Chapter 3

Ichiraku's had become Tsuyu's and I's favourite spot, And Hiruzen would take us our for lunch every so often when he wasn't too busy, and on our birthday.

The Ramen was divine. I now knew why it was the only place Naruto ate at, apart from the fact that not many people would serve me and Tsuyu. I hoped to one day be able to make stuff that tastes as good myself. But as an armature at cooking, I knew it would be a long while away.

But until I could, I would have to be content with just Eating at Ichiraku's, Which I had no complaints about.

As we arrived at the Ramen Stand, Hiruzen plopped the two bags on the counter and started to unpack the presents that he had gotten for us, And most likely A few from Jiraiya.

Tsuyu had gotten A new Kimono, a Picture book on animals, and lastly, a few wooden Ninja Dolls. I could say with absolute positivity, that she loved them. The smile she had painted on her face, it was as bright as the sun, and the Warm feeling of her Chakra, that I could feel if I concentrated enough, Was blazing with joy, almost like how our Mothers did.

As Tsuyu ordered her Ramen from Teuchi, which was always free on our birthday, hiruzen moved on to my presents.

A few things to note, before that however.

I had already asked Hiruzen about training and having a Teacher for things like Taijutsu, Chakra control and possible even Fuinjutsu, a few days prior. At the time he had said to wait till I was older, But after pestering him enough, and tagging in Tsuyu to help with the request, He agreed to do look into it, and that for our birthday, he would supply us with some theory books.

Tsuyu, while a headstrong and stubborn girl that was adamant and content with just having a regular childhood, Understood why I thought training was important.

I had Talked to her about it, and it proved easier than I thought as, in a remarkable show of maturity and drive, she agreed that it was important to learn as fast as possible, she had evidently started developing a 'Naruto-esqe' outlook on strength and being a ninja, something I wanted to correct, but I decided to leave it for now.

And so as Hiruzen pulled out three large scrolls from my Bag, I knew exactly what they were.

"Naruto, These are scrolls on some fundamental theories I am entrusting to Tsuyu and you. Two of these come straight from my private library, And I am trusting that you will treat them with care" As he said that, he passed one to me and I read what it was Labelled as.

[Fuinjutsu Theory - A guide to Seals and the Sealing Arts]

"I'm still trying to find you a teacher, But I was sure that you'd be able to start with these. They are a Guide to Seals, Chakra Control, and the standard Academy Taijutsu style. But I want to make Something very clear. Under no circumstances, Are you to be using anything you learn without supervision. I will allow you to practice the knowledge in the scroll, but to use them without supervision, is forbidden. Am I clear?" He asked.

Tsuyu and I nodded and We packed away the presents and started to order Ramen, Tsuyu ordering her second bowl.

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They day had passed quickly, After some sightseeing, Chatting with Hiruzen about how we had been as of late, and how his work had been, He dropped us back at the orphanage and left to continue his duties.

Tsuyu and I went straight to our room, Tsuyu wanting to look through her book and play with her Ninja dolls.

Me on the other hand, I went straight to the Scrolls and started to read them.

As much as I was tempted to read the Fuinjutsu scroll first, I knew that my number one priority should be to learn the basics of Chakra control and practice them like there was no tomorrow.

Because at some point in the future, there wouldn't be a Tomorrow if I wasn't good enough to pull off a simple Jutsu without it fizzling out and failing in the middle of battle.

And so I set myself out to memories the entire scroll, and after a few hours of reading and rereading, Tsuyu join in and we started to go over things together.

//Warning!! Info Dump Ahead//

//Ignore if you are familiar with Chakra//

Chakra is essential to even the most basic jutsu. Through various methods, the most common of which is hand seals, chakra can be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire, or creating illusions. Chakra is ordinarily not visible to the unaided eye unless it is highly concentrated or manifested in large amounts. This is rarely seen due to the restrictions of eight specific tenketsu known as the Eight Gates, which limit the amount of chakra an individual can release at a single given time.

Since being spread by the Sage of Six Paths, chakra has become a form of life energy that all individuals produce to some degree; those who run out of chakra will die. Produced within and manipulated by organs such as the heart, the energy circulates throughout the body in a network called the "Chakra Pathway System", which is similar to the cardiovascular system. Groups such as shinobi have learned to generate more chakra and release it outside their bodies through pressure points called tenketsu in order to perform jutsu.

Chakra is created when two more primal energies, known collectively as one's "stamina", are moulded together. Physical energy is collected from each of the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise. Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience. These two energies becoming more powerful will in turn make the created chakra more powerful. Therefore, practising a technique repeatedly will build up experience, increasing one's spiritual energy, and thus allowing more chakra to be created. As a result, the ninja is able to do that same technique with more power. This same cycle applies for physical energy, except the ninja needs to increase their endurance instead.

At any given time, a ninja will have a "maximum" amount of chakra that they can form and use before it runs out and they need to rest to replenish it. With practice this maximum can be increased, but to a certain extent as they are limited to the quantity and strength of chakra that their genetics grants them. For instance, in the Anime Kakashi has average chakra reserves, but no amount of training can grant him the same amount of chakra as Naruto, whom he stated had more chakra than himself. If a body is given far more chakra than it is able to handle, then the body would potentially be killed by the overwhelming chakra

Each person's chakra is different and as such gives off a unique chakra signature, which sensor type ninja are able to detect. Chakra signatures are passed genetically, allowing a person's clan to be identified by their chakra; over time, entire populations can have perceptibly different chakra. One's chakra signature can be altered by absorbing DNA from multiple people, mixing various chakra signatures together to become a whole new one. In the anime, chakra signatures that are similar to each other (such as those of siblings, or a parent and child) are suggested to resonate when near each other.Each person's chakra also has a unique "colour" that can be seen by those with dōjutsu, although the anime tended to colour all normal chakra light blue).

While practically all types of jutsu require chakra to be performed, taijutsu does not; stamina is all that is needed. While the ninja still needs a set amount of chakra to live, regular taijutsu doesn't require any active moulding or manipulation of chakra, with few exceptions. A standard attack like a punch or kick falls into this technique category

Because chakra takes time and a great deal of training to gradually build up, the key to its use is not actually having large amounts of chakra but instead being able to sufficiently control and conserve it.In order to have good chakra control, a ninja should only mould as much chakra as they need to perform a given ability. If they mould more chakra than is needed, the excess chakra is wasted and they will tire out faster from its loss. If they don't mould enough chakra, a technique will not be performed effectively, if at all, likely creating problems in a combat situation. Because chakra consists in part of spiritual energy, the user is more easily able to mould the correct amount of chakra by remaining calm and focused.

General training methods for improving one's moulding and manipulation of chakra are the Leaf Concentration, Tree Climbing, and Water Surface Walking exercises. A good way to build up chakra in the body is to spin it into a tight spiral; Whether to spin the chakra left or right is dependent on the way the user's hair grows. Hand seals are often used to manipulate chakra more easily, allowing shinobi to execute their techniques faster and more effectively. Shinobi who are extremely skilled at chakra control often specialise in genjutsu or become medical-nin.

A more casual use is using chakra control to sober one's self after consuming alcohol.

Chakra can also be used for general performance enhancement. By moulding the chakra into key points of the body, usually the hands or feet, it will greatly augment their physical prowess. Certain shinobi are able rely on this skill to gain a speed boost, acquire a sixth sense, and even perform superhuman strikes. As shown in the anime, it is shown that moulding one's chakra can also improve mental prowess, able to process information more efficiently.

//Info Dump Over//

Tsuyu rubbed her head, she seemed to have had enough of reading, "Naruto, my head hurts. Are we done yet?" she asked.

Looked up from the scroll and at a clock on the wall, I realised that it was nearly dinner, and that we had been reading all afternoon.

I nodded with a smile, "Yeah, we've been reading for a while now, and it seems that that last part was the end. Let's go down stairs, it's nearly dinner time anyway" and so we went down stairs and hanged around until dinner.

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After dinner, Tsuyu and I went straight up stairs and started getting ready for bed, as there wasn't anybody to actually talk to due to all the kids avoiding us.

As I laied there, Tsuyu on one side of the bed hogging all the blanket, my mind started to wonder, and I began to think about what was to come.

'Tsuyu being here will change the course of history. If it was just me, I could coast by easier just by avoiding and interacting on some key moment. But now I have a sister, one that I want to protect and prepare for the future. And then there is the issues of Kurama, the 'darker' side of the fox being sealed in one of us will certainly make things harder for that twin, but as long as a Accord could be reached and we can pester him with kindness like the Naruto in the anime did, things should work out' I thought with a wry smile on my face.

Looking for at the sleeping face of my sister, I decided that today had been a good day, and went to bed.

[Hiruzen POV]

I put away my Crystal Viewing ball for the second time since I got back to my Office, and was now deep in thought.

'It shouldn't have gone this way Minato... It should be you in this chair, looking after yours and Kushina's child... There is only so much I can do for them. The Council would push back on anything I try, and I'm afraid of what might come if word gets out about their heritage' As I thought this, I took out a picture from my desks draw.

A framed picture of a young blond haired man, Minato, and a young red haired woman with a bright smile, Kushina.

'He is so much like you Minato, wanting to learn something as hard as Fuinjutsu before he even gets into the Academy. And Kushina... My dear, she has your smile' I could feel the weight of guilt and Sadness becoming more heavy in my heart.

I placed the picture back in the draw, and looked down at a encrypted letter from Jiraiya.

It had been deliver while I was out with the children.

I opened it, reading it's contents carefully, making sure the words were translated with the code we had established for these letters.

'The Mist is usually Quiet, and the Sand is being as Noisy as ever, and the rest of the villages are being careful in their movements. But nothing new seems to has come up... *sigh* I'm getting too old for this' I thought 'He wants to be here to look after the children, that much is clear from his asking questions about them in every letter... Should I just give in?' I thought.

'If I say yes, It will connect a lot of the dots that people have been ignoring, it would expose their heritage as Minato's children and draw attention to them' I picked up my pipe and took a deep puff.

'If I say no, It will only make him more determined to be here. But it would keep things hidden, giving them a chance to have a normal childhood, no assassins from Iwa would come stalking in the night to take their revenge for Minato's actions during the War'

I opened a draw on my desk and pulled out the false bottom.

Grabbing the scroll that was hidden there, I sealed the letter in a Storage Scroll along with the rest of the letters.

'This problem can be for later' I thought to myself, as I stood up and left the office, heading towards the Hokage residence to get some rest.