It's the following weekend since my first utilization of chakra. The perk of it officially being known I have activated my chakra means I have the perfect excuse to read up on it without being suspicious. Not that I think it would be suspicious, I read up on wood release from the first Hokage and I don't think I'll be creating that anytime soon if ever. I may be getting a little paranoid, I blame the whole ninja conditioning thing that has been slowly working it's way into out lessons.

How I wish I could gain access to the ninja section of the general library though,not even for jutsu! (Though that would be amazing) Instead just to read the more in-depth theories around chakra and it's applications. The ones at the academy library are not complete and I am pretty sure I am going to read through the whole academy library at this rate. After all the library isn't very large at all, though I was pleasantly surprised when I found out the academy library does hold jutsu scrolls. However all those jutsu are E-ranked (there are not many E-ranked jutsu) and while I want to experiment with my chakra I don't think I am ready for that at this point in time.

The week has been the same as any other in my time at the academy. Physical training in the morning, reading in the library at lunch, then sometimes taking notes but more often then not meditating or doodling, sensing and eaves dropping during the afternoons. The difference was what happened at night. When I would practice my taijutsu do physical training and sometimes play my flute I would also sense around, coaxing my chakra to do the same which increased the rate in which my sensing skill leveled up. I could never hold it long and I could only really do it once a day but it was enough. Besides from what I know now about chakra if I keep training my body I my chakra will eventually catch up with my far ahead mental capabilities.

The meantime however was annoying, and well reading and meditating had quickly become things I couldn't part with so it looked like my mental-physical divide would continue to grow.

This weekend I am pretty excited. I get up early as per usual, I don't really need to sleep in unless I actually want to after all. I make a nice breakfast an omelette actually, and lay one out for Ami as is our little routine before beginning to plan the day. I'll go shopping tomorrow instead of today. Today I am going to start my chakra control exercises. The leaf sticking exercise is a well known technique even to academy students. Plus I read about it in a book at the library. I go into my room a small piece of paper in hand. I don't have a leaf, I could get one, but paper works too.

Just like when I am sensing while actively using my chakra I sit cross legged on my bed and slowly ease my way into a meditative state. I cautiously make sure to stay alert and present and once I am satisfied I move the piece of paper to my forehead.

I held it there with two fingers feeling the light pressure I was applying with said fingers and focused on it. The forehead where I was placing said paper was right above my eyes, lower than the sanctum point where there was a series of winding chakra pathways. It's easier to push chakra out of a chakra points that are like little valves managing both the flow inside and outside of the body, but better control is achieved when you can force the chakra through said chakra point and manipulate it across your skin. That is what the leaf concentration exercise is all about.

I coaxed my chakra out like I would when sensing but instead of searching out for the lights of others chakra I focused on the mild pressure on my forehead, I focused on the paper.

The first thing that happened was a push, seemingly trying to blow the paper away and then a terrible drain. I quickly pull up my status to check on what happened.

Sayori

Titles- Gentle Heart, Academy Student

Age 5

Stamina- 247/252

Chakra- 193/240

Chakra Control- -0.50% cost

——- (locked)

——- (locked)

VIT- 12

STR-8

AGI-16

DEX- 14

ACU- 19

INT- 26

CRE-14

WIS-17

CHA- 12

???- 1

???- 1

That much?! I blew through 47 chakra in seconds?! Ok… ok… calm down… just need to be more… firm in my commands… no not firm. I need to be more precise with what I need to do, I need to CONTROL my chakra.

I subtle down again adjusting the paper on my forehead. I was pushing before, however pushing will not make the paper stick. I need to hold it in place instead.

Taking deep breaths I just nudge at my chakra the smallest bit that I can having it wrap around the paper coating it like glue. It's interesting, with my sensory abilities suddenly the paper is popping up on my radar… huh…

Sensing Proficiency Level has risen X1

That was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome either.

Now that the paper is coated, I pull on the chakra a little to hard at first but like holding shuriken as not to cut yourself I adjust my grip softening it. I let go of the paper and suddenly the notification appears.

New skill!

Chakra Walking Exercise Proficiency Level 1

Overall ability with the exercise for walking on various surfaces using chakra. Otherwise known a tree walking or wall walking with the sub group of leaf sticking. A chakra control exercise with many practical uses. Tree walking cost- 100 chakra per minute, sticking cost- 20 chakra per minute. Chakra control increases by 2% per level. Overall chakra cost -0.04% per level. Current ability 2% chakra control, -0.04% chakra cost.

I smile widely, though I am a little puzzled, so is this skill for water walking too? It doesn't mention it in the description. I am about to think about it more when I feel Ami's chakra moving towards my room. Panicking I dismiss the screen and grab the paper shoving it under my pillow just in time as the door opens.

"Hey googly-eyes!" Ami exclaims animatedly opening my door and seeing me looking calmly but it looks like I am not doing ANYTHING. She tilts her head clear confused.

"Did you need something Ami-chan?" I ask her with a small smile looking her way, this seems to snap her out of whatever state she was in.

"Come with me, we're going shopping!" Ami declares with a determined look grabbing my arm and dragging me out of my room before I could protest, there goes my Saturday.

POV AMI

When I was a little kid… well littler, I always dreamed of being a ninja. I grew up right in the centre of Konoha after all, ninja were super heroes, invincible protectors that made everything alright. They were scary but that was ok because I had learnt early that to survive in this world you had to be the scariest you could.

I didn't think I could even be a ninja though, I wasn't special. I wasn't special like a ninja should be, no I was just plain old Ami. I wasn't smart, or overly pretty, I was just another orphan that NO ONE wanted. I didn't have a name or parents, even a memory of them, I lived in a not so good part of the village, and I knew that my paths were limited. Then the… incident happened… and suddenly I was interesting enough to be a ninja.

Koharu-sama and Hamura-sama rescued me from a life that would never go anywhere and gave me a chance to be great… or so I thought. The moment I got an apartment; I was alone. Even the orphanage was better than that.

No one came around. Food was hard to make. The nights were scary even though there were no older kids to pick on me. I was alone, completely alone.

I was like that for two weeks and ate through all the cereal, and was trying to open cans of food when Koharu-sama came and I was worried that she realized that no I wasn't special and was going to send me away. Maybe it would be for the best I had bitterly thought, but no. She wasn't here for me, she was walking a girl to the apartment. Sayori.

My first impression of Sayori was that she was a tiny little brat. She didn't look that special yet Koharu-sama seemed to think she was. The next thing I thought then was that she was a threat, like so many other kids at the orphanage she would have to be dealt with before she could be a problem. I was wary though, I wasn't special but if she was then she could be dangerous to me.

I laid down the line but Sayori seemed so… oblivious. Completely and totally oblivious. Over the next week I found I was relieved to have Sayori around. Sayori could cook, not well but she could. She helped clean up. She was actually… nice.

It was weird. Sayori was weird. Is weird. But that's why I like her.

I hurt her, I hurt her for something silly and afterward I realized something. Sayori was like her name, she was small, really small. Her head just went past my chin, and she was skinny looking, like a good wind would push her over. I was the big kid, and like the big kids at the orphanage I hurt Sayori. I hurt her like they would hurt me. I was just like them.

Sayori didn't hate me though. She should have but she didn't. I would have hated her if the situation was reversed, but she didn't hate me. She said we should 'spar' sometime. Sayori was a very peaceful personality. No matter how much I poked at her, teased her and her weird eyes. (They really are VERY weird but somehow that's perfect for her) No matter what I did she kept making food for me, cleaning up after herself, and being NICE to me. She was always in control. So I decided I would wait and she would show that she was like everyone else and then I could hate her.

The weird thing though? She never did. All of it was real and as I made friends and started to feel… happy again… I started to care about Sayori.

She would listen to my day, and was there for me. She wasn't stupid. No she was smarter than forehead. (The jerk pink haired spoiled brat) She didn't trust me, I knew that when she thought I stole, but she was Sayori. There's no other way to put it. It was nice having someone waiting for me, someone to come home to… I never had that before. So if Sayori was going to stick around she sure as hell wasn't dressing stupidly!

I smile back at the girl who lets me drag her not even fighting back. I wonder is this what it's like to have family?