Struggles

"And that's when a pack of dogs chased me around the street! The people on that street were really weird and just watched and laughed as if it was funny!" Izumi pouted. "I never went back there after that."

"I could imagine," Kinjo answered with a relaxed smile. "I do like dogs, but a pack of them sounds... terrifying."

Izumi nodded. "My mom won't let me get a dog 'cause she said they're too loud. I'm going to make her change her mind, though!"

"I can't have pets cause my mom thinks my siblings and I are the pets." Kinjo mused, recalling those particular words from the mothers of his past and current lives.

"You're kinda small and cute, so I guess?" Izumi giggled, patting the top of his head. He bristled at her touch, but she ignored it and grinned.

"Wait, I just realized... If you're from the Uchiha Clan, then do you know someone named Itachi?"

"Uhh, yeah? He's super smart and mysterious! I've never seen him, even though he lives in the Compound too."

"I see..."

"What do you think you'll have for dinner? My mom really wants me to eat salad, even though I hate lettuce..."

Their conversation continued to drone on. Though there was a noticeable age gap between the two of them, Kinjo felt oddly at ease, and their conversation flowed naturally, with her mentioning random topics and him responding. Before long, they arrived at Kinjo's family store. As he stepped inside, he waved to Izumi, who enthusiastically waved back before hopping away onto the rooftops.

+++++

Kinjo was sitting in front of his desk, studying the books before him while stroking his chin. The sun was barely setting into the western sky, though he had already finished his dinner just minutes before. Since he was free for the rest of the day, he was reading about basic katas and taijutsu forms that he would learn at the Academy.

"No wonder the bookstore is allowed to sell this," Kinjo muttered.

He had long forgotten most of his Taekwondo katas and forms after he quit as a red belt. Even so, he recognized the book was for complete beginners, fitting for young kids without any shinobi background or training.

"Still better than nothing. I guess I can start with these and try remembering some of the harder katas from Taekwondo…."

As he placed the book aside, his eyes drifted to 'Genin's Guide to Physical Conditioning.' The image of Izumi sprang into his mind, and he recalled his light conversations with her as they walked to his home.

She didn't personally know Itachi.

One of the items on his priority list was discovering which version of the Naruto world he was in. The novels, the manga, and the anime differed slightly, which meant that any information he had could be outright wrong.

This meant that the information from the Itachi novels was accurate and reliable.

Or so he thought. Then he considered the events outside of the Itachi novels. Would they be consistent with the manga? The anime? Perhaps this world was a mishmash of every Naruto piece out there.

"The anime was the best, so I hope it's the anime Naruto world," Kinjo mumbled.

He decided to put this new piece of information into the back of his mind. If he contemplated this issue any deeper, it would only demoralize him. Additionally, most plot points would remain the same; he just needed to focus on those.

Instead of continuing to read, Kinjo decided to sit on his futon and focus on training his chakra. He tilted his head and placed a single leaf on his forehead.

The notes that Hayase had written for him were clear and concise. While Kinjo knew about the Leaf Concentration Practice, Hayase's notes outlined specific instructions on maximizing his training. The first step of the exercise was to focus on the leaf and keep it attached to his forehead with only his chakra. Since Kinjo had only unlocked his chakra several hours before, Hayase recommended he tilt his head slightly to ease into the exercise. He also warned the young boy to take it slow since it was challenging to control chakra in the initial stages of his training.

Kinjo's newly unlocked energy circulated within his body, and he willed his chakra to his forehead. The flowing chakra was a torrent of warm water circulating through his body, providing warmth and vitality. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his head as his chakra wildly fluctuated, with only a tiny portion listening to his command. His eyes rolled towards his forehead, focusing on the leaf as he tuned out everything around him.

This exercise wasn't only used to improve chakra control but also to enhance a student's ability to concentrate - a method to better a person's mental focus.

As the minutes ticked by, Kinjo felt a little more chakra gathering around his forehead and slightly straightened his neck.

Instead of sticking to his forehead, the leaf slowly fell onto the floor.

"I feel like I just ran a marathon." Kinjo panted as he wiped the sweat from his face. He fell back onto his futon as the strain from the exercise echoed in his body. "I barely managed to control it for ten minutes, and I'm already this exhausted."

He had silently hoped that he had excellent chakra control, or at least larger than average reserves. It seemed like he was out of luck for the former. As for the latter, he had no one to compare his chakra reserves to. He suspected that his chakra reserves were a bit above average from what he felt, but he wasn't sure.

Hayase had pointed out one crucial fact contrary to his prior knowledge: larger chakra reserves did not equate to worse control. There was little correlation between the two. Some were better at controlling their chakra than others. Some were also born with more significant reserves than others. Genetics did influence both, but Kinjo's parents were civilians, not shinobi.

So until he had someone to compare his chakra with, he could not determine if his reserves were bigger than average or if he was just overreacting due to unlocking his chakra recently.

"One more time. I can do this."

Once again, he willed his chakra to his forehead. His insides protested his decision by aching and growling, but Kinjo maintained his composure and focused on the leaf. He lost track of time, but he finally felt a trickle of more chakra responding to his demands. In response, he straightened his neck again to see if the leaf would stick this time.

He never heard his body collapsing onto his futon as darkness overtook him.

+++++

Kinjo stirred as something tickled his nose, making him sneeze loudly. He immediately bolted up from his futon and rubbed his eyes while looking around to see what awoke him. He sighted a leaf on his pants and flicked it off to the side. The room was dim, with only the waning crescent moon providing light for his eyes.

His body was aching, but he was awake. He closed his eyes to remember what had happened before he collapsed and sighed. "Chakra exhaustion? I used chakra for maybe half an hour.'

Then again, his body was still adjusting to the feeling and usage of chakra. Combined with his attempts to pour every bit of chakra into the exercise, he drained himself significantly faster than expected.

It was an oversight on his part; he had failed to consider that abysmal control meant he wasted more chakra when using chakra techniques or jutsu.

"I'm definitely not a prodigy then. Itachi was already shooting fireballs at this age, wasn't he?"

The path of a shinobi was long and strenuous; he already understood that much. Thankfully, he still had some time to hone his abilities, but the sense of urgency was still present.

He stumbled out of his room and into the dining room. The clock on the kitchen counter displayed "3:30 AM." It would be two hours before even his father would awake. At least a few hours before his mother left for work.

"No time like the present." Kinjo ignored the soreness and stretched. He trudged back to his room and grabbed the book on physical conditioning, rifling through the yellowed pages. "Volume builds muscle, whereas heavy loads maximize strength. Improving strength boosts recovery of stamina and chakra, increases speed and power, and pushes the upper limits of the body beyond."

"For beginners, it is important to build endurance and the core above all else. Expanding stamina will allow one to train and fight for longer periods, a crucial trait needed to rapidly improve one's growth. Strengthening the core improves balance and stability, a foundation to build upon. As such, this training regimen is highly recommended for those taking their first tentative steps in becoming a shinobi."

The training regimen was uncomplicated yet grueling. Core exercises such as planks and glute bridges, and a light jog on Mondays. Long-distance endurance runs on Tuesdays. Wednesdays' routine was the same as Mondays', while Thursdays were the only rest days. Fridays consisted of interval runs, while Saturdays were also endurance runs. Sundays were a mix of some core exercises and interval runs.

The number of reps for the core exercises was listed. However, the regimen merely suggested "until completely fatigued" for running.

"I guess that's the point. It's telling me to push my limits and all," Kinjo commented.

He marked the page with the regimen and closed the book. After he changed into his usual clothing and a red hoodie, he wrote a note informing his parents that he was out for a run and left it on the dining table.

Kinjo ran out of his house and into the empty streets of Konoha. The silence was almost eerie, as he only witnessed his neighborhood being packed with people. Even so, he continued to jog, enjoying the fresh morning air and the clear view of the sky.

His destination: the Academy.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Or, in my case, a really tiny step."

+++++

Three weeks.

It took three weeks for Kinjo to reach the Academy during his morning runs. His family's store and the school were on opposite ends of the village, a distance he greatly underestimated during his first run. And due to his abysmal chakra control, he could not utilize his chakra to supplement his running. Instead, he ran normally for the first two weeks, and his small physique struggled to reach anywhere near the Academy.

After the second week, he finally achieved a breakthrough in his training. It was the cumulation of practicing the Leaf Concentration Practice several times a day, as Kinjo teetered on the edge of chakra exhaustion each time to improve his control.

He could finally keep the leaf stuck on his forehead, though it still fell off if he straightened his neck completely.

However, he thought it was impressive since his chakra control had been nearly nonexistent just several weeks prior. And this milestone allowed him to incorporate another method into his training.

Mixing chakra with his physical training.

The physical conditioning book briefly outlined how a shinobi utilized chakra for endurance training. It was said that the ability would come 'naturally' if the person had a grasp of chakra control. Like the Leaf Concentration Practice, he needed to will his chakra to his lower half and use it to enhance his speed. Thankfully, this was much easier to achieve than the chakra control exercise as he only required a minimal amount of chakra for the process. Additionally, he only needed to direct his chakra to a general location in his body, compared to a single focal point.

Even so, he could only run in short bursts while using chakra. While his control had improved significantly in his few short weeks of training, he still wasted far too much chakra for even the simplest of techniques. He sought to avoid suffering from chakra exhaustion while running; hence he placed limitations on using chakra outside of his home. Still, it was enough for him to increase the distance he covered during his runs, especially his interval runs.

Now, he was running back home after catching a brief glimpse of his goal. His pace was noticeably quicker, yet he was panting heavily as he weaved through the streets. Due to the use of chakra, he could run faster than his old adult self in the other world.

Kinjo decided to stop and take a quick break as his insides throbbed. It was an internal warning that he had used a considerable amount of chakra.

"The free dorms near the Academy for students sounds nice." Kinjo took a long swig from the water bottle hanging from his neck and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. "But running to the Academy daily will help me improve my stamina. A ten-kilometer jog just to get to school…."

As the pain faded to the background, Kinjo slowly jogged back towards his house at a measured pace. His day's regimen consisted of interval runs, which was why he saved up the remainder of his chakra for the final kilometer to his house.

The sun was barely rising in the east as he spotted the one-kilometer marker from his house: a small furniture store painted blue.

"I wish I had music to listen to while running," Kinjo remarked as he willed a familiar, warm feeling to wash over his lower body. He concentrated on the road ahead as the buildings around him blurred away as he raced down the street with familiar ease.

He only realized he had arrived back at his house when he saw someone loitering at the entrance of his family's store. The girl turned towards the sound of footsteps and waved excitedly when she saw who was running. "Kinjo!"

"Izumi," Kinjo answered with a smile. "I haven't seen you in a while."

While the Uchiha had promised to visit soon, he hadn't heard from her since the day he met her at the bookstore. He had assumed that she had forgotten about him and the promise and continued his preparations for the Academy.

"Sorry!" Izumi clapped her hand together and bowed. "I was going to visit you a few weeks ago, but the elders kept me busy until yesterday."

"What did the elders make you do?"

The girl frowned. "They made me train my Sharingan continuously."

"Do you have to train the Sharingan?" He asked innocently, well-aware of the answer to his own question.

"Of course! It's like any jutsu or technique. You have to practice with it to get better. I always faint if I use my Sharingan, so the elders were trying to teach me not to faint while using it. And training me on other cool jutsu stuff."

"So you can use the Sharingan without any problems now?"

"Nope!" Izumi grinned. "I still faint if I use it, and I couldn't do any of the jutsu they taught me properly. The elders got sick of me and called me a failure, so now I'm free again."

Kinjo's jaw dropped. "Isn't that a bad thing?

"Not really. This is like the third time the elders tried to train me, and I failed each time. I think they want me to be another Itachi."

"Huh. Do you think you're better than Itachi at anything?"

"Taijutsu," Izumi replied instantly. "I can beat all the other Uchiha boys my age, though I've never fought Itachi before. He usually plays by himself."

"Then can you train me in taijutsu?"

"Sure! It shouldn't be too hard. Were you running for training?"

Kinjo nodded. "I've been training since the day at the bookstore."

"Wanna race?" Izumi asked as she tightened her sandals, her eyes glistening at the idea.

"Not right now. I'm a bit tired from running all morning." Kinjo yawned.

"Ok, then I'm going to explore your store!"

"Now, wait a minute…."

Izumi rushed into the store before Kinjo could continue. When he followed her inside, she was already chatting with his father.

"Hello, Takashi-san. I'm Uchiha Izumi. Nice to meet you!"

Her cheerful demeanor was infectious, and Kinjo's father smiled in response. "Hello, Izumi. I'm Makoto, Kinjo's father. I'm guessing you're his friend?"

"She is," Kinjo answered in her stead. "I met her at the bookstore a few weeks ago."

"Ah, my son is all growing up. I thought I wouldn't be surprised by your maturity anymore, but look at you! You've got a girlfriend already." Makoto gently elbowed Kinjo's ribs with a knowing smirk. "Make sure to treat her well."

Kinjo pushed his hands into his face as Izumi blushed. "She's just a friend. She wanted to see our store ever since we met."

"Feel free to make yourself at home then. We still have an hour until we open up shop. So until then, the whole store is yours," The man announced, a smirk still plastered on his face. "Since you're Kinjo's friend, I'll give you a discount on anything you want."

Izumi nodded excitedly and rushed to the front of the store. There, she picked up a peculiar-looking turquoise gemstone from a basket and awed at it. "This looks like the Uchiha symbol!"

"It does?" Kinjo asked. He analyzed the stone, which was round with a small tail sticking out. "It looks more like a tadpole."

"Maybe if I painted it the right colors…."

"That would ruin the gemstone."

"I know… I guess it already looks pretty as it is. Maybe I'll get this one and wear it as a necklace."

"The necklace and bracelet strings are on the shelf next to the basket," Kinjo's father called out from under the counter.

A few minutes later, Izumi was sporting a turquoise gemstone necklace with a bright grin. "If this is your store, then where is your house?"

"My family lives upstairs," Kinjo replied, waving towards the ceiling.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"A brother and a sister."

"Can I go meet them?"

Kinjo looked to his father for help, but Makoto nodded toward Izumi. "Sure."

The two went upstairs and greeted the rest of the Takashi family. Kinjo's mother looked surprised but pleased at Izumi's presence. Meanwhile, Mika bounced off the walls and scurried up to Izumi. "Can we play together?"

"Aww, she's adorable." Izumi cooed as she embraced Mika. "I've always wanted a sister."

"Izumi and I need to do something for a second, Mika." Kinjo nudged Izumi towards his room. "After that, you can play with her, ok? Make sure to be a good girl for mom."

"Ok! I'll be the best girl for mom!" Mika declared while jumping into the air.

Kinjo patted her head and ushered Izumi to his room. She tilted her head as he rolled up his futon and placed it by his desk. "Why am I in your room again?"

"Can you watch my kata and give me your opinion on it?"

"You mean the basic ones from the book? They're easy. You've probably mastered it already."

"No, I came up with a few of my own," Kinjo lied.

Izumi's eyes widened, and she eagerly nodded.

He went into his old Taekwondo stance, motioning his hands as if he was directing all his chakra into his core. He then proceeded to the first moves of the seventh Taeguk form with grace.

A knife-hand strike to his right, followed by a straight front kick.

A block with his left forearm, then a turn to carry out the first two moves from his left side.

Another block, this time with his right forearm. He then turned to the center and struck below the belt twice.

These moves were followed by a flurry of punches, kicks, elbow strikes, high knees, and blocks. The kata lasted just over a minute.

"Wow, you came up with that on your own?" Izumi asked while clapping lightly. "It seems a bit slower and more flashy than the forms I was taught, but it looks good. Let's spar and see if you can use that in a fight!"

"Woah, not in here. And I have to go help my dad with the store after I eat breakfast."

Izumi pouted. "Fine. Whenever we get the chance, we'll spar. There's a park near your house, so we can practice there."

The two left his room and joined Kinjo's mother and siblings in the dining room. Mika ran around excitedly and skipped to Izumi, "Big sis, let's play!"

"Sure! What do you want to play?" The older girl answered brightly, patting the younger girl's head.

"Let's play minko!"

"Here." Kinjo handed Izumi his deck with a knowing smile. "I knew she would ask to play that with you; it's the only game she plays these days."

While the two girls played a loud game of minko, Kinjo sat on one of the dining chairs and watched over his brother, who was gurgling happily. His mother was cooking in the kitchen, preparing some extra food for the guest.

Ten minutes later, they were all sitting around the dining table and eating a light breakfast of rice, miso soup, eggs, tofu, and pickled daikons.

"It's nice to have you over, dear," Kinjo's mother remarked as she handed the girl a bowl of miso soup. "How did you meet Kin?"

Izumi accepted her bowl and ate a spoonful of rice. "We met at the New Tree bookstore."

"My, my. Kin and I went there once when I needed some books on sewing. What were you there for?"

"I was getting the Academy handbook. Kinjo was also getting one, and I bumped into him by accident. We became friends after."

"The Academy?" Kinjo's mother's eyebrows rose. "What academy?"

Kinjo interjected. "Oh, the…"

"The shinobi one!" Izumi replied cheerfully, making Kinjo groan.

"Kin? What does she mean by you attending the shinobi academy?"

The boy in question began to sweat as something stirred in the air around his mother. "I… I meant to tell you when I was ready."

"You want to attend an academy dedicated to killing? A war is going on right now, and you want to become a shinobi?" The matriarch's voice became louder and louder with each word. "I will not let my sweet, little boy become a killing machine and risk his life every day. No one in our family has ever been a shinobi, and there won't be any in the future! Seriously Kin! Did you think that I would allow you to become a shinobi? Do you think I will sleep well knowing you could be dying somewhere? What about taking over your father's store? You enjoy working there, don't you?"

He winced as his mother's words dampened his mood. Izumi looked at the two with furrowed brows. "Wait, you didn't tell your mom about joining the Academy?"

"I was going to tell her after I trained and improved a little more…."

Unfortunately, he forgot to warn Izumi before the conversation took that turn.

"Is that why you're running in the morning now?" Kinjo's mother fumed as she slammed her spoon onto the table. "Kin, you are grounded. Grounded! I can't believe I am having this conversation with one of my children right now."

She turned to Izumi, who flinched from the woman's glare. "Were you the one that corrupted my son? He never showed any sign of wanting to become a shinobi until he went to that bookstore!"

"Mom." Kinjo stood up and placed his left arm in front of Izumi protectively. "She has nothing to do with this. This is between you and me."

"It's not just me, young man." She dropped the affectionate nickname she used for Kinjo and tightened her fists. "It's also your father."

Suddenly the door to the dining room opened, and Kinjo's father sauntered into the room with a quizzical smile. "I heard shouting from the store and came up to see what was happening. What's this about?"

Kinjo's heart dropped as he slowly turned to look at his father. He straightened his posture and looked the man straight in the eye before dropping the bombshell. "I want to go to the shinobi academy."