Chapter 2: First Steps

The first three months were a nightmare: Thirty-one couldn't control his bowels and he was manhandled left and right. While he understood the words he couldn't talk. Every time he tried it resulted in gurgling sounds. He couldn't even properly move.

He decided that the first step to regain his independence was to learn how to crawl as soon as possible. So with nothing better to do, he started training to roll over and move his arms and legs up and down to develop his muscles faster. In the meantime, he tried to listen to the grown-ups' conversations to understand better his situation.

Unfortunately, nothing came from his eavesdropping since his parents and Amino were the only ones he met and they didn't talk about the situation outside. One thing he learned was that Thirty-one was only a temporary name and that it would change when he would be big enough. If he survives.

(Thirty-one): 'That doesn't sound ominous at all. Anyway, back to training.'

3 months later

Thirty-one was able to start crawling and noticed that his larynx was developed enough for him to talk. He decided that it was now time to display his genius to be labeled as a prodigy. This way the clan would pour some resources into his own development. He decided to start small.

(Thirty-one): "Mama"

(Hariko): "Hmm, what? What did you say?"

(Thirty-one): "Mama, Mama"

(Hariko): "Wow, our little Thirty-one is a little prodigy!"

Hariko continued to celebrate him and to coo him for a while then she put him in his prison (crib).

(Thirty-one): 'That went well, it felt so good to be praised. It makes me want to continue to make her proud. Fortunately, I didn't speak full sentences or they would have taken me for a demon. Now I need to continue training to stand up and expanding slowly my vocabulary to make it seem natural. Mmmh, I should also start meditating to feel my chakra'

Like so another three months passed and Thirty-one has started having full conversations with his parents. He discovered that his father is the Third Elder of the Hyuga clan and he is his first son, hence the name Thirty-one. He also discovered to his dismay that it's now the Warring States Period and that Konhoa has yet to be founded.

(Thirty-one): 'And there goes away the plans of a peaceful upbringing environment like the academy.'

Thirty-one was soon able to move his first steps and shortly after he unlocked his chakra. It happened while meditating. He had long been able to feel his chakra but he couldn't control it. It stayed in his dantian, a point under his navel, and refused to move. Today, something changed: while he was trying to move his chakra, something snapped, and the chakra started flowing through his chakra coils to every part of his body.

The unlocking of his chakra created an air movement that alerted his mother. Hariko opened her byakugan and immediately noticed the situation and with a shout rushed to scoop him up.

(Hariko): "Amino! Quickly go fetch my husband, Henji!"

After a few minutes, a preoccupied Henji slammed open the door.

(Henji): "Hariko! What happened are you two okay?"

(Hariko): "Henji use your byakugan on Thirty-one."

Hariko activated his byakugan and immediately his face morphed into a bright smile.

(Thirty-one): 'Wow, this is the first time that I see him smile like so.'

(Henji): "Hahaha, I knew it. My son is a genius!"

(Hariko): "Our son."

Hariko scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Of course, love. Our son."