Glancing at the deer from the bushes, I form a ki blast in my hand and waited for the perfect time to attack. One deer raises its head after drinking its fill from the river, prompting me to shoot it. The blast was far too fast for it to evade, and its head blew up on impact. Before the other deer could run far, I jump out and unleashed a barrage of ki blast, killing and crippling many of the herd.
I walk towards them, blankly gazing at the ones still alive as they squirm. I ignore them as they writhe in agony their bleating could probably be heard for hundreds of feet. Scanning the clearing and spotting a boulder in the distance. I leave and head towards it, raising my arm and extending it until my knuckles touch the center point of the boulder.
In a lightning-quick motion, I cock my arm back and throw a jab, the force of the punch splitting the boulder in half before it shatters. Once that was done, I return to the now dead deer, five in total. Should keep me fed for a day or two.
Body Limit Break! You can now increase your Body beyond what was possible!
It wasn't a difficult quest. I had the strength to do it, I just needed to know how to punch. As old as my soul actually is, I've never really trained this way. I killed and slaughtered to become powerful, so this was new. I had to get creative, using my knowledge and experience to my advantage.
Training is a whole lot like fighting after all. It wasn't hard to figure stuff out, and then I just had to practice it to make sure I didn't mess it up.
The difficult thing would be using my weak Ki Blasts to cut down trees in one go. I need two blasts to cut it down, and the Spirit quest says you need to cut it down in one. Ki Blasts aren't gonna do that, so I needed something stronger, and I found this in the shop.
[Ki Wave] – Ki technique
A wave of Ki with no form. A technique usable by anyone familiar with Ki.
Requirements: Level 2 Spirit
AP Cost: 75
I bought it, and lo and behold, I was able to easily finish the limit break quest. I even cut two down in a single wave. I think I'll be fine on actual techniques for a while as I focus on my stats. I have already broken the limits for spirit and body, and I should increase them until my Power Level hits 100.
Then I can focus on Mind and Tech, get them high enough, and finally learn actual skills. Flight will be the first thing I plan on getting. Maneuverability is important, and a way to travel around the world with ease is even more so.
Maybe I'll get Energy Charge after it. I need a way to regain Ki quickly because I run out of it fast.
I drag around the deer into where I came from, slinging them over a giant wooden barrel I made from the wood I cut and durable vines deep in the forest. It's big enough to hold ten deer and a few hares, but I don't know if it's strong enough to keep them.
It's badly made, but I've never had to fend for myself like this. All of this is a new experience, and I'm learning from it, so I can't complain. It's gonna be a regular day-to-day thing eventually.
It's been a day since I defeated the bear, and after the nap I had, I thought that hunting for food is my best bet, and at the same time, I made sure to finish the limit break quests. Every boulder I stumbled on was destroyed, and once I bought Ki Wave I quickly completed the remainder of the Spirit quest.
I've caught a couple of hares here and there, and they're harder to hunt than deer. Hares are smaller and have a better sense of smell and hearing, and I can spot a deer from far away. Then again, variety is good. That's what the food guide implied.
Also found a few vegetables, herbs, and fungi. I'll take whatever I can find at this point. Once I can travel around without issues then I can eat actual food. I don't know how far away I am from human civilizations, though the Samurai being close means that there might be a village nearby.
Regardless, I can explore and look for a village once I'm strong enough to defend myself from guards and the like. I only beat that bear because it was tired and slightly wounded. I can't deal with dozens of Samurai or Shinobi right now.
Well, as long as I don't cause any trouble. I can use my age to my advantage for free food and warm shelter. The shack I live in is cold and uncomfortable. I don't like it much, and there isn't any warm water either. If I try to take a bath in the river I'll just freeze to death.
Not like it's essential really. I can live without it.
I enter the shack, kicking the door open, and put the barrel next to the bed. I grab the huge pot and fill it with water, starting a fire under it. I wait for it to heat up as I take out a deer, brandishing the knife as I tie it up before starting to butcher it. Accidental cuts here and there causes blood to splatter on my face and coat, but I give it no mind.
When I finish skinning the animal, I cut off the head, drain the blood and take out the innards, throwing away the inedible parts while keeping the edible ones. This is the easy part, actually skinning the thing is the hard one. I still suck at it, but I managed to do a much better job when compared to the time I skinned the bear. Maybe because it had softer fur. It wasn't as rough so it was easier to bend it upwards and get to the next part that needed to be separated from the meat.
Granted, the pelt is still damaged beyond repair, but practice makes perfect. I'll get better eventually.
I cut the deer into pieces and throw them all into the boiling water. Getting off the chair, I take out some herbs and vegetables as well as some salt. I boiled and evaporated some seawater to get it. I'm fairly certain it's not really healthy yet, but my Saiyan physiology can handle it.
As I wait for the food to finish cooking, I butcher the other animals, adding two extra deer and three hares into the pot. Should be filling enough, I think.
The rest I take outside and behind the shack, burying them under the snow to keep them cold. I've drained all the blood, so I don't have to worry about animals smelling this. Snow should prevent it from rotting too, at least for a bit.
I think. I dunno.
I enter the shack again, gazing at the contents of the pot as I patiently wait for it to cook fully. I stir it with a wooden ladle for a few minutes, knowing it takes over an hour for it to be done, but I don't really mind. I have already finished the meditating and running part of the body training quest. Might as well finish the rest as I wait for it.
...Is what I wanted to do until someone knocked on the door.
I frown slightly, cautiously walking towards the door. Another knock, this one followed by a masculine voice.
"Anybody inside?" He calls out, making me blink. "There's a beast stalking the forest nearby, and we're here to warn civilians and bring them to safety on behalf of Mifune-sama. If you live here, please come with us."
More Samurai? Already? Well, I don't think he's looking for the others that got slaughtered. Maybe reinforcement or another squad working near the first one. I don't really care either way.
I should take care of them. I don't want them anywhere near my food.
(Samurai)
"If you're inside, please open the door." The leader of the three, Sendo, repeated, knocking with a bit more force.
People going missing is, unfortunately, a common thing in Land of Iron; bandits and predators fill these cold lands. Investigating such occurrences are tasks given to beginners, sometimes accompanied by a senior or two, then spread out across the country.
It was a little surprising when Mifune-sama decided to send a more experienced team out in the field for a mission like this. In fact, four squads were sent out near this area, and two of them were a full veteran team.
Every three days, the four teams would switch places – two would stay in the village and guard since it had low protection anyway as two others would patrol the area, getting rid of any hostile. They'd heard of the beast from the villagers who called it Yama-Oroshi, but didn't think much of it. It's a bear, and while dangerous, isn't quite a threat to veterans.
Hours and nothing noteworthy. A wolf here and there, the occasional bandit outpost, but nothing serious. They'd yet to meet the infamous bear, even after so much time patrolling the area, then they saw smoke rising from a nearby cliff.
Seeing a tiny shack in the middle of nowhere was concerning. The nearest village was hours away – nothing should try to live in a place so far away from civilization, especially when it's the middle of winter. Being hunted down by wolves would be the least of your worries. Unless you had the finest and warmest clothes, you'll freeze to death.
"I'll repeat for the last time: if you're inside, please open the door." He said. "Or we'll have to enter by force."
The Samurai waited patiently, his hand gripping the blade tightly, expecting an ambush of any kind. Just as they were about to kick the door, it creaked, opening slowly to reveal a small toddler looking at them curiously.
White hair, white scarf, big red eyes, and oddly well-dressed. The three Samurai were slightly surprised, but the one at the door knelt, taking his helmet to look at the kid softly as to not startle them.
"Hello." Sendo greeted. "Were you perhaps living here?"
The child nodded.
"By yourself?"
The child nodded again.
One of the Samurai took a step backward, frowning behind the helmet. Something felt… off. The child looked weird- no, wrong. The look on their face was hollow as if they were looking at a pebble on the side of the road. As if they regarded the Samurai as worthless.
His grip tightened, getting ready for a possible fight. It's ridiculous to feel so threatened by a child, but there have been reports of children inheriting incredible power. A Jinchuriki?
"What's your name?" The leader continued, not noticing the strangeness of all of this. The third partner didn't notice either, looking at the child with a relaxed posture.
The child responded by putting both palms on the leader's face, that innocent yet empty look on their eyes never changing. Sendo blinked in confusion, but then their palms began to light up.
The suspicious Samurai widened his eyes, screaming at his leader. "SENDO, GET BACK!"
Unfortunately, it was too late – two giant red beams erupted from the child's hands, completely erasing the leader's upper body. The lower half fell backward, the strange energy blast completely cauterizing the wound and stopping whatever remaining organs from spilling.
The remaining two were shocked; what the hell was that?
The smell of scorched flesh snapped the other Samurai out of his trance as he quickly charged at the child, who jumped over a slash and kicked him in the face, sending him tumbling backward.
The kid locked eyes with him, dashing towards the Samurai with speed unfit for a tiny toddler. He gritted his teeth, enhancing his blade with Chakra. He swung the sword, but he never had to deal with a small target and completely missed the little monster as it delivered a brutal gut punch.
Such force went through his armor, sending him flying back. He coughed and wheezed, blood filling the insides of his helmet. He struggled to get up, shocked that a simple punch managed to do so much.
With a growl, he pushed forward, charging at the kid again as his partner had his blade kicked away. They kicked his leg and forced him to kneel, giving out a flurry of blows to the face as the helmet slowly cracked.
He poured more Chakra into the sword, shooting a crescent of energy at them. His partner managed to back off, going out of the energy's range as it directly hit the child.
They did not scream, yelp, grunt, or even whimper. They simply took it silently without any reaction other than a tiny flinch. And what's more, they merely looked mildly injured, not sliced in half as he had assumed would happen.
This… this was no child. This was a monster.
It looked at him, red eyes glowing brightly as it dashed terrifyingly quickly. Three consecutive blows to the parts of the armor that it destroyed before he was sent flying with an uppercut. The monster jumped and took hold of his leg, slamming him on the ground.
His vision began to darken, but before it finished him off, his partner charged with a yell, reshaping his sword into a spear with his Chakra. The monster turned around quickly, grabbing the spear and stopping it completely, the tip mere inches away from its face.
A red orb formed in the kid's hand, released into another one of those energy beams. It dug into his partner's armor and went through his chest, destroying his heart and killing him.
The child dropped the spear then looked at him again, aiming the same blast at his head. The Samurai managed to utter a single sentence between his choked coughs and gurgles.
"What… are you…?"
The monster didn't even give him the satisfaction of answering the question, silently looking at him with those glowing and soulless eyes.
The stare felt like an eternity, but eventually, the red energy filled his vision before he fully lost consciousness forever.
(Zenith)
Enemy defeated! +100 AP!
Enemy defeated! +100 AP!
Enemy defeated! +100 AP!
...Fighting gives a lot of AP. Much more than the training quests I have. Those Samurai look like regular mobs too, nothing too powerful. How much AP will I get if I beat someone like Kakashi or Madara?
Thousands? Tens of thousands?
This only encourages me to seek out powerful foes. I'm nowhere near strong enough to fight Ninja of Kakashi's caliber at the moment. If I'm going to pick a fight with Konoha, I should at least get Ikari. Oozaru form makes me too big of a target, and once my tail is cut I'd be fucked.
But that's thinking ahead. I still need flight and sensing. That attack landed because I couldn't sense it, and it hurt. It shaved off almost half of my HP, and if I wasn't quick enough, I'd be dead.
One of the reasons why I won was the element of surprise. I ended one guy instantly after all. If they were wiser and saw through my ambush, I doubt it'd be that easy. Though the only real disadvantage I have is how expensive everything is, and no matter how hard I try, I can't make any original Ki attacks. Not now at least.
Because I get this message instead.
Ki Move Creation is locked until the age of 7!
...Too system-y for my liking. I'm bound to its rules completely.
It's annoying.
Ki sensing costs 500 AP, so a tiny bit under 200 more AP, and then I can get it, though I think buying a training quest or two seems like the better investment. They're cheap and have a bunch of benefits – the most expensive one is only 50,000, as opposed to Super Saiyan Blue, which is one million AP and a fuckton of requirements.
Let's see what I can get.
Looking through the available quests, I take three different exercises; two of them are harder versions of what I have currently and one is completely new, each costing me 100 AP. They may be a tad bit difficult for my tiny body considering the freezing weather, but complaining will get me nowhere.
I replace the two previous quests and assign the new ones. If I'm gonna get strong, then I'm pushing myself to the limit. If I die, then that means I was weak and don't deserve to regain my previous power. It's as simple as that.
Daily Training Quest 1: Advanced Exercise
Objective: Five hundred setups (0/500), five hundred push-ups (0/500), five hundred squats (0/500), and fifty-kilometer run (0/50)
Reward: 30 Body Points, 50 Ability Points
Daily Training Quest 2: Advanced Ki Training
Objective: Spend 50,000 KP (0/50,000) and fully exhaust your Ki Reserves ten times (0/10)
Rewards: 30 Spirit Points, 50 Ability Points
Daily Training Quest 3: Advanced Meditating
Objective: Meditate for 8 hours uninterrupted (0/8)
Rewards: 20 Mind Points, 20 Spirit Points, 75 Ability Points
Aside from the obvious gains in my stats, getting 175 a day is useful. A month of training every day amounts to 5250 AP, excluding what I'll get from eating or killing enemies. Two months are enough to get me Ikari, a bit less than a year and I'd get Super Saiyan.
I'm still unsure how I scale to the real heavy hitters of this world. Beating grunts isn't noteworthy, and having a bit of difficulty while doing it is outright pathetic. The only thing I'm sure of is that I'll get completely slaughtered if I try to attack a real warrior.
So invading settlements should be off the list. For now. I'll keep training here and get used to the cold, visit the nearby village soon maybe. Ki sensing is still a must.
Losing it is akin to suddenly going blind. It's weird and I don't like it.
I kick the bodies off the cliff, but not before checking their belongings. The only interesting thing I found was a tanto, which I took to use for skinning animals. Other than that, a few rations – dried fruit and hard bread.
Oh well, food is food.
I take the stuff back to the shack, putting them aside as I put the fire out from under the huge pot. It's ready; the little fight was a nice time waster I suppose.
I take off my sunglasses (or goggles; couldn't care less) and scarf, wolfing down the contents of the pot with a wooden ladle I made. It didn't take long for me to finish the entire thing, but I did feel full after it. I burp and sit down on the floor, releasing a sigh of content.
You've eaten a horribly cooked yet hearty meal! +35 AP!
More than the bear stew I had last time. Am I getting better at cooking or is deer healthier? I dunno, Saiyan physiology is confusing when it comes to food. We can eat a bunch of weird stuff and not be affected in the slightest. Pretty sure Saiyans can't get drunk either unless it's alcohol specifically made for us.
I still don't understand why the system says it's horribly cooked. I liked it. What's wrong with my cooking?
Saiyan or not though, I still feel sleepy after a big meal. Damned toddler body. I can bench press a goddamn bear but I still get tired so easily.
I shake my head with a yawn, climbing into the bed before resting my head on the rough pillow. I shiver slightly from the cold, but I ignore it. I'll get a comfortable home soon – Once I'm strong enough to raid a village or something.
My eyelids feel heavy, and once fully closed, sleep quickly follows.
Two days have passed since I've killed the Samurai, and I spent them like I always did since coming here. Wake up, train, explore, run back home, eat, then sleep. Monotonous, but I'm content. I've killed a wolf here and there, hunted down more animals to eat, but nothing terribly exciting.
The… new training quests take a lot of my time though. Eight hours of uninterrupted meditation is difficult, so it was the first thing I did when I woke up, in the comfort of my home under the blanket. Thankfully I wake up really early anyway; before the sun even rises.
I have just enough to finish everything though before going to sleep. My stronger body is making it easier for me to handle the cold and training. Being attacked by wolves is fun too; more AP, even if they give a fifth of what the Samurai gives.
They are squishy though. Really easy to kill.
I sidestep away from a lunging wolf, chopping its neck to stun it before blowing it up with a Ki wave. Another one dashed with bared fangs, yet I faced no difficulty to slam its head on the hard ground, crushing its skull.
Three more attack me at once, prompting me to act quickly and kill two with Ki before smashing my feet into the final wolf's head. It was thrown back, and I used the chance to drive my fist into its stomach, violently pulling its intestines as blood gushed out, painting my white coat and the snowy ground red.
Enemy defeated! +20 AP!
Enemy defeated! +20 AP!
Enemy defeated! +20 AP!
Enemy defeated! +20 AP!
Enemy defeated! +20 AP!
I frown slightly as I gaze at the stained coat. How am I gonna clean this up? I can't remain without it for too long. It's cold out here.
After a moment, I shrug. Oh well, who cares. A little blood won't hurt anybody.
In fact, it might attract more predators. Good for me, I need the AP.
Speaking of AP, I knew buying the new quests was a good idea. I have a total of 590 AP right now. 350 from two days of training, a bit from meals, and the rest from killing wolves.
Name: Zenith
Age: 4
HP: 1700/1700
MP: 800/800
KP: 1700/1700
Hunger Gauge: 11/100
Body: 11 (10/75)
Mind: 4 (20/25)
Spirit: 11 (50/75)
Tech: 2 (0/15)
Charm: 1 (0/10)
AP Stored: 590
Power Level: 62
Five hundred, meaning I can buy the sensing skill now. I might start to invest a lot of points on training quests if I got this much in a short period of time. Though, there's something I've noticed when I increase my Body, Mind, or Spirit.
When those stats level up, my HP MP or KP increase, but there's no set number. Sometimes it increases by 200, other times it's 50 – it's not a fixed number. It's a little confusing and unnecessarily complicated.
Eh, whatever. I'll just do what I'm doing and focus on Body and Spirit for now. Get them high enough before switching to Mind and Tech.
[Ki Sense] – Ki Technique
Feel the Ki around you; from the grass to the animals to other people. All living things have Ki within them, for it's the foundation of life.
I take a deep breath as the familiar senses return to me. The world felt more vibrant – I was able to feel living things near me. Something weak and small to the right, a hare? Another weak thing, but it's bigger. A deer.
It's been so long. I really needed this back. Living without it was hard.
I throw the body of the wolves inside the barrel, picking up some berries from the bushes. Dunno what they are, but they're sweet. I like them.
I feel something in the distance; clusters of ki signatures all around the place. Multiple living beings. All are stronger than a deer but weaker than a wolf. Some are significantly stronger though. Around… fourteen? At least sixteen of the strong ones. Dozens of the weak ones.
A town.
I was wondering where it was for a bit now.
I'll go investigate the place, but I'll try to not make any trouble. I may be strong, but I'm not strong enough to kill so many guards at once. Some might be even hiding their powers, and now that I think about it, am I sensing Ki or Chakra? Are they close enough that I'm able to sense both anyway?
Both are ultimately life energies after all. They just have different origins.
I'll think about it later. I have a town to explore.
I hide the food barrel in the bushes, uncaring if anything really spots it as I slowly walk towards the supposed village while picking as many berries as I can. Village means great food, and I'm starting to feel hungry. I don't think a lot of people are willing to ignore a hungry toddler.
Or maybe they are. Naruto world is harsher than most. Maybe I should increase my Charm a bit? I left it since I never saw any use for it in the long run, but spending a few AP points wouldn't hurt.
If my childlike innocence doesn't get me anything, I'll boost it up a bit.
I finally spot the village after a few more minutes of walking through the thickets, wooden walls surrounding it as guards scour the forest from the towers. I walk out of the bushes, heading towards the base as two gate guards spot me.
I stop, getting a feel of their ki before coming to the conclusion that they're definitely a lot weaker than I. One of the guards steps forward, calling out to me.
"You there, the child in red." He pointed at me, his eyes widening as he saw my bloody coat. "What are you doing outside the gates? And why are you bloody? Were you attacked?"
I silently extended my hands, showing the crimson red berries I picked up. I don't say any word as I let him assume why I'm outside, and it worked wonderfully as he sighs deeply.
"The forest is very dangerous this time of year, kiddo. You should stay inside next time." He says, leading me inside before muttering in relief. "It was just berries then, huh…"
Dumbass.
The smell of blood is already gone, and as liquid, these berries are eerily similar to blood.
But still, what a dumbass.
"What is it, Ryouma?" The other gate guard asks, sparing me a worried glance.
"A kid looking for Winter Berries. Probably stumbled on them and got dirty." He answers with a wave. "C'mon now, know where your parents are from here?"
I nod silently and get inside, scanning what's behind the walls. Bustling streets, outside stores all over the place, lively people- I genuinely didn't expect this much… positive energy. Especially not with this freezing weather. Maybe the people here got used to it. Land of Iron is cold anyway from what I remember.
I walk around, glancing at vendors and what they're selling. High-quality pelts, weapons, clothes, and food. I made sure to make the berries in my hand visible as to not startle the villagers, but I still got a weird look here and there. Some looked intimidated as well.
Wimps.
I stop at a fruit vendor, eyes going over the apples, grapes, peaches, and other ripe-looking food. I haven't had anything sweet other than berries from the moment I got here. I want something else.
My stomach rumbles a bit, and that's when the elderly man behind the stall noticed me. He looks at me with a kind smile, chuckling as I meet his eyes blankly.
"My, you look interested." He notes. "I can tell you're hungry. Would you like some?"
"...I don't have money," I reply, making him chuckle again.
I would've taken without caring, but again, not strong enough to kill the guards, nor do I want to steal and run away. That's stupid and counterproductive. I need to take advantage of the people's kindness before I do such a thing.
Or get strong enough to take everything by force.
"That's no problem. Wait just a moment."
I blink as he gets up from his chair, grabbing a small wooden bucket. He took his time to fill it with one or two of each fruit he's selling, then handed it over to me. A bunch of multi-colored and delicious-looking fruit filled the bucket, making my mouth water.
"Here you go, free of charge."
"...Why?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"Why? Well, I can't shoo away a hungry child like you. I can tell you're not from around here." He said. "You don't have any parents, do you? I would've taken you in if I could, but that's not an option, unfortunately. The most I can do is give you something to sate that hunger."
Hmm, pointless kindness then.
Stupid, but it works in my favor.
I silently nod and walk away, finding a place to sit so I can have my fill of fruits. Near a well, resting my back against it. I take my time to enjoy the food I've been given, my taste buds longing to taste something new after days of bland berries.
I savored each bite, watching people come and go as they ignore my existence. Well, a few glances and looks of sympathy, but I don't particularly care what others think of me. Never have been.
As I finish the last tiny fruit, one grape, I sigh. As good as that was, it only filled 15 Hunger, and gave 20 AP. It's quite a bit considering it's 15 off from being as much as a full meal I cook, but I still feel hungry.
Maybe I should run back home-
"Oh my!" A feminine voice yelps, making me flinch. "What are you doing here, hun?"
I turn to look at the voice, blinking at the middle-aged woman, a regular villager if her clothes and ki levels were any indications. I didn't know how to respond, simply staring at her warm brown eyes silently.
"Goodness, are you okay?" She crouches, staring at the red-painted outfit. "Is that blood on your coat?!"
No, it's berries.
"A-are you alright?!" She asks in concern, putting her hands on my cheeks. "You're freezing. Where are your parents?!"
"...Don't have any," I respond quietly.
"Oh…" She frowns in sympathy and sorrow. "To lose your parents at such a young age…"
Never cared about 'em.
...Well, I did at some point. Before the whole Gamer thing.
"Come, we must go now." She says, suddenly holding me tightly, startling me a bit.
"Stop it," I say blankly. "Let me go."
"No, otherwise you'd freeze to death." She firmly refuses, making me ready a ki wave as I frown in annoyance. "You'll warm up at my house, then we'll see what we can do with you."
I pause. Warm?
…
I cancel the blast, hugging her back tightly. Maybe a warm place isn't so bad. Might as well use this stranger's kindness to my advantage. Who knows, maybe she'll feed me too. Haven't had a decently cooked meal in a while.
According to the system of course. I still like my own cooking.
The warmth from how close she held me suddenly made my eyelids feel heavy. I struggle to stay awake, but once again, this tiny body of mine demanded a nap, and I couldn't resist it no matter how hard I try.
Well…
A warm bed sounds really nice right about now.
I uploaded something. Fucking finally. Lack of inspiration is a horrible thing I swear.
Anyway, the plot- er, well, lack thereof lmao. Murderhobo Loli going on a killing spree/becoming a chef isn't exactly plot when you consider my other fics. but hey, mindless bloodshed is fun as fuck sometimes, no? This is all an action/horror fic anyway. Not at the horror part yet.
The next chapter or the one after it is gonna be really damn fun to write. Let's hope you like this one~