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"What's wrong with that?" Toru asked, watching Garfield from behind the cashier counter. The orange cat slumped in a corner, its mood clearly soured as it recited a list of foods.
"Lasagna...Alfredo...Cheesy pizzas..."
The list went on, spoken with a mournful tone.
"He damaged his dentures, it happened when he ate an unpaid slice of pie." Kazuhiro explained.
Toru raised an eyebrow at the explanation. He theorized that perhaps unpaid items do not function as they should until paid for. "I see. Did it stumble in here alone?" he asked, stifling a yawn. He was already thinking about wrapping up his day and finding a place to stay for the night.
"It did not," Kazuhiro confirmed, "It was with a human. They haven't returned as of yet, they could be lost."
Toru's eye twitched slightly at the notion of Kazuhiro's casual demeanor. "Want me to find them?" he offered, sliding off his seat.
"It's up to you," Kazuhiro replied in his typically flat tone, turning his attention back to the endless aisles of the Market. Toru stood for a moment, considering, then glanced in the same direction, contemplating the scale of the Market.
"I'll do it, will wait for a bit before I head off to search." Toru declared as he rubbed the fatigue from his eyes. "I need to assist one more person to complete a daily task, and," he paused, glancing sideways at Kazuhiro, "I believe they won't be as comfortable around you."
Unfazed by the comment, Kazuhiro merely nodded in acknowledgment of Toru's decision.
A quiet stretch of about ten seconds passed, filled only by the ambient hum of the Market and the distant chatter from the remaining refugees. Toru, looking to fill the silence, turned back to Kazuhiro. "Have they arrived, the twins?"
Kazuhiro shook his head as he pulled out a sleek device, tapping on the screen. "No, they haven't." He navigated to a tab marked 'Workers' and selected a name: Asahi, and used the 'Hidden cameras' feature. The screen shifted to display live footage of the surroundings around the boy. "They are recovering," he noted, observing the two figures bandaged and resting on a couch within the feed.
"What?" Toru blinked, jarred from his drowsy state by the unexpected update.
"Help!" The figure, panting heavily with bags in hand, hurried closer. Both Toru and Kazuhiro turned toward the approaching noise. As the man drew nearer, his features became more distinct: light skin, curly, messy brown hair, clad in a powder blue polo, brown pants, and matching shoes.
Catching his breath, Jon addressed them anxiously, "H—have you seen Garfield? An orange cat with black stripes, chubby and—"
"He's right here," Toru interjected, pointing nonchalantly to where Garfield was perched on the nearby counter. If only Jon had looked around a little, he would have saved his breath.
"Garfield!" With no hesitation, Jon scooped up the cat in a tight bear hug. "I thought I lost you." Garfield was squeezed a bit too tightly and exhaled sharply, struggling to free himself from the embrace. "Seriously, this place is unnecessarily big for a supermarket. Did you really have to invest that much into it?" Jon questioned, mistaking Kazuhiro for a manager, perhaps deducing from his attire and, upon a closer inspection, the word 'supervisor' engraved in the ID tag, followed by their name. With Kazuhiro's strange, uncanny appearance, and the rugged, bloodied attire of the refugees, he concluded that there was some sort of event or convention that was taking place here.
Kazuhiro clarified, "This is an interdimensional place, as far as we know it connects to multiple worlds and it is a hub where transactions take place."
Jon, still holding Garfield tightly, looked around in genuine bewilderment. "Interdimensional what now?"
Observing the scene, Toru arched an eyebrow at Jon's carefree demeanor around Kazuhiro. Given the usually daunting appearance, it was unusual for someone not to be a bit apprehensive, but judging from the talking feline, they may have oddities in their world. Speaking of said cat. "Sir, I think your cat has had enough." Toru pointed out, noticing Garfield's futile attempts to free himself were growing weaker.
"Ah!" Jon quickly relaxed his grip, gently setting Garfield down. The cat gasped for air as if he'd just surfaced from underwater. "Sorry, Garfield," Jon sheepishly smiled.
Garfield, finally catching his breath, fixed Jon with a disgruntled look. "Thave it, Jon. You owe me a meal for that." His words were slightly garbled due to the lisp, and suddenly remembered the cause, he snapped, "WAIT!" He turned his glare from Jon to Kazuhiro and Toru. "You! you ruined my teeth! How am I thuppothed to enjoy food from now on?!"
"Did something happen?" Jon noticed Garfield's anger directed towards the Market staff.
"Thomething DID happen!" Garfield turned around, opened his mouth wide, and pointed to his damaged teeth, showing Jon the extent of the mishap.
Jon peered into Garfield's mouth, cringing at the sight. "Oh, that doesn't look good at all," he murmured as he tried to piece together the situation. "How did this happen?"
Garfield, still visibly upset, "That pie! It wath thuppothed to be thoft!"
"He tried to consume a food item, but it did not function as it supposed to because it wasn't paid for." Kazuhiro explained,
Toru chimed in with a suggestion. "He could live on soup for a while. Unless you'd prefer to get him some dentures. We have somethings that should restore it."
"No! Nada! Never in a million years will thoup replace real food!" Garfield protested with a shake of his head. To him, the thought of subsisting solely on soup was a fate almost as horrible as Mondays.
Jon furrowed his brow, contemplating the situation. It was clear that a diet of soup wouldn't do for Garfield, although it was not a bad way to get him in shape. He was also concerned about the costs and implications of dental surgery. "Is it true that you can restore his teeth?" he asked, looking between Toru and Kazuhiro for confirmation.
"It's true," Toru confirmed as he navigated through the device, exploring the various options available for dental restoration. "Options such as syringes, dental care, replacements, magical pills, healing in the form of food, the list goes on." His thumb continued to scroll before gazing at Jon. "But they won't be cheap, the cheapest comes around 680 credits and that's to paste your old teeth back together and it should do its thing. Prosthetics come up a bit higher than the former option."
Jon's face fell slightly at the mention of the cost. "680 dollars? That's... steep," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. The price was daunting, but seeing Garfield distressed made it seem necessary. He pondered if Garfield's damaged teeth would hold up and wouldn't wither away until he could save enough.
"Not in dollars—" Toru started to clarify the currency, but he was cut off.
"Pleathe, Jon! You have to!" Garfield crawled over, his paws clasped together, looking up with wide eyes. "it's the only way I can enjoy food again!"
"Look, Garfield. We can get them back another time, it's just I'm low on cash and all and..." Jon hesitated, he avoided Garfield's gaze, searching the area as if the answer might appear on the walls. But the earnestness in Garfield's pleas was too much to resist. "Fine," he sighed heavily, already feeling the future pinch on his finances. "We'll do it."
"Thank you! Oh, thank you, Jon," Garfield's relief was palpable as he hugged Jon's leg, nuzzling against it with genuine gratitude.
"Then, where did you say that thing was?" Jon asked Toru,
"Before that if we're going with the cheapest option. Do you know where his lost teeth are? You can't glue them back together if there's nothing to glue it with,"
"Garfield?" Jon turned to the cat,
"Uh, yeth, I know where they are..." Garfield responded hesitantly. He wasn't entirely sure, but he was willing to try retracing his steps, hoping his memory would prove reliable.
Toru watched the cat leading with uncertain steps. They likely didn't know where the teeth were. He glanced back at Kazuhiro, signaling that this might take longer than expected. "I'll end my shift after this one," he stated, resigning to follow them and assist as needed.
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[The land of fire, Konoha's main gate, 10:00 AM]
"Hey, look, isn't that Minato and his team?" one of the guards remarked, recognizing the figures approaching.
"It really is... Hey, Minato!" another guard called out, waving to catch the jonin's attention. "Mission didn't go as planned, I suppose?"
Minato managed a small smile as he neared. "Nothing bad happened, I just came back to report a finding to the Hokage," he responded with his usual calm.
"Hm, well, if it's business with the Hokage, then I shouldn't stall you here for too long," the guard said, stepping aside. "Plus, we already know how urgent it is due to one of your students who came here earlier."
"Thank you, Gin," Minato replied, as he and his team passed through the gates.
The scene inside the village was a stark contrast to the orderly control at the gates. The village burst into life with stalls selling colorful goods and the streets alive with villagers going about their day. Children's laughter filled the air, mingling with the calls of vendors.
As they took a few steps into the village, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them. The individual was masked and wore a white gear of an ANBU.
"The Third Hokage awaits your arrival, Minato Namikaze," the ANBU stated succinctly.
Understanding the urgency, Minato nodded firmly, acknowledging the message. The ANBU disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.
"Seriously, what's this about?" Obito asked, leaning back with his hands clasped behind his head. His usual carefree posture belied his curiosity.
"Yeah, Minato-sensei, did something happen while you were gone?" Rin added, her tone tinged with concern.
Minato turned to his students with a reassuring smile. "It's nothing you two need to worry about; it's been handled," he said softly, crouching slightly to ruffle Obito's and Rin's hair affectionately. "For now, you're both off the hook. Remember, you still have chunin exams to prepare for. Don't overdo it, okay?"
"Hn"
"Hn"
They both nodded in agreement, about to part ways, when a voice stopped them in their tracks.
"Minato!" The cry sliced through the bustle of the village, turning heads as a figure rushed towards them.
It was a woman, her vibrant red hair flowing behind her as she sprinted towards Minato. In moments, she collided with him, but Minato stood his ground, absorbing the impact of her embrace. She clung to him tightly, her head against his chest, bombarding him with a flurry of questions. "Where were you?! Kakashi told me what happened! Did something go wrong? What's this about a door? Moreover, it was attached to a tree?!"
Kushina's voice was a mix of worry and relief. She was dressed in her usual style, a high-collared, sleeveless blouse under a long, flowing green dress complemented by a simple wristband.
"Kushina!" Rin exclaimed with a smile.
As Kushina released Minato,she redirected her attention towards Obito and Rin. She swept them up in a robust hug. "Obito! Rin!" she exclaimed, her voice softening as she held them close. "So glad to see you two back with no scratches in sight. I was worried, you know! Your first C-rank mission, I felt uneasy the whole time!"
Obito squirmed within her grasp. "As if, it's just a C-rank. Of course, nothing that bad would have happened. Even if it did, we're ninjas, we can handle it," his tone laced with mild annoyance and his words were a little muffled by Kushina's hug.
Kushina didn't take that response well. Her long red hair seemed to crackle with her rising annoyance. As Obito's attitude sank in, her aura grew ominously heavy.
Feeling the shift, Obito froze, his earlier confidence evaporating under her intense gaze. A sharp "TKGYAAAAAAAA!" escaped him as Kushina's hand came down hard on his head, her worry manifesting as a brisk smack.
"AT LEAST SHOW SOME CARE WHEN SOMEONE WORRIES ABOUT YOU, YOU TWERP!" Kushina's voice boomed, a visible tick mark throbbing on her temple. She was not one to take Obito's dismissive attitude lightly, especially when it came to their safety. The lecture ensued a bit aggressively as Rin tried to ease Kushina and minimize the damage done to her teammate.
Minato was slightly distanced from the fray as this altercation unfolded. He wanted to step in but was halted by the steps of an approaching figure.
His other student, Kakashi, appeared, pausing to observe the scene before him with his usual impassive gaze. Minato offered a knowing smile, sensing Kakashi might have inadvertently contributed to the situation. "Had to tell her, didn't you?" he asked lightly.
Kakashi managed a slight grimace, acknowledging his dilemma. "I had no choice. She wouldn't let me go," he admitted, recalling how Kushina's formidable grip made escape impossible until he provided the answers she sought. Minato's smile turned wry, and a comical sweatdrop appeared on his head as he was all too familiar with Kushina's antics.
The scene shifted back to Kushina lecturing obito "You might think it's 'just a C-rank' mission, but every mission has it's own risks, especially if you're not careful!" Her voice carried the strength of her conviction, echoing slightly in the open space near the village gate.
Obito, nursing the bump on his head, muttered a reluctant apology, recognizing the concern behind Kushina's stern words. "Alright, alright, I get it... Thanks for worrying, Kushina-san."
Rin gave Obito a sympathetic look and turned to Kushina with a gentle smile. "He does mean it, Kushina-san. Thanks for worrying about us."
Kushina's expression softened as she looked at her charges. "Just make sure you both stay safe, alright? That's all I ask." Her tone showing deep care for the young ninjas' well-being.
Kushina sighed as this ordeal was handled, then turned her attention back to Minato. "You." Her brows furrowed.
Sensing the shift in tone, Minato responded with a sheepish smile, "Me?"
"Yes, you," Kushina affirmed, approaching him with her arms crossed, her stance reflecting her worry. "What was that about a door?"
Minato sighed, his expression turning serious. "Look, Kushina, I can't discuss this right now. This matter needs to be brought before the Hokage first."
Kushina's eyes narrowed slightly, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I see... so it's that serious, huh?" she asked, her tone reflecting her concern.
Minato nodded solemnly. "Yes, I can't disclose more than that at the moment. It's sensitive information."
Kushina paused, processing the information, then nodded in understanding. "That's fine. At least you guys weren't harmed. Go ahead, I'll stay here and keep an eye on these three." Her smile returned,
With a final nod to Kushina, Minato headed towards the Hokage's office, ready to report the mysterious events he encountered.
Minato hurried along the well-trodden paths of Konoha, his pace swift but measured.
As he approached the Hokage's office, the guards stationed outside recognized him and immediately opened the door to let him through without delay.
The Third Hokage, was at his desk, eyes looking up from a scroll as Minato entered. "Minato," he greeted, his voice steady. "It's good to see you're here. Kakashi's report was quite concerning. Tell me everything."
Minato nodded, his posture formal as he stepped forward. "Lord Hokage," he began, his tone serious and measured, "the mission uncovered things we did not anticipate." He started by describing the unusual appearance of the door and its even stranger properties, emphasizing the peculiarities that set it apart from any ordinary object.
He then detailed the dark void that had enveloped him upon entry, an environment where he found his chakra rendered unusable, confirming that this was no simple genjutsu or illusion.
Minato's report then delved deeper into what he encountered beyond the void. He spoke of a gate leading to a place known by an entity there as 'the Market'. He meticulously described the interior: its layout, the beings he encountered, including the array of technological and magical properties. He conveyed how this Market maintained detailed information on countless other worlds, a concept that visibly sharpened the Third Hokage's focus.
As Minato mentioned the array of worlds accessible via the Market, Hiruzen abruptly stood, a rare break in his usual composure that underscored his alarm. With a silent gesture, he encouraged Minato to continue.
Minato then approached the Hokage's desk, presenting a document referred to as the 'Adventurer's contract.' Hiruzen took the paper with a careful hand, his eyes scanning the contract filled with rules and stipulations for those who would venture through worlds as adventurers. Minato added a few more details about the operational aspects of the Market and its impact on those who entered.
As Minato concluded his report, the room filled with a palpable tension.
Hiruzen's brow furrowed in contemplation as he absorbed the new information. "You mentioned that the door disappeared after your departure?" he queried, leaning forward slightly.
"Yes, Lord Third," Minato confirmed. "However, I was told that the gate would reappear by simply envisioning the place."
"Hmm, is that so?" Hiruzen murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He was relieved that it disappeared right after, if it lingered any longer then someone else may stumble upon it.
Without further hesitation, Hiruzen raised his voice slightly, calling out a single word that echoed somewhat in the spacious office, "Bear!" Instantly, a figure appeared in the room, a masked ANBU.
"Lord Third," the ANBU agent responded promptly, his posture rigid and ready.
"Track down Jiraiya. Tell him it's urgent he comes here," Hiruzen commanded, his tone conveying the urgency of the situation.
the ANBU agent replied with nod and with a swift motion he vanished as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving behind a faint swirl of leaves.
"Are you planning on sending Jiraiya-sensei there?" Minato asked,
"Yes," Hiruzen confirmed with a nod. "I have something in plan for him. For now, await further orders and keep this information discreet until we have a better grasp of what this anomaly is. Dismissed."
Minato acknowledged the order with a respectful nod, "Yes, Lord Third" He turned to leave, his steps measured as he closed the door behind him, leaving Hiruzen in contemplative solitude.
Alone, the Third Hokage picked up his dropped tobacco pipe, a result of the initial shock from Minato's report. Lighting it once more, he inhaled deeply, the smoke swirling around him as he pondered the vast implications of their discovery. Moving to the window, he gazed out at the monumental faces of the First and Second Hokage carved into the mountainside.
"A gate to other worlds," he mused quietly, the smoke curling in the air. "Where have I heard that one before?" His eyes lingered on the stony visages of his predecessors.
Hiruzen's eyes shifted from the mountain to the village below, watching as the shadows lengthened and the first evening lights began to twinkle. Konoha was peaceful for now, its inhabitants unaware of the possible changes looming on their horizon.
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