I pushed open the door of the library.
"Good evening," I said.
As usual, Hiroji was behind the counter, reading a book.
He looked up slowly.
His face showed the same calm, indifferent expression he always had. In the three years I had known him, I had rarely seen any strong emotion on that face.
He looked at me for a few seconds. Then went back to reading.
I crossed my arms.
"You know," I said, "it's rude when someone greets you and you don't greet back."
He did not look up this time.
"Who did you fight?" he asked calmly.
I smirked, then winced.
My cheek hurts. The panther's tail must have left a bruise.
"I fought a black demon from the gates of hell," I said with a serious expression.
He slowly lifted his eyes and gave me a flat, deadpan look.
Silence.
"…Just kidding," I said. "I fought a black panther in the Forest of Death."
He closed his book.
"You have become stupider than you look," Hiroji said calmly. "That was a dangerous thing to do."
His tone did not change.
But I noticed something small.
A slight tightness around his eyes.
"Is that worry I hear in your voice?" I asked lightly.
"Yes," he replied immediately. "Worry that I will lose a worker."
I blinked.
Then grinned.
"I'll take it," I said. "It's still worry for me."
He stared at me for a moment.
Then sighed softly.
"Sit down," he said. "And tell me exactly what happened."
And just like that, the grumpy librarian continued being the closest thing I had to a guardian.
I told Hiroji a different version of the story. I said I was curious about the Forest of Death and wanted to see it for myself. I told him that when I entered the forest, a black panther attacked me.
That part was true.
I also told him that during the fight, I created a new jutsu. That part surprised him.
I know he is not just a librarian.
He is either a retired shinobi… or someone placed by the Hokage to keep an eye on me. Maybe both.
Maybe his job is to slowly build my bond with the village.
But whatever his role is, he is one of the few people who has helped me.
That matters.
When I mentioned the new jutsu, he closed his book fully.
"Show me," he said.
I hesitated for half a second.
Revealing it might be risky. But hiding everything forever is not possible. This is a ninja village.
Secrets do not stay hidden for long.
And if I want to grow, I need guidance.
So I activated it.
Blue chakra gathered around my forearms.
"Chakra Armament: Fang Manifestation."
Three glowing blades extended from each knuckle.
Hiroji's eyes sharpened slightly.
That was the only sign of surprise he showed. After a few seconds, I let the chakra fade.
Silence filled the library.
"If you had not created that jutsu," Hiroji said calmly, "you would have died. You understand that, right?"
"Yeah, I know," I replied. "What do you think about it?"
He folded his hands.
"It is useful," he said. "Very useful in close combat. But I doubt anyone except you could use it."
"Why?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
"It requires high chakra control," he explained. "And strong chakra shape manipulation. Making chakra that is solid and stable is not easy. Most shinobi cannot do it."
He looked at me carefully.
"Even then, maintaining that level of density would drain a normal person quickly."
I tilted my head, acting confused.
"Then how was I able to do it?"
He adjusted his glasses.
"Maybe it is related to your clan," he said. "You are an Uzumaki. They are known for powerful chakra, sealing techniques, and chakra chains."
He paused.
"Perhaps there was a mutation in your bloodline. Instead of manifesting chains, you manifested claws."
He tapped the table lightly.
"It is something to think about."
"Hmmm… yeah," I replied. "That's what I thought too."
In truth, I already knew about the Uzumaki clan in this world.
When I turned five, Hiroji gave me a book from the public library. It contained records about the Uzumaki clan.
In this world, the Uzumaki were destroyed during the Second Great Ninja War.
By three villages.
Kumogakure.
Iwagakure.
Kirigakure.
All three joined forces.
It took them two weeks to wipe out the clan. Two weeks.
Konoha could not help.
Sunagakure attacked Konoha at the same time, keeping them busy and unable to send support.
A whole clan was destroyed.
Men.
Women.
Children.
Babies.
Elders.
No one was spared.
Only a handful survived.
And those survivors scattered across the elemental nations. When I first read that book, something inside me went quiet.
They were hunted.
Erased.
And I am one of the last.
That thought carried weight.
Hiroji looked at me for a moment longer. "Be careful with that power," he said.
"I will," I replied.
"You're not just a normal librarian… are you?" I finally asked him directly.
Hiroji did not look surprised. He simply adjusted his glasses.
"I never said I was just a librarian," he replied calmly. "You assumed."
Oh, you sneaky middle-aged man.
He moved behind the reception counter and shuffled through a drawer. Then he suddenly threw a scroll at me.
I caught it out of reflex.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Body Flicker Technique," he said. "By using this technique, a ninja can move short to medium distances at almost untraceable speed."
My eyes widened. The Body Flicker?
That was not a beginner technique.
That was something even trained shinobi relied on.
He looked at me carefully.
"If I told you to stop going to the Forest of Death, you would not listen," he said.
…He knows me too well.
"So," he continued, "learn this technique first. Then you can go there. At least you will have a way to run if you get into trouble again."
For a moment, I did not know what to say.
This was not a small gift.
This was trust.
Real trust.
"I… I… thank you," I said, bowing slightly.
"You're welcome," he replied.
Then his tone returned to normal.
"Now go clean the fiction shelf."
I straightened up.
"Yes, sir," I said with a grin, giving him a playful salute.
He ignored the salute.
But I noticed something.
For just a second, the corner of his mouth twitched.
Almost like a smile.