SHATTERED DESTINY:
Chapter 4: Academy days
Archery, Block, Heavy Armor, One Handed, Smithing, Two Handed, Elemental Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Genjutsu, Summoning, Medical Ninjutsu, Ninjutsu, Alchemy, Light Armor, Thievery, Sneak, Speech, Taijutsu. Those are the skills I have, each with their own constellations and talent stars.
The Mizukage sent us home after the 'demonstration', He's a busy man. Sensei told me to take the rest of the day over.
"You almost hit it." Emiko-sensei says as my Kunai lands harmlessly in the sand. "You need more wrist motion, like this." She suggests.
"O-okay sensei." I nod, reaching for another kunai in the pouch I was given.
"Excellent job, Junchi-kun!" Sensei praises Junchi, the student next to me. He got a bullseye.
He grins at Sensei and lands his second kunai right next to his first one. I'm jealous, but not because he's the best of the class, because he can train normally and get stronger… And I can't.
I would be the worst student ever if it weren't for Flames and Firebolt. I'm the only one who can perform jutsu, without hand signs. There are a few who can perform the Bunshin and Kawarimi jutsus already.
I'm not one of them. My next throw snags the edge of the target before falling to the ground. What am I doing wrong? "Get that out of your mouth!" Emiko-sensei scolds another student.
"Sorry."
"Keiki-kun, try bracing it with your finger." She helpfully suggests, glancing over the line.
How do you brace a knife? I look at the kunai in my hand before shifting my grip, she said with my finger, like this?
It stuck! I missed the rings in the center, but I actually hit the target and got it to stick! "I did it!" I say after a few moments of trying to make sounds but being unable to.
Sensei is too busy helping some of the others, but that doesn't matter as a stupid grin spreads across my face.
Filled with pride I grab another kunai and toss it the same way. This time I miss, but I don't let that discourage me like it has.
There is a loud thwack as an arrow flies past my head and sinks into a target farther back than what we're throwing at. Everyone turns to look at the archer, an instructor farther back with a single student. "Sorry, don't let us intrude." He says, but doesn't sound sorry.
"Can you do that somewhere that doesn't have my students in the line of fire?" Emiko-sensei scolds.
"Tried, headmaster got mad that we left academy grounds." He stretches with bow in hand.
"Don't endanger my students." The malice in her voice sends shivers down my spine.
"Common, let's see if we can find something to shoot at without getting yelled at." He takes the student and walks away.
"Back to throwing." Emiko-sensei tells us, turning her back on the archer.
Archery governs throwing weapons, but training dummies don't count towards it.
+5 Taijutsu XP (100/175)
+5 Block XP (50/75). -2 health.
Finally we're doing sparring matches, I almost cried as the notifications appeared.
I didn't want to be called a baby.
+10 Taijutsu XP (105/175)
She retaliates with a leg sweep, knocking me down. -10 health.
By far the largest loss in health I've taken yet. She waits for me to get back into my stance before resuming our match.
+5 Block XP (55/75). -3 health.
She's definitely.
+5 Block XP (60/75). -2 health.
Better than me.
She redirects my next strike and rams a fist into my solar plexus, making me take a sharp breath and collapse to the ground, arms wrapped around my chest. -10 health.
Perk added: Hearty 1: +25% health regeneration. (total damage taken: 100/100)
I cough a little as I stare at the notification. "Did I hit you that hard?" My sparing partner asks.
"I'm fine, Mei-chan." I grunt as I push myself to my feet. "Just winded." I barely have enough time to get into my stance when she attacks again.
+5 Block XP (65/75). -3 health.
+5 Block XP (70/75). -2 health.
I throw as much as I can into my next punch.
TUTORIAL: Power attacks drain stamina and deal bonus damage-
I missed, and Mei-chan pushes her palm into my jaw, snapping my head upwards.
At the expense of being slower and leaving you open to retaliation. Perfect tool for breaking guards.
I jump back to avoid any followup attacks, rubbing my jaw tenderly. Mei-chan hurts! We glare at one another. I leap forward and throw a power attack. She raises her arms to block, and the most curious thing happens.
As my strike meets her guard, there's a soft glow from the impact that shockwaves through her arms, knocking them out of the way as the force of my thrust is canceled out. Mei and I are confused, enough so that I fail to take advantage of the opening I somehow made.
"What did I-" She hits my head and I fall over, dazed.
"What did you do, Fireboy?" Mei asks me.
"A power attack?" I ask as the last notification fades.
"What's that?"
"I dunno." I push myself off the ground, again. "It's like when I could start throwing fire, it just happens."
"Next rotation!" The instructor calls, he took over for Emiko-sensei so she could take a break.
Without another word we change partners.
Taijutsu is now level 10. +10 Character XP
Quest Updated: Academy Days:
Get 3 skills to 10: 1/3
Block is now 5. +5 Character XP
You are now level 1 (0/100)
You have gained a Talent Point, spend it now?
We're done sparring for the day and given a few minutes to rest before moving to the next class. I feel fine but that's just me.
How do I spend Talent points? Wait, I remember some of the stars needing talent stuff… I wonder.
The stars appear, consuming the room around me as I return to the constellations.
You have leveled up! Pick one: Health. Chakra. Health.
I blink in confusion, what does this mean? Health-
Raise maximum health by 10?
No! The prompt goes away… Chakra?
Raise maximum Chakra by 10?
No. Stamina.
Raise maximum Stamina by 10?
No. It doesn't seem like it's going to let me do much of anything until I pick one, uh… Chakra?
Raise maximum-
Yes.
Max chakra increased to 110
My chakra bar glows momentarily and the prompts go away, but nothing further happens.
…
With that out of the way I go to the Taijutsu Constellation, the two hands overlapped, and check the first star.
Taijutsu Mastery: Unarmed strikes deal 25% more damage, additionally unarmed critical strikes deal 2% more damage per level of Taijutsu.
What does that symbol mean? I saw it earlier but didn't think much of it, I was busy being winded.
I wonder what happens if I take it. I almost moved off to another constellation when the thought occurred… How do I use talent stuff.
Spend a point on Taijutsu Mastery?
Yes?
Taijutsu Mastery: 1/2: Unarmed strikes deal 50% more damage, additionally unarmed critical strikes deal 2% more damage per level of Taijutsu.
There is a soft glow in my arms and legs, it doesn't last long as I'm pulled from the stars. I can see my bones and the veins that surround them.
Yet I feel nothing.
The glow fades, leaving me more confused than anything. I pump a fist forward in a mock punch, a soft glow shockwaves through my arm much similar to what it was until it passes over my knuckles where it vanishes entirely.
Curious I ignite my hand, no glow. Yet whenever I punch the glow returns, can anyone else see this? Or is it something only I can see, like Tutorial.
The bell rings suddenly, it's rather early to be going home… But I'm not going to question it.
Sensei wasn't there to pick me up, but Kanko was here to take me home. "How was your day?" He asks, just to have idle chitchat.
"It was fine." he doesn't know nearly as much as Goro-sensei does about my Kekkei Genkai, but he knows that I have one. "I just wish I could figure this out." I ignite my hand and hold it idly up.
"Aye, Bloodlines are a confusing bunch." Kanko-san chuckles. "I hear there's some kid with a new bloodline found every other month or so, throws everyone into a panic trying to figure it out."
"Why hasn't anyone tried to figure out mine?" I press.
"They are." We pass beneath a bridge. "Of that I have no doubt."
Is that what the doctor visits are? I still visit weekly, sometimes they take blood…. What will change this time? "What about you?"
"Eh?"
"What do you think about this?"
"Kid." Kanko stops rowing to talk to me. "I am a ferryman, have been for a long time, I take people from point aye to point bee and occasionally listen to their troubles." He pushes off the pier with an oar to avoid getting stuck on it. "All I see is a ninja in training, what do you see?" He taps my chest before returning to his rowing.
I blink, clueless… I see many things, but I don't think that's what he's referring too.
"With the Graduation Exams coming up, it's time to speed up your training." Emiko-sensei tells us. "The Mizukage will oversee the Exam's personally and will call out the students set to graduate, whether you chose to go through with it or not."
I raise my hand. "Yes Keiki?"
"What do you mean by 'speed up your training'?"
"After your first semester here you'd begin training in more advanced fields, Genjutsu, various weapons, stealth and information gathering tactics." She tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "And at the same time shift away from the more academic courses like history or science."
The boring courses! Happy with my answer I settle down with a large smile on my face. "What'll we be doing?" Another student asks.
"For the exam? Fighting your fellow students." Emiko-sensei answers. "I'll be turning you over to Yoichibei-san for weapon's training." She moves to step out of the room.
"Why so soon?" A student asks.
Emiko-sensei stops in her tracks. "Orders from the Mizukage I'm afraid." She looks like she wants to say more, but stops herself.
"It's important to know what weapons are available and are in use." Yoichibei-sensei tells us, taking the spotlight from Emiko. "First is the peasant's friend, the Spear." He sets a bundle on the floor and unwraps it, revealing an assortment of weapons. He picks up the polearm and holds it out for us to see. "Long reach, sturdy, and reliable, but no urban weapon."
He swings the weapon around before settling it down. "The sword." He picks up the blade in question. "Swift, durable, sharp." He makes a few mock swings.
"The Axe." He twirls the axe as he picks it up. "Useful, a great tool, can be thrown."
"Club."
"Hook and Chain."
"Bow."
"Crossbow."
"Shield."
And the list goes on, I've long since lost interest. "While not required, you may chose to learn how to wield one of these or more if you so choose." Yoichibei-sensei says setting down the last of the weaponry. "You will be required to master all the uses of a kunai however."
There's more than throwing a kunai? "You don't have to make your decision now, however if everyone will step outside with me." Yoichibei-sensei puts everything back into his bundle and heads out the door, we follow obediently.
We're led to one of the three training grounds surrounding the pool. "Everyone pull out a kunai and hold it like this." He holds his kunai out at an angle with a hand over the pommel.
Sighing, I make the stance. This isn't going to help-
One handed has leveled to 2. +2 character XP (2/100). (1/5) trainable skill levels.
I almost choked on my own words, nearly dropping the kunai and earning a bark from sensei. "Sorry!' I call out, watching the notification go away.
"Keep your form everyone." Sensei tells us, coming around to examine our stances.
"Are you actually trying?" He asks me, genuinely surprised.
"Y-yes, Sensei." I nod nervously, trying my best to keep the kunai up.
"About time." He scoffs. "You've been practicing, Junichi-kun?"
"Yes Sensei, my parents are both-"
"Shinobi, I know." He nods approvingly. "I'd expect nothing less." He pats him on the back proudly.
One Handed has leveled to 3. +3 Character XP (5/100). (2/5) trainable skill levels.
Can I get One Handed to ten this way? I hope so. Sensei moves down the line, checking everyone before returning to the front. "Now shift your grip like so." Sensei holds his kunai out like so, I shift my grip as best we can… everyone else is doing it better than me, I can already see it. So why don't I shift my grip a little?
One Handed has leveled to 4. +4 Character XP (9/100). (3/5) trainable skill levels.
I think that's better? I glance over at Junchi, he's three kids over. He's stockstill with a smug look on his face. And he looks like a natural. Sensei nods his approval and the smugness only gets worse. He raises an eyebrow at me, but doesn't say anything.
I keep my pose, just wishing that my hands would stop shaking so I could be a statue, like Him.
"Next, we're going to go over how to draw your Kunai properly." Sensei tells the group.
"There's a bad way?" I can hear someone ask.
"Yes, there's the right way, then there's the dead way." He answers. "The faster you can draw your Kunai, the better off you are." He explains. "Now follow me." With one motion he pops open his pouch and pulls a kunai out.
One Handed has leveled to 5. +5 Character XP (14/100). (4/5) trainable levels.
I put my kunai away, click the pouch shut and try to pull out a kunai as fast as possible. Could I be any clumsier? Scratch that, I dropped the kunai. "Stars above." I curse silently, secretly hoping that nobody's watching as I pick up the kunai.
Someone snickers beside me, dashing that hope. Angry, I put my kunai in the pouch and slowly pull it out, what's with the hoop?
One Handed has leveled to 6. +6 Character XP (20/100). (5/5) trainable levels.
Maybe I can loop my finger into the hoop and pull it out that way? With one finger I fumble with the pouch and with another I search for the hoop and pull it out. "Nicely done." Sensei says.
"Than-" He wasn't talking to me, he was talking to junchi. My cheeks turn red.
"Thank you, Sensei!" Junchi says with pride.
You cannot train anymore this level.
I freeze, I can't train anymore this level? "Nice form, Keiki." Sensei tells me. "A little rough, but much better than your first attempt."
"T-thank you, Sensei."
It's not long until we're done with the exercises, swinging the kunai properly, holding it correctly… There's so much I didn't know about using a Kunai.
"Has anyone thought about if they want to use a weapon besides from Kunai?" Sensei asks the group as the bell rings.
"I-I have." I tell him, nervously stepping up.
"Oh? What is it?"
Authors Notes: First off, I would like to apologize for the delay, I've had technical issues of the network variety, followed up by an instantly crashing browser. That one didn't last nearly as long, but just as annoying. I hope you all enjoyed reading, and that it was worth the wait. As for the Trainable skills and why Keiki hasn't been able to get that training before, I refer you to the Skyrim wiki for that. "What weapon will Keiki be using?" I have a few ideas, but as I've learned a long time ago there are so many more weapons than I initially thought, if you have a suggestion I'd love to hear it! Anyways. Take care!