Uzumaki Chronicles

by Hail Emperor Naruto

Sometimes all a person needs to go from ordinary to extraordinary is a kick in the pants. Life suddenly turning into a video game? Yeah, that will definitely work. Watch as Naruto plays the game! Will he win? Is this even a game that can be won?

1. Prologue 1

Ugh, I know. I'm terrible. I come back to life only to disappear once again. I'm sorry. Just can't seem to focus on one story. I just write like 6,000 words before moving onto a new idea.

I'm still trying though. So there's still hope I'll manage to get back on track. This is my most successful story recently. I started it back in August, but have picked it back up again recently. Since I got a good chunk ready, I decided to put it up. So here is Uzumaki Chronicles, which is a game story. I also have most of the second chapter completed, so it will probably be out in a few days.

Warning, there will be a slow buildup before the story really gets going. Probably three or four chapters before it really sits the start of canon.

Game Mechanics: Most of this chapter is focused on explaining just that. I will tell you however that I intend to do my best to avoid too many numbers. I've read a number of game stories, but I tend to get lost when it comes to stats and stuff. Just too many numbers. So I'll be trying to avoid that by instead using relative or comparing phrases. There will of course be some numbers, but I'll try to keep them limited. I'm open to suggestions from you readers if you see a problem or have a fun suggestion.

---

"Come on, Azazel! I want to be the first to use it!"

"Hell no! I made it!"

"I thought of the idea!"

"I'm the one that organized the gaming party!"

"Give it to me!"

"No!"

Ajuka Astaroth sighed as he watched the childish antics of the two adults in front of him. Ajuka was a handsome male with glasses and a mysterious aura…He was also the current Beelzebub, one of the Four Great Satans. Kind of had to mention that about him.

Ajuka was currently watching two adults wrestle like children while flying in midair. Much to his shame, he knew the two. One was Azazel, Governor General of the Grigori. The other was Sirzechs Gremory, current Lucifer of the Four Great Satans. Despite the great power of the two, the two were without a doubt two of the most annoying people Ajuka had ever had the misfortune of meeting.

The events of this night started without his presence. Sirzechs was having a party with Azazel, to play some game Azazel apparently claimed was amazing. One might wonder why a Satan was playing around with the Governor General of the Grigori. The answer was quite simple. The two were friends. To the majority of high ranking individuals in the Three Factions, the Great War was over and done with. Any restart would spell the end of them all, so peace was the only option for anyone reasonable. They were just waiting for the proper time to make it official. So it wasn't a big deal for Sirzechs and Azazel to be friends, especially since it was secret.

Back to the events that had occurred that night. Sirzechs and Azazel had gotten horribly drunk while playing the game, and Sirzechs came up with the thought of how awesome it would be if life was a video game. The two started brainstorming and eventually decided to make a sacred gear to do just that. Needing help, they had bugged Ajuka till he agreed to help. It was actually rather easy to do. At least for Ajuka. A sacred gear that altered the perception of the user to behave like in a video game. It had a huge number of bugs, but would function briefly.

Which brought them to the present. Azazel and Sirzechs couldn't decide which of them would be allowed to use it first. The result, the two wrestling over the artificial sacred gear.

"Woops."

The two men-children said that in unison when their grappling resulted in the artificial sacred gear slipping out of their hands. It started plummeting to the ground. As drunk people are prone to doing, the two watched instead of doing anything…like catching it.

The two looked at each with wide eyes for several moments. Then, still in unison, the two turned and flew away while yelling, "Run away!"

Ajuka pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a groan at the childish behavior of the two drunks. Now he had to clean up after them. The artificial sacred gear was pathetically patchy, but he still couldn't leave it laying around. Better recover it and destroy it.

What a waste of a night.

Ajuka started descending from where he was floating in the sky. The sky was just starting to light up as dawn approached. He tracked the energy of the artificial sacred gear to a simple home. It was utterly unremarkable compared to the numerous homes it was surrounded by. The artificial sacred gear was more molded energy than an actual physical object, so it seemed to have phased right through the roof. A quick spell allowed Ajuka to do the same.

Ajuka soon found himself in a small room. A bedroom, as it was currently inhabited by a sleeping boy. The boy was now radiating the energy from the artificial sacred gear.

How unlikely. The artificial sacred gear had fallen right onto the boy, joining into his body. What was the chance?

Shrugging, Ajuka reached towards the boy. A magic circle came to life before his hand in preparation to extract the sacred gear before it bonded to the boy's soul. Ajuka was in for a shock though…Literally. As he started to extract the sacred gear, he was shocked. Ajuka instinctively withdrew his hand.

Ajuka stared at his hand in shock. Actually harming him, a Maou, was no small feat. Certainly beyond the artificial sacred gear he had created that night.

Ajuka quickly sprang into action. His hands waved and dozens of magical circles formed around him and the sleeping boy. His special Kankara Formula in action, probing and dissecting what was going on with the sacred gear.

Ajuka was shocked by the results. The sacred gear was changing…no, that wasn't right. The sacred gear was developing. Improving upon itself. It was impossible. He hadn't instilled it with any form of consciousness. Yet it was refining itself at such a speed that it had to be deliberate. Not to mention the sacred gear shouldn't have the necessary amount of power to fuel these changes.

Ajuka came to a shocking confusion. Something, someone was doing all this. That was the only answer. Only something with both intelligence and a large amount of power could manage what was happening.

A sacred gear? Did this boy already possess a sacred gear? One with both a consciousness and a massive well of power? The odds were outrageous, but that was seemingly the only option. The boy obviously wasn't doing it, as Ajuka's sleep spell had taken hold easily. The sacred gear must have sensed the intrusion of the artificial sacred gear, and was…combining with it to strengthen itself.

Ajuka quickly started using his Kankara Formula to examining the source of the power. Almost immediately Ajuka got the sense that whatever it was noticed his actions. Ajuka saw his Kankara Formula start freaking out as it tried to examine what was occurring. A sudden pulse of power caused Ajuka's Kankara Formula to just…stop working.

Ajuka actually felt his jaw drop at that. He was a Maou. A Super Devil. His Kankara Formula was his specialty, yet whatever this was had just cancelled it out. Stopped him in his tracks…What the hell was he dealing with here?!

Sensing energy start to permeate the environment, Ajuka had no choice but to retreat. Whatever was happening, it was beyond even his power and comprehension. Ajuka eventually came to a stop in the air above the house. He looked back to see the environment around the house morphing and changing. Ajuka watched it all occur with fascination. Seeing the end result, it all finally clicked to Ajuka.

Chuckling, he declared in amusement, "Well isn't this an interesting turn of events?"

---

"What the hell is going on?!" Naruto screamed out, thoroughly freaking out by this point.

Maeda Naruto had always considered his life ordinary. Sure, he had a few queer aspects of his life, but he had still always felt he was 'normal'. He would even admit to being annoyed with that fact more than once. He had often desired for some adventure to break the monotony.

Naruto hated to use a cliché phrase like 'be careful what you wish for', but it really fit his morning.

Naruto had been in for a rude awakening as soon as he had woke up. He had opened his eye to see floating words. In bold text, floating in midair, had been the words-

Congratulations!

You have the honor and great pleasure of being the main character in the new, the fabulous, the totally badass…

Uzumaki Chronicles Video Game!

Naruto had just stared in abject confusion at the announcement, as any reasonable person would. Finally he had acted without thought. He had lifted a hand and tried to poke the words. Just to see if they were real. Just before his finger came into contact with them, they disappeared.

Naruto had let out a sigh, believing his mind had finally woken up enough to throw of whatever waking dream he had been experiencing.

That thought lasted until Naruto had looked around his room. His room had changed! For the worst. His room had suddenly turned into a dump. Naruto's room had always been small, but now it was downright diminutive. Not to mention Naruto's bed had lost its frame. It was now just a ratty mattress resting directly on the floor. The floor was dirty, and the wallpaper on the walls was peeling. Parts of his roof were clearly leaking, and a smell told Naruto that mold was probably growing in the damp conditions.

Panicking by this point, thinking he somehow fallen asleep in the wrong house, Naruto had jumped up out of bed. He had then rushed out of the house. Only to stop when he recognized the buildings he saw as his neighbors.

Now even more confused, Naruto had turned back to the house he had just exited. Immediately, several things became apparent. 1) The house he had just exited was exactly where his house was supposed to be. 2) His house had clearly undergone a downgrade. Naruto's family had always been tight on money, so they had lived in a low-income neighborhood. It had still been decent enough though. A simple house with two bedrooms and a single bathroom. Now it was little more than a hovel that was one step away from being condemned. 3) All the other houses on the block had disappeared. No signs of recent construction or even remnants of any of the houses that had been in the area the previous night. A block large enough to hold two dozen houses was just empty besides Naruto's downgraded home, a vast field of dirt.

So it was obvious why Naruto was freaking out. His morning was completely jacked up.

"Naruto," a voice spoke up from Naruto's? house. Naruto looked to see his father peeking his head out of the front door. He quickly asked in confusion, "What are you yelling about? Especially still in your pajamas?"

Naruto ignored the second point, not caring that all he had on while outside was a pair of sweatpants. Instead he pointed at the house and demanded, "Otou-san, what happened to the house?!"

Naruto's father let out a depressed sigh before he answered sadly, "I know it is bad, but this is all we can afford right now. Just try to endure it. I'm sure things will get better. Now come inside." With that Naruto's father went back into the house.

Naruto was still confused thought. His father hadn't provided any real answers on what was happening. Finally Naruto exclaimed out loud, "What the fuck?"

Suddenly the entire world turned gray around Naruto. Then more words popped up in front of him.

This is the Uzumaki Chronicles Video Game.

"What does that mean? What is the Uzumaki Chronicles Video Game?" Naruto questioned desperately, wanting answers enough to not question the existence of the floating words.

The Uzumaki Chronicles Video Game is just that. A video game, with you as the main character.

"Stop fucking with me! There's no way my life suddenly turned into a video game!" Naruto screamed at the words.

Do you have a better explanation for all that is occurring?

…Damn. Naruto didn't. No doubt sensing Naruto's thoughts, the words appeared again-

Your life is now a video game, controlled at least partly by me, the Gamemaster. Do not worry. I by no means control your actions. You still make your own choices. I have simply altered the world around you into a gaming format.

"Then how do you explain what happened to my house?" Naruto demanded, not pleased by the idea of this 'Gamemaster' controlling his life to such a degree.

Home Base!

Home is a critical aspect of a person's life. You rest and live at your home, and your family also lives here. There are many comforts that only home can provide. While your current home is…lacking, it can be improved upon. Work hard and create the home of your dreams.

Naruto just read the words silently, his mind racing. That…actually sounded like a video game. A lot of video games had an aspect where you improved upon your base, and many of them started out bad. Naruto eventually asked in disbelief, "Did you nerf my home just so it can be improved upon?"

Correct. Starting with an undesirable home not only provides motivation to improve upon it, but a sense of satisfaction when you succeed in doing so.

"What about our neighbors?"

Local residents were relocated to provide space for expansion. No harm was done to them. Certain defenses were also added to eliminate any suspicion concerning the change for nearby people. You are the only one who will notice the change.

Naruto frowned slightly as he thought about the entire situation. The idea of himself suddenly becoming the main character in a game was insane, but what else could it be? Naruto could only think of two options. Either this game was real or Naruto had gone insane. Naruto really hoped he wasn't insane, so he was just going to run with the game option.

Sighing, Naruto tilted his head as a random thought occurred to him. "Why is the game named the 'Uzumaki Chronicles'? Spiral Chronicles?"

Because Uzumaki is a badass name, dattebayo!

"…Dattebayo?" Naruto muttered in confusion. For some reason Naruto got a faint sense of embarrassment from the Gamemaster. Shaking his head, Naruto walked back to his house.

Opening his door, Naruto walked into the hovel he was apparently living in for now. The kitchen and living room were combined into just one, small room. With Naruto room, which was more a closet than anything, and his parent's room there were three rooms in the house total. The bathroom…was an outhouse Naruto had seen outside. Naruto felt like crying at the thought.

Inside the main room of the house were Naruto's parents.

Naruto's father was named Arthur. He was an American that had briefly served on a nearby army base, which was how he met Naruto's mother. He had even served several years in the U.S. Special Forces. Unfortunately, he must have seen some serious shit during those few years as he was diagnosed with PTSD. He was a solitary person who disliked crowds and suffered from frequent insomnia. He had also sworn off alcohol when Naruto was a child. Apparently the alcohol caused paranoia which was often expressed through violence, which had cause a number of small incidents before he had stopped drinking entirely.

Arthur was very tall, and remained well-muscled even all these years after his military service. He had reddish blonde hair that had gained some gray streaks in the past few years. Deep bags were under his blue-gray eyes, signs of his insomnia. He had a somewhat gaunt face with a clearly defined nose and jaw. He had heavy scruff on his face, messier than what Naruto remembered from the previous night. Must have been another change the game made, make his father look more unrefined to fit the 'poor' household situation it had created.

Naruto's mother was named Maeda Ayumu. She was half Japanese, half Swedish. Her mother had come to Japan from Sweden as a charity worker following WWII and the atom bombs. She had eventual met Naruto's maternal grandfather during that work, and Ayumu had lived all her life in Japan. Their family had taken her maiden name as Naruto's father was an orphan. He had used the last name 'Smith', but that was just a name that had randomly been chosen for him.

Ayumu's Japanese heritage was clearly dominant. She had black hair, many Japanese facial features, and a short stature. She was only a few inches taller than five feet, and was quite thin from health problems she frequently suffered from. She wasn't a great beauty or anything. Naruto thought her best features were her eyes. She had soft, violet eyes that always had a warm glint when looking at Naruto. Funny since she was the strict parent.

Of his two parents, Naruto clearly took after his father more. Not a surprise since Naruto was only quarter Japanese. Most of his hair was a golden blonde inherited from his maternal grandmother, but he had an unusual patch of vibrant red above his right eye. It was cut about eye length, and was always messy and somewhat spiky. His eyes were a clear cerulean blue. Naruto's face was broader and less gaunt than his father's, with a few signs of his Japanese blood in his bone structure. Naruto had inherited slightly tanned skin from his father. Naruto's oddest feature were without a doubt his birthmarks that resembled whiskers. Just little indents in his cheeks that were a slightly darker coloration than the rest of his skin.

Naruto also had his father's large build. Naruto had been rather short and scrawny as a kid, much to his annoyance at the time, but he had shot up once he hit puberty. At sixteen he was already five foot eleven. It was unlikely Naruto would reach his father's six foot five, but Naruto had hope that he would end up two or three inches over six feet. Unfortunately, Naruto had not quite filled out his frame yet. He was by no means without muscle, but not enough to properly fill out his tall and broad shouldered frame. So he was a bit lanky. Probably Naruto's fault, since while certainly not out of shape, he never made a real effort to exercise and get in shape either.

Altogether, Naruto was exactly what most people pictured as a Yankee. Tall, blonde, blue eyed. Even his birthmarks could be mistaken as tattoos. It had caused more than a few problems for Naruto's reputation. He had gotten used to it, but it was still annoying as hell.

Naruto wasn't thinking of his own misbegotten reputation though. He was focused on something else. Naruto eyes widened in horror as he saw his mother sitting in a wheelchair. Before he could freak out, the world turned gray again. His parents also froze, like the 'game' had been paused.

Backstory!

Your family has hit rough times in recent years. Your mother's constantly fragile health took a turn for the worst three years ago. While she was treated, the expensive treatments left your family heavily in debt. The rough living has also prevented your mother from fully healing. She is usually bound to a wheelchair to rest herself, and she is often bedridden if overworked.

Shortly after your mother's illness, your father lost his job. While hardworking, your father's PTSD discouraged employers from hiring him. The loss of a steady income has left your family struggling in poverty.

Succeed at life and improve your home situation!

"You can't just change my life like that! Especially my parents!" Naruto screamed, outraged by this sudden change to his life. This game had just changed things as it wished. It downright hurt his mother by making her sick, and caused his father to lose his job. "Answer me, dammit!"

The game did not answer.

Pissed beyond all belief but lacking anything to take it out on, Naruto could only grit his teeth. It didn't help that the world restarted. He didn't want to make his parents suspicious, even if the game seemingly had some way to prevent people from knowing how wrong everything was. So Naruto just walked over to the table, which was a crappy foldout table, and sat down.

"Good morning, Naruto," Naruto's mother said with a smile.

"Morning, Okaa-san," Naruto returned with a slightly forced grin, still mad. "You too, Otou-san."

"I've already prepared breakfast," Ayumu announced as she slid a plate towards Naruto. Naruto had to hide his disappointment at the size of his serving. It was not much at all. A snack more than a meal. His mother clearly sensed it to some degree though as she added sadly, "I'm sorry. You're a growing boy who needs his food, but this is all we can provide."

"Don't worry about it, Okaa-san," Naruto told her with a reassuring grin. He then started eating, making sure to chew slowly to make the most of the small meal.

He also took the opportunity to think about this entire most recent development in the game. Now that Naruto thought about it, the game hadn't actually changed all that much. His father did have PTSD. His mother had always had health problems as well, ever since she was a child.

That actually connected closely with an interesting story. Naruto's parents had had major difficulty in having children. They had four miscarriages before Naruto. The doctors had even gone so far as to say Ayumu had no chance of being able to carry a child to term. Her health was too fragile. Lacking the money to pay for a surrogate and not an ideal couple for adoption, their dream for kids was looking like it would stay just that. A dream.

Until Naruto came along. His parent's outright admitted they hadn't planned for him, as they had been told she would just miscarriage again. Remarkably, it never happened. The doctors had been absolutely baffled as her pregnancy continued without problem. In fact, both the doctors and his parents claimed that Ayumu's health had never been better than the nine months she had been pregnant with him. Unfortunately, her health had fallen after he was born, but it had been enough for her to last until Naruto was born healthy. That together with the unlikelihood of Naruto's birth had caused Naruto's parents to consider him their 'little miracle child'.

Just remembering it caused Naruto to smile, love for his parents flaring. As the only child they could ever have, they had showered him in affection. Done whatever they could to make him happy.

Damn! Now Naruto had to improve his home life. He loved his parents too much to let them live in such squalor. That meant he had to work…a lot.

Oh well, Naruto needed something to fill out his day. Even he had started becoming bored as a member of the Go Home Club. Improving his home life seemed an admirable way to do just that.

Resolved, Naruto continued eating. As soon as he finished his mother ordered, "Now go put on your uniform and go to school."

"Got it," Naruto replied.

Standing up, Naruto started towards where his room was. Only halfway across the room though, Naruto spotted a small notebook sitting on the counter. For some reason, Naruto knew it was important. So he quickly turned and walked over to it. Opening it, Naruto was interrupted by-

Home Upgrade Catalogue.

As stated before, you can upgrade your home. This object is a critical aspect of doing just that. This catalogue will provide a list of potential upgrades. There are two ways you can upgrade your home.

If you have the money, you can pay a fee for it to be done. Naturally, this method requires money. The highest level of upgrades are also unavailable this way, tending to top out at the level of a typical mansion. The benefits of this method are that you won't need to learn a number of skills, allowing you to focus on other areas.

The second way is to do it yourself. Naturally, this requires both materials and a level of skill in the area(s) the upgrade would require. This method would allow you to save money. This method also allows a number of unique, high level upgrades. Become skilled in stonemasonry, and you will be capable of building your own personal castle. Become a master gardener, and build the most beautiful garden in the city. Learn interior design, and make the inside of your home beautiful and unique. Make your dream palace with your own hands.

Naruto took in the information thoughtfully. Naruto wasn't the most intelligent person, but it all seemed pretty straightforward. The first method was rather straightforward. Money for luxury.

The second was a bit more difficult. It would require time and hard work. Naruto wasn't sure whether the money he saved would be totally worth it considering the time, effort, and materials it would require. The real payout would be at the end, in being able to personalize his own dream palace. Naruto had never resented his family's simple living standards, but naturally he had dreamed of living in the lap of luxury before. While he doubted he'd be able to make his very own flying palace, there were a number of more realistic childhood dreams he might be able to accomplish.

Second option it was. He had plenty of free time anyway. His family clearly lacked money as well, so the first option was out based on that alone.

Decided, Naruto started flipping through the catalogue. 'Basic kitchen', 'basic living room', 'basic bathroom', 'basic bedroom', 'basic master bedroom', 'basic roofing', 'basic hardwood flooring', 'basic carpet flooring', 'basic tile flooring', 'basic furniture set 1', 'basic furniture set 2', and 'basic furniture set 3'…That was all. When Naruto turned the page, the page was blank. Except for a message.

Further upgrades will become available as you upgrade your home.

A second type of upgrade will also become available as the necessary quests or skill are activated. Repairs/Renovations. Repairs involve simply fixing currently broken, or substandard home aspects. Renovations involve personalizing current home aspects. Buying your own furniture, changing wallpaper color or design, etc. Unlike regular upgrades that are completed passively, Repairs/Renovations are active jobs.

Naruto tilted his head as he tried to take all that in. It made sense that he had to buy the basic stuff before the better stuff became available. It would be kind of silly if Naruto could save up to buy a super fancy bathroom while the rest of his house was still a shithole.

The Repairs and Renovations he also understood. What he didn't understand was how it said that regular upgrades are 'passive' while repairs/renovations are 'active'. Naruto had played a few games before, but not to any great degree. So he had no clue what that could mean.

Deciding to think on it later, Naruto looked back at the listing of upgrades. They were simple. There was a picture of what the upgrade would look like, a short summary, a price cost or a list of materials along with a skill set requirement. All of the pictures were also lightly grayed out, clearly showing that Naruto didn't have the requirements for them yet.

Having seen enough, Naruto closed the catalogue and moved to his room. He sighed when the world grayed out as soon as he closed the door behind him.

Tutorial Initiated!

Huh? Tutorial?

A number of features had been left out to give you a time to adjust. Those features shall be unlocked throughout the day. Each with an announcement to explain them. A number shall be unlocked now.

Power Level!

When you focus on a person, you shall be capable of picking up their power level. The scale shall be from 1-100. A person's power level is created from an analysis of their combat skills and capabilities. Skills that do not impact one's combat capabilities are weighed for less.

Power works by a compounding system. The higher the power level, the greater the difference between each level. The difference between 20-30 is far smaller than 70-80.

Note: Power 'Level' is not the same thing as a game where you level up. Leveling up does not give you points or anything of that nature. The reverse actually. Your power level is derived from your skills.

Threat Level!

When you look at a person's power level, you shall also pick up their threat level. Their threat level is shown by the color of the power level. Starting at the bottom, a person's power level will fill up with a color. The color indicates their threat level. The threat level starts at white. A person with a pure white threat level is absolutely no threat to you. Next is yellow. When a person's threat level is pure yellow, they are considered equal to you. Fighting a person like this is a tossup between which of you would win. Next is red. When a person's threat level is pure red, they are considered clearly superior/stronger than you. Fighting a person like this should only be done with either a clever plan or allies by your side. Next is black. When a person's power level is pure black, they are so much stronger than you it isn't even funny. You should only fight a person like this when given no other choice.

Threat level is created by an analysis of their skills and how those skills match up with your own. Much like in rock-paper-scissors, compatibility is important. A person with a power level of 30 could potentially defeat a person with a power level of 40 if their skills and fighting style are a good match for their own. Their threat levels reflect this compatibility. A 30 could be a greater threat to you than a 40 if that person's fighting style is particularly suited to defeating your own.

Naruto read through that all. Instinctively, Naruto knew his power level was 6. He had no threat level, since it was himself.

6? That had to be wrong. Naruto wouldn't say he was the strongest guy around, but he was in the upper ranks from what he had seen. He was big, and had been in more than his fair share of fights due to his looks. The average thug or delinquent was no problem to Naruto. Yet Naruto was a 6 when the scale went from 1-100. The bottom tenth, and it even claimed that the scale was compounding. If Naruto was a 6, what was 100? God? No human could ever get so strong, and Naruto wasn't really religious.

This was just messed up. This wasn't a game where you could just keep leveling up. The human body had limits…right?

Considering his life had suddenly become a video game, Naruto wasn't so sure anymore.

Sighing, Naruto just turned away. Moving to his closet, Naruto opened up the pathetically small closet. Inside were only a few articles of clothing. The most complete one was Naruto uniform. Reaching forward, Naruto grabbed it. He had to hold back a frustrated scream as another message popped up.

Inventory!

The inventory is the gaming aspect that controls your possessions. There are four aspects of your inventory you must know. 1) Limits. 2) Equip. 3) Miscellaneous Items. 4) Quality.

First, your limits shall be discussed. There are two different factors that limit the amount of inventory you can hold. This isn't a game where you have access to an infinite pocket space where you can store everything you want…at least not yet. As long as you are bound by the typical laws of physics, you must be aware of weight and space. Weight is obvious. You are limited by the amount you can physically carry. Carrying more will weigh you down. Increase your weight limit by increasing your physical strength. Space refers to the amount you are capable of carrying on your person. You can't carry 100 things if you don't have enough pockets to put them in. Everything you carry must be somewhere on your person. If you are incapable of holding more, you just can't. If you are carrying a lot, it can also affect your ability to fight or do an activity. So be wary if your hands are occupied carrying something. Things like pockets, bags, and backpacks can be used to increase your space limit.

Certain items can be equipped. These can include weapons, armor, and jewelry. These items will offer benefits. Some will aid you in fights, some will aid you in studying, some will help you when trying to flirt, etc. Gather the best equipment for every situation.

Not all items are things that can be equipped though. There are a number of other types of items that are important as well. Food or other consumable items can be consumed to offer certain benefits. Books can be read to learn skills. Materials can be collected to create or upgrade items and places.

Items have a quality based on the stats they provide. The different levels from lowest to highest are Minimal, Low, Medium, High, and Legendary. Minimal quality confer no benefits while Legendary items are near game breaking when used properly.

Open your inventory and equip your uniform!

Grumbling, Naruto did just that. Mentally calling out 'Inventory' caused a screen to appear before him. On half was dominated by a rotating image of Naruto dressed in his current clothes. Around the image were a number of boxes, each with a line connecting to a part of his body. The other half was dominated by boxes, most of which were grayed out. Above this half was his limits. Naruto's weight limit was a bit below his body weight, and he had almost no space since he was naked besides a pair of sweatpants.

Knowing how this was supposed to go, Naruto mentally removed his sweatpants. The image changed to show Naruto naked now. Sweat dropping at that, Naruto quickly equipped a pair of boxers. He then equipped his uniform.

Kuoh Academy Male Uniform-Full Outfit-Low Quality-A uniform of the prestigious Kuoh Academy High School. Wearing this uniform is an automatic status symbol-Condition: 5/5, Defense: +1, Attractiveness: +5, and +5% reputation gains.

Naruto equipped it, but didn't stop there. He thought the regular uniform was too stuffy. He quickly removed the blazer and bowtie from the uniform. He then placed one of his favored burnt orange, which was an awesome color, wife-beater shirts under the white long sleeved shirt that was part of the uniform. He also replaced the dress shoes with a pair of broken in sneakers. Finished a new message appeared.

Personalized Kuoh Academy Uniform-Full Outfit-Low Quality-A uniform of the prestigious Kuoh Academy. It has been modified to be more comfortable and functional, showing a certain disregard to the rules-Condition: 6/6, Defense: +1, Attractiveness: +8.

So the condition increased by one, which Naruto assumed meant the condition the outfit was in. The outfit would probably tear as condition dropped before finally being destroyed when condition reached zero. Attractiveness also increased by three. It lost the reputation gain though, probably as it made Naruto look less like an upstanding student.

Naruto was fine with that, and closed the inventory. He immediately froze as a weird sensation engulfed his body. His previous clothes faded away slowly to slowly be replaced by his new ones. It took a full thirty seconds before Naruto was once again clothed.

Note: It takes time for the inventory to take effect. It is not instantaneous. Anyone watching at the time would simply perceive you doing it regularly. So don't try and change your clothes in public unless you want to give them a show.

Grunting in annoyance, Naruto just asked, "Can I just change the regular way or do I have to always use the inventory?"

Of course you can change the ordinary way. Using the inventory simply allows you to check the stats of your items.

"At least there is that," Naruto grumbled. Naruto grabbed his school bag, which probably increased his inventory space, before leaving his room.

Naruto quickly examined his parents, reading their power and threat levels. His mother was a 1, and her threat level was pure white. His father was at 14, and his threat level was red with three fourths of it black.

His father's power level once again forced Naruto to consider the power system of the game. His father had been in the Special Forces. While that was years ago, he was still in fantastic shapes. Together with his training, he was a very dangerous individual. A person that 99% of people wouldn't stand a chance against in a fight. According to the threat scale, Naruto stood little to no chance of beating his father. If he was 14, Naruto once again had to wonder how someone could possibly reach 20, much less 50.

Shaking his head to clear it of the thought, he headed towards the door. He called out as he left the house, "Bye, Okaa-san, Otou-san. I'm off to school."

He heard their reply before he closed the door behind him. He rolled his shoulders to try and relieve the stress that had accumulated from his absurd morning. Then, with a sigh, Naruto set off towards school.

Twenty minutes later Naruto heard someone call out, "Naruto!"

Recognizing the voice, Naruto turned and waited. A girl quickly reached him. He quickly nodded before grunting out, "Hey, Itsuko."

Hyoudou Itsuko was a childhood friend of Naruto's. They had met because Naruto's dad had been one of the delivery people for the supply company Itsuko's father worked at. The two had eventually arranged a playdate between the two, mainly because Naruto had been picked on as a child for his looks and had lacked friends. They had become fast friends, and had been joined by another child that had lived next to Itsuko. Shidou Irina. Irina had moved away to Italy for religious reasons years ago, but Naruto and Itsuko had stayed friends throughout the years.

Itsuko was a rather average Japanese schoolgirl…in appearance. She had medium length brown hair that she kept in two pigtails down her back. Her eyes were a light brown. She stood at a decent height of five foot five. She was quite shapely, with above average curves. She was of course wearing the female uniform, although she had discarded the ridiculous cape and the corset, which Naruto swore did nothing besides emphasize a female's breasts.

"Hey Naruto. A bit early today," Itsuko commented as the two started walking together. Suddenly gaining a lecherous grin on her face, she asked him, "Did you come to peak on the kendo club changing after their morning practice as well?"

Sighing, Naruto answered in a depressed voice, "No, Itsuko. I did not."

Naruto had gotten used to such questions and behavior from his best friend. Itsuko might look completely normal, but she was not. Itsuko…was a complete pervert. Shortly after Irina had moved away, she had apparently met a perverted old man at the park. Naruto had immediately called the cops on the man, a perverted old man at a park where impressionable and naïve children play just screamed 'stranger danger', but the damage had been done. Itsuko had become an irredeemable pervert. Nothing Naruto had tried to do could change it. Eventually he had been forced to accept it as an aspect of his friend he would have to deal with.

No matter how maddening it could be! 75% of what came out of Itsuko's mouth was lewd in some way. She didn't even attempt to hide her perverse thoughts. She had loudly proclaimed she was bisexual the first day of high school. Something she later proved by peeking on the numerous females at Kuoh. The worst was her dream, which she also declared loudly and frequently.

Naruto couldn't even think it without shaking his head in exasperation. Itsuko's dream…was to become part of the harem of her ideal harem king. The more females in the harem, the better. As far as she was concerned, being a member of a harem was the best of both worlds. She figured it only natural that the girls would have to 'play amongst themselves' occasionally when the 'harem king' was away or busy with another girl. Then when she was craving some male attention, she would have her ideal man, who would no doubt be an alpha male and great in the sack if he could create and maintain his own harem. Both male and females available all day every day. It would be a dream life to her.

"Aww, come one. When are you going to come peek with me, Naruto?" Itsuko asked in disappointment.

"If I want to see tits, I use a thing called the internet. It's this miraculous creation that has something called porn on it. You might want to try it sometime. Using it has the benefit of, you know, not pissing off the entire female population," Naruto explained sarcastically.

Naruto wasn't going to claim he wasn't a pervert. He was a hormonal teenage male. The love and desire for breasts and asses were practically programmed into them. Naruto was just sensible about it. He wanted a girlfriend, so it was important that he not anger every girl at school by peeking on them. Peeking was just counterproductive in the long run. You might get a flash of a nude girl's profile, but then the girl will hate you. Naruto would rather not peek so he could eventually get a girlfriend he could have sex with. It was quite simple in Naruto's mind. Being able to see and touch definitely beat just being able to see. Not to mention peeping often resulted in males being beat up.

"Ah, Naruto, Naruto, poor, foolish Naruto," Itsuko muttered with a smug smirk while shaking her head in amusement. Clenching her fist and looking up into the sky inspirationally, she declared, "There is no happiness in the world like that of seeing real breasts. The internet is simply nothing compared to that."

"…Sometimes I want to cry when I consider you are my best friend," Naruto deadpanned with his head hung low. He quickly groaned out, "Why do you even peek? You can go in and change with them."

"That's not nearly as entertaining," Itsuko claimed without hesitation.

Naruto just shook his head at the answer and decided not to reply. Better to just leave that alone. He'll just think some more…Man, this game was annoying! Usually he never thought this much.

The walk was long. Kuoh Academy was a long way from Naruto's house. Itsuko's house was between the two. Naruto hadn't even wanted to go to Kuoh. It was actually due to Itsuko that he ended up attending. Itsuko had decided to attend Kuoh due to the high number and quality of females that attended there. She had been forced to study due to the rigorous entrance exam, and had bugged Naruto till he helped her. She even managed to convince him to take the exam alongside her. Naruto honestly hadn't expected to pass. Naruto was by no means a genius. He was actually cursed with dyslexia. He had worked through it as a child with pure stubbornness, but he had gained a general disinterest in most academic subjects in the past few years. Overall, Naruto was the exact opposite of a genius. He must have had a good day though as he barely passed. He had still wanted to attend a school closer to his house, but his parents had been insistent. Kuoh was an extremely high quality school that took in a great deal of foreign students every year. The chance to go was too valuable to be passed up, they claimed.

His parents had even managed to pay the high tuition cost. Kuoh was an expensive school to attend, since it was so high-quality. Naruto had no idea how his family could possibly pay the tuition since the game felt it necessary to axe their lives. Maybe the game decided to just ignore that inconsistency.

And there it was. Kuoh Academy. Kuoh was a very beautiful school. The main school building looked like it was built yesterday. It also had a large gymnasium, a good sized club building, and an assembly hall. Behind the school was a massive amount of space the school owned. There were a multitude of sport's fields there, and a decent sized forest. The entrance to the school was particularly fine. A brick wall surrounded the school besides the main gate. The gate led to the courtyard that had a fancy fountain as the centerpiece.

Yes, Kuoh Academy was a very high class school. One meant for the rich or brilliant. Naruto always felt out of place there. His family wasn't rich or even middle-class, even before this game, and Naruto was a regular guy besides his looks. He hated studying, and thus had below average grades. The only subject he excelled in was English, which both his parents could speak. They had taught him English back when he was a child. He also knew a bit of Swedish, French, and German, although he wasn't as familiar with them as English. He was athletic, but had never gotten involved with any sports. He was also a member of the Go Home Club. Naruto had lived a life where he just…didn't do a whole lot.

Maybe this game was a way to change that.

Naruto's thoughts were ended when he saw two people at the gate. He recognized them. Matsuda and Motohama. They were perverts to Itsuko's level. She had met them back in middle school, and the three had become fast friends. The two were often referred to as the 'Perverted Duo'. Itsuko was apparently spared their level of enmity among the female students due to the fact that she was female as well, although sometimes the three were referred to as the Perverted Trio by their more regular victims.

Naruto was not a fan of Matsuda or Motohama. Naruto could look pass Itsuko's perverse nature since she was his childhood friend, but they had no such history with him. Naruto had no desire to hear the two talk about all their perverse thoughts, which they ensured by holding loud conversations about it in class. They also returned the dislike. Naruto wasn't even sure why. Personally, Naruto just thought they took out their own insecurities on other people, especially males they were jealous of for some reason. Just another reason Naruto didn't like them. Itsuko had attempted to get the three to become friends several times, but had gotten nowhere with it. Eventually she had just accepted that she would only be able to hang out with Naruto or Motohama and Matsuda.

So the sight of them caused Naruto and Itsuko to give each other quick goodbyes. Itsuko was off to peek on the kendo club while Naruto was going to wait in class till school started.

Before he left though, Naruto did a quick scan of the three perverts. Both Itsuko and Motohama were 2's, and Matsuda was a 4. Not a surprise, since Matsuda used to play sports. It was only natural that he be stronger than the inactive Motohama and Itsuko.

With that out of the way, Naruto set off. It didn't take him long to reach his class. It wasn't like he stopped to talk to anyone, mainly lacking friends. He then plopped into his seat to wait. Too bad the game clearly wasn't going to let that happen.

Journal!

The journal is possibly the most important aspect of your game. It holds a vast amount of information regarding the world around you. It contains information on people, places, organizations, and even yourself. It is your go to guide when you need to learn or check something.

Note: The journal is permanently in your inventory, so you do not need to worry about misplacing it. It shall always return to you. It is also incapable of being damaged in any way.

Open your journal!

Shrugging, Naruto reached into his school bag. He just knew it would be in there. He soon grabbed something that sent a tingle up his arm. Pulling it out, Naruto saw that it appeared to be a regular journal. The only thing that told Naruto that it wasn't was that it had 'Uzumaki Chronicles' on the cover in fancy lettering. Naruto opened it.

Codex!

The codex is the information archive of your game. In here is the accumulated knowledge you have gathered on everything from people to places. Everything of import will have an entry in here. Use it to refresh your memory whenever you are in need. The codex will automatically update as new information comes to light.

The codex is not perfect. It is entirely possible, almost certain in fact, that there will be missing pieces of information. It is also possible that information will be outright wrong if you have false intelligence.

Naruto took that all in. It was pretty standard stuff for video games, even he knew that. Not anything truly unexpected.

Looking at the first page, Naruto saw his own codex entry. Not interested in reading his own information, Naruto turned the page to see his parents. The next page showed Itsuko. Naruto decided to check that one.

It had general information like name, age, birthdate, etc. There was a picture of Itsuko as well, in her academy uniform. It also had a summary entry.

Hyoudou Itsuko is the daughter of an ordinary Japanese couple. Her father works at a supply company, and her mother is a stay at home mother. She is an only child.

Itsuko is childhood friends with Maeda Naruto and Shidou Irina. She was a regular child for much of her early years. Unremarkable in almost every way.

Itsuko eventually gained a strong perverse streak though, and it only grew with time. A proud bisexual, she was insistent on attending Kuoh Academy due to the high percentage of females. She studied stubbornly to pass the entrance exams, coincidentally forcing Naruto to do the same.

As a student as Kuoh, Itsuko has below average grades. She also is not a member of any club. She still frequently hangs out with her childhood friend, Naruto. Common peeking partners are Motohama and Matsuda. Often engages in perverted girl talk with Aika Kiriyuu, another perverted friend. Most females in school avoid her. Relatively popular among the males, Itsuko refuses to date any of them though as they couldn't fulfill her standards.

Dream is to find her ideal harem king and end up part of his harem.

Naruto nodded at all the information. Nothing unexpected there. Exactly what he had expected. Underneath that was something else though.

Reputation!

Your interaction with the people around you is an important aspect of your life. How others feel about you is called reputation. Each codex entry has a part dedicated to their opinion of you, when appropriate of course. It is not characterized by numbers, just a short entry as a basic summary of their thoughts on you.

As is always the case, a person's thoughts on you aren't only based on their personal interactions. Things like rumors and hearsay play a major part as well. Get famous enough and people who have never seen or met you will have an opinion on you.

Sometimes when referring to a large group, the reputation tab will be split between several different sub-groups. There will also be outliers in any large group. Even if a group likes you, it is very possible that a few members will have a different opinion.

Note: It is possible for reputation to display knowledge that you don't know. Check it often. It is possible that you might find out someone has a secret crush on you…or hates you.

Reputation appeared to be a small speech bubble. Itsuko's said this-

"My best friend. He's a cool guy, very dependable. Wish he would be more perverted though. I can't consider myself a pervert if my best friend is a prude. Not to mention he's got a bit more dull the past few years."

Once again, not anything Naruto hadn't expected. Maybe that was only natural since Itsuko was his best friend. If he needed a book to tell him about her or their friendship then he didn't deserve to call her his best friend. Except that part about him becoming dull the last few years. He wasn't dull…was he? Something to think about.

Naruto tilted his head slightly as he noticed another tab above Itsuko's picture. It was labeled as 'Media'. Naruto quickly touched it.

Media!

Yet another aspect of the codex. As you interact with people, there are some moments you'll want you'll want to remember forever. That is what the media page is for. The game shall automatically save and catalogue images or scenes of importance.

When the message ended, Naruto was able to look at Itsuko's media page. It seemed to have three parts. Pictures, Videos, and Other. Naruto was currently on the pictures page, so naturally it was filled with pictures of Itsuko. Oddly enough, the pictures could either be from Naruto's point of view or from an outside perspective. The pictures seemed to be based chronologically. The first ones were from when they were kids. Most of them also had Irina in them. Gradually they aged through the pictures, and Irina eventually disappeared from the pictures.

Naruto blinked in confusion as towards the end the pictures started turning more…ecchi. There was a picture of when Itsuko showed him her first bra. Pictures of her in swimsuits when they went to pools, pictures that were clearly focused on either her breasts or ass. Pictures of when Naruto would see Itsuko sleeping in just underwear when he slept over at her place. When Itsuko showed him a number of sexy or slutty Halloween outfits.

Naruto hesitantly selected the video part. The page of the journal immediately started playing a video like it was a TV screen. The video in question caused Naruto to blush. It was the scene of when he accidentally walked in on Itsuko changing. The next video was of when Itsuko showed Naruto a rather daring swimsuit. The scene it played was when her mother refused to allow her to wear it outside, and Itsuko was arguing with her. Itsuko was gesturing wildly as part of her argument and there was a lot of…bouncing. The video even went so far as to zoom in and make it go in slow-motion.

That was it for Naruto. He immediately turned back to Itsuko's regular codex, trying to hold back a blush. While he wouldn't deny that he had thought of Itsuko in such a capacity before, it felt much naughtier due to the book putting the memories into photos and videos. Not to mention he was still in the middle of his classroom.

"Perverted game," Naruto grumbled to himself.

It is useless to resist the pull of the pervert. I tried to fight it as well, but everyone succumbs sooner or later. Might as well embrace it now, kid.

Fucking game!

Deciding to just move on, Naruto flipped to the entry on Kuoh Academy.

Kuoh is an extremely prestigious school. For most of its eighty year life it was a girl's only school. Three years ago, the school turned coed. Females still easily constitute more than 75% of the student body though.

As stated before, Kuoh is a very prestigious school. It has high quality teachers, many foreign students, excellent clubs, and many students that rank highly in academics nationally.

Kuoh has a number of separate branches. There are elementary and middle schools, both of which are still female only, and a university, which is coed.

Faculty-"Unexpectedly polite. Unfortunately he has little drive. He has potential, but makes no effort to make use of it."

Boys-"Yankee. Intimidating. Rumored to fight with a lot of delinquents. Better to just avoid him."

Girls-"Foreign looking, but unexpectedly quiet and polite. Doesn't seem to be a bad guy-but he is childhood friends with that pervert, Itsuko. That must mean he's a beast under that polite persona. He probably seduces a bunch of girls and then ravishes them at his home, turning them into his own sex slaves!

Naruto almost felt a storm cloud form over his head as he read the reputation summaries. Naruto was pleasantly surprised that the faculty thought he had potential, but the boy and girl tabs were like arrows to the heart. The boys clearly looked no further than his appearance. Not unexpected, but still rather hurtful. The girls were even worse. He never thought his reputation was so bad. Apparently being friends with Itsuko had more repercussions than he had thought. Naruto hadn't even had a girlfriend before, so how the hell could he seduce and then train girls as sex slaves? *Sigh* It was true what they said. Teenagers were the cruelest creatures in the world.

Naruto mentally willed the game to give him something else to focus on as a distraction. For once the game decided to actually help.

Skills!

Skills are one of the most crucial aspects of the Uzumaki Chronicles. I personally despise having to deal with too many numbers, so I altered the game to avoid that. This game does not use things like levels, stats, or experience. Your capabilities are entirely derived from your skills.

Open the journal and find your skill page!

Naruto flipped through the journal till he found the aforementioned page. As soon as he found it, a screen popped up. Naruto could soon see why. There were a lot of skills! 99% of them were grayed out. There were only a few that were filled in.

Basic Skill Sets!

Basic skill sets are groups of skills that can fit together. They are grouped together for ease in training these skills in the beginning. Once sufficiently trained you shall have the option to 'expand' that skill set. Doing so will split that skill set into a number of separate skills, thus allowing you to focus on training the individual skills you prefer.

Basic skill sets are marked with a symbol to differentiate them from regular skills.

Choose a skill to examine!

It looked like most of Naruto's current skills were basic skill sets. There were only a few. 'Speech', 'Academics', 'Housewife', 'Handyman', and 'Body'. Naruto quickly focused on the 'Body' one. So skills included physical capabilities as well.

Naruto chose the 'Body' skill set. It expanded, but another message appeared before Naruto could check anything.

Skills (continued)!

Skills can only be improved through training. As stated, there are no 'levels' in this game. So don't expect that you can put skill points into a category. Hark work is necessary to succeed in anything, even if your life is a video game.

Skills are characterized with a 'skill tree'. Enough training shall cause you to advance a level within that skill. While in the beginning the tree shall be straight, eventually the path of the skill tree shall branch off. There are two different types of branching paths. Major and minor.

Major branches are permanent. You must choose between two (or more) branches. The branch you do not choose will be permanently lost. This is meant to allow you to personalize your skills to perfectly fit your preferences. Choose carefully as a mistake is irreversible.

A hypothetical example of a major branch choice could be in a sword skill. The choice could be to choose between whether to focus on using a smaller sword with fast strikes or a larger sword with strong strikes. A crucial decision that determines the entire way you would fight with a sword.

Minor branches are less significant. You do not need to choose between minor branches. They shall always be available. Minor branches are always smaller than major branches though, and thus have less impact. They still have an impact though. Choose a path and ignore the others, come back to train the others when you have time, or take your time and fulfill every path before continuing. It is your choice.

Another essential piece of knowledge concerning skills are 'perks'. Perks are personal aspects of yourself that can influence your skills. They can be achieved by your blood, training, achievements, etc. Keep track of your perks to find out your natural affinities.

Naruto took it all in before he closed the message. He then refocused back on the skill screen. It had a summary on the skill, but 'Body' was pretty self-explanatory. So he instead focused on the skill tree. The 'levels' were characterized by boxes with small images in them. The boxes were connected by lines which showed the way of progression. Two were filled in, but the rest were gray. Naruto could only see a few levels above him before it was blank. It appeared he couldn't look too far ahead. He couldn't even see the first branch. It was a straight progression.

Disconnected from the skill tree were two colored box. Assuming these were perks, Naruto focused on them. He first clicked on one that had a larger person standing next to a smaller person.

Large

You are gifted with a large size. 25% increased strength and durability.

Rather basic. Naruto turned to the other perk. The box contained a spiral shape inside.

Uzumaki Body

Descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, the Uzumaki are blessed with remarkable physical capabilities. 100% increase in stamina, 50% increase in durability, and 25% increase to all other physical capabilities. Minor healing factor gained.

Damn! That was an amazing perk, but it raised a bunch of questions. Why did Naruto have the body of an Uzumaki? Naruto had never heard of this Sage of Six Paths that the Uzumaki were descended from. Naruto's family name was Maeda. It didn't pass Naruto by that the game was also called the 'Uzumaki Chronicles?' Why was the name Uzumaki repeatedly coming up?

Quest!

Quests are yet another vital component of the Uzumaki Chronicles. Fulfilling quests is how you advance in life. Doing quests results in all manner of rewards. While this game does not function on a level and experience system, there are other rewards available. Quests can give you information, reputation, items, weapons, materials, money, etc.

Do not worry about being able to make your own decisions. The quests are not fixed. While there is a general objective you must try to complete and I shall provide you with hints, it is completely up to you how to proceed. While some quests, like delivering a package, are so simple there is little choice, others shall be extremely open-ended.

Quests are ranked by difficulty, length, etc. From lowest to highest they go D, C, B, A, and S. The higher the quest rank, the greater the reward.

Uzumaki Connection?-There are clear indications that that you share some connection with the name Uzumaki. Learn just what the connection is. A-Rank.

Power up!-You suck. You must become stronger if you wish to advance in the game. Gain a power level of 10. C-Rank.

Naruto read the announcements silently. He had been expecting quests to pop up eventually. Quests are like…the most basic aspects of games. The Uzumaki Connection? quest seemed to have too little information for him to work with. He'll have to wait for some new piece of information to pop up. The Power Up! quest seemed pretty straightforward though. One of the typical beginning game quests. It was also a simple goal for Naruto to aim towards.

Naruto looked up as a stream of people entered the room. Class was going to start soon. Better finish up.

Naruto went back to the skill page to quickly look over them all. Seemed Naruto's 'Body' was the most developed, with two colored boxes. Neither 'Handyman' nor 'Housewife' had any colored boxes, showing Naruto had no skill in either area. Both 'Speech' and 'Academics' had one colored box. Academics also had one perk.

Experienced Dyslexic

You were cursed with dyslexia, but you have learned to manage it. 25% decrease in learning speed from all written material.

Clearly not a good perk. He should have expected it though. He was dyslexic. It could also be worse. It was probably a 50% decrease originally, but had lowered to a 25% decrease since he had grown used to it.

Naruto closed that tab. He then looked towards the single regular skill he currently had. 'Brawler'. He opened it mentally.

Brawler

A combat skill. Brawler is a type of fighting style that emphasized on-the-spot improvisation and physical dominance over technical acumen.

Naruto had two colored boxes in it, actually making it tied with 'Body'. Naruto wasn't surprised. He did frequently get into fights with thugs as his looks attracted them like flies.

Finally Naruto ran out of time as the teacher walked into the classroom, calling for attention. Naruto reluctantly put away the journal. Looked like he was done for now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For once, Naruto didn't leave the campus as soon as school ended. He had spent much of the day thinking on what to do concerning the changes in his life. Eventually he had decided he had no choice but to play the game.

And his first focus had been the Power Up! quest. It was the simplest goal for him at this point. Get strong to do…whatever the point of this game was.

Naruto wasn't totally sure how to get strong though. This wasn't a game where there are monsters roaming around he can fight. Or at least, he didn't believe there were any. Maybe some giant rats had popped up over the city? Eventually Naruto had just decided to focus on the one skill he knew how to train. 'Body'. Exercise was the simplest answer.

So Naruto had started towards the sports fields as soon as school ended. Kuoh had many sports clubs, and thus had an area where those clubs could practice. It would more than suffice for his purpose.

Naruto actually beat most of the club members there. Probably because he didn't change his clothing. The coaches were thankfully already there though. Naruto quickly examined each one, trying to decide which one to talk to. He was here to workout, not join a club. Finally Naruto zeroed in on the track & field coach.

"Miyamoto-sensei," Naruto called out as he approached her.

The coach looked over at Naruto with a raised eyebrow. Miyamoto-sensei was a middle-aged woman with brown hair and eyes. She was currently wearing a black tracksuit. She taught biology along with being the coach of the track & field club.

"You are…Maeda-san?" the coach asked slowly, clearly confused by his presence. Naruto just nodded at the question, so she asked, "Is there something I can do for you?"

Naruto quickly told her in a polite tone, "Yes. I have been planning to start an exercise program to get into shape. Am I allowed to use the sports fields even though I am not a member of a club?"

"Yes, you can. These fields are for the students," Miyamoto answered immediately. She then added sternly, "Although if you disrupt club activities or are not actually exercising, complaints can be filed. You'd then likely end up barred from the sports fields."

Naruto lifted his hand in a calming gesture as he claimed sincerely, "Don't worry. I have no intention to do anything but exercise. If I am inadvertently getting in the way, just tell me and I'll try to move away."

"Thank you," Miyamoto replied with a stiff nod.

Naruto just smiled and turned away to look at the field. What should he start with? Naruto's mind actually came up nothing. It had been a long time since he had seriously exercised. He had been an active kid, but that was mainly accomplished through sports. Not just regular exercise.

Naruto turned back to the coach and asked while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry, but do you have any advice? I haven't really exercised in a while and don't know where to start."

The coach looked at him with a raised eyebrow before letting out a sigh with a small smile. She then explained to him, "Start training your stamina first. Too many people go so hard the first few days that they burn themselves out. Slow and steady wins the race. If you train up your stamina first, you'll be building a solid base to build from. The higher your stamina, the longer you'll be able to do higher-intensity workouts later. I'd recommend doing long-distance running for now…and calisthenics. Calisthenics are great for anyone wanting to get into shape. I lead my club in some. Watch to get a sense of what sort of workout you should follow. Then adjust it for your personal fitness level. Doing calisthenics in the morning is a good way to get your blood flowing throughout the day."

Speech check passed!

Bonus: 10% increase to benefit from stamina training for 7 days.

That caused Naruto to raise an eyebrow, both at the speech check thing and the bonus. He didn't focus on it though, instead turning to the coach and responding in a grateful tone, "Thanks. I'll take your advice."

"Have a good workout," she told him with a nod.

With that Naruto turned and walked away. As he walked he mentally called out for the skill menu. Naruto was grateful when it popped up. He really hadn't wanted to pull out the journal whenever he wanted to check something about his skills. Focusing back on the screen, Naruto picked the 'Speech' skill set.

Speech

Speech is a skill set related to interacting with other people. Speech allows you to gain information, increase your reputation, gain assistance, etc.

Not anything unexpected, although clearly it was a more useful skill than Naruto had first imagined. He could actually gain stuff from Speech. Apparently gaining her advice to work on stamina was enough to get a bonus when training stamina for a week. 10% wasn't a huge amount, but it was still enough to make a difference.

Closing the screen, Naruto moved to a tree. He then slipped off the white shirt he was wearing, leaving him in his orange undershirt. He didn't have an actual workout outfit prepared, but he could at least spare part of the uniform from his sweat.

With that Naruto started running the track circle. He'd follow the coach's advice and do long-distance running.

It only took a few minutes for the rest of the club's to finally start arriving. Naruto picked up how many of the track club's members were confused and rather uncomfortable by his presence once they saw him. He even saw a few move to talk to the coach. Based on their expressions, they weren't happy that he was using their fields. The coach seemed to defend him though, as the group started to dissipate. They still didn't look happy though.

Naruto could only sigh in depression at how unpopular he apparently was. Oh well. He would just have to get used to it.

Naruto did his best to ignore the club members. If he didn't acknowledge them then hopefully they wouldn't acknowledge him. They clearly didn't want him here, so disinterest was probably the best he could get.

The only time he looked to them was when the coach started leading them through warmups. First they did stretches. Naruto reminded himself that he should start doing the same before and after he exercises. He then took observed carefully when they started doing calisthenics, noting the exercises, how long they did them, how many repetitions they did, etc.

He was absolutely not watching the bodies of the girls as they did these things, and he would stand by that to the death.

---

Two hours later a fatigued Naruto walked through town at a ponderous pace. Maybe he had pushed himself a bit too much during the training. Naruto had spent a full two hours running. The beginning had been surprisingly easy. Naruto had always had good stamina, which he now realized was because of his Uzumaki Body perk, but he had never made a real point of testing it before today. Around forty-five minutes in Naruto had started to get tired, but he had forced himself to keep going. He wanted to truly find his limit.

Now he was regretting that. Naruto could fully understand what the coach had been talking about when referring to people burning themselves out by working too hard. Naruto hadn't even been doing any muscle work and he still felt weak. His entire body felt drained, his chest hurt, and his legs had felt like rubber. His legs had quickly regained some of their sturdiness, but Naruto knew only a night's rest would cure his fatigue. No health potions for him.

Naruto had also resolved to find himself a proper workout outfit. The school outfit was not suited for such things, even Naruto's modified version. The trousers were too restrictive, and it didn't breathe well. Loose t-shirt and shorts would be better. He'd have to remember to put a pair in his bag tomorrow.

"Hey you, Yankee. We don't like having your kind around here," a thuggish voice yelled out.

Fighting!

Fighting is an important part of this game, but there are different levels of fights. The number of opponents and allies, the seriousness of the participants, the degree of consequences or rewards, etc. There are many different levels.

The lowest level available is a 'Brawl'. Brawls are usually fights between fighters with little seriousness. People rarely get injured in any meaningful way, and there are little to no rewards.

The next level is a 'Skirmish'. Skirmishes can vary greatly in difficulty and seriousness, but they always involve multiple people and a degree of seriousness. This isn't playing around. The losing side, and often the winning side, come out with several moderate injuries.

The next level is a 'Battle'. A battle is basically a full fight between two teams. It usually encompasses multiple different skirmishes between the two teams until one team retreats or is defeated. These are serious fights, with death or other serious consequences resulting.

The final, and highest, level is a 'War'. The name is pretty self-explanatory. A war consists of a series of battles between two or more factions. Death is common is a war, and the results of the battles, and the overall war, can have major effects.

There are several other options, although they are rarer or less serious. There are spars, which have no seriousness or consequences. There are also ambushes, which are basically skirmishes where one side got the jump on the other to gain significant advantages. Mainly variations of the main ones explained above.

Skirmish! Naruto vs. Thugs!

The world froze, allowing Naruto to read the entire explanation, but then unfroze to force Naruto to face these 'Thugs'.

That really was the only way to describe them. The stereotypical thugs with nothing unique about them to make them unique. Naruto had to wonder if this was the influence of the game. These had to be the standard, starting opponents every game had. The ones you defeat hundreds of at the beginning of games. That was the only explanation for how unremarkable they were.

Only one of them stood out in the slightest. He was still a typical thug, but there was an awareness in his eyes that the others lacked. He also had a pipe clenched in his hands.

The main dude had a power level of 5, and his threat level was three-quarters filled with yellow. So a bit weaker than Naruto. He had four 'standard grunts', at his side. They all had power levels of 4, and were only one-third filled with yellow. Replaceable minions if Naruto ever saw some.

Naruto just gave a sigh at the sight. He was used to this, but this game only made this even more of a chore. If this was like games Naruto had played then he'd end up repeating this fight multiple times in the future. What was it called? Grinding?

Naruto just turned and started walking into an alley. He then called back to the thugs, "Well? Aren't you coming? I've got a place I use when I need to deal with your kind."

The thugs growled at his words, but followed. The place was thankfully only a minute away. Naruto doubted the thugs could have controlled themselves if it took any longer. The place was the yard of an apartment building that had fallen into disuse. The high fence surrounding it besides the gate also lowered the likelihood of the fight being witnessed.

Naruto turned back towards the thugs and got into a rough fighting stance. One of the thugs stepped forward and started taunting, "Finally done running, Yank-"

He was cut off by Naruto's fist crashing into his jaw. Caught off guard, the thug easily went down. Naruto had punching power in spades.

"Bastard!"

Naruto's reply came as he ran at the next closest thug, "Street fights don't have rules."

The thug backed up to avoid Naruto's punch and then attempted a counter. Tilting his head to dodge, Naruto then twisted his body to kick at the outside of his knee. The impact caused the thug to fall to the ground. Naruto lashed out with another kick to his head, dropping him completely.

The two remaining 'regular' thugs were now on Naruto, working in rough coordination in an attempt to overwhelm him. Naruto was forced to backup while blocking their punches by raising his arms to cover his head. Naruto was completely caught off guard when something connected with the back of his head. The impact was far worse than a punch. It was only his durability that prevented Naruto from going down, but he was still suffering from double vision.

Naruto managed to look over his shoulder to see the thug leader. He had forgotten about him! He had moved behind Naruto when he was distracted and smacked him with the pipe he was wielding.

The thug leader took advantage of Naruto's weakness and kicked Naruto in the side towards his two underlings. Naruto stumbled from the lingering dizziness from the headshot. That stumble was all the two thugs needed. They were quickly on Naruto, hitting him wherever they could while simultaneously trying to wrestle him to the ground. Lucky for Naruto, they weren't very good at either. Naruto ignored the pain from their body shots and started fighting back, flailing around while overpowering their attempts to force him down to the ground. A lucky elbow connected with one of the thug's foreheads, causing him to stumble back with a new cut. Naruto immediately turned to the remaining one and tackled him around the waist. Wrapping his arms around his legs, Naruto actually picked the guy up while forcing himself into a run. Naruto soon reached the wooden fence and proceeded to slam the thug's back into it. Several of the wood planks broke from the impact, and the thug started coughing from how his breath was knocked out of him. Pulling back, Naruto unleashed three uppercuts in rapid succession. The first hit his jaw to stun him, the second hit his stomach to once again force out any breath he had gained, and the final hit the jaw to knock the guy out.

Naruto turned around to try and prepare for the remaining two, but wasn't fast enough. All Naruto could do was lift his arm to block the pipe of the thug leader, and Naruto immediately regretted it. Holy fuck, did blocking a pipe with your arm hurt! Naruto quickly grabbed onto the guy's wrist to try and prevent another strike from the pipe, but Naruto inadvertently left his midsection open. The remaining thug tackled Naruto at the waist. Naruto wasn't able to resist and tumbled to the ground. Naruto was immediately beset by his two assailants. Naruto did his best to cover himself from his position, but was only partly successful. The thug leader was repeatedly slamming the pipe into Naruto ribs, and the regular thug was trying to stomp on Naruto's head.

"God damn fuckers!" Naruto grunted out as he covered his head with his arms, unfortunately leaving his ribs open to the assault by the thug leader. Naruto's position simply didn't allow him to counter in anyway. With no option but to endure the beating, Naruto grit his teeth. Suddenly feeling a surge of strength, Naruto acted. He lifted his arms away from his head. Naruto immediately caught a boot to the head, opening a cut near his hairline, but he felt no pain from the strike. Using the opportunity, Naruto was also able to catch the offending foot in his hands. One hand grasped the toes while the other gripped the heel. Naruto gave a savage twist as he yelled out, "Have fun walking with a limp, asshole!"

The thug immediately screamed in pain as his ankle was broken. He fell onto his butt, and Naruto immediately jumped on him. Feeling oddly sadistic after his beating, Naruto's first strike was to the guy's crotch. Naruto then threw a quick flurry of punches to the helpless guy's face, thoroughly finishing him.

Naruto then saw the shadow of the thug leader. Spinning around, Naruto was once again subjected to a series of pipe strikes. Naruto didn't feel it this time though. The pain was totally ignored. The thug leader tried to use his superior position to force the kneeling Naruto onto his back, but Naruto's surge of strength put a halt to that. Completely defying his lack of leverage, Naruto overpowered his opponent. Lifting the man into the air from his knees, Naruto then proceeded to stand up while still holding the guy. Now in complete control over his helpless opponent, Naruto jumped and slammed the guy into the ground with all Naruto's weight behind it. Naruto heard several distinctive cracks from the thug leader's ribs, but ignored that. Naruto quickly moved and mounted the guy's torso, causing him to scream as Naruto sat on his injured ribs. Naruto then let loose. Unloading all his anger and adrenaline, Naruto started slamming his fists into the man's face. The thug leader went limp after the third punch, but Naruto didn't stop. He couldn't stop. Naruto heard the crunch and crack of bones breaking, and Naruto's knuckles were soon covered in blood.

Eventually Naruto's vision cleared from the red tint that had been covering it. Stopping his assault, Naruto took several deep breaths to calm his racing heart. The adrenaline that had been pumping through his system quickly followed. Naruto then looked at his victim.

Naruto grimaced at the sight. He was alive, Naruto hadn't been that out of it, but he was a mess. The guy's nose was broken, his jaw looked to be the same, and several teeth had been knocked out. His face was also bloody, with his nose and mouth bleeding along with several cuts Naruto had inflicted. Naruto didn't hold back when he dealt with thugs, but this was a step beyond what he usually inflicted.

Naruto immediately stood up and stepped away from the brutally beaten foe. Naruto lifted his hands to look at the blood on them. He would need to clean them off before going home.

But first…Naruto quickly cleaned out the pockets of the thugs he had been fighting. Naruto typically took the money of his defeated foes as extra punishment to them, and he certainly wasn't going to change that with his family's new financial situation. The thugs naturally didn't have a lot, but it was enough to give Naruto some pocket money. Naruto also found two pocket knives. He was going to throw them in a nearby trash, but eventually pocketed them with a shrug. Probably better safe than sorry when playing a video game. Naruto would rather have a weapon of some kind if a monster randomly showed up.

Naruto left the thug leader alone though. He'd done enough to that guy.

With that done, Naruto left the little yard before any of the thugs could wake up. Naruto quickly chose a nearby public restroom to wash up in. Naruto started jogging, wanting to clean up before anyone saw him. Naruto had enough rumors about him without people seeing his face and hands covered in blood.

Reaching the bathroom, Naruto immediately washed the blood off his hands. He hissed slightly as he rubbed his knuckles. It appeared he had lost some of the skin there. Naruto then looked into the mirror. There was a trail of blood running down his face from the cut at his hairline. Naruto quickly washed that up, and did his best to clean the cut. He then touched a hand to the back of his head, where he had been hit with the pipe. A flare of pain caused him to wince, but his hand came away clean. So no cut there.

His face and hands cleaned up, Naruto looked down at his clothes. They were rather messy. There was dirt on parts, and a few splatters of blood were present too. One of the sleeves was also slightly torn. It wasn't going to fall apart any second, but it was still noticeable.

Personalized Kuoh Academy Uniform-Full Outfit-Low Quality-A uniform of the prestigious Kuoh Academy. It has been modified to be more comfortable and functional, showing a certain disregard to the rules-Condition: 4/6, Defense: +1, Attractiveness: +8.

The quick check of the game systems showed the condition of the outfit had fallen by two. He'd need to fix it before school tomorrow. A wash would deal with the blood and dirt, but Naruto wasn't sure what to do about the tear. He'd have to figure it out.

At least somewhat cleaned up, Naruto looked at his reflection in the mirror seriously. He was wondering about the end of that fight. He hadn't ever experienced something like that before. He'd felt stronger than ever before and he'd been able to ignore any pain, but his behavior at the end was slightly worrying. Naruto usually wasn't so…brutal. Naruto had actually gained a sadistic joy from beating the guy.

The game decided to interject-

Berserker Mode

A combat skill. A combination of adrenaline, anger, and force of will allows you to surpass your normal limits. This skill increases strength, speed, and reflexes. You also lose a sense of pain, raising your durability at the cost of your sense of self-preservation. This skill also causes a loss of control, with anger influencing you heavily. A very stamina intensive skill.

Well that explained it. An apt name since it had caused Naruto to go berserk on that guy. A useful skill, although Naruto was slightly hesitant about it. Probably not something to use recklessly. Naruto could feel multiple bruises forming from the strikes he had ignored at the time. As the description said, Naruto lost his sense of self-preservation when in Berserk Mode. Fighting like that was just asking to be injured.

Naruto really hoped the bruises and cut would heal overnight. He did have a minor healing factor after all. Hopefully it would be enough. Naruto wasn't looking forward to going about an entire day aching head to toe.

On a hunch Naruto also pulled up his Brawler skill. True to his belief, he had gained a level. He now had three colored boxes in it.

A pretty good improvement for one fight. A level in Brawler and gaining the powerful, if volatile, Berserker Mode. That was the most people he had ever fought at once. Five people. Usually it was two or three…Probably why Naruto was losing before he used Berserker Mode.

With the matter somewhat settled, Naruto left the bathroom and started home. He quickly diverted to a convenience store though and bought a cheap bento. While not tasty, or fresh, Naruto didn't care. His breakfast had been pathetically small, and he hadn't even had a lunch. Since the thugs had so graciously donated some pocket change, Naruto felt it only appropriate that he get something to fill his stomach.

He was a growing boy after all.

Naruto was finished by the time he got home. Still rather depressed at the sight of his rundown home, not to mention weirded out by the entire empty block their house now inhabited, Naruto walked up to his home. He entered as he called out, "I'm home."

"Welcome home, sweetie," his mother called back from the counter where she was preparing food. She was standing up, although her wheelchair was right there if she needed it. Looking at him, she immediately frowned and asked, "Have you been fighting? You're late, and your clothes are messed up."

"I was actually exercising at the school field after school," Naruto informed her as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Her eyes immediately focused in on the blood spatters on his clothes. Naruto reluctantly continued, "I did have a fight on the way back, but they started it."

"'But they started it.' That's the excuse of a child, Naruto," she told him in a stern voice.

"But it's true," Naruto grumbled out in a whiny voice.

"…Did you win?" Naruto father asked from where he was sitting at the table going over the want ads.

"Yep, and there were five this time. One of them even had a pipe."

"That's my boy."

"Arthur!" Naruto's mother immediately exclaimed in a scolding tone. "Don't encourage him."

He just shrugged in response before replying casually, "I'm not saying I approve of Naruto fighting, but if they did start it then at least Naruto won. Better to have to clean a pair of clothes than take him to the hospital."

"I don't care. Even if he wins this time, what about next time? Eventually Naruto will not win, and I don't look forward to that day. Better to just stop now before that happens," she pointed out severely. She then focused in on Naruto as she continued, "And I really doubt you discourage them all that much, Naruto. With all the energy you spend fighting, you could actually do something constructive."

"Well I was exercising after school," Naruto told her. "I'm hoping to get into shape. Planning on doing some other stuff to fill my day."

"Oh…Well, that's good," his mother said, slightly surprised by Naruto's statement.

"If you really do need something to help fill your day, I might be able to help," Naruto's father announced suddenly. Finally putting down the newspaper he had been reading, he looked at Naruto as he continued, "I've been saving up some odds and ends that can be used to help fix this place up a bit. Want to help?"

Naruto blinked in surprise at that, but couldn't see a downside. Something to do, and even make this dump a tad bit more livable? Sounded like a deal. Not to mention Naruto would be able to spend some time with his father. Naruto really did love his family.

So Naruto gave an eager nod and stated with a smile, "I'd be happy to."

"Good," his father replied with a smaller smile of his own. He then looked back at the paper as he added, "Do whatever you want after school. When you get back we'll start working."

Become a Handyman-Your house needs some repairs. Learn from your father how to become a handyman. C-Rank.

Nodding at the quest, Naruto refocused on the present. Naruto made small talk with his dad while his mother finished up dinner. They then ate. The portions were still pathetically small, but it was offset somewhat by the talk they engaged in as a family.

After it was done Naruto headed to his room. There was still several hours until Naruto could go to sleep, so Naruto was left with little choice. He sat on his ratty mattress before pulling his bag over. He then reluctantly pulled out his school books. With a pained grimace Naruto opened that and started studying. Academics was a skill after all. Needed to train it, as much as Naruto hated studying.

---

Well, there it is. It is more of a prologue than anything, but it was necessary. Tell me what you think. As I stated at the beginning, I am open to both suggestions and will try to fix any problems you readers might spot.

OC Naruto: In case any of you complain about this. Naruto is rather OC currently, but he will start to become more like canon Naruto. It will just take some time. So if you think the current Naruto is boring or bland, I'm working on it. Over time Naruto shall change, and you'll also eventually learn about the connection between Maeda Naruto and Uzumaki Naruto. I will however state that this Naruto's parents are indeed his birth parents. He wasn't adopted. There are several hints as to the relationship, so some of you might guess it before I unveil it.

Naruto's Powers: I'm sure lot of you will be asking about this, so I'll just make it clear now. One, this Naruto won't be a complete copy of canon Naruto. He'll certainly gain similar abilities eventually, but don't be shocked if this Naruto learns different moves or methods of fighting. Two, Naruto will not be god-like. This Naruto will struggle, just like his canon self. So expect him to lose occasionally. Three, the game will have limits. Most of the time it will barely change anything. Other times it will change everything. It will vary.

Female Issei: Yes, I did it. I was hesitant about it when I first did it, but have rather grown fond of Itsuko since. Decided to just change the character to suit what Naruto needed in my story. Itsuko will certainly be filling a different role in my story than Issei in canon.