Hoshimi Saki: Dad, I don't want to leave you again

Just as Lin Shuo thought this "chat" was about to end and was preparing to get up and say goodbye-

"Click."

The reception room door opened again.

But this time, someone hadn't pushed it open. It had been... gently kicked open.

A small figure stood in the doorway.

Lin Shuo's first reaction was: Why had Hoshimi Miyabi shrunk?

The same black hair, the same red eyes, the same fox ears-even that serious yet slightly airheaded expression was identical.

But a closer look revealed the differences: this girl looked only twelve or thirteen, roughly 140 centimeters tall, a good deal shorter than Hoshimi Miyabi.

Most noticeably-she had a fluffy fox tail behind her, swaying gently with unease.

As for Hoshimi Miyabi... Lin Shuo remembered very clearly that the woman had no tail behind her backside.

The girl wore a child-sized Section 6 uniform-clearly custom-made, fitted to her size but a little loose at the shoulders.

She held a folder in her arms, with half a red bean bun still clamped between her teeth.

The instant she saw Lin Shuo, her pupils contracted sharply.

The folder dropped to the floor with a clatter.

The red bean bun slipped from her mouth and rolled to Lin Shuo's feet.

The room was so quiet that the hum of air blowing from the air conditioner was audible.

Asaba Harumasa silently took a sip of dark liquid and muttered, "...I knew this would happen."

Before Lin Shuo could react, system notifications had already erupted:

[Warning! High concentration of tailed beast chakra detected!]

[Target: Unknown individual (female/approximately 12 years old)]

[Sealed within: Nine-Tails, Kurama (complete form)]

[Abilities: Fire Release, Ice Release, Malice Perception, Tailed Beast Bomb (theoretically usable), Sage Mode (currently only partially learned; unable to fully control)]

[Blood relation similarity to host: 51.3%]

[Genetic similarity to Hoshimi Miyabi: 97.8%]

[Spacetime of origin: Delta-3 parallel spacetime]

[Additional information: The Lin Shuo of that spacetime received the complete power of the Nine-Tails as a system starter gift, then passed that power on to his daughter, Hoshimi Saki (taking her mother's surname). This individual is currently stranded in this world due to a spacetime anomaly and has lived under the protection of Hollow Special Operations Section 6 for one month.]

There was too much information. Lin Shuo's brain crashed for three seconds.

The Nine-Tails?

The complete Nine-Tails?

That Kurama, known as the "strongest tailed beast," with as much chakra as the other eight combined and a temper fierce enough to trade insults with Madara Uchiha?

He was now living inside a twelve-year-old girl?

And she was also... his daughter?

His daughter from another spacetime?

Lin Shuo's gaze swept back and forth across the girl's face-he really could see traces of himself and Hoshimi Miyabi in it.

Her black hair came from Miyabi, but the slight curl at the tips looked a little like his; her red eyes came from Miyabi, but the slight downward curve at their corners... was how his had looked as a child.

Her lips resembled his the most-thin and habitually pressed together, an unconscious habit Lin Shuo had when he was nervous.

"You..." Lin Shuo opened his mouth, only to discover that his voice was a little hoarse.

The girl said nothing.

She simply stood in the doorway, her red eyes rapidly misting over, her little fists clenched tightly enough for her nails to dig into her palms.

Then she moved.

She didn't throw herself at him. She approached slowly, one step at a time.

With every step, another tear fell.

By the time she reached Lin Shuo, her face was covered in tear tracks, yet she had stubbornly made no sound-the way she held it in and cried with her breath caught was exactly like Lin Shuo as a child.

"Dad..."

Her voice was very quiet, carrying the childishness unique to a twelve-year-old girl, along with a thick nasal tone.

Lin Shuo felt as though something had seized his heart in a brutal grip.

He crouched down, bringing his eyes level with hers.

"What's your name?"

"Hoshimi... Saki," the girl said between sobs.

"Mom said... 'Saki' means flowers blooming... she hoped I could bloom... as strong as the cherry blossoms..."

Hoshimi Saki.

The Hoshimi family's surname, a name chosen by Miyabi.

Lin Shuo reached out to wipe the tears from her face, but his hand stopped in midair-he didn't know whether he should touch her.

Saki brought her face closer of her own accord and nuzzled his palm.

The movement was gentle and cautious, as though she feared this was a dream that would shatter at a touch.

"Dad..." she called again, sounding even more aggrieved this time.

"Why... why did you only come now..."

Lin Shuo's throat tightened. "I... I didn't know you were here."

"I know..." Saki lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes. "Big Brother Harumasa said... the Dad in this spacetime... hasn't met Mom yet... so he doesn't know me..."

She paused, then raised her tear-streaked face. "But... but I still wanted to see you..."

Asaba Harumasa handed over a packet of tissues at just the right moment.

Lin Shuo took it and gently wiped Saki's face.

"Your mom... Miyabi. Does she know you exist?"

"Yes." Saki nodded, but her expression dimmed. "Mom was shocked at first... but she believed it very quickly."

"Then she..."

"Mom treats me very well," Saki said quietly.

"She buys me clothes, teaches me swordsmanship, and even had Aunt Yanagi help arrange a temporary identity for me... but..."

Tears welled up in her eyes again.

"But the way Mom looks at me... sometimes she looks so sad... I know what she's thinking... she's wondering whether the Dad in this spacetime will like her..."

Lin Shuo's fingers went rigid.

This subject... was too heavy.

He hadn't even finished processing "I have a twelve-year-old daughter," and now he had to face the ethical dilemma of "this daughter comes from a future involving Hoshimi Miyabi and me."

Asaba Harumasa spoke up at just the right moment. "Um... should I step outside? You two can take your time talking, father and daughter."

"No need," Lin Shuo said.

"As it happens... there are a few things I want to ask you."

He had Saki sit in a chair, then pulled over another chair and sat down himself.

"When did Saki arrive in this spacetime?"

"A month ago," Asaba Harumasa answered for her.

"She suddenly appeared on the outskirts of Hollow Zero-the chief happened to be carrying out Operation Sword Husbandry there and found her.

"At first, we thought she was a civilian kid who'd gotten lost, but once we tested her Ether aptitude..."

He paused, his expression odd. "She nearly burned out the testing equipment..."

"And then you took her in?"

"What else were we supposed to do?" Asaba Harumasa shrugged.

"We couldn't just hand this kid over to the Defense Force or TOPS, could we? The chief decided on the spot that 'this child will be protected by Section 6.' Yanagi spent a week forging a complete set of identity documents. Saki's file now says 'Hoshimi Miyabi's distant niece, both parents deceased, under Miyabi's guardianship.'"

He looked at Saki, his gaze softening in a rare moment. "She's been living at the base this past month-the chief personally teaches her swordsmanship, Soukaku takes her around to try everything in the cafeteria, and Yanagi tutors her in academic subjects... As for me?"

Asaba Harumasa smiled. "When she misses her dad so much she cries, I'm in charge of playing games with her to take her mind off it."

A complicated surge of gratitude rose within Lin Shuo.

These people in Section 6... each seemed more unreliable than the last, but when it mattered, they really came through.

"Thank you," Lin Shuo said earnestly.

"You're welcome." Asaba Harumasa waved a hand.

"Saki's a very good kid, after all-aside from occasionally losing control and blowing up a few punching bags in the training room, she hasn't caused any trouble."

Saki lowered her head, even her ears turning red. "S-sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine. The chief said if they blew up, they blew up. It was a good chance to test the new punching bags' impact resistance."

Asaba Harumasa smiled. "She even praised you for having 'destructive power worthy of a Void Hunter.'"

The atmosphere eased a little.

Lin Shuo looked at Saki. "Can you control the Nine-Tails' power?"

"...Barely."

Saki said quietly, "My original dad taught me... but after I came to this spacetime, Uncle Kurama said... the rules of this world were different, and he felt a little unwell..."

"Uncle Kurama?" Lin Shuo raised an eyebrow.

"Mm." Saki nodded.

"Uncle Kurama has a bad temper, but he's very gentle with me-my original dad said Uncle Kurama was willing to lend me his power because he'd acknowledged me."

Acknowledged...

Lin Shuo thought of Shukaku and the others.

Though tailed beasts were arrogant, they did show an unexpectedly gentle side to people they truly acknowledged.

"Then Kurama's current condition..."

"He's sleeping," Saki said.

"He said this world is rejecting him, and sleeping can reduce his consumption... but if there's danger, he'll wake up to protect me."

She paused, then added, "Uncle Kurama also said... he sensed the presence of other tailed beasts... and asked me what was going on..."

Lin Shuo's heart tightened.

The Nine-Tails could sense other tailed beasts?

That made sense. He was the strongest tailed beast, after all, so his sensory abilities should be top-tier too.

"About this..." Lin Shuo looked at Asaba Harumasa. "How much does Section 6 know?"

"We know Saki has a 'special Ether life-form' inside her, but we don't know exactly what it is," Asaba Harumasa said.

"The chief's exact words were, 'Everyone has secrets. As long as they don't endanger New Eridu, Section 6 won't pry.'"

Typical Hoshimi Miyabi.

Simple and direct, yet revealing a certain clarity of wisdom hidden beneath apparent simplicity.