A/N. Guess who found the Align Center button? Eh? It's me. You can stop guessing now. Gosh, you're such an embarrassment! JK. Or am I? Why are you still reading this note? Get to the story, embarrasment!
A great burst of lightning completely disintegrated the tree she was aiming at, leaving nothing, not even a single leaf, behind.
I blinked. "And you're a low level spirit?" I asked Naomi, who spun in circles, barely paying attention to the smoke coming from the poor greenery she just cleared.
"Yeah! Once I become stronger, I can do even bigger things than that!" She declared.
"And how do you become stronger?" She smiled.
"You gotta summon me lots! Lots and lots! And then I transform!" Her legs and arms spread out like a snow angel.
"What, like a Pokemon?"
"What's a Pokemon?" A question mark appeared above her head.
"Never mind." I'm assuming she uses the MP from the summoning to accelerate her evolution? Interesting. It would explain the steep cost. "Does anything else come with this transformation?"
"Yeah! I get bigger and then stronger and then I get new powers!" She started circling again in excitement. Does she ever get tired of that?
"What kind of new powers?" Something useful, I would hope.
She stopped moving, stopping upside down. "Mmmm. No idea!" Aaand she's circling again.
I heard the gates to the Training Ground open, and quickly unsummoned Naomi, who vanished in a yellow flash of light.
Heh. Yellow flash.
"Wow Ino. You really came."
"Heck yeah I came! You expected me to chicken out?" She wrapped some bandages around her wrists, clearly intending to do some heavy duty workouts today.
"Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if you looked upon my magnificent form and instantly decided to run the other way." I flexed for effect but there honestly wasn't much muscle there, so I looked kinda silly. Doesn't mean I can't rock it tho.
"Pfft. Get real, Sakura. I bet a strong puff of wind could blow you over."
I smirked. "We'll see about that."
Just at that moment, Naruto came in through the gates. "I hope you're ready for today, Sakura! Cause I'm not holdin ba—eughh Ino?! Why are you here?!" Naruto shouted.
Here we go. "She's gonna be training with us starting from now. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not! The more the better! But what does Ino think, huh!?"
"I think Ino's gonna be just fine with it!" I smiled placatingly.
"And I think Ino can speak for her damn self in saying that I can train just fine with anybody! Even if it is with Naruto." Ino exclaimed, crossing her arms. I didn't like the way she said his name, but hey. Bridges aren't built in a day.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" She rolled her eyes.
"Uh huh. You two ready to get started?" Neither of them looked particularly mollified, but went along with it anyway.
We started with the standard stuff. Laps, endurance and weight training, agility exercises, meditation. So on and so on, until we got to practicing jutsu. I was kind of sad I only got one stat increase, that being in Strength, but I wasn't gonna let that deter me from my real goal here.
"Naruto, seriously? You weren't even trying on that one!" I pointed at the pathetic excuse for a clone Naruto had just drudged up. Sagged in on itself, and with a texture as if it came out of the printer with an inadequate amount of ink, it looked like death was too kind for it. "Do it again! And focus this time please!" Honestly how Iruka-sensei had managed to teach this kid anything at all was a miracle. I couldn't help him in the same way like I did last time, since this shoddy chakra control wasn't something I could do much about, especially considering from whence it came.
He murmured under his breath before running through the hand signs again, producing a slightly more coloured in version of what he crapped out before.
"Ugh. This is boring! Watching Naruto fail was only funny for the first few minutes. Now it's just sad."
I directed an annoyed glare at her. "Orrr you could start training your own jutsu instead of sitting around."
She shrugged. "Can't. My dad has to be around for any higher levels of Mind Jutsu I attempt for safety reasons. And my Mind-Transfer Jutsu is already flawless." She flipped her hair for extra effect.
"Then why don't you train in something else?"
She looked up at me questioningly. "Why?"
I struggled to think through the sheer idiocy of that question. "Wha—because without your Mind Jutsu you're basically a sitting duck?!"
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"If you can't use your mind jutsu, what separates you from every other ninja? What's your advantage, your leg up, your path to victory?" Although usually overriding a person's mind was a pretty obvious win condition, in moments where she couldn't rely on that she would be fairly vulnerable. Especially if she didn't have any of her teammates to save her.
"There's not gonna be many times where I won't be able to use Mind Jutsu." She answered evenly.
"Oh, so the enemy will just stand there and take your technique, just like that?" I challenged. Naruto had stopped practicing the clone jutsu to watch our volley. "Did I say you could stop, Naruto?" He hurriedly went back to his training.
"What about you then, Sakura? You don't have any unique Jutsu. What are you gonna do?"
I smirked menacingly. "Oh don't you worry about that. I got myself covered." Naomi's just the start. I can tell. The Gamer is virtually limitless in potential. It was just something I knew, without having any real proof. I wasn't worried about ways to power, and my options regarding it. "We're talking about you here. What are you gonna do when you can't use the Mind Transfer Technique? Or any Mind Jutsu for that matter."
It seems I had actually shaken her, because she didn't give me an answer straight away. She kept thinking about it the remaining time I spent helping Naruto, who still hadn't gotten much farther. He was getting frustrated, I could tell, so I had him go through a chakra control exercise instead.
"See this stick here?" I pointed at a trout-sized stick on the ground lying between us. "I'm gonna move it with just my chakra. Watch." I hovered my hand just above the stick, letting my chakra push it clockwise. "Using just your chakra, and not your hand! You rotate the stick left," I turned the stick counterclockwise. "Then right. And then switch. The trick here is the change from clockwise to counterclockwise has to be super smooth. No delays, and no sudden jerks. Just continual movement from one side to the other." I showcased it, completing one circle, and then going backwards. "If you feel comfortable doing that, you can go faster and faster. Try it."
I lifted my hand from the stick, allowing Naruto to try it. We had been learning dozens of these tiny tricks in the Academy, or just ones that kind of passed along the general ninja community. They were like cooking recipes between the neighborhood moms, if you had to make a comparison. Really, the leaf sticking exercise was just the start.
*Sshkkeeuufff!* The stick zoomed away from Naruto's grasp, almost hitting my ankle. "Ah! No!" Naruto ran after it and tried the exercise again, and the stick launched off again. He just kind of kept chasing it like that.
My palm met my face. "I changed my mind. This is just continual gold." Ino snickered.
I gave her a pained look. "Help me, will you?"
She kept laughing, but started moving anyway, grabbing a large branch from a nearby dying tree.
"Here, Naruto. Try this instead."
Naruto blinked, gingerly accepting the branch from Ino. He tried pushing it with his chakra, and it worked! If erratically it was spinning.
I raised my eyebrow at Ino. "His problem was that he had too much chakra right? So small tasks just escape him. Like using a sword as a toothpick. Why not just give him larger teeth?"
"Thanks. But that didn't make any sense."
She groaned. "Ugh, you know what I mean."
"Still, I appreciate it." I turned my eyes back to Naruto, who has having a bit of success turning it the other way again.
"Of course. I don't know why, but seeing Naruto succeed matters to you. So, it matters to me too."
My head swiveled back to Ino, who didn't meet my gaze. "Ino.." I don't know what I did to deserve her.
Honestly, at this point, both these people I would burn the world down for now. Does that I mean I get attached too quickly? Or that these two were just that loveable? For the sake of my self-image, I choose to think the latter.
"Hey. Don't get all sentimental on me now. You'll ruin my glee when I finally see you choking on sewer water." She grinned.
I shoved her. "Hah! You thought! I hope you start stocking up on mints now, you're not gonna get the stench out of your mouth for months!"
She shoved me back. "We'll see about that."
"Ugh. I'm not getting anywhere with this." I complained, surrounded by soaking leaves, staring at the window in front of me.
Elemental Jutsu: Water (Passive) lvl.7: Allows for the use of water natured jutsu. Higher levels allow for more power, control, and jutsu. Modifier: -5%(+1 per lvl.) MP cost to Water Jutsu. Current: -12%
The skill hadn't leveled up at all today. Did I need a new exercise? Naruto moved on pretty quick I think after he did it successfully the first time. Would I need to do the same?
The problem was that I didn't know any other exercise. Naruto had his whole splitting a waterfall thing, (and how did that even work? The water just kept falling! There wasn't any big source of water there before! Was Yamato just pouring more and more chakra into the jutsu afterwards?! What!?) what was I supposed to do for the water element?
Maybe redirect a river? Maybe draw water out of things? Maybe conjure water out of thin air? That last one wasn't such a bad idea actually.
Opening the door to the bathroom and turning on the light I put my hands over the tub. Okay, now what? Just start pumping chakra out of my hands?
I tried just that, focusing on the way it was supposed to make me feel. The same feeling I invoked when I tried to soak the leaves I extended outwards this time, with no particular target. Just outwards. My hands began to sweat, or what felt like sweat. Hey it's working!
Okay, keep going. Beeee the faucet.
*Psssshhhhhh* Two thin streams of water came out of my hand, pooling a little inside the bathtub.
Why does it sound like I'm peeing..
Now, to up the force. The stream came out more like an actual faucet this time, none too gently sloping down my hands.
The Elemental Jutsu: Water (Passive) skill has leveled up!
Perrffff. Keep going!
Ehehehehehehehehehehehe.
The Elemental Jutsu: Water (Passive) skill has leveled up!
The Elemental Jutsu: Water (Passive) skill has leveled up!
Hahahah! Hahahaha Muahahahahaha!
The Elemental Jutsu: Water (Passive) skill has leveled up!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
"Sweetheart, are you okay up there?" My mother asked from down below.
"HAHA—eh? Oh yes fine mom! Doing great!" I looked down at my handiwork.
This was a lot of water though. The tub had almost completely filled up now, so I stopped the waterworks coming out of my hands.
Now how are my chakra levels?
Name: Haruno Sakura
Lvl. 9
Next lvl. 78.54%
Designation: The Gamer
Occupation: Academy Student
HP: 1800/1800
MP: 50/1400
Str: 10(+7)
Agi: 8(+4)
Cha: 9
Int: 18
Wis: 17(+3)
Luck: 3
Points:12
Description: Sakura is a young Konoha Academy student who excels in book learning and word problems. She has recently learned of her Gamer status, and is carefully optimistic on her prospects for the future.
Current state: Giddy, a bit scared now.
50?! Oh heck no I almost ran out just now! Didn't chakra exhaustion mean death or something? Or at least hospitalization! Nooo thank youu.
Note to self, training can be dangerous. ...That should have been obvious but moving on!
I don't feel any of the negative effects of chakra exhaustion though? Is that an effect of the Gamer's Body? If so, I should probably pay more attention to my stats in the future. Especially during fights.
Yikes. At least I found a good new training method that will last me.. however long.
Yup. Good enough.
An owl.
I was staring at an owl.
"This is my new friend Chobi. Say hi Chobi!" Ino said cheerily, the owl perched on her finger. It was brown, with white streaks running through to its white belly.
"Kree." The owl blinked with the same eyes as Ino. Green and pupil less. I don't know if that's cute or creepy.
"That's an owl." I replied dumbly.
"A pygmy owl! His name is Chobi."
"I heard." I shook myself out of it. "So this is your solution? A summons?"
Ino perked up at the mention. "Yup. The contract includes more than just Chobi here, but a whole host of owls! They can do anything from scouting, to genjutsu, to helping with my Mind Jutsu!"
Really. "Where did you pull this out of?"
She grinned cheekily. "My dad. He gave me the scroll when I asked him what else I could do aside from Mind Jutsu."
"So it's a Yamanaka summon then?" Chobi's head turned at an odd angle, then suddenly sprang back to its original position.
"Duh! Look at its eyes!"
"No thank you."
"Hmmph! You're just jealous I have a summon now and you don't!" She put her hand on her hips.
I mean not really. Just Naomi was plenty firepower for me already.
"He's so cool!" Naruto, who I hadn't noticed entering the Training Ground (I should really work on some kind of sensing skill. How did I miss Naruto?) cooed at it.
"Isn't he?" Ino showed him off to Naruto, clearly liking the praise. She turned up her nose in pride.
"Can I pet it?!" Naruto asked.
"Of course! Just be careful because— "
"Owowowowowowow! Your bird's attacking meee!" Naruto ran away from its pecks, Chobi steadily following it and taking jabs at his head.
"—Because he doesn't like being treated roughly." Ino pouted.
I sighed.
And thus, we spent the day training. When Naruto and I split off to work on the Clone jutsu, Ino started working on ways to effectively use her new summon. Getting kind of bored watching Naruto fail, my attention drifted to seeing what she was doing.
She was staring at her owl, unblinking. The owl was staring back. Yeah I've decided it's creepy. Probably some Yamanaka BSerry going on.
I could start training again. Gamer's Body meant that I hadn't really felt the exhaustion anymore, so I could go on perpetually. Thing is, that's booooring. I need mental stimulation! Doing the same exercises for 8 hours does not sound like a very interesting use of my time.
But then, what do? Maybe another skill I can work on? Okay. Let's open em' up then. Skills
Skills:
Gamer's Mind (Passive) lvl. Max: Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind. Immunity to psychological status effects.
Gamer's Body (Passive) lvl. Max: Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game.
Observe (Active) lvl. 5: Allows the user to see the stats of another person. Higher levels lead to more detail.
Basic Chakra Manipulation (Passive) lvl. 3: Able to form chakra by mixing spiritual and physical energy together. Allows for the use of jutsu. Modifier: +(lvl.) to Wis stat.
Bukijutsu (Passive) lvl. 2: Ability to use weapons, most commonly kunai and shuriken.
Substitution Jutsu (Active) lvl. 4: Allows the user to switch with an inanimate object to avoid an attack. Current MP use: 100 MP.
Acrobatics (Passive) lvl. 4: Ability to do flips, kicks, jumps, and more. Anything that requires you to move your body in an acrobatic way. Modifier: +(lvl.) to Agi stat.
Konoha Standard Taijutsu (Passive) lvl. 7: The basic taijutsu that every Konoha nin knows. It allows for punches, kicks, blocks, and most importantly, dodging in a three dimensional space. Modifier: +(lvl.) to Str stat.
Blind Maneuvering (Passive) lvl. 3: Allows the user to complete daily tasks without looking. At higher levels, combat starts becoming feasible entirely blind.
Summon Spirit (Active) Lvl. 1: Allows you to summon spirits you have formed contracts with and use their powers and assistance. Current spirits: Naomi (L, Storm)
Current MP use: 500 MP.
Elemental Jutsu: Water (Passive) lvl. 11: Allows for the use of water natured jutsu. Higher levels allow for more power, control, and jutsu. Modifier: -5%(+1 per lvl.) MP cost to Water Jutsu. Current: -16%
Overall, not great. Much better than a week ago at least. Everything except bukijutsu. Mmmmm. I did just buy me a brand new set of kunai and shuriken.
Ferb! I know what we're gonna do today!
I got my lazy butt off the ground and made my way over to the conveniently placed targets a bit away from the other two.
Taking some shuriken and kunai from my inventory, (sneakily) I threw one at the target. It
thunked about two rings away from the centre. Not bad, not bad. I did it again, again not getting too close to the center. Wait a minute, is that gonna happen all the time? I tried a few more throws and low and behold, all of them missed the centre by the exact same amount. I mean, really.
The Bukijutsu (Passive) skill has leveled up!
Oh convenient. I threw another one. It came closer to the second ring than the third one this time. ...Better.
And so, I just kept going at that for the next hour we had left.
The Bukijutsu (Passive) skill has leveled up!
The Bukijutsu (Passive) skill has leveled up!
At one point they just kept hitting the center so I took some more distance and tried again, prompting..
The Bukijutsu (Passive) skill has leveled up!
Yes.
I'm mad today. No seriously, I'm mad. Stats.
Stats
Name: Haruno Sakura
Lvl. 10
Next lvl. 03.49%
Designation: The Gamer
Occupation: Academy Student
HP: 2000/2000
MP: 1550/1550
Str: 14(+9)
Agi: 10(+10)
Cha: 9
Int: 18
Wis: 17(+5)
Luck: 3
Points:18
Description: Sakura is a young Konoha Academy student who excels in book learning and word problems. She has recently learned of her Gamer status, and is carefully optimistic on her prospects for the future.
Current state: Frustrated.
It's been a month. A MONTH! Other than some of my skills leveling up (and not even that much!) I hadn't made any progress at all!
I can't get anywhere like this no matter how hard I try! Everyone else is levelling up! Except me! Heck, Ino is Level 14 already!
So far, the only place I know I can get xp from is combat and quests. Combat is hard to come by without. You know. Starting a fight. And I don't get any xp from a win in a spar either! I gotta beat em' beat em. I tried going back to that wacky dungeon a few weeks ago only for it to say:
Rabbit-man Dungeon| Lvl.6 *Cleared*
And now I can't get in! Great! Then quests! Don't even get me started on quests! In a whole month the only thing I've gotten is: 'Help your mom with groceries,' 'clean your room,' 'rescue your stupid neighbors' cat from a tree!'
I'm sick of it! This game better gimme a real quest before I tear my hair out!
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh….
...On a more positive note, my Elemental Jutsu: Water (Passive) levelled up enough for me to actually start learning jutsu. Isn't that great.. Finally!
I'mma go to the library right now! And nothing's gonna stop me from—
"Sakuraaa! Can you come down here for a sec?" Dad asked from the hallway. Ah great.
"Coming!"
Racing down the stairs and into the seat at the kitchen I faced Kizashi with an impatient tapping of the foot. "Yes?"
He was just finishing up cleaning something from the counter when he turned around. "Umm. Your mom and I just wanted to tell you that we will be joining a trading caravan headed for Hot Springs about a week from now."
Sakura's parents, apparently, were merchants. Wealthy merchants, which really means they just owned stuff and made other people do the work, but under the current age's definition still merchants. Every so often they would make business trips to the Capital or to some other allied country. It seems next week would be one of those cases. That's during winter break. I smelled opportunity.
"You have.. ninja guards accompany you, right? Usually?"
He leaned back on the counter. "That's right. Just a genin team, nothing much. We're not going into especially dangerous territory."
"Can I come along? In fact, you don't need ninja. I'll be your guard." He started. "Please? Pretty please?"
Kizashi frowned. "Sakura… it's dangerous. We do encounter trouble sometimes, you know? I don't know if you can handle—"
I lifted up the table. With one hand. Then flipped it into the air, did a handstand and then balanced the grounded table on my foot.
The Acrobatics (Passive) skill has leveled up!
Nice. "Well?" Kizashi was dumbfounded.
"While that's.. very impressive, I'm afraid you just wouldn't be enough to—"
"I got this dad!" I flipped myself back into the chair, grabbing the table and putting it back where it belongs. "What's the worst I could face? Bandits? Pfttt." I blew the bangs out my face. I'd have to get those managed soon. Another new thing to deal with.
"But what if you end up having to.. take care of them?" He winced. Wow really.
"Dad. I'll be a ninja in five months! What do you think ninjas do?!" My arms spread in frustration. "Besides, I won't charge anything! You'll save money! And you know how much you love saving money!"
He mulled it over some in his head, but I knew as soon as I brought up money I had him. My parents were stingy like that. "Fine. But you're coming along this trip as if you're a hired ninja. This won't be a vacation. You're gonna put in the work, understand?"
I grinned. Victory. "Of course. We're taught proper procedure in the Academy. This'll be a cakewalk." Aaannd now for the kicker..
Quest Initalized.
[Side Quest] Defend your parent's caravan!
Description: Your parents are taking a business trip to discuss trade relations with a merchant's guild in Hot Springs! Protect their cargo and their personnel from Konoha and back again!
Success: 2000 exp. 30,000 ryo, Increased reputation with: Haruno Kizashi, Haruno Mebuki, Haruno Merchant's Insignia (uncommon)
Failure: Death of: Haruno Kizashi, Haruno Mebuki
Accept?
Y/N
Wow. No pressure or anything. Sure, I'll accept.
Y/N.
"Glad doing business with ya dad." I took his hand to shake it.
He reluctantly shook mine. "Wait till I tell your mother about this." He sighed.
Now. Finally! The library!
Water jutsu here I come! Let's see here..
I perused the ninjutsu aisle, sifting through all the scrolls to get through to the Water Release section. I picked up one of the scrolls at the beginning of the row. They were likely going to be the easier ones.
Eeny, meeny, miney, YOU!
Snatch!
Scroll for: Water Release: Wild Water Wave (common)
Would you like to learn this technique?
Y/N
Heck yes!
Y/N
The scroll started glowing, and then suddenly burst apart in a show of lights I'm not sure wasn't noticed by anyone else.
Through the consumption of a scroll, you have learned Water Release: Wild Water Wave (Active)
Water Release: Wild Water Wave (Active) lvl. 1: The user spews a steady stream of water out of their mouths to exert a strong pushing force onto a target. Current MP use: (100-20% =) 80 MP.
The knowledge really did just appear in my head. That's insane! I love it.
Though I am very lucky that was a copy, and not the only scroll they had. This is technically destruction of Konoha property….
Feeling bad, I only took another scroll which I was sure had plenty of copies lined up on the shelf.
Scroll for: Water Release: Water Whip (common)
Would you like to learn this technique?
Y/N
Yuppers.
Y/N
Through the consumption of a scroll, you have learned Water Release: Water Whip (Active)
Water Release: Water Whip (Active) lvl. 1: Allows for the user to form a chakra whip made out of water in their hands, offering more resilience and power than an ordinary whip. Current MP use: (120-20% =) 96 MP.
Awesome. Now, next!
Scroll for: Water Style: Water Prison Technique (uncommon)
Would you like to learn this technique?
Y/N
You already know!
Y/N
Through the consumption of a scroll, you have learned Water Style: Water Prison Technique (Active)
Water Style: Water Prison Technique (Active) lvl. 1: The user forms an orb of water around the target to trap them. The water pressure inside makes it hard for the subject to escape, and restricts easy breathing. Requires the user to maintain an arm inside the prison for maintenance of the technique. Current MP use: (200-20% =) 160 MP.
Genius! Keep going!
Scroll for: Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu (common)
Would you like to learn this technique?
Y/N
Do I even need to answer? Yess!
Cannot learn this technique.
Water Style Mastery Level: 20 required.
Really? And this scroll was more common too! What's my level at again?
Elemental Jutsu: Water (Passive) lvl. 15: Allows for the use of water natured jutsu. Higher levels allow for more power, control, and jutsu. Modifier: -5%(+1 per lvl.) MP cost to Water Jutsu. Current: -20%
15 eh. I'll get there eventually, I guess. Now for my stealthy exit from the crime scene…
Sneak sneak.