Year Five – Month Three, Day 24
What did it mean to have a maxed out Falsification skill?
"This is the schedule. Kimimaro-kun is in charge while Kitami and I are gone, and Haku-chan, I expect you to teach Kimimaro-kun the advanced chakra techniques we've worked on. Kimimaro-kun – I need you to work on Haku-chan's combat ability. Spar with her as much as you can and don't hold back."
I received two sharp nods and eager eyes. Kitami stood behind me, ever the sharp-eyed bodyguard, and I had taken to wearing a newly customized version of my robes, with a slimmer build and longer outfit to compensate for my slightly increased height. We had disembarked from the ship, and made our way into the port town before the thought had occurred to me. A Maxed out Falsification skill. It might seem useless, in comparison to having some incredibly flashy ninjutsu that can destroy the planet, but that did not detract from the sheer power that I had at my disposal with that ability. Such as, for instance, falsifying a letter from the Daimyo of the Land of Water which granted me immediate captaincy over any ship that belonged to Mizu no Kuni. Or perhaps, falsifying documents, passports and boarding passes for anyone I wanted, with nothing but a bit of paper and a pen. If I wanted to, I could whip up a false deed for a plot of land, and make it appear so genuine that the real article seemed like a fake – effortlessly stealing and taking land without having to spend a single dime.
Ah… the possibilities.
"Gat-sama – if I may ask," Kitami spoke, his sharp eyes narrowing as we moved through the town "What exactly is it that we intend to do in the Land of Fire?"
I mulled over my thoughts, before thinking slowly. "Tell me Kitami – you've known me the longest haven't you."
"Yes…?" he said, unsurely.
"And you know I can usually bullshit my way through anything, and you clearly don't believe for a second that I'm some divine chosen."
"Remembering those men you slaughtered on your father's orders does detract from the peaceful messiah-mode you adopt these days." He said with a twitch of the lips.
"But," I continued unperturbed "You can't explain or understand how I do half the shit I do."
"That, also, is true." He conceded. "Although Gat-sama, I fail to see how any of this has to do with what we are doing in the Land of Fire."
"All I am establishing, is that you are used to me doing impossible, arguably suicidal stunts by now."
"And I take it… we are about to do something of the sorts here as well." He wagered.
I reached into my 'robes' bringing out a piece of paper and handed it to him.
"Meeting with the Fire Daimyo's court. Establishing relations with the Fire Daimyo's court. Establishing Gatoism in the Fire Daimyo's court and surrounding kingdoms. Increasing the spread of the religion." His left eyebrow tilted slightly. "I fail to see how this is any more or less suicidal than normal."
"You haven't reached the good part yet."
Slowly, he turned his gaze back to the paper.
"Meeting with a Sannin. Blackmailing a Sannin. Kidnapping an heiress to a prominent clan. Stealing techniques from Konoha – stealing bloodlines from – okay. Yes, this is definitely far more suicidal than normal." He rubbed his nose very, very slowly.
"I take it the first agenda is going to be the one that has us meeting with a legendary Sannin."
I smirked. "My, Kitami, we might make a fantastic detective out of you yet."
His eye seemingly twitched.
"Now, onwards – to Tanzaku Gai – and pretty much every casino in the Land of Fire."
S - O - G
I was disappointed.
The road to Tanzaku Gai was filled with nothing more than a few minor bandits which Kitami dispatched before they even had a chance to properly mount their attacks. They had run screaming once they realized they stood no chance, but of course, 'mercy' was the name of a woman that Kitami had not yet known. Hence, he hunted them down, slaughtered them, slaughtered their camp, slaughtered their leaders, and left his head impaled on a stake to warn off any who might choose to go to the life of banditry.
"I-I h-have mouths t-t-to f-fe-ed! C-children! P-p-please! S-s-spare me!"
"If you are privileged to have a next life, do not make choices that will make your children into orphans."
Ah, the sound of Kitami giving a bond one-liner as he sliced through a particularly desperate bandit was the highlight of the entire trip. Still, other than that, nothing had actually delayed us much on our journey. We moved at shinobi pace, and I couldn't help but smirk at Kitami's wide-eyed, disbelieving gaze when I showed off my B+ ranked Agility that had me moving as fast as he did. Clearly, he did not expect me to be as fast as an elite shinobi, and I merely waved my hands and pointed to the sky in explanation.
"The Divine works in mysterious ways."
He rolled his eyes, but at this point, I could tell that he was starting to slightly believe in the religion – as it was honestly the only viable way to explain half of the things I did. Of course, I could have told him the truth that the gloves he gave me as a birthday gift granted me this speed, but that was less believable than me being the champion of some unseen supernatural force.
Regardless, the source of my initial disappointment was not on the journey to the city, nor was it upon arriving in the large city with sprawling, culture-rich architecture – oh no. I was disappointed because of how absolutely, ridiculously easy it was to find Tsunade of the Sannin.
This was currently a mere six months after the Kyubi's attack on Konoha, and the moniker of Legendary Sucker was already slowly going strong.
"Yeah, I know her. Big tits, bigger debts. Never seen someone lose so much money in one round of poker before."
We walked into the first, and I mean the first casino we found, with me having to disarm the bouncers with my Charisma to allow me in, and I casually asked around about the blonde haired Sannin. Nearly everyone began to laugh and regal tales about her terrible gambling ability. Nearly everyone had something to say about it. Some though, were more annoyed than others.
"If you see that bitch, tell her she's got something coming to her! She owes me over sixteen thousand ryo – and she just ditched and ran with that apprentice of hers instead of paying me!"
I turned to Kitami, and then back to the men in the casino.
"How many of you people here… are owed debts by Tsunade of the Sannin?"
Several dozen hands went up.
I rubbed my nose slowly. This was going to be annoying.
S - O - G
Congratulations!
You have purchased the accumulated debt of Tsunade of the Sannin for a discounted 70% of:
4,231,125 Ryo
Skills used in deal:
Haggling (Passive) Lv. 71
Deal-Brokering (Passive) Lv. 82
"Gat-sama – I don't believe grinding your teeth that hard is healthy."
"Your veins are showing – and your face is very red. Is this the start of an illness?"
"You're almost breaking your staff you know."
I inhaled. Taking in a deep, incredibly deep breath, and then I exhaled. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat.
In the past few hours, I had done my best to find the debt collectors, and confirm who Tsunade truly owed debts, and then I purchased all of it. I was expecting it to be much, but for god's fucking sakes, at 70% off – four million ryo?!
How – how could anyone – and this was still twelve whole years before Naruto would meet her and pound sense into her skull, and her debt was already that much. How much would it be if – when that time eventually rolled around?
I didn't even want to know. Instead, I looked behind me to find Kitami's slightly amused expression. "I did not expect one of Konoha's most honorary kunoichi to be someone who gambled and ran from her debts. Perhaps ironic, is the fact that she is the kunoichi that is considered most exemplary in the world."
"Perhaps you can tell her about how she's not living up to her reputation when we meet her."
He seemed to think it over. "I would rather not."
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, let's find her and get this day over with. We're on a schedule here."
"How exactly do we go about finding her?"
I glanced my attention to my minimap. Gods this thing was broken. It was like being a sensor, without actually being a sensor. Still – it wasn't good enough to show me extreme threats far above my skill level, such as in the case of Orochimaru. It was, however, still good enough to use in finding people.
Let's see… filter – chakra.
The map immediately filtered out all the non-chakra users, and left those who could use chakra on the blimp. Kitami appeared beside me, a moderately glowing blue icon to indicate an ally, and I scanned through the map for two chakra signatures clustered together, one large, and one medium-to-small. It wouldn't necessarily take long to find them with this thing. Though, I'd need to find a way to increase the range of this mini-map to being more than a measly 150 feet.
"This way."
I followed the map with judicial prudence, recollecting myself and focusing purely on my goal. It wasn't long until I eventually found what I was looking for, two chakra signatures – although, they were inside a bar rather than a casino.
Pathetic. So much talent and gift, wasted with years spoilt in pointless grief. As a shinobi, death was something one was accustomed to, but the minute she lost her loved ones, she decided to waste her life drinking and gambling away like a child throwing a massive tantrum at the world.
I chilled my expression.
How many lives could have been saved had she continued to carry on instead of quitting and running? How many shinobi would she have prevented from dying with her expertise? Her knowledge? Those lives meant nothing to me in the long run, but I heavily disliked the concept of having power to change the world, and choosing to squander it.
Of course, Sarutobi was a genial old fool who enjoyed playing favorites. He could never bring himself to rein in the disastrous train wreck that was Tsunade of the Sannin. The same way he could not bring himself to arrest or kill his student Orochimaru after catching him red-handed in his deeds. Soft. Soft and weak.
That – would have to change.
S = O = G
"Tsunade-sama! You've had enough for today!"
"O-one muh drink – come uhn Shiiizune… I haven't… ahm not even druuuunk yeet."
Shizune frowned. It hurt, to see her mentor in this state. Days like this, wherein Tsunade managed to get lucky and win a large sum, she would immediately come to a bar and spend most of it on sake and alcohol. She would drink and drink until she was passed out unconscious, leaving Shizune with no choice but to stand guard over her, and drag her back to their rooms for the night to prevent any unsavory characters from taking advantage of her.
Some had tried, several times. They saw the young sixteen year old Shizune and assumed they could take her, and then have their way with Tsunade of the Sannin. Shizune however, was a kunoichi in their own right, and they were not. Of course, the problem was, Shizune knew it would only be a matter of time before she ran into a skilled enemy shinobi who wanted to 'try his luck' and the grim fate that awaited her was not pleasant.
It was why Tsunade never strayed out of the Land of Fire, or out of its neighboring allied lands. If they made the mistake of going to a bar or casino in the Land of Earth – the Sannin apprentice shuddered at the thought.
"Tsunade of the Sannin."
It was not everyday that Shizune heard her sensei's name be called in a voice that was so cold and so leveled, a voice which made her, a Sannin apprentice and shinobi in her own right, to jerk upright as though the Hokage had just barked an order to her.
Tsunade seemed to have been responsive to the call, a slight amount of clarity entering her eyes, and they both turned to see the odd sight in front of them
A young boy, of perhaps maybe nine or ten, with long flowing black hair that would possibly make a Hyuga die of envy, a smooth and refined face that would make the Hyuga die a second time of greater envy, stood, with white robes that seemed accurate for a priest or religious man, a curved staff in his hand, and a pleasant, but eerily ominous smile on his face.
Behind him, an older gentleman with samurai-like robes, and two swords kept on both sides of his person, a rough, thick beard, slightly lazy, but still sharp eyes, and a hair tied into a short ponytail stood. Shizune could feel the chakra rolling off this man. Clearly, he was experienced – experienced enough that the young woman knew if it came to blows, she would not stand a chance against him. Thankfully, he seemed to be the younger boy's bodyguard, and did not look like the type to randomly seek conflict.
"Who's asking?" Tsunade responded in a slurred voice.
"My name is Gat. I am the High Priest of the Divine, and I am often called the Shepherd."
Shizune had heard rumors about it. Nothing substantial, just that all of the Mizu no Kuni, the Land of Water, had converted to a new religion. The religion was officially backed by the Daimyo, and had temples and places of worship being developed all over. Traders from Mizu no Kuni were the ones who spread the religion into the Land of Fire, and a few people in several port towns and trading hubs were following it. Still, she did not understand why the High Priest was here, looking for Tsunade. She also did not understand how he could be so young and so…
Attractive?
Was it wrong to consider a child attractive?
"Well… what do you want?"
The boy smiled. "I require your services as a tutor, and perhaps, as a medic."
Tsunade snorted. "I'm retired. Find someone else."
"Oh? I was not aware that retirement was an option in your line of work," the boy said amicably, "Nor was I aware that you could retire at thirty-eight years old."
A thick tension immediately entered the air. Shizune glanced back from the boy to Tsunade, who seemed to be sobering up rapidly, especially after the boy casually tossed her age into the air.
"Don't you know it's rude to mention a lady's age… brat?" She said with an all too familiar 'smile.'
"My religion advocates for gender equity. I do not see the need for such archaic beliefs." The boy was smiling back.
"Cute." She said dryly. "Come on Shizune, we're leaving. I don't like a bar that allows people who haven't grown pubic hair yet to enter."
"Ah, I am afraid that is not possible." The boy said, far too cheerfully, and his bodyguard moved to block her path.
The tension in the bar grew. Tsunade turned her attention to the man. "Ronin… Land of Iron… if you want to ensure that all your bones are still in place… you'll get out of my way."
"Enough."
It was like a physical burst of air rushed forth from the small boy, and Shizune barely stopped herself from gasping at the sensation of it. It was like killing intent, except, it worked in the inverse. While killing intent manifested in the dread and fear that came with one's intent to kill, this pressure was the opposite, it provided a cheerful, hopeful, fulfilling and enriching air that rocked her body like a wave of pleasure. It was like a beacon of light in the dark, a raging bonfire in the middle of the ocean, a ray of sparkling sunlight in a thunderstorm –
It compelled her to listen. To turn her attention to the boy, to pay rapt attention to his words. It made her mind hazy and clear at the same time, and it made her desire him –
Tsunade on the other hand stepped back, her eyes wide, her brow slowly lining with sweat.
"I attempted to do this cordially, extending the olive branch, but if that method is not available due to your stubbornness, I have no choice but to extend the cane."
He reached into his robes, making Shizune and Tsunade on edge for a second, before he brought out a piece of paper.
"As of today, I have purchased all your debts. All of them. Every penny you owe to everyone you have ever lost or gambled to. Unless you are capable of paying me back this sum here and now, then I essentially own you."
Tsunade bristled. "You little –"
She reached for him, only to stop when a flash of light caught her attention. Her hand drew back and Shizune watched as one of Tsunade's long fingernails fell to the floor. The apprentice was confused, lost, as it appeared to her as though Tsunade's nail had magically snapped in half of its own accord. It was until she turned to the bodyguard, and realized he was sheathing his blade.
"I would appreciate it if you refrained from touching my employer, Tsunade." The man's voice was gruff and chilled. "Next time, my blade may take more than a fingernail."
Fast.
Shizune swallowed nervously. She'd never noticed him move, yet alone get into a stance, draw his blade and attack. All she'd seen was a small flash and that was it. If this samurai wanted to kill her, he could have done it without her even knowing what happened.
This was a solid A-Rank enemy. Someone that Konoha's elite, Kakashi and Gai, would have some trouble taking out. Shizune, for all her training, could not boast of being that skilled.
Tsunade seemed to realize it as well. This was not someone she could fight and expect to have an easy victory. She had not been in combat for a long while, she was rusty, she still had alcohol in her system, and she had never been very good against swordsmen. Super strength was meaningless when your enemy could slice your hand in half as you threw the first punch. In this case, with the samurai's casual demonstration of speed, it was more likely than ever that he would slice her hand before she threw the first punch.
"I do not wish to be your enemy," the boy said, with what seemed like genuine tiredness in his voice "All I want from you are three things. Three, simple things – and then I will leave you be and wipe your debts permanently clean."
She scoffed. "You expect me to believe that? Do you have any idea how much you're talking about here?"
"You do not have a choice," the boy, said. "If you cannot pay, and if you refuse my offer, I can legally take any property that you own as collateral. If you are still unable to pay afterwards, I am within my rights to provide an indenture by which, over an agreed period of time, you pay off your debts."
"You mean you're allowed to enslave me." She spat.
"There is the alternative." The boy said. "As you are a shinobi, I can have you killed and turn in your bounty."
The room went colder.
"But!" he clapped his hands, bringing back the warmth "I would like to avoid that. But – because I am a fair person, I will allow you a sporting chance to free yourself from any of this."
"A chance?"
"A game of one, to be precise." He said, shrugging. "Pick any gambling center and any gamble of your choice. If you win against me, I clear all your debts permanently and leave you be. And if I win, you agree to my three demands – no ifs, buts, or maybes."
Shizune couldn't believe her ears. She whipped her head to Tsunade and it looked like she couldn't believe her ears either.
"Why…?" she said slowly "You have nothing to gain and everything to lose. You could just make me listen to your demands."
"I could," he admitted. "But that would be close to blackmail and coercion by force. As a man of the cloth… it leaves a sour taste in my mouth." He gave a smile. "Also, I would not want to do something so cruel to one of the most beautiful women I have ever met."
Tsunade snorted. Though, there was faint amusement on her lips. "Flattery will get you nowhere brat."
"Oh, you seem to be mistaken. I was not talking about you."
He pointed his finger towards Shizune's direction.
"I meant her."
Shizune's face turned from one of shock, to one of embarrassed mortification in seconds, glowing red like a painted tomato. "E-e-e-eh?! M-M-Me?"
"Truly," the boy continued, slowly turning his attention away from Tsunade, much to the older woman's disbelieving gaze and moving towards her. "You have the purest and most patient soul I have ever seen. It radiates – beautiful. Too beautiful. Had I been born earlier, I would not hesitate to court you with the intention of marriage."
"M-m-m-m-arri –"
"Oh knock off it Shizune, if a boy half your age is reducing you to a stuttering wreck, I'm worried for what it means for your future."
The boy, turned back to her and frowned.
"Just because you have failed at love, does not mean you must prevent others from succeeding at it."
"What?" she hissed.
He sighed. "Do you know why I said she is beautiful?" he asked, pointing to Shizune, "Here, is a girl, who follows you on your travels. She does so with no expectation of any grand reward except but to learn what little she can from you. She most likely takes care of you more than you take care of her. She has forfeited a life of stability in the most wealthy and prosperous Hidden Village in the world, in exchange for constant travel, running away from debtors, and picking her drunk mentor off the floor night after night. She has traded a chance at a successful career for being the apprentice of a failed Sannin. She has sacrificed a chance at romance to care for a woman who lost her loves. And what, exactly does she earn for all of this? What appreciation is shown to someone with such a sacrificial soul? For someone who can sacrifice her life attempting to pick up the broken shards of someone else's?"
No one spoke. Tsunade's face seemed almost ashen. Shizune's face further grew mortified.
"How do you – how can you –" Tsunade stammered.
"I am the Shepherd."
Unlike when he had said it before, now, there was a weight to it. His voice commanded authority, respect, adoration, adulation – his very form seemed to shimmer and glow, his eyes, sparkling, his stature, upright, like nobility – like a king and more.
"I am drawn to pure souls. I am drawn to beautiful people. And your apprentice, Tsunade of the Sannin – has more beauty in her fingernails than you will ever possess in your entire lifetime."
He spun around, and then turned towards the door.
"Now, shall we proceed to our gamble, or perhaps, you wish to run from this as well?"
= Son of G=
The gambling match did not hold.
It was as I expected, cutting Tsunade down to size had whittled away what little defiance she held. I wasn't Naruto who would barge in with brute stubbornness and remind her of Nawaki, but I was, however, someone who could point out the flaw in her behavior via proxy. As a benefit, I did consider Shizune to be fairly attractive, and I honestly despised how she was delegated to the role of a side-character of no import despite being the major grounding force in Tsunade's life. Honestly, during Pain's attack, I'd been more upset about Shizune dying than I was about Kakashi. Of course, ret-con no jutsu made it so she came back. I'd do my best to make sure she was alive and stayed alive.
"Tell me what you want and make it quick."
She was still sour about the whole thing, and perhaps still deep in thought about the sheer selfishness of her behavior. She hadn't been able to look her apprentice in the eye after what I said, and I doubted that would change anytime soon. For now, we had retired to an abandoned clearing, and I had allowed Kitami to stay behind, meaning that it was just her and me here to finalize discussions.
"I want to learn how to perform your transformation."
"What?"
"The solid transformation which makes you appear younger. I require it."
"It's not a solid–"
"Do you wish for me to grope your breasts in order to prove you wrong?"
"Only if you want to lose your hands brat."
I sighed. "It's a solid transformation that uses far less chakra than the standard shinobi Henge, yet at the same time, it is sturdier and nigh-impossible to be broken unless the user loses all their chakra and is on the verge of death. Please do not bother lying or covering it up – I have the ability to instantly detect lies."
Not a complete lie, but a partial one.
Tsunade gave me what seemed like a contemplative look. "Why do you want to learn it?"
"I am not interested in the clandestine activities of you shinobi, and no, I do not want to use it to invade foreign villages, I am a priest. I want to use it so people like you will stop looking down at me and calling me brat."
Partial lies, and partial truths.
"And yes, I know how to use chakra. Yes, I have perfect chakra control." I said snappily. "Now, if there is anything else?"
Appearing irritated to add a hint of truth. People are often irritated and upset about what they perceive as an attack on their insecurities. They become defensive. Closed off. Judging by Tsunade's eventual reaction, she had assumed that was the case.
Gods, the people in this world were far too easy to manipulate, even without S-Rank Charisma. Of course, I had 'future knowledge' to help me create character profiles and pick apart their weaknesses, but still – give me a challenge.
"Alright bra – kid. And the second thing?"
I hummed.
"I need you to run a full diagnostic scan on someone in my care. A Kaguya. Due to his unique physiology, I need to make sure there isn't anything wrong with him."
Finding and preventing whatever illness would eventually kill Kimimaro had to be done now. Now, before he started manifesting signs later on. Kabuto had tried his best in canon to heal him, but had failed, and as much as I disliked the snake's shadow, there was no denying the fact that he had been an extremely skilled medic. Second only to Tsunade herself. If he couldn't find a cure when the disease was that far gone, I was absolutely certain that Tsunade could identify it and prevent it from ever getting that far.
"Fine. And the last thing?"
"I am keeping it in reserve as a favor."
She glared at me. "What?"
I shot her an awkward smile. "A single favor from Tsunade of the Sannin could come in handy in the future. It would be unwise of me to throw that away. Who knows? Maybe one day you could be the Hokage."
She barked out a laugh. "Fat chance of that ever happening."
I shrugged. Perhaps she would be, perhaps she would not be. Still, it was wise to keep that final favor in hand.
"Alright – let's get this done. The sooner I teach you and heal your friend, the sooner I never get to see your face again."
"My, Tsunade-sama, such harsh words for a man of the cloth? What would your dear grandfather say?"
My response was a scroll slamming into my face.
~~~~~~~~~#Son of Gato
Year Five – Month Three, Day 30
Six days was all it took.
Six days for me to grasp the technique, and six days for Tsunade to follow us back to the SS Gatebreaker and run a full diagnostic scan on Kimimaro. Shizune seemed to have taken a shine to Haku, and I spotted the older girl teaching the younger one the basics of using needles and senbon, while also preaching heartily about benefits of medical ninjutsu and poisons. It was not a meeting I ever expected to see, but, I could tell that it would be good for Haku's growth and arsenal.
As it turned out, I was right about Kimimaro's illness. Something that terminal had apparently started off very early, but had gone unnoticed for years. The specific medical terminology flew over my head, but all I knew was that Kimimaro's bloodline which enabled the hardening of bones and the ability to create new ones had given him something akin to inverse-osteoporosis. Ah, but of course, the best medic in the world was on the job, and thankfully, there was no blood present, so her fear of blood did not kick in.
"Calcium. You need significant amounts of calcium and Vitamin D. As you grow, the cartilage in your bones grows. Over time, it slowly gets replaced by bone with the help of calcium. This is called ossification. Layer upon layer of calcium and phosphate salts accumulate on cartilage cells and – and you don't understand any of this. Fine – just – consume these calcium supplements. Two in the morning, afternoon and evening. Take five after heavy combat, or if you have used your bloodline extensively. I would also recommend blood pills and soldier pills – your physiology will enable you to practically eat a gallon of the stuff without much harm. Some additional dietary supplements should also be included –"
At the end of it, I felt vaguely satisfied with this deal.
We stood off to the side, as our time together came to an end. The SS Gatebreaker was in the distance once more, and Kitami stood by my side as me met Tsunade and Shizune at a crossroads. They didn't have Tonton yet, strange enough, but there was still time.
"I'm not sure whether I should be happy or annoyed at finding someone whose chakra control is as perfect as mine, yet, he has no intention of becoming a medical nin." She said with a hint of light-hearted annoyance. "And someone who learns techniques so quickly too. If you weren't a priest and didn't have such pitiful reserves, I'd be wary of you."
I smiled. "And it has been a pleasure, learning from you as well Tsunade of the Sannin."
From being tutored by a master of a special technique, you have unlocked a new skill and jutsu –
Grand Transformation (Active/Passive) Lv. 68
"Alright. Might as well see what you're going to be looking like from now on." She said casually. "Go on, show me."
Handsigns were for pansies who needed a proxy to manipulate their chakra. I did not. The benefit of having such little chakra and perfect control, meant I could use it as I wished once I had the basic internal knowledge of it.
I made a mental note to always do this technique away from the sights of Haku and Kimimaro, as it would be far more impressive, and it would be best if they did not know I had learned it from Tsunade. Anything that would add more to my 'intrigue' as it were.
So, I let the chakra wash over my skin, enveloping it and grasping to it so tightly, that it felt as though I was wearing a skin tight suit. Then, it felt as though the suit expanded, and my body seemed to expand with it, filling up the space. I didn't need to look significantly older, I just needed to look old enough. Hence, I grew, and grew, becoming taller and shooting past my previous height. I willed my hair to grow longer, and slowly, but certainly, it obeyed. Eventually, I could feel the transformation complete.
The clearing was silent.
"Well?" I asked. "As I do not have a mirror on me – tell me how I look."
It wasn't necessary, of course. Although I was attractive on my own, I was still of Gato's blood, and that would mean that I wouldn't ever change certain aspects of my appearance bar facial reconstruction surgery. In contrast, the ideal image I'd put in my head when undergoing the transformation was 'Priest-Shirou-with-long-black-hair.' If Shizune's heavy breathing and bright red face was any indication, and Tsunade's slightly tinted cheeks – I could tell that I had succeeded to an extent.
"… are you planning on ruining marriages and tempting princesses?" Tsunade said with what sounded like irritation and annoyance in her voice.
"Coming from someone with the largest pairs of breasts in the world?" I mused silently. "In any case – how old would you estimate me to be?"
She looked me over. "Seventeen – maybe eighteen or nineteen."
I beamed. "Perfect."
"H-here," Shizune offered, and I smiled at the mirror.
"Thank you." She merely nodded, seemingly not trusting her voice.
I looked into the mirror and –
I blinked.
My long black hair was filled with white streaks and was perfectly braided into a long strand that stopped at my waist. My previously dull dark eyes had turned an enchanting gold. My skin was slightly more tanned than was customary of people who grew up in the Land of Water, and my face – it was eerily closer to looking like Gilgamesh than like Shirou who I'd envisioned. If of course, Gilgamesh had long, braided black hair with white streaks and possessed golden eyes. I had a feeling my S-Rank Charisma had a hand to do with this, although I did not know how or why.
But – I had abs and muscles.
Fake abs and muscles, but they were abs and muscles nonetheless, and I was vain enough to accept they felt fantastically good.
"I believe this is where we part ways," I said with a formal bow, and god damn did it feel good to be able to look people in the eye without having to look up to them. "In time, I feel, you will eventually come around to see the ways of the Divine."
Tsunade merely snorted, turning around. Shizune however, bowed as well, giving me a once over.
"I-it was nice meeting you, Gat-san."
I watched as they departed from us, slowly becoming tiny specks in the distant horizon.
"Gat-sama…" Kitami began, once both Sannin and apprentice were far out of sight "…Did you really wipe clean the Sannin's debt in exchange for three simple favors?"
I snorted. "Do you take me for a fool Kitami? Of course I didn't. I need more than just 'good faith' and 'favors' to run a business and a religion. Though, it was best for her to think that I did."
Kitami let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. "For a minute Gat-sama, I had almost believed you had grown soft."
"Why I'd never –" I said exaggeratedly, clutching my chest. "I just needed to make the young apprentice liked me. She's a cute one."
I turned around, meeting Kitami at eye level, and again, it felt soooo good.
"You are enjoying being tall aren't you Gat-sama?"
"Yes. Yes I am." I said cheekily.
I spun once more on my heels, and set my map for a new destination.
"Now Kitami, we head to the Fire Daimyo's court. I believe it's time the Land of Fire…" I grinned.
"Meets the Shepherd."