Sorry for the late chapter. I got typhoid and honestly didn't even have the energy to write. I'm feeling much better now, thankfully, so here's the chapter. Enjoy! ヾ(๑╹◡╹)ﾉ🔪
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"Some things are worth protecting, even if it costs you everything."
— Thors
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Otis groaned under his breath and cracked his eyes open.
The first thing he saw was stone. Broken, cracked stone.
The ceiling above him wasn't a ceiling at all. It was fractured earth, the remains of the dome he'd raised earlier. Cracks spread through it like spiderwebs, daylight seeping in through the gaps.
"…The hut," he muttered.
His body screamed the moment he tried to move.
Then
"HE'S AWAKE!"
Before he could even sit up, small bodies crashed into him from every direction.
"You're okay, right?!" one voice cried.
"You scared us!" another shouted.
Kids. Too many kids… Karin was there, kneeling beside him, eyes red but shining with relief. Around her were the others, clinging to his clothes, his arms, his shoulders, like he might disappear again if they let go.
"Does it hurt?"
"Can you still move?"
"Don't move too fast!"
Otis winced as someone hugged his ribs a little too tightly.
"Easy… easy," he said hoarsely. "I'm not made of pillows."
That earned a shaky laugh.
He looked around more carefully now.
The children were clustered close, almost forming a wall around him. Behind them stood the adults, quiet and still, relief written plainly across their faces. Some leaned on one another. Some were bandaged. Some looked exhausted beyond words.
But they were alive.
All of them were watching him like he was something unreal.
"How long…" Otis rasped. "How long was I out?"
Karin sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve.
"Six hours," she said. "We thought… we thought you weren't going to wake up."
"Huh," Otis muttered. "Guess I overslept."
Footsteps approached.
Otis turned his head and saw Taro stepping into the damaged hut. His armor was scuffed, his face drawn with exhaustion, but his posture was steady. Outside, Otis could feel it without looking, Taro's men had formed a full perimeter around the area.
Taro crouched slightly. "How are you feeling?"
Otis thought about it.
"Like I got punched by a god with anger issues," he said. "But I'll live."
Taro nodded once, satisfied.
Otis's gaze swept the room.
"…Everyone okay?"
There was a brief pause.
Then voices answered.
"We're alive," one of the adults said, stepping forward. "All of us."
"Because of you," another added quietly.
"No one died…"
"Some injuries, but nothing fatal."
"The children are safe."
Otis exhaled.
"Good."
Without another word, they bowed.
Then another.
Then all of them.
"Thank you," one of them said, voice trembling.
"For saving us," another added.
"For standing in front of us," a third whispered.
"For not turning away."
Otis shifted uncomfortably.
"…You don't have to do that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just did what needed to be done."
(Pic)
They slowly straightened, but the gratitude in their eyes didn't fade.
Otis pushed himself up into a sitting position, ignoring the sharp protests from his body.
"Alright," he said. "Listen up."
Everyone quieted instantly.
"I'm taking anyone who wants protection to Konoha," Otis said. "You'll be safe there. Food. Shelter. Medical care."
He glanced toward the children.
"And for some of you… a chance to become shinobi, if that's what you want."
He looked around the room again, meeting every face.
"But…," he continued, "if you have somewhere else to go, family, clans, other villages, you're free to go. No one's stopping you."
Murmurs spread through the group.
Some people spoke in hushed voices.
Some hugged each other.
Some cried in relief.
In the end, a few stepped forward.
A man bowed slightly. "I have relatives in Iwagakure."
Another said, "My clan still lives near Kumogakure."
A woman spoke softly, eyes lowered. "I want to go to Amegakure. I still have family there."
Others followed.
"I only have my grandmother left in Kibana Village."
"Mine's in the Land of Fire."
"I'm from the Land of Waterfall."
Otis listened without interrupting, then nodded.
"Then you should go."
They bowed once more in gratitude, then turned away. Some left to reunite with loved ones. Others left to rebuild what remained of their lives.
Slowly, the group thinned.
In the end, only fifteen remained.
Six of them had unmistakable red hair.
Karin stood among them, gripping her mother's hand.
"We'll go with you," she said quietly.
Otis looked at her, then at the others.
"…Alright."
He turned to Taro.
"Taro."
"Yes."
Taro stepped forward immediately.
"Take them to Konoha," Otis said. "Safely."
Otis pulled out a scroll and wrote quickly, despite the bandages and bruises covering his arms. He sealed it and handed it to Taro.
"If anyone stops you," Otis added, "give them this. Don't argue."
Taro accepted the scroll with both hands.
"…Understood."
The group began preparing to leave.
One by one, they gathered their things.
The children kept looking back at Otis as they walked away.
Karin lingered, turning back to him. "You're coming, right?"
"I'll follow after some time," Otis said. "I've got some unfinished business here."
Taro hesitated.
"…Be careful."
Otis smirked faintly.
"When am I not?"
[(A/N) Cough' Nothing bad has ever followed this sentence.]
They left…
Otis stood there, watching their backs disappear into the distance.
Only when they were gone did he finally let out a long breath.
"…Alright," he murmured to the empty street.
"Now let's end this properly."
His expression hardened.
He turned back toward the heart of the Land of Grass.
The capital.
After that, Otis disappeared.
…
By the time the sun hovered low near the horizon, staining the sky orange and gold, he was already back in the capital of the Land of Grass. He moved through the streets without drawing attention, exhaustion settling deep into his bones now that the adrenaline had faded.
The inn came into view.
Otis stepped inside and headed straight for his room. The hallway was quiet.
Too quiet.
He pushed open the door.
Yuki was there.
Curled up exactly where he had left her, her massive body taking up most of the floor, snoring like nothing in the world had ever gone wrong.
Otis let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"Good," he muttered. "You didn't eat anyone."
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Author's Note:
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