My Brother's a Jinchūriki!

Chapter Eighty-Four- Attunement

"Sena, you're a saint." Ahmya licked her spoon clean and hummed happily as she leaned back in the chair. She scooped up another bite and closed her eyes briefly. "This vegetable curry is so good... and the eggplant is perfectly cooked."

"Thanks!" Sena smiled and tilted her head slightly, and then looked over at Natsumi and Hasu. "How do you guys like it?"

"I have never tasted something so exquisite before." Hasu smiled and looked down at his nearly empty plate. "The balance of seasonal vegetables and spices were perfect."

"So yummy." Natsumi licked her own spoon and set it down on her plate. "I wish I had a bigger stomach."

"I still can't believe Natsumi really defeated your secret technique." Sena rested her chin in her hand and looked at Ahmya. "I remember when I first saw it, I thought I was seeing a living incarnation of a water god." She laughed quietly. "I'd never seen a more terrifying or beautiful Jutsu."

"Well, she is one-of-a-kind." Ahmya smiled and nodded and glanced over at Natsumi, who swallowed her bite slowly and glanced down.

How can she act like nothing wrong happened? I don't even know what happened, and things could have gone bad if I lost control...

"Well, it definitely explained why you guys were soaking wet." Sena laughed again, then her eyes widened slightly at Natsumi. "Are you alright? Do you not feel well?"

Natsumi blinked and quickly shook her head. "N-No, I'm fine." She forced a small smile. "I'm just... a little worried about Naruto."

"Right, the Chunin Exams." Ahmya nodded and looked at her. "I remember when I took them." She shuddered. "My Team was Hana, Matou, and I. We ran into the territory of the Flying Leeches by accident." She made a face. "We would have died right there if Matou hadn't used his special Jutsu to shield us."

Natsumi bit her lip and furrowed her brows and she stared down at her plate and Ahmya let out a loud sigh.

"Sorry. That doesn't help." Ahmya took another bite and rested her own face in her hands. "But you shouldn't be too worried. If your brother is anything like you, he'll do just fine in there."

"That's the trouble." Natsumi sat back in her seat. "He's not like me. In terms of ability, he's far below me." She paused and bit her lip hard.

But that's only because... Natsumi looked down at her hands. I thought agreeing to those terms would be best, but what if...he's actually in trouble now because of it?

"But if determination and guts were all that mattered in a fight, he's got me beat tenfold, easily." Natsumi sighed quietly and folded her hands in her lap.

"He'll be fine." Sena reached out to touch her hand and smiled. "No one with a fire in his eyes like that could ever succumb to something like the Forest of Death."

"I know. I just have this bad feeling, though." Natsumi mumbled. "Like he's in trouble, or something."

The more I think about it, the worse this feeling gets. It's almost like... a black, slimy void. It's almost... familiar.

"Perhaps you should try to take your mind off of your worries?" Hasu smiled faintly and gestured to the book beside him at the table. "It would be nice if we read together, after all."

"Maybe." Natsumi furrowed her brows and kept her eyes on her hands.

No... there's no doubt about it. I've definitely felt this before... but I don't remember when. If only I could remember...