Inspired by a clever D&D game, where my DM ran three overlapping games at once.
I do not own Naruto, nor would I want to.
"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but could you run that by me again? I believe my hearing might finally be going in my old age," The Sandiame asks. The ever-so-subtle way he chews on the end of his lit pipe tells Naruto the old man is just a touch agitated. Someone less versed in the old Hokage's body language would have missed it entirely. The Hokage laces his fingers together and leans forward on his desk. "From the beginning, if you will."
Naruto swears he sees movement in the corner of his eye as the old man's hands move, but dismisses it. He scratches his head as he thinks of the best way to put the last twenty-four hours. "So, uh... When I got home last night, this floating thing looking like a pane of glass appeared in front of me, and no matter how I moved my head, it followed. It had 'The Game' and some other junk on there I still don't understand. I thought it was just some dumb genjutsu so I tried to blow it away with my chakra." Naruto pauses for several seconds as he ponders what would be relevant to say. "It shows me stuff about myself as numbers, like my strength, my chakra, and other things, and when I get enough of this 'EXP' stuff, I get stronger. My chakra went from eight thousand to over eleven thousand this morning. I dunno if that's good or bad, though. Apparently having this thing makes me a special 'player', whatever that means."
The Sandaime sighs. "Naruto-kun," he begins patiently. "This isn't making sense to me and only raises more questions than it answers. Did you learn anything other than the Kage Bunshin from the Scroll of Seals? The scroll is filled with countless mysterious and dangerous jutsu. One of them could be the cause of this."
Naruto leans back in his heel and shakes his head. "Nope. Just the [Kage Bunshin]..." He glances around the room, then to the corner of his vision where Laura, Archie, and Dakki remain silent in the chat window. "I wish my new friends could explain, they would know better, but only I can hear them."
"My boy..." The Sandaime displays the first bit of open hesitation that Naruto has ever seen upon his face. He chews his pipe with just a bit more force. "Are you hearing voices in your head? What are they telling you to do? Have any of them identified themselves as the Kyuubi?"
"In my head?" Naruto blinks. "No, they say they're from different worlds. And they haven't really told me to do anything other than test the new powers this game thing gave me. They say I'm one of them, and that they can come to this world if I let them. I don't think any of them are the fox."
"You know, kid," Dakki suddenly speaks up from nowhere, making Naruto jump. "You could just turn all-talk on and he could hear us."
"Turn on all-talk? Where is that?" the blonde boy asks, not noticing the Hokage stiffening.
"Are you always this hopeless? Lower left, tap 'audio options'."
"Naruto-kun? Who are you talking to?"
Naruto looks away from the expanded menu in his vision to the Hokage, who sits ram-rod straight with suddenly hard eyes locked onto him. The steel in the old man's gaze and the sudden invisible pressure hanging in the air makes the boy wilt. "U-Uh, Dakki is his name. He said I can change some settings so you can hear him too," Naruto says quietly.
The oldest Sarutobi sighs and eases himself. "I apologize for that, my boy. Please understand that this is rather alarming to me. My... inaction in not telling you of the Kyuubi has already caused you harm, and this old fool does not want to repeat the old, foolish mistake of standing idle," he finishes, voice quiet.
Naruto, however, is quick to deny everything the Hokage said. "What?! No way, Jiji! I-I probably would have blabbed to everyone if I knew about the fox as a kid! I understand, really, I do!" He insists, holding his hands up. "The Hokage has gotta do what is right, not what is easy and all that old wisdom junk, right?"
"That's a very mature way to look at it, Naruto," Again, Laura somehow puts the feeling of a warm smile in just her voice alone.
The Sandaime smiles, but it barely reaches his eyes. "You are a good young man, Naruto. Now, you were saying something about letting me speak with these 'friends' of yours?"
"Oh yeah! Lemme finish that!" Naruto grins, then turns back the menu before him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi is many things.
Head of clan Sarutobi. The former student of Nidaime-sama and Shodaime-sama. Sensei of the Sannin. The Kami no Shinobi. The once and again Sandaime Hokage. Father of Sarutobi Asuma and grandfather of Sarutobi Konohamaru.
But right now, he's nursing a headache that this possible security breach has caused.
He watches Naruto reach his hands out at things only he could see, and talk to people only he could hear, and it makes the hairs on Hiruzen's neck stand on end.
The world of shinobi is one of mystery, and events that many would find impossible are just another tuesday for a seasoned nin. Grand storms of fire, illusions that fool the senses, summoning fantastical creatures, and warping the world with naught but ink, chakra, and paper. All of these things were in the realm of possibility of a ninja who finds themselves at the top. Every so often, another 'impossible' thing would join the list, and just becomes a new normal.
Naruto... could just be ill. Schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and just plain insanity have all claimed many a nin, but Hiruzen dares not entertain the possibility for Naruto. He just... can't. There were no signs, and Naruto was borne of some of the finest shinobi to ever grace Konoha. He is tougher than that. A prank, maybe? No. This doesn't fit Naruto's normal style of joke, either. Pranks and slapstick comedy are his forte, not something so... unsettling.
That only leaves one realistic option. Naruto is telling the truth, and is communicating with extra-dimensional beings.
Hiruzen taps a finger once, twice, three times on a little knothole on his wooden desk. Innocent twitch of idle hands to most, a signal to the ANBU in the room to secure the office to anyone in the know. Naruto doesn't even react, too engrossed in his work, but Hiruzen sees his black-ops move into place.
Space and time... Shinobi could manipulate these largely unknown forces in limited quantities. Namikaze Minato's complete Hiraishin was the most impressive example that most would point to. With his masterful manipulation of space, Minato secured his place in history as the mightiest Hokage since the Shodaime, and became a force feared all around the Nations. Many tried and failed to use more than Minato, usually dying of chakra exhaustion or tearing themselves limb from limb in pursuit of a power that mankind barely understands.
The fanciful sort would write about beings greater than man who understand unknowable things like space and its true relation to the physical world. These beings would be infinitely greater than any man, any nin, barely recognizable, or with a form man was never meant to see. Their motives, too complex for any to understand, were grander than any human achievement.
Such beings, thought only to be fiction, were knocking on their figurative door via Naruto, and they claim they could traverse the barrier between dimensions with ease.
They claim Naruto is one of their own.
At that one moment, all of the problems of the world, both past, and present, seem terribly small.
"Yatta! Got it!" Naruto cheers, drawing Hiruzen away from the thoughts that chill his blood.
"Too slow. Try to fumble the menu less next time." The voice of man growls with a metallic, mechanical twang tinged by white noise, not unlike someone speaking from an old radio. The voice comes from everywhere yet nowhere, and the curious sensation makes Hiruzen's skin crawl.
"Hey! Cut me some slack, okay?! You were breathing down my neck the whole time!" Yells Naruto, glaring at something invisible to Hiruzen.
"Yeah, take it easy on the kid, Dakki. He's had The Game for less than a day," A younger male voice says. "Besides, we're not here to argue with Naruto. His, uh, grandfather? Is it grandfather? Wants to talk to us."
Hiruzen clears his throat and eases into the calm that a life of war and politics bestows upon a man. "I am Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of the village of Konoha," he begins, carefully measuring his words. "While I have no blood relation to Naruto-kun, I do care for him like one of my own. May I have the pleasure of knowing who I speak to?"
'Care for him like one of my own' makes Naruto's face light up with a smile.
"Archibald of Lo- Er, Archibald Jones I guess is my official name in most places now, but just Archie is fine." The young male voice replies, sounding amused. "With me is Laura and Dakki, who can give their own titles if they want."
"Just Laura is okay with me," Comes the voice of a young woman. "I'm no one special like Archie or Dakki."
"What she means is 'no one special like Archie,' as I'm not important either." The first voice, Dakki insists.
"Archie-dono, Laura-dono, Dakki-dono, thank you for speaking with me. I apologize if I come off as frank, but my concerns are borne out of a desire to ensure both Naruto and my village's well being," Hiruzen mentally prepares himself for the possible backlash of offending not one, but three beings from beyond the borders of their world as trying to fool the answers out of them might lead to even greater outrage. "What are your intentions toward Naruto and our village?"
For a moment, there is no answer, and Hiruzen fears he may have misspoken. Then: "Towards Naruto?" Archie hums. "He came to us on what seemed like an accident, but I'm a pretty firm believer that some things happen for a reason. We [Observe]ed Naruto and found that Jinchuriki status of his, and how it negatively impacts his relation to the natives."
For the second time in just several minutes, Hiruzen finds himself with his blood running cold and curses his decision to let the secret out all those years ago.
"Being one of us, a Player, is hard enough, let alone having to navigate both The Game and life without a family or even a good relationship with your neighbors. As such, we took it upon ourselves to invite Naruto to our guild, Raldoth Magaza, which he accepted."
"I see..." Hiruzen gives Naruto a searching look. The boy seems to get the unspoken 'we'll talk later' with a nod.
"As for your village? Nothing. It doesn't concern us unless Naruto wants it to concern us. Most of Raldoth Magaza tries to remain hands-off regarding the affairs of their friend's worlds. Doing things like introducing magic or post-scarcity tech into places not ready for such things tends to make for extinction-level bad times, you know?"
The sheer casualness that Archie speaks of extinction with is disquieting, but the part about remaining hands-off with foreign worlds provides some comfort, thinks Hiruzen. "I would not know, actually. I would thank you in advance for not disrupting our way of life."
"Now, onto The Game." Dakki takes over. "To go over it in-depth would take hours, so I'll give you what is truly vital to know. The Game..." Dakki trails off as if thinking of what to say. "Is a supernatural power shared between countless people across countless times and realities. The scope of its reach is greater than most can imagine. The Game removes the upper limit on the user's ability to grow and prevents skill degradation. The user can also see their physical attributes, such as strength, dexterity, stamina, intelligence, and others as numbers, giving them a solid idea of their growth, among a slew of other unique abilities, like a pocket dimension, the ability to choose how to grow, and contacting other Players."
The longer Hiruzen listens, the more fantastical this power seems to become.
"Archie, show them your status screen."
"Huh?" Questions Archie. "Why?"
Dakki lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Just do it. This is easier with an example, mister I-have-nothing-to-hide."
"...No. I'll decline, thanks. Naruto? Open your status and look at the bottom. See the opacity bar?"
Naruto unsurely reaches a hand out into thin air. "This thing?" He asks, dragging a finger across the air. Before Hiruzen's eyes, a floating pane of glass seems to phase into reality. The old Hokage blinks and narrows his eyes, silently disrupting his chakra system with a short, hand-sealless pulse.
The floating window remains.
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Level 9 Genin of the Hidden Leaf (+10% to all Leaf Shinobi rep gains)
EXP: 1400/4500
HP: 5000/5000
MP: 11500/11500
Money: 25,620 Ryo
STR: 18
DEX:15
VIT: 50
END: 70
INT: 9
CHA: 17
LUK: 40
Available stat points: 20
Traits
Gamer's Body: Translates bodily damage to HP. HP, MP, and most debuffs are fully restored after 4+ hours of sleep in a secure, comfortable area.
Gamer's Mind: Grants EX-tier mind control resistance, grants A-tier illusion resistance.
Uzumaki Heritage: +5 END, +5 VIT, and +200 MP per level. Regenerate 0.2% HP per minute. +200% [Fuinjutsu] skill gain. Grants [Adamantine Sealing Chains] skill.
Kyuubi Jinchuriki: +300 MP per level. Regenerate 0.1% MP per second. Regenerate 0.2% HP per minute until full when HP drops below 80% Grants A-tier disease resistance. Negates muscle atrophy. Grants skill-set [Biju]. -50% to all (Konoha Civilian) Rep gains unless (Friend) or higher.
Just as the otherworldly interlopers said, Naruto is laid bare before him as a sterile sheet of numbers and descriptions. Hiruzen's eyes gravitate to [Uzumaki Heritage] and his headache instantly doubles in intensity.
"Naruto has some excellent traits and stats even if he's a little underleveled at the moment," Laura takes over the conversation. "As a Player, he'll only get stronger. I can see that..."
The horrid feeling of someone peering into his soul strikes Hiruzen, making his expression harden before he can suppress the reaction.
"...Wow, you're quite high leveled, Mr. Sarutobi, even with your [Old Age] causing some debuffs for you. Are you the average, or...?"
Can they see him? Can they measure his strength from an entire world away? This is swiftly becoming a security nightmare. Hiruzen sighs. "No, Laura-dono, even if I am well past my prime, I am still one of the strongest of Konoha."
"I see. Well, it'll take some time but we should be able to get a better idea of how much Naruto needs to be caught up by after a day or so..." Laura trails off. "Mr. Sarutobi, Naruto has a difficult road ahead of him. I can see you're concerned about all of this, as its is a lot to take in. I'm asking your formal permission for Archie, Dakki, and I to be summoned by Naruto should he need us. A little known rule about The Game, is that every world can only have one native Player at a time. Players need to either stick together or die alone."
Hiruzen sighs and tips his pipe out into the ashtray on his desk. As he slowly stuffs a new bundle of tobacco into his pipe, he looks at Naruto's hope-filled face and feels his resistance swiftly beginning to crumble.
Questionably human creatures are claiming Naruto is one of their own, finally giving him a place to belong. It'll make the boy happy, but a flight-risk. The cold, Kami no Shinobi part of Hiruzen wars with his Professor side. Letting an unknown power stake a claim over the Kyuubi Jinchuriki is a horrific tactical error, but trying to tear Naruto away from people offering him companionship and mentorship over a shared superpower, as there is no other way to describe this "Game", has the chance to backfire spectacularly. The old Hokage lights his pipe with a silent Katon jutsu and takes a drag before he makes up his mind.
"Laura-dono, Archie-dono, Dakki-dono, Naruto-kun."
Naruto perks up, his smile widening just a little. If Hiruzen was undecided before, he isn't now.
"I see no reason to deny this partnership you've formed together, but!" He stops Naruto's celebratory yell and fistpump short. "Remember, Naruto-kun. You are a shinobi of Konoha now. You cannot be galavanting away to faraway places when we might need you. Laura-dono, Archie-dono, Dakki-dono, you have my blessing to come to Konoha, but I ask that you observe our laws. Shinobi with summoning contracts are held accountable for the actions of their summoned companions, you see, and this situation is close enough to fall under this law. Your actions will reflect upon Naruto. In fact..."
He turns to Naruto, who blinks at the sudden scrutiny. "I believe it goes without saying, Naruto-kun, that your new powers and their otherworldly origins are now an S-rank secret. You cannot tell anyone without good reason, as doing so may incite panic. I am trusting you to exercise caution if you tell anyone, understand?"
Naruto nods so rapidly that his head is little more than a blur. "Yeah! No need to worry, Jiji! I won't let you down!
The oldest Sarutobi smiles. "I know you won't, my boy. Now, we need an appropriate cover for your companions if you happen to summon them. Could you perhaps summon one so I might see how it's done?"
Under his desk, Hiruzen places a finger on a small seal array Minato installed in his short tenure. With a single pulse of chakra, the entire room would implode, killing everyone inside.
Should this outworlder turn hostile, he will not allow it to be released upon the village.
"Sure! I just need to... Uh..." Naruto looks at the screen before him with a squint of concentration.
"Here, Naruto. Go to your friend's list and click on my name. There should be an option to 'invite' me to your world," Laura supplies. "Oh, and turn your menu visibility back down to just yourself. No need for everyone to see."
"Right..." Naruto presses several buttons before him, then the screen fades back to invisible for Hiruzen. After a few more presses, Naruto lets his arm fall back down. He blinks his blue eyes and looks around. "Sooooo is it wor-!"
Tiny motes of multicolored light bloom to life from nowhere, coalescing into a human-shape at Naruto's side, making the boy jump away with a yelp. The lights gather and solidify, seemingly transforming from a light, to a liquid, to a solid. The light rapidly fades, leaving a woman behind.
The woman is of middling height, dressed in a modest button-up blouse and skirt. Her brown hair is in a loose braid that lays over her shoulder, and the only sign of age on her otherwise youthful face is faint wrinkles by her eyes. Said eyes open, revealing light amber-colored eyes that pair well with the gentle smile below them. She then folds her hands over one another in front of her, showing a simple wedding band on her left hand. All in all, she's... normal. Nothing like Hiruzen expected.
"Looks like it's working," Laura says with a giggle. Hearing the voice in person accompanied by a smiling, human face eases Hiruzen's anxiety by a surprising amount.
"Sugoi! That was awesome!" Naruto bounds up to the woman, who matches his grin with one of her own.
"Indeed," Hiruzen cuts in, drawing both Naruto and Laura's eyes to him. "It would be prudent to disguise the summoning itself, however, to better blend in and make it seem like the Kuchiyose no jutsu instead. Laura-dono," Hiruzen looks at Laura. "Is it possible to change summoning itself to a plume of smoke?"
"Easily!" She says with a nod.
"Good," he returns his attention to Naruto. "Naruto-kun, should you need to summon Laura-dono or one of her companions before another shinobi, Konoha or no, announce "Kuchiyose no jutsu" to maintain the ruse. This applies to any other skills you acquire, for I want to you pass them off as jutsu as best you can. If anyone tries to pry, refer them to me, yes?"
Naruto nods. "Gotcha, Jiji."
"If we're done here and Laura has first watch of the kid, then I need to go. Business is on my doorstep," Dakki cuts in. There is the sound of something metallic sliding against something else metallic, followed by a mechanical 'click-CLICK'.
"Section Nine?" Archie asks quickly, his tone concerned. "Do you need backup?"
"Not them. I'll call if I need help."
Ding-ding!
"Well then," Archie sniffs. "He's going to come back riddled with bullet holes then complain that he could have used backup. I've got a few things I need to do as well, so I'll leave this in your hands, Laura."
"Archie, before you go," Laura stops him, turning to something only she can see. "Can you let my husband know I may be home late? Just a note is fine."
"Yeah, sure. I'll swing by and drop one off. This isn't an urgent quest, so call me if you need me."
"We will," she promises. "Be safe."
"Same to you."
Ding-ding!
With a nod, the woman turns back to Hiruzen with Naruto following suit. "Mister Sarutobi? Or I guess Hokage...sama? Is it? Is there anything else we need here today?"
The Hokage sorts through his mental checklist and finds nothing else. "Hrm. I think that is all today, my dear. Please, don't teach Naruto how to break the world or anything else equally ridiculous," he says seriously.
Laura giggles behind a hand. "Of course not. Mass destruction is Archie's forte, not mine."
"That's not easing my worries." Hiruzen shakes his head. He turns his eyes back to Naruto. "Naruto-kun, I had originally wanted to wait until you were a chunin to tell you your family history, but I feel as though you will learn sooner rather than later if I do not say something now," The Hokage thinks back to the [Uzumaki Heritage] he saw and takes in Naruto's widening eyes. "Please, sit. This will take some time, and know this will need to be an S-rank secret as well, one you can tell nobody," he looks pointedly at Laura, who nods and begins to glow in the same corona of colors that summoned her.
"Wait!"
Naruto's hand darts out and seizes Laura's, stopping her from dematerializing. The woman blinks in surprise. "Naruto?"
"Jiji, is it okay if Laura-chan stays?" Naruto asks, suddenly appearing uncomfortable. "I'm okay with her knowing."
The unspoken 'I want support' strikes Hiruzen like a kunai to the skull. Has Naruto truly been so alone as to latch onto the first person to show him affection?
"Naruto, honey, this sounds like a very personal thing," Laura says gently, curling her hand around his. Her amber eyes search the boy's face intently, yet not unkindly. "Are you certain you want me here? We've only been friends for a day."
"Maybe I don't get the whole thing with you guys inviting me to your clan-er, guild," Naruto begins. Looking between the brunette woman and Hiruzen. "Or maybe I'm undervaluing it, I dunno, but you bothered to care about me when you didn't have to, so I don't mind if you stay."
Laura is silent for a moment, then sighs and ruffles Naruto's hair with a melancholic smile. "How can I say no to a face like that?"
Hiruzen takes a minute to prepare for one of the hardest conversations he thinks he'll ever have.
Naruto stares blankly at the wall of the Hokage's office, his mind whirling a mile a minute.
Uzumaki Kushina. The name is just right in a way he can scarcely understand. Uzumaki Kushina, mother of Uzumaki Naruto. After so long, he finally knows, and she loved him! Her last words were such, Hokage-jiji said so.
Oh! And the photo! Jiji gave him a photo of her. Of course, all children think their mothers are beautiful, but his really is! Her face was so much like his own, and her flowing red hair captivated him instantly.
Then there was Namikaze Minato, and that name stirs conflict within his gut. The legendary Yondaime was his father, the same father who gave him his burden, the one who condemned him to this life of loneliness.
'No, thats not right anymore, I've got my... guild, right?'
The orange-clad genin swallows, but finds his mouth dry. Once again, he silently casts [Observe] on the photograph.
Photo of Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato
A photograph of an 8-months-pregnant Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, both eager for the birth of their baby boy. The photo invokes fond memories from those who knew the two, and wistful feelings from a certain someone.
The Yondaime claimed he could trust no-one other than his son to remain strong in the face of such a life, and died handing a curse to him, his beloved firstborn. His smiling visage, complete with the same eyes and hair as Naruto vaguely hurts to look at.
The soft hand wrapped around his own squeezes just a little, drawing Naruto from his thoughts. He looks up at the kind face of the woman who stood by him the entire time. "Are you okay, Naruto?"
Naruto swallows again and tries to find his words. "Y-Yeah, it's just a lot to take in is all."
"Well, you certainly don't have to take it in all at once. Take as much time as you need. I know that the last twenty-four hours have been a rollercoaster ride for you," Laura replies, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand.
The boy numbly nods and looks back towards the Hokage, who looks as if all his years are bearing down upon him at once. "Jiji?"
The Sandaime takes a deep drag from his pipe and exhales a great cloud of smoke that makes Naruto's nose twitch. "Yes?"
"Thanks for telling me."
That restores some life to the old man, who sits up a little straighter. "It's the least I could do, Naruto-kun."
"Say. Naruto," Laura begins, drawing both Naruto and The Sandaime's eyes to her. "How about something fun to dispel all this gloom and doom? You've still got new powers to learn, and I'd be happy to help you learn."
The grin that Naruto feels pop up on his face must have been blinding because Laura grins right with him.
"I must admit, I am curious about these powers myself," The Sandaime leans forward. "It would ease my fears further if you do not object to me following."
"Not at all, Jiji! Just don't be too blown away, you gotta keep that hat warm for me, after all." Naruto laughs, feeling his spirits rise again.
This is no time to be sad! Not when everything has just started going so right!
The Sandaime laughs right along with him, making the boy ninja even happier. "Of course, my boy. Handing it off to you one day will be one of my proudest moments," he says, rising from his desk. "Now, I know a training field that is typically unused right around this time of the morning. Shall we?"
"Alright! So what's first?"
Naruto watches as Laura inspects the training ground they rented. It's a bog-standard training area, with a flat, grassy clearing with several wooden stumps on the edge to use as targets, as evidenced by how tattered they are. Tall Konoha oaks isolate the clearing from other training grounds in the distance, muffling the sound of other nin training that is carried by the wind. Out on the edge of the clearing, the Sandiame stands and watches, puffing away on his pipe.
'Is she going to teach me a cool jutsu from another world? Or maybe show me some hidden Player power?' Naruto can't help but grin and bounce on his feet in anticipation.
"This'll work," Laura nods. She turns back to Naruto, who wears a wide smile. "Since you'll be getting a team with a ninja teacher here in a week, I'll leave ninja things to him. Here, I'll get you started on the basics of The Game. First off, use [Observe] on me. I think you'll find it more successful than your attempt on Archie now that we're friends."
Naruto hides his disappointment at the lack of cool technique handed to him, but the reminder that he's friends with Laura silences any protests. "Okay. [Observe!]"
Info blooms before his eyes and makes his jaw drop.
Name: Laura of Gloam
Level 102 Lycanthrope Matriarch (!)
HP: 346,000/346,000
MP: 90,500/90,500
STR: 910
DEX: 522
VIT: 705
END: 545
INT: 499
CHA: 858
LUK: 421
Rep: (Friendly) ?/?
[Observe] Leveled up to Lvl 5!
"N-Nani!?" Naruto screams, his eyes bugging out. "Level 102?! Your numbers are huge! How did you get so strong?! Wait...!" Naruto stops when a thought suddenly hits him. "You used [Observe] on Hokage-jiji, right? How strong is he?"
In the corner of his eye, Naruto can see the Hokage lean in with interest.
"He's Level 132, honey," Laura supplies, blowing Naruto's mind. "His INT in particular is off the charts. He certainly was not bluffing about how powerful he is. Now, my stats are going to appear much less impressive after this. Do you see the little exclamation point by my title?"
Naruto nods, raising a hand towards it and pressing it when he notices it's a button.
Multiplayer Correction
Name: Laura of Gloam
Level 102 Lycanthrope Matriarch
HP: 34,600/34,600
MP: 9,050/9,050
STR: 91
DEX: 52
VIT: 70
END: 55
INT: 50
CHA: 86
LUK: 42
Rep: (Friendly) ?/?
"Huh?" Naruto blinks when the number before his eyes change. "What happened? Oh no! Did I just make you weaker!? How do I change it back?!" He swipes through the screen and growls when nothing happens.
Laura giggles. "It's nothing you did, hun. The Game did. Remember how Dakki said you can't summon us at our full power? Those are my stats while I'm here with you, you need to press that button to see them, though."
Naruto scratches his head. "Yeah? But you lost so much!" He says, waving a hand at the screen. "That's so unfair!" He crosses his arms and glares at the screen.
"Maybe," Laura agrees, strolling over to one of the training logs. Naruto follows her closely, stopping when she does about arms-length away from one of the hunks of wood. "Since I'm roughly ten times as powerful as you Level wise, The Game cuts my stats down by an equal amount, but I get to keep all my skills, so I'm certainly not useless even if their effects are reduced." she smiles and raises a delicate-looking fist. "Watch," She focuses on her fist, the veins in the back of her hand bulging "[Howling Blood]." Laura calmly recites, then she draws her fist back and Naruto reaches out with a yell, certain her wrist is about to be broken.
The last thing he expected was Laura's hand to plow through the wood like foam, breaking it with ease. Wood chips and sawdust fly everywhere in the air, forcing Naruto to raise an arm to protect his eyes. When he lowers his arm, he openly gapes at the log. Or he would if there was one left. The entire thing is little more than a broken base surrounded by mulch and dust, and the force of the blow uprooted more than one blade of grass behind the log itself.
"Wow..." Naruto breathes.
"Wow indeed," Laura smiles. "As you get stronger, the restrictions on anyone you summon will be lessened. Anyone you summon who is weaker than you will be at their full power, however. Keep that in mind so you don't bring someone unprepared into a dangerous situation."
Naruto nods then grins. "Can you teach me that [Howling Blood] thing? You turned that log into dust with one hit!"
"I shouldn't."
Naruto's face falls.
"I would if I could, honey," Naruto feels fingers pull his chin up so that he's looking into Laura's face, her gentle smile still in place. "[Howling Blood] requires having a Trait that is no better than a curse until it's mastered, and I don't want to wish that upon you, okay?"
"O-Okay," Naruto feels his face grow warm when he realizes how soft the fingers on his chin are.
Laura pulls her hand back and props her hands on her hips. "You've got some super special skills of your own, though. Why not take a look?"
"I do?" Naruto blinks, then remembers everything he read the night prior. "Oh, I do!" He opens his menu and jumps right to [Skills]
Active Skills
Sort by: Relevancy
[Observe] - Lvl 5 | 240MP | Magic
Take in all the details of an object before your eyes, divining it's true nature and history. Higher levels will glean more details and reduce the casting cost.
[Kawarimi] - Lvl 10 | 10MP | Ninjutsu
Warp space and instantly swap places with a similar sized object within 10 meters to avoid danger. Higher levels increase range and increase object size tolerance.
[Henge (false)] - Lvl 1 | 20MP | Ninjutsu
Place a thin shell of chakra around yourself, taking on the appearance of someone else or a similar sized object. Higher levels make the illusion less likely to be detected and more durable. 2 MP upkeep per minute.
[Henge (true)] - Lvl 21 | 600MP | Ninjutsu (Macro: Oiroke no jutsu)
Transmogrify your entire body into something else. Higher levels allow more radical changes and reduces casting cost. 50 MP upkeep per minute.
[Kage Bunshin] - Lvl 6 | Variable MP cost | Ninjutsu
Create solid clones of yourself with 1/100th of your base HP. MP used is divided equally among desired clone amount. (Minimum 100MP per clone). Clones will return their memory and any gathered EXP to the user upon death. Higher levels reduce casting cost and increase clone HP.
[Killing Intent] - Lvl 4 | Variable MP cost | Ninjutsu
Project your desire to do harm upon others as a form of unblockable psychic wave, causing (Fear) or other debuffs depending on potency and target. Can be infused with up to 40 MP to increase effect.
[Adamantine Sealing Chains] - Lvl 1 | Variable MP cost | Kekkei Genkai
Spawn great, spear-tipped chains from any point on the body to use as weapons. The chains seal Biju chakra and act as conduits for [Fuinjutsu] and [Ninjutsu]. Higher levels reduce casting cost and increase chain strength. Costs 200 MP per meter of chain per minute.
[Biju Cloak] - Lvl 1 | LOCKED
Cloak yourself in the malevolent chakra of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, increasing STR, DEX, END, and VIT by 100%, but reducing INT and CHA by 50%. Fills (Corruption Meter) when used, and when the meter is full, user takes rapid HP damage. Higher levels increase bonuses and reduce penalties. Unlock condition: Form (Neutral) or better relationship with Kyuubi no Kitsune.
Passive Skills
Sort by: Relevancy
[Konoha Academy Taijutsu] - Lvl 4
A basic set of fighting principles meant to allow students to grow into their own fighting style. +2% poise and +2% unarmed damage. Transmigration Skill
[Basic Shurikenjutsu] - Lvl 9
The art of using throwing weapons. +4% to throwing weapon accuracy and damage.
[Basic Fuinjutsu] - Lvl 8
The art of sealing. Allows for the creation and dismantling of basic seals. +4% to seal creation, identification, and dismantling.
[Basic Chakra Control] - Lvl 4
The art of controlling one's chakra (MP). This skill works in conjunction with INT to lower casting costs for [Ninjutsu]. Current bonus: -0% casting cost for all skills.
[Beginner Lockpicking] - Level 19
Ascended version of [Basic Lockpicking] Allows for the picking and understanding of lower level locks. -24% time needed to pick mundane locks without security measures.
[Journeyman Stealth] - Lvl 28
Ascended version of [Amateur Stealth]. Allows the user to hide from detection, even from higher level foes with special sensory abilities. +169% chance to not be detected by a pursuer. +169% sneak attack damage. Adds bonus from current attire compared to the surrounding area. Current attire stealth bonus: -90%
[Adept Trap Making] - Lvl 14
Ascended version of [Journeyman Trap Making]. Allows successful creation of multistage traps with advanced mechanical components and volatile substances. +205% trapmaking speed, +205% trap laying speed, +205% trap damage, x2 chance of trap debuff, allows substitution of missing components with alternatives, targets are less likely to notice traps.
"An Adept skill already? You don't waste time, do you?"
Naruto jumps when a pair of hands knead his shoulders gently. Looking behind him, he sees Laura, who peers over his shoulder at his skill screen. "These are just things you've used since The Game started. You'll get a lot more skills, some of which you might never use again, and you can hide those in your options, so don't feel overwhelmed, okay?"
Naruto nods, then looks over as the Sandaime strolls forward.
"Naruto-kun?" The elderly Hokage begins. "Show me your skills, please. I would like to know just how much we need to boost security around the Scroll, just in case someone else gets a bright idea," he says.
The blonde blushes in embarrassment and quickly taps the visibility slider at the bottom on his screen.
For a moment, the old Sarutobi silently scans the information before him, stopping several times with a deepening frown. "Well, it seems our security is lax if beginners can best our defences. I will see to correcting this immediately,"
"A word of advice, Hokage-sama," Laura cuts in, looking at Naruto's skills as well. "What counts as basic and beginner does not translate over exactly to normal people. By all means, protect your scroll as much as you want, but I don't think just any young ninja can get in."
The Hokage mulls over the words. "I'll take your advice, Laura-dono, but security is still due for a retrofit. Genin Uzumaki," he looks over to the genin, who stands a little straighter at the sharp tone. "This is an official notice of an upcoming mission. Once the security updates of the Hokage tower are complete, you will be contacted to test them. This information is confidential and on a need-to-know basis, understood?"
Naruto nods once, setting his face in a serious expression, barely noticing Laura giggle or the Hokage's lips twitch upward in a smile. "You can count on me, Hokage-Jiji."
"Thank you, now onto other matters," Sarutobi looks back at Naruto's skills as his face hardens, and high above, a beam of sunlight strikes his hat through the tree leaves and darkens his face beneath. "Naruto-kun, under no circumstance do I want you to attempt to contact the Kyuubi alone, even if your newfound abilities offer you immunity to mind control. When you are ready, alert me so we may make arrangements to attempt contact in a controlled environment. I cannot stress this enough, Naruto. The Kyuubi is not something to trifle with."
Feeling a bead of sweat run down his face from his surrogate grandfather's harsh warning, Naruto gulps. "Sure thing, Jiji."
The Hokage draws his head back slightly, the shadows under his hat lightening as he smiles. "Good. You worry me enough, my boy, and that's one less thing for me to stress over. Now, the final thing I want to address is this," He points to [Henge (true)] "When did you create such a technique? If it does what it says here, that's a true transformation without any complicated rituals or fuinjutsu, something ninjutsu masters have doggedly pursued without success for years."
'What?'
"Uh..." Naruto scratches his head. "I didn't know I was doing anything differently until now. That's just how I always used the [Henge]."
The Sandaime blinks then opens his mouth to respond but then closes it again with a sigh and a chuckle. "Truly, you're one of my most unique shinobi, Naruto-kun. That is a very versatile skill, and opening your mind to the possibilities it brings you will unlock many doors. Keep in mind that your Henge is more than just a disguise."
"Open doors, huh?" Naruto rubs a chin and as he feels his face fall into a squint of concentration as he thinks over the cryptic, old-man jargon. 'What does Jiji mean by that... ' Then it suddenly hits him 'Oh! Duh!'
"You mean like transforming into a key for a locked door or something?" Naruto smiles and turns to the Sandaime, who laughs, confusing him. Behind him, Laura also giggles.
When the Sandaime gets his laughter under control he answers. "That's certainly one way of doing it, but I recommend that you test that before finding yourself on a mission with no other option, Naruto-kun."
Naruto crosses his arms and grumbles. "You don't need to laugh at me."
"It was just unexpected is all, hun," Laura smiles. "With some practice, that would actually be a good idea if you need to get in somewhere without looking like you tampered with the lock. Shapeshifting without some sort of drawback is a pretty rare ability to have. You should be proud!"
That gets the blonde's attention. "Huh? Really?" He wonders aloud. "Even with other Players?"
"Even with other Players," she confirms with a nod. "I know Dakki would love to have such a skill, and if you teach it to him, he might be willing to trade something valuable for the knowledge, so keep that in mind."
Ohhhhohoho! Naruto grins greedily and can already imagine his favorite gama wallet getting fatter with wads of Ryo.
"So it seems like a good idea to me that we test all your skills out and begin work on ones you want to sharpen," Laura smiles. Beside her, Naruto sees her Inventory window open, and with a swipe of her finger, her blouse and skirt are replaced with a set of form-fitting leather armor.
-Quest Alert!-
Spar with Laura of Gloam and test out your newfound power! +10% bonus EXP earned during spar!
Rewards: 500 EXP + 100 EXP for each first skill activation used during spar!
Failure Condition: N/A
Accept?
[Yes] [No]
Naruto blinks at the window that pops up in his face and re-reads it. "A quest?"
"Oh good it made a quest for this!" Laura beams. She taps [Yes] on the one thats pops up before her before Naruto can read any of it. "Quests will be your biggest source of EXP, sweetie. If you think you can do one and the opportunity presents itself, give it a try. If things get hairy, then remember myself, Dakki, and Archie are just an invite away. This one should be easy for you."
At first, Naruto finds himself reluctant to raise a hand to the woman who has been so kind to him, but then remembers how she powered an entire log just a few minutes prior. Going pale and feeling himself gulp, Naruto presses [Yes].
Laura takes a loose stance, leaning forward with a hand held out, her fingers curled like claws. "Ready when you are, Naruto. Don't be afraid to go all out, I'll let you know if I need you to slow down."
Naruto takes a deep breath and gives Laura a foxy grin. "Don't be too surprised when I win, Laura-chan. Here I come!"
Naruto's legs tense, then he charges forward with a loud cry, his fist drawn back. Several meters away, he jumps into the air and comes down right at Laura, who watches closely the entire time.
When Laura's hand shoots out and snatches his wrist mid-air, halting his momentum dead, Naruto realizes he might be in over his head.
"Good try, hun," Laura smiles and swings Naruto around, drawing a scream from him before she throws him well over ten meters away. "Don't telegraph so much, it'll help you keep an edge over whoever you're fighting!"
Naruto lands roughly, a grunt bursting from his mouth when the air is forced out of his lungs.
-25 HP
HP: 4,975/5,000
With a growl, Naruto jumps back to his feet and puts his hands in a cross-shaped seal. "[Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!]"
-2000 MP
+100 EXP
MP: 9,500/11,500
[Kage Bunshin] has leveled up and is now Lvl 7!
Twenty Naruto clones burst into existence in puffs of smoke, each one already in a taijutsu stance. Without any prompting, all the clones cry out and charge the woman standing across from them, one drawing and throwing a kunai and another one a shuriken.
Laura is quick to snatch the kunai out of the air and duck the shuriken. The first Naruto clone to reach her is stabbed by her stolen knife, dispelling both the clone and the cloned kunai. One overextends a punch and takes a palm-strike to the nose that he can barely cry out about before he dispels, and another Naruto trying to flank her is kicked in the chest, knocking the air from his lungs as he pops into smoke. Laura ducks under a high kick and grabs the offender's ankle, then swings the Naruto into two other wide-eyed clones, destroying all three of them.
Naruto himself hangs back, watching with frustration as his clones are massacred. This worked on Mizuki so well! But... 'Mizuki-teme is probably way weaker than Laura-chan,' he realizes with a frown. 'Damn. What other jutsu do I have that could work here?' He quickly looks at his skills again as his clones make a last stand, not one having damaged their foe. 'Maybe her armor has some kinda weakness?' Naruto huffs. "[Observe]!"
-240 MP
+100 EXP
MP: 9360/11500
Hardened Leather Armor Set +2
D-tier Outerwear
Defense Rating: 275
A full set of reinforced leather armor. Standard of fighters who like to remain light on their feet. The leather is treated with a hardening compound to better protect vital areas at the cost of some mobility.
'Nothing useful...'
The final Naruto clone is dispatched with a knee to his stomach, leaving just Naruto, Laura, and the still observing Sandaime in the field.
[Konoha Academy Taijutsu] has leveled up and is now Lvl 5!
"Not bad, hun, not bad," She dusts off her hands with a smile. "Try something else. Sometimes brute force isn't what you need in a fight."
Naruto dismisses the level up notices in his vision and wracks his brain for a plan. 'If I get too close, I'll get clobbered, but my clones are too weak to hit her. Maybe...? Lets try this...' Plan in mind, Naruto charges again with the same cry and telegraphed punch as his first attack.
Laura watches with a raised brow, easing out of her stance, making Naruto grin.
Just a few meters short of hitting her, Naruto halts in his tracks and throws his open hand out. "[Adamantine Sealing Chains]!" He yells, three chains of glowing gold rushing from his open palm. To his joy, the chains don't fight him at all and fly forward with nary a thought.
[Adamantine Sealing Chains] has leveled up and is now Lvl 2!
-1800 MP
+100 EXP
MP: 7,560/11,500
Laura's eyes widen and from his place off to the side, the Sandaime's mouth falls open in bold-faced surprise. The brunette woman's legs tense to spring away, but she's a hair too slow.
-265 HP!
One chain drives it's kunai-like spear-tip right into Laura's torso, drawing a cough from her and petrifying Naruto in place as he realizes just what he did. Before he can recall the chains, Laura leaps backwards, showing no wounds upon her person.
"My oh my, that one stung," Laura laughs, rubbing the spot in her midriff where she was struck. "Try to avoid using that one in spars with non-Players, sweetie. You might hurt them more than you intend to. That aside, that was fantastic! I had no idea you were mixing it up until the end there! Let's have another go. Surprise me again, but keep an eye on your MP. You don't want that getting too low."
The blonde ninja quickly gets his shivers under control when he realizes he didn't harm his friend-turned-sensei and answers with a nod. "Right," he mutters, taking the Academy stance.
"Oh!" Laura exclaims, stopping Naruto before he can spring into action. "I'm just sitting here defending. Silly me, you'll learn better if I put my fair share of effort in. Sorry about that, hun," she says, lowering her stance, both hands now posed like sets of beast claws. "This'll get your effort stat boosts as well. Ready?"
"Ready..?" Naruto parrots with an uncomprehending blink. A second later Laura charges forward like a runaway train, and in his sudden panic, Naruto freezes and takes a knee to his gut.
-500 HP!
HP: 4,475/5,000
As the genin is bent over the knee in his stomach and the air is blown right out of his lungs, he can vaguely hear the words "Sorry babydoll" and "Tough love" over the sudden pain.
Naruto limps into his apartment groaning and covered in bruises, blindly groping for the lightswitch as he closes the door to the night-graced Konoha behind him. He flips the light on and walks to his bed, flopping down into it. With a thought, his status page pops open.
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Level 9 Genin of the Hidden Leaf (+10% to all Leaf Shinobi rep gains)
EXP: 3,900/4,500
HP: 1,458/5,200
MP: 3,653/11,500
Money: 25,620 Ryo
STR: 20
DEX:17
VIT: 53
END: 70
INT: 11
CHA: 17
LUK: 40
Available stat points: 20
The day spent experimenting with his new powers and sparring with Laura netted him 1 STR, 1 DEX, 2 VIT, 1 INT, and a medley of level-ups for his skills. [Konoha Academy Taijutsu] in particular hit its max of Lvl 10, and if Laura was right, then he could pour those levels into a more advanced fighting style if he learned one. He wanted to learn Laura's [Crush Claw] style, but the base requirement of 200 STR killed that dream real fast.
All in all, Naruto just feels drained. Tired both physically and emotionally, he can't seem to muster up the effort to make a cup of Ramen or make the trip to his favorite ramen stand before they close.
'Some sleep sounds nice,' he hums, ignoring the hunger gnawing at his stomach. 'I'll just have two cups in the morning. Easy.'
When a little notification pops up in the corner of his vision, Naruto sighs and opens it. His eyes widen shortly after.
New message from: Laura of Gloam
(1) Attachment.
Hello, Naruto! I wanted to tell you again how proud of you I am. You've rolled with so many punches today and are already doing Raldoth proud. There is still a lot to go over, but I think we made good progress today. I'll be busy tomorrow, but feel free to ask the boys for help if you need it. In case you're too tired to make dinner, I saved some from our dinner here just for you. Just open the attachment and it'll appear in your inventory.
Warm regards,
Laura.
Silently, Naruto opens the attachment, then looks in his inventory at the only item there.
Slow Cooked Stew
B-tier Consumable.
+25% STR and VIT for 4 hours.
A savory, slow-cooked stew of beef and vegetables prepared by [Laura of Gloam]. Although the ingredients may be common, the tender love and care that went into their cooking draws out a new level of flavor and fills one with warmth to the core.
Hesitantly, the boy sits up and reaches into his inventory, withdrawing a steaming bowl of beef, broth, and vegetables with a spoon already sitting inside. Just one sniff stops his grumble about eating vegetables short. For a moment, he sits, feeling awkward and just a little uncomfortable as he looks at the gift.
"Well, it would be a waste if I don't eat it... This could have been a little more for Laura-chan's kids after all..." He says to himself, drawing up a spoonful. Broth, a small cut of beef, and a diced carrot stare back at him. He pops the spoon in his mouth and freezes.
Naruto takes a deep breath, slowly chewing and swallowing the bite as his eyes sting with tears.
The taste is wonderful, better than almost anything he's ever had, but that's not what rattles him. There is something else about the food. Something he has no name for. A tight, wet feeling wells up in his chest as he slowly eats.
The hazy form of a smiling, red-headed woman, more beautiful than any he's ever seen seems to float before his eyes.
If Uzumaki Kushina, his kaa-chan, were here, would something she made for him have that same mysterious something?
Naruto places the empty bowl on his nightstand with a shaking hand and lays back down in his bed, quietly crying himself to sleep for the first time in years.