4. Stalking and Curses
Konohagakure no Sato
Year 68
Totsu POV:
I had stalker tendencies…
It had been a month since I'd met Anko Mitarashi— it was less a meeting and more the identification of her love bite. It wasn't a surprise to me, anime and reality were entirely different, and unless a person had perceivable distinction to their character, It was nigh-impossible to identify them based on their 2D rendition.
Anko wasn't her dangerously flirtatious, scantily dressed counterpart…
What a disappointment that
…but a more angry and biting version who was still evidently affected by the snake's betrayal and the caution people seemed to direct her way whenever she was in close proximity.
Her reaction to their behaviour was pure and hurtful…angry at the unearned mistrust but at the same time understanding their view, or at least I hoped she did. I wondered if she ever wished that she could have fled with the snake…probably not. Yet I knew her feelings weren't entirely simple regarding the matter.
But back to my initial admission…I had stalker tendencies. It wasn't a thing that was discouraged within the village— quite the opposite in fact. It helped with stealth capabilities, for both the stalker and stalked.
My way of doing it was subtle, relying on my sensory abilities to keep tabs on people of interest…I was rarely in the same proximity of those I stalked unless coincidence dictated otherwise.
I moved expertly throughout the crowd, my smaller stature and ninja-grace rendering the difficulty of such a task void. Bustle had returned to Konoha, and the people were ever-happy for it.
Many of the stance owners waved to me, recognising. I had been supportive of many businesses, the inheritance and influence from my parents' businesses weren't insignificant. Sponsors, loaning and donations…I had a bit of a reputation, and with the skills and information from my past life, I had been able to introduce some new ideas to this world.
Like you know, new architectural styles, fashions, food, and the likes. Granted I only did so in my spare moment, and in businesses far off from the village, tax was a bitch.
But I digress.
The reason for my interest in Anko wasn't because of her character or my fascination with the person she would become or any such thing. I was interested in her Ten no Juin (Curse Seal of Heaven), more specifically, the section within the Fūin seal that was able to siphon off chakra from the individual and store it within the Juinjutsu seal to be used on when the seal was activated.
Anko's Ten no Juin was the first edition, one without the incorporated function of converting the chakra stored into senjutsu through the altered method of Jūgo's clan's Senninka (Sage Transformation). It only served to condition her body and chakra network to be able to house Orochimaru's soul remnant— though with the lack of use, the conditioning was rather slow.
Honestly, I would have rather it had been the perfected version. My primary want into delving within the forbidden world of Juinjutsu was to find a way to acquire Natural Energy…since I knew that chances of being taught Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode) were slim, much less finding a summons contract that practiced the art.
After all, to this day, they had ever been four senjutsu masters and half of them were deficient, and 75% of them dead.
I was a realist.
Anyway, I had spent the month studying and practicing Fūinjutsu. The discipline wasn't easy, it was like advanced calculus with hints of quantum physics. And honestly, I didn't think I could ever master its entirety like the Nidaime had…especially without the Uzumaki's Shiki Technique.
But it wasn't just the theoretical side of it that was difficult but the requirements needed to execute it…much less in the midst of combat. High reserves, high density or proficiency in chakra moulding, and exemplary chakra control.
Luckily, I was only focused in Juinjutsu, and had a few numbers of examples to help create my very own. Orochimaru's Ten no Juin, The Hyūga's Kago no Tori no Juin (Caged Bird Curse Seal), Danzō's Zekka Konzetsu no In(Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal), and the Nidaime and Yondaime's Hirashin Shiki.
All were everlasting Juinjutsu, all of them were highly detrimental if placed upon a person. This was especially so for the Hirashin Shiki since Minato had enough mastery to place it with just a touch and make it invisible.
I didn't need that much refinement, and had already made a prototype genjutsu based Juinjutsu that focused on mind control. It was easily broken, any one with elementary chakra awareness (academy student) could break free of it and remove it.
But it was a step into the right direction.
I entered into the ramen stand, taking in the alluring smell of delicious food.
Ah, Ichiraku ramen was truly a feast. I had hated ramen in my past life— broke college days would do that to a man— but Teuchi's unique style of cooking the meal rekindled my love for it.
The stance was a bit out of the way, though it never failed to attract customers during lunch hours.
Today there were only two people occupying the seats, an elderly man and a young boy, basically a three year old. Blond hair and bright blue eyes with whisker marks on his cheeks, it was impossible to mistake Naruto, the other occupant the Sandaime, the old man didn't even bother switching out of his haori.
My eyes widened, feigning surprise at the sight of the Hokage. Of course I sensed the duo from a block away, and even though this was my first time meeting Naruto, I could sense, albeit with much focus, his Hakke no Fūin Shiki(Eight Trigram Sealing Jutsu) on his abdomen and the uncanny density of his chakra in just a small vessel.
No wonder this kid had trouble with chakra control, I mean his chakra was as dense as Hiruzen, and the old man was a Kage, a powerful one at that.
The Sandaime looked at me and smiled — a grandfatherly thing — before signalling for me to not make a ruckus. I didn't intend to, but I guessed him being the Hokage and being in public was course for attention.
I sat a bit further from them…and listened in on their conversation while dissecting Naruto's chakra, and how exactly it intertwined with his abnormal physiology.
As was the wont with Asura's spirit inheritors.
"…..njoying yourself, Naruto."
"Dis is gud stuff, Jiji! It's way yummier than da food Neko-chan cooks for me!" Naruto replied happily, wiping his mouth with his arm, not paying much attention to the stains he was transferring to his shirt. The kid was certainly a high spirit!
The Sandaime chuckled in turn, patting him on the head, "And what exactly is it that Neko-chan cooks for you?"
"She cooks those yucky tree things dat those oba-san sell. They don't taste nice, Jiji, but Neko-chan doesn't give me sweets if I don't finish them." The Jinchūriki complaint.
"Well, first off, they are not tree thi—"
I withdrew attention and focused on the seven year old looking at me, waiting to take my order.
"Tonkotsu with roasted pork, please." I handed young Ayame the payment with a small smile. She blushed at the expression, taking the ryo bills and scurrying away.
I tilted my head in confusion, did what I thought just happened really happen? Directing my senses to the girl, I found her chakra churning in what decided was embarrassed delight…
Oh boy!
Despite what most believed, kids didn't really swoon over other kids in the academy…at least not those below 5th years. Ayame…might be an outlier in that regard. Perhaps the countless smooching couples that frequented this place led to her getting the talk early.
Naturally, I wasn't fond of grooming kids…and I actually believed in true love, especially when it was in regard to girls I actually respected. Ayame was one of the few female characters I had liked in Naruto, along with Shizuka, Shizune and Konan.
"Those other kids like to whine, Jiji, and they get tired pretty easily…"
Returning attention back to the duo, Naruto was regaling the Sandaime with his plays in the park…I was sure he thought chasing them was some sort of game because he did say Neko-chan pulled him away when the kids' oba-san— he was referring to their mothers— started to yell at him.
His stories were both saddening and innocent.
Yeah, it was fucked up how isolated and ignorant the kid was…he didn't even know what parents were or even social cues. Granted he was still three but even three year olds knew that crying meant wrong.
The Sandaime should arrange play dates for him with the clan kids, at least they would be able to keep up with his boundless stamina…
"Would you like another bowl, Naruto-kun?"
"Dattebayo!"
Urgh!
…naturally, I knew why that wouldn't be a good idea. Naruto was a Jinchūriki and Jinchūriki were volatile at such a young age. At this moment, Naruto's emotions only range from excited, disappointed, and mild sadness. He never experienced deeper emotions as they would lead to anger.
And no one wanted a mini-kyūbi tearing apart a kid just because he hurt his friend. Plus a Jinchūriki befriended to a clan was a big no-no.
So, yeah…
The villagers didn't hate him— at least most of them didn't— but they ignored him— mainly because any attempt of deeper emotions would be met with interrogation and suspicion— and the Sandaime's decree also meant they couldn't spread or discuss word of his true identity.
It was…a complicated situation, but a common occurrence in regard to Jinchūriki. Sad was how Naruto was denied so much…but such was reality, uncaring and indiscriminate.
"…to be when you grow up?"
"I wanna be like dat one oba-san who gives Neko-chan sweets, so I can eat 'em whenever I want." Naruto exclaimed…and then his eyes widened with an idea, "hey, Jiji, when we finish here I'm gonna take you to her so she can give you sweets too, but you have to give me many of them after."
I almost busted out laughing… This kid, was that supposed to be some kind of manipulation tactic?
"Oh, you don't want to be like Neko-chan?"
Real subtle there, Sandaime-sama. The fact that he even kept up the illusion of choice was honestly admirable and devious. I wished I had that kind of patience and manipulative excellence…
"Nah, all Neko-chan knows how to do is make yucky food and hiding. I know how to hide, and I don't wanna make yucky food."
There wasn't any reaction from the Sandaime, he merely patted Naruto's head and promised him to show him how to not make yucky food. Still, the boy was malleable, and there was time to shape his psyche.
This was already different from the series, but it was fiction meets reality thus some things needed to be changed to match realism.
My only question was how would this Naruto develop.
My food came, and I indulged in it with gusto while subtly deciphering the flow of concealing mechanism within the Hakke no Fūin Shiki in hopes of replicating it somewhat.