Chapter 4: Genin

The blue-haired genin approached Kuzo, the former picking up his knife from the ground. He stood above Kuzo and smirked.

"Bastard, I lost a great amount of chakra thanks to you," said the genin as he held the knife with both hands, raising it. "But I still have enough to finish you off."

He then thrust his blade down.

Reacting in blinding speed, Kuzo spun on the ground and kicked the mugger's leg, forcing the blue-haired man to lose his balance.

Kuzo then placed his hands on the ground, flipped up, and kicked the man in the face, sending him flying off the ground. Following up, Kuzo ran forward and held the mugger's armed hand. He then grabbed him down, hitting him on the ground. After that, Kuzo started kicking his face, knocking out a tooth or more with every kick.

If Kuzo were to pass the genin test again, as he is right now, he was sure that he would make it based on his taijutsu alone.

'Kill him… Kill him.' An urge hit Kuzo. The idea came from his hand. It gave him the same feeling of a hungry stomach. A feeling of craving.

Kuzo held the blue-haired shinobi in a headlock and twisted his neck, taking his life away. The blue spirit-like entity left the shinobi's body and entered through the seal in his hand.

Kuzo got a feeling of satisfaction like no other.

A rush of adrenaline, excitement, and the pain of growth. All came at once.

His muscles stiffened. He could feel a warm energy running through his body.

He looked at his hand. A blue-like energy danced above it. And he could control it perfectly as if he had been doing it for a long time.

'So this is chakra.'

Hold on. He had a few memories about some new taijutsu. New ninjutsus.

'Clone Jutsu. Replacement Jutsu and Transformation. Moreover, water stream and water bomb jutsu.'

He weaved a few hand seals, and three clones appeared next to him.

He just used a jutsu that he could never use.

'So the more I kill, I get the skills, the power, and the chakra of my foes. All combined in me. That means my chakra reserve grows with each kill I make.'

According to this, then his chakra reserve should be quite huge. Despite the muggers he'd ended being weaklings, they still had chakra but couldn't use it. Kuzo got a combined chakra of what? 25 mugger and genin.

'That's not important now.'

He turned his head and looked at Shin. The old man had gotten a harsh kick. Kuzo rushed toward him and lifted the old man's head. He was breathing. That was a sign of relief to Kuzo.

"Old man, you're alright?" asked Kuzo.

"I can't …. Bb…" Shin tried to speak but he couldn't.

"I got you."

Kuzo put his hand on the man's stomach and started massaging them. Soon, the old man was able to breathe again.

"Kid. You gotta find a new teacher."

"Why?"

"I decided to retire."

Kuzo smiled as Shin was breathing heavily.

Since they got attacked and the leader of the merchants got injured, he couldn't start his mission of getting near to the Land of Rocks. He would have to go back to the village and report everything.

Of course, the part of being able to take people's spirits and eat them for his power would be left out of the table.

The last thing he wanted was being treated like Orochimaru.

Forbidden jutsu, if not killing the user, would cause them to be punished.

"Let's go home old man."

"But the ores."

"We'll get you treated first, and then we should come back. Besides, you should hire protection."

"You're right. I was being cheap because these muggers don't attack often. But who guessed they have a shinobi with them."

"Anything can happen." Kuzo picked up the old man on his back.

"And by that, you mean having a shinobi on our side."

"I've failed the graduation exam." Kuzo shrugged his shoulders.

"Something must be wrong with the examiner."

-x-X-x-

A few days later, Kuzo was back in Konoha with the others. The merchants went back to their houses, and he went straight to the Hokage Mansion to report everything while leaving some details out of the table. When he was done with his report, he went back home.

His parents were quite disappointed that he came home too soon.

But life was just like that. When he explained what happened, his mom laughed and his dad got angry. His story was quite unbelievable, and he didn't blame them. After all, how would they believe that their son who can't use chakra could beat a rogue genin who had water jutsu in his arsenals and lived outside for long.

Kuzo ended up saying something such as waking up his potentials in a life-death situation. When his father was about to give him Asian love, Kuzo used the Clone Jutsu.

He realized that it saved his life when his father stopped and looked astonished at the clones.

After that, he was allowed to go to his room.

'Never going to laugh at Asian Parents memes again.' Kuzo laid on his back, feeling relief that he was not smacked. He hugged his pillow and he closed his eyes.

'So glad I don't have to deal with that spy civilian shit again. Nothing beats the comfort this pillow offers,' he thought.

His mind started drifting back into the days he started his mission.

'Life is hard.'

He then remembered the battle he'd gotten with the muggers. He'd thought he would die many times.

Unable to sleep, he sat up and looked at his hand. The cursed seal, which he had hated in the past, had saved his life.

He didn't know if was falling in love with it now.

But he knew if he continued on the path of a shinobi, he might end up as the strongest being in this universe.

Imagine getting the combined chakra, speed, power, and durability of 10 jonin. Imagine getting their jutsu, their whole life effort and talent by just devouring their spirits.

Kuzo then thought about something.

His parents and brother's chakra affinity was fire.

But he could use the water jutsu of that blue-haired genin.

'I also get their chakra affinity. Chakra affinity is related to the bloodline. So having it means that I could have bloodlines? I don't know. But I may find out in the future.'

His thoughts chain was cut by his father appearing on the window.

When he saw him staring at him, his heart almost jumped.

"You've been summoned to the Hokage's office."

"Did I do something wrong?" Kuzo asked.

He didn't know why he was summoned. But it couldn't be a good thing. After all, he was a nobody. Just a nobody. Because nobody is John Wick.

"I don't know. But they want to verify your story." His father replied with a sigh.

Kuzo's heart almost jumped out of his chest. But he kept his composure.

'Shit. Don't tell me that they'll read my memory.' He thought, and then he said. "But they could verify it with Shin. He'd seen everything."

"You becoming able to use jujitsu out of the blue is still hard to believe. They think that you may have been put under Genjutsu that made you believe that you are a good shinobi. I don't have to tell you how this works. But it's a matter of Konoha's safety."

Oh. That made sense.

Now he wondered, was he really under a Genjutsu without realizing.

Kuzo scratched the side of his head with his nail. "But I showed you clone jutsu. Or was that my imagination?"

"You have to show them too." His father replied. "I get you. But this is your chance, don't blow it."

"My chance?" Kuzo replied. But he still could read between the lines. It meant that if he proved that his potentials somehow awakened during the muggers' attacks, he would be qualified to become a genin.

"If you can't understand that, hand them back the headband." Then his father vanished from sight.

Kuzo smiled inwardly.

The reason for this smile was simple.

There was potential for him to become strong in the world where only the strongest thrive.

He couldn't help but imagine what it was like to be the strongest.

An image of him holding Madara from the neck while stepping over Hashirama's head emerged in his imagination.

He shook his head.

'That was absurd. But still, I can't help but imagine it.'

He would demolish everyone with the power he would devour in the near future.

-x-X-x-

Kuzo went to the Hokage mansion. Currently, he was sitting in the office with an academy examiner.

The examiner was the same one who had examined him last year.

"So you still believe that you can use ninjutsu and you even claim that you beat a genin?" asked the examiner, his sharp glare putting a lot of pressure on the young man's soul.

"Yes." Kuzo nodded.

"But that's absurd. All of your teachers disagree." The examiner didn't seem to believe it. He seemed to hold his laugh.

"Life and death teach more about the shinobi's life more than you could in the academy." Replied Kuzo.

"Not sure if the Genjutsu is too strong, but I'll give you a chance to redo the exam." The examiner sneered. "There are jutsus that can even alter the people's memories. But show me a Ninjutsu."

So it seemed that this chunin was underestimating him.

So what's the best thing to do to confuse him.

He wouldn't believe that Kuzo was able to do a jutsu in the first place.

Kuzo weaved a few hand seals. Soon, his image changed to that of the 3rd Hokage.

The examiner was at disbelief. "Lord third?"

"You couldn't see through my disguise, yet you want to interrogate a young man under Genjutsu. You think yourself qualified for this task."

"Sorry Lord 3rd. I didn't mean… hey." The examiner got nervous. But he stopped talking when he noticed Kuzo laughing. A puff of smoke appeared, and Kuzo emerged from it, laughing.

"I can also show you clone jutsu." Kuzo said. After weaving a few hand signs, the shocked examiner took a deep breath. He observed the illusionary clones Kuzo created, which were perfect. He then demonstrated the replacement jutsu, exchanging his place with a nearby chair.

"Fine, I guess you've some potential." Sighed the examiner, "you got me with the Transformation Jutsu, I'll give you that."

"So, you believe me now?" asked Kuzo.

"If you are not a genin level, then I'm the one under illusion." Replied the examiner. He reached his pocket and grabbed a headband, handing it to Kuzo. "People have different learning patterns. Some are suitable for school, some are for the battlefield. Nevertheless, it doesn't change the fact that you are a skilled shinobi. Let the will of fire burn through you, and prove that you are worthy of being called a leaf shinobi."

'What a wonderful speech. It put a tear of boredom in my eye.' Kuzo nodded as he took the headband, wrapping it around his forehead.

"So, am I being assigned to a team or what?" Kuzo asked. According to what he remembered, genin work in teams of three under the lead of a Jonin.

"Since you are quite late, you'll have to work for the Genin Corpses. The next 6 months, you'll be assigned to a new team."

"And what do I do on Genin Corpses?"

"You'll take missions, individually. Sometimes, teams and other chunins or jonin would require some genins from Ninja Corpses; you would be there to offer help. And of course, you'll get paid."

"I see. Is that all?" Kuzo asked.

"No." The examiner replied. "Try to stay alive."

"I will." Kuzo turned and walked out, waving his hand.