The past

Children wore gowns of white within a room devoid of colour sitting on desks of white with nothing but a pen containing blank ink and a piece of paper with test questions written in black that were meant to be solved and studied by university students.

Yet instead of university students it was children barely older than 7 at most solving them. Some were going through it with ease. Others were struggling but were fine and the rest was failing to meet the demands of the instructors. 

The bands on their arms indicated their current states. Various colors of green showed around the ones who were going through it with ease. Yellow indicated struggling but was fine and the rest was of a reddish coloration. 

One child sat on her desk with a completely apathetic expression. 

She had long since completed her task and was just thinking. Her posture represented this as she leaned forwards one hand on the desk the other underneath her chin were the only things that showed that she was thinking.

A man walked through the room wearing a lab coat and checked to see if any of the children were cheating whilst making his way towards the small girl. He stopped at her desk opening his mouth to speak.

*Image here remember desk is completely white*

"Akira." He said with a tone so cold and frigid that it terrified many people into committing acts that should never be uttered. His eyes possessed a sharp gaze that almost seemed to cut the atmosphere like a knife. Yuna looked up at him. "A person who holds great power but refuses to use it." He stopped making sure his words carried weight to them. "Is the behavior of a fool."

"Arisu wake up."

My memory induced dream faded as my eyes opened revealing my older sister Minimi standing there with an expression I had seen before. She wanted our weekly playing session with all three of us today huh.

"I have a request. Can we train today like Shinobi training we've not had to chance to do so yet?" I asked already knowing that she'll agree.

"Sure I am fine with that. Actually I have an idea of what to teach you." She sounded enthusiastic about this.

I suddenly had a very bad feeling about this decision. 

Walking through the hallway I stopped by the kitchen area to grab some dried fruit for breakfast whilst Nee chan grabbed Nii san. I ate in silence as I thought back on the memory I had of my time in that place.

That place or well the Whiteroom was designed to nurture children from birth in extreme situations to try and create a genius by artificial means. In other words a manufactured genius. 

I was one of the children raised there and was raised as part of the 4th generation. 

The 4th generation -from notes I had read since it had shut down temporarily allowing me the opportunity to escape- had the hardest curriculum of all the generations. It was referred to as the demonic 4th for how harsh it was on all of the students yet it had been the only generation to receive the kind of genius they were trying to create.

Myself. I was the genius they created and wanted.

"Rawr."

A roar that was deafening made it's way into my ears interrupting my thoughts as Minimi attempted to scare me yet again.

"Nice try Nee chan." I spoke in a tone that was devoid of emotion.

"How come you never feel scared? Seriously it's impossible to make you scared. Are you even capable of fear?"

That wasn't it exactly I knew all about fear.

I knew all about fear borne through pain. I knew the terror and misery of being a loser. I'd seen people destroyed by it before my eyes, time and time again. But eventually, I stopped feeling fear. Instead, I just felt cold, because I'd come to realize that no matter how much suffering or despair others experienced, the same would never happen to me.

Because I'd come to know that in this world winning was everything. No matter the sacrifices made. No matter the methods I had to use. As long as I had my victory in the end. That was fine. Because if I had the means to win than I could protect myself from all that threatened to harm me.

So then why was I trying to become a Shinobi?

Because if I don't then earning to power to defend myself against threats will be 10X harder. 

It was only logical that I made things easier on myself.

And a part of that came in the form of stopping Madara before his plans with Obito even started.

And even after that it doesn't stop the arrival of the Otsutsuki clan I needed to prepare as much as possible before then.

Then I can simply enjoy my new life in this world to an extent I never would've thought possible when I was still a bird locked in a cage.

Although one thing remains a constant.

I wonder if I'll ever be able to see those around me as more than just tools to be used and manipulated. Even if I cared about some people they were still just pawns to me. Could this possibly change? Would I stay the same as I was in that place or could I become more than the machine the Whiteroom made me?

"Let's just go." Nii san stated as my thought's came to a close.

"Yeah let's go." I followed up with a smile that didn't cause my eyes to change slightly.

As we walked another memory of my time in the Whiteroom popped up.

There was 100 children within the room devoid of colour studying. Some were struggling including a girl with black hair although to a lesser degree The children were 4 at most.

The scene faded as the number of children decreased to 85 with every child who struggled except the black haired girl having disappeared. The girl looked afraid, terrified and traumatised however she was solving the questions much faster though she was still struggling. They looked to be 5.

Fear borne through pain was a good motivator for her yet there was another door she could take.

The scene faded once again as the number of children decreased to 65 with them looking at around the age of 6. The girl this time seemed less afraid no it was like she stopped feeling it completely with her solving questions in a speed incomprehensible to humans. 

The scene faded however this time it showed the number of children decreasing 25. More children were failing to keep up until the number decreased again until only one was left.

The black haired girl looking to be 8 at most was the only one left. Metaphorical bars of iron appeared keeping her trapped inside the facility though she looked to have not cared. Her face completely expressionless and her eyes conveying no emotion except curiosity. 

*Image here*

The memory faded as I looked up at the sky feeling another emotion well up within me. This one was strange as it wrapped around my heart and tightened it almost as if I longed for something I might never have. 

What was it that I wanted? That was the question that may never be fully answered.

*Image here*