Alright, so the response to the first chapter was way too good and heartwarming.
Next, FF removes much of my formatting and I painstakingly had to change a few things to accommodate it. Not cool, FF, but no real impact on the story.
Finally, apologies in advance for the slightly robotic nature Naruto has this chapter, but it's super temporary.
Notice we don't use health bars here and there's no endurance statistic. All injuries have potential to kill, just as most injuries can be temporarily shrugged off with enough tenacity. No healing by sleeping, no death by being slapped 2500 times on the left leg.
Chapter 2
««««««««»»»»»»»»
He woke to the sound of jumping, shuffling and muttering. The blond was too groggy to translate anything noteworthy and resisted opening his eyes, shifting or shivering (though it was really cold, and he seriously wanted to rub the gunk from his eyes) until he knew exactly what was happening. He was draped across someone's chest, his head and arms hanging limply over their shoulder, and whoever was holding him was moving very quickly. He could feel the wind break against his back, and the way it ruffled his hair was kind of pleasant, but it made him feel even colder.
New Quest!
«Escape!»
You've been kidnapped!
Konoha's barrier team has sent a task-force, stall for time!
Requirements:
1. Escape
2. Defeat the kidnappers (Optional)
3. Stall for time (Optional)
Rewards:
+++EXP
+? +? +EXP
+?
So he was being kidnapped, awesome. He wasn't about to beat any actual shinobi, but he had to escape, according to the quest. Naruto risked opening his eyes enough to use Observe on the man carrying him. Thankfully, it worked even in the dark. As far as he could hear and see out of the corners of his eyes, they were travelling across the large trees generally present everywhere within the Land of Fire. That didn't help him grasp his location at all, and he didn't ever remember seeing a map anyway.
«?»
A shinobi dressed in simple garb.
One of your kidnappers.
Unknown affiliation.
Mood: Confident
The observe text wasn't helpful at all. There really wasn't anything the blond could do, either. He wasn't a shinobi, he was barely any stronger than any other four-year-old, nevermind a trained adu-oh.
Oh. His mouth opened in an o-shape, but his carrier thankfully didn't notice.
With a thought, he could increase his strength, but was it worth risking his life afterwards? There was no guarantee he'd stay alive even if he let them do what they wanted, so the blond bit the bullet and did it.
[Naruto Uzumaki]
[Academy Student]
«Level 7»
EXP: 560/1050
Strength: 30(+9.69)
Agility: 6(+2.35)
Intelligence: 27(+0.27)
Charisma: 4
Chakra: 860(+710)
Available Points: 0
«Strength milestone!»
Strength: 25 reached!
Effectiveness of each point raised by +1% (0% » 1%)!
Chakra increased by 50.
«Synergy milestone!»
Both Strength and Intelligence: 25 reached!
Chakra increased by 100.
Chakra regeneration increased by 1%/min.
He struggled not to move or make a sound as his insides began shifting uncomfortably. There was no pain, but there was moving beneath his skin and it was indescribably unpleasant and irrefutably intense. As it eventually subsided – the boy barely but thankfully bit back the sigh of relief - he could feel tension in his limbs that hadn't been there beforehand, a tension begging to be flexed, begging him to simply stretch his arms or his legs. He could feel the difference; his strength had been what? Five or something? The improvement was massive, what would that level of difference do for his speed, or his intelligence?
There was a real reason to train, all of a sudden!
But he was busy being kidnapped! He hadn't the knowledge why, or even the time to figure it out - but all the more reason to get out. The blond was unfortunately in his pyjamas, a little blue flannelette set decorated with little yellow ducks, he may as well be naked for all the good it did him. The man carrying him – who thankfully hadn't noticed his lucid state yet – had an equipment pouch, but it was asking too much for him to be able to get close enough to steal something and get something useful and incapacitate the man with it without being intercepted.
He'd have to do it without a weapon, then. That was doable; if all he'd learned at the academy so far was taijutsu, then he wasn't in a spot to complain at that moment.
It'd been a full minute since he'd heard speaking – not that he managed to make out what any of them said – but he could see clearly enough that he was at the back of the procession, and that was enough for him to act.
The blond took a moment to psyche himself up. This was it. Time to go for broke.
Naruto abruptly leaned back and twisted around the waist, bringing an elbow with the momentum of his full upper body crushing down onto the man's neck. In his surprise, the man had no opportunity to so much as voice a sound and the two fell through the trees and down to the forest floor in a crumpled heap, the man softening the blond's fall with a crack that made the boy wince. The academy student quickly turned around and looked up at the other two – they hadn't noticed yet – a woman and a man in much the same non-descriptive garb as the man beneath him.
He had to ru-
«Achievement!»
Punching above your own weight!
You defeated someone significantly stronger than you, well done.
+60% Reward
«Kill»
«You received 7309 EXP»
"U-uhh…" he stuttered, looking down at the man's corpse. Did that mean-
«Level up!»
[Level 8 reached]
Attribute Points +5! CHK increase!
«Level up!»
[Level 9 reached]
Attribute Points +5! CHK increase!
«Level up!»
[Level 10 reached]
Attribute Points +10! CHK increase!
«Level up!»
[Level 11 reached]
Attribute Points +5! CHK increase!
«Level up!»
[Level 12 reached]
Attribute Points +5! CHK increase!
What? That was- no! What?
[Naruto Uzumaki]
[Academy Student]
«Level 12»
EXP: 1119/1800
Strength: 30(+9.7) [+]
Agility: 6(+2.4) [+]
Intelligence: 27(+0.27) [+]
Charisma: 4 [+]
Chakra: 960(+810)
Available Points: 30
"O-okay." He shivered, glanced up to the rest of his kidnappers and watched as they seemed to realize what had happened. Thankfully the foliage of the trees around them effectively hid him from their downwards gazes.
Now, he had two options; hide, or run. He should hide, but… the blond stared hungrily at his attributes. Bringing strength from 4 to 30 made an enormous difference, what would happen if he dumped a full 30 points into agility? Would he become the fastest four-year-old ever? Maybe he needed some intelligence to counteract the urge, but at the moment his four-year-old mind couldn't even consider doing anything else. It sounded awesome.
So, he did it.
«Agility milestone!»
Agility: 25 reached!
Effectiveness of each point raised by +1% (0% » 1%)!
Reaction time decreased by 1%.
«Synergy milestone!»
Both Strength and Agility: 25 reached!
Effectiveness of each point raised by +1% (Str/Agi each 1% » 2%)!
[Naruto Uzumaki]
[Academy Student]
«Level 12»
EXP: 1119/1800
Strength: 30(+10)
Agility: 36(+14.8)
Intelligence: 27(+0.27)
Charisma: 4
Chakra: 960(+810)
Available Points: 0
He didn't have the time to let himself adjust, so even as he could still feel the muscles all around his body shifting and changing shape, he leapt from his spot. He figured sprinting in the opposite direction to where the shinobi had been running was his only good option.
The distance he covered in that single first leap surprised him so much he yelped, barely able to stop himself from colliding with a tree he'd been nowhere close to. This had two effects; one, it caused a surge of adrenaline, and two; it alerted the other two shinobi to his absence. He didn't know who they were or why they were after him, but the moment he'd made the sound he was off on his feet because he didn't really want to find out.
«Buff Applied»
[Adrenaline]
For the rest of the fight:
STR/AGI: +15%, Reaction time: -10%
Alright, that was clutch. The new speed was really fun too! The way the wind blew against his face, the way the scenery blitzed by, the shifting – it was a glancing touch, but his shoulder was bitten into by the blade of a kunai which had no problem parting the material of his pyjamas, exposing his shoulder and sending him tumbling until he righted himself. It was only a shallow cut and bleed for only moments before it clotted, but it left a fierce line of red over the exposed skin and grounded the four-year-old to reality. There had been nothing preventing his pursuers from using lethal force except his own hope that they actually needed him alive for something – whatever the hell that would be.
«Debuff Applied»
[Poisoned]
STR/AGI: -25%, Reaction time: +25%
Chakra Regeneration halted, -1%/min.
"Of course, they poison the freaking kunai, why wo-"
«Debuff Removed»
[Poisoned]
Removed by [?]
"-uh?" Something for later. The blond chanced a look behind him, still surging forward (he seriously hoped he was going the right way), but he couldn't see his pursuers – the foliage made it too difficult. He could hear them, though, and it seemed like they were getting closer. That didn't make se- it must be because they were tree-hopping. He'd never done it before, and with the stakes so high he didn't want to risk trying it. If he couldn't outrun them, what could he do? He got lucky with the man carrying him. Even with the new muscles he could still feel aching beneath the surface of his skin, he doubted he was the stronger; he was still four-years-old and what he did have he wasn't used to.
Evidently, he didn't have the speed advantage either, and he was tiny and weapon-less, so he had a huge reach disadvantage as well.
This time, he was keen to the whistling in his ears and he twisted with the reflexes born of skill reductions and parried the first of several projectiles with the side of his forearm, catching it with the other hand – it was a kunai. His forearm bled slightly, but nothing that would affect him. It was one of several kunai, which he reflexively parried with skill he shouldn't have-
«New Skill Acquired!»
Parry [Lv.1]
«Passive»
Promotes reflexes and parrying efficiency while wielding a weapon.
Reaction time: -0.5%/Lv. AGI bonus: +0.5%/Lv.
-but skill he did, now have.
The sound of a footfall behind him, and the blond threw himself to the floor, barely avoided a downward slash to the back of the neck and kicked out at the shin of his attacker. The strength of his kick caught the woman by surprise, and she tripped. The blond saw the opening and acted on the reflex before he could consider the consequence. The kunai left his hand and soared through her neck, leaving the blond to watch the trail of blood and her fall with wide-eyes. Blood escaped the wound like a fountain, and she fell on top of him gurgling with the most shocked expression Naruto had ever had the displeasure of seeing.
«Kill»
«You received 3623 EXP»
That was- he didn't mean-
«Level up!»
[Level 13 reached]
Attribute Points +5! CHK increase!
«Level up!»
[Level 14 reached]
Attribute Points +5! CHK increase!
«Chakra Milestone!»
Chakra: 1000 reached!
Regeneration increased by 10%.
Footsteps. He tried to turn, but it was too sudden, and the woman too heavy. Before the blond could put up even a token resistance, he felt the cold steel of a blade and the skin of his neck tearing. He felt the taste of a disgustingly earthy, warm iron flood his taste buds. The man left just as it hit home to the four-year-old what had happened.
«Debuff Applied»
[Dying]
Uh… you're done, buddy.
I hope you've made peace.
That's it, huh? Darn.
Lying beneath the larger corpse, he noticed that the grass actually felt quite nice on his back. It was damp, which meant it'd either rained – or more likely, he was lying in his own blood (or that of his second victim) – but it was a pleasant texture. There was a lack of tree-cover directly above him, which must've been why the woman chose to ambush him here, it made sense now. He'd never really just stopped and looked into the stars before. He could imagine now, why some people spent their entire lives gazing into the night sky, with their telescopes and their journals and their muffins.
More footsteps coming towards him, and he could kind of hear shouting, but their meaning escaped him. Something to do with him, maybe...? He wished, bizarrely, that there were subtitles. His hearing was getting fuzzy, and- hey, the sky was gone. He squinted. Who's that?
"He's still alive!"
Weird, he didn't remember visiting the zoo. The animals – was that a dog, or a mouse? – scurried around him, and he felt as a weight lifted from his chest. He was crowded, and he noticed a cat. He'd always wanted a cat… what were they doing? Why did he feel weightless all of a sudden?
That was a lot of meowing...
Silly little animals, he didn't need help. He was just…
…taking a nap…
«««»»»
The hospital seemed colder than usual for the medical personnel working in the emergency ward, not that it was ever really a jovial experience. On reflection, it may have something to do with the unerring gaze of their supreme leader, the third hokage. The jounin commander wasn't nearly as unnerving, but his presence provoked near as much notice.
…or, it could be that they were working on a four-year-old with a slit throat.
"Am I correct to assume," Nara Shikaku spoke, "that you want to put the jinchuuriki under surveillance?"
The older man beside him didn't deign to answer. Rather, he seemed focused on the blond in question, not batting an eye to the ongoing gruesome and in-depth reconstruction of the four-year-old's throat. His voice box thankfully wasn't scathed, but according to the surgeon's best-estimation he would still have issues breathing in the short-term, and a scar in the long-term.
It was more uncomfortable for the younger of the two, who looked away, as the boy's age drew an uncomfortable parallel to his own son.
"He's four," Hiruzen noted, apparently bemused.
The Nara nodded slowly, patiently waiting for the man to elaborate.
"He's four-years-old," he repeated, "and he killed two of his own kidnappers. At least one of which was at least skilled enough to evade our barrier, patrols, and kidnap our jinchuuriki from directly beneath our noses."
"…Hokage-sama," Shikaku said, "we've never enlist-"
"Then perhaps it's about time, besides, he's rather mature for his age." The hokage chuckled good-naturedly, "did you know that he unlocked his chakra on his own on the day of his fourth birthday, or that he learned to perform the Mystical Palm Technique with some proficiency just the day after? I've looked, and there's glowing reports of his academic progress, so it is not out of the bounds of reason to assume that the graduation requirements are within his reach; we'd only be sooner approaching the inevitable."
The Nara nodded reluctantly, stowing the information and unable or unwilling to refute it. "But he is four. He'll be traumatized from the incident."
The hokage waved off his concern. "We'll use it to motivate him."
"That hasn't been working out for Hiashi's child."
"Different circumstances." Hiruzen paused for a moment, stroking his goatee. "Kumo?"
"That would be my first assumption, they were en route to the Land of Hot Water."
The hokage nodded dismissively. "Who would you have teach him?
"It would make sense to test his nature first," Shikaku muttered. "I couldn't give you any single answer off the top of my head except his godfather."
"Who is as busy as we are. I can think of one in particular who not only makes sense, but can make time."
"…ah, he would be a good choice."
«««»»»
Ow. His head ached, like a lot. Almost as much as… his neck? What happened? He went to bed, right? And then, he was kidnapped... but he got away?
Groggily, the blond reached a hand to his throat. A scar, which he followed with his finger, started halfway down one side of his neck and ended halfway down the other. The slant was slight, and the scar long – a deep slice. He was no medical professional, but he shouldn't have survived that.
He opened his eyes slowly, blinking away his initial exhaustion, and a swarm of silver text greeted his blurry vision.
Quest Complete!
«Escape!»
You were kidnapped!
You barely survived and defeated two of your kidnappers.
Requirements:
1. Escape [Complete]
2. Defeat the kidnappers [2/3]
3. Stall for time [Failure]
Rewards:
«EXP +1500»
«New Class: Genin» «Charisma +5» [Failure]
[Failure]
«Level up!»
[Level 15 reached]
Attribute Points +5! CHK increase!
«Class Upgrade!»
[Academy Student » Genin]
[Max Level [User/Skills]: 30 » Max Level [User/Skills]: 45]
He was a genin now? How did that work?
"It's good to see you awake, Naruto."
"Eek?!" the blond threw himself away from the voice on reflex, managed to get himself tangled in hospital bed-sheets and fell in a mess on the floor. "…Ouch. Hey, I'm in the hospital!"
In that moment, the hokage naturally realized why they'd never graduated a four-year-old. Still, too little too late; and he was rather accomplished as far as four-year-olds went. "I've taken the liberty of removing you from the academy."
"Is that why I'm a genin now?" the blond asked, painstakingly climbing back onto the bed and trying to tuck the bed-sheets back in.
It was rare that the conversation escaped him so easily, but the third felt that the subject had leapt one too many steps forward in one breath. He wouldn't go senile before Ōnoki, it was unbecoming.
"You are a genin now, yes," he instead affirmed. "I've ordered printed instructions from your teacher for you to learn the academy three, and I'll leave your headband here, but it will mean little until you've recovered enough to be discharged."
The blond nodded, that made sense. The jutsu would be cool too. He finally took a moment to look around once he'd settled back into a comfortable position against the over-sized pillow to his back. The room was plain, his was the only bed and the window to his right was left open, perhaps to keep it from getting stuffy. The walls were about as white as ever, and the room smelled sterile.
The blond frowned. "I don't like it here."
The old man chuckled, "nobody enjoys it. I'm sure you expect that I have questions for you?" the blond reluctantly nodded. "First, how many were in the group besides the two you incapacitated, and did you overhear anything incriminating? The tracks were inconsistent with…"
«««»»»
It was cool being a genin, he decided, besides the mini-interrogation with the third where he barely understood the man's terminology. He liked to think he had more complex thoughts than the other like-aged children, but he had plenty to learn. It had only been an hour since he was let out of the hospital, but there he was, sat in a wooden desk that was a bit too big for him, in the corner of the shinobi section of Konoha's library, doing what he did best.
There were a lot of books in the library he was suddenly allowed access to. Of course, his best and most useful ability read was making the most of it in a rather spectacular fashion. The sheer giddiness that had been radiating off of him for the past few minutes had him blushing in embarrassment whenever someone glanced over. The size of the pile of books on the table gave him many odd looks, but he didn't have it in him to care at that moment.
«Intelligence +17!»
«New Skill Acquired!»
Earth Manipulation [Lv.1]
«Passive»
Allows conversion of basic chakra into earth-oriented elemental chakra.
Increases rate of levelling earth-related skills by 5%/Lv.
«New Skill Acquired!»
Fire Manipulation [Lv.1]
«Passive»
Allows conversion of basic chakra into fire-oriented elemental chakra.
Increases rate of levelling fire-related skills by 5%/Lv.
«New Skill Acquired!»
Water Manipulation [Lv.1]
«Passive»
Allows conversion of basic chakra into water-oriented elemental chakra.
Increases rate of levelling water-related skills by 5%/Lv.
«New Skill Acquired!»
Lightning Manipulation [Lv.1]
«Passive»
Allows conversion of basic chakra into lightning-oriented elemental chakra.
Increases rate of levelling lightning-related skills by 5%/Lv.
«New Skill Acquired!»
Wind Manipulation [Lv.1]
«Passive»
Allows conversion of basic chakra into wind-oriented elemental chakra.
Increases rate of levelling wind-related skills by 5%/Lv.
He found out it was very satisfying to read a slew of books at once and let the notifications build up. The problem with it, if it can be labelled as such, is that the initial surge of information and muscle memory left him with an intense and almost painful bout of pins and needles. There was something mystical about it, though, and the fact he could make little streams of fire on his fingertips now probably had something to do with that.
Next, well, the hokage told him the typical first step for a newly christened genin was to further advance their chakra control. As such, with these two scrolls…
«Intelligence +2!»
«New Skill Acquired!»
Tree Walking [Lv.1]
«Active»
Adhesive chakra emanating from the soles of your feet allows you to stick to solid surfaces.
Use of this skill provides bonus experience to [Chakra Manipulation].
Base cost: 10 CP/min. Cost reduced by 0.5%/Lv.
«New Skill Acquired!»
Water Walking [Lv.1]
«Active»
Repulsive chakra emanating from the soles of your feet prevents you from falling through the surface of water.
Use of this skill provides bonus experience to [Chakra Manipulation].
Base cost: 20 CP/min. Cost reduced by 0.5%/Lv.
It occurred to him that tree-hopping probably required a certain level of expertise in tree walking, while walking on water sounded so amazing it was instantly his priority. Real magic right there.
That was it for the books useful to him in his clearance level. The blond raised a hand to the plate of metal decorating his forehead, and slowly fingered the metal leaf engraving. It was weird to consider that he was a ninja now. He really didn't feel any different, besides the ugly scar across his neck. He was unable to hide the scar with his shirt and he didn't have a jacket that would do it either, so he might have to get a face-mask or something. The thought of it on display made him a bit uncomfortable, but there it was, an ugly off-white. According to the doctor, it would fade into obscurity in a couple years anyway.
He snickered at the loose remnants of memories he had of the tail end of the incident, when he was lying there, certain he would die. In his oxygen deprived mind, he thought the Anbu were real animals. That would haunt him.
It was relaxing to consider it over with. Looking back, it was almost ironic the way it happened directly after his self-loathing at his perceived lack of fun. There were things to consider now, though.
[Naruto Uzumaki]
[Genin]
«Level 15»
EXP: 392/2250
Strength: 30(+10) [+]
Agility: 36(+14.8) [+]
Intelligence: 46(+0.34) [+]
Charisma: 9 [+]
Chakra: 1090(+940)
Available Points: 15
He'd now experienced just what kind of impact his strange abilities made, and it was staggering enough that he wanted to keep it updated at all times. He had a real motivation now, as random as the failed (what did they even want him for?) kidnapping was. He'd been putting so little focus on his abilities that he didn't even notice the modification to an old one that was right there, at the top of the list. It was a skill he'd always had, at least since the first time he'd accidentally called open his skill list, but it didn't seem to do anything at the time.
? (Lv.?)
«Special»
Chakra modifier: +100%. Chakra regeneration +5%/min. Cures poisoning.
It didn't used to do anything, and he only noticed it recently because someone in class mentioned that he had a lot of chakra, so he'd decided to bother and figure out why. The curing poison bit was new, but he had experienced it first hand, so it wasn't a huge surprise. What could it even be? A bloodline, maybe?
Well, that wouldn't make sense, he was an orphan.
Anyway – he'd been putting so little focus on his abilities he kind of forgot what made him unique, in a way. He'd been getting fed up while trying to act like everyone else, but there's the thing, he's not. He's special in his own way, and he needed to take the reins and improve himself like only he could. That said, he put the rest of his points into strength, rounding it off at a clean and crisp base of 45 and left the library to go on home. He didn't need to actually check out with any of the books, naturally.
The hokage wanted him to visit tomorrow, and it'd been a long day, as the slowly subsiding shifting in his muscles attested to. Even though he'd gotten nothing but rest for the past week, he was really missing his own bed right about now.
«««»»»
"A four-year-old." The bland tone echoed within the hokage's office, adding to its irritability.
"Yes, Cat."
"That is unacceptable, Hokage-sama," the brown haired, cat-masked teenager bowed deeply. "I apologize, but the idea of training someone so young just…"
"…it seems like a waste of your abilities?"
"If I may be so crass, Hokage-sama. Yes."
The old man hummed, a mischievous glint overcame his eyes and he sighed distastefully. "You would turn down the possibility of burning your name into the annals of history?"
"I-I-" Cat hesitated. "I am more likely to-"
"You could have been the face behind the new generation, Cat. I am disappointed. I didn't think one year in Anbu would steal from you the impressive drive you once wielded. To turn down the opportunity to train the star of the new generation… unthinkable." The hokage sighed dramatically, "I suppose I will just have to find someone less qualifi-"
"I'll do it."
The timing was impeccable, for his secretary then knocked on the door.
"Naruto Uzumaki is here to see you."
"Send him in!" the hokage said. "Stand straight and hide the mask. You may remain within Anbu-" he ignored the teenager's pleased sigh of relief, "-but while teaching, you will be personable. You will go by Yamato for the foreseeable future, agreeable?" Yamato nodded, and the door to the office burst open before the power of a four-year-old that didn't quite know his own strength; the door clashed with the wall and the hinges audibly cracked.
It didn't break off, but "whoops," Naruto muttered. "Sorry."
"Be more careful," the third reprimanded, hiding his surprise at the strength that must've taken. "Come, meet your new sensei," he gestured to his side, where Yamato stood unerringly.
The pair watched as the blond curiously meandered closer, stopping halfway across the room. He gave the teenager an odd look.
"Isn't he in Anbu, though? Do animals make good teachers?"
The third observed as Yamato flinched at the perceived insult. 'Oh, Naruto…'
"I am the best teacher," he said. "You would learn much under my tutelage."
"Oh yeah?" the blond asked, placing his hands on his hips. "Prove it."
Yamato crossed his arms. "You'll regret this. Let's go, now."
"Hey, wait-"
The hokage watched, pleasantly surprised, as his mokuton-user grabbed the blond and pulled him out of his office. That went about as well as it could have, all things considered. The two seemed to have some kind of synergy about them… but he'd really have to order them back soon, because he had the scrolls the blond needed for the academy jutsu. Ah, well, maybe later.
«««»»»
A few weeks later, and Naruto still shuddered whenever he woke up and remembered he had training that morning with Yamato-sensei. His injuries never lasted a good night's sleep, but that didn't make them painless. The occasional D-rank mission was more tame and lacked harm, but it was infinitely more boring.
Still, it was exactly what he wanted. The grind was intense and the training rewarding. Next time, he thought, he wouldn't need to run away from the fight.
«««»»»
AN: I'm not writing a robotic Naruto, but this is a four-year-old with a ridiculously high mental stat, and there's nothing that can tunnel-vision within the moment more than a four-year-old (I'm also very very bad at writing four-year-olds and this isn't the situation a four-year-old finds themselves in). Actual personality appears later, as soon as next chapter.
This brings us to canon! Time-skip of 8 years between now and next chapter, buckle up. There won't necessarily be a stats dump, and you'll get a look at what the twelve-year-old Naruto seems like from someone else's perspective in the middle of the next chapter, I thought it was interesting.
Updates on Fridays, my chapters tend to be about 4000 - 5000 words.
It was brought up in a review that most of these The Gamer crossovers end up as skill compendiums instead of stories, and that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. If I end up with several consecutive paragraphs or a flat wall of text just talking about experience, levels, attributes, etc. then I'd consider that a failed experiment, because I'm in this for the (I'm not a great writer, but) plot.