authors note: hey, once again sorry on the long time between uploads, im working on making proper time to actually work on my writing amongst my chaotic work schedule. Honestly surprised I've even got any readers and grateful for you all giving this story any time at all.
please feel free to give me any thoughts and opinions on what you think about my fic in the comments, trust me when I say ill be reading all of them. especially since this is my first time dipping my toes into writing combat, even if its just the basic at this time.
'Internal monologue'
Naruto and its associated media are owned by kishimoto and company.
Ruto's pov
Sometimes, all it takes is a single bowl of ramen to wash away the stress of almost dying. The fragrant smell drifted from my bowl and continued to fill my heart with a sense of comfort, each bite standing in stark contrast to the instant ramen that fueled much of my previous life.
Only the nausea-inducing levels of spice drifting from Ginro's bowl kept me from fully enjoying the nirvana before me. Not that you could tell from afar—he sat beside me on a short wall separating us from the ocean, happily slurping down his noodles, having chosen this spot not far from the various vendors populating the docks.
"Sorry, kid. My sense of taste was ruined after I was forced to inhale a puppeteer's poison back in my days as a Genin," Ginro explained after noticing my discomfort. "Nowadays, the only way I can really enjoy anything is by drowning it in sauce. Thankfully, Izumi-chan is pretty accommodating when it comes to these kinds of issues."
"While the way you were messing with my kids was pretty funny, I'm still curious, why didn't you just send for help?"
After another bite and a sip of the heavenly broth, I responded, "Shock, mostly. That, and I could sense they didn't mean any real harm. Though, I'll admit, if you hadn't gotten there when you did, I probably would have."
"You could sense that? Being able to sense intent is a pretty advanced technique for someone so young." A quick flicker of something dangerous made me nearly fall from where I sat, my glare causing the large man to laugh. "Sorry, kid. Had to see if you were lying or not."
"Well, can you not while I'm eating? That kinda crap leaves a bad aftertaste." A sharp flick to my forehead was my reward for cursing, leaving me to nurse the wound while continuing to eat. Thankfully, Izumi's cooking could wash the pain—and the bad taste—from my system.
After a brief silence as we both focused on our food, Ginro asked, "Any thoughts on joining the academy early? I'm sure they'd accept your application, given that you've already unlocked one of the boons."
Joining the academy had crossed my mind a few times already. The constant surveillance presented a few problems, but thankfully the "prodigy" label tended to blind people to my strange habits. Karina had dropped quite a few hints about enrolling sooner rather than later, probably stemming from my growing curiosity toward fuinjutsu.
"The thought has crossed my mind more than once, I'll admit," I said as I finished my bowl, placing my utensils in their pouch on my hip and putting the lid back on. My gaze remained fixed as I awaited its disposal.
"I truthfully can't wait to finally receive a proper education in seals. The amount of time I've spent practicing my calligraphy without being able to properly utilize it grows more frustrating every day." As I finished my statement, the bowl flickered before disappearing.
"Ah, well, we've all been there at some point. Hell, I snuck into my pops' study when I was your age—nearly blew my hand off trying to activate one of his seals," Ginro reminisced, staring into the distance.
"You're a Jonin, right? Dad told me almost all of our active Jonin use fuinjutsu in some form," I said, just after watching my bowl seemingly blip out of existence. It still amazes me every time how these objects blatantly disregard physics.
"Oh, I do. Mostly supplemental stuff, given that I specialize in taijutsu. I believe there are few problems we ninja encounter that can't be solved with a solid punch to the face."
'While I feel like he's probably exaggerating, the likes of Might Guy, and to a lesser degree Lee, did have some of my absolute favorite fights. Guy versus Madara alone had fantastic sakuga,' my brain noted.
'I still wish someone would finally indulge me in fuinjutsu. Who knows how long I have until…' That thought process was quickly shot down in fear of spiraling into doom again.
"I'll admit, when I was your age, I had a similar drive toward fuinjutsu, along with an even greater interest in ninjutsu," Ginro said after noticing my dejection. "But as I grew, I realized that for every seal drawn or ninjutsu cast, it paled in comparison to the raw destruction my fists could unleash." He punctuated the sentence by placing his bowl down and standing up in what seemed to be a taijutsu stance.
"Try to commit this stance to memory, young one," Ginro continued. "Keep your feet lined with your shoulders and position your feet like this."
Ginro's large frame settled comfortably as he shifted one foot forward, its heel slightly off the ground, while his back foot sat at a slight angle. He bent his knees, his arms following shortly after, one forward the other kept close.
I'll admit, I never had much interest in martial arts or MMA in my previous life, only a passing interest through various podcasts that sometimes covered the topic. Yet, despite that, I could sense the pure passion for his art rolling off Ginro in waves, making it impossible to fight the hype growing in my heart.
"Keep in mind, the real force behind a punch comes from your core. You want to move your hips and torso in tandem when striking. Try not to overextend, or you'll risk losing your balance." A few light jabs followed his words, each movement executed slowly for my benefit.
With each swing, Ginro inched toward a tree in the clearing. His movements came with a practiced ease that could've won him many martial arts tournaments in my past life.
"This strength is wholly my own, built by pure determination and fueled by dedication. Whether it's sickness of the mind or body, nothing is more helpful than a solid workout regimen," Ginro's declaration rang out, even catching the attention of a few passersby heading deeper into the market.
"Now, allow me to show you the fruits of my effort." Ginro sped up his movements, his arms becoming mere blurs to my untrained eye. With a sharp grin, he abruptly stopped mid-swing, the excess momentum shaking the surrounding trees. Leaves fell to the ground as I struggled to pick up my jaw.
Throughout the demonstration, Ginro's chakra seemed to heat up, moving through his chakra system at an intense pace. What really left me amazed was how Ginro's chakra momentarily created a tangible presence, impacting our surroundings without even leaving his chakra system.
"How?" I managed to squeak out, still awestruck.
With a puffed-up chest, Ginro retorted, "It's not that complicated, honestly, kid. You understand that chakra is made up of both physical and mental energy, right?"
Thinking it over, I realized it was probably related to the yang chakra, given that his demonstration was focused on taijutsu.
With a snap of my fingers, the answer hit me: "Your yang chakra—or, more specifically, your physical energy—became so potent and dense that when actively manipulated, it starts to bleed into your surroundings despite staying internal."
Ginro's brow raised, his mouth slightly agape before quickly correcting itself. He placed a hand on my head, ruffling my hair.
"I knew you were smart, but even my cute little Genin needed more of an explanation than that, much less familiar with such a technical term" Ginro said. "With a mind like yours, I'm sure you'll become a great ninja."
"Sadly, I've got to round up my brats, they should've recovered by now. Feels like it's time for some D-ranks. Just punishment, I say."
"Just think about it, kid," Ginro said before giving me another rough head pat. "You've got time to consider your options, and the mind to take you there."
A small wave and a hand sign, and Ginro disappeared from sight, leaving me to ponder his words. The temporary pause caused by his demonstration soon faded as people heading to the market resumed their business. I glanced around, watching the leaves still falling in the mid-afternoon breeze. My focus settled on one leaf in particular as I tried to quiet my mind.
In my previous life, I often struggled to avoid getting lost in my thoughts, and the energy stirring in my new body didn't help, despite the balance I had worked to achieve. Still, some of the techniques I had once found helpful continued to work, like simply watching a leaf float on the wind.
As encouraging as ginro's impromptu taijutsu lesson was, the fact of the matter was that taijutsu alone won't be enough to save this island and it's inhabitants. What was needed was something revolutionary, with real stopping power. Surely my years of digesting various forms of Naruto could present me with the answers I need, yet most of the most obvious direct upgrades to my combat prowless lies either in filler, which for all I know doesn't exist in this world, and/or come at great risk to mind and body.
The awnser to my dilemma presented itself as the leaf I had been tracking fell to a stop just short of a pair of kids, no older then myself doing their best to beat the mid day heat.
The idea that came to mind definitely had its risks, especially if the butterfly effect chooses to be particularly brutal. That did little to halt my feet from kicking off the wall I had been sitting on, the worry being washed away by the pure excitement that any Naruto fan would have when presented such an option.
"Hey" I yelled out as I approached with a smile from my barely restrained anticipation, "where did you two get those water balloons, this heats killing me?"
