Still Going Strong
By evening, Fujimoto Tōma finally returned home in person for the first time in a while.
Strangely enough, it didn't feel all that different.
His spiritual clone shared perception and thought with him anyway. Whether the clone came home or his main body did made little practical difference. If anything, this just reinforced a thought he'd been having lately. Once his Yin–Yang Release became more refined, he might be able to create an empty body and place his secondary soul into it using the Spirit Projection Technique.
At that point, there really would be two of him.
The door opened.
The one who greeted him wasn't Fujimoto Sana, but Yamanaka Ino.
"I'm back," Tōma said with a smile.
In truth, Ino spent more time at his place than at her own these days. Aside from the lack of a wedding ceremony, most people already treated them like family.
Suddenly, Ino's eyes lit up.
"Wait—what's that?!"
She pointed at the small black creature on Tōma's shoulder, which was calmly licking its own fur.
"A pet I picked up," Tōma said. "I'm planning to keep it with me."
He handed the creature to her.
It didn't resist at all.
The moment Ino caught it, her eyes practically sparkled. She cradled it like a treasure, clearly smitten.
"Does it have a name? And… is it a rabbit?" she asked while stroking its fur. The long ears really did resemble one.
"I named it Tsukiel," Tōma replied after thinking for a moment. "And sure. You can treat it as a rabbit."
Strictly speaking, Tsukiel was closer to a chakra lifeform. If tailed beasts had distant relatives, this would probably count. But that explanation felt unnecessary.
"Tsukiel? That's kind of a weird name," Ino said, then immediately ignored her own complaint and started playing with it.
Most of the time, it was less "playing" and more Ino enthusiastically squeezing and petting it. Tsukiel didn't resist in the slightest.
Watching it relax under Ino's hands, Tōma felt a faint, irrational sense of envy.
A little later, Fujimoto Sana came out of the kitchen. When she saw Tsukiel in Ino's arms, her expression softened instantly.
Fluffy creatures really were universally effective.
"Um… Tōma," she asked with concern, "what does it eat? I didn't prepare anything for it."
"Food?" Tōma paused. "It probably doesn't need to eat."
"Nonsense," Sana said, giving him a look. "What kind of pet doesn't eat?"
She turned around, grabbed a small plate, and began placing various dishes onto it—food that had originally been meant for them.
Tōma had the distinct feeling that if Tsukiel refused, Sana would just keep trying different foods until something worked.
To his surprise, Tsukiel started eating.
"I told you," Sana said smugly. "Everything eats."
"…Right," Tōma muttered, rubbing his forehead.
He'd created Tsukiel, but his understanding of it was still shallow. Its abilities were unclear. Now it seemed food was optional—unnecessary, but acceptable.
Then Ino suddenly remembered something important.
"Oh, right. Tōma, I might not be able to come over as often for a while."
"Why?" he asked.
"My mom's probably going to have another child," Ino said, half amused. "My dad's usually busy, so I'll need to go home and help out."
Tōma froze for a moment.
That… definitely hadn't happened in the original timeline.
Then again, things were different now. Back then, Sai had married into the Yamanaka clan. There'd been no need for another child.
Now?
No one in the Yamanaka clan would dare suggest Tōma marry in.
"I see," Tōma said, smiling. "That's fine. If you're busy, I'll just come over instead. It's not far."
Ino nodded, smiling back.
That night, Tōma returned to his room.
Tsukiel followed him in and immediately stared up at the ceiling.
Tōma raised an eyebrow.
Hidden above was one of his fixed Flying Thunder God teleportation arrays. It was concealed carefully, but apparently not well enough.
The next instant, Tsukiel vanished.
Tōma looked up just in time to see the hidden markings gradually reveal themselves. Tsukiel was drifting through them happily, as if swimming through water.
The ceiling was solid. And yet Tsukiel moved as though the space itself had softened.
"How are you doing that…?" Tōma murmured.
After a while, Tsukiel seemed to get bored. It reappeared on Tōma's shoulder, curled up, and fell asleep.
Tōma watched it quietly.
That movement just now had clearly been teleportation. But there was no Flying Thunder God mark on his shoulder.
Which meant Tsukiel didn't actually need marked anchors to move.
That… was strange.
In timing, in ability, in nature—Tsukiel felt different from anything he understood.
In the end, Tōma shook his head.
Whatever it was, Tsukiel didn't feel dangerous. If anything, it might even help him one day.
With that thought, Tōma lay down on his bed and closed his eyes.
It had been a long time since he'd truly slept. Ever since his body evolved, rest had become unnecessary. He'd simply used that extra time to work or train.
If not for the extended experiments and heavy mental strain recently, he probably wouldn't have come home at all.
Much later, Tsukiel woke up.
It yawned, licked Tōma's cheek, found him unresponsive, and settled back down.
Then, after some time, it suddenly vanished again.
At that moment, Tōma's eyes opened.
He sensed Tsukiel's location and couldn't help making a strange face.
Of all places…
It had gone inside the Nine-Tails' seal.
Which, in hindsight, made sense. There were Flying Thunder God markings inside the seal—left behind by the Fourth Hokage, not by Tōma himself.
So Tsukiel wasn't sneaking around for trouble.
It was just… playing.
Jumping between teleportation marks like stepping stones.
Tōma sighed softly and closed his eyes again.