“Twenty years… that means he’s been here in the real world for two days…” he said. He looked down as his leg. He began to limp upon trying to walk. Not only has it been so long since he’s used them, but his bones were weak. If it weren’t for the leg he had that enforced the tissue of his leg, he probably would have collapsed. He waved his hand, and, from it, a long wooden cane had found itself forming from his hand and to the ground beneath him. He looked at Kokoro.
“Hayabusa… your eyes… they’re much different…”
Hayabusa put his hand up to his face, as he turned, realizing they were in his lab. He pulled out one of the drawers, finding a mirror. It revealed to him that his eyes grew to be that in which was known as the Rinnegan.
“Beautiful… didn’t expect this to happen…” he said. Hayabusa looked at Kokoro. “I have to be sure to keep this activated until the age reversal process is complete. But… speaking of the reversal… we have to find our boy…” he said. He began to limp out of the lab. Before doing so, he then stopped…
He bit his thumb, fairly easily drawing blood. He slammed it on the nearest counter, and there his mask appeared. He put it on.
“Eliot… Eliot do you copy.” Hayabusa said in a raspy voice.
“Lord Hayabusa? You’ve returned from your trip… great… we have a small problem.”
“I just got back…” Hayabusa began to laugh, as it quickly became a coughing fit. “Who is with you?” he asked.
“Do you have one of my kunai? And where is the Shadow I left here…” he asked.
“Well… that’s a part of the problem. Yes… I have your kunai with me…”
Hayabusa looked up at her alarmingly. He was unsure how the actions in the other plan would affect the Shadow here. What if he was somehow able to break out? Or communicate with the being left here? If his son was currently existent here, Hayabusa and Kokoro had to find him soon, before he was driven mad by the authenticity of this real world. He took a hold of her, and in a blink, they vanished.
They reappeared next to Eliot, outside in the actual sunlight. He squinted, looking at the two.
“Kokoro!?” he exclaimed. He slightly bowed to her.
“How… how is this possible…” he asked.
“Hi Eliot…” she said with a cheerful smile. She waved.
“And you guys are… old? And Rinnegan?”
“I’ll explain everything later Eliot… as for now… what is the problem?” he asked him.
“Ah… yes… right outside of the wall, two days ago, a man came out of a portal; it reminded me of the one that Grave once conjured. We approached the man almost immediately. He seemed… lost? Absent? I’m unsure. Anyway…” from far away, he could see members of his branch and Shadow’s branch huddled around Shukaku’s cave.
“What is going on?”
Hayabusa began to walk, but realized with this sand, and his weak legs, this would now be the best idea. He rose his hand and, from below, a cloud of sand lifted him. Kokoro turned her lower body into a set of wings made of paper. She hovered, flapping them in the air.
“Well… the man was apprehended… he flipped out at the sight of Shadow. Even more reason for us to think he was Grave somehow. However, the moment Shadow went to capture him, the man used a technique much like Kokoro’s… it was chakra embedded paper he used.”
He stopped, looking at Kokoro, who looked back.
“Ok… and then?” Kokoro asked. They began to near the remaining members. They had weapons drawn and turned to look at Hayabusa.
“Hayabusa? Ko… Kokoro?” Kasumi seemed astonished.
“Later, my old friends and family…” he said. It had been 70 years since he had seen them, but only a week for them. So, to see him aged, and Kokoro alive… it might have thrown them off. “Eliot, continue please…” Hayabusa said.
“Well… he bound him, and then used Sand to grasp onto the Crimson Gourd. He then absorbed Shadow into the Gourd…”
Kokoro smiled. She looked at Hayabusa.
“It’s him…” she whispered. Hayabusa turned and looked at her.
“How do you know for sure…”
“I taught him that… if he were to ever get out…”
“Very impressive…” he said. “And, then what happened?”
“We cornered him into the cave, and Shukaku awoke, coming up behind him. We thought we had him, until he turned, looking into the beast’s eyes. He stared at him for no more than ten seconds. And then… well… this happened…” he said. The cave’s entrance was blocked by dense sand. Hayabusa looked up at it. He looked over.
“Can you see anything in there?” he asked Brad, who for some reason, had not had his Byakugan activated.
“No… the Sand is embedded with Chakra. It’s effecting my ability to see within it.” He sighed. “Everybody, stand back…” he said. Everybody did so. Hayabusa put his hand on the sand, and in an instant, it came crashing down. Almost immediately after the breach, the beast from within gave a roar of wind. Hayabusa put his hand up and the wind died down immediately.
“Hayabusa…” he said. “Is that you? You look like an old fart… how do I know…”
“You can sense him…” Hayabusa said. ‘You can sense Houkou within me. It is I… where is he…’ Hayabusa began to communicate telepathically. Just then, a figure began to come out of the shadows. The team readies their weapons, until they saw Hayabusa and Kokoro both drop from their airborne techniques and land on the sand. The sun shone on the figures face; he was a child. A tear fell from Kokoro’s eyes, and Hayabusa smiled. He looked dirty, and sick; probably due to lack of eating. The boy had come running at them, as Kokoro landed on her knees.
She opened her arms, and the boy ran in them, embracing her. Hayabusa dropped his cane, falling as well, embracing them both.
“How in the world…” Christine began. “He was a grown man when we saw him…” Hayabusa stood up.
“Everybody… I would like you to meet our son… Lydeck-Yamanaka Shizou…” he said. Everybody looked at them all so very confused. “It will all be clear soon. But for now… we need to rest… Eliot… can you prepare us meals back at the mansion. Everybody… dinner at 7…” he said. “Leave us…” he said. They all stood for a moment.
Eliot was the first to turn around and walk, and the others followed. The three went back into the cave.
“Mom… Dad… it’s really you…” he said. “I defeated Shadow… just like we said, Mom.”
“Very good. I’m just happy you’re here. We’re afraid though…” Kokoro began.
“That I’ll vanish from existence… I thought I would. But, my age reversal was accelerated. By the end of the first day here, I had already been an adolescent… two days later, I am still the same age. So… I think that I am here to stay.” He said smiling. They smiled back.
“Father…” he said. “Your eyes… what happened? How did you defeat the Shadow there?” he asked them both.
“Well…” she began. Kokoro told her the whole story, before asking “How did you remain uncaptured?”
“Shukaku…” he said. “I showed him our life… telepathically. He took me in immediately and protected me…” they looked up at him.
“Thank you, Shukaku…” Hayabusa said.
“Yea… you owe me…” he said.
“I do. I owe you a lot…” he responded. “Alright… Shizou listen. When we tell them the story leave out the part about Shadow being a part of me… can we do that?”
“I’ll let you do the story telling…” he said. Hayabusa smiled. He grabbed them both. Shizou looked up at Shukaku and waved. “I look forward to spending more time with you!” he said. Shukaku smiled. Hayabusa, Kokoro, and Shizou then disappeared into nothing, reappearing in their mansion in Hayabusa’s room.
“Home?” Shizou asked. “It looks just like…”
“I told him the truth, by the way…” Kokoro said.
“Oh… well, Shizou… the world I created was made in the image of this world. There will be a few similarities… but also a lot more different than what was in that dimension…
“Ok…” Shizou said, as he looked around.
“Now… go wash up…” Kokoro said. “And raid the fridge… have you first taste of real food…” she said. She smiled, and he nodded. Hayabusa had been in the process of taking out the Lydeck Clan’s customary uniform. He gave it to Shizou.
“We’ll have to go shopping later, but for now, wear this.” He nodded. Stared at his father for a few seconds, before turning off and walking through the house to the wash room. As he turned the water one, Kokoro turned to Hayabusa. Their old bodies slouched over pretty hurt.
“Now what…” Hayabusa asked.
“What do you mean, my love…” Kokoro responded.
“Now that we’re back… you have less than a year to live… did you plan to end it as soon as we got back?”
“Well…” Kokoro sighed. “A part of me will now always be here… with you… with Shizou. I spent the last thirty years with Shizou only… just him and I, one on one. I get less than a year left with him… we’re in the real world now, and neither of us will be around to protect him his whole life…” she said to him.
“So… what are you saying…”
“Let me take him… let me take him for now. Just one more year. If that… if I’m happy with his progress, I will take a chance on renegotiating a deal with the Shinigami… however… I’m sure he will be unforgiving… so let me begin building him up… gather him essentials. I have nothing else in my life to do except dedicate time… Time is all I have left. Let me use it to better his future. You have plenty of things to handle here. We’re only a jump through time and space away… right?”
“Hmmm… I suppose you’re right… you deserve at least that much… very well.” Hayabusa responds.
“Great… I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”
“To where?” Hayabusa asked.
“To Konoha… Shizou deserves to meet his grandfather.”
“Do you think it wise to get reattached to your father?” he asked.
“I meant… I meant your father.” She said. He paused. He at first thought, who was she to do such a thing? Then, he remembered… she knows him far more than he does… she grew up with him in her life. “But, not that you mention it… I think I have to.”
“Have to what?” Hayabusa asked.
“Have to reattach to my father… I know it will be heart ache… but he has nothing left. No spouse… no offspring… he probably thinks that his bloodline will cease to exist. But, it won’t… he needs to know that before he dies old, alone, and depressed.”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this…” he said.
“I’ve been without you for 30 years… I’ve thought a lot about what would happen if we returned and Shizou was still here in the real world. I had plenty of time to come up with different scenarios…”
Hayabusa sat there for a moment, just thinking. He then sighed.
“Fine… fine… we can always telepathically communicate. All of us. He’ll keep my kunai on him so if I have to be there in a hurry, I will be…” he said. She nodded. She then lifted up her shirt, showing her wrinkly skin.
“Put the stamp on me…” she said.
“Kokoro, it’s non reversible… and if Shadow ever gets out…”
“I don’t care… I’ll be dead soon anyway.” She said. Hayabusa just looked at her and the boldness in her eyes.
“You’re making a lot of bold moves, woman…”
She smiled with her wrinkly face.
“Like I said… thirty years…”
“Yea… yea I understand…” he said to her. He gathered chakra to his palm and, instead of placing it on her stomach, lifted her shirt more and placed it on her chest, right above her heart. She smiles, and he smiled back. She pulled her shirt down and began to walk out of the room.
Eliot sat there, looking at the two of them.
“Lord Hayabusa… those eyes…” he said. “They’re beautiful…” he gleamed at them.
“Yea… lets just hope they’re around to stay…” he said, while limping over.
Kokoro began to lose herself in thought. She had been alone for so long, she felt that life here was awkward. Socially awkward. She just looked in the direction of her son, where he had been taking a shower. She wanted so badly to go in and make sure he was ok. She just went into a trance as if she had been in PTSD mode. She began swaying, as if to try to concentrate on her sixth sense to miraculously see through walls. The conversation Hayabusa and Eliot were having had begun to be drowned out by her thoughts…
“Kokoro…” Hayabusa exclaimed. She snapped out of it. “Stop… stop trying to read his mind… he’s safe right now. Ok?” he said. She looked at him before looking down and nodding. “Good… we need to rest…” Hayabusa began walking back to the room. “Eliot… we’ll see you at dinner…” he said. Eliot nodded and then left. Hayabusa laid down, and Kokoro was to soon follow. She had been exhausted as well after fighting with Shadow. And so they rested, while Shizou found himself learning about the real world… tasting real food and breathing in this air. It was so different.
Hours later, they awoke. Shizou fell asleep on the couch, until people had begun coming in and out, preparing meals, and setting the table for tonight’s dinner. The two red headed siblings of Hayabusa had come in, looking at Shizou. There was a blank stare for a moment.
“Hello Uncle Hayate… Aunt Kasumi…” he slightly bowed to them. They bowed back. There was a stare, until Kasumi smiled.
“Hello young Shizou!” she patted him on the head. It was until a few seconds later that Kokoro had come limping out of the room, looking down over the balcony at them.
They looked up.
“Mom!” he exclaimed. “How are you feeling?” he asked. Hayate and Kasumi waved up to her. She waved back. This whole thing felt awkward to them, and she knew it.
Not long after, everybody had been at their seats, waiting, Hayabusa had walked in. He looked at Shizou.
‘Shizou… do not freak out. Keep your composure’ he said telepathically. Not long after, ‘Shadow’ had come from behind Hayabusa. It had actually been a new clone that didn’t even tap into his darker ego. Shizou tightened his fist, trying to keep calm.
“Lord Shadow!?” Alpha exclaimed. He bowed.
“Yes… it is I… good old Hayabusa fetched me out of the Crimson Gourd…” he said. The clone looked at Shizou. “This is all Hayabusa’s fault…”
“How so?” Christine asked. Hayabusa sighed. He began to tell everybody the story, as they ate, about how Kokoro returned to life, and how Shizou came to be, and why the two of them were old, and why Shizou was grown, but now a kid. He lied and told them that he used Shadow as a proxy for a villain to toughen Shizou, thus, Shizou’s first reaction was to defeat Shadow how he knew…
“Interesting…” Genshin said. Some couldn’t believe the story, but it was how it was.
“Yea…” Hayabusa said. “We’ll return to our old selves in a few days.”
“And I…” Kokoro said. “I will be taking my leave.”
“What? Why?” Kasumi asked.
“Well… I only have a year here. I’m going to make sure Shizou here is well off in this new world.” She said, looking at him and smiling while he was stuffing his face with food. The rest of the dinner, they talked and laughed, and Shizou for the first time could feel the difference between these two worlds.
As everybody had left, it was just the three of them left. Hayabusa handed Shizou his kunai.
“You keep this on you at ALL times. Understood?”
“Yes sir.”
“I understand you might not really be a child, but your body isn’t as strong as it was before.”
“I understand father. Shizou look at him, then hugged him. Kokoro hugged them both. And as they looked up, they realized they were in Konoha. Kokoro smiled, as she looked at Hayabusa. They said their farewells, and Hayabus aleft the two of them in Konoha. Shizou looked up at his mother standing there.
“What now?” he said.
“Well… my mother had these summonings… Panda Bears. I am now the wielder of that contract, but never really attached to them. I think that we should first and foremost, go meet your grandfathers, then I am going to reintroduce myself and you to the Pandas. Now… let’s go get the scroll.” She said, as they began to walk the streets of Konoha with their hoods up. He was secretly excited to really meet his real grand fathers… and to meet summons. This would be the first for him, and the first in years for Kokoro….
