《Elder Scrolls: Naruto》


 1 Prologue

    *Ding* *Ding*


    Bells rang as a lone figure walked down the hall. Doors pass as he inched closer and closer towards the elevator. A tan hand with purple fingernail polish reached out and pressed the down button.


    "It''s finally time" A deep trembling voice escaped his lips, his whole body shaking in excitement, causing the bells to chime nonstop.


    Taking a deep breath, he finally calmed down, and as he did so, the doors to the elevator opened.


    "Honey we will be there in a few minutes, just wait ok?"


    The door opened, revealing a middle-aged lady wearing a blue business dress. The wrinkles on her face were visible even from this distance, identifying either her stressful life, intense smoking, or old age. Judging by the young girl by her side he assumed the first two.


    "Mom, but I''m hungry!" The young girl began to pout.


    "Sorry, please ex-" Her eyes went wide as she stared at the man before her, instinctively she grabbed her daughter and hid her behind her body.


    The man before her was wearing a large straw hat on his head, with two little bells tied to one side. His entire body was covered by a large black robe with red clouds. The only part of his body that was visible were the bottom parts of his face, his hands, and toes. On his feet, he wore a type of open-toed shoes, revealing his purple painted toenails.


    "Fear not civilian. I mean you no harm, as we come from the same village." Nodding his head he stepped onto the elevator, causing the lady to shriek back into a corner. Noticing that the first floor is already pressed he nods his head.


    Completely ignoring the awkward atmosphere he waited for the elevator to reach its destination.


    "Mom is that guy playing dress up?"


    "Shhh!" She quickly covered the girl''s mouth while peeking at the man. Too many shootings or strange murders have taken place recently, and she didn''t want to be what sets this guy off.


    It only took a few seconds to reach the ground floor, and as it did the doors began to open. As they open wide, a luxurious lobby was revealed. The front was made completely of glass with large revolving doors, an antique wooden desk was off to one side, manned by an older gentleman in a suite, the other side was filled with P.O. boxes.


    Seeing the door open the mother quickly rushed out, dragging her daughter behind her.


    A smile formed on his face as he saw this scene, almost like it was a common occurrence. Shaking his head he began to walk towards the door.


    "Mr. Frederick, heading out again?" The old man stepped out and bowed slightly.


    "Charles, I''ll be gone for about two weeks. If any packages are delivered, hold onto them for me."


    "Very well, Sir"


    He continued to move through the revolving doors, and as he stepped outside, the noise of the city hit him. Pedestrians walked along the sidewalk, cars honking from miles away, and the yells of people trying to peddle goods. Some turned to look at him, but most just ignored him as they lived their lives.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Looking around for a bit he sees a black Prius with a man standing outside. The man was constantly looking at his phone and the people walking by. Nodding his head he began to walk towards the vehicle.


    Seeing a strangely dressed man approaching, a small frown forms on his face. "Are you James Frederick?" The man asked with a bit of worry.


    Without even answering, he bit his thumb in a dramatic fashion. "I, Inu, Tori, Saru, Hitsuji" He began rapidly weaving hand seals before quickly crouching down and slamming his hand on the pavment "Summoning Jutsu!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, causing all the people in the area to stop and stare at him.


    Rising to his feet, he wore a proud look on his face. "The chakra is becoming thinner, but the Jutsu still worked." He looked at the car like it was his own child before quickly opening the door and sitting inside. "Quick! To the airport, I have no time to waste!"


    The man''s hands instantly became clammy and his face contorted. He had never been so embarrassed in his life. In fear that someone might recognize him, he quickly entered the car.


    As he started the car and drove, he looked at the strange man through his rearview mirror. His eyes were hidden, but the smug smile on his face was clearly visible. If he wasn''t afraid of getting a bad UberX review he''d reach back and punch him.


    After a few minutes of driving, the tension in the car rose so much that it became hard to breathe. His skin may have become thick over the years, but being stuck in a car with a stranger was never easy.


    "You must think that I''m a fool." The airport was a distance away so he decided to ease the situation.


    The driver looked into the rearview mirror and stared at him for a while. "Are you some kind of actor or something?"


    "Nothing like that, Just a fan. Have you ever heard of Naruto?" As he mentioned the name his mood visibly improved.


    "No" The man answered almost venomously.


    "Well, I''m the world''s Naruto fan club leader. It may not sound impressive to you, but try learning four different languages just to make a fan club."


    As he told this, it caused the man''s eyebrows to rise a little, finally looking impressed. No matter who you were, meeting someone who could speak five languages was always impressive.


    "Is that why you''re dressed up? Going to one of those Comic-Con things?" The man''s attitude took a complete change. While he may not know what Naruto was, this passenger was international.


    "Right, I''m holding an event in Hawaii. I invited Masashi Kishimoto to convince him to reboot the series. There are a lot of inconsistencies and plot holes he can fix now that the series is over, but I doubt he would be happy to see me. In the latter half of the series, he got away from hand seals for jutsu and did what I call the dragon ball effect. For every jutsu he didn''t show the hand signs for I''d write him demanding to know so I could compile them into the fan Jutsu book for the club." He began rambling about the show and manga, pointing out all the inconsistencies and complaining about all the mysteries still left unsolved.


    At first, the driver was slightly annoyed by his excessive talking, but as long as you were not a spiteful person, listening to someone talk about something they loved would eventually get you excited.


    "So you''re telling me the Fourth Hokage was his dad, and they never told him?? Why? It sounded like he had a terrible childhood, and knowing who his parents were wouldn''t hurt anyone, especially since everyone knew the fox was inside him anyway. Why keep it a secret?"


    "Brother, It looks like we''re here, but now you''re asking the real questions." Smiling he opened the door and stepped out of the car. "Remember to check out that website I told you about, it can answer a lot of your questions." Walking towards the entrance of the airport he waved behind him.


    "Brother have a safe flight!" Tears glisten in the corners of his eyes "Unafraid to live his life with people judging him, what a real man."


    As he neared the entrance, he slid his hat backward, allowing it to hang like a backpack. As he does, it revealed his messy dark brown hair and green eyes. With his face now visible, the visage of a twenty-year-old youth was visible to the world.


    "Last time they held me up for hours due to my hat, no reason to stir the pot."


    Entering the building a sea of people were rushing to and fro, all seemingly in a hurry. Ignoring the crowd he made a beeline towards the security checkpoint.


    Reaching into his cloak he pulled out a cellphone and ticket. Removing his hat completely, he placed the items inside before putting them on the conveyor belt. Watching the items go through the machine, he stepped through the metal detector.


    Besides some dirty looks from the TSA, they gave him no trouble because he comes here multiple times a month. Grabbing his things he began to walk towards his terminal.


    Editor: Scarlet Goddess

 2 Travel Arrangments

    Sitting in the terminal, kids and their parents continued to give him odd stares, and a few boys knowing what he''s dressed up as gave him a thumbs up before being dragged away by their parents.


    Looking at the time, a small smile formed on his face.


    The door to the passenger boarding bridge opened, causing the young woman at the terminal desk to grab the intercom.


    "Now boarding first class" her sweet voice transmitted through the speakers.


    Not wasting any time, James rose to his feet, moving towards the counter and stood in line.


    Getting his ticket checked, he made his way onto the plane. Finding his seat, he sat down and placed his hat on his lap. His seat was next to the window and was fairly large. There was only one seat next to him. Wondering if anyone would sit next to him, he began to watch as people moved to their seats.


    A few minutes pass and the coach passengers began to board. Seeing the seat was still empty, he released a breath.


    "Looks like I won''t be getting strange looks from my seatmate this flight" pulling out his phone he ignored the people walking down the aisle.


    Suddenly a foul smell entered his nose. Looking to the right, a morbidly obese man plops down into the seat.


    Looking the man over for a second, a smile formed on James''s face.


    "Excuse me, Sir, who''s your favorite Naruto character?" Someone of this size has to be a Naruto fan. A fifth of the people in his club were people of his size.


    "Naruto? That lame show? Freaking loser, look at yourself." As he spoke, spit flew out of his mouth and the corners of his mouth began to grease. The fat on his face jiggled as he looked down on James.


    Whipping the spit off his face, he quelled the rage burning in his chest. His chest rose and fell as he tried to calm down. Scenes of his favorite fight scenes play out in his head as he closes his eyes.


    Seeing that he shut the loser up, the fat man felt proud of himself. Pulling out his laptop he booted up his favorite game. "Loser looking down on the PC Master Race."


    His meaty fingers began to hammer at the keys.


    It took a few minutes for him to calm down, and if there was one thing he hated, it was people looking down on the things he loved.


    When he was younger, he was a very violent person, never feeling like he fit in anywhere or with anyone. One day, he discovered Toonami and Anime, and for some reason, it clicked with him. Instead of getting into fights and staying out late, he''d go home and watch Anime. That was when he discovered Naruto and changed his whole life.


    The English episodes were too far behind so he taught himself Japanese. Wanting to spread the joy of Naruto, he began adding English subtitles to help people like him wanting to watch more episodes. Soon, he learned Mandarin, Spanish, and Russian to spread Naruto further. If it wasn''t for Naruto he didn''t doubt for a second that he''d be in jail, because even to this day he had a terrible temper.


    After subbing the Anime for a while, his love for words intensified and he began reading the manga. Following the same trend, he began translating the manga as well, and the rest was history.


    As he opened his eyes, a voice came over the intercom.


    "Please fasten your seatbelts, we will begin takeoff."


    Looking out the window, he caught his reflection and the frosty look on his face. The pavement below began moving at rapid speed as the plane moved faster and faster.


    "Fus-Ro-Dah!"


    Glancing over, he saw the Fatman playing Skyrim on his laptop. His brows furrowed as he noticed the man was using the alternate start mod. He wasn''t upset about the mod, but the fact that he already had the full shout showed he was using console commands.


    The plane finally took off and was rapidly ascending. As he got ready to close his eyes and sleep through the long flight, the plane began to violently shake.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "We''ve encountered some severe low-level turbulence, no need to panic." A flight attendant''s voice quickly came over the speaker.


    Everyone''s face began to show panic, even the fat man was looking worried. Hearing the attendant''s voice, some calmed down a little, that was until the air masks were released from the overhead compartment.


    "AhhhahhhHha" Shrieks and screams began to fill the plane.


    Suddenly a loud explosion was heard.


    Looking out the window, James saw the left wing engine had exploded and half the plane was on fire.


    Reaching up to grab his mask, his face was still looking calm. Before he could grab the mask, the fat man grabbed his wrist.


    "You HAVE to help me!! I can''t put on my mask! You''re supposed to help your neighbor first! I''m disabled!!" Spit flew out his mouth and drenched James''s face.


    Just as he was about to flip out, the plane explodes again. The laptop fell on his lap and got caught in his hat, as the plane began to spiral towards the ground.


    Ripping his hand from the man''s grasp, he moved quickly, unbuckling the man''s seatbelt and pushed him out of the seat. As the plane spun, the man was flung around the plane like a pinball as death cries spilled from his mouth.


    James got light headed as the G-force stripped his consciousness.


    Listening to the blood-curdling screams, he bit his teeth. His hands began forming seals as a smile formed on his face.


    "For my final jutsu" A weak voice escaped his mouth as he found it hard to breathe. Holding up his right hand, his middle and index finger were pointed up while his thumb held down his other fingers into the shape of a fist. "Flying Thunder God."


    As his voice fades, the plane crashed into the ground and explodes into a brilliant ball of fire.


    His consciousness began to flicker, realizing he''s alive, he tries to move his body.


    "Did the jutsu work?" His first thoughts were that he transported back to his apartment, where he left his mark.


    Noticing that he couldn''t move, he tried to open his eyes, but realizes that he can''t. All he could see was darkness, a never ending void.


    "Did I crash but live? But I feel no pain? Does that mean I snapped my spine?" As he began to panic, fog rolled into his view.


    Bewildered by the fact that he could ''see'' fog, he forgot that he couldn''t move. "I''m not blind? Where am I? Anyone there!!" He tried to yell at the top of his lungs, but soon realized something.


    "If I''m not blind, where is my body? Am I really even talking? Did I..." Soon a realization hit him. "Am I dead?"


    Fog continued to fill the black slowly. He tried to will the fog to move, but nothing happened. All he could do was to wait. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours, days went past and finally months.


    After five months, the entire black space was filled with swirling fog. To pass the time, he had been going over everything he knew about Naruto, and because he was no longer limited by the constraints of a human body, he was able to recall every single detail.


    During the seventh month things began to change, and he started to hate Naruto because of all the plot holes and inconsistencies.


    "If it was me, I''d write a better story."


    During the eight month, he started to feel rage. He was only 27 years old, and too young to die like this. If he could do it all again, he''d live his life to the fullest with no regrets.


    During the ninth month, he finally got his wish.


    The fog began to twist and turn, forming images and words in the black void. Ninja clans spread throughout the lands, fighting and killing. Soon a few clans formed together and made a great power. Not wanting to be outdone, four more great powers formed together, creating the five great nations.


    The village hidden in the leaves Konohagakure, in the land of fire.


    The village hidden in the sand Sunagakure, in the land of wind.


    The village hidden in the clouds Kumogakure, in the land of lightning.


    The village hidden in the rocks Iwagakure, in the land of earth.


    The village hidden in the mist Kirigakure, in the land of water.


    And with these great villages, the strongest ninjas became the Hokage, Kazekage, Raikage, Tsuchikage, and Mizukage. With individual ninja clans banding together, peace was restored.


    To ensure peace, the first Hokage trapped eight of the nine tailed beasts and sold them to the other four nations in what would be called the first Kage summit.


    But peace was a lie, as the majority of the shinobi clans gathered into one place, the scale of war only grew bigger. The first shinobi world war erupted between the five great nations, as well as the smaller nations. Fighting went on for years, the Kage began to die, but the fighting never stopped. Soon their successors, the second Kage started to die as well.


    After many years of battle, a peace treaty was finally signed, but not before every village took great damage.


    Peace between the great nations only lasted a short twenty years before war erupted again. Konohagakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and smaller nations started the second shinobi world war. Kumogakure sat out this war as they were recovering from a rampaging eight tails attack. Kirigakure was undergoing a civil war, even though they were a united nation, all the separate islands saw themselves as their own major power.


    The second war saw the birth of many heroes, but also the birth of many tragedies. The war ended once again with a treaty, but four short years later, war was once again on the horizon.


    [Character Creation]


    Choose your race


    Konohagakure


    Sunagakure


    Kumogakure


    Iwagakure


    Kirigakure


    As the fog finally faded, it left behind a few words. At this point James''s ''breathing'' was completely haggard, the excitement he felt was completely overwhelming.


    "Am I going to be reborn right before the third shinobi war??" he began to calm down. "If it''s the year the war began, that means there are only around four years till the nine tails attack, Itachi should be about one year old at this point and Kakashi is eleven."


    Looking at the choices he began to smile. "I know everything about Konoha and even their secrets. If I go there I can take advantage of my knowledge and live an easy life, but I won''t be anything but a side character."


    Looking at his choice he ''reached'' to select it.


    [Kirigakure selected]


    Editor: Scarlet Goddess

 3 Mother

    The words disappeared, replaced by a figure of a generic black haired man. To the left of the man a series of sliders appeared, and above him were categories.


    "This, this is just like the Skyrim character creation." Looking at the sliders, he became slightly confused, is he in the Naruto world, or inside a video game. Thinking about it for a moment he decided that it didn''t really matter. He''s either in the world he longed for, or in a video game of the same world, so it''s a win-win.


    Looking at the sliders he tried to ''reach'' out and move them.


    The first thing he did was to change his hair. Looking through all the selections, he found a lot of style like Naruto''s, Lee''s, Kakashi''s, Itachi''s and Madara''s. Going through them all, he decided on one that looked like Sasori''s, short and messy looking. He changed the color to auburn and matched the eyebrows as well.


    He set the face to oval shape and gave himself almond-shaped eyes and changed their color to purple. He set the nose to a button shape and slightly thin lips.


    To finish it off, he changed his height to 5'' 10''''. Satisfied, he looked towards the ''finish'' button. Hesitating slightly he decides to press it.


    In a flash everything disappeared, he felt his head spin and soon a blinding light caused him to squint his eyes. Realizing he had eyes he was filled with joy.


    "Waaa waa" hearing the voice coming out of his mouth he instantly became confused.


    "Congratulations its a boy." The voice of an old lady entered his ears.


    She grabbed his body roughly, wrapping him in some sort of cloth.


    His vision spun from the sudden change of events, looking around he found himself in some sort of stone room. He spotted a haggard looking young woman lying in bed. Her face was full of sweat causing her auburn hair to stick to it.


    The old lady handed the baby towards the woman, seeing the loving look in her eyes it all clicked, and her next words confirmed it.


    "My son, my baby." A sweet smile formed on her face causing her purple eyes to narrow into slits.


    I had been reborn, no game would start you as a defenseless child, so this must be reality. Quickly coming to this conclusion he looked at his new mother and noticed the resemblance to the character he created.


    "Well, my job here is done, if you need anything you know where to find me."


    Watching the old lady turn and leave the room he began to panic. This room didn''t look like his family had any wealth, besides the bed, there was a small wooden dresser with a chair and a medium sized armoire. He didn''t even see his father so he wasn''t sure he even had one.


    Seeing her baby looking around the room caused the smile on her face to deepen, poking him in the cheek she relished in his shocked reaction.


    "A curious little thing aren''t you? Your father isn''t here yet so we can''t decide your name. He wanted a son so I''m sure he will be happy."


    The woman held me to her chest and closed her eyes, she must be exhausted because her breathing soon became steady as she fell asleep.


    This is going to be a lot more dangerous than he thought, closing his eyes he tried to organize his thoughts. As his eyes closed, a menu appeared on the left side of his vision.


    [Weapons]


    [Apparel]


    [Scrolls]


    [Books]


    [Food]


    [Misc]If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    This is like Skyrim? Thinking up to here he forced his consciousness to go up. Stars and nebula filled his vision, at the top was a giant empty bar with lvl 1 next to it. At the bottom his health, chakra, and stamina were listed at 100 each. Looking at the constellations they were labeled Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu.


    Focusing on Taijutsu his vision zoomed in. Looking at the perks he felt bewildered.


    [Reduces stamina consumption by 5%]


    0/5


    From there it branched off into four different directions.


    [Lvl 5 Taijutsu required]


    [Increase dmg of melee weapons by 5%]


    0/3


    [Increase dmg of Range weapons by 5%]


    0/3


    [Increase dmg with fist by 5%]


    0/3


    [Increase dmg with kicks by 5%]


    0/3


    Opening his eyes he came back to the real world, looking around he was not sure if time paused or not. Looking at the blanket wrapping him an idea popped into his head. Grabbing the blanket he imagined it going into his inventory, and sure enough it disappeared. Closing his eyes he saw the blanket listed under apparel, selecting to equip it he felt the blanket appear on his body again.


    Opening his eyes he looked at his sleeping mother, making sure the blanket movement didn''t disturb her sleep.


    As he calmed down and came to the reality of his new situation he realized he can feel something in his body. Concentrating, he could feel a warm feeling in his body, chakra.


    He felt the flow of chakra in his body, he didn''t know if a newborn baby should have this much chakra, but the default amount for a Skyrim character was 100 mana.


    Realizing this a smile formed on his chubby face. Even if he had no talent in being a ninja, the perk trees would ensure he was not ordinary.


    Feeling the chakra flowing through his body he tried to control its flow, hours pass and he still made no progress.


    His mother''s eyes began to tremble and slowly opened. She looked panicky at first before noticing he was still in her arms.


    "Sorry sweety mommy was tired and took a nap, thanks for being a good boy and not falling." A sweet smile formed on her face as she began to move off the bed.


    Carrying the baby in her arms she rose to her feet.


    "How long was I sleep? Where''s your papa? I hope everything is ok."


    Looking at the woman stand up caused his eyes to go wide, did she just sleep off giving birth?


    She walked towards the door and slowly opened it. Looking out the door, a light mist came into view, along with the mist came the faint smell of blood.


    She carried him outside and he got a better view. Tall stone cylinder shaped buildings littered the mountain area, far off into the distance one building was noticeably bigger than the others. He couldn''t see the fine details due to all the mist.


    Not seeing anything amiss she walked back into the room. Shutting the door she moved to sit back onto the bed. Holding her child under his arms she looked him in the face.


    Looking at his mother in the eye he tried to figure out what she up to.


    "Boga boga boga" sticking out her tongue while making a strange face she began to shake her head.


    Looking at the woman he felt a little strange, is she crazy?


    Seeing no reaction she frowned slightly.


    "Boga boga boga" she repeated the same process.


    Seeing this he finally remembered he''s a baby.


    "Gaaa gaa" putting on a fake smile he laughed a bit, he didn''t want her thinking he was strange and kill him, this is the bloody mist village after all.


    "Hehe, that''s my boy." Pulling him into her chest she gave him a hug. As she does the door suddenly opened.


    A tall man with a stern look walked through the door. He was wearing black pants with high rise ninja boots, a dark blue shirt with diagonal black lines, and a ninja headband with four diagonal lines.


    Seeing the headband caused his eyes to light up.


    Standing up she rushed towards the man. "Honey look, it''s our son" her eyes beam as she looked at her husband.


    Looking at his wife and son he found it hard to be happy. "Yura, I have some bad news, Iwa is attacking Konoha. They infiltrated Kusa and are laying siege to their borders, a war is coming." As he finished his sentence the color drained from Yura''s face.


    Stumbling backward she fell onto the bed. Looking at her husband with hope she struggled to open her mouth.


    "Nikko there''s no reason for us to fight in this war right??" Hope filled her eyes as she practically pleaded with him.


    He gently shaked his head. "As far As I know we won''t be participating." He began gnashing his teeth "But the different clans see this as an opportunity, because we are an island nation we are hard to attack, while the other nations are busy with each other the clans see this as an opportunity to seize territory." taking a deep breath he looked at his wife.


    "The clan wants us to head back."


    "But we will be safe here! What about our son?!?" Rising to her feet she flew into a rage.


    "I see." He turned around slowly "My clan comes first, and some newborn brat won''t help them survive. Times are only going to get worse."


    Opening the door he walked out.


    Tears began streaming down her face as she held her son tight, a soft cry left her lips.


    Looking at the father who just left, and a crying mother, he began to feel a pain in his chest.


    "You didn''t even give him a name." Between the soft cries, she mumbled softly.


    Editor: Scarlet Goddess

 4 Year One

    Clutching her child to her chest she sat back down on the bed. Looking into his calm eyes caused her to calm down.


    "Maybe the war will be short? But It''s just you and me now, but we will be ok."


    Rising to her feet, she headed towards the door.


    "I need to talk to my girl"


    Looking at his mother he felt conflicted. He wanted to comfort her, but his vocal cords weren''t developed enough to talk.


    Leaving the room she headed a little towards the left, noticing the door he figured this must be some sort of apartment complex. The walkway had a gentle curve to it, proving this building was cylinder shaped as well.


    Yura hesitated before knocking on the neighbour''s door lightly. After a few seconds, the door opened slowly. A young blue haired woman peeked through the cracks.


    "Yura!" Seeing Yura she opened the door completely. "You just had your baby?!?"


    Looking at the blue haired woman he noticed that she too was holding a baby.


    "Right, Nikko just left, he said there''s going to be a war, have you heard anything?"


    Hearing Yura caused the blue-haired woman''s mood to visible worsen.


    "Come inside, Okura just left as well." moving back she opened a path into the room.


    As he entered the room, he noticed that it was decorated basically the same as the other one.


    Yura walked over to a chair and sat down, and at the same time, the blue-haired woman sat on the bed.


    "Arita what did you hear? Nikko said he''s going back to his clan, did Okura leave as well?" Yura looked at Arita while hugging her son to her chest.


    Arita slowly shook her head before slowly opening her mouth. "He said times are going to get tough, while it''s not completely safe in Kiri, he thought it would be safer for me and Chojuro here, so he left."


    Hearing her words caused his eyes to go wide. Looking at the child in Arita''s arms a smile formed on his face. Was this a gift from heaven? Chojuro? Rokudaime Mizukage? Guard to the fifth and one of the seven swordsmen of the mist? He was worried before, but as long as he stayed near this kid, he should survive. Looking over at the normal sleeping baby, plans started to form in his head.


    "Nikko wasn''t that nice about it." She took a slight breath as her eyes redden a little. "I feel like he abandoned me, us."


    Arita''s face fell a little, looking at the baby she smiled again. "What''s his name?"


    "Name? He doesn''t have a name yet." She gently shaked her head.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Let''s give him a name." Trying to liven up the atmosphere, she put on a bright smile, revealing her shark-like teeth.


    Yura cheered up a bit. "You have any ideas?"


    "Hmm" Arita put a finger on her lips "How about Iori?"


    Yura thought for a moment. "He was born during the beginning of a waring period, and Iori doesn''t seem grand enough. The strongest members from the first war had long names." Thinking for a moment, she looked at her child and he looked at her. "How about Zitsukani?"


    Arita nodded her head. "A powerful name, that sounds nice."


    "Then it''s settled, Zitsukani, my little man" her eyes formed into slits as she smiled.


    "Waaaa waaaa waaaa" Suddenly Chojuro woke up and began crying.


    "It''s ok honey, shh shh, it''s ok." Arita began rocking her arms.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Seeing this, Yura rose to her feet. "Arita, we need to rely on each other now, I won''t impose on you any longer but if you need anything come and find me."


    "Same to you Yura, I''ve been a mom for a couple months longer than you so if you need any advice come find me."


    Yura nodded her head slightly as she headed for the door.


    Returning to their room, Yura laid Zitsukani on the bed while she sat at the desk.


    "With Nikko gone, I need to figure out how to pay for our expenses without his mission money."


    Looking at his mother writing something on the desk he continued trying to control his chakra. Realizing that molding chakra without using hand seals was really difficult, he decided to give up. As his fingers were too stubby to do anything, all he could do was to wait.


    A week went by but nothing major had happened. On the second week, my mother started leaving me with Arita, as she went to work at a food stall.


    After a month went by, Yura heard news from customers saying the war had escalated, and Hanzo the salamander and Amegakure had joined the war. In the land of water, the Kekkei Genkai clans had an overwhelming power advantage vs the other clans, and if memory served correct, next year was when most of the clans would band together to wipe them out. During the third year, Haku and Kimimaro should be born.


    Chojuro had gotten a lot bigger and could now roll over, I''m still completely immobile and I''m not even sure if rolling over counted as Taijutsu.


    I''ve been trying to figure out what path I want to take. Little is known about Kiri throughout the series and I want to discover as much as possible. I know the hand signs for all the jutsu ever shown in the series, but most of those are secret techniques, forbidden jutsus, or jutsus from Konoha and trademark jutsu of a certain ninja. How fast would I die if I did a Rasengan in the middle of the bloody mist village?!? I don''t even want to think about it. So the jutsu I could do in public was limited. Over the past month, I''ve looked over all the perks, and it was pretty good. For Taijutsu, after the damage increase perks, they all lead into one thing.


    [Lvl 30 Taijutsu required]


    [Increase physical defense by 5%]


    0/5


    From there it broke off into two possible choices.


    [Lvl 50 Taijutsu required]


    [Increase strength by 2%]


    0/5


    [Increase agility by 2%]


    0/5


    From there it branched up to one choice each, both required lvl 70 Taijutsu.


    For the strength route, the choice was pretty nice.


    [Chance to inflict internal damage]


    0/1


    And agility was not bad either.


    [Increase reflexes and faster reaction time]


    0/1


    And for the last perk, they combined into one again.


    [Lvl 100 Taijutsu required]


    [20% chance to inflict double damage]


    0/1


    Just looking at these perks made Taijutsu worth it. If rolling counted as practice, in a few months I can try leveling up, but that was just me being optimistic.


    I''ve been trying to figure out how Chojuro met Mei because getting into her good books occupied around 40% of my plan. She should be twelve right now, and if she graduated when she was nine she should be a chunin. According to what I know she did a lot of killing during this period of time. And there was still Ao, he had to go get his byakugan in the next three years so there was nothing I could do to influence that.


    Looking at Arita trying to get Chojuro to crawl was a weird sight, is this really a future great ninja? Maybe it was a common name. This explained why Chojuro was so timid and shy, he was raised by a single mother.


    During the second month, my body continued to grow, being able to move my fingers into the shape of a fist really opened up a lot of doors for me. Forming the seal of Seal of Confrontation, the same one I made before executing the Flying Thunder God, I could actually feel my chakra move.


    Moving chakra to different parts of the body was really an exhausting process, and after doing it for an entire week, I finally saw an improvement in my status screen.


    [Chakra 100.5]


    While It may not seem like much of an Improvement, it proved I could get stronger even without the system. In a lot of fan-fics that I read, the system either became a crutch or a hindrance, but true to Skyrim, mine just enhanced my immersion. That was if you didn''t count the inventory system.


    Every time I ran out of chakra I''d pass out, so I started to sleep a lot more. That made my mom happy because with 100 stamina, I had to force myself to sleep or I''d stay up all day. Even though I was molding chakra and my control was getting better by the day, this didn''t count as Ninjutsu or Genjutsu by the system so I remained at level 1 with zero perks.


    Well, that''s not true, the second level of the Ninjutsu perks unlocked nature transformations, and I already had water nature unlocked so I assume I was born with it.


    When the third month came around, I gained more control over my body as my muscles developed and I faced the harsh reality that rolling over was not Taijutsu.


    So far my entire life had consisted of my room or Arita''s room, and the corridor in between. From what I had heard from my mom, Suna and Kumo had joined the war. I was not sure how far into the war it took for the Third Raikage to die, but this was the war where A and Killer B fought Minato.


    Because four of the five great nations were at war, the civil strife in the land of water was intensifying. Entire clans were being destroyed and the surviving ninja fled to join Kiri. Because Kiri had a caste system, all these new arrivals were put in the lowest levels and their life was not very good.


    Even though I could probably make hand signs, I was never alone to practice them. It was not a problem because as long as I improved my chakra control, it should be easy to practice in the future.


    And just like that, the first year of my life passed.


    [Chakra 131]


    I managed to raise my Chakra by quite a bit, but the most important development? I could finally speak.


    Editor: Scarlet Goddess

 5 So it Begins

    "Honey let''s get ready to go to Arita''s apartment so you can play with Chojuro" Yura grabbed her jacket from the armoire.


    Zitsukani looked at his mother, he wanted to stay alone but what mother would leave a 1-year-old alone?


    "Ok" opening his mouth a cute baby voice emerged.


    Grabbing his hand they walked out the door and travelled through the all too familiar hallway, and knocked on the all too familiar door. This had been his life for the past year, nothing more, and nothing less. If not the gossip from his mother''s work he would be a missing nin-baby.


    It was not that he didn''t care for his mother, but reprogramming over twenty years of independence couldn''t be done in one. Getting cleaned was already embarrassing enough.


    After a few seconds, a blue haired woman, Arita opened the door. Seeing her every day I could already tell something was wrong.


    "Yura can you come in for a moment?" Arita''s voice sounded choked.


    Furrowing her brows slightly Yura pulled Zitsukani into the apartment. "What''s wrong, is everything ok?" Looking at her friend''s appearance she began to worry.


    Looking at Chojuro playing with a piece of string on the bed, he walked over, while still listening to the conversation.


    "I stopped getting letters from Okura two weeks ago, I fear the worse" Unable to complete her sentence tears started to stream down her face.


    Yura instantly pulled her into a hug and began rubbing her back. For some reason, both women started to cry.


    Looking at the two of them he felt slightly confused, you know most of the ninja in Naruto have parents, but you never saw them. Looking at his crying mom he felt the same burning pain in his chest; the bond between a mother and child was scary.


    Seeing the oblivious Chojuro, he wondered how his presence would affect his future, will he still become the sixth Mizukage? That was too far into the future that it was not even worth thinking about. All he knew about the second year of the war was that Akatsuki was formed, which meant Yahiko was still alive.


    Clenching his tiny fist he took a deep breath. "Everyone is getting stronger." Releasing his fist a smile formed on his face "But just because you started early doesn''t mean I''ll fall behind." Whispering to himself, he tried to steel his resolve.


    Chojuro looked at him with snot dripping from his nose, unsure what all those words meant.


    Shaking his head, he grabbed Chojuro''s shirt and cleaned his nose. At least if this guy does somehow remain a strong shinobi, he could hold this over his head.


    "I have to work now too, the money has stopped coming in."


    Hearing the conversation pick back up, Zitsukani''s ears twitched.


    "Don''t worry about that, you can come work with me at the restaurant, the boss was just saying how he needs more help."


    Arita''s eyes brighten but soon dimmed again. "What about the kids?"


    Yura frowned, forgetting the crucial point of the problem. "I" she hesitated for a moment "I met someone at work the other day, she said she was looking for kids to train, to get them ready for the academy. She seemed nice enough, and when I go to work today I can write her and ask the boss about your job."


    Amita frowned, her eyebrows sinking further and further. Looking over, she saw Zitsukani fixing Chojuro''s shirt, causing her face to ease a little. "These are difficult times, and no matter what they need to grow up strong. Ok, let''s do It." Releasing a breath, her shoulders dropped slightly and the tension in her shoulders relaxed.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Ok, I''ll go make the arrangements." Yura nodded her head slowly before leaving the apartment.


    Watching her leave, Arita walked to the bed and laid down while covering her eyes with her right forearm.


    Zitsukani could hear soft cries, but that wasn''t important, what was important though, was what his mother was doing. What had his birth changed? Was his mother ever supposed to have a child? But she was pregnant already, his death couldn''t have caused her pregnancy, because if his thoughts was correct, his character creation just matched him with parents who could give him his results.


    Taking a breath he calmed down, this was harder than he thought. Being around someone with a big destiny was troublesome, especially if you didn''t want to change it yet, because whatever happened to this kid, it took him to the top, and he wanted to ride his coattails for a bit.


    Sitting on the ground, he began to stretch. He didn''t know if exercising would damage his body, but stretching would definitely help him in the future.


    Chojuro tapped his shoulder "Play."


    Looking at the kid he thought for a moment. "Ok"


    Chojuro sat in front of him and handed him an end to the string.


    This was the only thing they ever played, as neither of them had any toys or games. Grabbing the string he began focusing chakra into his hand, after a year of practice he could distribute chakra to different parts of his body without hand seals.


    While he molded his chakra and trained, Chojuro tried to pull the string from him.


    "Heh hehe hehehe" with a broad grin on his face he pulled with everything he had. Because Zitsukani was using chakra, Chojuro wasn''t even able to budge his hand.


    Forming the Seal of Confrontation, he tried to pour chakra into the string, but could barely extend it a few centimeters.


    "I wonder how much chakra a normal person has." He mumbled to himself. He knew that everyone had a maximum chakra, a point where no more practice would increase their base amount. The question was, did he have a limit?


    Using both hands, Chojuro began to shake the string, completely breaking the chakra he put into it.


    Smacking his lips he looked at the string "It''s harder than I thought."


    Putting more chakra into the string, he tried to extend his control and after a few minutes, he began to run out of chakra. Controlling chakra in the body did not use a lot, but trying to pour it into a foreign object and failing used a lot.


    What he was trying to do was a watered down version of puppet strings, but puppet jutsu was not so easy to achieve.


    As his chakra ran out Chojuro ripped the string from his hand.


    "I win I win!" Chojuro jumped to his feet in excitement.


    All the noise caused Arita to sit up. Seeing her son celebrating caused a smile to form on her face.


    "Chocho mommy is going to start working soon, so you and Zitsu will be playing with someone else too from now on, ok?"


    "Mom play, Cho like play!" He ran over and grabbed his mother''s leg while jumping up and down.


    Zitsukani felt exhaustion wash over him. Chakra depletion didn''t K.O him anymore but it did zap his energy. Closing his eyes he looked at his menu


    [Health 100] [Chakra 135] [Stamina 101]


    Over the year he had learned that looking at his menu didn''t pause the world. The more chakra he had the faster it increased, and stamina had barely risen. The only thing that didn''t move was health, so he started to believe everyone had 100 hp. No matter what, if your head gets cut off, you die unless you have a special jutsu or body composition, and he had neither. All the fan-fic he had read, they always had a Kekkei Genkai, but he had none of that, well not yet, there was some interesting stuff in the Ninjutsu perk tree.


    Opening his eyes, he continued to stretch, laying a solid foundation was good for the future, and If he couldn''t level up he planned to have the best foundation possible.


    Chojuro continued to bother him, but he just got him to stretch with him.


    And like that hours passed.


    Standing up he looked at the door because this was the time his mom usually returned. Sure enough, not even two minutes later there was a knock on the door.


    Arita opened the door, revealing Yura''s figure, but next to her was an old woman with a face full of wrinkles. Her hair was pure white and tied up in a bun, she was wearing a black kimono with blue trim and blue sandals.


    Zitsukani frowned because he had no idea who this woman was.


    "Arita, this is Madame Yan, an elder from the city council."


    "Madame Yan please come in" Arita''s eyes went wide as she moved out of the way.


    Clasping her hands behind her back, Madame Yan walked inside. She didn''t say any words but just watched the children.


    Yura and Arita looked at her back with bated breath, their children''s future hang on her decision.


    Zitsukani looked at the woman, unsure of what to think because his chakra was empty and he looked slightly haggard.


    Chojuro looked between the old lady and his mom, trying to figure out who this new person was.


    "They are both ok." She finally opened her mouth, revealing a kind elderly voice.


    "We will leave for the training camp today, and you can only see them once a month, are you ok with that?" She turned to look at Yuna and Arita.


    Looking at their children for a moment they both nodded their head. "Ok"


    Hearing the answer, a small smile formed on Zitsukani''s face.


    Editor: Scarlet Goddess

 6 Teacher

    Madame Yan walks passed Yura and Arita before stopping in the doorway.


    "Say bye for now and let the children come with me." With her back facing everyone she begins to wait.


    Arita and Yura walk to there children and give them hugs.


    Yura looks into her son''s cool light purple eyes. "Zitsu you''re going to train to become a ninja ok? Make sure you listen and be obedient." Her eyes begin to turn red "Mommy won''t be able to see you every day but know I love you, ok?"


    Looking at his mother''s teary eyes he feels the burning pain in his chest again. Reaching out he hugs his Mother tight.


    "Ok, Mommy I love you" His eyes water as well, without him knowing he developed a real connection with his mother.


    "Are you ready?" Madame Yan''s voice comes from outside.


    Yura and Arita lead their children outside.


    "Chojuro listen to the nice lady ok?"


    "Ok, Mommy" he answers with tears in his eyes.


    "Zitsukani try and make some friends, you''re always so quiet. Mommy will come to see you in a month ok?"


    He slowly nods his head "Ok"


    "Come kids" Madame Yan begins walking away.


    Yura and Arita push the kids to follow. Zitsukani begins to walk forward, but Chojuro looks back every few steps.


    Seeing his actions Zitsu looks back one time and sees his mothers crying face. Taking a deep breath he presses forward.


    Walking down the path a whole new world comes into view, as they walk further he sees that all the cylinder buildings are connected by a stone pathway. Walking on the pathway he is able to see the mountains below.


    The mountains are covered with trees and grass, a vibrant color of green, being close to the water the wildlife here grows without restraint.


    "Just keep walking straight and you can''t get lost."


    Madame Yan smile as she watches the kids walk past her. Looking at their back her smile fades, raising her fist into the air she raises a finger and draws a circle in the air.


    A ninja silently jumps up from below clad in full black, with a Kiri headband. He bows slightly and runs in the direction from whence they came.


    A glint flashes through her eyes as she looks at the back of the children, the corners of his lips curl as she picks her pace back up.


    As they walk further they pass through a few buildings, some residential districts like the one they came from, and some were shops and restaurants instead of rooms.


    As he walks the one thing he notices is how poor Kiri looks compared to Konoha.


    "I''m tired" Chojuro begins to complain after walking for so long.


    Zitsu frowns slightly as he sees tears well up in the corners of his eyes. Closing his eyes momentarily he checks his stamina, seeing that it is still over 80 he assumes a normal child only has around 20 stamina. Looking back he notices the somber expression on the woman''s face. Clicking his tongue he leans forward and extends his arms backward.


    "Get on" looking at Chojuro he tilts his head back.


    Chojuro''s eyes light up as he climbs onto Zitsu''s back. "Hehe, you the best."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Hooking his arms under Cho''s knees he continues to walk.


    Yan''s eyebrows raise slightly seeing one child carry the other, slightly pleased.


    After walking for a few more minutes they get closer and closer to the giant building in the center of the village. As they do the mist gets thicker, even though they should be getting further from the water.


    They come upon a split in the path. To the right is what appears to be the Mizukage building, and to the left is a medium sized stone cylinder building off on its own.


    Unsure of where to go he looks at the old woman.


    Feeling the boys look she doesn''t even flinch. "To the left."


    Nodding his head he continues walking to the left. As he gets closer he sees the words Academy written on the building, seeing that a wide smile creeps on his face completely out of his control.


    Seeing the building Chojuro increases the grip on Zitsu.


    Madame Yan passes the kids and walks inside. "Follow me."


    Entering the building a thick smell of blood floods his nose. In the back of the room are three large pictures of the current and previous Mizukage. To the right of the room, a middle-aged ninja sits behind a desk, in front of him are a series of unrolled scrolls. The right of the room has a staircase leading down.


    The ninja has a severely scarred face and his right eye is completely white and blind. He''s wearing a black and blue checkered shirt with his headband around his neck. His hair is completely black and slicked back.


    Seeing the people walk in he quickly stands up.


    "Madame Yan" With a respectful look in his eyes he stands straight as an arrow.


    "Taketa these are the last two for the experimental class, take them down." As soon as she finishes speaking she turns on her heels and walks away.


    Watching her leave zitsu frowns slightly, the name experimental class doesn''t sound good.


    "Follow me brats" Not wasting any time Taketa begins walking towards the stairs.


    With Chojuro on still on his back, he follows. Walking down the stairs for a bit they come across a door and more stairs leading down, loud screams and classing metal can be heard behind it. Continuing to descend the stairs for a bit they come across another door, behind this door synchronized yelling can be heard but no clashing metal.


    After passing two more doors they finally reach the bottom of the staircase and one final door. Light sweat covers his brow, closing his eyes momentarily the stamina drain shocks him.


    [Stamina 23]


    Sure he was carrying another person, but they must have gone down at least forty stories. Looking at the door he places Chojuro on his feet.


    "I''m scared" as he''s put down he clutches Zitsu''s hand.


    Glancing at him for a moment he decides not to stop him.


    Taketa walks forward and opens the door, revealing a large open space. The room has ten other kids around one but no more than two years old. Four teenagers stand in front of the kid, the thing they all have in common is the Kiri ninja symbol somewhere on their body. Besides the open space, there is a door in the back of the room with the words dorm written on it.


    Seeing the people in the room a devilish look appears on Zitsu''s face, and he subconsciously squeezes Chojuro''s hand a little harder.


    Taketa leads them into the room and lines them up with the rest of the kids. Nodding to the four teenagers he turns and leaves.


    One of the teens steps forward lightly and looks at the children. The teen has messy gray hair that spikes up on the left side but lays flat on the right side. His eyes are completely pink with a giant stitched scar under his left eye all the way down to his chin. He''s wearing a gray bodysuit with chain mesh sleeves, on the front of the shirt is a Kiri symbol on his abdomen. A green sash is wrapped around his neck and a green belt around his waist. A green apron hangs around his waist and brown boots on his feet.


    "You may not know why your here." A young sounding voice comes out of his mouth.


    "But the Land of water is in a time of need. Usually, you have to wait until you are five to enter the academy, but by then it will be too late. I could talk more but none of you will really understand." his pink eyes scan the children and their panicky faces.


    Zitsukani is trying his best to keep his head as low as possible to hide the smile trying to creep onto his face.


    "My name is Yagura Karatachi, and I''ll be instructing three of you."


    Zitsukani glances sideways at the other children. Besides Chojuro and himself, there are six boys and four girls.


    Yagura looks over the crowd and selects two boys and a girl, choosing only the kids that looked the oldest.


    While he was selecting Zitsu tried to look as meek as possible.


    The three children he picked stepped forward. "What are your names, introduce yourselves."


    The oldest looking boy puffed out his chest. He has short brown hair, brown eyes, and a square face. "I''m Koji Suguro, from the Suguro clan." sounding super smug he looks at the other children.


    The next boy to step forward is very pale, has green spiky hair, and blue eyes. "My name is Taisho and my dad is a ninja." As he mentions his dad the pride in his voice is heavy.


    As the boys finish the girl of the group steps forward. She has shoulder length blue hair and dark black eyes. "Hi I''m Eire" She begins fiddling with her fingers, to shy or scared to say more.


    "Good, come stand behind me." Yagura walks over to the side and the three kids follow him.


    "Ok! So I''m next" a teenage girl steps forward.


    "I''m Mei Terumi, and I''ll only be picking boys." A smile blooms on her face.

 7 First Day of Class

    Zitsukani''s eyes widen in anticipation as he sees her step forward. He was never sure how Chojuro met her, so he never complained about being with him all the time, even if it did impede his progress.


    All for this moment, getting close Mei Terumi will ensure his safety and future. Even someone like Chojuro became a member of the seven swordsmen of the mist, so why would he miss this bus? His knowledge of the future is his biggest weapon, and with one move he can cripple an entire nation.


    The more he thinks about the last year full of waiting, the broader his grin becomes, looking at the young girl before him his eyes begin to shine.


    She has long auburn hair to the small of her back with the trademark bangs covering her face. Her emerald green eyes scan the crowd with a smile plastered on her thin lips. She''s wearing a gray dress with chainmail hanging just below her shoulders and covering her cleavage, the hem of her dress is just above her knees. A white belt hangs around her waist with the Kiri emblem on it. Mesh leggings extend down to her long steel battle boots, exposing her blue painted toenails.


    She doesn''t have her trademark blue dress yet, but mistaking her for anyone other than the fifth Mizukage is impossible.


    As her eyes scan the kids her eyes stop Chojuro, slowly lifting her finger she points at Chojuro.


    "You! Because you have blue hair, and I may need you at my wedding one day. You gotta prepare for these things early."


    "Ah?!?" Chojuro''s face goes white, looking between Mei and Zitsu he doesn''t know what to do.


    Mei was about to pick someone else, but seeing the panic on his face deepens her smile, turning her eyes into slits.


    "Ok you auburn hair boy, we have the same hair color so I guess it can pass as something old."


    A relaxed feeling washes over Zitsukani, when he saw her about to look away it was like a heavy weight pressing down on him.


    "Hmm, nothing else is auspicious here." She puts a finger on her lips and glances at the girls before quickly looking away.


    "Can I just have these two?" She glances at Yagura and the other two.


    "You want to give up a slot?" Yagura frowns slightly. "That''s not the mission we were given, you have to pick three."


    Puffing her cheeks she points at a boy "Fine him then. Introduce yourselves."


    Before he even gets a chance to react the third boy steps forward.


    "Bunrakuken!" The child yells at the top of his lungs, frightening some of the kids.


    He appears to be around two years old. He has extremely short black hair, almost like a military cut. His eyes are dark yellow, almost orange. He has three vertical white scars on his forehead, over his eyes and nose. His face is oval shaped and he has a strong nose.


    Looking at him Zitsukani isn''t sure if he''s upset at not being wanted, or if he''s just a bad kid in need of a spanking. Looking at Chojuro he feels lucky he wasn''t as annoying as he could have been.


    The kid crosses his arms, obviously done with his introduction. Seeing this Zitsu pushes Chojuro forward.


    Chojuro stumbles a bit, but seeing the smile on Mei''s face he calms down. "I''m" he glances back at Zitsu, seeing the thumbs up he continues "I''m Chocho."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    *Pah*


    The loud noise causes everyone to turn their heads, standing there is Zitsukani with his hand covering his face.


    Shaking his head he steps forward. "I''m Zitsukani and this is my friend Chojuro."


    "Good!" She nods her head "You three with me."


    Walking off to the side the three kids follow her, getting a bit of distance away she turns to watch the rest of the selection.


    Walking side by side to Chojuro they stand behind Mei. The other kid, Bunrakuken stands a little in front of them. Seeing this Zitsu shakes his head, what is this kid thinking?


    With a nasty grin, another teenager steps forward. His hair is wrapped up in bandages but his orange eyebrows are still exposed. His nose and lips are full of piercings of various sizes. He''s wearing extremely baggy blue pants and ninja slippers. His chest is covered in mesh and his waist is wrapped in bandages. Wrapped around his right arm is his ninja headband.


    "My name is Unkei Tani" his lips begin to curl, he doesn''t even look at the guys and points at the remaining three girls. "You three with me."


    He immediately begins walking off to the side.


    The girls look around confused.


    "Over here!" Turning around he yells across the room.


    Seeing this Mei frowns slightly and looks at Yagura, seeing the impassive look on his face she shakes her head.


    The three girls run over behind Unkei. One brave girl around two years old step forward.


    "Do we need to do int-" *Pah*


    Before she could even finish talking the girl is slapped across the face and sent sprawling across the floor. The right side of her face instantly swells up like a balloon, her skull obviously fractured.


    Seeing this the other two girls, and all the other kids in the room begin to shake.


    Unkei smiles, droll begins to flow out the side of his mouth as he licks his lips. "Did I" he slowly walks over to the sobbing girl "tell you to speak?"


    "Huuu huuuu" *Hik* Hik* "I want my mommy huuu"


    Unkei frows. Rising his foot up, he slowly lowers it on the girl''s chest. Cracking sounds begin to echo across the room as the girl''s cries turn to wails, her arms and legs flapping around. Soon her screams turn into fits of coughing, but even that is drowned out by the cracking. Blood begins to seep from her eyes and mouth as the pressure builds.


    "What did I just say?" With one final push her chest caves in, his foot only separated from the floor by flesh.


    Every child, Zitsukani included, are currently petrified. After a few seconds, everyone but the four teens begins to hurl.


    The death throttle of that girl still rings in his head as his vomit covers the floor. For this first time in over a year it finally clicks, this isn''t Earth anymore, this isn''t an anime, this isn''t a game, this is the bloody mist village, these ''teenagers'' are all elite killers, these aren''t normal people, these are ninja!


    He''s been taking things too lightly, thinking of this as his favorite anime, this is his life!


    Whipping the vomit from his mouth he rises to his feet. Clenching his little fist he looks at the corps of the little girl.


    "I refuse to die under the boot of another." He mumbles to himself, a type of vow, a promise to himself really, his ninja way.


    Even though the voice was as quiet as a mosquito she heard it, bringing a smile to her face.


    Unkei looks at the two girls dry heaving on the ground. Reaching out he picks them both up and looks at them with an almost pleading look "You''ll listen to me right?"


    The girls go pale as they nod their head.


    "Good" smiling, he places them down.


    Zitsukani looks at Chojuro whos crying on the ground, almost rolling in his vomit. Feeling bad, he begins rubbing his back. Looking over at Bunrakuken he''s shocked, after throwing up he''s already back on his feet. What kind of two-year-old kid is this?


    "Well, I don''t know how to follow that. I don''t have to pick so that makes things easy." He nods his head slightly. "Why don''t you guys like...say your names or something, don''t you see I''m struggling here?"


    Looking at the three boys on the ground dry heaving he shakes his head. "I guess I got stuck with the youngest kids."


    "You haven''t even introduced yourself, yet your rambling on" Yagura interjects.


    Hammering his fist into his palm like he just remembers he looks around the room with a bashful look. "I''m Dayu, just Dayu. Now, will you introduce yourselves?" Smiling he holds out his hands to the three boys.


    Looking at this guy causes Zitsu''s eyebrows to rise, isn''t this guy to casual?


    He has long red hair to his shoulders and blue eyes as deep as the ocean, a complete contrast to one another. His face is fairly handsome and has no visible scars. He''s dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and black ninja shoes. The only thing that stands out about him is his blue flak jacket, even his headband is on his head.


    "It looks like they won''t be recovering for a while, break off and do your own things. We don''t have much time, we still have missions later." Yagura looks at his children for a moment, says something softly, and walks further into a corner.


    Mei looks at her three people and the smile returns to her face, proud of her picks.


    "Well guys, I''m going to try explaining the purpose of this class now."

 8 The First Jutsu

    Mei looks at the three kids, Bunrakuken''s unyielding spirit, Chojuro''s pale face, and Zitsukani''s cool eyes. Even though they are only one to two years old they are already on the path of shinobi.


    Taking a deep breath she opens her mouth. "We are at war, and we need more ninja faster to replace the ones who are lost." Shaking her head she looks at them, unsure if they even understand.


    Sitting on the ground she gestures for the kids to follow. "Do what I do." She clasps her hands together, her fingers interlocked. She raises her index and middle fingers on both hands and presses them against each other.


    "This is a hand seal, doing this will let you control your chakra, can you feel it?"


    All three kids do the hand seal, Mei looks at them with hope. If they can meditate and grow their chakra, 30% of her job will be done.


    Zitsukani goes through the motions, but most of his attention is on the other two.


    Suddenly Chojuro''s eyes go wide "I can feel it! I can feel it!"


    He begins bouncing around.


    "Calm down." Mei pats Chojuro''s head, causing him to calm down.


    Seeing this Zitsukani''s brows shoot up. Genius, it all makes sense. How can someone not a genius become a kage? Why did he overlook who he was just because he is young? His eyes turn series as he stands up.


    "I feel it as well." Zitsu looks Mei in the eye.


    Mei''s eyes turn into crescent moons as her smile deepens.


    "Two geniuses? How can I not be lucky, seems like this is a good year for me." She lightly pinches her chin "Will I meet my destined man as well?"


    Removing her hand she looks at Bunrakuken. "Feel anything?" She raises her eyebrows in anticipation.


    Bunrakuken''s hands begin to shake as he applies more pressure, he bites his teeth and squints his eyes.


    Zitsu looks at Cho whos still smiling and then the smiling Mei. As far as he knows Cho goes on to becomes Mei''s guard, the other being Ao. So what happens to all the other kids?


    "I can''t do it!" Bunrakuken yells as he hammers his fist into the ground.


    "Don''t be upset." Mei rises to her feet. "Follow me, I have to go on a mission so I''ll show you guys to your room."


    She begins to walk towards the door listed as dorms. Chojuro, Bunrakuken, and zitsu follow. Opening the door it reveals a long hallway with six doors on either side.


    "Because we are first, we get the first the rooms." She looks at her three kids in the eyes "You guys have to stay in here till I get back, it should take about a week. Until I get back you have to stay in your rooms and train."


    Hearing her words Chojuro begins to panic. "By myself?"


    She pats him on the head "You''ll be ok."


    Bunrakuken snorts while walking into a room, once he''s inside the door closes.


    Mei shakes her head slightly. Suddenly her hands move and perform a series of seals before slapping the door. As she does a series of words appear on the door.


    Looking at this Zitsu smiles. Barrier: Reclose Technique, looking at her hand seals he was able to recognize the jutsu.


    "Don''t worry Cho, It''s just a week." Flashing a smile he walks into a room.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Seeing this Mei feels a little puzzled, is he really one year old? Performing the same jutsu she seals the room.


    Looking at the last child she smiles, holds his hand, and pulls him towards a room.


    Entering the room Zitsu looks around, the entire room is made of stone, just like the apartment. Besides a bed, there is a tray full of fruit and a refrigerator.


    A smile forms on his face as he checks the rooms for any cameras or strange seals. Seeing nothing with his naked eye he shrugs his shoulders.


    "Finally alone" he begins wiggling his fingers and takes a deep breath.


    "Hitsuji Mi Tora" His hands move to make the seals, he can feel the chakra in his body wanting to flow into certain directions as he makes the seals, and all he has to do is push chakra in the direction it wants to go. As he makes the last seal he can feel the chakra wanting to rush out of his body, but he does his best to guide it.


    "Clone Jutsu!" He feels the chakra rush out into space next to him, creating a cloud of smoke.


    [Chakra 125/135]


    As the smoke clears he can see a purple-eyed child with messy auburn hair looking at him. His entire body begins to tremble and the clone does the same, his eyes get bigger and bigger, his face turning a deep red.


    "YES!" He jumps high into the air "Hhahahah" he begins to laugh hysterically.


    "Look at me now! Where are the haters?!? Who said jutsu wasn''t real?!? How else did I get here!!" As he goes on his tirade his concentration fails and the clone disappears.


    Taking a deep breath he calms down, his face still flush red. "Right my levels!" Closing his eyes he focuses on his level.


    Looking at the Ninjutsu perk tree he sees that it''s still at level 0, looking at that it hits him. In Skyrim, to level combat skills you have to use them on people.


    "No, I refuse to believe I can''t level." His eyes narrow as he focuses.


    Raising up both hands into the seal of confrontation, he crosses his fingers. He can feel the chakra in him moving again, this time far more vigorously. Concentrating he divides his chakra into two parts and expel them from his body.


    "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Two puffs of white smoke appear next to him.


    [Chakra 42/135]


    As the smoke clears two more kids are in the room. Seeing each other all three break out into a broad grin.


    "Nicely done me"x2


    "It was a team effort, we did it together."


    All three look at each other before throwing their head back in laughter.


    "If Naruto can do it, why can''t we?"


    "Maybe we are the chosen one now?"


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself we have a long way to go."


    "Right, we need to stay humble."


    "But we can celebrate a little right?"


    "No! Our chakra is limited, how can we compare to a jinchuuriki?"


    "Your right, as always."


    "But now that you mention it, isn''t the three tails without a host right now?"


    The room goes quiet as all three look between each other, then steal glances at the door.


    "NONONO, what, are you guys crazy? If we seal the three tails inside of us how can Kakashi kill Rin?"


    "Right, if Rin doesn''t die the entire series changes way beyond our control."


    "Yea, that''s too big a change for now."


    "Anyway" Zitsukani looks at his clones with a smile, that was the first real conversation he''s had in over two years so he got carried away.


    "We don''t know why they waited for over three years to train Naruto with this method but we won''t waste it. This jutsu causes a lot of mental stress, but I was basically crazy already so were ok." All three nod their head.


    He turns to face one of the clones "You, clone one, will fight me to see if we can raise Taijutsu. In Skyrim you can fight conjured monsters to level so it should be the same, and if we both practice it will be twice as fast."


    Raising his finger he points at the other clone. "Clone two, you go practice wall walking. We can learn that skill and at the same time improve our chakra and chakra control."


    All three nod their head "Break!"x3


    One clone runs to the wall, concentrating chakra into his foot he tries to stick it to the wall.


    Zitsu and the last clone stare each other down. Suddenly the move at the same time, both throwing out there chubby little fist.


    "Hah!"


    The two fist collide causing both their faces to go red.


    "Why does this hurt?!?"


    "Did we do it wrong? Maybe we are just too powerful!"


    "Dang, my little body is to tender."


    "I can''t see stats, did we level?"


    "You can''t see stats? That''s good to know, what about inventory?"


    "Let me see" suddenly all his clothes disappear, leaving a nude child in front of him.


    Looking at him Zitsu smacks his lips. "Why are you still nude.


    "Fool, how can you be the main body with that shallow thinking, don''t look at whats before your eyes."


    Zitsu''s eyes go wide before he suddenly closes them. Clicking his tongue he looks at the clone "Nothing, no duplication cheat."


    The clone shrugs "Worth a shot" his clothes appear on him again. "It''s probably safe to assume what''s in the inventory won''t carry over to the clones then. But did you check the level?"


    "Right, I almost forgot." Closing his eyes he looks at his perk tree, and under Taijutsu, it moved by a hair.


    Opening his eyes he looks at his clone. "It looks like we will have to go through some pain."


    The clone smiles "Do you know pain?"


    "I did it! Guys, I got a foot to stick!"


    Smiling at each other, they throw another fist.

 9 Training Montage

    As their fist collide pain travels throughout his arm. He can finally understand why more people don''t use Shadow Clone Jutsu. Besides splitting your chakra between each clone, it also establishes a link. Through this link, pain is transmitted from one clone to all the others. The reason they disappear in one hit is to stop the pain and causing you to break the concentration on the jutsu altogether.


    Regular shadow clone jutsu is still bearable, but the pain from one hundred different bodies would probably fry your mind, the fact Naruto can do it is crazy and makes almost no sense.


    Right now our legs are too short, so throwing punches is the best we can do. We can''t even do any quick dodges without tripping over our own feet. The fact that we are the same person makes this dull, it''s like fighting a mirror. Even so, the experience bar is moving ever so slowly. When the jutsu is released all their experiences will return to me, so my levels should double what it is now.


    Practicing other jutsu is basically pointless, I''m not twisted enough to cast Ninjutsu on myself, and it will damage the room. If it''s like Skyrim and you gain levels by damage done to the opponent, if I cast a really big jutsu on a lot of people I should level pretty fast. Genjutsu also needs a target.


    After an hour of practice, clone two was actually able to walk on the wall, so his current task is to regen chakra to make more clones.


    After five hours the current clone count is up to five. It was six, but after clone three regained some chakra he released himself so clone one and myself could have more chakra, his sacrifice shall not be forgotten.


    During the six-hour something big happened, we discovered a bug in the system.


    Clone four looked at Zitsu before nodding his head "Ushi Tora, Mystical Palm" A green aura flashed on his hands momentarily before fading.


    Seeing this Zitsu''s eyes light up "Clone four continue to practice. Clone two and five restore some chakra to make clones six and seven. Clone four, when clone six and seven are made you must sacrifice yourself to spread your experience."


    Clone four nods with a heavy heart.


    "You will not be forgotten brother."x4


    Clone four sits down and practices, trying to get the technique to remain and not fade away. Clow two and five begins gathering chakra in preparation for the split.


    Looking down at his swollen and red hands he frowns slightly. Clone one and himself can''t even make a proper fist anymore, so they moved to palm strikes, but now even their wrist is swollen.


    Looking at clone one zitsu puts on a bitter smile. "For the team."


    "For the team." Clone one smiles. No other words are needed because their thinking is the same. A clone may get lucky and find out how to do a jutsu before the others, but the base thoughts are still the same.


    Clone one slowly lays down on the ground and bites his teeth.


    Seeing this Zitsu walk forward and delivers a kick to his side. All the clones suffer, but none make a sound, because they know their brother is suffering more.


    Pulling his leg back and forth he unloads a series of kicks into his side. Sometimes he gets carried away and delivers a few stomps as well, but feeling the pain quickly reminds him.


    Kicking is a lot more tiresome than punching, and the stamina drain is massive so he has to take a few breaks.


    After twenty minutes, clone four releases, giving what little chakra and his knowledge of Mystical Palm to everyone else. Clone six and seven were created, and all four began practicing on clone one.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    All zitsu can do is watch because he can''t perform and hand seals, and he won''t know if he will get any experience until one of the clones releases.


    After twenty minutes clone one looks slightly better, but still badly damaged. Suddenly clone two stands up.


    "It''s time for me to go brothers. I noticed I''m better at the technique than everyone else, and I assume it''s from my experience with wall walking." Clone two slowly closes his eyes.


    Everyone looks at him, their mouth slightly opening and closing.


    "No need for long goodbyes" he forms the seal of confrontation "KAI!" And vanishes in a puff of smoke.


    As clone two''s chakra and experiences are shared everyone nods their heads.


    Zitsu closes his eyes and notices the Ninjutsu bar has filled by ? and has already overtaken Taijutsu.


    Clone five, six, and seven continue the healing to clone one with there new experiences.


    Seeing this Zitsu nods his head. Sitting down he struggles to form a seal of confrontation and begins to recover his chakra and stamina.


    Twenty minutes later clone five releases, leaving only clone six and seven.


    Fifteen minutes later clone seven releases.


    Twenty-two minutes later clone six releases.


    Looking at his half filed Ninjutsu bar he smiles bitterly, while the gains were great, the sacrifices were hard. Opening his eyes he sees clone one standing in front of him, fully healed. Standing up he holds out his hands.


    Clone one makes the seals and his hands glow green. Holding Zitsu''s hands in his own, he begins to heal them. The process takes a little over a minute, but It''s finally done.


    Looking down at his fully recovered hands he smiles.


    Clone one and Zitsu nod at each other, and one disappears in a cloud of smoke.


    Closing his eyes he looks at his stats


    [Health 100] [Chakra 20/138] [Stamina 38/102]


    His Taijutsu is ? filled and his Ninjutsu is ? filled.


    Taking a deep breath he sits down and begins to recover.


    To fully recover it takes two in a half hours. When he''s fully recovered he rises to his feet and crosses his fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu"


    [Chakra 20/138]


    His chakra divides and six puffs of smoke appear around him.


    "No need to waste time, we know what to do." Zitsu looks at his clones.


    Everyone in the room nods and surrounds a single clone. Suddenly six little fists fly and hit the clone causing it to keel over in pain. All seven people bite their teeth as they continue their beating.


    After beating a clone for twenty minutes they stop to recover chakra. After thirty minutes of recovery, zitsu stands above the beaten clone.


    "Mystical Palm" performing the hand signs for the jutsu for the first time feels strange yet familiar to him. Dropping down he begins to heal the clone while the other five continue to recover chakra.


    After a minute of healing a bar appears in his vision showing Ninjutsu leveled from 0 to 1. His overall level filled by half.


    "Ok boys we are in business!" Zitsu becomes excited about finally making progress.


    All six of them surround the clone and continue beating.


    They repeated this process day and night.


    On the second day, he leveled Taijutsu to level 1, bringing his total level up to 2. As he leveled up he got 10 points to add to his health, chakra, or stamina but he decided to hold off for now. He also got his first perk point and he debated on where to add it with his clones.


    [Reduce stamina consumption by 5%]


    With this, they would be able to train longer and level Taijutsu faster, but some argued the Ninjutsu perk was better.


    [Reduce Ninjutsu cost by 2%]


    Their argent is we wouldn''t have to waist so much time to regen chakra for Mystical Palm. 2% may not seem like a lot but over a week it will all up, and they run out of chakra faster than stamina. After five minutes of debate, he put the perk into Ninjutsu bringing it to ? for the first perk.


    After Ninjutsu levels up to one, it became harder to level. It''s been almost a day and it''s only ? filled. After talking it out we figured it was because the injuries weren''t severe enough, but no point in hurting ourselves, slow and steady. Plus that''s only experience from Zitsu, when the other clones release we should see a massive boost.


    On the fifth day, Ninjutsu actually managed to level up to 2, but the overall level only filled up by ? this time. Taijutsu is around 50% so it won''t take much longer.


    At the end of the sixth day, all seven people were looking at each other.


    "It''s the moment of truth guys, it''s time to collect on our efforts."


    One of the clones raises his hand.


    "Yes clone five?" Zitsu looks over.


    "Wouldn''t our training go faster if the clones were to periodically release to share experience so we can get more levels and perks? Training with the same six of us seemed like a waste."


    The six other people''s eyes go wide as they look at clone five.


    "You''re the only one of us who had this idea,why wait till we are done to speak up?!?"


    Clone five shrugs.


    Seeing this Zitsu crosses his finger "KAI!"

 10 Forbidden Jutsu

    As the chakra and experiences flow into him he feels almost euphoric. Gently closing his eyes he tries to digest his experience gain from Mystical Palm. Before what he was doing was very crude, but with the experience from the others, it''s like he''s been practicing for over a month. The best part is looking at his levels. Taijutsu leveled up to 3 with ? of the bar filled, and Ninjutsu leveled up to 4 with ? of the bar filled. His total level is now 3 and he gained 10 more points and a perk point. His total level bar is 2/4 filled, so two more levels to fill it.


    After thinking for a bit he adds the point into Ninjutsu again, bringing the reduction to 4%.


    Over the week he and the clones ate all the fruit, there were bottles of water in the fridge but he decided not to take them. If he puts all these things in his inventory and the trash disappears it will look suspicious.


    Looking at his stats he decides to mold chakra till they come to get him.


    [Health 100] [Chakra 53/145] [Stamina 12/105] 20 points


    The system is a bit different from Skyrim, in Skyrim you cannot distribute points how you want, but the downside is he doesn''t completely heal when he levels up.


    He knows Chakra gets harder to increase later so he''s saving his points while it''s still easy to increase.


    Sitting on the bed he makes the seal of confrontation to mold and regen his chakra.


    A few hours later the seal to the door is undone, revealing Mei''s figure standing there with a smile.


    "I''m back, was your training fruitful?"


    Zitsu rises to his feet with a smile "Yes."


    Mei claps her hands "Good, let''s get the last one." turning on her heels she walks towards another door.


    Looking around he sees Bunrakuken standing there with a smug smile on his face. Following behind Mei they reach another door. She performs a series of hand seals and slaps the door causing the seal to disappear. As the door opens it reveals Chojuro sitting on the bed.


    Cho opens his eyes, seeing other people a smile blooms on his face and his eyes go wide. Jumping off the bed he runs over.


    "You''re back!"


    Mei smiles sweetly and rubs his head. "Let''s go, we''re the last ones so we got a late start."


    "Mmh" Chojuro nods.


    As they walk back to the big room Cho walks next to Zitsu.


    Looking at each other they smile and follow behind Mei. As they exit the dorm room they see the other four teens and the other eight kids.


    Standing off on their own Mei turns to look at the three kids. "This week was your test, to see if you could begin molding your chakra." Reaching into a bag tied to her hip she takes out three playing cards.


    "The objective of the exercise is simple, focus all your chakra into a finger to hold the card up. If you can''t do it by the end of the day we will have to ask you to leave." Holding out a finger the card sticks to her fingertip without falling. After demonstrating the technique she passes out the cards.


    Bunrakuken immediately sits down and begins practicing. Seeing this Chojuro becomes flustered before he sits down to practice as well.


    Looking at the card in his hand Zitsu frowns slightly. He knows he''s only one year old right now, but can he really afford to waste his time like this?


    Looking at Zitsu standing there in a daze Mei furrows her brows. "Is there a problem? Something you don''t understand?"


    Zitsu looks up into her emerald green eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath as he makes his decision. Holding out his finger he focuses all his chakra and sticks the card on it.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Seeing this Mei''s mouth opens slightly like she wants to say something, but before she can even speak she notices the card starts to turn ever so slightly. So slight that if you weren''t looking you''d probably miss it.


    Moving in a flash she rushes down and pulls him into her embrace, pushing his head into her bosom so he doesn''t make a sound. "Shhh"


    The millions of times he imagined being in Mei''s embrace, he never thought it would hurt so much. His face is pressing against her shirt which is laced with wire mesh, if she pressed harder shed slice his face.


    Looking around she doesn''t see Yagura, Unkei, or Dayu looking over. Releasing Zitsu she looks at him with tender eyes and a radiant smile. Holding up a finger she puts it to her lips.


    Bunrakuken and Chojuro look over with strange expressions, not sure what''s going on.


    Not sure what Mei wants he sits down and continues to practice molding his chakra control. Seeing him practice Bunrakuken and Chojuro does the same.


    Seeing this Mei nods slightly, afraid the kid would alert the others.


    After four hours Chojuro actual gets the card to stick for a few seconds.


    "I did it! I did it!" Chojuro jumps to his feet, his face beat red from excitement.


    Seeing this Bunrakuken grits his teeth.


    Zitsu looks at him and frowns, what''s this kids deal?


    Feeling his stare Bunrakuken glares at Zitsu before trying to stick the card.


    "Good job Cho, keep practicing" Mie smiles at him "If you keep up this up you will become an excellent ninja."


    Cho nods his head furiously before sitting back down.


    In the next few hours, a couple other kids also succeed. Zitsu spends his time watching everyone else.


    Soon another two hours pass and all the trainers clap their hands.


    "Ok times up" Mei shows a bitter smile to Bunrakuken.


    "No, I can do it! I know I can!" He begins yelling and pointing his finger, his face beet red.


    Mei shakes her head.


    Suddenly the door opens and Taketa walks into the room, a stern look on his face. "All unqualified students come with me, we don''t have resources to waste on failures."


    Bunrakuken clenches his fist and begins to tremble.


    "This isn''t the end for you, you can still join the academy when you are five." Mei tries to comfort him.


    Hearing this he takes a breath, turning to look at Chojuro he glares. "Don''t think you''re better than me!" eyes trembling he holds his look for a few seconds before stomping off.


    As Taketa shuffles the kids out only a few remain. Only Tashio remain from Yagura''s group, from Unkei both girls actually remained.


    Now that he''s actually looking at the girls they look like twins. One has long red hair down to her shoulders and the other has a pixie cut. They appear to be around two years old and have bright brown eyes.


    From Dayu''s group, no one remained, causing him to just shrug his shoulders and leaves the room. Including Chojuro and himself, only five people.


    Everyone gathered together in a group again. Yagura once again steps forward.


    "How much you will understand I''m not sure, but you all have been selected for an experiment. You will be sealed into a training device for the next three years. Your body and chakra will be enhanced, making you stronger." His eyes scan the kids, seeing their confused faces he shakes his head.


    Zitsukani has his head down, counting on his fingers, trying to figure out what he will miss in three years. Nothing big happens for the rest of this year, next year Haku and Kimimaro will be born and that''s about it. During the second year is when the bridge is destroyed leading to Kakashi getting the Sharingan. Later in that same year, Madara will seal the three tails in Rin leading to her death. Neji, Lee, Tenten, and even Suigetsu will be born. The Third Mizukage somehow dies and the Third Hokage steps down for the forth. For the third year, Obito will attack Konoha and the three tails will be sealed into Yagura.


    He clenches his fist hard, a little frustrated. He can''t affect any of those situations, but after three years I''ll be four and able to do more things.


    Mei watches Zitsukani''s actions, a little confused as she sees him clench his fist.


    Thinking things over he relaxes, if he can''t affect anything why worry? And he knows Chojuro survives so why worry? Raising his head he catches Mei smiling at him, his lips curl and he smiles back.


    The door to the room opens again, this time Madame Yan, two old men, and the Third Mizukage walks into the room.


    Zitsu''s eyes go wide as he never thought he''d get to see him. His eyes are closed and has a few wrinkles on his face. He''s wearing his blue and white Mizukage hat with long blue and white robes. His black hair hangs slightly in his face.


    "These are the kids?" A cold and detached voice comes from his mouth.


    "Yes Lord Mizukage" Madame Yan walks forward.


    "Let''s start the jutsu"


    Yagura, Mei, and Unkei step back. The three elders and the Mizukage stand in a square around the kids. "Now!"


    All four people begin rapidly making hand signs, their hands turning into blurs.


    "Grand Incubation Jutsu!"x4


    They slap their hands on the ground causing the air to quiver, the moisture in the air starts to condense into spheres and surround each of the four kids. The four elders walk up to the orbs and make a few more hand seals before slapping the orbs. As they do black writings and symbols form along the orbs.


    As they finish Zitsu can feel chakra pumping into the sphere and into his body.


    "You will be Jonin within the year and when they get out you will resume their training, how good they become is up to you."


    "Yes Lord Mizukage"


    Zitsu watches everyone leave the room as his eyes finally close.

 11 Mizukage

    Zitsukani''s eyes flutter as his conciseness returns. The sphere he''s in burst open as he drops to the ground. Struggling to open his eyes his vision is blurred, as he tries to move his limbs they feel foreign to him. His entire body is bigger and limbs longer, making it difficult to suddenly control.


    Closing his eyes he sees that his levels are still the same, but his stats have changed.


    [Health 110] [Chakra 255] [Stamina 120]


    [20 Points]


    His chakra saw the biggest impact, increasing by over 100. Now the other four have about as much chakra as he had before. Opening his eyes his vision begins to clear up.


    Looking around he sees Chojuro and the other four still in the orbs. Their appearances have completely changed from before. Before they all had fairly chubby faces so they all looked the same to him, himself included. But now they look like individual humans.


    Chojuro''s rectangular eyes are more pronounced with his plane looking face. If it wasn''t for his spiky blue hair he''d look like a normal person with his thin brows, thin nose, and thin lips.


    Taisho has become very lanky on top of being very pale. His arms are overly long and his grin hair has grown down to his shoulders, if he didn''t know better he would think he was a pale monkey.


    The girls look more similar now than they did before. One has red hair down her back and the other to her shoulders. They have round eyes, a small nose, and small lips.


    Looking at them he wonders if he looks more like the character he created. Wiggling for a bit he slowly gains a bit of control of his body. Pushing off the ground, he rises to his feet.


    Looking around he sees no one else. "It would probably take longer If I wasn''t used to having a bigger body."


    Shaking a bit he looks at the orbs one more time before heading to the exit. The more he walks the broader his smile gets.


    "Being a more suitable size is definitely better" reaching the exit he opens the door. Seeing the familiar stairs he realizes it''s only been a week for him, but three years for everyone else. Thinking up to here his brows furrow.


    "I wonder how my mom is doing." Not wanting to waste more time he begins to ascend the stairs. Soon he breaks out into a full sprint up the stairs.


    What took an eternity before only took a couple of minutes now. Arriving at the top he looks around, seeing no one at the desk he walks out of the academy.


    As he arrives outside the mist hits him like a ton of bricks. Looking around he sees a huge crowd gathering towards the Mizukage building.


    "Did something happen?" Thinking for a moment he heads towards the crowd.


    Walking further and further, the crowd gets bigger and bigger. Pushing through, Zitsu makes his way closer to the front.


    "Lord Sandaime Mizukage died valiantly in battle to secure the three tails from falling into Kumo''s hands. To solidify his new position as Raikage, A and his brother Killer B led a team and charge into the land of water. When the three tails was revived after it was stolen from us, it was almost stolen again."


    Finally pushing his way to the front of the crowd he is shocked at what he sees. His eyes tremble and his body begins to shake, he is probably the only fan to ever see this scene.


    On the stage, ten people stand. Mei in her classic blue dress but with less cleavage. To her right stands a young Utakata, the six tails jinchuriki wearing black clothing and a blue flak vest, his headband tied securely to his head. The most shocking is the seven people in the back, seven eye-catching swordsmen.


    The fat man Fuguki Suikazan stands in the center with his long orange hair and Kiri forehead protector, wearing a large white coat with black sleeves, black pants with ninja shoes. His white pupils, green face stripes, and shark teeth give him an oppressive feeling. On his back, the legendary sword Samehada wrapped in cloth.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    To his right is Jinin Akebino, who appears rather short compared to those at his side. His brown hair is tied in a topknot, held in place by his Kiri head cap. His large nose and goatee cover half of his angular shaped face. Most of his body is covered by a purple poncho, he is also wearing pinstriped arm and leg warmers. In his hands are a large axe and hammer connected by a string, the legendary sword Kabutowari.


    Next to him is a tall and lanky man, Kushimaru Kuriarare. On his face is an Anbu mask. On the mask, there is a triangle at the mouth area and slits for eyes, and a Kiri symbol at the top. He''s wearing a sleeveless black shirt and blank pants with ninja boots, he is also wearing the same arm and leg warmers. Strapped to his back is a long needle-like object with a long wire wrapping around his arm, the sword Nuibari.


    The person to the far right is Raiga Kurosuki. He too is wearing an Anbu mask. His mask has short curved eye-holes, a mischievous smile and two red wave designs on the top and bottom on the left side. He''s wearing a black long sleeve shirt with a blue flak jacket, black pants, and ninja shows. At his waist hangs the twin lightning blades Kiba.


    To the left of Fuguki is Juzo Biwa, a tall and slender man. His hair and eyes are dark gray, and his hair is short and spiky. He has a cross shaped scar on his right cheek and a red grid-shaped marking covering his jaw. He''s wearing a black tight-fitting sleeveless shirt with two light, thin stripes on his chest, a striped cloth belt, and light pants along with black arm covers extending from his hands to his biceps. Bandages covers his neck, chin, and the side of his face and ears. In his right hand is the executioner blade Kubikiribocho which he is resting on his shoulder.


    Next to him is a man he doesn''t recognize, besides the fact that he is one of the people who should die in around two years to Duy. He''s wearing a dark blue striped shirt and pants with camo leg warmers. His face is rather plain but his dark blue mohawk gathers all the attention. On his back wrapped in cloth is the twin handled sword Hiramekarei.


    On the far left is Jinpachi Munashi. He has long brown hair and a long beard, all of which and tied into locks and decorated with beads. The top of his head is wrapped in bandages and his forehead protector. His left eye is covered with an eye patch that''s tucked under the headband. He''s wearing an extremely loose long-sleeved pin-striped shirt, on his legs are black pants and leg warmers with ninja boots. On his back hangs the blastsword Shibuki.


    Looking at the seven swordsmen of the mist alive and in one place causes his heart to beat rapidly. Looking at Samehada the corners of his lips curl into a broad smile, 40% of the reason he came to this village was to acquire that sword. And the window he has to acquire it before Kisame is short, maybe four years or so, but he has to little information to go on so he can''t be sure.


    Looking at the speaker he sees it is Madame Yan.


    "Lord Third Mizukage sacrificed himself to push back the enemy, buying enough time for Yagura to ack. Seeing the disadvantaged situation he made a bold move, because the three tails just revived and was in a weekend state he decided to risk his life and seal the three tails into his own body!" The old lady''s voice raises as she scans the crowd.


    "Together with members of the Mei, Utakata, the seven swordsmen, and the Anbu they fought the entire way back to the village, losing many men." Madame Yan closes her eyes and raises her hands.


    "But with great disaster comes a great blessing. Because the three tails was in a weekend state, and an impeccable match, Yagura was able to completely suppress the three tails and control his power making him a perfect jinchuriki! The second one in the whole world!" She clenches her fist in the air.


    The crowd goes wild with cheers and screaming, looking around Zitsu is stunned.


    "Kumo is considered unbreachable because of their perfect jinchuriki Killer B! But now we have one too!" She sweeps her hand forward "As the only surviving elder I nominate Yagura Karatachi as Yondaime Mizukage! Does anyone dare object?"


    "HUUUUUUUYAAAAAA"


    The entire area erupts with cheers, the sound so loud he can feel his body vibrating. His hands tremble and become clammy as he knows what comes next.


    Madame Yan pulls out a blue kage hat and hands it to Yagura.


    Taking the hat he looks at it for a moment, his grip tightening around the rim. Taking a deep breath he puts it on. Taking a step forward he opens his mouth.


    "One will never understand the weight of this simple hat until one puts it on." His eyes scan the crowd "The Mizukage is supposed to protect his people, and Lord third died to do that." His hands begin to tremble "The Third''s death was because he loved his people and was too nice, but I will do what I must." He takes another step forward.


    "The reason Kuma was able to pressure us so is that they outnumber us three to one. Half the ninja in the land of water are hiding in their clans and fighting for their own interest and not Kiri. The bloodline clans that refused to join Kiri have already been wiped out by other clans in fear of their power, crippling our potential power." he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.


    Slowly opening his eyes he scans the crowd.


    "I will extend that same option to them, no more individual clans, those who refuse to join shall be purged by the full might of Kiri, how can we deal with the dragons at our gate with snakes in our yard?" his eyes turn vicious as a red chakra cloak begins to form around him.


    "JOIN OR DIE! I''LL TURN THIS MIST RED IF I MUST!"

 12 But Can You Do This?

    The crowds yell cause the ground itself to tremble. Just being in the crowd causes Zitsu to become excited. It''s like he''s getting to watch the history of Kirigakure in the making, but he knows the longer he''s alive and the stronger he gets the Naruto world he loves will change.


    But this is his story now, and he''s going to go a far as he can get. Clenching his fist he looks at the stage, a burning passion in his eyes.


    "I won''t be afraid to change the future" the corners of his lips curl as he steels his resolve.


    As he looks at the stage he notices Mei staring at him with a smile.


    She is no longer a thirteen-year-old girl, but a sixteen-year-old who is begging to come into her charm. At 16 most people in the Naruto world have already found the love of their life, mostly someone from their team or academy days. The fact someone as nice as Mei stayed single for all those years is probably the biggest mystery in the Naruto world, she''s not like Tsunade who has issues.


    Returning her smile he nods her head.


    Suddenly Yagura turns around and walks away. Madame Yan follows after him, but before they can get far Mei whispers something to them that causes them to stop in their tracks.


    Turning around they both stare at Zitsu. Feeling their gazes he can''t figure out what to do with his hands, so he just clasps them behind his back to look profound.


    Mei says something else and they nod their heads before continuing to walk off. The rest of the people on stage disperse in different directions while Mei walks towards him.


    "You''ve really gotten big." Mei looks down at him with a smile.


    "Well, it''s been three years. What month is it by the way?"


    Mei''s brows shift a bit "It''s August 30th, why?"


    Zitsu flinches a bit. Obito attacks in eleven days? If I tell them about it in advance and we attack right after the fourth dies, can''t we cause some serious damage?


    Zitsu begins counting on his fingers, weighing the pros and cons. Shaking his head he looks at Mei "Nothing, just wondering what''s next?"


    Mei looks at him suspiciously a bit. "Well, normally you would start the academy at your age, but it was decided back then that they wanted to use the forbidden jutsu to enhance young children so they have an early start. Sending you guys to the academy would be a waste, so you five are going straight to the class for those who are chosen to be seven swordsmen candidates. At the same time, you will learn Ninjutsu from your instructors."


    Zitsu nods, this explains how someone as timid as Chojuro became a swordsman.


    "Where''s my mother?"


    Mei smiles "Don''t worry, she''s ok. She often came to see you over the three years." She looks around for a moment. "I guess the others aren''t up yet, but there should be someone to greet them now that the gathering is over."


    She begins to walk away and waves her hand "Come with me."


    Looking at her swaying hips for a moment, he follows after her. The crowd begins dispersing as they walk closer and closer to the central building.


    As he nears the sheer size of the building is overwhelming. The giant blue water symbol at the top gives off an imposing feeling. It feels like thousands of eyes are watching him, just waiting for him to make one false move.


    His brows furrow as he begins to think, is Yagura already under Obito''s control? But if that was the case Ao should have noticed, unless it takes him a few years to figure out the Byakugan?This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    As he thinks up to there he smiles. Maybe he should get him a pair of eyes? Itachi is only five so all the Uchiha''s are still alive.


    As he is thinking to himself they reach the building.


    "The candidates train in here, most candidates are the best of the best from the graduating class. But because talent has been on the decline we got you guys." She raises her brows and looks back.


    "Ok, I''m ready."


    "Good, I''ll take you to meet your mom later. For now, let''s meet your sword instructor."


    Walking into the building dozens of shinobi can be seen moving about in a hurry. This area looks like some sort of lobby, a lot of older looking men behind a desk are handing out scrolls.


    Assuming this must be some sort of mission hub he continues to follow Mei. Walking for a bit they reach a long corridor, mist seeps in from the windows on the wall. Realizing that this leads to a large plateau he assumes the camp is outside.


    Exiting, he sees a large square building. It really stands out to him because so far all the buildings have been cylinders.


    "This is where you will train." Pointing to a cylinder building far off to the side "That is an apartment complex for cadets so they don''t waste time on travel, your mom has already been moved to your room."


    Waiting for a few seconds she continues "The person you will learn the sword from is in there, after you are done I will come to get you to teach you jutsu. Things have gotten really busy, so If I can''t make it don''t hold it against me."


    Looking at the apartment, then towards the square building he nods. "Ok, no problems."


    Mei flashes a radiant smile "Ok I''ll see you later, maybe." She holds up two fingers and just vanishes right before his eyes.


    "Body Flicker Jutsu" seeing that Zitsu smiles.


    Looking at the square building he walks towards it. Standing outside for a moment he takes a deep breath, then steps inside. Opening the door the first thing he hears is the clashing of metal.


    Walking inside he sees a giant pool the size of a football field. The pool is surrounded by a stone border on all sides, along the walls are hundreds of swords of different types.


    In the middle of the pool two people are gliding across the water clashing swords. As they move not even a ripple can be seen, but when they clash tsunamis spread in all directions. Their swords move so fast they leave trails of silver light. The rhythmic sounds of their swords clashing fill the room.


    Zitsu is dazed for a moment because he recognizes both of these people, one big and one small.


    Noticing someone has entered they both stop.


    "Looks like it''s time for you to babysit kid."


    "I''m getting used to it, my brother was born last year."


    Both of them begin walking towards Zitsu.


    "To think the genius swordsman became a nanny, will you ever become one of the seven now?"


    "A mission is a mission."


    "Right. I''m getting assigned to cypher division under Fuguki so you have to train yourself now."


    Looking at the blue-skinned shark like human in front of him he doesn''t know how to feel. Kisame Hoshigaki, he''s not wearing his black Akatsuki robes, but normal hidden mist ninja attire. The person next to him, a young child is more of a mystery. Mangetsu Hozuki, he only looks around eight or nine years old but he can already train with Kisame. He has shoulder length white hair and deep purple eyes. He has a very handsome angular face with thin lips hiding his shark like teeth. He''s wearing a simple sleeveless black shirt, purple pants, and ninja shoes. Instead of a bag attached to his waist, he has a water bottle. As they approach they both sheath their swords on their backs.


    Kisame doesn''t even speak to him and just walks right past him. Mangetsu stops right in front of him and looks him up and down.


    "You don''t look any different from a normal kid."


    "I don''t think I''m that special" Zitsu shakes his head. This guy is one of the strongest, how can he not be humble?


    "Good, before you can walk on this water I won''t be showing you anything." Gripping his katana he strides back into the water.


    Watching till he walks far enough away, he decides to give it a shot. Focusing chakra into the bottom of his feet he steps on the water with one foot. His foot doesn''t sink, but because he has no weight on it he can''t tell. Leaning forward he puts some weight on the foot and immediately sinks into the water.


    Water rushes over him like a full body embrace. A normal one-year-old turned four would probably panic, but by this point, he''s almost a mentally thirty-year-old man.


    Seeing him fall into the water Mangetsu shakes his head. "What are the higher ups even thinking?"


    Staying underwater for a moment he notices how natural it feels. Because his chakra nature is water, he feels extremely comfortable. Kicking his legs he rises to the surface. Pulling himself up he sits on the ledge with his feet in the water.


    Now that he''s soaked he finally looks at his clothes, noticing these aren''t the ones he went into the sphere with. He''s currently wearing blue ninja shoes with brown diagonal striped paths and his shirt has different color blue camo.


    Thinking for a moment he comes up with an idea. Putting chakra into his hand he presses down into the water. As he presses down he notices that the water moves, causing the amount of chakra needed different on certain parts of his palm.


    Figuring out the trick, and actually doing it are two different things. Using different amounts of chakra on the same body part is quite difficult.


    As he presses his palm on the water, hours go by.

 13 Home

    After a few hours of practice, the door opens again. This time it''s Taketa, followed by the other four kids. It''s been three years and Taketa still looks as unfriendly as ever, on his face are a few more scars. The children are looking around, one can''t tell if they are excited, afraid, or both. They may look like four and five-year-olds, but their mentality hasn''t changed.


    When Chojuro sees Zitsukani sitting by the pool his eyes light up and the hands he was using to grip his shirt relaxes as a wide smile blooms on his face.


    Seeing this Zitsu is reminded of how close this kid is to him. Scratching his chin he begins to think, as far as he knows Haku should be around two, and his mother still alive. That means he has around two to three years before he becomes a wanderer.


    His thoughts are interrupted when Taketa arrives before the pool.


    "Mangetsu, these are the rest of the kids. Do what you want but don''t kill them."


    Mangetsu flaps his hand "Don''t worry don''t worry."


    Taketa nods and turns to leave.


    Chojuro runs next to Zitsu "Zitsu look how big we got!" He begins to twist and turn, trying to show off how tall he is.


    Seeing this a smile forms on his face. The other kids walk up looking confused, they don''t know what to do so they stay in a group.


    Mangetsu stares at the kids for a moment and gently massages the side of his head, feeling a headache coming. Taking a breath he walks over.


    "I can''t teach you anything if you can''t even step on the field. Learn to walk on water before you even think about grabbing a sword." Finishing his words he walks away.


    Chojuro looks at Zitsu "What does he mean?"


    "See what he''s doing? We have to walk on the water too. It''s like when you stuck the card to your finger but harder."


    "How do you do it?" Taisho steps forward, his fingertips almost to his ankles "Teach us."


    Zitsu furrows his brows, side glancing at the boy "Does it looks like I know?"


    "But you''ve been here longer!" The girl with longer hair wrinkles her nose and stares at Zitsu. Her sister hides behind her back.


    Shrugging his shoulders he continues to regulate chakra in his palm as he presses down.


    Seeing what he''s doing Taisho frowns before sitting on the edge of the pool as well. Stretching out his long arm he presses his palm on the water. His hand instantly sinks as he presses down, but he still smiles.


    Seeing his actions the long-haired girl pulls her sister down and they begin practicing as well.


    Chojuro just stands there and watches. Seeing this, Zitsu rubs his head with his other hand. "Cho sit down and practice."


    "Ah! Ok!" Sitting down next to Zitsu, he instantly plunges his hand into the water.


    The vain his forehead begins to throb as he watches him. As everyone begins plunging there hands in the water it causes the water to ripple, making it even harder to control his chakra.


    Mangetsu glances over from time to time but offers no help. After another two hours, he finally opens his mouth.


    "Ok, it''s time for you guys to leave now because I''m going home."


    Looking up the kids are just in time to see him disappear as he holds up two fingers, leaving behind a ripple in his wake.


    Seeing this Zitsu quickly stands up to leave. The other kids instinctively follow him outside.


    Seeing this he thinks for a moment before smiling, can he have his own followers?


    Lifting his finger he points at the dorm "That''s where we are supposed to live, we are supposed to receive additional training but I assume everyone is busy due to a new Mizukage."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The other kids nod as they walk closer to the building. Almost like every other building he has seen, this one is cylinder shaped. It only has three levels and can be considered rather small.


    Arriving at the entrance he sees that familiar curving path to the rooms, but he notices a lot fewer doors. Looking around he can see that this building looks almost new as it''s not completely covered in moss from the damp dew.


    Looking at the kids behind him he thinks for a second. "We were given no instruction on what to do, to be safe let''s meet here at sunrise tomorrow."


    Everyone nods their heads and walks inside. Once inside there is a plaque placed on the wall with their names on them.


    Taisho Itoh 1-A


    Emina Iwasaki 1-B


    Eminu Iwasaki 1-B


    Chojuro Benkei 2-A


    Zitsukani Teruya 2-B


    Looking at the kids he sees their confused faces and realizes they can''t read Japanese.


    "Come I''ll take you to your rooms." Waving his hand he begins to walk along the curved path.


    The first room he arrives at is 1-B. "Emina, Eminu, this is your room."


    "How do you know our name?"x2


    The girls actually speak in sync this time, looking confused.


    Zitsu just shakes his head and knocks on the door before walking away. Cho and Taisho continue to follow him. Soon he comes to learn that each floor only has two doors. Arriving at 1-A he points at Taisho.


    "This room is yours."


    Taisho looks at him for a moment before nodding his head. Walking up to the door he knocks and tries to open the door.


    "Let''s go Cho" not waiting to see if someone answers the door he continues walking around.


    Walking a bit further they find the stairs. Arriving at the second floor he notices it looks like the first. Knowing which way leads to side A and B, he heads towards side A first.


    "Is my mom really up here?" Chojuro''s face becomes a bit red as he gets excited. He begins to fidget with his shirt as a smile forms on his face.


    "As far as I know she should be." Arriving at the door he knocks.


    Waiting a few seconds they begin to hear noises from inside. Soon the door opens revealing Arita''s figure. She looks a little older, and her blue hair longer, but she still looks like the same caring woman.


    "Chocho Zitsu!" Her eyes instantly become red as she rushes to pick up Chojuro.


    "Mommy!" As she scoops Chojuro into her arms she begins to spin in place as tears run down her cheeks.


    Looking inside the apartment he notices how nice it looks compared to his old home. Making sure his mother was not inside he quietly slips away while they are distracted.


    Arriving at his room he takes a deep breath. Raising his hand he knocks heavily on the door. His heart begins beating faster and faster, will she still love him? On Earth, he was raised in foster care and never had anyone care about him unless they got benefits. The fact that he was a violent child before he discovered anime and Naruto just pushed people further away.


    But the love his mom showed him moved his heart, to the point where even he cared for her.


    His heartbeat rings in his ears, almost bursting when the door slowly opens. It''s only been a week for him, but imagining her loneliness for three years almost makes him bleed with sympathy.


    The door opens to reveal his mother Yura.


    Her body trembles as her eyes turn red.


    Looking at his mother''s long auburn hair, purple eyes, almond-shaped eyes and button nose his eyes water as well.


    "Mom" a hoarse voice escapes from his mouth. Looking at her red eyes he realizes that he cares, he really cares.


    "Zitsu" she drops to her knees and pulls him into a hug.


    Smelling the familiar scent of his mother his entire body relaxes as he feels safe. This isn''t a game to him, his arrival may have been accidental, but this is his life, this is his mother, the only mother he knows.


    They hug for a few minutes before finally separating.


    Looking into Zitsu'' eyes she wipes the tears from his cheeks while smiling. "Silly boy, crying after not seeing your mom for a week, how can you become a ninja like that?"


    Hearing his mother''s words he smiles.


    Standing up she pulls him inside and closes the door. "Look at how mommy has been living, isn''t it nice? So don''t feel sad."


    Looking around he notices this is some sort of living room or common area. There is a kitchen attached towards the back of the room equipped with a fridge and a stove. There are three different doors in the room leading to unknown areas. In the living room are a few painters easels with unfinished paintings on them. Looking around he sees different paintings hanging on the wall of mountains, animals, and even himself. Even more paintings are stacked together and leaning on a wall.


    Seeing her sons gaze she smiles proudly and puffs out her chest "Your mom has been painting, Isn''t she good?" Walking forward she points at a door to the left side of the room. "This is my room." she points at one of the doors to the left. "That''s your room, I decorated it for you already. Go and see all my hard work." Looking at Zitsu with loving eyes she waves her hand.


    Nodding his head he walks towards the door, opening it he steps inside and closes the door. The stone walls have been painted entirely blue, the Kiri symbol, Kunai, and shuriken have been painted on different parts of the wall. Besides a bed, there is also a dresser and another open door leading to a bathroom. In their old apartment they didn''t have a private bathroom so it was always hard on his mother, so seeing a bathroom makes him really happy.


    Looking around for a moment he crosses his fingers "Shadow Clone Jutsu"


    [Chakra 28/255]


    He divides his chakra into nine parts and makes eight clones.


    One of the clones step forward and nods his head "Go, we know what to do."


    Zitsu nods his head and leaves his room. Looking at his mom sitting on a coach he walks over and sits next to her. Laying his head on her lap she begins rubbing his hair.


    "Mom, what happened in these three years?"

 14 Kenjutsu

    As his mother''s fingers run through his hair, his eyes narrow into slits as the corners of his lips curl.


    "When you left, Madame Yan sent a ninja back to gather us up and moved us to a new location. The ninja told us that you would be undergoing a selection process, and If you had talent you would undergo a three-year experiment." She pauses for a moment as she looks down at her son.


    "After you passed the selection they moved the parents of the five here, saying that if word got out about the enhanced children, someone might try and capture us to threaten you. Moving us closer to the capitol building we would be safe, and it was easier to go see you every month." She smiles a bit "Those clothes are something I bought for you."


    Listening to his mother''s words he feels released, he had no idea Kiri would protect his mom with the reputation it has.


    Sitting up he looks around "You paint?"


    Clapping her hands she stands up with a wide smile. "Because I didn''t have to work anymore I had a lot of time. Soon I discovered I had a talent for painting."


    "Can I see?" Pointing at an unfinished painting he looks at his mother.


    "Sure!" Walking to a cabinet she grabs some paint supplies.


    Back in his room, eight clones stand around a bathtub as it fills with water.


    "The tub is only big enough for five of us to practice."


    "That just means three of us will have to do other things."


    "Two can practice Taijutsu?"


    "Fool! How can we be the same person with your rotting brain! Taijutsu is too loud and it will bother main bodies bonding time."


    "He''s right, besides one of us need to regain chakra and make more clones."


    "Don''t forget the ones who are practicing chakra control need to periodically release to share experiences."


    "Ok, so five will practice chakra control, two will regen chakra and make clones."


    Suddenly a clone raises his hand. "I''m going to practice sensory techniques, too many people have disappeared right in front of us today."


    All the clones nod and move into position. Five around the tub, two sit on the bed, and one sits on the floor. The ones around the tub begin pushing their hands into the water, the ones on the bed regen chakra, and the one on the ground sends chakra towards his brain to heighten his senses. The ultimate goal is to develop a sense to detect chakra.


    Because they have practiced like this before, it runs very smoothly. When someone has inspiration on chakra control they release and the clones on the bed make a new clone to replace them, becoming like a self-developing Ai running five simulations at once. And like that, a couple hours pass.


    Watching his mom paint he has a smile on his face.


    Suddenly she puts down her brush. "You still have to rest for tomorrow honey, don''t get complacent or you will get in trouble."


    "Ok mom, I''m going to be leaving at sunrise tomorrow. Can you make breakfast in the morning?"


    "So early? Don''t worry I will" putting away the painting supplies she begins to clean up.


    Seeing this Zitsu heads back into his room. Closing the door he sees two clones sitting in the tub, fully nude. Two clones are still on the bed and five clones on the floor.


    As he was watching his mom paint he got a steady supply of information on water walking and sensory technique. The sensor technique isn''t even close to working yet, but you gotta start somewhere.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Sitting down he begins rotating his chakra to work on shape manipulation and increase his overall chakra capacity.


    After an entire night of practice, he rises to his feet. "I can''t leave you guys here in case my mom finds you guys."


    Looking around the entire room and bathroom is filled with clones. After they all nod they cross their fingers.


    "Kai"x18


    The clones disappear and Zitsukani closes his eyes.


    Level 3


    [Health 110]


    [Chakra 132/260]


    [Stamina 84/120]


    [20 Points]


    [Taijutsu 3, Ninjutsu 4, Genjutsu 0]


    [Ninjutsu cost reduced by 4%]


    Opening his eyes he walks out of the room, as he does the smell of food hits him. A smile blooms on his face as he sees his mom at the stove cooking in an apron.


    "Oh you''re up, I was going to come get you. It''s almost done, have a seat." She continues to flip something that looks like pancakes.


    Sitting down at the table he sees something that looks like sausage patties and something that looks like orange juice.


    After a few seconds, she puts a plate of hotcakes on the table.


    "Itadakimasu!" grabbing some sausage and hot cakes he begins to eat.


    Watching her son eat she sits down and eats as well.


    After eating his fill he stands up "Ok mom, I have to go!"


    "Ok, stay safe" standing up she gives Zitsu a hug before clearing the table.


    Heading out the door he thinks about getting the others before shaking his head. Heading down the stairs he waits at the entrance of the building.


    After waiting for over twenty minutes his eyes grow cold "Tsk" with a sneer he walks off.


    Arriving at the training center he sees Mangetsu already in the pool swinging his sword.


    Noticing someone enter the building Mangetsu glances over for a moment, but says nothing and continues to practice.


    Walking to the side of the pool he takes a deep breath "I want to learn to use the sword!" Yelling at the top of his lungs he catches Mangetsu''s attention.


    "What did I say yesterday?" Mangetsu stops practicing and looks over.


    Zitsu smiles. Sending chakra to his feet he strides forward. As his foot touches water he continues to move forward.


    Seeing him walk on water Mangetsu''s brows raise and he whistles a bit. "Not bad kid!" Nodding his head he points at the swords on the wall "Go grab a sword."


    Hearing his words he runs over to the sword wall. Its covered with all kinds of swords. Longswords, shortsword, claymores, bastard swords, buster swords, scimitars, rapiers, Khopesh, Shotel, Butterfly sword, and many more.


    Focusing chakra into his arms he grabs a buster sword, but can''t even get it to budge. Shaking his head he grabs a katana.


    Walking onto the water with his sword he looks at Mangetsu.


    "What do you know about the sword?" Mangetsu looks at the Katana in his hands.


    "Nothing" He shakes his head.


    Mangetsu looks at Zitsu''s purple eyes and smiles. "The practicing of swords is called Kenjutsu. A single sword can cut any jutsu, but only if you are skilled enough." Lifting up his sword he slashes down.


    "When you swing your sword you are using every muscle in your body and chakra. Chakra is divided in two, physical and spiritual. So if you increase your physical strength your chakra will increase, it''s difficult to do so most people ignore it." Looking Zitsu up and down he begins to think.


    "Swing the sword around and get a feel for the sword, teaching you anything right now will be a waste." Turning around he walks away and continues to practice. Doing downward slashes, cross cuts, lunging cuts, and a variety of thing.


    Pulling the sword from the sheath he smiles "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." He fastens the sheath horizontally on his back, if he places it vertically he wouldn''t be able to pull it out because he''s too short.


    Holding the blade with both arms and filling them with chakra he lifts the blade above his head. Focusing he tries to interject chakra into the blade. Because his control has improved a lot he actually succeeds.


    The blade glows a faint blue as his face turns series. "HAA!"


    Swinging down with everything he has the blade slightly splits the water causing it to quake. Seeing the result he smiles.


    "Fool, I could have killed you thirteen times before you made that strike. Don''t try to do flashy things and just swing the sword while feeling how your body moves." Mangetsu shakes his head.


    Hearing his words he calms down. Retracting his chakra he swings the sword again, this time focusing on how his body moves, following Mangetsu''s advice.


    Up, down, left, right, and diagonal. Following his advice, he feels how his body moves with each cut. He notices that most of the time his arms only decide the direction the sword travels, and his back, core, and legs are doing most of the work.


    Realizing this his arms relax a little and he continues to swing, letting his body do the work. Closing his eyes he notices his stamina draining faster than ever.


    Seeing this Mangetsu nods. "He''s on the right track, but is still wrong."


    Three hours later he sitting on the side of the pool panting, completely exhausted. Closing his eyes he check his stamina.


    Level 3


    [Health 110]


    [Chakra 23/261]


    [Stamina 4/122]


    [20 Points]


    He feels excited as he tries to catch his breath. After resting for a few minutes the door opens.


    The other kids walk into the building joking and laughing, Chojuro included.


    Seeing this Zitsu frowns. Wasn''t he supposed to be shy and timid? Thinking for a moment his eyes go wide.


    "Did he change because I was there so he learned how to socialize?" he mumbles to himself.


    He furrows his brow as he looks at the kids.


    "Is this the first visible change I''ve made?"

 15 Teach Me!

    The four children arrive at the side of the pool and wait for some type of instruction. Chojuro sees Zitsu and waves his hand.


    Zitsu nods his head then looks at Mangetsu. Seeing no reaction whatsoever his lips curl into a smile.


    "I gave you your instructions yesterday" Mangetsu speaks in a dull voice.


    Hearing this the kids sit down and begin pressing their palms on the water. Chojuro looks at Zitsu on the left side of the pool for a moment before sitting down and doing the same.


    "I see, the seven swords don''t need someone without motivation to train." Closing his eyes he begins to regen his stamina and chakra.


    Because his chakra control is increasing, it takes less time to absorb the ambient chakra.


    After an hour he is fully recovered. Rising to his feet he strides out into the water and draws his sword, slashing in an upward arc.


    Seeing him walk on water Cho, Taisho, and the twins are stunned.


    Zitsu doesn''t look over at them but the corners of his lips twitch. "I refuse to believe I can''t become the leader of a bunch of kid, I ran an international fan club!" He whispers to himself.


    He begins to move as he slashes his sword, almost like a dance. His feet move like a crescent moon as he slashes his sword. Allowing his body to move the way it wishes as he slashes the sword feels strange. If people on earth could feel the energy in their body when they slashed the sword, a lot more people will be masters.


    When he swings the sword incorrectly he can feel his chakra become jammed, so he knows his position was wrong, but as long as his chakra flows freely he knows it was ok.


    Seeing his movements Mangetsu nods. Looking at the other kids causes his brows to wrinkle slightly. "Why is he so different?" it''s not like he''s mad at the other kids, but that Zitsu is strange.


    As he swings his sword he begins reinforcing his body with chakra instead of the sword, as he found that it made his moves a lot more stable. The longer he moves on the water the better his chakra control becomes. In the beginning, he was constantly focusing on his feet, but now he can focus on the sword.


    Thinking about his Taijutsu levels he looks at Mangetsu. Biting his teeth he walks over.


    Seeing him walk over Mangetsu stops.


    "Sir, the best way to learn is through fighting, will you indulge in my request?"


    Mangetsu just looks at him for a few seconds. "You''re not ready." He shakes his head.


    "I want to be a member of the seven swordsmen! I have no time to waste." Zitsu stares at him firmly.


    Hearing him Mangetsu''s brows shoot up. "Kid let me tell you something, there are people a lot stronger than me in Kenjutsu and even they aren''t members of the seven swords, what are you? Three? Four? And you''re already talking big."


    Zitsu nods "So negotiations have broken down." Gripping his sword he swings it in a beautiful horizontal arc.


    Mangetsu quickly lifts his sword and blocks it as he narrows his eyes.


    A sinister grin forms on Zitsu''s face as his 1/8 full Taijutsu bar just moved to 2/8 with that one swing. Jumping back he raises his sword above his head and lunges forward.


    Seeing this Mangetsu shakes his head before swinging his sword to intercept.


    Their swords clash causing ripples in the waves. Drawing an arc with his sword he goes for another horizontal slash. Mangetsu easily blocks it again, but this time he spins around and slashes from the other side.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Mangetsu''s face is dull as he blocks these choreographed slashes.


    Seeing that his spinning slash didn''t work he jumps back, but this time Mangetsu slashes at him. A diagonal slash heads straight for his body, at first he''s stunned because he never thought Mangetsu would attack him.


    Quickly recovering he swings his sword up to intercept, but the second their swords touch his face becomes pale. The force of the sword instantly overpowers him, causing him to shoot into the water like a cannonball.


    "Your sword is to light, kid."


    Cho, Taisho, and the twins are stunned as they watch from the side, why were they fighting?


    As Zitsu sinks further and further into the water he thinks about what he said. Was his Kenjutsu wrong from the start?


    Closing his eyes he''s stunned, just from taking that attack from Mangetsu his Taijutsu leveled up, and the bar is already half filled.


    Calming down for a second he swims to the surface. Climbing out of the water he looks at Mangetsu "I''m not done yet!"


    "Kid don''t waste my time and just swing your sword" Mangetsu turns his neck to look at him.


    "Teach me Kenjutsu! I don''t have time to blindly practice!"


    "Don''t have time?!? If you don''t have time then who does!" Mangetsu starts to become angry


    "What will it take then? When will I be good enough!" Zitsu stares at him, refusing to back down. The nine tails attack happens in ten days, setting everything into motion. If he doesn''t get stronger in the next two years all his plans will fail.


    Mangetsu looks at him, hoping his little brother isn''t this stubborn. "If you can make me serious, even if it''s just for a second, I will teach you."


    Zitsu frowns slightly, his head lowered. Taking a deep breath he looks at Mangetsu. "Don''t go back on your words." Sheathing his sword he runs away.


    Watching him run away Mangetsu shakes his head.


    Cho and the others excitement fades, thinking the show is over.


    Zitsu suddenly stops on the other side of the pool. He''s on the far left and Mangetsu is on the far right, with the kids sitting in the center by the door.


    Zitsu bites his teeth as he looks at Mangetsu and makes a decision that could get him killed.


    Taking a deep breath he starts making rapid hand seals for one of his favorite jutsus.


    "Ushi, Sara, Oo, Nae, Ee, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Tori, Nae, Tora, Inu, Tora, Mee, Ushi, Hitsuji, Mee, Ee, Hitsuji, Nae, Jin, Sara, Tori, Tatsu, Tori, Ushi, Uma, Hitsuji, Tora, Mee, Nae, Sara, Oo, Ee, Tatsu, Hitsuji, Nae, Ushi, Sara, Tori, Jin, Nae, Ee, Tori"


    [Chakra 5/262]


    Pouring in almost all his chakra the jutsu activates.


    Mangetsu watched the kid make the hand seals but thought nothing of it. What can he possibly do? But his face suddenly changes.


    "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"


    Six dragon heads rise out of the water and release a defining roar. Clapping his palms together all six dragons rush towards Mangetsu leaving roaring waves in their wake. Zitsu''s body rocks up and down like a lone boat during a hurricane.


    Mangetsu tightens the grip on his sword, no matter his age this jutsu is impressive.


    "Water Transformation Jutsu" his body begins to drip as he launches himself at the dragon''s, his legs turning into a jet of water. His sword slashes leaving a silver glow in the air, destroying one of the dragons. But the other five approaches him from the left, right, below, his back and above.


    "Haaa!" His arm turns into a blur as he begins to rapidly swing his sword sending waves of chakra to collide with the five dragons. It doesn''t stop them, but it slows them down long enough to continue rushing forward, right towards Zitsu.


    "Dam, my chakra control still isn''t enough, used it all just for six dragons and still failed to land a hit." releasing his palms all five dragons turn into water and drop into the pool with a splash.


    Even though he failed, he still has a smile on his face. Because of that jutsu, he leveled his Ninjutsu to 6 and leveled up to 4 giving him a perk point. His Taijutsu is now 4 and Ninjutsu 6, to get his level to 5 he has to level one of his skills four more times.


    Mangetsu arriver in front of him shortly after he separated his palms, pointing his sword at his chest.


    "Kid not bad, but using water jutsu on a member of the Hozuki clan is a waste of time. I blocked your skill to show respect for your power, but even if I stayed still it wouldn''t hurt me. So you failed, go swing your sword." Turning around he swaggers off.


    Zitsu''s face goes pale. Did he really forget that? Using a water jutsu was the worse possible move! He got caught up being in the land of mist, and using water jutsu, that he forgot who he was fighting! He should have used an earth jutsu!


    Shaking his head he sits down to regain his chakra and puts his point into chakra reduction to bring it up to 6%. He noticed that the way it reduces the cost of Ninjutsu is by increasing his chakra control. Thinking this far, he wonders if it stacks with the reduced chakra cost from Genjutsu.


    Chojuro, Taisho, and the twins mouths are still hanging open. They look at each other for a moment before one of them finally speaks.


    "Can any of you do that?" Taisho whispers softly so Mangetsu and Zitsu can''t hear him.


    "Not even close."


    "We don''t even know and jutsu!"


    Emina and Eminu shake their head.


    They all look at Chojuro whos staring at Zitsu with wide eyes.


    "No way this kid can do it, or he wouldn''t be here practicing with us."


    As the words leave Taisho''s mouth his face turns series. "We need to practice seriously, or we will be left behind."


    Not wasting any time he begins pushing on the water.


    The twins face turns serious as they push their hands into the water.


    Looking at everyone else, Chojuro practices as well.

 16 Genin?!?

    As Mangetsu walks away his brows begin to furrow, even he a Genin doesn''t have enough chakra to make six water dragons. So how does a four-year-old kid have enough? Glancing over his shoulder at Zitsukani he shakes his head. Gripping his sword he begins practicing more seriously than before.


    It takes an hour and a half for Zitsu to regain his chakra. As he opens his eyes he sees the other four kids still trying to practice water walking, without even the basic of wall walking it will take them some time. Drawing his sword he rises to his feet.


    Thinking about how Mangetsu''s sword was able to plunge him into the water he begins to swing his sword. After a few swings, he realizes that his sword has no power, and unless he''s aiming for death by a thousand cuts his sword is useless. But trying to add strength to his sword wrecks his chakra flow and form.


    As he swings his sword he glances at Mangetsu and copies his movements. After a few swings, he feels something move in his body. Performing the same movements again he focuses on his body, suddenly as he swings his sword he can feel chakra begin to travel from his core, up his chest, into his shoulder, down his arm, and finally into his sword as he completes the swing.


    His eyes open wide at his new discovery. As the chakra travels along that pathway every bit of his bodies power is transferred into the sword. What he was doing before was just swinging the sword, but this is putting all your body into the sword. Using just your arms to transmit power is a joke!


    A broad smile forms on his face, of all the moves he copied from Mangetsu only this diagonal slash gave him this feeling. On earth, the only thing he was good at was being a fan of Naruto, but that took him to incredible places. If the only thing you can do is be a Naruto fan then be the best Naruto fan there is, and if the only thing he can do is a diagonal slash then he will become the best at it.


    Taking a breath he begins repeating the move over and over. As he does he realizes the more chakra he puts in the stronger it will become, but if he puts in too much right now he loses control and breaks his form. As his strength increases in the future, so will this swing.


    Mangetsu finds it hard to hide his shock, he noticed the kid copying his moves but never thought he would learn it. This kid is a freak! Glancing at the other four kids he calms down. Looking at the kid he decides that he needs to talk to his trainer, this kid is too talented.


    After five hours of resting and practice, Zitsu sits in the water with a smile on his face. Closing his eyes he looks at his stats.


    Level 4


    [Health 110]


    [Chakra 252/265]


    [Stamina 106/125]


    [30 Points]


    [Taijutsu 4, Ninjutsu 6, Genjutsu 0]


    [Ninjutsu cost reduced by 6%]


    Satisfied he rises to his feet to continue practicing, but suddenly three people walk in. Looking over he sees Unkei, Dayu, and Mei.


    "Everyone time for Ninjutsu training, step outside" Mei''s voice rings throughout the building.


    The three then turn around and leave.


    Sheathing his Katana he begins walking towards the door. Because he was the furthest, he was the last to exit. Arriving outside he stands next to the kids.


    Seeing Zitsu arrive, Mei opens her mouth. "The Mizukage can''t come here and teach you personally, so Dayu will fill in."


    "Hey" Dayu waves his hand, his face a little downcast.


    Mei claps her hands "Ok break into your groups and do your own thing." Looking at Cho and Zitsu she walks off.


    Following after her, they walk a good distance away from everyone else. As the only thing on this big plateau is is the training ground and apartment there is a lot of space.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Hows training been for you guys?" Mei looks at the two.


    "Zitsu is awesome! His sword goes zoom zoom! He makes monsters out of the water and makes them go swoosh!" Cho''s arms start swinging everywhere as he tries his best to explain.


    Mei''s brows rise in confusion. She saw him standing in the water, but she expected that since she saw him spinning the card. But she has no idea what else he is talking about. With a pleading look, she turns towards Zitsu.


    Feeling her gaze Zitsu shrugs "I know Water Dragon Jutsu."


    Hearing this Mei freezes for a second. "You just happen to know a B-ranked jutsu?" She squints her eyes at him "What else do you know?"


    Zitsu thinks for a second before making a tiger hand seal "Water Clone Jutsu" as he finishes his words he spits water from his mouth and it turns into a clone of himself, sword and all.


    [Chakra 244/265]


    Seeing this Mei smacks her lips "That''s it?"


    "Yes, that''s it" Zitsu nods his head, as he does the water clone collapses into a puddle.


    She stares at him for a second before shaking her head. "In two days it will be time for a graduation at the academy, all who pass will become Genin and receive their Jonin instructors."


    Zitsu instantly frowns "If you''re trying to get rid of me I''d rather stay here."


    "Stupid, why would I get rid of someone I''m training, but If you become a Genin I can take you on my missions." A smile forms on her face as she finishes her words.


    "Zitsu''s eyes light up as he hears her words "Ok I''ll go!"


    "Good, but for now sit down, I have things to teach you both."


    "Ok"x2


    Before she can speak Mangetsu walks over. Standing right next to Zitsu he points at his head "This kid is talented, being trapped here is a waste of his future."


    Mei looks at him and raises her brows. For a genius of the sword to say someone is talented, how good must he be? Nodding her head for a second she opens her mouth. "You did an excellent job Mangetsu, I''ll see if I can get your punishment lifted and find a replacement for this project."


    "Thanks a lot, Mei sensei!" he bows slightly and turns to leave the plateau, even though he''s smiling his shark teeth make him look sinister.


    Mei follows him with her eyes before turning back to Cho and Zitsu.


    "Ok, where was I, Right. Chakra is the energy inside you, its broken down into two parts. Physical and spiritual, the spiritual part can be trained through using jutsu or chakra control. Physical, as the name suggests, is increased by strengthening your body. You both understand?" she glances between them.


    Both nod their head, Cho with sparkling eyes.


    "Good, to perform jutsu you have to perform hand seals, hand seals help you mold chakra to perform the corresponding jutsu." She pauses and looks at Zitsu "But hand seals aren''t important, all they do is help you. If you are good at nature transformation and shape control, a jutsu that requires forty-four hand seals can be reduced down to one." A smile forms on her face as she looks back towards Cho. "But that''s too advanced for now."


    "What I''m going to show you now is the seals for the transformation jutsu." her hands begin to form seals "Dog Boar Ram, Transformation jutsu."


    As she finishes she surrounded in a puff of smoke and turns into Mangetsu. Holding up two fingers she reverts back.


    "As you can see, it''s simple. You guys give it a try."


    Cho jump to his feet and forms the seals "Transformation Jutsu!" He''s surrounded in a puff of smoke and turns into a strange version of Zitsu, all of the body parts are rectangular.


    "A good first attempt" nodding her head she turns to Zitsu.


    Smacking his lips he makes the hand seals "Transformation Jutsu" After the smoke clears the figure of Kisame stands there.


    Mei''s eyes narrow "Only know two jutsu?"


    Kisame shrugs his shoulders "It''s my first time using Transformation Jutsu I swear." Zitsu''s voice comes from Kisame''s body.


    Mei waves her hand "Whatever. To release the jutsu you just have to stop supplying chakra"


    Both of them hold up two fingers and are surrounded in a puff of smoke as they turn back.


    "Now practice the Transformation Jutsu to increase your chakra control"


    Nodding their heads they begin to practice. After a few hours, the sun begins to set.


    Mei nods her head, Zitsu''s transformations are almost perfect so the last hour he spent his time training by rotating his chakra. Looking at the setting sun she opens her mouth.


    "I see you guys are already learning water walking, keep it up as it''s good practice. I mostly came here to check your progress today and explain the basics." She stops and looks at Zitsu "I''ll be back in two days to take you for the test." She looks at Chojuro "Keep it up, you are making steady progress." Nodding her head she holds up two fingers and disappears.


    Cho and Zitsu look at each other for a moment.


    "Let''s go home" Zitsu begins walking back to the apartments, his left arm resting on the sheath. Because he''s short the sheath sticks out pretty far to the left.


    Seeing him walk away Cho follows with his spirits high from doing his first jutsu.


    As they start walking everyone else finishes too, and they form a small gang of five with Zitsu in the middle as they approach the apartments.

 17 Im The Teacher Now

    Arriving at the apartment they all split up to go to their rooms. As he stands in front of his door he has a sudden idea, turning around he heads for the stairs. Walking up the stairs he heads for the third floor.


    Arriving in front of room 3-B he reaches out his hand to open the door, and to his surprise, it actually opens.


    "Hello?! Anyone here?" Walking inside he notices that it looks just like his apartment, except its missing all the paintings.


    After making sure that the place was empty a smile surfaces on his face. "Shadow Clone Jutsu" crossing his fingers he begins to divide his chakra into 13 parts.


    [Chakra 20/265]


    Twelve clones appear around him. They all size each other up for a moment as they notice the sword was copied.


    "Ok clones, no rush today. I want you all to regen all your chakra and make three more clones each, bringing the total to forty-eight."


    All the clones nod as if they are listening to important information.


    "Then I want twenty of you practicing the sensory technique, another twenty practicing the sword, and the last eight to practice shape manipulation to increase spiritual chakra and practice. Your job will also be to make more clones when one of the forty get inspiration and releases." His eyes travel over his twelve copies.


    A single clone steps forward "No need for all the explanation, we know what to do." as his words fall the remaining eleven nod.


    "I knew I can trust myself." The corners of his lip twitch as he turns around and leaves. As he walks out the door he can hear it lock behind him.


    Walking down the stairs he arrives in front of his room. Holding out his hand a key appears in his palm, when he was watching his mom paint yesterday she gave it to him. Unlocking the door he heads inside, as he does the key vanishes. Inside he sees his mom painting with a smile.


    "Mom, I''m going to become a Genin soon!"


    His mother''s paintbrush falls to the floor as her eyes go wide. She turns her head slowly to look her son up and down. "Are you sure that''s what they said? Aren''t you too young?"


    Looking at his mom''s surprised face he tilts his head to the side "I''m sure my teacher said Genin."


    "Your father didn''t become a Genin until he was thirteen years old" a smile forms on her face "That means all your talent comes from me, maybe your mom should have been a ninja too."


    Zitsu smiles as he nods as head lightly "Mom definitely would have been the best. I''m getting up at the same time tomorrow mom so I''m going to head into my room!"


    Picking up her brush she waves her hand "Ok, rest well. You don''t want to let your teacher down."


    Flashing a grin he goes into his room, his face becoming series. "Clones can help me increase spiritual chakra, but it''s up to me to increase physical. I''ll start with 100 push-ups, 100 situps, and a 10k run when I wake up. Smiling to himself he begins to exercise."


    Because of his high stamina for his age, he could complete a lot of repetitions. Whenever his muscles became sore he used Mystical Palm to heal them, which he discovered to be a cheat. The torn muscles that should have taken time to heal and strengthen could be done almost immediately. As he discovered this he began to wonder if this is how Tsunade and Sakura got so strong.


    As he was training he could feel the stress on his mind increasing as all the clones were made. The more clones the harder it is to concentrate on all the links to keep the technique from breaking. After while he could feel information from the sensory technique and Kenjutsu flow into his head. He noticed he gained no Taijutsu experience so they must not be practicing with each other to avoid the noise.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    As he trained, he begins to think about everything. The nine tails attack will be in nine days, there''s nothing he can do to gain anything from it but it''s sort of a countdown for him. Once the attack happens everything in Konoha will be set in motion. The only thing he can do from Kiri to weaken Naruto is stopping Zabuza. If Zabuza and Haku never show up in the land of waves, stopping Gato will be a piece of cake for them then. Without Zabuza and Haku, Naruto and Sasuke won''t mature and stay irresponsible.


    But he doesn''t know if he himself can stop Zabuza, all he knows is that he will appear in two years to wreck the academy graduation exam. Frowning, he remembers he has to Kill someone to become a Genin.


    "Can I do it? I knew to be a ninja you had to kill, but can I do it?" As he does squats he closes his eyes, his face constantly moving in strange directions. Taking a deep breath he opens his eyes.


    "This is the path I must walk, I can''t just be a side character."


    Like that, the night passed slowly. He doesn''t know if it''s because of his Skyrim stats, but as long as he rests for a bit his stamina completely recover, and with the amount of stamina he has, it takes hours to run out. Feeling that it''s time, he leaves his room.


    After eating a home cooked breakfast he grabs his sword and heads towards the entrance to the apartment, but today Chojuro, Taisho, Emina, and Eminu are all waiting for him.


    "Let''s go." As he walks past them they begin to follow, causing a smile to creep on his face. As he nears the training facility he closes his eyes to check last nights efforts.


    Level 4


    [Health 110]


    [Chakra 272/272]


    [Stamina 125/128]


    [30 Points]


    From his clones constantly releasing, his chakra remained almost full all the time, causing him to believe the Shadow Clone Jutsu is the greatest jutsu in the world. He saw Naruto use this technique for Sage chakra, but he never thought It could be abused like this. Even now his clones are still practicing in the room.


    Arriving inside the training facility he notices the absence of Mangetsu. Walking into the water a few steps he turns around and sits down.


    "I will be training you in water walking today."


    As the words leave his mouth it causes the other kids eyes to light up.


    "The key is to be flexible, don''t try and use the same amount of chakra on all the parts of your body. Picture this, instead of trying to make a brick of chakra to float on, make a cloth that moves with the waves."


    "What do you mean a cloth?" Emina, the long-haired twin opens her mouth.


    Looking at everyone''s confused faces he thinks for a moment. "If you put something hard in the water it will constantly flip over, cloth is soft so it will form and take on the shape of the water surface until it sinks. But chakra won''t sink, what I mean is don''t make your chakra hard and firm, let the water shape the chakra and you just keep supplying it."


    Nodding their heads they begin to practice.


    "Taisho your putting in too much chakra causing the water to be disturbed."


    Taisho looks up and nods


    "Emina your chakra supply is unstable and its causing your hand to sink, look at Eminu she''s almost got it."


    One sister frowns while the other smiles, a complete contrast.


    Looking at Chojuro he smiles


    "Cho you basically got it down, try walking on water now."


    "Ok! Here I go!" He puts his first foot into the water and then the next foot. After taking three careful steps a smile blooms on his face as he looks to Zitsu, but as he does he sinks into the water.


    Shaking his head Zitsu pulls him up.


    "Fool, don''t break your concentration."


    After two more hours, all four of the kids are walking carefully in the water. In two more hours, they are running. With Zitsu pointing out their mistakes the technique was not hard for them to learn.


    Zitsu paces back and forth, looking at the four kids before him. "Choosing a sword is about choosing what''s best for you, not what''s cool. Some swords look strange but it might be a better fit for you." Pointing at the wall of swords he looks at the smiles on their faces.


    "Remember, these are not toys and can kill you or someone else. Go pick a sword."


    "Yes"x4


    The first to pick a sword was Taisho. After looking around for a bit he grabs a curved scimitar.


    Seeing this Zitsu nods. With his long arms he can use them like a whip, emphasizing the speed needed for that sword.


    Emina grabs a long sword and Eminu grabs a cleaver.


    Seeing the cleaver in a young girls hand causes him to shutter, getting flashbacks to some of the anime he''s seen.


    The last to pick was Chojuro. In the end, he picked a broadsword.


    "Now everyone spread out and swing your swords!"


    Everyone moved away with smiles on their faces.


    Watching them leave his face became serious. "I need to get real combat practice before tomorrow." He began to make hand seals "Water Clone Jutsu!"


    [Chakra 232/272]


    Five clones of himself rose from the water and drew their swords.

 18 Hurt

    The five clones begin to circle him, the clones only have 10% of his power, but in this case, 1+1+1+1+1 does not equal 5. With them combining forces he has to watch out for sneak attacks.


    His eyes dart in between them as he draws his sword. As if that was the signal, they all dash at him.


    Refusing to be besieged on all sides he rushes at the clone in front of him. They both only know one sword move so it''s no surprise.


    Gripping the handle he twists his hands left so the blade is pointing behind him over his left shoulder. The clone does the same thing but over the right.


    "HA!" Getting within striking distance he can feel all the power in his body move from his toes, up his leg, across his body, and into his right shoulder. His left-hand releases the sword as the blade forms an arc in the air. As it reaches the apex all the energy travels through his arm as he begins swinging it down diagonally. As the blades get ready to cross in the air all of the power is transferred into the sword.


    As the blades cross in the air his sword completely slashes through the clones blade and body, reducing it to water. Wasting no time he dives and rolls forward as four swords slash down at his previous position.


    Before he even has time to get up, he twists around and holds up his sword as the sound of metal clashing rings throughout the room. As his stance was broken and he was in a rush, he was completely overpowered.


    Zitsu is flung backward, causing him to skid across the water creating a massive wake as he slides a few yards away. Rolling over he sees four clones rushing towards him. Quickly rising to his feet he rushes towards the clones.


    As they near each other the clones raise their swords, getting ready to perform the diagonal cut. Seeing this Zitsu''s eyes flash "I was wrong."


    As the clones arms rise, his arm slashes out in a horizontal cut. He doesn''t have the same feeling of transferring all the power in his body, but his chakra is not impeded. His blade draws across the gut of two clones, and as he''s ready to slash into the third, their blades come slashing down and into his back.


    "AHH" Chojuro screams as he sees Zitsu''s blood dye the water red.


    Zitsu falls sinks into the water as a burning pain travels across his back with clouds of blood forming from his wounds. Because of the pain, his concentration was broken, causing the water and shadow clones to disappear. And because of all the information transmitted back from forty-eight clones at the same time his brain is overloaded, causing him to sink in a daze.


    Taisho rushes over and dives into the water, his long arms plunging down and grabbing his shirt to pull him up. Dragging him to the side of the pool he lays Zitsu down on his stomach.


    "What do we do? Is he dead?!?" Emina begins to panic.


    "Should we get our parents?" Eminu suggests in a calm voice as she grips her cleaver.


    Cho gets on his knees and begins to shake Zitsu "Are you ok?! Hey! Hey! Wake up!"


    "He is awake don''t you see his eyes are open!" because of the atmosphere and the blood running down his back Taisho begins to panic as well.


    As if responding to their screams Zitsu blinks once. After processing all the information his brain started functioning normally. "Uhhh" as the pain from his back hits him he lets out a soft moan.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Zitsu you''re ok!" Chojuro becomes excited as he sees him move.


    Taisho lets out a breath of relief, afraid he''d get in trouble if something happened to him.


    Emina turns to her sister and smiles "I knew he was ok."


    Eminu just nods at her.


    Zitsu struggles to sit up, each movement causing blood to gush from his wounds. "Guys I''m ok, go and practice."


    Everyone looks at him with a dubious face as the purse their lips.


    "Go! I''m ok"


    Hesitating for a moment Taisho walks away. Emina and Eminu stare at him a while longer, but eventually turn and walk away. Chojuro stares at him with furrowed brow, refusing to leave.


    "Go, or you will fall behind" he repeats it again.


    Chojuro bites his teeth as he stands up and leaves.


    Watching them all walk away for a moment, a smile forms on his face and he closes his eyes.


    Level 4


    [Health 78/110]


    [Chakra 214/272]


    [Stamina 92/128]


    [30 Points]


    [Taijutsu 7, Ninjutsu 6, Genjutsu 0]


    [Ninjutsu cost reduced by 6%]


    He crosses his fingers "Shadow Clone Jutsu"


    [Chakra 107/272]


    A clone appears behind him and immediately begins making hand seals "Mystical Palm"


    The clone begins healing his back and he smiles. Watching the others practice he begins to think about what he could have done differently.


    "Charging in 1v4 probably wasn''t the best idea." Shaking his head he thinks of a solution.


    "A long ranged jutsu would have been perfect. The one-handed jutsu perk is pretty far up the tree." Suddenly he takes a deep breath "I guess it''s time to learn to use shuriken."


    After a few minutes the clone finished healing him, as the clone releases he watches his Ninjutsu bar level-up to 7 and fills up by 1/5 of the remaining amount.


    As his Ninjutsu levels up his total level increases to 5 giving him another perk point and 10 more stat points.


    Rising to his feet he jumps into the pool to receive his sword. Rising to the surface he sits down to recover his chakra and stamina.


    The shock he got from the overload of information actually helped him, focusing chakra into his brain he is able to pick up the chakra of people in one hundred feet. He can''t see them, but he knows they''re there.


    After resting for thirty minutes he Puts his perk point into Ninjutsu, raising his reduction to 8%. Rising to his feet he begins swinging his sword horizontally.


    "I can''t just rely on that diagonal slash to get by or I''ll be filled with openings, I need to find the right rhythm to produce the same feeling in all my slashes."


    He swings the sword horizontally and then diagonally to see the difference, but can''t figure anything out, and all his clones are gone. As he practices his sword he tries to keep his sensory technique active to train that as well.


    "As long as the student isn''t like Mangetsu it shouldn''t be hard tomorrow." His face turns series at the thought of killing someone the next day.


    Everyone practices until the sun begins to set. Cho, Taisho, Emina, and Eminu got used to swinging their weapons but without instruction, they cant make and improvements.


    Zitsu wasn''t able to improve his swordplay either, so he focused on keeping the sensory technique activated.


    Leaving the building they head towards the apartment, and everyone is looking at Zitsu''s back. His clothes are still torn but the cut is gone.


    Arriving in front of 3-B he tries to open the door, but it''s locked. His brows wrinkle as he thinks for a moment.


    "Ah" he makes the ram hand seal "Hiding in Surface Technique"


    [Chakra 268/273]


    Touching the door his body begins to pass through it. After a few seconds, he appears on the other side.


    "Shadow Clone Jutsu" Crossing his fingers he divides his chakra into thirteen parts again.


    [Chakra 20/273]


    "Ok, you guys know the deal. The same breakdown as last time, but I want the sword group to practice a vertical and horizontal slash."


    "Just go home, you don''t have to explain to us. We know everything you know from the moment we are created."


    Shrugging his shoulders he opens the door and leaves. When he gets home he tries his best not to show his back to his mom as he sneaks into his room.


    Opening his armoire he looks at his clothes. His clothes suddenly disappear from his body and he reaches into the armoire. In the next second clothes just appear on his body. He''s wearing a long sleeve blue shirt with black trim around the collar, sleeves, and hem. The sleeves are very baggy and come down to his palms. His pants are solid black and the ends are tucked into his blue ninja shoes.


    Leaning the Katana against the wall he begins to train his body. He doesn''t know if its bad for a four-year-old to train, but this world has chakra so it should be ok, plus he can heal his muscles. As he trains he keeps the sensory technique active, allowing him to sense his mom in the next room and even the clones upstairs.


    "Tomorrow is the big day. I also need to see if Mei can give me some shuriken to practice with as well."


    Thinking about tomorrow''s battle his eyes turn serious.

 19 Graduation Exam

    An hour before sunrise Zitsukani sits on the bed with his legs crossed as he adjusts his state of mind. The clones begin releasing one by one as he consolidates the information from the night. With twenty clones practicing the sword from sunset to sunrise it equals ten days.


    Rising to his feet he grabs his sword. Drawing the blade he uses it to cut his hair shorter. Taking a deep breath he leaves the room with sword in hand.


    His mom has black rings around her eyes. Looking at her son she tries to smile. She knows this is important to him, but can''t help but worry. Setting the table she sits down.


    "Mom, don''t worry it will be ok" leaning his sword against the table he sits down.


    Yura grabs his hand, using her thumb to rub the back of his hand. "I''m just worried, I know your teacher wouldn''t put you up unless you were ready" releasing his hand she just looks at his face with a smile.


    He begins eating his food in silence, truth be told, Mangetsu has him scared. If he gets partnered with any like that he will die.


    It only takes a few minutes to finish eating. Hugging his mother to calm her, and himself, he leaves.


    Arriving at the entrance he sees Cho, Taisho, Emina, and Eminu. Nodding at each other they begin moving towards the training center.


    As they draw near they see Mei sitting on a stone block, one leg over the other. Standing next to her is a tall and burly man. He was completely bald and even lacked eyebrows. His dark eyes were completely sunken in, giving his face a morbid feeling. He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves torn off, leaving only frayed edges that expose his scared muscular arms. Long tattered black pants tucked into boots that extend halfway up his calf. The most noticeable thing was the silver claymore on his back.


    Mei jumps from the block "Good, bright and early. We didn''t know how long we''d have to wait."


    She points at the man next to her "This is your new sword instructor, his name is Anzai Soda."


    Anzai takes a step forward and looks at the kids "You are just beginners, but I see you have your weapons which is good. I don''t like to waste time so let''s go." As soon as he finishes speaking he goes inside.


    "Everyone but Zitsu go in." Mei points at the door.


    "Good luck Zitsu" Taisho slaps his shoulder before walking inside.


    Chojuro gives him a hug and goes in as well.


    "Just because you are becoming a Genin first, don''t think that we won''t catch up" Emina points at his face with wide eyes.


    Eminu grabs her hand and pulls her towards the entrance "Good luck Zitsukani."


    Mei watches this scene with a smile. "You have some good friend huh?"


    Zitsu shrugs "They listen really well" looking up at Mei his eyes turn serious "Do you think I have a good chance."


    Mei looks at him for a while before walking away. "Everyone has a chance to die if they''re careless."


    Following her, he thinks about what she said. Walking for a few minutes they pass through the tunnel and enter the central building again.


    Even though it''s early in the morning a lot of shinobis are moving about and the atmosphere feels heavy. Every ninja he sees have bags under their eye and fresh scars on the visible parts of their bodies.


    "The Mizukage has every ninja working overtime, and a lot have to take missions above their capabilities." Seeing his gave wonder she explains the details.


    "Have you been going on missions as well?"


    "Of course." She nods her head.


    Walking through the center they eventually arrive on the path towards the academy.


    Looking at the academy surrounded in mist he takes a deep breath.


    Mei looks at him and smiles "Kid when you become a Genin you have to go on missions with me, don''t you think it''s too soon to be nervous?"


    Hearing her words causes his mouth to drop a bit "This is only the first step." A small smile forms on his face as they enter the academy.


    Sitting at the desk like always is Taketa, seeing Mei he stands up and walks over. Looking down at Zitsu he smiles. "Never thought I''d see you back here again so soon."


    "I brought him here for the test, is everything ready?" Mei raises her brows.


    "Follow me." Waving his hand he begins walking towards the stairs.


    Walking down the stairs they arrive at the first door. Taketa opens the door and walks in.


    Before Zitsu walks in Mei holds out her hand. "I have to go, when you''re done you can head back."


    Watching her raise her hand Zitsu quickly sends chakra to his brain to activate his sensory technique. As her fingers raise he sense her chakra rapidly dash from his range.


    "I need to practice Body Flicker and Substitution Jutsu." He shakes his head "Too many things to do."


    Looking in the room he smiles, inside he can sense twenty-nine chakra signatures. Taking a step forward he walks inside.


    The room has two levels. The top level is shaped like a giant U. The door is on the bottom of the U, Taketa stands there with another man. The man has medium length brown hair tied back with his ninja headband and a pair of black glasses. He''s wearing a standard black shirt, pants, and blue flak jacket.


    On the sides are a bunch of kids ranging from ten to fifteen years old. And at the top of the U are staircases leading down to a pool of water.


    Taketa looks at Zitsu before turning back towards the instructor "This is Zitsukani, he''s here for the exams."


    The instructor looks down at Zitsu and frowns "Just go stand with the others."


    "I''ll leave it to you then" Taketa turns and walks away.


    Zitsu isn''t bothered by the looks and walks to the left side. He ends up standing next to a twelve-year-old boy with a mohawk and two swords on his back.


    "We will now begin the graduation exams!" The instructor''s voice booms "This tradition was started by the Third Mizukage, someone who lived during the chaotic times. He believed that a shinobi needs to be able to act in the field and not hesitate when it''s time. He saw too many allies die because some failed to do what needed to be done. So if you cannot kill, you cannot be shinobi."


    The instructor''s eyes scan the room. "The first match is Hisashi vs Ebizo."


    Looking around he sees two people walk down below. He doesn''t see a referee or hear any rules, a no rules battle to the death.


    They look around the same age, around twelve years old. One kid pulls out a kunai and the other and the other a tanto. He can''t tell which is which, but they are both wearing normal looking street clothes.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Begin!"


    They both charge at the same time when suddenly the guy with the kunai lunges forward. The tanto wielder draws an arc with his foot kicking up a wave of water. Jumping back he tucks his tanto under his arms and performs hand seals, suddenly five clones appear around him.


    When the Kuni wielder arrives on the other side he sees six people causing him to pause for a moment. Six people wielding tantos surround him and begin to circle. They suddenly all rush at him at the same time.


    The boy wielding the kunai eyes begin to dart about, randomly he runs toward one of the tanto wielders.


    The boy wielding the tanto smiles as he sees him attacking the wrong body, but suddenly his eyes go wide.


    Throwing the kunai behind him he lodges it into the opponent''s gut. Jumping up and twisting around his heel connect with his opponent''s chin causing him to fall into the water.


    "Fool, your clones didn''t cause ripples."


    Pulling out another kunai he plunges it into the water, filling it with a cloud of blood.


    "Winner Hisashi!"


    Hisashi spins his bloody kunai before putting it back into his bag and walking up the stairs.


    "Next battle is Matsuta vs Aeko."


    While he stares at the corps in the water that''s still pumping out blood, slowly dying the water red, two more people walk down.


    This time it''s a fifteen-year-old boy with spiked brass knuckles, vs a girl who looks ten years old. Looking at her he doesn''t see any weapon.


    "Begin!"


    As soon as his words fall the girl jumps back and begins performing hand seals. "Dragon, Tiger, Hare, Water Release: Wild Water Wave!" Holding up two fingers next to her mouth, she begins spitting out a stream of water.


    "What a joke!" Jumping in the air, the boy begins running on the stream due to the lack of power in the jutsu.


    The girl begins to panic and ends the technique, but the boy is already in front of her.


    He swings his left hand down in an overhead punch, utilizing his height advantage.


    The girl jumps to the side, barely dodging the punch. But a smile forms on the boys face. Spinning like a top, the back of his right-hand whips around and hits her collarbone.


    A loud audible crack is heard as the girl flyes back from the impact.


    "AhhHa" the girl skids across the water but manages to stay afloat, her left arm dangling.


    "I give up I give up!" The girl begins to scream.


    Zitsu looks over at the instructor and sees his cold face.


    "Hahaha!" The boy laughs with a wild grin as he arrives in front of the girl. Reaching out with both hands he picks her up by the neck and chokes her, a crazed look in his eyes.


    "Ahkaah" The girl begins to struggle and flail as she chokes to death. Her two little feet begin kicking the boy in the chest, but he just stands there.


    As Zitsu watches the girl slowly die, the boy collapses to the ground, blood pouring from his chest. "What?!"


    A lot of people instantly become confused as they watch the girl gasp for air.


    "Aeko wins!"


    As the girl wall up the stairs holding her shoulder, Zitsu spots blades on the toes of her shoes. Sucking in a breath of air, he learned a valuable lesson.


    As the fights went on bodies began to pile up in the water. Zitsu''s name was never called so he continued to watch the fights. The longer he watches the more he realizes why the mist wasn''t a major power in Naruto, almost all the good ninjas were dead. From what he''s seen, most of these students have the battle prowess of Sakura when she just graduated from the academy. He finally sees why the Konoha eleven were a big deal.


    After twelve rounds they finally call the name of the person next to him.


    "Next match Tokutomi vs Shuncho"


    He was able to figure out his name was Shuncho because the other boy started moving when the first name was called.


    The two boys arrive at the blood red pool and look at each other. Shuncho draws both his longsword and stares at Tokutomi.


    Tokutomi looks to be around ten or eleven years old, as he sees Shuncho draw his sword he smiles and puts his hands in his pocket.


    "Begin!"


    "Kenjutsu Art: Sword Drill!" Shuncho waste no time and shoots forward with his swords as he spins through the air.


    Tokutomi jumps backward and throws out over twenty paper bombs from his pocket.


    Before Shuncho even gets a chance to retreat, all the bombs explode into a cloud of flames and smoke, completely enveloping Shuncho and pushing Tokutomi back.


    Zitsu''s mouth hangs open wide, refusing to believe that just happened, but he must, even though the smoke hasn''t cleared Shuncho''s chakra signature is gone.


    Tokutomi rises to his feet with a smile on his face. As the smoke clears all that remains are floating chunks of flesh and scattered bones.


    After waiting a few seconds the instructor opens his mouth "Tokutomi wins."


    The remaining people in the room look at Tokutomi as he climbs the stairs, unsure how to feel. Most of them won after giving everything they had, but he just blew his opponent up. Maybe Shuncho could have won if he knew what type of opponent he was facing, but he was arrogant and dived right into battle.


    "Final match, Kikyo vs Zitsukani" as the instructor finishes speaking the corners of his lips curl ever so slightly.


    Finally hearing his name called Zitsu makes his way down to the bloody water. Looking at his opponent in front of him, he notices it''s an eleven to a twelve-year-old girl. The girl had blonde bob cut hair and dark green eyes. She was wearing a grey Poncho that came down to her thighs, dark purple pants, and black ninja shoes.


    Looking at Zitsu she smiles "Sorry to kill you little boy, but feel proud to die by the hands of the Baba clan."


    Zitsu tilts his head in confusion.


    "Begin!"


    Kikyo''s poncho starts to flutter as she rises into the air "Kekkei Genkai: Flight of the witch!" She quickly rises high into the air and looks down at Zitsu


    Zitsu draws his sword and looks up at her confused, what can she do from up there?


    Kikyo smiles "Kekkei Genkai: Soul lantern!" Thirteen lanterns fly out her body and head towards the water.


    Seeing this Zitsu jumps back, but they don''t even come close to him. Suddenly thirteen milky white substances shoot up from the water and enter the lanterns. As they do the lanterns transform into the previous thirteen contestants.


    Seeing this he knows the instructor set him up, why else would this girl go last? Why is he fighting her?


    The thirteen soul clones begin to dash towards Zitsu.


    "Tsk" clicking his tongue he tucks his katana under his arm and clasps his hands together into a tiger seal "Water Clone Jutsu!"


    [Chakra 63/273]


    Thirty water clones rise from the bloody water and begin slashing at the soul clones. The soul clones may be stronger, but they have no weapons, can''t use jutsu, and are completely outnumbered. This technique isn''t even close to being as good as impure world resurrection unless used on a Taijutsu expert.


    Zitsu smiles as he watches his clones cut into the souls, every time their cut they keep regenerating. But Zitsu is happy, he noticed the water clones are different from shadow clones, when they fight he gets Ninjutsu experience directly instead of the Taijutsu experience he gets when the shadow clones do battle and release.


    Watching his Ninjutsu bar rapidly fill he''s excited.


    Kikyo begins grinding her teeth, every time a soul clone has to regenerate it takes some of her chakra. Her clones haven''t even been able to kill a single water clone of his due to them ganging up and waylaying on her clones, half of what they''re doing isn''t even sword techniques!


    Soon his Ninjutsu levels up to 8 and continues to rise.


    Kikyo begins to take out shuriken and throw them at Zitsu.


    Seeing this he begins blocking them with the side of his sword, like punting a baseball. Eventually, she runs out and has to give up.


    Seeing the seven shuriken sinking in the water he picks them all up and puts them in his inventory, acting like he''s tucking them in his sleeve. As he''s done he looks up and smiles at Kikyo.


    Seeing his smile her face turns beet red as she bites her teeth. Her flight begins to flutter and she struggles to stay afloat.


    Soon his Ninjutsu levels up to 9. Seeing this he runs into the crowd of his clones and shuffles around to confuse her. After running around for a few seconds he arrives at the back of a soul clone and uses his diagonal slash, instantly destroying it.


    Kikyo feels a massive drain on her chakra and slowly begins floating down.


    Seeing the experience he got from that he begins running around and performing diagonal cuts on all the clones.


    After destroying three more his Taijutsu levels up to 8. By the time he destroyed the last ten, his Taijutsu leveled up to 9 and his and Ninjutsu to 10 causing his level to increase to 6. Putting his perk point into Ninjutsu he finishes off the first perk, bringing Ninjutsu chakra cost down by 10%.


    As the last clone is destroyed the girl lands in the water, her face showing signs of chakra depletion.


    The water clones and Zitsu surround her.


    Seeing this the instructor furrows his brows, never expecting this outcome.


    Zitsu looks at the girl for a moment before taking a deep breath, his eyes turning cold.


    "I refuse to be a stepping stone for others."


    All twenty-four of the remaining water clones put away their sword before rushing at the girl. They take turns as they use their fist to beat the girl. When one clone runs out of chakra and turns to water, another replaces it. Even though no weapon is used the girl quickly becomes black and blue as her body begins to swell. Teeth crack and bones break, but the fist continues to fall. For a full ten minutes, until only two clones are left.


    During those ten minutes, his Ninjutsu leveled up to 14.


    The last two clone lifts the girl up by her armpits. The girl is bleeding from everywhere possible, her eye sockets crushed, and limbs broken. But she still lives. Her haggard chest rises and falls making a whistling sound, obviously from a pierce lung as her ribs were broken.


    Gripping his sword he walks to the girl. Lifting the sword over his shoulder he takes one final look at the girl, his eyes trembling a little.


    "I will never forget you."


    Putting in everything he''s learned of the sword into this attack, transferring every bit of power into the blade, the most powerful strike he can currently make, he swings his sword.


    As the blade arks in the air, a small silver trail can be seen behind the blade. As it comes down it first slices through the clone, then from the girl''s shoulder to her hip, and finally through the last clones legs. The water below splits slightly from the chakra shockwave produced by the sword.


    As the clones disperse, her body drops, slowly sinking into the pool of blood.

 20 First Mission

    As he stands there the whole room is silent for a while. After watching a four-year-old brutally beat someone with a Kekkei Genkai for over ten minutes, their entire worldview has changed.


    The instructors face looks horrible as he stares a the boy standing on the pool of blood. All he wanted to do was show that a student he trained was better than this special student, but now his best student is dead. If he put her against anyone else, she would have won for sure.


    From that slash, Zitsu''s Taijutsu leveled up to 11 and brought his level to 7. He noticed that once it got to five levels per level up it stopped increasing. Unsure of what to do with the perk point, he saves it for now.


    Taking a deep breath he looks up at instructor Anzai.


    Seeing the child''s gaze he opens his mouth "Winner Zitsukani" his voice sounds dull and lifeless.


    Zitsu sheaths his sword and walks up the stairs. What used to be a room of over twenty-nine people has been reduced to fifteen.


    Anzai looks at all the kids in the room, some more well off than others. "You all have passed the Academies graduation test. From this moment on you may say with pride that you are shinobi, you are ninja!" He slowly lifts his hand and points at each one of them.


    "A ninja''s job is to do missions for his village, to protect his village, and die for his village. With the passage of time, your names will be forgotten, but Kirigakure will stand."


    He turns around and heads for the door. "Some of you may have lost friends and loved ones here today, but from this moment on, we are all on the same team." As his words fade he walks out the door.


    Everyone looks at each other for a while, unsure of what to do.


    Not wanting to waste time Zitsu is the first to make a move.


    Everyone watches the four-year-old walk through the door before they finally make a move.


    As the fourteen of them arrive at the entrance of the academy they see Taketa standing by his desk, a desk proudly displaying fourteen Kiri headbands.


    "Hisashi, Aeko, Tokutomi, Manobu, Renzo, Ninsei, Kinji, Uka, Yokkako, Koume, Saburo, Renjiro, Yasutake, and Zitsukani." He calls out each name, ten boys, and four girls.


    "Here are your Ninja headbands, they represent you and will follow you for life. The moment you pick it up you will live as a Kiri ninja, and die as a Kiri ninja." His eyes scan all fourteen.


    Everyone had a serious face, even those with serious wound hid their pain. Stepping forward they all grabbed a headband.


    Holding his headband he realizes it''s too big for his head. For years he wanted to wear a real ninja headband and be apart of a village, and now that he has finally got one he can''t even put it on his head. Gripping the ends he ties it around his neck to wear as a necklace because it''s even too big to tie around his arms.


    Feeling proud of himself he stands a little more straight.


    As everyone is putting on or holding their headbands five people walk in. All five are dressed in white gowns and hats with the Kiri symbol.


    "Because some of you are seriously hurt the academy asked a medical team to take a break from their busy schedule to come and check you out" Taketa points at the medical staff.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Because this has nothing to do with him Zitsu leaves the academy. Looking at the civilians move through the mist he realizes what little contact he''s had with the world at large. But even if he wanted to go shopping or out to eat, he lacks the money. Shaking his head he begins the long walk back to the isolated training ground, hoping to see Mei.


    While walking he finally looked at his status.


    Level 7


    [Health 110/110]


    [Chakra 55/276]


    [Stamina 118/129]


    [60 Points]


    [PP 1]


    [Taijutsu 11, Ninjutsu 14, Genjutsu 0]


    [Ninjutsu cost reduced by 10%]


    If he put the point in ninjutsu the only thing he can do is unlock another nature release, which is pointless for now. Or he can wait till he gets Ninjutsu to 20 and unlocks [Increased Ninjutsu power by 2%], but the levels are getting harder to increase. To level from 14 to 15 he needs as much experience as the last four levels.


    Putting it in Genjutsu would be useless for now as he hasn''t practiced yin release at all, and any Genjutsu he cast will be worthless. With no better option, he puts the perk into Taijutsu, unlocking the first level and reducing his stamina consumption by 5%. He doesn''t see the point in decreasing something he never runs out of, but now that he''s put in one point he can use his next perk point on the second tier, [Increases damage with melee weapons by 5%] 0/3


    As he arrives back on the plateau he actually sees Mei sitting on the rock again. His eyes light up as he runs over.


    "You didn''t let me down." A smile blooms on her face. "While you were away, I got a mission. The danger is low, so if you want I can bring you with me."


    His brows lift slightly "What''s the mission?"


    "The Mizukage no longer want clans to independently run islands, and wants them all to fall under Kiri. My mission is to go to one of those clans as a delegate of sorts. If they join us it''s great." She slowly shakes her head "But if they refuse, they will be marked for extermination."


    "Are you the one exterminating?" he slowly looks her up and down, how is this not dangerous?


    She nods "It''s a small clan, so it should be alright."


    Zitsu thinks for a bit before he looks up at her "When do we leave?"


    "Now, that''s why I''m waiting here for you." She stands up from the block.


    "Can I go tell my mom first?" Zitsu panics a bit.


    Seeing his face Mei smiles and sits back down. "Don''t take to long, we have a ship to catch."


    Nodding his head he turns around and runs vigorously towards the apartment. The first thing he does is go to the third floor and into the extra room. He learned from last time and unlocked the door before he released his clones. Walking inside he crosses his fingers.


    "Shadow Clone Jutsu"


    [Chakra 27/276]


    He divides his chakra in half and makes one clone.


    "Regen chakra, make more clones, same as last time!" Finishing his words he slams the door and runs.


    The clone stands there shaking its head. "How many times does it take for him to remember we know what he''s thinking when he creates us?" Walking over it locks the door before sitting down to regen chakra.


    Running down to the second floor he opens the door to his apartment. He sees his mom inside cleaning.


    "Mom I passed!"


    Her eyes light up as she stops what she was doing. She immediately runs over and gives him a hug. "My baby is a ninja now" a smile finally returns to her face as the anxiety she felt all day is gone.


    "Mom I''m going on a mission with instructor Mei, we may be gone a couple days."


    His mom begins rubbing his little face with her thumbs, looking at the headband around his neck. "Your mom''s not stupid, she knows ninjas go on missions. Remember to do everything your instructor says and be safe." She gives him another hug.


    Hugging his mother for a few seconds she pushes him away.


    "Go, I can tell you''re in a hurry." She smiles lovingly as she pushes him towards the door.


    Zitsu nods his head as he walks towards the door, looking back to see his mom sending him off with a smile. His heart fills with warmth. Even if he has to walk down a trail of blood, his mother will still look at him with a smile on her face. Taking a breath he exits the apartment.


    Breaking into a full sprint he runs towards Mei, feeling the full effects of 5% reduced stamina cost.


    Seeing Zitsu running over she stands up. "I really need to teach you body flicker." She shakes her head "You really promoted too fast, but becoming a Genin sooner rather than later is a good thing."


    Zitsu nods his head, unsure how he should answer her question. Body flicker? His control is improving rapidly, so learning it shouldn''t be hard, but not getting hurt while using it is a different story.


    "We have to head towards the docks, the boat ride will take a day and a half." She begins sauntering off.


    Watching her walk away a smile forms on his face. With his clones here practicing he can go on his first mission without worry of losing out on training time.


    Not wanting her to get too far away, he chases after her.

 21 On a Boat

    Walking down an elevated stone path they get further and further from any buildings in the village. The mountains below begin transitioning into a forest as they approach the coast. Ahead of them is a harbor docked with ships of all sizes.


    "Is there anyone else on this mission with us?" Zitsu looks at Mei''s back.


    "A lot of different ninjas have missions on the island we are going to, but we are the only ones going to this particular clan." She turns her head back and answers softly.


    Zitsu thinks for a while before opening his mouth "How do you feel about all this?"


    Mei stops in her tracks before continuing to walk forward. "I think the objective is right but the means are wrong, but I will accomplish the mission given to me."


    Zitsu taps his finger on his cheek. The nine tails attack happens in around eight days, but he''s not sure if Yagura is being controlled yet. Ao should have his byakugan by now, but he doesn''t discover it for years.


    Suddenly his eyes light up. Maybe he just never dared to use the byakugan on the Mizukage? Coming to this conclusion everything makes sense. What Yagura is doing right now can be seen as him strengthening the village, but a lot of ninjas and clans are dying. This will actually weaken the land of water in the long run because after a few years and make people dissatisfied, causing a lot of people to abandon the village.


    Looking at Mei''s back his brows wrinkle. Shaking his head he decides to keep quiet, it''s not the right time. The time for him to make his move is in a little over two years.


    As he is thinking they arrive at the harbor. Dozens of ninjas and civilians are moving about. The smallest ship he sees is a Brig and biggest is a Frigate.


    "This is the ship we''re taking" Mei points her finger.


    Following where she''s pointing he sees a blue painted Brig with black diagonal lines. The sails are pure white with black Kiri symbols painted on it. Some cargo is being loaded onto it, and six ninjas are standing onboard.


    "Come on" waving her hand she begins walking up the boat ramp.


    Following her up he sees the ninja''s leaning on the rails, thinking for a minute he sends chakra towards his brain to activate his sensory technique. He only senses nine chakra signatures on the ship, not including Mei and himself.


    "Mei?!?" Two men walk towards her.


    "What are you doing here? You''re going to the Yami Islands as well?" A man with short black hair tied back with a blue scarf and ninja headband looks surprised. He''s wearing the standard Kiri black and blue with the flak jacket.


    Mei smiles "Shigeaki, Keisuke didn''t think I''d see you here. Nothing too big, I''m going to see the Kurata clan for talks."


    "By yourself? I guess it wouldn''t matter if it''s you, safer actually." Shigeaki, the man with the scarf nods.


    Keisuke is wearing almost the same thing, except his entire head is covered with a mask with tiny holes for eyes and his headband is tied to his arm. He points at Zitsu and looks at Shigeaki "She''s not alone." A monotone voice comes from behind the mask.


    Shigeaki eyes go wide as he looks between Mei and Zitsu. "Mei you finally settled down and had kids? I thought for sure you''d melt the guy first."


    A vein bulges on Mei''s forehead as she kicks out her foot.


    "Hahaha, easy, easy" Shigeaki jumps backward as he dodges her foot. "So if he''s not your kid, who is he?"The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Mei points at his neck, drawing both their attention. "He''s my Genin student." She sticks out her chest a little as the words leave her mouth.


    Shigeaki crouches down to look Zitsu in the eye "Your just really short right? How old are you ten? Twelve?"


    "Four" Zitsu holds up four fingers, trying to sound as adorable as possible.


    "Oh my." He stands up shaking his head "Mei you can''t use your connections to acquire a spot for a kid you like.


    Mei sticks her chest out further "He passed the Academy graduation exam today."


    Shigeaki and Keisuke both take a step back in surprise.


    "Setting sail!" Suddenly a man yells on the ship and it begins moving.


    "Sho, sho, sho, go back to your teams, I need to train my student." She begins waving them away with her hands.


    Shigeaki rolls his eyes and walks away while Keisuke leaves in silence.


    "Who are they?" Zitsu looks at Mei.


    "They''re both Jonin like me, they both lead a team of two Chunin. Come, let''s see your swordsmanship." She begins walking towards an empty spot of the ship.


    Zitsu''s brows wrinkle as he follows her. "You know how to use a sword?"


    Mei looks at him with narrowed eyes and purses her lips "I''m an Elite Jonin of Kirigakure, of course I can use a sword to some extent." She sits down on the side of the ship "Come, show me."


    He can feel the number of his clones increasing, and he''s been getting information periodically from them. The distance is too far to receive the chakra back, but the spirituality part of his chakra is still increasing.


    Pulling out his sword he performs the diagonal slash he''s best at and peaks at Mei but sees no expression on her face. Returning to what he was doing he executes a series of vertical and horizontal slashes in rapid succession. Because of his clones, he has gotten a lot better at stringing attacks together.


    "Stop, stop, this is too hard to look at" Mei holds up her hand.


    Looking at Mei he raises his brows a little surprised.


    "Perform a vertical cut." she looks at Zitsu.


    He lifts his sword but is suddenly hit by a bullet of water on over forty points on his body. Turning towards Mei he looks bewildered.


    "Every spot I hit you in were areas you made mistakes." She flicks her finger and sends a bullet of water into the air. "You use your body completely wrong." She shakes her head "This will be a long ride."


    The boat begins to pick up speed as the wind hits the sails. Two Jonin and four Chunin watch a small auburn-haired child being pelted and yelled at by an auburn-haired demon, a really enjoyable site for them.


    The more he trains the more distressed he becomes. Not because he isn''t learning anything, but because the clones he left behind became almost useless! He is still gaining something from the twenty clones practicing sensory techniques and the eight practicing chakra control, but the twenty clones practicing the sword have become useless. His only hope is that they can figure something out on their own.


    As night falls he''s sitting down with his legs crossed, going over all he''s learned in his head.


    Mei lays down in front of him on her side, her hand propping up her head. "Your control over chakra is not bad for a Genin, but because you have the chakra capacity of a Chunin you seem to lack." She pauses for a moment "Judgment. Why create thirty water clones when twenty can do the job."


    His head lowers as he thinks about what she said. Because he used all his chakra to launch six dragons at Mangetsu he couldn''t make a follow-up attack. Looking her in the eyes he nods his head.


    "I understand err" his brows wrinkle "Should I call you Teacher, Instructor, or something else?"


    Her eyes light up "You can call me Big Sis."


    He feels like someone just kicked him in the chest, calling a sixteen to seventeen-year-old girl Big Sis. "Can I just call you Mei?"


    She squints her eyes and just looks at him.


    Zitsu sighs "Big Sis."


    A smile surfaces on her face and she stands up. "Ok, breaks over. Let''s continue practicing."


    Grabbing his sword he rises to his feet. The sword practice she has him doing is increasing his physical chakra a lot faster than the exercising he did. When you use your body the right way it tiers your body fast, and he can''t even heal himself.


    After the first day, he releases his clones because he was gaining more from using his sensory techniques while practicing. Thinking of a better idea, he went to the bathroom below deck on the second day and made twenty clones. Getting half to work on his new findings on sensory techniques and the other half to work on his chakra manipulation. After making the clones he got them to transform into shuriken and he put them in his pocket.


    After practicing the sword for a few hours on the second day, they arrived at Yami island. After a day in a half of training, he was able to reproduce the same feeling of using his whole body while performing a vertical and horizontal slash, setting a solid base for him.


    As long as he continues to practice from now on he will become better. Before when his clones were practicing they were just swinging their sword around as they had no base to build on.


    The boat stops a bit offshore because the harbor has already been destroyed. As the boat drops its anchor, all eight ninjas jump into the water and run for the shore.

 22 Burden

    As they run in the water only Zitsu and the Chunin are creating ripples in the water. Seeing this Zitsu realizes how much work he still has to do on chakra control. No one is running at full speed so they don''t leave Zitsu behind, causing them to take a couple minutes to reach land.


    "This is where we all split up" Shigeaki looks at Keisuke and Mei.


    "Stay safe guys" Mei nods her head. She didn''t ask what their mission is, and they didn''t tell her. But knowing who they are, she knows it''s not an easy mission.


    "See you back on the boat." Keisuke waves his hand and runs off towards the left with his Chunin.


    Shigeaki nods his head and runs towards the right.


    "Come on, we need to get to the Kurata clan before dark. Remember to stay near me." Mei begins running straight ahead.


    As they run ahead they enter what used to be a port town. All of the buildings are collapsed, some of the stone buildings are even melted. If he didn''t know this was done recently, he''d think this was a ruin.


    His sensory technique can spread to over 100ft and he''s picking up nothing. Looking closely he sees some blood splatter on the buildings and streets, but no dead bodies can be seen.


    "This port town belonged to Kiri, but a few clans got together and destroyed it a few days ago." Seeing him look around Mei explains. "The war may be over, but we''re still fighting." She bites her teeth a bit. "If Kiri wasn''t so Isolated we''d be getting attacked full force right now, but even so small teams are still attacking us."


    Zitsu nods. No one knows the situation of Kiri, so this is all new information to him. Putting chakra into his legs they run a bit faster.


    After exiting the ruins of the town they come upon a forest. A few stumps can be seen where a few trees have been felled, but other than that it''s a lush forest with thick brush.


    A small smile forms on his face as he runs up a tree and begins jumping from branch to branch.


    "Woooh!" Excitement fills his entire body as he finally gets to live one of his dreams.


    One of Mei''s eyebrow rises as she looks at the stupid smile on his face. "Quiet, were on a mission." Jumping up next to him she whispers.


    Zitsu shuts his mouth as he realizes he''s in enemy territory. So far he''s only been getting weak chakra signatures, probably from animals.


    Trying to keep quiet he looks at his perk trees, unsure if he should commit to one tree. After the reduced Ninjutsu perk it branches off into six different directions. Five of them are unlocking fire release, water release, wind release, earth release, and lightning release. The other branch requires lvl 20 Ninjutsu.


    [Increase Power of Ninjutsu by 2%]


    0/5


    From there it branches off into two directions that require lvl 40 Ninjutsu.


    [One Hand Casting]


    0/1


    [2% Chance for Ninjutsu to stun opponent for 1s] 0/5


    Each of those branch towards one thing each requiring 60 Ninjutsu.


    [Dual nature casting]


    0/1


    [2% Chance to Multi-Cast]


    0/5


    The next level of perks requires level 80 Ninjutsu and both branch off from the Multi-casting perk.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    [Ninjutsu deals more AOE damage]


    0/1


    [2% Chance to return chakra from Ninjutsu]


    0/5


    The last perk in the Ninjutsu tree branches off from duel nature casting and requires 100 Ninjutsu.


    [Quad Nature casting]


    0/1


    He doesn''t look at the Genjutsu perk because he hasn''t started practicing it yet. Suddenly Mei grabs and drags him towards the ground. In the next second over fifteen Kunai hits the trunk he was just about to jump on. Before he can even say anything he senses four large chakra signatures enter his 100ft area, just as much chakra as Mei.


    Mei''s expression falls as four people land on tree branches in front of them.


    Their hair and faces were different, but all four men are wearing the same thing. Green scarf wrap around their neck, light gray shirts with the design of a tooth in the middle, and black pants.


    "Tonza clan." Mei spits the words from her mouth.


    "You came a lot faster than we thought." One of the men opens their mouth "Yami island will not bow, three of the four clans have already joined." A smile forms on his face "And we''re" he''s silent for a moment "Persuading the Kurata clan now."


    Mei glances at Zitsu before biting her teeth.


    Zitsu''s eyes go wide. He wasn''t worried about going on missions with Mei because he knows she survives, but he was never here in the timeline he knows, she never had to protect him on this mission.


    "If we kill the Melting Ninja it will make our lives a lot easier." As soon as his words fall, the four of them begin making hand seals.


    Not missing a beat, Mei makes her hand seals as well.


    "Dog, Boar, Tiger, Ox, Rat, Bird" she takes a deep breath.


    "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough"x4 The four men''s cheeks puff up like balloons before they blow out razor sharp gale force winds.


    Their jutsu begin destroying everything in their path and even shredding the trees around them.


    Seeing this Zitsu''s face goes pale, and he realizes what a fool he''s been. He thought he was accomplishing something with his water dragon jutsu, and based on the jutsu he saw the academy students used it made his ego bigger. But seeing this jutsu he knows he was just a joke, a shell. If this wind even passed by his jutsu it would be destroyed. Without shape transformation and nature transformation, his jutsu is trash. As he sinks further into the abyss a voice suddenly pulls him out.


    "Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique"


    A stream of light brown mud flies out of her mouth and spreads like a web. As the jutsus collide a defining sound is heard as the air scatters, blasting sideways and destroying numerous trees.


    As the mud lands on the ground smoke begin to fill the area as the ground itself burns.


    Taking this chance Mei grabs Zitsu and begins running back the way they came.


    Being carried the trees become a blur as she flies through the forest. Looking back he can see the four men giving chase. Knowing her jutsu and how shes limited when people around her, his eyes turn serious.


    "Just throw me! I''ll head back to the town, and when you deal with these guys just come and get me." Zitsu whispers through his teeth.


    Mei looks at him for a moment before throwing him forward, turning around she faces the pursuers.


    Zitsu spins in the air a few times as he''s thrown forward. Strengthening out in the air he puts chakra into his legs and lands on a tree branch. Not wasting any time he runs forward.


    Mei looks at the four men and smiles as they land around her.


    "We don''t know why you''re smiling, we have men all around this place."


    Hearing his words Mei''s face instantly falls. "Then I need to kill you fast."


    Zitsu runs till he''s out of their vision and stops. "There''s no way those guys are alone." Zitsu pulls a kunai out of his pocket and tosses it onto the ground.


    The Kunai transforms into him and nods before running in the direction of the town.


    "Dog Boar Ram" Zitsu begins making hand seals "Transformation Jutsu" and turns into a big moss cover bolder.


    "I''ll just wait here, it seems safe."


    After running for five minutes Clone Zitsu sees two people chasing someone. The two people are dressed differently than the ones before. They are wearing brown long sleeve shirts with a dark yellow waist guard and grey pants. The person their chasing is one of the chunin from the boat, the only difference is he''s covered in blood.


    Thinking for a second, Clone Zitsu rushes over.


    As the chunin sees Zitsu his face falls. "RUN! WHY ARE YOU COMING OVER HERE!"


    Clone Zitsu jumps passed him "Run, I''ll take it from here." As he got closer he could tell they had the chakra levels of a Chunin at best, he may not be able to stop them, but he can slow them down for a second or two.


    The Chunin''s face warps, unsure if he should turn around, or keep running. Biting his teeth his eyes flash coldly as he turns around. He''s still hemorrhaging blood from multiple places, but he won''t leave this kid to die.


    "My name is Hidetora, what''s your name kid?!"


    Clone Zitsu smiles "Zitsu." As the words fall he begins making hand seals because they''re closing in. "Water Clone Jutsu"


    [Chakra 42/282]


    Spitting out a torrent of water, 40 clones appear on the ground and begin jumping into the trees, ready to face the oncoming threat.

 23 Collagen

    Seeing all the clones appear Hidetora is a bit surprised, and the two Chunin stop just ahead of them and look at all the clones.


    The two Chunin pull out their kunai and take up a battle stance.


    The forty water clones all pull out their swords and begin to encircle the Chunin. Suddenly all the water clones begin to charge.


    The two Chunin stand back to back on a large tree limb and begin slashing the clones down as fast as they come in three seconds over ten clones were already lost, but they keep on attacking.


    Hope returns to Hidetora''s eyes as he sees this, he never thought this kid could actually help. Taking a breath he begins performing hand seals.


    "Dragon, Tiger, Hare, Water Style: Raging Waves!" holding his hand near his mouth he spits out a huge torrent of water. The water hits one of the Chunin and blasts him away.


    The Chunin hits a trunk of a tree, causing it to split in half as he coughs up blood.


    Seeing this Clone Zitsu''s eyes flash and he begins to make hand seals "Snake, Ram, Horse, Hare, Ram, Horse, Hare"


    At the same time, over ten water clones jump all around the last Chunin and release, turning back into water and startle the Chunin as he was getting ready to attack. Three more clones arrive near the Chunin and hold out their hand as Clone Zitsu finishes his hand seals.


    "Water Prison Jutsu!" All the falling water turns into a sphere with the three water clones sticking their little palms inside, trapping the chunin inside.


    Grabbing his sword Clone Zitsu lunches at the water prison. The Chunin tries to escape but can''t even move as the water is too dense. As his blade is about to make contact the three clones pull out their hands, ending the technique, and at the same time his sword slides into the Chunin''s heart. The Chunin and Clone Zitsu fall out the tree from the force, the Chunin lands on his back and Clone Zitsu standing on his gut, driving his sword through his chest and into the ground.


    The Chunin twitches a bit before dying. Seeing this Hidetora whistles as he begins walking towards the last Chunin.


    Seeing this Clone Zitsu pulls out his sword and runs over. "Wait! Allow me!" Running past Hidetora he lunges forward with a horizontal slash, chopping the Chunin in half.


    Hidetora is a little bewildered seeing this, isn''t this kid too bloodthirsty?


    All the water clones disappear as Clone Zitsu sheaths his blade. "What happened?" Looking up at the wounded Hidetora he squints his eyes.


    He shakes his head "It was a trap, we thought we were facing a small resistance cell, some stragglers who broke free from the clan, but it turns out the clans are uniting!" He closes his eyes and leans on a tree in pain.


    "When we were heading towards the destination Roktah stepped on paper bombs." His eyes open "It didn''t kill him right away, his screams, his screams were like the signal to attack." He slowly shakes his head "There were too many, Capt. Shigeki and I got split up."


    His face turned ugly "They must have captured Roktah alive to torture for information. I''ve known him since the academy, and he was always a weak-willed person." Standing up with a struggle he takes a breath "He''ll talk." Looking around he frowns "I came this way to warn you guys, but Where is Mei?" He looks at Zitsu.


    Clone Zitsu thinks for a second before walking behind a tree and releasing the Shadow Clone Jutsu.


    Zittsu, still pretending to be a rock, suddenly learns all the information and gain a ton of experience. His Taijutsu raises from 11 to 13.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Release!" Not wasting any time he runs in the direction of Mei. Even though she is fighting four people, it''s still probably safer with her.


    As he draws closer the signs of battle are evident. Trees are collapsed and downright disintegrating, the ground looks as though giants rolled around in a fit of anger. Two partially melted corpses can be seen where he separated from Mei. Following the trail of destruction, he looks for Mei.


    After running for two minutes he comes upon a pile of molten mud and half a still burning body. Running faster he is just in time to see Mei casting a jutsu.


    "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" An entire water dragon flies out of her mouth and swallows the last clansman, the dragon curves around as it knocks down a few trees and rises into the air. As it gets to the tree line it slams into the ground, sending a tsunami of water in every direction.


    Looking at Mei he can tell she isn''t in the best of shape. Her clothes are torn in certain areas and bloody wounds can be seen.


    "Mei!" He calls out almost instinctively


    Mei already noticed him approaching from the back, making sure it wasn''t an enemy. Seeing that he''s safe a smile forms on her face.


    "Bad news!" He runs up next to her. The top left part of her dress is torn, revealing the grey chain shirt underneath. Her shoulders and arms are full of cuts and a long gash can be seen on the right lower abdomen, completely ripping through the defense of her clothes. Seeing this causes his heart to ache a bit, cursing his uselessness.


    "What happened?" her brows sink as she begins to frown.


    "The squads who came with us were attacked, I saw one of the Chunin named Hidetora and he said Roktah was captured and will probably leak information."


    Mei''s eyes turn serious "If they find out we only had three Jonin, four Chunin, and a Genin on this mission with no backup we will be in series danger." Taking a deep breath she suddenly picks Zitsu up and carries him under her arm. "If the Kurata Clan hasn''t joined them like they said we need to hurry, they were blocking the path towards their clan for a reason." Mei begins running at top speed, causing the wound on her side to bleed more profusely.


    Even though he''s pressed against the side of her breast, he has no time to enjoy it. Biting his teeth he makes hand seals "Mystical Palm" his hands glow green and he puts them over her wound.


    Mei squints at the itchy feeling coming from her abdomen "You know Medical Ninjutsu now too?!? What other secrets are you hiding?" Her brows furrow as she runs.


    Zitsu smiles wryly "I wouldn''t call this medical Ninjutsu, all I can do is speed up the bodies natural recovery. My chakra control or knowledge isn''t enough to perform surgery or series treatment."


    "If it was that easy wouldn''t everyone be a medic?!" Mei becomes flabbergasted hearing his answer, just speed up healing? Isn''t that 50% of medical Ninjutsu?


    Zitsu frowns hearing her words. Isn''t he just stimulating the red blood cells to create collagen and the formation of granulation tissue, something anyone would know if they ever looked up how wounds heal.


    Thinking up to here it hit him, while the Naruto world has electricity and refrigerators, it doesn''t have things like electron microscopes or a hadron collider. How do people like Orochimaru do experiments? Is it similar to how humans during middle age earth used leeches for every treatment?


    "It, it just came naturally to me" Not knowing how else to answer he just wings it.


    Mei is quiet for a moment as she runs forward. "I don''t know how, nor do I care. Don''t think I''ll hand you over to the medical team, just remember you work for me!"


    Looking up he can see the corners of her lips twitching as if she''s resisting smiling. After a few minutes, he heals her waist. Wriggling around, he manages to wrap his legs around her waist and hang on her like a koala as she runs, finally able to enjoy her ample breast.


    Continuing to use Mystical palm he heals her other wounds while she focuses on running. The entire process cost him around 50 chakra, bringing him down to around 230. But because he has nineteen Shadow Clones in his pocket that he can release at any time to restore chakra he''s not worried. The more he uses Shadow Clones the less he understands about the Naruto series.


    After a few minutes, they come upon a clearing in the forest. What looks like a forest mansion is now under attack by over twenty ninjas. The Japanese style estate surrounded by high walls and some form of barrier is being bombarded with wind, water, and fire jutsu. Twelve ninjas stand on the wall with their hands clasped and face ashen as cracks in the barrier constantly form.


    Seeing the situation Zitsu drops down to the ground, allowing Mei to rushes forward a bit and begin making hand seals.


    "Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet" Mei stops hard on the ground causing it to crack, suddenly a dragon head made of mud breaks from underneath the ground and begins firing bullets of mud. As the mud bullets begin to fire from the dragon''s mouth she makes a few more hand seals and begins spitting molten mud to cover the bullets as they fire into the attacking shinobi.


    Zitsu''s eyes widen as he witnesses her combination jutsu.

 24 Kurata Clan

    Bullets of molten mud bombard the attacking shinobi, completely devastating their ranks. Those who are hit have searing holes burned through their flush, instantly killing them. The attacking ceases as five shinobi are hit by the surprise attack.


    The Kurata clan members on the wall finally see a sliver of hope, if the attack pressed on the barrier would have been broken. If the other clans got in they would have no other choice but to join them, then they would have to fight Kiri to the death.


    The allied clan shinobi scatter in different directions, besides the ones with the scarfs and waist guards, there is a third clan in this group. They are dressed in baggy purple robes and seem to be using fire jutsu.


    Seeing the remaining shinobi scatter Mei holds two fingers next to her mouth while taking a deep breath. "Hidden Mist Jutsu."


    Blowing out, a thick cloud of mist spreads rapidly throughout the area.


    Zitsu loses sight of Mei, but with his sensory technique, he can tell she''s still standing in front of him. Thinking about his sensory technique he remembers that modern knowledge seems to help his jutsu, something he''s been completely ignoring as he was caught up in the mysticism. His knowledge of science is limited to things he looked up out of curiosity and videos he watched, but it could help.


    As if to wake him up from his stupor, bright flashes and explosions take place in the mist. Mei''s voice seems to pierce through the mist and enters his ears.


    "Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction!" Fire spreads from her mouth, all the mist it passes by to evaporate instantly.


    "AhhHhaA" Screams can be heard as the flame passes, and when the mist clears seven bodies can be seen charred black while two were blown apart by paper bombs.


    The eight remaining shinobi begin forming hand seals at rapid speed, a look of fury on their face.


    "Fire Release: Flame Bullet"x3


    "Wind Release: Spiraling Wind Ball"x4


    "Water Style: Raging Waves"


    The different clans release their jutsus at the same time, all flying towards Mei.


    Quickly making a hand seal she takes a breath.


    "Water Release: Water Formation Pillar!" A wide arc of water spreads from her mouth, creating a giants wall of water. The techniques class and mei continues to be pushed back.


    Seeing this Zitsu frowns "I can''t just watch!" He quickly forms the tiger seal "Water Clone Jutsu!"


    Spitting out a mouthful of water 35 clones are quickly formed.


    [Chakra 22/282]


    As his chakra runs low one of the clones in his pocket releases.


    [Chakra 283/283]


    His chakra is filled and he keeps shooting water from his mouth and makes 40 more clones.


    [Chakra 43/283]


    All 75 water clones run around Mei''s wall of water and charge at the clan shinobi. The clones begin spreading out so they aren''t all clustered around like ants.


    Two of the ninjas shooting spiraling wind balls change their targets and begin decimating the clones. In the span of two seconds, over twenty clones were destroyed instantly.


    Because two people backed off, the pressure on Mei lessened by quite a bit. Taking this chance Zitsu runs to the side and stares at the shinobi on the wall.


    "What are you waiting for!" His face turns red as he yells at the top of his lungs pointing in the direction of the clan shinobi.


    At this moment all the water clones are destroyed, and the wind begins bombarding the water wall again.


    On the wall the ninja sees the kid screaming and pointing, but does nothing.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Seeing this Zitsu''s face lights up like a Christmas tree, gnashing his teeth he runs next to Mei. "These guys won''t help us lets go!" as the words leave his mouth he finally realizes something. Why is she trying to defend instead of dodging?


    "Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!" From behind the clan shinobi, a torrent of molten mud spreads over their heads like a fishnet before raining down and quickly melting their bodies, not even giving them a chance to scream.


    Zitsu''s mouth hangs open as he looks at the Mei standing next to him. Suddenly she dissipates into a bundle of fog. Looking across the clearing he sees Mei walking over with a smile.


    "You need to learn to keep calm during missions, panicking like that won''t help okay?" Arriving next to him she pats his head.


    Zitsu looks at her, unsure of how to feel. He ran around trying to save her, but she wasn''t even here. "When?" He barely squeezes the words out of his mouth.


    "What do you think the Hidden Mist Jutsu is for? As soon as I created the mist I replaced myself with a Skilled Mist Clone, a skill from my Kekkei Genkai Boil Release." She shakes her head "I said your judgment was bad. Creating all those clones didn''t bring you any closer to your goal, only delayed the inevitable and wasted your chakra."


    "Then what should I do when facing a stronger opponent? Just wait to die?" Zitsu''s brows wrinkle.


    Mei looks at him before walking towards the Kurata clan entrance "Yes, that is the life of a shinobi. If you can''t beat a stronger opponent in a sneak attack, and they''re not underestimating you, you will die."


    Zitsu looks at her back, realizing how weak he is. The perks will only make him stronger if he is strong. Because he saw her chakra signature he never even thought that it could have been a clone, believing in his own lies and false information. Shaking his head he runs after her. "I need to train a lot more."


    They walk up to the gate and wait for a moment. After a few minutes, noise can be heard from behind the gate as it begins to open, revealing an old man.


    The man walked out of the gate with a hunched back, flanked by two middle-age ninjas. His hair was completely white and slicked back, his sunken eyes almost hidden by the wrinkles on his face, and wearing a brown robe with a red vest the man walks closer with a cane in hand.


    "Ninja of Kiri" An old decrepit voice exits his mouth "We thank you for your timely assistance, but is there anything we can help you with that you are waiting outside our gate?" The wrinkles on the man''s cracked lips begin to lift.


    Hearing his words Mei frowns. "The other three clans of Yami Island are uniting."


    "I''m well aware." The old man nods.


    "And? Will you not help Kiri?! Or have you decided to join them?" Her eyes begin to narrow as she looks at the ninja as his side and on the wall.


    "We Kurata will remain neutral in this endeavor." His smile gets wider.


    Mei''s eyes go cold "That wasn''t one of the choices."


    "Kukukuku, do you really Have time to fight us?" His brows lift releasing his dark sunken eyes "Aren''t there more important things for you to do?"


    Mei looks at him for a while before turning around "Let''s go."


    Zitsu looks at the old man before following Mei.


    Looking up, he asks with a frown. "We''re just going to let it go like that?"


    "We don''t have time to waste, you said the others were attacked so we can''t stay in one place for long." Her face series, devoid of any sort of smile.


    "What now? Do we just look for the others?" Zitsu asks with a frown "Or do we head back to Kiri?"


    She shakes her head slowly "Going back will be impossible. If they dared to attack in the open, it means we were watched the moment we set foot on Yami Island. The boat and crew are probably at the bottom of the ocean right now, and without the seals on the bottom of the boat we will be attacked by creatures of the sea if we run back."


    Zitsu''s head lowers as they run through the forest, even though he tried his best to not treat this like a game, he still severely underestimated this world.


    "We aren''t without hope, if Shigeaki and Keisuke are still alive they will have gone to the Kiri bunker." Mei smiles at Zitsu, trying to lift his spirits.


    "But they captured Roktah, won''t they be able to find it?" Glancing over he tries to read her expressions to see if she is worried.


    Mei smiles wryly "That''s why we need to hurry." Grabbing Zitsu she begins running at top speed through the forest, her head moving on a swivel as she looks for any traps or ambushes.


    Being carried makes Zitsu feel more helpless than he already is. Biting his teeth he releases all the clones in his pocket one by one. They have probably hit a wall on what they can learn individually, so it''s time to consolidate their experiences to see if any of them have thought of a solution. The saying two heads are better than one can''t be compared to eighteen of the same heads thinking of a solution.


    [Chakra 305/305]


    As the information compiles together his eyes gleam. He wasn''t the only one to realize the usefulness of incorporating modern knowledge into jutsu, some figured it out even faster and incorporated it into the sensory training.


    As the leader of an international fan club, he had to plan a lot of events, causing him to check the weather often. One day out of sheer curiosity he looked up how a weather radar works to see how accurate it was. He learned that they consist of two parts, a transmitter, and a receiver. The transmitter sends out constant mico pulses in every direction. When they encounter birds, bats, clouds, or anything else in the sky the pulses scatter. When the pulses scatter the bigger the object is, the more pulses it bounces back to the receiver.


    Using this concept with chakra should dramatically increase his range. Closing his eyes he sends out consecutive pulses of chakra. The pulse travels further and further, totaling over three miles of coverage. He noticed numerous small chakra signatures, and with more practice, he may be able to filter them out, but more importantly, he noticed five large signatures to their west, heading in their general direction.


    Zitsu''s eyes turn cold, it''s time they do the hunting. Twisting to look towards Mei, he taps her arm.

 25 Ninja

    Mei is on high alert as she runs through the forest, each clan would have around one hundred shinobi ranging from Genin to Jonin. In individual battles, she is not worried, but with over three hundred shinobi teaming up she won''t have the stamina to endure.


    Suddenly she feels the little man in her arms begin to shift about. Thinking about it she begins to feel deep regret, bringing him on this mission was a terrible mistake, one that will probably lead to his death. As she thinks up to here she feels a tap on her arm. Looking at him with a loving smile she tries not to make him panic like before. If he starts screaming and panicking they will be surrounded.


    "There are five ninjas heading in this direction from about two miles west. Judging by the strength of their chakra it should be two Genin and three chunin, but I''m not sure."


    Looking into his serious eyes she is stunned for a second.


    "Due to the immense pressure, I happened to casually learn a sensory technique."


    Mei squeezes his body tighter in fear he may ''casually'' grow wings and fly away. Looking into his eyes her heart beats a little faster, gazing at the treasure she happened to pick up. Having a medical ninja on the team is a boon, having a sensory ninja on a team is a luxury, having both in a pint-sized package is unheard of. Without her knowing her eyes turn into slits as the smile on her face deepens.


    "They are getting closer, you have to believe me!"


    Looking at his panicking face she nods her head.


    "Get on my back."


    Seeing that she believed him Zitsu becomes ecstatic. Wiggling around he crawls onto her back. Wrapping his legs around her waist and hands around her neck, practically sitting atop her ample bottom.


    The smile on his face becomes almost permanent from the comfortable feeling. This is the first time he has been happy about being in a four-year-old body, or this situation could have turned awkward for the both of them if she thought he had a kunai to her back.


    With zitsu secured, Mei springs into action as she heads west. Her steps are completely quiet as she flies atop the trees. Reaching into the bag on her waist she pulls out a kunai and holds up two fingers.


    "Hidden Mist Jutsu" thick mist is blown from her mouth and quickly spreads throughout the forest.


    As he hasn''t been able to filter out low-level chakra yet, he picks up the fog as it spreads throughout his range. All the small signatures disappear as they blend in with the chakra rich mist, leaving only the ninja''s chakra in his range. Seeing the effects of the mist actually gives him ideas on how to improve his technique.


    As he is on Mei''s back he gets a first-hand experience, as the mist appears her body practically blends in and disappears. If he wasn''t on her back, he wouldn''t see her!


    With kunai in hand, Mei closes her eyes, using only her ears to listen to the changes of the mist. As a ninja of Kirigakure, the masters of the silent kill, this skill was drilled into her bones.


    Suddenly Zitsu feels his body rush forward, and in the next second, he finds himself behind a ninja in purple robes.


    Mei''s hand moves like lightning as the kunai pierces the back of the unsuspecting ninja''s neck, instantly severing his spine.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    As the ninja begins to crumble like a ragdoll Zitsu''s eyes begin to spin as Mei rapidly rotates around his falling body, appearing before three more shinobi.


    Her kunai slashes out horizontally in a black blur, splitting the mist with its speed as it leaves red lines across their necks. As her hand reaches the end of her slash the kunai flies out of her grasp, finding itself embedded between the eyes of the last ninja. Mei Jumps back as blood sprays from their neck, as they begin to choke on their blood the shuriken are launched into the mist. As they spin rapidly they pull the mist towards them, becoming balls of clouds as they fly through the air. Not even giving them the chance to resist the shuriken hit, ending their lives with a puff of mist as only half the shuriken piercing their skull can be seen.


    It only took a moment, from the second she appeared to when the shuriken landed in the shinobi''s skulls, only a moment passed.


    Seeing this Zitsu''s face turns serious. This is ninja, this is how ninjas fight. All those frontal clashes of jutsu are only when you fail to kill your opponent in a single strike. Seeing this Zitsu realizes how naive he''s been, trying to be like Naruto and running in with a bunch of clones will only get you killed.


    The mist clears instantly as Mei stops supplying chakra. Bending down she pulls her kunai and shuriken out the skulls of the ninja and wipes the blood off on their clothes. Putting them back into her bag she searches the body of the ninjas for any information.


    Seeing this zitsu opens his eyes wide "Can I have any kunai or shuriken you find?"


    "Sure" She doesn''t even think for a second to answer such a question.


    Searching for a few seconds she hands a pouch to zitsu.


    Using only his legs to hang on, he slides the bag into his sleeve and stores it into his inventory. His shuriken total increases to thirty-two and kunai to nine, in the MISC section of his inventory a small pouch appears.


    "Nothing" Shaking her head she begins running in the direction they were going before, deeper into the island.


    Wrapping his arms around her neck again, he once again enjoys his comfortable seat. He constantly scans the area with his chakra pulses but realizes he''s using chakra every time he sends out a pulse. It''s not much but will quickly add up. Thinking about it, he decides to send out a pulse every few seconds instead of one right after the other, as the range is fairly large. This way he is able to regen some chakra between pulses.


    After killing a total of seventeen clan shinobi, they finally reach their destination. Venturing further Inland the elevation begins to rise, eventually, they came upon a sheer rock face in the forest. If they climb it, they will no longer be in the cover of the forest but the base of a mountain.


    Unsure of their destination or why they''re here he sees Mei once again make hand seals.


    "Seal release." As she slaps the rock face the stone begins to shift. The outline of a door appears and slides into the ground.


    Not wasting any time she runs inside, as she does the door slides back up.


    Zitsu looks around the well-lit tunnel, surprised that they have electricity inside a mountain. As they enter a room he sees three people gripping kunai ready for battle.


    Seeing that it''s Mei they collectively let out a breath of air.


    "Thank the lucky stars it''s you, I thought our days were numbered." Shigeaki sits back down on a rock, breathing heavily.


    Zitsu is stunned by what he sees. The hideout is a little stone room with a table of empty supplies, already used or taken by its current occupants. Inside the room is Shigeaki, Hidetora, and one of the other Chunin. Seeing their haggard appearance drains all hope of them banding together to overcome this.


    Hidetora looks a lot worse since the last time he saw him, his abdomen is punctured and a large pool of blood can be seen seeping through his bandages. The color rapidly draining from his face as he dies of blood loss.


    One of Shigeaki''s arms is completely gone, currently wrapped with a dripping blood-soaked bandage. Massive lacerations can be seen on his chest, and worse of all his entire body is covered in burns.


    The unknown Chunin is actually in the best shape, only a few cuts over his body and none in the vital areas.


    "Keisuke?" Mei asks with a frown.


    "Dead" The Chunin shakes his head "He blocked the attacks for Niou and me to escape, but Niou didn''t make it."


    Mei sighs as she looks at the people in the room, glancing over her shoulder she looks at Zitsu on her back.


    No words are said for a while, only the sounds of heavy breathing can be heard as these people slowly die.


    Looking at Mei, Zitsu can tell what she''s thinking. Not wanting her to make this decision he jumps off her back and walks towards Hidetora laying on the floor.


    "Hey kid" he breathes heavily "You disappeared on me" a smile forms on his face "Glad to see you''re safe, I looked for you for a while."


    Zitsu flicks his wrist and a kunai appears from his sleeve.

 26 Escape Plan

    Grabbing the bandages with one hand, he uses the kunai in the other to cut them apart.


    Hidetora Looks at him with furrowed brows, but seeing Mei''s calm face he doesn''t stop him.


    Removing the bandages reveals four wounds in close proximity on his abdomen, probably from shuriken judging by their shape and size.


    Taking a deep breath, he makes hand seals "Mystical Palm" his hands glow green as he moves them over the wound. He doesn''t know if there is any internal damage, and even if there was he couldn''t repair it, he can only hope speeding up the red blood cell''s healing process will take care of it.


    "A medic ninja, I''ll be damned" A little hope returns to Shigeaki''s eyes


    "Not a full-blown medic ninja, his skills are superficial at most." Mei shakes her head, not wanting him to get his hopes up.


    The wounds slowly close after a few minutes, leveling his Ninjutsu to 15 along with it. Hidetora is still pale from blood loss, but his life may be out of danger now.


    [Chakra 218/305]


    "Come kid, me next, help me out a bit." Shigeaki breathes roughly as he looks towards Zitsu.


    Zitsu nods his head, not sure if he can help much as he knows nothing about burns. First, he cuts the bandages off his arm, revealing a stump that''s been cut clean through. Around his armpit is a tightly bound rope tourniquet to stop the blood flow. Casting Mystical Palms he begins healing the stump, wanting the wounds to just stop bleeding and new skin to grow.


    [Chakra 3/306]


    Forty minutes and the rest of his chakra later he finally closes the wound. The new skin over the stump looks red and inflamed, but the bleeding has stopped.


    From all the healing his Ninjutsu has leveled from 15 to 17, bringing his total level to 8. His free points are up to 70, but because his stats are still easy to increases as he''s still growing he saves them. Thinking about it for a second he decides to put his perk point into [Increase damage of melee weapons by 5%].


    A small smile creeps on Shigeaki''s face as a bit of his pain is relieved. "What''s the plan?" His eyes turn towards Mei.


    Mei looks at the people in the room. A crippled Jonin, two Chunin, and a Genin Vs three clans of around three hundred ninjas.


    "We are outnumbered, unequipped, out planned, and outmanned." She closes her eyes, plunging the room into silence "But we must resist, reinforcements will not be coming, and there''s no way back to Kiri" opening her eyes she looks at the exit "Even this bunker is not safe, we may be overrun at any moment."


    Spreading her fingers wide, she suddenly clenches her fist. "The coastal clan, Nakahara must have a boat. Maybe they will be expecting us, but we have no choice."


    Shigeaki, Hidetora, and the Chunin nod their head as they rise to their feet. While Shigeaki is still in pain, he can deal with it, he has to. Walking towards the exit they begin to leave.


    Mei turns to look at Zitsu and they stare into each other''s eyes. "If this place was safe I''d leave you here, but it''s not." She shakes her head softly "I''m sorry I brought you here."


    Zitsu smiles "I''m glad I came, my head was getting too big." A genuine smile appears on his face "You may have reluctantly picked me that day, but I picked you. If I had to die there''s nowhere else I''d rather be than by your side."


    Mei looks at the kid speaking big words with a smile. Turning towards the exit she drops to a knee.


    Seeing this Zitsu smiles as he climbs on her back. Wrapping his legs around her waist and hands around her neck, she rushes out of the cave.


    "Let''s go!" waving her hand everyone begins running along the rock face, heading west with the setting sun.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Zitsu releases a radar pulse every twenty seconds and tries his best to recover chakra. Thinking about all he''s seen today he thinks about how he should battle. He wants to use Samehada, and there will be a chance to acquire it in three years. To actually keep the blade he will have to become a decent swordsman and make the sword love him. If he can''t then he will be forced to hide it in his inventory.


    As he''s thinking he picks up a ping in his radar. There are two ninjas, one Jonin level chakra signature and one Chunin.


    Leaning his cheek on the back of Mei''s neck he whispers into her ear "A Jonin and Chunin are ahead of us, they''re not moving."


    Mei''s hand rises into the air and draws everyone''s attention while they continue running. Pointing forward she holds up two fingers before clenching her fist.


    Seeing this they disperse in different directions as Mei continues to run forward.


    Jumping forward Mei quietly lands on a tree branch. Reaching into her bag she pulls out some Kunai and looks at the targets below.


    "Are you sure you saw him come this way?"


    "Definitely, he was basically on his deathbed. He couldn''t have gotten that far in an hour."


    One of the men sitting on a rock shakes his head. "The one we caught has already started talking, they only came here with seven people, seven! They won''t be able to hold out for long."


    "Ha! Hidden Village rubbish" he spits on the ground "Once we started flaying his skin he sang like a canary. Their hideout should be along this rock face, but it stretches on for miles."


    "Yea, if you saw him around here then it must be close."


    Suddenly Mei launches her shuriken.


    The two men jump to their feet as they hear the whistling sounds, but it''s too late. Shuriken are launched from three other directions, encircling them.


    The Jonin holds up two fingers as the shuriken strike the both of them. The Chunin drops to the ground as he bleeds profusely, but the Jonin crumbles into a pile of stone.


    Seeing this Mei quickly jump from the tree branch, as she does a spike of earth decimates the spot they were just in from below.


    Shigeaki rushes over with a kunai in hand, stabbing into the ground. Before it penetrates half the Jonin emerges from the ground and blocks the kunai with his own.


    Not giving him a chance to fully emerge Shigeaki''s foot rushes towards his chest.


    Using his free hand the Jonin blocks the kick but is still sent flying out the ground.


    Hidetora and the other Chunin appear in mid-air above him and rain down shuriken.


    A black line wizzes through the air as his kunai begins to dance in his hand as he deflects the shuriken.


    Mei finally lands on the ground and performs a series of hand seals "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!" Leaning forward a continuous stream of fire scorches the Jonin as he begins to burn.


    His screams fill the area as he slowly turns to ash. Closing her mouth Mei licks her lips.


    "That must have been an Elite Jonin to survive for that long, beating him alone would have been impossible in my current state. I can''t even perform jutsu any longer." Shigeaki shakes his head "If I survive this mission my career as a ninja is over."


    Everyone begins picking up their weapons as Zitsu looks at the scorch marks on the ground. Even someone that strong can be killed easily with a group effort. Shaking his head he thinks further about the way he has to fight in the future. After a few seconds they resume running west.


    Soon the sun sets and darkness envelops the world, the hour for ninja is nigh.


    After rushing through the trees for hours they finally arrive on the other side of the island. The Small Kurata clan who specializes in barriers is nothing compared to the Nakahara clan. Standing in the treetops they look down at the clan grounds below.


    The clan grounds look more like a small town, completely illuminating the night as it stretches on for miles. While the clan only has around a hundred ninja, they have a population of a few thousand. Even from afar they can see people moving about the streets.


    Looking at their docks they see the target of their mission, three brig class ships sitting in the water.


    "What''s the plan?" Shigeaki and the Chunin look at Mei.


    Mei thinks for a moment. "We could try sneaking around through the water and taking a boat, but getting it into the water without it getting destroyed will be hard."


    Listening to her plan Zitsu thinks for a moment. Looking at everyone''s stressed face he slowly opens his mouth.


    "I have a plan, but it will be risky."


    "No" Mei immediately shakes her head "Absolutely not"


    Zitsu squeezes her waist a little tighter with his legs "I too am a ninja of Kirigakure, believe in me." his arms tighten around her neck, pulling him closer to her back.


    Everyone looks at Mei and Zitsu, unsure if they should place their trust, their lives into the hands of a child. But they remember his words, he too is a ninja. Looking at Mei they all nod their heads.


    Seeing this Mei bites her lip for a bit and turns her head towards the ground. "Ok" she lightly nods her head.


    Zitsu jumps from her back and lands on the tree. He unfastens his sword from his back and headband from his neck before handing them to Mei. "Please hold these for me, when you see the signal run to a boat."


    Mei grabs the objects with a heavy heart. "What''s the signal?" She looks at the little man in front of her, because of the things he''s done so far she has a strange sense of hope, hope that he can casually perform another excellent feat.


    A smile forms on his face "When you see it, you''ll know." Turning around he jumps from the tree, heading towards the clan territory.

 27 Infiltrated

    Running through the forest Zitsu uses his radar to dodge the places where ninjas are keeping guard. Every once in a while he comes upon an area with faint chakra signatures on the grounds or trees, assuming they are traps he goes around them. As he gets closer and closer to the walls of the clan he''s surprised to find even less security.


    A large wall surrounds the town with the sea as its back. Getting further from Mei he finds cover under a tree. Taking a kunai from his inventory he puts it into his pocket and crosses his fingers.


    "Shadow Clone Jutsu"


    [Chakra 10/306]


    He divides his chakra into twenty-nine parts To create twenty-eight clones.


    "You guys know the plan, make sure you regen as much chakra as possible" Zitsu''s eyes travel across all the clones. The clones nod and begin performing hand seals.


    "Transformation Jutsu."


    All the clones transform into pebbles and Zitsu puts them into his pocket. Continuing forward he runs towards a section of the outer wall of the clan. As he was scanning the wall he noticed this area had the biggest distance without guards. Seeing nothing physically wrong with the wall he molds chakra onto his feet and easily runs over the wall and dives to the other side.


    He ends up in the back of some sort of building. Unsure if they have a sensor ninja he begins to move, running towards the street. Emerging from behind the house he sees people walking about.


    "Soon we will become an independent nation."


    "They can barely defend themselves, and they want to rule over us?!?"


    "Haha"


    As he moves around almost everyone is having the same conversation, like they are breaking away from some sort of great oppressor. As he walks through the streets he begins throwing pebbles everywhere.


    Looking around he''s surprised at how carefree all these civilians are. The houses and buildings here are built in a traditional Japanese architecture, while the buildings in Kiri are designed for pure defense.


    A lot of people give him strange looks as he moves around, assumable because he looks so young, but no one bothers him. He hasn''t seen a single person who looks like a ninja, so he continues to move.


    There are too many normal people with chakra so his radar is useless as he is picking up too many signals. Until it can filter out people with chakra below Genin level it will be useless in a crowd, so all he can do is walk around blind. After walking around for thirty minutes he figures any one of them could have infiltrated this clan, but stealing the boat without damaging it would have been hard. After spreading all his clones out a smile forms on his face.


    Looking around he begins moving towards the dock. After another twenty minutes of walking the dock comes into sight. At the entrance of the dock, two ninjas stand guard, seeing this he ducks behind a building and waits.


    Zitsu''s eyes narrowed into slits as a smile creeps on his face. "Soon, soon."


    Mei, Shigeaki, and the Chunins are currently waiting in the water, only their heads above the waves.


    "We have been waiting for a while, do you think he fail?"


    Mei just continues to look at the distant town.


    "He has to be ok right, he sounded pretty confident." Hidetora frowns.


    "Let''s wait a bit more." Mei finally opens her mouth.


    After sitting for twenty minutes Zitsu opens his eyes. "Security here is way too lax for people going to war with Kiri, did they believe no one would attack them? Well, it should be about time."


    After waiting for a while a lot of his chakra has regenerated, when it hit 250 total ever clone moved at the same time.


    Twenty-eight clones release their transformations at the same time.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Zitsu smiles as he looks towards the sky. "I know now that my jutsu is weak, but if I use twenty-eight of them at the same time?"


    As the clones transform they draw attention of a lot of people on the street. Ignoring the stares the clones begin making seals at the same time.


    "Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, ram" all the clones take a deep breath.


    "Water Style: Furious Current Jutsu!"x28


    Almost all the chakra is drained from their bodies as water begins shooting from their mouths. The clones spin in place as they spit out water, creating a whirlpool at their location. Water continues to flood in all directions with the whirlpool at the center.


    "Enemy attack!" It was unknown who said it, but it rang out across the city.


    As the whirlpool spreads anyone in the area is sucked into the water and pulled towards the center of the whirlpool by the currents of water.


    He spread the clones as far as possible to cause as much mayhem as possible.


    Hearing the attack siren, Mei and crew jump out the water and begin running towards a ship.


    Zitsu looks over and sees the two ninjas guarding the docks running towards the town. Rising to his feet he runs towards a ship.


    The clones are flooding everyone and every building in the area. Soon ninjas appear on the rooftops and begin casting jutsu.


    "Earth Style: Earth Pillar" clapping their hands, earth pillars rise from the ground and disrupt the jutsu of the clone, revealing a pile of dead bodies at his feet. Similar scenes are happening all across the town at the location of every clone.


    As soon as the jutsu is disrupted the clone releases, to avoid taking damage. Some launched full-on attacks at the whirlpools causing the clone to release before the jutsu is even disrupted.


    As he nears the boat he sees Mei''s group jumping aboard. Smiling he jumps aboard as well.


    "Let''s go!"


    Mei makes a few hand seals and begins blowing wind against the sails.


    The ship begins to move, and Zitsu smiles at the experience coming in. If he told his plan to the others, any of them could have pulled it off. He doesn''t know if the way people in this world think is different because they grew up with different common sense, but no one thought to use clones to make a diversion. The main reason he wanted to do it was for the experience. While he can''t exhibit the full power of the A-Rank jutsu, only exhibiting the power of a C-Rank jutsu, but it was enough when used by Twenty eight clones.


    Looking at his Ninjutsu, it has increased from 17 to 21. While he feels it was a little wrong to kill the civilians, this is war. From gaining four skill levels he was able to level up to 9. He puts his perk point into melee weapon damage, bringing it to a 10% increase.


    The last of his clones dissipate as they pull farther from the docks. After witnessing the true power of jutsu he decided to work on nature and shape transformation when they get back.


    "Good job kid" Shigeaki pats his head before collapsing onto the deck.


    "He''s been dealing with the pain of the burns all this time, I don''t know how he did it." Hidetora leans against the rails of the ship.


    Mei walks up to Zitsu with a smile, extending her hands she gives him his sword and forehead protector back.


    "Thanks for looking after them for me." Taking them from her he puts them both back on.


    "Tsk, you couldn''t just die peacefully?!?"


    Zitsu looks at the source of the voice, just in time to see him finishing his hand seals.


    "Wind Release: Vacuum Wave" The chunin blows out sharp gusts of wind as he begins to rotate. Hidetora, who is closest to him, is the first to be hit by the jutsu. His body is sliced to pieces as the many blades of wind pass through him.


    Shigeaki is the next target as he''s laying on the ground and had no time to dodge.


    The ship is sliced in many places as the winds blades spread out in every direction.


    Because Zitsu is right in front of Mei, she grabs him as she jumps back, just in time to get out of range for the attack.


    "Traitor!" Capillaries begin to burst in her eyes as they turn crimson from the blood.


    "HAHAHAH one will let their guard down the moment they think they succeed!"


    The boat took series damage from the attack, seeing that it''s not destroyed the Chunin begins to make more hand seals.


    "Throw me!" Zitsu yells.


    Not wasting any time Mei throws Zitsu towards the Chunin.


    Drawing his sword he performs a quick horizontal slash at the Chunin''s chest.


    The Chunin jumps back to dodge the attack, a smug look on his face as he completes the seals. Taking a deep breath he gets ready to launch his next attack.


    Zitsu''s free hand flashes forward as a black line is drawn through the air. While Ninjutsu may not have been real on Earth, there was one ninja technique he could practice to his heart''s content, throwing kunai and shuriken. While he may not be able to do any fancy tricks, throwing them in a straight line is not a problem.


    Before he can deploy his jutsu a kunai is pierced into his chest, completely interrupting him.


    Mei lands on the deck and burst forward at tremendous speed with a kunai in hand. Arriving next to the injured Chunin she instantly finishes him off with a stab to the neck.


    The ship was not completely destroyed, but the sails were damaged beyond repair. If they use jutsu they can still make it move.


    Zitsu looks towards the clan area and he dies a little on the inside. They didn''t get far, but they weren''t close either.


    "Incoming!" Zitsu yells as he points at the numerous clansmen running towards them.


    Mei jumps to the back of the boat and begins making seals.


    "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique" She blows thick mist behind them to stop the oncoming shinobi.


    Seeing the mist they use wind jutsu to blow it away before continuing the chase, not even slowing down.


    "We''re doomed, that traitor really got us. By destroying the sail he''s cut off all paths for us. If we run back we have to fight our way through, but if we run into the sea, monsters will kill us." Mei shakes her head.


    Zitsu looks at Mei, feeling helpless as well. He did everything he could but still failed in the end.


    His head drops as he begins to accept his fate, this is as far as he can go, he should have picked Konoha.

 28 Battle

    Mei takes a deep breath before snatching Zitsu and jumping off the left side of the boat, making a mad dash to try and shake them off.


    "Zitsu, get yourself together. Even though things don''t look good you gotta keep trying."


    Zitsu looks over at the clan shinobi curving as they run to swarm them. Soon a barrage of different jutsu flies in their direction.


    Mei throws Zitsu into the water as she turns to face the oncoming jutsus.


    As Zitsu lands in the water, the cold sensation wakes him from his stupor.


    "Tiger, Snake, Rat, Snake, Tiger" performing the hand seals a massive amount of chakra seeps from her body.


    "Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!" Slapping her palms together a huge amount of water surges up from the ocean as it begins intercepting the attacks.


    "Using jutsu and being good at jutsu are two different things." Zitsu shakes his head


    Mei turns around and grabs Zitsu from the water before continuing to run.


    The wall of water falls apart, showing the shinobi closer than ever.


    "Get on my back!" Mei screams before swinging Zitsu behind her.


    As Zitsu grabs her back she holds up two fingers next to her mouth. "Hidden Mist Jutsu" she begins blowing a thick mist in front of her and runs inside.


    Entering the mist zitsu''s eyes light up as he makes a hand seal. "Water Clone Jutsu!" thirty water clones appear around them, but he doesn''t stop there and makes a few more hand seals.


    "Transformation Jutsu!" Suddenly all 30 water clones turn into Mei with Zitsu on her back. Not wasting any time they all begin running in different directions.


    [Chakra 130/306]


    "Nice Zitsu, but don''t underestimate me kid" A smile creeps on her face.


    Hearing her words Zitsu''s brows wrinkle, unsure of what she meant.


    Soon, strong gust of wind blows over the area, completely dispersing the mist, revealing all the clones running in different directions.


    Jutsu begins raining down in every direction as they hit the clones. Seeing this Zitsu feels like he''s in the middle of the apocalypse as his clones are destroyed rapidly.


    Mei exquisitely dodges the incoming jutsu as the clones are completely wiped out.


    Looking around Zitsu finds that they are almost surrounded.


    "Nice distraction, they should be close enough. Witness the power of an elite ninja of Kirigakure." Mei begins making more hand seals "Secret Technique: Mist Rain!"


    Once again she blows a thick mist from her mouth that quickly envelops everyone.


    "How many times do we have to disperse this mist?!?"


    "Everyone together! Disperse this mist!"


    Over fifty ninja, ranging from Jonin to Genin begin performing hand seals to blow away the mist, but before they can even complete the seals, the chakra covering their feet is completely absorbed as they fall into the water.


    "Zitsu learn from this, when facing a stronger opponent you will die, but if they underestimate you because you''re weak or because they outnumber you, you have to find a way to win. Instead of spreading out to cut off all paths of retreat they were overconfident and came as a group. Remember, no matter who you face, always go at maximum power."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    With the ninjas falling into the water and no way to climb out due to the mist, they try to swim away.


    Mei''s hands move like lightning as she performs over thirty hand seals "Lava Release: Rapid Land Creation!" She squats down, slapping both hands against the water. As chakra seeps from her hands in turns into molten mud, as it makes contact with the water steam erupts and the mud turns black as it hardens. The molten mud continues to spread all around with Mei as the center. The mass in the ocean gets bigger and bigger, any ninja not killed directly by the molten mud finds themselves trapped underneath as it quickly spreads over two miles. Suddenly the black rock begins to sink and water flows on top of it, but that too is quickly turned into more land by the molten earth as the land mass gets bigger and bigger. The ninjas below find themselves being pushed down towards the ocean floor by this rock, unable to escape.


    On Mei''s back Zitsu is safe from the jutsu. Using the mist to rob them of their jutsu, then creating a new landmass to bury them in the ocean. He would never have thought of such a thing, the more he''s with Mei the more he realized how much he underestimated being a ninja.


    "I can''t kill them all, I don''t have enough chakra to bury them at the bottom of the sea." Taking a breath she stops her jutsu and begins to run back towards the clan headquarters.


    No longer supplying chakra to make more land the water quickly begins to rage as it tries to sink the huge rock. Because it is no longer getting heavier and wider the ninjas below who are still alive will be able to get around it eventually if they can swim fast enough before it collides with the seafloor.


    The mist dissipates as she no longer has excess chakra to supply. As it clears Zitsu can only see five ninjas who managed to avoid the calamity. Quickly standing on the water they begin to give chase.


    Watching them give chase Zitsu feels completely helpless, during this whole mission everything he''s done has turned out to be pointless. When he thinks he''s helping he finds out Mei had it under control the whole time, the people he healed are dead, and the distraction he made to steal the boat was pointless because the boat got destroyed.


    "You have to go get a ship, I don''t have enough chakra for more jutsu. Just standing on water is already my limit, so I''ll have to battle them with Taijutsu." Mei grabs Zitsu''s collar, ready to throw him ahead.


    But before she can move Zitsu grabs her wrist. "We are in this together, we either live together or we will die together. If you''re going into battle, let me help you this time. I may be inexperienced, but you are not alone."


    "Ox, Snake, Ram" Zitsu takes a deep breath "Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Zitsu bellows mist from his mouth. It''s not nearly as fast as Mei''s version, but it gets the job done.


    [Chakra 115/306]


    As the mist hides their body Mei smiles. "Okay, in this together."


    Zitsu jumps from Mei''s back and she disappears into the mist.


    With his sensory technique, he can tell that all five ninjas are sticking together. Because the mist was created from his chakra it doesn''t show up in his scans. Of the five ninjas, two have Jonin level chakra, two with Chunin, and one with Genin. He can sense Mei running around towards them as they move carefully.


    "Wind Style: Dispersing Mist!" One of the jonin bellows out a breath of wind to disperse the mist.


    Before the mist can completely disappear Mei strikes out with her kunai and stabs him in the neck before jumping back.


    Losing the cover of the Mist Mei is exposed. The other Jonin lunges at her with a Kunai in hand. Clangs ring out as their kunai clash over five times in a instant.


    The other three ninjas begin making hand seals now that they have a target. Seeing this Zitsu runs forward.


    "No you don''t!" Zitsu furiously waves his arms in front of him. Over twenty Kunai appear from nowhere as they fly towards the ninja.


    Not wanting to get stabbed they jump into the air to dodge, but he successfully interrupts their jutsu.


    "Now is not the time to plan for the future." Zitsu briefly closes his eyes. The points he was saving for later in case his stats got harder to increase begins to disappear at rapid speed.


    [Chakra 195/386]


    Opening his eyes he crosses his fingers "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"


    [Chakra 22/386]


    His chakra divides into nine parts as eight clones appear around him.


    They all pull out their sword at the same time and they rush the clan ninjas.


    Zitsu rushes towards the Genin while four clones rush towards a Chunin each.


    As he closes in the Genin pulls out his kunai. Compared to the Chunin he doesn''t look nearly as composed, but facing a four-year-old child he''s not worried.


    The Genin looks around twelve years old and has shoulder length black hair. He''s wearing a green shirt with a black vest, brown shorts that barely cover his knees with a black bag tied to his thigh. Seeing the child running towards him he charges forward.


    One of the Chunin was a bit faster in arriving in front of the clones and slashes down with his kunai. Two clones side by side performs a diagonal upward slash from different directions to intercept it. Even with two clones, the power discrepancy can still be felt. The other two clones rush from the sides as they perform a horizontal slash at the Chunin''s waist. As he jumps back to dodge the blade the four clones pursue.


    Zitsu arrives in front of the Genin and jumps into the air as he performs an overhead slash.


    Quickly rising his Kunai the Genin blocks the slash, but his face turns pale as his arm begins to shake.


    While the Chunin could deal with the 10% increase to melee damage, the Genin finds it harder to resist.

 29 Fall

    With Zitsu''s weight bearing down on the kunai the Genin has to jump back, or risk being crushed. As the Genin jumps back Zitsu lands in the water and lunges forward with a horizontal slash.


    He blocks it again but this time his hand is knocked away. His eyes go wide as the power of that slash was at least three times as strong as the overhead slash.


    Now that Zitsu has a surface to stand on he can transfer even more power into his sword. While he might not be a master swordsman, he can perform basic slashes well.


    His sword begins to flash faster and faster as his confidence grows, growing more confident in his first real battle.


    The Genin gets slower and slower as his hand begins to tremble.


    "This is it, this is the feeling!" The grip on his sword tightens as his right foot slams forward.


    "HAAA!" His sword turns into a silver blur as it travels toward the Genin''s waist.


    With everything he has the Genin tries to move his kunai in front of the blade, his face warps as he can tell he won''t make it in time.


    Suddenly Zitsu''s eyes go wide as a burning pain travels from his chest, at the same time memories fill his head.


    His clones were battling the Chunin when suddenly he found an opening and stabs one in the chest. As soon as the clone was stabbed it released the jutsu to stop the pain as soon as possible.


    With one less clone, the pressure on the Chunin will lessen greatly.


    The pain was like a sudden slap in the face, almost completely breaking his concentration. Biting his tongue the slash continues. As it makes contact with the Genins waist he can feel every bit of his sword as it begins slicing through his body, like sticking your hand in mud.


    It only took a moment, but it felt like forever. Blood flies out in a splatter as the sword exits his body. The only good thing about the clones defeat is when the clone was destroyed, combined with the experience from killing the Genin his Taijutsu levels from 13 to 15.


    Looking over he sees his three clones being pushed back by the Chunin, totally on the defensive compared to before. It''s only a matter of time till another clone is destroyed.


    The other Chunin is obviously worse at Taijutsu as he does his best to defend.


    Mei and the Jonin are still locked in battle with Mei at a disadvantage due to her dwindling chakra. If they don''t hurry even more people who are alive will surface from the water, or reinforcements may arrive.


    After taking a moment to think Zitsu rushes toward the Chunin having a hard time with four clones.


    Joining the other clones he launches a vertical slash behind the Chunin''s back.


    After trying his best to not let any of his attackers behind him, he ended up letting Zitsu get behind him. Quickly turning around he blocks the sword, but before he can recover three swords stab him in the back and another cuts off one of his legs.


    As the Chunin''s blocking kunai loses all its power Zitsukani brings his sword down like a bolt of lightning. His sword makes contact with the Chunin''s shoulder and pauses for a moment as it begins slicing through bones.


    "HA!" Zitsu''s shoulders roll forward to add more power into his sword. Bringing it down he slices through the Chunin''s shoulder blade and straight through his heart before exiting at the waist, completely chopping the left side of his torso off. The chunin''s body falls to the side as his heart still beats in both halves.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    His Taijutsu increases to 16 as all five of them rush towards the last Chunin.


    "Taijutsu is important. If your bad at Taijutsu and get locked in melee combat you won''t even have time to make hand seals, and you will be screwed." Zitsu mumbles to himself as he rushes forward.


    Seeing five more people rushing towards him the Chunin sneers. As if he heard Zitsu''s earlier words he jumps back and tosses up his kunai as he begins performing hand seals and takes a breath.


    "Fire Style: Fire Fan Jutsu" He makes a fist in front of his mouth and blows chakra into his palm. Lifting his pinky a fan of flames spreads from his hand towards the three clones.


    Two of the of the clones stop supplying chakra to their feet and drop into the water. One clone wasn''t fast enough causing it to be engulfed by the flames.


    The clone releases, but not before a searing pain envelopes his entire body. Zitsu''s eyes turn crimson as the pain is transferred to him, but a smile still creeps on his face. When the clone released all the battle experience was transferred to Zitsu, increasing his Taijutsu to 17. The reason Shadow Clone Jutsu is forbidden is that the experience of death will be transferred back to the caster. Someone like Naruto who has experienced mental pain from loneliness his entire life couldn''t be broken by the experience of death. While Zitsu is someone who has actually died before. As long as he bears through the pain, this jutsu is perfect for him.


    Zitsu and the clones reach the Chunin and begin their attack. Their swords gleam as they leave silver light in their wake. It''s not only Zitsu, every time a clone releases every other clone gets better at swordplay. A life and death battle with a stronger opponent is the best way to grow faster.


    This Chunin is a lot better at Taijutsu than the other. Catching his kunai he deflects all their swords. His speed is so fast it takes Zitsu and his four clones just to keep up with him. The other two clones rise from the water and rush over joining the fray.


    The sound of metal Clashing rhythmically rings as swords and kunai clash.


    "Ah!" Suddenly a loud scream is heard.


    Glancing over he sees Mei with a Kunai in her right shoulder. The Jonin kicks her in the stomach, sending her flying across the water. Her body skips across the sea like a throwing stone.


    The Jonin moves his hands to make seals.


    Zitsu''s eyes glow as he drops his sword and grabs the nearest clone. Spinning around he throws his clone towards the path between Mei and the Jonin.


    Seeing an opening the Chunin stabs towards Zitsu, but before he can make contact another clone steps in front of the strike. The kunai enters the clones chest, but it doesn''t release. The kunai travels all the way to the grip in the clones chest.


    Feeling the pain from the clone is like taking a hammer to the chest, biting his teeth he throws the clone with all his power.


    At the same time, the Jonin finishes his jutsu.


    "Wind Style: Blade Wind Waltz" The Jonin waves his hand in front of his body, sending out two constantly rotating blades of wind.


    The stabbed clone coughs up a mouthful of blood as he stabs his sword through the Chunin''s arm in front of him, locking him in place.


    The blades of wind travel towards Mei in a straight line, while the clone comes in from an angle. Seeing that it won''t make it in time the clone makes a decision.


    Sending out a radar pulse it locks onto Mei''s position as she bounces atop the water. Making a hang seal chakra builds up inside the clones body, it doesn''t have much but it is enough. Suddenly the chakra in its body explodes in the direction locked on his radar.


    "Body Flicker"


    The world turns into a series of lines for the clone as his body suddenly appears beside Mei. From Zitsu''s point of view, the clone just teleported.


    Four clones stand on each corner of the Chunin as they all perform an upward diagonal slash. The Chunin tries to pull away but the clone locks him in place with the sword.


    All of this happened at once, the moment the Jonin performed his jutsu Zitsu already threw the clone and the kunai pierced his defending clone''s chest. As the clone appears next to Mei the other clones make their attack on the Chunin.


    As their blades cut into the Chunin''s body, the other clone stretches out his hand and pushes Mei with all its strength.


    Mei''s course is altered, pushing her out the way as the blades of wind cut the clone into four parts.


    At the same time, the blades of the four clones travel through the Chunin body before the swords clash in his chest, ending his life.


    The pain hits Zitsu all at once, overbearing pain, more than being stabbed, more than being burnt. His concentration completely breaks and all the clones disperse.


    The experiences of the two clones who were just attacked hits Zitsu, one mortality wounded and the other fatally wounded hit him at the same time. His eyes begin to roll back as the information overloads his brain. As the experience comes in his Taijutsu levels to 20, bringing his total level to 10. His mind explodes with more information as he reaches lvl 10. Clarity returns to his eyes for a moment, his eyes flash as he looks at the Jonin. As his body falls forward he slams his right foot down, refusing to fall.


    Looking at the Jonin running towards Mei as she slowly crawls out the water he opens his mouth.


    [Stamina -498/132]


    "FUS-RO-DAH!!!" As the words leave his mouth, his world turns black.

 30 Awaken

    As Zitsukani''s consciousness returns his eyes begin to flutter. The last thing he remembers are those words being burned into his mind wanting to be unleashed. Then he remembers.


    "Mei!" His eyes shoot open as he looks around. No longer is he in the middle of the sea, but some sort of cave.


    "I''m here, don''t worry. We aren''t dead yet."


    He hears a voice from behind him. Struggling to sit up he turns around, only to see Mei leaning against the wall with her disheveled hair covering half of her pale face. Her breathing is rough and small beads of sweat can be seen on what little of her forehead is exposed, looking at her shoulder he sees a bloody red bandage.


    "Let me look at it." Struggling a bit he finds that he''s unable to stand. Wondering why he checks his status.


    Level 10


    [Health 110/110]


    [Chakra 388/388]


    [Stamina 10/132]


    [10 Points]


    [PP 1]


    [Taijutsu 20, Ninjutsu 21, Genjutsu 0]


    [Ninjutsu cost reduced by 10%][Reduce stamina consumption by 5%][Increase melee damage by 10%]


    Seeing his pitifully low stamina he realizes that he''s exhausted. Biting his teeth he crawls over to Mei.


    "The wound won''t close, his kunai was hooked on the end. When he kicked me away he took a chunk of flesh and bone." Mei smiles weakly.


    Arriving at her side he undoes the bandage on her collarbone, revealing a ghastly wound. A good chunk of flesh is missing, revealing the cracked bone underneath. Black and purple veins can be seen around the wound as the surrounding flesh turns black. Blood continues to pool in the wound and seep out.


    Finding it unbearable to see her in this condition he makes hand seals as fast as his body will allow "Mystical Palm." As his hands glow green he begins to heal her wound. He first heals the bone by getting blood to fill the cracks and make collagen. With the soft callus surrounding the bone, the body will have to take care of the rest, because he doesn''t know the specifics of what happens next. Moving on to the open wound, he begins to heal it.


    Mei rests the back of her head against the stone wall, relieved at finally being healed.


    "What happened?" Zitsu slowly opens his mouth.


    Mei closes her eye as she tilts her head up, strings of her hair stick to her sweaty forehead as the rest falls, fully revealing her beautiful face. "Nothing much, after I got kicked away you saved me from death''s door. Then I saw the clan ninja charging me, I thought for sure I was going to die this time, but you saved me again." A sweet smile appears on her face.


    "I saw, I saw you collapsing. In my final moments, I looked at a Genin, a four-year-old child, thinking if he could save me again, but I saw you falling. As you fell so did my hope, because I knew I had nothing else as well."


    Zitsu heals her wound in silence as she tells her story.


    "But even as you fell, you refused to give up, refused to give up on me. We live together, or we die together. Those words rang in my head as I saw you slam your foot down. Originally I thought, what can he do? But then I saw, you showed me. With a roar, a blue shockwave was emitted from your mouth."


    Mei opens her eyes and looks at Zitsu "I''ve never seen so much raw power generated in an instant. The shockwave expanded in size twice when it left your mouth. As it traveled forward it brought everything in its path with it. I almost got washed away by the waves it created." Her smile turns a little bitter.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    But soon her eyes turn serious "The Jonin who was hit never stood a chance. It was like an unstoppable force crashed into his body, his limbs were broken and bones destroyed as his body became a ragdoll and flew away."


    She shakes her head slowly "The shockwave traveled a distance away before it finally stopped, and I never saw the Jonin. Whether he''s alive or dead, I''m not sure."


    "You collapsed into the water so I gave everything I could to save you. I no longer had the chakra to walk on water so I had to swim with you on my back. Knowing there was no way for me to steal a boat in my condition I swam to shore and away from the clan." She slowly looks around the cave.


    "I found this cave not too far away from the shore, and then I waited a few days for you to wake up." Finishing her story she smiles again.


    Thinking for a moment he finally opens his mouth "What day is it?"


    "It should be October 9th. Why?" her brows furrow a bit.


    One more day, the fox attack happens tomorrow. Only after that can he know for sure the Mizukage will fall under Obito''s control.


    Seeing that he''s staying silent Mei opens her mouth again "What was that shockwave?"


    Zitsu looks into her eyes and thinks for a moment. From the way she''s looking at him, he knows if he dodges this question the trust she has for him will all but vanish, and they will never be anything more.


    "It''s a Kekkei Genkai I awakened, I call it Dovahkiin. It''s an ability that turns my voice into a weapon. But I guess I overused it, and it completely sapped my strength."


    Mei''s eyes flash for a moment as the smile on her face sweetens "Do you know if you got it from your mother or father?"


    Zitsu shakes his head "I''ve never met my father and my mother is a normal person."


    Mei pinches her chin with her good hand and thinks for a moment. "Well, it doesn''t matter which side it''s from. Some clans only have one person ever awaken the Kekkei Genkai."


    Zitsu nods, knowing exactly what she''s talking about.


    "What''s the plan, we can''t wait on this island forever?" Zitsu looks around the small cave.


    "Well, the defense of the Nakahara Clan will increase since we already infiltrated it once." She shakes her head "And the other clans will be even more impossible to attack."


    "We''ve been gone for a few days now, three teams just vanished, will Kiri not send reinforcements?"


    "No, we are stretched too thin. We will have to get out of this ourselves." She takes a deep breath as her head lowers.


    Zitsu opens and closes his mouth a few times, before finally making his decision. "Do you know of the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"


    Mei''s eyes narrow "The secret jutsu of Konoha? Is that what you''ve been using? How do you even know that jutsu?"


    "That''s not important" he shakes his head, trying to change the subject "I discovered If you train with shadow clones, training speed will be multiplied."


    Mei just looks at him and her brows continue to sink. "You can''t be a spy, I''ve known you your whole life. So what are you hiding from me?"


    Zitsu takes a deep breath "My Kekkei Genkai does more than affect my voice, it affects my soul. The voice attack is a projection of that, it also gives me slight visions. That''s how I was able to learn things faster than other people." As he finishes speaking he holds his breath, waiting for her response.


    "If that''s true, then give me an example" her brows relax slightly, but her eyes are still narrowed.


    Zitsu thinks for a moment before his eyes light up "How about this, you just trust me for now because nothing I say can be proven" as he speaks he can see her face contort "But! I can tell you something I know will happen tomorrow. There''s no way I could know this would happen ahead of time unless I was telling you the truth, and when we get back you can verify it." His face turns series "If you don''t trust me then you can cut me down!"


    Mei closes her eyes for a moment "If you weren''t on my side you wouldn''t be healing me right now, so I trust you. As for learning things through visions, well, what information do you have to say?"


    Zitsu narrows his eyes "I''m trusting you as well, Mei. I don''t want you to tell anyone about my ability because it will make my life difficult." He sucks in a breath of air "Tomorrow night, on October 10th, Konohagakure will be attacked and the Fourth Hokage will die." He looks her in the eye''s as he says every word.


    Mei''s eyes go wide and her mouth opens slightly, not saying a word.


    [Chakra 247/388]


    Zitsu pulls his hands back as he finishes healing her wound. Sitting on his butt he looks at her dazed face.


    Blinking slowly she looks at Zitsu "That''s a mighty big claim!"


    Zitsu just shrugs "We will know when we get back."


    Looking at his stamina he sees that he has recovered quite a bit, so he slowly rises to his feet.


    "Now, I''d like to ask you to instruct me on the sword for a bit while you recover." Reaching for his katana he finds that it''s not there.


    Looking around the cave he doesn''t see it anywhere. Suddenly his eyes go wide when he remembers he dropped it when he threw his clone.

 31 Formation

    "What''s wrong" seeing Zitsu''s long face Mei perks her eyebrows. For someone who just said a Hokage will die, he looks way to down.


    "I lost my sword" Zitsu slowly shakes his head. Sitting down he begins to regen his chakra. "How long do you think it will take before you can battle?"


    "I''m just a bit tired from blood loss and keeping watch while you were unconscious. I should be ready in around two days." Mei looks at Zitsu "Do you have a plane?" A smirk forms on her face "Some sort of vision?"


    "Yes, a specific jutsu can help us." Zitsu nods at her sarcastic claim.


    Mei''s eyes open a little wider "Oh, what''s the plan little man?"


    Zitsu just sits in silence, completely ignoring her.


    Mei smacks her lips in satisfaction upon seeing his silence.


    "Don''t call me little man, you will be my wife, I''ve seen it. A wife is supposed to be supportive." Zitsu closes his eyes like a wise sage.


    "Pufff" Mei covers her mouth with her hand to stop from laughing "I''m seventeen, you''re four, that''s a thirteen-year difference, do you even know what a wife is?" Her lips curl as she looks at Zitsu.


    Zitsu opens his eyes and points at her "I''ve seen it so it must be true."


    "Haha" No longer able to hold it in she laughs at him. "You''ve seen it? I don''t even know if your visions are true, if they''re not we have to investigate where you''re learning jutsu! But now, you are trying to claim I''m your woman?" Her lips curl "You should worry about your little life, not your love life."


    The corners of Zitsu''s lips curl "And if what I said proves true?"


    Mei''s brows shoot up "If it''s true? That Konoha is attacked and the Hokage dies? That would certainly prove you aren''t a spy for them, if you knew this why wouldn''t you tell them?" Her eyes narrow into slits as her smile deepens "So if what you say is true why wouldn''t I believe you? Hmm, hmm then I guess I really will be your woman."


    "My wife!" Zitsu corrects her.


    "Ok, ok. If the Hokage dies I can''t deny it and I''ll be your wife." She nods her head in an exaggerated manner.


    "Remember, you said it." closing his eyes he regenerates his chakra.


    Looking at the words that are seared into his memory he wonders if he will get any more shouts. He doesn''t even know what any other shouts from the game do, as he can''t remember. Only time will tell, so, for now, he focuses on power he knows he can count on.


    It takes him forty minutes to regen all his chakra. To be on the safe side he was constantly sending out radar pulses to scan for intruders.


    Adjusting his mind as he thinks about what he wants to train, he crosses his fingers "Shadow Clone Jutsu."


    [Chakra 12/388]


    He divides his chakra into thirty-one parts and creates thirty clones.


    Seeing the thirty clones appear Mei furrows her brow a bit. "So what is this plan of yours?"


    As the clones begin to practice Yin release, Yang release, and shape transformation Zitsu glances at Mei. "Your greatest weakness is the fact that you are greatly weekend outdoors, which is a pretty big weakness. So I''ll lock the area down for you, an area for you to shine." Closing his eyes he concentrates.


    Mei just looks at him for a moment, not sure what he''s up too.


    After the first hour when all the clones regained some chakra they all made a clone each, bringing the total to sixty which is his limit before his concentration can no longer keep up the jutsu.


    With sixty clones working in tandem, every hour was equal to sixty hours. Zitsu focused on regening chakra, replacing the clones who release, and organizing all their gains.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Yin Release can create form out of nothingness, Yang Release can breathe life into form, spiritual and physical chakra respectively. Combining them both you form Yin-Yang release, the basis for Ninjutsu. But some techniques require only Yin release like Genjutsu, and Taijutsu abilities for Yang release, but those are only basic examples.


    To use a lot of the advanced techniques, control over Yin and Yang release are more important than nature transformation. Almost all Fuinjutsu, and space-time jutsu are based on Yin and Yang release.


    In the two days Mei spent recovering no clan ninja found the cave, making Zitsu believe they aren''t even looking, probably thinking they left, or they died in the water. With two days time Zitsu got one hundred and twenty days of practice between Yin release, Yang release, and shape manipulation allowing him to improve greatly.


    With greater control over Yin release, he will be able to practice Genjutsu. Genjutsu is created when a ninja controls the chakra flow of a target''s cerebral nervous system by using sight or sound. It can also be used to manipulate others through brainwashing.


    Suddenly clones begin to disappear one after the other until only ten remain.


    [Chakra 401/401]


    With the training, Zitsu''s chakra increased to the same level as an experienced Chunin, two hundred more and it will be at the beginner Jonin level.


    The remaining clones perform hand seals at the same time.


    [Transformation Jutsu]x10


    All ten transform into shuriken and he puts all but three into his pocket and gives the last three to Mei.


    "Are you sure this plan will work?" Mei rises to her feet, looking a lot better than two days ago.


    "The jutsu won''t fail, but it will rely on you after that." Zitsu shrugs his shoulders and walks out the cave.


    The cave isn''t that far from the shore. It was hidden between two large boulders along a rock face facing the sea, another possible reason the clan ninjas never found them. In her weakened state Mei couldn''t get very far, and they probably never expected that.


    "Let''s try this again." Bending down onto one knee she lets Zitsu climb on her back.


    Dashing out of the cave it only takes a moment before they reach the water. Running for a few minutes the clan grounds come into view.


    "Don''t run straight, I''m picking up chakra signatures in the water."


    Listening to Zitsu she begins running towards the left.


    "There!" Pointing the way Mei makes another turn.


    As they arrive closer a siren goes off in the village.


    Mei comes to a stop and takes a deep breath "I hope you don''t let me down, little man."


    Zitsu narrows his eyes and slaps her titty, causing her eyes to go wide. Before she can say anything he yells.


    "They''re coming!!"


    Mei narrows her eyes and swallows her rage, now is not the time to mess around. Looking at the oncoming ninja she can tell there are at least three times as many ninjas as last time, obviously acquiring assistance from the other clans.


    Taking a deep breath Mei runs towards the clan ninjas, two against the tide.


    The clan ninjas begin making hand seals and soon fire, water, and wind begin flying in their direction.


    Mei pulls the three clone shuriken and throws them in three different directions before making hand seals.


    Zitsu jumps from her back as she finishes the seals.


    "Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu" a water wall shoots from sea to intercept the jutsu.


    The three clone shuriken are easily dodged by the ninja, soon they fall into the water, but surprisingly don''t sink.


    The position of Zitsu and the three shurikens form a large rectangle. The ninja learned from last time and spread out a lot more, and only ? of the ninjas are in the rectangle.


    Pulling out shuriken Zitsu begins throwing them as far as possible. To the clan ninjas, it looks like a simple child throwing stones.


    Mei constantly forms water walls as jutsu bombard her location. Grinding her teeth she glances at zitsu, only to see his calm face.


    After throwing the fourth shuriken zitsu can tell over 80% of the ninjas are within the two rectangles.


    "Now!" The seven clone shurikens floating on the water releases the transformation.


    Zitsu and the clones quickly make the snake hand seal and clap their palms together.


    "Four Violet Flames Formation!"x8


    [Chakra 301/401] 100 chakra is drained from Zitsu and each clone.


    With Zitsu and three clones acting as the corners, purple flames extend between them and shoot into the sky before making a huge rectangular prism, trapping Mei and the clan ninjas inside with them. Another barrier of purple flames forms between Zitsu, Mei, and the clan ninjas completely isolating him from everyone else, leaving Mei and the clan ninjas alone.


    Another barrier forms between the other four clones, trapping the clan ninjas inside.


    "What is this?!"


    "Attack!"


    Ninjas begin launching jutsu at the formation, each hit drains a bit of chakra but the formation holds.


    The corners of Mei''s lips rise into a smile as she quickly makes the horse hand seal.


    "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"


    Mei takes a deep breath before blowing a thick fog from her mouth.


    "AhhhHh What it this!!" As the mist spreads through the formation screams fill the area as acidic mist begin to melt their bodies.


    Because they are inside a closed area the acidic mist has nowhere to go and they can''t blow it away. Because the acid mist is made from Mei''s chakra it has no effect on her.


    As the mist fills the entire formation Zitsu''s chakra drops rapidly. One of the three clones in his pocket releases as the screams in the first formation intensifies.


    Hearing what''s going on in the first formation, ninjas in the second and those on the outside bombard the formation with more Jutsu. Releasing the second clone he continues to wait.

 32 Return

    Three minutes, it only takes three minutes for Mei to turn everyone in the formation into a puddle on the ground, finally showing what she is truly capable of.


    As the mist clears Zitsu releases the formation and the three clones who helped him form it, supplying their chakra to the other clones and Zitsu.


    "Hidden Mist Jutsu!" As the formation falls mist fills the area to block the few people outside the formation from attacking them.


    Zitsu begins running towards the other formation, but soon he finds himself being scooped up.


    "Little man you were right, you really pointed out my weakness well. Guess I''ll have to practice a few earth jutsu or formations." Mei''s eyes shine as she thinks about the possibilities.


    Arriving in front of the formation a small door opens in the first layer and they step in. Dropping Zitsu she holds up two fingers.


    "Hidden Mist Jutsu"


    Mist fills the area with Zitsu, Mei, and his clones and hides them from view.


    Mei runs to another location and another door opens in the second layer and Mei enters alone.


    "Get her fast!"


    "Hurry!!!"


    Seeing Mei enter the clan ninjas begin to panic. They saw the outcome of the other formation, puddles floating in the sea.


    Before they can even attack Mei makes her move.


    "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique"


    As the door in the formation closes Mei begins filling it with acidic mist.


    Because the formation is completely closed no powerful earth jutsu can be deployed for defense, and the other natures can''t block the mist. Wind jutsus are useless because you can''t blow it away.


    Screams fill the area, the pain from your skin, eyes, and even bones melting was so unbearable most chose to directly commit suicide. Why suffer when they aren''t even able to find her in the mist?


    Zitsu takes a deep breath as he hears the screams. This jutsu is the perfect offense and defense in an enclosed area, not even Susanoo can block this mist.


    Zitsu had to release the last clone in his pocket to keep the formation up for the duration of two minutes it took Mei to kill them all.


    Over a hundred Ninja dead just like that, trapped in a formation and melted to death.


    Outside the formation only nineteen ninjas remain. Seeing the formation fall they begin to panic. Looking at the girl without a single wound on her body they slowly back up a little in fear. Of the nineteen ninjas only one has early stage Jonin level chakra, the rest are all Chunin and Genin. The four clones release, leaving only Mei and zitsu.


    Holding up two fingers Mei takes another deep breath.


    Seeing this the ninjas turn and flee.


    Mei is a little stunned at the scene, unsure of what to do, when suddenly Zitsu jumps on her back.


    "Chase!" Pointing forward Zitsu screams in her ear.


    A wry smile creeps onto her face as she runs after them while making hand seals.


    "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Completing the seals eight water dragons rise from the water. Giving a roar they begin to slither atop the water at rapid speed. As they near the ninja they swallow them whole, causing their body to twist and turn violently inside the dragon''s body as the current whips them around.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Soon the dragons plunge into the water, taking the ninjas with them


    Seeing no more ninjas Mei makes a break for the boat at the fastest speed she can, wanting to leave this awful island.


    Zitsu sends out a radar pulse as he nears the ships to check for chakra signatures. "It seems ok!"


    In response to Zitsu''s voice Mei holds up two fingers. "Body Flicker."


    They disappear and reappear on top of the boat. Not wasting any time Mei cuts the ropes tying the boat to the dock. Performing hand seals she blows a gust of wind towards the sails to move the boat.


    As they begin to move Zitsu looks at the island with a long face. This was just supposed to be a mission to meet a clan, yet they had multiple life or death battles and six ninjas were lost. Learning from his mistakes last time Zitsu stays on guard.


    Mei on the other hand plops down onto her butt.


    Looking at her he realizes how hard this trip has been on her. Her clothes are ripped in multiple places exposing new white skin that he helped her regrow, her hair is completely disheveled, and small black rings around her eyes proving she hasn''t slept in a few days. She''s probably blaming herself for the first ship being destroyed.


    "Mei, I have a question. Why don''t ninjas use body flicker in battle?" Zitsu thinks back to when he used it to push her and when she used it just now.


    Mei shakes her head "It''s a double edge sword, unless you have a Dojutsu that can keep up with the movements you are just at likely to move into your enemies blade. It''s only used if you know exactly where you''re going, or you might end up in a trap."


    Pondering her answer he realizes almost no one uses it in the series, probably for this reason. Looking around another question comes to mind. "Do you know how to steer a boat?"


    Mei smacks her lips "Of course, we should arrive at the Kiri docks in two days since we are leaving from the other side of the island."


    "We''ve been gone a week." Zitsu looks into the distance. Taking a deep breath Zitsu sits down to recover chakra.


    "I''ll warn you now, never let anyone know you can perform secret jutsu from other villages, you will die before you know it. Not all people are as nice as me." Mei looks at him with a serious look.


    Zitsu realizes how careless he has been with the Shadow clone jutsu.


    After regaining his chakra Zitsu once again made sixty clones. He won''t be able to use his shadow clones in fights anymore, Obito will definitely control the Mizukage soon, if he''s not already, and If anyone finds out he will be doomed.


    With his clones twenty practiced Yin release by trying to use genjutsu to change the color and shapes of things on deck to fool people''s perception, twenty practiced water release by taking off their shirts and trying to use nothing but chakra to soak the shirt, and the last twenty perform shape transformation by trying to form a shield with chakra as dense as possible.


    By practicing those three he is getting closer to Genjutsu and his Ninjutsu will be easier to perform. Seeing that his stats are still raising at around the same speed he put his 10 points into chakra and his perk point into melee damage to bring it to 15%, finishing the perk off.


    During the two days Mei periodically helped him train, giving him pointers with everything, making his training very fruitful. She also got to rest for a while and restore her pristine looks, even though her clothes are still damaged.


    When they got close to Kiri Zitsu released his clones to be safe. Looking at his stats he was fairly satisfied.


    Level 10


    [Health 110/110]


    [Chakra 423/423]


    [Stamina 132/132]


    [10 Points]


    [PP 0]


    [Taijutsu 20, Ninjutsu 21, Genjutsu 0]


    [Ninjutsu cost reduced by 10%][Reduce stamina consumption by 5%][Increase melee damage by 15%]


    "We''re back" Arriving just after sunset Zitsu can see the Docks beginning to light up. Returning after so long he isn''t sure how to feel. Things will only get worse from here, but at the same time, he''s home.


    "Nervous you are about to be proven a liar?" Mei''s lips curl up.


    Zitsu just shakes his head.


    The boat slowly pulls up to the dock as civilian workers throw hooks onto the boat to anchor it to port.


    Leaving the boat Zitsu looks at it one last time before walking away.


    Following Mei they walk on the same long path they took to get here, one step at a time.


    After walking for a few minutes they find themselves in the central building of the Mizukage. As soon as they walk in three ninjas run towards Mei.


    "Mei where have you been?!?"


    "Did you hear?"


    They began rambling off with an exciting light in their eyes.


    "Calm down guys, what? I just got back from a terrible mission." Mei holds up her hands to quiet them down.


    One of the ninjas sucks in a breath "The yellow flash, Minato, the Fourth Hokage is dead, and Konoha took massive damage."


    Hearing this Mei''s eyes go wide as a smile creeps on Zitsu''s face.


    Mei glances down at Zitsu as he begins walking towards the training grounds where he lives.


    Her eyes follow his small back that seems to be carrying a heavy weight, as he slowly disappears into the tunnel.


    "So it begins" Zitsu takes a deep breath.


    This year ends in a few months, and next year will be his only chance to acquire Samehada. He doesn''t know the exact date, but the seven ninja swordsmen will go to the land of fire soon and encounter''s Guy''s team. His father Duy will kill all but three of the swordsmen.


    Thinking up to here a frown appears on his face, he needs to drastically improve his swordsmanship in the coming months. His fifth birthday marks the beginning of the new year, and the beginning of his plans.

 33 The Plan

    The closer he gets to the apartments the happier he gets to be back. From this trip, he learned how arrogant he was from being better than the rest of the kids. If he was on a team with anyone other than Mei he would have died a thousand times.


    Walking into the familiar apartment building he does a radar scan. Judging by the lack of chakra signatures the others must still be in the training hall, as only a few signatures are in each room. The first thing he does is go towards the third floor.


    Walking into the familiar room he takes a deep breath and the earthy smell penetrates his nose. Thinking for a second, he crosses his fingers.


    "Shadow Clone Jutsu"


    [Chakra 14/423]


    Dividing his chakra into thirty-one parts he makes thirty clones.


    "Same training as the ship right?" One of the clones steps forward before Zitsu can say anything.


    "Just remember to constantly scan to make sure you don''t get caught." Zitsu nods his head and leaves.


    Arriving in front of his door a key appears in his hand. Sliding it into the lock, he opens the door.


    Laying on the couch indoors he sees his mother laying on the couch reading a book.


    "Mom!" Stepping inside with a smile, Zitsu closes the door.


    "Zitsu?!?" Sitting up with shining eyes she looks towards Zitsu. Dropping the book she rushes over and scoops him up, planting dozens of kisses on his face.


    "Mom, mom, stop, stop, I''m a Ninja" While complaining a bright smile is present on his face, not even trying to resist.


    Yura caries him to the couch and sits down, placing Zitsu on her lap. "Come, tell me how your trip was."


    For the next three hours, he told his mom how he single-handedly talked the clan leaders into peace, the time they encountered rogue ninjas and he convinced them to change their ways, and when they decided to build a monument on the Island and name it after him.


    His mother was giddy as he talked in a grand manner, swinging his arms around and making sound effects.


    Finally arriving back into his room he begins to practice the things he''s learned from his clones as the hours pass by.


    As the sun begins to rise he eats breakfast with his mother and leaves towards the entrance of the apartment.


    "Zitsu!" Seeing Zitsu walk around the corner Chojuro yells at the site of him. Rushing forward he gives him a hug.


    "Stop, stop" pushing him aside he looks him up and down.


    Chojuro is now wearing his trademark glasses, the instructor probably figured out his eyesight was bad. His sword is hanging on his back with its grip showing signs of use.


    Looking over he sees Taisho, Emina, and Eminu.


    "How was the mission, did you get to fight a lot?!" Taisho''s eyes light up as he scans Zitsu''s body.


    "I almost died plenty of times."


    As he nods his head Taisho''s eyes light up. "Can you tell us about it?"


    "No! It was a very traumatic experience." Zitsu shakes his head, not wanting to waste his time telling stories again.


    Emina and Eminu now have the same bob cut with long bangs, making them look almost the same. The only difference is the longsword on Emina''s back and the cleaver at Eminu''s waist.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Hehehe, I bet I''m stronger than you now! I want to fight!" Emina points at his face with a devilish grin as she looks down at Zitsu.


    While Zitsu and Cho will be turning five soon, Taisho, Emina, and Eminu are already or turning six making them much taller.


    Zitsu smiles as he looks at this girl, he only left for a while and her head has already gotten big, forgetting who taught her to walk on water. "I''ll take you on any time." waving his hand he begins to walks away. As he passes by Eminu the corners of her lips rise a bit as she nods her head.


    The others fall in behind him, just like they did before as they walk towards the training center.


    Before they can reach the center a tall figure with long auburn hair in a blue dress walks over from the side.


    Seeing her walk over a smile creeps on his face. "You guys go ahead."


    After waving his hand he begins to walk towards Mei.


    She watches the other kids walk away with her eyes before looking at Zitsu.


    "Wife, why the long face." Looking at her solemn face causes his eye to twitch.


    Hearing his form of address causes her eyes go blank for a moment.


    "Wife?" Raising an eyebrow he looks Mei up and down.


    Releasing a long breath she shakes her head lightly. "What else do you know?" Her eyes turn serious as she looks at Zitsu.


    "Whos asking? You?" Zitsu narrows his eyes.


    "Just me, I haven''t told anyone, yet. As long as you have Kiri''s best interest in heart I won''t go against you."


    "Wrong! You need to have my best interest in heart because you are my wife!" Zitsu points at her face.


    Mei pouts her lips as she looks at him, thinking for a moment. After five minutes she finally nods her head "Ok little husband, if I''m going to believe your words then I will have to believe this too. But I hope your interest doesn''t go against my beliefs."


    The smile returns to Zitsu''s face as he holds his arms up while curling his fingers.


    A small smile forms on her face as she picks him up. His legs wrap around her waist and an arm goes behind her neck as he hangs on like a koala. "Now, do you know anything else important little husband?"


    Zitsu thinks for a moment before his eyes shine as a brilliant idea forms in his head. "I do, but I need your help! I want Samehada, it''s my destiny!"


    Mei shakes her head "Kiri has no right to take the seven swords from their owners, only if they die in battle or defeated in a contest can the sword be taken and given to someone else who''s worthy. So I can''t take the sword from Fuguki, plus we have the same amount of power in Kiri. I''m only an Elite Jonin, not an advisor."


    Zitsu smiles "Do you have any connections in Anbu?"


    Mei squints "I do, but if you want me to assassinate him, I won''t."


    Zitsu takes a deep breath "Is it Ao?"


    Hearing the name Mei''s mouth drops and her eyes go wide as she looks at Zitsu, believing more than ever that he really does have visions. Members of Anbu don''t use their real names, so the fact he could name her contact in Anbu should have been simply impossible.


    "Listen to me, I won''t ask you to trust me blindly yet because I don''t want to force things between us. But one day I hope you will trust me unconditionally. I''ll give you information that will benefit Kiri, but I want you to promise me something." Zitsu looks her in the eye, trying to catch any change in her emotion.


    "What do you want?" Her brows begin to wrinkle.


    "Samehada!"


    "I can''t?! Are you even listening to what I''m saying?" A frown begins to develop on her face.


    Using his small hand he covers her dainty mouth "Of course I''m listening to you my wife, but hear the details first. Everything I''ve said so far is interlinked."


    Removing his hand he sees that shes calmed down. "The reason I asked about Anbu is that I need you to get someone you trust to investigate Fuguki! He needs to look at the fact that he is selling information about Kiri to other villages, he is a traitor!"


    Mei''s body trembles as she looks at Zitsu, looking for any detail that he is lying. After looking at him for a bit she nods. "Ok, I''ll have him look into it. Anything else?"


    Zitsu smiles "What do you think of the seven swordsmen?"


    "They are powerful individuals, some of the strongest in the village."


    "I mean their character!" Zitsu narrows his eyes


    Mei frowns "Most are drunk on power and kill anyone whos a threat to their position so they never give up their swords."


    Zitsu nods "The mist isn''t in a good place right now, what If I told you, you can get the seven swords under your control soon?" His eyebrows shoot up as he finishes his sentence.


    "Explain" Mei answers after seeing he''s serious.


    "Ask Ao to find the information fast, but don''t act on it yet. You keep a lookout as well, around the beginning of next year the seven swordsmen will be sent on a mission into the land of fire. If you find the information that Fuguki is a traitor we will have an opportunity to act then, but you must bring me along!" Zitsu looks into her eyes, if she doesn''t accept his plan, a lot of options for him will be gone.


    "Look for information, then follow them out onto a mission? If Fuguki is a traitor we should tell the Mizukage and Madame Yan."


    "NO!" Zitsu panics "Please do this quietly."


    "Fine! I''ll ask Ao to see what he can find with his resources. If he knows he''s looking for Fuguki selling information specifically, it won''t takes long." Mei nods after seeing his face.


    Zitsu''s face brightens as he quickly pecks her on the cheek and jumps away. "I''m counting on you, wife!"


    Watching his small back running towards the training center she smiles "Don''t let me down, little husband."

 34 Limits of the Body

    Walking into the building he sees the burly instructor standing in front of the kids with his arms crossed, constantly yelling when he finds mistakes. Seeing Zitsu walks in a ghastly grin appears on his face.


    "Well, well, well! The Genin finally decides to grace us with his presence." But his face soon sinks "But he didn''t even bring his sword?!?"


    "I lost my sword on my mission." Zitsu scratches the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    "Then why are you still alive?" His brows shot up as he looks at Zitsu "The sword is your partner, never leave your sword!"


    "I disagree, sometimes you have to let go, being unable to let go of the sword may get you killed." Zitsu recites some things he''s heard in anime and novels, unsure if the instructor is testing him.


    But this was no test.


    His face turns beet red "Are you the instructor or am I?!?! GET


    ! GET OUT! You''re unteachable!! Who are you to question me?" he spits into the water "Don''t come back here unless you crawl in on your hands and knees begging me to teach you. Beg or you will amount to nothing."


    Taisho, Chojuro, Emina, and Eminu stare in amazement, unsure what they should do.


    Zitsu''s mouth opens and closes for a bit, before he finally shrugs his shoulders. Walking outside he looks around the misty plateau.


    "Well, I do need to train my body. My speed is to slow." Shaking his head he begins performing sprints.


    The chakra in his body begins to flow faster as he trains more than he ever has before. Ever since he come to this world he never had a chance to seriously move his body. Even on Yami Island he was carried by Mei most of the time because he couldn''t keep up with her. He cant train his body in the apartment, and he couldn''t really move on the ship.


    While his clones can help him get better chakra control, better at nature transformation, and better at shape manipulation it''s all useless if his body can''t keep up.


    From that day onward he began training like a madman. Every day he would train from sunrise to sunset trying to increase his speed and power. At night he would use medical jutsu to heal his muscles. Besides spending time with his mom every day he did nothing else, because he knows things are only going to get worse in the land of water. Originally they are at war even during the first half of the series, so twelve more years of fighting.


    Sixty clones continued to train in Yin release, water release, and shape manipulation every day. As they practice the harder it gets to improve, there''s a reason most Jonin only master two natures in their lives. The more he practices the more he realizes how hard it is.


    After the first week Mei brought him money, because they technically completed their mission. Instead of Taking the money he asked her for a new sword so he can practice. She offered to talk to the instructor but he turned her down. Mei brought the sword the next day and to tell him she was going on a mission back to the island with a team to root out the clans.


    With the sword all he could do was improve on his basics and increase his speed. Just like that October passed. In November he wished Chojuro a happy birthday and continued to train. His clones improvement slowed even more as they couldn''t advance passed the basics, as they couldn''t use most jutsu in the apartment.


    Learning the Rasengan wasn''t hard, but it''s an attack he can never use or risk being labeled as a spy. Being able to make the Rasengan marked the end of shape manipulation as being able to rotate and compact chakra like that is the best it gets.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    As his water release and shape manipulation improved Zitsu was finally able to use jutsu to their full capability, but improving them was impossible because his clones can''t come out to practice. Without people to practice Genjutsu on his Yin release could no longer improve as well. All the clones could do now was increase his spiritual chakra. With his control improved he was able to reduce the hand seals required for water dragon jutsu from forty-four to ten, any more than that will require more advanced practice that will eat up his time.


    Everyone has a limit on the amount of chakra they can have, but maybe because of the system his chakra just kept increasing.


    As his training continued he learned the limits of his dragon shout. Fus drains 100 stamina, Ro drains 200 stamina, and Dah drains 300 stamina. To figure that out he had to spend a few days unconscious.


    Trying to improve Ninjutsu without clones was a waste of time, so he completely focused on Kenjutsu and Taijutsu because he could see immediate results. He trained with water clones every day, but was only able to get his Taijutsu level to rise from 20 to 23 by the beginning of December. Even with healing his muscles everyday his Ninjutsu only increased to 22. His level increased to 11 and he put his points into health as it''s the only thing that hasn''t risen with training since the forbidden jutsu increased it by ten. He put his perk point into [Increase Ninjutsu power by 2%].


    This allowed him to increase his Ninjutsu power without training. To his surprise his water clones increased to 12% of his strength. Originally he thought the 2% increase would only happen to the 10% of the strength they already had.


    Zitsu guessed that if he wanted to increase his levels faster he would have to fight and kill people. Even if his level couldn''t improve much by fighting the clones, his swordplay still got better.


    Even though he couldn''t improve his jutsu like Sasuke did for Chidori, his chakra increased to an unbelievable level so he can just put more into his jutsu. He also found the limit for his chakra. When his chakra increased to 2,500 it stopped. His guess is that it can only increase by 500 per year of his life starting at zero instead of one. After his fifth birthday he will check if he can increase it by another 500. The only thing he''s not sure about is how outside influence like Samehada absorbing chakra or a tailed beast would affect him.


    On December 27th Zitsu sat on a rock while looking towards the sun setting in the west.


    "Congratulations on being born, Hinata." Closing his eyes he looks at his stats from months of training.


    Level 11


    [Health 120/120]


    [Chakra 1263/2500]


    [Stamina 63/140]


    [0 Points]


    [PP 0]


    [Taijutsu 23, Ninjutsu 22, Genjutsu 0]


    [Ninjutsu cost reduced by 10%][Increase Ninjutsu power by 2%][Reduce stamina consumption by 5%][Increase melee damage by 15%]


    Looking at his chakra a smile forms on his face. "This should be as much chakra as Naruto had in the beginning of Shippuden without using chakra from the Ninetails. If I count the Ninetails he probably has over 100,000 chakra."


    Looking at his stamina he shakes his head "This tiny body is at its limits, I''ll have to wait till I get bigger to increase my physique. Infusing my body with chakra can temporarily help, but it''s limited. If I want to use all this chakra I''d have to begin training to open the eight gates. Now all I can focus on is Kenjutsu."


    "Zitsu." A sweet voice calls out his name from behind.


    Turning around he sees Mei walking over with a long face.


    "We found the evidence of Fuguki treachery. Ao followed him for a while, just as he was going to give up he saw Fuguki meeting ninjas from Kumo." Mei shakes her head.


    A small smile forms on his face "Saw?"


    Mei hesitate for a moment before opening her mouth "He has the Byakugan."


    "I know" Zitsu nods with a smile.


    She stares at Zitsu for a while, trying to find the right words. "What now?"


    "We wait! When you learn that the seven swords are going to the land of fire come get me, we will follow them."


    "Why is it so important you come along?" Mei tilts her head.


    Zitsu squints as he looks at her "Because It''s important, make sure Ao comes as well."


    Mei releases a breath of air "Fine."


    Zitsu''s face turns serious "How''s the war with the clans?"


    Mei shakes her head "A lot of the clans surrendered, but those with Kekkei Genkai are too proud, most of the resistance is lead by those clans." She shakes her head slowly "The body count just keeps adding up, it could take years to subdue them. Yami Island was a small and weak power compared to the other islands."


    Listening to her words Zitsu begins counting on his fingers before nodding his head.


    Seeing his actions Mei''s eyes shine "Did you see something? Anything beneficial?" After being proven right so many times any doubts about his ability are mostly gone.


    "Yes" Zitsu nods gravely "I turn five in four days, and I''m wondering if my wife is going to celebrate with me? As for a present I''d like a copy of every book and scroll dealing with medical jutsu you can get." Looking at Mei the corners of his lips rises.


    Mei stumbles backward as she heard what he said. Smacking her lips she turns and walks away.


    Turning towards the west again a smile formed on his face.

 35 Meeting

    Jumping from the rock Zitsu draws his sword. As he takes a stance his blade fills with chakra. In the next second, the chakra turns into water as it spirals around the blade. As the water spins faster and faster it begins to release a slight hum as it forms a mini typhoon around the blade.


    By controlling his chakra not even a droplet of water falls from the blade. It takes a few seconds for the water to spins as fast as he can, the sound of rushing rapids fill the area.


    His arms twist to the right, pointing the sword behind him as he looks at the rock. Focusing on the spinning chakra a sinister grin appears on his face.


    "First original skill!" He slashes his sword horizontally leaving behind a blue arc as the sword travels.


    [Chakra 1113/2500]


    "Kenjutsu: Enuma Elish!" As the sword reaches the end of its slash, pointing towards the rock, the spiraling water shoots from the sword in a spiraling twister the size of a baseball.


    As it hits the rock the twister drills inside causing large cracks to splinter from the impact site. As the water fades it reveals a fist size hole drilled into the rock.


    Seeing this Zitsu shakes his head as he sheaths his sword.


    "Not even close to the original. I need to be able to layer the rotations." Releasing a long breath he walks back home for the night.


    The next few days continued as normal, he couldn''t see the other kids much because of their training. Once he can get ahold of samehada he will begin accepting missions, he hasn''t been forced into missions because of Mei''s protection, but If he wants to grow stronger he will have to go.


    As the sun rises on January 1st Zitsu opens his eyes as the spinning water in his hands fades. The principle of Enuma Elish is almost like the Rasengan, except the water only spins in one direction. To add multiple rotations of water onto his blade would be accomplishing what Minato couldn''t, and what Naruto needed the help of two clones to accomplish. If he just used chakra for the rotations without adding nature transformation, the twister can''t keep its shape and will break apart. Only a sphere is stable enough for that much rotation of pure chakra with no nature.


    Walking outside his room his mother instantly scoops him into her arms and begins planting kisses.


    "Happy birthday baby!" Yura''s eyes shine as she places him on the ground. "To think my little ninja is five years old."


    "Thanks, mom" Zitsu grins from ear to ear as he sees his mother''s beaming face. This is the first birthday he''s got to celebrate with his mom in three years.


    Zitsu''s nose begins to twitch as he finally notices the aromatic smell filling the room. Looking around he notices all the food on the table.


    Yura''s eyes turn into crescent moons as she sees his little nose moving about. "I got up early today to cook all your favorite foods, I even made you a cake. I know it''s early to eat all this, but I don''t want to disrupt your training."


    As they were getting ready to sit down a knock was heard at the door.


    Yura looks at Zitsu but only saw his smiling face as he sat in his seat. "I wonder who that can be." Putting a finger on her mouth she walks towards the door.


    Opening the door she sees a young girl with long auburn hair in a blue dress. Looking at her beautiful emerald green eyes, straight nose, and full lips leave her in a daze. Seeing the Kiri symbol on her belt pulls her back to reality as she realizes this young woman is a ninja.


    "You are?" Yura looks at the young woman, not sure how to address her.


    "Your daughter-in-law!" Zitsu''s voice sounds from behind her "No need to be polite!"Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    A vein bulges on Mei''s forehead as her lips begin to twitch. All the dreams she had about her husband and future wedding have been dashed by a four, no, five year old.


    "Daughter in law?!" Yura looks Mei up and down before turning to look at her son.


    Seeing his mother''s inquisitive looks he just shrugs.


    Her brows furrow a bit before she looks back towards Mei.


    "Nice to meet you." Mei bows slightly as her left eye begins to twitch as well.


    Taking a breath Yura steps aside "Please come in."


    As Mei walks in she stares daggers at Zitsu''s smiling face.


    Seeing this Yura smiles "Your name is?"


    "Please excuse my rudeness, I''m Mei Terumi"


    "You and my son are." She pauses for a moment "Together?"


    Mei takes a deep breath "It would seem that way." A strange smile appears on her face.


    Hearing her words Yura''s mouth hangs open "And, and how old are you?"


    Mei''s lips struggle to part "I''ll be seventeen this year."


    Yura begins counting on her fingers as her eyes go wide. "By the time Zitsu is thirteen, you will be twenty-four going on twenty-five."


    "I" Just as Mei was about to say something Yura cuts her off.


    "That''s perfect! Just the right age to have me some grandbabies! That''s how old I was when I had Zitsu and he was such a cute baby, just looking at you I just know my grandkids will be adorable!" Yura becomes visibly excited, even though she''s a bit older, what mother doesn''t want a beautiful wife for their son?


    Hearing about having children Mei''s face goes flush. "Kids." As the words leave her mouth, the more pleasant it sounds.


    She was born and raised in Kiri, her parents died during the time of the second world war and she was raised in Kiri alone. The idea of getting married and having a family is always on her mind, but due to her strength men stay away from her, afraid of someone stronger than them who might melt them by accident.


    Looking at Zitsu and his mother the smile on her face turns sweet, so what If he''s five now? He''ll be thirteen in eight years, then they can have kids! The more she thinks about it the happier she gets. Was he right? Were they really destined to be together? Why she never found anyone till now?


    Yura grabs Mei''s hands and pulls her towards the table. "Come, come, come, you need to eat something, you''re too skinny!"


    Hearing those last words, visions of Mei fifteen years after the fourth war flash through his head, waking him from the shock of his mother planning his future. "Wait! No need to stuff ourselves, let''s take it slow."


    "Silly child listen to your mother, come eat." Yura completely ignores Zitsu as she continues to fond over Mei.


    Looking at the smiles on his mother and Mei''s face he clenches his fist in victory.


    Sitting at the table he eats while watching the ladies chat happily. After the meal, Zitsu and Mei sit on the couch while Yura begins to wash the dishes.


    Without saying a word Mei pulls out a scroll and hands it to Zitsu. "I got as many as I could, do you know how many favors I had to pull to get these?"


    Zitsu eyes light up as he takes the scroll "Is this a storage scroll? The books and scrolls on medicine are inside? Fascinating."


    Looking at him twist the scrolls in his hand Mei wrinkles her brows. Obviously, this Kid has no intention of keeping their ''relationship'' secret, what If people learn that she''s robbing the cradle? Won''t her reputation be ruined?


    Thinking about it for a moment she just shakes her head, just let it happen. Is her reputation worth her future happiness?


    Taking a deep breath she opens her mouth. "I have news, for some reason the Mizukage wants the seven swordsmen to go to the land of fire and cause as much destruction as possible. It makes no sense, during a time of strife he''s sending out our strongest fighting force."


    Zitsu tucks the scroll into his sleeve and stashes it in his inventory. The scroll is stored in the [Scrolls] department, the contents are not extracted as they were when putting a bag into his inventory. Discovering this brings a smile to his face along with Mei''s words.


    "When are we leaving?" Looking into her eyes he smiles playfully.


    "Ao, You, and I will be leaving on the 7th to follow them, so six days." Looking at Zitsu she looks for some sort of reaction or surprise, to see if he knew the date, but saw nothing.


    "Good, to thank you I''ll tell you something to benefit Kiri that you love so much" he pauses for a moment when he sees her eyes light up "Do you know Harusame?"


    "Harusame" Mei''s brows furrow when she hears the name "The Fuinjutsu master? That old man? Don''t tell me he''s a traitor too."


    Mei''s eyes begin to darken as the thought appears in her head.


    "No, relax, breathe." Zitsu shakes his head at her quick reaction. "Tell him that you learned information about the Konoha attack. That it''s impossible to survive a tailed beast from being extracted from the body, even an Uzumaki clansman died with their powerful lifeforce."


    "It that true?!" Mei''s eyes go wide. No one has tried to extract a tailed beast before. If the host can''t control it like Killer B or Yagura the beast will eventually go wild and kill its host, forcing the beast to be resealed in another.


    "Just tell him, if he listens then Kiri won''t lose its jinchuriki" Zitsu nods with his eyes closed.


    Standing up Mei turns to leave, after taking a few steps she pauses "Happy fifth birthday." speaking with her back turned she heads towards the door and leaves.


    As she leaves Zitsu rises to his feet "Mom I''m going out to train!"


    "Be safe!" His mom yells back from the kitchen.


    "Six more days." Zitsu mumbles to himself as he walks towards the door.

 36 To the Land of Fire

    Leaving his apartment he heads towards the third floor. As he arrives in front of the door he knocks.


    After waiting for a few seconds an old lady opens the door.


    "Well well well, what brings you here today youngster?" An old decrepit voice escapes her mouth.


    Zitsu frowns and pushes her aside as he walks into the room. "Cut the crap, you''ll have work to do." waving his hand causes the air in the room to twist as the once empty room is filled with clones of Zitsu sitting on the ground.


    Closing the door, the old lady transforms into Zitsu with a puff of smoke.


    "Ok guys I got work for you, I''m leaving in six days." As he holds out his hand a scroll appears. With a flick of the wrist, the scroll unrolls and he lays it on the ground, revealing a bunch of complicated symbols in the form of a circle. In the middle of the circle is a picture of a pile of books and scrolls


    "Enclosing Technique" looking at the scroll Zitsu is instantly able to recognize the symbols. He had to have drawn at least a few thousand of these for cosplay purposes.


    "Kai!" Holding up two fingers he forces chakra into the scroll to undo the seal.


    In a puff of smoke, a few hundred books and scrolls appear. Looking at this Zitsu frowns for a moment.


    Looking around at his clones he releases a long breath. "It''s time, to study."


    Even though they could all guess what he was going to say, the clones faces turn dark.


    On Earth, Zitsu could be classified as a Genius of studying. Anything he wanted to learn he could learn with enough effort, but he only used his ability to study when it came to anime. If he put in effort becoming a scientist or engineer wouldn''t have been impossible, but he never cared.


    "Cough, cough" coughing a few times Zitsu turns around "Sixty clones won''t cut it, you can make an extra forty to bring it to one hundred, but any more than that will affect my Kenjutsu training. Godspeed gentlemen."


    Not giving them a chance to speak he quickly leaves the room. As he leaves the room he shutters for a moment. Studying is the thing he hates most in this world. Dusting off his shoulders he walks down the stairs and out of the apartment.


    Resuming his training the days began to go by. He quickly learned that he was right about his chakra, he was once again able to increase it, but due to all the clones currently improving their medical knowledge, he didn''t have a chance to increase it by much.


    As he trained information about medical ninjutsu came in, and what he learned made him simple appalled! The things you can do with chakra is simply ridiculous. Hole in your stomach? Use chakra to move cells from your fat or even hair to fill it. Different ways for herbs and animal parts to be turned into poison, a lot of books about poison.


    The human anatomy quickly fills his head, the more he learns the more amazed he is. At the same time, he also realizes the lack of technology hindered them from learning how things work on an even deeper level. They can''t see things on a molecular level, they can just tell that some people''s blood and body are special.


    Why were Hashirama''s cells able to heal so rapidly? Probably from extreme mitosis! Why did kimimaro die? Calcium from overusing his Kekkei Genkai poisoned his blood! These are theories a lot of fans had but lacked information to back them up.


    The more he thinks about it the more excited he becomes. If he can force blood to produce more collagen, why can''t he force his cells to undergo Mitosis to regenerate injuries? This must be the secret of Tsunade''s Creation Rebirth, but did she know the specifics of it? Everyone who''s gone through a biology class knows what mitosis is, so it shouldn''t be hard to follow the steps.Stolen story; please report.


    On the day of departure, he dissipated all his clones. If Ao was coming here then hiding his shadow clones from his sensory skill, let alone his byakugan will be impossible. Returning the Medical books and scrolls using the enclosing seal. With one hundred clones learning everything in the books over five days, it equaled over five hundred days of study. While it may not be a lot, it was enough for now.


    He didn''t have to wait long, after seeing the kids off towards the academy he sat on a rock. Not long after, Mei showed up with Ao. Ao looked to be in his early thirties with a blue mohawk, wearing green robes with a brown shirt, and the most noticeable feature is the black eyepatch over his right eye and tags hanging from his ears.


    Jumping to his feet he walks to them.


    Mei steps out to stand between them "Zitsu, Ao, Ao, Zitsu." She introduces them to each other but notices they are just staring each other down.


    Ao stands there with his arms crossed as he stares down at Zitsu, a stern look on his face. Zitsu stands there with his left arm resting on his sheath and right arm on his hilt.


    Mei''s brows scrunch together as she looks at the both of them.


    Suddenly Zitsu''s right-hand shoots out, finger fully extended. Seeing this Ao extends his right hand and grabs Zitsu''s small hand before shaking it.


    "Thank you for taking care of my wife all this time!" Zitsu looks him dead in the eye.


    "Not a problem, heard this operation is your idea?" Ao''s stern voice fills the area as he nods.


    Mei''s mouth twitches as she listens to these two, can you please act like he''s five?


    "Right, we better get moving. I asked you to come along so we don''t lose them."


    Ao nods before turning around and walking away.


    "Have you two met before?" Mei squints as she looks at Zitsu.


    "Wife, that was just a meeting between men." Zitsu answers as he follows after Ao.


    Mei stands there trembling as she watches him walk away. "Men?!?" Stomping on the ground she follows after them.


    Walking to the dock they take a boat and set out to sea. This time the boat is a lot smaller than the last one, as only the three of them are going out on this secret operation.


    Ao stands at the front of the boat, holding up two fingers he focuses chakra into his right eye.


    "Byakugan!" Veins bulge on the side of his face as his vision goes far beyond what one can normally see.


    "I see them, they are about half a day''s journey ahead of us." The veins on his face recede as he turns around. "So, what''s the plan?"


    Mei looks at Zitsu as this is what she wanted to know the most, he said she could control the seven swords??


    Feeling their gazes he clears his throat before opening his mouth "We just need to follow them for now, when it''s time to act, you will know. We won''t even have to do much, let''s just wait."


    On the ship ahead a man with a braided beard looks out to see "Why is Yagura sending us to Konoha to play?!? He said we can destroy as much as we want, that they are weak right now."


    "Hehehehehe fool! When have we needed a reason to kill, Jinpachi?? He said kill so just shut your trap and kill!" a tall lanky man wearing an Anbu mask and scarecrow-like hair walks towards him.


    "How about I just blow you up right now!" reaching behind him he grabs the handle attached to a large scroll.


    "Jinpachi, Kushimaru, shut up! I won''t listen to you two argue this whole trip!" A giant, burly man with orange hair walks over.


    "Friends, how about this, why don''t we have a competition to see who can kill the most people?" A tall man with a large nose walks over, a large hammer and axe hanging from his neck by a chain.


    "This I can get behind." A tall man with a cross-shaped scar on his face eyes light up when he hears about the competition.


    "Morons" shaking his head a man with green hair and dual swords at his waist walks to a different part of the ship.


    The voyage to the land of fire took two entire weeks. During the trip Zitsu got Ao to teach him everything he knows about sensory techniques. Because the ship was so small he couldn''t practice the sword, but he could get Mei to help him with his Jutsu as he fired them out to sea.


    Ao actually got along very well with Zitsu, even though he was five, he seemed very manly and confident.


    Mei was very baffled seeing the two get along, she thought Ao would give her a hard time about a five-year-old calling her his wife.


    They traveled a bit south of the land of waves and landed near the peninsula of the land of fire. What they saw when they landed was a port city filled with blood.


    "I think we landed in the right place." Ao steps off the ship and looks around.


    "Are they just going to kill anyone they see, won''t this just bring retaliation upon Kiri?" Mei frowns as she sees the bodies of over twenty children sewn onto a wall.


    "Maybe that''s what someone wants? We need to stay close on their trail, or we may lose our opportunity." Zitsu shakes his head "We aren''t strong enough to stop them but we will have a chance."


    Ao nods his head as he holds up two fingers "Byakugan!" His veins bulge as he looks around. "They are heading in the direction of another town, they must have a map."


    "They don''t have a sensor ninja so we can stay pretty close." Mei begins walking, no longer wanting to stay in this place.


    Looking around at all the bodies killed in different ways Zitsu takes a deep breath before following.

 37 Rigma

    "Honey do you want to go by Uncle Guma''s today to eat some pastries?" A young woman looks down at a small girl as they walk down the busy stone street.


    "Ok mommy!" The girl''s eyes light up as she thinks about what type of cake she will pick, a wide smile creeping on her face.


    The young woman pulls the girl''s hand as she navigates through the crowd.


    The town of Rigma wasn''t a big place, but It had everything one could want to raise a family. Rigma was famous for their carpenters, the carpenter guild of Rigma could proudly claim there wasn''t a single household in the land of fire that didn''t have a piece of furniture, carvings, or the entire house made from them.


    Being a carpenter town Rigma had beautiful architecture, as someone was constantly trying to push the limit of what wood could do. Because of the need for wood, Rigma was located in a sea of stomps as lumberjacks worked year round.


    As the town was located a bit south-east of the direct center of the land of fire, it was fairly peaceful. Too far from the borders to experience war, and while bandits could be seen in the area occasionally, a few town guards were enough to take care of them.


    To every resident of Rigma today was just another normal day, or at least it should have been. Mist poured into the village from seven different directions, covering the town almost instantly.


    "This is the fifth village! I''m in the lead!" A man with bandages wrapped around his head and braided hair charges through the mist. His eyes glimmer as he charges towards the village, almost like being reunited with a long lost lover.


    In his hand is what looks like a giant scroll with a handle. A long and sharp metal sheet extends from the side of the scroll, almost making it look like an axe. Running towards the village he comes upon a house, without even taking time to think, he swings the weapon in his hand.


    The axe-like blade easily penetrates the side of the house, but suddenly the scroll begins to spin and hundreds of paper bombs fill the metal sheet. It only took a moment for the bombs to appear, and in the next moment, a defining explosion propels from the tip of the blade.


    When the smoke clears only the foundation of the house is left, in the rubble blood and body parts can be seen.


    In another part of the town, a big-nosed man is running around with his hammer and axe. With a swing of his axe, another person will be chopped in half, with a swing of his hammer a blood mist is created. A second swig of the same weapon is never needed to kill.


    Similar scenes are happening all around as the once peaceful town descends into chaos.


    Far off in the woods a man, a woman, and a child can hear the screams of the village.


    "We have been following them for a week now, and we have entered deep into the land of fire, what is this plan of yours? Watch them go on a killing spree?" Ao looks towards Zitsu, the veins on the right side of his face bulging.


    Mei also looks a bit dissatisfied, including travel time it''s been three weeks.


    Seeing their looks Zitsu can do nothing but smile. He doesn''t know the exact date for everything, only that certain things should happen. Only very important things have dates assigned to them, and the deaths of most of the swordsmen are not one of them.


    "I was grateful at first for the information Mei, but why do you put so much trust in him? Kiri needs us right now and we shouldn''t be out here." Getting no answer from Zitsu he turns to Mei.


    Mei looks at Zitsu for a moment before biting her teeth "Let''s just give it some more time."


    Hearing her answer Ao continues to watch the battle with his Byakugan.


    Zitsu''s brows furrow, Guy should be around fourteen right now, so definitely a Chunin. The seven swordsmen have been attacking for a week now so Konoha should definitely know, as someone should have seen a town that''s been destroyed.


    Guy''s team should be dispatched to deal with it, but there is no way for them to know the attackers are basically the seven strongest Kenjutsu Jonin from Kiri. For some reason, Duy appears, probably worried about his son''s safety?Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    It only took them forty-two minutes to kill the entire village. As they finish their destruction they begin moving towards the next town.


    Ao begins to walk forward "They''re moving."


    Mei glances at Zitsu before following. He hasn''t been wrong yet so she wants to believe him, but things aren''t looking good.


    Zitsu knows nothing he says will help so he just follows in silence.


    After walking for two hours Ao suddenly stops.


    "Three ninjas from Konoha are approaching them, judging by their chakra level, Chunin." Ao mutters as if it''s a small affair. If three Chunin could stop the seven swordsmen, then wouldn''t every ninja in Kiri be rolled over by Genin?


    But Zitsu is different, hearing his words he rushes forward. "What do they look like?!? The Chunin?"


    Ao frowns, this is the first thing he says all day after dragging them around? Turning towards Mei, he sees her nod.


    Seeing that Mei never gave up on him fills Zitsu''s heart with warmth. This is how a Wife should be.


    "Nothing special, two are wearing head bandanas and the other has a bowl cut with bushy brows."


    Zitsu''s eyes open wide as he clenches his fist. His whole body begins to tremble as his cheeks turn bright red. This can be called his first big operation, what he''s about to do today will change the entire history of the Naruto series.


    "It''s time, let''s go! But keep our distance!"


    Seeing the drastic change Ao and Mei are both shocked. Were they waiting this whole time for three Chunin? What can they do?


    "Zitsu, Little Hubby, were we waiting all this time for three Chunin?" Mei tries her best to smile.


    Zitsu shakes his head.


    Seeing this Mei releases a breath of relief.


    "They are only the catalyst, we are waiting for a Genin, the greatest Genin in history."


    Ao''s face goes livid "A Genin?!? I don''t care how great a Genin is, what can he do?!?"


    Even Mei begins to frown at his words.


    Zitsu walks passed them, glancing at them as he does, his word as he passes leave them both stunned, unable to move for a while.


    "Kill four of the seven swordsmen."


    Mei was the first to recover. She glances at Ao before chasing after that disappearing back.


    Ao''s mouth hangs open as he looks into the distance, the three Chunin are now trying their best to flee for their lives as the seven swords cut off their path to retreat, and just like he said, a Genin is approaching their location.


    Ao frowns before chasing after them.


    Guy, Genma, and Ebisu land in a field of boulders and trees, covered in wounds.


    "Haa, haaa, haaa." Genma breathes heavily as he grips his kunai and looks around. "It''s no use." His vision goes dark "we''re surrounded."


    Guy''s brows drop "we can''t outrun them at all!"


    "No way" Ebisu''s face begins to warp "Aren''t those the seven swordsmen of the mist!?!"


    "To be known even to the brats of other villages." The man with the cross-shaped scar on his face scans the three of them as his mouth twists into a grin "We''ve gotten really famous."


    In Front of the three Konoha ninjas, the seven swordsmen stare them down in contempt.


    Genma releases a long breath, as he begins to accept his fate. "Well?" Looking at the men in front of him he slowly opens his mouth "We can''t take them on by ourselves."


    As the words leave his mouth, almost like answering a prayer, a man in green spandex drops to the ground in front of them, glowing with green vapor.


    Guy''s eyes go wide as he sees the figure before him.


    "I made it in time!!" A deep voice exits the man''s mouth between breaths.


    "Father?!?" Guy jumps to his feet, unable to believe the figure appearing in front of him, how? Why?


    "Guy! My son! I''m here to save you. I didn''t feel right with you going out on your mission this time, something just didn''t feel right."


    "But you''re a Genin!! What''re you doing here?!?" Guy begins to yell in fury, if he''s going to die anyway, why did his father appear to die with him?


    "Hush! And just run away, you three!"


    Listening to the conversation the seven swordsmen begin to laugh. Let alone a Genin, even if five Jonin showed up it wouldn''t change their fate.


    Duy takes a deep breath "I''ll hold the fort and buy time! Go!"


    "Run away?!? But father! Our opponents are powerful Jonin! They''re the seven swordsmen!" Guy bellows as he looks at the back in front of him, blocking his vision of the swordsmen, protecting him like an umbrella on a rainy day. "You don''t stand a chance against them!"


    Duy''s body bends over as his skin turns crimson, the green vapors on his body intensifying. "I''ve got" he speaks through clenched teeth "The gate of death, I can open it and unleash the eight inner gates formation!"


    Guy''s face warps in shock "But that''s"


    Before Guy can finish his sentence he sees his father hand reach out to the side, giving him a thumbs up. "Guy, always remember the self rules."


    Duy''s face turns to the side as tears stream down Guy''s face. "TO PROTECT SOMETHING PRECIOUS ENOUGH TO GIVE YOUR LIFE FOR!"


    "Guys lets go!" Guy grabs the arms of Genma and Ebisu before running away.


    As they run the seven swordsmen get into position to chase.


    "You think you can run from your honorable death?!?" The big nosed Jinin grips his hammer and axe, Kabutowari, and lunches forward.


    "His springtime of youth is just beginning! Accomplishing what I never could, he will go a lot further than me, but still needs time to grow. And I will become the soil for him to take root."


    His still outstretched thumb slams into his chest as he sees the Jonin rushing towards him.


    "EIGHTH GATE, GATE OF DEATH OPEN!" The green vapor around his body turns crimson red as his brows, stash, and beard flows like fire.


    His face warps in pain as he looks at the man in front of him swinging down his axe, but to him it looks as if he''s moving in slow motion.


    "Evening Elephant! First step!" His right arm shoots out like lightning as a pure cannon of air pierces Jinin''s chest, and at the same time, all the bones in his right arm shattered.

 38 Might Duy

    "What?!?" Ao stumbles back in surprise.


    Mei looks at him in confusion, to startle Ao this much something serious must have happened.


    He slowly opens his mouth "Jinin is dead."


    Mei''s eyes go wide and a smile creeps on Zitsu''s face.


    "We need to get closer, we can''t miss this chance and risk losing the swords." Zitsu''s teeth begin to show as his smile gets wider and wider, all this planning is finally bearing fruit.


    Jinin''s body falls to the ground lifeless as Duy''s arm flops to his side.


    The rest of the swordsmen are in shock for a moment before someone makes their move.


    Jinpachi circles around towards his back and swings his Shibuki. The blade fills with paper bombs, and just before it makes contact with Duy''s back, he disappears from the spot.


    Missing his target causes Jinpachi''s eyes to go wide. From behind him, he hears a scream.


    "Second step!" Duy''s left fist smashes into Jinpachi''s back, causing shrapnel of bones and blood to fly from his chest as a head size hole bursts open.


    From the impact of the punch, the bones in his arm turn into a fine powder. Biting his teeth Duy fights through the pain, wanting to buy as much time for the kids to escape.


    "Jinpachi!!" Kushimaru flashes forward in a wild rage, while Jinpachi and he argued a lot, they were best friends. The needle longsword, Nuibari pierces towards Duy''s right eye.


    The same time Kushimaru makes his move, the other four launch their attacks.


    Juzo launches into the air and chops down with his large butcher''s knife Kubikiribocho.


    Fuguki shoots forward like a cannonball, the scales of Samehada flaring up as he stabs it forward.


    Raiga comes from behind, performing dual downward diagonal slashes as the twin swords Kiba flashes with violet bolts of lightning.


    A young man with a blue mohawk, the wielder of the dual handle sword Hiramekarei, pours in all his chakra and forms a hammer of pure chakra as he smashes it down from his left side.


    Duy''s skin begins to crack, instead of blood flowing, the red vapor around him increases as the blood is instantly vaporized. Seeing the ninjas attacking him from all sides a smile creep on his face.


    "Guy, you have to rely on yourself for now on" the vapor around him erupts into the form of a blazing sun.


    "BRIGHT DUY!" He slams his feet into the ground causing the entire ground to splinter. Chakra fills the cracks causing pure light made of chakra to erupt from the ground.


    Seeing this, some of the swordsmen try to shift from attack to defense, but it only takes a moment for the entire area to erupt into a shining explosion.


    As the smoke clears Duy''s body lays in the middle of a blast zone, a mile around him looks like a hydrogen bomb exploded. A smile still present on his face as his body slowly crumbles to ash.


    Fuguki, Juzo, and Raiga slowly rise from the ground holding their swords. Their bodies filled with wounds and dirt.


    Looking at the Genin who caused them so much trouble dying without them even landing a blow causes their eyes to burn with rage.


    "Who do you think I am?!?" Fuguki rushes over to Duy before he can die and lifts Samehada high above his head. Samehada squirms around in his hand, upset at Fuguki for using it to block some of the explosion.


    "Body Flicker." Suddenly a young child appears behind his back, Katana in hand. As Samehada is swing down, his water wrapped katana pierces towards Fuguki''s back.


    As Fuguki was blinded by rage, and thinking his opponent was already down, he was unguarded.


    Seeing the actions of the boy, Juzo grips his broken Kubikiribocho and rushes at the child.


    Fuguki''s hair begins to rise, wanting to pierce the child behind him. But before he can launch the attack a small voice enters his ears.


    "Kenjutsu: Enuma Elish!"


    [Chakra 2236/2508]Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    A twister of blue water rips through his back and the inside of Fuguki''s body before exiting his gut, blood red.


    Seeing this scene Duy collapses into a pile of ash, in total peace.


    Before Juzo can reach Zitsu he hears a familiar voice.


    "Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"


    A river of molten mud cuts off his path, confused, he whips his head around to see Mei spitting mud from her mouth.


    "Raiga help me!" In his normal condition fighting Mei would be no problem, but as it stands now he''s already on his last leg.


    "Tsk" Raiga spits out a mouthful of blood before running forward.


    Fuguki drops to the ground, dead. Samehada squirms to free itself from his grasp.


    Seeing this Zitsu''s eyes light up. Sheathing his blade he grabs Samehada''s handle.


    Raiga focuses his chakra into his blades. As they begin to spark, a kunai stabs him in the back.


    "Raiga, as fellow Anbu you should know to watch your back in battle." Ao''s face is blank as he twists the kunai in his back.


    Juzo stares down Mei, oblivious to Raiga''s death. Blood pools on the ground from all his open wounds.


    "Mei, why are you doing this. We are on the same team!"


    "Juzo you don''t look so good?" A smile forms on her face as she grabs a kunai and charges forward.


    Juzo faces her down, completely unaware of Ao approaching from behind.


    As he grabs the handle of the blade spike instantly pierce through his flesh and bones.


    [Health 106/120]


    It doesn''t cause much damage to his health, but the pain from having spikes pierce through his hands was intense. If he had not experienced being chopped to pieces or stabbed in the chest, he would have screamed in pain.


    As his blood flows onto the handle Samehada begins to rapidly drain his chakra.


    "Listen Samehada I know about your love of chakra, you see how much I have now? I''m only five, I''ll have a lot more in the future."


    [Chakra 1983/2508]


    His chakra Rapidly drops as Samehada begins squirming on the ground. Its scaly body bends backward as a giant mouth with sharp teeth reveals itself from the tip of the blade.


    "We can be partners, I know you don''t like fire, and I know you have your own feelings. What do you say?" Zitsu tries to plead his case, if things don''t work out he''ll have to use his back up plan.


    [Chakra 1627/2508]


    The mouth opens, revealing its pink tongue as the blade gets bigger.


    "We can accomplish great things together, no reason to be enemies, we both have nothing to lose!" He tries one last time.


    Suddenly the spikes in the handle recede, only leaving the holes in his hands behind. The mouth turns back to normal and the blade shrinks to its normal size.


    Seeing this Zitsu releases a long breath. Looking at the Scaly blade almost three times his size he can''t help but smile.


    Focusing chakra into his hands they emit a green light as they begin to heal. It''s not on the level of instant regeneration, but it doesn''t require hand seals.


    Grabbing the handle of the blade he hoists it into the air, causing it to tower high above him as his hands slowly recover. The sword continues to drain a small amount of chakra to keep itself fed, but not enough to trigger its transformation.


    "I feel like I''m holding a grown man by the legs, I greatly underestimated the size of this sword." Shaking his head he looks at Mei and Ao.


    The battle has already finished and they are currently digging the swords up from the ground.


    "This is the last one." Placing Nuibari on the ground he turns to Mei.


    Mei''s eyes light up as she looks at the swords. "Besides Kubikiribocho that''s broken, the other swords are ok."


    Holding Samehada in front of him he walks to their side.


    "You look ridiculous." Mei shakes her head with a brilliant smile as she sees him approach.


    "We really got all seven swords, now what?" Ao furrows his brows as he looks at the blades on the ground.


    Hiramekarei, a double-handled sword that is capable of storing and emitting the user''s chakra which can then take on various forms.


    Kabutowari, a sword consisting of a single sided axe and a hammer joined by a length of chain. Said to be capable of crushing any and all defenses.


    Kiba, twin swords that are imbued with lightning which increases their cutting power. They are said to be the sharpest swords ever forged.


    Kubikiribocho, a giant sword with a butcher-knife-like appearance, the wielder can use the semi-circle on the blade to decapitate an opponent''s head, hence the name. The sword has an ability to regenerate using the iron absorbed from the blood of those it cuts down.


    Nuibari, a sword in the shape of a needle with a long thin wire that resembles thread attached to it, which can be used to pierce enemies and ''sew'' them together in human bundles.


    Shibuki, a sword that has a scroll full of explosive tags incorporated into it, lined up behind the blade, combining swordsmanship and explosions.


    Looking at the small kid holding the last of the seven blades he releases a short breath.


    Samehada, the most terrifying of the seven blades, it has the appearance of a greatsword covered in shark scales. It''s a sentient, living weapon and has the ability to ''eat'' chakra.


    Hearing Ao''s words Mei glances at Zitsu.


    Feeling their looks he pulls a long strand of cloth from his sleeve. He brought it just in case he got Samehada. Placing the blade on the ground he begins to wrap the scales.


    "Well, you should place the blades away first. We also need to get back to Kiri, alive, now, as those ninjas will definitely report to Konoha that the seven swords were here." As he finishes he lifts the blade and rest it on his shoulder to make it easier to carry. Due to the blade being sentient, he can''t put it in his inventory.


    Because the blade is so large, he will have to carry it in his hand the whole time. Resting the blade on his shoulder is all he can do to help, but because his shoulder is so small the blade is resting on his face, cutting off his vision to the right completely.


    "That''s it? We just leave? Nothing else?" Mei''s eyes go wide.


    Seeing this Zitsu instantly becomes confused. "What else would we do? We are in the middle of enemy territory."


    "I agree, we should leave fast, Konoha is not so weak that we can just do what we want now that they know something is going on." Ao crosses his arms and nods his head.


    Taking out a scroll to store the swords Mei frowns "Don''t act like you don''t know what I mean, I''m sure there''s buried treasure somewhere." Mei mumbles as she unrolls the scroll.


    Looking at her pouting face Zitsu can''t help but smile. As he sees her storing the swords in the scroll, he gets an idea and looks at Samehada.


    Sitting on the ground he places Samehada on his lap. "Work with me buddy" And he makes a couple hand seals "Transformation Jutsu!"


    A puff of smoke surrounds Zitsu as he completes the jutsu.

 39 To Battle

    As the smoke cleared Samehada was gone. Pulling back the sleeve on his right arm he reveals a bracelet that wasn''t there before. The bracelet has the same scaley blue sharkskin as the blade. On the top of the bracelet is a white skull, the same as the pommel of the blade.


    Seeing that it worked a small grin creeps on his face. If Samehada is going to take some of his chakra anyway, might as well use a little more to transform it. Besides requiring constant concentration, there is no drawback.


    Ao''s brows shoot up when he sees the transformation. "How did you know Samehada could transform? I''ve never heard of anyone doing that before."


    "Samehada has a will of its own, why can''t it transform?" Shrugging his shoulders he acts like he knew it would work the whole time.


    "Done!" Mei rolls up the scroll before storing it into her bag.


    "Let''s go, we''ve already wasted so much time." Ao turns on his heels and immediately begins running towards the forest.


    "See Wife? I told you" Zitsu looks Mei in the eyes with a smile.


    Mei purses her lips as she looks at him "Technically I only have six swords."


    Pretending that he didn''t hear her, he chases after Ao.


    "See how I deal with you one day." Mei smiles as she chases after.


    Not only did he achieve his goal of acquiring Samehada, he also got to sneak attack Fuguki, bringing his Taijutsu to 24 and Ninjitsu to 23. It was a pleasant surprise to learn Enuma Elish will increase his Taijutsu as well if he stabs his opponent.


    To avoid being found they decided to take a different route back to port. They had to move as fast as possible to avoid Konoha Anbu, so Mei carried Zitsu on her back.


    This was another reason he wanted Ao on this trip, with him here they won''t run into any traps as they moved quickly. If they don''t hurry, their boat will be seized.


    "This will cause a lot of trouble for Kiri." Mei shakes her head "What was Yagura thinking?"


    "Right, I don''t see how destroying villages in the Land of Fire will benefit us at all." Ao grumbles as he leads the way.


    Zitsu sighs, knowing full well the reason. But now is not the time to tell them. He still has a few things he needs from Konoha.


    "We need to keep this a secret guys"


    Hearing Zitsu''s voice they both nod. If anyone learns they were here it will cause plenty of issues.


    Leaning forward Zitsu whispers into Mei''s ear "Let me hold onto the swords, no one will ever guess a five-year-old holds all seven swords." As he finishes speaking he doesn''t wait for her answer. His left-hand leaves her neck and slowly slides down the side of her body.


    Feeling his touch Mei''s eyes open wide and her mouth opens slightly. While she wants to say something, no words come out.


    He has to remove his hand as he didn''t want to rub his leg, so he directly reaches into her bag and grabs a scroll. He slides the scroll into his sleeve for now, because Ao has his Byakugan active and he doesn''t want him to notice the scroll disappear into his inventory.


    Thinks up to here Zitsu frowns, if Ao was a pervert, couldn''t he look through Mei''s clothes? If he didn''t already know that Ao was a prideful person and had no feelings for Mei, wouldn''t he come off insecure if he confronted him about it?


    Once again being a fan has saved him from looking like a fool.


    Luckily for them, but unluckily for him, they arrive at their ship without trouble. Setting out to sea Zitsu looks back at the Land of Fire with a smile.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Zitsu looks at the land getting smaller and smaller, before finally making his decision.


    "Mei, I need you to take care of Mom." Looking at Mei he opens his mouth.


    "What?! Where are you going?" Mei frowns, unsure of what he''s trying to do.


    Zitsu takes a deep breath "I want to go to the front lines, I want to go to Myama Island."


    A smile creeps onto Ao''s face as he nods his head. "This is how a man should be!"


    Mei looks into Zitsu''s eyes for a while. Seeing his unwavering gaze she slowly nods her head. "Ok. Ao, sail to Myama."


    Knowing that Zitsu will just be a Genin in a large scale battle, he will be in great danger. To make his chance of survival higher Ao and Mei taught him all they could in the two weeks it took for them to reach the Kiri port on the island.


    During the two weeks, Zitsu did everything he could to deepen his bond with Samehada. Periodically Zitsu would catch different types of ferocious fish from the sea for Samehada, knowing full well it likes fishy chakra. He practiced different ways of transforming Samehada, but using it a sword would be too recognizable. After trying a few different forms he settled on a bracer. The bracer extends from his right wrist to his elbow, the top side has the blue scaly sharkskin and the underside is the same yellow as the handle with a white skull in the center.


    When it absorbs chakra the scales on top can be used as a weapon, just by rubbing it against the body of a fish will peel it down to the bones and absorb its chakra. Sometimes it becomes excited and the scales will stand up like spikes. With his sleeve hiding the bracer, he can use it as a hidden weapon.


    After the two weeks they finally arrived, instead of being a port town, it looked more like a war camp. Large tents were everywhere with a large border wall surrounding the encampment. On the over twenty kilometers long wall of earth, a ninja was stationed every one hundred meters.


    Before they could even get close to the dock a large ship came out to meet them. On the deck of the ship, Zitsu can sense ten Jonin level chakra signatures, but if he was judging someone based on their chakra, than he would be a Jonin too, so he trusted his scan less and less.


    An older looking ninja with light brown hair with white streaks and a bushy mustache jumps onto their ship. He''s wearing standard Kiri attire, a headband on his forehead, and a saber on his back.


    "Mei, we sensed you as you entered the barrier, what brings you here?" The old man''s eyes scan Zitsu and Ao, his face filling with respect as he recognizes the Byakugan Killer.


    "Dunra, who is in charge of logistics?" Mei ignores his question and asks one of her own.


    "Eishi is in charge of teams and missions." His brows furrow, not sure what she''s up to.


    Mei nods as she points at Zitsu "This is Zitsu, a Genin, he''s here to join the war effort."


    "Oh?" The man''s eyebrows rise slightly "Is that all?" The man nods his head "Come aboard child, I will take you ashore."


    Turning around, the old man jumps onto the ship.


    Mei looks at zitsu, unsure how she feels. Looking at his calm face she struggles to find the words before finally opening her mouth.


    "Will you be ok?"


    Zitsu looks at Mei for a moment, feeling somewhat at a loss. He has had her protection almost his entire time in this world. He doesn''t know anything specific that happens in Kiri for the next year, other than Zabuza killing the academy students. The uncertainty scares him, but he has no choice unless he wants to stop moving forward.


    "Wife, take care of mom. Make sure you''re careful, don''t let yourself fall into someone''s trap." Zitsu takes a deep breath, Mei survived fine without him, but he''s not sure how his arrival affected things here. "Those guys at the training camp seem to have been abandoned by their Ninjutsu teachers, so don''t forget about them."


    Mei nods.


    "Ao, it was nice meeting you. I don''t know when we will meet next, but thank you for your help."


    "Kid, the next time I see you, you better be strong enough to carry Mei on your back. I''ve been looking after her for her entire life, it would be nice to have some help." Ao''s face is stiff as ever, but the corners of his lips slightly curl.


    Looking back at Mei with a smile, he spreads out his arms.


    Seeing this a sly grin appears on Mei''s face. Bending down she hugs Zitsu tightly.


    Closing his eyes Zitsu takes a breath, trying to burn her smell into his heart. Suddenly he feels her soft lips on his forehead. Opening his eyes he sees the most charming smile in the world.


    No further words are needed, that told him all he needed to know. Turning his back to her, he jumps towards the other ship.


    Zitsu stands on the rails of the ship as he watches Mei and Ao sail back to Kiri. As the ship gets further away he stores the scroll with the swords into his inventory, knowing he''s out of Ao''s range.


    Dunra walks next to Zitsu as the ship gets closer to the docks.


    "Kid I hope you don''t mind me being noisy, but you weren''t really in a private place. Is Mei your mother or something? You seem close."


    Zitsu lightly shakes his head "No, nothing like that. She has known me almost my entire life."


    Hearing his answer Dunra nods his head, expecting something like that.


    As the ship docks, everyone disembarks. Zitsu follows Dunra as they head towards one of the larger tents.


    Looking around Zitsu notices that everyone in this camp is a ninja, hundreds of ninjas. His face turns serious, this is war.

 40 Team 13

    As they move closer to the tent Zitsu notices the somber look on everyone''s faces. Besides a few noises and muffled voices, the surroundings are quiet.


    The further Zitsu walks into the camp the tenser it becomes, like the mist is pressing down on his body.


    Arriving in front of the tent Zitsu''s hands are trembling, whether it''s from nervousness or excitement, even Zitsu is not sure.


    Dunra flips open the flap to the tent and walks inside. Seeing this Zitsu hesitates before entering as well.


    The inside of the tent is quite plain. A few ninjas are standing around a large table, on the table is a large map of the island. Looking at the map he can see their current location on the shore. Mountains, valleys, and rivers are drawn on the map with dozens of Xs and Os in certain places.


    Before he can get a better look three ninjas stand in his way, blocking his view.


    A bald middle age man walks up to Dunra. He face looks devoid of fat as every bone can be clearly seen. On his forehead is a horizontal scar where his eyebrows should be, the scar is so deep it seems to be carved into his bone. Large black circles surround his sunken eyes, trying its best to hide their blue luster. Along with the standard Kiri attire with the blue flak jacket, he''s wearing a large black trenchcoat.


    His face twists into the ugliest frown Zitsu has ever seen before he slowly opens his mouth.


    "Dunra." A hoarse voice fills the tent "Why would you bring a someone in here at this time? You know we were in the middle of planning." As he finishes speaking he walks back towards the table "Kill the Kid."


    As his voice falls over five ninjas begin to make their move.


    "Mei brought this Genin." Before they can act Dunra speaks.


    The room goes quiet, as if frozen in time. Light perspiration can be seen on the five ninjas who were making their move. Even the ninja who gave the order stumbles slightly as he heard the name.


    Seeing this Zitsu''s right eye twitches slightly, even now he has to rely on her protection.


    Clearing his throat the man faces Zitsu "I''m Taskmaster Eishi, why are you here kid?"


    Zitsu looks Eishi in the eyes "I''m here to fight."


    "Good!" He looks at the headband around his neck and nods "You are a bit young, but you are a ninja." Eishi looks around the room before his eyes fall onto a particular person.


    "Dunra you are in charge of sea defense, go back to your post. Kid, you will be on Fumio''s team. Wait outside till he brings you to your campsite."


    "Yes" Dunra nods before turning to leave.


    Not overstaying his welcome, Zitsu follows. Outside the tent, Dunra turns to Zitsu.


    "Just wait here, Captain Fumio is a good man. Good luck kid, I hope we can meet again." Dunra shakes his head as he walks away.


    Zitsu rubs the underside of his bracer through his sleeve as he waits outside the tent, feeding Samehada chakra. To keep Samehada from being detected he''s surrounding it with a layer of chakra. Trying to convince it not to absorb the chakra took him an entire week. Between feeding samehada, keeping up the transformation, and now cloaking it in chakra has reduced his chakra regen to a third of what it used to be.


    Unless someone had the Byakugan like Ao, they wouldn''t be able to notice it. He doesn''t know how long it took Kisame to get Samehada to have the same chakra signature, but he knows it will happen eventually.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After twenty minutes the ninjas inside the tent begin to exit one after another. Zitsu follows them with his eyes, trying to figure out who Fumio is. Suddenly a man stops in front of him.


    The man has shoulder-length red hair covering the left side of his face. The half that can be seen is fairly handsome. He has a straight eyebrow, dark yellow eye, a small nose, and thin lips on a round face. He''s wearing a dark blue sleeveless shirt with black pants. A dozen scrolls are attached down each of his legs and a belt filled with pouches at his waist.


    He stares at Zitsu before waving his hand and walking away.


    "Strange" Zitsu mumbles before following after him.


    Walking further from the center of the camp the tents get further apart from each other and are broken up into groups. Noticing this, Zitsu figures the camp is broken up further into individual divisions like the military. They have to walk for almost an hour before they reach their destination.


    They arrive at a group of a dozen tents. As they do two people walk over to greet them. They both have Jonin level chakra, but he doesn''t know their skill level.


    "Captain"


    "Captain"


    A woman and man, both in their late twenties, greet Fumio upon his arrival and glance at Zitsu.


    The woman''s hair is tied into a long black ponytail with a small oval face and strong cheekbones. Sharp eyebrows sit atop her forest green eyes and a small nose. Her thin lips appear to be in the shape of a permanent frown as she sizes up Zitsu. Her top consists of nothing but a dark blue flak jacket, exposing her well toned and muscular arms. Her shorts extend to just above the knee and boots to just below, leaving only her knees exposed on her leg. On her back is a giant black claymore.


    The man has extremely short brown hair but long sideburns outlining his strong jaw. His dark brown eyes are barely noticeable due to the symbols tattooed all across his face and down to his neck. Looking at this Zitsu assumes the tattoos cover his entire body.


    Just as Zitsu was sizing them up, they too were sizing him up. Not seeing anything special they turn back to Fumio.


    Fumio nods his head before pulling a scroll from his leg and a brush from his pouch. Unrolling a part of the scroll and tearing it off, he begins writing something.


    Handing it to the woman she takes it with haste and begins to read. The man stands shoulder to shoulder with her to read as well. After a few seconds, he attaches the scroll to the leg again, causing the paper in the woman''s hands to go up in flames.


    As the ashes fall Fumio walks away.


    Seeing this Zitsu doesn''t know if he should follow or not. Suddenly the woman opens her mouth.


    "Zitsu right? Welcome to the team." A strong voice comes from her mouth, completely capturing Zitsu''s attention.


    "Yes, I''m Zitsu. I just arrived and not sure what I''m supposed to do." Looking around he slightly regrets coming here, missing the comfort of home.


    "Well" The man opens his mouth "I''m Settan, and this is Yaeko. We are second in command of Team 13."


    Zitsu nods at them both before asking the question that''s been bothering him. "Why doesn''t Captain Fumio speak?"


    "Huhuhu" Yaeko laughs "Because you aren''t his enemy. Have you heard of Dojutsu? A form of Kekkei Genkai dealing with the eyes? Well, Captain Fumio is from the Onsei clan."


    Zitsu tilts his head


    Seeing this she continues to speak "Onsei clan has a powerful Kekkei Genkai, their voice is a type of Otojutsu, able to put those who listen to their voice under a powerful Genjutsu."


    As she finishes speaking it causes Zitsu''s eyes to go wide. Seeing this causes Yaeko''s eyes to narrow, but her frown never disappears.


    "Ok, that''s enough. Let''s go meet the rest of the team, we have a mission." Settan turns his back and walks away.


    Yaeko shrugs her shoulders and follows after.


    Zitsu rushes next to Yaeko and looks up at her. "So, what does Team 13 do?"


    "Team 13 has an important job, when an outpost or secret base is found, it''s our job to raid it, we are a strike force." Shaking her head she stops speaking.


    Hearing this Zitsu is slightly shocked, isn''t this job really dangerous? Thinking about it he calms down, what job isn''t dangerous?


    Walking further into their section of the camp he sees a few people sitting around a fire. As the sun is currently setting the fire illuminates their faces.


    Seeing some of the people, Zitsu is stunned once again as he recognizes a few of them.


    As Settan and Yaeko arrive everyone rises to their feet.


    "This is all of Team 13, we have five Chunin and eight Genin including you." Settan gestures towards everyone.


    Looking at the twelve of them Zitsu recognizes five, three of the Chunin and two of the Genin.


    "Take a moment to introduce yourselves, because you may not get the chance tomorrow. We have a mission tonight and will leave when the sun sets." Yaeko looks at everyone before she walks away with Settan.


    As they leave, the first person to step forward is a young woman around twenty years old. She had brown eyes and long blonde hair with two long strands framing her heart-shaped face, extending down towards her chest. She wore a pair of turquoise earrings along with the standard long sleeve attire of Kiri complete with forehead protector and flak jacket, but more importantly, she wore a jade green bangle on her right arm.


    "Hi, I''m Suiren."