Chapter 2

"It doesn't matter how sick you are, you're going to school! I can't take care of you all day, and I don't want you in the house all the time! Even if I'm not here today! Now get going!"

"...Yes, mother."

"Oh! I will be back late, so leave out something when you finish cooking dinner."

"..okay."

Amaya is crazy...

No, not insane. Just stupid crazy…

But I love her. No matter how annoying she is…

"Onee-chan! Get! Me! Down!"

"Hahaha! No~ Way~ You got up there yourself!" She sang out.

"You were the one that told me I needed to do this! I can't reach the next branch, either…"

"I didn't think you actually would! Hehe, or maybe I did?" She seems too happy..

"We have dye!"

"Nuh uh! I used it a few days ago!"

"Uh? We have paint!"

"Onii-san used it."

"I have ink!"

"...You wouldn't, you're not mean enough."

I pouted at that! She's right... "I know how to make itching powder!"

That seemed to get her attention. It was one of the few pranks she actually feared. And it had only been pulled on her once. That was enough of a threat. Usually… "You'd be washing my clothes…"

Crap! I'd have to get it all out too. Mama would kill me otherwise!

"Then I'll spend all day thinking up a worse prank than when I made your hair all poofy for a week!" I couldn't help inwardly snickering at her horrified face.

She glared at me... Not enough, huh?

Finally, I just smiled, "...I'll tell kaa-san," my voice quiet and devious, "what you did with her-"

"Okay! I'll help! Just don't tell!" Her panicked voice instantly broke through, her violet eyes panicked, terrified of my horrible knowledge. So glad she sees things my way.

A few seconds later had me down on the ground. I thanked her with a kiss on the cheek, making her blush! It was kind of cute. But this was more of a mischievous punishment. Her glare over reddened cheeks showed it worked - or maybe it's just from my threat. Hehe.

She walked back a meter and started 'serious mode'. Basically, she just tries to look like an adult.. "Okay, now get into your starting stance. We're going to run through the basics again. Just like you've seen me doing all last year. I know you were trying to follow my movements, and some of them were pretty good, but now I'll be here to correct your mistakes."

"..hai Onee-chan."

"But kaa-san~, I know these already!"

"Hnn~? I know that, but we're doing it anyways." She obviously doesn't believe me... Well, kids are typically know-it-all's. I can't blame her. But I do know it!

Pouting, I follow through the motions. Just because she's teaching me sealing basics doesn't mean I can just start using seals. No, I need good handwriting. But I can start trying to make seals as I practice! That's basically what we're doing now. Before I was just repeating the same kanji over and over…

The only real difference now is that she's teaching me 'the first step'. To learn Fuuinjutsu, we have to understand the basics. Each step as a basic set of rules, and to move on to the next requires a decent understanding of the previous. More understanding of each level grants a person more direction in later levels.

Unfortunately, there are many base formations… It could all start from a mere symbol, like a tomoe. Or it could be a circle of kanji. Maybe several lines of kanji leading out from an empty center. Arrows could be used as a designation. There's symbols that can be placed, are are often used, all about a circle.

All of this I picked up by watching mito. However, kaa-san has me starting with squares…

And I only just realized why I was doing repetitious work, besides it being decent practice.

Thankfully, she left out a tiny piece on purpose on making these small seals. Why?

She has me making explosive tags for the men!

Breath in~ Breath out~ Relax your muscles~ Breathe~ Feel the energy around…

Staying absolutely still as a child is insane! How the hell he learned this crap in a week - or was it a month? - I'll never freaking know! All that bottled up energy from being a child is practically impossible to contain! And I'm an Uzumaki! A true blood U-zu-ma-ki! We are known for having massive chakra reserves and stamina! Actually, that's the Senju, but we're cousin clans! The main houses of both clans practically radiate with the other's blood!

Over four years! It took me not twice, not triple, or even quadruple the time it took him! Even if he did cheat! It took me two hundred times longer! Even if I did it naturally, having to figure out tiny tidbits on my own, being held back by not knowing certain things about my own chakra, it still took far too long!

And yet, it still takes me forever to just feel it! Hagoromo's older son was a genius? So was his younger! He may be slow, but to be able to learn so quickly is just nuts! Maybe I'm a little biased… I did have to feel out almost all of my inner network, and manipulate it easily enough, before I could even feel the energy in the air. But I'm not even sure if that was needed for it!

But feeling this power.. is incredible. It's like feeling the world itself! The wind, the water, the earth, life, everything… It's all there. The pureness of it is just heavenly. Like eating fruit, it's sweet, pure, and you want more of it, and can almost never get enough!

What isn't said is that trace amounts of this addicting - in the sense of loving it - energy is always flowing throughout your body, just like everything else! We're already absorbing it naturally, just in the smallest amounts possible, since our own energy - or field? - is deflecting most of it away. It was through this that I finally connected. That's how we are supposed to find it…

The best part of this energy is that I can sense everything. From playing with my mana I've been able to expand my inner senses. By attempting to feel natural energy, I've managed to expand my exterior senses. Well, it's more like refining them… Everyone feels the same, it's just how we interpret it! I could go so far as to feel the colors of people. I'm not quite at Karen's level, and my range is drastically shorter, but feeling color instead of 'a person' means everything.

With natural energy, I don't just feel the color. I feel their colors. I feel their affinities, reserves, and chakra usage! I feel what they're doing inside, how they're moving, and what they might do! It's incredible! And my range doubles in sensing!

Working on nothing but mental exercises for four years, in the most progressive stages of brain development, has been paying off tremendously! I can tell my senses, my body, is far from developed. But working my mind as I go about my day, memorizing all I can, solving mind puzzles without physically writing them down, working out the meanings of kanji in books, and all while I constantly feel, manipulate, and expand my inner chakra, has probably achieved more by starting early than I probably would have in a decade or more!

Feeling the slip on my senses, I let the pure essence disappear into the void. It's not like I can constantly stay still, and even then I can't always grasp it. Moving on into my next exercise for the night, I start taking control of the chakra in my hand and arm, then the other limb as well.

I have a theory. People grow affinities dependent on their environment and personality. However, children are kept from knowing how to use elemental affinities until they have enough chakra to use them properly and safely. I can agree with this.

However, learning to transform this energy, and overusing chakra are completely different matters entirely! As with everything else, early development is important! When a child is younger, they are more susceptible to change, more adaptable, malleable. Their bodies conform to the needs of their environment and usage. Age should be taken advantage of, if and when possible!

Separating the chakra in each arm into four separate parts, I start focusing on the changes.

First, vibrate my left hand… Second, sway the arm… Third, heat my hand… Fourth, crumble my arm. Last, grind my torso… Maintain the balance… Let the energy in each arm merge…

Feeling the energies overlap, I can't help but feel sad that they just dissipate into one another. Well, that's not quite correct. They do merge, but it's into something else that just doesn't feel right, but that new something simply dissipates back into my normal chakra flow. It's like they're missing something when I try merging them!

My theory is two part. First is that affinities can not only be developed over time, but also formed early on. If the body is a blank slate, then undergoes manipulation of each element at different places on the body each day, then it would naturally lean into all elements, rather than just one or two, or even none.

Second is that advanced elemental manipulation isn't preordained by mere blood. More specifically, everyone should be capable with the right ratio combination, or something, and not requiring kekkei-genkai, even if it gives instinct in usage. One of these days, I'll merge an element by accident… I hope...

Breaking out of my thoughts, I snuggle closer to the warmth in my bed. Having finished my stillness exercise, I have no problems moving, even if I'm training my inner chakra manipulation and control. The girl hugging me in her arms is far more important than that, though! I love her too much…

"Now follow my movements."
"Hai!"

"...Raise your arm a little more.. more.. good!"

Following my mother's directions, I flow my arm up in a circular motion. But no matter how 'perfect' I copy her form, it's just incomparable to hers! She's sleek, graceful, flowing, and just overall beautiful in every movement!

Being a child is terrible… even if it is fun! Since I came into this world, I've been working and practicing constantly. But, the thing is, it's always been fun! I've enjoyed my time here. I've enjoyed my family. I've had a real life here, far more than I had before! Every day is better than any single day I've ever had before being reborn! As sad as that is…

"A woman should always move with as much grace as possible. Now, let's again my little love."

"Hai kaa-san!"

"Hehe, always so enthusiastic, aren't you?"

"Hai!"

Moving back into position, I can't help but enjoy everything. I have freedom here. Freedom of my body. Freedom of my mind. Freedom from terrible children, idiotic adults, and a despicable society that hampers or tortures any that doesn't conform to 'political correctness'. Now that I have a life I can properly enjoy, I can be myself and enjoy it!

"We are always gentle. Move your left foot forward a little. Good!"

Here, now, in this world, in this small house, life is amazing!

But I know this won't last forever. I have to enjoy it while I can!

"There is no need for excessive force. Twist faster. No, too fast! There, you go, hehe."

I can't help but think of Mito this morning. She was crying. It's terrible that she's being forced into a situation she can't escape. Unfortunately, I can't help her. Tou-san has made his decision. Onii-san won't forgo the alliance, not that he would refute Tou-san. We need this connection.

"Anything that requires a large amount of strength, even if it is within our capabilities, should be left for our men to handle. You're starting to fidget, remember to control your breathing."

We need the protection. From what I can gather, we rely on the Senju to 'protect' us. Even if we are largely separated from society on our island, we're susceptible to attack. Clans fear us. In exchange, we learn, discover, and provide knowledge. We funnel our techniques back into the senju. Of course, we help them in large battles, but are largely left alone. That's because the Senju are a natural 'barrier' against invasion.

"Should an object be larger than your hand, you are to use both to grasp it. Slow your breathing a little more, it's affecting the speed of your motions."

Even if they aren't in a strategically defensive position, nobody wants the ire of the senju… especially considering they are on the continent while we're on an island protected by whirlpools! We are so naturally protected that it's impossible to logically target the Uzumaki! Of course, the Uchiha naturally despise the Senju, but are, thankfully, on the opposing side of the senju clan grounds - not that there are any real 'claimed grounds' among clans. On top of everything, we're practically Senju ourselves! We have the capability to protect ourselves, even if we don't participate in the 'clan wars'.

"Delicacy and relaxation is the basis for elegance, stress and rushing will throw your movements off. Until you have repeated the motions correctly often enough can it be repeated under different conditions without thought.

This next part is tricky. Lean forward slowly, be careful and maintain your balance. Stretching each day will loosen your muscles as preparation, dancing will conform you to proper movement conditioning, and kata's will give you an outlet for alterations."

In any case, I just decided to be there for my sister. No matter what.

"Kaa-san! Chibi-chan! It's nearly noon!"

Amaya comes bursting inside the dojo, interrupting our session, and inadvertently distracting me. The instant I turn towards her, I feel myself tilt. "Eep!" It certainly doesn't help that I'm in a kimono… even if they are silky soft!

"..Kyahahaha! Chibi-chan needs to concentrate!"

"Now, now, Amaya-chan, that wasn't nice." Kaa-san scolded. At least Onee-chan has the decency to look sheepish.

My my position on the floor, I can't help but shake my head, pouting. Getting up, I arrange myself to keep my kimono straight. "Hai, hai, lets go make lunch. Come now Onee-chan, let's fill your bottomless tummy. Are we done, kaa-san?" She nods.

"Hey! I exercise a lot! Of course I need to eat more!"

"Hai, hai." Teasing her is fun!

"Onee-san, what does this mean?"

"Hn?" She looks up, her newest seal almost finished in front of her. "Oh! I'm making a new barrier. Now, which one?"

"Well… all of it?" I grin, abashedly, "An explanation helps more than trying to figure it out."

She blinks owlishly, "you've been trying to figure it out? Just this seal?"

I shake my head. "No, ever since I first found you writing, I've been trying to remember and understand what you were doing. Every seal, symbol, kanji, formation, stroke sequence. I've always been-"

"What?!" Her voice almost shrills. "But you've been watching since.. No, you couldn't even read back then. Don't tease me like that Aira-chan.." She pouts. I think this is becoming a common occurrence.

"Um, I'm not? Kaa-san read to me a few years ago, and I started teaching myself with what books I can reach from what learned with her." I tried to play up my innocence with a tilt of the head, as if it should be obvious.

She just stared at me. No twitch. No gape. No surprise. Just a long stare. Not even a blink.

I think I broke her…

"Onee-san?"

My voice seemed to snap her out of it. She shook her head back and forth quickly, dislodging whatever thoughts she had, and returning her to me. "Okay, then how much do you know?"

"Umm, is that rhetorical?" It has to be, right? Her face says otherwise…

"Okay, I know lots of words, katakana, hiragana, and kanji. I can also remember most of your seals. I know the placements and figured out some of the reasons, but most of it is just confusing. Knowing where it goes somewhere and knowing why it goes somewhere are completely different."

Again, I think I broke her… "Onee-san?"

"Hai! Oh, um, okay. Let's see.. this symbol? No, I should start out with from the beginning. You know all the kanji I use? Okay. You don't know the symbols. But I also doubt you know all the kanji combinations. But let's work out from the major points."

She starts drawing on a new paper, five symbols total. The five basic elements.

"This represents earth, the hard, solid objects, resistant to movement or change.

It crumbles and condenses, shifting as we command it.

This one represents water, the fluid, flowing, formless things in the world, adapting and changing as needed.

It flows, washes, spins, and waves as we command it.

Here is fire, it is energetic, forceful, moving things within the world.

It burns, melts, combusts, and warms as we command it.

The wind enjoys freedom of movement, growing and expanding.

It shifts, forces, cuts, and glides as we command it.

Last is lightning, a creative and destructive force, transforming as it flows pure.

It vibrates, travels, and shocks, transforming as we command it.

These are the primary elements. Using them, separate or in mixture, we are capable of using more advanced formations. We can layer and separate, altering their paths, transforming their use, creating unique seals.

She draws one more symbol in the middle of the five elements.

"This represents our clan, the Uzumaki, however it also represents more. Far more. We use this in almost every seal we have. It is the center, the focus point, the connection. It represents life, growth, peace. It represents harmony."

I never knew that… Actually, I never knew about the elements either!

Still, there is so much I have to learn! But at least I have a head start…

"Next, we have-"

I have practicing daily, silently, constantly manipulating my inner chakra since I found it. However, I have never had the privacy to attempt any techniques. The reason?

"Come on chibi-chan! You're so slow~"

My family.

I honestly don't mind. However, this makes advancing my skills so difficult! Ever since Onee-san learned she was engaged, something she hadn't actually known before then despite it having been decided years beforehand, I had taken to sleeping with her. From dusk til morn, I had another presence at night. This didn't stop my inner exercises, but it did make staying still even harder! But I still enjoy the company…

She wakes up early, and goes on pre-dawn exercising with Onii-san. I didn't know that until she had woken me up once! I'm always too tired to stay up… Amaya always wakes me to run with her now. Then she trains me in the martial art stances she learned when I was her age. We then go home for breakfast, with all the girls helping.

Afterwards, I do chores with kaa-san. I learned that she teaches Mito in the early morning while Amaya and I are out running. After chores, we make lunch. We rotate work. Two cook, two prepare and clean. After lunch I learn from Mito. It hadn't been that way before, but now that she found out I was a 'prodigy', she has practically forced me into her studies! She even started asking for input! Not that I was much help… but it gave her new ideas. Having knowledge of science, I am helping! Even if only slightly...

When Kaa-san finishes with Amaya, she retrieves me, while Mito teaches Amaya. Before, I was always put down for a nap, which I actually couldn't help - children need lots of sleep! Now, I found that Amaya studied with Mito before dinner. Although kaa-san would teach the both of them in varied spurts. And now that I can actually stay awake, kaa-san teaches me new things!

At first, she was teaching me calligraphy and beginning seals. Repetitious work that required 'perfection', which was used to both train and prepare for our 'men'. Explosive tags mostly, but we did others, like for camping. There were five basic jutsu, all recreated in fuuinjutsu form - fire starter, water purification, lightning light, earth flattening, and a smoke disperser. These were allowing me to practice many kanji. It doesn't matter if you know sealing or not, so long as the seal is written or drawn without significant deviation.

But after Mito told kaa-san she would teach both her younger siblings fuuinjutsu, albeit separately so we could actually learn at a decent pace, kaa-san broke up the training schedule to incorporate the three of us.

She would move from one type of training to another day by day. Calligraphy and fuuinjutsu repetition, dancing, etiquette, sewing cleaning, basic knowledge, and kata's. She moves from one to the next, never pressuring me as she gently and lovingly implants the knowledge and skills.

While doing physical work, she would start talking about the clan, our knowledge, what is required of us, why we do certain things, and avoid others. What is 'proper' and what is 'excessive', and how we should treat it.

Honestly, I should despise being 'feminized', but I can't feel anything but warmth from mother as she teaches, so I can't complain. Her love, a love that I can barely remember ever receiving in my previous childhood, one I'm almost certain I never received at all, just makes me feel so warm and cozy inside.

I'm happy here. This war torn world is bringing me fulfillment with such simple experiences, even as I train to endure bloodshed and loss. I'm almost glad that I'm being taught that I should be the one to wait at home, since it means I don't have to experience 'war'. However, we - when did I start thinking of 'women' as 'we'? - have our share of pain. The worry and waiting for the men to return home, not knowing if they will come back disfigured, or at all, can be excruciating.

Compared to my last life, despite this world and time, it's almost as if I'm in heaven! But I know it won't last. I need to be strong. I need to live long. I need to maintain that strength. There is a danger on the horizon that will nearly annihilate humanity. Half the continent gets torn to shreds, and the ninja world almost disappears. An army of eighty thousand is reduced to hundreds.

If I can prevent such a catastrophe, then I will. I actually can't believe I'm thinking this way, but having lived here in such warmth, coming from a cold life, I can't help but want to preserve it. And right now, the best thing I can do is learn and come up with a plan. If that means becoming feminine - because if I don't kaa-san would only work on that, I'm certain - then so be it. And rather than hating it, I'm enjoying the experience!

And working towards that, I practice daily. Only stopping at dinner, where we cook or clean again. After that, Amaya and Mito clean the house, while kaa-san and I take care of Onii-san and Tou-san. Then we get the bath, or the furo, ready, whether for them, ourselves, or Mito and Amaya.

Each day is different, and yet so similar. We have fun playing when we go for runs, but the rest of the day is used for work or learning, and yet I can't help but enjoy every single day of this life. My only issue is that I barely see Akuya or Tou-san, except during meals or serving and caring for them. They're nice and fun when we interact, even when I'm forced to do 'women's work' for them.. or wash their stinking clothing, but it's like they are never home!

The shopping was only sometimes done by Amaya. I would see Onii-san bring in food. Akuya is nice like that, but I believe he only brings what he catches… Basically, men bring food, while women cook. And if we run out, the Amaya goes to the town - city? - close by.

Finally, I get put to bed. Though it's really a futon - kind of like a sleeping bag on the tatami mats. I crawled out, sneak down the hall, and into Mito's room, and eventually into her sleepy embrace.

I did this the night I heard her crying the first time, I just couldn't stop afterwards. It became almost impossible for me not to crawl in with her! It shouldn't have become like that, but it happened. The night after her episode, I had snuck into her bed again. This is when everything changed! I think she appreciated the previous night. Noticing me curling up against her, she started humming!

Mother had started this, addicting me to the pleasure of such gentle music. She had the ability to put me to sleep with the quiet gesture of sound. Mito took advantage of this, knowingly or not, addicting me to hers as well! The only difference is that Mito's is softer, higher pitched, and more melodic. The two are more amazing than any I've ever heard before, and yet while kaa-san's was like an angel's, Onee-san's humming was as if a goddess invaded my mind!

Just that one night, and she had already pulled me into her heavenly embrace permanently. She doesn't hum me to sleep every night, if at all, and yet I can't stay away! She does it once in awhile, every week or two, at random. But the allure of hearing it, while not knowing when I will, has me in her bed nightly! I don't think she even knows what she did to me…

In the back of my mind, I'm actually thankful that it's not every night. Only then and in the early morning when Amaya leaves, if I can stay awake, can I practice staying still. Inner manipulation can be done anytime, and having done it consistently for years, it's almost thoughtless, unless I'm attempting to learn and feel more, which takes concentration.

Today was one of the few days that I didn't go back to sleep after Mito left bed. It was days like this that I actually had time to myself. It was such a short amount of time, merely two hours, if that. But it was enough!

Mostly, I used this free time to read my diary scroll. Of course, I write a short sentence or two at the front to make it look like it's being used still, but I would work my way to the end, using the other scroll roller to keep the loose paper from scattering across the room.

Having years upon years before any event happens, I needed to write the information down. I needed to read it at least once every few months. I had to remember as much as I could! Leaving spaces between each piece of information, I would add to each person's information, event in time, what happened where, even if it was mundane and supposedly worthless. I even added tora!

But reading each time brought a new fact to mind that I would write down. Over time I practically rewrote the story! Though in a much more chaotic and condensed format… I am truly thankful for the length of this scroll. It looks small, but there is over twenty meters of paper! And with tiny enough writing, it comes out to have a lot of room. And yet, I'm running out!

I have to leave at least two meters free, or someone could accidentally unravel it enough to see the unfamiliar language. It's actually separated into three. Five meters for my diary, with four filled up from writing a tiny bit weekly, two empty, three for jutsu that will probably never get filled, and the last ten for the 'story'.

Thankfully I had thought ahead with the spacing - it makes finding and adding information so easy, even if it did fill out most of the room so fast. The wars, from the clan wars to the third war, persona information, clan information, history and fact, and lastly the fourth war. It's funny that the clan wars has more in it than the next three wars combined…

Remembering another tidbit, a rather important one that I am berating myself for forgetting, after flowing through the listed information, I quickly jot it down under the Otsutsuki name. Knowing I won't remember another piece, I roll to the jutsu list.

There weren't many. Despite having read and watched so much, so many times, it's not something that is focused upon. And it's not something that I truly need to worry about. However, there is one jutsu I want to try. One that I need to know.

For the past few years, I had known I needed a plan. For so long, I was wondering if I could survive in this world, despite my current safety. Wondering how I could save the clan. Wondering if it was possible, or if I even should. The last thought made me feel terrible…

Of course I should! It's my clan, and it's my home!

But how do I live long enough to protect it? How do I get strong enough to protect it? How do I combine the two?! I need to be strong enough at the time, and getting old will certainly weaken me! There has to be some way to maintain strength after acquiring it. A way to live long and not wither.

Looking at the jutsu list, I couldn't help but smile. While I wrote down the specific hand-seals and their corresponding names with a visual representation, I didn't technically outline the specific sequence to use for any jutsu. Instead, I used the character representation of numbers, based on the sequence of my hand-seal list. This way, while nobody could read that these were even jutsu in the first place, they couldn't piece together the hand-seal name under each picture with the seals any of these jutsu use.

They were simply too dangerous… Impure world resurrection is something I want to study, but I'll never use it. If there's a way to truly resurrect a person, then the danger of writing it down will be worth it! The only hand-seal I did not draw was Kage-Bunshin. I only drew half, with a statement saying so, and it's straight up, looking like a focus seal. Someone trying to figure out what it is could kill themselves by accident!

But what I want now is the Henge. It was a physical manifestation of chakra. It wasn't an illusion or gimmick. It reshaped a person's true appearance with another entirely! It was used to turn a boy into a girl, an adult into a child, and even into a solid chunk of metal! But it was also temporary, requiring vast concentration for heavy usage, like in battle, and easily dispellable when the user loses focus.

And yet, it reminds me of the Bijuu. They are solidified concentrations of chakra. Their energy is supposedly three times more potent than Kakashi's. But there is a difference here. Kakashi's chakra could be more potent than other people's. And I know the Uzumaki chakra is more potent than anyone other's, aside from the Senju. Even more than the Uchiha and Hyuuga.

Even if the four royal clans all hail from a single woman, they each gained something different. Well, technically three clans. No matter how separate we consider ourselves from the Senju, though we do consider ourselves family to them, the reality is that the Uzumaki are Senju, just with different definable traits.

We have vast chakra reserves, longevity, highly attuned chakra senses, and a natural healing instinct that is visibly shown upon being injured! Naturally the Senju have all the same traits! However, there is a definable difference. This only became clear recently, piece it together with sparse information from my family.

The Senju have elemental manipulation. While it isn't always shown, or really thought about, every single Senju has a powerful connection towards their affinity. They easily learn the elements, and while this doesn't seem remarkable at first, it is considerably useful! However, they don't take advantage of it…

From what I can tell, the Senju just work up enough to be capable of 'using' the element affinity, rather than 'mastering' it! Unlike Hashirama and Tobirama, most ignore the true talent! But what makes me truly think is the fact that they don't have a 'kekkei genkai' to speak of! And yet, Hashirama uses 'Mokuton'!

In other words, the Senju have the ability of true element manipulation. They were given the 'body' of 'The Sage', which had a natural affinity towards all elements. Meaning, if a Senju 'masters' their element, they can use it however they wish! And Hashirama uses his water and earth to make 'wood'! They have the 'kekkei genkai' of making 'kekkei genkai' elements!

But the Senju are so diverse, it's obvious they marry outside the clan. I believe any that develop an advanced element came from the Senju, and any that passed on the ability eventually broke off into their own clan. Like the Kaguya

That's my theory on the Senju.

However, we're not Senju. While we have the same basic body structure, the Uzumaki have a different chakra nature entirely! While we both have advanced healing, we have another level to it! It's not in every member - only in the stronger, more chakra capable people awaken this ability. But our blood can heal other people! On top of that, we have the ability to condense chakra into a physical form! In other words, chakra 'rope' - 'chains' is more common though.

Again, this reminds me of the Bijuu, or rather their cloak - specifically Kurama's. His manifestation of chakra can be manipulated however he wishes! Basically, chakra can take on a physical form, or alter it into a new 'chakra form' temporarily!

But this has me thinking hard. The impure resurrection brought about a physical form, but Hagoromo brought forth a chakra manifestation with their entire physical body formed from their own chakra! It's like they possessed their full capability when summoned from the 'pure world'. They had to have recovered their chakra there!

So, there are two variations of chakra forms. A physical manifestation and a chakra manifestation. The Bijuu are a physical manifestation, and the henge has a physical alteration aspect within it. The chakra chains are a chakra manifestation, while the rasengan is a weakened version of it. A condensed chakra form.

If the Henge can alter my physical form into a new physical manifestation of chakra temporarily, why can't I make one that is permanent? The only difference is that my physical body is the link, while Kurama's chakra is his. Can I separate my chakra from my body while performing a Henge? Make it a new body? Will my chakra dissipate without my physical form? Can I turn my entire body into something like the Bijuu? Would an alteration in hand-seals be capable of doing this? No, they're even more ambiguous than seals.

Fuuinjutsu! I have an entire clan of masters! And supposedly, the main house of any clan has the most capable among them! My mother should be a master of the art, along with my father! Hell, even my oldest sister is already a master, and she's still learning! She was a master before I was even old enough to watch her! Of course the Uzumaki standards on being a 'master' are different, so she isn't quite there according to mother…

But, maybe, I can do this?

It's a good plan.

Really, it's the only plan I can think of…

No way in hell am I doing what snake-face does!

But, really, can I really achieve this?

I need something more.

But I have a start.

Now I have a goal.

Can I really do this?

I can. I will. I need to!

Rolling up my scroll, ensuring the content of my 'diary' is visible when opened, I pull chakra out to my hand. This is the only way I've been able to train this ability so far. Every time I'm handed something slippery, or out of sight of others, I carry objects around with my chakra, instead of with the friction of 'gripping'. I can train in 'tree climbing' without ever doing it.

There's no way I'll have enough chakra for this.

I need more. But what can I do? I'm forcefully expanding my coils already, pushing more chakra into them than my body wants every time it starts feeling comfortable - kind of like what Kurama did for Naruto. My growth should be considered abnormal, even among the clan, but it's not fast so it isn't visible. Not that they have checked.

But that won't be enough. Can I use a seal to save chakra? They have a storage to fuel powerful seals in constant use, like the island alert barrier. But those can't be drawn back into the body. And any made would require the seal it uses to be already connected. I'll need to make my own seal!

Actually, training physically would increase my reserves, right? With Uzumaki genes, any increase would grant significant increases in my natural reserves! But as a child, a girl at that, I can't put a heavy strain upon my body without severe consequences! Not to mention the little time I have to actually push my body.

There has to be a way. I need something like training weights. Something that can't be seen, but has a constant effect on me, so I am constantly doing physical exercise. But training weights would just hamper me, harming my body with it so young, and do permanent harm that would lower the end results instead. We have a colony of seal users. They have to have something!

Supposedly there is a library right under us! I've seen our mother walk through the wall right into it! When I tried, it felt just like the rest of the wood around it! I need access to those scrolls. No, I just need to advance in skill, and I'll be given what I need. No need to hide my skills and abilities. We are family, and I've never been rejected by them. But lying and not telling are completely different. I have no need to tell them, but if they ask, I'll just speak the truth.

It'll be funny to see their faces too… Just like Mito! Hehe, that was hilarious.

Still, that's not enough…

There is no guarantee I can produce enough chakra to achieve what I want. Rather than store up a large quantity over time, it would be easier to find a large source. This isn't something I can tell my family. They wouldn't let me. Maybe I could get Mito to teach me chakra storing techniques, maybe she could figure out how to reverse the process? I wouldn't need work on that, if she could do it for me! Didn't Tsunade develop one?

Even so, there's no guarantee on such happening. I need a source. large single source.

If mito can't accomplish it fast enough, if at all, I'll need the help of a Bijuu…

But which would help? Would any of the Bijuu work?

I'll need to travel.

I'd need a way to find one.

Is there a way to protect myself from it?

Can I escape from a Bijuu?

Will I be able to do this before they all get sealed?

Looking towards the window, I can see the soft glow of dawn peeking through the window. It's still some time away, but this tells me I've been here for over an hour thinking! Only another half hour until I need to be up and about. I needed to do a checklist and make a plan.

Still, what do I know?

I have techniques that I can't use yet.

I have knowledge nobody else in this world has.

I have been steadily influencing my mind and body to become strong.

I have a whole repertoire of skills of the strongest.

What do I have available? ...That is useful? That I can learn?

I have teachers. I have chakra. I have sealing. I have family…

But what should I do? What should I learn? What is available to me?

Anything to do with pure chakra.

Anything that I can put together with seals.

What techniques will be the most useful to me in order to accomplish my goal?

To protect myself?

Can I learn the Uzumaki Adamantine Sealing Chains? Can I get a summoning contract? Can I make a protection barrier? Can I build enough physical strength to run? Can I learn elemental techniques before then? The Rasengan!

To travel safely?

Clothing skill, hunting skill, barriers, and.. summoning? Maybe Hiraishin?! But Minato was a genius. Can I accomplish the same? He made it from summoning and uzumaki knowledge. Can I really recreate the work of the second and fourth Hokage's? Is it morally right to steal their work, even if I'm essentially recreating it from scratch? Unlike the Rasengan, I have no clue or link, so it's probably fine. I'll feel worse about the chakra ball…

To turn myself into chakra…

Should I really? What kind of effects will that have? The Bijuu are physically real, so my body would be as well, except that it would regenerate with chakra, right? Wait, wait, wait!

The Bijuu are all part of the natural world! They are sages! This… I really have to become a sage. That's the fix for dissipating eventually! A constant influx of natural energy that converts to my own! Hagoromo was a genius in creating these beasts…

I have no viable alternative aside from fuuinjutsu… Even if I work with elemental manipulation, I'm nowhere near capable of using it in battle. From the beginning, I knew water was my main elemental affinity, I could feel the ease of it, and yet wind was the one I advanced furthest in, because of my memories. Only Mito's explanation gave me enough to work with in advancing the others! Of course, not having formal instruction, I try different ideas, changing the way I imagine and transform my chakra each month to attempt the best results.

While it worked, mostly, and I gained some control and manipulation of each in certain aspects, it's not the same as truly knowing how the element was created and formed. The overall best result from such experiments came from playing with their shapes before attempting combinations. Swirling the fire before splashing it with water, covering that with wind without touching, before allowing it to expand as it wanted, getting sliced and diced as it exited the wind sphere, not that it was even elemental chakra at that point, as it tends to meld back into normal chakra when inside my body and released.

Basically, I was playing, but safely. Who knows what could result from such mixtures without knowing the hows and whys of mixing elemental chakra properly?! I don't want to blow my baby body up! Well, toddler now, but still tiny! But my playing went into creating different shapes within my arms or legs. A double helix, one of water, the other of wind. A spiral of earth within a spiral of lightning, within a spiral of wind, within a spiral of fire, within a large spiral of water. My manipulation is insanely fun! Or just insane… Did I mention safety? I think the water would have contained the rest. Probably…

And yet, I can't do anything with the elements. I'm just not at a level that they're usable with 'just chakra'. Even wind, while being advanced, is halfway there! How can I tell? I tried cutting a leaf, only for it to barely not cut through it all! While this is doing well for familiarizing my body with all the elements, and I think it's working, not having true practice is stunting me!

If I could go out training with my father and brother, maybe I could surpass this stunted area. Then again, elemental training is supposed to take ten years each, right? But I'm not even five years into it with all five elements, and I'm already about through with the first step on wind. Water should be just as far, just from natural instinct. If I compare it on leaves, then the other three are halfway, while water and wind are three quarters.

And yet, I almost feel like the only reason they're behind is last of proper instruction! Which I can't get without my family being suspicious if I just blatantly ask… or can I? Still, being stuck without true knowledge, I can only work on sealing. Thankfully, I can inner manipulate while doing anything, and have been ever since I could. I'll always advance in this as it's constantly practiced, but sealing requires a teacher. I can't practice alone...

It's too dangerous.

But at least now I have a goal.

And I am coming into a plan.

I have to advance my sealing, and fast.

I need to ask about manipulating the elements.

I need to wiggle Mito into a chakra storage reversal process.

I need some kind of weight seal that won't harm me.

I need an example of summoning, of both the scroll and summon seal.

I need knowledge of Mito's barriers.

I need to learn sage mode…

I need to learn Kage-Bunshin!

"*Bang!* Chibi-nee! Time to.. wake up? Oh, well, come on! We're going!"

I smile and follow her out towards our morning run, having at least thought most of it out.

My next release will probably be at either the 5 or 10 count on reviews per chapter.

Rather than releasing on a time basis, I'll do it on interest.

Though I'll still have to write the chapters…

But I do have at least five ready to be released for now.

Hopefully this method will help me to both keep interest and prevent writer's block.

I command thee to voice thy thoughts on mine story synopsis!

..And the story too!

Thank you for reading!