So, let's go over some things here.
To start, I was still 4, and very tiny. But, I was also in very good health. In my last life, exercise usually meant walking my big dog, when I got her anyway, since my small dog just didn't have the stamina for a good walk. Before that, it was non-existent. I'd had surgery on my knees when I was a young teen, and they continued to bother me until my death, meaning I practically never ran, didn't jog, and hated stairs. My stamina for anything outside of a walk was….basically I didn't have any stamina unless it involved walking absurd distances and distracting myself with music.
Now, however, I had a younger, healthier (male) body. I think people in this world were generally just built sturdier then in my (old) world, too. I had a child's stamina, a mind that was fresh and still growing and developing, but still hiding away the consciousness of a newly twenty-one adult, which probably forced certain aspects of my new brain to develop faster. I had the opportunity to do everything and be everything that I had always wanted to be, physically. My hair was blue, no dye required. I would never have to worry again about the possibility of binders or top surgery, my chest would remain flat. My knees were good, letting me run and move freely.
I took ahold of this opportunity with both hands, digging deep. I had always done better with a schedule, with routine. Dad provided my first routine, keeping me occupied and thus busy.
When he passed, I lost that. Oba-san's lessons brought that back, and motivated me to push for more. I asked the older kids, the one's in the academy already, if they could train me a little bit.
After all, mastery is being able to teach someone else, isn't it?
They were mostly amused, but my determination and persistence, mostly in not abandoning the work they did give me, made them happy. I think the older kids liked that I was "coming out of my shell", so to speak. Besides, the Academy entrance age requirement was 5, so it was just giving me a leg up for when I joined the Spring Rotation classes.
Training what amounts to a toddler isn't easy. It involves a ton of stretching, all the time, and mostly just running around the yard as long as I could. Endurance and flexibility was the name of the game for now. When I told Oba-san of my intentions, she sat me down for a long conversation.
If I did too much, I would risk damaging my body, but if I didn't push then I was risking becoming a burden in the future. So, I ran and I stretched. My Senpai's promised me that once my general conditioning was a bit better, they'd be able to start me on some proper exercises and basic taijutsu forms.
So, in the mornings after breakfast but before classes the older kids, my Senpai's that is, would go through stretches with me, and set me off running til I couldn't anymore, with instructions to stay hydrated. After that, I would get cleaned up, and join in Oba-san's lessons. Not everyone could do medical jutsu, so physical first aid was a big focus for those without the chakra control or capacity.
I had chakra, in small amounts because of the whole toddler thing, but I had it. I could still remember it forming inside me before I was born, remembered the feel from before it faded beneath the surface and became normal, remembered tracing it in my mind.
So when Oba-san started to teach me about it, I was quick on the uptake.
It took a moment of focus, to shift through myself and find it again, but once I did, it stayed with me, like a switch had been flipped and I was always aware of it. My chakra felt...solid, I suppose. Oh sure, it flowed through me and I could manipulate it in the most basic of ways (hello, leaf exercise), but that didn't change how it felt. It was solid to me, heavy and reassuring.
Strong.
Really, it took some of the fear away of using this new power and learning about it more. When I started the leaf exercise, I was terrible. Leaves were thrown from my hand like tiny projectiles, or just fell off. As aware as I was of my chakra now that I reached out to it, I was still learning about it. How much did this, how much did that, the force and control required to even do what I wanted it to.
But like all things, with the passage of time, I grew and got better. Children grow like weeds after all.
I turned 5 with a small amount of fanfare from my Senpai's and the rest of the orphanage. With a few months short of a year of daily training under my belt, I was doing great, thank you very much.
I had progressed to being able to hold 8 leaves on each hand. One for each of my little fingers, and three for the back of my hand. I was making myself little gauntlets, and screw everyone else, I thought they were badass, for being leaves. Sure, I could manage to spin a leaf or make it hover over my hand a bit, but that took paying attention. I could settle my leaves on my hands in the morning after stretches, and go running. Birds, meet stone. It served to decimate my growing little pool of chakra, so it could replenish itself and grow bigger the next day.
I wouldn't always be able to train like this, so I made use of my time well I had it. Chakra replenishment rates seemed to be a general sort of thing, so emptying one's reserves well they were tiny would help to rapidly boost the capacity of one's coils early on, before natural growth rates really kicked in later on.
Aside from my rapidly growing flexibility and stamina, I had also been approved to start on things like resistance training with some rubber-like ropes, and more general sorts of exercises that would be the standard of first year academy students when I joined. Felt kinda silly, to be doing such mundane exercises when trying to become a ninja, oh well. I think Oba-san hoped my own dedication might inspire other kids, but I practiced alone day after day.
An older boy named Itsuki, who was in his final academy year and months away from graduation seeing as he was 9 now, was teaching me the beginnings of the Academy's taijutsu 'style'. Itsuki had brown eyes and black hair slicked back and curling into little spikes. He reminded me a little bit of a hedgehog, actually. Itsuki-senpai was one of the only kids in the orphanage to be graduating come October, and seeing as he was comfortably around the middle of his graduating class, was less worried about the upcoming exam then some of the others. Seeing as Itsuki-senpai would be leaving after he graduated, we didn't have a lot of time.
The thing was, the village payed for orphans to attend the academy.
In return, they were sworn to 10 years of military service, guaranteed, pass or fail. If they got a Jonin-sensei, then good, that was the original goal. If they failed to become proper Genin, then they would go for remedial training and become part of the system in less combat oriented ways. The ninja equivalent of janitors, office drones, Etc.
Working in shinobi occupied buildings, and generally being a reserve force in case of emergencies. This was actually an option to all failures of the academy, and many ended up taking it, simply because it was guaranteed work.
It also meant, that upon becoming a proper Genin, or joining the 'reserves', the village considered them 'adults', and as such they could no longer live in the orphanage as a permanent resident. There were actually apartment complexes dedicated to this. A few complexes of simple one bedroom housing for reserve forces and Genin forces. It was mostly used by older Genin, or reserves, who hadn't progressed properly to Chunin and thus higher income, or by Genin without families to live with until they were old enough to move out. I, personally, had a strong opinion that this was where Naruto would one day live.
Itsuki assured me that the first 3 months of rent were paid by the Village, so everyone could get their bearings and be able to save a bit before paying rent. Still, I worried for him a bit. He was, by far, my favorite among my senpai's. It seemed….callous, almost to send 9 and 10 year olds to live alone. Irresponsible. Then again, these kids were being taught to kill, and would. Some perhaps might even make their first kills within a year, depending on what kinds of missions they got.
But all of that was a side thought, really. One I didn't really want to think about, actually.
Our main focus was taijutsu, not worrying about the future. The Academy 'style' was less of a formal style, and more like a solid foundation of basics, of which could be built upon into more intense, and complicated, forms and styles. Itsuki-senpai taught me the proper stances and moves, how to kick and punch, the basics of making one's attacks flow. At first our lessons were stances and forms. By September, Itsuki was thoroughly trashing me in some light sparring, correcting my movements and the like as he went. For a 9 year old, he was a pretty good teacher. From his enthusiasm about the whole thing, I had a sneaking suspicion about his career aspirations. After all, he did really admire his Sensei at school, from what I've gathered.
"Yasu-kun, you're over extending your arm again." Itsuki corrected me as he deflected my punch, a leg going out to trip me a bit. "Remember, think with your whole body. You can't focus on each attack separately, always be thinking about your next moves as you begin your current attack."
I struggled to catch myself in a clumsy cartwheel (boy had that been fun to learn) as I fell from Itsuki's 'punch', before springing right back into action. "Sorry Itsuki-senpai." This time I managed to not overextend my punch, and pulled a quick kick to his gut as he deflected my punch. He dodged the kick to, the asshole.
"Having fun yet?" Itsuki teased, flipping me over onto my back after a failed lunge.
"Nope, still not fun." I griped, shaking dust out of my ratty grey training-tank before settling back into a starting position.
"Mmmh." He hummed. "Taijutsu is very important, Yasu-kun. It's vital to every shinobi." God, not another lecture!
"Itsuki-senpai," I cut him off, "it's not that I don't think it's not important! Cause it is! I just think ranged and surprise attacks would be much more efficient." Punch, punch, kick-, hello again dirt, how've you been?
"So you don't like fighting me head on, is that it?" Itsuki summed up, reaching a hand out to pull me up, signaling an apparent break in our evening workout.
"Yeah! 'Sides, I'm so small and you're so big, it seems like a stupid idea to just rush in." Not to mention the 4 years of training Itsuki had on his side of things.
He raised a thin eyebrow at me. "I don't think Mother would appreciate me giving you some shuriken and kunai to train with."
I paused, frowning in thought. Kunai and shuriken weren't a bad idea. They were staples in a shinobi's arsenal after all. Still...I was a creature of habit. I would always default to certain things, no matter how often I did them. When it came to weaponry in games, I always ended up an archer.
But that seemed impractical, when you took into account having to carry arrows around.
In all of Naruto, I could only remember one person using a bow. That spider-esc guy that almost killed Neji when they went after Sasuke's dumb ass. (It was a miracle I even saw that dude use the bow after having summoned those spiders. Arachnophobia was a bitch, even when it came to cartoon spiders.)
Still...greater range, more power….and, didn't I see some guy who was running around like a badass with a bow in a video once?
I lived in a world where people did the impossible. I was a new person outgrowing my old mold, wasn't I? A new body, new name, new everything really. I had a chance to do everything I'd always wished I could. If I didn't try, I wouldn't know for sure. I was making this choice for me, if I was going to dedicate my life to fucking up time-lines, then damnit, I was going to do it my own way.
A deeper, darker part of me wanted to be as different from the old me as I could. I didn't want to look in the mirror and be reminded of who I had been. Too many nights as a baby had been spent crying, mourning...My friends….my family….my hopes and dreams-
I couldn't go down that path again. (Couldn't think about how those memories didn't make me feel anything anymore.) Straightening my back, I stared Itsuki down, steel forming to help me stand tall.
"A bow would be prefered." I finally declared. Itsuki looked at me like I was an idiot, completely flabbergasted.
"A...bow? Like, bow and arrows?" He was speaking slowly, like he had misheard me.
"Yep!" I pushed on. "It gives better range then kunai, not to mention faster too. Atleast, if I do it right. Probably." Not important right now.
"If I start now, I bet I could get really fast on the draw and become just as good with my aim. Sides! Nobody expects a bow, an, an" My mind was starting to whirl with possibilities, long buried thoughts resurfacing and actually having a point to them, "I bet I could learn how to modify it! Like, the arrows and the bow! Special arrow tips would give different properties and uses, and I bet I could learn some seals or something to do it! Wasn't the Yellow Flash really good with seals?!" I was bouncing with excitement.
"And stealth! If I learn how to hide really well, then that provides an whole new range of stratie-stra-stra-" Itsuki opened his mouth to help, but I smacked him in the chest with my flail-y little arm to stop him. "Strategic!" Ha! Take that, brain! "Strategic options on the field! Course, I'd have to have something close combat oriented incase somebody gets close, or if long range isn't an option!" I was breathing heavily from my little onslaught of words, and Itsuki looked amused.
"Is. The Hokage really IS good with seals. He didn't just lose that when he took the hat from the Third you know." Itsuki sounded amused, but I felt myself go cold.
I hadn't realized he would still be alive. For some reason, the Kyuubi attack completely skipped my memory. How long after the war ended was Naruto born? I had no idea, but Itsuki kept talking and I forced myself to pay attention, for now.
"Well, I'll talk to Mother. I bet we could figure something out for you! You seem really excited about this bow idea of yours." His lips quirked in amusement, and I forced myself to match it with my own. "But that's good! Passion is motivation! Though…" he drawled, "don't think this is going to get you out of taijutsu training."
"Nyeh!" I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, and just like that, practice resumed.
Still, for the rest of the day after Itsuki let me go from practice, my mind swirled, trying to figure out the timeline. As Oba-san had me practice sutures on a banana of all things, I let my mind fall away and think. I had no idea about the timeline between the war and the Nine Tail's attack.
Was it a year? Two? I had no idea, but I also knew I was coming up on a year since Mom and Dad's would be only a month later in November. It was mid September now, so I didn't have long. Maybe….maybe Naruto wouldn't be born just yet? Damn! Why couldn't I remember these little details? Had it really been so long since last time I looked into the beginning of that manga, and not the end?
Who was the oldest of the Konoha 11? Had they been born yet? The Orphanage didn't really keep up with a lot of the popular clan gossip, or at least, those that knew didn't talk about it.
That night, I twisted and turned in my bed. My rustling made some of the other boys near me gripe, but eventually they fell asleep and I was left alone to my thoughts.
I knew just about nothing about the timeline between the attack and Naruto's graduation. Sure there was the Uchiha Massacre, but other then that? Nothing. I was headed towards a shrouded canvas of time, and I had no way to see past it. I was born too late to make a difference with Kakashi or Obito, and probably still too early to make an impact on Naruto. I didn't even know if I'd live long enough to meet him. I was expected to graduate in approximately 4 years after joining the Academy. If Naruto was born this year...he'd be about 4 when I (hopefully) became a Genin.
That would mean 8 years before he became a Genin. 8 years in which I could die, even in peacetime. 8 years to make something of myself before the Plot began to rear its ugly head.
I didn't know if I would be ready.
I threw myself into Taijutsu with a passion I had never had before. Those next few days after my realization I spent aggressively pushing myself in my training with Itsuki. He was surprised, but pleased.
A week later, Oba-san and Itsuki presented me with a small, asymmetrical bow, and a dozen arrows. It was old, and worn looking. The feathers on the end of the arrow a little frayed with use.
It was clearly used, but it worked, and I was grateful.