Location: Eldorado National Forest Date: August 18 2010
The last three weeks of my life were strange — stranger even than my first month with powers. At the same time, it was the most carefree period I've had since high school. Until I woke up to this new state of my life, I was constantly under stress. It started with my parents' death and continued through the years when I tried and failed to follow my dreams.
Getting powers didn't change that. I still remember how afraid I was at the beginning, and that fear only dimmed a bit after I secured a contract and registered as a Rogue with the PRT. My ex's failure to support me during hard times only added fuel to my anxiety.
It all culminated in a stupid and unfair situation, where the PRT blamed me for my ex's stupidity. I bet he did it on purpose just to get back at me. Well, he definitely succeeded with that. If not for Minato, I would have ended up in the Birdcage, and I don't even want to think about what would have happened to me there.
The change was so stark that it was hard to miss. After the initial panic and confusion, when I had time to actually process the changes in my life, it became clear to me — I hadn't felt safe for many years until Minato showed up in my life.
At first, I felt embarrassed when he told me that he had been inside me since I took that vial, but then it got me thinking. While he is in control and I am inhabiting a chakra construct, there is no way for me to die, get arrested, or get hurt.
Minato is so strong, and his power is so far above anyone else's, maybe even above the Triumvirate, that I don't know what could take him on. Maybe the Endbringers, but I bet even then he would show them the error of their ways. I vividly remember his fight with the Nine-Tails — he was taking it on, and if not for that guy with the one-eyed spiral mask, he would have won without self-sacrificing.
He was caring, calm, and collected. I feel safe with him. Not once did he try to abuse the situation I ended up in.
When he proposed to train me, to make me stronger, I jumped at the chance. Maybe one day I might be strong enough that he will...
"Kaaa Booom!"
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I felt a bit sad to leave this small haven on the mountainside. It was a place where I could honestly say my life had taken a complete turn in a different direction.
"Where are we going?" I asked when everything was packed. His storage seals were another unbelievable part of his powers, and they were so convenient.
"East mostly. Let's make it a training session," he smiled at me, and if I had a real body, I would have melted right there and then. Whatever you say, Minato.
"I will start slow, just keep it up. Do it as we trained before," he said and started to run between trees.
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We ran for eight hours straight at an impressive speed. Every time I made a mistake and smacked into a tree or slid down a rock and dispersed, Minato gave me first-hand experience on how to do it properly and then cloned me again.
He was serious about making it a training session. Once I more or less mastered the chakra-enforced running technique, we switched to Shunshin jutsu.
It was a blur; it was a rush. Whenever I miscalculated and went through a tree or pulverised a stone, I would disperse, and the adrenaline rush from my actual body would make me high as hell.
Then we reached the mountainous area, and I was able to pick up speed without crashing so often while using Shunshin. We stayed away from populated or road-covered areas, but occasionally, we jumped over a highway or two.
It was real fun, better than a roller coaster. Hell, it was almost as good as sex. I loved it.
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It was no surprise that when we stopped for the night and Minato set up a campsite, we were in the middle of nowhere. It looked like a desert; my best guess was that we had been crossing Nevada for a while already.
We were sitting by the fire, and Minato was finishing his dinner. It was nothing fancy. On one hand, I wouldn't mind merging, but on the other, I just wanted to relax, watch the stars, and enjoy the company.
"It was fun," I said, just to say something.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He gave me a knowing smile.
"So, more running tomorrow?" I questioned.
"No, not much. Half a day maybe? Then we need to take a bus," he replied between bites of meat and sips of hot tea.
"Oh, come on. Tell me already!" I complained playfully, barely holding back a smile.
"Salt Lake City. We're going to Salt Lake City," he said, giving me his wonderful smile.
We bantered for a bit until it was time to sleep. As I curled up at the back of his consciousness, I realised I didn't want to return to civilization. I wanted to stay with Minato in our little bubble of wilderness.
Well, we can always come back to it again.
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