Paradise Is Optional

Nohara-sensei wasn't lying when he said everything from the third day onward would be difficult. As a matter of fact it was just one beating away from being classified as torture.

It was a week since the meeting with his parents, and the jonin in charge lived up to his statement. Because everyday he seemed to deliberately work them to the bone. They'd open their scheduling with light aerobics for half hour. Then they'd do a D-rank. Which were always easier than the first one. These were still cheap tasks that Kobaru was overqualified for. But he would choose weeding a garden over cleaning that brown-ridden washroom any day.

After lunch they would all meet up at The Factory and with the help of a chunin cell. Their designated elite would hit them so hard. They ended up regurgitating whatever they ate prior.

A vicious cycle that continued no matter how much they screamed for it to end. Ruthless aggression that had the genin skipping meals on most days.

Even with the training regiment making strides to incapacitate him. Kobaru did not regret his decision to continue as a shinobi. He did however, find himself envying the four kids who dropped out. Those, now-former-genin, were the winners so far in this rat race.

Admittedly the continuous battery did yield improvements in his peers' abilities. Much of the class were already trying to adapt the academy fighting style into something that fit their capabilities. In close quarters they were still getting wiped, but the changes were there. The real danger came when they were allowed time to prepare.

This was greatly attributed with the class of reserves now having enough money to purchase weapons and wire. They would now depend more on misdirection and subterfuge to solve their problems. Even capturing one of the chunin on the sixth day. Proving that they were actually skilled enough to make it out of the academy.

Although it didn't last long, the celebration was one to behold.

Nohara-sensei noticing their advancements decided to humble the group. And what better way to do that than to put them through chakra control exercises.

Kobaru believed that the discovery of the whimsical energy was humanity's greatest achievement. As long as you knew how to mould it, there was a gateway to endless possibilities. The only thing that could stop you at that point, was your imagination. Something the young Museigen had in boatloads.

His classmates... not so much.

On the Seventh day of Genin Death Camp, they decided to teach tree climbing. The most obvious thing to do with chakra. Apparently genin usually spent hours rubbing bark before they could even ascend five feet. So when the civilian-shinobi scaled his tree with the enthusiasm of a gecko. He once again solidified his position as teacher's pet.

Everyone took a moment away from falling on their asses to stare up at him. Each of them throwing him a hard glare. Except for Chusei who enjoyed a round of gawking at the nine year old. And well Nagisa just stared at him like she stared at everything else.

The girl wasn't very emotional. He had to ask Chusei if she felt anything at all.

Nohara-sensei in an attempt to alleviate some of the gaping. Joined the young boy on the tree. Holding his ageing features in a disappointed scowl. Without a word he grabbed Kobaru by the back of the collar and held his left hand in a tiger seal.

The boy instinctively synced his chakra with his heartbeat. He was not excited about being victim to another genjutsu. Especially now that he was hanging from a branch using invisible forces. Before he could ask questions to figure out what was happening, his brain performed a poorly practiced backflip.

His vision went black and every muscle in his body locked itself in place. He couldn't do anything to stop himself from being forced through what appeared to be a drinking straw. He couldn't even frown at his inadequacy.

This turned out to be the side effects of his sensei's choice of travel. As they were now standing at the Naka river. Kobaru shook away his disorientation and did a quick scan of his new surroundings. Then threw a silent fit when he realized that his captor was standing on the surface of the river.

He shifted uncomfortably as he hovered in place. Praying that his sensei could continue his iron grip on his collar. He was worried about several things all at once. He couldn't see the bottom and he couldn't swim to save shit. Sure he grew up next to the river but he never had the time to go swimming.

Even with his fears. What really had him shocked, was the calm air that accompanied the activity. As though this was just another thing. The man managed to stay balanced and nonchalant even with water rushing by.

Chakra's great, but this doesn't make sense.

"From the way you're staring at my feet right now. I find it safe to assume that you've never tried this one before," the brown haired jonin said.

"I have not."

"Good..." he smirked then started lowering his arm.

"Wait Sensei! I can't swim!" Kobaru screamed grabbing the man's hand and pulling his legs up to his chest.

"Even more reason to learn how to water walk."

The dark haired genin stopped his thrashing to provide a bemused glare. Nohara-sensei chuckled at the wordless rebuff.

"You have to at least tell me how to do it," Kobaru said realizing that this was going to happen with or without his approval.

"Well..." the jonin placed a finger on his chin then looked at his feet. He sucked in his lips and tightened his eyebrows, "didn't realize how hard this is to explain. I've been doing this since the sannin were preteens. It's kinda instinctual. Kinda like normal walking."

Kobaru sighed to himself death by drowning. I didn't even consider that one.

His attention fell to his sensei's feet once more, then shook his head again for good measure. He was smart enough to leave the academy at nine. With enough observation he could figure out how to walk on the surface.

He narrowed his eyes at the river. It appeared that the water was... moving.

Yup this still makes zero sense.

"Sensei is it anyway similar to tree climbing?" Kobaru asked trying to, at the very least, understand what to do with his chakra.

"Yes," he gave a nod, "but also no because the water is, as you can see, moving."

Those were the words of the village elite.

Kobaru performed another scan of the area to ensure no one was close enough to hear this conversation. He couldn't afford to sully his reputation so early in his career, "I have drawn similar conclusions."

"One more sarcastic remark and I'm throwing you in. Understood?"

"Your command sensei."

"Great," he smirked then gave his feet another look over, "I think I've given you enough information," Kobaru quickly shook his head in negative, "Other smart genin would be able to make sense of it."

Kobaru sulked at the comment but quickly righted his thoughts, "maybe I can try with my hands first."

Nohara-sensei cocked an eyebrow ready to entertain the idea. Of course he did. The worst case scenario would see his student become a permanent resident of the riverbed. No direct harm done to him. So he lowered the boy to the surface and let him place his palm against the rushing water.

The hand had the highest concentration of tenketsu in the body. Which meant chakra was easier to mould in this area. If he could figure out how to match the movement of his chakra with the river. Then he could reverse it to use with his feet. It was simple.

He moulded chakra into the tendrils he used to cling to objects and tried forcing his hand through the surface. It did cling to the liquid but, considering that this was a moving body. It was quickly ripped away and his hand plunged in.

"Just in case you didn't realize," Nohara-sensei chimed in, "the water is still in motion."

Kobaru suppressed a snarky comment and focused on accomplishing his task. He held his hand over the river again. This time he spun the tendrils as he would do with his marbles. Instead of three areas on his palm. He spread it out through each tenketsu in the area.

Without the solid spheres in his hand, he had to apply an extra bit of focus, but it was manageable. Once again he lowered his arm and matched the rotation with the speed of the water. This time as he expected. It worked.

The constant rotation of his chakra allowed him to keep the flow of the river whilst exploiting the surface tension. Building a plate of chakra that calmly floated in place. Kobaru craned his neck in the most uncomfortable manner to smirk at his sensei. This smirk quickly dissipated when the man greeted him with a hard glare.

"I guess I'm ready to give it a go sensei," he nodded.

He helped his student to reposition himself. Watching in silence as the boy placed one foot on the surface. Then widened his eyes when said genin placed the other foot down. He held his legs stiff trying to find his balance. When he believed it adequate. He signaled for Nohara-sensei to let go. And when the man did. He fell into the water. Like a hot knife through butter.

XxX

Talent in the world of shinobi was very important. It was something that could determine how far one would go from the onset. Early bloomers were what fueled the elemental nations in times of war and peace. And the three major scuffles proved that the one with the most prodigies won.

Konoha was lucky to produce a human born machine every other year.

Nagisa rooted herself in the belief that she was her generation's machine. The one that would go on to have a career of praise and revelry. It was something she still believed in despite her jonin failing her team. Then embarrassing her by sending them to the reserves. Yet she couldn't make it up a stupid tree.

She tried non-stop since her instructors presented the idea. Still every time she came in contact with the object, her chakra blew her back ten feet. If she tried to filter the amount, there would be no adhesion and her feet would slip right off. She wanted to quit. She desperately wanted to. But when the orange haired loud mouth that was her... friend, danced his way into the canopy. Motivation found her like a second wind.

Chusei was not the most intelligent person. Nagisa knew it, Kobaru knew it and the dope himself admitted it several times. Per day. So him figuring out something like that mere minutes into attempting. Was like watching a rat perform advanced fuinjutsu.

It was extremely ridiculous.

So as soon as Nohara-sensei and his chunin shadows dismissed the class. She rushed off to the library hoping that someone had enough common sense to put it in a book.

The shinobi-librarian didn't spare her a glance as she slipped by. She was already there a dozen times since graduating. Spending hours after class staring at words from village legends. The chunin on duty were probably getting tired of seeing her face.

It was just about two weeks since her promotion, but she knew exactly where to go for a book about sticking to trees. The reference section had all the information a shinobi hopeful could need. As a matter of fact, there were books in there that any farm hand could read and understand.

This was the only library she ever had access to, but Konoha's collection of books was truly one to behold. Sure, she didn't have clearance for ninety percent of the material. But from what she could see. They had pretty much every book ever written -in the land of fire. Hundreds upon hundreds of interpretations, biographies and journals of information worth passing on.

Anything you wanted to know was there for you. All you needed was the time. Sadly the library was mainly frequented by jonin. Only a few genin and chunin were ever seen there. Nagisa concluded that these were the few that took their occupation seriously. Then shook of the thought of most of her comrades were efficient delinquents.

She gathered six books written by Nidaime-sama. To her he was more detailed and easier to understand. There was never pointless drabbles about personal experience. Just step by step paragraphs highlighting what should and shouldn't be done. She hadn't gotten around to employing any of his techniques so far, but it was on her to-do list.

If only she had the guy to teach her. Instead she had to settle for a clanless nobody with a superiority complex.

She took to the desk and got to reading. Right there on the first page of Chakra Control & Distribution the answer to her errors presented itself.

Nagisa held herself in high regards. When it came to taijutsu there wasn't a genin that could give her trouble. And from what she experienced in the last week, no chunin could either. She forged through the academy and got to graduate a year ahead of her peers. She was without a doubt the definition of a genius.

Never in a million years would she have thought, that the reason she wasn't able to tree climb. Was because she forgot to consider her full body weight.

Such error was shameful. Embarrassing even.

She had been so busy trying to gain height with the amount she applied from the start. That she completely missed adapting it to carry her whole frame. So while the orange idiot was climbing with that in mind. She was just adding enough to support her legs. Then to add to her disappointment. Whenever she felt it failing channeled too much to her soles. Which sent her flying across the training ground like a human rocket.

"Whatcha reading there Nagisa-chan?" an all too familiar voice rung out interrupting her silent self-critique.

She held herself against the urge to punch his face in and turned around to look him in the eye.

"It's a book Nakamura-san," she replied with a calm tone. Then narrowed her eyes at the orange haired ogre.

"I always forget that you lack the tact necessary for normal conversation," he said then invited himself to take a seat next to her, "I swear. You smart types wouldn't make it doing anything else."

"Excuse me but I find that ironic. As you were built for everything but being shinobi," Nagisa closed the book and holding her frame straight.

"I think I'll make a pretty good meat shield," Chusei said tilting his head to read the title on the cover page, "Chakra Control & Distribution. Still haven't figured out the climbing yet huh?"

"I have realized my errors and will be accomplishing the task by tomorrow morning."

Chusei nodded at her then shuffled through the other books to take a closer look at another, "well if you read these and still can't climb. Then I don't know what to tell you."

One sharp blow to the head was all it would take to end his life. Nagisa would do it if murdering a classmate wasn't considered an act of treason.

"If you don't mind me asking. Why are you in the library?"

"Uh well..." he began scratching the side of his head with the book he chose.

That was all she needed to hear to know that he couldn't find his cat-eyed minion. The two were nigh inseparable since the second day of the reserves. A relationship she joined with little regret.

After all, they were her ticket to the next stage of her career. The prospect of them becoming a genin cell would receive little push back. With the missions they did together so far, even Nohara-sensei would recommend them for the promotional exam. It was just dumb luck that one of them had obvious talent. There was nothing stopping her from becoming chunin with teammates like them.

"... I got bored and you're the only friend I could find," he continued using the book as an improvised scratcher, "plus I gotta keep my mind of dinner until they process my pay."

Nagisa turned to him then regarded him with disappointed eyes. This was the second time he was deeply considering his finances. She entertained the thought of Chusei having a gambling addiction. As there was no other explanation for his apparent poverty.

She wasn't very kind. Morally she stood in a grey area. A trait which made her a perfect fit for whatever atrocities she'd do over the years to come. Still Chusei had an air about him that made her feel as though he needed all the help he could get.

He did invite her over to Kobaru's house for a shower. Even if that wasn't really his decision to make in the first place. His kindness was there and it was one she wanted to return.

"I believe I have enough so we can both get something to eat."

"Really!" He smiled dropping the book on the desk, "because I know this place where we can get three bowls of ramen for the price of one."

Whether she wanted to admit it or not. Nagisa was an orphan. She was only two years into the experience, but it was enough to mature her by a decade. Things like cleaning up after herself and money management was something that she was forced to learn. A place where she could have three meals for the price of one would save her plenty.

"I agree to eat at that restaurant," she nodded her agreement as they both stood to leave, "by the way how did you know where I was."

His eyes widened as if caught off guard but schooled his features just as quickly, "Wasn't that hard actually. I just asked myself. If I was a forty-year-old trapped in a genin's body, where would I go?"

"Nakamura-san I am capable of eating three bowls of ramen on my own."

"My apologies Hirai-sama."

XxX

Trial and error.

It was the mindset Kobaru had whenever he approached the use of chakra. So far it hadn't failed to get him the right results. This time however it was proving to be a headache.

By the time the day ended he had fallen into the water over two hundred times. Heck the only good that came out of the practice was that he learned how to swim. He even managed to develop a way to propel himself underwater using chakra. All that and he still couldn't take a full step.

There had to be something missing. A vital link in the process that he overlooked. Whatever it was Nohara-sensei wasn't keen on sharing. The veteran shinobi was quite comfortable withstanding on the sidelines laughing every time Kobaru took a plunge. He was so entertained by the attempts that once the boy learned how to stay afloat. He left a shadow clone in place to spectate on his behalf.

As though the activity was too interesting to miss.

After the clone had his fill of laughter. He grabbed the boy by the collar and did his high-speed travel technique. Which felt just as terrible as it did the first time. Then he dropped the black haired genin at the villages market district of all places. Wet clothes and all. Then disappeared to do whatever jonin did, when they were not terrorizing their subordinates.

His two favorite reserve genin just so happened to be passing by and took immediate interest in their friend who appeared out of thin air. The nine-year-old was now cold and shivering. His collar two sizes bigger than it was when he left his house that morning.

Chusei approached his friend and regarded him from head to toe, then toe to head. Kobaru caught on to the staring and gave an answer before the boy could say anything.

"Water walking is a thing," he smiled then looked down at the small puddle forming under him, "and I haven't figured it out yet."

The older boy responded with a series of nods then jerked a thumb at his companion, "Well Nagisa here is still going ass over head with the climbing. If that makes you feel any better."

"It does," Kobaru graced the only girl in the group with an innocent smile.

"Excuse me. Did you just say water walking?" Nagisa asked her face void of expression.

"Yup and sensei found my attempts to be entertaining," the youngest member of the cell replied combing his wet hair back with his fingers, "but I do suck at it so I can see why."

"Maybe there's a book in the library that could help you with that," Chusei advised through a yawn.

Kobaru narrowed his eyes at the orange headed delinquent. Not because he thought little of him, but the complete opposite. He had been so caught up in his own methods. He forgot that with his headband came level one clearance at Konoha's repository.

If he had recognized the error of his ways sooner. He would probably be doing pirouettes on water by now. He quickly added delegating that study to one of his shadow clones. He'd be the best at water walking by the end of the week. Well, the best in the reserves at least. Which wasn't really saying much.

"You wanna grab a bowl of ramen with us," Chusei said angling his body to leave, "It's on Nagisa by the way."

Of course it is.

"I never for a second thought that it was you," Kobaru smiled trying his best to look innocent. An act that was only amplified by his wet hair and clothes, "I don't think they'll let me in. I look like I came back from a trip to the Land of Water."

"Trust me kid," Chusei marked his face with a dumb grin, "they'd let in anyone with money."

"Then how'd you find out about it?" the nine-year-old asked with a dumb grin to match.

"I'm starting to like you a lot less," the orange haired genin smiled then wrapped an arm around the back of Kobaru's neck. Then dragged him in the direction of the restaurant. Nagisa followed with calm, slow strides, "Now off to ichi... uhm... ichichaku? Ichikochu. Eh can't remember."