***

  The next morning, before dawn …

  Kurama woke up with his jailer … Still feeling bad in ways his words couldn't explain … a sensation of emptiness inside of him … almost like the day Hagoromo died and left them alone in this rotting world …

  Inside the mindscape, a copy of the kitchen his body was in … his control over his mindscape still surprised Kurama …

  [Jay] - Hey Kurama, I'm thinking about making some breakfast for the group, to make a first impression, what do you like to eat ? -

  Kurama knew he saw it all this Jay saw and lived through it all … why ? Why did he even bother ? …

  Before Kurama could think about it, the question was already out of his mouth.

  [Kurama] - Why do you even bother ? … -

  Kurama asked in a voice that wasn't quite angry … Kurama just felt … down …

  [Jay] - For the same reason I do anything else … -

  Kurama grunted, annoyed at the continuing game, annoyed at being forced to make conversation …

  [Kurama] - What reason ? … -

  Kurama contained himself to just asking … he wanted to say more, to poke at his justifications, to shred his want to play hero … but … he wasn't Hagoromo … this Jay didn't feel anything like his caring father …

  [Jay] - I want to … -

  Kurama blinked …

  [Kurama] - You want to … ? That's it ? -

  [Jay] - Is there any need for more ? I already told you, every immortal needs a good hobby, this is mine -

  Kurama saw him shrug … uncaring, unbothered …

  [Kurama] - How do you do it ? How can you act like this after showing me everything you did ? … -

  Kurama's voice rose as his own insides squirmed at the acknowledgement of what he was feeling … the unpleasant, uncomfortable feeling of …

  Kurama's anger surged to mask it …

  [Kurama] - How can you simply NOT CARE ?! -

  Kurama rose from the ground, staring at the figure, looking for something, anything …

  [Jay] - Would it change anything ? -

  Kurama's voice was stuck in his throat …

  [Jay] - It's not that I don't care, I'm just comfortable with who I am and how things are, yes, things are big, way too big, it doesn't make me insignificant, I matter to myself and that's plenty … -

  Jay walked in his mindscape … the scenery around them changing to reflect the apartment kitchen where his body copied all the motions he did in his mind …

  [Jay] - I showed you a sliver of the infinity out there and the first thing you thought about was ‘Do I matter ?’ … Why even ask that question ? You're alive aren't you ? If you still want to live, you matter to yourself don’t you ? -

  [Kurama] - … -

  [Jay] - Look, this is something that requires a lot of introspection and each person gets there their own way … I don't really go out looking for young immortals to guide, it ain't my thing, but you're here so might as well give it a shot … and no offence to you Kurama, but you don't look like the type who takes any time for introspection, so My answer Will probably stick with you … Do you really want to know how I do it ? -

  Kurama snapped his fangs shut, his rage subsiding as he wasn't going to prove the figure right …

  [Kurama] - … Yes … -

  [Jay] - Alright … You just stop thinking about things at scale. Your focus should be on you, your life and what you like doing … that's kind of it for me … It's all about what you like doing and accomplishing, one millennia after the next … and when you run out of things to do ? … You just go find new ones and learn to enjoy the search … The only piece of ‘actual’ advice I can give you is to make as few enemies as possible … not being an asshole is already good enough for that … and try not to leave unfinished business behind, sometimes you just have to suck it up and finish what you started -

  Jay shrugged.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  [Jay] - So, what do you like eating ? I'm thinking about some eggs and rice … -

  Jay said taking some eggs out of the fridge, some butter, salt, pepper, mushrooms, fish sauce and a day old rice …

  Kurama went silent for a few moments … What did he like doing ? … What did he enjoy ? … When was the last time he thought about it ? …

  Kurama remembered his infant days … playing with Father and his siblings …

  That small bit of fun and warmth … that same warmth that felt muted in his Temple … like a lesser, unfulfilling and stifling heat he had to endure for his father, until he no longer could …

  Why didn't they reunite ? Why did they keep away from each other ? … Why did none of them try again to be with the humans ? …

  Kurama's wandering mind was brought back by the inane question … of what he liked to eat …

  [Kurama] - I can't eat stupid ‘Explorer’ … -

  Kurama snorted slightly in almost humor …

  But the visible confusion in his Jailer’s face now made Kurama confused …

  [Kurama] - What ? … -

  [Jay] - Yes you can … -

  [Kurama] - I'm a being made of chakra that's currently sealed inside of your body, so no, I CAN'T -

  Jay blinked his eyes at the sheer magnitude of …

  [Jay] - You never shared experiences ? … -

  Kurama snorted at the question, of course he did, Father taught them ninshu for that … exact … reason …

  Kurama slowly blinked his eyes at the realization … but …

  [Kurama] - How do you know ninshu ? -

  Once more, Kurama's question was rewarded by confusion.

  [Jay] - Ninshu ? … I just meant sharing memories and experiences, like eating food and what have you … did you forget that this is a mindscape ? … Like, we are both, right now, talking between our minds … we are already connected, it shouldn't take much more effort to get a little bit deeper … -

  Kurama narrowed his eyes in silence.

  Jay rolled his eyes.

  [Jay] - Look, just give me a few moments … -

  Kurama watched as the scene in front of him fragmented … the entire mindscape wobbled slightly … Kurama could tell that unknowingly, the figure in front of him just used a huge chunk of spiritual energy …

  [Jay] - Wow, this was more tiring than I thought … Human brains really suck at multithreading … -

  Kurama watched as the … figure made its way into the bars …

  [Jay] - Now, this will probably feel incredibly weird for you, I'm not sure how you process sensory information, so I'm probably doing a little too much, but better too much than too little right ? … -

  [Kurama] - What are you doing ? -

  [Jay] - Well, I need a deeper connection and you can't really do that inside that prison there, but from what I understand, that thing makes sure you don't get out, not that things can't get in … so I just split and twined my perception, now I'm sent the copy for you … -

  [Kurama] - … What ? -

  [Jay] - How do I explain this … Hmm … Alright, look, the body sends signals those are the sensations, senses and everything … those signals go to the brain, get processed and the result is the experience your consciousness feels … -

  Jay looked at Kurama expectantly … Kurama just numbly nodded …

  [Jay] - Great, that's the easy part, now we get to the problem part … if you change the body, you change the signal … if you change the brain, you change how the signal gets processed … -

  Kurama just nodded again …

  [Jay] - You are made of energy … I have some experience living like that and I know how different things can be between that and a body … So I'm going to give you the full sensory package with no ‘middle man’, that way we can adjust the processing according to your tastes and BAM, you get to experience what I experience in this meat body, pretty sweet right ? … Man, this takes me back, it's been a while since I had a body roommate … -

  Kurama, still not ‘getting’ … anything … but too prideful to ask again, decided to simply agree, with another numb nod of his head.

  [Jay] - Great, just do it slowly or you will be overwhelmed … -

  As soon as the ‘coppy’ was about to cross over the bars, another figure appeared out of the bars … Kurama's anger was immediate …

  [Kurama] - YOU !? -

  Kurama’s roar was immediate … but before anything could be said or done … the fourth hokage chakra vanished …

  Kurama looked almost alarmed and confused at his jailer …

  [Jay] - I hate enagrams … fake people … either have a digital consciousness or don't … -

  Jay huffed, having summarily dismissed the enagram of the fourth hokage by purging his own chakra … almost like releasing a genjutsu …

  [Jay] - Well, what are you waiting for ? Keeping two threads running is making this body’s brain work overtime, if you could be a little less slow … -

  [Kurama] - I'll show you who is slow … -

  Kurama chomped at the ‘copy’ inside his bars …

  Moments before an explosion of sensations knocked him out, Kurama could hear a disappointed sigh …

  [Jay] - I told you not to do that … -

  Before for the first time in millennia … Kurama dreamt …

  *** *** ***

  Yūgao walked over to Jay's apartment … the smell of eggs fried rice filling her lungs …

  Giving the door a courtesy knock before using her own keys to enter, Yūgao immediately saw Jay preparing ‘lunchboxes’ …

  [Yūgao] - Jay-kun, isn't it too much food ? -

  [Jay] - Not at all, I assume two adults and two training children could eat everything I made with ease … -

  [Yūgao] - … You made breakfast for everyone ? -

  Yūgao saw Jay shrug.

  [Jay] - It takes care of yesterday rice and probably gives me a good impression with Maito Guy-san and his apprentice -

  Jay answered with a smile.

  [Yūgao] - Well, you better hurry then, we need to be at the training grounds in just a few minutes … -

  [Jay] - Not a problem, but Yūgao-san, if it isn't much to ask, I’m feeling a bit of a headache … -

  Yūgao smiled and approached, her hands glowing in a soothing green …

  When Yūgao touched Jay's head, she immediately felt that his ‘mild headache’ was actually acute mental fatigue … he even seemed to be running a fever …

  Yūgao immediately started treating the symptoms, helping flush the brain with improved bloodflow, cooling his head by pulling the best away with a careful application of Katon …

  After just a few minutes, Jay's own accelerated healing took care of the rest …

  [Jay] - Many thanks Yūgao-san, this is much better -

  Jay bowed to a still stunned Yūgao …

  [Yūgao] - … How … How did that happen, Jay-kun ? -

  [Jay] - I guess I just thought too much, don't worry about it … -

  Jay simply offered a smile, finishing packing away the lunch he made into a backpack before placing one of the ‘lunchboxes' in Yūgao's hands.

  [Jay] - This is yours, come on, Yūgao-san, we are going to be late … -

  Jay said with a smile and a small laugh, running out of the door at a measured pace towards the training ground.

  Yūgao watched him leave for a few moments before locking the doors with her keys and going after him.

  *** *** ***

  When it was almost time for the sun to rise, Lee saw two figures approaching the training grounds.

  Lee saw Guy sensei grinning before waving at them, his booming and enthusiastic voice cutting through the still dark ‘morning’ …

  [Maito Guy] - Yūgao-san, young Jay, glad you made it in time for our youthful morning exercises. This is my apprentice, Rock Lee. Lee, why don't you introduce yourself ? -

  Lee nodded to himself, taking a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cold air and some of the confidence his sensei exuded …

  [Lee] - Yosh, I'm Rock Lee, I like training and my siblings, my favorite food is father’s chanko nabe, I dislike the required resting time before I can train again and my dream is to become a successful ninja and be an inspiration for my younger siblings. Please let's work well together -

  Lee finished his presentation with a deep bow, all in a single breath …

  [Maito Guy] - That was beautiful Lee, your youth burns bright … How about you young Jay ? -

  Jay looked towards Yūgao, who was keeping a mighty poker face … then back to konoha’s green beast and his mini me …

  [Jay] - Well, I'm Jay … Uzumaki Jay I guess. Hmm, I like learning and discovering new things and I dislike lies and bad information. I don't really have a favorite food but I can cook well enough. Here I brought breakfast … -

  Jay turned, putting his backpack up front and taking off the bentos of egg fried rice he made.

  Jay's stomach made sure to complain about the lack of food inside of it.

  [Jay] - I miss timed how long it would take to make it so I didn't ate yet, sorry -

  Jay made sure to sheeshly scratch his head, only for Maito Guy to give a booming laugh and vibrant thumbs up.

  [Maito Guy] - Such a youthful behavior, see Lee ? Young Jay made us breakfast … -

  Guy said, picking up his bento and giving one to Lee.

  [Lee] - Jay-kun … -

  Jay could almost see tears forming in Let's eyes …

  [Jay] - It's no big deal, go on, eat up … -

  Jay paused, taking a cue from Guy and giving his own mighty thumbs up … And that seemed to make Yūgao inwardly groan …

  [Yūgao] - I'm Yūgao, chunin and med-nin tasked with looking after young Jay and now also assisting you apprentice Lee, let's work well together … -

  That seemed to take Lee over the edge as tears ran down his face … Maito Guy joined him soon after.

  [Maito Guy] - See Lee ?! Such youth … -

  [Lee] - Youth … -

  Then both cried together louder than common sense dictated this soon into the morning.

  [Guy, Lee] - YOUTHHHHHH !!! -

  Jay just blinked at the scene and laughed when Yūgao buried her face into her hands, groaning about ‘he found another one’ …

  They all ate their breakfast as the sun rose, illuminating the morning.

  ***