"Are you sure you want to do this? I know we've teased you a bit about your throwing skills, but you're way ahead of any normal child your age. Hell, you're basically halfway on the path to genin, you don't need to-"
"Shut it, Shisui." I hissed.
"Okay, you're actually mad. Your funeral." he sighed.
"Is this about the bet you have made with my father, Tomo-san?" Itachi asked plainly, head tilted to the side.
"No, it's about using you as a measuring stick for how far I've gotten." That was a lie, but not a complete one. I knew for a fact that he was precisely five levels above me. But level wasn't everything- I wanted to know if, at least in something, I could beat him.
"I hate to break it to you, Tomo-chan, but Itachi-kun's been at it for way longer than you have, and besides, you're already doing better than Izumi-chan who-"
"Are you going to let him fight me or not, Uchiha?" I asked, annoyed, staring at the source of my anger. It was irrational, and probably more than a little mean to him. But right now… I really couldn't find it in myself to care about that.
For one and one reason only.
Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Clan Prodigy, Lv.18
HP: ?/?
CP: ?/?
STR: 15
VIT: ?
DEX: ?
INT: 35
WIS: ?
CHA: ?
CC: 35%
LUK: 10
He'd grown even stronger than he'd been. His stats, save for Strength and Intelligence were unknowns for me. Somehow, rather than shortening, the gap between us had only grown since I'd first met him.
Of course, his growth hadn't been as explosive as my own, if only because he was already at a good point and I wasn't- and presumably, he hadn't been going around killing people.
But that didn't matter, because I had been unceremoniously been dropped back to level 11 again thanks to one Yagura fucking Karatachi. My mission had only raised me back to level 13.
And I needed. I desperately needed. That exp to bring me back into "might actually help save the clan" territory.
By this time, I knew that most of the Uchiha clan was watching both me and Itachi like hawks. I'd deliberately put on display the fact that I was above the rest of the Uchiha children in terms of skills, and he obviously was the son of the clan head.
Most likely I wasn't going to win this.
But I had to try. At least to show my best hand, since that quest to impress Fugaku was still pending. This seemed like the best type of occasion to do this, since disrespecting the teacher of lessons his son wasn't even attending didn't seem too productive in that regard.
"Well, if I'm going to ref this, I'll make sure neither of you kiddies go overboard with it." Shisui frowned. "No Ninjutsu above E-rank, no obvious killing shots and no maiming. It's to incapacitation or first blood. Okay?"
I nodded. First blood… I would have to look out for a lot of shuriken and kunai, then. Today, instead of the hand-me-down sundress, I wore a more reasonable hand-me-down sleeveless shirt and short pants combo. I was also strapped, with small, training kunai around my thighs (unless I equipped the Fuma title, regular ones were out of my league) and my tanto. I nearly had a heart attack when I had to remove the sundress thinking that the ANBU tattoo on my shoulder would show, before I remembered that it had been wiped away with the rest of my body.
In retrospect, I wonder if the reason I haven't been branded again is that all of Danzo's operations are aboveground and no one would figure I'm an agent. It's bound to happen, but I guess he's not exactly rushing for it.
Your Skill Level has increased!
Genjutsu Resistance, Lv. 7
-Your ability to identify and break free from Genjutsu, the art of using one's chakra to fool an opponent into believing things that aren't real and behaving differently than they would.
Although he also does not seem to be fucking letting up on things, clearly. I did not want to waste chakra on dispelling this right now, especially since I didn't even know what it did- since yesterday, I've had five of these notifications alerting me that my Genjutsu resistance has gone up, but not what caused it, and using the Kai just left me 8CP shorter and no tangible effect felt.
Shaking my head, I made the seal of confrontation by intertwining two fingers with Itachi's, who was staring at me intently. I simply nodded at him, stepping back ten paces.
Shisui threw one last, unsure glance at me, before sighing. "Begin!"
Now Playing - Training Field
The suddenness of the electric guitar startles me as we both opened with a salvo of kunai against the other. Although I was noticeably slower on the draw than he was, half of my kunai were used in tandem with Ricochet shot directly at the projectiles I wasn't confident in dodging rather than-
My thoughts on strategy were halted as I was forced into a cartwheel as a trio of tiny, near imperceptible shuriken hidden in the barrage nearly struck me in the forehead. Not fast enough to hurt… too much, but definitely enough to secure a win. As soon as I had eyes back on Itachi, I noted that now there were three of them charging at me with kunai.
With a frown, I kept on leaping back repeatedly while letting them charge at me, no real way for me to recognize which was the real one, hands pulling back into hand signs. This was not the first time I'd used the technique, but it still took a lot of hand signs…
'Equip title, Fuma Clan Kid. [CLAIM] Spying on Yagura Karatachi reward!'
-7CP!
-7CP!
-7CP!
-7CP!
-7CP!
As they closed the distance and leapt at me, I grinned ferociously, hands drawing a vicious line through the air. And I couldn't help it, I shouted out the name, because it was cool. "Fuma Art: Blade Projection!"
Itachi, being a smart cookie, had expected me to try and cut off his approach with my longer reaching tanto. What he did not expect was for a katana to appear, seemingly out of nowhere, blade to roughly double in length as I kept pushing it the Blade Projection, drawing a line in front of me with the blade-shaped rainbow chakra construct.
The center Itachi was replaced by a log, while the other two were cut and disappeared into nothing. Whirling around, I felt his arm snake around mine, and I allowed him to wrench my blade away in exchange for getting to keep my arm, tilting to the side to avoid a kunai to the chest, while he leapt backwards to avoid a pair of kunai to his legs.
I panted, the swift but intense confrontation and the effects of nearly all of my chakra being poured out at once impacting me.
"That was an interesting jutsu. One of your family secret techniques?" Itachi asked, and I nodded. "You must really want to beat me if you're using it in a spar." He tilted his head towards Shisui whom, for his part, was just frowning with his arms crossed.
"I don't care to keep my clan techniques secret- I'll share them, if you want. But they clearly aren't good enough to afford you going all out." I said, and cringed slightly, both because of how anime that sounded, and because it was a realization I was making right now- despite his DEX being in the ? range, which meant at least double my own, he was going just slightly faster than me. "You're not this slow, Itachi."
At that, he reeled back for a moment, stunned, before sighing, while Shisui's stern demeanor broke. "Damn, I guess she's onto us, huh?"
The tension I was feeling similarly melted, if not completely. "What do you mean? You too, Shisui-san?!"
"Don't look at me, I was just keeping mum about Itachi's skills! We all know I could beat you with my right toe, Tomo-chan, and I'm not afraid to admit it!"
Huffing, I turned back to Itachi, who spoke up. "We didn't want to make you feel like your progress was small, Tomo-san. We both knew how hard you've been training since you left…" 'and going out on missions for the village', but that went unsaid. "And we did not want to belittle your efforts."
I closed my eyes. This kid. What I would consider an anklebiter in my own perception before I was thrown into this world, old enough that he should be wondering what he would do the next day in kindergarten, was trying to throw me a bone, because he felt pity for me. Because he thought he was too strong for me to deal with.
"Alright." I sighed. "Good."
"Does that mean we can stop?" Itachi asked, tilting his head but not moving from the spot and not sheating his kunai.
I chuffed. "Not a chance. I've been holding out on you too, to tell the truth. So how about we try going one last time, no holding back, and no grudges held?"
He looked at me, unsure, before ultimately nodding, resolution entering back into his eyes.
I didn't want to do this. I hoped to get him with the blade projection, or by some other cheap trick, or just luck, I guess. But… my growth hinged on this.
Drawing a kunai, I prayed on my lucky star that it would be enough. 'Equip Assassin title. Put all available skill points into Dexterity.'
I could physically feel my muscles tensing and rewiring in an awful, awful sensation. And while Sprinting was an active skill only by technicality, I consciously thought of it as I prepared.
And then we leapt at each other. I was basically seeing his eyes widen, his stance attempting to abort the current motion to defend himself. But from my 'throne' of 64 points in Dexterity, I was just that much quicker.
"You're not slow, Itachi." I muttered, deflecting his attacks, leg hooked behind his and (thankfully blunt) kunai to his throat. Shisui's eyes were just as wide as Itachi's, and I could hear him gulp as I removed myself from his cousin. "But I'm a bit faster."
[Quest Complete!]
Impress Fugaku Uchiha
The Gamer has issued a challenge to the Uchiha's clan head! Will you put your money where your mouth is, and become better than Uchiha Itachi was in at least a single thing, a year from now?
Time Limit: 1 year
Reward: [Yearling] boon, 500 exp, increased reputation with Uchiha Fugaku
Penalty: Decreased reputation with members of the Uchiha Clan
Additional Objective Completed: Reach Lv.15!
Reward: 1000Exp, Increased reputation with members of the Uchiha Clan, ?
Hidden Objective Completed: Defeat Itachi Uchiha!
Reward: 1500Exp, Greatly Increased reputation with members of the Uchiha Clan, [Uchiha Clan Prodigy] title
[Your level has increased to Level 14!]
[Your level has increased to Level 15!]
WARNING: Overleveled. Due to your current level reaching well over your current area's level limit, you shall no longer obtain non-story quests until you reach a new point in the game.
What?
I had not gotten this back in...
Oh. Current area. Shit.
Looking around, I saw no audience. But I knew for a fact this would make its way to Fugaku.
I was looking forward to it.
Things ended that day in a rather… anticlimactic fashion. I don't think any of us knew how to react to what happened after coming off of the high of the spar, so while I basked in the relief of being able to keep pace with Itachi, we parted ways politely and went home.
Unlike when I pumped CHA to double its amount, Hazuki didn't seem to comment on my change of state, though to be fair, these days she didn't talk to me about much of anything. We're… still in polite but cold contemplation of our new living situation, I think. She doesn't like me having kept secrets, I didn't like her trying to extract them by force.
I'm… not sure, what to do about that, if anything at all. But it's making Izumi unhappy. I do think I saw her do a double take when I walked by her in the hall, though.
Rest, but still not sleep, came to me a little easier, as I entered meditation under my futon's covers.
But it wasn't like I could approach someone to ask them "Hey, if I hypothetically could do anything with my life and possessed quasi-infinite potential, what would be the best course of action for me?"
This is really something I said to myself, huh.
After spending all of my points in DEX in a spur of the moment decision, I realized that I probably could have asked the system about it. But, no use crying over spilt milk. I gained back half of those skill points back, and it's even more important for me to wonder this now that I have the Overlevelled status.
That question is not something I can input in the system, or it probably would have answered, unprompted, but… maybe I just need to ask better questions.
What would be best skills for me to work on, given my talents?
Admittedly, this question isn't the best since if there is one "true" combo, maybe it's not one directed at me, but... well, trying to work with the system and everything here. And besides, short of plucking Izumi's eyes off for myself, which… just no, or getting a Biju sealed in me, which… also no, but for different reasons, there doesn't really seem to be one unifying get-power-quick scheme that I can remember.
But still. Inputting in the system.
Error; Several questions crammed into one. Processing questions…
What?
Miscellaneous Skills Affinities for Fuma Tomo:
-Sprinting Lv.20 ↑
-Flexibility Lv.0 ↑↑
-Calligraphy Lv.11 ↑
-Accounting Lv.0 ↑
-Cleaning Lv.0 ↓
-Seduction Lv.0 ↓
-Stealth Lv. 30 ↑↑
-Cooking Lv.1 ↓↓
Ninja Arts Affinities for Fuma Tomo:
-Kenjutsu Lv.22 ↑↑
-Fuma Clan Kenjutsu Lv.0 ↑
-Shurikenjutsu Lv.33 (!) ↑
-Fuma Clan Shurikenjutsu Lv.0 ↑↑
-Taijutsu (generic) ↓↓
-Ninjutsu (generic) ↓
-Genjutsu (generic) ↑
Resistance Skills Affinities for Fuma Tomo:
-Poison Resistance Lv.1 ↑
-Exhaustion Resistance Lv.12 ↑↑
-Physical Endurance Lv.9 ↓
Jutsu Affinities for Fuma Tomo:
-Fuma Clan Arts (generic) ↑↑
-Yang Release Affinity Lv.0 ↓
-Yin Release Affinity Lv.0 ↑
-Wind Element Affinity Lv.0 ↑↑
-Fire Element Affinity Lv.0 ↑
-Lightning Element Affinity Lv.0 ↓
-Water Element Affinity Lv.0 ↓↓
-Earth Element Affinity Lv.0 ↓↓
Miscellaneous Skills Affinities for The Gamer:
-Meditation Lv.20 ↑↑
-Observation ↑↑
-Animal Handling Lv.0 ↓↓
Ninja Arts Affinities for The Gamer:
-Genjutsu (generic) ↑
-Summoning (generic) ↓↓
Resistance Skills Affinities for The Gamer:
-Genjutsu Resistance Lv.7 ↑↑
-Pain Resistance Lv.30 (!) ↑↑
Jutsu Affinities for The Gamer:
Impure World Arts (generic) ↑
Pure World Arts (generic) ↑↑
Warning! Full evaluation could not be provided due to lack of Questions Available.
Clutching my skull and fruitlessly closing my eyes at the sudden influx of information, I had to hold myself out from gasping out in pain, courtesy of my Pain Resistance. Eventually, as I parsed through the information and the headache lessened, I was left with more questions than answers.
Getting the obvious out of the way… I would have to look into Genjutsu, if both of my affinity types tend towards it. And are they not Yin Release, which adds even more to them?
Also, I apparently was on the right track by focusing on physical combat with swords and shuriken. But my Taijutsu is that bad, apparently? Sure, it was never my primary choice, but it's still disheartening, considering it's the main type of thing I've found for enhancing stats outside of levels.
My affinity is Wind. And maybe a secondary one in Fire? But apparently all ninjutsu is a weak point for me, which sucks. It's displaying a lot of things that I haven't even unlocked- such as seducing. Bleh. I'm fine with that not being one of my strong suits. By the time I find myself at an age where I'd even be comfortable with the concept, the main character's story will start to get in full swing…
It's also distinguishing them between "Tomo" and "Gamer" affinities, both of which the system typically uses to refer to me. Some of these I can vaguely imagine why, but which ones are my affinities and which ones do I attribute to the external circumstance?
Well, there's no physical affinities in the Gamer column, but I assume that's because the body I'm inhabiting is Tomo's…
This is starting to give me a headache. There's generic affinities but also specific skills to which I'm aligned. But also- what the fuck are Pure World Arts and Impure World Arts?
Warning: No Questions Available.
What? That can't be right. [Status]?
Fuma Tomo, Assassin (The Gamer), Level 15
Health Points (HP): 60/60
Chakra Pool (CP): 50/50
Experience Points (Exp): 600/1400
Money: 600.000 Ryo
STR: 11
VIT: 6
DEX: 59+5
INT: 19
WIS: 10+5
CHA: 5
CC: 12+19%
LCK: 5
Questions Unasked: 0
Points to Spend: 20
[Skills] – 20
[Jutsu] – 6
[Boons] – 2
[Titles] – 4
[Karma] [Affinities]
that
burned
all
eight
of
my
questions
Bullshit! Eight levels worth of information, and it has the gall to say "Not enough questions for full evaluation"?!
Uuuuugh… okay, Tomo, think. Pure World Arts… like One-Way Transition. Which I'd assumed to just be a panic button to take if I wanted out of a situation, since the game gave it to me seemingly at random. But maybe it's connected to dying in general? The Pure World in Naruto was where dead people went. I think. But it's not like that time I used it I stayed there.
So Impure World techniques are… what, the opposite? Techniques connected with the world of the living? The only thing I can think of is the Edo Tensei, or Impure World Reincarnation. But it said Impure World Arts (generic), rather than just the Edo Tensei. That means that there must be more than one way to interact with it… and that my affinity for them comes from my Gamer side.
At least I can level up and get more information as more questions become avail-
WARNING: Overleveled. Due to your current level reaching well over your current area's level limit, you shall no longer obtain non-story quests until you reach a new point in the game.
Right. SHIT.
I rubbed my forehead. Thinking about the game system hurt my head- in more than one way, this time. And it's not like I'm doing anything but wild speculation.
I'll just sleep on it. It'll come to me.
…hopefully.
Friendly reminder that while I love ffnet, ffnet does not love me, and as such I'm unable to link the kickass tracks that Tomo hears in the fic or post the stats properly.
Uh-oh. Tomo is in a bit of a pickle now. No more level-ups until she becomes a Genin, still under a mysterious genjutsu, and the system has just eaten away all of her questions. Could things get any worse?
Who am I kidding. It can always get worse. And we finally get to see what the system meant all the way back in the first chapter when it said "randomizing affinities".
If you wish to support my writing, you can check me out on the place of patrons where I post five chapters ahead. Alternatively, you can always PM me in private if you wish to commission where we can hash out the details. Otherwise, a review is still more than enough, and I can't be thankful enough.
Sorry for the slight delay in posting this chapter, by the way, life seems to just keep wanting to get in the way between my grandma finally moving on to hopefully somewhere she won't suffer anymore and falling victim to a very angry cold, things got in the way.
Drink water, stay awesome, Nick of Name out.