Raito stood in his room, his gaze locked on his hand. A blend of awe and eager anticipation surged through him.
*Ding*
Skills ‘ID Create’ and ‘ID Escape’ have leveled up.
Skills ‘ID Create’ and ‘ID Escape’ have reached level 5.
“Finally,” Raito whispered, a faint dizziness sweeping over him from the countless times he had witnessed the world-changing phenomenon.
[ID Create Lvl 5 (Active) Cost 50 CP Exp 0.0%]
This skill empowers the user to create a pocket dimension filled with diverse scenarios.
#Wasteland
#Wasteland – Zombie
After raising the skill level five times and unlocking ‘Wasteland-Zombie’, Raito took a quick glance at it before hastily exiting the dungeon.
When Raito encountered zombies for the first time, he was rendered speechless. Initially, they appeared threatening, but upon closer observation, they looked like the drunk individuals with a hint of violence.
Exhaling deeply, Raito muttered, “Anko-nee and her stupid Genjutsu,” as he exited the dungeon and collapsed into the chair, pondering if those countless experiences had left him traumatized.
Setting aside thoughts of the monsters lurking within the dungeon, Raito hurried to the basement and pried off the wooden planks, uncovering a katana with a gentle curve and a single sharp edge.
Despite the late hour, marked by the clock striking 1 am, Raito dismissed any concern for time and started his sword practice.
“I should have done this more…” His fingers ran across the body of the blade. “With these gamer powers… maybe I can do much more, get stronger really fast, and…”
He waved his hand and swung the blade across, then immediately shrank back.
Raito looked around then placed the katana back on the floor before hurriedly clearing the area for practice.
What can a sword do?
Stab and slash are the most basic. These two methods are then used with various stance and movements, and to various direction. Some are even made into a series of steps to stab or slash, which becomes a heritage or a technique to be passed down.
That’s how variation come to be.
But the basic principle is always stab or slash someone or even, something .
Well there are guards, and parry, and other things.
You don’t want to touch the bladed part of a sword with bare hands, so put your sword in front and let those two swords collide. And there are time when you overpower your enemy using a sword with power or technique.
At the end of things… to end a spar, battle, or war, you have to draw blood. Question is how much…
Katana, Tachi, Chokuto, Wakizashi, Nodachi, Kodachi, Tanto, Uchigantana, Shinobigantana, and lastly Bokken
What they have in common is sharp edge, which can take life, except for bokken, well not really… if it is made extremely sharp at some point or side, it will do the same.
‘You just need to know that this can save your life by take other’s life.’
“Yūgao-nee is such a pain.” Raito whispered while slashing downwards.
Ding
Skill created!
[Kenjutsu Lvl 3 (Passive)]
[Kenjutsu Lvl 3 (Passive) Exp 0.0%]
Kenjutsu, the art of the sword, is a comprehensive technique for engaging in sword combat. It can be integrated with other martial arts such as taijutsu, ninjutsu, fūinjutsu, and chakra flow, and can even be combined with genjutsu to execute formidable attacks.
#Increases sword attack speed by 6%.
#Increases sword attack power by 6%.
“She did say she’ll teach me some new techniques.” Creating a mental image of a person in front, Raito slashed diagonally downwards.
As the tip of the blade lightly touched the floor, Raito hurriedly twisted his wrist and pushed the blade facing outwards.
“It’s gonna suck.” Raito looked at the tip of the sword and found that there was a slight nick.
“How many time has it been.” Raito sighed rubbing the sword marks on the floor with his foot.
“Well, whatever…”
==
After replenishing his chakra, Raito eagerly activated the remaining skills on his skills list.
Ding
Skill created!
[Bunshin/Clone Lvl 13 (Active) CP Cost 35 Exp 0.0%]
This technique allows the user to create intangible copies of themselves. Clones cannot attack and are primarily used to confuse enemies in combination with other Ninjutsu. The clones may persist even upon contact with physical objects.
#Increase DEX by 10% when active.
$[Clone] depends on [Genjutsu], [Chakra Control] and [WIS].
*Ding
Skill Created
[Kawarimi/Replacement Lvl 8 (Active) CP Cost 15 Exp 0.0%]
With this technique, users can replace their own body with an object at the moment or an enemy’s attack. This creates an optical illusion, making the enemy think the attack was successful.
#Increases evasion speed by 15% when activated.
#Increases DEX by 20% when activated.
$[Replacement] depends on [Genjutsu], [Chakra Control] and [DEX].
After activating several skills, and depleting his CP in the process, Raito fell into a deep sleep.
As the sun rose beyond the horizon, its gentle rays streaming through the window, rousing Raito from his slumber.
“It’s already morning?” Raito glanced at the window, feeling a slight sense of bewilderment.
‘Dreams,’ he muttered.
*Ding
[You have slept on your couch. HP & CP have been restored. All aliments & negative status have been cured.]
“That’s what it was, huh?” Raito looked at the words then waved his hand.
Checking the time, Raito realized only two hours had passed. Though it seemed brief, he felt as if he had slept through an entire day.
[Standard Katana – Common quality]
A long, single-edged sword made by a common blacksmith.
ATK 40-60
DEX +3
Raito examined the katana lying beside him. It was one of the weapons concealed within the house by his father, protected by seals.
Following the funeral, the Hokage-jiji had explained that carrying dangerous weapons was prohibited until one became an official ninja.
‘I can have ten sets of shuriken and kunai, but can't have katana ?’ Raito mused with a roll of his eyes, pondering the logic of such restrictions. “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Raito kept the katana in his inventory. Witnessing the sword vanish into thin air, akin to a sealing scroll, Raito couldn’t help but let out a small smile. Contemplating the possibilities of his inventory, he chuckled and removed his shirt. ‘I hope everyone is prepared for what’s coming’
“Yosh, time for the morning drill,” Raito declared, shifting into automatic mode as he made his way to the bathroom, then the yard, and finally the kitchen.
Gaining additional DEX stat from stretching, he prepared the scroll and notes and read them once again for confirmation.
Knock, knock.
Raito glanced at the door, hastily closing the notification tab and swiftly stashing the katana back into his inventory before rushing to answer it.
Upon opening the door, Raito was met by a boy with less than average height and bright yellow hair. Wearing an attention-seeking orange jumpsuit with a white swirling symbol on his left arm on the jumpsuit, he had a cheery smile on his face.
Naruto stepped in, his nose aloft, homing in on the aroma that beckoned him towards the kitchen.
“What’s up? Hungry?” Raito inquired, casually setting the table for two as he passed by Naruto.
“I’m not hungry, I’ve eaten,” Naruto responded with a cheerful grin, raising both his hand and wiggling.
Before Naruto could elaborate, Raito interjected.
“Is that the scent of chili shrimp ramen?” Raito mused, performing an exaggerated sniff. He proceeded to the kitchen, giving the pot a stir. “Just some leftovers,” he remarked casually and continued.
“Alright,” Naruto murmured, giving a slight nod before stepping further inside.
“Are you ready for today?” Raito asked, his smile faint but present.
“Absolutely,” Naruto confirmed, settling into his seat. “Meet Jii-chan, get money, visit the memorial stone, and then go to Shika’s place.”
“Just a bit more to go,” Raito whispered under his breath. ‘This is for you, Naruto.’
“Huh? Did you say something?” Naruto asked, bowl and chopsticks in hand.
“Nothing,” Raito dismissed, then mused aloud, “I think it’s time to step up my training.”
“Step up? But you’re already so strong,” Naruto remarked, his expression turning into a pout. He caste an envious side glance at Raito and whispered. “I’m jealous”
Raito paused and looked at Naruto sharply. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing,” He hurriedly hid his envy with a smile.
“You skip the morning stretches, you don’t reach out for help, not to us, not to Iruka-sensei,” Raito sighed, listing Naruto’s shortcomings while giving him a stern glare. It has been like this for several months starting this semester that Naruto has been hiding his training from them.
“I did try, though…” Naruto started, attempting to justify himself.
“Try? Who did you ask? Iruka-sensei? Shikamaru? Chōji? Or perhaps me?” Raito’s gaze grew more intense.
“I... I asked Sakura-chan,” Naruto admitted, his voice laced with a hint of hesitance.
“You mean that pink-haired ‘Sasuke-fangirl’ Sakura?” Raito paused, studying Naruto as he continued eating.
“…” His eyes shifted uncomfortably towards the utensils in his hand.
Exhaling, Raito’s tone softened as he asked, “So, did she help you?” His question was more to provoke than to get an answer.
Who in the batch didn’t knew about Sakura’s frantic chase for Sasuke? Other guys who had tried getting close to her were rudely pushed back. Not to mention helping with learning, she wouldn't even give you her notes.
“Well…” Naruto trailed off, avoiding Raito’s probing eyes.
‘I tried…’ His eyes dimmed and there was a long silence.
“You can stop worrying,” Raito said, gathering his dishes then stood up. “Cuz you’ll be staying with me from now on.”
“Eh?” Naruto was shocked at the announcement.
“Eat.” Raito instructed, moving to wash the dishes. “We still need to go to the tower and complete some procedure.”
“Moving in with you?” Naruto’s voice was barely above a whisper as he processed the news.
“That’s right,” Raito confirmed, noticing Naruto’s reaction. “I’m gonna make sure that you pass your finals.”
“Hey! I’ll have ya know that I already finished-”
“Is that so?” Raito interjected with a skeptical arch of his brow. “How about a little test then?”
“Maybe… tomorrow?” Naruto’s laugh was tinged with nervousness.
Raito rolled his eyes, then ignored Naruto. He cleaned his dishes then sat on sofa and started managing the scrolls.
“Raito, about this moving in thing, am I really-” Naruto’s questioned hesitantly.
“It was Jii-chan’s idea,” Raito replied with a nonchalant shrug. “He believes you need help, and who’s better than me?”
Raito then let out a big smile and said, “Do you want to know what he said?”
Naruto’s expression wavered, but he gave a small nod.
“He said that maybe you could change for better if you live with me. Improve, maybe.” Raito’s smile was self-congratulatory, self praising and what-nots even as he spoke lightly.
“Jii-chan wouldn’t-”
“You don’t look good enough,” Raito cut in abruptly.
“What?” Naruto was stunned by the sudden topic change.
“When was the last time you took a bath, you stink.” Raito commented nonchalantly, busy with the papers.
This sudden change once again stunned Naruto.
“I don’t-” He actually sniffed his armpits.
Raito glanced over with a raised eyebrow and instructed, “Take a bath and wear the new clothes on the basket. It’s from Jii-chan.”
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
“O-Okay,” Naruto replied, his head bobbing quickly as he cleared his dishes and scampered upstairs.
*Ding
Skill ‘[Chakra Sense]’ leveled up.
Skill ‘[Chakra Sense]’ reached Lvl 13
‘Chakra Sense has been leveling up like crazy. Just because I have it always up doesn’t mean I am improving or so I thought, but maybe its because of Gamer powers, it is improving fast.’ Raito examined the area covered and found that at level 15 has increased by a whole lot of 250 meters. From a mere two digit number to a three digit number.
“It just doubled again.” Raito thought for a while then added, “I don’t think this is normal.”
‘It’s somewhat different from what the book described.’ Raito mused, just as he was about to look the skill list, Naruto’s voice, loud and urgent, pierced the air.
“Ah!” Naruto’s yell sent a shockwave through the house as he bolted downstairs, a towel hastily wrapped around his waist. Spotting Raito, he thrust a pile of jackets and trousers at him and demanded, “What are these!?”
“Clothes?” Raito answered with confusion on his face.
“They are not orange.” Naruto retorted, his disappointment evident as he held up a dark green shirt paired with black and white trousers.
Raito’s face twitched involuntarily as he fibbed, “Jii-chan’s order.”
“Um,” Naruto hummed, torn. His desire to refuse warred with his affection for the orange color.
“If you’re hesitant about these clothes, perhaps you could wear them just for today?”
“B-but…”
“Well, it’s your choice but think how Jii-chan might feel if he saw you …” Raito trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.
“Yeah,” Naruto murmured, eyeing the new color choice before turning to Raito, “Can I stick the symbol to the jacket?”
“The swirling symbol? Sure, the sewing box is at the first drawer on the left.” Raito gestured towards the desk and resumed his reading.
*ding
[INT raised by 1.]
After a very, very short time, “AH!!” echoed through the room. Raito exhaled deeply, bookmarked his page, and walked towards Naruto.
‘Seriously?’ He rubbed his temples, finding Naruto, who was sucking his thumb. “What happened?”
“I pricked my finger.”
“You really are hopeless.” Raito sighed as he grabbed the clothes, the accessory, and threads from Naruto.
“Just keep sucking on your fingers,” Raito said as he looked through his inventory.
“Here,” Raito said, offering a medical plaster to Naruto before returning to his seat.
‘This symbol looks exactly like those at the back of the Chūnin jacket, except they have red in color.’ Raito mused, recognizing the familiar pattern.
[Swirling Symbol Tag] (Common)
With a white background, and a hypnotic circular pattern, this symbol represents the Uzumaki Clan from Uzushiogakure.
“It’s an improvement, but…” Raito began sewing the emblem onto the shirt.
*Ding
Skill created
[Craft Lv1 (Active) Exp 0.0%]
This skill enables the user to utilize raw or repurposed materials to craft various items and gear.
With a flick of his wrist, Raito closed all the blue windows, startling Naruto in process.
“What?” Naruto asked, seeing the gestures.
Raito tossed the outfit to Naruto with a bit more force than necessary. “Now, wear it.”
Naruto hurriedly wore the clothes and asked Raito how they look from time to time.
Adorned in a white t-shirt, a green jacket emblazoned with the Konoha symbol, and black and white trousers with several pockets, Naruto looked expectantly at Raito.
“It looks better than I thought,” Raito nodded giving a once over.
After securing the house and activating its protective seals, the duo made their way to the Hokage tower.
Upon arrival, Raito surveyed the area before slipping into a small chamber adjacent to the Hokage’s office. He handed some documents to the clerk and proceeded towards the main office.
“Mariko-nee, we’ve come to see Jii-chan.” Raito announced, knocking on the door and eagerly anticipating the sight of the elegant woman clad in professional attire.
[Assistant of the Third Hokage]
[Mariko Lvl 15]
HP 1200
CP 100
Mariko is a ninja-born with underdeveloped chakra coils. Working at the Hokage tower for the better part of her life, Mariko found that she is good at accounting and management, and able to work better in time constraint situations.
Mariko completed working on the stack of paper before looking at Raito. “Raito? Naruto?”
“We are here.” Raito announced as he entered, eyeing the dangerous monster pile of papers on the table. ‘Troublesome.’
‘But it’s not like it’s my problem.’ A small smile spread across Raito’s face.
“Ah, new clothes? It looks so nice on you Naruto.” Mariko complimented, playfully pinching his cheeks.
She smoothed the jacket’s collar and straightened his clothes. Holding both of Naruto’s hand, she eyed him from top to bottom, and gave a warm smile. “You look really good wearing this, Naruto.”
Naruto blushed, a smile forming on his face. “I-is that so?”
“Really,” She pulled him and gave a big hug then whispered. “Really, Naruto.”
Raito turned away, hoping to avoid Mariko’s playful hands, but to no avail.
“Do we have to do this?” Raito grumbled, wincing.
“Absolutely,” Mariko replied with a grin, tousling Raito’s hair affectionately. Her fingers and running his hair, making him a hair model for her to try all kinds of styles.
“Wait till I get taller, I will make your hair-eek!”
Raito’s grumbling was cut short by Mariko’s hand grabbing his ears. “What did you say, you little brat?”
“Nothing, please let me go. Sorry.”
“Never say that to a woman.”
With that done, Mariko grabbed the stack of papers, which easily reached to her chin line, then walked in with Naruto and Raito.
[Third Hokage]
Sarutobi Hiruzen Lvl ??
Sarutobi Hiruzen is the eldest member of the Sarutobi family and the current Hokage at Konohagakure no Sato. After the death of the 4th Hokage, Hiruzen was asked to take the position of Hokage again.
Sitting on a chair, reading a scroll and with a pen on his hand, Hiruzen, the third Hokage of Konoha, lifted his head then gave a small nod, before stamping the scroll and closing it.
“Jii-chan!” Naruto greeted with a beaming smile. His warm smile was full of life, just seeing his smile would brighten others.
“Hokage-Jiji,” Raito added, his smile more subdued. He looked around with his Chakra Sense, which covered every corner of the room.
The ANBU or some other came to his range and his eyes moved about looking at the different hiding spaces.
“Hoh, some change-”
“Ahem,” Raito interjected with a strategic cough, exchanging a series of subtle glances and expressions with Hiruzen to convey his message.
“You are looking good in these clothes, Naruto.” Hiruzen praised, setting aside the scroll he was reviewing.
“Yeah, I like it even though it is not orange.” Naruto mused, then turned hopeful. “Say, Jii-chan, next time, how about some orange?”
Raito nudged Naruto with a cough.
“Oh,” Naruto mumbled, scratching his head and casting a nervous glance at Hiruzen. “That… it… Jii-chan, am I really move in with Raito?”
Hiruzen met Naruto’s gaze, then Raito’s intense stare. With a wave of his hand, he confirmed, “Of course, you are.”
“I’ve already submitted the necessary paperwork.” Raito said, presenting several scrolls to Hiruzen. “This is probable the last one.”
“A request from my side, asking Naruto’s current guardian, for confirmation.”
“Hm,” Hiruzen murmured, perusing the scroll before signing his name and affixing the Hokage’s seal. “There, it’s official.”
“One copy will remain here in the Hokage’s office, and the other is for you.” he instructed, handing the scroll back to Raito.
‘Troublesome,’ Raito thought, passing the scroll to Naruto.
“We’ll need to bring everything from your apartment to the house,” Raito looked at Naruto then asked, “Can you, Naruto?”
“I can,” Naruto replied eagerly, bobbing his head in excitement.
“But first,” Hiruzen interjected, retrieving two envelopes stuffed with Ryo from his drawer. “This month’s allowance.”
“Let’s meet at the memorial ground,” Raito instructed Naruto, taking out a few more scrolls. “I have a few more things I need to do here.”
Mariko placed more paperwork onto the table, eliciting a slight grimace from Hiruzen. ‘More?’
“There is not so much, so it will be fast.” Naruto assured, bidding farewell with a wave. “I’ll be at the memorial.”
Once Naruto had left, Raito’s smile faded.
Hiruzen’s desk was now lined with scrolls from Raito, “These are the things that I have collected with the help of Shikamaru Nara, Hinata Hyūga, and Chōji Akimichi. Voice recordings, copies of documents and written records of the events and even records provided by the students.”
“A bit messy for your first try,” Hiruzen sighed, releasing the storage seals, and scanning the scroll. He picked up a red pen, circled a few sections, and scribbled on others, “But it’ll suffice.”
Raito’s face twitched as he eyed the red pen. A realization dawned on him, “This is already over, isn't it?”
“Part of it,” Hiruzen replied, returning the scroll.
“Raito-kun, you seem to have something more… tell me.” Hiruzen cleared the table of Raito’s scroll then started cleaning his pipe with a practiced motion.
He was aware of Raito’s extracurricular activities; not even tasks of this nature had stopped him in doing his activities.
Raito met Hiruzen’s eye and then settled into the chair opposite him, “Jii-chan, I went to the older memorial stone, the one which has names written for the ones that died during the Kyūbi attack twelve years ago.”
Hiruzen’s brow furrowed. ‘It’s troublesome.’
“I found out that you had a wife,” Raito started with something moderate. “Sarutobi Biwako.”
Hiruzen raised his brows and picked up the pipe, “A lot of that happened, Raito. Inevitable losses we all face.”
Raito marveled at Hiruzen’s unwavering composure, his chakra flow didn’t fluctuate, not even by even a bit.
“There's a blank space beside her name,” Raito opened the scroll and showed.
(Sarutobi Biwako, _____________)
Raito met Hiruzen's gaze. “Is that for you?”
Hiruzen lit his tobacco, taking a long drag. “…Yes,” he finally admitted.
“Iruka sensei said the same thing to me, which made me look for more since it was interesting.”
Raito looked at the scroll then opened it a bit further, which made everyone in the room except Hiruzen and Raito a bit agitated. “I thought, this name has some significance.”
“Uzumaki Kushina.”
“…”
Raito revealed the name beside Kushina-sama and looked at Hiruzen, “A few days ago I was helping a chatty housewife, who told me that Kushina-sama was a loudmouth and someone with a short temper.”
(Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina)
“She also told me that… Kushina-sama was pregnant before Kyūbi attack.”
Hiruzen swiveled in his chair, gazing out the window.
“Apparently, Kushina-sama frequented Ichiraku Ramen back then.” Raito continued. “And… she was always with Minato-sama, the Fourth Hokage.”
Hiruzen sighed deeply, the weight of the past settling on him. He’d tried to prevent this, but it was too late. He turned back to Raito, his voice heavy, “Do you know how much trouble you have caused ?”
Raito nodded solemnly. “Yes.”
‘No, you don’t. You will know how much trouble you have caused in the future.’ Hiruzen sighed and looked at Raito, “You care deeply for Naruto, that much is clear.”
Raito swiveled in his chair, a determined glint in his eyes. “He’s my friend. Now—”
“Raito…” Hiruzen began, his voice softening.
“You should tell him,” Raito looked at Hiruzen and said with seriousness.
Raito cut him off, his frown deepening. “Shigeru, Hajime, Noriko, Amaya, Akemi. Shinobi orphans. You told them their parents’ names and their sacrifices for the village.”
[Stats increased by INT+3 and WIS+5.]
“Let’s end it for now,” Hiruzen could feel his face twitching so, he turned around cleared his throat then turned back. Pulling the drawer, he took out two books then passed it to Raito.
“These books are for Naruto and as for you… just ask.” Hiruzen tapped on the wooden desk and looked at Raito who was looking at the books seriously.
*Ding
[You obtained the skill book ‘Beginner Fuinjutsu’.]
[You cannot learn the skill.]
[Skill Requirement INT 50, WIS 50, VIT 50, Calligraphy Lvl 25, Chakra Control Lvl 25]
‘I have this skill book but the stat requirement are too much for me… for now.’ Raito turned the book a few times around but didn’t find anything. He decided not to think too much and look at the other book.
*Ding
[You obtained the skill book ‘Shadow Clone’]
[You cannot learn the skill.]
[Skill Requirement INT 50, VIT 50, Chakra Control Lvl 25]
‘So, this is what skill book is.’
“With Naruto’s chakra capacity, he will be able to do the ‘Shadow Clone’ and as for Fuinjutsu... tell him that it is his clan’s heritage.”
‘Fūinjutsu,’ Raito looked at the orange-red book for a couple of seconds more then looked at Hiruzen. ‘He probably wasn’t going to give this to Naruto anytime soon.’
‘I can’t use any of them.’ Raito sighed and pocketed the two books.
Looking at Hiruzen, Raito smiled and said, “Jii-chan, since there is no one around, how about you teach me something.”
Hiruzen, stern faced, softened into the familiar, grandfatherly demeanor. “What would you like to learn, Raito-kun?”
“Chakra Control Exercises,” Raito words amused Hiruzen and other shinobi in the room.
“But wouldn't you rather learn a jutsu, Raito-chan?” Mariko asked all of a sudden, making her thin presence known.
“Mariko-nee, I can’t use jutsu even if I learn it now. So, I thought about learning Chakra Control. It will help me a lot in the future since I don’t have a large stores like Naruto.” Raito looked at his skills tab and smiled with eyes closed. ‘Standard answer for my situation,’
[Chakra Control Lvl 6 (Passive) Exp 15.0%]
It is the ability to use chakra more efficiently and more easily.
# Decrease CP cost for using skills.
# Increase efficacy.
# Increase total CP.
‘It’s just a matter of time.’ Raito encouraged himself.
“Hm,” Hiruzen walked to his bookshelf and randomly picked one thick book. “This will do.”
“Let’s start,” Hiruzen opened the book and turned to the ‘2. Leaf Spinning’.
Mariko interjected with a polite cough. “Hokage-sama, we must use our time wisely.”
“I know, Mariko.” Hiruzen looked at Raito then continued, “Hm, ‘Chakra is something that is inside the body.’ That is what we say at the first year of academy and since we cannot see what chakra really looks like, we reinforce our thoughts on this that it cannot be released outside the body.”
“We are restricted by that thinking and that is why we have difficulty in visualizing and manifesting chakra outside our body.”
“Leaf Sticking Exercise is the first step in negating that thinking.” Hiruzen pulled out a leaf and gave one to Raito. “And the next is Leaf Spinning Exercise.”
“Just like our hair, that grows longer. We should also think chakra in the same way…”
Mariko gave a respectful bow and left the room, leaving Hiruzen and Raito in the company of, presumably, five ANBU members.
Time slowly passed, and one ANBU spoke up, “Hokage-sama, Naruto is heading for the memorial.”
Hiruzen glanced at the clock, a deep crease appearing between his brows. With practiced ease, he sealed the book into a scroll and handed it to Raito, “We should also be moving.”
“Yamanaka Flower Shop,”
He extended his hand, and Raito grasped it. For a while, there was silence in the room but Hiruzen broke the silence in the end, “About Naruto’s parents, I will tell him personally, someday, when the time is right.”
“Okay,” Raito replied with a nod.
Hiruzen and Raito disappeared in a flicker.
After buying some flowers from the Yamanaka shop, Raito headed towards the memorial stone where Naruto was already seated.
Raito was a little downcast as he stood in front of the monument stone. “Every name inscribed on this stone is a name we should forever remember. These people sacrificed their life for their friends, family, and the village, but in the end, all they hope is for a peaceful tomorrow. They don’t hope for revenge, they don’t hope for destruction, and they do not hope for more people to die in their footsteps. All they hope for is safer tomorrow.”
Raito looked through the stones, one name after another when he finally stopped on two names, “That is what my parents also hoped for… but we are shinobi, shinobi for Konohagakure no Sato. All I can do is get stronger and protect myself, and the people around me, and someday I could be someone that can even protect this village you so love.”
“Bye dad, bye mom. I will see you soon.” Raito cleaned the flower vase and replaced them with the new blue bell flowers.
Hiruzen cleared his throat and said, “Raito-kun, I hope your ‘soon’ doesn’t mean like tomorrow or every single day. I am getting a lot of complaints from the teachers about you getting late to class.”
Raito turned, grabbed Naruto’s hand and fist-pumped into the air and said, “To the Nara compound.”
“I heard about Shikamaru’s mom makes really delicious food.” Raito ignored Hiruzen, who was making a dangerous scheming face.
Knock, knock.
Yoshino Nara, the wife of Shikaku Nara, opened the door with a beautiful smile on her face. Seeing her visitors, Yoshino opened the door wide and greeted, “Hokage-sama, Raito-kun, Naruto-kun. Please come on in.”
“Hello, Shikamaru’s mom.” Naruto gave a big smile.
“Good afternoon, Yoshino-sama. Sorry for bothering you.” Raito also gave her a small smile.
“What’s with all that?” Naruto whispered.
“It’s is called manners, Naruto,” Raito gave a side-glance and answered Naruto.
Everyone walked to the living room, which was open to the backyard. Two people were playing Shogi, one was Shikamaru Nara, Naruto’s classmate, notorious for his laziness, and the other was Shikaku Nara, a father and a husband, and the current clan leader of the ‘Nara Clan’.
‘[Observe]’
[Lazy Genius]
[Shikamaru Nara Lvl 8]
HP 900/990
CP 700/700
STR: 20
VIT: 21
DEX: 19
INT: 44
WIS: 45
LUK: 29
Shikamaru is the only child of Yoshino and Shikaku Nara. He is the clan heir of the Nara Clan. He is said to be the smartest born in the history of the Nara clan but also the laziest.
‘[Observe]’ had reached level 10 on the way so Raito could see much more.
Hiruzen walked in with Naruto and Raito then turned to face Yoshino. “Yoshino, I remember that you take Taijutsu very seriously, don’t you?”
“Hai, Hokage-sama.” Yoshino paused before answering. Her wandering gaze turned to Raito and Naruto then paused at Naruto for a second longer.
“Here is young Naruto. If it is not a problem, can you take a look at him?” Hiruzen asked, rubbing Naruto’s head.
“Leave it to me, Hokage-sama.” Yoshino then looked at Naruto and said, “Let’s go Naruto-kun, to the backyard.”
Seeing the two walk towards the backyard, Hiruzen looked at Shikaku and said, “Shikaku, we need to have a small talk.”
Substituting for Shikaku, Raito sat opposite Shikamaru and started arranging the Shogi pieces.
“Did it go well?” Shikamaru asked while arranging his pieces.
“Our work was like a side quest… no, not even that. It was something like, ‘don’t let the kids make trouble. Just give them something to do.”
“They had already finished all of the work.” Raito shrugged and started with his first piece. “Anyway, thanks for the assist.”
“I hope whatever it is, it doesn’t involve me anymore.” Shikamaru quickly moved his pieces, as he started moving forward.
“What? I just asked you to make some rumors, which was already there, and you find that troublesome?” Raito looked at Shikamaru, who was entirely focused on Shogi.
Raito grabbed a piece and rolled it in his hands as he watched Shikamaru starting. On his turn, Raito placed his piece randomly and started talking.
“Can you imagine what Naruto is going through right now?”
Shikamaru paused for a second then grabbed a piece and said, “Don’t care right now?”
“Poor Naruto. He is training with your mom.” Raito sighed and even made a ‘tut tut’ sound.
“So?” Shikamaru grabbed the Shogi piece and looked at the board with focus.
“So, your mom is going to train him like crazy, to the limit kind.”
Shikamaru moved his piece and eyed Raito, who was still smiling, “Listen, if you are trying to distract me, it’s not going to work.”
“It’s called small talk, you know?”
“Right,” Shikamaru mumbled, looking at all the pieces on the board.
Raito moved his piece and said after a long pause, “You know what parents are, don’t you?”
Shikamaru tapped the side of the board in annoyance as he said, “What are you talking about-”
The smile on Raito’s face grew bigger, “Did realization finally kick in? Naruto is such a dummy, you know. He is just the opposite of you. He follows ‘Work Hard, Not Smart’.”
“Too much energy in that small body,” Raito let out a chuckle and moved another piece. “Just imagine.”
“Parents being the parents, they want their children to do better than other children. That is basic nature. You know what I am talking about, don’t you Shika?”
Adding a little bit of heavy tone, Raito said in a low voice, “You know what is coming for you, don’t you Shi-ka-ma-ru?”
Clack
“Hah, you nearly got me there Raito and… tsumi (詰み).” Shikamaru immediately fell on his back and breath out.
Raito looked at the board and clicked his tongue, “Damn it. I thought I was going to win this time.”
[You played an intense strategy game! Your WIS has gone up by 1.]
“You know, you really had me there.” Shikamaru started rearranging the pieces.
“I thought I had a chance. But, you know, what I said is not a lie.” Raito started rearranging his pieces and added, “If you go now, your mom will be a little happy, and… will not torment you tomorrow, probably.”
“As much as I like to go and save my lazy bum, I am enjoying the game here.” Shikamaru gave a slide glance to the backyard then continued.
“Then… be ready for all the nightmare I am gonna show you,” Raito made an evil smile. He picked a pawn and rested his hand on his knees and let out an evil chuckle. “You know about Ino, don’t you?”
After playing three games and losing all of them, Raito had a displeased expression on the outside but on the inside, he was very happy. Increasing the second most difficult stat, the WIS by 3 points was a big feat.
An hour had passed and, Hiruzen and Shikaku were still discussing something. It seemed to be high-level stuff as a barrier was placed around them.
“We weren’t going to listen to them anyway, right?” Raito looked at the barrier seals and asked Shikamaru.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes and stretched. ‘As if.’
Naruto and Yoshino also came back after their Taijutsu training.
Yoshino had a big grin on her face as she gave Shikamaru a look, telling ‘I am going to train you so better be prepared’.
Shikamaru, feeling pressured, gave Naruto a hateful look.
Hiruzen and Shikaku just finished their discussion as Yoshino walked into the kitchen.
Shikaku sighed deeply. He was having a big headache, hearing what was going to happen. He then looked at his wife and asked, “So how was the boy, dear?”
Yoshino was quiet for a while then she turned to face two and answered, “The stance he has been practicing is destroying his muscles slowly. A boy like him, with so much stamina, should have built quite a powerful body by now but looking at him, I can only say ‘what a waste’. Whoever is teaching the boy has quite a lot of knowledge on medical Ninjutsu focused on healing mus- no, it must be the whole medical field.”
“Body movement mechanics done in such a way that only specific muscle is destroyed repeatedly. Coupled with his diet containing ramen and…”
Her frown deepened as she sighed, “Naruto needs to start from the basics, coupled with food and nutri-blocks, we can hasten a bit but… I can make a complete program for him with leeway on ramen.”
Raito listened from the side and looked at Naruto, who was wiping his sweat, and narrowed his eyes. ‘It’s not just Mizuki-sensei, then.’
Grabbing Naruto’s shoulder, Raito pulled him towards kitchen and said. “Naruto, thank Yoshino-sama for teaching you.”
Raito pushed Naruto’s head down and bowed together with him, “Thank you, Yoshino-sama.”
“You two,” Yoshino smiled as she walked forward and crouched down. “We are always here to help.”
Rubbing Naruto’s head, she added, “Naruto-kun, why don’t you take a bath?”
“Shikamaru, Raito-kun, start washing and cutting the vegetables,” Yoshino went full on with drill instructor mode for the two boys.
“Hai!”
After a hearty meal, Hiruzen left Naruto and Raito to their home then disappeared towards the tower surrounded by a small group of ANBU.
Raito locked the door and activated the seals once again then sighed in relief.
Naruto took off his goggles and started yawning, “Today was a nice day.”
Raito looked at Naruto and paused for a moment before calling him out. “Naruto, wait.”
“What?” Naruto rubbed his sleepy eyes then looked at Raito. “If it is about Mikata-sensei’s homework then let’s do it tomorrow.”
“… You were supposed to finish that homework yesterday.” Raito shook his head. “Anyway…”
“Hokage-Jiji gave these book to you.” Raito handed the two books to Naruto and pointed to one then said, “It’s Shadow Clone technique.”
“Clone technique?” Naruto looked at the book with complicated expression. As much as he wanted to use the clone technique, it always ended with failure. Even his special training with the gang and Anko didn’t help. “Raito, you know I can’t make a clone. What’s the point?”
“This is different, you know. This is ‘Shadow Clone’, a bit different than ‘Clone’.”
Seeing that Naruto was still not understanding, Raito decided to use Hiruzen. “Jii-chan said that you can definitely do this one.”
Raito thought for a while then cleared his throat, “When the teachers in the academy asked you to Clone, it was like asking someone with millions of Ryo to give one Ryo. How would a rich man like that would have one Ryo?”
“What are you talking about?”
Raito glared at Naruto for interrupting him then continued. “This ‘Shadow Clone’ is definitely a hundred thousand which that rich man would definitely have.”
“Huh?”
“Money equals chakra.”
Seeing Naruto was still confused, Raito sighed, “Basically it will be easy for you.”
“Couldn’t you have just said so?” Naruto let out a groan he was holding.
Hearing Naruto, Raito could feel his face twitching. ‘Should I beat him half to death?’
“I’ll try this, now.” Naruto held the books tightly as he turned around, ready to run.
“Wait, Naruto. There is something more.” Raito quickly grabbed Naruto by his collar.
“What is it?” Impatience was written all over Naruto.
“You know when I said Mizuki sensei talks big but…”
Naruto’s eye dimmed as he heard Mizuki’s name. “Yoshino-sensei told me about that.”
“There are people there who don’t want me to be a ninja,” Naruto answered with his fist clenched.
“And there are people who wants you to become a ninja.” Raito pointed at himself then towards the hypothetical Hokage tower then towards the hypothetical ANBU headquarters and so on.
Seeing Raito point everywhere from time to time seems to have worked as Naruto began smiling again.
Naruto returned to the boisterous loudmouth as he began his speech on being Hokage and getting recognized.
‘Some things will never change.’ Raito yawned but the next moment his eyes focused on the Fuinjutsu book. ‘Nearly forgot about it.’
“Um, Naruto.” Raito didn’t want to spoil Naruto’s happy mood so he called a bit plainly, softly, and in a cheerful manner.
Ten seconds later, Naruto was still going on and on.
Raito sighed. He didn’t want to do this. Raito tapped and the next moment he was in front of Naruto, his hand grabbing Naruto’s face.
“Ow, ow, ow. Give up, I give up.” Naruto hurriedly tapped in submission.
“Do you know what that other book you have is?” Raito loosened his hands, freeing Naruto.
Naruto finally found that he had another book in his hand with no title, “Um, no. What’s this?”
Raito breathe in and out, pointed at the book then at Naruto, “That, Naruto is your clan’s heritage?”
“My what?” Naruto froze with his eyes widened and mouth agape.
“Your clan’s heritage,” Raito repeated. He knew what was going to happen next. Exactly what you’d expect from Naruto.
“My clan!?” Naruto shouted then looked at the book then shouted again, “I have a clan!?”
Typical Naruto. Surprise him and he will shout.
The shouting turned from a question to a statement made true without any proof.
Raito sighed as he changed the tone of his voice to a heavy one, “And that’s probably the reason why Jii-chan didn’t want to tell you.”
The joy disappeared as Naruto eyes turned into confusion as he looked at Raito. “What!?”
“Loudmouth, troublemaker, and in Shikamaru’s word, ‘Troublesome’.” Raito sighed, seeing Naruto dim down.
“Calm down. I will tell you. So, just listen, kay?” Raito brought out a small book, a fake, and started, “Fuinjutsu is your clan’s life and blood.”
Seeing Naruto’s face change to joy, Raito raised his hand, signaling him to stop, “Hokage-Jiji will tell you after you become a shinobi, about your parents, until then you need to train.”
Seeing Naruto, wanting to ask more, Raito closed the book and make a shushing gesture then said, “I don’t know any more than this and…”
Naurto looked away towards the door and was about to move when Raito spoke again, “He is not going to tell you unless you become shinobi.”
Naruto slowed as he began… thinking.
“Until then…” Making a devious smile, Raito walked forward and brought out a few books from inventory. “Naruto-chan, ready to study?”
“Ahh!”
‘Sorry, Jii-chan, it became a little troublesome.’
After giving Naruto some warnings about Fuinjutsu, Raito hurried towards his room and exhausted his chakra before reading the chakra control book written by Hiruzen.
The boys were supposed to sleep but it is unknown if they even had a wink of sleep. One did, two hours, refreshed. But the other? Woke up with a dark circle.