The air in the room was tense; several Undertaker members eyed the masked figure cautiously.
Yuki looked at everyone with a smile. Inori, who stood beside him, remained as expressionless as ever. However, only she knew that her mind raced with the sensation she felt a moment ago.
"You must be Yuki, right?" Seeing the tense atmosphere, Gai decided to break the ice.
He looked at Yuki, furrowing his brow slightly. The crystals on his body were conspicuous, his strange attire, and, of course, something else was bothering him.
It was the shape of his heart. Gai could see the shapes of people's hearts, understanding their personalities.
But the shape of Yuki's heart was an entire world.
Yes, a whole world.
Gai was puzzled by this. He didn't know what to make of it. Was Yuki's heart the same as the world, or was he the heart of the world?
Gai didn't understand the significance of this. He glanced at Inori before continuing.
"I can see that you're not in good condition... Would you like to rest for a moment?"
"Yes, I appreciate that... And as I mentioned, my name is Yuki. Yuki Uchiha. Nice to meet you... Hm?"
"Gai... Gai Tsutsugami. You can call me Gai, like everyone here."
"You can also call me Yuki."
Approaching, Gai extended his hand in a clear handshake.
Yuki didn't hesitate and shook his hand. However, all Undertaker members were sweating cold; they had to commend Gai for having the courage to touch the monster.
With this, Gai knew he could reason with this person. Although unsure if he was human, he was rational. He glanced at Inori before continuing.
"Inori, can you guide him to a room? It would be better for everyone if we talk when it's dawn."
"Yes... Yuki come."
Inori complied with his request before leading Yuki to his room.
"Thank you, Inori."
*Click click
Walking slowly, the multiple crystals on his body echoed. Several Undertaker members frowned at this, wondering how he could still be standing. Having crystallized a part of your body and walking required strong willpower.
His disease had progressed to stage 3; in his condition, he should be in the hospital, bedridden.
Looking at this, Gai sighed, wondering what kind of pain Yuki was experiencing.
Another point he noticed was that Yuki was still a child, at the beginning of adolescence at most. His height was smaller than Inori's, almost the same as Tsugumi's.
"Is Gai okay? We know nothing about him."
"It's fine... Besides, it's better to have him as an ally than an enemy."
Sighing, Gai knew well that Yuki was a human-shaped weapon, capable of destroying an entire squad by himself.
Raising her eyebrows, Tsugumi watched Yuki pass by, a spark of curiosity passing through her mind.
Their heights were almost the same, and she wondered what kind of face he was hiding under that mask.
Beside her, Ayase was also nervous. The memory of her Endlave splitting in half for an instant was still fresh in her mind, and recalling this made her body shiver.
-----
"Here..." Inori pointed with her finger at a door.
"Thanks, Inori."
Opening the door, Yuki wanted to rest, recover some chakra, and analyze the changes in his body. However, his hand was grabbed by Inori.
"If you need anything, you can call me." With a soft murmur, Inori pointed to the next door.
"I understand... Good night." Caressing her head, Yuki smiled beneath his mask before entering.
Inori stayed for a moment before entering her room too. It had been a heavy day.
---------
The next morning, Yuki woke up early. This was his routine. Having work in Anbu required very few hours of sleep for recovery.
Looking at his body, a large part of the crystals had disappeared.
The fusion was progressing in the right direction, as long as he didn't overdo it. Yuki was sure he would return to his peak state in a few days.
*Growl~
A growl came from his stomach. Tapping it gently, Yuki sighed.
Being a ninja consumed a lot of food, but unfortunately, he couldn't retrieve the food he had brought since it was all in his shadow space.
"This is a good opportunity."
With a slight thought, Yuki decided to cook. He knew Undertaker distrusted him, but that was fine. After all, trust isn't asked for; it's earned.
Leaving his room, Yuki looked for the kitchen, but not before encountering someone.
"What are you doing here?"
Looking at a black-haired girl, Yuki smiled beneath his mask.
"What am I doing here? I'm hungry."
Tsugumi eyed Yuki cautiously. She knew what this person was capable of, and although curious about him, she wondered what Gai was thinking by inviting such a dangerous person. Holding a small device, she would trigger the alarm at any suspicious move from Yuki.
"Breakfast isn't ready; you have to wait." Tsugumi looked at Yuki with seriousness, but he found it amusing to tease her a bit.
"No need; I'll cook."
"Cook?"
Nodding, Tsugumi didn't believe him.
"Yes, cook."
"No, you have to wait like everyone else."
Tsugumi shook her head; she didn't want Yuki touching anything in the kitchen.
Yuki looked at Tsugumi for a moment before his body flickered.
"You don't have to get so nervous; I don't eat people."
Yuki had moved at high speed again. Without his weights, his speed was something people in this world couldn't achieve, something that would make Guy cry if he found out Yuki was using gate speed to flirt with women.
Taking Tsugumi's body against his, Yuki gently held her waist before taking the small device from her hand.
Tsugumi opened her mouth in shock; she didn't see how Yuki had moved. However, she also blushed; her body was pressed against Yuki's, their faces almost touching.
If it weren't for Yuki's mask, Tsugumi would be touching her face to his. Glancing at Yuki's eyes, Tsugumi was surprised to see one red and the other golden.
"My name is Yuki Uchiha... What's the name of this beautiful lady?"
Without any sign of embarrassment, Yuki asked for her name, bringing his face close to the side of her ear.
Tsugumi shivered, and her face reddened. She opened her mouth wide in shock; she could feel Yuki's gentle breath touching her neck.
"Wait... I... Tsugumi... Tsugumi Shibata."
Tsugumi's body was honest; she responded reflexively.
"Tsugumi... What a beautiful name. And tell me, beautiful lady, what would you like for breakfast?"
Before Tsugumi could react, Yuki let go of her body, turning around gently.
Tsugumi was in internal chaos. Being hugged and caught off guard left her speechless, and she began to wonder if she was an easy woman. Feeling her hand empty, Tsugumi furrowed her brow.
"You..."
The alarm device was now in Yuki's hand, who just smiled at this.
"I'll take that you're fine with anything, my beautiful lady."
Yuki ignored Tsugumi's sharp gaze.
*Growl~
Tsugumi's stomach also growled; she blushed before looking away.
At least for now, she knew that Yuki wasn't a threat. After all, he could have killed her in an instant.
"It'll be fried eggs then..."
After a few minutes, a pleasant smell wafted into Tsugumi's nose.
*Growl~
Increasing her appetite, Yuki couldn't help but recall Naruto's always hungry stomach.
"Go ahead, eat carefully."
After preparing a simple dish, Yuki placed breakfast in front of Tsugumi, who refused to leave.
Tsugumi looked at Yuki suspiciously before saying, "You didn't put anything weird in it, did you?"
"I wouldn't dare. This food only has my love in it... Besides, you've been watching me this whole time."
Shaking her head, Yuki sighed at this girl.
Tsugumi, however, was undecided. The pleasant smell and the sight were excellent.
(Oh, to hell with it!)
Clamping her teeth together, she took a bite, and at the same time, her eyes lit up.
"So good~"
"I'm glad you like it."
This time, Tsugumi didn't hold back and devoured the dish in front of her, feeling defeated.
(This guy has more charm than I do!)
If Yuki heard her internal thoughts, he would probably take this girl in his arms and give her a couple of pats. After all, he knew how to cook well, having to feed many hungry stomachs in his home.