Chapter 3
Training for the Graduation Exam
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Amari shouted.
Kurenai watched closely from the shadows as clones began appearing. One turned to two, two turned to four, four turned to ten. Her eyebrows rose in shock as her eyes continued to dart from one clone to the next. Ten turned into fifteen, fifteen turned into twenty-five.
The red eyed Jōnin could barely believe her eyes. She knew her daughter set out to find out how many clones she could create at full chakra, but this was beyond her expectations. Adult Jōnins like herself would be lucky to even maintain ten strong clones simultaneously, but twenty-five corporeal clones without incredibly diminished strength?
She's really developed her chakra control over the last two years. Any normal twelve year old could only dream of pulling this off, but not Amari. Her drive to become a shinobi was stronger than any of her class, and her goal to one day face Kasai kept her dialed in on her number one priority: training to become stronger than him.
She wasn't done yet, though. Twenty-five turned to thirty-three, thirty-three increased to forty-nine, forty-nine jumped to sixty-two. A few seconds of stilled silence passed then Amari dropped her hand sign and bent forward at her waist like a hinge to rest her hands on her knees as she panted from exhaustion.
Kurenai found herself staring at her adopted daughter in a bit of awe and thoughtfulness. Incredible. Two years ago she was severely underweight, barely able to use Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu and struggling to find her feet. This feat, this amazing feat shows just how far she has come since we found her in that forest. A proud smile pulled onto her lips. Amari, you've grown so much in the last two years. But you're not done yet, are you? This last week of learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu shows how much potential resides within you. I know you weren't trying to achieve one hundred thousand, but sixty-two is just as impressive.
I'm proud of you.
Thankfully Amari was fully aware of the dangers of using too much chakra and promised to not push too far when using this jutsu. Pouring every sliver of your chakra into a jutsu did not mean the jutsu would be successful; using too little would, at best, end in failure without major consequences. In this case, to create real clones the user had to distribute their chakra evenly between them for the clones to be a success, otherwise the clones wouldn't work or the overuse of chakra would kill the user.
Neither of which were an ideal situation in any circumstance.
If Amari was stopping now it was because she knew she couldn't distribute her chakra any further without risking her life or a failed clone. When it comes to chakra control, Amari is leagues ahead of her classmates. Despite that fact, Amari still needed to work with it, but that was a training session they would discuss later. Right now Kurenai wanted her to revel in her ability to create sixty-two solid clones.
"Only…sixty-two," Amari panted. "I can do more…I know I can."
Eventually, maybe, but Kurenai was positive this was her limit. Any chance of creating more would require finer tuned chakra control or several more years of training to increase her reserves. There was no real sense in increasing the number outside of pride, which Amari did battle with from time to time.
The only use she would have in using this many clones at once would be intimidation—that was about it. Creating this many clones drained her chakra significantly, which meant she wouldn't be able to maintain them for long in a combat scenario. Once the clones were gone, she would be vulnerable to attack.
At best she would have a minute before it became too much to maintain, though that was being generous. In the end she would collapse from chakra exhaustion. But, the red eyed Jōnin thought, if she masters controlling her chakra, she could use at least ten clones without feeling exhausted. She would be able to keep the jutsu active for a longer time and overwhelm lower ranked shinobi.
Amari let out a deep breath and stood up straight. "Just not right now. I've used too much chakra. I need to rest."
Kurenai smiled. Good, she's aware of her limit.
Amari's announcement of being at her limit, much to her shy dismay, led to all of her clones starting to cheer and high-five each other. Kurenai watched with an amused smile as the real Amari's cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she shyly tried to scold her copies. None of them listened. They kept letting out whoops and cheers, showing her real excitement over her achievement even though she wasn't willing to show it herself. Modest even when she has every reason to be cheering with them.
This was an impressive achievement.
Impressive as it was, Kurenai couldn't stop a pensive look from pulling onto her features. Still, this is no longer just a Shadow Clone Jutsu. This is the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, an A-Rank Jutsu in the Scroll of Sealing…and she even changed her handseal. A small smirk pulled onto her lips. Only one person that could have taught her that. Isn't that right, Kakashi?
Seemed Kakashi had more interest in Amari's growth than he pretended to have. Not that she blamed him for his interest. This girl, her daughter, was something special.
I'll have to inform the Hokage that she has learned this jutsu.
Kurenai turned to leave from her where she was watching, which was far enough away that Amari couldn't sense her or see her without her Byakugan, only to turn into both Iruka and the Hokage himself. How long the pair had been there was unknown to her, having been far too engrossed in witnessing her daughter's ability than she was to her surroundings.
"Lord Hokage," she bowed, "I was just coming to speak with you."
Lord Third nodded and motioned to Amari in the distance with a small dip of his head. "I can see why." Kurenai looked back to the clones and smiled as she saw Amari's clones in the process of giving their original a huge group hug. She didn't even need to see the blush to know that her daughter was red as a tomato. "She has mastered an A-Rank jutsu in a week just as she promised. I am very impressed, as well as worried," the Hokage said in a stern tone.
Worried? Kurenai raised an eyebrow in question. Hearing that Lord Third was worried over her daughter's safety activated her protective instinct instantaneously. "Worried about her hurting herself or of someone hurting her?" she inquired. She understood that her daughter was pushing herself to her limits and how dangerous it was, but if someone was targeting her daughter she wanted to know.
Her daughter was in possession of two very special eyes that certain individuals were willing to kidnap or kill her for just to have them…and Kurenai would not stand idly by and let any harm come to her as long as she had breath in her body. Anyone who dared to threaten her life would learn the meaning of pain.
"I always worry over someone else hurting her, but for now I am simply worried about Amari hurting herself."
That was a relief, enough of one to make her exhale a soft, relieved sigh. For now her daughter was still safe in Konoha, and Kurenai hoped it would remain that way for the years to come.
The Hokage stared thoughtfully out at Amari. "She seems to know her limits, but if she pushes herself too far in an attempt to push Naruto, she may end up hurting herself physically or emotionally."
He was right, of course. Amari may have stated that she understood that her limit could be far below what she thought it would be, but that didn't mean she wouldn't feel disappointed. The kids won't be able to make fun of her for not reaching that goal considering she achieved more than they thought was possible, but that won't stop any of the cruel kids from berating her anyway.
Amari was fragile when it came to handling people verbally assaulting her for being so shy or for not acting as the other girls in her class did. It only grew worse when she started surpassing boys and girls alike. None of them understood her or her drive. Boys were too focused on being cool, girls were too focused on boys and looking beautiful.
The Nara didn't care for any of that. She wanted to be a better ninja. She wanted to be strong so she could not only defeat Kasai, but so she could protect the people she cared about.
Even though there was a group of girls that constantly called Amari unpleasant names, Kurenai believed those girls were only serving to make her little shadow stronger. She took on whatever pain she was given and she responded by becoming better and stronger than the others.
She was the top rookie kunoichi this year; this was proof of that right now as far as Kurenai was concerned.
Taking into consideration the bullies Amari dealt with and her level of skill, it would be easy to assume she would grow arrogant and closed off to everyone else. Such an assumption would be false, however. While Amari did have far more confidence now than when she arrived, she did not treat anyone like they were lesser than her. She was kind and respectful to those who were the same to her and used the skill level of all her fellow students as a challenge to become the best.
Her challenge with Naruto to create an impossible amount of clones was part of that.
"Do you think it worked? Pushing Naruto I mean?" Kurenai asked. Pushing Naruto to pass the exam was the core of Amari's goal, but she couldn't know for certain if it was working without spying on him.
Amari won't stand for Naruto flunking the exam, she thought, glancing over to her daughter. She'll take it upon herself to find some way help him pass if the worst happens. Shy as her daughter was, when it came to something important to her she didn't shy away from fighting for it. She wants him to chase his dream and she has the determination to make sure he gets that chance.
Iruka nodded in response to her question. "I think so. Naruto has become more driven since her announcement. I'm curious Kurenai, are Naruto and Amari friends or rivals? I was under the impression they were friends, but they seem like arch rivals right now. The way they stared at one another after class made me a little worried they had a falling out."
Kurenai smiled at her daughter's antics to keep up the façade of being rivals. Amari had no intention of leaving behind Naruto's friendship. To her, he was like a brother, even if she was too shy to show it all the time.
Over the years, Amari listened and learned about Naruto from the boy himself, though it was possible he didn't know she was quietly studying him, picking apart his words to understand hidden meanings and looking deeper into his eyes to see the truth with her mirror like onyx eye. As they grew closer, her observations reached a solid conclusion: he was suffering even if he didn't seem like it.
"Before we met, he was suffering, Mom. He's been suffering more than anyone even realizes. And the parents of our class are to blame for it."
"The parents?" Kurenai asked, wondering just how much she had observed from the shadows.
She nodded. "I've been watching them for a while now. They look at him with disgust and pull their kids away when he gets near. They even warn them to stay away from him. Because of their actions, their kids treat him the same way by either ignoring him completely or treating him badly. Naruto…he's been suffering because he's alone, because no one cares about his existence." Amari furrowed her brow and shook her head. "No, that's not true. Because I care. He's my knucklehead and as long as I'm alive he won't have to suffer through being alone."
Your reasons went deeper than that, didn't they, Amari? Kurenai already knew the answer to her question, knowing her daughter's reasons and Naruto's situation better than Amari realized. You didn't want him to suffer the same loneliness you live in fear of. You opened your arms to Naruto and latched onto him the moment he walked into your embrace. Naruto latched onto you in return because you were the first to open your arms to him, the first to treat him as a fellow student and friend.
Admittedly, she had been skeptical of their friendship blooming. They were complete opposites; Amari was shy and reserved, choosing to remain quiet to explore her thoughts or listen intently to what someone wanted to talk about. Naruto, on the other hand, was loud and brash like a bull wearing bells on its horns as it crashed through a china shop. Where Amari was patient and analytical, ready to scope out a situation and all of her options before acting, Naruto was a restless ball of energy that acted before thinking and rarely sought other options outside of the direct approach.
Against what seemed to be stacked odds, the pair became best friends. They balanced each other out; Amari served as the calm thinker and Naruto brought all the energy and inspiration. Amari may have been the first to accept Naruto, but it was Naruto that inspired her with his dream of becoming Hokage someday. He doesn't care that the odds are stacked heavily against him; he swears he'll do it and prove everyone wrong. His never give up attitude inspired Amari and gave her the strength and courage necessary to keep fighting for her own goal, though I doubt the boy knows this. Now she is trying to repay that. To help him take the first step on the path towards his dream.
"They haven't fallen out, Iruka," she answered. "Amari has long stopped seeing Naruto as just a friend. To her, Naruto is a brother." And she'll never let him give up on his dream.
"I'm going to protect his dream, Mom. No matter what it takes, I'll protect it."
Iruka looked at her in a bit of shock, though it was understandable. As Amari astutely pointed out, hardly anyone ever gave Naruto a chance. Their parents feared him and looked at him like he was the Nine-Tailed Fox, although the kids didn't understand this reasoning due to the decree.
They just saw the way their parents looked at him with fear and distrust which caused them to feel the same thing. To hear that someone consider him like a brother was surprising to those who didn't understand the bond the pair shared.
"Like a brother?" the Chūnin Sensei asked.
Kurenai nodded. "Naruto is the reason Amari is pushing herself like this. He unknowingly inspired her to become a great ninja. When doubt would consume her," and it did consume her over the years, "Naruto's will was one of the things that kept her going. He gave her such an invaluable gift in her eyes that she wants to repay it by helping him take the first step towards his dream," she explained.
"I see."
"It seems Naruto has passed the Will of Fire to Amari," the Hokage observed. Both Kurenai and Iruka nodded in agreement. "She has grown much since she returned and I look forward to seeing how much she grows in the future."
As do I. And I know three others who are also keenly interested in her growth. Guy, Kakashi and Asuma had just as much interest as Kurenai and the Hokage did, each keeping their eyes on her progress over the last two years in their own ways. Kakashi popped in now and then during her training sessions to offer advice or moral support, Asuma played shogi with her or joined Kurenai on walks through the village to ask after her daughter's progress…among other reasons. Guy watched from the shadows and, according to Kakashi, was scouting her because he was under the belief she was going to be Kakashi's protégé.
I really hope they don't drag her into their challenges. That was a problem to keep her eye on for Amari's sake, but not an imminent threat. There was a far pressing matter she had yet to ask about.
"Is Amari in trouble for learning this jutsu herself, Lord Hokage?" Kurenai asked.
Besides the obvious dangers of the jutsu, she had worried she was letting Amari cross lines she shouldn't be. The jutsu was far above her daughter's rank and it was in the Scroll of Seals; there was also the killing intent Kakashi felt two years ago to consider. But Amari's determination to learn the jutsu to help Naruto pass stopped Kurenai from warding her off.
Whatever killing intent Kakashi had seen in Amari when they found her had not surfaced since then. Amari held no evil will in her heart; she cared deeply about her friends, and though she was too shy to physically stand up for kids like Naruto, she comforted them as best as she could afterwards. To Amari, the whole village was one giant family that she could never bring harm to.
It was possible that her killing intent laid dormant within her and would only ever show itself in situations where her friends were being hurt. But one didn't need to be inherently evil to show killing intent. The only hatred Amari harbored was for Kasai, but even that had receded as she found purpose in helping Naruto achieve his dream.
Lord Hokage smiled at her. "On the contrary, I couldn't be more proud of her. She has surpassed my expectations and is sure to graduate this year. I believe she will be an excellent ninja."
"Hey, do any of you know when I ate last?" Amari questioned her clones. There was a chorus of "I don't know" and "so hungry" from the clones who began rubbing their stomachs. "Can one of you carry me home?" The sound of dispelling clones caused Kurenai, Iruka and Lord Third to beam in pure amusement. Only Amari, Kurenai mused. "Ah man, don't be a drag! I'm tired!" Her remaining clones dispelled. "Fine, be that way. I'll walk myself home. Troublesome clones."
Amari took a few steps but then immediately collapsed to her hands and knees. Kurenai's watchful eyes darted over to her as her protective instincts began to override her. Was her daughter hurt? Had she pushed too far?
Lord Hokage simply chuckled at the sight of her stuck between rushing over and remaining in the conversation. "Go ahead, Kurenai. Take her home to rest. She'll need it if she plans to train tomorrow as well."
"If I had my way she'd take the day off," Kurenai responded, though she knew her daughter wouldn't take sitting at home as an option. At the least I'll make sure she doesn't train with clones tomorrow. Taijutsu training plus this surplus of clones clearly was not a good combination.
She bowed to the Hokage then briskly walked over to her exhausted daughter. As she approached, Amari looked up and gave her a bright closed eyed smile that Kurenai returned.
It would be easy for anyone to confuse Amari as Kurenai's actual child if it weren't for her blue hair and different colored eyes. Their strong bond of love made them mother and daughter in everything but blood.
"Looks like you pushed yourself a little too hard, little one," Kurenai stated as she opened her eyes. Amari bashfully rubbed the back of her head as she laughed. Kurenai knelt down with her back towards her daughter. "Come on. Let's get you home and get some food in that empty stomach."
Her daughter used her remaining strength to climb onto her shoulders. Once she was all set and secured, Kurenai stood up and began their trek back home. "So, against the odds you were able to create sixty-two Shadow Clones." Amari hummed in acknowledgement, causing Kurenai to look up to her daughter with a smile. Bashful as always. Still hasn't gotten used to taking compliments. "I'm proud of you."
There was an all telling blush on her already rosy cheeks as Amari leaned forward on her mother's head, clearly exhausted. "Thank you, Mom," she mumbled. Kurenai's smile grew at the shy response. I'm surprised the girly horde she faces at the Academy hasn't made her immune to blushing yet. "...but." Amari sighed, "I knew one hundred thousand was impossible, but I guess a part of me hoped…Today reaffirmed to me how impossible it is. No amount of training will ever give me the chakra necessary for such a huge number."
Kurenai patted her daughter's leg to comfort her and let her know it was okay. There were just some feats no amount of training or genetic inheritance could make possible. One hundred thousand Shadow Clones was just one of those things. "Maybe it is impossible, but that doesn't mean what you accomplished is lessened in any way," she comforted.
She couldn't make one hundred thousand, sure, but sixty-two was still an amazing feat. "Few kids your age in any generation can pull off an A-ranked jutsu like the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, let alone create sixty-two with no mistakes within them. Be proud, little one."
"I…I am," Amari reassured. "I just have some thoughts I'm trying to work out."
"Like what?" Kurenai asked.
Amari sighed, a hint of disappointment within it. "My chakra control still isn't close to perfect. I know I have better control than anyone in my class," she interrupted the argument on the tip of her mother's tongue, "but to pull that off in a fight would end in my death. I waste too much chakra between each clone, even when I do it on a small scale of five clones, and the result is me getting exhausted too quickly."
A valid analysis of her abilities. Kurenai nodded along in agreement but remained silent, encouraging her to continue her analysis until she reached the logical conclusion to her situation.
Controlling your chakra was the best step towards being able to execute techniques more effectively. What most kids her age failed to understand was the amount of time and training necessary to gradually build up their chakra. It took years of intense training to build up the total supply of chakra at their disposal, so the key to success was being able to sufficiently control and conserve what chakra you had.
Amari already had those bits of knowledge at her disposal, now it was up to her to piece it all together. "You and Iruka-sensei have always told me that without proper control, my jutsu's will either waste my chakra or the jutsu will fail. I've tried really hard to get better at it, but I'm still expending too much chakra on one clone."
Good start, now you just need to figure out how it is happening and how to solve it, Kurenai thought.
"Naruto has a similar problem. He doesn't have a good grasp on his chakra so he uses a lot of his chakra trying to make one, but he doesn't distribute it evenly to create a working clone. I've tried coaching him on it, teaching him different training methods you use with me to increase chakra control…Hopefully it worked." Kurenai sensed a headshake. "Anyways, when I do it, I distribute my chakra even enough to create a working clone, but I give them more of my chakra, likely out of worry that it won't work and be too weak. This causes me to use more chakra than necessary. While the clones are effective, I drain myself and shorten the time I can use them," Amari explained.
That explains both her exhaustion and Naruto's inability to create one working clone. Too much chakra put into the jutsu with no control makes Naruto's clones completely useless while giving too much chakra to her clones out of fear of the jutsu being weak causes Amari to expend more chakra than necessary.
Kurenai looked thoughtfully up at her daughter who was gazing at the sky as she worked through her thoughts. Her fear of never being strong enough has left her without confidence in her abilities, causing her to put more than the needed chakra into her jutsu. She could seriously hurt herself if she pushed herself past her limits.
"I put more chakra in than they need and my Byakugan sees the difference. If I fought someone who had the ability to sense the chakra like you, they could pick me out easily because my clones would all have more chakra in them than me."
Not just sensors like me; Kasai would be able to pick her out with his Byakugan. He would be able to attack her directly, conserving his own chakra and energy by avoiding them completely. Even though she is training to become a great ninja, she isn't losing sight of her goal. She knows that if she is to beat Kasai eventually she will need to not only become stronger, but also be able to out think him as well.
Kasai was over-confident in his abilities and will only continue to become overconfident as he grows, that will be his downfall and her opening.
Kurenai smiled knowing it was only a matter of time, training, and field work that would make her daughter stronger than her enemy. As long as she doesn't run into him soon.
For now they would continue focusing on training. Chakra control was important to every jutsu and was exactly what the Jōnin had in mind for training tomorrow. "Then it seems I will have to teach you new Chakra Control Techniques," Kurenai said.
Her daughter stilled at the revelation then immediately she leaned her head around to look Kurenai in the eyes. "New Chakra Control Techniques? Like meditating or that leaf trick that Iruka-sensei taught us?" Amari asked.
Kurenai only offered a hum with a sly smirk playing at her face. She wouldn't tell so easily.
Her daughter gave her the puppy dog eye and curled out her bottom lip, "Come on, Mom, what it is? Is it some super-secret technique only you know? You've got to tell me. Pleaseeee!"
Kurenai laughed joyfully at her daughter's begging; she was really too cute for her own good sometimes. "Okay okay, fine, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow. Tonight's priority is getting you fed and into bed so you can be ready for training tomorrow."
Amari gave her a closed eye smile then returned to her relaxed state.
The pair made it home and after dinner they lounged in the living room together with Amari sitting between Kurenai's legs as she braided a few strands of her hair. The pair spoke of her classes and her friends while also laughing and joking with one another.
After a while, Amari ended up curled up on Kurenai on the verge of sleep with each passing moment. "Mom?" Amari asked. Kurenai hummed at her daughter's tired whisper. She'll sleep like a rock tonight. "Do you think it would be possible to combine my Shadow Possession Jutsu and my Shadow Clones?"
That was an interesting question and one Kurenai wasn't sure she could answer. "How do you mean combine them? Your clones already have the ability to use any technique you know so that wouldn't be anything new as far as I know," she responded thoughtfully.
Shikamaru trained with Amari, albeit reluctantly due to his laziness, helping her become better at her Shadow Possession Jutsu, but Kurenai wasn't sure about the specifics when it came to the jutsu. It was the Nara Clan Hiden Jutsu so that was understandable.
"No, that's not what I mean. I know my clones can use the jutsu, but do you think I have the ability to allow my clones to use it without it draining my chakra faster than normal? If it doesn't I'd be able to fight while my clone tries to capture my opponent. It could help save lives and keep me and my friends from danger. I could end fights before they started maybe."
It was an interesting idea, one that, as she said, could save lives if the use did not drain her chakra instantly.
Amari was thinking like a ninja instead of like a twelve year old. Whoever her Jōnin Sensei would be when she became an official Genin would definitely see that as a positive.
Kurenai didn't have an answer, though. This was something her daughter would need to ask Shikamaru or Shikaku. "I don't know. You will need to ask Shikaku or Shikamaru if they know. It is also a possibility it is forbidden."
If it was then Amari wouldn't be allowed to learn it. A forbidden jutsu like that wouldn't be met with the same leniency that the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu granted her. Amari nodded into her chest. "I didn't try it for that same reason. I didn't want to get in trouble or hurt myself or someone else. After training tomorrow do you think we could go ask him if he isn't busy?"
"Of course." While she wanted to give her daughter the chance to ask Shikaku herself, Kurenai knew that with tomorrows training she was likely to have more time than her daughter would. Knowing Amari's determination, it was unlikely she would rest until she either climbed the tree tomorrow or was too exhausted to continue practicing—the likeliest of scenarios.
Amari passed out in her mother's arms a few minutes later. Kurenai put her to bed and kissed her forehead before leaving and heading to bed herself. Tomorrow would come bright and early for them both.
The Next Day
Amari thudded to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time, sending jolts of pain all across her body. She just couldn't get this to work. From her new position of lying flat on her back she cast her eye up at the tree to see her progress only to let out an exhausted groan.
I've only made it halfway up this tree with a running start and mom just walked straight up it with ease…She is a Jōnin for a reason, but still. I've been doing this since six in the morning and it's already dark out.
The blue-haired girl sat herself up and leaned back on her hands as she laid her aching legs out flat in front of her.
"You're focusing too much chakra to your feet, Amari. You fear like feeling you're going to be weak when you are quite the opposite. Clear your mind of all those thoughts. Focus solely on your chakra and ignore all the thoughts of people telling you that you can't do it. You can do it. Have faith in yourself and you will master this."
She sighed. I'm trying, Mom. I can see my progress, but I just don't have it down yet.
Her latest attempt to gain control by applying less chakra led to her falling straight to the ground from the halfway up the tree. Progress was always going to be slow being the amateur she was, but Amari had thought…had hoped she would make it farther up the tree. Once again setting my standards higher than my skill level. Amari sighed with a smile tugging onto her lips. But what else can I do? If Naruto already set his goal as Hokage, how can I do anything less than give myself a goal that is only achieved through hard work. I'm so troublesome.
A giggle made its way out of Amari before she let herself fall back onto the grass to relax. She rested her hands on her stomach and closed her eye, inhaling and exhaling softly as she allowed herself a small break before getting back to training.
A cool breeze blew across training field, winding its way through trees and carrying leaves through the air as it gently caressed her sweat covered skin. It coaxed a sigh of content out of the hot and sweaty girl, yet there was something unnatural about it. Only moments before the air had been still as a statue just as it had been for most of the day.
Someone is out here now watching me. The only question that remains is who? I'd bet its either mom, Kakashi or Uncle Shikaku. For some strange reason the silver-haired ninja had made his presence known throughout the last two years to Amari. He was sort of a weird stalker mentor who popped in only to give a few words of wisdom before disappearing as quickly as he came.
Amari wasn't sure why Kakashi had such an interest in her. Maybe it was because they both shared the Sharingan, or maybe because he was making sure she wasn't being watched by another ninja.
I don't know…I only know about his Sharingan because I asked Mom about him. Kakashi Hatake, The Copy Ninja, the man who copied over a thousand jutsus. Talk about an impressive feat. I can't wait to learn more Sharingan techniques once I get it to mature more. If I could freak out my enemies by copying their jutsu's then that is a huge bonus to having the responsibility of holding the Sharingan.
Kurenai teased her about trying to steal Kakashi's title then said, in jest, if she really wanted to get at Kakashi she would have to copy one of his jutsu's. I'm just waiting for the right moment and the right jutsu. Whether or not Kakashi will be impressed or scold me will be up for debate whenever I do…It'll probably just depend on the jutsu.
"Halfway…Impressive 'Risu, very impressive." Amari easily distinguished the laid back voice as Shikaku Nara. I wonder why Uncle Shikaku is here? The dōjutsu wielder opened her eye to see the elder Nara crouched next to her looking up at the tree she was climbing. He looked…impressed? No, he looks more thoughtful than anything.
Was it such a surprise that she had gotten this far?
She was still not even a full-fledged Genin yet so maybe she was pushing the boundaries a little. Although, if I was doing pushing further than I should someone would have told me to stop or would have stopped me themselves. Maybe I've just surprised them with how much I've advanced since arriving in the village.
She had only spent two years at the Academy. The difference between her and her peers, however, was how serious she took training. I wonder if I had gone to the Academy earlier if I would have advanced as quickly as I have. Amari mentally shook her head, lacking the energy to do it physically. I wouldn't have had the same drive that I do now so…probably not.
Shikaku turned his gaze to her with a warm smile on his lips. "Sixty-two Shadow Clones in one week and halfway up a tree in one day. Graduating is inevitability for you, little shadow."
A blush made its way to Amari's face as she sat up. Kasai had called her that once to be condescending, but coming from Shikaku it was different. It was an affectionate nickname he used with her in the same way he and Shikamaru used the last half of her name to call her 'Risu.
"I've been trying my best. Is the wind gust just a Jōnin thing with your Body Flicker Technique?" she asked, humor in her voice as she changed the subject away from praise. Shikaku reached up to rub the back of his neck as he chuckled lightly. "Coincidence?" Amari pressed in a teasing fashion.
"Someday you'll learn more about it. Kakashi may need to watch out for you, little shadow. You're onto him already."
Amari giggled. Kakashi watching out for me? The mere thought is ridiculous. Kakashi is an elite shinobi for kami's sake and I'm not even an actual Genin despite Uncle Shikaku telling me it's inevitable.
"So your mother tells me you have questions about the Shadow Possession Jutsu. Something about combining it with another jutsu?" Shikaku queried.
Taking the initiative I see, Mom. Guess you knew I wouldn't stop training until I was barely able to stand. Amari inhaled deeply to catch her breath before asking, "Do you think having a clone use the Shadow Possession Jutsu will drain my chakra too quickly? I haven't tried yet because I didn't want to do a Forbidden Jutsu or hurt myself or someone else on accident, but I figure if it doesn't I'll be able to keep my friends from danger better."
The elder Nara's look turned pensive as he began considering her question. I think this is the first super hard question I've asked him. In all her time knowing Shikaku, which wasn't that long anyway, she had never seen him look so deep in thought over a question she asked. Her questions always seemed like a breeze, like the answers should have been obvious when he answered. He never answered like she was an idiot; it was just how quick he would answer that made Amari feel like she was so stupid.
Shikaku was a genius and was able to answer questions with ease most of the time, but it seemed this question wasn't one of those. There was so much to consider from her chakra reserves to her clone's ability to maintain their strenuous jutsu without the drawbacks affecting her. Could it have side effects and if so what were they? I doubt I'll get an answer here and now.
"Hmm…I don't recall it as a Forbidden Jutsu, but I don't think it has ever been tested either. What I can say with certainty is that having your Shadow Clones using Shadow Possession Jutsu would drain what chakra they have fast, in turn draining your chakra as you try to maintain the clone itself. You don't have the sizable reserves to keep it active long, in theory at least," Shikaku explained.
That wasn't the full answer based on the elder Nara sitting down cross legged next to her as he brought his hand to his chin while he rolled the thought around. This doesn't sound like such a good idea now, more like a last resort technique. If she was even capable of using it, she would have to hope that she could end it fast enough before she ran out of chakra.
"So it's a bad idea?"
The Jōnin put one finger up telling her to wait as he continued to think. Amari was okay if it ended up being a bad idea. She wouldn't attempt it then and would disregard the idea completely.
"No, not a bad idea, just one that I need to investigate further before giving you a yes or no answer. Give me a day or two and I will have an answer for you," he finally said.
Amari nodded in understanding. As long as Uncle Shikaku doesn't hurt himself trying to figure this out I'll be okay with him researching it. If he got hurt researching something she asked about she'd never forgive herself for asking.
Her fears must have been noticeable on her face or in her eye since Shikaku smirked at her and patted her head. "Don't worry about me, little shadow. I'll be fine."
He left soon after, and after another failed attempt at climbing the tree Amari finally decided to head home herself. She would have to train more tomorrow after school in preparation for the exam the next day. At least it won't be a written exam, not that I wouldn't be able to pass it. I just hate written tests.
Even if Shikaku and her mother were one hundred percent positive she would pass the exam, Amari wasn't going to take it easy. Slacking off wasn't an option here. Slacking off as a ninja could lead to failure or death. Even if Shikamaru was lazy, he was damned smart and knew tactics like the back of his hand…Or at least when he exerts the energy to look at the back of his hand. Lazy bones.
She wasn't going to run herself dry trying to climb the tree or trying to get a ridiculously high number of Shadow Clones again. Doing that could leave her unable to pass the exam and failing was not among the options available for the young girl.
I just can't sit home all day and relax.
There would be one day of rest, and that would be when she became a Genin and received her headband. It's probably going to be the last day I'll be able to rest anyways. After getting a headband I'll have the orientation and being assigned to a Jōnin Sensei. Then my path as a ninja will start and I will have to kick my training up another notch. This was all if she passed, but Amari was confident in her chances at passing.
One thing I do know for sure, though, is that mom won't be my Jōnin Sensei. Putting us together was probably struck off the possibility list the moment I looked like I was going to graduate. Conflict of interests I'm sure. Save your daughter or the mission, save my life or save the mission important data and/or people.
Amari understood this already even without speaking to her mother about it. It just seemed to make sense, but that left the mystery of who she would have as a Jōnin Sensei. She didn't have any particular hope for any special teacher, and the only ones she knew were Asuma, Kakashi and her mother. Her mother was already crossed off so the only ones she had to choose from were Asuma and Kakashi. At least I get along with them if I do end up with one or the other. I just hope the kids on my team understand teamwork.
After getting home Amari found that her mother was gone, which likely meant she was either out on a mission or out getting stuff for the house. Feeling too tired to do anything else, Amari threw herself unceremoniously onto the couch and crashed hard. She didn't hear her mom come back home or feel her bring her back to her bedroom; zonked out was a good way to describe what she was the rest of the night.
The next morning Kurenai woke Amari up early as always and they ate breakfast together before going through some morning training. First was going over the Transformation Jutsu. Her mother had her transform into her, Iruka and Lord Hokage. For fun the young girl turned into Asuma just to get a rise out of her mother.
Kurenai blushed before poking Amari in the forehead and telling her to focus. Somebody is still trying to keep things secret,Amari mused. The next part of training was her new Shadow Clones and combining that jutsu with the Transformation Jutsu. After three Shadow Clones transformed into Kurenai, Iruka and Lord Hokage she got packed and walked to the Academy with her mother.
Walking to the Academy was always enjoyable. Well, walking through the village in general was enjoyable. People always seemed to be bright and smiling as they shopped, ate or worked. There obviously were bad parts still, Amari wasn't fool enough to believe everything was sunshine and unicorns, but the parts she traversed consistently were nice areas.
Before they parted ways, Kurenai gave her a book to study about chakra control. It was meant to give her a better understanding so she could gain mastery over the Tree Climbing Technique.
Amari soaked up text information like a sponge soaked up water so reading material would definitely lend a hand for her training. After hugging and saying goodbye to her mother, the Shadow user entered the classroom and as usual she was one of the three people to be there bright and early. Iruka-sensei was there and two other kids she didn't know well were reading books while they waited for the class to fill out.
The young aspiring ninja took her usual seat at the back of the room and opened up her book to start reading. No matter how boring the text might have been, Amari read it like it was a story of adventure and hardships mixed with triumphs. All the words just flowed into one another, imprinting the pictorial descriptions and explanations into her mind to bolster her understanding of it.
Time passed quickly, or at least it seemed that way being nose deep in the book. Sure enough, the classroom began to fill up and shortly after she was suddenly surrounded…by her love struck posse.
Every morning before class started was like this with the girls seemingly having a rotation to keep at least three sets of hands playing or braiding her hair. This left Amari with no break from having her classmates' hands being deep in her wild blue hair or giving her small braids that would undo themselves as the day passed.
"Amari you are the prettiest girl in class!" one girl complimented.
"Your hair is so soft and absolutely gorgeous," girl number two said as her hands created braids.
A new set of hands found themselves feeling her hair as Amari found herself blushing feverishly. Per usual she began stuttering in an attempt to bat away the compliments. "I- I'm not th- that pretty."
"Soooo adorable!" one girl gushed.
"You are just too cute!" another girl said.
The blush grew deeper as Amari wished she could shrink or turn invisible. Whoever thought it would be funny to give her a girly horde that constantly raved over her really needed a punch to the face. Give her a new technique that pushed her to her limits and she'd dive in head first. Give her a book to study on a boring subject and she'd read it.
But this?! This was just so painful!
I know they're giving me compliments and I am grateful that they think I'm so pretty, but every day?! I'm shy and shyness and girly hordes don't go hand in hand.
A snort of amusement reminded her that she was not alone, even if Shikamaru wasn't going to help her ride this out. "Shikamaru, help me," she pleaded in a whisper for only him to hear since the other girls were too busy gushing over her cuteness.
Another snort of amusement came from Shikamaru as he shook his head. "Not a chance 'Risu. If I try to help you then they'll come after me for interrupting." He shook his head. "Girls are just so troublesome."
Amari let out a dramatic sigh of defeat as the girls continued to play with her hair and ask her about what hair products she used and what make up she used since it looked flawless.
Is that really important? I don't understand why they care so much about this stuff instead of focusing on their training. To prevent further questions she gave a non-committal answer of "I don't know" and answered the second by saying none.
Her makeup was flawless because she didn't wear any. Too much time to use and since she was constantly training using it just didn't seem like a good idea. Add in that her mother told her she was naturally beautiful and didn't need it and that left Amari without ever using or wanting to use makeup.
Telling the girls she didn't wear any was a costly mistake that caused the girls to become even more star struck. Can I not get a break? Will I die of compliments and shyness before I ever face Kasai?!
When all hope of escaping was lost, Iruka-sensei cleared his throat, acquiring the attention of Amari and the girls. Please tell me you are here to save me Iruka-sensei, pleeeaasssee!
"Excuse me, but I would like to have a word with Amaririsu." He sounded very professional using her name like that despite calling her Amari most of the time. Holy crap, he is saving me!
Reluctantly, the girls released her from their grasps to once again be free. Amari mouthed a thank you to Iruka then she stood up and followed him down and out of the classroom. Outside of the room, her sensei turned to her with a broad smile on his face. "You okay, Amari? You looked like you could use a hand."
Looking like she needed a hand was putting it nicely. Could have used an army wielding shields to keep them at bay.
Amari was grateful to be saved, but something was up. He never saved her before and there had been a lot of mornings like this. Her sensei usually took enjoyment in seeing her suffer at the hands of the girls.
"Just overwhelmed, Iruka-sensei. I don't get why they are so fascinated with me. Well, I do know why since they tell me but…I guess I just don't see myself as they see me."
Self-confidence in how she looked never got above a minimum no matter how much the gushed and raved over her. The young girl just couldn't see what the others saw. Amari believed she was average in looks, not the drop dead gorgeous being the girls seemed to think she was.
Mom is really pretty, beautiful actually, but me? I look like I only have one eye and when I do take it off I have two different looking eyes. And most of the time I'm a ball of sweat from training…I just don't see it. She grabbed her right arm nervously and looked down slightly. "Um…was there anything you needed Sensei or were you saving me?"
Iruka's smile faded for a serious look. Uh-oh. That can't be good.
"Would you happen to know where Naruto is?"
Confusion made its way onto her face as she shook her head. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Naruto since I taught him how to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
He sighed at her answer. "And I assume you haven't seen the Hokage faces?" His voice held a slight agitation to it.
She shook her head again. What do Naruto and the Hokage faces have in common right now? A bit of dread filled her. Naruto, what did you do now? What kind of prank did he do this time? Had he permanently vandalized the Hokage faces?
"Okay, I'm going to go find him then and I would like it if you would join me. Well, that is unless you want to go face your horde of fans," Iruka said, his lips splitting into an amused smile.
Amari shook her head rapidly. Not the horde again. Please not the horde again…But why would he want me to join him? Is this some kind of test? But what would he want to test her with? Guess there is only one way to find out. "I'll go with you. Any idea where to start?"
Iruka motioned her to follow him and they both began to jog towards the exit. "No, but I do know there are ninjas already chasing him. If we find them, we find Naruto."
Amari nodded in confirmation of the plan. Sounded easy enough. As soon as they got out of the school building, the pair of them ninja jumped their way towards the Hokage faces.
Iruka moved quickly but the young aspiring ninja managed to keep up without breaking a sweat as she looked around for Naruto. "Iruka-sensei. Do you want me to use my eye to try and find him?" Amari asked as they jumped. Her Byakugan would be able to find Naruto's chakra signature if he was within the general vicinity. His chakra stood out compared to the others; it was very warm and bright just like the blond-haired knucklehead.
"If we can't find him soon then yes, but for now let's see if we can find him without it."
So if this isn't a test of tracking with my Byakugan then what is this test about? Amari just couldn't figure out why he would want her to come along other than it being some type of test. It's the only rational reason. I'm not even a ninja yet.
When the faces finally came into sight, Amari couldn't help but halt completely to pinch the bridge of her nose. Narutooooo, she groaned mentally.
"That is exactly how I feel right now. I can't believe he would do that to the Hokage faces," her sensei said as he jumped back to her.
Graffiti covered the Hokage faces. Every single face had something drawn on it, and despite how disrespectful that was towards the great leaders of their village, Amari found herself moderately impressed. Her friend actually accomplished tagging up the Hokage faces without getting caught until after it was done. Brash mostly all the time, but sneaky when he wants to be…guess it could come in handy. He is going to be in so much trouble when Iruka-sensei finds him.
Amari looked around from the building they were on for the boy in question. He couldn't be too far if ninja were chasing him. He was energetic, sure, but he would try running the same path until he could throw them off his trail. Naruto was a prankster and knew how to escape using the simplest of tactics so he wouldn't get in trouble right away.
She searched until she saw two ninjas chasing a blond-haired, black shirt and orange pants wearing kid laughing his head off with a paint bucket in his hand.
"Found him," she stated as she motioned to her sensei to look.
Iruka nodded and they watched the knucklehead jump around the buildings until he went back down and pushed off the ground with the two ninjas right on his tail. They continued to follow after what they had thought they saw, but Amari knew this trick. He's right behind that sheet painted like a fence. She sighed again. I can't believe he fooled them.
Talk about embarrassing for those two older shinobi.
"They just got fooled. He's right there." She pointed at the fence. How the ninja had fallen for it was beyond her; it seemed like they should have been able to see through a disguise like that. Probably too blinded by their anger to see through it. Iruka looked at her with a little disbelief. "I've seen this trick before," she offered in explanation.
"Okay, I'll grab Naruto. You can head back to class." Her sensei smiled. "Your training is doing you good. Most of the students would be out of breath."
So that's what the test was about. You were testing how I could hold up in a chase scenario, Amari deduced. Could I keep up with you or would I fall behind? Would I be out of breath by the time we reached our destination or would I be fine? You knew where we were heading the whole time, that's how we ended up here and why you didn't want me to use my Byakugan.
It was tricky, but it still worked in the end. He definitely got his answer.
"I uh- I'm just- My mom is a Jōnin," Amari deflected. She had never been good at accepting compliments and it was easy to say it was due to her mother. Her training was the reason she had gotten so far, after all.
"Maybe some of it, but you are the one who pushes yourself, Amari. You could have given up many times, but you didn't." He rested his hand on her head and ruffled her hair gently. "I'm proud of you."
He removed his hand then disappeared with the Body Flicker Technique, appearing down on the ground below. Amari was left to smile through a blush on her own, happy he had departed since she was too incoherent to say thank you.
"Oh yeah Naruto!" Iruka's voice echoed from the street. A scared scream from the boy broke her out of her stasis by making her laugh before she began jumping back to the Academy.
She made it back to the Academy without breaking a sweat, though her hair was a bit more disheveled than it had been before leaving. Good thing I train as much as I do otherwise I'd be panting up a storm and sweating profusely just like Iruka-sensei said.
Shikamaru gave her an odd look for her absence when she sat down next to him again. "Where'd you run off to?" Amari just gave him a closed eyed smile and picked up where she had left off in her book. A few seconds later Iruka came back into class with a tied up Naruto. "Catching Naruto?" She nodded slightly which led to Shikamaru shaking his head.
Iruka began giving Naruto a lecture in front of the whole class for his antics. Based on what her sensei was saying, he was at the end of his rope with the knucklehead since he had failed the graduation exam the past two years. Though he seemed harsh, Amari believed that Iruka wanted Naruto to pass. He was never intentionally mean for no reason. Her sensei enjoyed teaching his students including the troublemakers; he just had to be sterner with them to try to get his lessons through their thick heads.
Naruto was a prime example of thick-headedness and he proved that when he turned his head away from Iruka in a pout. Amari swore she saw a vein bulge on Iruka's forehead and one of his eyes begin twitching before he turned quickly to face the rest of the class. "Fine! Because you missed it, Naruto, everyone will review the Transformation Jutsu!"
There were groans from everyone in the class except for Amari, who just put her book away and waited for her sensei to get them in line. Don't know why everyone is groaning. All we have to do is transform and then dispel. Sure it seems mundane to us now, but they forget it wasn't that long ago when they couldn't do it perfectly. Iruka then looked to her with a slight amused glint in his eyes that immediately made her pale.
Oh no.
"Amaririsu, you can be the example for the class," Iruka called to her.
Aw crap. What a drag.
There were whispers among the class as Amari gulped down her nervousness and made her way to the front of the class. The past two years of her arrival and then continued growth left the whispers split between people thinking she'd knock it out of the park and the others who questioned why Iruka seemed to play favorites with her.
Amari ignored them all to focus in on the objective at hand. After everyone was at the front of the class waiting for her to perform the Transformation Jutsu, she performed the jutsu and let Iruka use her as an example before finally being congratulated by her teacher and told she could go back to her seat.
The dōjutsu wielder sighed with relief mentally as she moved to take her seat. Shikamaru gave her a nod of congrats while Naruto had a mischievous look in his eyes. What are you planning Naruto? His look will not bode well for either the class or Iruka-sensei…but what exactly does he have planned?
Amari took her seat at the back of the classroom away from all the eyes of her fellow students who were likely either still gushing over her or feeling a bit jealous about Iruka-sensei's praise. She didn't mind the praise, but the aspiring ninja didn't want to be a show off. She didn't want the extra attention.
Guess I should have thought about that before announcing that I would make one hundred thousand clones. Now everyone is looking to see what I do.
Amari exhaled a sigh as she began reading her book again. She wanted to prove that she had become stronger, but she didn't want to seem like she was showing off, that wasn't her intention in the slightest. If she inspired by showing her skill that was fine, but she didn't want to ward off others because they weren't exactly at her level…It probably didn't help that she was reading a book about chakra control right now. At least the theory is becoming easier to understand, but in theory and in practice is always two different concepts.
A few transformations from the students went by then Amari heard Naruto's voice and the sound of his chakra swirling around him. Hazarding a glance to see what he was up to, she let her eye leave the book to find a sight that made her face turn as red as a tomato.
Naruto had transformed into a girl with long blond hair in pig tails, and if it wasn't for the smoke swirling around her she would have been completely naked for all to see in the seductive pose he chose.
Blood burst out of Iruka's nose while Amari was doing her best not to faint from shock. The girl version of Naruto was just so…pretty. Naruto dispelled and began pointing and laughing at their sensei not a moment later. "Hahaha! Gotcha, that's my Sexy Jutsu."
That was definitely the word Amari would have called it as well. The color red stayed on her face for a few more seconds before she slammed her forehead onto the desk. Oh thank Kami he changed back.
"Cut the stupid tricks! This is your last warning!" Iruka screamed.
Class was dismissed at the usual time with Iruka taking Naruto to clean the Hokage faces and Kurenai picking up Amari as she always did. They made their way to the training grounds with Amari telling her mother about her day at school starting with the fan girls swarming her and the chase with Naruto to every that happened in class, all save for the Sexy Jutsu incident.
No one will ever know.
Just as Amari thought, Iruka had used that chase as training. Kurenai confirmed it with a very vague comment about how she needed to make sure she was ready for anything. "People are watching you now. They want to see how strong you've gotten, and they want to see how far you go."
Nothing like knowing there are people watching me to see how much I've grown. No pressure whatsoever. She still didn't know who was watching her exactly, but she was definitely going to show just how much she had grown. I'm not the weak little girl anymore; I will prove that to myself and whoever is watching.
Once they reached the training grounds tree climbing training started once more. Amari's control had gotten slightly better, but she still burst off the tree on the first try, forcing her to have to backflip to land on her feet. Only passed the halfway point by a few inches. She bit back a sigh. Improvement is improvement.
"Again," Kurenai ordered.
Amari nodded and focused her chakra to her feet again. She needed to distribute the right amount to keep that from happening, but the right amount wasn't so easy to find as it sounded. This type of control was forcing her to work it to the very minute percentages of chakra dispersion. One over meant she would push herself off the tree, one lower meant she would slide down the tree and land hard on her back or butt. Even part of a percentage off lead to failure of control which made learning this now an invaluable skill.
Then there was the Water Walking Technique that required more advance chakra control than tree climbing. You were working with moving water instead of a still tree, the former of which required you to readjust the correct amount of chakra constantly. If you didn't have the correct amount you would be taking a swim. Eventually with enough training in both tree climbing and water walking you would be able to do it unconsciously, and that was a skill Amari wanted to have.
Put into practice with regular jutsus meant she would have absolute control of her chakra, granting her the ability to control every scrap of chakra within her body. She wouldn't waste extra chakra trying to make her jutsu work like she was with her clones right now; instead she would be able to use that reserve chakra to make the jutsu more effective. In theory, Amari would be able to increase the strength of her fire jutsu or maybe even keep her Shadow Possession attached longer or her final goal of creating clones without expending unneeded chakra.
A few hours later Amari managed to make it up three quarters of the way before bursting the tree again, sending her flying off. Her energy was at nil and she couldn't find it in herself to flip so she didn't land on her neck. Every inch of her hurt, the fires of energy she once had were burnt out.
Before she met the ground, secure arms caught her and kept her from sustaining any sort of physical injury. Kurenai landed safely on the ground and set her down with a slightly worried look on her face. "I'm- I'm okay," Amari assured through tired breaths. Her mother looked her over with a protective motherly eye then nodded. Her breaths came out sharp and quick as she looked up at the tree then back to her mother. "I'm so close," Amari groaned through her breaths.
Her mother smiled at her. "Yes, you are, but you're done for the day. You need to rest for the exam tomorrow so you have enough chakra to preform your new jutsu."
Amari wanted to argue that she would be fine, that she had enough chakra left to continue her training, but her aching legs spoke otherwise. She was running near empty right now and she could still feel the effects of training yesterday. Pushing myself now will only lead to messing up more and hurting myself if being caught by Mom is any indication that I was about to hurt myself.
Finally, with a slightly reluctant nod of agreement from Amari, Kurenai picked her up to piggy back her back home. As Kurenai ninja jumped in the direction of their home, Amari rested the side of her head into the back of her mother's upper back and neck, "You're doing great, little one. You just have to keep training and you will get it," she reassured.
Amari nodded into her back, feeling way too tired to speak. Mom's right. I can't be too upset with myself. I can see myself advancing so I just need to focus on that.
Just can't wait to collapse on my bed and sleep.
Kurenai looked over her shoulder at her with a small smile. "Go to sleep, little one. We'll be home soon."
Amari didn't argue. She let her eyes shut and sleep take her.