A/N: I wasn't planning on posting this for a little bit but I have stuff going on IRL that would prevent me from posting over the next few days so you guys get this early. Besides that, after this chapter is where the story is going to start branching out to more interclan relations and the larger ninja world. Just a warning, if you are expecting a 'the power of friendship' or 'in this together so we should love each other even if we are from different places' kind of story turn back now. The world of naruto is kind of jacked up and I kinda plan on embracing that in this story. Hopefully, I didn't miss anything while editing, I usually spend way more time on it.
Toshiko was somewhat dissatisfied at the moment, I could tell by the upset look on her face. I'd had to break it to her that the 'awesome exploding chakra threads' was something that I could only produce due to my bloodline. She was still pouting an hour later with her little arms folded. She huffed for what had to be the third time in just as many minutes. Kicking a small pebble on the ground as if it had scorned her in some fashion. It'd made some decent distance too, sailing to the far wall of the training field.
The short girl didn't seem like she would stop sulking, even as Aiya coughed to get our attention. It had been some time now and most of the children were panting from the chakra use. I was reminded once again how different the sand was in general from the leaf. I very much doubted that leaf academy students had such a difficult first day. Well, considering we were on the heels of the third ninja world war I suppose that may be inaccurate. But ordinarily, it wasn't this bad from what I had seen and read of the leaf village. I was astounded that only one of the students, a young boy who seemed to be from a civilian family, had passed out preforming the gale palm. C ranks were easy for genin or pre-trained people like me to use perhaps, but not for civilian students. I silently sent out a thank you to my family and clan for preparing me in advance. It could have been me flat on my back being fed chakra enhancers and fanned by a teacher right now, poor kid.
Aiya was giving us a speech about using our new Jutsu responsibly, looking directly at me more than once. I'd probably feel far less irritated about that. If not for the fact my mother's side of the family had been telling me this since my bloodline had been confirmed, years before. The day I had caught a desert gerbil to serve to Kyoko. I'd quickly poisoned it to death as I'd used chakra to make myself more agile to do it. She'd welcomed the thoughtfulness of it though.
I'm a walking manchineel tree, I fucking get it, you bimperts. Give me a frickin break already.
"Student Toshiko." The hodded instructor called out looking down at her. She glanced up at him questioningly.
"Yes sir?" She asked hurriedly.
"Your ability in shape transformation is exceptional for one your age," He noted pausing to check the notes I'd not even seen him take or take out, "I would like to know where you acquired the training for it." He stared at her from under his hood expectantly.
"Er, my mother regularly trains me in it for um..." She paused, seemingly unsure of herself.
"For your bloodline, yes?" He slapped his notepad against his fingers for a moment before turning his head my way.
"You are to train with student Toshiko for some time," His eyes hardened when I made to mention that I was already skilled in shape transformation, "No matter how good you think you are, student Jinsoku, due to your...unique situation as your teacher I demand you improve it."
I didn't like this guy, he's now a negative one on my one to ten awesome teacher meter. Sayo was the standard if you are wondering. He was a shinobi but plainly allowed his distaste for me trickle into his voice. Also, wasn't your job as my instructor to teach me this crap? Not to mention if he really thought I was that dangerous he was effectively putting the younger girl in the line of fire! I could feel Kyoko shift in my jacket. My companion growing cautious as I tensed in irritation.
"Yes, sir." I simply responded to my instructor. There was no need to act the disobedient demon child.
He nodded, satisfied by my acceptance as his eyes moved to the front of the group. I'm not sure if another one of my clansmen had caused issues with him beforehand. Or perhaps he was simply that fearful of my bloodline, but I was quickly becoming sick of it. I was more than adequate with shape transformation. I closed my eyes in thought, for my age at least, I was actually far above what would be expected. Despite my earlier showings just today, his apparent fear of my bloodline was clouding his vision to what I truly needed to be improved in. My chakra control and chakra reserves were my notable weak point if I planned on graduating early. I could shape my chakra easily enough, more so that he had seen so far, but my finer use of it was lacking. The use of chakra unless you happened to be a resurrected Jinchuriki demigod who could overload everything, Naruto looking at you, was not so simple. I couldn't just pump a bunch of chakra into a Jutsu and make a thousand shadow clones or pull a wind dragon out of my ass, not yet anyway. Huh, now that I think of it. I don't think I've ever seen a proper wind dragon Jutsu in the series, that's strange. Maybe one day I'd find a way to do that, but for now, if I even tried using anything above B rank...I'd just fall over dead. Hell B rank was even stretching it unless you counted applying wind chakra to my blade via chakra flow. Maybe I'd be able to do a single low chakra B rank and then pass out like a frat boy at his first dorm party. Surely on the back end of a world war, they would want students to become as strong as possible quickly, especially in the sand where they constantly needed new troops.
The tug on my arm told me I was spending too much time thinking again, it wasn't Toshiko though, but Kyoko. The young giant centipede was her full size now, getting more than a few glances from the other academy students who were dispersing. She nodded when she realized that she had my full attention, then motioned me to look ahead of myself. I did, right into the pouting face of Toshiko.
"Can I...help you?" I asked, uncertain as to why she was so close.
The grin on her face told me I would regret that question really soon.
"Why are we here exactly?" Kyoko spoke up, unknowingly uttering my own thoughts.
We, with the permission of the perpetually too happy to have me far away as possible Aiya. Had approached the training dummies lined up for target practice. Which in itself was not too strange, the only problem was, she was kind of just staring at them. Rather than using them for, you know, actual target practice.
"Because Kyoko, I want to show Jinsoku my bloodline limit!" She didn't turn back, continuing to glare at a specific dummy in the centre.
"Ok..." My companion looked at me in confusion, I just shrugged, equally perplexed.
"Well," I ventured softly so as not to interupt...whatever this was, "Perhaps if you explained what you are trying to do I could help?" Honestly, I was just trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
"Just one more second!" She smiled and turned back at me.
Was...this one of those childhood fancies I wasn't aware of? What did the Japanese call it, Chuni or something? I was quickly proven wrong when the dummy started to fall over. I had thought that perhaps it had been cut at the base but it was revealed to be far more than that. It had been diced into incredibly identical pieces. Falling over like a Jenga tower kicked by an irked toddler. I blinked, opened my mouth, then closed it again.
"What?" The look of utter bewilderment on my face made the girl laugh proudly.
My head hurts just trying to figure this out. She'd not even used any hand signs, just glared at it for a while in contempt. I'm pretty sure smoke was coming out of my ears as my brain was trying and failing to comprehend what it had just witnessed.
"Now, you see how awesome I am right?" She grinned smugly.
"I do," I confessed slowly, "But I'm not sure I follow what exactly you did to do that?" I half stated and half asked of her.
She went back to pouting, clearly, I was supposed to know just what it was she had done. I absolutely did not, I'd not even seen her do anything for that matter. Unless you count glaring menacingly at a wooden man for about sixty seconds. The phrase 'if looks could kill' came to the forefront of my thoughts, she had taken it far too literally in my mind.
"Muu, I used your chakra thread idea with my bloodline limit!" She yelled as if I was an idiot for not getting it.
I ignored the urge to point out that I'd not been the one to come up with the idea, that was our teacher Sayo, technically.
"I, uh, I see..." I coughed into my hand, a poor choice of words I hadn't seen shit, "It was very cool?"It came out more as an inquiry than as any kind of praise, she didn't seem to catch onto that though.
"It was wasn't it!" She shone brightly as if I'd just told her I was giving her a million in cash.
"What's the name of your bloodline again?" I don't think she had actually told me. The young magenta haired girl looked at her feet sullenly and I was quite sure I'd stepped on a land mine.
"I don't know." She said sourly, "My mom doesn't have it and I never met my dad." She looked back up at me slowly, "Also mom gets annoyed whenever I ask." She looked away from me pointedly then, indicating she didn't want to talk about it anymore.
My previous assumptions about her parentage didn't seem to just be assumptions anymore. From what little I had gathered so far she didn't have anyone to properly teach her about the bloodline. Even though her mother apparently trained her regularly. That meant that either her mother had been captured and later escaped her father. Had seduced her father and taken a runner. Or she had acquired her father's seed without his consent entirely. Be it through a mission or he was a war prisoner in Suna. Considering the world I was in either was possible. Hadn't the Hidden Cloud tried something similar with the Hyuga at some point? Well, that or she was some kind of Orochimaru test subject or something. He seemed to have a thing for purple haired adolescents, the creepy ass pedo. Or maybe I was just being overly dark and the girl's father had simply died and not left any teachings behind for his young child.
"Would you like to explain it to me?" I proposed and was startled when her mood did a one eighty. This girl certainly loved Jutsu it seems, reminded me of Orochimaru. Hopefully, I'd not just run into the female version of him out of sheer bad luck.
...Actually could you really even call Orochimaru male or female in the first place? I...didn't like where that line of thinking was going. Better stop there, before I acquire some kind of HP Lovecraft 'enlightenment can drive you mad' nonsense.
"I do, I super duper dooo," I'm not sure people's eyes are supposed to glitter like that, "It's super great, you'll love it." She promised as she skipped towards the new woodpile bringing a single plank back.
"It's way easier to use with my hands," She explains as she uses one hand to swipe at the wood, which promptly fell into two pieces, "But I can create super sharp wires with it!" She spoke proudly, nodding to herself.
"Interesting," I looked at the cut, it was so clean you'd of sworn it'd been cut by a table saw then sanded, "And it can cut anything?" I asked interested.
"I haven't been able to not cut anything yet." She shrugged clearly unsure of what to say. I probably should've have expected an answer like that from an eight year old.
"It took a lot longer to work before," I noted looking at the other half of the plank on the sand, "Is there any reason to use it that way?"
"It's cooler..." She murmured sulking, "And they stay there for longer if I do it like that!" The girl rebounded, making me raise an eyebrow.
"Really, how much longer?" I asked curiously.
"Like half a day longer!" She grinned, my curiosity fueling her excitement.
My eyes widened, this girl could be a very scary trap mistress in the future. The ways she could cut off strategic points on a battlefield without the enemy realising it would be extremely useful if she mastered this bloodline.
"Can you change where they are afterwards?" She nodded franticly at the question, pointing at the dummy.
It took a moment but about four thin lines gouged themselves into the floor. Ah, that must have been nice, my own bloodline did pretty much what it wanted to after I released it. Once my chakra was somewhere it was stuck there, I couldn't move it or disperse it, which is why I had to be remarkably careful with where I applied my chakra. Not to mention that it attempted to latch onto anything that came too close. There were no take-backs when your chakra could poison someone's insides or make someone blind by deteriorating the flesh of their eyes.
"I can make the wires super thin, or super thick like a branch, ah but it doesn't cut things when I do that." She muttered to herself.
"It's a very strong bloodline Toshiko." Kyoko spoke up in what seemed like forever. The young girl preened at the praise, which I found amusing considering how startled she had been by the centipede before.
"Well, now I feel like I need to show off too." I thought out loud to myself.
"Yes, you have to, show me please?" The girl practically begged she was so excited. Hopping on the spot like I'd said Christmas was arriving early this year.
I'd only been thinking aloud, but I didn't see the harm in it. So we walked to a training dummy that was actually still intact and I'd told her to stop a few steps away just in case.
I didn't have a ton of chakra left after a half day of using the gale palm but I had more than enough left in me to use a C rank water Jutsu. I mused for a second of the irony of most of my mid range Jutsu being water style even though I was from the land of wind. I'd have to fix that at some point. I flew through the three handseals required before using the Jutsu.
"Water Style: Poison Water Whip." I spoke before discharging water from my lips, an unfortunate necessity in such a dry location. I'd also kind of ad-libbed the 'poison' part of the Jutsu but hey it sounded cool.
I struck the dummy with the whip twice, leaving whatever paint it touched cracked and discoloured. Before wrapping the wooden man up with the water Jutsu, tearing it off of the ground as it smoked and flaked from the prolonged contact. Smashing it back down the ground I deactivated the Jutsu. The water falling to the sand, eating away at it. I looked back towards Kyoko and Toshiko who both looked mighty pleased.
"That was awesome!" Toshiko squealed.
"It works better on living targets..." I scratched the back of my head, it really would be better shown if I'd used it on a living being. But that would have to wait for another time I supposed.
"How long does it affect things, can you use it with any Jutsu, have you ever tried using it with seals, how does-" I gagged the girl before she used up all of her air.
Geez girl, slow down and try inhaling for a second why don't you? I looked to the girl as she bounced in place looking up at me expectantly.
"The damaging effects stay for about six hours," I started with her first question, "Yes I can use it with any Jutsu and I know seals are also affected by it even though I've never tried it." I let go when she started talking again and licked my palm on accident.
"How do you keep the paper from crumpling like earlier when you activate them?" She asked as I wiped my palm on my cargo pants.
"You use a tougher kind of paper or use one with durability seals," I paused to consider something, "It's not really a problem with explosive tags since they blow up after a few seconds anyhow." I added after a moment of thought.
"Some of the clan put the seals on their weapons since metal isn't as affected by it." Kyoko joined in with her little tidbit of information making me blink. I'd not thought about that really. I knew many of the clan used their chakra to enhance their weapons but I'd not considered using seals on them.
Hmm, ideas for later I suppose, I'm gonna have to give Kyoko credit for that one. My thoughts were interrupted by said centipede crawling up my leg and into my jacket for a nap, growing smaller as she went. I'd probably never get used to that specific feeling...
The magenta haired girl glanced at my companion's actions but didn't comment. Instead, she shrugged and went back to the dummy she had diced previously. I watched as she picked up a decently sized chunk of it and started to shave pieces off. Focusing hard on her new self imposed task.
"Training your bloodline?" I asked after a moment, to which she nodded.
I looked over her shoulder, she was carving a wooden kunai with her bloodline. She seemed content to do that so I simply grabbed a slab of wood for myself and joined her. She looked up at me briefly, apparently took offence over my ham-fisted cuts, then took my piece of wood from me a moment later. I definitely did not pout about it, not at all. A moment later she showed me the proper way to cut the wood and we sat there for a couple of hours. Talking about our hobbies and different ways she could use her bloodline in the future.
It was nice, I liked it.
I smiled as I nodded to the two guards at the front of the family compound's gate. Receiving a pair of smiles back and a swift opening of the gate. I walked inside thinking mostly about how much I wanted to sleep. I turned towards the building that held my immediate families' living quarters but didn't make it. A few dozen steps before I made it to the front door It was flung open and my sister sprinted into my arms. Tired as I was we nearly ended up on the sand below us. Thankfully, this ninja hopeful had his training to fall back on and spun to disperse the energy from the flying glomp.
"You are such a big meanie!" She cried with a mix between a pout and a frown on her face.
"And you need to wake up earlier, a Kunoichi doesn't oversleep." I shot back patting her head softly.
She sniffed, mumbled something about me having a stupid fat face and then pushed her face into my new jacket. Her arms held the fabric of it tightly on the sides as I stroked her soft locks. I looked up to see my father smiling at me from the doorway, leaning against the frame. I waved to him briefly before Tachi grabbed the hand and returned it to the top of her head. My father laughed as my mother appeared in the doorway, nodded contently at what she witnessed and disappeared shortly after. I noted her personal scorpion summon trailing after her with something in its claws. I tried to get my youngest family member to let go and promptly failed. Sighing I picked her up by the waist and half waddled half walked towards the front door. My father apparently thought this was the best thing since sliced bread.
I snorted at the family head as I made a b-line directly to the couch. Turning around I waited for Kyoko to eject herself out of my jacket sleeve and promptly flopped backwards onto the couch. I didn't even bother to look as she scampered off to do whatever she did when she wasn't around. Even the simple couch felt soft and comfortable. Although that may have been my drained chakra talking. I would have fallen asleep there too, with my comfy sister-blanket. If my aunt Sasu hadn't walked in and started cooing at the sight of us.
I'd truly wanted that nap too...
She poked my cheeks, eyes locked on mine as I tried to convey the mental message of 'go the fuck away' to her. She summarily ignored me, the pokes coming faster and faster as time went on.
"Yesh." I forced out, the words slurred.
"How was your first day Jin." She sat down cross legged, elbows on the edge of the couch.
That set my sister off, her head snapping up as she bounded off of me unwinding next to her aunt. Her face clearly disclosing she was remarkably interested in where this was going. I groaned, not wanting to have this conversation now. Sleep sounded so good at the moment. The infernal poking came back, from two sources this time, when I didn't answer the two females.
"I learned a couple of new Jutsu, was taught a cool move by my teacher and met a girl named Toshiko," I answered bluntly wanting to go back to trying to rest, "Ahh, momma, why?" I flinched when my vision was filled with my mother's furious face as I turned my head away from the two to stare at the ceiling.
"What girl?" My mother demanded hotly leaning over the couch on the other side. Her face looked like a barely contained hurricane was under her skin.
It definitely was of the 'that little whore better not be seducing my son' category. I blinked, rubbing my eyes, then looked up at her silently. Tiredly, I mulled over what to say first. I decided that my initial reaction, being to mess with her via trolling, was a bad idea. Looking at her face talking about how much I liked the girl I'd met and how she was the best, even as a joke. Would probably end with Toshiko's swift, and very much untraceable back to my mother, death. I instead sat up, seeing as I obviously wasn't going to be getting any napping in, choosing to explain instead.
"A girl named Toshiko who has a bloodline limit," I noticed my mother's frown at that but chose not to comment, "My teacher Aiya told her to help me out with my training and she showed it to me." I yawned, thinking about crawling up the stairs to my bed.
"Toshiko is Kiyome's brat right?" My aunt hummed slightly, making me blink.
"That was fast," I noted far more awake now as I looked at her, "How did you know that precisely?" I prodded, but it was my father that answered as he walked in.
"We've been keeping track of notable students that are entering the academy this year." He answered scratching his chin idly.
That, made a lot of sense if I'm to be perfectly honest. Naturally, I'm pretty sure part of it was just them trying to locate anyone who's parents would have issues with me. You know the old order their kid to 'accidentally' toss a kunai into my windpipe and kill the only male heir of the family trick? This world was messed up like that, kidnapping kids and ordering other kids to kill little boys. Just another day in ninja land am I right? I shook my head at the thought, trying to keep my laughter in.
"So who is Kiyome then?" I asked curiously.
"She is the girl's mother..." My own mother paused for a moment, " A Special Jounin that happens to be very good at information gathering, sabotage, infiltration and acquiring assets." She closed her eyes briefly glancing down at me a second after.
"She's also pretty good at, oof." My aunt was cut off when my dad's foot buried it'self into her side. Now I was curious, I looked at my mother's sister as she rubbed her ribs from the other Jounin's kick.
"Pretty good at what?" I tilted my head in interest.
"Your, ahaha, I'm sure your papa will tell you when you're older." She mumbled as she placed my sister between herself and the threat of potentially cracked ribs.
Ah, so she was more of a stereotypical historical Kunoichi rather than a 'launch wind scythes at your face' type? That explained a couple of things I supposed. I was slightly surprised, I knew that some villages like the leaf taught young Kunoichi in preparation for infiltration missions but I'd not explicitly seen any 'seduction missions' in the show proper. Then again it was a show aimed mostly at kids and teens I suppose. Although I'm not sure I'd call the first few arcs of naruto kid friendly in the slightest. What with Zabuza's 'I killed a hundred of my classmates' speech. Or Gaara's...everything about his crazy ass honestly.
Speaking of which, he should be about three years old about now, I'd yet to see him around. I'd have to start travelling to the village parks more often if I wanted to change anything regarding him. Hopefully, I didn't end up as a smear under some random sand dune. I shivered at the thought, the risk of Gaara simply annihilating me was still very real. I would have to be very careful if I found him, even if he wouldn't be so bad for a few years yet.
"I won't tell you not to engage with the girl," Dad's ability to ignore my mother's glares were impressive, " But I will tell you to not trust her too much, should she end up anything like her mother it's possible it would do more harm than good." He frowned down at me, a serious face I didn't often see. He left a moment later, muttering to himself under his breath.
"Just because her mom is bad doesn't mean she's bad!" My sister protested, looking up at her father's retreating back, "Jin wouldn't be friends with someone that is bad!" She nodded absolutely sure in the judgement of her older brother. Whom was currently doubting his own judgement at the moment.
"Her mother is not a bad person little one and she has helped the village a great deal over the years," My mother admitted smoothly, "It's just that she is very good at manipulating people to get what she wants," The clan head took a deep breath, "And we are worried what she and by extension, her daughter, may want would not be in your brother's best interest." She closed her eyes, relaxing a clenched fist.
"She is very good at what she does." My aunt murmured, leaning back on her hands, "She's collected quite a lot of Jutsu and classified information from other villages for Suna over the past several years." There was a frown on her face, the first I had ever seen. Usually, she pouted when she was upset. But now a deep frown matched my mothers, stretching the scar on her face downwards.
"How much did you tell the girl about our bloodline?" My mother asked the look on my face made her eyes narrow a moment later.
"Nothing...secret or anything?"I chuckled nervously as she gave me the 'you are annoying me' mom look number seven.
I shook my head in frustration at myself, taking off my goggles and scratching at my temple not bothering to even attempt at holding back a sigh. It'd been sheer luck I'd not told the girl anything too important, I had been far too relaxed around her due to her age and personality. I had been foolish, there were thirteen year old elite soldiers in this world, after all. That girl could secretly be Chunin level for all my dumbass knew. It's not as if I didn't know there were people out there who wanted the information either. My mother's clan was practically brand new to the village and had many a secret I'm sure. Hell, I'd nearly been assassinated in my crib years ago, presumably by someone who didn't want them to gain power in the Hidden Sand. I was under no illusions that the people of Suna were a big loving family that would never harm each other. Hell, even the all loving 'will of fire' toating Leaf ninja had some really fucked up shit going on within their walls. The Hyuga clan branding their family members with instant kill seals that melted their eyes when they died was just one example. Not to mention the craziness that would be going on in the Hidden Mist soon enough, even if Obito was the one who caused it...I think anyway. Or the Hidden Cloud's inclination for kidnapping bloodline users for god knows what.
Thankfully Kumo was on the other side of the continent, I didn't much fancy being taken from my home and used to make bloodline babies. That sounded like a horrible way to have my first time, to be honest.
"Just be careful Jin." My mother whispered to me as she pulled me into a warm embrace, noticing I was beating myself up.
God damn it, couldn't a guy make a friend in a ninja village without their mom being some kind of hyper competent master spy? I hated this place sometimes I swear. I laughed silently, wondering if Toshiko was getting the same conversation. About my parents at this very moment from her mother, I mean. I was under no illusion that my family were peace loving hippies after all. Shit was so much simpler when I lived on a little island in the middle of nowhere. I decided this as I leaned into my mother's embrace.
I could only hope they were wrong about the girl, it would suck if my first friend here was just using me after all.
Fun fact there are multiple references to other series in the past three chapters. Some are obvious, some are more hidden. Did you find them all? I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, see you next time reader! And don't be afraid to scrutinise it!