Gera, Chie, and Pakin entered through the apartment door into a small foyer. Pakin took off his shoes to put on a pair of guest slippers for the house. They didn’t wear slippers in Fuwayama, but since leaving, he’d found the practice to be far more common.
Exiting the entrance, they emerged into a lovely combined kitchen and living room. The kitchen had wooden countertops and a sink with a few dishes inside, and a small bar separated the kitchen from the living room. Two couches, two armchairs, and a coffee table took up one half of the room.
The entire floor was made of a lovely, dark wood, and the exterior wall was glass from floor to ceiling, like the lobby. Two tall doors set into the glass wall opened out to a decent-sized balcony devoid of furniture. A small loft roofed the kitchen, before rising into a vaulted ceiling for the living room, making the space feel extremely open.
As Pakin walked into the living room, he looked around but found no signs of a bird. There were no cages or stands anywhere; only a few comically large, decorative feathers framed on the kitchen wall. He turned to ask Chie where her partner was when he suddenly felt an extreme wave of pressure crash down onto his shoulders from above.
Gera’s eyes grew frantic, and she tried to rush out and grab Pakin, only to be stopped by Chie. She shook her head at Gera and looked towards Pakin, pointing straight up towards the loft above the kitchen. He followed her finger and felt the color drain from his face as he looked above the kitchen and into the loft above.
A giant vulture with bright red eyes sat comfortably behind the half wall of the loft. Its body was covered in sleek brown feathers that slowly grew darker until they became pitch black at the edges of its wings. A gorgeous light brown down covered its long neck and head, contrasting with its bicolored beak: white on the half closest to its face and purple on the other.
Pakin felt the massive predator’s eyes lock onto his own as he thought, There’s no way that’s a regular bird. In the show, some of the most powerful ninjas could summon powerful and intelligent animals with the ability to use chakra. This has got to be one of those summons.
He could practically feel the chakra oozing from the creature staring at him. It felt as immovable as a mountain, combined with the explosive winds of a hurricane.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! I’m going to be living with this thing! This is what’s gonna be ORNERY if I stay? What do I do to make sure this massive predator doesn’t decide to eat me? Pakin raked every corner of his brain for a solution, any solution to keep this killing machine from picking him up and swallowing him whole. All because Pakin was disturbing the peace in his home.
Pakin thought and thought, until eventually he landed on a solution. If he was going to be living here, then he needed to ingratiate himself with both of his potential roommates. So, he should ask politely.
He raised his hands as he lowered his head, making a fist with one and covering it with the other. He bent low at the waist, breaking eye contact with the bird and sweating the whole time. The entire time, the pressure never abated, and with a slight shake in his voice, he said, “This one greets the honorable Kintaro. I am Pakin, a student of Gera. I thank you for your kindness and hospitality, allowing me into your home on this day. If I may impose upon you further, I would ask a favor of you, honorable Lord of the Skies.”
What the fuck am I taking about? Lord of the Skies? It’s a giant fucking bird that’s probably just going to snap me in half with one of it’s talons and gobble up my guts.
Pakin stayed bent over, awkwardly waiting for a response. The weight of Kintaro’s continued focus caused sweat to drip down his forehead and onto the floor. The whole time, he wished that Chie or Gera would step in to save him or at least say something.
After waiting and second-guessing himself for a few more moments, a nasally voice came down from Kintaro’s perch and spoke with a haughty air, “Very well, Child of the Earth. Make your request and I shall consider it.”
Pakin shook a little as Kintaro actually responded to his words. Recovering quickly from his surprise, he made his plea, “Thank you, honorable Kintaro. My teacher has offered me residence in your abode until the beginning of my attendance at the Academy. I ask that you forgive her carelessness and allow me to ask in her stead. Would you permit me to stay in your domain for the coming weeks, at least until I start school? Thank you.” Pakin felt that he’d fumbled it at the end there, but hoped the rest of his impromptu appeal would satisfy the creature.
The pressure seemed to triple in intensity after Pakin’s speech, and he had to grit his teeth just to maintain his composure. The bruises on his front and back started to throb more painfully than he’d felt all day. Kintaro spoke and demanded, “Raise your head, young Pakin.”
Pakin did as the bird asked, bringing his gaze up to meet the crimson eyes glaring down on him. Kintaro regarded him briefly before opening his beak and saying, “You speak with great respect for me, Child of the Earth, but I felt your surprise upon seeing me. Tell me, how do you know the old ways of speaking to my kind despite never having met one of us?”
Pakin panicked and started to concoct an elaborate lie. However, he quickly put together that Kintaro had sensed his fear, and would likely know he was lying, so he did his best to smudge the truth.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“I’m not sure, I just knew that great beasts like yourself are old and powerful. So, I thought that you were due respect, especially because I am asking something rude by requesting to stay here without letting you or Ms.Chie know beforehand.”
The pressure immediately abated, and Kintaro opened his beak again. Only this time, a nasally laughter echoed from within. His chest bobbed up and down, and a screeching kaw accompanied the human-like laughter. After a moment, Kintaro calmed down and said, “I like you, child of the Earth. The dull, purple one has acquired a rather thoughtful student. You may stay here until you’re time at the Academy. I merely request two things from you.” At that moment, Chie moved out from under the loft and stood protectively in front of Pakin.
“Kintaro, don’t. He’s not even a shinobi yet, he cannot even begin to understand what completing a request from you means.”
What the hell is happening right now? Pakin was growing more confused by the moment, but he was glad to do whatever Kintaro asked at this point.
“Relax, Chie.” Kintaro shook his head at her and said, “It is not a Request, I just want the boy to do something for me quickly. I promise it’s nothing serious. I like him, and he is a guest in our home. You know how serious that is. I cannot harm him.”
Chie’s shoulders relaxed, and she moved to Pakin’s side. “Alright. I’m sorry.” She huffed and crossed her arms before saying, “I’m still a little sensitive after what you did to my last girlfriend.”
Kintaro huffed derisively and made a dismissive gesture with his wing before responding, “That woman was unworthy of your affections. Now, stop distracting me.” He turned his gaze back on Pakin and asked, “Young Pakin, I only have two requests if you’re to stay in this house. Is that alright?” Kintaro’s affect and tone had become much more gentle.
Pakin nodded, saying, “Yes, honorable Kintaro, that is okay.”
Kintaro… smiled? Pakin didn’t know what counted as smiling for a bird.
“Excellent. First, please call me Mr.Kintaro, and drop the formality. Only my grandfather requires that humans talk to him like that anymore, and it’s rather stuffy in my opinion. Second, if you could, please show me your chakra.”
Pakin was about to comply when he realized he didn’t know how to do that. So, instead, he said, “Okay, Mr.Kintaro, but I’m not sure how to show you my chakra. Should I just, like, shoot some out of my palm?” He’d never needed to push his chakra outside his body like that; the only time he’d used chakra externally was for leaf concentration practice.
Kintaro sighed and said, “That dull purple creature is a burden, even to her own student.”
Gera emerged from the kitchen at this point and shouted, “HEY! Don’t talk about me like that to my student, you bald-headed freak!”
Kintaro stretched his neck out and hissed at Gera, frightening Pakin. Gera merely gave him the bird.
“Then teach your students proper chakra control!” He moved his gaze back to Pakin and adopted a more gentle tone, saying, “Now, young Pakin, it is rather simple. Try to mold your chakra while pushing it out of the pores in your body. Chakra always wants to move where there is less of itself, so if you imagine opening your body up to the world outside, the process should be almost automatic.”
“Thank you, Mr.Kintaro, I’ll try,” Pakin said, before diving into himself. He molded some chakra and attempted to do what Kintaro had described.
Chakra used to leak out of this body constantly, so this should be super simple. Pakin released his hold on his chakra, letting it flow rapidly throughout his body. Then, he molded as much chakra as he could. Finally, he tried to push the chakra out of his skin. There was resistance, so Pakin moved his focus around his body and tried to relax his muscles and skin, breathing out simultaneously.
PA-BRING-BRING-BRING-BRING
Pakin felt a draft pick up around himself, and a sound like resonating glass rang out around him. He opened his eyes, the process becoming self-perpetuating, as Kintaro had said. His eyes widened as he took in the slight gray tinge to the world around him. He could feel the air around him charged with his chakra. He couldn’t help but smile at the feeling and looked up at Kintaro.
The bird was silent, staring intently at him. None of the pressure from before mounted, but he could still feel a kind of focus behind Kintaro’s gaze.
Shortly after he started, Kintaro motioned for him to stop. It took a second, but switching the process off was as simple as switching it on.
“Thank you, young Pakin, that was interesting. I enjoy seeing a shinobi’s chakra. Given that you’re young and haven’t started training up your nature affinities yet, I was curious to see how it would look.”
Pakin bowed quickly to the bird and offered, “Of course, Mr.Kintaro, thank you for letting me stay here!”
Gera swung her arm around Pakin and smiled brightly at Kintaro, saying, “Pretty impressive, isn’t he bird brain?”
The bird huffed, “Yes, for a boy his age. Although I would expect his chakra to be denser at this point in his training.” Gera frowned, and Kintaro raised his feathered eyebrows before correcting, “Ah, I’ve said something rude. I apologize, young Pakin, I am sure you’ve put much effort into your training. It shows in your chakra control. I sensed how tightly you gripped your chakra before releasing it for me to see. That’s impressive for someone with no academy training.”
Pakin smiled dimly at the bird and replied, “It’s alright, Mr.Kintaro.” Attempting to ease the tension in the room, Pakin asked Chie and Gera, “Can you guys show me around? I know I won’t be living here long, but it’s nice to know I’ll be in such a fancy apartment.”
Chie smiled and said, “Of course, Pakin, it is a charming apartment. Despite the constant metal shavings I find littered across the floor.”
Gera pointed at her roommate and said, “I keep most of them in my room! Also, I don’t complain about all the bird dander everywhere!” Gera elbowed Pakin and stage whispered, “That’s not even the worst part. You should see how many new girlfriends she brings around here in a month.”
The two continued their rambunctious rapport, and Pakin laughed along.