Disclaimer: I don't own either Naruto or One Punch Man. If I did, planning this story out wouldn't be nearly as difficult with so many loose ends still to be revealed.

Chapter 2 - The Village Hidden in the Leaves

"On October 10th, just a year after the conclusion of the devastating Third Shinobi War, Konoha experienced a night of chaos and despair unlike anything it could've imagined or prepared for.

From out of nowhere, a powerful force wreaked havoc on the village. In mere minutes, thousands of homes and buildings were crushed into dust. Under the direction of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, all of the shinobi present in the village valiantly held off the threat until it was ultimately defeated.

From the time the attack began to the defeat of the threat, it is estimated that over 30% of the population perished including the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who ultimately defeated the threat. Even after ten years since the incident, the village has yet to recover its population.

Each year on the night of October 10th, a memorial is done to remember and honor the shinobi who sacrificed everything to protect their homeland."

Child Emperor frowned as he reread the section of the book he was reading. "Why is this attack written so vaguely? In all of the previous wars and battles the adversaries were listed clearly but for this event, nothing."

He put the book down to the table next to his hospital bed and sighed. His face and body were covered in bandages and wrappings. For the past three days he has been getting treatment for his injuries at the hospital in Konoha. While incomparable to the level of technology and medical advancement found in his world, their use of the peculiar energy source known as chakra more than makes up for that difference.

The first evening stuck in the hospital was anything but relaxing. While Isamu is no stranger to being treated long-term at a hospital due to the nature of his job, the fact that he was in another world, planet, dimension, time, reality, or whatever rattled his nerves and occupied his waking thoughts for the entire night.

It wasn't until after he had reviewed and pondered over all of the possible theories and explanations that he decided that trying to reach a conclusive answer without knowing anything about the world he is stuck in is impossible. He needed some concrete information to work with.

So on the second day Child Emperor asked the nurse for some books and scrolls regarding the history, geography, and known science of the world. He had also asked her about chakra and how to use it but unfortunately anything more than what it is and what it could be used for is off-limits to 'civilians'.

To be frank, he doesn't even know if he has chakra or not. He knew that it is a mix of "physical and spiritual energies" that every living being has. There were theories on the existence of such energy back home in the form of ki but that had always been difficult to prove. He also knew that only those with extensive training in the ninja or samurai arts can utilize it fully but surely accessing just the energy itself shouldn't be too hard. He tried to tap into that internal energy deep within himself and for a moment thought he felt something swell…

Until a gut-wrenching feeling in his stomach told him otherwise. The nurse told him that he strained one of his internal wounds instead and thus may need an extra day to recover. Not one of his proudest moments.

'From the way the attack is written, it couldn't have been an enemy village or nation. The amount of casualties would've easily led to another war.' Isamu mused, pondering the history of the village he is located in. He figured that it would be standard for ninjas to hold a lot of classified information and that what is released to the population is extremely polished and limited. But why would they hide something that killed off nearly a third of the population?

'The threat is described in the singular, which indicates that it is a person or thing. Did a powerful criminal escape and tore apart the village? If so, why did they keep him in a prison anywhere near the area?

Then again, for the damage described in the attack, such a threat could very easily be attributed to a Dragon-level monster.' Isamu recalls the crater a certain monster left not too long ago which stretched for several kilometers. 'But if it is a monster, then it would make even less sense as to why they would hide it. They would be poorly prepared if another mysterious being of that capacity attacked.'

A knock on the door brought Isamu out of his pondering. He looked up to see Risa, his assigned medic-nin for his stay, carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming hot broth and a cup of tea. She wore a large white jacket with the symbol for doctor over the heart along with white leggings and a white bonnet covering most of her short black hair although a couple bangs peer through the front.

"Here is your lunch! I assume that you are learning a lot, Isamu-kun?" Risa asked as she placed the tray on the boy's lap.

"As much as I can. Thanks again for getting the books for me, Risa-chan." Isamu swirled a spoon into the broth and blew on it before taking a sip, the bold flavor of beef and peas filling his mouth. At least the food here is pretty edible. "Mind if I ask how old are you?"

Risa let out a small giggle. "Aren't you a bit young to be picking up women? Your doctor no less?"

"Wha… no! I am not asking because of that!" Isamu flustered, causing the woman to giggle even more. "I am asking since I read about an attack which happened to the village eleven years ago. I was just wondering whether or not you are able enough to remember what exactly happened."

Well, that shot the mood dead. Risa remained silent for a second, strongly contemplating her next words before letting out a deep breath. "Yes, I do remember what happened but it is best to not focus too much on that event. Something like that won't happen again."

Child Emperor frowned. 'She knows what and who did the attack but is refusing to clarify what. Is it because she thinks I am "too young" to handle the answer… or is it that she is unable to say? And what makes her so certain there won't be another threat of that scale?'

"Anyways, your recovery has been quite remarkable. I think you should be ready to leave by either tomorrow or the day after." Risa stated, driving the conversation back to something more comfortable and optimistic. "Hokage-sama would also like to have a meeting with you later this evening. Maybe you could ask him to enroll you in the academy so you could learn to access chakra correctly."

"Glad to hear. I am looking forward to the meeting. Thank you for your help these past few days." Child Emperor nodded as Risa left the room. He was unsure whether or not he should join the ninja academy. For one, he is a hero. He became one to help those who are unable to help themselves, to provide some peace and stability to the world so everyone can have a chance to unlock their full potential. Being an assassin or a gun for hire is the direct antithesis of that, nothing more than criminals who take away more from the world than they give.

However, he is curious about chakra and whether or not he could utilize it. The medical and military properties and abilities it enables of it would be revolutionary back home. If anyone can learn chakra, then you could be in the poorest parts of the world and a source of clean water, electricity, fire, and substantial medical care, just to name a small portion of the possibilities.

Is it worth putting aside some of his ideals to bring a much bigger benefit back home? What if he can't figure out a way back to begin with?

Isamu sighed as he continued to dig into his soup. Maybe his meeting with the God of Shinobi will help him determine the best course of action.

.

- Later that day, Hokage's Office -

When Child Emperor reached the doors to the Hokage's office, he wasn't really sure what to expect. Due to the abilities, feats, and reputation the books attributed to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the famed God of Shinobi, Isamu's predetermined image of the man was that of a towering, muscular individual with a scarred face intimidating enough to signify to everyone that he was the undisputed alpha among thousands of assassins.

However, once the two masked guards escorted him through the door of the office he was greeted with the sight of a tan-skinned elderly man adorning the red and white Hokage robes. He had three deep wrinkles under each of his eyes and a couple liver spots adorn his face. His desk was surrounded by several tall neatly-arranged stacks of paper.

If anything, he looked like an old man who stayed working a decade after retirement.

While it was not was not necessarily what Isamu was expecting, he knew far better than to underestimate someone who earned such a title. Not only did wearing the Hokage's robes and hat signify that the man in front of him was indeed the leader of the ninja village, but also Hiruzen reminded Child Emperor of Bang. The man, who despite being over eighty years old, is still the third highest ranking hero in the world. Isamu has seen the martial arts legend completely fodderized monsters that even some of the lower ranking S-Class heroes would have trouble taking out.

Never underestimate competent old men in a field dominated by the young.

"Ah Isamu-san, please have a seat. I hope you have had a pleasant stay at our hospital." Hiruzen greeted the boy, pointing towards the two chairs in front of him. Isamu bowed and sat down in front of the leader.

"Thank you Hokage-sama. The medic did an excellent job bringing me back to working condition." Isamu said curtly. "I am assuming you wanted this meeting to discuss what happened on the day that I arrived here, right?"

"Indeed. There is quite a lot I would like to go over." Hiruzen sighed, taking a drag from his pipe. "First, let's make sure we are both on the same page. Describe as much as you remember leading up to and following your arrival."

Child Emperor took a deep breath. He explained everything that occurred from his role as a hero for the Hero Association and the call for reinforcement, the fight between the two monsters, the sudden opening of the portal, and his encounter with the two missing-nin. Throughout the whole story he paid attention to the expressions given by Hiruzen but aside from a few brief instances of shock or perplexing, nothing disturbed his calm and focused demeanor for long.

Several seconds of silence passed before Hiruzen spoke again, contemplating the information he had just received. "I'd admit, if it wasn't for trust in Hayate and his patrol team in that area I would've had a very hard time believing in these events"

Child Emperor nodded, he himself had tested various means of determining whether or not he was in a dream during the past few days. "To be honest, I wouldn't blame you either. However, rest assured that I gave my account of these events to the fullest extent of my memory."

"Of course." Hiruzen chuckled, putting the pipe down on his desk. "You stated that when you exited this portal you found that the equipment inside your backpack malfunctioned. From your statements, you said you don't know how to utilize chakra yet you were able to carry several weapons and tools inside it without the use of storage seals. Care to elaborate?"

Isamu glanced over to his backpack. When he retrieved it from the hospital storage room he knew that someone tampered with it, as evident by the laptop being placed incorrectly in its pouch. He didn't necessarily blame the village for doing so; he would be even more concerned if they let a foreign entity come inside with an extra large pack without a basic security check. He would've appreciated if they at least let him know they were going to do a security check on his stuff.

Fortunately, none of the weapons, equipment, or drones stored via the pack's compression tech had been disturbed. Whoever investigated the pack either assumed that the rest of the pack was one giant piece of metal or they had absolutely no idea what they were looking at if they had some sort of x-ray vision or scanner.

'I am assuming the Hokage wants to analyze what I have and assess my threat level. It won't do good to show everything even if most of it is useless; I need to have some secrets of my own to leverage. Showing him a couple of things, however, might garner enough trust to allow me to stay in the village without too much issue.' Isamu mused. He grabbed a pin with a small handle from one of the backpack straps and held the pack in front of him. Isamu mostly used the tool in the past to manually open portions of the pack when needed during repairs.

"Most certainly, Hokage-sama. While everything is indeed not in working order, let me show you some of what I have built." Child Emperor tore open a piece of fabric on the bottom of the pack and unscrewed a small pouch as three black balls dropped to the floor. As soon as they hit the ground they unraveled into anthropomorphic robot dogs. While two of them fell over immediately to the ground, Isamu held one up in front of Hiruzen. "These are three of my Underdog Man bots. Built to withstand and deal a considerable amount of damage, they are capable of autonomously performing orders and relaying combat data as long as they are within distance of a computer I control."

Hiruzen widened his eyes as he analyzed the drone, as well as the two on the floor. If what the child said is true, then these tools alone could save plenty of shinobi lives, whether by acting as scouts before a fight, infiltrating a base before an attack, or even replacing squads entirely depending on how long they can remain operational. Such utility would make even the puppet masters of Sunagakure pale in comparison .

"I see… and what do you need to make these working again?"

Isamu opened up a section of the drone to check its hardware. "I currently can't give an accurate estimate. Several components are bent and damaged to the point of needing a complete replacement. The same is most likely true for most of my other gadgets. However, I do think that the data can be recovered and reused. Once I get a stable source of income and have a better idea of what materials and computer chips cost in this world then I will be able to give a decent estimate."

Hiruzen nodded. Any requests for the creation of such equipment would have to wait until he can confirm that they indeed work. "Understood. You also mention that your backpack itself is a weapon capable of transformations. Are you able to provide an example?"

'Isamu used the pin to reset the drones into their small balls and placed them in his pocket. Putting on his backpack and stepping several feet back, he placed the pin into the side of the pack prompting several connected blades, drills, pinchers, and other weaponry to burst out in front of him. He pushed the pin further but nothing else came forth. Yet another broken element. He sighed as he faced the Hokage who appeared unfazed by the weapons pointed at him. "This is the short-ranged transformation of the pack. When activated, the weapons autonomously attack any adversary the pack detects without needing to actively control it. There are some more weapons which were included in this form but they most likely broke off before I was transported and is thus conflicting with the compressing tech."

Hiruzen eyes widened. 'So that's why the Hyuuga agent was so unnerved with the backpack… Combining the use of both this tech and storage seals could exponentially multiply the carrying capacity of every shinobi. It is best to keep the boy in Konoha. Any other village would not allow such innovation to stay within his own control.' Hiruzen prompted Isamu to put away the weapons facing him. "I am impressed by your handiwork. While the technology you utilize is admittedly far beyond our current capabilities, I do believe there are some techniques we have which can greatly increase your abilities."

Child Emperor bowed as he reset his backpack back to its standard state. Whatever techniques the Hokage suggested would most definitely involve some use of chakra to be able to match with his tech. Yet another reason to stay in the village for a bit to learn how to utilize it. "That would be much appreciated, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen nodded. "We can continue this conversation at a more suitable time. I do have one more question before we close this meeting…" He took a drab on his pipe as he went over the mental notes he made. "You said that the monster you fought was taken through the portal before you did. When you landed, did you see any signs of this beast?"

Isamu shook his head. "Unfortunately no. I did not see any tracks of the monster near my landing, either. It could still be somewhere in the Land of Fire, it could be somewhere else in this world or perhaps even in another dimension or time.. I currently have no means of determining what happened."

"I see…" Hiruzen sighed, making a mental note to increase the amount of patrol teams around Konoha for the next couple of weeks and have them watch for any signs of a giant sapient rat. As if several of his ranks think he hasn't gone senile already. "In your world so to speak, are you certain that this particular being didn't activate the portal?"

Child Emperor paused for a second. He had asked that question to himself numerous times during the past few days but he can't think of any possible situation which could cause that to happen. "I am positive. It did not have any equipment or abilities which would enable him to manipulate space-time especially while it was directly within my grasps. It also seemed shocked as well that the portal occurred which further indicates that the monster is not the cause of it."

"Then this would imply that a third party may have interfered in your situation." Hiruzen added.

Isamu contemplated the suggestion. "That seems to be the most likely cause. While naturally forming wormholes are theoretically possible, the fact that it occurred right as I was about to obtain information from the monster indicates there was someone or something else there and that it has been at the location for a while."

For a couple seconds both of them became quiet as the situation stuck in. "What is stopping that third party from sending more heroes or even some of these monsters over?" Hiruzen asked tentatively.

Child Emperor sighed as he held his chin and thought for a moment. "It depends on how often that particular entity can utilize that power. Furthermore, if there are enough missing heroes I am sure the Hero Association would use their fullest capabilities to investigate the matter and catch this entity." Isamu answered, though not fully trusting his statement. He knew the organization had been on a steady decline in citizen support due to their difficulty in handling the surge in monster activity. Losing a large amount of heroes too quickly may be the death knell for the organization. However, because of that, it should motivate them to deal with the situation quickly.

"Although, if there is a way to get back from here it would make the situation a lot easier. Do you happen to know of a technique or method like that?" Child Emperor asked, hoping that there is a framework to work off of to get back home.

Hiruzen shook his head. "Unfortunately no. While there are several methods and techniques which employ space-time elements, they are very limited to specific circumstances. However, because of this unique situation I don't believe it is entirely impossible for one to be created."

Child Emperor frowned. On one hand there is a basis for the use of chakra in space-time manipulation and thus there is some sort of chance to figure out a way back. On the other hand, it seems that it takes near mastery over the power enough to even crack the surface. Who knows how long that might take? Relying on the Hero Association to figure out what happened and crack the tech sounds just as far fetched if not more so.

And if this theoretical third party can catch enough heroes off guard and send them through the portal, would there even be an Association left? It is not even guaranteed it will send them to the same world…

That leaves the only option of taking matters into his own hand. He needs to master chakra as soon as possible and create a way back home. He made thousands of inventions back home, creating some more here shouldn't be too much trouble.

"Alright. What do I need to do to learn ninjutsu?" Child Emperor inquired. At this, Hiruzen smiled.

"To begin learning ninjutsu, you must learn how to properly mold chakra. From the abilities and wisdom you have displayed so far, I believe I can send you to an advanced class in the Academy."

Isamu wasn't pleased at going back to school. For most of his life he was always the smallest and youngest student in class which often separated him from his classmates and it seems like it will be the same this time around. Plus, he isn't exactly thrilled with the prospects of being a ninja. Even though they mostly served as a police and military force in this world, there is no doubt a plethora of shady actions that goes on underneath the public image.

However, the Hokage seemed to be genuine in his efforts to protect the village much like how Child Emperor protects his home city. Furthermore, the aging leader did not make any effort to force him to give up any schematics or technology, or at least not yet. While most of it could be an act, Isamu has a feeling based on the books he read that any of the other villages would've probably handled his presence far more aggressively. If he was going to be stuck in this world and figure a way back home, Konoha is the most optimal place for now.

As for being a ninja, as long as he can avoid the more morally absent assignments and stay true to his beliefs, then it shouldn't be too much of an issue. How hard would that be?

"What's the soonest I can graduate and head off into the field?" Child Emperor asked. The sooner he can get out of academy, the sooner he can access the resources only available to shinobi and hopefully get some clues. Hiruzen took out a thick ledger from one of the large stacks of books and flipped through some pages.

"There is a class that recently got a spot open. They will be graduating in three months. Will you be able to handle the course load in that amount of time?"

"Certainly." Child Emperor said without stalling. From what he read while back at the hospital, the Academy is a four year program where prospective students continue their academic studies while learning the basics of the ninja arts, specifically taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. Aside from perhaps some details in history and geography, he only has to focus on ninjutsu and genjutsu in order to pass. Taijutsu is pretty much martial arts which he already had extensive knowledge on. "When can I start?"

"Since I already have a note from your medic stating that you are fit for minor exercise, all that needs to be done is to enroll you to the system. You can come to class this Monday without issue. Is there a clan or family name you possess?"

Isamu paused. He never really had a permanent family name. From his earliest memories he has been moving between orphanages adopting different last names until one of his headmasters noticed his prodigal learning capabilities and then placed him into an accelerated learning program. He sped through grade school in just a few years while inventing various gadgets and toys for his enjoyment.

He briefly worked for Dr. Boifoi, the now legendary hero Metal Knight, which inspired him to become one as well but he never really had much of an intimate relationship with the genius. The man steadily grew colder and distant the more he interacted with the Hero Association and eventually coerced Isamu to work on his own and seek his true strength. Using his mentor's name felt off. Isamu can't put a finger on it, but he would rather carve his own path forward than still relying on other people.

If there is ever a chance there are other heroes in this world in the future, there needs to be a way for them to recognize him. There was the traditionalized version of his hero name, Dotei, which is the name of a child emperor from legends. This world and his home don't share the same mythology so only those from home should be able to recognize the reference.

"Dotei. Isamu Dotei." He said, accepting the new alias he will be donning.

"Very well, Dotei-san." Hiruzen jotted some notes down on a small scroll and then pulled out a pair of keys from a drawer in his desk. "I take it that you would need a place to stay once you are released from the hospital. Follow the road to the south east gate, the scroll will detail which apartment you will stay at for the time being."

'Well, that takes care of the housing issue. Hopefully there is enough room for a small lab.' Child Emperor bowed as he retrieved the scroll and keys. "Much appreciated, Hokage-sama. Is there anything else to discuss before I head out?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "No. I believe we covered everything needed from the reports. Everything spoken here must stay in this room. If you do pass the Academy exam, please see me again, I have some things which may interest you. Aside from that, welcome to Konoha."

The Hokage watched as Isamu got escorted out of the room. Once the door closed he leaned back in his chair and sighed. His decades of experiences tells him that a situation as out of context as this will not die down with a whisper. All he can do is ensure that it doesn't blow up and take everyone out with it. 'Damn it Minato, you are gone far too early.'

.

- Two Days Later, Streets of Konoha -

Walking through Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves, Child Emperor determined that this place was very poorly hidden. Even the term 'village' is quite misleading; it would be more accurate to call Konoha a major town or even a minor city.

Then again, this is a ninja village. Misdirection and disinformation are their bread and butter.

While the size of the village is nothing compared to any one of the sprawling metropolises back home, Konoha is still very much a bustling urban center. Hundreds of people pass by him on the main roads as they go about their business. A jewelry merchant on a corner calls out to passing crowds about his wares. A group of children gleefully runs out of a sweets shop hands full with candy. Couples walking hand in hand visiting various restaurants and stores.

If Isamu ignored the occasional shinobi jumping between rooftops he could almost convince himself that he was in a historical district of a popular tourist spot rather than in a village run by some of the most dangerous people in the world.

"Oy brat! Get back here! I swear I will rip you to shreds once I get my hands on you!"

Child Emperor experienced a brief moment of agitation before realizing that the voice wasn't directed at him. He looked up to see three shinobi with red fang markings on their faces running alongside three oversized dogs across the rooftops.

The source of their ire? A kid with spiky blonde hair donning an orange hoodie and pants. He was covered head to toe in green dust as he zoomed past the view of several dozen onlookers.

"HAHAHA. You should see the dumb look on your faces! You will never be able to catch me! Never! Believe it!" The kid cackled loudly as he dashed from roof to roof. Not far behind, a group of cats were also vehemently chasing him.

Surprisingly, the kid seems to be outrunning both the ninjas and the animals.

'Well… that was something.' Isamu sweatdropped as he watched the group disappear from view. 'I wonder what he got himself into…'

Where was he going again? Oh right, to the library to prepare for the ninja academy. After he got released from the hospital and found his apartment, Child Emperor spent a day dismantling his backpack and planning out exactly what he needed to remodel it and how much money he needed to save to get the necessary supplies.

While the Hokage was generous enough to give him a sizable portion of the bounties on the two missing-nins he helped defeat, it still would only last approximately four months to cover rent and food. Probably even less since he might end up purchasing some tools and materials to start making repairs.

Either way, he wasn't going to use the pack for a while. All he got to defend himself is his body and whatever he can get his hands on, and right now, he needs to get his hands on some books. He figured that whatever the academy taught would be public knowledge since apparently many students won't end up becoming ninjas.

After several minutes maneuvering across the village, Isamu found himself in front of a two-story stone building with the sign 'Konoha Library' etched next to the door. The interior of the library was essentially one massive room occupied by dozens of full bookshelves which stretched towards the ceiling. Several tables dotted the open area in front of the shelves though most of which remained unused. Aside from the three library staff organizing the shelves, the two shinobi occupying a table in the corner, and a handful of patrons, the building was mostly empty.

The only person in the building close to his age was a pink haired girl with a red dress sitting alone at one of the smaller tables. Several books and scrolls laid haphazardly around her as she scribbled away on a scroll.

'I wonder if she is from the academy. If so, she may be useful in getting some material down early.' Isamu mused as he made his way towards her. As he got closer to the table, she stopped writing and gazed over him with inquisitive emerald eyes. "Hey there! Just curious, would you happen to attend the Academy?"

The girl paused for a moment, most likely unused to being approached by someone. "I do… though I haven't seen you around before. New student?"

Isamu nodded. "Pretty much. I will be starting classes tomorrow so I figured I might as well try to gain a contact so that I don't go in completely blind." He extended a hand outwards. "My name is Isamu by the way."

The girl tentatively shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, I am Sakura. You look like you would be in a class under me though if you are trying to scout out for classmates."

Isamu shrugged as he took a seat next to her. "That would be a good guess, but the class I got placed in will graduate in three months. I am assuming that means we would be in the same year."

Sakura's eyes widened as she gazed over the boy again. He was a head shorter than her and looked like one of the kids just starting their first year at the academy. The class graduating in a couple months is a whole year ahead of her. "No, that's the class ahead of me. Are you sure you are telling the truth or are you trying to impress me?"

Isamu sighed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. It was a note an assistant from the Hokage Tower gave him to give to any staff or teacher at the Academy to verify his name and class. "The Hokage just placed me in the highest class since I already mastered most of the academics. I just need to get the hang of chakra and some other details of… this place." He caught himself from saying 'this world.' That might open up another can of worms he was not in the mood to deal with. He allowed Sakura to read over the note before putting it back into his pocket. "Anyways, it looks like they are giving you a substantial amount of work to complete."

Sakura shrugged as she flipped through the book she was working from. "Not really. I tend to get my work done quickly and get the day to myself however Monday is a big test for my class. I heard the graduating class has far more work to do plus preparing for the exams. Are you sure you are not overloading yourself?"

Isamu let out a smile. He had been overloading himself for as long as he can remember. Probably not as healthy in the long run, but at least now it is just whatever the school will throw at him instead of adding both hero work and research obligations. "I can manage. Got any ideas what their final exam will test?"

Sakura thought for a moment. "From what I recall… there is a comprehensive written portion covering the academics, a taijutsu kata recitation, a kunai and shuriken accuracy test, and the three basic jutsu: transformation, body replacement, and the basic clone"

Isamu made a mental note as she went over each. The written portion and the taijutsu kata would be a breeze. The weapons test would be interesting as he had never thrown kunai or really anything enough to be accurate yet, not when guns and missiles are a dime a dozen and far more effective. It is something he will need to spend some time practicing.

As for the jutsu, well, he doesn't even know how to utilize chakra yet. Maybe this Sakura girl can help with that.

"Thanks for the info. You seem to know quite a lot about what is going on." Isamu stated as she slightly blushed. "So, how do you use chakra anyways? I have tried to channel it earlier but… let's just say it didn't go as planned."

Sakura giggled. "Yeah, it can be a bit difficult if you just read it for the first time but eventually you get the hang of it. Here, let me help." She leaned over Isamu's head and used her finger to trace the outline of his hair.

"Uhhh…" Isamu started, feeling her soft fingers running through his hair. " What exactly are you doing?"

"Oh sorry. Knowing the direction your hair grows will make it easier to spin and channel your chakra. Typically I could tell just by looking but your hair is an absolute mess."

Isamu face-faulted. His hair wasn't that bad, it was just that he figured his hair looked fine on its own without much brushing. It only took a couple more seconds before Sakura was able to determine the orientation. "Alright, I think I got it now. Sorry about that. Now, try to follow what I am doing. It may not work the first time or even for the next couple days but it should give you a good idea what to feel for."

Sakura clasped her hands together with the exception of her middle and index fingers. "First, form your hands like so. This is called the Tiger sign and it is one of the twelve basic hand signs. This will help better control the flow of chakra throughout your body, especially if you've never done this before."

Isamu formed his hands into the sign. Initially, he had doubts about the effectiveness of hand signs. However, the still stinging burns on his legs were proof that they did work. He might as well continue following the instructions and see where they go.

"Good. Now close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths. As you are doing so, there should be a warm sensation in your abdomen. Try to find it and feel it flow throughout your body." Sakura instructed.

'Ah, so it's similar to meditating.' He thought as he closed his eyes and took slow, methodical breaths. He was hesitant on feeling any sensation similar to the incident at the hospital but as he focused internally, he felt something different.

A stream of warm energy flowing from his gut to the rest of his body. His heart beat stronger, his blood coursed faster, his mind became clear as his perceptions sharpened under this rushing energy. He felt the energy pool around his hands, intermingling between his fingers and forming a pattern back into his system, coursing faster and warmer than previously.

He never felt as active, as ready, as alive as he had now.

Sakura was a bit surprised when she saw Isamu's facial expression change into intense focus. She couldn't see or feel his chakra as the exercise isn't meant to focus the energy to that extent, but she knew that he could feel its effects. It was the same expression many of her classmates made when they finally got it down the first time the instructors taught them how to channel chakra. Typically it would take a student a couple hours to a week to be able to channel it properly. She was the only one in her class to do so on the first try.

"That flow you are feeling is chakra. It is formed by the physical energy collected from your cells and the spiritual energy from your consciousness. That warm sensation in your gut is where most of it is stored to be processed throughout the body." She lectured, eyeing Isamu's facial expressions as he focused the chakra inside of him. "Your hair grows clockwise which means your body is more inclined to spin it around in that direction. Try making the chakra spin faster in your gut."

Child Emperor nodded and attempted to stabilize the chakra coursing through his body. He focused on the large sphere of chakra churning in his stomach. It took just a couple seconds for him to get used to concentrating on the energy and control its movement. He packed it into a smaller area and slowly spun it around clockwise. He felt more and more energy build up in him at an accelerated pace until the spiral he formed grew increasingly unstable.

It took an extensive amount of effort to keep it going for another minute before he lost control and fell backwards towards his chair. Sweat poured from his brow as he breathed heavily, his body feeling very dehydrated from the exercise.

Sakura tossed him a canteen of water. "Wow, you held on quite long for your first try! You might be able to develop some really good chakra control if you keep practicing."

Isamu leaned forward and downed a few gulps of the water. "Thanks. I take it that this exercise was more for building up chakra for a technique. Is it typical for chakra to feel so hot when running it through the system?"

"That's a good assessment. Shinobi typically do this exercise to build up chakra before a major jutsu. Most of the time you don't need to do so for long as most jutsu require far less chakra. With practice you can do this without a seal and much quicker." Sakura leaned the side to reach into her bag and grab a notebook. "The chakra only feels hot because we used the Tiger seal which is often used to develop fire jutsu."

Isamu nodded as he felt the energy in his body slowly return to normal, except now he can feel the subtle sensation of chakra flowing throughout him. The fight against the two missing-nin came to mind, the near-death experiences of nearly being roasted alive by that huge fireball or being skewered by spikes rising from the earth. Just how powerful this energy inside of him can be? Can it be augmented even further with the right technology? What is the furthest he can go from here? Even the sky seemed to be too small of a limit.

"You know, you're a pretty good teacher." Isamu stated, causing the girl to blush at the rare compliment. "It would've taken me considerably longer to figure this out on my own from how the books explained it. I take it that you are the top of your class?"

"Ah… thanks. I am often told that I have the most book smarts in my class, but that is not the only thing tested for." Sakura sighed. "I am nowhere near the top of my class. That position goes to Sasuke-kun. He is like, the best ninja in the entire school. Not only is he incredibly powerful and really smart, he is also sooooo handsome."

Child Emperor sweatdropped as he saw Sakura clasped her hands together and swooned. Being one of the highest ranking heroes, he had more than enough of his share of fangirls. While many of them follow and adore him for his 'cuteness,' something he despises vehemently, he is even more disturbed that there are women old enough to be his mom obsessed with him. He often wondered how popular attractive heroes such as Stinger, Lightning Max, and especially Sweet Mask managed to remain sane with their following. "Uhh, Sakura, you're alright? Don't want to lose you now."

Sakura blinked. "Whoops. Sorry about that." She handed him the notebook she was holding. "I can help you out more with controlling chakra another time. For now, I got to make sure I pass the test tomorrow. Maybe you can help me study? It will also give you some idea of what is being taught, even if it is from a class underneath yours."

Isamu flipped through the notebook which was filled with delicately handwritten notes and diagrams. Most of the content is familiar to him and he had plenty of experience tutoring his much older classmates back when he was mostly attending classes. The topics regarding chakra theory and ninjutsu, well, he can figure them out with enough logic and deduction. "Sure, would be good to catch up anyways. Just tell me what you would like to focus on and we can get started."

.

- Next Day, Konoha Academy -

Child Emperor didn't know why he was feeling slightly nervous as he walked through the gates into the courtyard packed with students. Unlike attending university courses back home, here he is not sticking out like a sore thumb by being the youngest and smallest student present. He looked like any of the hundreds of kids around him. He should be able to fit in.

Then again, he wasn't from around here. The students here are being taught to be ninjas, effective killing machines for the village. There are kids here who are born into clans and are raised from birth to adopt and live the shinobi life. He had made a career of stopping and eliminating monsters and criminals, including ninjas. Even though he doubted if any of the students here could pose a threat to him, he still felt as if he was being thrown head first into the lion's den. He was on edge, he had never felt this tense since he had been introduced into the Hero Association, when he felt the constant need to prove himself worthy of being there despite his age.

But, why does he feel as if he needs to prove himself now? It is not like he felt any desire to become a ninja. He only wanted to gain as much access to the resources needed to figure out a way out of this place. Maybe that was the cause? That if he failed here he would be stuck here forever? That was absurd, there are always multiple ways to solve a problem, especially of this magnitude. This was just the most convenient way. Thinking about that, however, still didn't calm him nerves much.

Isamu sighed as he looked at his watch. Still fifteen minutes before he had to be in his classroom. Not enough time to try to make a contact… as if he could in this environment. Everyone already seemed to be in their own groups and cliques. Unlike his brief period in high school, it doesn't seem likely he could weasel his way into a geek group or engineering club.

'Where is Sakura?' Isamu wondered as he scanned the yard for the only person he knew attending the school. 'It shouldn't be too hard to locate someone with pink hair, it doesn't look like a common hair color even in this world…'

After a couple minutes standing off in a corner, he eventually spotted the familiar girl passing through the gate along with a blonde girl in purple. The two girls butted heads against each other as they walked through the yard.

"You totally won't be able to beat my score in this exam, Ino-pig." Sakura growled, pushing her head into Ino. "Once Sasuke-kun sees that I made the top grade, he will be all over me."

"Oh puh-lease forehead-chan. Since when has he noticed you?" Ino snorted, pushing back against her rival. "Once I beat your score and beat you again at sparring, he will know that I am the one for him!"

"Good luck with that. You've never beaten my grades and will never end up in Sasuke-kun's arms. He would never want to carry a pig around anyways." Sakura pushed ever further, a spark appearing between her and Ino's eyes.

"He would never want a girl with as fat of a forehead as you!"

The two girls growled at each other until Sakura noticed Isamu staring at the two. She pushed Ino away and walked towards him.

"Ah Isamu! Sorry you had to see that. Ino-pig was being annoying again." Sakura stated, which earned a bemused look from her rival. "Thanks for helping me out yesterday, it was fun having someone around for once."

Child Emperor smiled and scratched the back of his head. "No problem, I should be thanking you as well. Were you able to get through that last section after the library closed?"

Sakura nodded as Ino smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "Ohoh! I didn't know you had a thing for younger dudes, forehead-chan. I wonder what Sasuke-kun would think that you were going after other guys."

Sakura glared at the blonde. "One, he is a friend, Sasuke-kun is still mine. Two, since when has Sasuke-kun ever listened to a thing you say?"

"Like he ever listens to you to begin with!" Ino laughed, earning a tick mark from Sakura. Just as the two were about to butt heads again, they were interrupted by a large commotion happening near the front gates. A group of at least a couple dozen squealing girls were surrounding a boy with spiky black hair wearing a high collar navy blue shirt and white shorts. He paid them not a single ounce of attention as he walked through the yard and towards the now open doors of the academy building.

"Out of my way, forehead! Sasuke-kun needs my motivation before his test!" Ino rushed towards the group, pushing Sakura to the side.

"Damnit Ino, you'd just make things worse!" She yelled out. Before she followed the competitor to her crush, she turned towards Isamu. "I've got to go. Let's meet up again later today!"

Child Emperor nodded as he watched her blend into the mob of fangirls surrounding the object of their affection. 'That Sasuke guy bears a strong resemblance to Stinger… except smaller. He probably smiles far less often too, can't say I blame him.'

He glanced down at his watch again. Seven minutes left. He might as well head inside and navigate his way to the classroom. Being late is never a good first impression.

Author's Note: Woooo! Another chapter! Hope you all enjoyed this one.

Sorry for the delay, finals week sent my writing schedule out of whack. I have been planning out the plot and so far I like what is being developed. Things are going to get very interesting as things move along.

Also, I am very pleased with the initial reception of this fic. Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Critiques are welcomed.

See ya in the next chapter!