Trembling Steps - Shonen Energy

I started simple.

Operation 'recruit allies for the rebellion' is a go!

I already had to stop by every medic we came across, so it wasn't a stretch to try to start a conversation.

…ok, it was a bit of a jump for me, but rationally it shouldn't have been a big change. I didn't manage to speak up the first three bases, and I refuse to acknowledge the poor attempts at conversation that the next four bases were.

My social ineptitude, my physical age, and confidentiality formed an unholy trinity that filled any professional conversation I partook in with social landmines.

I did eventually find a safe way to start a conversation after those first 7 disastrous attempts.

"What do you think about Orochimaru?"

A safe and neutral phrase that prompted very readable reactions. Yeah, most dissidents weren't going to admit as much, and not every loyalist was a fanatic. Main point was that it started the conversation on the topic and made room for me to figure out what their deal was.

As for when they flipped it back on me? I was quite frankly honest.

"He terrifies me."

It was nothing that Orochimaru didn't already know, and if anyone got on my case I told them as much.

I didn't act any further than that yet. I needed more information before I could safely do anything, and 'un-social Yumika' suddenly becoming buddy-buddy with people would be too out of character.

For now, I had to be just 'un-social Yumika' trying to talk to people.

I also started offering to deliver mail, free of charge, as long as it was on my route. It would serve as a decent cover for when I started taking more treasonous messages. I checked with Haruka to make sure I was allowed.

We really did get through everything quite quickly. It was actually a problem.

We basically never stayed at any of our stops; we went in, dropped the supplies and orders, I visited the medic, and then we left.

At least I managed to get a bit more time with my postal service offer.

So, soon enough, I was back in the capital.

Haruka ditched me as soon as we were done debriefing and paid, at which point I learned that he was technically my jonin sensei.

Yeah… he's not going to teach me anything.

There was also a stack of letters from my father.

"What are you going to do with that pain and hate?"

I shook off the question.

It's not like that, he's trying… he's honestly trying…

I wasn't sure I believed the thought myself.

…but I did have a family member who I enjoyed being around.

I did pop by and visit, but unfortunately, I couldn't spend all my time with my brother. I needed to get stronger. Haruka wasn't going to teach me, but I had something that I could do on my own. Actually, it was something I had to do on my own.

Alright, Yumika, you've got one week before you get sent out again. Let's see if you can pop a water balloon.

This step of the rasengan… was trivially easy.

It wasn't a question of quantity, it wasn't even a question of control.

You just needed to know the 'trick' and be able to execute it.

I knew what the trick was: spin in many directions.

So that left the execution.

If I was going to be fair… I could see why some would struggle with it. The mental gymnastics needed to get the shape manipulation right was the same as you needed to draw a triangle with one hand and a circle with the other.

…or in other words, the same mental gymnastics you needed to play the piano or the drums.

Guess who had done both?

I guess it's time to move onto the rubber balls then, I still have six days. Maybe I'll beat Naruto's record!

I made no more progress by the time I was supposed to meet up with Haruka again.

Our first step after the capital this time was the 'village' (read as basement), where we picked up two conscripts. One was a teen girl with a metal glove with bladed claws nailed and welded onto her right hand and an excessive number of pouches. The other was an older man, who wore a metal plate over their eyes, and whose arms were bound to his chest like he was wearing a straitjacket.

Okay, just do like Isoaki. It's no big deal…

I didn't even have to wonder if these guys disliked Orochimaru, because that was obvious.

Okay, let's try the girl first…

"Um… I'm Yumika, nice to meet you."

"Piss off."

"Right, this whole situation sucks for you. So, not nice."

Great start Yumika.

"Do you two know each other?"

"No."

Silence.

"Where are you from?"

Glare.

Right, sensitive.

"Well-"

"Why the hell are you trying so hard?"

I flinched at the tone, and scratched at my ear.

"Well… um… the last two guys we brought along took me hostage and tried to kill me…"

Really selling that sincerity, aren't we?

"...then Haruka killed them, and I felt bad because I didn't even know their names."

I got a negative reaction laced with killing intent, so I finished with an inaudible mumble.

"I really don't want to see that happen again."

That… could have gone better.

When we started setting up camp, I approached the old man.

"Do you need a hand?"

"Making fun of the elderly now?"

I sputtered.

"No- That's- I meant it seriously! It can't be easy doing things with your arms tied."

"Oh..? Would you perhaps be willing to untie me then?"

I sighed.

"Let me guess… you're secretly some old master whose hands are tied to prevent him from forming hand signs because he could weave some sort of terrifying jutsu and destroy us all?"

He laughed.

"Hehee, here I was hoping you'd be gullible enough-"

"Sure."

I took out my kunai and cut him free from his restraints, while he continued to gawk at me.

"Please, try not to get yourself killed in some daring escape plan. You may be strong, but you can't fight the entire country alone."

He stretched his bony arms and, once he recovered from his surprise, stroked his chin with a smirk.

"So the kitten is really a tiger."

I smiled.

"I don't know what you mean sir, I'm just a messenger. If you want any mail delivered, I can do that for you. I can even offer paper and loan you a pencil."

"Heheheee, I think I just might, girl."

Of course she's trying it.

I was talking about the claw handed girl who was attempting to sneak away from the camp during my watch.

It's up to you Yumika, let's try to get an ally and not a corpse.

I got up and followed silently, knocking on a tree to alert her once we were out of hearing range of the camp.

Okay that was cool, real ninja like.

Then she turned and looked at me.

"Um… hi again"

…so much for being cool.

I sighed.

"I get that you want to leave, really-"

"You don't understand anything!"

I shut up.

"Don't even pretend to while you're wearing that headband."

I massaged the bridge of my nose.

I'm getting really tired of the whole 'You don't understand my pain' speech.

"Alright, I won't, but you do know this isn't going to work out for you right?"

She took an alert step back and lowered herself into a combat stance.

"Is that a threat? Really quick to drop that friendly face aren't you?"

I shook my head in exasperation and bounced off the tree I was leaning against.

"It was a warning. The only reason you're not already dead is because Haruka saw me go after you and is hoping you'll kill me before he comes after you."

"You're bluffing."

"You're bluffing" she says, blegh. Of course she would, because actually believing me would make this too easy. This isn't working. This is a shonen world, how does a shonen character win this?

My inner Hei answered.

Oh. That's simple.

I popped out my staff.

"Believe it or not, I am trying to help you."

I lower myself into a stance. Solid, flexible, unflinching.

I can do this.

The lines were drawn, and the battle was set to begin.

By some unspoken signal we both charged.

Based on surface appearance, I had the advantage of reach. So I stopped a step early, intending to catch her with a straight jab, but she stopped short as well, smirking.

Here it comes.

The first step of fighting ninja level opponents was always scouting, so my senses heightened to catch what came next.

Gas.

I jumped back in time to see two of the bladed claws clash and spark, igniting the gas that spread from the gauntlet to where I had been standing.

The blades were glowing orange when she lunged at me.

I backed away again, leaving caltrops in my wake.

"So that's your trick. The gauntlet outputs gas which you can ignite, both for damage and to superheat the blades. The gas is probably loaded in. Perhaps from canisters hidden in those pouches of yours?"

She snarled, ejected an empty canister from the gauntlet, and loaded in a new one.

"What's it matter if you figured it out?"

I sighed.

"You probably don't have a lot of experience in this kind of thing, huh?"

She growled again, but I continued.

"The key to fighting is chakra. Your speed, strength, and that tool all rely on it. Chakra works on intent. Which means your morale and mental state can make you astronomically stronger or weaker."

I rolled my shoulders back.

"So when I tell you I've figured out your technique, you start wondering if I've figured out the weaknesses: like the fact that you have a limited number of canisters, you have to reload between each blast, and that you can only use it so many times before the gauntlet or your arm give out."

I watched her flinch.

Bingo.

I rested my staff on my elbow and brought my hands together.

Ram. Snake. Tiger.

"Clone Jutsu: 'I need a name for this'."

I created 4 clones. All who overlapped with me.

"I'm trying to save you, and I'm going to prove it."

Another morale attack.

A look at her stance made it clear that the strength of her footing was paper thin. The spacing, posture, and all the other components were half-assed.

Perfect.

With a burst of chakra I shot forward at her, just as I was about to step into range to attack, the 4 clones split away from me, each of us making a different attack.

She fumbled back to dodge. I followed through, each of the clones rejoining me before splitting again on my next attack.

She ignited the gas in a panic, but I had pushed us out of the affected area.

Don't give her the chance to reload.

She struck back, and we dodged in 5 different directions before rejoining again.

"You can't win!"

"Shut up!"
I dropped the staff and stepped into her swing, catching the attack by the elbow, before gut punching her with a burst of chakra, which launched her back.

"What are you going to do when you run out of gas, huh!?"

"Argh!"

The swing was weak and slow. I leaned back out of the way, then kicked her lightly in the side of the knee as I stepped past her.

"You have places you want to be…"

She got up and swung wildly, easy to dodge.

"...Things you want to do…"

I dodged another sloppy attack.

"...and none of the strength to do it yourself."

I popped out a kunai, and stepped into her next attack.

The cold edge of the blade touched her throat

"So let me help you."

Then I pulled back the kunai and she collapsed to the ground, having lost the strength in her legs.

"Hi, I'm Yumika. I'm a simple messenger."

I offered a hand.

"What's your name?"

This wasn't a shonen story. It was a world based on a shonen story, but the shonen history still happened. The future I read was still possible, which meant that the foundation for the shonen tropes the series used existed in the world.

There were two tropes in play this time round.

First trope: the battle of words. I explained this one during the fight.

Second trope: beat them up to convince them. If you won, that usually meant you were right (see previous trope), and letting them go when you could have gone for the kill was proof of sincerity.

She came back with me to the camp, and Haruka didn't slit her throat.

I'd call this a success.

I got to know the two better during the rest of our time together, and we parted ways once they reached their post. Which left me with the next step…

I knocked three times on the doorframe.

"Knock knock, Nogawa delivery service."

"You're actually saying it." Isoaki answered with a smirk.

"I'm not going to turn down good advice, gotta own that branding." I said with a shrug, before pulling out a couple of letters. "I recommend reading them in private. That one girl was really flustered."

Isoaki went red.

Ha, revenge!

"Yumika, you are way too young to joke like that!"

If I were anyone else, you might have had a point.

Then he opened the first letter and astonishment replaced his embarrassment.

"Yumika, this…"

I leaned in closer.

"You have a lot of other fans you know, so I'm going to be carrying all their mail to you, because I can tell you're passionate about this kind of thing."

I started to leave.

"I think I get what you're telling me. It won't go to waste. I'll make this work!"

I gave him a thumbs up.

"Of course you will, I believe in you."

Strategy Journal

New Entry - Rock Lee (2)

Um… Git Gud?

New Entry - Choji Akimichi (1)

Choji presents a troublesome combo. The best solution to deal with him would be to make him run out of calories for Akimichi techniques… but Choji is one of those stamina monsters who can outlast most enemies.

I will die if I face him in close quarters.

So I need to skirmish and take him out from a distance. (Warning: The Human Boulder technique is fast!)

I don't think I can do it with just my bow. Hitting him isn't the problem, doing enough damage is.

So I need a damage boost: Explosive tags or Poison/Venom would do the trick.

Explosions always hurt, and the massive calorie drop combined with combat heart rate would likely make him more susceptible to harmful substances getting into his bloodstream.

Side Note: I think he loses track of senses when using the human boulder technique, which is why it's part of the Ino-Shika-Cho combo. So distractions would help survivability.

Progress on other projects:

Anti-Eye Gas. Drop this, no one is willing to do it. Anyone capable knows it can be done, but whoever it is that makes this is going to be hunted to hell and high heaven by EVERY clan that uses eye based bloodlines.

Chakra Negation. Can manage both hands at once now.

Blind-Fighting. No teacher found. Making progress via sparring.

Stealth Skirmishing. Brought up the idea to Shikyou while passing the village. He gave a few tips on how to disengage and hide mid-combat. Practising now.