Training

It was a lucky find when Naruko found a scroll in the garbage when she was seven years old.

Old enough to know how to read by hiragana and katakana and this scroll held martial arts energy training.

Ninjas have chakra so what is...this Nen?

As she read it, thankfully its in hiragana...

She tried it out.

By watching the Academy on some days, she learned how to access chakra at just age 5. It was being taught to eight years old kids.

So she knows how to provoke energy by herself...and Nen is different from chakra, being pure life force itself upon first activation before the power turns into Aura.

Then the four basics of Ten, Ren, Zetsu and the Applications of Gyo, In, Shu, En, Ken, Ko and Ryu.

She risked herself to try it out...and for the life of her, why was this thrown away when it works so well?

She figured that upon awakening, they couldn't contain the aura in time, ran out and died. And fearing Nen, they threw the scroll away.

They, were idiots.

Well, another man's trash is another's treasure.

She continued her training.

For now, she attended the Academy and played along when its her turn.

By rule, all students must be seven when attending the Academy in the New Year.

So she had time to train her Nen for a couple months. One thing per hour every day without fail.

Thus, by having skill enough for a Genin, she became capable of feats no kid her age should be capable of, but kept it secret. With Ten, She didn't tire easily.

She kept her scroll in her special hiding place.

To her, these things don't matter as she intends to run the hell away!

For now...she'll play along.

xxx

Naruko, age 9...

She did anything to survive. ANYTHING.

She could easily steal wallets, snuck into the library to broaden her vocabulary and her own knowledge, trained hard, stole what she needed...and it became very convenient for her. She was able to grow up healthy this way.

Her Nen Ability is four Hatsus linked together that enabled her to steal, store away what she stole, access it anytime she wants and flee. Because survival is her priority.

Now, she needed training to get stronger. She's at her healthiest that she wants to run away knowing how to fight.

She watches taijutsu classes from afar, memorizes techniques, and trained her body to get used to it, pouring hours upon hours of effort...while severely weighted down.

One Jounin in Konoha uses weights to gain speed. He currently uses a ton's worth.

She stole his old things after tracking him down using Zetsu to erase her presence.

Normally, even he would spot an ANBU tracking him yet he didn't sense her at all in Zetsu!

It was a risky venture.

Nen is a miracle.

For a Jounin NOT to sense her.

xxx

Naruko, age 11...

Capable of the strength, agility and speed of 900kg as Gai has the 1-ton weights, she's satisfied. She saw actual taijutsu techniques in the Academy too as well as Handseals and proper techniques instead of the bogus stuff she was made to 'take remedial on'. She obtained proper techniques, and trained hard on them.

She thus, fled Konoha upon raiding several Merchant's wares, and robbed the Village Banks of money to finance her trip. It was revenge for being mean and hostile to her when she didn't do anything wrong to anyone!

Her goal was to find ports who knows of places that's got nothing to do with the world map studied in school.

Her final destination was westwards, a world of sand by the time she was 12. Its hot by day and easy to get lost in, so she hides by day...and only comes out at night to navigate using the stars.

She found Sunagakure this way by stumbling onto it.

With her money, she can hire a bodyguard Team that will take her west to the ports in the very west of the map. She went to the Administration Office to file a request.

'You're asking for an Escort Mission to all Seaports in the utmost west area of the world map?' the Administrator asked her incredulously.

'Yes. It'll be a long trip and I can't navigate my way in a land full of nothing but sand and crags, I'd get lost easily.' said Naruko. 'I want a capable team who can easily navigate this area and take me to all Sea Ports. The Difficulty Level due to navigating alone is a pain-in-the-ass B. How much does Sunagakure charge?'

'Well, for a B-Rank Navigating Mission and Escort Mission combined, two-in-one missions, that's the equivalent of an A-Rank pay...can you even pay that?' the Administrator asked skeptically because the client, is a young girl! A young girl of Genin age but...she's not armed or anything...she more looked like a normal civilian girl on some absurd quest for something at the ports.

She reached into her pouch at her hip, took out a fat wallet, and upon looking at the receipt...

She took out 1500000 Ryo and paid up front.

The girl could pay!

'Well, please inform my escorts to prepare necessary amount of necessities for themselves.' said Naruko. 'I'm fully stocked for the trip in excess. Food, water, medicine and hygiene stuff as well as cookware, and prepare for surprises the Desert might throw at us. We could possibly be out for weeks and stuff.'

'Very well.'

'I'll wait in Room 308 Kichou Hotel.'

She can even afford a room in their most expensive hotel.

xxx

A week later...she got a letter from the Hotel Postbox.

Uzumaki-san,

We have a team ready.

Please prepare for departure in two hours.
Meet the team at the Front Entrance of
the Village.

-Admin Office

She grinned.

xxx

In Konoha...

On the day she left, was a disaster.

Markets were emptied, they could not sell anything. At all. Rice, Vegetables, Seafood, Meat and Cooking Staples by the shelves and containers. Even snacks weren't spared.

Even the other stores are raided for medicine, blood, clothes, shoes and hygiene products...the expensive kind. The cheap ones are left behind but noted that in regards to clothes and shoes, it were children's things for girls that were stolen.

But when the village tried to take money to buy what was stolen to feed the populace, they learned that the Village Coffers had been emptied too, as well as the banks. However, only the bank vaults of shinobi clans were untouched.

The higher ups could NOT believe it, but it happened.

Sandaime Hokage was forced to send everybody on missions for money while Genin are acting as Militia to protect the village in the absence of their Jounin.

But considering spies in places...it did not take long for word to leak back to their superiors who were enjoying a good laugh out of the situation.

But it took another week to learn that a certain girl had not graduated with her generation...and learned that while she disappeared, the Academy Teachers could care less and covered her disappearance up...

That, was the Final Straw for the old man who took to ruling Konoha with a merciless iron fist since.

All ninja are tested for what the old Hokage wanted. Those who failed, are killed on the spot.

xxx

'So you guys are my escort...I'm Naruko, nice to meet you!' Naruko chimed as she has a typical ninja pouch at the back of her waist, full of scrolls. On her hands that she held, was a pure-white cloak, and a veiled hat.

'So uh, you want us to guide you to the western seaports right? But what would you want there?'

'Well, I want a change you know...some idiot merchants left behind evidence in the garbage post of all places back in my village that there's more to our world than the map studied in school. That there are more foreign lands out there. I checked every port in the south, east and north it took me one whole year but all of them disappointed me, west is all that's left.' she told them. 'One of the could have been to this foreign lands. A whole new world. A whole new culture. And maybe...a world much kinder to us kids.' she said softly as they started walking on ahead. 'Kids who're not born just to be another soldier in the military and expected to die when needed. I don't want a messed up land to live in.'

'To each his own.' said the veiled Jounin in charge as they too, suited up against the heat of the sun.

Her team is a Genin Cell, led by Baki and his three charges are actually siblings. For classified reasons, they were a team instead of them being teamed up with their generation.

She could cook...and locate reservoirs of water with a technique she uses with a silver chain connected to a mineral the team doesn't recognize.

Her technique to dig up various pools, was eye-opening they could swear she was Tsunade's love-child's granddaughter. But she doesn't know who that was. But she asked Baki to do a jutsu for her to protect the well when they're done using it, and make the protection in a way that those lost can find and use it instead of sandstorms burying it.

She also has a technique that creates a warehouse out of nowhere...filled to the brim with food, medicine and things needed for travel that they could afford good food in camping. It was a warehouse that keeps everything in stasis so her perishable goods never expire. She was very generous in the fact that they can eat as much as they want and tried to get along with her companions. Gaara needed more effort to work on though...he was so cold and the other three looked very worried as Naruko made it her personal mission to get along with him.

After about twenty more wells later and desert monsters they all had to fight...they finally got to civilization after a harrowing journey of three months.

'Finally, I thought I'd never see a village again...' Temari gasped out as these three months are tough on them.

'Well who told Suna's founder to build his village far away from the ports anyway? Makes me wonder what you guys live on while away from a Food Source!' Naruko remarked sardonically. 'Its impossible to cart seafood without it expiring rapidly from heat...'

'Well, let's begin our search.' said Baki. 'Our mission only ends when we get back to Sunagakure.'

They began asking ports about Naruko's inquiries. She even has a paper containing weird alphabets.

Three villages later...

'Oh, I know these letters.' said a very scarred man. 'Southwest of this continent, is an archipelago surrounded by several border islands. Its four months away from here.' he said. 'The people there think that's all their world is but to be fair, those lands are huge enough to be mistaken for continents but this continent you live on, is a Mega Continent that even if that Archipelago merged itself, its about the size of this place nevermind the shape difference.' he snorted. 'Come onboard my ship, I'll show you the map.'

They were led to the captain's cabin, and he showed them the map.

It was an interesting map.

Its indeed, a group of islands...surrounded by 'broken lines' encircling it.

'What are those broken lines?' Baki asked the captain.

'Those Broken Lines represent the boundary that prevents the people there from going beyond as decided by the five great countries there. The broken lines are each, a man-made island watched over by a Gatekeeper. You seriously think that this is all there is to our world?'

'You mean there's more?!' Naruko asked excitedly.

'But why are the people of the archipelago basically sealed in?' Baki frowned.

'Because they invited disaster upon themselves when going further beyond your continent...that only 1/100th out of 1% out of 100 survived and returned home. Traumatized wrecks for life and even one man returned afflicted by a disease that made him an Undead. His body is slowly decomposing over time but his body is still alive, reduced to primal instincts. He's no more than a lab rat under tight security in fear his disease is contagious. The world beyond Human Civilization, far beyond the waters of this map, was declared Taboo.' he said grimly.

'And in recent history, about six years ago...67 people are found dead, bodies like twisted rope or flattened in a way only a demon can do it.' the Captain shuddered. 'The five nations hurled accusations at each other for trying to go beyond again and brought a disaster back. The Codependence of Desire, gas demon Ai is the only thing that can do it.' he said darkly.

'Naturally, nobody admitted to it while accusing each other like crazy. Since then they imposed even stricter rules everybody agreed on. For those like myself who travels back and forth the archipelago and here, I had to always sneak around and I get along well with the Gatekeepers with my clan. I come here to this very place every year for business of course. The archipelago is technologically-advanced yet this continent is left behind on technology...and the guys there who have the equivalent of chakra are all Jounin and Kage-class fighters. That young lady with you?' he asked as he looked at Temari. 'Even kids her age are kage-class fighters.'

Baki's team's jaws dropped.

'Not only that...your client has access to that. It takes like to know like.' the Captain flared his power that got them alarmed as Naruko flared her own aura...and the two started sparring in rapid speeds they were just blurs!

'A-are you serious?!' Kankuro gasped out as their client was more than she seems!

'Incredible...so the people of that Archipelago are that strong?' Baki gasped out, wide-eyed in disbelief. They could only stare as a freaking child, can fight with sheer agility and speed, and keep up with this man.

'Yosh! Break!' the two stopped. 'You're good, girlie...you clearly mastered 'it'.' the Captain praised. 'Where did you find that scroll that gained you this knowledge? New employees I took in broke into my family cabins and made off with it when they wanted the power we had when monstrous sea creatures attacked our ship. My youngest grandchild wanted someone to clean her room, let the newcomers in and I noticed the theft. Maps and 'that scroll' was taken...I know you have it and I'd want it back. Its in my family for two hundred years. Where and when did you find it?'

'I was just a little girl when I found it.' said Naruko. 'I was seven when I saw some merchants toss it in the garbage collection post like I said.'

'-they threw my ancestors' sacred research in the trash?!' the Captain looked red-faced in anger.

'Well, the idiots probably never survived step one and died, so in fear they gave up and threw it away. That's what I thought yet I could easily do it.' Naruko pointed out. Since I was poor, I had to take what I can get. Everyone was prejudiced against me for as long as I remember. The orphanage was unreasonably harsh towards me. Nobody ever smiled at me in that village...all they gave me was scorn, ostracism and I was shunned when I did nothing wrong to them other than being alive. I wasn't welcome anywhere and at school, teachers actively sabotaged me.' Baki, and the siblings were fast connecting dots...while the Captain raised his eyebrows.

'When I abandoned that village and exacted my revenge last year...' her smile got twisted at this point, in twisted pleasure. 'I got into many places where I tasted kindness for the first time in my life. By then I perfected my ability after long hard work I'm grateful for your research...I can survive on my own thanks to it so I'll return your scroll. I'm from Konoha.'

'Waitaminit, how old are you? You can't be older than Gaara...' Kankuro choked out.

'I was eleven when I ditched that place, therefore I still classify as Civilian as I never graduated the Ninja Academy.' Naruko shrugged as her escort team exchanged looks. 'Therefore I cannot be considered a Nukenin. But knowing those biased bastards, they'll gladly twist their own written laws to make my life miserable. That's why I hoped a new world existed where I can be free from them. As long as I'm here, their ANBU will chase me down and force me back into that despicable village and back to a world where everyone can happily make me miserable again. I'm a scapegoat for reasons nobody would tell me.' she said bitterly.

'I see...that's quite the tale.' the Captain shook his head. 'So you'll board my ship in favor of that Archipelago eh? Get some supplies and money ready. I'm hanging around here with my clan for ship repairs before we set sail again. I need money to buy necessities for repairs and final check, and you need money to buy your own food supplies. Its a long trip kid. Its a two-month nonstop trip.' he warned.

Naruko's answer was materializing her Warehouse.

'I got about 300 million Ryou on me.' said Naruko. 'I stole it from Konoha of course...' she grinned in twisted glee as Baki's team gaped. 'Its enough for you to buy necessities for your ship, right?'

'Are you kidding?! Its more than enough by 40%!' the Captain sputtered, eyes popping out of his sockets. 'But what about food?'

'Oh, I got my own grocery in here, I'm set for a year with my Warehouse.' said Naruko as she went in and when she got back out, she took out a wooden chest big enough to contain a vast fortune. 'Here you go Captain, buy the best skills money can buy with this so we can set sail with no worries.'

'Right...' the Captain choked out. What a revenge, he thought.

'Oh yes, take this too Baki-san.' Naruko gave Baki her pouch. 'They're just empty Sealing Scrolls since I was going to give you guys enough food and water to survive a trip back to Sunagakure.'

'E-eh?! But you might need it!' Baki sputtered, pink-faced.

'Nope, I got a year's worth of food on me, I can give you ready-to-eats that can last you until you get back home and some gallons of water in my Storehouse.'

She took out shelves of bread-type snacks, chips, and sweets out of her Warehouse, and ten gallons of water in containers...and anti-poison medicine, bottles of disinfectant, cotton, medical wrappings and adhesives. Team Baki could NOT believe this.

'...wow...you really are set for one year.' the Captain sweatdropped.

'I prepared for years for my freedom. I sweated blood over it because there's no way in hell I'm going back, mister!' Naruko huffed as she gave the captain an old-looking, stained scroll that the man took back as if he held a newborn. 'And I owe your family albeit indirectly for giving me the power I want to escape for a new life at long last. I no longer have to sleep with one eye open and traveling looking over my shoulder anymore!'

'Well, time for us to return back, we're gone for so long.' Baki sighed. 'Kazekage-sama is probably anxious by now.'

'We just got here, can't we at least spend a night here?!' Temari complained.

'As much as I want to, understand our circumstance, Temari.' Baki sighed. He too, wanted a break but they have a treasure to bring back home. 'I'm just as tired and weary as you are but we have no choice in the matter. I'm just glad Naruko-san built many wells on the way that serves as landmarks so we won't get lost again!'

Hardcore Information.