MUKAI SHIIBA
Thinking back to that day, Mukai expected it to be the very end. He wasn't much of a philosopher when it came to what happened after death; if anybody asked him his personal thoughts on the situation, he would give some answer along the lines of everything just going black. He knew some people believed in good-natured individuals going to heaven and the more evil types going to hell, but other than that, he never gave it much thought. He believed more that one should focus on their life, family, and honor.
All his beliefs seemed to be curtailed.
He initially thought he found himself in some sort of hell.
He heard a variety of sounds, but none were recognizable.
He saw things, but they were too blurry to make out.
He felt his body but couldn't register a movement.
His senses couldn't make out anything properly, as if fuzzy.
But to his surprise, time began to pass, and his senses sharpened. With those sharpened senses came an experience he never thought possible. He started to hear more precisely and eventually understand what they were saying; they were speaking a language he was all too familiar with.
He saw different men, women, and even different types of tools.
Feeling the grasp of a woman with dark hair and eyes, that's when he understood it all.
There was no banishment to hell, no eternal suffering, no beautiful heaven with those that passed, nothing was all black, but instead, like those monks in the fire temple believe:
He was given new life in the form of reincarnation.
Something that he found stupendous!
Living a life with a new mother, a new father, new aunts, new uncles, and even a new clan; most different of all, a new world. But the most troubling thing of all wasn't the new but forgetting the old. He had to forget the old: his village, his daughter, his son—everything that belonged to him.
A troubling realization that no one would want to face, but he had to.
It had been a hard pill to swallow, but eventually it dawned on him within the first year of life in this world that all he had wasn't something he had to forget. They should be something he could build off of instead as he decided his way to live.
Going forward with that mindset should be the path he would follow.
With the new mindset, that's how he found himself here.
Sitting among a group of other children from the clan, Mukai found himself too young to participate in the most important event of the annual Yotsuba New Year Celebration—where they discussed the state of the family. The age requirement for attendance was 13 years old.
At three years old, Mukai was far too young to attend.
Looking around the room, Mukai realized he wasn't alone in his exclusion. Several children close to his age were also left out of the main event. Three in particular stood out:
Yoshimi—one year older Yuuka—two years older Katsushige—three years older
The rest were significantly older
Mukai had already introduced himself to the group, but he'd only managed to have real conversations with Yoshimi and Yuuka. Katsushige, in Mukai's view, seemed more drawn to the company of the older children.
As he found himself standing alone, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Why are you standing all alone?"
Mukai turned to find Yoshimi, the girl who had introduced herself earlier. Seeing her attempt to engage, he decided it wouldn't hurt to respond.
"It's less hectic this way."
"So you're just one of those weirdos!" she exclaimed with exaggerated confidence, raising her voice and pointing at him. Her actions drew some attention from others in the room.
Mukai grimaced and replied, "Now you see why I said it was less hectic."
"I'm not hectic…" she began, but he cut her off with a question.
"So why exactly are you disturbing me?"
She looked around, as if checking her surroundings, then raised her chin. "It's simple. For a super magician like me, it's quite simple: intelligence."
"Intelligence? Magician? What's that?"
"Intelligence as in information on my rivals, and you don't know what a magician is?"
With a confused expression and no response, as if signaling her to give more information. Noticing his expression, I guess she decided to inform him.
"See, this is the difference between a skilled intelligence agent and a rookie, but I guess I'll enlighten you… You see, magicians cast magic."
Mukai's confusion deepened at her so-called information. He decided to ask for clarification.
"So what's magic?"
"You see, magic is…" the girl began, stumbling over her words. "Magic makes things happen. It changes things." Noticing his bewilderment, she realized she needed to elaborate further.
"Like making you faster or creating fire."
This sparked a gleam in Mukai's eyes, which he feigned. He was familiar with this so-called magic, but it was the first time he'd heard it named. Yoshimi looked on proudly, thinking to herself, "See, be impressed by the number one spymaster," as she drifted into her fantasy—until Mukai interrupted.
"So, do you know how to do magic?" he asked, his tone laced with feigned expectation.
"Of course!" Yoshimi blurted out, her face flushing with embarrassment. Her reaction told Mukai all he needed to know.
Playing along with the girl's charade, Mukai mentally labeled her a fraud.
Seemingly embarrassed and eager to avoid further questions, Yoshimi ran off in the other direction.
A smile coming to Mukai face, finding the whole situation hilarious he let out a rare chuckle, something which didn't escape the notice of the maid that's always with his mother.
.
Eventually, the adults—or more accurately, the older members—returned from the meeting. Their faces bore neutral expressions, with some barely concealing an air of dissatisfaction.
Mukai couldn't discern the topic of discussion, but it clearly had the potential to cause significant conflict.
Eisaku, Mukai's grandfather, entered the room last. His face, as usual, was devoid of emotion—a sight Mukai had grown accustomed to.
The elderly man then raised his voice to announce the next event: the family dinner.
All the children who had been excluded from the meeting joined their parents and headed to the dining hall.
As Mukai walked with his parents toward the fragrant hall, he wrestled with whether to speak his mind or hold his tongue. He knew there were matters he shouldn't pry into, as too many questions might irritate the adults.
He decided to simply share an observation rather than ask questions.
"It seems the family is conflicted over something," he said in a low voice, ensuring only his parents could hear.
"Perceptive as always," his mother replied playfully, her tone a stark contrast to earlier. She continued, "No wonder you're my favorite genius," as she pinched his cheeks affectionately.
This reaction had become familiar to Mukai over the years. Whenever he displayed intelligence or shared his thoughts, his mother would respond this way—almost as if teasing him.
They proceeded to the dining room, which was lined with tables. Though not overly spacious, it was just large enough to accommodate the family members while allowing movement for any maids, butlers, or other staff.
As Mukai took his seat, his parents' eyes turned to him, signaling it was now his turn to field questions.
Hiyori, initiating the conversation, looked at him expectantly and asked, "What interesting things happened while we were away?" Her expression urged him to elaborate. Mukai understood the underlying intent—she was probing his efforts to socialize with his peers, something he had been encouraged to do and seemingly accomplished.
Feeling their eyes upon him, he responded, "Well, there was one person."
"Who would that be?" his mother asked, intrigued and perhaps surprised to get any response at all.
"Yoshimi," he said, then added, "An odd child. She kept talking about being a spy and a magician." This elicited a chuckle from his mother.
His father, however, interjected with a serious expression. "So what did she tell you about magic?"
His father's demeanor told Mukai all he needed to know: this magic was real, possibly akin to chakra—which he had never been able to sense since being born into this world.
"Something about it being used to change things."
"Is that all? Were you interested in learning more about it?" his father asked, his inquiring eyes studying Mukai closely.
"Yes, I'm somewhat interested, although I remain skeptical."
"Well, perhaps we can discuss it another time," his father said, noticing the food being served. He didn't want to get caught up in a potentially lengthy conversation and lose focus on the current situation.
Mukai nodded, understanding the cue.
Today was, after all, the only day the whole family gathered—an occasion of great importance.