Chapter 3 : Painkiller.

Contrary to what I might have expected, finding and then moving in my new apartment hadn't been a difficult affair.

It was only a matter of sweeping by my orphanage, letting the Hokage do the talking with the matrons while I packed my stuff, and being on our way to my new place that he, somehow, already had available.

I still can't believe that it took me a whole week to realize that I knew this view from the window and why.

So, anyway, that's how I found myself in Naruto's old little apartment, and, even if it wasn't much, the fact that it was private made it the absolute best thing in the world to me.

Frankly, between having to deal with crying toddlers or the drunk 'customers' wandering the pseudo red-light district -yes, apparently, that was a thing- I was now living in yelling obscenities during the night, give me the latter any times of the fucking week.

Did I mention that I do not like children, especially little ones?

Because I do not like children, especially little ones.

That didn't mean that the Academy had been, and still was, the anguish-inducing nightmare I dreaded it would be, though, considering children in the Elemental Nations were this weird amalgamation of childish innocence and prepubescent horn- everything, so they were at least tolerable.

Those of the orphanage, though, I was this close to starting a killing spree if I didn't manage to skedaddle out of it in the following months.

But now, I had my place, so I could start to really grind out those stats that needed some form of privacy or another.

First thing first, though: I needed funds.

Huffing as I sit myself in front of my freshly brought brush, ink and scrolls on my table, I crack my fingers.

"Maximum Effort."

"Those are some quality, girly, I'm actually impressed." the -rather fat- merchant of the not-very aptly named 'Ninja Emporium' congratulates me even as he throws me a calculative glare, "You said you made them yourself?"

"I did." I confirm while idly flexing my fingers to chase away the aches permeating them.

Creating Explosive/Storage Tags in bulk is exhausting and boring as all hell, trust me on that. Thank fuck past-me had spent ten points on [Artistic Talent] or I think I would've caved in and just stole what I needed.

He hums consideringly.

"100.000 ryo." he states.

I deadpan at him.

"Nope, not happening. I'd barely break even if I accepted. 200.000." I argue back.

"Those aren't made by a professional, girlie, I'd be taking a risk, but I'm willing to fork an extra 10.000. 110.000 ryo." he bargains, short-changing me harder than a loan shark.

"Look, just try one of those behind the shop, I'm aiming to create a fruitful relationship here: you scratch my back, I scratch yours. 190.000."

He squints at me, before taking an Explosive Tag from one of his own stack, and putting it next to one of mine.

"The lines aren't as thick on yours, girlie, might be an issue." he tries, expecting me to falter.

Luckily I have just the answer to that.

"It's because you can compensate for a lack of precision by putting more ink, but it also decreases the effectiveness in passing. I'm just very good with a brush, but try one of them if you don't trust me." I assure him, before smiling sweetly at him.

Thing is, if he tries one and it works, he can't short-change me anymore, and we both know it.

As it is, I'm already underselling my wares if you account for superior quality.

"Fine," he low-key grouses, "But I'm not paying that much for the lot, 170.000 ryo."

"Come on, think about this poor orphan trying to make an honest living with the fruit of her hands," I play it up a little, pouting at him, "180.000."

"175.000 ryo, final offer, take it or take back your seals, girlie." he settles on, and I know I won't be able to push for more.

I click my tongue, before extending a hand that he shakes.

His grip is a bit too strong, making me wince a little.

As I walk outside, my wallet marginally flusher than before, I reach in the pouch behind my back for a painkiller.

I come back to consciousness with a gasp, my heart frantically beating and my absolutely-everything hurting like hell.

I trigger my Jugo's Clan Kekkei Genkai, and the Natural Energy running through my body instantly starts to deal with the all-permeating gigantic bruise mixed with aches that I've just become.

I sit myself gingerly, wincing all the way, before my eyes dart toward the empty glass bottle next to me, throning amid a circle of seal, said circle located inside an even bigger one, arcane symbols even going as far as to extend on the walls of my apartment.

Man, I'm glad I found a way to reproduce the Clade Venenum treatments their agents undergo during their formative years to make them beyond human, but by the shiny backside of the Emperor of Mankind do they fucking suck.

As it is, while I couldn't do the genetic ones, I still could use the compounds that amplify muscle strength, bone resistance, tendon plasticity, nerves reactivity and blood production.

When added with my two bloodlines, the end results should be overall better, at least if what I can see through the diagnostic portion of the seal is anything to go by.

Good news, it works.

Bad news, I'm going to have to do that once a week for at least a whole year, maybe even more.

I sigh aloud, before reaching in my cupboard for a painkiller.

I huff and puff as I start my tenth lap around the village, the sun barely peeking above the mountains.

My limbs feel like lead and my tendons hurt like hell, already straining under the effort and strain of the added weights I'm wearing.

Now, why would I do something as masochistic as doing the Mighto Gai training?

Not because he saw my 'Youth!' and invited me to partake in it, no, fuck that. The jonin can keep his cringy lines and shitty taste in totally-not-spandex for himself.

Don't get me wrong, for the little I saw of the man, I like him, but he is like some of my medicines: only tolerable in very little doses.

So, no, not because I met him, but rather because I stumbled upon him and Rock Lee being the best gym buddies there ever was while he explained his training regiment.

Yes, I was snooping around, but at this point it's almost second nature, sue me.

So, he explained, I listened, and finally understood why not everyone was doing the same routine as the taijutsu-crazed duo.

Because you either need to be really good with your internal chakra control -like Gai is- or being so horrible at it that it turns to pseudo-mollace in your body and coincidentally seeps absolutely everywhere -like Lee is-.

Now, I had the benefits of having my chakra control grow strictly proportionally to my chakra capacity during all those years, a side benefit of my [Soul Talent, which made me, let's say, quite good at chakra control, if me blasting through all the exercises explained in the series was anything to go by.

So, I tried doing what Gai did out of curiosity, and immediately groaned when I realized that I was able to ape him convincingly, because it meant that I had to do it, now that I knew I was able to.

Huffing and puffing as I keep going at it, a tight lid kept on my chakra as it heals and repairs all the microfracture and tears I'm inflicting to myself, I reach in my front pouch and take a painkiller.

My hands flex in front of me as my fingers run through hand-signs in a blindingly fast sequence, my eyes closed as I try to follow the ebbs and flows my chakra is going through at the same time in my body.

We finally started to learn the famed Academy Three, which made me coincidentally remember a particular piece of fanfiction I read someday where the main character -a Sakura AU- learns how to use those in a way that makes them completely broken.

And so, once I confirmed with a teacher that, yes, it did work like that, I launched myself into an experiment to reproduce the results.

It wasn't even being wasted, because I had an idea to improve it in the future once I got the scrolls the Hokage offhandedly told me about.

The only problem with that technique?

I had to be able to do it instantly and seallessly.

I finally put an end to the sequence, my fingers aching as I try to make blood flow back in them by waving my hands, before sighing and reaching toward a nearby cup to take another painkiller.

My hands snap out of my Capsule-Launcher before slapping the nearby chronometer.

I wrench out my blindfold, blinking the light differential away and look at my results.

47,68 seconds, almost one whole second better than previously.

I sigh while sitting back in my chair at my table, a little satisfied smile on my face as I crack my back, making me wince in pain.

After months spent rising and saving money, I finally managed to craft my favored tool of the Venenum trade, and it is glorious.

Alas, now I had to know how to handle it absolutely perfectly -or at least, synchronize my own muscle memory with the one from my [Power Swap]- which meant going through basic training with it, or the well known 'build it back from the component while blindfolded as fast as you can'.

It was as mind bogglingly boring as it sounds, and worse, trust me.

But I am finished for today, one step nearer to the Emperor-granted 40 seconds goal, so I rise out of my seat, stumbling a little as my back yells expletives to me in a language I do not know but most certainly understand.

I scowl, making my way to my bed, reaching in my drawer for a painkiller.

I take a silent breath, stabilizing my aim, my eyes locked onto the target practice mannequin of the Academy ground.

I exhale just as silently, my hands snapping in front of me.

From afar, the discreet 'thud-thud-thud-thud' sounds of senbons sinking into the wood is heard.

I squint at my target, before smiling viciously.

The ten unwieldy needles have all reached the appropriate target.

Now, why would I train with those stupid ass things when I have a perfectly fine and dedicated long range weapon on hand?

Easy, because I was told to take the elective for it if I wanted to be able to take the one for poison making.

Don't try imagining the tantrum I threw at that because trust me, I was somehow worse.

Not my finest showing, but I find the idea of steel needles as combat tool fucking stupid.

And so I had to express my opinion, loudly.

Alas, the instructors didn't budge an inch about it, so needle throwing it was.

But I finally managed to pass the arbitrarily stupidly difficult -that's what you get when you call the guy in charge a poopy-head, I guess- test I had been given.

And if his stone-face look is telling me something right now, it is that he's positively seething.

"Acceptable, Buto-san, you've graduated." he admits through clenched teeth.

"Thank you, sensei." I answer with a shallow bow.

Not because I actually respect the guy, but because I need to hide the smirk distorting my face.

We exchange a few more pleasantries before we part ways, myself pumping my fist in celebration.

Wasted a whole month on this bullshit and hated every second of it.

I suddenly wince, looking gingerly at my fingers.

Drat, I managed to cut myself, again.

Grumbling, I reach in my pocket for a painkiller.

I cross my new classroom's threshold, taking it all in.

I instantly blink when I see strangely familiar faces, notably an excited blonde, a broody -but not as much as I expected- duck-butt face and a fawning pinkete.

Uh, looks like I finally landed in the cool kids' class I guess, two whole years before the canon graduation.

Immediately, no small amount of looks are thrown my way, most of them curious, even if some of the kids recognize me from somewhere.

I smile back at them, before giving them a polite bow.

I straightens, smoothing out my kimono's sleeves.

"Greetings, I'm Buto Torika. I hope we can get along." I tell them serenely.

The canon cast greets me back with various degrees of enthusiasm and politeness.

Let's get this show on the road, then.

[AN: I NEED ANOTHER PAINKILLER!

So, that's the scene that was in residence in my head for the last few days: a good old fashion training montage that goes over what Torika-chan went through until she reached the cool kids' class, with this song blasting over it, because I found the idea of her exploiting Clade Venenum's knowledge to deal with the aftermath of the gruelling training she's going through hilarious.

I probably took some liberties with the timing of Gai and Lee's first meeting, but I don't really care, I'm the writer after all, fufufufu~

And yes, she's going to absolutely clown on the girls of the cast at this point, that should kick their asses into proper gear.

Hope you vib- enjoy, xoxo[