I couldn't sleep for too long that night; the pain caused by my condition woke me up every time I moved too much. Despite my efforts to conceal it, my mother sensed that something was amiss. When morning came, she decided that a trip to the village hospital was necessary.
It was my first chance to take in the surroundings of our home. Situated on the outskirts of the clan compound, our house stood near the edge of a forested area, a good distance from the entrance arch. There were no definitive barriers or walls demarcating the clan's territory; only a bridge spanned a small stream, connecting the reserved expanse of the Akimichi grounds to the heart of Konoha. My mother attempted to carry me, but I insisted on walking, determined to show my strength.
The Akimichis were numerous, but the nunbem of ninjas seemed to be low. We passed by several people with the characteristic traits of our family, but none of them wore a forehead protector anywhere I could see. Perhaps they didn't wear them when they were not on duty? I couldn't tell.
What stood out the most was the noise; numerous voices mingled with footsteps as people walked the streets, all converging toward the compound's entrance, which also functioned as a commercial hub. We walked for a while until my mother eventually halted before what appeared to be a small restaurant. There was a sign with large letters, but I had no idea what it mean.
I came to the realization that couldn't read!
The absurdity of the situation made me laugh and release the a little of the pressure I had been feeling since last night. My mother noticed and, infected by me, started smiling too.
We entered through the door, and my mother conversed with an elderly man arranging supplies behind the counter. She explained that due to my illness, she needed to take me to the hospital and therefore couldn't work for the day. His response wasn't pleasant, but he eventually relented, mentioning that he would deduct the day from her pay. I decided I didn't like him.
We continued walking toward the bridge. Most of the shops along the main street were related to food. Bars, restaurants, and convenience stores lined both sides. I got lost in that world of until I spotted two men witha a fair skin and black hair. What stood out most were the forehead protectors affixed to their brows and the distinct emblem on their attire—the Uchiha police force emblem.
While I had assumed I was in the main timeline, I remained uncertain about the exact time period. How old was Sasuke when the massacre happened? Eight years old? I couldn't remember. Yet, one thing became evident: the Uchiha clan wasn't loved. It was apparent from the way people distanced themselves or cast guarded glances in their direction. In contrast, the two men appeared to make an intentional display of arrogance, navigating through the crowd without averting their gazes or engaging in conversation.
I started looking around for signs that could help me figure out at which point in the storyline I found myself. The Hokage monument was not visible from where I was due to the surrounding buildings, and by the way people behaved, it didn't seem like we were in a war at the moment.
It was my mother who provided the answer when she told me to stop and bow to a group of people passing in front of us. A ninja using a green jacket seemed to be acting as security while a woman walked, carrying a child in her arms. Although I didn't recognize the woman, her attire clearly set her apart as someone of higher status than the norm. As for the child, it was definitely Choji. Many of the Akimichi clan members, myself included, bore peculiar birthmarks on our cheeks. While my own marks were small and pale circles, Choji's distinctive swirls were unmistakable.
In the manga, only Hinata was referred to as a princess, but the truth is that all heirs of the major clans are essentially nobles. Genetic factors are of extreme importance in this universe, after all. Choji, despite being in her arms, appeared to be close to my age, at most with a few months' difference. That was a great relief for me, knowing that I would have enough time to develop my skills until things got really dangerous.
After crossing the small bridge that marked the clan's territory limit, we calmly headed toward the hospital. I was surprised by the large number of people circulating through the streets. I didn't expect to see so much activity in a society with feudal characteristics. The village was enormous, much larger than I had imagined based on the series. The population density was also high. The only reference point I knew was the stone monument in the background, but it was practically impossible to see the sculpted features.
If I took the most militarized nations from my past life as an example, they had about 35 military personnel per thousand inhabitants. I didn't know the number of ninjas in Konoha today, but doing a quick calculation with the numbers from the Great War, there were around half a million people in the village!
When we arrived at the hospital, I was attended to by a doctor who used a medical jutsu to assess me. It was my first encounter with a jutsu! I was excited and scared in equal measures, but I tried to appear as normal as possible, not having forgotten my initial fear of drawing attention and becoming some kind of experiment. The doctor's reaction to assessing me was of surprise, but shortly afterward, I felt a cool sensation and considerable decrease in the pain that had been bothering me. When checking my status, I realized that the debuff had been changed:
Chakra Pathways Damaged – Inability to channel chakra. Attempting to force chakra flow may make this condition permanent. Duration - 06:21:39
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The doctor spoke to my mother, explaining in simple terms what was happening. She made it clear that if I were to show the same symptoms again, Ayumi should bring me back to the hospital and request to see her directly. It caught my mother off guard, but the doctor reassured us that there would be no charges in that case. Although she looked at me a few times, she didn't have any other reaction. We returned home in the afternoon, with my mother talking to me. She tried to explain that what I had been doing with my chakra was dangerous but didn't know how to convey the right message.
"So, you know, there are these... hum... pathways in your body that can get hurt. You are to young Akio. That's why you shouldn't play with your chakra," she said seriously.
"What are these pathways, Mom? ... Where are they?.... And what is chakra?" I teased, deciding to play with her a little.
The look of despair on her face was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh. She picked me up and hugged me tightly. Finally, she said, "Just be careful, alright?" She pleaded softly. "I don't want you to get hurt. I really got scared."
That made my good mood diminish a bit, and I felt a little guilty.
We walked back home in silence, and I didn't object to being carried by her along the way.
The following days passed by calmly, and I decided to divide my time between chakra manipulation and a physical training regimen. With my mother mostly absent, working long hours, my main company came in the form of a little girl I knew as Nina. She must have been around 11 years old and was responsible for keeping me company while I played and prepared a simple rice and chicken paste that served as my meals. She didn't belong to the clan, having slim features, short black hair, and brown eyes.
I made it a point to eat only when she did. It was evident that she didn't have enough. Over time, I discovered that she lived in an orphanage sponsored by the clan. We didn't have a formal daycare system, but children over 10 years old were expected to assist with small tasks around the village as a way to repay the generosity they received…
We didn't talk much. Nina was extremely shy and quiet, but one day she decided to ask me about my father. I replied that I probably didn't have one, or if I did, he was someone who didn't care about us, which was essentially the same. She opened up a bit and told me a little about her own parents. Her mother had been a maid in one of the main family's houses, which explained why she was in one of our orphanages instead of the village-run ones. Her father worked as a charcoal burner. The Leaf Village exported large quantities of wood and charcoal to neighboring countries and villages, especially Suna. She didn't tell me what happened to them.
One day, while I was training outside the small house, a fox approached from the trees, attempting to grab the leftovers of rice I had left to attract birds. As soon as Nina spotted the small fox, she grabbed my hand with an incredible fierceness. The panic on her face conveyed without words what had indeed happened to her family.
"Let's go inside, Nina. I don't feel like playing anymore," I said to her.
"Thanks," was the only response.
That episode served as a reminder that despite the relative peace I was experiencing, I had incredibly challenging goals to fulfill. It was important to take the time to recover both physically and mentally, but it was time to get back to work. I had people to protect in two different worlds.
Character Sheet:
Name: Akimichi Akio
The young son of a merchant from the Akimichi clan.
Gender: Male
Age: 2 years and 6 months
Class: Child (+10% skill and technique gains)
Title: N/A
Level: 1 XP: 0 (10 to next level) (Can be acquired through killing and quests.)
Attributes:
STR: 2 (+0.30) 2.30 (00.00%)
AGI: 2 (-0.4) 1.6 (00.00%)
CON: 2 (+0.30) 2.30 (20.00%)
INT: 13 (87.00%)
WIS: 9 (0.00%)
PER: 3 (45.00%)
LUC: 1 (85.00%)
Unspent Points: 0
Health: 10/10 (Doesn't change the maximum value)
Stamina: 12.4/12.4(((STR+CON+AGI)*2))
Chakra: 9.8/9.8 ((STR+CON+INT)/2)
Chakra Nature: Yang (Bonus *2 to stamina. Cannot use elemental jutsu.)
Skills:
Gamer's Body: Max (custom) - Your body is treated as a character in a game. Allows for life regeneration while sleeping (3%), gaining buffs, and treating injuries and ailments as status effects - Cannot be removed.
Chakra manipulation lv 3: The art of chakra manipulation allows practitioners to mold and shape their chakra for various purposes, such as performing powerful jutsu techniques, enhancing physical abilities, and even healing injuries.
Skill Slot.
Skill Slot. Blocked (lv 10)
Skill Slot. Blocked (lv 20)
Skill Slot. Blocked (lv 30)
Traits
Akimichi Blood: +15% STR // +15% CON // -20% AGI // Taijutsu +15% // Access to Clan's Hidden Abilities // Chakra Nature: Yang - Cannot be removed.
The Akimichi clan possesses great physical strength and endurance. Their bodies are capable of causing significant damage through their special technique. Additionally, they are excellent users of Taijutsu.
Trait Slot
Trait Slot
Quests
Major:
Minor: Reach level 10 in Chakra Manipulation before turning 6 years old. Reward: New Trait + 10XP
Techniques
Taijutsu – 1
Ninjutsu – 0
Genjutsu - 0