"Apologies for disturbing you so late. We have a matter that requires your assistance."
Under the cover of night, Shikamaru knocked on the door of Yoichi's medicine shop. When the door opened, Yoichi's expression made his irritation evident. Shikamaru, aware of the strained relationship between them, adjusted his tone and bowed slightly to demonstrate respect.
"Come in," Yoichi said curtly, stepping aside to let Shikamaru and Temari enter.
Once they were seated, Yoichi wasted no time. "What's the issue? Speak quickly—I have other matters to attend to."
Shikamaru cleared his throat and began, "We've recently encountered what appears to be another otherworldly creature—a giant white whale. It's already been slain."
At this, Temari couldn't help but interject. "Wait, the white whale is dead? Who killed it—"
She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Shikamaru and Yoichi staring at her, and she quickly bit her tongue.
Shikamaru continued, "We don't know much about the creature's abilities. However, this woman, Temari, claims she encountered it yesterday. Since then, she insists everyone has forgotten her existence. She says this is the whale's doing."
Yoichi raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "A creature that erases someone's existence? Sounds fantastical."
"It does," Shikamaru admitted. "Temari claims to be my wife, but neither I nor anyone else remembers her. I even have clear memories of my actual wife, who passed away years ago. She believes this is all due to the whale's abilities. I hoped you could provide insight."
Yoichi pondered for a moment. He thought of a magical beast from another world that emitted a fog capable of erasing one's existence from memory. However, he didn't reveal this knowledge.
Feigning contemplation, he said, "That's an extraordinary claim. It's hard to imagine such a power exists. Memory alteration on such a scale would be nearly impossible unless divine intervention was involved."
He paused before suggesting, "Perhaps there's another explanation. What if her own memories were altered? If the whale somehow implanted false memories of being your wife, that might explain her conviction."
The idea struck Shikamaru like a bolt of clarity. "That... makes sense. If the whale tampered with her mind, she could genuinely believe she's my wife. But it would explain why no one else remembers her."
Temari slammed her hand on the table, rising in anger. "Shikamaru! How can you listen to this nonsense? You're my husband!"
Yoichi sighed, waving dismissively. "I've told you all I can. If you have further questions, feel free to leave them at the counter. For now, take this debate elsewhere."
Shikamaru stood, bowing slightly. "Thank you for your time. I'll see myself out."
Temari followed reluctantly, glaring at Yoichi before leaving.
Outside the shop, a Konoha ninja approached Shikamaru with a note.
"This is from the Seventh Hokage," the ninja said, handing it over.
Shikamaru unfolded the note, reading its contents with a furrowed brow. The Hokage had queried multiple people, including Sasuke, about Temari. All their responses aligned—Shikamaru's wife was deceased, and no one recognized Temari.
"It seems more likely now that her memories were altered," Shikamaru muttered. He turned to Temari. "You should stay in the village for now. When we have time, we'll look into your situation."
Temari's frustration boiled over, and she grabbed Shikamaru by the collar. "How can you just dismiss me like this? I'm your wife!"
Shikamaru sighed deeply, his expression uncharacteristically stern. "Can you even trust your own memories right now?"
Temari froze, stunned by his tone. She let go, feeling the weight of his words sink in.
"I'll continue to investigate," Shikamaru said, softening his tone. "For now, stay at the village's inn and wait. When we've dealt with the ongoing crises, we'll revisit your case."
He left without another word, heading home to check on Shikadai.
Temari watched him walk away, her heart heavy. For the first time, doubt crept into her mind.
Left with no other options, Temari wandered aimlessly before finding herself back at Yoichi's shop. Frustration and anger drove her to pound on the door until Yoichi appeared.
"What now?" Yoichi asked, his tone weary.
"It's your fault Shikamaru doesn't believe me! What's really going on?" Temari demanded, stepping into the shop without waiting for an invitation.
"Lower your voice. It's late," Yoichi said, motioning for her to follow him upstairs.
Once seated in the dimly lit room, Yoichi placed two cups of tea on the table. "Listen, I've told you everything I know. If you want answers, focus on that whale. Its abilities might hold the key to your situation."
"Do you think it's possible to reverse this?" Temari asked, her voice trembling with a mix of hope and despair.
Yoichi leaned back, studying her. "Perhaps. But it won't be easy. Such a task requires resources—rare and valuable ones. I don't work for free."
Temari frowned. "How much do you want?"
"Not money," Yoichi replied, handing her a list. "I need treasures like these. Gather five, and I'll consider helping you."
Temari glanced at the list, her heart sinking. The items were extraordinarily rare, things she had never even heard of.
"I'll look into it," she said weakly, clutching the list.
"For now, find a place to rest. Come back when you've made progress," Yoichi said, standing to show her out.
That night, Yoichi retreated into his private space, pulling out the mysterious book and other artifacts retrieved from the whale. Though he couldn't decipher the text, the objects emanated a strange energy.
Curiously, despite the whale's alleged power, Yoichi retained all his memories of Temari. He wondered if his connection to another timeline shielded him from its effects.
"Time to get to work," he muttered, summoning his Kamui clone to assist with the research.
As the night deepened, Temari lay restless in her inn room, clutching the list of impossible tasks. In a world where everyone had forgotten her, she was left wondering if even she could hold on to herself.
(End of Chapter)
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"Why do I keep dreaming about catching Ino in those situations?"
Sakura woke up flushed and flustered, the vivid details of her dream replaying in her mind—the taut muscles, the wild movement, and Ino's cries still echoing in her ears.
When her hand inadvertently wandered lower, her face turned crimson. It had been four or five days in a row now, and every morning, she found herself in the same embarrassing predicament.
"Should I ask Ino about this?"
The thought crossed her mind, but she quickly shook her head, her face glowing red. No matter how close they were as friends, there were boundaries, and this was not something she could casually bring up.
Sakura tiptoed to the bathroom, grabbing a fresh set of clothes. After a long shower to clean herself, she changed into clean clothes and took her sheets to the washing machine to erase any lingering evidence.
By the time she finished, it was early morning. She busied herself preparing breakfast for Sarada. Once Sarada joined her at the table, Sakura quickly ate and left the house, eager to escape her thoughts.
These days, Konoha was on high alert. It felt like a return to wartime vigilance, with all shinobi required to be on call for at least twelve hours a day. The village's focus was on preventing disasters caused by the mysterious otherworldly beasts.
Despite thorough searches and coordination with neighboring nations, the third and fourth predicted disaster dates had passed without incident in the Five Great Nations. This brought both relief and concern.
Though there was no immediate threat, the beasts were still out there somewhere in the shinobi world. Their potential to wreak havoc remained a looming danger, and eliminating them before they surfaced was critical.
Yoichi, meanwhile, paid little attention to these beasts. The massive sea creatures from the first incident had been nothing more than an energy source for him. His ability, Yomotsu Hirasaka, allowed him to easily neutralize such threats.
For the past few days, Yoichi had been experimenting in the Kamui dimension, crafting potions and researching the white whale's remains. Though magic wasn't his forte, and the shinobi world lacked the proper environment for its use, he had made progress.
Using the whale's horn and its energy-rich heart, he synthesized a potion capable of countering the effects of its Oblivion Fog. Taking one dose would erase the user's existence from others' memories, while a second dose would restore it.
Yoichi tested it on his Kamui clone, and even he temporarily forgot the clone's existence. Only after the clone took a second dose did its presence return to Yoichi's awareness.
With only three doses created, two were used during testing, leaving just one vial. This potion was now a rare artifact, effective only for those affected by the Oblivion Fog.
That morning, Yoichi visited the white whale's remains, retrieving some tissues for further study. The visit didn't go unnoticed, and Temari quickly caught wind of it. She rushed to Yoichi's shop, her heart pounding with hope.
"You're back? What's the rush? Here to repay your debt?"
Yoichi descended from the upper floor, his voice dripping with sarcasm as Temari frantically rang the bell.
"I'll repay you once I regain my existence," she said, her tone softening. "I heard you studied the whale's corpse. Did you find anything?"
"Your sources are reliable," Yoichi remarked, motioning for her to follow him upstairs.
Temari hesitated for a moment before complying. Her desperation to reclaim her identity outweighed any reservations.
On the third floor, Yoichi handed Temari a cup of tea before sitting across from her.
"There's been some progress," he admitted. "The findings suggest a connection to the whale's abilities. However, Konoha has its own researchers working on this, so you might want to wait for their results."
Temari frowned. "I spoke with Shikamaru about that. He mentioned Orochimaru is involved, but progress has been slow... and Shikamaru..."
Her voice faltered. Lately, her frequent visits to Shikamaru had only strained their interactions. Her attempts to discuss family matters, such as Shikadai's diet, had been met with frustration.
Yoichi dismissed Temari's personal struggles. To him, she lacked the allure of someone like Ino but could still serve as a distraction.
"My research has advanced thanks to the whale's materials," Yoichi said, redirecting the conversation. "But it's been costly. Acquiring the essential organs on the black market wasn't cheap."
"The black market?" Temari questioned, confused. "I thought the whale was in Konoha's custody."
"It was already incomplete when Konoha found it," Yoichi lied smoothly. "I don't know how parts ended up elsewhere, but those materials were exorbitantly priced."
Shifting gears, he added, "Have you found the items I requested? Without them, even if I solve this, I won't help you."
"I... I haven't," Temari admitted, her voice trembling. "Could we negotiate? I'll pay—five million ryo? Ten million?"
Yoichi scoffed. "Money is meaningless to me. I'd pay ten times that amount for the ingredients I need. You misunderstand—it's not about the money; it's about value."
"But those items are impossible to find!" Temari protested, her frustration mounting.
"That's your problem, not mine. Everything comes at a price."
Yoichi sipped his tea leisurely before continuing, "I estimate I'll have the antidote ready in four or five days. But it won't last—ten days at most before losing potency. Find the materials or..."
Temari's patience snapped. "You're toying with me! You never intended to help!"
She grabbed Yoichi by the collar, her anger flaring.
Yoichi remained calm. "You want my help for free? Why should I? We're not friends."
After a brief pause, he smirked. "Of course, there's another way to pay."
Temari froze. "What do you mean?"
Yoichi's smirk deepened. "Spend one night with me. I'll give you the antidote for free. If that's off the table, then gather the items I need."
"You... you bastard!" Temari raised her fist, fury in her eyes.
Before she could strike, Yoichi quickly traced a rune in the air, binding her movements.
"You're not interested? Fine," he said coolly, stepping back. "We'll consider this matter closed. Don't come back."
(End of Chapter)
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