Try changing the script

Now, what to do?

Or, more accurately, what should I do?

Obviously, I should give this back, regardless of how I came across it or what it can do. The simple truth is this enchanted book doesn't belong to me.

It's not mine, I should give it back...

I... I need to give it back.

But alas, that's easier said than done. Because life is never that fucking simple.

Just one look at what this thing can do explains why that's the case, these empty sheets of paper imbued filled with power. And yeah, that 'power' consists of informing me about the lives of whoever I jot down in it. But it is still power regardless of how powerful that power really is.

That word.

Power

It's something I've never really had before... And that's what's making me so hesitant to do the right thing. This book is making me feel important in some way. As if I actually have a say in life.

All I can do with this book is read. But reading is something most tend to devalue. Hell, if an enemy of the village got a hold of this book, instead of me, the secrets they could unveil might have put everyone here in grave peril. Someone could read up on the weaknesses of anyone who poises to be an obstacle and thusly put them out of the equation.

The element of surprise is a powerful beast, but with this book, all of that is made redundant. All one needs is a name and the vague idea of who is being envisioned, and like clockwork, that person's privacy is made void. Someone like me perhaps wouldn't have to be worried, I'm literally a nobody in every sense of the word. But people such as Naruto, Sakura, Tsunade and... And... That other girl I read up on... What is her name? I wanna say Inold? That's not even a...

I...

Eh, it doesn't matter.

Really the point I'm getting at is this shit is dangerous, and I kinda do wanna just give it back. It feels like this book is the only thing that has ever made my life important.

Think about it, if the Hokage realizes that one of her prized manuscripts has been swapped with an empty textbook. Yeah, I'd be put in a situation where I'd have to explain myself. But, I'd also be a significant person for once in my life!

I need one of those little angels to sit on my shoulder and tell me what to do. Fuck it, I'd even take one of those devil creatures too.

Do I return it? If so... How would I go about that? If the village's freakin' library wouldn't take it, who would?! I'd probably have to go straight into the Hokage tower to return it to the legendary leader herself, but who knows if I'd survive the first wave of security? Could I just give it to them? Does the Hokage have a secretary I could hand it to?

All these fucking questions with little in the form of answers.

Shit.

I say it's lousy leading when one of your people cant easily contact you for the important matters. Such as giving you back your shit.

Return the book myself brings up all those obstacles... Whereas I could easily hold onto it for a bit, maybe poke my nose in it occasionally. I mean, with the way I see things, when alls said and done, I'm going to have to give this book up eventually. The police **** might come in, perhaps the Hokage would handpick a few Anbu to reclaim her property. Or maybe she'd do it herself. Either you spin it, I'm going to lose this book eventually, so why not play around with it for the time being?

It's not like I'm dangerous. I have no say in anything that goes down in this village. I'm just a guy trying to make it by.

A guy that likes to read.

And that's all I can do with this shit, read, read and read some more...

With the pen still held in my hand, I stared at the blank pages. Still hesitant in what I should do.

That's when it dawned on me.

Instead of figuring out what I'm going to do next, why not read it?

''Kaguza Kamahiko''

I wrote down my name and changed the date to match the current day.

Okay, so I read the book like I'm doing now and see that I am to exit my room; thereupon doing so, I notice the cleaning cart Akami left for me. I head to the front lobby, where Akami has just checked out a guest and is in the process of writing down something on a bunch of scrolls splayed on the counter.

She is pleasantly surprised to see me and offers me a smile as she asks if I'm already taking my break.

We talk for a bit, and I eventually ask her which rooms are free to be straightened up. She then informs me that she had left a sheet of paper on the cart listing the rooms that are in need of housekeeping.

Bla bla bla...

I go all the way back up to the top floor and spend the next four hours cleaning the guest rooms...

"Well shit," I paused from reading my future and sighed. "Gotta earn my stay so... Guess it is what it is."

What's this?

I looked back down at the book. Accidentally skipping a few lines ahead from where I stopped.

''generally just not being in the mood to clean up after other people, I decided to erase a whole section of-''

"Whhhoah woah woah!" Erase my future? I don't know what that would do. It might end with me not having a future! But... Well, the thought of what would happen did intrigue me. And there is that erase laying gently on the hardened wood that is my desk.

I picked up the pink eraser and moved it towards the page. Who even knew if I could erase anything other than the name and date?

Welp, after a nervous gulp, I was about to find out that very answer. There was a bit of hesitance still left in me, but finding the future, I read to be a bit on the bland side. And generally just not being in the mood to clean up after other people, I decided to erase a whole section of my future and rewrite it to one more lackadaisical for me.

One where Akami would give me the day off because she believed I deserve some time to destress. I'd be able to go out on the street, and it would be an amazingly nice day out...

Yes... Yes, something like that. That's what I'll do.

I licked my lips and brought my pencil down to write.

"Thank you for staying with us!" Akami gave the guest a smile and a curt bow. "Please come again anytime, we'd be happy to see you."

The lack of acknowledgment she received from the half-asleep man who returned his room key two hours behind schedule flew right past her. But right as the familiar clicking sound of the front doors shifting back to their resting positions past through her ears, she was able to let out a soft groan now that the guy was out of earshot.

"Idiot." She seethed. There's no valid reason for a customer to be rude to such a degree. But it's nothing that she hasn't seen before. People like him will come and go; it's has become a part of the job at this point. But for that guy specifically, she'll never let him back in her establishment that is a hard truth. She was in the process of writing down the list of supplies that were needed to replenish the rooms when he stumbled into her lobby. And in his half-awake state, he almost knocked over the same vase three different times.

Yes, that is one of the reasons why she couldn't find it in herself to be mad with Kaguza. The customers like the one she just dealt with seem as though they are purposely trying to rile up a reaction. And while Akami will always keep a smile and a polite attitude when addressing them, Kaguza just isn't as capable of keeping in his emotions. She understood why it is quite hard even for her at times, but keeping a respectful deminer even in harsh situations is a skill that is almost required in many situations.

Still, he thought she'd throw him out for that? She had to chuckle over the implication that held. Apparently, Kaguza saw her as a strict sensei who would remove him at the slight implication that he isn't useful to her.

Funny... Because that's exactly how she felt years ago.

In actuality, Kaguza isn't useful. Not at all. She could employ someone much more skilled. She knows that, and apparently, he is aware of it as well. But apparently, even knowing that bit of information, he never understood why she kept him around.

He's here because of the same reason she owns this inn in the first place.

Kaguza reminded Akami of herself, back when she was alone.

Not having any family or friends to lean on. She had nothing until she came across the path of a man who helped her patch things up and make it back on her feet. That kind man gave Akami a job at the inn he owned, and he worked her. He worked her hard, yet, never went too far. He grew to be a father figure to her, one that she eventually called sensei, and their relationship was much more than a simple employer/employee association. It came to the point where he yearned to see her succeed in Konoha as much as his urge to make ends meet.

Eventually, he even gave her ownership of the inn when he chose to retire. And moved to a silent shack outside the village walls.

Akami owed everything she has to that man, and when she found Kaguza, it was a sign that this is her way to pay it forward. In fact, she met her sensei in the exact same manner she found Kaguza years later.

She planned to be the same person to Kaguza that her sensei was to her, and eventually if Kaguza showed interest and promise, give him the ownership of the inn. But that was looking far off to the future, for now, she'll just help him when he needs it.

"Akami-sama!"

Speak of the devil, and he shall arrive. Akami smiled and looked up from the scroll she had been absently writing in. "Kaguza-kun, have you already tired yourself out from all that cleaning?"

"Uh.. Well, I..." Kaguza seemed to be hesitant, his eyes locked onto her as if he were expecting something to happen. He walked behind the reception desk while fiddling with his fingers.

"Hmm?" She hummed and raised a brow. "Speak up."

"I didn't start yet."

"Ah, I see. So you need me to order you to do it then." Her smile never left, "Okay, well-"

"Actually, I was gonna ask you if I could get the day off?"

Kaguza's sudden words took her aback, he said it so naturally but also very quickly. It's odd to explain, but it came off as somewhat scripted. Or, perhaps she's over analyzing things.

But even still, him asking for the entire day off for no apparent reason was totally understandable. After what occurred last night, the last thing she'd want was to see him become overstressed. Besides, he never asks for days off, so allowing him this one chance to relax and have to worry about work wouldn't overindulge him.

"Sure Kaguza," Akami said. And on placing down her pen, She turned to closed the distance between them and lay a gentle kiss on Kaguza's forehead. "Just relax today, okay?" She whispered after pulling her lightly moistened lips back, leaving a light blue mark on his forehead.

"Thanks!" Kaguza blurted, his breathing seemed to quicken up, and he backed away, almost tripping on himself as he did so, which prompted Akami to chuckle quietly.

Shizune shifted and thunked the decently sized stack of papers against her desk. She mentally sighed to herself, knowing that Tsunade's reaction towards being greeted with even more piles of paper wouldn't be a positive one. Once the documents were all alined and pressed together neatly, she took one last deep breath to compose herself before stepping over to the doors of Tsunade's office.

Her fingers racked against the door softly but with enough **** gain attention. "Tsunade-sama, I have the cataloged listings from last night's transfer."

"Yes, come in." After a brief pause, the familiar response from Tsunade called out from behind the door.

Shizune pushed the doors forward and stepped into the open room. The floor surrounding the Hokage's large desk was covered in miniature towers of paper. As if they had been tossed to the ground haphazardly in an attempt to clear out space. Tsunade was situated in her usual position behind the desk, sipping from a white container. "Tsunade-sama..." Shizune began to speak but was interrupted by Tsunade's poised finger. Which wordlessly told her to hold on.

Tsunade finished taking her swig from the container in her hand and slammed it onto the desk with a satisfied exhale of air. "It's water," She said after noticing Shizune's look of disapproval and tossed the bottle behind her where it bounced onto the floor and dripped some remaining backwash onto the sheets of paper. "But thank you for bringing this to me, I have been expecting it."

"I received it a few minutes ago," Shizune stepped up to the table, "All I have done was confirm that the number of recorded items matched with the amount you had sent out." She extended both hands that held the stack of papers securely for Tsunade to grasp.

Taking the sheets and placing them down, Tsunade added. "It is important we confirm that everything has been logged correctly. I say we because I want you to do this with me."

"You do?" Shizune did a double-take, her intention was to promptly leave the Hokage with her privacy since she was aware that this affair is meant to stay secretive. "Parden me, but aren't the items you relocated supposed to..."

"They are supposed to stay hidden in the Leaf to everyone other than those appointed by the Hokage," Tsunade said, she then pressed a thumb against her chest, where it gently rested between the tip her revealed cleavage. "As I recall, I am the Hokage, and I trust you to do this with me."

"Well, I..." Shizune felt herself stumble against her own tongue as the words she intended to say we're having trouble coming out. Tsunade putting enough trust in her to open up about a secret of such a degree wasn't expected. "Yes, Tsunade-sama." She nodded, and stepped forward, fully intending to make the Hokage approve of her choice in who to trust.

"Good..." Tsunade sighed and leaned forward. Her ample breasts rested against the desk in front of her. And her head bobbed down against her chest, which created a makeshift pillow for her to lean against. "I didn't want to go through all this myself..." She muttered tiredly into her cleavage, her warm breath brushed against her chest as she spoke.

"Umm..." Shizune blinked.

"So call out the names and the item code that's attached to it, and I'll give you a thumbs up and thumbs down."

"Okay..." Shizune said with a slight breath of hesitance, she had the familiar feeling of being roped into doing the Hokage's work for her. It wouldn't have been the first time. "I'll start at the top, I guess... But how will you know what item is which if you don't..."

"I've memorized Every. Single. One. Of them. Now start listing."

Shizune sighed.