CTS TIME: RE250.11.24 (Aboard Kenshiro's Spacecraft, En Route to Universe 15A)
CTS TIME: RE250.09.03 (Shinobi Trade Expanse Station, Last Known Blaze Signature)
LOCATION: Entering the Shinobi Verse – Land of Blaze
The spacecraft hummed softly, its navigation systems flickering with holographic readouts of coordinates, star maps, and interdimensional pathways. The cabin was sleek, equipped with advanced technology seamlessly integrated with shinobi aesthetics compact yet efficient, balancing tradition and futuristic design.
Outside the reinforced viewing panels, the darkness of deep space was being pulled apart, forming a swirling portal of golden and violet energy—the entryway into Universe 15A, also known as the Shinobi Verse.
Kenshiro stood near the main control panel, his fingers lightly adjusting the trajectory. His voice, calm yet firm, broke the silence.
"We will enter the Land of Blaze in just five minutes."
The words settled over the cabin like an impending storm.
Serena sat in one of the passenger seats, gripping the armrest a little too tightly.
Her heartbeat was uneven, her mind caught between hope and despair.
She had spent so long chasing him.
And every time she got close, he slipped away—like smoke in the wind.
"Why, Blaze?"
Her fingers curled into a fist, the sharp edges of her nails pressing against her palm. She took slow, measured breaths, trying to push down the storm raging inside her.
Jasper, sitting beside her, had been watching her from the corner of his eye.
She was trying to hide it.
Trying to look strong.
But he saw it—the way her lips pressed together slightly too hard, the way her shoulders were just a little too tense.
With a sigh, he leaned back in his seat, tilting his head toward her.
"You know…" he began lazily, tapping his fingers against his knee, "if you keep bottling all that up, you're gonna explode one day. And I don't want to be there when that happens."
Serena turned her head slightly, giving him a sharp glare.
"I'm fine."
Jasper snorted, stretching his arms behind his head.
"Yeah. Sure. And I'm the Emperor of the Multiverse."
Serena exhaled through her nose.
"Jasper, I swear to—"
"Look," he cut her off, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
"I get it. Really. You're angry. You're hurt. You feel like he's running away from you, and you don't know why. It sucks."
Serena's lips parted slightly, surprised by his tone.
Jasper wasn't joking.
For once… he was serious.
"But you're not alone in this," he continued, his blue eyes steady and sincere.
"You've got me. You've got Sienna. You're not chasing him alone anymore."
Serena's grip on the armrest loosened slightly.
For a moment, just a brief moment, her walls cracked.
Then—
She swallowed hard, straightened her posture, and forced a smirk.
"Tch. You being serious feels weird."
Jasper raised an eyebrow, leaning closer.
"Admit it. You're touched."
Serena rolled her eyes.
"I will throw you out of this ship."
Jasper grinned, leaning back again.
"There she is."
But beneath her teasing tone, something inside her felt a little lighter.
Even if Blaze kept slipping away—
At least she wasn't chasing him alone anymore.
While Jasper and Serena were talking, Sienna was seated at a holo-panel station, her fingers moving swiftly across the interface.
She was sending a real-time transmission to Exohorizon Main HQ, detailing her data collection progress on Universe 15A.
Her silver eyes flickered as she analyzed the incoming response.
The message was brief, yet sharp.
Mission Delay Noted. You Are Expected to Complete Your Task Immediately. Further Delays Will Not Be Tolerated.
Sienna pressed her lips together.
She had already been delayed by over 30 hours.
She was supposed to gather intel on the Shinobi Verse, not…
Not what?
She glanced at Jasper—
Still leaning back in his seat, smirking at Serena, acting like an absolute menace as usual.
But something felt different.
She wasn't sure when it started, but something about him had begun to occupy a space in her mind.
She had spent so long focused on logic, on missions, on duty.
Yet, here she was—
Sitting on a ship, thinking about how to make someone understand that they were loved.
Her own feelings were something she had yet to fully grasp, but there was one thing she knew for certain.
"Jasper… I won't stop until you realize how much I care."
With a quiet exhale, she turned her attention back to the mission data, storing those thoughts for later.
For now, she had a job to do.
Across the cabin, the three young shinobi—Ryuji, Aiko, and Kaizen—sat together, observing the newcomers.
They had been quiet, but their eyes had been watching every detail.
Ryuji, the energetic one, whispered to Aiko.
"These guys look so cool!" he murmured excitedly.
"Their outfits… their weapons… I've never seen anything like them!"
Aiko nodded, her green eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"They're from another universe, right? I wonder how different they are from us."
Kaizen, however, sat still, his dark blue hair casting a shadow over his sharp purple eyes.
He wasn't just observing their appearance.
He was feeling their presence.
And what he felt was…
Overwhelming.
The two outsiders—Serena and Jasper—radiated an enormous amount of chakra.
But it wasn't just their aura.
It was their swords.
The way they sat, balanced yet unconsciously aware of their weapons.
The way their chakra fluctuated, refined and dangerous.
Kaizen wasn't a fool.
"These two… they're way beyond a normal warrior's level."
Kenshiro, standing at the cockpit, noticed it too.
A small frown crossed his features.
The chakra they emitted…
It reminded him of something.
Or rather…
Someone.
His eyes flicked toward Ryuji.
"It's… almost the same as the monster inside him."
He had expected an HD Pro Hero to come for the mission.
But he hadn't expected the other two.
And now, his instincts were warning him.
These weren't just outsiders.
These were potential threats.
The portal ahead expanded, the swirling gold and violet vortex distorting space as they approached.
Kenshiro's voice came through the intercom.
"Brace yourselves. We're entering the Shinobi Verse now."
A powerful energy wave pulsed through the cabin as the spacecraft crossed the threshold.
Serena gripped her seat.
Jasper raised an eyebrow.
Sienna remained steady.
Ryuji, Aiko, and Kaizen watched them carefully.
And as the ship emerged on the other side—
The vast, endless skies of the Land of Blaze unfolded before them.
Serena took a slow breath, her eyes narrowing.
"Blaze… I'm coming for you."