Chapter Text
It's a Saturday night and I've just finished having dinner with some friends. They've gone their own way, taking various modes of transportation to get home and because I don't live too far away from where we went to eat I decided to walk. It's a nice night, the air is warm and through the city lights, I can see a few bright stars shining overhead.
A cool breeze lifts my hair every so often as I listen to the sound of my footsteps on the path when suddenly I hear a faint, low hissing sound.
“Psst,”
I glance behind myself as I continue walking forward but could see no one. My heart rate quickened ever so slightly as I face forward once more, picking up my pace. 'Maybe I should have gotten a ride...' I think to myself, clutching my purse tight.
After a minute more of walking, I hear the noise again, louder than before. Stopping, I turn around and look into the shadows of the path, searching for the source of the noise but still, there is no one in sight. By now I'm starting to get pretty creeped out so I turn back around and start walking even faster. My "Fight or Flight" instincts are readying me to run.
“Psst.” This time it was as if the sound was coming from inside my head. Loud, clear and obvious that someone is trying to get my attention.
I stop again and turn around, the whole time wondering what I'm doing. With a deep breath, I call out, “Who’s there?” No one responds but I know someone has to be there. “Reveal yourself!” I want to be brave, I try to be brave, but there is an unmistakable quiver to my words as I stare into the darkness.
“I’m right here.” A gravelly voice speaks next to me.
With a yelp I spin around, swinging my arm in an attempt to knock back whoever was just breathing in my ear but I miss, or rather, my fist went right through... their... head…
“What..!?” I gasped, stumbling backwards and landing on my butt.
“What?” The creatures deep, scratchy voice echoes. “The "what" I am is a Shinigami," It conveys, staring at me with its head tilted to the side... at least I think it's staring at me. "The "who" I am, is the more important part." My heart is beating fast and I don't know if I should remain sitting on the ground or if I should stand and try to run but I doubt I'd get very far. "My name is Chancellor Janik, the right hand to Lord Jashin, God of Evil.” The Shinigami gave a courteous bow before lifting its face, teeth chattering in the lipless hole of a mouth. The circular metal piece embedded into the flesh of its head, taking up the remaining portion of its face, glinted in the dim light, an upside down triangle decorating the otherwise plain surface.
“What… what does a Shinigami want with me?” I inquire as I cautiously stand up. “Are you here to kill me?” There’s an amused chuckle which escapes Chancellor Janik's throat.
“Kill you…" His voice is low, thoughtful, before picking back up. "No, you still have a full life ahead of you!” The pause given doesn’t do much to calm my nerves.
“Then what is it?” The Shinigami flexes the wings I hadn’t noticed on his back before waving his arm outward as he turns to the side.
“I want to play a game and I’d like it if you would help me. The prize will be well worth a little trust.” What I assume is a portal opens in the area he gestured toward, crackling and sizzling red with energy. “After the rules are explained for those who don’t know what the game is about, only seven minutes of your time will be needed to play. When those seven minutes are up, if you so choose, I will return you to this very spot and you can go about your business. If you wish to stay, well, I can arrange that as well.”
“Seven minutes? Wait, you’re saying you want me to play seven minutes in heaven with a bunch of, what, demons?” The Shinigami straightens himself and clicks his tongue, black ragged wings pulling against his back so I can no longer see them.
“No, not demons, although a few of them have been given that title for their deeds." The Chancellor reaches out and, after pausing at my initial flinch, picks off a beetle which had been crawling on my jacket. I shudder as I watch the Chancellor flick the bug away before he continues. "You will know either everyone in the room or close to it so there is no need to worry.” I look from the tall, anorexic looking Shinigami over at the swirling shades of red and then around the bare street, questioning my own sanity.
“I don’t really know why but yeah, sure, I’ll trust you... Let's go play a game.” With that, I took a breath, straightened my coat, gripped the strap of my purse tight and then proceeded into the portal.
When I came out on the other side, hair a little frazzled from the energy of the portal, I looked at my new location, a rather dingy looking room. Its size is large, auditorium-like, with high ceilings which disappear into the shadows above. The only lighting in the area came from torches which hang on the walls and from low-hanging, iron chandeliers. The floors were stained with something of which I didn't want to focus on, and the walls were made from dark, rusted metal.
There is a large gathering of people who had scattered around the room, chatting among themselves, hardly noticing their new arrival. Most people shared the same confused and nervous expression while others looked excited or annoyed. There are other girls and… the boys… Wait, these people… is that Naruto!?! They're the people from Naruto!!!
"How..?!" I breathed, staring wide-eyed at the group of people, of Shinobi, in front of me.
A set of long, boney fingers curled themselves around my shoulder, forcing me to tear my eyes away from the people and set them instead upon the Shinigami as he towered over me. “I am a Shinigami, already capable of moving from my own Realm to the Mortal one but as I am also the right hand to a God I have the ability to walk the Veil between worlds and travel the Void between the different Universes. Time and Space mean nothing to someone in my position.” He explained, pointing over to a table with a bucket placed on top. “One of my many tricks.” Gently he pushes me onward to the bucket, gesturing at the emptiness. “What do you see?”
Shrugging I look into the bucket and then back up. “Nothing…”
“Reach in,” I do as told, expecting to find my hand cast into shadow and feel the bottom of the bucket within moments but my hand vanishes, absorbed into the darkness within the bucket before it rests on a pile of items. I raise an eyebrow as I begin to feel around but the Chancellor seizes my forearm, pulling my hand out.
“Not yet, dear. Have patience. I must address the rest of my guests.” He spoke in his deep, breathy vibration of a voice, letting my arm go and turning to face the audience before him. I watch as he raises his arms in welcoming as he begins to speak.
“Guests, thank you for participating.” The ripple of voices is now hushing one another as the crowd turn their attention to our host. Finally, only a few were left, chuckling and grinning at one another in excitement. “As you are aware, you are here to play a game.” He gestures to the bucket and all eyes follow, “In here, I have asked most of you to place an item which will represent you.” The Shinigami reaches down and picks up an alarm clock from the other side of the table which had been hidden from my view by the bucket. “Some of you, most I hope, will know this game.” He looks the clock over and then turns to a door behind him. “Seven minutes in Heaven.” He expresses as he walks over to the door and opens it, revealing nothing but darkness. “One by one I will have you come up to dig through the bucket. When you have an item, you and the person whom the object belongs to will enter this closet; don’t worry, there is plenty of room. The two of you will remain there for seven minutes where you can do whatever you desire.” There is now grumbling and snickering across the large gathering of men and women yet the Chancellor continues nonetheless. “But, be mindful of the time.” He advises, “When I open this door, there will be no warning. This closet is soundproof, so you could kill one another and no one will know until I open the door and turn on the lights. You will not hear the clock ring.”
“PERVERT!” One of the people in the crowd shouts. A few others mumble in agreement before a wave of shushing hisses silences them.
“No, just bored, actually.” The Shinigami walks back over to me now and I feel a little on display, standing at the front beside our host. “I run the Kingdom of the Dead for my Lord. It is not party central, if you wish to know, but rather dull most of the time. Every now and then I need a distraction, and you mortals are my favourite playthings. So easy to rile up one way or another.” He places the clock back on the table before turning to me.
“Um, why this group?” I ask, looking from the Chancellor to the people of the Narutoverse. “Why them, and,” I glance at a group of people I did not recognize from the Manga or Show, but by the way they are dressed, they must be from the same world I came from. “my world?”
“Simple,” Chancellor Janik walks behind me, scooting me closer to the table. “your world is packed full of people who wish they were elsewhere, who fall head over heels for beings of other worlds.” He looks over to the people he's implying. “These people are my Lords people. It was them who I had to find the right match for.” Turning back to me he nods to the bucket. “Reach in. Go on, don’t be afraid. Let’s see who you get.~”
Still somewhat confused, I take another deep breath, whisper many wishes and prayers, and then reach for the bucket...