Chapter 6

[Congratulations! You have managed to unlock your chakra on your own!]

[+5 Status Points awarded for achieving a minor feat!]

[Skill: Chakra manipulation unlocked!]

[Skill: Chakra sense unlocked!]

[Level Up!]

Chakra manipulation: [Novice] LVL 1/25 (19%)

Allows the user to freely shape and manipulate their own chakra.

(+0.5% to base chakra regen)

Chakra sense: [Novice] LVL 1/25 (71%)

Allows the user to sense chakra, which is invisible to ordinary senses.

Ando looked at the notification with a hint of surprise. He hadn't expected to be rewarded for unlocking his chakra. Just having access to the energy was rewarding enough; the rest felt like a bonus. With the 5 free status points and the 3 points from leveling up, he now had 8 points to allocate. Given his current level, 8 points were a lot.

Level: 7

Age: 8

HP: 225/225 [11/30mn]

CP: 258/258 [12.5/30mn]

Vitality: 11

Stamina: 13

Agility: 10

Spirit: 18

Intellect: 11

[Available status points: 8]

Compared to his starting stats, these were not bad at all. Except for his spirit, he had nearly doubled everything. He knew that as soon he started going on quests and leveling up, he would grow incredibly fast. This was just the beginning. And just thinking about it made him feel pumped up. He couldn't wait to explore the world beyond the orphanage, and eventually the world outside the village.

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"Good morning, Miss Takara," Ando greeted after knocking on the head matron's office. After unlocking his chakra, he decided to visit Takara and finalize his ninja academy registration.

The woman looked up from the file she was reading and gazed at him with a critical eye. "You actually managed to unlock your chakra on your own… impressive."

Ando's surprise was shown on his face. "I didn't know it would be visible."

"Of course, it is. Your chakra pathways were previously like a dried-out river. Your presence wasn't this vibrant. But after unlocking it, your chakra has begun to circulate more actively in your body. The feeling you're giving off now is very different from before." Takara paused in the middle of her lecture and then shook her head. "Most of this will go right over your head. They'll teach the basics at the academy, so don't worry."

"I take it you finished reading the manuscript? Or did you come here with questions?"

Ando noticed Takara was more talkative than usual. He felt that it might be the perfect moment to press on some of the matters that had been troubling him. "Actually, I came here with some questions. But those can wait. First, I want to confirm that I will to join the academy."

"I see," Takara nodded. "I'll fill out the form for you. You just need to sign this with your name in blood. But just to make sure, you read the manuscript, right?" She looked at him. Ando had planned to lie and say he did, but something in her eyes stopped him.

He sighed and shook his head. "No, I didn't. But it doesn't matter. I won't change my mind."

An almost invisible frown appeared on Takara's face. She put down her pen and stared at him. A nervous feeling overcame Ando. He felt like his entire being was being observed and judged. After what felt like minutes, Takara finally moved her gaze elsewhere.

"You know, your father was the stubborn type too." Her tone started with a murmur but then gained strength. "I'll take this on me since I knew him. It should be his place to tell you all this, but seeing as I'm the only one here, I'll tell you."

She paused, ensuring she had his undivided attention. "Geniuses are the first to die in this world. I don't know what happened to you in the last few months, and I won't pry. You're entitled to your own secrets. But the way you're growing—you're like a firework. You'll blaze brilliantly, light up the sky for a fleeting moment, and then vanish. You're a smart kid, Ando. I can see it in your eyes. But you're too young to know it all. Refusing to read the manuscript shows just how little you know."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Why do you think geniuses die fast, Miss Takara?" Ando asked, curious about her perspective.

"There's a ton of reasons. The more talented you are, the more risk you'll face. You'd know this if you'd read the damn manuscript." She glared at him. "Seeing your genius, they'll want to short-list you for the ninja roster. They'll be eager to use you. You'll fight when you're told to. And guess what kind of people and situations you'll face if you show yourself to be a hotshot?"

"That's not all. Those are risks you'll face once you're done with the academy." She chuckled. "You're just an orphan, so there's a chance you might not even make it out of the academy. You really don't know what you're getting into."

Ando observed her, drawing his own conclusions from her words. "It seems like you don't want me to be a ninja to begin with."

"…I would have almost preferred it that way. If you'd continued the way you were, I'd have looked out for you. Even if you wanted to become a ninja, it wouldn't have mattered if you were average." She sighed again.

The rapid display of emotion left Ando feeling slightly weirded out. He had never seen the woman this worked up before. It felt strange how she seemed to care about him.

"But you had to go and unlock your chakra. How did you even do that? There are no books about it in the library. Did that old woman Usagi tell you about it?"

"I figured it out on my own."

"Right… You did." That seemed to make her think. "In the end, this is your decision." She slid a piece of paper across the desk. "I'll ask you one last time then. Do you wish to be a ninja?"

"Yes." He answered resolutely. It was nice of her to show concern, but Ando had long since considered the risks. In this second life of his, the minimum requirement for achieving his goals was strength. "I want to be a ninja."

Takara simply nodded her head. "Give me your hand." Ando did so, and Takara took out a kunai from under her desk and pricked his finger with it. She then pressed his finger onto the paper before taking it away.

"This is a tracking seal. When you become a ninja, this will be used to track you in case you decide to abandon the village." She placed the seal in his file. Her hand then started glowing green, a gentle aura permeating from her palm and healing his finger.

"With this, we're done. Be careful out there, kid. If you're really going to do this, try to attract as much attention to yourself as you can. In a way, attention can be your shield."

"I got it. Go big or go home, right?" He said with a smile as he left the office. Takara was not what Ando expected at all. She seemed strict and cold on the outside, but she was also a human who cared, even if she didn't show it. The fact that she bothered to tell him this much proved she had a heart.

He didn't know what type of relationship she had with his dad. She could be his mom, aunt, or anything really. Either way, he was thankful for the warning.

Inside the office, Takara watched him leave and mulled over his words. "Go big or go home, huh? You'll eventually find out that going home won't even be an option anymore."

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Things between Ando and Isobe had become cold ever since Isobe's confession to the Hokage. Truth be told, Ando didn't mind it that much. Yes, the boy had ratted him out, but he had the presence of mind not to name him. What annoyed him was that Isobe had convinced their other two roommates that the event was Ando's fault. He wasn't that close to his roommates, but he liked to think they were alright. For Isobe to blow it out of proportion like this, just for a story about meat, it didn't sit right with him.

Was Ando supposed to give him the second piece? It sounded childish as hell. But one had to keep in mind that he was dealing with kids here. This was the reason why he didn't feel like keeping up with them anymore. He would be leaving soon anyway.

When he noticed they were giving him the cold shoulder, he moved away and decided to give them the same treatment. The act surprised the three, but that's all they did—act surprised. And Ando wouldn't have it any other way. From that day on, a rift appeared between the four roommates.

"You know, I thought you were more mature than this," the librarian caretaker remarked, her eyes fixed on Ando as he buried himself in his books. "Why don't you try to make peace with them?"

"They're acting like jerks. So why shouldn't I do the same?" Ando huffed. "Plus, they're the ones who started this."

The librarian shook her head. "These past few days have made me forget, but you're still a child after all." She looked at him with a gentle expression.

"Listen, Ando," the caretaker said softly, her voice carrying an edge of sincerity, "you may not like them now, and maybe not tomorrow. But one day, you'll think back on this, and you'll regret shutting them out like this—especially when your time here is so short."

A quiet pause followed as Ando mulled over her words. After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice flat but firm. "Honestly, I don't see the point in making peace with them. I'll be gone soon anyway."

The librarian's gaze softened, and a trace of sadness appeared in her eyes. "I know you're angry. But they're still your friends, aren't they? You've spent years alongside them. Now is not the time to be hardheaded. It's time for peace. Do it for me. I don't want your last memories here to be of you fighting with your friends. There's still time. Even if you're leaving tomorrow. A day is more than enough."

She meant well; Ando could see that. But he knew what he was doing. If he was going to leave, he would rather spend the time with the only person he genuinely appreciated in the orphanage. "Well, I would rather spend that day with you."

The old woman turned silent, looking out the window with a pensive expression. A small sigh escaped her lips. "In the past, I didn't spend much time with the other kids. None of them were as odd as you, preferring the company of books and an old woman like me against the playground..."

"I want to thank you, Ando. It may have been brief, but you made this old woman happy."

Ando blushed, casting his gaze downward. He wasn't accustomed to the woman's straightforward approach. "You don't have to say it like that. It's not like we won't see each other again. I'll make sure to visit when I have time."

"That's wonderful to hear, Ando. I'm going to miss you."

Usagi was one of the few, or maybe the only one, he felt comfortable being open with in the orphanage. She had an aura that put him at ease. She reminded him of his own grandmother. Considering his do-over, he might as well consider her as the only sincere bond he had in this world.

He spent his last day in the orphanage talking with her, getting to know the old librarian a bit more before saying his goodbyes.

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Morning eventually came. At 7 AM, those who had signed up to join the academy would be leaving for their new home. The academy provided housing and accommodations for the students, so they were no longer required to stay in the orphanage.

It showed that the village placed a lot of importance on them, which put Ando more at ease. The more engaged the village was in educating them, the stronger he would become. Ando actually felt excited about the academy.

The month he had spent in the orphanage had been great for him. It had allowed him to get accustomed to his situation. And now it was time to move on.