5 Chapter 5: Cast Away

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Gamer or any other familiar characters.

Chapter 5 – Cast Away

One interesting thing about the rat dungeon was that absolutely no time passed inside. I spent a couple of hours killing the rats and searching the house for loot, but the sun was at the same position in the sky when I came out, so were the birds singing in the tree. That actually made sense; anyone who saw me enter the dungeon would merely see me pause for maybe a second but nothing more. There weren't any signs of fighting inside the house, not even the drawers I left open when registering the place remained open when I left the dungeon. Did this mean that I could spend as much time as I wanted inside a dungeon? Could I practice jutsu without drawing attention?

On the other hand, I later confirmed that the dungeon resets every week. When I went to see if there were more rats to practice my genjutsu, that orb of blue light was floating again near the window. I didn't get the associated quests during the subsequent visits; I assumed they only appeared the first time. But still, I gained experience by killing the rats and the rat boss again. Each week it was a little easier for me, and every time I accumulated a little more money and items.

I cleared the dungeon three more times while waiting for a word from the academy, and I got some interesting items.

The rat bosses dropped quite a few nice quality items I was certainly going to use.

Rat pendant.- Red eyes are looking at you.+2 to DEX while wearing this item.

High Quality ninja gloves.- Simple shinobi gloves, plated on the back.Quality: High.

Life Elixir.- A rare potion of healing.Heals 100 HP, cures bleeding and any other status effects.

The life elixir was a small glass vial with, not surprisingly, a glowing red liquid inside. Since it cured more than my current full HP, I guessed it was valuable. Also, the 'rare' in the description was a blatant sign.

The rat pendant was a small wooden rat figurine dangling from a thin leather cord, with little red gemstones as eyes –rubies, I believed. I wore it around my neck, and, as the item stated, my DEX increased by 2 points.

The gloves were similar to those dad wore; they had a metal plate on the back of the hand, shinobi style, and fitted quite well for my age. I would grow out of them soon.

The other rats dropped mostly money. I got a total of 4,500 ryo and 125 EXP points. Not too shabby

However, the dungeon was mostly empty after clearing it. Apart from some old cutlery, linens and such, I found two usable things: a scroll and a kunai holster.

The kunai holster was sitting in an old locker, and, oddly, it was in perfect condition. It was made from black leather and could hold 5 kunai. I assumed it was important to have, else people might wonder how a child could summon kunai directly to its hand. The holster was too big for my leg though; I would have to wait to grow up a little before using it.

The scroll I found had a jutsu: the transformation jutsu.

Transformation Technique. Lvl 1 (1%).E rank.- An illusion technique.Requirements: 10% Chakra control.Cost: 5 Chakra Points per minute.

With my chakra levels and my chakra control I could hold a transformation for a little longer than 12 minutes. Just another reminder to keep refining my chakra control.

During that dungeon diving time, I also trained and got 2 points in dexterity, one in strength and one in intelligence.

There was one other thing I was anxious about: my magnet release. At first, I meditated for hours trying to 'feel' a kunai in front of me. All in all, they were made of iron or steel, right? But my efforts were futile, in all three months the only thing I achieved with my kekkei genkai was a shitload of frustration and seething.

Before I knew it, it was my birthday. I didn't realize until Sadako's megawatt smile and her small gift tipped me off and, as expected, my status page now specified 5 years old.

Sadako gave me a big hug and pinched my cheeks that morning.

"Good morning chipmunk! Hey, I got something for you!" she said handling me a small package, "I made them myself!"

The package contained the most horrible cookies I ever tasted, in both worlds. They were dry as desert sand and tasted so freaking salty. Even the chocolate chips were salty as fuck. I didn't need to eat or drink, but I downed two big glasses of water after that.

Of course, I swallowed a couple in front of Sadako, smiling. Her smile widened even more, if that was possible.

I didn't see my dad that morning; it looked like he was still avoiding me these last months. He continued his routine, drinking, working for reasonable hours for a shinobi, then drinking again, eating something if he remembered and finally sleeping. I couldn't remember any conversation with him other than some monosyllables and polite greetings. At least he remembered to leave me lunch or dinner almost every day, even if it was overcooked rice and I didn't need to eat at all.

Continuing my daily life, I went every other day to old man Yataro's. Sitting next to him, I trained the leaf concentration exercise and my observation skill when my chakra went low enough.

Another thing worth of notice was the skill I got after one of rat bashing sprees. I wanted to try a stealth approach, so I tried to stick to the shadows and go undetected before engaging the rats.

Stealth. Lvl 1. (1%)- The shinobi art of concealment.75% chance of going undetected, -1% per each level below the target.

And so, day after day I trained, every night I meditated and week after week I cleared the rat dungeon.

After one of the visits to the rat dungeon one afternoon, there was a knock in my door. It was old man Yataro.

I never saw him standing before, so I was a little surprised to see a wooden peg leg where his right limb was supposed to be. I guessed that was the reason he retired from active shinobi duty.

"Hey boy," he said with a solemn face, "I got a letter today. Next Monday the academy is starting again, and they are taking the entrance test for advanced students; you are required to be there at 9 am sharp."

I was time!

"I believe you are more than ready to start your shinobi career but, any question you have or any help you need... I'm there for you kid." Yataro had a slight smile and an unfocused gaze. There was a story there.

"Thank you, for everything."

He nodded and left. I should have offered him some tea, but to be honest, I didn't know if we had any.

That Monday morning, a grayish and cold one, I walked with Sadako to the academy to take the entrance examinations.

Cute girl still came to visit me in the mornings despite being on vacation this last month. Her parents, she told me, were both shinobi and wouldn't get vacations for another two months. So, she was working at her auntie´s carriage repairing shop to make some pocket money and trained in the afternoons.

The walk to the academy was interesting. It was the first time I adventured outside my little street. My house was in a small valley between the mountain peaks. The different valleys and summits were connected to each other by an intricate system of bridges and stairs. Two main roads headed north, climbing towards the Raikage tower. In each adjacent summit there were round platforms that supported different buildings, one of which, encircling the peak closest to the tower, was the academy.

I was a big round concrete building, second only to the Raikage's tower. It wasn't painted, so the building contrasted interestingly with the brown-gray color of the rocky peaks. As most mountain buildings in Kumo, the ceiling was used as a platform for people to walk on. Some buildings had restaurants and the like while some had observation towers; one could sometimes see shinobi inside them.

After about 20 minutes of walking, climbing some stairs and crossing some bridges, we arrived at the academy.

Outside, roughly 30 children with their respective parents or guardians waited, they looked between 6 to 8 years old. Some parents talked with each other; others talked to their children. A group of 5 children joined the crowd, guided by two women dressed in white. 'Orphans,' I thought. In a militarized society like this, it was expected that there would be a significant number of orphans.

"You have to wait with the group, chipmunk," Sadako told me, "but don't worry, you will do well. I know you might be nervous, just remember it's just a test to evaluate your potential as a shinobi and to decide if you are ready to start so young. Good luck!" She hugged me and ran to the entrance, greeting another laughing girl.

Some of the aspiring students were looking me with questioning or teasing faces. Some shinobi parents too, but I couldn't recognize anyone. Maybe if I have chosen Konoha back at the start I would be able to recognize someone or their clan. Here in Kumo, all I knew was that kekkei genkai were uncommon and that Ranton, the storm release, seemed to proliferate outside of blood relations or clan affiliations.

From Sadako's rambles during her visits, there were some important clans in Kumo; groups with blood ties and some secret jutsus involved, but that's it. Without a recognizable kekkei genkai or obvious secret jutsus like the Aburame or the Nara, clans were not such an important thing in the shinobi force.

"Children!" a voice bellowed from the academy entrance, "if you would please come closer."

We all approached the entrance.

"Is anyone applying who's younger than 8 years old?" A young-looking shinobi, wearing the standard blue attire and a white vest, asked from the door frame.

I raised my hand, three others raised beside me.

"Okay, you four please come with me."

I walked through the murmuring kids to the entrance.

"Follow me," he said, gesturing us to enter the academy. He guided us a typical classroom -tables, chairs and a chalkboard- and stood in the front. The four of us stood in front of him.

"Okay children, first of all we are going to-" the instructor's eyes fixated on me, looking me up and down. "How old are you?"

'Observe.'

Name: Shozaburo Hirano.Title: Academy teacher.Level: 43Age: 25Shozaburo is an instructor at Kumo's ninja academyRelationship level: Bad.

He was wearing a kumo vest and I could see his level, so he was probably a chunin. Also, he disliked me for whatever reason.

"Five."

He looked at me for a second more and continued.

"Right," he said taking a notepad, "let's get on with the list."

"Taisuke Sanda?"

"Here!" a kid with dark red hair raised his hand. He looked at the instructor with glistening eyes and anxiousness in his voice.

"Tsutomu Aoki?"

Another kid raised his hand. This one was taller than the others, with spiky white hair and a scar on the left of his neck and a boring expression on his face.

"Kumi Kanegawa?"

"Here, sensei," the girl on my left murmured. She had black eyes and dark green hair down to her shoulder blades. What was wrong with hair color in this world?

"Kioshi Shirasu?"

I raised my hand.

"Well the, you're the early enrollment bunch. Some of you I know from your families," the instructor said smiling at the girl, "but anyhow, you all need to pass a special test to check if your physical and mental capabilities are enough to enter the shinobi academy."

"First, make a handstand for 20 seconds."

We all did.

"Next, throw 10 alternating punches, then 10 alternating kicks."

The instructor observed attentively while we performed the requested drills.

"Now, go sit down and I'll give you some paper. Write down the answer to these questions," he said while giving us some paper, ink and a brush each. "Which are the five great villages? How many shinobi wars have been? Who is the leader of Kumogakure? How is chakra produced?"

We all wrote the answers. By the way, my calligraphy was horrible; I'll have to work on that.

"Now, I'll draw a sequence of 8 figures in the chalkboard. You have to figure out the ninth and draw it down."

He drew eight shapes with squares, triangles and circles, each with a combination of dots and dashes. It was easy to deduce the ninth; a triangle with two dashes.

"Now you have to find the next number of this sequence."

He wrote a sequence of 6 numbers, an incremental sum. The correct answer was 28.

"Finally, write the answer to this question: What's the 32 percent of two hundred?"

Holy fuck, this test was easy. Well, it was designed for kids. Shinobi kids, sure, but kids nonetheless.

After writing down the last answer, I handed over my answer sheet with the other kids. The examiner checked each paper and continued.

"Now, can any of you use Chakra?"

The green haired girl and I raised our hands.

"Show me." He said, looking at me.

I swiftly went through the required hand signs of a jutsu.

Snake, Rat: 'Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.'

The instructor's eyes glazed for a fraction of a second and then he looked at me annoyed.

"Genjutsu at 5?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

I nodded.

He turned to the girl.

"Your turn, Kumi."

"Ehm... sensei, do you have a leaf?" she asked.

The instructor ripped a piece of paper from one of the answer sheets and handed it to her. Taking a deep breath, she held the piece of paper to her forehead with a finger and, a couple of seconds later, the paper held by itself.

"You all are recommended for an early enrollment, but both of you," he said looking at the two other boys of the group, "don't have the attributes to justify an early entrance."

The red-haired kid ran out the classroom with an angry expression, while the other walked to the door sniffling.

"Kumi, report to class 201. The other students should be there by now."

"Thank you, sensei." The girl smiled and bowed, then darted out of the classroom.

"Kioshi Shirasu," the instructor began, looking at me with a severe expression, "five years old, recommended by Yataro Sada, jonin, previously known to work for the Intelligence Department of Kumo as an external adviser and later for the Shinobi Research Institute. You are the son of Denji Shirasu, jonin, widower, long range specialist and, lately, taking local patrol duties. Your mother was Chiharu Shirasu, jonin, wind element expert -something rare in Kumo. She died two years ago from a bone marrow disease."

He breathed in slowly, narrowing his eyes at me, before continuing gravely.

"Then we have you, five years old and trying to enter the shinobi academy. Why do you want to be a shinobi?"

I looked at his inquisitive eyes. He was fishing for a particular answer, so I gave him the obvious one.

"To protect Kumo and those I care about."

He scoffed.

"Kids like you are labeled geniuses, prodigies and such by your teachers and other shinobi. You loathe the idea of learning a lesson like your peers do, you disobey orders, you look down on everyone, you grow fast only to later become stagnant. Kids like you get themselves and their teammates killed. Go to classroom 301, take this permission." He violently handed me a note and walked away.

I stared at the door he just left, thinking about what he said. Pride, fear, anxiety, comfort... those are the things that keep you stagnant. I already lived with them before, I can't -I won't- let them rule me this time. Not again.

'Fuck you too, asshole.'

Ding!

Quest Completed!Dust away the cobwebs of your mind.

Get accepted into the Shinobi Academy.

Rewards:300 Exp, Clone Technique scroll.

Honestly, I forgot about that quest, but experience points are always welcomed. I was just 40 EXP points short of leveling up, which was nice. I wouldn't open my inventory or summon the scroll while in the academy, too risky.

I walked to the third floor of the academy and entered my assigned classroom, where I would, again, suffer the obscurity of school life.

Taking a deep breath and opening the door, I was greeted by a tall and bald individual wearing a standard kumo chunin vest over black clothes.

"Ehm... hello? Are you a student?"

I handed him the note.

"Okay, go and sit down wherever. We were just starting."

'Observe.'

Name: Shinzo Kawasie.Title: Senior academy instructor.Level: 51Age: 38Shinzo is an instructor from Kumo's ninja academy.Relationship level: Neutral.

I sat down in an empty spot in the middle row and observed the other students. I counted 21 kids, all older than me, and couldn't recognize any of them. The manga never really showed academy life in other villages.

Most of the kids had the standard Kumo skin color, varied hair styles and colors and some clan markings or tattoos. All were between 7 and 8 years old, one girl on the front was 9.

"Welcome everyone to Kumo's shinobi academy," the instructor began with a smile, "I am Shinzo Kawasie and I'll be your instructor for the next four years. Most of you come from shinobi families, and some of you from clans, so you might know already some sort of taijutsu form. Nevertheless, we'll teach you the basics of shinobi life; history, mathematics, and such, and we'll work your physical strength and flexibility before moving to applied taijutsu. By the end of the year, all of you must be able to feel your chakra."

Shinzo sensei turned around and started writing names on the blackboard.

"Let's talk about Kumo's history..."

That day, being the first, we were dismissed before lunch. The children rushed out to greet their waiting parents or guardians, smiles on their faces.

Unfortunately, I didn't know the way home, so I had to wait for Sadako to accompany me. I still had to get a map of the village.

Without much thought, I walked through the halls of the academy looking for a library and, indeed, the academy had a small simple library. It was a medium sized room, with bookshelves on the walls and three long tables and benches.

At the entrance, behind a small desk, was the librarian. After convincing the old woman that I was truly a student and that I had just entered despite my age - the pass that jerk instructor gave me helped - she let me in. I wouldn't be able to take out any books without my own academic credential, so until then I had to settle for reading at one of the tables.

The library had, obviously, academy level books: history of the elemental nations, history of Kumo, great figures, politics, etc. I couldn't find a single jutsu scroll.

Taking the first book, one about Kumo's story, I sat down and began to read.

I noticed some time ago that I could remember whatever I read perfectly and almost instantly. I believe it had something to do with the gamer's mind. Be that as it may, I spent the afternoon with two other dense texts on the history of nations, their foundation and archaeological essays about their origins.

Ten minutes before four in the afternoon, I stood at the entrance of the academy waiting for Sadako.

"How was your first day at the academy, chipmunk?" She asked.

"Boring, but fine."

"Yes, at first it is all so boring. But then you start studying about different types of jutsus. Did you know that medical shinobi are scarce? The only village that has at least a semi-decent system of shinobi doctors is Konoha. No wonder, after creating legends like Tsunade! Here in Kumo there are so few shinobi doctors that they only heal extreme cases. I wonder about the mortality of high profile missions-"

"You want to be a medical shinobi?" I interrupted looking at her.

"Yes! But I don't think I can. I don't have the necessary Chakra Control; I'm still struggling with the leaf concentration exercise and this is my last year! Soon we will start the tree walking exercise and I need to practice a lot. I think I'll have to specialize in kenjutsu, I have a knack for it anyway."

I nodded, that meant seniors are taught advanced chakra control exercises.

Sadako talked about everything and everyone on the way back home.

Later that day, I opened the Clone Technique scroll and read it.

Clone Technique Learned!

Clone Technique. Lvl 1 (1%).E rank- Creates and an illusionary copy of yourself.Requirements: 20% Chakra control.Cost: 20 Chakra Points per clone.

'Nice.' I practiced the jutsu for a while, transforming into dad, Yataro and Sadako. The transformation was perfect from the start, even when transforming into Shinzo sensei, whom I met today. Was that because of the gamer system?

The next morning, Shinzo sensei welcomed us with a caring voice.

"Well children, today we are going to evaluate your physical condition. Let's go outside."

Sensei took us to the "roof" of the academy. It was bigger than I expected, about 300 feet in diameter. You could see the surrounding valleys, the Raikage tower, other administrative buildings and even some shinobi jumping around the buildings. The cold breeze of the morning was a welcome wake up call to a lot of kids.

"Very well, first, jog around 20 laps. Go."

We started jogging. Of the group of 21 children, half managed to complete the 20 laps, me among the last ones, and the rest fell at different times. All the training I've done so far seemed to be paying off.

VIT increased by 1, SP increased by 10.

I was wondering when my Vitality would increase, I've been training quite a lot. And the stamina points awarded? I'll have to start jogging around on my own.

"Now, you are going to spar with one another, to test if you would be able to learn basic katas this year. Some of you might need corrective classes if you don't pass so focus. We'll go to the inner training rooms, we don't want students falling off the edge if a spar gets out of control up here, so it is strictly forbidden to fight anywhere in the building other than the interior training rooms. Is that clear?"

'Makes sense.' I thought looking down the edge, it was a long fall.

"Follow me, please."

The instructor led us to the inner training area. It was a huge room in the second floor. The tall walls, the ceiling and the floor were all concrete, with only a couple of tall windows and a large column in the center. There was no tatami on the floor, and judging by the reddish spots on the floor, they weren't used during spars. There were big squares painted on the floor.

"Very well," said the instructor once the kids shut up, "I will call you in pairs. Only physical hits are allowed. If you leave the square, you lose."

With that, the instructor began calling names.

The first person that caught my attention was a tall girl with long auburn hair, green eyes and dark kumo-style skin. She won her fight with a simple jab to the face followed by a roundhouse kick to the sternum.

'Observe.'

Name: Maemi Choshi.Title: Academy student.Level: 5Age: 8Maemi is a new student from Kumo's ninja academy.Relationship level: Bad.

Her opponent, a level 7 boy, landed outside the square, breathing heavily.

'Another one dislikes me?' I wondered.

Maemi looked around to her fellow classmates, with a presumptuous expression and a cocky smile.

'A strong and arrogant kid... what a fucking cliché.'

"Good job," the instructor addressed the class, "some of you might already have some training from your families and that's okay but try keep it to simple taps if you can."

He was right, a couple of kids knew how to fight. I could tell they had the knowledge and neuromuscular training required to fight properly. I also recognized some of the standard taijutsu katas from the book back home. My Beginner's Taijutsu skill leveled up quite a lot from all the kata practice and rat punching.

Beginner's Taijutsu. Lvl 18. (34%)- The foundation of any respectable style.Increases unarmed damage by 18%.

"Kioshi Shirasu and Tahara Soho." The instructor called.

We both approached the fighting area. My opponent was a scrawny little boy, but still older than me by 2 years and one level above me.

"Begin."

He came to me running with a sloppy fist cocked back. Was he even trying? I could see his limbs clearly; he was telegraphing every single movement he made.

I ducked under his fist and connected a solid punch to his right kidney while sliding right. I kicked the back of his right knee, making him kneel while holding his abdomen. Punches in the kidneys hurt a lot. I didn't wait for a reaction; I immediately went for a chop to the back of his neck.

"Stop!" The instructor interrupted me loudly, "I just said keep it to taps!"

I stared at the sniffling boy with wide eyes. I just punched the hell out of a little kid, without remorse, without care. I turned around and went back to the other students with an empty expression, they were looking at me with various degrees of hate and horror.

The rest of the fights went down quickly. You couldn't really call them fights more than street brawls, most of these kids didn't know how to fight. One thing I figured out too: level didn't mean everything. Some low-level kids were pretty good, while some higher ones were just average.

Of all 20 kids, just five got my attention. They seemed trained to some degree, probably children of shinobi parents or clans. I didn't know any noteworthy names in Kumo, was the Raikage's family a proper clan?

"Okay kids, some of you are already somewhat competent in taijutsu. The first year will mostly comprise of physical exercises, stamina development and basic katas to set the foundations for proper shinobi training. Proper taijutsu lessons will begin on the second year. Now follow me to the dining room to have lunch."

We followed the instructor again to another huge room with long tables and chairs. There was already a line of other students waiting for the lunch ladies to serve food on their trays.

I knew I didn't need to eat but I wanted to keep the appearances, and, besides, I was curious. I wanted to observe in detail the senior students and compare them.

So, waiting in the line, I observed everyone. The oldest kids, all 12 years old, were level 14 to 18. Some stood out, like a short boy who was level 19 and a couple others who were level 12. The third-year students, 11 year olds, ranged between 10 and 14 and the second year students' levels ranged from 6 to 10.

Even if levels were not a reliable indicator of a person's strength, I was among the lowest level kids of the school. I had a lot to train.

After receiving my food, I went to sit with my class. Everybody was looking at me with some spite in their eyes, some even with obvious anger. It was clear I wasn't liked by my peers and judging by the faces of the other kids in the dining room, all looking at me with disdain, I got the hint.

These kids disliked me, and they wouldn't be changing their minds anytime soon.

Well, fuck them. I was not in the mood to fraternize with little children. This was the longest time I've spent with people since I woke up in this world, and it had to be with kids.

These kids, they were too naïve, too inexperienced in life, any life, for me to be friends with them.

I tossed my tray in the dumpsters, food and all, and slowly walked out of the dining room with half a smirk. They'll grow up, eventually, but I won't be waiting for them.

I can endure this academy bullshit; I will survive this world.

I went to the academy library during lunch time. The second period that day was mostly Shinzo sensei talking about the history of Kumo. All of it I already read in those big books in the library. Tomorrow we'll learn about the inner workings of the land of lightning.

Back home, dad was napping next to the dining table, some empty bottles of beer laid next to him. Sadako quickly said goodbye and skipped away.

"Hello, dad."

He opened his eyes and looked at me for a moment with a trembling chin.

"H-hey son. Listen, I-" he choked on his words, but carried on after a couple of seconds, "I'm sorry, I should have been there, I-"

He closed his eyes and stood up hastily, stumbling to the kitchen before I could say anything. The sound of a bottle of beer being opened told me all I needed to know, he was already tipsy, now going drunk.

'I'm not dealing with this shit.'

Heading back outside, I walked to the taiyaki stand at the end of the street. There was one thing I had yet to do: thank old man Yataro for his signature and support and tell him I was accepted.

The stand was almost empty, except for two women chatting on one of the small tables outside, the same women from months ago. The scene reminded me of those little cafes shown in old European movies, small and forgotten, only frequented by those who already knew of their existence.

"Hey kid! Did you come with your mother this time?" The shop owner asked me with a raised brow.

"No, I'm alone today. I would like two chocolate taiyaki please." I said, trying to smile.

He looked at me with half a smile.

"Sure thing, anything else?"

"Tea, red tea please. Two cups to go." I replied. Red tea was what old man Yataro was drinking the other day.

The owner nodded and went to the back.

"That'll be 100 ryo." The owner said to me, handing me a small brown paper back and two disposable cups filled with warm tea in a cupholder. "Bring the cupholder back if you can, they are difficult to find nowadays. We used to import them from fire country."

I looked at him with a questioning look. "What happened?"

"Trade with fire country has declined the last months since the conflict with the Hyuga clan of Konoha. Border controls are tougher and commerce has taken a hit." He answered chewing on his lip. "Anyway, glad to see you again boy. Come back whenever you want."

"Thank you." I paid the man, summoning the money from my inventory to my hands inside my pockets. Just as I could summon any number of kunai I wanted to my hands; I could summon any amount of money also. Pretty neat.

I went to old man Yataro's and found him sitting in his chair in the garden reading a book, as always. Taking a cup of tea from the holder, I gave it to him and sat down in the chair beside him.

"Thank you," I said, "I was accepted."

"Of course you would," he said looking at me with a dimpled grin, "and you're welcome."

He sipped on his tea, savoring it slowly. "How's training?"

"It's going okay, although I'm still learning the basics."

"Take your time, you can achieve a lot with a calm mind and meditation. The first steps in training are the most difficult. Still, sometimes you'll need to force your mind, body and chakra to overcome some specific barriers you'll find along the way. Don't get discouraged, boy."

I gave him one of the taiyaki and tasted of the other one. It was odd, back in the real world I never cared for sweet stuff, but here, I had a nasty sweet tooth.

We sat in silence almost all afternoon, enjoying each other's company.

That night, I went to my room and laid a kunai in front of me; I wasn't giving up on my magnet release.

I sat on a lotus position with my eyes closed and focused. My chakra was resting in my core, at the center of my body, and I guided it around my body.

This time, I was going to try something different. From the manga, I remember the third Kazekage's puppet didn't use its hands to control the iron sand and neither did Gaara unless it was a big sand jutsu. So, instead of channeling chakra to my hands, I forced my chakra to the back of my mind and expanded my senses.

I felt the tightness of my clothes and the cold air against my skin. I could hear my own breathing, the night wind howling outside, the neighbor's soft snoring...

And after a few minutes, at the edge of my senses, I could perceive a foreign object. A ghostly figure, so to speak. I could feel its weight, its general shape, its... temperature. It was... cold?

'Move.'

Forced by my will and the burning chakra in my mind, I felt the object move.

Opening my eyes, I saw the kunai floating in the air, right in front of my face.

'Fuck yeah!'

Author's note:

The story is starting to gain momentum... just a couple more chapters of school life and training and I'll drop the first surprise. No quests this chapter.

Thank you all for your reviews and comments!

And keep pointing out mistakes and typos.