I still took a few liberties, though. I chose the strongest fabrics I could, even splurged on a fine over-layer for the haori just in case.
I chose mostly shades of yellow (I was traditional like that) though I chose red for the haori lining, and the obi and under collar had subtle abstract brocade for the hems, done in green to go with my eye color. I also, despite myself, decided in the end that I couldn't make do without at least some homage to my distant past life, so I ultimately commissioned an actual mantle as well, though done in the thinnest wool available and outlined with tiger fur instead of fringing (I was rebellious like that, and it was cheap since Konoha sourced it from the regular cullings in the Forest of Death).
I left after setting a proper appointment one week from the day, for final designs and price negotiation.
I found Shisui leaning against the fence next to the cart, looking pensive. Something must have happened, but I didn't pry.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. "
"It's fine, Mister Masanari. " Shisui set off with my cart as soon as I was close enough that I wouldn't have to run to catch up.
"Gave me time to think. "
"Dare I ask?"
"Oh, It's nothing much, just…" Then Shirui made a face, then several others, and suddenly his entire mood and manner changed. "You know what, it's not nothing.
"
"… Alright?"
"With your permission, I'd have the rest of our walk to your home to happen under the Sound Muffling Technique. "
Well that doesn't sound good. "I guess that's a privacy thing of some sort.
Wind-based?"
"Yes, sir. "
"Well, if it'll make you feel better, okay. "
Shisui flashed through several hand signs, and suddenly I couldn't hear anything beyond a meter away except jack shit. "Right.
"
The mini-nin didn't speak immediately though, just grabbed my cart and led the way to my house. It wasn't until we were past the last bend that he finally finished psyching himself up for whatever it was that- "If you suddenly found yourself having mind control as your super special tool, what would you do?"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, sir. If it was you who drew this… lottery ticket, what would you do with it?"
Holy buggering fuck, am I the Morality Pet? "What are the parameters?"
Shisui looked surprised. "Parameters? Like how the technique works?"
No I'm not just stalling, believe it, oh gods now I'm doing it too! "What kind of ability is it? Is it temporary, permanent, is it defendable, is it breakable, does it have side effects on the target, does it have side effects on me, does it have a cooldown?"
Uchiha Shisui only almost stopped in his tracks this time. I had no idea if that was good or bad, but unless he was about to go absolutely insane and tell me about Kotoamatsukami, I should still be fi- "Right, those are pretty good questions, as expected from you, Doctor!"
What did he just call me?
"Well let's make it nice and clear-cut then, I should have remembered you hate ambiguity, it's everywhere in your work. Alright, let's say it's cast through the eye, that's the standard Uchiha go-to.
Let's assume it lets you enter the mind of anybody you see. Let's have it go really deep, say it lets you manipulate people by giving them false experiences, makes it seem as if they were doing things of their own free will.
You could even use it to give them false memories, so the other guy would be entirely oblivious to the fact you're manipulating them. Something like that.
As for limitations…" Oh my god. "Progressive blindness, I'd say that sounds like a fair price.
It's also a pretty big deal, so you wouldn't be able to throw it around like shuriken. You had the right idea with the cooldown, let's give it… oh, ten years or so.
"
I'm dead, I thought numbly. I'm fucking dead because Konoha fucks kids up to the point where they're killing machines before they reach their teens so they don't know injury from the biggest crime against humanity if you hit them on the head with it, why is this happening to me?
"I guess it is kind of a loaded question-"
"Holy shit, kid. "
Shisui closed his mouth at looked at me surprised. Then startled.
Then with dawning comprehension that swiftly turned into grim realization. His face went through a rapid series of emotions and counter emotions and then came a moment, long and terrifying and almost mind-shattering, when I thought he was about to turn those back eyes red and rip my mind to shreds.
Instead, the kid sighed, closed his eyes and pinched his nose. "It seems the old fogies aren't the only ones taking advantage of your goodwill.
I apologise. "
"… You apologise. "
"Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything.
"
What was I even supposed to say?
Belatedly, distantly, I realized we'd reached and stopped at my front gate.
When did this happen? Why? How? I thought in despair. I mean I guess it makes sense? Whoever named the Morality Pet trope was a complete jackass, but it kinda makes sense? My code of ethics is clearly superior to that of literally everyone else on this planet and the moon and several dimensions to the left of sideways, but that's a way dramatic change in my status, isn't it? "… A cat.
"
"… What?"
"If it were me-if I suddenly gained the ability to completely and irreversibly rape someone's soul in any way, I'd use it on the first stray animal I see. "
Uchiha Shisui was looking at me like… I had no idea what that look even was.
"If I was able to wait or didn't find a feral animal to tame before I got past my knee-jerk reaction-" and if you hadn't dropped this nuke on me expecting me to have a ready answer like some wise guy "-I'd inquire at the hospital about people with trauma-induced or jutsu-induced or whatever other kind of incurable psychosis and use it to heal that. Immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
◆ Consider joining my PATREON to have a
early access of 10+ chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/DEVIL_DIKTATOR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~