Chapter: 7

Running (Active) – Lvl 16

When used increases the speed of the user while running by 100%.

Consumption 6 Energy Points per second.]

I grinned like a madman as I got inside my apartment. Finally, I had reached another milestone with Running. The cost had gone down another little bit. To most people, it would be just another almost unnoticeable change. To me though, it meant a lot. Why? Simple. With this little boost, the two levels I had achieved in Dexterity and the level I got in Constitution, another goal would be met. It was time to dethrone the speed demons.

The last two weeks had been a lot different from the time before. With me having stopping my extra training in Taijutsu and Physical Conditioning outside of classes, I had a lot more free-time. Free-time that was spent in Shurikenjutsu and Running specifically. Although, being honest, I didn't quite use as much time in those really. I did increase that training, but I had been focused on Meditation too. Considering that I spent a crazy amount of Energy Points with Running every day, both in class and out of it, I had spent a long time just recovering and that meant Meditation.

That much time to myself had opened my mind to some things, mainly my chakra training or rather lack thereof. I still stood by my choice to focus on things that were actually being put to test. But I realized something that had escaped my mind. The first step of chakra control was the Leaf Concentration exercise. Which was simply sticking a leaf to your forehead. Which in turn was something that I could pretty easily do while meditating. I really really wanted to punch myself when I realized that.

However, there was no point in crying over spilt milk. I could still take advantage of that. I just had to convince Iruka to teach me the exercise and I could start. I would still be over half a year ahead of the class if I could manage that. Which would still be pretty awesome.

Finishing a little snack to recover some stamina after training, I sat down and started meditating. I was pretty sure I was approaching another checkpoint in that skill too. I wasn't sure what it was but I could feel it. My mind seemed to try to reach something every time I used the skill these days and I couldn't wait to find out what I was. A little part of me wished it was Natural Energy, and go all Sage before even being out of the Academy.

In the meantime, though, I just enjoyed the feeling of my chakra coursing through my body. Even after all that time had passed, I had never got over the excitement of it. The raw energy traveling through my pathways to every single part of my body was exhilarating. It was the best, plain and simple. All that vanished when I opened my eyes and the blood froze inside my veins.

I wasn't looking at my apartment's room anymore. Instead I was surrounded by white walls, a white ceiling and an extra white tiled floor. The bed I was sitting on was almost equally white, with just a light grey sheet to offer a change of color. My breath got caught on my throat as I felt a pressure on my chest, like an oppressing cold hand wrapping itself around my lungs and heart.

It was a hospital room.

My hospital room.

Screens had popped up, but my mind didn't register them. The sight in front of me was everything I could see. As my panic grew, I desperately stood up and ran towards the only way out of the room, a door. Opening it only served to fuel my dread as I looked outside.

The Void.

My breath quickened and I felt cold sweat slowly cover my body. My hands started shaking and my legs felt like they would give at any moment. It couldn't be happening. I had escaped that room. I had gotten out of the Void.

I couldn't be back.

Desperately, my eyes turned towards the scroll-like screen. Surprise colored my expression as I read the messages. A deep breath did wonders to calm down my emotions, although it didn't help my body stop shaking from the shock.

[Meditation has gone up a level.]

[You have unlocked your Mindscape.]

'This is my Mindscape?' I thought with no small amount of disgust. 'No, this just won't do.' Looking back to the screen, I considered it. With some mental commands I tried to see if there was a skill or perk about it, but there was nothing. Taking a deep breath in, even though I was on my mindscape and shouldn't need to breath at all, I looked around willing the space to change.

Slowly, the room changed into my apartment's kitchen/dinning room, a small hall attached to it with a door to a bathroom and my room. Looking out through the window, I saw the Void still there. This time with a calmer mind, I was able to see small almost invisible bubbles spread over the empty space. Willing one to come closer I saw images flashing inside.

Memories.

I needed to protect my mind, I realized. A Yamanaka would have a field day with my literally empty mind. There was absolutely nothing to stop them from seeing everything. I couldn't let that happen. Unnecessarily cracking my neck, I set myself to work.

Soon, taking advantage of all the maps I had drawn, which I could easily summon inside my mindscape, I had an altered version of Konoha as my mindscape. There were a lot of places I hadn't explored yet, but it would do. Kami bless the Cartography skill. It wasn't like this for nothing:

[Cartography – Lvl 9

Improves the quality of maps drawn by 45%.]

With the base of it all set, I started placing my memories in 'secure places'. What I did was place them inside places with meaning and behind a password. Like inside Naruto's apartment with the password 'Wanna go to Ichiraku's you knuckleheaded stamina freak?' or Shikamaru's house with the password 'Wanna play Shogi you lazy cloud watcher?' and so on. I don't know how well it would work but I willed it to be so that if someone tried to access my memories without the right passwords they would be sent right to the Void, which I had placed below the ground. If it actually worked then anyone stupid enough to try to get something out of my mind would get trapped inside that hell until they gave up.

I did everything as quick as I could. I didn't want to go to bed too late. I would probably come back the next day to work on details and maybe change passwords and some places. I had to get something especially secure for my 'past' memories after all. For now, it would do.

Willing myself out of the mindscape, I was welcomed by another screen.

[New Perk Acquired: Inner Strength]

[Inner Strength

Increased resistance to outside control of the mind and the body. (not applied to Genjutsu)]

'Useful, really useful.' I thought while grinning. I could think off the top of my head of two techniques that this would be almost a necessity against. The Yamanaka and the Nara techniques. Not bad for a first perk to have. Not bad at all.

Looking at the clock, I cursed. Better go to bed, I had plans for tomorrow.

[}-o-{]

"Start." Iruka-sensei called out and I instantly activated Running as usual. Right after that, I heard Kiba cursing under his breath. Poor guy never got over his loss. It only added to my amusement, to be honest.

After a few laps, I heard Naruto shouting at me as I passed right next to Sasuke and him. It was the first time I had gotten a whole lap past them. That sweet sweet decrease in the cost of Running kept me going for a long time. A minute or so if my math was right. That was a long time to have double my normal speed. Just long enough to get a lap on the speed and stamina demons.

And also, just enough to finally end in first place before they could caught up.

[Quest Complete: Finish the running exercise in first place

Reward:

+ 4 Running Level

+ 1 Dexterity Level]

[Skill Maxed: Running]

[New Skill Acquired: Free Running]

'Sweet.' I said grinning madly at the screens. With that reward and my focused training Dexterity was already catching up with my strength. That was great news. But one could never have too much speed. I really really wanted to make Lee look slow in comparison to me. No offence to Chouji, but I had realized that speed was a lot better than strength in my spar with Sasuke.

"That has to be a Jutsu." Naruto said for the hundredth time, the only difference from all the other times was that he was pouting now. I only chuckled at him as we made our way towards the Physical Training area.

"You wish, that way you would have a chance at learning it. It's all skill, my dumb friend." I said patting him in the shoulder. It wasn't even a lie, I thought amused.

"You are so unfair." He whined. 'You are one to talk, you are almost a literal chakra beast.' I thought to myself. We would get to that part eventually.

"Just give up, Naruto. It's too troublesome to try and get him to talk about his trick. You'll never get it out of him." Shikamaru said shaking his head at us.

"See, he knows me. I'm disappointed in you, I thought you knew me better than that, Naruto." He just kept pouting.

"Does that mean we get to celebrate your first place with food again?" Chouji asked with a hopeful glint in his eyes. Shikamaru and I shared a look before I smirked at the Akimichi and shook my head.

"Of course. You know what. If I get my perfect score in the Shurikenjutsu practice today, I'll prepare a feast for all of us. Shino included." I added the final part turning towards the Aburame.

"I shall make myself available then." The bug lover said pushing his sunglasses up.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy." I said grinning at him.

"Betting against you in that would be stupid. You've been awfully close since a week ago." Shikamaru pointed out with a bored look. "Everyone knows you'll achieve it any day now."

"Oh, I feel the love, guys." I said wiping a non-existent tear from my eye.

[}-o-{]

"Your turn, Eiji." Iruka said as I took my place in the shooting range. Meanwhile, I just glared at a screen in front of me.

[Shurikenjutsu

Shuriken Throwing – Lvl 10

Increases accuracy against a stationary target with a shuriken by 100%.

Kunai Throwing – Lvl 9

Increases accuracy against a stationary target with a kunai by 90%.

Senbon Throwing – Lvl 1

Increases accuracy against a stationary target with a senbon by 10%.]

Just a level shy of perfection. Today was the day I would achieve it. I knew it. I would do it. A now familiar nervousness crept through my body. The shurikens left my hand as fast as I could draw them from the pouch we used during the exercise. We weren't allowed to have our own weapons until graduation after all. All the metal stars buried themselves right in the tiny yellow point in the center of every target. Some students called them perfect perfect hits. The center of the center.

I took a deep breath in as I prepared myself for the Kunai part. This would take much more effort if I wanted to overcome that level I still lacked to pull of the feat. Concentrating as much as I could I started shooting slowly this time. With every perfect hit I grew more nervous instead of the other way around, until I reached the last one. Flexing my fingers in an attempt to shake off the nervousness, I took one more Kunai and readied myself.

I took a shaky breath in as I saw the knife-like weapon fly off my hand and stared as it made its way towards the target in what seemed like slow motion. It hit. It hit right in the center. The center of the center.

"Yes!" I cheered to myself before I heard Naruto echo me. With a face-splitting grin plastered on my face, I let myself be shaken by the excited blond as I read over the new screens.

[Kunai Throwing has gone up a level.]

[Quest Complete: Achieve a perfect score in the Shurikenjutsu exercise

Reward:

+ 2 Levels to all Shurikenjutsu Skills.]

I brought up the skill tree without missing a beat.

[Shurikenjutsu

Shuriken Throwing – Lvl 12

Increases accuracy against a stationary target with a shuriken by 100%.

Increases accuracy against a moving target with a shuriken by 20%.

Kunai Throwing – Lvl 12

Increases accuracy against a stationary target with a kunai by 100%.

Increases accuracy against a moving target with a shuriken by 20%.

Senbon Throwing – Lvl 3

Increases accuracy against a stationary target with a senbon by 30%.]

I didn't even have words to explain how awesome it felt to look at the skills now. That Quest Reward had probably saved me months of training. This last month had been productive as fuck, if I do say so myself.

"We'll have a feast!" An excited Chouji seemed to realize finally and I couldn't hold back a laugh at that. I would try my best to cook like my life depended on it. First, because this meant that I was the best of the class. I was first place in Taijutsu, Shurikenjutsu and even the laps. Second, because I wanted to do something nice for my friends too. I wouldn't be half as good without their help in my training after all.

However, I had something to do before I went home and started cooking. As everyone left the Academy I stayed behind. Iruka-sensei looked up at me from his notes.

"Can I do something for you, Eiji? Good job in the laps and the Shurikenjutsu practice, by the way. I'm truly proud of your progress." He said smiling at me, gesture that I returned.

"I was wondering if I could start training with Senbon now, Sensei." I asked as confidently as I could. At the start of the year he had only said that we could ask about that 'later' and that was it. Maybe I was here too soon? But considering that I had already perfect accuracy in stationary targets, to keep training as I did now would be a waste of time, literally.

"Of course." He answered easily. "I've honestly been waiting for you to ask since some time ago." He then proceeded to chuckle at my gob smacked expression. "Did you think we required you to have completely perfect accuracy to start senbon training? While the key part of using senbon is accuracy, having perfect aim with kunai and shuriken doesn't mean that much as all of them are different." He explained with an indulging smile that made me feel like the kid I was supposed to be. "So, yes, you can start with it during the next class on Shurikenjutsu."

"Thank you, sensei." I said sincerely with as much emotion as I could muster. "Also…" I started again, this time much more nervously and the scarred teacher raised a curious eyebrow at me. "I was wondering if you would consider… starting my chakra training early." I finished while straightening my back to stare back at the surprised teacher.

"I can honestly say that I'm surprised." He said with an undertone of disappointment that actually made me feel bad. "It's not like you are the first one to ask that question. But you have been the perfect student so far, Eiji. I didn't think you would be so eager for jutsu. That's more something that I would expect from Naruto or Kiba." He admitted.

"This isn't about flashy jutsu." I countered. "This is about me having the power I'll need once I become a shinobi."

"The Academy has a program especially planned to train shinobi, Eiji. You'll have what you need."

"Yeah, I'll have what I need to be another member of the Genin Corps." I said bitterly and I saw his shoulders sag a little. "What chance do orphans like me stand against Clan heirs or even Clan members? They have bloodline limits, special taijutsu styles, special ninjutsu. Even the training that they get from their families is enough of an advantage. What can we orphan and civilians do against that?"

"Even with that, you still stand at the top of the class." He tried to reason.

"That's because we aren't using chakra at all. If I don't get started on my training in advance, I'll start next year right where I started this one, at the bottom." I replied containing my emotions as much as I could. "I refuse to be just another Corps Genin that takes several years just to be promoted to Chuunin because I didn't have a true Jounin-sensei to train me. And to get a Jounin-sensei I'll need to be high enough in the class to stand right beside the Clan heirs."

"I knew explaining the separation of Genin Teams and the Genin Corps was a bad idea." He said massaging the bridge of his nose, right over his scar. Then he just sat there staring at me without saying anything and I found myself incapable of further defending my case.

The system we were talking about was simple enough. What apparently went unsaid in the manga and show was what happened to everyone that wasn't on a Genin Team. Because, honestly, who would believe that the Academy only passed around 9 students in a good year considering that the only people mentioned from the year prior were Team Guy.

The simple version was that the students were divided in two groups. Those with potential and those without it. The formers would be divided in teams led by a Jounin that would both teach the Genin and guide them through their missions, acting as both teacher and guard in order for the village not to lose a possible valuable asset.

The latters were the Genin Corps, or basically those that didn't quite cut it. These students could still become Genin, but would instead be left on their own to do D rank missions. After some time, they would eventually gather enough standing and with some luck a few other such Genin that would take C ranks with them. If they were fortunate enough, they would become Chunin after a few years.

There's no need to say which group I wanted to be in.

Being completely honest, I could most probably become a Team member without much problem. Between the System and the sheer time, I spent training, it would be easy enough. But I didn't want to just pass. No. I knew what was coming, and I wanted to be as prepared as I could.

I had been neglecting my chakra training because I had too many skills to train in. Now that I had somewhat took off the weight of Taijutsu, I had the time I needed to start with chakra control if I could. Now I just needed the actual knowledge.

"I can't give you permission to do it." Iruka said finally making me deflate in my seat. "And I also can't teach you anything related to chakra in depth until next year." He added making my head drop. "But," I perked up instantly. "I'll ask the higher ups. They can give you permission to start it and me permission to teach you. But you'll have to wait for an answer." He informed me and just sat there staring at him with wide eyes for a long moment before snapping out of it.

"O-Of course." I replied quickly. "I'll wait, thank you. Thank you very much, Iruka-sensei." I said standing up and bowing to him. He just chuckled good-naturedly.

"I don't think you know. But I'm an orphan too." He started and obviously I knew it, but it felt somewhat different to have him tell me about it. Most of my knowledge could be changed do to this being an AU. Which it was, as was confirmed by the electives. "I know exactly what you feel, Eiji. And like I said, you are an excellent student. I want to see you go far, for all of us orphans." He gave me a warm smile that I returned instantly.

"I'll make sure not to disappoint, Sensei."

[}-o-{]

Shikaku Nara POV

It had been a troublesome day. So very troublesome.

I was just coming back from a long and troublesome meeting with the Hokage and his councilors. Curses were fired inside my mind towards the day that I got placed in the position of Jounin Commander. It was such a drag.

It had been especially troublesome due to the number of unknowns regarding the topic of the meeting. That said topic would most probably be located inside my house playing Shogi against my son didn't help matters. I am obviously talking about one Eiji Satou.

He had garnered the attention almost instantly at the start of the year by befriending the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, Naruto Uzumaki. And while that by itself wasn't such a worrisome thing, it did justify an instant background check. Nobody wanted to risk him being a spy or worse, a Root member. Danzo getting his hands in something as dangerous as a Tailed Beast was too troublesome.

The results of that investigation had been so average that it was baffling. It almost made everyone think he was some kind of spy if not for the fact that we had checked so many times it wasn't even funny. It was almost too average for it to be true, but alas, it was. This made even less sense as time passed.

Two things happened after that. First, the boy had started to grow strong and to display some… interesting abilities, nothing too impressive, but interesting nonetheless, at least at that moment. The second was him proceeding to befriend the Akimichi heir, Chouji, and my son, Shikamaru. It had caused no small amount of worry for my friend, Choza's, family and mine. We had investigated the boy once more only to come out with the same results.

Yoshino and I had been keeping a close eye on him. A lot of people had tried and still tried to get close to young impressionable heirs of the powerful clans. Stupid and troublesome, the lot of them.

However, the boy seemed to be a genuine friend to all three of his little circle. I would even go as far as saying that he was especially close to my son. He seemed smart enough to somewhat keep up with him, at least, and he had the will not to crumble at the evident superiority of the Nara's strategic mind, which more often than not scared the less intelligent people. The fact that he didn't seem to give up and continued to try made even me want to give it a go against him in Shogi. It had been a long time since someone played against me with some actual will behind it after all.

For that alone, I was grateful for the Satou's existence, if nothing else. But he had done much more than that. He had gained some favor from both the Akimichi and us, the Nara, when he got our heirs to train, if only a bit. Choza had been over the moon when Satou got his son to start taking Taijutsu training more seriously and to throw actual punches. And I was just happy that Yoshino wasn't shouting about Shikamaru napping all day. It made it easier for me to take naps.

However, the troublesome boy hadn't stopped there. No, he continued to grow, his running boost had gotten faster and lasted for longer. He seemed to be able to reduce his very presence when he wanted to go unnoticed and the way his strength and stamina grew was prodigious at the very least. That combined with the fact that he had gotten yet another heir in his circle in the form of Shino Aburame, had started to seriously worry some people.

So much so that ANBU had been sent to gather information about him for a few weeks. When it was reported that he seemed to do what he was supposed to, which is to say, study, train and hang out with his friends, the patrol was removed.

Now, just some weeks ago, he had defeated the last scion of the Uchiha clan. Granted, it had been more cunning and luck than actual strength and technique, but he did it nonetheless. And right after that he approached none other than the Hyuuga heiress. I could only shake my head at the boy. He must have some kind of death wish. It was like he was pushing for people to notice him, which in a world like ours meant nothing but troublesome things.

He probably didn't know it, his strategical knowledge wasn't that good if his matches against Shikamaru were anything to go by, but his actions were actually protecting him. A slip and he would be death faster than he can say 'shinobi'. But as it was, his actions kept him on the radar of a lot of people, the Aburame, the Akimichi, us and even the Hokage. Like that it was more difficult for say, Danzo, to get his hands on him for his apparent bloodline limit or talent. Nobody could approach him without someone else noticing.

I finally arrived to my home and started getting ready for a nap before dinner.

"Welcome home." Came the voice of my wife from inside the kitchen.

"I'm back." I replied while already planning to go straight to sleep. That's when I distantly heard the voices of the boys.

"Welcome back, Nara-sama." Said the voice of the one that had given me extra work. Just my luck, that nap had sounded like such a good plan.

"Hi, dad." Was the lazy greeting of my son.

"Hello, boys, how are you doing?" I asked and kept an ear up for any detail I could get.

"As always, really." The Satou answered confirming that my son remained the better one of the two. He didn't even sound disappointed or frustrated. He was a strange one like that.

"You should study more strategy and Shogi instead of looking for more training." My son advised and I stopped on my tracks. "Honestly, you just reduced your Taijutsu training to add Senbon training and possibly chakra control."

I frowned. Adding Senbon wasn't a usual decision made by Academy students, or even most Genin and Chuunin. They required too much skill to be used properly after all. And getting to that level of skill would see that the person trying to achieve it spent most of their time on that alone. It was a dangerous decision to make. But maybe the boy just wanted something to do as the reports said his skill on Shurikenjutsu was perfect, at least with Kunai and Shuriken.

"Why, are you getting tired of winnin alreadyg? Just play against your dad." The Satou suggested with an amused tone.

"No, I just get tired just by knowing your training schedule. Why do you even try so hard? You are already top of the class. One would think you would relax a little. But you want to train even more." That was an interesting question and as such it brought silence as the other boy seemed to take a moment to consider it.

"You are smart, Shikamaru." The red-eyed boy pointed out making my son snort and almost achieving the same with me.

"So…" Shikamaru urged with a bored tone.

"You won't fall for it if I say it's for the Will of Fire, will you?" The Satou asked before chuckling weakly to himself. I would be disappointed if Shikamaru did. My son seemed to have given some kind of response because the boy then continued. "It is actually true." I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "Or… partially, at least."

"How so?" Shikamaru asked with the same suspicion in his voice that I was feeling.

"It's good that we are playing Shogi." The boy said out of the blue, almost catching me off guard. "It helps me explain this. Shika, would you say that there's a King in real life?" He asked and I froze were I was standing, right outside the room they were playing in. It had become somewhat of a habit to stop from time to time to listen in. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Yoshino was leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, listening too.

That had been an… interesting thing to say.

"The Hokage." My son answered instantly without thinking. I wanted to sigh at that. He didn't get it yet. He was too young.

"I don't believe so." The Saatou said instantly and I gave my full focus back to the conversation. "The Hokage fights like everyone else, which means that the King is someone or something else." Maybe the kid was smarter than I thought.

"And what would that be?"

"It depends on the person, I think." Satou said and the rustle of clothes told me he shrugged. "What would you fight for if someone attacked Konoha right now?" He asked before scoffing, probably at my son. "Don't look at me like that. There have been three world shinobi wars over the last six generations, Shika."

I was actually impressed, even Shikamaru with his prodigious mind even for a Nara, was still naïve enough to overlook the dangers of the world we lived in. But it was probable that being an orphan gave the boy some insight on the darker side of things.

"Maybe there won't be a war. Maybe we'll be lucky." The boy continued. "But we still will eventually go out there, probably with a team, in missions that will be dangerous. I don't want it to be my fault when a team member dies. I don't want it to be my fault if someone I know is killed or worse." I noticed that he said when and not if at first, he really had his eyes open to the truth, apparently. I didn't know if that was good or bad.

Time passed, but neither the boys nor Yoshino nor me showed signs of moving, the only sound in the house was that of the pieces on the Shogi board being moved occasionally. I moved to the kitchen in order to stand beside my wife as I considered the boy that was currently playing against my son. The silence was eventually broken though. And what was said brought a beaming smile to my wife's face and swell of pride inside me.

"Ne, Eiji… Are you up for a spar?"