"Is it raining?"
"Good thing my mom stuffed an umbrella into my school bag when I left this morning."
A light drizzle began to fall from the sky. Students leaving school gathered under the school building, either taking out their umbrellas or standing empty-handed.
"Hah, this little bit of rain, I'll just walk back. I'll just treat it as a shower—"
"Come on, is someone going to invite you to share?"
"Damn it, aren't you the same?"
The boys without umbrellas gathered together, chatting while waiting for the rain to stop, and looking to the side.
Whenever another student received an invitation from the opposite sex to share an umbrella and leave, they would immediately send a variety of whistles and boos.
It's raining?
Looking up at the sky, Akiyoshi Yuu reached into his school bag.
Yesterday he was killing people and burying bodies, who had time to check the weather forecast?
But creating an umbrella on the spot with the 'Transformation Jutsu' was not a difficult task.
"...Akiyoshi-kun, want to share?"
Beside him, the class president, Iai Nao, who had opened her umbrella, turned to look at Akiyoshi Yuu, her expression struggling for a moment before she spoke.
"I can walk you to 'Kouou Academy'."
"Then..."
Taking his hand out of his school bag, Akiyoshi Yuu nodded.
"I'll have to trouble you."
"Ahhh~~~!"
"Damn it, the class president really..."
As the two walked into the rain, a series of wails came from behind.
Iai Nao, as their class president, was excellent in both character and studies, treated others sincerely, and had an explosive figure... she was the dream goddess of countless boys.
Although she often took care of that 'pretty boy' before, it could be explained by the 'pretty boy' being bullied. Now, they were sharing an umbrella, which was practically an open declaration of her favorite. How could these guys not be envious, jealous, and hateful.
"A bunch of little brats."
Akiyoshi Yuu rolled his eyes at the louder boos from behind.
Tap, tap, tap.
"Wait~~ Let me join!"
With hurried footsteps, a petite figure, using her school bag to shield her head, ducked under the umbrella.
"Tennyo-san?"
"Hee hee~~"
The newcomer was Tennyo Ei, who often walked with Akiyoshi Yuu. The girl's shoulders were already wet, and she looked at Iai Nao with a grin.
"Nao-chan, you don't mind, right?"
"...Ah... no."
The class president's face flushed. Although her umbrella was quite large, it was crowded with three people... it was inevitable that they would touch each other.
"That's great. I saw the weather forecast yesterday, but I forgot to bring an umbrella~~"
The familiar Tennyo Ei linked her arm with Iai Nao's other arm and 'squeezed' her towards Akiyoshi Yuu.
"You know each other?"
While quietly using the 'Transformation Jutsu' to expand the area of the umbrella, Akiyoshi Yuu spoke.
"Of course."
"Nao-chan is the top student in the grade. Who wouldn't know her?"
Tennyo Ei replied as if it were a matter of course. The calmed-down class president shook her head slightly.
"Compared to the self-reliant Tennyo-san, my grades are nothing."
"Oh?"
"Tennyo-san, elaborate."
"It's nothing, actually I work part-time at my grandfather's shrine..."
As the three of them left together under the umbrella, a crow perched on the roof of the school building spread its wings and flew into the rain. The rain fell on it as if it had hit an invisible barrier, and slid off.
Although he was enjoying school life, Akiyoshi Yuu was not idle.
Multitasking, he was practicing a ninjutsu: Paper Clone
That's right, Konan's jutsu from the Naruto World was only D-rank in difficulty!
Just like the 'Four-legged Jutsu' he had bestowed upon Tanimura Wataru, which was essentially an extension of the 'Transformation Jutsu', Konan's 'Paper Clone' was essentially just an extension of the 'Clone Jutsu'.
On the contrary, the more common Water Clone and the like were all C-rank ninjutsu.
The crow spread its wings and soared, its gaze sweeping over the ground below.
Searching for a target to practice ninjutsu on.
Bunkyo Ward
Tokyo Metropolitan Koishikawa Secondary Education School.
As a place famous for its culture and education among Tokyo's 23 wards, Bunkyo Ward had 15 universities, 17 high schools, 31 middle schools... the famous 'Todai' was located here. Whether in anime or movies, when elevating the status of an elite, it usually started with 'Todai graduate'.
Unlike Adachi Ward, where most students were just coasting, the students here were almost all elites among elites.
—Of course, that only referred to their IQ.
"That student...?"
"Ah, that's Kishida Jun from Class 3-A."
A female student who had taken out her umbrella noticed a boy standing quietly in the corner of the eaves and couldn't help but ask her companion curiously.
The male student had clear features and looked like a well-behaved student, but his expression was filled with sorrow.
"Don't disturb him. He... should be mourning his friend, right?"
No matter what strange gazes other students cast, the boy standing quietly under the eaves remained motionless.
Soon, all the other students had left, leaving him standing there alone.
It's raining again, Miyashita.
The boy looked up.
Looking at the drizzling rain from the sky, it was as if he had returned to half a year ago.
...
"Oh no, I forgot my umbrella!"
Good grades didn't mean perfection in other aspects.
Walking out of the school building and looking up at the rain falling from the sky, the boy named 'Kishida Jun' couldn't help but feel annoyed.
At that moment, a girl with a ponytail opened an umbrella with a little bear pattern, and Kishida Jun's gaze couldn't help but drift over.
It's Miyashita...
"What's wrong, Kishida?"
Noticing his gaze, the ponytail girl turned her head.
"N-nothing."
Kishida Jun's cheeks suddenly warmed up, and he shook his head in a fluster.
However, the ponytail girl, 'Miyashita Ryoko', had already seen his predicament of being empty-handed and without an umbrella.
"...Do you want to share an umbrella?"
After a moment's hesitation, the blushing girl raised the umbrella in her hand.
"Eh?"
Just as Kishida Jun was stunned, a meaningful voice came from behind.
"Ohh."
"Yooo~~~"
As an elite middle school, the students here would naturally not whistle or boo.
But when encountering such a situation, the youthful nature of the boys still couldn't help but chuckle.
And these sounds, in Kishida Jun's ears, were like thunder!
"No... I'm fine."
In the end, the boy turned his head away and refused her.
"I see..."
Lowering her head, the umbrella covered the girl's face.
"I seem to have been meddlesome. I'm sorry."
After speaking, the shy girl turned and ran into the curtain of rain, leaving only Kishida Jun, who had subconsciously raised his hand, and the sounds of regret and ridicule from behind.
"He got rejected, how embarrassing..."
"How pitiful."
The girl walked faster and faster, eventually breaking into a run.
The rain fell on her, blurring her vision. She didn't see the flashing traffic light.
She just ran straight out of the school, and then—
A truck sped past.
Splash.
The sound of a heavy object falling into water made Kishida Jun come back to his senses.
An umbrella with a little bear pattern had appeared in front of him at some point. The female school uniform under the umbrella belonged to their school.
"Hey,"
"Do you want to share an umbrella?"
A familiar voice sounded, making Kishida Jun tremble all over.
This voice, this voice?! No, impossible, Miyashita is already....
Kishida Jun's gaze moved down. Under the umbrella was a pair of hands with bloodstains; further down was a skirt soaked with water; and... those shoes that had once been scattered in a pool of blood.
"Ah... ah..."
Breathing rapidly, his body stiff, Kishida Jun couldn't tell for a moment whether he was in reality or in a dream.
"Do you want to share an umbrella?"
When the other party asked for the second time, Kishida Jun finally reacted.
"Miyashita!"
"I... I want to apologize to you."
Facing the figure that had haunted his dreams for the past six months, Kishida Jun finally summoned his courage!
"I've always liked you, but I couldn't act on it."
"The day you offered to share an umbrella with me, I was actually very happy..."
Whether what was before him was real or a fantasy, the boy had to say these words, these words that were half a year late:
"But I didn't have the courage to step under the umbrella, all because of... my stupid pride."
"I... killed you!"
With his hands pressed against his trouser legs, Kishida Jun bowed deeply to the other person at a ninety-degree angle.
"I'm sorry—"
...
"Do you want to share an umbrella?"
However, the reply he got was still that question.
At the same time, because he was bowing, Kishida Jun saw half a face under the umbrella.
It was a face with blood mixed with rain constantly dripping down!
As a student with excellent grades, the young Kishida Jun also knew many urban legends. Although he used to scoff at them, now—
It's the 'Amefuri Onna'!
The Amefuri Onna, a very famous yokai in the island nation's legends.
A woman stands in the rain. If a man smiles at her at this time and signals for her to share an umbrella, she will follow him forever. After that, the man will live in a damp environment forever. Because ordinary people can't withstand such heavy moisture, they will die soon.
"Do you want to share an umbrella?"
Miyashita...
Will you be like this forever, repeating the same thing?
The question rang in his ear again. Kishida Jun, still bowing, tremblingly extended his right hand forward, like a traditional confession.
"Please let me..."
"Share an umbrella with you."
In the end, Kishida Jun's hand grasped the slender, blood-stained fingers.
If it could let Miyashita rest in peace, even if he died...
"I don't forgive you."
?
The voice in front of him made Kishida Jun look up.
The umbrella was raised back, revealing the full appearance of the person under it.
It was still that familiar face, still the refreshing single ponytail, but blood mixed with tears was constantly streaming down the girl's face.
"I don't forgive you."
Kishida Jun, who was already prepared to share an umbrella, was rejected by her!
"I won't forgive you, Jun."
The next second,
the girl disappeared into thin air.
Leaving only an umbrella in Kishida Jun's hand.
"Miyashita..."
"Ryoko."
Holding the umbrella in his hand, tears streaming down his face, the trembling boy stood alone under the eaves of the school building.
"...I'm sorry."
...
Not bad,
On a nearby branch, a crow preening its feathers flashed a hint of admiration in its eyes.
An ordinary person without chakra, after being hit by the 'Hell Viewing Jutsu', was actually able to break free on their own.
It had to be said that this boy's mental strength was very strong. And... the illusion just now had made him have a good impression of this boy.
Originally, Akiyoshi Yuu was just controlling this 'paper clone' to practice ninjutsu. Now that he had encountered a good 'talent', he naturally had to make use of it.
"Oh dear, this is against the rules."
?!
A frivolous voice sounded from the side, making the sorrowful Kishida Jun subconsciously turn his head to look.
It was a man in a white, unpatterned kariginu and white, unpatterned sashinuki. Under a white high hat, he had a head of flowing white hair, a face as white as snow, and features with a strange, soft charm. Although his whole body was snow-white, his pupils were as red as blood.
The cuffs and trouser legs had patterns like flames. At first glance, they looked like traces of blood.
"A soul-reaping Amefuri Onna, yet you even gave your 'yorishiro' to someone else."
The man in white robes and a white hat shook his head slightly, with an 'oh, the world has gone to the dogs' expression.
Yorishiro?
Glancing at the umbrella in his hand, Kishida Jun forced himself to calm down.
"You... Your Excellency... who are you?"
"You can call me 'Shiro Mujou'."
The man, floating next to Kishida Jun without touching the ground, replied.
"Kishida Jun, you were supposed to die. At the hands of the 'Amefuri Onna' Miyashita Ryoko. But..."
Without the other person saying it, Kishida Jun already understood that it was Ryoko who had let him go!
"Ryoko... what will happen to her?"
"What will happen?"
The being calling himself 'Shiro Mujou' sneered.
"An 'Amefuri Onna' who violates the rules will naturally have a very tragic end—"
"Let me do it!"
Taking a big step forward, Kishida Jun clenched the umbrella in one hand and pressed his other hand to his chest.
"Please use my soul to replace Ryoko's! A mountain of swords and a sea of fire, a pool of blood and a cauldron of oil... I have no complaints, I beg you!"
"That won't do. We in the underworld must follow the rules."
Shiro Mujou wagged his finger and refused Kishida Jun.
"However,"
"If you help me with something, I can consider making an exception. Even..."
The elegant 'Shiro Mujou' smiled and spoke. In Kishida Jun's eyes, he was a genuine demon!
"Resurrecting 'Miyashita Ryoko' is not impossible."
A demon!
But... did he have the right to refuse?
"I can."