63. Only mine

Within the mindscape as the books settled in their rightful place everything stopped. The decaying plants, the bubbling water and the bleeding sky, all of them stopped. As if time was rewinded the decay receded as the flora regained its vigor and life. The red skies went through a similar phenomenon as the crimson began to banish giving way to a nice and calming cyan. Finally, the lake’s water began to clear up. 

The creature that had appeared within the lake gave Kurama one last glance before receding into the waters alongside the last of the tar-like substance. The fox for his part breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever the fuck that thing had been gave him a sense of danger  like nothing else ever had. 

Outside, in the real world Tomoka sat frozen as her mind processed the memories she had just acquired. As she did her heart became calm as her eyes began to tear up. She was safe, Nozomi was safe, Plan K-1 had been a success. 

While thinking that Tomoka looked again at the girl covered by bloody blankets as her figure changed back to its original shape. Another Uchiha girl of similar age to herself was there, not Nozomi though, just some random girl. 

‘Plan K, k for kidnaping. Kidnap Nozomi and carry her to a safe zone before replacing her with another person’ Those were the memories she had sealed. 

‘To trick the enemy you have to trick your allies first. Taking it one step further, you have to trick yourself’ It had worked, her plan had worked spectacularly. A crazy grin appeared on Tomoka’s face. 

The girl had been too caught in the rush of emotions that she didn’t notice a ninja had approached her with a tanto in hand. The next thing she knew a blade had pierced her chest from the back. However, she didn’t care.

“Art is an explosion!” Quoting a certain mad bomber Tomoka activated a bunch of bombs she had planted both inside the room and on her current body. What followed was a loud explosion as the entire place was blown to smithereens.

Outside Konoha, in one of the many caves Tomoka’s phantoms had found sat Tomoka with her legs crossed and eyes closed. A moment later she opened her eyes as the link with the phantom she was controlling broke. 

The same maddened grin her phantom had before immolating appeared on her face. With this field test she had managed to find a solution for one of the weaknesses of her phantoms. 

‘My phantoms can’t interact at large with the world because they lack a physical body. Then all I have to do is give them one’ The solution she had found was to create a body for them. The body she used this time was nothing more than a wooden puppet. Her phantom controlled it from the inside using a similar technique to Suna puppeteers.

Of course this solution has its own problems. The chakra drain of controlling the puppet makes it so the Phantom’s lifespan is reduced to a mere quarter of the original. Not to mention the time required to make the puppets and the cost of the materials. 

However, none of that mattered to her right now. What did matter was what or rather who was currently sleeping peacefully next to her. Nozomi was breathing softly on top of the mattress Tomoka had brought. 

Looking to the side, Tomoka saw Nozomi’s peaceful expression as some strands of her black hair had fallen over her face. With a light chuckle Tomoka moved them aside. As her eyes zeroed in on the girl’s rosy lips. Something within her had changed, Tomoka could feel it.

Before, when she believed that Nozomi had been killed she felt as if her world had crumbled right in front of her. Now seeing the girl sleeping peacefully only one thought remained in her mind. 

‘Mine’ Nothing more, nothing less. Tomoka’s mind was still in turmoil but that single thought had settled like a fortress inside there. Nothing in the world could ever move or change that thought. 

‘Mine and only mine’ Nozomi is hers. They had promised each other to stay with the other for ever and ever and she would make sure that it would be so. As she thought that she was reminded of Hinata and the fact they had made the same promise. 

‘Also mine’ Hinata is also hers. Like a dragon she would fight for what is hers and would kill anyone that dared to think of taking what belongs to her. 

With those thoughts Tomoka smiled as she came closer to Nozomi, delivering a soft kiss on her forehead. The sleeping girl stirred for a second before her expresion settled on a soft smile. 

“sweet dreams my Nozomi”