"Something out of the ordinary?" Sonia asked as she checked her bag and prepared to take her shift.
"Well... there's a boy in the library... but he hasn't left for a few days. I think... I think you should see for yourself," the other genin replied, chuckling.
POV - SONIA
Sonia walked through the training complex, observing the compartments one by one. At this time, the cleaning team had already left, and only a few lights remained on. Working as security was an easy and consistent way to accumulate points without having to leave the village, although the cash payment was quite poor. Perhaps that's why the only ones competing for these positions were those who wanted something very specific from the clan.
The library was located in the deepest part of the complex, so there was only one entrance and exit, a way to enhance the security of the place. Approaching the door, she could see that the lights were on, and there was a faint murmur in the air, as if someone was talking to themselves.
Strange.
Upon entering, she was confronted with a scene... that she didn't know how to describe, to be honest.
-It's better if you see for yourself.
At one of the tables positioned in the left corner of the large room, there was a boy seated with a stack of books beside him. The strangest part was the variety of things scattered around him on the floor, from beddings to empty noodle cups.
Don't tell me he's living here?
Then she realized she knew the boy; she had taken him to explore the place less than a week ago. Remembering how he had asked if he could stay in the library "as long as he wanted," she couldn't help but smile.
It appears that the question was quite important to him.
Approaching the table, she asked, "Hey uh... what was your name again?"
Akio observed the girl with long brown hair and slightly greenish eyes. "Uh? Sonia, right? It's Akio," he replied upon recognizing her.
"Akio... well, what the heck are you doing here at this hour?" she asked.
Lifting the book so she could see, he replied, "Studying, anatomy to be more specific," showing her an image of a human skeleton in the book. They stared at each other for a few seconds until she realized he wouldn't continue explaining.
"Do you know what time it is? And all this stuff scattered around... you... aren't you living here?" she asked in a somewhat resigned tone.
"...no? Who would live in a library?" he lied.
Realizing that he hadn't been convincing enough, he added, "I was only going to stay for a day or two. It was a way to focus on my studies and allow the women at home to have some privacy, but I might have gotten carried away."
"... How many days exactly have you not gone home?"
"4 days including today," he said.
And he can say that with a straight face?
"Is your mother okay with this? She seemed more responsible," she sighed.
"Well... I might have told her I was staying at the lodging for a few days, and she gave me some money to eat just in case. Besides, my older sister came to visit me and brought a packed meal this morning," he replied, pointing to a container that hadn't even been washed.
"Kid... we don't have lodgings here," she argued, and as a response, he pointed to his bedding spread on the floor, as if that alone proved she was wrong.
"Putting that aside, I wanted to know why you lied about me needing to gain weight?" He said, making a clear effort to change topics.
Sonia was surprised for a moment, then looked at some of the books on the table. She walked over and picked up one with the title: Calorie Control - Introduction.
"I heard some rumors this week, but I didn't expect the so-called prodigy to be you. But if you have access to this," she said, pointing to the book. "It means you've been approved. Impressive," she said as she flipped through some of the pages.
"My intention wasn't to deceive you. The thing is, the vast majority of the kids who come to the Center don't aim to become a shinobi. They're sent by their parents for political reasons or to try to learn about pill and ninja tools production. Most parents don't want their children to become soldiers, for obvious reasons. Some manage to become apprentices, and even though the chances are small, it's still a better future than most would have outside."
"Still," she said, pausing to look at a marked page.
"Some of these kids have potential, and we try to prevent issues like yours from discouraging them. Kids can be cruel to each other, and our situation isn't easily accepted by everyone," she finished, placing the book back on the table.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
"So, what's the best option in your opinion? I didn't get a chance to talk to a teacher, but the book was clear about how calorie-to-chakra conversion works. Having denser muscles or any excuse like that is nonsense," he said.
"I'd say you already have the answer," she replied, observing the numerous food containers around. "You will need to gain weight." And then she laughed, as if she had said something funny.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rest of the night passed peacefully, with Sonia going back and forth on her rounds while Akio continued to study until he fell asleep at the table.
He woke up in the morning to the sound of his alarm clock, which had been set for 30 minutes before the opening time of the other facilities at the center. He noticed he was on his improvised bed and mentally promised to thank Sonia when he saw her again.
Quickly started gathering his scattered belongings, leaving the return of the books to the shelves for last. All of them had been taken from the first floor, organized by subject and then alphabetically. Only the book about the secret technique was in a special location, requiring passing through an arch marked by what seemed to be seals at the back of the library. Looking around again and seeing everything neatly organized, he headed to the changing room.
True, the Center had no dormitories; it wasn't designed for that, as it was located in the heart of the area managed by the clan. Still, it had changing rooms and an infirmary for emergencies.
After a few minutes under the shower, he finally decided to review his gains from the previous day.
Medical-Nin +1!
Attributes:
STR: 5 (+0.75) 5.75 (02.00%) +1*
AGI: 4 (-0.8) 3.2 (00.05%) +1*
CON: 4 (+2.60) 6.6 (98.00%)
INT: 14 (43.20%)
WIS: 10 (41.00%)
PER: 4 (76.00%)
LUC: 3 (12.50%)
It was important to avoid checking his status constantly; apart from being distracting, it had started to mess with his mind. The absence of increases in percentage for an attribute or gains in techniques was frustrating, which in turn only hindered his development.
Arriving at the courtyard, he headed to the small arena he had been using in recent days. Otto was already waiting there. Being accepted into the advanced classes brought significant freedom and idle time. These students didn't need to attend classes in common curriculum subjects since it was expected they would have taken them in the village academy. The advanced classes were either scheduled for specific days or conducted under a master and apprentice arrangement.
Not being old enough to attend the academy and not needing points put him in a unique position. Most classes had a cost ratio of 1 point per hour, and most jobs paid exactly one point per day. The only ones who could convert points into money were the teachers. In the end, it was a quite ingenious system for pension and retirement.
Luckily, Otto had offered to help him for free in the first month. It was only one hour a day, but having someone dedicated to analyzing and correcting his execution of forms made a huge difference.
----------------POV - AKIO-----------------------------------------------
"Good morning, Sensei," I greeted, assuming a respectful stance.
"Good morning, Kid, any requests today?" Otto asked as he positioned himself at the edge of the arena.
My CON is only 2% away from advancing
"I'd like to train my defense," I answered. "You can go all out, I want to see what I can do."
"Confident, aren't you? Well then, get ready!" he declared and then lunged towards me.
I decided the best approach was to focus on defending against his attacks, trying to move to avoid direct hits and strikes to vulnerable parts of the body. Reinforcing my entire body with chakra was easy but inefficient. In a fight, it wasn't enough, and transitioning chakra consciously from one body part to another took too long.
After a few seconds, a powerful kick to my stomach sent me to the ground.
Health: 9/10 (-1)
I got up with some difficulty and asked Otto to wait a moment; I needed to think of a different strategy. Getting beaten over and over in the long run would be beneficial, but I had already understood that using my ability like this was the worst choice I could make.
My biggest issue was my reaction time, so I tried to limit the area I needed to focus on, assuming a posture similar to that of a fencer. This time, I lasted a few seconds longer, but it was still disappointing.
Health: 9/10 (-0)
Stamina: 23/31
Chakra: 10/13
"That was a good attempt," Otto said, extending his hand to help me up. "But you're thinking in the wrong direction. You're trying to fight like one of the Uchihas, reacting to the movements of someone faster and more experienced than you. It won't work; you're an Akimichi after all," he concluded.
When it became clear that I didn't understand what he meant, he turned and surveyed the area around us.
"Wait a moment," he said and then called over another instructor, who, after a few words, agreed to participate in a simulation.
"Our strength isn't in our speed or reaction time, but in our ability to deal and cause damage on a large scale," he said, assuming a defensive stance.
The instructor charged towards him and as he approached, delivered a punch at a speed I wouldn't have been able to dodge. Otto didn't even try; instead, he absorbed the impact and, leaving a trail on the arena floor, absorbed the force of the blow. Before they could separate, using the same hand he had used to defend, Otto grabbed the opponent's arm and delivered a punch with the other. The sound was incredible, and the force of the blow sent the instructor flying a few meters before he regained his balance.
They repeated the movements several times, alternating between kicks and punches, but Otto's reactions were always the same. He didn't attempt to dodge or anticipate the opponent; instead, he cushioned the impact, or, on occasion, redirected the blow before delivering an even more powerful one in return. If someone were to ask me how a shinobi using a full tank build would fight... that scene is what would come to mind.
It was incredible, and I admit I felt extremely excited knowing that in the future, I would be able to do the same. Otto thanked the other instructor, who moved to the edge of the arena and stopped to observe us. When I assumed my position, my teacher attacked me again.
This time, I didn't try to guess what he would do or bother to come up with a plan of reaction; I simply waited and focused. When it became clear that he would deliver a punch towards the center of my body, I concentrated all the chakra I could into my arm and prepared to receive the blow. Watching the fist approach and not reacting to move away was harder than I expected. When the fist collided with the palm of my hand, I felt a shockwave run through my arm, threatening to unbalance me.
But slowly, I felt its momentum decrease until finally... it stopped. I started laughing like an idiot, but it only lasted until a low sweep at ankle level sent me to the ground again.
Health: 8/10 (-1)
Ding! Taijutsu +1