Natsuki's House

Natsuki's apartment, nestled within the Uchiha Clan district of Konohagakure, was perfect for his simple and functional lifestyle. The modest living space reflected his preference for minimalism, a choice that aligned with his desire to work only as much as needed to sustain a comfortable yet uncluttered life.

As he opened the door after an usually grueling day of training, of all things, the familiar scent of the small space welcomed him- a mixture of yesterday's incense and the faint trace of earth from his training clothes. The layout was straightforward: a small entryway led directly into a combined living and dining area where a simple wooden table with two chairs resided. Adjacent to this was a small kitchenette, equipped with the essentials, clean and orderly, reflecting his systematic approach to life. There was plenty of space for furnishings more luxurious, but he didn't need such things.

To the right of the living area, a narrow hallway led to a modest bathroom and a bedroom. The bedroom was sparsely furnished with just a single bed, a nightstand, and a tall, narrow wardrobe. The bed was neatly made, its plain sheets and comforter inviting. On the nightstand, a single lamp and a stack of books about various ninjutsu techniques and shinobi histories suggested how he spent his rare moments of leisure, but these were little more than space wasters by this point.

Exhausted from the day's exertions, Natsuki barely managed to get his shoes off before dragging his tired body towards the bedroom. The soft creak of the floor under his weight was a familiar sound, one that spoke of end-of-day relief. He collapsed onto the bed, the firm mattress supporting his weary muscles. As he lay back, his eyes slowly drifted closed, the training, the trials, and the triumphs of the day fading into the comforting embrace of sleep. Here, Natsuki found a peace that was distinct from those he found out in the world: his own.

The member 'Natsuki Uchiha' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

Even in his exhaustion, however, sleep would not come. A soft, consistent, thumping caught Natsuki's attention and, with it, any chance for him to fall asleep. Ugh, what the hell is that?

The young Uchiha pulled himself out of bed and made his way towards the window, sliding it open to observe what could be disturbing his evening. But there was nothing. With a confused look, Natsuki, eyed the surroundings of this second story apartment. He had no balcony, he barely had any roof accessibility from here, yet it sounded like something was right there a moment ago.

"A bird, maybe?" It was then that he noticed his planter in the window, one he forgot about completely. The plants therein were well dead, but the chew marks were distinct. It wasn't a bird that did this. With an ear out for whatever it might have been, hoping that it simply decided to just fuck off, Natsuki waited to hear the thumping once again.

The member 'Natsuki Uchiha' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

Thump thump thump
There it is again...
Thump thump thump

It was coming from the roof, but how would it get there from here? It was either some climbing animal, some prank from Hirito, or some kind of shinobi diversion. If it were the latter, Natsuki had to hand it to them, they were good. Still, even in the face of such a danger, this disruption to his beauty sleep was of the utmost importance.

Pulling himself up to and part way through the window, Natsuki eyed towards the roof, some two more stories higher. Ugh, the things I do for bed time... With all the exaggerated g ruffing of a man three times his age, the young Uchiha pushed himself out of the window and to a stand on the wall. Shinobi training had its uses in every day life, that was one of the saving graces of his chosen profession.

With all the determination of someone who just wanted some damn shut eye, he made his way to the roof.

The member 'Natsuki Uchiha' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

With a sudden Hyah! Natsuki jumped from the walls to the roof in a readied combat stance, his mediocre fists poised to defend the boy and his restfulness with all the fury of a normal dude. But there was nothing. Even as he crested each slanted roof angle, rushing forward with surprising speed for someone so lazy, he saw noone and nothing. I'm going crazy, that's it...

Thump thump thump

And yet there it is a fucking gain..

It was becoming personal, at this point. Natsuki felt, in his bones, that he could not just go back to sleep- that doing so would bring this thumping bastard back to his window to taunt him some more. No, the boy had to end this, and soon. He was already so tired... couldn't he just have this?

Thump thump thump

The member 'Natsuki Uchiha' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Bunny Arrival' :

That's when Natsuki saw it. Is that... a fucking bunny... on my roof? He tilted his head in quizzical amazement, and the bunny did the same in kind. Thump thump thump, went its little back leg, smacking down on the roof. What was peculiar, however, was how this particular nuisance was penetrating three apartments down and into his room... And how did it get up here?

"Alright, come on little guy, Natsuki whispered, taking slow and cautious steps towards the little rabbit. "Let's get you down from here..." As the young Uchiha approached, however, the rabbit simply bounded away and towards the edge of the building. "No no no no no," he chirped, getting louder with each passing word as the rabbit got closer to to falling. "No NO!" And with that, the poor little creature disappeared from view.

"Oh what the fuck, oooh what the fuck!"

Natsuki rushed towards the edge of the room, slowing with a slight skip as he came to it. With a cautious set of eyes, preparing to see the ugly splat of a defensive lil' guy on the ground, he peeked downwards. He quickly averted his gaze as he spotted the rabbit, but a double take soon restored his sight on the creature. It was traveling straight down the side of the wall.

Either I'm already asleep... or this bunny is a fucking shinobi. All the same, this could explain why the thumping was coming from outside of his window. "Were you literally just outside my window back then??" This had quickly gone from reclaiming his peace and quiet to understanding the secrets of such a strange creature- a little bunny for a shinobi. He had heard of shinobi pets before, but they usually had claws or talons or teeth.

The creature continued to scamper, however. It was a persistent little fucker. Even as Natsuki kicked off into a sprint down the side of the apartment complex, the creature still seemed to be pulling ahead. This thing is seriously nuts... As the bunny touched grass, it immediately bolted for a nearby hedge, ostensibly trying to break Natsuki's eye contact.

Oh no, you're not getting away that easy! Natsuki jumped from a story up and dove into the ground below with nary a disturbance to its surface. He might not be able to see, per se, but he could perceive more than he was before. From below ground, the area above was made clear. Natsuki might have been slowed by the nature of this technique; but, the rabbit- the rabbit slowed itself in overconfidence in its surrounding cover. From below here, Natsuki would simply observe and follow. What secrets did this little bunny possess?

Natsuki's pursuit of the elusive bunny was quickly becoming a bit of obsession, and he would not let up. Just as he seemed to approach the creature, sure that he would not be detected, it sped up its escape.

Not to be deterred, Natsuki pushed himself harder, weaving under the garden's shrubbery. The bunny's rapid, zigzagging movements were almost taunting, challenging him to keep up. With each near-catch, his respect for the small creature's evasiveness grew, yet so did his resolve to uncover the mystery of its unusual abilities.

Just as he thought he had it cornered, jumping out of the dirt to corner it against an old oak tree, the bunny squeezed through a tiny gap between the roots. Its fluffy tail flicked mockingly as it escaped yet againThis little guy is no ordinary rabbit... he mused, a smirk creeping across his face despite the irritation. With a shake of his head, he straightened up, eyes scanning the dark for another glimpse of the rabbit, ready for another round. "Alright, let's see what you've got."

Natsuki's chase continued with a mix of agility and sheer stubbornness as the night deepened. The elusive bunny seemed to have endless tricks up its sleeve, each one more surprising than the last. Just as Natsuki thought he had anticipated its next move, the creature darted towards a small pond in the middle of the garden.

With a determined leap, Natsuki followed, expecting the bunny to make a splash. Instead, it skidded to a halt at the water’s edge and, with an almost comical wiggle of its nose, it jumped onto a lily pad that improbably supported its weight. Natsuki, unable to stop his momentum, plunged into the pond with a less-than-graceful splash.

Soaked and sputtering, Natsuki emerged from the water, wiping his face, only to see the bunny still perched on the lily pad, its small chest heaving as if stifling laughter. "You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?" he grumbled, trying not to smile at the absurdity of it all.

Shaking off the water, Natsuki prepared for another go. The night was young, and so was his patience.

Almost rejuvenated by his plunge, Natsuki resumed his pursuit with renewed vigor. The bunny, seemingly amused by the chase, darted behind a thick bush, its fluffy tail a white blur disappearing into the greenery. Natsuki followed closely, careful not to lose sight of his elusive target this time.

As he approached the bush, a sudden rustle on the other side suggested the bunny was making another escape. Without hesitation, Natsuki leaped through the bush, expecting to land right behind the rabbit. Instead, he found himself face to face with a small, startled hedgehog that had been disturbed by the commotion. The hedgehog, bristling at the sudden invasion, curled into a tight ball, its spines a sharp warning against further disturbances.

Natsuki, realizing his mistake, stepped back apologetically. "Oops, sorry little guy," he murmured, chuckling at the mix-up. The actual bunny, meanwhile, took advantage of the distraction to hop away.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Natsuki carefully skirted around the hedgehog and continued his chase.

As he rounded a particularly dense thicket, expecting to finally catch his elusive target, the ground beneath him gave way unexpectedly. Startled, Natsuki found himself sliding down a small, concealed incline- a natural slide in the side of the hill

Landing in a heap at the bottom, Natsuki grunted in pain, but couldn't help but chuckle. Covered in leaves and a bit of mud, he looked up just in time to see the bunny peering down at him from the top of the incline, its nose twitching amusingly. It seemed as if the creature was checking to see if he was alright, or perhaps it was just sizing up his ability to continue the chase.

“You’re quite the trickster, aren’t you? You win this time, bunny,” Natsuki called out, still chuckling as he picked himself up. The bunny, seemingly satisfied with the outcome, gave one last playful thump with its foot before turning and bounding off into the underbrush.

After the whimsical and exhausting chase through the garden, Natsuki returned to his apartment, feeling every bit as disheveled as he looked. His clothes were damp and speckled with mud, leaves clinging stubbornly to the fabric. The night's misadventures had left him both amused and utterly fatigued.

As soon as he stepped inside, the familiar confines of his modest living space greeted him. Without bothering to turn on the lights, Natsuki wearily kicked off his shoes and peeled off his dirty clothes along the way to the bedroom, leaving them in a trail on the floor. In just his underwear, he paused at the edge of his bed, a momentary sigh escaping him as he considered the effort required to clean up. But that consideration was fleeting.

With a final, resigned grunt, Natsuki collapsed onto his bed. The cool sheets contrasted sharply with his muddy skin, but he was too tired to care. His body sank into the mattress, muscles relaxing as the weight of the evening’s exertions began to lift. The chase, the falls, and the laughter had drained him, but as he lay there, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Thump thump thump!

For whatever reason, it was a very restful sleep; and, the next day, he greeted the day with a renewed fervor and determination.