Chapter XVII

As I walked through the darkness, the only sound was my own echoing footsteps. The air was heavy and warm, like a breath on my neck. The corridor seemed endless, but I kept trudging on, searching a way out.

Finally, a dim light appeared, guiding me patiently until the corridor ended, and the moon came into view. But this was no ordinary sky; only the moon reflected on the darkness. I heard a noise and turned to see a towering structure rising up in the distance, too big to be a building.

As I approached it, I realized with horror that it was a cage. Suddenly, a claw swiped at me, and I fell back in fear.

I shot open my eyes. Bead of sweats trailed on my forehead.

What was that even?

The image of the ruins flickered in my mind, but it slipped away as I tried to hold onto it. Yet, the memory of those eyes lingered with me, haunting me.

Why was I suddenly dreaming of the nine-tailed fox? I knew its true nature and saw it as nothing more than a dangerous being consumed by hatred. Did I fear it? No. Did I want to encounter it? Definitely not.

But was it even a dream? It felt too vivid. Perhaps it was just a nightmare, induced by my surroundings. I surveyed the debris and scattered rocks in the empty hallway.

The lamp flickered, indicating it was running out of power. I wondered how long I had been asleep.

Shaking off the fog of exhaustion from using my chakra to create a jutsu, I forced myself to my feet and began the ascent to the surface.

The sun had already set, painting the horizon in a fiery orange hue. Any plans I had for the day would have to be postponed until tomorrow.

Inside, I felt a buzzing excitement, eager to test my jutsu again. But my responsibilities called me back to my room.

I hope Izuna doesn't mind that I'm coming home late. I don't want to anger Kato-sensei by keeping her waiting all day.

"I'm home," I announced as I opened the door and slipped off my shoes.

My eyes widened at the sight before me. I quickly closed the door and opened it again, hoping it wasn't a trick of my mind.

I took a deep breath and repeated to myself, "Problems are only as big as you make them, Nobuyuki."

Taking another deep breath, I stepped into the room, trying to assess the situation. It looked like a tornado had hit, with clothes and books scattered everywhere, and my bed sheets in a heap on the floor. And there, sitting in the midst of the chaos, was Izuna, the little cheeky furball, with a guilty expression on her face.

Izuna scratched her cheek with a wry smile and greeted me, "Welcome home, Onii-chan." Her voice was quiet, and she seemed nervous or guilty, as she had forgotten to add her usual "derpy" to the end of the greeting.

Naruto was oblivious to my arrival and continued to happily waste what was left of my ink supply, splashing the black liquid all over his stomach while laughing. He noticed me eventually and laughed again, urging me to join in.

I was glad to see that Izuna had a guilty expression on her face, at least she was aware that what they were doing was wrong.

As I took a step forward, Izuna flinched and Kintarou, the golden-furred hamster, wisely scampered away to a corner, avoiding my potential anger.

"What are you doing, Izuna?" I asked, leveling my eyes with the stuttering girl.

"I- it's, iya hahahaha, Izuna is just about to clean this place, you know!" She laughed nervously.

I simply took a deep breath and kept a small smile on my face, seeing both of them. Anger was a waste of energy, especially when directed at a younger child.

In the end, I just ruffled her messy hair and stood up. "Then let's do that, shall we?"

"You're not mad?" she asked, barely a whimper.

" As long as you didn't bring it up. Now, raise your butt and get to work!" I replied.

"O-ohhh!" She raised her hand in an attempt to raise the spirits.

My apartment is on the smaller side, so it didn't take long to remove the materials that were beyond repair.

Unfortunately, some stubborn ink stains remained, and I would need to replace the tatami and repaint the walls. But those tasks were not a priority at the moment. Some of my textbooks and parchment, as well as my ink supply, were also ruined beyond recovery, which was a shame.

However, I had made sure to keep my dangerous seals locked away before allowing Izuna to stay in my room and take care of Naruto. I was relieved that my owl eggs were still safe and untouched, hidden under the shelves.

The only area they had made a mess in was the center of the room, where they had gathered. It seemed that Izuna had wanted to show off a new technique to Naruto, and it had predictably escalated into a playful ink fight.

As the day turned to night, we finished cleaning up the mess. I put Naruto in a sling and accompanied Izuna back to her house. I could feel the weight of exhaustion on my shoulders. It's been a long day, and I was eager to rest.

As we walked Izuna home, she seemed downcast. Though I felt a twinge of annoyance, I made sure not to let it show. Instead, I ruffled her hair and smiled, trying to lift her spirits.

"Why are you looking so down, Izuna? What if you get lost and hit something on the way home?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, onii-chan..." she murmured.

"It's okay," I reassured her. "Don't worry about it."

"But b-but..." she stuttered.

I reached for her hand, "But what?"

"I made a mess of your room," she said with a tremble in her voice.

I stopped walking and crouched down to her level. "Izuna, look at me." I waited until she met my eyes. "It's true that you made a mess in my room, but you also helped me clean it up. And that's what matters."

She looked down again, "But I still shouldn't have done it in the first place."

I tilted her chin up so she was looking at me again. "Izuna, you're a kid. You're bound to make mistakes. What's important is that you learn from them and try to make things right. And that's exactly what you did. You cleaned up the mess and apologized. That's very responsible of you."

Although amused, I felt that Naruto had no say in this matter as he babbled in agreement.

She smiled slightly, "Thanks, onii-chan."

As I stood up and resumed walking, holding Izuna's hand, I couldn't help but chuckle at my own thoughts. Even though I'm still a child, I often wished for a responsible adult to take care of me. Perhaps a big boo- responsible sister figure who would dote on me.

"Let's get you home before Kato-sensei starts to worry, okay?" I said, refocusing my attention on Izuna.

She looked up at me with a hint of nervousness, "Can I still come to play, Onii-chan?"

"Of course, you'll always be welcome," I reassured her. "Besides, you still need to make it up, alright?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, the worry dissipating from her face.

We arrived in front of her house, and before I knew it, Izuna had wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. "Thank you, derpy onii-chan!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her use of the nickname. Though I just did remember about her promise to call me "milord," but I admit, the endearment of "derpy" had grown on me.

I'll make sure to leave the vicinity quickly, as I don't want to have to explain to Kato-sensei why Izuna is coming home so late.