16 Paranormal residents?
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*knock knock*
"I'll open." I heard mom say before she stood up and opened the door. "Hello, Sasori."
"Good morning ma'am. Is Teruya and Pakura at home?" I heard Sasori ask.
"Yes, they're just finishing breakfast." She said amicably before I heard her roaring at me. "TERUYA! Sasori is here!" After that, she spoke amicably in our direction. "Paku-chan, Sasori is here~."
'Equality ladies and gentlemen, right there.' I thought before screaming back, "I'm not deaf! We're coming!" and approaching the door along with Pakura.
"Don't scream at me, young man." She chided me as she pulled on my ear.
"But- but you started it." I complained before she pulled out the ultimate rebuttal.
"Don't talk back to me Teruya." She said as she continued to pull on my ear, making both Sasori and Pakura chuckle at my plight.
"Ouch, ouch, I give up, I'm sorry." I forwent my pride for the sake of my ears.
"That's what I thought, now don't keep Sasori waiting at the doorway and dress up."
"Hai hai" I agreed before both of us swapped our shoe wear, and headed towards the outside.
"Don't forget your goggles, or we are just going to hear you complaining for the rest of the day." Sasori snickered a reminder.
A few months passed since that time when dad showed and taught me the basics of chakra strings, which meant that I was officially four years old for some time. Apparently, I complained quite a lot about the kami-forsaken sand, which resulted in me getting neat goggles to wear outside, so the sand doesn't get into my eyes at the smallest breeze. Needless to say, I loved the usefulness of those goggles.
[Image]
"Good job Sasori. Every once in a while you can be useful." I said, before smoothly forming a single chakra string and grabbing them off the shelf five meters away, after which I swiftly ran outside, dodging a hand from behind.
"I told you many times, no ninjutsu at home!" As Sasori and Pakura ran after me, I turned my head around and saw my mother take off her shoe and take it into her hand, making a throwing pose.
'Oh sh*t, not the slipper.' I thought with dread before speeding away out of the effective range of the slipper, only after making a few turns – resulting in leaving her line of sight - was I able to heave a sigh of relief.
"Someone is doing an early warm-up." I heard Sasori say with a laugh.
"Laugh all you want, in the end, I'll be the one to get the last laugh." I shot back. "I see you also took a bento today." I pointed at the box in his hand.
"I don't feel like walking back all the way home for dinner." He shrugged.
"So what's the plan for today?" I asked.
"I heard there's an abandoned house in which there are rumours of ghosts." Pakura said in a thinking pose (looking up, tilting her head right and placing a finger on her lips).
At her words I flinched a little, which didn't go unnoticed by the duo. "I think that will be boring, we should go some more interesting place, like- like weapon shop."
"Hoh? Is someone afraid of ghosts? Our Teruya being afraid of something? That's a first." Sasori teased me with an annoying voice.
Back in my world I didn't believe in the concept of souls, not to mention ghosts or other paranormal stories. After dying and being born in a different world however it's hard not to believe that something paranormal exists. Souls definitely have to, the only logical explanation of 'me' being here would be with the existence of a soul, there's no other way for 'me' to be 'here'.
'I'm not going to discount any paranormal existence until proven otherwise.' Because of my history, my hesitance is only natural.
Turning to Pakura I only saw her trying to hold back the laughter. "Pfft- I think the trip to that house will be interesting enough."
'As expected of a tomboy.' I thought.
Seeing there's no other choice I gave in. "*Sigh* Fine, lead the way."
(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ fuwa~fuwa~desu~~~
Following Pakura we headed towards the less populated district of the village, and after a few minutes, we found ourselves before a clearly abandoned house. Unlike other homes made of clay or stucco, this one was made of wood, though its current state implied that its only remaining usefulness was as simple firewood.
It was quite an imposing house, though it was more appropriate to call it a villa. It had a tori gate above the path that led to the main doorway, with a decent front yard on both sides of the path. From the outside we could see that it had two floors (including the ground floor). The front of the building was at least twenty meters wide.
[Image]
After assessing the building I turned to the duo, where I saw Pakura who was putting up a brave front in the face of the creepy atmosphere that the house was emanating, while Sasori was looking back at me with a teasing smile.
"L-let's go." Pakura said with a stutter, making me think that her words were meant to encourage herself, rather than us.
The doorway was unlocked, allowing us to easily enter the building and what seemed like the main corridor. Compared to the outside, the atmosphere here didn't improve at all. Scattered piles of sand and holes in the wooden floor were complemented pretty well by the stray rays of light, coming from a few holes in the ceiling, resulting in a gloomy atmosphere.
In the eery silence I spoke up. "So uh, we saw it, it's pretty neat, let's go back."
It seemed that the atmosphere got to Pakura, as despite her brave front she nodded and opened her mouth in what I assume was an agreement to my proposal, however it didn't happen, as Sasori decided to speak up before she could.
"We just entered, we should explore it further. You're not afraid are you?" He goaded Pakura.
"Me? Afraid? Impossible she spoke up in a louder voice."
"Okay, then let's take a look." He said, moving forwards before we followed him.
As we followed Sasori in silence all we could hear was wind and sand carried by it that flew against the outer walls of the building. Suddenly as Sasori took another step the wooden floor loudly creaked beneath his foot, causing me to twitch and Pakura outright squeaking in scare, as she unconsciously huddled towards me, grabbed my arm and hid behind me.
'Cute.'
Feeling bad for her I decided to speak up. "Okay Sasori, nothing's here, let's go back."
Before he could reply we heard groaning in one of the nearby rooms, in which direction all of our heads snapped and I could've felt Pakura's shiver for a second.
"Wind?" Sasori spoke up.
"Didn't sound like one." I replied.
"Let's check it." Sasori said and slowly moved towards the room, not waiting for our reply.
'What are your balls made of? Bravery or is it stupidity?' I thought as I silently followed him with Pakura huddled behind me.
As we stacked next to the door of the room from which we heard the noise, Sasori looked back at us, at which I nodded before he nodded back and opened the door.
As the door creaked open, we were able to see its insides. As we looked around, amidst the broken furniture our eyes stopped at a silhouette in one of the corners. It was a silhouette of a small person – probably a child – resulting in the shivering behind me intensifying.
Apparently Sasori didn't get the memo about ghosts, as only with a small hesitation he slowly walked into the room.
"Do you need help?" He asked with an apprehensive voice.
The figure slowly raised its head, before saying in a quiet and hoarse voice "Food."
Hearing that Sasori unhesitatingly moved toward the figure and said, "I have some with me and will give it to you." as he showcased the box in his hand.
Seeing Sasori's demeanour, Pakura's stopped shaking, as both of us moved up closer. As we got closer I was able to see the figure more clearly. The figure was a malnourished, small child, of age somewhere between three and four, and judging from the length of the hair it was a girl. Her dirt and dust-covered long hair were dark purple, and her similarly dark purple eyes now gazed with light towards Sasori.
[Image]
Seeing her state I spoke to Sasori, "Give it to her in small portions, so she doesn't choke." at which he nodded.
As Sasori slowly fed her I decided to ask her a few questions that were on my mind.
"Who are you, and what happened?"
After she finished eating what she already had in her mouth she answered. "… My name is Ayame. I'm from a wandering tribe, outside of here. In recent times the tribe wasn't able to buy much food, which meant that I – an orphan – didn't get much. So it was decided that me… an orphan that has no family to take care of it would be left here, in one of the village's orphanages."
As she spoke I could feel my frown deepening. "…but how did you end up here?"
"At the orphanage, I saw that I received less than others, and got distance from others because I was… 'an outsider', and a few days ago the matron in orphanage… ki-kicked me out." She managed to stammer out before breaking down in tears, at which Sasori pulled her into a hug in a form of mental support, while I could feel my fists tightening in anger.
"Pakura." I turned to her and when our eyes met I could see a flicker of anger in her eyes, that no doubt similarly could be seen in mine. "You're the fastest, so run to my mo-" "No, get to my home and find my grandmother Chiyo and tell her everything, she can do more." Sasori interrupted me and spoke while gritting his teeth.
'His grandmother can do more? How could she do more than a Jōnin? No matter, he wouldn't joke in this situation.' "Right, go to Sasori's home and find his grandmother Chiyo, tell her everything you heard and we will wait here."
At my words, she nodded with a solemn face, before she took off with haste. No longer could I see a scared child in a spooky house, but a kunoichi on a mission.
As I looked back Sasori continued hugging here while Ayame bawled bawled her eyes out, letting go of her emotions.
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Sup, long time no see, writing is a pain. (1750 words, dab)
I'd like to welcome a new OC, whose looks are based on a character from a different universe. Though I guess her personality might be similar too…
But from what universe and whose? I will not spoil which one until one of you guesses correctly in the chapter comments or until I post the next chapter if nobody guesses.
So once of the either two happens the image will be posted at the beginning of the next one and one when she's described.
Sasori isn't holding back, huh? Bringing big guns from the get-go, how ruthless~. F for that matron in the orphanage.
Oh, MC is now 4 years old, and at the age of 5 kids go to Academy, we are getting there lads (and ladies [though that one is an urban legend])!
