Beneath the Boughs

The faint creak of the front door heralded Dad's return, but something was off. Usually, his steps carried a weary but steady rhythm, the gait of a man who found solace in his home after the trials of the day. Tonight, they were hurried, deliberate, almost hesitant. He paused at the threshold of the living room, his presence darkening the room's atmosphere like a storm cloud.

[Daichi Hoshizora – Chunin – Lvl ??]

I observed dad's uncharacteristic behaviour, curiosity sharpening into unease. Dad's face was taut, his lips pressed into a grim line. Whatever weighed on him, it wasn't just another mission report or the typical dangers of shinobi life. No, this seemed a bit personal.

Mum was quick to notice. She wiped her hands on her apron, her eyes narrowing with concern as she approached him. "Honey, what's wrong?" she asked, her tone a mix of worry and caution. I could feel her gaze shift to me, as I sat at the small coffee table, quietly working on my jigsaw puzzle. The colourful pieces were starting to take shape into what looked like a giant whale. My small fingers moved with precision, aided by faintly glowing palms as I applied subtle bursts of chakra to hold the pieces steady.

Dad's gaze lingered on me for a moment completely oblivious to the chakra being used before returning to mum. He lowered his voice, though I didn't need to strain to hear—the system's directional audio subtitles caught every word.

"It's Aiko," Dad said quietly. "She's missing."

Mum's breath hitched, and her hand flew to her mouth. "Aiko? But… how? I thought…" Her words trailed off, and her brow furrowed in deep concern.

I looked up briefly from my puzzle, pretending to focus on the piece I was holding as the conversation played out. I already knew this wasn't just another disappearance. The way dad's voice wavered and mum's face fell confirmed it.

"We were going to bring her home," Dad murmured, his voice thick with regret. "We had nearly decided that she would've been part of our family."

"Daichi," Mum whispered, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "She still could be. We just need to find her."

Dad nodded, but his jaw tightened. "Last night, she disappeared from the orphanage without a trace. And it's not just her. Several other children have gone missing recently. All young. All vulnerable. All from Nin-households."

My thoughts began to race as I moved another piece of the puzzle into place, my chakra holding it steady. The system chimed softly.

[Mission: Investigate Aiko's Disappearance

Main Objective: Gather information without drawing suspicion.

Optional Objective: Find Aiko.

Rewards:

+100 EXP, +1 INT, +5 REP with Daichi & Yuriko Hoshizora

(Optional) +150 EXP, +10 REP with Daichi, Yuriko & Sachi Hoshizora

Failure:

faction grows stronger

Aiko is never found.]

The Root, I thought grimly. If orphans were disappearing, the shadowy organization was a likely candidate. I remembered enough from my old life to know Danzo's group operated in ways the rest of the village; particularly the Hokage, turned a blind eye to. Root had taken children before, moulding them into loyal yet emotionless weapons.

[System Notification: You have demonstrated advanced analytical reasoning.]

[INT +1]

But then another, darker thought arose. What if it's not Root? What if it's him…? Orochimaru. The rogue shinobi whose obsession with life and death crossed every ethical line imaginable. I wasn't sure if he'd started his dark experiments yet, but the idea was chilling. My stomach turned slightly at the thought of encountering him.

[System Notification: Wisdom in considering complex threats recognized.]

[WIS +1]

Mum's voice broke through his thoughts. "Daichi, maybe we should…" She glanced again at me, my attention seemingly absorbed by the puzzle, though she could tell I was listening more intently than he let on. She gave dad a subtle nudge and said, "Why don't you take Kaito and Miyu to the park? He's been cooped up all day, and it might help clear your mind."

Dad hesitated, his eyes darting back to me, then to the puzzle taking shape under my small hands. Finally, he sighed and gave a small nod. "Alright," he said. "Kaito, finish that later. We're going out."

I looked up, his face a mask of mild surprise. "Okay, Dad!" I said, carefully sliding the unfinished puzzle onto the table while eyeing the translucent screen in front of me.

[Chakra Conditioning (F) (Passive/Active) LV9 EXP: 96.5%]

'Gah, 18 months of this and I've barely just gotten the skill to rank up. Why is this so tedious?'

Miyu appeared in the doorway, tying her jacket around her waist. "Park time?" she asked cheerfully, though her eyes flicked to Daichi's face. Her smile faltered slightly. She leaned toward Kaito as they walked out, her voice low. "He feels upset," she whispered.

Kaito tilted his head in curiosity. "How can you tell?"

Miyu smiled faintly. "It's his hand," she said. "He flexes it like he's trying to grab a kunai but stops himself."

Kaito glanced at his father, noting the subtle movements of his right hand. How the heck does she know he's upset from THAT?, he wondered as he used [Analyse] on Miyu.

[Miyu Taruma] [LV 6]

[Class: Civilian]

[Title: The Blossoming Bud]

[Affiliation: Land of Fire, Taruma Family]

[HP: 70/70] [CP: 100/100]

[Stats]

[STR: 5]

[VIT: 7]

[DEX: 15]

[INT: 10]

[WIS: 8]

[CHA: 12]

[LUK: 15]

[Miyu Taruma, daughter of Harumi Taruma, is as vibrant and spirited as the flowers in her mother's shop. Known for her cheerful demeanour and boundless energy, she is often seen playing around the village with a curiosity that knows no bounds. Despite her young age, she has a knack for understanding the subtle language of plants and people alike, often helping her mother in the shop. Currently, Miyu is excited to play with Kaito at the park but is worried about Daichi's behaviour.

[Skills]

[Empathic Insight (D) (Passive)] (NEW)

A natural ability to sense the emotions and behavioral tells of others. Effective for reading intentions, moods, and suppressed feelings.

[Green Thumb (E) (Passive)]

A clan-specific ability to influence and care for plants with remarkable efficiency.

I blinked, my interest piqued. Empathic Insight? That explains a lot. For someone as young as Miyu, her perception bordered on uncanny. 'Might be worth nabbing that later' I made a mental note to copy that skill when my mind wasn't occupied.

As we left the house, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Whatever had taken Aiko wasn't just a random threat. It was something calculated, something dangerous. And it was a threat I knew I wasn't ready for yet.

.

.

.

The park was alive with laughter and the clanging of metal from the jungle gym. Children dashed across the playground, their voices blending into a symphony of play. Miyu ran ahead, spinning in circles as she darted toward the swings.

"Kaito, hurry up! The team captain can't do all the work!" she shouted, her grin as bright as the midday sun.

"I'm not on your team," I called back, shoving my hands into my pockets as I trudged toward her.

"You're my teammate whether you like it or not!" Miyu declared, hopping onto the swing. She pumped her legs furiously, trying to gain height. "First mission: see who can go higher!"

I sighed but couldn't suppress a small smirk. "Fine, but only because I need to make sure you don't embarrass me by falling."

"You wish!" she retorted, her voice a mix of challenge and laughter. "I'm gonna—" She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening. "Hey, what's that shiny thing over there?"

I followed her gaze and saw a faint glint near the jungle gym as I swung to the highest point. My curiosity was piqued as I walked over and crouched down, brushing away some dirt. My fingers closed around a small bracelet. Turning it over, I froze when he saw the name engraved inside: Aiko.

'You've got to be kidding me.'

"It's her bracelet," I murmured, more to myself than to Miyu.

Miyu hopped off the swing and crouched beside him. "Are you sure? Oh, it's got her name! That's so weird. Why's it here?"

I frowned, and brushed my thumb against the strange markings etched along the inside. They weren't part of the bracelet's original design. "I don't know, but these markings look familiar."

Miyu leaned closer, squinting at the markings. "They look like… um, like those squiggly things my mom puts on her flower charms. You know, to make them last longer?"

"Seals," I corrected as I turned the bracelet over again, trying to place where I'd seen similar symbols before. The system chimed softly.

[Clue Acquired: Marked Bracelet]

[Description: A bracelet belonging to Aiko, discovered in the park. The markings are linked to an older form of sealing techniques.]

"We should show it to my dad," I said after a moment.

"Or…" Miyu interrupted, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "We could solve the mystery ourselves! Team captain's orders!"

"Miyu, this isn't a game," I said, though her enthusiasm made me hesitate.

"Come onnn, Kaito! If we figure it out, your dad will have to admit we're awesome!" She clasped her hands dramatically. "And he'll say, 'Wow, Miyu, you're the best captain ever!'"

Kaito sighed. "Let's at least look around first."

"Mission accepted!" Miyu declared, saluting him.

We wandered the park, combing through bushes and checking under benches. After nearly an hour, we found absolutely nothing unusual. Miyu's energy finally waned, and she flopped onto the grass. "This mission is harder than I thought," she admitted.

"Maybe its because we're not ninja," I replied dryly. Still, I felt uneasy, the bracelet being here couldn't be a coincidence and keeping this crucial information away from dad is not the best decision.

Having had our fun, we eventually made our way back to him. Against Miyu's 'counsel', I wanted to hand the bracelet over to him, but the system pinged again.

[Mission Update: Side Objective Added]

[Hide the item from Daichi Hoshizora to avoid from forcefully ending.]

[Reward: +50 EXP]

I slipped the bracelet into the just as dad approached. "What have you two been up to?" He asked.

"Nothing," I replied quickly. Miyu blinked in confusion, then frowned when she noticed the bracelet was gone.

"Where's that thing you found?" she whispered.

I shrugged. "I'll explain later." I murmured.

Dad's eyes narrowed slightly and he seemed to be alert. "I thought you were holding something just now."

"We were throwing rocks to see who was the better ninja, dad, And I won!" Kaito said innocently while ignoring the not so subtle sound of a while Miyu yelled out a retort. Dad looked unconvinced but let it go, and we headed home, dropping Miyu off on the way with a promise to hang out the next day.

Once back home, I checked my stats while retrieving the bracelet from the . 

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[Information Screen]

[Name: Kaito Hoshizora] [Lvl 7]

[Class: The Gamer]

[Title: Re-Life Player]

[Affiliation: None]

[HP: 200/200] [CP: 110/110]

[STR: 6]

[VIT: 20] 

[DEX: 6]

[INT: 11 (71)] 

[WIS: 6 (32)] 

[CHA: 24] 

[LUK: ??] 

[Status: Re-Life Player (10x EXP Multiplier until you reach Lvl 10), ? (+3 VIT & +1 LUK per Level), ? (+2 CHA & increased likeability with ?)]

[Kaito Hoshizora is a player in the world of Naruto, and is the son of Yuriko Hoshizora and Daichi Hoshizora. He regrets how abruptly his life ended and is determined to live this one to the fullest, touching lives of those around him in the best way possible. He is currently fixated on figuring out Aiko's whereabouts.]

[EXP Required Until Next Level: 500]

[Stat Points Left: 36]

[Ryo: You may have pockets now, but still no dough.]

I placed the bracelet on the floor and focused, channelling a small pulse of chakra into the markings. They shimmered faintly, forming what looked like part of a map.

"This isn't just a bracelet," I murmured. 

[Clue found: Aiko's location]

"It's a tracker."