Thanks to his memories, Takashi quickly managed to feel chakra. The sensation was new to him this force slowly seeping into his body, this peace, the fading of his fatigue… all of it brought a genuine feeling of happiness.
"And to think I used to take yoga practitioners for idiots…" he thought as he exhaled.
He had just spent two straight hours meditating, and he wanted to continue for much longer. But unfortunately, all good things had an end. He didn't have the luxury of enjoying long meditation sessions not while he was a prisoner.
Speaking of prison, Takashi raised an eyebrow, staring at his own body. If chakra was necessary for ninjutsu, why hadn't they prevented him from using it? Was it a mistake?
"Impossible…" he muttered, brushing the idea aside.
Mei might not have been as smart as someone like Shikamaru, but she wasn't stupid either. The chance that this was an error was almost zero. The real question was the Mizukage's true intentions.
After a few minutes of intense thinking, Takashi decided to give up. It was pointless to waste his precious time on assumptions just thinking about it was already giving him a headache.
Instead, he chose to focus on his skills. Aside from the basic abilities of a ninja, two things particularly drew his attention: Yōton and kenjutsu.
Just thinking about them caused a flood of knowledge to burst forth in his mind movements, footwork… and various other things. A smile formed on the young man's face. It felt as though he had just received a new toy, and he wanted to test its limits as soon as possible.
"Finally, something good in this damn body…" he thought, clenching his fist.
As for Yōton, his understanding of it was far less developed; it was displayed at rank (F). He concluded that the more his understanding grew, the higher the skill's rank would become.
While Takashi was still reflecting, the creaking sound of a door pulled him out of his thoughts. At the entrance, a guard with a massive build and a bald head entered the room, his presence reeking of arrogance as he looked at Takashi with disdain.
"Hey, kid, the Mizukage wants you…"
Takashi raised an eyebrow. He had definitely become that woman's bitch and the worst part was that he couldn't do anything about it. Then again, he was benefiting from it too. It was a bit like a sacrifice to increase his strength.
Without waiting for a response, the big guy turned around, addressing the two youngsters behind him as he exited the cell.
"Go on in, my little rats. Get some rest, because a busy night awaits you. Especially you, my beauty."
The blonde-haired girl the guard was talking to fixed her red eyes on him with a smile as she entered. Her slender silhouette seemed to captivate the man, who ogled her shamelessly while pushing the other guy inside to close the door.
Still in his corner, Takashi continued to watch the scene unfold. According to the former owner's memories, the girl had to be Ayano Akiyama, and the guy was Yoshiro Koshiyama. They were his teammates for this mission, and they had all been captured together.
"What the hell are you looking at, you little bastard!" Yoshiro shouted, annoyed as he tied his black hair into a ponytail.
What an asshole… Takashi thought before looking away.
The guy was a prisoner just like him, yet he still played the tough guy. From his memories, Yoshiro was the type who was far too full of himself. Ever since he'd taken charge of their small team, he'd acted like a king and this was where it had led them.
"So, Takashi, why does the Mizukage need you? I get the feeling you two are close,"
This time, it was Ayano who spoke. Beneath her well-built appearance hid a manipulator. He hadn't spent much time with her, but her profile perfectly matched that of someone who used her charm to get what she wanted Yoshiro was already paying the price for it.
"She just wants to fuck me," Takashi replied bluntly.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
"You think it's time to joke around, you arrogant little shit?" Yoshiro growled, clearly unconvinced.
"I'm not responsible if you're still a virgin at your age, kid…" Takashi replied as he stood up. "Whether you believe me or not is your problem."
Yoshiro's face suddenly fell after hearing Takashi's well-seasoned response. As if his day hadn't already been shit enough, now the brat in front of him had grown far too confident… As the elder, maybe a correction was in order.
"I don't know what that damn Mizukage told you… or where this confidence comes from," Yoshiro said coldly as he stepped forward slowly. "But there's one thing I can tell you… you're about to have a bad time."
…Either way, I needed to test my skills and I really wanted to smash his face in.
Takeshi simply stood there, watching Yoshiro come within arm's reach. At that moment, he wanted to fight far too badly to think rationally about his opponent's strength. As for Ayano, she said nothing, merely observing from the sidelines.
She also wanted to know whether this was just bluffing or if Takashi truly had some kind of strength behind him… She was already forming a few theories; all that remained was to verify them.
But just as the situation was about to explode, the same guard burst in once again.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, looking at the two men facing each other. He then turned his head toward Ayano, still standing off to the side, and a rough laugh escaped his throat.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Bunch of mutts… fighting over the girl, is that it? Honestly, men really are stupid."
…Where the hell did he get that stupid idea from… and you're a man too, you bald bastard!
Takeshi, irritated by the bald man's remarks, wanted to speak but considering the beating he'd get afterward… self-control suddenly seemed like the better path.
"…Whatever, you'll settle your little issue later," the bald man continued. "And you the Mizukage is waiting for you…" he added, gesturing for Takeshi to come out.
Without a word, Takeshi ignored Yoshiro who was on the verge of an aneurysm, red with rage and calmly exited the cell, heading toward where that heat-filled yandere was waiting for him.