To Iwa - Penchant for Manipulation

[Symbiosis: 72%]

"Nice..." I mumbled distractedly, exhaustion and boredom coating my mind.

'Symbiote, how much longer until that damn fragment is done copying Sayuri's gentics?' I thought to the symbiote in annoyance.

'A little longer. Just a bit of patience nessecary.'

I registered the symbiote's words and turned my focus back on the wooden pole right in front of me.

"What are you doing? Focus on what's in front of you," Sayuri spoke sternly as I rolled my eyes.

"I know, I know!" I shouted back in annoyance as I gripped the wooden sword tightly in my left hand.

"I'm only letting you know the basics first. Once we get to Iwa, then you can learn more," She spoke to me from the side as she ate a sandwich.

Right now, we were in a forest far from the village we were last in, resting after a couple of hours of travelling.

It's been around 3 hours since we left the previous village and we had stopped in an open part of the forest to rest.

Of course, we weren't exactly resting-- well, I specifically wasn't resting --but I was instead getting trained by Sayuri.

It was an offhanded request that I asked if she could train me in the sword, since it seemed useful.

But it would seem that Sayuri took it a lot more seriously than I did.

Granted, Sayuri being so serious about this whole thing might've been partly my fault as it took a little convincing on my part to get her to teach me the snake's kenjutsu style.

Surprisingly, Sayuri was rather hesitant about teaching me kenjutsu. Most likely due to not knowing how I'd use it.

Luckily, with a healthy dose of Oxytocin and some happiness chemicals, Sayuri was convinced to train me in Kenjutsu.

"You wanted training. If you don't commit, we can stop now," Sayuri explained calmly as I groaned under my breath

However, I still wanted to learn so I wasn't about to quit while I was already knee-deep in this shit.

You could say that I was also a bit excited about being able to learn how to use a weapon.

'Still... I didn't know using a sword was this goddamn difficult to do,' I thought to myself as I got back to practicing my slicing form, 'Especially with one arm. Thank god I'm ambidextrous.'

Sayuri observed me slicing at the pole with the wooden sword in my left hand, confusion evident on her face.

'Why's he only using his left hand...?' Sayuri thought to herself, 'Probably because of his weird amputation,' She rationalized, my transformation jutsu working to full effect.

I probably have around 30 minutes left to practice before we have to get back on the track toward Iwa.

I doubt I can improve much on anything in that time. And it'll be an indeterminate amount of time until I can train again.

"Akuto. Take a break," Sayuri ordered me as I dropped the stick with a tired groan and sat down against the pole.

Damn. I'm not really that physically tired from doing this due to my high stats, but the amount of times I have to perform the same perfect-form strike is insanely boring.

But then, I got an idea.

'You know what? Why don't I just cheat my way through it just like I did with the Rasengan?' I thought to myself as I opened the system.

Without hesitation, I opened up my physical customization and began to write down a new attribute.

[Name: Extreme Combat Talent]

[Details: User possesses an extreme level of talent and potential in the art of combat in all forms.]

[DP Cost: 1650/250]

Steep price.

Hm... So if I decide to do this I'll be left with around [1400 DP] which is not a big hit to my DP quantity so it should be fine.

This new talent would also help me a lot in any brand of fighting no matter what I do so I see no reason why I shouldn't.

'Confirm...' I mentally confirmed the customizations and felt an odd sensation move throughout my limbs, mind, muscles, and nervous system.

I once again stood up and then grabbed the bokken, surprise crossing my face as I picked it up.

When I grabbed the stick, I could instinctively feel the best way to hold and balance the object in my hand, instantly adopting a stance that felt right.

It was, of course, a rather minute change, but it was something.

Out of the corner of my vision, I could see Sayuri lean forward with an expression of fascination as I struck the pole.

The strike I just performed felt much better than before, like I had exerted less effort to achieve a hit that hit harder and faster.

'God damn! I am one talented motherfucker, alright!' I joked to myself as I twirled the sword around casually.

With every strike I performed on the pole, I could feel myself get ever-so-slightly better and more efficient with the bokken in my hands.

It wasn't to any incredible degree but it was still to the point where there was a noticeable increase in my efficiency.

This was an incredible thing, because I was still being pumped full of testosterone and growth hormones so I would also get gradually tougher.

This training would prove useful in short as well as long term. Since as I trained the sword with my new talent, I would be experiencing growth from growth hormones.

That would make it so my growth was well-adjusted and perfectly geared toward using the sword in combat-- a musculature and such that worked perfectly for swordsmanship.

There was also the fact that I have and was currently also reinforcing me and my movements with Psychokinesis which would help me practice some telekinesis while I did sword training.

Overall, it was a great strategy which would steadily allow me to grow. In almost every aspect.

The growth would be small, but noticeable. At the moment, it seemed to be noticeable enough for Sayuri to walk toward me as swiftly as possible.

"How did-- You just..." Sayuri stuttered in confusion as she felt up my forearm and gently grasped my hand holding the sword, "Take an offensive stance...!"

I complied with what she wanted and adopted the same stance I took before which caused Sayuri to stand close behind me and once again grab me.

She used her leg to adjust the position of my feet, and her remaining arm to adjust the form of my left arm from the inner side due to her only having a right arm.

The new combat talent seemed to be affecting my mind as well, as I quickly analyzed and recognized everything she was fixing and began adjusting for it.

She only did a few more minor adjustments before tracing the muscles on my arm in an analytical manner and turning to me with a confused sparkle in her eye.

'Dopamine,' I ordered.

'Got it.'

Dopamine is rewarding. It makes one feel pride in what they are doing. So if she gets a dopamine boost, she'll feel rewarded for having seen me be talented in something.

And that would naturally incite a feeling of pride in her. Pride for me.

"Is it good? I tried my best for you," I spoke with a sweet smile as Sayuri took a step back with her mouth slightly agape.

She cleared her throat and regained her composure, "Your form is great. Good job..." She praised, tapping me on the forehead before walking back to the edge of the field.

I gained an expression of shock at the gesture before I hid the crazed grin that appeared on my face.

'Symbiote I want you to give her some Norepinephrine. Not too much though, we don't want her to freak out. Just enough to make her anxious since I'm not with her.'

'As you wish!'

With the symbiote's final statement ringing in my mind, I got back to reality and began hitting the pole with different strikes.

Diagonally, horizontally, vertically, I spent a couple minutes striking the pole in each of those directions, attempting not to stay locked into one rigid form and staying fluid yet focused.

And things continued just like that for a while-- Me practicing with the bokken and Sayuri staring at me with wonder.

Many many minutes passed of this same routine before Sayuri called off the practice and told me to get ready to leave.

We began to pack everything up and, after a moment, started back on our journey toward Iwagakure.

The two of us simply walked side by side with Sayuri watching the environment for anything suspicious and me practicing Psychokinesis on any small objects I could find.

Just like that, we forged forward through the forested plains as I tried to ignore my boredom.

However, soon enough, I caught sight of the cloak that Sayuri had covering her arm and began thinking.

I wasn't dwelling too much on the thought at first, but the more and more I thought about it, the more curious I got.

And then, my curiosity and confusion reached the point where I turned to Sayuri and spoke my thoughts.

"Um, I wanted to ask something," I whispered over to Sayuri who rose an eyebrow and nodded at me.

"What do you want?" She inquired with a bit of curiosity, "Is it about your training?" She asked as I pointed at her arm.

"Why do you have that? Or rather, not have that?" I asked, staring directly at her missing arm as she narrowed her eyes.

"Why am I missing an arm?" She asked for clarification as I shook my head.

"No. I'm asking why you're STILL missing an arm," I clarified to Sayuri who gained a dumbfounded look.

"I mean, I already know what happened 'cause my mom told me, but why didn't you get a new one?"

She looked at me with a mix of surprise and doubt as she absorbed what I was telling her before she simply sighed.

"As a reminder of the mistakes I've made. That's why," She explained shortly as I hummed in disapproval.

"That seems kind of selfish don't you think... And a bit stupid, excuse my language," I said politely as Sayuri gazed at me with slight frustration.

"In what way is atoning for my errors and reminding myself of the past selfish?" She asked.

I tilted my head, "Don't you think purposely weakening yourself-- one of the strongest shinobi who has to protect the elemental nations --is worse than not quote-unquote 'atoning' for mistakes?"

"..." She stood with her eyes gazing at me disapprovingly as I continued my speech.

"And, like, aren't you already atoning by doing missions on behalf of my mother? So why are you leaving yourself handicapped? Personally, I find that rather selfish," I spoke in a disapproving tone of voice.

Upon finishing the sentence, the symbiote within me figured this was the perfect opportunity and triggered the inner mechanism within Sayuri that would cause her to feel sadness, disappointment in herself, guilt, and shame.

All of them were emotions and sensations that would make her feel incredibly terrible over me being disappointed in her.

She looked at me for a moment, her face scrunching up with a brief flash of artificial sadness before she shook her head.

"Then... *sigh* Then what do you suppose I do?" She spoke exasperatedly as I stared at her flabbergasted.

"Doesn't your Rinnegan have some weird power that can fix it?" I asked as Sayuri sighed.

"That-- Wait, how do you know about the Rinnegan?" She asked with a more serious expression.

"Well, for some reason there are Ninja Cards showing you with the purple eye. I just asked my mom and she filled me in," I lied about the last part.

"Wait, what!? Why would someone make those...? Why would Naruko let them make those?" She asked herself with pure disbelief.

'I don't fucking know why.'

"Anyways, doesn't that weird eye of yours have some kind of power that can grow arms or something? Or like magic tentacles?" I asked, attempting to nudge her without being too obvious.

Sayuri thought about it, 'I suppose one of the paths could theoretically make me a new arm... But...'

Sayuri was contemplating going back on her decisions, but she couldn't handle the thought of her efforts of atonement being useless.

She didn't want to, it would be like betraying herself. But the things that I pointed out, the things I said to her, they affected her.

She had no clue as to why, but she felt compelled to listen to me.

Was she truly just handicapping herself? Was purposely handicapping herself just a selfish endeavour that only punished her, benefitted no one, and risked people's lives?

Was she truly doing something that bad? All to make herself feel better? Sayuri was incredibly torn.

However, as she was intensely contemplating a major ideological thought, I came to her rescue with a single statement.

'Symbiote, before I say what I'm about to say, I want you to simulate emotional drunkenness in her body, keep her amygdala in check so it doesn't incite distrust, and muddle and dull her parahippocampal gyrus. I need you to do all of that so this works!'

The symbiote complied and I could physically see Sayuri loosen up, her face soften, and her eyes get a little wet as I grabbed her hand.

The physical contact allowed me to more easily activate my Psychokinesis to influence her mind toward sensitivity and ignorance. Which is what I did.

I wasn't able to do much with psychokinesis but it was enough to slightly direct the thoughts in her mind.

With all that preparation complete, I looked into her eyes with kindness.

"I'm sure you regret your actions, but wouldn't your sibling be happier if you moved forward proudly rather than look back in regret?"

I had to be a bit vague about Itachi's gender since I literally had no clue if he was a dude in this universe or a girl like Sayuri.

I swiftly wrapped my arm around her and gave her a comforting hug, pulling the same trick involving warming my skin and cooling hers down.

I restrained the nervousness that I was feeling as Sayuri's face shifted between sadness, confusion, and guilt.

'Come on, luck stat! Give me some money here!' I begged my stats as Sayuri drunkenly leaned onto me.

Thankfully, all the different manipulations I set up came together in one grand push and managed to let my statement have an impact without much suspicion.

The symbiote muddling the part of the brain that operates declarative memory and the recognition of scenes would allow my statement to pass by without being recalled as suspicious.

She would still feel the implications and the emotions that came with me saying what I said as a result of being drunk with emotion by the symbiote, but the long-term-declarative memory wouldn't keep the actual words I said into account due to it having been disrupted by the symbiote.

And even if I hadn't done so, right now, she was already incredibly emotionally invested in me and likely wouldn't do anything bad to me.

Now, the reason for me doing such a thing was, one, due to this providing a key opportunity to reach deep into Sayuri and affect her emotions.

Two, it was because it was also a rather spur-of-the-moment thing that I decided to do this.

It was just a random thought that I wanted to ask Sayuri, but then, ever the opportunist, I started manipulating her again.

I was originally just confused why she didn't get a new arm, then I wanted to make her get a new arm, then I started taking advantage of her.

I should really keep myself in check. Manipulating this poor woman has become something of a joy for me.

Also, there was also the fact that her skills and strength wouldn't really improve much due to regaining the arm, but she would forever be in my dept due to me having pulled her into the light.

She would gain almost no jump in power level to make it more difficult for me-- the only big gain being better taijutsu and a new arm.

By allowing her to rid herself of a burden via my manipulation, I would seem like a messiah in some sense of the word. Which would prove immensely useful.

Anyways, soon enough, I pulled away from the hug, giving the woman a pat before the symbiote stopped messing with her brain.

"So? What do you plan to do?" I asked gently, Sayuri shaking the daze out of her head as she turned to her arm.

I watched with slight impatience as multiple long minutes passed of Sayuri thinking about the decision.

She needed to make this decision without me fucking around with her head. That way there would be no need to justify anything on my part and wouldn't cause doubt.

To be frank, I truly did not care whether she regained her arm or not, it was all just to get further into her good books.

'So come on. Just answer already, goddamnit,' I thought to myself in annoyance as Sayuri finally turned to me.

And then she spoke her response to my impatient self.