Literature is Often Useless

Books were lame.

They were essentially the accounts of narcissistic people who considered their thoughts and or experiences worth recording. No one asked them to. No one wanted them to. But they still went out of their way to preserve it for the future. Chusei knew for a fact that nobody in all the elemental nations wanted anything to do with The Tales of a Gutsy Ninja. That didn't stop Konoha from placing a copy in every section of the first level.

The strategy did work though, because he wound up reading the blasted thing. The main character for one, seemed to have less brain activity than a rock. But when he got into a fight, he displayed tactical masterclass. He went around with a motto about peace or changing the world for the better. One person at a time. When all he really wanted was to be the strongest so he could protect his circle of friends.

This would all be great, if he didn't go back on said motto every other paragraph. The guy would beat people until they gave in to his ideology and joined him. Then if they were actually stronger, he'd try talking them down. He didn't have to be a psychologist, to tell that there was something seriously wrong with the character. He didn't get far before deciding that not even the author knew what was going on.

Even without that chicken scratch, the point remained. Books were a scam to have people do less.

Unfortunately. His only close friends in the reserves, so far, didn't share his sentiment. They just so happened to be the biggest bookworms in the whole village.

After they had a share of ramen. The group went all the way back to the library. To read. Not the most exciting activity, but he could manage. He hadn't scheduled anything else for the day and home was too isolated.

The two barely said a word to him since they sat down at the table. They didn't even spare him a glance to make sure he didn't die of boredom. They just had their eyes glued to the ramblings of old dudes that probably didn't make it to the new era. The only thing keeping him from interrupting them was that they seemed to be in a state of bliss.

They weren't showing it, because they were smug little bastards. But Chusei could feel it through their links. Somewhere past their inner turmoil and insecurities. He could feel a calm innocent air as they read. For instance. He could tell exactly when Kobaru was excited enough to share an excerpt from what he was reading.

"Did you know that we could use chakra to stimulate the growth of cells in specific areas," the black haired genin said his eyes fixed on the book, "If someone figured it out. Theoretically, we could use it to heal ourselves."

"Interesting. I did not consider the extent to the usage," Nagisa replied, also putting no effort into looking away from what she was reading.

"You're saying that with enough chakra control," Chusei smirked, "I could grow breasts."

It was a weak effort, but it was enough. Kobaru was now staring at him with narrowed eyes. Nagisa didn't look up, but her chakra did what could only be compared to as a face palm.

"Yes Chusei..." the boy sighed closing the book, "you'd be able to redirect chakra to mammary glands you don't have."

"Oh," the orange haired genin sunk into his chair, then hardened his resolve at the next thought, "what about my-"

"I'm only nine just in case you forgot," Kobaru interjected his eyes still narrowed with fake confidence. Behind it the kid was more than uncomfortable with the topic.

"A nine-year-old that's been reading up about mammary glands."

That was the armor breaker. The youngest genin in the reserves was reduced to a wide-eyed statue.

"It was a chapter in this book about Renaissance: The Shinobi World," he spat lifting the article in the air as though it was enough to exonerate his knowledge.

"Excuse me. I have also read that book," the blue haired girl decided to chime in and defend his honor, "it was an account recorded by Sannin Jiraya-sama. As with all his works there are random bouts of female anatomy throughout it," she then looked across at whatever was sitting in front of Chusei, "all except one that is. But it's just as ridiculous as the others I've had the misfortune of coming across."

"Seems like the most interesting person in Konoha," he grinned, "where are the Sannin anyway? I haven't heard anything about 'em in a while."

"According to sensei," Kobaru replied, "Senju-sama has left the village. The other two haven't made any public appearances since the Yondaime's inauguration."

"Hm. That's not comforting at all."

It definitely wasn't.

Throughout hidden village history, the conflicts were always associated with the disappearance of a dangerous shinobi. Shodaime-sama set off the first power struggle. Then there was Kagami Uchiha, candidate for Hokage, dying at the hand of Hanzo the salamander. That was enough to have Iwa enter the fray. For the third, Konoha's white fang fell to his own blade. Which didn't garner positive publicity.

In the minor disagreements. Kumo bullied Kiri out of an island the size of The Land of Waves. When the Nidaime-Mizukage kicked the bucket. Then, in the most literal sense, stole an island from Iwa. Moving the Island Turtle over two thousand miles to the Bay of Lightning. As to why the thing decided to stay under their ownership was knowledge Chusei could live without.

Whatever the other villages were up to right now. It didn't include an immediate attack on their neighbors. Or they would probably be knee deep in swamp water somewhere in the East.

Konoha always found itself in the middle of these conflicts. Not only did they assume the role of freedom fighters whenever the satellite states were involved. But they were also directly at the center of the Elemental Continent. Which in turn was directly at the center of the three known continents. At least that's how it looked on the maps they distributed at the academy.

Luckily the other two landforms were socially sound. Only offering assistance to the elemental nations if it directly benefited their livelihood. If not, then they'd pretend that nothing was going wrong on the other side of the mountain ranges.

"I assume that the other villages haven't heard about it yet," Kobaru added with a smug grin plastered to his face.

"Yeah whatever. I don't really care. We're genin not politicians," Chusei stretched into a stance then hunched over the table, "aren't you done reading up on water walking yet?" His youngest friend nodded, "great so can we go training or something?"

"Alright," he agreed then summoned a clone to continue his reading.

Chusei didn't fully understand Kage Bunshin, but the moment he could split his chakra without immediately dying. He would dedicate every waking minute to learning the technique.

"You comin' with us?" He asked the most reserved member of the group, "you can spar with Kobaru if you want."

The sacrificial pawn heard the offer and tried to get himself out of it, "I didn't agree to that."

"Come on. You held your own against sensei."

"Only because he was holding back," Kobaru argued his face rife with panic, "Why don't you fight her. Mister I'll stay in the tree until it's safe."

"No way! I've seen her dance around two chunin," he objected, pointing at the girl in question, "you could at least call on a small army to even the playing field."

"Yeah, for all of two seconds," Kobaru's clone scoffed.

"See. Even more resilient me agrees that I'm no match."

"Excuse me Kobaru, but a fight always goes to whoever's more prepared. Not to the most skilled," Nagisa chose then to provide a quote of motivation.

"And I'm neither of those," the black haired genin smiled, "I won't be able to put up a fight until I can make a third willpower clone."

"What the hell's a willpower clone?" Chusei asked before his brain caught up to his mouth, "Don't tell me you went about improving an already improved technique?"

"Uh well yeah. The basic ones were too weak for my liking," Kobaru explained his smug grin making a reappearance, "the only downside is that they need more chakra to create. So, I'm limited to two at a time," he continued as his clone smiled up at him, "but with the basic ones I can split ten ways without kicking the bucket."

"That's... completely useless, isn't it?" Chusei nodded, "can you even use jutsu when you have nine clones running?"

"No, but I could use them as distractions to launch a counterattack."

"You can use the E-ranked version to do the same thing."

"Hm... you have a point," Kobaru's clone agreed on his behalf.

Chusei was about to say something else about smart people being just as dumb as everyone else. But was interrupted by the surprise appearance of the shinobi-librarian on duty. They were more than likely to chase them off. Their conversation was getting louder the longer they were left to chat.

"I'd have to ask you guys to leave," she said without greeting them, "your being noisy."

"Our apologies chunin-san," Chusei bowed prompting Kobaru to do the same, "if you will excuse us. We two will be on our way."

The two boys and the clone turned to leave but stopped when Nagisa somehow attracted the older girl's attention. "Didn't you come here with them?"

The blue haired genin looked over at the group. There was a slight shift in her chakra. As though she wanted to say no but was willing to consider the decision. Chusei being the ray of sunshine that he was decided to throw her a bone.

"Nope," he smirked then grabbed Kobaru and made for the exit once more.

XxX

Next Day

There was nothing more valuable to shinobi than intelligence. Not clans that spent generations forcing bloodlines into existence. Or the land they amassed on the childish whims of the ruling daimyo. Those were cheap compared to the knowledge that usually came with the acquisition. Something about having information that other villages don't, always guaranteed the attention of everyone on the continent.

When they secured guarded secrets. They hoarded it and made space for more. For Konoha, there was apparently no limit on the amount they could know. The first level of the library said that much.

With such a large repository. One would think that they'd easily find instructions, on how to do something as common as water walking.

Kobaru would be more than happy to inform them that they were all wrong.

By the time individuals thought about recording steps on the process. They were already too experienced to relate to amateurs. He knew he had to create revolving plates at the soles of his feet. He knew he had to find balance on them as to not lose his footing. But no one wrote anything as to why the surface tension broke when he tried to take a step.

If there was actually an answer in there. He had to wait a week before he could continue his reading. Thanks to Chusei's unwanted charity. All three of genin were temporarily banned from the library. For the crime of lying to a shinobi of higher rank. Even though it was really one liar.

When they were asked for their registration I.D. Kobaru could almost see the negative energy Nagisa was aiming at their older friend. Why wouldn't she. That would be the second time she would be written up for insubordination. It wasn't even a month since she became an official shinobi.

Thankfully she had no interest in arguing her case. Or beating the orange haired dope into a bloody mess. If she did then he'd be scraping his dumb grin off the library floors.

Though her hushed resentment was hilarious. It didn't help his ability to defy the laws of physics. After doing their D-rank of the day. Attempt six hundred and thirteen of the exercise was yielding the same results as yesterday.

No matter what he tried, he simply couldn't stay afloat long enough to move. There had to be something missing. A vital step that no one wanted to share with him.

By the time he crossed the hour mark. He'd already settled on living in a future where he couldn't take a fight to water. The crude comments made by Nohara-sensei's clone only encouraged that.

There was nothing to be ashamed off. Most shinobi interactions were landlocked anyway.

To add to his trials. The actual jonin showed up with the boy's two friends and another genin. Who had proven themselves advanced enough to move on from tree climbing. Kobaru had to, at the very least, make it look like he was still trying. Of course, that was his silent plan. It quickly morphed into a one-sided competition when Nagisa caught up to him on her first try. Then it later devolved into an all-out battle of words when Chusei started making baby steps.

At that point he could feel his pride lose value. Heck at that point anyone within a mile radius could feel his pride lose value. Nohara-sensei and his great sense of timing. Took that moment to increase the difficulty of the exercise. Allowing them to spar while channeling chakra to refine their control.

Kobaru would be okay with that, if he and the nameless genin could move on the surface. Before he could object however, Nagisa was greeting him with a lopsided smirk that promised to toss him back into the water.

The youngest reserve genin was well aware of his capabilities. Against the taijutsu hopeful, all he could hope to do was guard his vital organs. The difficulty would only increase with them simultaneously trying to stay afloat.

She moved towards him with wide, awkward steps. Resembling a duck taking a stroll on land. Then once close enough bombarded him with a flurry of punches that were surprisingly easy to avoid. When that didn't work. She went for a kick, but quickly aborted the idea once she realized that it would throw her off balance.

"Come on uppity maggot he can't even fight back," their chaperone goaded her on then pointed at Chusei and his opponent, "What the hell are you two even doin'?"

Kobaru turned to take a look at the duo, who were locked in a grapple. Both of them trying to find a way to throw the other of balance without toppling over. Their eyebrows were knit in mock anger, as they exchanged words. The black haired genin found himself confused, because the conversation was way too quiet to involve Chusei.

This lapse in focus gave Nagisa the perfect opportunity to catch him off guard. Being one to not waste opportunity himself. He couldn't argue when she caught him in the back of the head with a well-practiced kick. The leg carried through, snapping him off his feet and forcing his head down into the water.

He allowed himself to sink to the bottom of the river. It wasn't particularly deep at this point but was enough for a half dive. He figured out how swimming worked less than twenty-four hours ago, and he was already good at it. He could move through the water as efficiently as any fish living there. But he couldn't, for the love of the sage, stay on the surface.

Kobaru looked up at Nagisa then looked away when he realized she was wearing a skirt. Diverting his attention to Chusei who looked to be the most advanced in the exercise. The boy was still engaged in the secretive conversation disguised as a stalemate. He stood in place like a toddler, scared that any sudden movement would have him crashing down.

And it would.

What did catch Kobaru's eyes. Was the way that the older boy's shadow stretched across the surface. It remained exactly where his feet were. There was no refraction, even with the water moving. He scoffed at it. Chusei found a way to make the river go around his soles instead of spinning his chakra to match the motion of the flow. It was unorthodox but it seemed to be working.

The older boy probably, definitely, didn't know that what he was doing. Made less sense that the actual objective. As he shouldn't be light enough to capitalize on surface tension. He would have to weigh less than a rice grain to do that. Considering that he was not a grain of sand. Chusei would have to shape his chakra into hairs thin and plentiful enough to make his feet waterproof. Two things that were virtually impossible.

Well one of those things...

None of those things were impossible. Not with my control.

So why was he the one lagging behind.

That's when his annoying sense of confidence decided to make a resurgence. Nothing he did so far was of the standard teachings. Everything he had in his arsenal was forged from his poor understanding. To think he almost sullied it with the scribbles of old dead people. Sure, he couldn't walk on water as Nohara-sensei demonstrated. But he knew for a fact that the jonin couldn't maximize the use of Kawarimi. Or summon clones as persistent as he did.

His unique improvisation was what got him so far. It was this outlook that got him passed the tree climbing in the first place. He was going to figure out a way to do water walking his way.

But first he'd prove his point.

He set his sights on the two boys and gathered chakra at his feet. A technique he'd develop during his many failed attempts at staying dry. He needed a way to resurface quickly without having to move his arms. Using the energy. He propelled himself upward to with a quick burst.

He flew out of the water breaking the grappling genin apart. Chusei quickly righted himself midair and landed a few feet away. His opponent took the surprise attack full force and was pushed off his feet. The boy was knocked back and struggled to stay afloat with panicked flailing. Kobaru landed calmly immediately employing the method of fine chakra to balance himself. He wasn't confident enough to run, but it was enough to walk.

"You're still alive," the orange haired menace shot him a dumb grin, "Nagisa was just about to go lifeguard on us."

"I did no such thing," she said rushing towards them. A lot nimbler than she was twenty seconds ago. This was a clear sign that he would need to focus his attack on the blue haired girl.

Two willpower clones poofed their way into existence. Standing by his side waiting for approval. He spent an entire week working on separating the multiple sightlines that came with his strongest technique. It took him several hours and even leaving a clone active while he slept. In order to get used to the sensation. Somehow it worked. He could tolerate the different perspectives and even found a way to use it in combat.

During that week he found out that his clones were always connected to him by thought. So, he could always keep them updated on changes in plan. Sadly, this form of communication only went one way and they still needed to dispel for him to figure out what they knew. The moment he discovered that. Ways to exploit it came shortly after.

Not that there was more than one way to use one way thought.

Without question. Clone Number One jumped into the air and received a chakra laced kick to the small of his back. Courtesy of clone Number Two, who immediately took off towards Chusei. Gliding atop the water without lifting his feet.

Right before Nagisa could dispose of her attacker. Number Two performed their butchered version of Kawarimi. The move caught the blue haired girl off guard. And for her trouble he connected the hardest straight jab he was capable of with her stomach.

Number One slammed into Chusei. Then in the same motion wrapped his arms around the older boy's hips. He allowed his momentum to carry him through and dragged his opponent underwater. Once submerged he propelled himself down and when low enough. He changed his direction to the surface and used most of his energy to carry the new weight.

The clone and his orange haired passenger burst out of the water. Rising both their heights combined into the air. When the two started making their decent, the original performed Kawarimi again. Then nestled a high-powered axe-kick into Chusei's back. Assisting the other boy with his display of a monstrous belly flop.

So, he's out for about five seconds, He smirked as he landed in a crouched position.

At that time Nagisa had caught on to the attack and was forced unto the defensive. Waiting for another surprise replacement. A reasonable response to the technique. There were no handseals necessary so there was no real sign as to when one was about to swap. The best you could do was wait for it to happen.

Number Two unleashed a series of attacks on the girl. With confidence that bled through his smirk. His more enthusiastic clone seemed to figure out a way to move across the surface. Discovery that either came from his confidence or the fact that he didn't care if he fell through anymore. Whatever the reason, the clone was using it to keep Nagisa's options limited.

Four seconds.

The Original and Number One didn't have his experience yet. So, they had to settle for the next best thing. The two of them dove into the water and swam in the... three seconds... direction of their friend. Jumping up and out of the water like a pair of dolphins, as they jetted towards her.

Two seconds.

They slid passed her and launched their attack from behind. Number Two kept her preoccupied from the front to deny her any counterattack. There barrage was sure. At least one of them would hit. On land he'd probably be lying in a pool of his own blood. In the water. He had over five hours more experience than she did.

One second.

Five hours of experience wasn't enough.

Nagisa moved around Number Two's fist, turning to face the two others as they rushed in. The Original was poised to sweep her legs and Number One primed a roundhouse kick for her head. A thank you for earlier attempt at decapitating him.

For the Kobarus everything was moving at the tenth of a second, but somehow. Somehow. The girl analyzed the attack and then retaliated within that time. She stuck an elbow, full power, into Number Two's face. So hard that his sightline became spotted with dots of red and black. Then she slammed a fist, again full force, into Number One's airborne crotch. Squishing the cloned future of the Museigen family and dispelling the attacker in one strike.

For the original she simply leaped into the air and pulled both legs up to her chest. Once again, he had to divert his attention. Still her clothing did not interfere with her intent. As she was more than ready to complete her Coup de grace. Which would be unavoidable for anyone else in that awkward position. Luckily, he wasn't anyone else.

Kobaru performed another Kawarimi and swapped with the still dazed Number Two. Who graciously collected the double stomp on his behalf. Sadly, he didn't dispel and was just only subject to more pain.

Zero, He sighed internally, now to see what that idiot has up his sleeve.

He quickly rushed away from her in a clumsy display. Then dispelled the clone before it slipped into the water. He was more than likely going to drown from that. As he was too stunned to swim. Kobaru shuddered at the thought of receiving that sensation. Then cursed his intelligence when he realized that the clone was using his swimming technique to water walk.

Nagisa straightened up from her last attack and turned to glare directly at the nine-year-old. He swallowed at that. He had just given up his trump card and only had enough left in the tank for one last willpower clone. Which at this point was useless as she was more than capable of fighting him fairly.

And even if he did come up with something. It would take her all of ten seconds to dismantle it.

As he always did. The Sage saw it fit that Kobaru live another day. As Chusei launched his attack on the most threatening person in the spar.

Two hands belonging to the nameless genin popped out of the water, right under Nagisa. He grabbed her ankles and tried to pull her underneath with him. Sadly, she had the fastest reaction time that he had seen so far. She stopped herself from sinking by placing her hands on the surface. Then connected two sharp kicks with the underwater attacker's chest. He quickly let go and retreated having already done his part.

She was already in place for what the orange haired delinquent did next.

No one saw it coming. Even Nohara-sensei had his eyes wide and jaw hanging loose, when Chusei started stringing together handseals. The Sage himself was confused by the occurrence.

Snake. Ram. Monkey. Horse. Tiger.

"Fire Release: Small Flame Bullet!"

Where the hell did he learn this?