Chapter One
Blue eyes blinked open to stare at the blue box floating in front of them. 「You have slept in your crib. Full restoration of HP and Chakra Points」. Short, spiky blond hair covered one crystal blue eye when the baby's head moved to one side. The baby could read it, knew the sounds and how to say them – just didn't understand what it meant. The baby boy was two months old and was placed in the orphanage as both his parents had been killed in what was called the Kyuubi attack. Slowly he reached up, arm shaking, to close the box; he had learned that the box didn't go away unless he closed it by pressing the 'X' on the top right corner. 「Your STR has gone up by 1!」. Sighing in exhaustion, his blue eyes closed, dazedly reminding himself to close that box too, his last sight was of {Uzumaki Naruto: The Gamer}.
By the time Naruto was seven months old, he could understand most words he had encountered, thanks to a little help from his ability. He had heard 'help' being spoken numerous times around him, so he had decided to speak it. As soon as he had, a new box had opened.
「Help Menu」
[Dictionary]
[Explanation]
[Guide]
It had taken him a few tries, but he had finally managed to say 'dictionary'. As soon as he had, information was downloaded into his brain, albeit painfully. It had given him a basic understanding of his language, but it was a life-saver for Naruto – the orphanage staff rarely visited, let alone spoke to him! Soon after, he had learned a few hundred words that had given him a vocabulary similar to a smart six-year-old child. He had then gone into the [Explanation], which had caused the system to explain his circumstances. He was using the Gamer ability – an ability that made life into a game. He had learned about {Titles} and [Skills] and the 「Statistics」that he possessed – had learned that Uzumaki Naruto was his name, that he was seven months and sixteen days old, that he was an orphan (that revelation, after looking it up in the dictionary, of course, had caused him to cry out in loneliness) and that one of his titles was {Konoha's Pariah}. Currently, he had 3 STR (which he learnt meant strength), 2 AGI (agility), 12 STA (stamina), 134 INT (intelligence), 10 WIS (wisdom) and an unknown level of Luck, with 1 END (endurance). He didn't understand the last one though, as he knew endurance and stamina were the same things – so why were they both there? Naruto was at Level 1, with 01.96% EXP (experience), meaning he had quite a way to go for level two. Another thing he had learnt was that to put bluntly, the villagers despised him, hence the pariah title. This had actually caused him to develop the skill [Bloodlust Detection], which informed him when bloodlust was directed at him and subsequently created the skill [Bloodlust Resilience]. Once His [Bloodlust Detection] had reached level 20, it told him who directed it at him and where they were. His [Bloodlust Detection] was currently at Level 26 – 96.07% EXP and was increasing rapidly every day. Apparently, it sensed those projecting bloodlust within a kilometre radius. His [Bloodlust Resilience] hadn't levelled as quickly – it only being at level 12 with 32.59% EXP to the next level. That allowed him to not be affected by any civilians – no matter their skills nor features/aura. Silently, he vowed to become stronger; he had learned that bloodlust meant they wanted to harm him or kill him, so he had to protect himself, didn't he?
Naruto was just over a year old when he was visited by the village leader, who was called the Hokage. An old man in white robes and a triangular hat with the kanji for 'fire' on it, had walked up to the crib he was in and introduced himself. He was Sarutobi Hiruzen, leader of Konohagakure, and was devastatingly sorry for the pain Naruto had gone through and would go through.
"Naruto… forgive this old fool. Despite being praised as the 'Professor of Konoha', I could not predict what the revelation of your Jinchῡriki status would do to the villagers. Shinobi and civilians alike despise you, when they should revere you as the hero you are… Minato… how disappointed you must be in us…"
With that he had left, puzzling young Naruto. What were 'shinobi', 'Jinchῡriki' and who was 'Minato'? These questions bugged him, enough that a quest from his ability was made to find answers – answers he swore he would get.
One thing he had noticed was that people never talked about their Gamer ability – they never talked about their statistics nor the quests they had done. For a moment, he had thought they didn't have the ability, but quickly discarded it; why would he only have this ability? Frustrated at his lack of answers, Naruto had studied the people around him and make a deduction – they had the ability (why else would they use all of those weird hand motions?) but they pretended they didn't. Naruto then decided that they must think of it as unique to them and want to keep it close to their chest – after all, people had been kidnapped for much less. With that, Naruto made a decision that would widely impact Konoha's future; he would stay at level one, never completing quests except for the unavoidable ones but would master all and any skills he had.
It had taken him a while (almost three years actually), but he had finally gotten his answers: Shinobi were humans who used chakra (an energy with its own system inside of living things; a mix of yin and yang – of spiritual and physical energy; an interesting concept he vowed to learn about). They were divided into ranks: Genin, shinobi who had graduated from the shinobi academy, the first and lowest rank - Chῡnin, the rank above Genin, whom the majority of Konoha's forces consisted of – Jōnin, the highest rank that most shinobi aspire to, - ANBU, shinobi directly under the order of the Hokage, with scarce information about them available and finally, Hokage: said to be the strongest and bravest shinobi, picked by their predecessors to rule Konohagakure into the future. The answer to his third question was that Minato was the Fourth Hokage, with Hiruzen being the Third, who had died on his birthday, October 10th, the day a bijῡ, the Kyuubi, attacked the village. The Jinchῡriki was harder to find out – enough that he had to break into the civilian library – after some practice of course. He had even created a new skill – [Stealth] that was currently at level 12 and [Lockpicking] which was at level 8. Even then, it had taken forever to find the little amount of information he had found. Jinchῡriki: literally meaning 'human sacrifice', were beings that had a tailed beast (bijῡ) sealed inside of them. This had intrigued him, yet also brought forth a sense of foreboding – a bijῡ had attacked the day he was born and the Fourth, Minato was said to have killed it… Panicking ever so slightly, he had searched for any information on bijῡ - all he had found were that they were immortal beings made of chakra (at that he had whistled, his need to find out more about chakra increasing) given consciousness and they were titled one-tail to nine-tails (the Ichibi and Kyῡbi). With that information he knew – he was the Jinchῡriki of the Kyῡbi… and he was despised for it.
Over the years, his [Bloodlust Detection] as well as his [Bloodlust Resilience] had slowed down with each level it gained, until it took months for both to level up. However, [Bloodlust Detection] was still on quite a high level, with it now providing a vague description of what the person projecting the bloodlust was going to do.
[Bloodlust Detection] Level 74.02% EXP
This skill detects bloodlust projected at you! This skill tells you where the bloodlust is coming from, who is projecting it and what level of intent they have: Harm, Maim, Torture, Kill. [Bloodlust Detection] will also be able to say whether the person projecting the bloodlust will act on it or not – and if so, basic information on the person will be downloaded into your brain as well as a vague description of what they want to do to you.
His [Bloodlust Resilience] required more than just civilian bloodlust to level up any more. The most it could do was give a very, very small amount of EXP. It was fortunate (and not, of course) that shinobi were out to kill him as well. Level 10, was when no civilian's bloodlust could affect him – level 20, no Genin.
[Bloodlust Resilience] Level 37.49% EXP
This skill makes you unaffected, or less affected by bloodlust.
Civilians: Unaffected
Genins: Unaffected
Chῡnins: Almost all Chῡnin's bloodlust do not affect you. Those who specialize in torture, have a higher than normal level or a dark personality/aura can still affect you by 10%.
Jōnins: Only extremely weak Jōnins will not affect you. Effect level: 20% and higher
ANBU: You are affected by an ANBU's bloodlust, no matter their skill nor level. Effect: 40% +
Kage: Death will temporarily take you, as your heart stops beating for twelve seconds. Effect: 90% +
Girlfriends: You piss off the woman you like/cherish/love; face same effects as high level ANBU.
It took him a while to get over the revelation of his Jinchῡriki status; anger, confusion and sadness swamping him in a tsunami of emotions. He had gotten over it though – he took his time turning over his thoughts, opinions and feelings on the subject until he accepted it, how could he not when he knew nothing else? With that acceptance came a burning need to get stronger and utilise chakra; chakra had made what was considered a natural unstoppable disaster – the possibilities were endless! Determined, he had gone to the library (once again sneaking in and increasing stealth by two levels and lockpicking by 69% EXP) and researched all he could about chakra and how to use it. Unfortunately, only the basics were there as any more could pose a threat to Konoha – civilians could hold grudges, learn chakra then kill someone with it, or themselves – hence the basic theory on what chakra was and how to unlock it.
Sighing in disappointment, finally giving up the search for more information on the fascinating topic of chakra, Naruto, almost four years old, returned to the orphanage only to find the gate locked. Staring in disbelief at the old rusted gate, he lifted his hand and began to pound on the door.
"Hey! I'm still out here!"
Slowly, his desperation caused his voice to rise and his banging to become more frantic until, finally, an orphanage staff came out.
"He-"
He was cut off by the fuming woman.
"Stop your banging ya little demon! You're too old to live here anymore! Now get lost before I get the boys ta beat ya!"
Waving her hand threateningly, the fifty-year-old woman turned back to go inside, leaving a despaired Naruto behind. I knew they hated me… but to kick me out onto the streets? Three months before my birthday? I get beaten inside pretty badly… what will I do without the small but vital protection of the orphanage? With the thoughts echoing through his mind, he walked towards the forest, hoping to find a natural shelter. That night, for the first time that he could remember, Naruto cried silent tears, sitting on a low hanging tree branch, pondering what the future could hold.
It had been two months since he was kicked out of the orphanage and life was looking up for Naruto. He had managed to learn how to hunt and gather fruit, vegetables and herbs he found in the forests – he could somewhat decently cook the food and skin the animals, using their furs and skins to keep warm in the approaching winter. These actions had, of course, created more skills. [Self-taught Hunting] level 19, [Self-taught Skinning] level 14, [Gathering] level 29 and [Self-taught Cooking] level 23 as well as [Observe] level 33. Observe merely gave him basic information about an object, thing or person, but was a life-saver due to the fact that now he knew which findings (fruits, herbs etc) were poisonous (not that it could kill him – just affected him for a few hours, as well as creating the skill [Edible Poisoning Resistance]). The information available to him through [Observe] increased as he levelled the skill up. For example, he had used the skill on a tree soon after he got the skill:
Konoha Tree:
A tree surrounding Konoha.
However, as he levelled it, more information was provided.
Konoha Tree:
A tree surrounding Konoha. It was made from Senju Hashirama's Mokuton bloodline nearly 73 years ago. This tree is sanctioned in the section of the forest surrounding Konoha that Hashirama made first, and is believed to still hold Hashirama's chakra and will; misdirecting those with the intent to harm Konoha. It's leaves can also provide someone with a small dose of healing chakra (grants 3 HP points and reduces damage by 7%).
The information about the leaves had only just become available to him once he had reached level 30 with his [Observe] skill. Nevertheless, Naruto wondered why Konoha didn't harvest the leaves before concluding that they must do it discretely and in small amounts so enemies and spies don't notice.
The hunting had also levelled up his stealth skill. He had ditched the trees, after getting a [Tree Climbing] skill (Level 11) of course, as he had found a cave in one of the training grounds. It was relatively shallow and small, but it allowed him to bring his food and place it somewhere, as well as an impressive amount of furs and skins for a bed and provided an area right at the back of the cave where he started fires and cooked his meals.
The most important thing that had happened though, was he had finally accessed his chakra! Unfortunately, controlling it, let alone directing it somewhere, was nigh impossible. Despite trying for weeks, he couldn't get it! Sure, he could push it out of his skin, but what good could that do? Resigned, he had decided to keep trying knowing there was no other way to learn, after all, who would teach the demon brat? He did, however, continue to level up his skills, learning that the 'normal' level cap was level 100 and once mastered, if there is one, he automatically develops the next in the skill set. His current skills consisted of:
[Walking MAXED]
[Silent Walking] Level 99.03% EXP
[Talking] Level 98.79% EXP
[Running MAXED]
[Silent Running] Level 32.09% EXP
[Bloodlust Detection] Level 78.95% EXP
[Bloodlust Resilience] Level 39.38% EXP
[Basic Movements] Level 81.92% EXP
[Dodging] Level 44.46% EXP
[Stealth] Level 41.00% EXP
[Lockpicking] Level 8.82% EXP
[Tree Climbing] Level 11.16% EXP
[Basic Swimming] Level 55.72% EXP
[Basic Diving] Level 49.59% EXP
[Edible Poisoning Resistance] Level 16.05% EXP
[Self-taught Hunting] Level 19.33% EXP
[Self-taught Skinning] Level 14.21% EXP
[Gathering] Level 29.45% EXP
[Self-taught Cooking] Level 23.67% EXP
[Observe] Level 33.98% EXP
[Climbing] Level 13.39% EXP
[Basic Movements] consisted of jumping, landing, writing, skipping, hopping, rolling, spinning, swinging, crawling, leaping, throwing, kicking, punching and catching, with each action contributing to a total of 7.14% of the EXP. Each movement had its own EXP as well, letting Naruto know what he had mastered and what he hadn't. So far, he had maxed out jumping, landing, skipping, hopping, rolling, spinning, swinging, crawling and leaping, with throwing at 48.39% EXP, kicking and punching both at 97.62% EXP (how else did he defend himself from the 'righteous' citizens of Konoha?) and catching as well as writing both at 0.00% EXP as he had no one to throw something at him so he could catch it nor did he have anything to write with, not even at the orphanage (Naruto was strictly forbidden from the classes taught there).
Naruto had also learnt to swim, as he had to clean himself in the river, as well as diving so he could have fish in his diet. [Edible Poisoning Resistance] lessened the effect some poisoning from edible things had on him (plants, herbs, fruits and even some food poisoning from undercooked meat). This would also help him in his career as a shinobi, as some of the plants he had digested were the basis for common poisons, with Naruto ever so slowly building a resistance to it (and majority of the poison – a 60% increase survival chance, according to the skill description). [Climbing] had developed when he had encountered {Training Ground 49} which had a cliff face he was using to increase his strength by climbing up it. Considering he had only found it two days ago; the skill wasn't very high. Nevertheless, Naruto resolved to get stronger – his birthday was coming up (less than a month away) and with the news out that he wasn't living in the orphanage, Naruto would bet his life that the villagers of Konoha would come searching for him.
The demon was no longer safe anywhere; it was free game for all…