that?! There's nothing like that. I'm going to get some important documents." I hurriedly refuted. (Sidenote: Even I'm not sure why I became so anxious. Maybe because of the way she said those words?)

"Oh... Ok. But it could be that the documents are with your girlfriend, right?" Konan argued back. Showing her persistence about her assumption.

"I don't have a girlfriend. You think I'd be afraid to tell you if I had one? You sometimes make me wonder whether you are my student or my mom. I don't answer to you young lady!" I said.

I almost let my emotions slip there. The playful atmosphere almost got dropped with my first sentence but I hurriedly added the second sentence to redirect the conversation.

"I'm just trying to help you find your love. You know, Granny Ann told me that as the only girl in the family, I must be the sensible one and take care of you. She says men are all reckless idiots." She replied.

Granny Ann is the old woman who lives close to her school. She's a kind old lady. Konan often goes there in her free time. I'd say it's better that they are able to make their place within the common people than always be around me. A few months more and they'll be able to get their missions. I doubt they'll be this free in this war period.

"But you are the youngest. Shorty." Yahiko couldn't hold back and said.

As Konan is the shortest in the household, 'Shorty' title fell on her. Using it meant initiating a war with her.

"I'm not short! I'm still growing! And atleast my brain is still intact, you apricot!" Konan got furious as that was a very sensitive topic for her for the time being.

"Apricot?" Yahiko was confused.

"Pffft... Hahahaha... She's calling you small brain. And you kinda proved her point. Hahaha..." Nagato laughed out loud at that one and explained.

Which meant that blows are going to be exchanged, with Nagato being the referee. More like a spectator.

(Sidenote: I sometimes doubt that he enjoys being the accelerator for their fights. He must be being affected by me!)

( Nagato : <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠ > )

No offense to Yahiko, but it was quite a creative way to call someone an idiot. It's even custom made for Yahiko. (His hair are kinda orange like apricots.) If not for already heated heads of those two, I'd have complimented Konan for it.

Anyways, these kinds of exchanges are very frequent among us. They love watching me banter with Konan. More precisely they enjoy watching me lose to her arguments. Which happens more times than I'd like to admit.

It's not that her arguments are too strong. Rather, it's because her arguments have logic of their own. There ain't no defeating that one.

Considering the amount of times I've had them spar with me and then defeated them mercilessly, and also the amount of times I've annoyed them just for fun, I'd say it's all fair game here.

"I'm leaving. Take care of the house and don't cause trouble. Nagato, keep them in control please, I don't want them to set the house on fire." I instructed Nagato, which was almost like pleading and turned to leave.

"Don't worry Sensei, I'm not an idiot like this muttonhead here." Came the shout from my back. It was Konan who shouted, to which Yahiko immediately rebutted,

"Says the one who burnt her own room to ashes!"

"That was an accident!" And it was still going on with verbal battles. They seem to be maturing. By now, they should've started making huge pits on the ground.

Nagato was just sitting there and watching all this. A little bit annoyed that things are still within much peaceful range compared to previous confrontations.

'Time is a bizzare concept indeed.'

{Narrator Changes}

On his way out of the house, Hiroshi saw his reflection in the mirror and looked for something.

"Do I really look excited?" He muttered to himself.

Shaking his head in denial, he left the house.

He was going to meet Clan Head Setsuna. Since everyone right now is under suspicion, he needs to atleast inform of his leaving.

{Narrator : Protagonist}

After informing him about my leaving, I kept on walking towards the gates of the village. I could send a nudge to Tsunade and ask her to summon me, but right now, it wasn't that urgent and my mind had a few things that kept it occupied.

I'd rather enjoy walking on my own and contemplate on things.

Other than that, I had a place I wanted to be in. A place which I heard about.

'Am I forgetting my promise? Am I moving on? I seem to be forgetting about them. How could I forget about the guilt I carry for their deaths? And yet I seem to be forgetting about it? Is this the nature of a human mind? Maybe I should accept this and move on... The tasks I'm overtaking will eventually force me to forget about this pain sooner or later. Maybe I should let it be...'

'Heh! As if! Those mistakes you made were the kind that could never be redeemed! How the hell can you even dare to think of moving on?!' These kind of lines were getting louder and louder in the corner of my mind. I ignore my negative thoughts doesn't mean they don't exist.

Anyways, after walking for half a day, I had reached the place I wanted to visit.

The Well of Seperation.

It's an old well that was abandoned despite it still having water. The reason for that is quite an eerie one. They say that this well connects our world of living with pure land while simultaneously keeping it seperated. There are no evidence to prove it, not like there's anyone knowledgeable enough in regards to pure land to verify it.

But according to Uzumaki clan's records, the Reaper Death Seal's origin is related to this well.

If that is truth, then maybe I can meet them. Even if just once.

Now, it is indeed truth that I've got zero idea about what actually pure land is or how would I even tap into the said connection in the well, much less finding them. But I have my Tenjōgan for that lacking.

'I just hope its level is enough to gain insight into it.' I thought and prepared myself for the most likely scenario of going through nightmare if it is.

First time when I awakened Tenjōgan, I watched their death repeating in front of me again and again. There was constant voice telling me that it's all my fault. It felt even more terrifying than it did when it actually happened.

I'm kinda afraid of connecting with things mentally now. It's like allowing my vulnerability to be exposed. But my desire for seeing them once more is even stronger than that fear.

After being done with all the Sealing and barriers to protect myself from any unwanted disturbance, I used Tenjōgan and observed the inside of well.

There wasn't any reaction.

None at all.

Aside from the water surface which was oddly clean. Considering that it's in the middle of a forest and well isn't even covered, there should've been some algae on the surface. Even if not that there should atleast be a layer of leaves on it.

This was indeed an oddity, but not the one I was looking for.

'Hehe... To think you'd even believe that the world would allow someone like you to redeem yourself! Why don't you be arrogant again here?'

The sounds in my head is getting much more louder.

"It seems, there's more to this well than oddity of water." I muttered than focused on water even more.

{Narrator Changes}

Hiroshi was correct about the well's oddity. The voice in his head was nothing but his own negative thoughts. Something that is inseparable from his soul. It can only be resolved.

The nature of well is related to souls, that's why he was being affected like that.

World of souls, pure land, isn't something that con be underestimated when it comes to matter of souls afterall.

Like how someone who can be considered as one of the strongest in the world, didn't even know when he lost his consciousness.

After losing his consciousness, Hiroshi's alive body fell into the water.

What happens next is completely upto himself.

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I think this much should be enough for today. I know this one is much shorter than its previous chapters, but this is all I've got. Take it or leave it.

And next chapter won't take more than a few days. I'm sure you can wait for that long. There are much better novels out there to keep you occupied meanwhile.

Thank you for your understanding.

Take care folks! See you in the next chapter.