Chapter 8 - Chakra isn’t just a Weapon

In the training field, two children stood across from each other as one crossed their arms while the other was stretching. Between them the sun could barely be seen peeking over the horizon as the sound of nocturnal headed to bed.

"Mira, it's so early." the boy yawned.

He was like the definition of listless as looked ahead of himself at the girl. Unlike him she appeared full of energy despite how early it was. So with a cocky smile, she pointed at him in a challenging manner.

"I challenge you to a race. The first one to run three laps around the entire village wins without the use of chakra."

At first Kagami was excited at the sound of a challenge, but hearing it was running three laps around the village. He felt like his friend had a grudge against him and he doesn't know why. Well, besides he beats her at every sparring session and most challenges.

Unlike how it sounds in the actual series or various fanfictions, running a lap around the village without chakra is difficult even for adults. Now she is challenging him for three laps, he estimated it would be mid afternoon by the time they finished. For while they might be slightly strong for their ages, they were only four.

"Can we change it to one lap?" Kagami smiled.

"No, my great grandfather said if one wants to be a respectable kunoichi. One must be able to run three laps around the village without chakra. So I challenge you to a race." Mira rejected.

'So you just don't want to run alone.' Kagami instantly saw through the reason for this challenge.

"Are you afraid you will lose so dare not agree." Mira taunted.

So like any reasonable and responsible person would do, Kagami accepted the challenge.

--

Much like predicted, slowly walking his way across the finish line in the afternoon sun. Kagami's legs felt heavy as his legs burned in soreness and feet ached with each step. Behind him not faring any better, Mira face was flushed red as she seemed hesitant to take another step.

Collapsing below a tree and relief rolling over his tired body. Kagami grinned up at Mira who soon collapsed next to him. His face showed a happy smile before he felt his empty stomach demanding food.

"So hungry." Kagami cried out but was too tired to move.

Pulling out a small scroll, Mira lifted her hand as a couple apples appeared from within. Passing him one, she took the other and took nearly half in one bite. Not lagging behind, the taste of apple rolled over Kagami's taste buds as he felt relieved as he swallowed.

"Do you think we will be in the same class?" Mira asked.

Kagami thought for a moment since the day they were enrolling into the academy was nearing. After a bit of thinking he nodded since due to the war the amount of students at the academy was small. Basically after covering the bare basics and a student having reached the bare minimum to join. Many are graduated early and sent off to the battlefield, mostly as logistic but sometimes thrown into the frontlines.

"I hope this war ends soon." Mira said.

'There is at least four more years, so even if it is the end we will probably be sent to the battlefield.' Kagami thought to himself but agreed with her wish.

"Do you think the world will ever have peace?" Mira asked a question that Kagami couldn't nod or shake his head too.

Kagami thought about it and was half tempted to say yes, but knew the peace Naruto and Sasuke brought was half baked peace. It wasn't that they weren't doing a good job or didn't bring peace to the ninja world. Truthfully, he was happy for them, but he also knew the peace wouldn't last after they died or weakened greatly in their old ages. For their grandchildren's generation, they would respect them, but it won't stop their ambitions. Thus, the wars will start anew.

"There are a few ways to achieve some form of peace. The first is everyone dies, thus no more wars as there would be no one to fight them. Second is to take away free will, but that is living without living at all. Finally, there is strength deterrence, which is similar to the First Hokage situation. To put it crudely, if one has the strength to suppress even the strongest like Hashirama, then peace can come about. For the other villages would be wary of accidentally stepping on the strongman toes."

After Kagami finished speaking, he thought of his previous life when he read a few Naruto fanfictions. He disagreed with the approach of uniting all five villages under one village. It was because it would form a monopoly which would be bad for business.

Since if a greedy person took power and raised the prices for the mission, many would be unable to afford it and thus put most of the shinobi out of business. Leaving the strength of the shinobi dropping considerably and finally causing many to turn rogue in an effort to feed themselves.

Overall, uniting all the villages into one would basically destroy the entire economy and shinobi system.

Kagami would be the first to admit that the Shinobi System wasn't all that great with sunshine and rainbows. For it basically relied on killing each other, but trying to change the rules that had been in place for nearly a thousand years. It took more than one or two strongmen to change the rules everyone followed.

"Then peace is impossible?" Mira asked.

"World peace, yes, personal peace no." Kagami shrugged. "Now enough of this depressing topic. Check out my new jutsu I created."

Forming a small series of hand seals. Kagami took a deep breath and spit out water that took the form of a small bird. It did a few laps around Mira before landing on the tree branch above them.

"Amazing, but it doesn't seem to have that much attacking power." Mira said as she reached for the water bird.

"Mira, remember chakra isn't just a weapon. It can do wonders that neither I nor you can think of." Kagami smiled.