After the events of my birthday, it was back to the grind. Anko and I went back to being just friends, and I concluded it had been a one-time thing. But just because I had the grindset, I had 2 Kage Bunshin working on my sex-related Skills each night in my bed while I was busy training more practical abilities. For one thing, they would probably count towards the next Maxed Out Achievement. For another, I was a perfectionist and wanted to max them out on principle. And finally, I deny any man who didn't want each partner to think he was a living god of sex after being with him. Higher levels meant more fun for all, far as I was concerned.
I used some of the money I saved up from all my D-ranks and commissioned a weapon from Higurashi Ninja Tools, the best store in the village for weapons. Tenten, as it turns out, had been adopted by the owner after the Kyuubi Attack killed her parents. She didn't carry the clan name, but that's where her interest in weapons came from. A week later, I was strapping a Hidden Blade made from high-quality chakra-infused ore to my left forearm. The perfect assassination tool, to my mind at least. And since I could use the Chakra Flow technique to channel Nature chakra through it, I could use it in actual combat too.
It was in July when Hiruzen spoke to me after a day of training. "Kichirou-kun, any interest in taking a C-rank mission?"
I tilted my head. "Hmm… well, I won't get much training done, but it might be nice to get out of the village. Do I need a team or can I take it solo?"
"You can take it by yourself or approach any of the free members of the Genin Corps or a higher-ranked ninja who will agree to go with you. Given your skill level, I highly doubt you'll be in any real danger," Hiruzen grinned.
And if that wasn't a jinx, I didn't know what was. My Crapshoot Curse just went -777, I was positive. "Alright, I'll go by the Mission Office tomorrow."
I worked my ass off that night, and I managed to grind enough Attribute points by dawn that I got what I considered 2 very important Achievements.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Achievement: Well-Rounded (IV)
All Attributes (except LUK) are 200 or more. CP is passively doubled (stackable).]
[Achievement: More Powah! (III)
CP is 20000 or higher. CP regen rate is passively doubled (stackable).]
Status
Name: Nara Kichirou
Title: The Gamer, Grinder
Occupation: Apprentice (Sarutobi Hiruzen)
Class: Generalist
Level: 47
EXP: 4400/4700
HP: 2960/2960
SP: 2010/2010
CP: 32320/32320
Attributes:
STR: 202
DEX: 200
VIT: 296
INT: 206
WIS: 200
LUK: -77
Available Attribute points: 0
Available Perk points: 0
From what I'd seen using Observe on people, 20k and above was the average for Tokubetsu Jonin and career Chunin from ninja clans. Why Anko's chakra was down to barely 11k was beyond me, but I suspected it had to do with the Cursed Seal of Heaven taking a toll on her. I made finding a way to remove that hickey from Hell a side project. Anyway, at over 30k I was pretty comfortable, certainly the Genin with the most chakra in the village except for Naruto and Maruboshi Kosuke.
I switched my Occupation to Konohagakure Genin, had breakfast, made my goodbyes to Shikamaru, Yoshino, and Shikaku before going to the Mission Office.
"Hello, I would like a C-rank mission," I told the woman behind the desk.
"Alright. Any preference on what kind?" she asked.
"Surprise me," I said, leaving it to the Fates.
She nodded and went back into the archives. She came back with a scroll. "Here you go. Nice and quiet. There's some bandits in the Land of Rivers that need taking out. Maybe grab a couple allies, huh? Wouldn't want you to be outnumbered."
I nodded and left the Mission Office. I read the mission summary in the scroll, noting 3 very important words: Katabami Gold Mine.
Okie-dokie, so I was going up against Kurosuki Raiga, with Ranmaru as his Sensor and emergency medic, and the whole Kurosuki Family family of trained bandits.
Right. Time to call in a couple favors.
I went to Training Ground 44 and used my minimap to find Anko. I found her having a midmorning snack of dango on the back of a tiger she'd killed. "Kichirou! What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"I got my first C-rank. And I got a bad feeling. I'd really feel better if you came as back-up," I told her, serious as the plague.
She frowned. "Didn't have you pegged as the superstitious type. Did a black cat cross your path and everything?"
"I'll owe you one. Please, Anko," I said.
She sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll hold your hand while you go on your first big boy mission. You got the mission scroll?"
I handed it over and she read it. "Jeez, Kichirou, you're panicking over nothing. Just a dime-a-dozen bandit camp. Are you squeamish about getting your first blood or something?"
"Just humor me," I said.
"Fine, fine. Let me go home to get packed. Let's meet at the village gates in, say, 2 hours?"
"Sure," I agreed. I was already packed with my Inventory. I used Shunshin and got to the edge of the Forest of Death. From there, I went the long way to the village gates. I made a single Kage Bunshin and we worked Yin Chakra Training and Yang Chakra Training. I had a feeling I'd need every Attribute point I could get.
Anko showed up, and we logged our departure at the Chunin on duty before taking off. I'd read and memorized a world map, but Anko had real-world experience traveling outside the village. I let her take the lead and we took off for the Land of Rivers.
We stopped in a border town that evening, and I covered the cost of our room at an inn. "You take the bed," I offered Anko.
"We could always share, you know," she grinned.
"If you're serious, I'll make a Kage Bunshin and you two can have fun. I've got training to do," I shrugged.
"Jeez, kid, when do you sleep?" Anko asked with an eye roll.
"I don't," I revealed.
She blinked. "Say again?"
"It's part of my Bloodline Limit, which for the record is an S-rank secret. But I don't need sleep to function. That's part of how I progress so much so fast, I don't need to waste 7 or 8 hours each night getting rest," I told her.
"Huh. But you can sleep if you want, right? You're not some insomniac with a health condition or something?" she asked.
"Yes, I can rest if I want. So, one Kage Bunshin playmate or no? If you're feeling really frisky, I can make more," I offered.
"Ooh, now you're speaking my language. I'll take one Nara Gangbang Jutsu, please," she giggled.
I wordlessly made 3 Kage Bunshin and they went with Anko to the bed. Meanwhile, I upped the intensity of my training weights, initially provided by Gai and upgraded with my own Fuinjutsu expertise, and started to train. Anko passed out about 3 hours later, and I repurposed the Kage Bunshin for chakra control exercises or Skill grinding.
I waited until I was in the bathroom at 6:00 that morning, then dispelled the Kage Bunshin. I aimed my ejaculate into the toilet as memories of a marathon fuck from 3 different perspectives hit me. That done, I flushed, washed my hands, and went to nudge Anko awake.
She blinked open her eyes and noticed me. To my intense surprise, she blushed. "Oh. Morning, Kichirou."
"Have fun? My Kage Bunshin sure did," I asked.
"Who have you been practicing with? Because that was WAY better than what happened on your birthday," Anko asked.
"Myself. Kage Bunshin plus Henge to change the plumbing and voila, a higher form of masturbation," I shrugged.
"A Nara's learning curve applied to sex… you're going to have the girls breaking down your door once you grow up and start hitting the town," Anko mused.
"And the boys into boys, I'm sure," I nodded. "Maybe even the boys into girls if I decide to use Henge. I have half a mind to look up Hentai Ninjutsu but I don't really want to go on seduction missions. Anyway, breakfast?"
We went down and got breakfast from the inn's kitchen. Then we checked out and resumed our journey to the client.
We reached the unassuming town in the Land of Rivers. We found the address in the mission scroll and met with the client. He described how they'd tracked a local band of bandits harassing supply caravans to the Katabami Gold Mine. We were to wipe them out. He seemed a bit discomfited by my youth, but I let Anko do the talking and we took off.
I braced myself for a shitshow. With Ranmaru on the lookout, the odds of us sneaking up on the bandits and Raiga were slim to none. "So, how do you want to do this?" I asked Anko.
"Do some scouting to get their numbers and positions, then just sweep in like the hand of Kami," she grinned sadistically.
I nodded, and prayed that we weren't biting off more than we could chew.
We got to the cliffs overlooking the mining town. I kept half an eye on my minimap, not that it could be depended on with Ranmaru's odd stealth skill. I pulled out a telescope and started sweeping the town. I suppressed a frown. "It appears that everyone is gathered to witness a funeral. The fact that the person being buried is still alive is neither here nor there, it would appear."
"A living funeral? Why does that ring a bell?" Anko frowned.
"You wouldn't happen to have a copy of the Bingo Book, Anko?" I asked, honing in on the man leading the funeral service.
"What? You see a ninja?" Anko asked.
"Kiri Missing-nin, based on the slashed forehead protector. Dark blue eyes, waist-length green hair with bangs on either side of his nose. And he's got two identical swords, both with two protrusions from the main blade," I reported.
"Fuck! Kurosuki Raiga, Thunder of Kirigakure, one of the Seven Swordsmen before the civil war kicked off. He's A-rank, easy. This mission is headed for downtown FUBAR. We need to report back to Hokage-sama, this mission just escalated," Anko decided.
"I'd love to do that, Anko, but we've got a problem," I said, bracing for shit to go down. "He's looking right at us."
Raiga moved at Jonin-level speeds from the middle of town and up the cliff towards our position. In less than 10 seconds, he'd gotten from the heart of the town and up to us. He was wearing the gray mantle, so I knew Ranmaru was in his nest on Raiga's back. I tried for Observe.
Name: Kurosuki Raiga
Title: Thunder of Kirigakure
Occupation: Missing-nin (Kirigakure)
Class: Kiba Wielder
Level: 84
EXP: 4500/8400
HP: 1370/1370
SP: 4165/4165
CP: 50280/50280
Attributes:
STR: 432
DEX: 401
VIT: 137
INT: 245
WIS: 179
LUK: 201
Apart from the fact Vitality was his dump stat, I did not see one thing I liked about that readout. I focused on the lump on his back and used Observe again.
Name: Ranmaru
Title: Scion of Benigan
Occupation: Apprentice (Kurosuki Raiga)
Class: Healer
Level: 7
EXP: 400/700
HP: 310/310
SP: 135/135
CP: 1875/1875
Attributes:
STR: 9
DEX: 18
VIT: 31
INT: 23
WIS: 25
LUK: 101
"Oh? A couple unexpected guests to the funeral! Sadly, I can't allow you to spread word of my little operation here. So it seems we'll be holding funerals for you two as well!" Raiga said with a manic grin.
I had a thought, I saw the opportunity, and I seized it. I made a single hand seal and used Kawarimi with Ranmaru. Then I stabbed my Hidden Blade into the base of Raiga's neck. For good measure, I channeled Wind chakra through it and ripped the blade out the side, severing his carotid and jugular on top of piercing his spinal column and paralyzing him.
Raiga made a gurgling sound and collapsed to the ground.
"NO! RAIGA!" Ranmaru cried, rushing forward. I moved as fast as I could and knocked him out with a blow to the back of the head before he could use the Benigan to transfer life force into Raiga and save him. I kept an eye on Raiga, braced for him to know some weird trick like Orochimaru shedding his skin to cheat death. But no, he twitched for a little as the pool of blood under him grew and grew, until he finally stopped moving and the blood stopped spreading.
[Quest Complete! Thunderstruck! Defeat Kurosuki Raiga! +10000 EXP, + 5 Levels to Lightning Nature Chakra Mastery Skill, +10 Levels to Kenjutsu Mastery Skill, Acquire Kiba.]
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Achievement: First Blood
Kill a fellow human being for the first time. +20 All Attributes, Cold-Blooded Perk, Haunted Curse.]
[Level Up!]
[You have reached Level 50! Rising Star Title, +10 All Attributes.]
Status
Name: Nara Kichirou
Title: The Gamer, Grinder
Occupation: Konohagakure Genin
Class: Generalist
Level: 50
EXP: 0/5000
HP: 3290/3290
SP: 2355/2355
CP: 37840/37840
Attributes:
STR: 238
DEX: 233
VIT: 329
INT: 242
WIS: 233
LUK: -77
Available Attribute points: 45
Available Perk points: 2
[Perk: Cold-Blooded
Increases all Attributes and Skills by 10% for 60 seconds after a kill (stackable).]
[Curse: Haunted
The faces of those you've killed appear in your dreams. Increases chances of nightmares by 25%.]
[Title: Rising Star
You reached Level 50 before age 18. Increases rate Skills and Attributes level by 30%.]
I immediately switched my Grinder Title for Rising Star. Ideally, I'd have Grinder and Rising Star at the same time to stack the increased leveling rate. But The Gamer was stuck, I'd checked. Until I unlocked a Tertiary Title, that hack was beyond me. The Haunted Curse was nothing to worry about, I just would never sleep and thus never be at risk of a nightmare.
I went to Raiga's corpse. I grabbed the Kiba and used my Hidden Blade to finish decapitating him. I stored both in a storage scroll. I turned to Anko… who was staring at me. "What?" I asked.
"You just one-shotted a freaking Jonin, Kichirou. Don't 'what?' me," she said with a frown. "How the hell did you manage that?"
"Sure, in a straight fight, he would have killed me like squashing a bug and probably have kicked your ass unless you used the Cursed Seal. But it doesn't matter if you're strong as the Sage if you don't react in time. And a fatal injury is a fatal injury. I sensed his companion and used Kawarimi to get his ally away from him and get me behind him in one move. You saw what happened after. Now we just need to handle the bandits down in the town and report back to the client," I said.
"You don't seem to care that you just had your first kill," she noted.
"There's 'us' and there's 'them'. He wasn't one of 'us', he was an active threat to 'us', ergo I terminated him. It's possible I'm in the denial stage and will have a major freakout once we're safe and I can process this, but for the moment I'm cool as a cucumber," I shrugged.
"Right… well, time to take out the trash. You keep an eye on this kid. I'll handle the bandits." Anko ran to the edge of the cliff then went down it towards the Katabami Gold Mine. She was back within 10 minutes, after I'd bound Ranmaru with seal-enforced handcuffs I kept in my Inventory. I took the free time to allocate my Attribute points and select my Perks.
Status
Name: Nara Kichirou
Title: The Gamer, Rising Star
Occupation: Konohagakure Genin
Class: Generalist
Level: 50
EXP: 0/5000
HP: 3400/3400
SP: 2440/2440
CP: 39200/39200
Attributes:
STR: 248
DEX: 240
VIT: 340
INT: 252
WIS: 240
LUK: -77
Available Attribute points: 0
Available Perk points: 0
[Perk: Minimap (II)
Know your general location and the position of those around you for 1000 yards in every direction.]
[Perk: Scan
See a person's HP, SP, and CP without having to use Observe.]
"Wonder why Raiga was carrying this little guy around on his back," Anko mused as she reached us, not a hair out of place after murdering the whole Kurosaki Family.
"Probably has some kind of Bloodline Limit he found useful," I stated.
"Not a bad guess. Well, let's get back to the client and get our pitiful pay for what should really have been an A-rank mission. Then back home so we can report to Hokage-sama what you did and turn this kid over to be someone else's problem," Anko decided.
I heaved Ranmaru into a fireman's carry and we returned to the client. Anko got him to sign the mission scroll and our payment, and then we started the trek back to Konoha.
Ranmaru started to stir 2 hours into our trip home, so Anko and I went to the side of the road and set him down. He woke up, struggled a big until he realized he was handcuffed, then looked up at us in fear. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"I am Nara Kichirou, and this is Mitarashi Anko. You are on the road to Konohagakure. We were sent to wipe out the bandits based on the Katabami Gold Mine. As you witnessed, that necessitated ending Kurosuki Raiga's life. My apologies for your loss," I bowed.
"You… you killed Raiga," Ranmaru said in horror.
"Yes. It was us or him, and I picked him. Such is the world we live in. Now, we have some questions for you. What is your name, and why did Raiga carry you around?"
"I'm not telling you anything, murderer!" Ranmaru said, literally spitting at me.
I shrugged. "Anko here works in Torture & Interrogation back in Konoha. You will tell us what we want to know. The choice is whether you will tell us before the pain… or after."
Anko grinned and pulled out a kunai before giving it a long lick. "I adore children. Pinch of salt, dash of lemon, delicious."
Ranmaru cracked like an egg. He told us how he was an orphan from the Land of Water who'd been cast out by the locals when his Bloodline Limit manifested. How Raiga had found him and they'd worked out an agreement where Ranmaru would lend Raiga the power of his eyes and in return Ranmaru would get to see the world. He told us all about his Dojutsu, which honestly seemed like a fusion of Byakugan and Sharingan with some extra shit thrown in for fun.
"I see. Now, Ranmaru, you will be going to Konoha with us. The village could use your Bloodline Limit in its arsenal. And it's a decent place to live, all things considered. Cause too much trouble, and I'll just knock you out again," I warned him.
He looked down. "Fine," he said, sounding utterly defeated.
I got him back over my shoulder and Anko and I took back off on the road to the Land of Fire.
We stopped in a different border town and spent the night. We arrived at Konoha in the afternoon. I uncuffed Ranmaru and let him walk with us. He knew better than to try and escape or run off now that he was in 'enemy territory' as he saw things. We made it to the Hokage Tower and straight to the Hokage's Office. One of Hiruzen's Kage Bunshin answered the door. "Ah, Kichirou-kun, Anko-chan. And who might this be?" he asked, looking at Ranmaru.
"Kiri Bloodline Limit orphan. Was working with Kurosuki Raiga, who was running the bandit group that our original mission was about. Dispel and get the original here pronto," I told the chakra construct.
He blinked and disappeared in a puff of smoke. A few seconds later, Hiruzen himself appeared in a Shunshin. "Seems you have quite the tale to tell," he mused, taking his seat behind the desk.
Anko launched into the mission report with a practiced manner, and I only contributed when Hiruzen asked a question. In the end, he sighed. "You vanquished a mighty foe, Kichirou-kun. It fills me with as much sadness as pride."
"It was inevitable in this line of work," I shrugged.
"Indeed. Now, please give me the Kiba swords. We'll find an appropriate wielder for them, or else keep them for an exchange with Kiri once either side wins the war. Unless you wish to keep them yourself, Kichirou-kun?" Hiruzen offered.
"I'll stick to learning the bo for when I one day can summon Enma. But thanks, Hiruzen-sensei," I grinned.
"Go to the Bounty Office to turn in Raiga's head. The full sum will be wired to you once it is processed. If memory serves, it is some 30 million ryo. Then you're free for the day. I expect you bright and early at Training Ground 3. Anko-chan, please stay. And Ranmaru-kun and I need to have a talk," Hiruzen said, dismissing me.
I bowed and left after giving Hiruzen the Kiba. I found the Bounty Office, and handed over the head to an entirely too nonchalant woman. I returned to the Nara Clan Head house, where Yoshino greeted me warmly. She told me everyone was at Chouji's house for the day. I nodded and went to the backyard. I made my Kage Bunshin to go read in the Nara Clan Library and grind chakra-based Skills before dropping and starting my clapping push-ups. I got lucky with Raiga. If he hadn't had Ranmaru so close to him for me to use Kawarimi with, it would have been a bloodbath. Level 50 was all well and good, but I still had a long way to go.
That Sunday, I met with everyone at Sasuke's house. He didn't often ask us over, preferring to spend as much time outside the Uchiha District and its painful memories as possible. But every now and then he got the urge to play host. I was practicing the biwa while Hinata and Sasuke read beside me and the others played a lighthearted game of hide and seek.
When Naruto finished finding Ino (who was pretty good at being stealthy, an admirable quality for an aspiring ninja) he turned to me. "Hey, Kichirou, what happened on your first C-rank? What was it like getting out of the village?"
"It was a bandit elimination mission in the Land of Rivers. I took Anko as backup. Turns out the bandit group was being led by an A-rank Missing-nin. I managed to get a sneak attack on him and kill him. Speaking of, Sasuke, what's one of these empty houses go for? I'm about to come into a great deal of money," I said casually.
"WHAT?!" the six others all cried.
"It's really not that big a deal," I sighed.
"Kichirou, you killed someone. Not just any someone, a rogue Jonin! This is a HUGE deal!" Chouji gaped.
"It was kill him or be killed by him. I chose the former. Simple as that. And please don't ask me how I did it, that's just morbid," I said flatly.
"Let's let it rest, guys," Sasuke said, looking at me with understanding eyes. He was the most familiar with death out of the rest of them. "And I'll get back to you with a list of the original prices for every house in the District. Given that very few people want to live in a house where someone was murdered and the fact you're my brother in all but blood, I'll knock 20% off whatever place you pick."
I blinked. "That's very generous, Sasuke, thank you."
"You'd be doing me the favor, really. It'll be awesome to have a neighbor again," Sasuke said with a weak smile.
"Anyway, new topic! Kichirou, is there something going on between you and Anko?" Ino asked.
"Define 'something'," I said, not giving anything away.
"You hang out with her when you're not with us or training, you asked her help on that mission where you almost got killed, and when you showed up to your birthday together my Dad kept staring at you two, and I know he notices things I miss," Ino listed.
I debated the merits of telling them and the fuss they'd make versus stonewalling them. And then there was the fact I hadn't had a real talk with Anko over the exact nature of our relationship anyway. I settled for the barebones facts. "She's let me have sex with her on two occasions. Otherwise, we're just friends."
Hinata fainted. That hadn't happened in a while. I used a Medical Ninjutsu I knew to stimulate consciousness instead of going for the smelling salts. The others all had their jaws on the floor. "Is it the fact I've had sex at all or the fact that it was with Anko that is freaking you all out?" I asked.
"You're 10. She's a grown up," Naruto said like it just didn't compute.
"I'm legally an adult since I'm a Genin, so I can consent in the eyes of the law. I've hit puberty, so I'm physically capable of having sex. My birthday was just to get rid of my virginity, and on the mission was because we would be spending the night together anyway so why not?" I shrugged. "She's not looking for a boyfriend, I'm not looking for a girlfriend. So, friends with occasional benefits is all we are."
"So very troublesome," Shikamaru groaned.
"You… you had sex," Chouji said, eyes looking in danger of falling out his head.
"Yes, she let me put my penis inside her. You'll see what the big deal is one day yourself," I said in a deadpan.
"Well… good for you, Kichirou-kun," Hinata said, still blushing up a storm.
I picked up the biwa and went back to playing, officially done with talking for a while.
A couple weeks later, I finished a Quest besides the D-ranks or Gai's challenges.
[Quest Complete! Well-Read Nara (II)! Read 20% of Nara Clan Library. +2000 EXP, +20 INT and WIS, Mind Palace Perk.]
[Level Up!]
Status
Name: Nara Kichirou
Title: The Gamer, Rising Star
Occupation: Apprentice (Sarutobi Hiruzen)
Class: Generalist
Level: 51
EXP: 300/5100
HP: 3400/3400
SP: 2490/2490
CP: 41480/41480
Attributes:
STR: 253
DEX: 245
VIT: 340
INT: 277
WIS: 262
LUK: -77
Available Attribute points: 15
Available Perk points: 0
[Perk: Mind Palace
You have photographic memory and can access your Mindscape upon meditating.]
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Achievement: More Powah! (IV)
CP is 40000 or higher. CP regen rate is passively doubled (stackable).]
[Achievement: Achievement Hunter (I)
Get 10 or more Achievements. Blessings Unlocked.]
I was in the middle of a stealth exercise with Dragon, so I dismissed the screens and focussed. When I was dismissed for the night, I went back to the Nara house and to my room. I allocated my points and read the new screens.
Status
Name: Nara Kichirou
Title: The Gamer, Rising Star
Occupation: Apprentice (Sarutobi Hiruzen)
Class: Generalist
Level: 51
EXP: 300/5100
HP: 3500/3500
SP: 2515/2515
CP: 41680/41680
Attributes:
STR: 253
DEX: 250
VIT: 350
INT: 277
WIS: 262
LUK: -77
Available Attribute points: 0
Available Perk points: 0
Available Blessing points: 1
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Achievement: Well-Rounded (V)
All Attributes (except LUK) are 250 or higher. CP is passively doubled (stackable).]
I focused on opening the 'Blessing' menu, and my jaw almost dropped. They were basically super Perks, powers that I would have no way of possibly getting otherwise. Stuff like other Bloodline Limits, that's what I was talking about. And there was a note that I'd only get points for them when my level hit a multiple of 10 or as a Quest or Achievement award, so I wouldn't be getting my next one until level 60 or the next major milestone. And most of them were grayed out, the conditions for unlocking them were a lot higher and more difficult than the Perks. I read the ones available and couldn't help myself. Naruto called me brother after all.
[Blessing: Uzumaki Heritage
You have the same powers of the Uzumaki bloodline. +10 VIT every Level, increases leveling rate of all Fuinjutsu-based Skills by 50%, CP is passively increased by factor of 10.]
Status
Name: Nara Kichirou
Title: The Gamer, Rising Star
Occupation: Apprentice (Sarutobi Hiruzen)
Class: Generalist
Level: 51
EXP: 300/5100
HP: 3500/3500
SP: 2515/2515
CP: 833600/833600
Attributes:
STR: 253
DEX: 250
VIT: 350
INT: 277
WIS: 262
LUK: -77
Available Attribute points: 0
Available Perk points: 0
Available Blessing points: 0
[Achievement: More Powah! (V)
CP is 80000 or higher. CP regen rate is passively doubled (stackable).]
[Achievement: More Powah! (VI)
CP is 160000 or higher. CP regen rate is passively doubled (stackable.]
[Achievement: More Powah! (VII)
CP is 320000 or higher. CP regen rate is passively doubled (stackable).]
[Achievement: More Powah! (VIII)
CP is 640000 or higher. CP regen rate is passively doubled (stackable).]
Well, this explained at least a little of how Naruto had 9000 CP when he was a mere Level 5. Being Kurama's Jinchuuriki and maybe being Minato's son accounted for the rest of the multiplier for his base chakra.
I got to Hiruzen in a couple hours at Training Ground 3, and he outright stared at me. "Kichirou-kun, what in Kami's name did you do? Your chakra has increased 20-fold overnight."
"The Gamer is utterly broken, and I love it," I chuckled. "I've explained the Well-Rounded Achievement, how my chakra doubles so long as I get all my Attributes above a certain level. I hit the next iteration of that last night. I also managed to unlock Blessings for a separate reason. Blessings are things like Wood Release or the Rinnegan. I picked Uzumaki Heritage, which adds a zero to the end of the multiplier. My base CP is the average of my Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom Attributes times 10. With 5 doublings from Well-Rounded and the order of magnitude from Uzumaki Heritage, that's 320x my base chakra. Life is good."
"Are these Blessings inheritable? Are they part of your genetic code, will your future children have them?" Hiruzen asked.
"I… have no idea. I don't know if the Gamer is based in my DNA or if it's literally the will of Kami. I'd be happy to give blood samples so you can run tests," I volunteered. "I hope you're not about to decree that I get a harem and have a legion of children as the next generation of super ninja."
"Oh no, of course not. There's a reason I always oppose the Clan Restoration Act when some dumb civilian proposes it hoping to get their daughter married into a prestigious clan. But for the record, Kichirou-kun, polygamy is perfectly legal in Konoha. So if you were to take more than one wife, it would be all above board," Hiruzen grinned.
"Duly noted, Hiruzen-sensei. Now, I think I have enough chakra to learn the Tajuu Kage Bunshin Jutsu, don't you think?" I grinned.
"Indeed. But be warned, Kichirou-kun. While it produces Kage Bunshin, it is fundamentally different from the ordinary Kage Bunshin Jutsu. The normal Kage Bunshin Jutsu is B-rank and simply divides your chakra however many times you desire. The Tajuu Kage Bunshin is A-rank and forces you to produce as many Kage Bunshin as you can, and those without proper control of their chakra will waste enough chakra casting it that there's danger of chakra exhaustion or even death," Hiruzen lectured me.
"Ah. So, would a viable strategy in battle be to make a single Kage Bunshin with half my chakra, then have him use Tajuu Kage Bunshin to produce an instant army while I focus on being general and fighting at my usual level?" I asked.
"Indeed it would be, and that's what my sensei Senju Tobirama tended to do after he invented both Jutsu," Hiruzen grinned. "Here are the hand seals." He showed me a string of 3 hand seals before ending on the standard Kage Bunshin seal.
I nodded, double checked my CP was full, and cast the Tajuu Kage Bunshin Jutsu.
[New Skill Created!]
[Tajuu Kage Bunshin Jutsu (Active) Level: 1
Creates as many Kage Bunshin as you can physically manage at current CP minimum for Kage Bunshin. 20% chance of overdrawing on chakra stores and dying. Chance will decrease with level.]
Alright, so I'd had a 1 in 5 chance of dying casting this the first time. I'd definitely be having a Kage Bunshin be grinding this until that chance was a solid 0%. And assuming the Skill didn't max out at that, maybe I'd even get a chance of making extra Kage Bunshin with each level after that.
The smoke that had enshrouded the whole Training Ground soon cleared, and I looked at something like 2000 Kage Bunshin. Which means I had roughly as much chakra as Naruto had during the fight with Gaara. Not a bad level, to be sure, but I was far from having the most chakra of anyone on the planet.
"I am both pleased and scared at this display," Hiruzen said honestly.
"So am I, a little bit," I admitted.
I ordered all my Kage Bunshin to coordinate amongst themselves to grind what Skills they could, given they each had about 200 CP. If I had perfect chakra control, I would have made over 4000 Kage Bunshin, which means I still had a ways to go before rubbing shoulders with Tsunade and Sakura in that department. But I didn't feel too bad, perfect chakra control was so rare it counted as a Blessing, I had seen. I hadn't picked it because I was determined to get it through the old-fashioned grind.
"Now that that's out of the way, shall we dance, Kichirou-kun?" Hiruzen asked before summoning the bo he used for practice. He only summoned Enma for a real fight.
I unsealed my own bo. "Lead the way, Hiruzen-sensei."
Suffice to say that with Tajuu Kage Bunshin, my progress exponentially increased. While I spent my days with Hiruzen, Gai, or Isshin and my nights with Dragon, my Kage Bunshin were constantly grinding in the background. I clogged up the Nara Clan Library to the point that Shikaku got official complaints that I was hogging it and none of the other clan members could find what they were looking for. I filled every free Training Ground to bursting. Given that a Kage Bunshin lasted as long as it didn't get hit or spend all its CP, I instituted a new policy of a mandatory dispel after 7 days so that the memory rush wouldn't give me a seizure. And I still farmed D-rank missions for money and small amounts of EXP.
By the New Year, I got the next Maxed Out Achievement.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Achievement: Maxed Out (II)
50 Passive or Active Skills are Max Level. +10000 EXP, Multitalented Perk.]
[Level Up!]
Status
Name: Nara Kichirou
Title: The Gamer, Rising Star
Occupation: Apprentice (Sarutobi Hiruzen)
Class: Generalist
Level: 55
EXP: 1100/5100
HP: 4010/4010
SP: 2870/2870
CP: 949600/949600
Attributes:
STR: 291
DEX: 283
VIT: 401
INT: 314
WIS: 299
LUK: -77
Available Attribute points: 30
Available Perk points: 3
Available Blessing points: 0
[Perk: Multitalented
You've picked up and mastered so many Skills that you can do it even faster now. Increases leveling rate for all Skills by 20%]
I had enough Attribute points to get to the next Well-Rounded Achievement so I went for it. And since I had so many Perk points, I threw in one that served no real constructive purpose and was just for me.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Achievement: Well-Rounded (VI)
All Attributes (except LUK) are 300 or higher. CP is passively doubled (stackable).]
[Achievement: More Powah! (IX)
CP is 1280000 or higher. CP regen rate is passively doubled (stackable).]
Status
Name: Nara Kichirou
Title: The Gamer, Rising Star
Occupation: Apprentice (Sarutobi Hiruzen)
Class: Generalist
Level: 55
EXP: 1100/5100
HP: 4030/4030
SP: 3000/3000
CP: 1944000/1944000
Attributes:
STR: 300
DEX: 300
VIT: 403
INT: 315
WIS: 300
LUK: -77
Available Attribute points: 0
Available Perk points: 0
Available Blessing points: 0
[Perk: World Map
Access a map of the world based on maps you have seen and your own observations in your mind. Includes known locations of all characters you have met.]
[Perk: Fast Travel
Unless interrupted by combat, can mentally fast forward through a trip from a known start to a known destination.]
[Perk: Well-Endowed
God gave you a generous helping of sausage and hard-boiled eggs. Effect doubled if enacted within first year of getting Puberty Perk.]
Yes, yes, the last one was juvenile, but I regret nothing. And now that I had a World Map, it was time to start filling it up.
The next day, I made a request to Hiruzen. "Hiruzen-sensei, may I have your leave to send Kage Bunshin out into the world to explore? I will avoid the Hidden Villages, even with my forehead protector off and acting like a civilian tourist. But I'd like to see the world, and so long as the real me stays in Konoha then what's the harm?"
Hiruzen hummed in thought. "I will allow it. In fact, you should visit the other villages while you can. Kage Bunshin are indistinguishable from civilians to all but the most powerful Sensor, and your face and name are not world-famous yet as I have no doubt they will be eventually. Even if they are caught, they can just dispel. Get your fill of exploration now before certain doors are closed to you forever."
I grinned and made a single Kage Bunshin with half my chakra. He used Shunshin to go to the village gates before using Tajuu Kage Bunshin and each clone scattering to the 4 winds to see all there was to see. Even with a time limit of a week since creation, my Kage Bunshin could see an awful lot of the planet with Konoha as a starting point.
I had taken to spending an hour or two in between getting off training with Dragon and starting training with Hiruzen meditating to go into my Mindscape. Given I had no need to obey any laws but those of my own making in that world, I'd structured it as an Escherian museum. Gravity was negotiable and tricks of perspective made it a maze to anyone but me who was intimately familiar with its layout. My memories were sorted into paintings that hung on the walls, some of which were entrances to hidden wings of the museum. I was quite proud of it. I'd asked Inoichi to give it a once over, and he came out saying he pitied the ninja to honestly try and break into my mind.
It was while I was meditating that I, to my intense surprise, ran into one of my Kage Bunshin wandering the museum.
"Which one are you?" I demanded.
"I'm headed for Ame, want to see how Pein is running things or if Hanzo's still in charge," he replied readily. "Figured I'd meditate while I let my CP recharge from speeding up my running all day.
"Holy shit… Kage Bunshin can communicate with the creator if both access the Mindscape at the same time. Kage Bunshin can last indefinitely if not hit or intentionally dispelling. This means…"
"You can replace Jiraiya as spymaster. Just send a Kage Bunshin to every major town, have them establish a civilian identity, and we can make reports to you every day at a set time," my Kage Bunshin concluded.
I woke up and immediately made a Kage Bunshin and had him dispel immediately. The memory of my discovery spread to every Kage Bunshin currently alive in my network. I spent a few minutes thinking and made another Kage Bunshin and had him dispel to let every Kage Bunshin know to set up camp to spend potentially years in each town, city, or Hidden Village they were headed towards. And that we would meet every morning from 4:00 to 6:00. The ideas just kept coming, and I had a third Kage Bunshin dispel to have them all do an experiment. A minute later, a check of my Inventory confirmed it. My Inventory was shared by my Kage Bunshin. I was not only the ultimate spy now, but the ultimate courier. Any Konoha-nin could just get to the nearest settlement, find my Kage Bunshin, give them something, and I could give it directly to Hiruzen or the relevant party here in Konoha.
I explained all this to Hiruzen later that day. He had to sit down. "By the Sage… this is revolutionary, Kichirou-kun. It won't last forever, once you get recognized the locals of each village will realize what the Kage Bunshin are. But until then, this could be a massive boon for Konoha."
"You know the solution to that, of course. I won't become famous, or at least easily recognized. I start wearing a mask like Kakashi or just become ANBU. Even while the real me becomes S-rank and a household name, my Kage Bunshin spies and couriers stay under the radar," I argued.
"You're just full of excellent ideas, Kichirou-kun," Hiruzen chuckled.
I outright approached Hatake Kakashi and asked him where he bought his face masks. He directed me to the ninja apparel store in question, and I got a different one for every day of the week. I took to wearing it. I thought of another way to make the real 'me' look different from my Kage Bunshin (which it occurred to me would have to be regularly replaced to look like they were experiencing puberty and growing like my original body would). I went to a salon run by a former kunoichi. When I left (after a shocking amount of money being spent), my Nara black hair had grown to reach my waist and had been dyed Uzumaki red. My little way of acknowledging my Blessing.
My Kage Bunshin spy network extended to reach every urban center in the Land of Fire within a week. The other countries took another month, but it happened. By my 11th birthday, there was a Kichirou clone in every location with a population over 1000 on the continent. And I already had Kage Bunshin off on ships to the rest of the known world.
At my 11th birthday party, I interacted with all my friends. Kiba, Shino, and Sakura were the only members of the Rookie 9 not in the group if you didn't include me. I encouraged Naruto (who was the second-in-command of the group in my absence, it was universally if silently acknowledged) to try and draw them in too.
Anko approached me and asked to have a word in the backyard. I went with her, and we just stood under the moonlight and stars for a minute.
"You've come a long way since we met 2 years ago," she finally said. "I hardly recognize you."
I pulled down my face mask. "How about now?"
"It's not just your face, though even that's changed. You're losing that cute baby fat on your cheeks," she chuckled. "Or the hair, so don't even mention that. The big change is your body. You look 5 years older than you actually are."
I looked down. I was in the middle of a growth spurt, currently 5'9 and set to get as tall as Jiraiya or even taller. I more had the build of a swimmer than a weightlifter, all leonine power and grace. My preferred outfit was a black sleeveless muscle shirt over blue shinobi pants. I preferred combat boots to shinobi sandals, I just thought they looked funny and boycotted them.
I looked back up at Anko. "Okay, yeah, the package has gone through some alterations. But I'm still me, Anko. Still Kichirou."
"I know," she grinned. "And I like Kichirou. I really like him."
I blinked as I processed that. "As in, would like another romp with him or want to hold hands and cuddle for no reason with him?"
"Both, really," she said, being vulnerable and putting herself out there. "Does he like me back?"
I grinned. Actions speak louder than words. I cupped her cheek and leaned in for a kiss.
[Quest Complete! Young Love! Get your first girlfriend/boyfriend! +5 All Attributes.]
Not the time, dumb Game. I was kissing my girlfriend.