Reborn as an Uchiha [Naruto fan-fic]

35: Investigation

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Takashi stared at the freckle-faced woman standing in his office. She was tall, imposing even, standing at 6'1" - an inch taller than himself, which was uncommon for women in the village. Her eyes drifted lazily across the room as if everything inside bored her. It wasn't just disinterest; she looked utterly exhausted.

'So this is what he meant by "visitors,"' Takashi thought, already unimpressed.

She finally deemed it necessary to introduce herself, though her posture barely changed from its slouched indifference.

"Good day," she began, her voice flat and low. "My name is-"

"I don't wanna hear it."

Takashi cut her off, his tone just as indifferent, if not colder. "Too many Japanese-sounding names are being thrown around, and frankly, the author's getting tired of coming up with them. Besides, it's not like you'll be relevant to the plot anyway."

"Huh?!" She blinked, bewildered. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Why are you here?" Takashi continued, not bothering to explain himself.

The woman sighed deeply, leaning back slightly as if the weight of his question was too much for her. She didn't answer right away. Finally, after a long pause, she muttered, "...I'm your partner for the investigation."

"Partner," Takashi repeated, tasting the word. He mulled it over before concluding that she was probably sent to keep a close watch on him. The village didn't trust him with such a simple task. At this point, bitterness no longer touched him. Instead, cold indifference had taken its place.

"Alright, let's go." He made up his mind quickly.

His partner still stood in the same spot, blinking in confusion. "Go? Go where?"

"To investigate. Try to keep up."

She groaned as she dragged her feet after him, her reluctance clear in every step. Her shoulders sagged, her eyes barely open. She was half-awake at best.

Takashi glanced at her as they walked. Tired, lazy, unmotivated. In some ways, she reminded him of Toru, but where she was lazy, Toru was cowardly.

That coward wouldn't have suggested participating in the ritual. Something had changed in him. Takashi wasn't sure what, but it was time to find out.

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Karen sat at her workstation, staring at the blinking cursor on her screen. The soft hum of machinery filled the room, blending with the distant clatter of keyboards as her team worked tirelessly on projects they had no real control over. Artificial Intelligence had come a long way, too far perhaps.

They called it URSULA. It wasn't just an AI. It was something far more terrifying - a machine that could think up things humanity hadn't even considered yet. The most advanced military intelligence in existence, or at least they assumed it was. There was nothing to compare it to, after all.

Karen had been part of the madness for two decades, long enough to see things most people couldn't even imagine. Horrors. Abominations. Weapons of mass destruction that defied all logic and reason. She often wondered why they even needed such tools.

Every time she asked that question, the answer was always the same: "For protection."

Karen had stopped asking eventually. It was clear they didn't care about her concerns. She was just another cog in the machine, and the machine had to keep turning.

'What's the point?' she thought, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. 'Once you teach someone to fight, they'll find a reason to throw a punch.'

That was the thought that finally made her request a transfer out of the weapons division. She wanted nothing to do with the madness anymore. But just as she thought she could escape, they created URSULA.

The machine was a marvel. Too perfect. Too efficient. Its designs for weapons were beyond anything a human mind could conceive. It wasn't just creating weapons - it was conjuring nightmares, horrors that no human being should have the power to wield.

But the higher-ups? They praised URSULA, celebrated every new invention it churned out, ignoring the fact that one day those very weapons could be turned against them.

Karen watched in silence as the machine fed their delusions. But inside, she knew the truth. URSULA was a mistake, a monster they couldn't control. So, she did the only thing she could think of.

She destroyed it.

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They arrived at the building a little past noon. The tall, freckled woman was stationed at the door, tasked with preventing any interruptions while Takashi questioned Toru.

It was a simple plan. Considering their relationship, Takashi expected Toru to come clean if confronted directly. Convincing his partner hadn't been difficult either-she was relieved not to be involved. Although convenient, her lack of professionalism made Takashi uneasy.

As he glanced at her drooping eyes, however, he decided to put that thought aside for now.

Without knocking, Takashi pushed open the door to Toru's office. It was nicer than his. The paint job had seen better days, but at least the room had a table-a table that Toru was currently perched on.

"Yo," Toru greeted, his voice casual.

"Sup," Takashi replied.

He was about to directly question the man opposite him but a possibility suddenly occurred to him.

"Hey man, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have overreacted," Takashi began, keeping his tone sincere.

Toru seemed relieved, his body visibly relaxing. "It's all good, bro."

"Sooo," Takashi dragged out the word, easing into his next question. "How's your wife?"

Toru froze for a beat, his gaze sharpening. Then, without changing his expression, he answered, "She's good."

'That was odd,' Takashi thought but continued. "And your son?"

"Son? What do you mean? I don't have a so-ah, I see what you're doing. You don't have to worry, it's still me here."

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