Shattered Destiny:
Chapter 3: Academic training P1
I think I'm getting the hang of this. I'm looking at the constellations, Tutorial told me how to get back here once school was over for the day. Our first class was swimming, then chakra control followed by Taijutsu, then some regular schooling like math and such. Not once did Tutorial tell me a thing about those skills.
I found the Elemental Ninjutsu skill and it's a 'level' higher than the rest, I checked. Not only that but it has 'training' in it, the only time I can remember Tutorial telling me about Elemental Ninjutsu was with the Rats a few years back.
What was I doing then?
...
I was hurting them. "How much longer until we're there?" I ask Kanko through the stars.
"Feel free to take a nap if you're worn out." Comes the reply. I haven't told him about Tutorial, I'm going to tell mommy and daddy first, then Goro-sensei. He wasn't there to pick me up, so I did what he told me and paid for my passage home.
I still have to sort out my homework, but that can wait until after I get to my destination.
TWO HANDED: GAIN TWO HANDED XP BY DEALING DAMAGE WITH A TWO HANDED WEAPON. Tutorial tells me as I look at the constellation with the large sword being held by two hands. I check the bottom star.
Two Handed Mastery: Two handed weapons are 20% stronger, and critical strikes with two handed weapons deal 2% more critical damage per level of Two Handed.
What's a critical strike? Does it count for two handed if I'm using it with both hands? The image of holding a kunai with both hands comes to mind. It feels wrong so I cast the thought aside.
If there's Two handed, is there one handed? I check some of the other constellations to satiate my curiosity.
ELEMENTAL NINJUTSU: GAIN ELEMENTAL NINJUTSU XP BY DEALING DAMAGE WITH ELEMENTAL NINJUTSU JUTSU'S
That explains that, when I was burning the rats alive I was gaining Elemental Ninjutsu 'xp'. Wonder what that means.
I check the other side of Two Handed, I'll check Elemental Ninjutsu later.
SMITHING: GAIN SMITHING XP BY CRAFTING ITEMS, MINING, OR REFINING MATERIALS.
I check the bottom star of the anvil constellation.
Smithing Mastery: You can create Novice (Steel/bonemold) items and improve them twice as much. All items can be improved 10% more.
Creating, I can make stuff? "Huh." I think aloud.
"Something from class finally clicking into place?" Kanko wonders idly.
I think about it for a moment. "Yes." It feels strange to talk to people I can't see, I'm surrounded by space. For all I know I'm in an entirely different location and Kanko-san's using a jutsu to talk to me.
Kanko just chuckles. "Don't let your head explode on me." He jokes.
"That can happen!?" My eyes go wide.
"No, no, don't freak out." He apologizes. "It was a joke."
"Oh, okay." I settle down, having my brain explode sounds like an absolutely awful thing to have.
I pick the next skill in line to examine.
ONE HANDED: GAIN ONE HANDED XP BY DEALING DAMAGE WITH ONE HANDED WEAPONRY.
Yup, there it is. What's the difference between a one handed weapon and a two handed weapon? Is it my ability to use them?
Satisfied with my answer I back out of the stars and return to the ferry. We've made a lot of headway since I've gone into space. "Where are we?"
"Seasalt Drive."
"That's a street off from my home!" I say excitably.
"Aye, excited to be home?" Kanko chuckles. "It won't be long."
A ferry across the way from us calls out greeting, Kanko returns his own and they go back to their jobs. "How many ferryman do you know?" I ask him idly with a hand in the ocean.
"I've met them all." He nods. "They're good people."
"Thank you for the lift." I say as the ferry comes to a stop on my pier.
"Anytime." He takes the yen I offer, I assume it's enough for the trip. "I'll help you up." Kanko cups his hands.
"Thank you!" I put a foot on his hands and he lifts me high enough for me to climb onto the wooden dock.
"Take care!" He waves one of his oars in farewell.
"I'm home!" I close the front door with my foot.
"Welcome back!" I can hear mommy call. "How was your day?"
"I saw a Sea Otter in the academy!" I say excitably, dropping my pack onto the kitchen table.
"You did?!" She asks with mouth agape. "What else?"
"I was in the stars on the trip back, thanks to Tutorial." I tell her, might as well get it out now.
"You named the Sea Otter Tutorial?" She asks, furrowing her eyebrows.
"No, no!" I shake my head furiously. "I'm seeing words again, sometimes they're from 'Tutorial'." I explain to her.
"... What did 'Tutorial' tell you?"
"That I have to 'level' three skills to ten."
"Do you know what that means?"
"Kinda." I sit down at the table and start pulling out my schoolbooks for homework…. Why is there so many? "If I concentrate I can see stars, but nothing else." I look over the selection with a pout.
"What do stars have to do with 'skills'?" Mommy asks, looking at the books idly.
"They make constellations, and are tied to each skill." I ignite my hand. "Elemental Ninjutsu." I'm trying to distract myself from the homework in front of me, I have to get around to it eventually… can it just be next year?
"I'll tell your father about this when he gets home, do you want some sushi and rice balls to study with?" She asks, placing a plate with exactly that on the table.
"Yes please!" I say reaching for the plate.
"You have to be studying."
"Aaaawww." I groan. "Okay." I surrender, I guess this is getting done now. At least I have snacks… I don't know what mommy puts in these, but they're amazing. Sweet bliss
+5 Taijutsu XP (30/75)
+5 Taijutsu XP (35/75)
+5 Taijutsu XP (40/75)
Goro-sensei is helping me train my Taijutsu, I told him everything. I told him about Tutorial and about the constellations, and most importantly about the skills. He said that he'd help me train my Taijutsu, he's using oven mitts to catch my blows, but they seem to be working great.
"What're you at now?" Sensei asks after my latest swing. After the first swing I told him exactly what I saw.
+5 Taijutsu XP (45/75)
"Forty five out of seventy five." I grunt in between blows. This was daddy's idea, he wants Sensei to keep him updated on whatever happens.
+5 Taijutsu XP (50/75)
"We'll stop once you reach that limit, alright?"
+5 Taijutsu XP (55/75)
"Yes sensei." We continue in silence for several more blows. "I hit it." I say simply, stopping my 'attack'.
"What happened?"
"'Taijutsu is now level two, zero slash one zero, zero. Character Experience Plus two, four slash seventy five'." I read off.
"Character experience?"
"I don't know." I shrug. "This is just what I see."
"Daily?"
"No, yesterday was the first time in a few years that this stuff's popped up, I almost forgot about it."I rub the back of my head.
"About that quest."
"Academy days?"
"Do you have any others?" He asks and I shake my head. "What was it it told you to do?"
"Raise three skills to ten?"
"That didn't take very long, did it?" He asks me.
"No, but the limit pushed back a little." I tell him.
"How much?"
It took me awhile to count the difference. "Uuuhh…. Twenty five?" Seventy five to one hundred.
"Will it go up by twenty five each time?" He asks and I shrug. "Bad question." he admits.
"What now?"
"How about we get your Taijutsu to ten first, it shouldn't take too long."
"Yes Sensei!"
Taijutsu has leveled to 3 (0/125). +3 Character XP (7/75)
Taijutsu has leveled to 4 (0/150). +4 Character XP (11/75)
Taijutsu has leveled to 5 (0/175). +5 Character XP (16/75)
"This is taking longer than I thought." Sensei says, shaking his hand after I punch it.
+5 Taijutsu XP (55/175)
"I'm sorry, Sensei."
+5 Taijutsu XP (60/175)
"It has nothing to do with you." He says reassuringly.
+5 Taijutsu XP (65/175)
"Let's assume that it gets pushed back by twenty five each time, okay?" He continues.
+5 Taijutsu XP (70/175)
"Okay."
+5 Taijutsu XP (75/175)
"Let's take a break, my hands are getting tired, how about you?"
I nod in reply and sit down. "This isn't how training is supposed to go, is it?"
"No." Sensei shakes his head. "At least those of us who don't live in Konohagakure."
"What's different about the Hidden Leaf?" I look up at him.
"They have Kekkei Genkai's that require different training, but nothing like yours." He explains. "We'll figure this out, don't worry Keiki-kun."
"Thanks Sensei." I smile at my mentor.
"I think this concludes our time together for today, I'll be back before school tomorrow and we can resume our lesson."
"Okay Sensei." Standing, I turn to go back inside with a pout on my face. "Take care!" I turn to tell him goodbye, but he's already gone.
Like usual.
The bell rings as I'm sprinting inside the classroom, thank goodness for ferrymen! "Cutting it close, Sekine-san." Emiko-sensei says as I close the door behind me.
"I made it!" I say as the door is opened behind me, shoving me away. "Hey!"
A student comes into the room. "You closed it on me!" She yells at me.
"I didn't see you, I'm sorry!" I bow apologetically.
"Take your seats, sort this out later." Emiko-sensei tells us.
"Yes sensei." The two of us say, the student I accidentally closed the door on me shoots me a glare as we take our seats.
"Okay class, we've been asked to start our lessons off with Ninjutsu." Emiko-sensei says. "Yes Keiki, I am well aware of your fire."
I put my flaming hand down, I'm still proud that I know it, it's probably the one thing that sets me apart from the rest.
Well, besides Tutorial.
"Let's go through the exercises I showed you for chakra control." She continues.
We make the hand signs and begin focusing. It's hard to tell if it's doing anything for me, Tutorial usually tells me.
Like when I got the flu last summer, I didn't feel any different except for my health, stamina and chakra regenerating slower. Everyone goes through the handsigns, I assume they're channeling their chakra.
I make the handsigns as well, but head for the stars. The exercises don't work for me.
Now which one's Elemental Ninjutsu? I think it was the fire hand constellation thing.
Elemental Ninjutsu
There it is. What's the bottom star?
Elemental Ninjutsu Mastery: Elemental Ninjutsu Jutsu's cost 35% less Chakra, and Elemental Ninjutsu Jutu's are 0.25% more powerful per level of Elemental Ninjutsu.
"Very good Mei-kun, you too Junichi-kun." I can hear Emiko-sensei's voice pierce through the veil of space I created, only I can see this thankfully.
It would be very hard to explain where the stars came from, as I don't know.
"Are you trying, Keiki?" I don't know where she is, but I assume she's looking at me.
"Y-yes Sensei!" I stammer, these excersises just don't work for me for some reason. Which is why I went to the stars in boredom.
I ignite my hands and continue holding the hand sign. People can still see me and whatever I'm doing. Interestingly enough my chakra bar is dropping quite fast. I pull my hands apart and a ball of flame comes off from my hands, making a ball of flame, if I didn't know any better it looks like the stars I'm looking at.
I leave the stars and stare at my hands, as is the rest of the class.
You have learned Firebolt
"Firebolt?" I ask nobody.
"I thought he could only make streams of flame!" I hear someone behind me say.
"Good job?" Emiko-sensei asks more than says. "Can you stop the jutsu before you accidentally let it go?"
"I-I think so." the firebolt dissipates almost immediately as I merely think about it.
"I think you might not need Chakra Control lessons." Emiko-sensei tells me. I can feel the envy of the rest of the class, it doesn't feel good.
"T-thank you, sensei." I nod uncertain if it's a compliment, or a sentence.
Sensei goes back to her desk and writes something down. "Just in case, everyone return to the exercise."
I should have seen this coming once school was over. "How come you can perform jutsu already?" I'm shoved into the wall by an older kid, a few others are watching close by.
"I just can." I plead with him. "I don't know how, I just do!"
"I'm of the Hōzuki clan, which means I'm better than you!"
This is scaring me. "Please, I don't know how or why I can do what I can." I beg of him.
"This'll teach you to lie!" he throws a fist at me.
"Stop!" I grab his arm.
+25 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (38/100)
Almost half of my Chakra bar empties as a firebolt is launched from my hand almost instantly.
He screams and backs away in absolute terror, leaving his arm in my grip.
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (46/100)
He's still burning, desperately he leaps into the ocean with one arm. I drop the arm I severed in shock and collapse up against the building.
"He took his arm off!" I can hear another student cry out in alarm.
"He must be seriously strong." I can hear another kid say to some others.
The looks in their eyes drives despair deeper into my heart, I press my knees up against my chest and cry silently.
Some of the kids go over to help him out of the water. "I'll get you back for this!" He screams, his arm was burned off at the elbow.
"Leave me alone!" I shout back, throwing another firebolt in his general direction. A small explosion of fire erupts at the impact point, making everyone dive for cover.
I'd throw another, but.
Not enough Chakra.
That. "Keiki?"
"Sensei?" I ask looking up, it's Goro-sensei! He came to pick me up from class.
"Let's get you home." He says pulling me to my feet. "I heard an explosion and came right away."
"I learned how to throw better fire." I explain as we start walking home.
"Really? Can you show me?" Sensei asks me.
Not enough Chakra.
"Not yet, not enough Chakra." I shake my head.
"How long until you do?" He knows about my slow regeneration.
"Later?" I say, watching my chakra bar slowly fill. I wish I could tell how much I have, and how much is needed to use jutsu.
"Still unclear, eh." Sensei rubs his chin.
Not enough Chakra.
"Yeah."
Not enough Chakra.
My hands ignite a few minutes later. "I have enough."
"Oh? That took awhile." Sensei notes.
"It uses more than Flames." I explain, pointing my hand at the ocean and sending a firebolt at it.
"No hands signs, just like Flames." Sensei notes.
"I… burned that kid's arm off." I say, still remembering the event with lucid detail.
"I know you wouldn't hurt him on purpose." Sensei reassures me. "You reacted without thinking."
"How do I keep from doing that again?" I look up at him.
"By training your mind and body to handle it." He answers honestly.
"How would I do that?"
"The academy will take care of that, being a ninja is messy work and can't afford their shinobi panicking in the middle of battle." Sensei stretches his arms. "I'm going to go talk to a few friends of mine after I've walked you home." He glances out at the water for a ferry.
"About what?"
"Business, I don't want to bore you with adult stuff."
"You look like you could use a ferry!" A ferryman calls, peeking over the dock's edge.
"That we do!" Sensei calls back with a large grin.
I'm different and the others know it. What happened at the academy spread like wildfire, the only ones not looking at me strangely are my parents, and sensei.
When I'm at the academy I stay by the pool's edge whenever we have free time. I keep myself cooped up in my home when I'm not at the academy, unless I'm with Goro-sensei that is.
I've been doing this for weeks now.
Daddy taught me the constellations in the real stars, they look more real than the one's attached to my skills. It just feels that way. Mommy showed me how to cook and how to clean up after, it's nice to be doing something besides mope around.
There's a knock at the door. "I'll get it." Mommy tells me, leaving me in the kitchen.
"Okay mommy." I tell her watching the oven carefully, we're making sweet rolls.
I didn't have to wait long. "Keiki?" Mommy calls.
"Yes Mommy!"
"Can you come here?"
"What about the sweet rolls?"
"They'll survive a few minutes."
"Okay mommy." I leave my post and head towards the front door. "Sensei!"
"Hey Keiki-kun." Goro-sensei greets.
"Where've you been?!" I demand. "It's been weeks!"
"I told you, business." Sensei says. "I've managed to convince the Mizukage to allow special training for you."
"Really!" I say excitably, I'll finally be able to do 'Academy Days' 'quest' and I'll be away from the other kids!
"Yup, had to go through paperwork and… lots of boring adult stuff." He ruffles my hair. "I can watch him, don't want those sweet rolls to burn."
"Thank you, Goro-san." Mommy says gratefully, heading back to the kitchen.
"I've managed to set aside a training ground for today, someone very important will be watching you so be on your best behavior." Sensei tells me.
"Mommy!"
"Yes dear?"
"I'm going with Sensei to train!"
"Stay safe!"
"Yes Mommy!" I close the door behind me.
"Kanko!" Sensei calls.
"Yes sir." The ferryman calls.
"Training ground four."
"Yes sir!" He settles down in his raft as the two of us climb in.
Without a word Kanko shoves off, guiding the raft through the maze of Kirigakure's many islands. We're going a route I'm not familiar with. "Training ground four?" I ask.
"We have twelve training grounds, sprinkled throughout the village, not including the academy training grounds." Goro explains. "We were given training ground four for the rest of the day."
"What strings did you pull to get that?" Kanko suddenly asks. "If you don't mind me asking." He corrects himself.
"Not at all." Goro waves off his concern. "Unfortunately I can't tell you, it's a bit of a secret."
We beach at an island that's completely empty. "We're here." Kanko tells us, settling down in his raft.
"You're staying?" I ask as Sensei and I get out of the raft.
"I've been rented for the whole day." He explains, pulling his cap down to take a nap.
Rented? I've heard of people renting out ferryman, but it's expensive! "Common Keiki, there's some people I want you to meet." Goro says, waiting for me farther inland.
"Okay." I run to catch up. In the center of the island are three men with a bunch of cages, they all have large rats in them. "What're the rats for?"
"They're for your training." Goro says casually.
"How, why?" I ask.
"Mizukage." Goro greets the important looking man.
"Goro Shoda." The Mizukage nods in greeting. "Is this him?" he looks down at me.
"Yes."
"I-I'm Keiki Sekine." I say nervously.
"It's a pleasure." The Mizukage says deadpanned.
"Show him your fire." Goro whispers to me.
"Y-yes Sensei." I ignite my hands and hold them up, occasionally spurting fire up.
"He learned this all by himself?" The Mizukage asks.
"As far as I know, I started tutoring him after the test, which was right after he learned how to create streams of fire."
"I can also throw firebolts." I offer.
:Show me."
I turn and throw a firebolt into the ocean. Almost half of my avaliable chakra is depleted.
"No hand signs, as you've said." The Mizukage tells Goro.
"Exactly."
"Line the cages up, be mindful of the smell." The Mizukage orders the others.
"Smell?" I ask Goro.
"I mentioned that you can only train when you're hurting something, remember when you took that kid's arm off?" Goro tells me.
"I'm… going to kill those rats?" I ask.
"Just like what you did when you were a toddler, only this time they'll be locked away in their cages… and were fed Soldier pills."
Some of the rats are gnawing at the bars, others are backed as far back as they can go. "Okay."
A part of me is unsure, but the rest of me is resentful towards the rats for giving me rabies the last time I encountered them. My flames bathe the first cage, burning the rat alive.
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (46/100)
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (54/100)
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (62/100)
Once I stop getting the 'xp' from the rat I stop the flames. "It's dead." I feel satisfied and horrified at the same time.
I turn my attention to another cage, trying to ignore the smell. The rats however aren't as calm as the people here, squealing furiously and frantically moving about their cages.
After I take a breath I light the rat up.
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (70/100)
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (78/100)
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (86/100)
"It's dead." I stop the flames sooner, my chakra regeneration is still really slow and I'm already almost out.
"I'm not seeing anything." The mizukage tells Goro.
"We can't see anything but he can, he learned to read at three years old because of it." Goro assures the Kage.
"We'll see."
I burn the third rat cage.
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (94/100)
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (102/100)
Elemental Ninjutsu is now level 3. +3 Character XP (19/75)
"Interesting." The Kage says as it levels up.
+8 Elemental Ninjutsu XP (10/125)
"Felt something?" Goro asks.
"A small surge of chakra, as if he just got a little bit stronger." The Kage is now very interested. "A shinobi that gets stronger by killing his foes, it sounds too good to be true." He sounds giddy.
"I don't have to kill them." I say nervously. "Just hurting them trains me."
"Finish off the rest of the rats." He orders me.
"I'm almost out of chakra." I tell them.
"Take a few off, regenerate your chakra." Goro tells me.
"Regenerate?" The Kage asks as I walk off to the water's edge. I could use a break.
Authors Notes: And here we are! Another chapter and another day(s?) in the life of Keiki Sekine. I have some plans but nothing concrete for what's going to happen next. Maybe a time skip and maybe not.