《Psycho in Naruto》 Chapter 1 Empty hollow eyes. I stare at a screen. Stringly dry hair. I stare at a screen. Pale devoid skin. I stare at a screen. My dignity is gone and with it my soul. My passion, my life, sucked away. I know all this and yet I can''t look away. This screen is my life. It''s my IV drip. And I have a disease. My bony fingers hit the keyboard and I''m away. Who needs drugs when I have this feeling. This feeling or floating not quite in reality yet not quite out either. Simultaneously drifting between my computer screen and my life. I''m high. ~BUZZ~BUZZ~BUZZ~ My phone''s ringing. A picture of my mum brightens my pitch black room. ~BUZZ~BUZZ~BUZZ~ The half decayed host stares into my soul. I press decline. That''s when it happened. I blinked. ~BANG~ A gunshot. A gunshot... I relapse from my temporarily dazed state. What''s happening. (A gunshot.) I know that already. ~BANG~ And I blinked again. When I awoke I did so slowly. The pile of drool stuck to my face preoccupied my mind. I hadn''t gone to sleep. Then I remembered. A gunshot. SHIT! I darted to my feet frightened that the shooter was in my room with me. His gun hanging inches from my neck ready to make a cut. A chilling thought, but a short one as well as in my rush I had banged my head against my chair as I had gotten up. Fuck that hurt. The sting was persistent but I had more important things to do. A gunshot. I guided myself with the humming light of my computer monitor until I had reached the wall. Then I fumbled my way across the wall like a blind man until I found the light switch. A click rang out and my room was filled with light. Wow. I really needed to tidy my room up; half eaten chocolate smeared into the carpet; beer cans were thrown about in various states of being crushed; and of course, my mattress that I had brought pre-stained.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. A gunshot. Oh yeah, the possible murder. I place my ear against the door and listen. ........................................ ........................................ ........................................ ........................................ A single footstep. ......................................... ........................................ ........................................ ........................................ My heart sunk. He was here. I was dead. Images ran through my mind like Usain Bolt. Where would the bullet enter? My head? Would my face be blown to pieces? Guess I''ll be having a closed casket. I was interrupted by some more footsteps loudly creaking against the floorboards outside my apartment door. Someone was there. A human? Yes, of course, a human. ~creeeeeeek~ Shit.Shit.Shit. I could hear it''s breathing. That slow, rhythmic pull and that exhausting, quick push. I could feel the oxygen entering his bloodstream, I could see the blood moving his body. I was him. And I open the door. The other me fell onto the ground in shock and apathy. I was tall, probably 8ft5. No! 8ft6. My skin was pitch black and moving. Jagered and fuzzy like the static off a tv screen. My face was featureless and my body more so. I bent down by my waist until I was non-existent nose to nose. And then I blinked. My computer screen was loading the newest game I downloaded. Some Japanese RPG. I didn''t care. I wasn''t all that into videogames. I just liked to play. But so did the game. My game finally loaded and a question appeared. [ Start Game???] And I did. Suddenly my screen went dark. In fact, my entire room did. Once again. Then I appeared. I knew I was there without having to look. I just sat there staring into my black computer monitor. Emotionless. All the while I was standing behind me. Leering over my shoulder. It and I, and I and it grinned. It had begun. WE. Had planned this. WE. Had dreamt of this. But only I had actually known it would happen. The apocalypse. I and I stood up and walked to my bathroom. Wow. I really needed to clean this place; half-eaten FlsEH smeared into the tiles; OgrAns were thrown about in various states of being crushed; and of course, TeH bOdIE that I had in my bathtub. Ah. I brought my hands up to my head in pain. The headaches were back. Fuck it hurt. I reached into my hoodie pocket and took out a bottle of pills. I knocked one back and winced as the medicine kicked in. When I opened my eyes my bathroom was clean. And there was me in the mirror. Useless. Worthless. Annoying. All words I would use. But I''m not sure about what. I was a conundrum and the clock was running out. My brows scrunched together in pain. My face soon melted into wretchedness. Why? Anger. Rage. It had taken over my sadness. My features metamorphosized into a swirling mass of hatred. I silently roared at the mirror; neck veins taught, my face red and strained. And then I blinked. And then I was naked. A breeze came past from I don''t know where. I was in a field except I wasn''t. This is a memory. But it looked so real. And then I blinked. And then I was back. I stared at my blank face. I wonder if my neighbors did the same? My face stared back. That almost certainly happened to my neighbors, didn''t it? My black featureless face. I stuck out one of my fingers and urged myself forward. " hi, " I whispered. Then everything became blurry. Sports of black overcame me and a warm feeling floated over my body like a disease. And then I blinked. Now I was naked again. And I was in my bathtub. I clutched at the pill bottle in my hand. It felt light. I brought the bottle up to my eyes and saw that it was empty. And then I looked at the warning label. ''May cause Hallucinations.'' Stood out in blurring font. I let the bottle gently fall out of my grasp. And then I blinked. And the bath was full. Water filled to the brim. Oh. I was back. " hi, " I whispered. " hi, " I whispered back. I looked away from myself and instead looked at the water. Filled to the brim. And red. I moved my legs apart and A finger floated to the top. I looked back to myself and he brought a finger to his lips. " shhh " whispered I. Then I reached into my mouth with my entire hand. I wanted my stomach. I WANTED MY STOMACH. I reached further and further. I gaged and chocked. And then I vomited. And then I died. And then I blinked. Chapter 2 I feel so...Clean. Like a corrupted file that has been erased...NO... It''s as if my entire computer was smashed to bits with a jackhammer. It''s so...Refreshing. A binding weight has been lifted and all that''s left is a warm embrace. But aren''t I supposed to be dead? That''s what HE said. Was HE wrong? No. Impossible. Then why do I feel so... New? My thoughts were rightfully destroyed by a huge burst of light. My vision was charged upon by this blinding light and my eyes were gunned down. Then it began. If HE was a force of pure darkness then this was the opposite. The clutching light of life. The magnificent struggle. But ultimately futile. I closed my eyes. I refused the light and everything it stood for. This is how HE taught me. Then the pain came, mind-bending pain. The type of pain that makes Hulk Hogan and Chuck Norris cry like little babies. Oh shit...Is that what''s happening. It would make sense, I guess. I never bought into that whole religion thing but I guess I should have. Bunch of cunts though. The priests I mean, not you. You''re perfect. You''re MINE. Yeah, religion in general sucks. It''s just a control center, a leverage point for humanity. And I refuse to be controlled. HE wouldn''t allow that... No. Never. Should I tell you what happened next? I was born. I not HE was born. For the first time in 20 years, I was free. Free from HIM, free from THEM. No longer would I be haunted by my own brain. I had control. And this was how I was born a contradiction. Both crying from the immense pain but smiling from the inherent freedom that this life brought. Poetic isn''t it? It is. Now let us establish some ground rules before I allow you to continue. Rules are a necessity for everything. And to break rules is to be disrespectful, and I am VERY respectful. You will come to learn that. You will. YOU WILL! 1.) You will follow my every command and in exchange, I will give you my story. This is for your own good trust me.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. 2.) I will withhold any information that may damage you or myself. This is for your own good trust me. 3.) This rule is the most important. You will NOT contact THEM in any way. This is for your own good trust me. Now that we have established MY rules I will continue the story by opening my eyes. You are welcome, I love you. In front of me and my blurry eyes was my mother. Dirty blonde hair. Dirty brown eyes. Dirty. Dirty. DIRTY. This beast was covered head to toe in filth. Her skin was tan and scarred with dirt and wrinkles. You WILL come to learn that I detest dirt. It must have shocked my new mother to see her sons face contorting with disgust as she looked a little hurt. Simple minds are hurt simply. Out of the corner of my eye, I could just about make out my father. A tall man to be sure, but still repulsive. He had the look of a hardened farm, and I certainly wasn''t that. I will tell you that my past life wasn''t a physical one. But no more than that, it''s for your own good. I also noticed my father was wearing rags. Certainly not the brand names I was used to living in modern society. So this was clearly a third world country or a different era. I''m gonna go with a different era judging by the lack of anything remotely modern. Well, fuck me. I just got free from THEM and now I''m trapped in what is most likely a class system riddled with disease and famine. I''m gonna be fucked sideways by life. What''s new. NO! I''m in control now. I swear I''m gonna control my life and everything in it. And then I looked up at my two parents Starting with you beasts. "Honey? Do you think he''s okay." My frail mother asked concerned. My Father looked disapprovingly at my mother. "He is a healthy boy. Did you hear him cry? He has good lungs. He will be strong." My father said reassuring my mother in a distant way. "Now I must get back to work." My father said as he went to leave the shack we lived in. "Wait! Honey, you have not named your son." My mother called. My father turned and looked at me straight in my eyes. I felt bare before his stare. This backward farm animal has made ME feel exposed. I glare at him with a defiant will that promised pain and misery. As much as a baby could of course. I will crush your soul and enslave your mind you filthy pig fuck farmer. Just wait. "His name will be Takaoki." Then my father turned and left. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 years later. The next stage of my plan was postponed by the restrictions of my new body. I was no longer controlled by THEM or held back by those infernal pills though. This guaranteed my success. So don''t worry. I love you remember. Whilst in my baby form I did conduct some experiments though. I have learned a lot. Anyway. What? You want to know what I''ve learned? What happened in the last 3 years of life? Shhhh. Don''t cry my love I will explain. I have sapped the small knowledge my parents contain and have established my current location. I did this through most cunning methods my sweet. Deception is my first tool for most situations. For example, while the fellow farm kids asked, parents, why the sky was blue and why the clouds were fluffy. I asked about USEFUL things. Things that are necessary to my survival and my advancement in this pitiful world. I have established the following: My mother and father are rice farmers in somewhere creatively named the land of fire; The lord of this land is the ''almighty'', (their words not mine), Fire Daimyo; I also learned that there exists supposed magic or chakra as they call it. Now I''m curious about the validity of this knowledge considering it came from fucking rice farmers who claim ninjas fly about shooting flaming balls at each other. However, I am willing to investigate further considering I was just reincarnated 3 years ago, not exactly scientific is you ask me. However, the news which I have the most excitement for is the knowledge of this world''s money. I''ve always loved power and by extension money, so learning of the Ryo has been my greatest discovery. This is the key. This small round disc of unknown metal will lead me to my destiny. Now considering how easy it was to steal this from my mother, a poor farmer who should be anxious to horde all her wealth, I think stealing might be a valid tactic. Goodnight my love. Sweet dreams. Chapter 3 I swear to god, If he even fucking exists, I can''t put up with these fucking hillbilly fucks. These savage fuckers not only expect me, a 6-year-old, to roll about in a muddy field doing back-breaking labor, but also want me to eat fucking rice every single day. They put rice in fucking everything. I swear them fuckers would make me only digest fucking air and dust if they could. I am so fed up of being poor. Fuck them, no, in fact, fuck this entire village and every infectious sibling fucking cunt in it. I swear every last cunt here is inbred. I mean look at this one now. I run over to the fattest most idiotic ''person'' I''ve ever seen. "HIROKI" I shout at the kid drinking from a muddy puddle. Hiroki looks up with the biggest grin and brightest eyes only someone so completely innocent could have. He also had a turd on his head. I swear to god he''s a neanderthal. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT PLAYING IN MUD HIROKI!" I roar at a safe enough distance not to get any dumb on me. "Not to?" Hiroki asks. My face goes still. "Was that a question," I say in a stable voice. "No?" Hiroki asks again. "Hiroki...What have I told you about stupid questions." I say once again in a stable voice. I could see Hiroki thinking really hard about what I just said. "Not to ask them?" He replies only half sure. "Yes. And what did I say I would do if you asked me another stupid question?" I ask whilst holding back my rage by grinding my teeth. I saw a look of realization in Hiroki''s eyes. A look that only an ape staring certain death in the face could have. Hiroki dashed away into the nearby rice fields with me trailing behind. I was a lot fitter than Hiroki with him somehow managing to become obese in this shit hole farming village, because of this I was able to catch him relatively quickly. I tackled the fat boy to the ground and we both went skidding into a puddle. I pinned the fat boy down to the ground and looked at him with rage in my eyes. This fucker got me dirty, he will pay. Wait...Where''s the shit on Hiroki''s head gone? Almost simultaneously both me and Hiroki looked up at my head. A perfectly formed turd was lying on the top of my head.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. My eyes fell to Hiroki. Hiroki''s eyes looked to me. My face was devoid of emotion. Hiroki''s wasn''t. My fist fell on Hiroki''s face, and again, and again, and again. My face was no longer devoid of emotion but instead burning with rage. My teeth clenched together like a wild animal and my contorted face red with emotions of rage and embarrassment. Meanwhile, Hiroki, the simple creature he was, laid there and let me dig a hole through his face. PUNCH BY PUNCH. Blood and spit flew everywhere as my knuckles tarred away at Hiroki''s fat troglodytic faces. The faint smell of shit fell over the scene, it emanated from both my head and Hiroki''s soiled pants. And then I stopped. Hiroki was barely breathing as I lay on top of the boy panting. I could tell he was about to die. No, I could feel it. I sneered in disgust and spit on the boy. I reeled back my fist for my final punch and Hiroki''s final breath. Time seemed to slow as my fist broke through the air between me and Hiroki''s fat face. This was the end. By Hiroki. But then it wasn''t. A firm hand grabbed my wrist and before I knew it I was flying backward skidding through the rice fields and dirt. The turd on my head was also dislodged and flew further into the fields. WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I''M GONNA... And then my rage stopped. When I had got up ready to murder whoever had thrown me I saw an amazing sight. Huddled over Hiroki was a man. But not just any man. This man was wearing a flowing white robe and had pitch white skin. Two horns sprouted up from his forehead and a weird red marking was situated on his head. But despite his odd appearance, there was something else that stole my attention. The man held his palms over Hiroki and a green light was coming from them. I was shocked. Was this chakra? I watched as under the man''s hands Hiroki''s wounds disappeared. I needed this power. I approached the man quietly from behind. "Excuse me," I said politely. I got no reply. "Can you teach me how to use chakra," I demanded. This got his attention. This mysterious man turned his head slowly to me. "No." He said with a deadpan expression. He then turned back to Hiroki and picked him up. "Where does this boy live?" The man asked apathetically. I stood there still shocked at the man''s abrupt refusal. The man slowly walked to me with Hiroki in his arms and crouched down to my eye level. "Where does this boy live?" He asked again. Finally broken from my shock I looked back at the man. "Follow me," I said simply. I then led the man to Hiroki''s house. "I don''t think you understand..." I said beginning to defend my previous actions. "I think I do." The man cut in. There was an awkward silence then as I lead him to Hiroki''s house. When we made it there Hiroki''s mother, who was also fat and dumb looking (Shocker), ran out to meet us. She took the unconscious Hiroki from the man. She looked down with sad eyes at her son''s condition and then looked at the man with a renewed anger. "What have you done to my boy!" She asked in anger. "I have healed him." The man replied simply. The woman seemed to do a one-eighty as soon as he said that and let both me and the man into her house and made tea. What a naive woman to believe a stranger who showed up holding her unconscious son. Fucking inbreds. Anyway...Once Hiroki had been put into his ''bed'' and the man had sat down, I once again began my assault. "Teach me how to use chakra," I said looking at him. "No." He replied returning my stare. Hmmm. I bet he''s the fucking righteous type but I don''t think I can bullshit a magician so what do I do? Just as Hiroki''s mother was returning to the room with tea I fell to my knees in front of this powerful man. My face showed the complex emotions I felt submitting even in part to the man. How ironic that in order to achieve my goal I must sacrifice it. "Sir, if you teach me I promise to change my ways," I said with my head bowed. There was an awkward silence in the room. I could her Hiroki''s mother shuffling awkwardly in the background unsure of what to do. Minutes past and I became anxious. Looking up I stared into the man''s eyes. "Very well." The man said slowly. My face light up. "On one condition." He continued. "Anything," I said eager to gain his knowledge. "You will train with the other boy." Clarified the man. My face grimaced for a moment but I hid it quickly. "Okay." I submitted. "That is if it''s okay with you." The man said looking at Hiroki''s mother. I also turned to look at the shocked woman still holding a tray with tea on. I saw her eyes light up with happiness before she dropped the tray and ran over to thank the man. Tea was everywhere... Fucking inbreds. Chapter 4 "I''M GOING TO LEARN CHAKRA!" Hiroki exclaimed. "Yes." Said the man with a warm smile. I stood in the corner of the room looking down at this insignificant insect flinging his excitement around the room like shit. At the mention of shit, my constant glare got harsher. I still hadn''t forgiven that fat fuck. The man signaled for me to come over and I begrudgingly agreed. "You can both address me as Sage from now on." The Sage said calmly. The Sage turned to me. "Go and ask your parents if you can leave with me." The sage asked. "They''re dead," I replied bluntly. I saw Hiroki was about to open his mouth to say otherwise so I sent him a subtle glare. Hiroki promptly closed his mouth. The Sage looked thoughtful for a moment. "Then we leave now, pack your things" The sage declared. Hiroki''s mother looked shocked. Hiroki looked to his mother. "Mum, I promise to come back big and strong. I''ll protect you!" Hiroki passionately declared. "OH HIROKI." Hiroki''s mother cried as she hugged her son. "How heartbreaking to see a couple be separated," I mumbled under my breath. The sage looked at me harshly but I''m sure I saw a subtle nod of agreement. After Hiroki packed up we left the shithole those inbred fuckers call a town and headed towards some mountains in the middle of buttfuck nowhere. I swear this entire world is a bunch of Japanese rice farms and hills. Where the fuck are the big cities? It took us 3 days to reach the location where the Sage lived. During that time Hiroki did nothing but bug me about how excited he was to be learning Ninshu. Meanwhile, the Sage just smiled at us, prick. Oh! What''s Ninshu you ask my love? It''s a way of harnessing this supposed chakra we all have.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The sage said some shit about it bringing us all together for world peace as well. Bunch of bull. Sounds more like the Sage is starting a cult if you ask me. But if I can get this pale prick to teach me Ninshu I can just take over the operation and steer it towards more ''productive goals''. When we finally got to the sages house both me and Hiroki were surprised. It was fucking huge. Nestled between a valley lay not a house but a city. As we made our way through the city, littered with mountainside houses and outdoor training areas, I could only think one thing...This place is Zen as fuck. Pagodas and shit. Hiroki was practically shitting himself with excitement. I internally cringed as I thought about shit again, but brushed it off. The Sage led us through the mini-city whilst the monks here politely bowed as we passed by. Everyone seemed so...Peaceful. It was super creepy. I could feel my skin crawl every time someone smiled and that happened a lot in this place. Hiroki was practically bouncing off the walls at this point. I am sure the little inbred fucker is going to twist himself inside out, maybe I''ll help him. Eventually, we reached a large clearing with a ying-yang symbol imprinted into the floor. "Change into these." The sage said handing us each a pair of white robes. "Not really my color." I joked pointing at my all black rags. The Sage gave me a slightly disapproving look. "Your training in Ninshu will require you to be one with your body and mind." The sage said sagely. "I''m ready!" Hiroki practically screamed. This was going to be a difficult process. The sage had us connect with our inner chakra by practicing various nonviolent Katas. In other words, he had us dance around like knobheads for hours on end. Then the fucker had the gall to make us meditate for even more hours on some rocks in a koi pond. Was this supposed to do something? Because all I felt was hung... ~RUMBLE~ Hiroki''s stomach just practically roared for food. The Sage then took us to dinner and showed us our sleeping quarters. Whilst Hiroki was getting ready for bed I went to see the sage. "Sage," I said walking into his meditation room. "Yes." He replied cracking open a single eye to look at me. "When are we gonna learn something useful," I asked in an impatient tone. I never had any patients. The only thing that mellowed my true nature was them fucking pills. They held me back for so long. "The road to enlightenment is a long one young Takaoki. We must walk slowly and not follow our greed." The Sage replied still with only one eye open. I could see pain in the Sage''s eye. No, I could feel his pain. The sage''s eye briefly expanded in shock before becoming neutral again. "You show great promise young Takaoki, but always remember that Ninshu isn''t the path to power but to peace." The sage said nodding his head wisely. "Yes, Sage," I replied as I slunk out of the room. Fucking idiot. Too caught up in his bullshit religion to actually see the possibilities. Peace is bullshit and so is Ninshu. I slunk back to my room and straight away locked the door. I need to make it useful. I sat down and tried to recreate the meditative technique the Sage had taught me. Hours past before finally I felt a rush of energy. Almost as if I had gained a new lung I took a huge breath. I could feel the energy swirling near my stomach. Two foreign energies merging into one. This rush is amazing. It feels like I''m high on smack whilst funneling cocaine through my ears and directly to my brain. I can feel that energy flying around my body and leaking into the air. A thick black gas surrounded my body and encased it. I felt my body changing on a molecular level. The pain was wonderful... No beautiful. Don''t get me wrong it hurt like fuck, every cell in my body felt like it was burning. Just somehow all this felt... Great. And then I blinked. Chapter 5 "To properly align yourselves you must feel each other''s chakra. This is the way of Ninshu." The Sage calmly stated. "When do we get to learn how to fight and shoot fireballs?" Hiroki asked frustrated at not learning anything ''cool''. "I agree with the shiteater for once," I said staring at the sage. The sage closed his eyes in frustration. "Ninshu isn''t a weapon." The sage said exasperatedly. Hiroki, as usual, looked confused. The sage put a hand on Hiroki''s head and smiled at him warmly. "What do you want to learn Ninshu for young Hiroki?" The Sage asked Hiroki kindly. Hiroki seemed to be more puzzled than usual. "To protect the sect," Hiroki said after an annoyingly long pause. "An honorable goal young Hiroki." The sage said ruffling his hair with the same warm smile. Is the sage a nonce? I''ll have to add butthole protection into my contingency plans. The sage stopped rubbing Hiroki''s head and looked at me weirdly. Shit! Can that fucker read my mind or something? I''m sure he just smirked! It was too quick to be sure but I definitely saw something. The sage moved away from Hiroki and picked up some dirt in his hands. "Hold out your hands like this." The sage said as he nestled the dirt between his two palms. Hiroki did what he said and the sage poured the dirt onto his hands. The Sage got some more dirt and came up to me. The Sage looked at me expectingly. Well, he could fuck off there''s no way I''m letting that dirt go anywhere near me. "This is the quickest way to learning Ninshu." The sage said seemingly answering something I hadn''t said. I reluctantly held out my hands and he poured the dirt on my palms. The Sage then placed something in both mine and Hiroki''s hands. "You are to channel your Chakra into the seed and make it grow. This will not only increase your Chakra control but also your Ninshu connection. Master that and I''ll teach you how to ''fight and shoot fireballs''" The sage said slightly annoyed at the end.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Making a fucking plant grow is going to give me power? What type of hippie shit is this? "I''m not going to be part of your flower display Sage," I said getting increasingly annoyed holding dirt. "Then you can leave the sect." The Sage said in a happy tone. I humphed and the Sage started to walk away. "Wait! Where the fuck do you think you''re going?" I demanded. "I have business and you''re going to be awhile." The Sage said smiling at me. Whatever. I look over to my right and Hiroki is staring intensely at the mound of dirt in his hand ignoring my back and forth with the Sage. Shit! I can''t let that inbred fucker learn this before me. I too began to channel my chakra into the dirt. It went on like this for hours with me and Hiroki standing completely still trying to channel our chakra into a small mound of dirt. More and more hours past and day turned into midday and midday turned into night. I had just managed to get my Chakra into the seed when my concentration was broken by a triumphant cry. I glared up to see Hiroki brightly smiling down at the plant stem nestled between his palms. The fucking inbred beat me? Beat me! Hiroki turned his head excitedly back to me to see how I was doing. Hiroki saw I had made little to no progress and instantly became long faced. I could see pity in his eyes. This fucking inbred piece of crusty dog shit was pitying me. "It''s okay Takaoki, I''m sure you''ll get it soo-" Hiroki went to say but I cut him off with a punch to the gut. Hiroki collapsed in on himself and fell to the ground winded. "Don''t you fucking pity me," I said as I spat down on him my fists clenched into balls of anger. Hiroki was still in a ball under the night sky as I was about to go back to my room when I saw my spilled soil was sprouting a withered plant. I stared down and smirked at my accomplishment. Looks like I was going about it the wrong way. Then I carried on walking. The next day, me and Hiroki met the Sage at our usual training area. "I see you both learned the technique." The Sage said staring at our bodies intensely. Pedo... Hiroki was avoiding making eye contact with me as the Sage mentioned yesterday. "Now as promised you will learn to harness Ninshu in a more practical way." The Sage said stepping away from Hiroki and me. "Attack me." The Sage said. Both me and Hiroki were stunned. His demand caught us completely off guard. Hiroki was the first one to talk. "What do you mean Sage?" Hiroki asked still confused. "I want you to both attack me at the same time. Don''t hold back." The Sage said with his usual calm demeanor. I was the first one to attack. There was no way I was gonna let a free shot against the Sage pass me up. I shot forward using my limited control of chakra to boost my speed. I coiled back my right fist for a straight right, but that was just a diversion for the kick I had planned for his nuts. I''ve been waiting for this for so long. Just as predicted when I jumped at the Sage with my straight right he blocked it. However, what was not expected was the Sage grabbing my extended arm and swinging me, onehanded, into a nearby tree. Fuck that hurt. "You are too slow and your movements a predictable." The Sage said still standing perfectly still in the spot where he began. Fucking showoff. Hiroki was the next to attack. Hiroki was a lot slower than me and didn''t have any idea on how to fight beside the Katas the Sage taught us so his attack was predictably bad. He was sent flying at the tree which I had hit. However, I was no longer there. Having used Hiroki''s attack as an opportunity to hide in the bushes. Shit. The Sage is too powerful to fight head on and Hiroki won''t be able to create a good enough distraction to cover me. Grabbing Hiroki by the collar of his robe I drag his unconscious body back to the Sage. "Give up?" The Sage asked with a smirk. I glared at him wishing I had any way to even land a hit on him. "For now Old man," I said still glaring at his weird eyes. The sage''s smirk got slightly bigger as he said "Then you will learn Ninshu the way I ask you too?" The sage said with that same shit-eating smirk I was quickly coming to dislike. I simply grunted my acceptance and dragged Hiroki back to the dormitory. Chapter 6 It had been One year since that arse whooping from the Sage. Me and Hiroki were now 7. Apparently, this was a ''special'' age or some shit for the Sage as he decided to congratulate us on turning 7. But you know what they say ''If your age is on the clock the Sage wants your coc-'' Just as I was about to finish my thought Hiroki busted down my door almost making it fly off its hinges. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAKAOKI!!!" Hiroki yelled as he tried to hug me. I dogged the lunatic''s Hug attack and he crashed into the wall. I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. This was too much to handle. Hiroki was annoyingly happy at the best of times and obnoxiously happy at the best of them, so I can only imagine how cheerful he would be on our joint birthday. "Why did you do that Takaoki? It''s my birthday as well so you have to be nice to me." Hiroki said massaging the lump on his head. Ignoring Hiroki I held open my door and signaled for him to leave. "But Takaoki..." Hiroki pleaded using puppy dog eye jutsu. However, I had predicted his attack and countered with my death glare of epic edginess. Hiroki fell defeated by my cold heart. With a slumped back, Hiroki trudged out of my room. However just as he was about to leave Hiroki turned to me. "Takaoki... Don''t forget the Sage wants to see us later to congratulate us on a year of training." Hiroki said as if only just remembering. I didn''t reply and just nodded and slammed my door on him. Finally, I really don''t have time for Hiroki so early in the morning. Plus I''ve got work to do. I made my way over to the desk which I had requested from the Sage. I gave him a half-truth saying I was using it to research the ways of Ninshu, when in fact I was going to weaponize them. He bought it, or at least I think he did. I put the scroll on Ninshu to one side and removed the notebook I had taped to the underside of the desk. Maybe not the best hiding place but certainly Hiroki proof. Everyone else didn''t randomly burst into my room at ungodly times, so I wasn''t very worried. Opening to the last page I read what I had last written. It was mainly about my newly discovered ''hand signs'' which made it easier to channel chakra. There was a seemingly endless combination of hand maneuvers which produced different effects, very interesting. Another breakthrough I had was in my experiments. I found out I had a special ability to carve sigils onto things and produce so-called ''curses''. It had taken a lot of exploding birds to find out the right combination of swirls and lines to produce these curses, but overall worth it.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. One bird I had given a curse too had become fireproof in exchange for a chakra drain whilst on fire. A very interesting ability indeed and something I planned to expand upon using a wide variety of animals in the future. Just as I was about to write an entry on one of my latest experiments I noticed the sun was going down. Shit! I''m late for the Sage''s meeting. I put my research away and made my way to the training field. To my surprise, we weren''t alone this time. Of course, Hiroki and the Sage were there but also three other children around our age. Hiroki, of course, looked excited to make new friends however I was only slightly curious as I moved closer to them There were two boys and one girl. The first boy looked nervous and unsure of even the way he stood. Back slightly arched with pale almost white skin. This kid must be permanently inside. The only bit of color on him was his bright orange eyes and short hair. He generally looked weak and unimpressive however who knows he might be a Ninshu powerhouse, but I doubt it. Next up was an entirely unimpressive girl. To me, she just looked like an average brown haired and eyed little girl, but to the Sage, she probably looked like a fine woman. I unconsciously sent a disgusted glare to the Sage and he looked confused. Don''t play innocent with me you dirty old man. The final student stood a head above me and I was quite tall for my age. Everything about him was stoic and solemn. This guy could play Batman for fuck sake, that''s how serious he was. His green eyes didn''t waver and every movement of his body seemed to be timed and have a clear intention. All in all, he looked like he was smuggling a 10ft rod up his arse at all times. Oh, and he had long black hair in a ponytail and two red dots just above his eyebrows. "Nice of you to join us young Takaoki." The Sage said like the sarcastic prick he was. "Who are they?" Hiroki asked bluntly. "Absolutely no subtly," I said sneering at Hiroki. If Hiroki had proven anything to me over the last Year it was that he was blunt. "Well, young Hiroki I have brought you and young Takoki here to congratulate you on passing!" The Sage said in mock excitement. "What do you mean ''passing'' Sage?" I asked unsure of what he meant. The Sage''s shit-eating smirk seemed to widen at that. "The last year, young Takaoki has been a test of spirit. If you had not passed I would not have carried on your training." The Sage lectured. "So you would have kicked us out of the sect?" Hiroki asked seemingly hurt at the very proposition. "Yes. I''m a busy man and world peace can''t be put on hold for me to teach dead-end students." The sage said bluntly. Hiroki seemed to find the idea difficult judging by the completely unrepressed emotions all over his face. "But you passed! So it doesn''t matter. I was almost always kind of certain you would pass as well." The Sage said happily. "Get on with it Sage," I said not amused at his dead banter. The Sage feined hurt and turned to the three children. "These, my precious disciples, are your fellow clansmen. They have been chosen to join you for personal training." The Sage said proudly. If the Sage is proud of this lot he''s more delusional than I thought. The Sage brought his hand to his beard in a thinking pose. "How about we introduce ourselves, I''ll go first. Hi! I''m the Sage of the six paths. I like my brother and Ninshu. I dislike greed and cruelty. My dream for the future is to bring peace to the world." The Sage said as if he was in some sort of twisted AA meeting The Sage then signaled for Hiroki to go. "Hi! I''m Hiroki nice to meet you! I like making new friends and I dislike people who try to hurt them. My dream is to protect my precious people." Hiroki said cheerfully. Next to go was the scrawny kid. "Hi...I''m Ken...I like." Ken said looking at the girl longingly. "I dislike arrogant people and my dream for the future is..." Ken once more looked at the girl. Fucking disgusting. Lovestruck for some plain girl, really? I mean he''s nowhere as good lucking as me, but have some damn self-respect! The girl went next. "Hi, I''m Ren Sarutobi. I like learning Ninshu and nice people. I dislike this worlds cruelty and my dream is to heal the world." The girl said in a caring but determined way. Careful girl, your hitting all the right spots for the Sage. I swear he almost jizzed when she said ''heal the world''. Next, that snobby prick went. "I am Noir Kaguya from the noble Kaguya clan," Noir said almost as if he was looking down upon everyone here. The Sage looked away awkwardly at the display. "I like succeeding and I dislike failure. My dream is to become a good clan head when I come of Age." Noir said as if challenging anyone to go against him. What a prick. Can''t wait to break him. After Noir had finished everyone stared at me. "Names Takaoki no last name. I like fucking with people and I dislike not fucking with people. My dreams to fuck with people." I said relishing in the horror on everyone''s face at my choice language. I just grinned menacingly at everyone. "Well then, let us continue." The Sage said trying to break the shocked silence. Chapter 7 "An important part of your chakra is your physical energy. This is why we train you in taijutsu despite the combative nature of the art." The Sage said almost as if he was convincing himself. "The sparing will consists of 3 rounds of taijutsu only sparing. I will dictate when you start and stop in order to avoid any serious injuries. However, be aware that pain is a part of sparing and you should protect your vital points at all times." The Sage said wisely. "First up will be Ken and Noir. Then Hiroki will fight Ren and Noir will fight Takaoki as our most proficient taijutsu practitioner." The Sage said huddling Ken and Noir into a ring on the ground. This should be an easy fight for Noir so it won''t give me an advantage later. Noir smirked arrogantly at Ken. "Prepared to lose again trash? I''m the direct ancestor of Hamura Hagoromo, how can you possibly defeat me?" Noir said looking down his nose at the much smaller ginger kid. What a dick head, I can''t wait to break his teeth in. Ken didn''t say anything. Probably intimidated. Oh! Is that a glimmer of defiance in our young heroes eyes? Interesting. "FIGHT!" The Sage said bringing down his hand. Ken put up a guard in preparation for an attack. Hmm... He''s not dumbly rushing him I suppose that''s good. But is it intelligence or just cowardice? The two circled around each other neither engaging the other, one out of fear and the other out of arrogance. Noir was playing with his food. He was circling Ken with a smirk now and again dipping in and out to see Ken''s fearful reaction. However, Ken must have grew a pair as when Noir dipped in he sent out a flaling hook. The hook was blocked with Noir''s forearm who followed up with a straight right to Ken''s nose. Blood rushed out everywhere and Ken fell backward teary-eyed. "FIGHT OVER." Sage declared. Ken walked over to the spectators cradling his nose and the next fighters were called out. Hiroki and that girl Ren. The outcome was clear, in a purely Taijutsu fight Hiroki was superior biologically. "FIGHT!"The Sage said declaring the start of the spar. Ren quickly dashed out throwing out jabs.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Hiroki absorbed the jabs and worked his way in closer to Ren. Ren was using her jab to keep Hiroki at pay whilst circling around him. However, Hiroki must have got bored as he simply lowered his body and tackled Ren to the ground. Ren struggled to get out of Hiroki''s hold and was pinned. "STOP. Get up and get ready for round two." The Sage said separating the two. Hiroki and Ren separated and The Sage started round two. Hiroki came out swinging. In all fairness, Ren managed to dodge most of the attacks with her greater experience however a Hook managed to connect with her temple and she fell to the ground. The Sage called the fight and Hiroki went over to help Ren up. "Good spar. You where fun to fight." Hiroki said offering his hand to Ren. "Not so bad yourself," Ren said smirking and accepting Hiroki''s help up. "Next fight!" The Sage declared and me and Noir made our way to the sparing circle. I hadn''t seen much from his fight with Ken but I do know he stays calm and waits for an opening. It would be foolish to rely on this assessment but it would be fair to keep it in mind. "You should be honored to fight me farm boy," Noir said taking a grounded stance. Fucking dickheads trying to get in my head. I need to keep calm, I can break his face when I win. "Bring it gobshite," I say calmly taking a very similar stance. "FIGHT!" The Sage roared. Noir was the first one to move. He came in slowly leading with a jab. There was no speed in it and I knew it was a trap. I just kept my grounded stance and prepared for an attack. I would force him to make the first move. Noir was throwing a lot of punches but there was nothing behind them. This was obviously a war of attrition. Noir kept up his barrage and I patiently waited to make sure to only hit when I found an opening which wasn''t a lot. I was just getting into this pattern when Noir sent out a front kick hitting me in my stomach. I stumbled back winded. Noir spun around and followed up with a reverse kick. Like a donkey bucking its rider, this looming attack looked dangerous. Panicking I moved further backward. Noir took this chance to storm towards me guns blazing. Got ya bitch. Just when Noir was narrowing in on me I slipped down to tackle him as Hiroki had done to Ren. What I was not prepared for was Noir instantly reacting by elbowing me in the back of the head. Because of the attack Noir managed to move away and I fell to the ground. Then the only thing I saw was Noir''s sandal connecting with my face. I fell backward blood everywhere. "Fight over!"The Sage yelled. I got up furious. No way did that arrogant prick win! I was gonna crush him. Charging with my fist coiled back I prepared to attack Noir who had already turned away from the battle. Got you prick. But just as I was within range of Noir I saw him spin with a huge smile on his face. The back of Noir''s hand connect with the side of my head and I was on the ground. "And stay down dog," Noir said as he sauntered off. I was furious, but this time with myself. I had let my arrogance and anger cloud my judgment in that fight. Not once but twice! And over what a dislike of the guy''s attitude! I was ashamed at my weakness. I obviously lacked any practical fighting experience. Just as I was trapped in my self reflecting depreciation a hand was reached out to me. A pale sickly hand. "Do you need help." I heard Ken utter nervously. Slapping his hand away I growled and got up. "I don''t need your fucking help lose-" I was just in the middle of saying when I had a thought. I turned to Ken and looked at him seriously. "You wanna help me right?" I say seriously. "Sure. I guess?" Ken replied unsure. "How about doing so extra sparring with me. It could help us to learn from each other." I said holding out my hand to Ken. And then I can make that cunt pay for exposing my weakness. Ken had a contemplative look on his face but he eventually grasped my hand. "I need to improve so I accept," Ken said with a look of determination. So easy to read... "For that girl right," I whisper pulling him in closer. Ken went completely red and I hysterically cackled my way back to my room. Chapter 8 A swift kick to the head and it''s all over. Ken''s jaw might as well have collapsed as my bare foot smashed into his face. Absolute decimation was the only description for my fights with Ken Now don''t get me wrong the kid was determined he just didn''t have the physicality or mentality to win. He had a weak body and his determination was better compared to an angry child flailing in frustration. As such it was way too easy to beat him during are spars, even when I held myself back. So why did I continue? Secret. In other news, my weaponized chakra is coming along well. Just the hand signs required to perform the techniques are hard to memorize and discover. I did, however, learn some useful things to help in my next fight with Tori, it should be interesting to see some pay off for my work. I walk over to the downed Ken and offer a hand. Blood was leaking from his cut cheek and I could see his eye''s welling with tears. "Thanks," Ken said taking my hand. I use the momentum of helping him up to plant my foot in his stomach. Ken collapses, once again, like a deflated balloon. "Pathetic, I''m not here to help you," I say sneering down at the wretch''s form. Ken turns to me with the same teary eyes, but something has changed something deep inside. The tears are no longer emotional but purely a physical reaction. The only emotion left was anger and hate, the most controllable emotions. That moment was worth a thousand words. This was a turning point for Ken and not necessarily for the better. At least he wasn''t going to be a weak pussy anymore. I part ways with Ken and head back to the dorms. However on my way back I spot who else but Hiroki. And with who? Ren. Perfect, the opportunity has presented itself. I sink into the shadows of the valley and stalk them. My eye''s watched stalked them like the weak prey they were and they had no idea. For people training under a demi-god, they were so naive. They have never experienced the cruelty of life I suppose, whisked away to train under a myth. Reality always catches up to fantasy eventually though. It was how the world worked, or it would be if I had a say. If anything my plans would help them. Only through sacrifice will they grow. My pontification continued as I watched them move towards the training ground that me and Ken had been at. Wow, my plan might just happen naturally. Hiroki and Ren giggled and chatted as they broke through into the training field. It was empty and they began to train with each other. Damn! I guess the world needs a push. I dart off into the valley adding chakra to my legs to increase my speed. I bounce off the rocky mountainous terrain and eventually spot Ken. Ken was completely absorbed in the pain of his injured cheek and his shattered world view that he probably passed Hiroki and Ren without noticing them.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I land by Ken breaking his concentration and making him stumble in surprise. I suppress my laughter and look at him seriously. "What do you want?" Ken asked suspiciously. "Return to the training field," I said staring at him harshly. "Why?"Ken asked with a cynical skepticism drilled into him by our training sessions. I just looked at him seriously and darted back to the training field to get a good spectating spot. I shortly returned to the training field and climbed a nearby tree. The terrain was rocky however there was somehow an abundance of growing life. A fitting metaphor for this world. I sat in my bird''s nest and watched Hiroki and Ren train. Well, I say train but it was more like two kids playing. I shook my head. Naivety and stupidity seem to be integral traits of these ''people''. Hiroki had just attempted a handstand and fell. The two laughed joyfully as Ren offered her hand to Hiroki. Hiroki took her hand and their laughing stopped slowly as the two made eye contact. A nauseous eye contact filled the air as the two lovebirds stared at each other. This excruciatingly long moment was broken by the sound of a twig breaking. The two children looked at the source of the sound. There stood an agape Ken frozen in heartbreak. Hiroki and Ren looked embarrassed and shocked at being caught. I almost fell out of the tree and gave away my possession as I stifled my laughter with my hands. Wait for it... .... .... .... Ken''s tears broke out like sadness itself. Our training up to now had prepared him for physical pain. The next stage was emotional pain. Ken turned tail and ran away as quickly as he could. Hiroki and Ren looked confused at the reaction and stood around momentarily overwhelmed. Hiroki finally gave chase with a look of concern etched into his features. Ren shortly followed Hiroki and I slunk after the love triangle. The chase went on for a while until Hiroki corned Ken at one of the mountains ledges. There was nowhere to go but down. Ken stared in pain at Hiroki, dry tears covered by new ones. Hiroki took a step forward and Ken took one back closer to the ledge. Hiroki stopped as he realized he was backing Ken into a dangerous corner. Ken turned his head to look down at the steep fall. A brief look of contemplation could be seen. "Ken step away from the ledge, we can talk about this," Hiroki said with his hands up to show he was not threatening him. "GO AWAY!" Ken said swinging out at Hiroki with his hand. Hiroki backed off shocked at Ken''s sudden violence. "Come on Ken we can talk about this," Hiroki said with a reassuring smile. That seemed to trigger something in Ken. His face morphed into a combination of sadness and anger. "DON''T PATRONISE ME! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT." Ken screamed in anger. You could almost see the welling emotions in Ken''s throat. How weak. Hiroki seemed confused and even angry at the accusation. "How is this my fault?" Hiroki half asked and half declared. Just as Ken was about to reply Ren made it to the ledge. Something seemed to snap in Ken as he saw the two together. "YOUR DEAD TO ME! GET AWAY!" Ken roared. Ren looked hurt and Hiroki seeing that got defensive. "Keep Ren out of this. We''ve done nothing to you! You''re being childish Ken!" Hiroki shouted angrily. Hiroki''s rage bubbled. But then came the calming realization as Ken looked at the hurt and scared Ren. It was then that Ken realized. He sunk down to the ground and turned away. "Just go. Leave me." Ken said as he sat there devoid of hope. He had invested all his dreams into Ren and liking a sweeping leg kick all that balance had been destroyed in one fell swoop. Now Ken is laying on the ground in despair. Hiroki still looked angry and was about to say something until Ren grabbed his arm. Ren looked sadly at Hiroki and the two shared a look of acknowledgment as they left Ken. I let Ken stew on that barren ledge for hours. Fully open to the harsh winds and cold temperatures Ken contemplated and relived everything that had just happened. Young, impressionable, vulnerable and in despair. Perfect. I swooped down just as darkness took over the sky. Ken heard me but just continued to look out beyond the ledge. "Go away." He whimpered. I walked closer to him. "Go away!" Ken said again louder. I continued walking at a steady pace until I stood just behind him. "GO AWAY!!!" Ken roared as he turned to me and screeched. I grabbed the collar of Ken''s robe and yanked him into the air. His scrawny body was easy lifted as I brought him flying back down into the dirt. I stood on top of his downed form with my foot pressed against his throat. I looked at him with the look a hunter had when he finished off a wounded deer. "Weak," I uttered. Ken looked infuriated. "YOU DON''T UNDERSTAND." Ken cried as his face contorted and he grasped at my leg. I applied more pressure to Ken''s throat shutting him up. "No, you don''t understand. You are too weak to claim what is yours." I said as Ken''s anger died down and I allowed the pressure on his throat to lessen. "She is yours. But you are too weak and allowed Hiroki to take her from you." I stated simply. Ken shrunk away like a scolded child. "So what am I supposed to do!" Ken shouted frustrated at his lack of options. "Beat him," I explained. "Beat him? How? I''m weak and Hiroki is strong!" Ken exclaimed once again defeated. "If you are weak then become strong," I said staring at Ken. "How am I supposed to improve so rapidly? I''m not a fighter I''m just not!" Ken exclaimed looking angered at himself. I allowed a crooked smile to break out on my otherwise emotionless face. The moon glimmered off my predatory eyes as I stared down at Ken. Ken looked scared as if he looked at the devil himself. "I think we can come to a mutual agreement," I said staring into Ken''s terrified eyes.