Gera and Pakin made their way down a flight of stairs off the right side of the clearing. It wound around the mound elevating the tunnel’s exit. As they stepped out into the city proper, the pair was immediately surrounded by the sounds of the city putting itself to sleep.

  Gera pulled Pakin closer and said, “This is one of the busiest parts of Kumo, and folks tend to be rushing around trying to make it home before nightfall. So, stick close and don’t wander off just cause something caught your eye, okay?”

  Pakin nodded seriously at his teacher and asked, “Where are we going?”

  Gera smiled nervously, “We’re headed to my place, if that’s okay with you. Normally, I’d drop you off at a designated motel, and you’d stay there until school started. I figured staying at my place would be a lot more comfortable.”

  “That sounds good! Thanks, Sensei!” Sleeping in a strange motel in a huge new city did not sound very appealing. Pakin also thought spending more time with his teacher would be nice. Plus, they’d basically been roommates for a month, so they’d established a comfortable set of boundaries already.

  Gera tousled his Pakin’s hair and said, “Of course! Hotel Gera is always for students of the esteemed proprietress!” She stopped in the middle of the street, smacked her forehead, and let out a protracted groan.

  Pakin quirked his head at her and just waited to see what she said.

  Gera let her hand fall from her face and looked at Pakin for a second before asking, “How are you with birds?”

  “Uhhhhhh. I don’t know. They’re cool, I guess?”

  Gera hemmed and hawed briefly before shrugging her shoulders and saying, “You’re probably too big for him to pick up anyway.”

  “What does that mean? Gera?”

  She refused to answer Pakin’s calls and continued her stroll towards their destination.

  The two made their way through the crowded Toyokumo Tunnel District as the sun set over the western horizon. Rope lights and street lamps came to life, giving the district a downtown sort of vibe. This was only enhanced by the many bars, restaurants, and inns that kept their doors open despite the hour. Pakin glanced into one of the few stores closing down for the night.

  He spotted a few novelty shuriken, shelves lined with scrolls, and even a few t-shirts. One had the image of a bloody kunai printed on the front, with the words “I went to Kumogakure and all I got was this kunai” surrounding the fake injury.

  Pakin smiled to himself and thought Schlocky T-shirts probably exist in every universe.

  As Gera led them farther from the tunnel, the descent into the valley's base became more noticeable, as the streets grew more inclined. Downtown vibe also faded to a more casual, artistic feeling. Pakin saw a lot more mom and pop type businesses, closing up like that souvenir shop. He could also see a lot more people in shinobi gear wandering around. People in chain-mesh shirts, white tactical gear, and headbands galore. He also began seeing the iconic one-breasted flak jackets that distinguished Kumo-nin from other shinobi. On the way through the tunnel, he’d noticed a few people wearing them, but the unique protective gear was much more prominent here.

  Pakin continued to marvel at the sights until they came upon the river at the valley’s base. He oohed and aahed at the stonework on the bridges crossing the large flowing body of water. Dragons, clouds, and thunder were prominent motifs, but the occasional Kirin also made an appearance.

  They continued east after hitting the river, following a well-paved stonebrick promenade. There was decent traffic for a Tuesday night, and while Pakin certainly felt out of his element, he navigated the crowds with alacrity.

  Gera commented on his deftness: “You do well in crowds. I was freaking out when I first got here, pumped into people all the time and constantly had to apologize.”

  Pakin just shrugged and said, “I’unno probably all my training.”

  “True, the shinobi I followed from Fuwayama only taught me the most basic of basics.”

  Gera led Pakin on, and after another thirty minutes of walking, they passed their first pillar since entering the city. Pakin marveled at its size; he’d glimpsed them between and above buildings, but seeing one up close was a spectacle.

  It was tall enough that Pakin had to crane his neck upwards to see the top, and it was wider than any skyscraper he could remember. He guesstimated the circumference to be around two city blocks. Now that he was closer to the pillar, he could make out more structures attached to it, other than the behemoths near their tops. They were like little diamond-shaped buds crawling up the pillar on vines of electrical wire, rope ladders, and bridges connecting them all together.

  “That’s the Alluvial Pillar.” Pakin turned to see his teacher standing beside him. She tousled his hair and explained. “Each pillar has one official name and at least a dozen nicknames. The pillar we’re headed to is the Reflection Pillar. I’ll let you figure out the rest on your own.”

  Pakin liked that idea. It’d let him start conversations organically all over the city.

  “It’ll be a fun little quest.” He said. “To learn the names of all the pillars! They’ll call me Pillar Pakin when I’ve completed my goal!”

  Gera laughed at her student and pulled him away from Alluvial, saying, “Alright, ‘Pillar Pakin’ let’s go.”

  Pakin griped, “HEY! I haven’t completed my quest yet!”

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  Pakin was practically vibrating as he and Gera waited for the elevator at the bottom of the Reflection Pillar.

  Gera stared at him apprehensively. “Stop jittering dude, you look like you’re about to piss you’re pants.”

  Pakin tried his best to calm down, but since Gera had told him she lived in one of the buildings attached to a pillar, he hadn’t been able to calm down.

  Living on the side of a giant pillar in a ninja city. This is, like, peak cool!

  The elevator dinged and its doors slid open. He waited impatiently for the folks to stream out, then hurried inside.

  The contraption was mounted on rails attached directly to the rock face of the pillar. Those rails lead up into the bottom of the attached building, looming high overhead. The elevator was mostly glass, letting Pakin see outside as they slowly ascended.

  “Hey Gera, are there any buildings inside the pillar?” He kept his eyes glued to the view outside while he asked his question, but he noticed it took a few seconds for Gera to respond.

  “Huh? Oh, no. It’d be too dangerous, ruin their internal structure or whatever.” Pakin felt Gera grab his shoulder and let her pull him around to look at her. “Okay, kiddo, here’s what I’m gonna need from you. When we get to the apartment, I’m gonna go inside first. Then, I’m gonna have to talk to my roommate about our situation, and then I’ll come outside to get you. Okay?”

  Pakin briefly considered her instructions before a light went off in his head. He hadn’t paid much attention to it, but Gera had grown less talkative as they approached the apartment. Pakin hadn’t minded since he’d been enjoying the sights, but looking at her now, she was visibly sweating. He put the pieces together and stated, “Your roommate doesn’t know I’m coming.”

  Gera tucked her lips inwards, and her eyes got huge for a second before she reassured Pakin, “Yes. It’ll be okay, though. Chie is my bestie, and she’s super cool, so I’m not worried about her. I’m worried about her bird.”

  Pakin looked dumbly at his teacher and asked disbelievingly, “You’re worried about her bird? I told you I’m okay with birds. They don’t freak me out or anything, and if you guys teach me, I can probably even take care of it too. I promise I’ll be gentle!”

  Gera shook her head and said, “No, you couldn’t hurt him if you tried. I’m worried he will hurt you.”

  Pakin was supremely confused. What kind of pet bird could hurt him? Did Gera’s roommate train falcons or something? “Gera, what are you talking about?”

  “Just. Trust me, and do exactly as I say when I bring you inside.” Her eyes told Pakin she wasn’t kidding, so he just said “Okay” and nodded absently at her.

  Gera seemed a little more relaxed, now that he’d agreed and let go of his shoulder. As she did, the city below disappeared as the elevator lifted into the building’s bottom. The door dinged and opened to release them into a lobby area.

  Pakin noted that it was rather spacious and that the far wall was entirely glass, letting the view from the elevator continue into this room. Looking around, he noted a distinctly modern aesthetic. It was chic like he’d expect from a Western-style hotel, and a concierge desk sat in the middle of the lobby. The rest of the room had small seating areas with couches, tables, and armchairs.

  “Come on, we’re this way.” Gera pointed towards the left side of the room and took off, waving at the young man at the concierge’s desk.

  They walked through the lobby and continued through a hallway, with doors only on the right side. Pakin guessed that all the rooms must face outside, to give them a better view.

  This place is pretty swanky. I wonder how much it costs to live here.

  Gera led them up a single flight of stairs and down another hallway before stopping at a door numbered ‘11b’

  She took a deep breath, turned to Pakin, and said, “Remember, do exactly as I say. I’ll be right back.” Pakin gave a thumbs-up, and she pulled out a key from her pocket and opened the door. Slipping inside, Gera didn’t leave enough room for Pakin to glimpse the space beyond.

  Jeez. This bird thing is kind freaking me out. Pakin rocked back and forth on his heels as he wondered what kind of bird could be worth this much trouble. As the wheels turned, he thought about Gera and what her roommate might be like. Was she a shinobi too? Is that why they could afford such a swanky place?

  After waiting a few more minutes, Gera emerged with another teenage girl. She was a little taller than Gera and wore plain clothes, just a long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and high-top sneakers.

  Oh, I haven’t seen those here yet. Looking up from the girl’s shoes, he made note of her dark skin and wavy, pink hair done up in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were dark brown, with hints of red in her inner iris. They sent shivers down Pakin’s spine as the girl stared at him with a calm, focused intensity.

  He held her stare for a second before she smiled at him and offered her hand for him to shake. “Hi Pakin, I’m Chie. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Pakin shook her hand and supplied, “Hello, it’s nice to meet you too.”

  They finished their handshake, and Chie started the conversation, “So, I’m more than happy to have you stay with us. Even if I would’ve preferred a little heads up.” She glared at Gera, causing the other girl to shrink back and look suitably chastened. “Mostly because of my… partner, Kintaro. He helps me with my work, and we take care of each other. So, he also lives with us.”

  Pakin nodded along, but still wondered what all the fuss was about. Surely, he wouldn’t react so poorly to a random kid if he were a trained animal.

  Chie took a deep breath before continuing, “The thing is, he’s very particular about his living space. He does not like having his home invaded by someone he doesn’t know. He’d known Gera for years beforehand and was still exceptionally ornery for weeks after the move. So, you can understand why having someone new suddenly enter his home might be an issue.”

  Pakin was starting to understand the picture. He knew birds were sensitive to changes in their environments, and if it was a bird of prey, it would be especially sensitive to encroachment on its perceived territory.

  “So. Here’s what I want you to do.” Chie laid a hand on Pakin, and he felt a bit of chakra imprint itself on his right shoulder. It tickled a little, and he rubbed at the spot. Chie stared at him briefly before asking, “Did you feel that?”

  “You imprinted something on me with your chakra, right?” He could feel it clearly, since it was so different from his chakra's normal vibrations and flow.

  Gera chimed in, “He’s got good senses, I’ll tell you about it later.”

  Chie looked at Gera, sighed, and continued her instruction, “We’re going to go into the apartment and I’m going to introduce you to Kintaro. Then, Gera is going to take you into her room and I’m going to explain the situation to him. He’ll calm down eventually, but you might have to stay at a hotel tonight if he gets too angry. Is that clear?”

  Pakin nodded; he didn’t want to upset Gera’s friend, and he was kind of intruding. So, it was only fair that he do his best to ingratiate himself with Chie and her partner.

  Once Chie seemed sure he was onboard with the plan, she opened the door and said aloud, “Kintaro, I’m bringing in Gera’s guest now. Please be nice.”

  Pakin followed the two women inside, wondering why there was all this fuss over a bird.