AN: I don't own Naruto, and I don't understand why people write these disclaimers either, when there's already 400 thousand other stories in the Naruto category.
Please Review, I want to know what I did wrong and what you liked.
The last thing I remembered was coldness. It was a vivid and surreal feeling, seeing your own body bent in places it shouldn't be bent. Despite having just been run over, my entire mind was in a weird and uncomfortable state of feeling emotionless.
Consumed with a feeling of detachment to my past life, I couldn't care enough to think about my past life. It was unnatural, a numbness not unlike the novocaine used by dentists.
Although I wasn't certain where I was, it was dark enough that I couldn't see my hands and seemed so vast that it gave me a sense of agoraphobia. I decidedly didn't like it, nor the emotional stop-limiter trying to change my decision to not like it.
A pudgy shaped man in the distance approached me. With him came noise, a tapping on what sounded like marble floor. He illuminated the surroundings enough so that I could see myself.
I immediately didn't like him, moreso as a way to demonstrate my indignancy at the emotional novocaine, and less as a being angry at the man.
"I suppose I'm dead?" A dark, scratchy voice I didn't recognize came out of my body.
"I'm sorry for your death. I'm a guide for the people like you, those of Gaia's Blessed. I assume you don't know of her, but she created the very first universe and gave life to every living being. Although she created everyone, only Gaia's Blessed have the free will to determine their own destinies."
Sounds like a crock of bull. "What happens next?"
"It isn't 'a crock of bull'." The fat man, seemingly upset by my thoughts, continued, "Regardless, due to your Blessing, you are to be sent to another world after your death."
A pregnant pause filled the air. "And where, pray tell, is this world?"
"A different universe, nay multiverse than your old one. But you'll be certain to recognize it, as all select memories that could/should help you in any possible way will remain." He paused for a moment, as if thinking his next words out carefully. "A portal will take you there in a minute. Word of advice, if you live or die in an inconsequential way, you will not be able to reincarnate and instead will be stuck in a shitty afterlife where you will struggle in order to have another chance at life. I was you at one point, a young gun raring for another shot. Long story short, I messed up my next life. If you do that, you won't reincarnate afterwards for quite some time. Now I'm here, looking 'pudgy' as your mind described me."
I stared at him. I really didn't know what to say to that. "Well," I drawled out, "thanks a million for the advice." A portal appeared behind me, and I looked at it tentatively, before jumping straight into it.
I was transported to an area with nothing but a bright blue rectangle containing inscriptions upon it.
User of the Gaia System
Welcome to Life #2
You have just been reborn into a new life, with new people, and a new adventure.
There are others like yourself in this world. They're called First Time Reincarnators, and it's up to you to either interact or not, as your new life is up to yourself.
Please Pick Your New Home!
.
Konohagakure 5/5 Selected
Kirigakure 3/3 Selected
Kumogakure 3/3 Selected
Sunagakure 3/3 Selected
Iwagakure 2/3 Selected
Takigakure 1/2 Selected
Kusagakure 0/2 Selected
Amegakure 3/3 Selected
Otogakure 2/3 Selected
Non-Affiliated 3/3 Selected
Oh shit… this was Naruto! I remember thinking to myself how cool it'd be living in this type of world when I was younger.
Notification!
Takigakure 2/2 Selected
I picked Iwagakure without a second thought. Orochimaru would probably figure out a way to kill me before I even reached a year old. And for that matter, fuck the mediocrity of a village like Kusa, I didn't want that life the pudgy soul guider had talked about, so I'd push myself to the limits.
Name Not Selected(M)
Jinchuriki of the Five Tails - Selected (2/4)
Dust Release - Selected (2/4)
4/4
Name Not Selected(F)
Jinchuriki of the Four Tails - Selected (2/4)
Explosion Release - Selected (2/4)
4/4
Name Not Selected(M)(You)
Kamizuru Clan - Selectable (.25)
Swift Release - Selectable (.75)
Seal Master - Selectable (1)
Perfect Charisma - Selectable (.25)
Master Weaponsmith - Selectable (.5)
Natural Genius - Selectable (.75)
Beastly Chakra Reserves - Selectable (1.25)
Heavenly Chakra Control - Selectable (1.25
Otherworldly Chakra Potency - Selectable (1.25)
Religious Leader - Selectable (1)
'Of course I got the last pick!' I huffed to myself in my head.
'Although the jury's out on the name, but how 'bout my skills? I mean, if this whole ninja thing doesn't work out, I could pull a Jesus and convince a bunch of people that walking on water was an act of God and not chakra control.' I snorted in my head and pretended like I wasn't a crazy person.
Each option was expandable and provided a basis for why it was a good choice. I immediately ruled out some options as no-no's. I couldn't seriously take Religious Leader, nor was Kamizuru clan even a slightly powerful option. Plus, I refused to take Master Weaponsmith because I wanted to be a frontline fighter.
Meanwhile, Natural Genius was a great perk, as it not only allowed the user one more stat point while leveling up, but also enabled them to pick up skills more quickly. Swift Release similarly seemed amazing, as it was a Kekkei Genkai that'd give me the ability to outclass any enemy I fought with regard to speed. Seal Master was definitely strong as hell, and possibly even broken depending on what I could do with seals. Perfect Charisma seemed good too. I mean, who doesn't want to look good and have 20% reputation gain to males and 50% reputation gain to all females.
Despite the great advantages of Natural Genius and Swift Release, I tried taking Beastly Chakra, Heavenly Control, and Otherworldly Chakra Potency. Despite my wishes, the system wouldn't allow me to take that combination of abilities. It didn't work when trying to combine it with only two of them either.
For that matter, what even were these three abilities? I skimmed through their descriptions, and to me, it seemed as though either Beastly Chakra or Otherworldly Potent Chakra were the strongest. The explanation for each of them was that Beastly Chakra gave you a bit more than the three-tails total chakra, and that Otherworldly Potent Chakra made your chakra by itself way more powerful. It stated that if the chakra potency of an average ninja was one, then the chakra potency of nature chakra was twenty. Going by that scale, the Otherworldly Potent Chakra would make my reserves a whopping ten!
So instead of going for a combination of Beastly/Heavenly/Otherworldly, I took Swift Release, Natural Genius, Seals Master, Otherworldly Chakra Potency, and with my last .25 ability points I deliberated between a clan of bee users and being able to smooth talk my way into or out of any situation.
I didn't think bees would fit into the fighting style I wanted to use, and more importantly, I thought that sweet-talking people would be good.
Name Not Selected(You)
Otherworldly Potent Chakra - Confirm? (1.25/4)
Seals Master - Confirm? (1/4)
Natural Genius - Confirm? (.75/4)
Swift Release - Confirm? (.75/4)
Perfect Charisma - Confirm? (.25/4)
4/4
Confirm Choices?
Once you choose your Abilities, there is no going back.
Continue: Yes/No
I looked at the continue button, pausing for a moment to take in the absolute batshit craziness of my day. I had died, went to limbo, and been reborn. I'd never see my family again: My mom, dad, brother, sister, were gone forever. I wouldn't be able to talk to the girl I knew had a thing for me, or hang out with the boys.
It brought more than a few tears to my eyes. Gone was the old me. My wild, somewhat carefree self was going to be waffle stomped down the drain like a piece of shit in a shower, after I became a glorified soldier. I was off to go play ninja with a bunch of anime characters in order to not go to hell. Yippee!
In the end, I pressed Yes.
Game Pending...
Game Pending...
Game Pending...
Character Creation Success!
World will be entered at 30/30
Currently, 27/30
Currently, 28/30
Currently, 29/30
Currently, 30/30
World Enter!
My senses were immediately blasted with information. I could smell blood, the metallic scent that covered my body in death. I could feel my body covered in a disgusting slime, not unlike table syrup. I could hear myself screaming, crying, and under that, a doctor saying something I couldn't make out to the lady who gave me birth. Nothing to taste except for saliva.
And my eyes! Imagine being in a dark room for a while, and all of a sudden the dim overhanging lights were turned on. It was that, but imagine it felt like stadium lights burned straight into my eyes.
I was alive! I was so joyful despite my current crying and my weak slime covered body. I vaguely felt my umbilical cord get cut off of my stomach, and with it a pang of pain, but I didn't care. ALIVE!
The world around me stopped as a blue rectangle covered the middle of my view.
Think Menu to begin
'Menu.'
Menu
Status
Skills
Perks
Reputation
Options
Tutorial
It is recommended you start the Tutorial
To start, say or think 'Tutorial'
Well, I don't lose anything by saying yes. 'Tutorial.'
Think 'Status' To Begin
'Status.'
Status
Name: Rukasu Hayai
Age: Newborn
Level: 0
Title: None
Health Total: 50/50
Chakra Total: 100/100 (Locked)
Chakra Control: 0%
Chakra Potency: 10 (Locked)
Strength: 2
Vitality: 2
Dexterity: 1
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 12
Perception: 3
Charisma: 10/10
Stat Points: 0
These are your stats. Each one is useful, and will enable you to become not only stronger, but smarter, more dexterous, more perceptive, and better all around.
Some stats are harder to raise than others. Charisma, for example, is a fixed value given upon birth that rates your looks and to an extent, your speaking ability. It can only be changed by certain actions such as: shape-shifting, aging, scarring, make-up, etcetera.
You can increase the value of your stats not only through putting stat points into them, but by performing certain actions. If you lift weights, your Strength will increase.
Some stats are hidden. For example, Speed is a stat that is increased by one for each equal point in Strength and Dexterity. Other stats, such as Elemental Affinity are hidden until unlocked.
These are what your Stats represent.
Name: This is what others know you by.
Age: How old your body is. Can be used to put level/skill caps on your body. Every year adds 50 HT and 100 CT.
Level: Your level is indicative of how strong you are. If you're level 100, chances are, you'll beat most people underneath your level. But level isn't the end all be all determination of one's power, skills and mastery are.
Upon Level Up, you are given 5 assignable stat points(unassignable into charisma/potency). As you have the Natural Genius perk, you are assigned 6 stats points. Every ten levels, the user is given 10 assignable stat points, due to Natural Genius you are given 12 assignable stat points.
Title: Earned by performing certain actions, Titles are very important as they can both negatively and positively impact your character. Certain titles are inequippable.
For example, the title Iwa Ninja grants ninja of Iwa reputation gain benefits with the allies/citizens of Iwa, and lowers reputation gain with enemies of Iwa, this title can only be unequipped if you betray Iwa, or die.
Health Total: Dictates how much damage you can take before death. As dying is obviously no good, it's a smart idea to increase it.
If you invest a stat point into health, you gain 25 HT in return.
Health Regeneration is a stat that comes into play once you obtain a healing factor, which you do not currently have due to being a newborn.
Chakra Total: Chakra is the lifeblood of anybody wishing to become strong in this world. The more chakra, the better.
Investing a stat point into chakra total gives you 50 CT in return.
Chakra Regeneration won't come into play until chakra is unlocked.
Chakra Control: If Chakra is the lifeblood of anyone with power, then Chakra Control is the veins that direct your lifeblood.
It is a percentage based stat that defines how much chakra is used on skills. A higher chakra control is better if you wish to perform precise actions.
You cannot put points into this stat.
Chakra Potency: Determines how strong your chakra, and by extension, body is. If you have a high Chakra Potency, your body becomes better as a whole. It also increases the strength of skills by a hefty amount. There are modifiers to chakra potency, such as Nature Chakra and Bijuu Chakra.
Investing a point into potency returns .4 CP due to Otherworldly Chakra Potency (as opposed to .2 CP normally, and .25 Jinchuriki).
'Holy shit!' Chakra Potency was that strong?! I sure as hell picked the right perk to get. But there were Jinchuriki that replaced the canonical ones in this world, so I certainly wasn't the only special one with a chakra potency modifier. Speaking of other Jinchuriki, I wonder if Naruto suddenly didn't exist, was Kyuubi-less, or worse yet; a person had taken over his body.
In fact, they stuck 30 people(including me) into the Narutoverse. I wonder how present the changes will be. Who knows, there could be someone that agrees with the antagonists, and even tells them the future.
Suddenly, being stuck in this world didn't sound so appealing.
Strength: Strength affects how much damage your physical and weapon attacks do, and how much damage your block/parry reduces. The Speed stat is equal to the lower stat between Strength and Dexterity (Due to your bloodline, Speed is calculated by: 5(Str + Dex))
Vitality: Affects stamina, resistance to poisons, physical damage reduction.
Dexterity: Affects all motor control, a higher dexterity allows you to move in a less jerky and more streamlined way. Also helps with reaction speed and evasiveness. The Speed stat is equal to the lower stat between Strength and Dexterity (Due to your bloodline, Speed is calculated by: 5(Str + Dex)).
Intelligence: Affects intelligence quotient, creativity, and knowledge retainment. Provides you more options in combat.
Wisdom: Affects how well you can use your knowledge and jutsu resistance. Also affects your decision-making, and tells you the best moves to make in combat
Perception: Affects all of your senses. A high perception is especially important for those who process tons of information.
Due to Swift Release, your natural Perception is increased by 20 upon unlocking chakra.
Charisma: Affects your looks, speaking ability, and emotional IQ.
Due to Perfect Charisma, your Charisma is boosted to 10/10.
Stat Points: Not necessarily a stat, but it allows you to place points inside of stats in order to increase them.
Next, think 'Skills.'
'Skills.'
Skills
Gamer's Body - Passive - Level MAX
Grants a body that allows the user to live in the world like it is a game. Restores HP, CP, and weak status effects after sleep. Allows you to ingrain muscle memory at a faster rate than normal humans in conjunction with your dexterity.
Gamer's Mind - Passive - 50% Intensity
Grants a mind that allows the user to view the world through unbiased lenses. With this skill, you can think actions through logically and calmly. Immunity to weak psychological attacks and all mental attacks that try to pry into your memory. The intensity level dictates how much emotion you can feel, with 100% shutting off your emotions and 0% allowing you to feel naturally.
DOES NOT PREVENT GENJUTSU!
Calligraphy- Active - LVL MAX - Artistic writing skill used primarily for fuinjutsu. At MAX level, in conjunction with your dexterity, allows for high speed and high quality writing.
Max Level Bonus - 20 DEX
CANNOT USE UNTIL DEX = 5
'Holy crap!' Max level calligraphy was so OP. First thing I'm going to do is invest into it dexterity, so I can get that max level bonus.
Also, I set the Gamer's Mind to 20%. I didn't want to turn off or on my emotions, and felt like 20% was a good number to pick.
A rush of euphoria filled me, elated that I was alive once more. I might have to tweak the number later, but for now I was okay with it.
Although your skills are currently barren, it is an important way to keep track of your learnt abilities.
Next think 'Perks.'
'Perks.'
Perks
Otherworldly Chakra Potency - Your Chakra Potency starts at 10 and increases by .4 for every stat point.
Increases damage dealt by all attacks by 100%
Reduces damage taken from all attacks by 10% when using chakra to defend
Harder time hiding chakra from sensors due to having a stronger chakra presence than Jinchuriki
Seals Master - You start out with a maxed calligraphy skill and are given 25% experience gains to all Fuinjutsu related skills.
Natural Genius - Allows for 1 extra point each level up. 5% Experience gain to every action.
Swift Release - An inherited bloodline that affects the body. It is not produced as the result of certain elements, and instead as the result of your genetics.
Changes the speed calculation from the original: "The Speed stat is equal to the lower stat between Strength and Dexterity"
To
5(Str + Dex)
Perfect Charisma - Basically, you're attractive and well-spoken.
Gives 20% reputation gain to males and 50% reputation gain to females.
These are your Perks. By completing certain actions, you can gain more than the ones allotted at character creation.
Next, go to your 'Reputation' to continue.
'Reputation.'
Reputation
?: Loved
Iwagakure: Neutral
As you can see, your Reputation list is quite empty, as you were just born.
Last but not least, think 'Options'
'Options.'
Options
Subtitles: On - Off
Health/Chakra Bar Display: On - Off
Background Music: On - Off
Show Speed Stat: On - Off
Notification!
Tutorial Complete!
Chat Feature Unlocked!
The world around me started moving again. My body kept crying, but my mind went into a deep concentration.
'I'm in a new world, with 29 other people with completely different ideals and the ability to oppose not only myself but others. Should I ally myself with whatever main group appears? Best to work alone, I can't trust anyone, not even the others born in Iwa with myself.'
'The people born in Iwa might be the hardest to trust. This village is essentially a blank slate with only 3 or 4 characters I could remember from my past life, which means that the others reincarnated to this village could either a) Wish to stay out of the plot or b) Wish to entangle themselves in ways only beknownst to themselves. And on top of that, it also has connections to the Akatsuki. If I entangle myself with the two Jinchuriki in my village, I can get screwed over by the Akatsuki themselves before I even get to the endgame of Madara and Obito.'
'This might've been a worse choice than both Kusagakure and Otogakure. I have no plot knowledge to aid myself in this crummy village, the only plan I see is attaching myself to someone important that the Akatsuki wouldn't mess with, either Kurotsuchi or Onoki.'
'Situation aside, it's a good idea to go back to the Options, check out the chat, and go from there.'
'Options.'
Options
Subtitles: On - Off
Health/Chakra Bar Display: On - Off
Background Music: On - Off
Show Speed Stat: On - Off
Allow PMS: On - Off
I quickly changed all of my settings to on and went to my menu.
Menu
Status
Skills
Perks
Reputation
Chat
Options
'Chat.'
Chat
Moderator: Chat function is blocked from all users until Age: 5 is reached. This is to try to curb serious world deviations before the important events get started.
Moderator: As people living with the Gaia system, you are allowed free will, meaning that you are allowed to undermine the plot in any way you want. As all the users have at the very least, good knowledge on the Narutoverse, there are no unfair advantages. Tell your Kage's the future and plot for the world's destruction, or don't.
Moderator: To compensate for the growth that the Gaia system allows for, the power scaling is different from other variations of this world. Most academy students are genin level, all genin are chunin level, most chunin are mid-Jonin level, and all Jonin are low Kage with the exclusion of elite Jonin which are high Kage. The Kage themselves are at least Hashirama Senju level.
Moderator: There are ways of getting stronger in this world. If you kill someone, you gain experience. If you kill a fellow Gaia system member, you can take one of their perks. Quests are another way to get stronger and you can earn perks and skills for completion.
Moderator: Some people of this world are users of the Gaia system. They also have free will, and any plots you may have been aware of pertaining to them are now different.
Moderator: If you meet a fellow Gaia user, private messaging is available to use between each other upon meeting. If and when someone with the Gaia system dies, their death will be recorded in the chat.
Moderator: Also, some of you have been able to pick 'Jinchuriki' as a perk. The people previously containing the tailed beasts have had their seals destroyed on purpose as a result of your reincarnations, as we used the excess natural chakra that was used to transport your souls to essentially corrupt the seals. These beasts will soon be sealed inside you all safely, although there was a World Rule in Konohagakure that prevented the Kyuubi's seal from being broken.
Moderator: Thank you, that is all.
I could feel a palpable change in the air as he said that. A heavy concentration of what felt like humidity filled the nearby air... no it was more like a choking sensation that I felt.
Notification!
Chakra Sense unlocked!
Notification!
Bloodlust Sense unlocked!
'The Jinchuriki! Oh shit on a stick!' I scrolled back up through the chat and freaked the fuck out when I realized it didn't say that the non-Jinchuriki would be safe.
3rd Person POV
"Doctor!" The woman on the hospital bed shouted out. Blood was pouring out of where she gave birth. "That's Bijuu Chakra! I can't move," she shouted out, distressed not only for her own life, "Please save my son, that's all I ask of you! Please!"
"Miss Hayai, I can save you too if you give me a minute." He gritted his teeth as he started using medical chakra
The woman pushed him off of herself. "There's no time, I'm a sensor and I know it's a mile away and making its way here. Please get Rukasu to safety, my son will be strong."
The doctor stared at the woman with a nasty expression of guilt on his face. He was condemning this woman to death by leaving her here, but if he stayed he would die. And the baby too, he supposed.
In a split second, the doctor thought to himself, about his life and how he could die here and now.
A Bijuu! A fucking Bijuu. He took one last sorrowful look to the woman's face with tears rolling down her eyes. And then ran like the coward his parents told him he was when he decided to be a medical ninja. Maybe they were right about his cowardice, but the baby, named Rukasu in her last words, would live to see another day. He would make sure of it.
The tiny newborn in his arms looked towards his mother, his face scrunched up in an undeniable sadness. Rukasu had not known the woman one minute, and here she was giving up her chance, her right to life, for a newborn who might not even make it out the night alive.
Notification!
Observe unlocked!
He ignored the notification and smiled sadly at the woman. He felt like he was betraying her, like he was tricking the lady into thinking he was her son and that-
Useless thoughts. Just try to give the woman, no mother, a consoling look as you run away from her deathbed. She smiled back at the boy, showing no signs of fear even despite the pool of blood coming out between her legs.
And that was the last he ever saw of her.
One Year Later
The whole world was plunged into a chaotic state after the events of 7/7/1777. The so-called luckiest day in a thousand years, ended up being one of the worst in all of human history. All nine of the chakra beasts had been released, and in their wake they left widespread destruction and sorrow.
Every hidden village, and by extension country with a beast had been devastated. The world had fallen into an economic slump of astronomical proportions. All ninja villages had been weakened considerably enough that the Third Shinobi War which was already close to ending at the time, had been brought to an end.
To Rukasu, it seemed as though Iwagakure had especially suffered. He was an orphan now, living in one of the village's three highly overcrowded orphanages. During his one year of life spent inside the crummy orphanage, he was given little attention by the matrons and was barely fed enough to survive.
Iwagakure, part of a country with little access to stable food, has been through many hardships due to the Bijuu. The government had to distribute the food themselves for the entire first year in order to make sure no one starved to death. The only saving grace had been that the two beasts had not crushed the farms over foot, as if they had, the village would've probably starved to death.
From what Rukasu heard through rumors, Konoha had lost their Third Hokage during the attacks. Kiri lost both Jinchuriki's lives and two of the seven swordsmen, Bee the strongest non-Kage in all of Kumo didn't lose his life despite the unsealing of the beast, although one Yugito Nii had. Iwa was battered pretty hard as both Jinchuriki had died and three elite Jonin on top of it(Although I was certain we weren't the only ones losing elite Jonin). Suna had surprisingly been the only ninja village to not be seriously affected by the attacks as their Jinchuuriki was expected to die sooner than later of natural causes.
I was sure that people had died and survived without my knowledge, but the key takeaway to myself about the differences between this Narutoverse and the last was that Minato(and probably Kushina) were still alive, and that in this universe he hadn't killed the 1000 people in Iwa. Although I was sure Iwagakure didn't like Konoha, it certainly wasn't the hatred that was portrayed in the anime.
Despite the stress placed upon the world by "Benzaiten's Curse", Rukasu couldn't help but grin. To him, the stage was being set, and the world was soon to be ripe for taking.
Whoever thought putting a fully cognizant person in a baby's body deserved a special spot in hell. I'm always cooped up and forced to sit in my stupid crib, while my body is having an annoying time moving due to constantly over-guessing the length of my limbs.
At least I could walk, talk somewhat coherently, and use the bathroom whenever I wanted to. The first few weeks were a special sort of hell, I had to crap and piss myself in a diaper. And the worst was when the ladies didn't wipe you fully.
I shivered for thinking back to it. The best skill to upgrade while my body was still growing and my mind was still learning the language had to be 'Observe'.
I used it as my Translator so to speak, by thinking Observe on any object I wanted to learn about, and then looking at the translations for it.
I looked towards my noisy roommate's room, and used my skill.
'Observe.'
Crib
Currently holds the world record for nastiest crib in all of Iwagakure with a record of four yellow spots, two brown spots, and a patch of mold at the top right of his mattress.
I threw up a little at the info.
One Year Later
Although he was only two years old, Rukasu hadn't been idling. He'd been training by the time he could walk, twenty weeks, trying to grind every last drop of XP out of his skills. He got some new skills too: Persuasion, Flexibility, Movement, and strangely enough a skill called Heightened Senses. On top of that, he gained a perk called Ambidexterity. And by training his body, he had gotten his Dexterity up to 5, which in turn gave him a plus 20 to the stat.
Status
Name: Rukasu Hayai
Age: 2 Years
Level: 0
Title: None
Health Total: 150/150
Chakra Total: 300/300 (Locked)
Chakra Control: 0%
Chakra Potency: 10 (Locked)
Strength: 8
Vitality: 6
Dexterity: 25
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 12
Perception: 10
Charisma: 10/10
Speed: 29
Stat Points: 0
Despite Rukasu's hopes, his speed wouldn't be absolutely broken until he unlocked his chakra, which he planned on doing as soon as humanly possible.
Rukasu assumed that since Kakashi made Genin at 5, he had to have had his chakra unlocked at least four years old, but even then, he didn't want to wait another three whole years.
Which led him to his current predicament, camping inside "The Stone Palace" in hopes of getting a chance to talk to the Tsuchikage, or at the very least one of his guards. Currently, he'd been sitting in the main lobby for seven whole hours, from the afternoon to seven at night, just trying to get an audience with the Tsuchikage.
Although he asked to get a ticket for waiting in line when he arrived, the receptionist refused to give him one. Instead of throwing a fit like a normal kid would, he resolved to wait there until he was kicked out.
He found it amusing that he, a tiny human with a pudgy body was sitting there not unlike lobbyists who did this for a living. 'At least the lobbyists get granted an audience before being told to fuck off. My stupid-ass has to waste a day before getting to talk with the man in the hat.'
He huffed to himself, looking up and counting the amount of lights on the ceiling. Thirteen of them. Wait a second… thirteen? But it was twelve a minute ago.
'Observe.'
Light
A ceiling light. It seems a bit misshapen compared to the other lights. Don't stare at it for too long.
'An ANBU?' Rukasu questioned himself. 'The ANBU must've been watching him then, probably finding it suspicious that a little kid was waiting in the lobby. 'Is the kid a threat? Is probably what's going through their minds.' He huffed to himself. 'I've been waiting this long and I'm not going to stop until I get my chakra unlocked. Even if it takes a week to get an audience, I won't give in.'
Yesterday he'd stopped by the academy to ask if he could get his chakra unlocked, but they turned him away and wouldn't even take a question. Instead of bitching and moaning about it, he just turned to a better option. Granted, the guards for the Tsuchikage could probably kick him out of the building in the blink of an eye, but Rukasu didn't care, they'd at least have to provide a rationale for why they kicked him out. Probably...
ANBU POV
The boy had been sitting there from the start of his watch till the end of it. It was kind of maddening that the boy, identified last hour as Rukasu Hayai, hadn't so much as even thrown a fit while waiting that long.
The kid's gaze went upon him, passive-faced even despite knowing something was up with there being thirteen ceiling lights. He looked away and huffed, before going back to twiddling his thumbs. It'd been a pattern, look at the roof, look at the floor, and so on. The boy wasn't too different to himself in that regard. Both were waiting for something, Rukasu for presumably the Tsuchikage and himself to go home.
Another minute passed by until the receptionist had finally signaled for something to happen to the boy that had been sitting there. He was to be taken aside by an ANBU disguised as an office worker, and questioned.
There was a chance that somebody could be impersonating the little kid and using his body as a means for an attack of sorts, so there was a need for excess caution.
As he watched the boy be taken further into the building, he smiled. Only an hour until he could go home to his comfy apartment.
Rukasu POV
"What is your purpose for being here, Rukasu Hayai? A stern-faced man stared at me with an imposing gaze. I started to feel increasingly nervous. Probably a genjutsu.
I switched my Gamer's Mind to 80% intensity to try to block out some effect of the presumed genjutsu. At least they knew who I was, so at least they probably knew I went to the academy yesterday.
I gave him a meaningless smile with teeth that had yet to grow in fully. "I'm trying to get my chakra unlocked, do you know who I can get to help me out?"
The man looked at me funnily. "You'll learn it when you go to the academy brat. Now if that's all you need, get lost." He made a motion to shoo me, but I didn't want to budge.
"I went to the stupid academy yesterday, and they wouldn't show me how to do it. They wouldn't let me join the academy either. Please, all I need to know is the youngest possible age I can unlock my chakra without harming myself." I pleaded my case with the man.
"You're two years old, right?" I nodded, although he wasn't waiting for my response. "Why the hell do you even want your chakra unlocked then?" He paused for a moment, finding the next words to say, "If you don't give me a good enough response, I'll kick you out of here."
My true reason was for power, but the man would dismiss that as a little kid's innocent dreams. I lowered the Gamer's Mind to 10%, best to convince the man that I was a little kid with a heart wrenching story. "Food. I'm hungry every day in the orphanage, and I heard that orphaned children who train under the academy get a stipend and a room in a dormitory building. Please try to put yourself in my shoes, I just want a better life."
That froze the man up. Hearing a one-year old tell him that they were a starving orphan would do that to most people, even if the citizens of Iwa were tough and unmoving.
He seemed to be choosing his next words, but I cut him off. "All I ask is that you tell me how to unlock my chakra, and I'll be thankful enough to not harass every ninja I see for answers."
"Harass my ninja for answers, hmm?" I jumped in my seat higher than a fucking kangaroo. When did a person get behind me?! "What is the real reason you want chakra, boy?" I whirled around in my chair nearly scared shitless, which is a possibility with my underdeveloped bowels.
It was the Tsuchikage! He rose above me, feet not touching the ground. I gulped a bit, the man I was told was as strong as Madara Uchiha stood behind me. 'Well Rukasu, you wanted to meet the Tsuchikage, so here's your chance.'
"Truthfully, I want your hat." I looked him dead in the eyes. I wanted- needed to leave an impression with the man. His expression didn't change. "I want to be powerful enough to protect and impose myself on others. I want to be someone great, and this is the best way for an orphan like me to do so. If I can get a headstart on others, even at a young of an age as two I'll take it."
"No." Onoki, the leader of the village said to me, unfazed. I had Perfect Charisma for crying out loud! I grumbled aloud, not caring that it seemed childish. "I'll make sure to divert more food to the orphanages, but my decision is final. If I go about telling one kid that I'll allow him to be a ninja early, every kid wanting to be a ninja will wait inside my building."
"At the very least, could you tell me the youngest possible age I can unlock my chakra without damaging myself in the future? That's all I really want to know." A serious face didn't work, an innocent child facade didn't work, how about a non-emotionally charged question?
The Tsuchikage sighed to himself. "Three years old." My face lit up. "If you remember to come back here on your third birthday, I'll be certain to help you unlock your chakra. Deal?"
"Deal! I'll see you in exactly one year." I couldn't keep the excitement out of my voice.
The Tsuchikage floated his way to the door, but paused right in front of it. It felt like his eyes were looking into my soul, and I shivered a bit at the look on his face. "You're a very convincing kid, Rukasu." He paused. "Don't ever try that persuasive technique on me again. It'll be the death of you." I balked at that. "But," he cracked a smile "It was nice meeting you, and I hope you'll show up in a year."
"Likewise, Mr. Onoki." I beamed at him. What a nice guy-, wait this was this thing that all politicians did. They'd buy your vote with a smile and a handshake. It had happened to me, when I shook the mayor of the biggest and most prominent city in my country's hand as a little boy. I'd remembered that gesture for years, although I learned later on that the guy was a scumbag billionaire. I supposed this promise was a bit more than a simple handshake, but regardless Onoki did seem like a good person.
"Actually, let me walk you home young lad. It'll be nice to observe my village." Onoki said with a sincere tone.
So he put me on his shoulders and flew me the whole way there. It was maybe the coolest thing I'd ever done in both lives. For crying out loud, I was flying!
We made a nice, somewhat intellectual conversation about the village's affairs. Onoki seemed pleasantly surprised that I followed along with the news about our farms and food supplies, to which I replied something about how creating a jutsu for making hard land arable seemed like a good idea. But the issue wasn't having arable land, and instead having enough rainfall for heavy crop growth.
When we got to the orphanage, Onoki let me off of his shoulders and walked right in. Despite being only one foot taller than my 3.5 foot self, he made for an imposing looking man.
The kids saw him and went wild with happiness. Onoki was the Superman of this village, he could fly, he protected us, and he did well by us. At bedtime, the matrons told us stories about the Kage's, focusing mostly on the current one. It filled most of the kids with a healthy amount of hero worship. He quickly went into a grandfatherly mode, telling the little kids stories of how he did this or that and why it was important to be a ninja. This was a memory that'd probably leave a deep impression on these kids, and that'd make them think 'Huh, I should be a ninja like this strong old man.'
Maybe it was a bit cynical of me to think that way, but I knew I wasn't wrong. When dinner was served, the matrons had made a show of giving the same amount of food, sticky rice, to him as the other kids. It only served to further endear the grandfatherly figure to the little kids, thinking 'What a great guy.' I was sure Onoki would go home afterwards and eat a full meal with meat and everything.
I couldn't hate on him though. He still came over to the orphanage to give the orphaned kids a bit of hope even in their crummy situation, and he went above and beyond by promising to me that he'd help me with my chakra.
He left after dinner, certainly going home to eat good food and enjoy himself with his family. His kids and grandkids didn't have to worry about waiting in an office nor begging in order to unlock their chakra.
I sighed. What could I do about it, that's just the way life works. 'Nah. It shouldn't be like that. I thought like that in my last life, that orphans were someone else's problem. But now that I'm here, all I can think about is: 'Will my next meal be filling enough to keep me alive?' And, a bit less normally, 'can I be sure that the Jinchuriki's of my village won't kill me on sight?'
How was I going to live this life, for that matter? I still hadn't decided if I wanted to make the leap of faith, trying to become the strongest shinobi I could be or maybe taking the backseat while people with more power took care of things.
It wasn't an easy decision, my Speed stat made me a better fit for a support role, and that(and charisma, but I don't think it's that good) was my only stat separating me from the other 30 people.
But at the same time, It was an essential part of myself to never be a quitter. In fact, in my past life I was a pretty damn good wrestler. A scrappy, tough guy with flexibility but no real finesse when it came to the finer techniques.
My strong point wasn't my strength, nor my flexibility. It was my never give up mentality. When a kid punched me(illegally) in a match, I'd punch back harder, and then twist his finger like it was a game of 'mercy'. The people I went up against were tougher, smarter, smoother, and all around better, but I didn't give a fuck and I gave it my all.
Really, the whole decision was between two compelling points. I could either A) Run away and Survive, or B) Stand and Fight whoever was in my way, Jinchuriki, Sharingan bullshit, or whatever.
As much as I wanted to say no, I knew the best decision to make. It went against my nature, after all, to run away from trouble. I'd fight.
Rukasu's Plan To Be The Best
- Get adopted by a rich family that has no qualms about spending money on you to get a ninja teacher. Make sure that you use your charisma in order to get in their good graces.
- Go crazy with your Flexibility skill. Max it out, as flexibility is one of the most important things in any battle.
- Get as many skills as possible before meeting with Onoki next year, try to impress.
The thing about any combat sport was that in order to truly excel at it, you needed to sink time and money into learning under multiple teachers. Money comes into play due to the fact that convincing someone to teach you costs money.
In my past life, the best wrestlers on the team were the ones who spent the most time training under former wrestlers and MMA fighters. The same would apply here for my taijutsu skills. If I wanted to be skilled at it, I'd have to sink time and money into learning under Jonin and former ninja.
To me, there were four reasons why nin-taijutsu seemed like the best way to become strong. One, my past life experiences would make me more suited than most for any physical combat. Two, my Swift Release(Aka Jinton) would allow me to swoop in and attack from multiple points. Three, my chakra potency would (hopefully) allow for me to make a chakra cloak not unlike the one the Raikage's had. That move would be the main technique for combat, although I'd make sure not to be a one trick pony like Naruto. And finally, four, I always found it stupid whenever the characters would pepper each other with Jutsu, as they not only wasted Chakra, but were also too showy and ineffective. The best indicator of one's strength wasn't the various amounts of jutsus/techniques one knew, but the amounts that one mastered.
In the wise words of Bruce Lee, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
After the Tsuchikage left, the matrons started putting everyone to bed. I didn't really know anybody here, despite the two years I've spent. I knew the orphan-head, Erin, a younger woman, and Miki, the old granny who volunteered to take care of the kids my own age.
It was mind-numbingly boring living in the orphanage, as they usually didn't allow for anyone my age to leave the building. I was an exception to the rule, as my little two-year-old body was able to somehow out speed and maneuver both the ladies running the place. They tried stopping me to no avail the first few times, and by now they knew to just let me leave whenever I wanted to.
Part of the reason they let me leave at only two years old was that I was way more physically developed than anyone else my age. I was 3 and a half feet tall, which was the average height of a five-year-old. I could also walk and run perfectly fine, and hold conversations without sounding too babyish.
I had some pretty good looks too. My hair was a very light shade of blond, and my skin was a shade of tanned olive, combined with my blue on the outside orange on the inside eyes, it was safe to say I had some exotic looks. While I certainly looked good in my last life, in this one I could grow up to be a model.
This body of mine maybe wasn't stronger yet than my last one, but it was certainly way more spry and speedy. I could also do a split and a hand stand for more than 20 seconds, both things that had eluded me in the previous body. In short, I found myself able to move in acrobatic ways my last body had never been able to.
The differences, to me, were more clear in regard to my brain. In this life, my mind was organized and not all over the place, whereas my last mind was chaotic and went on tangents that would start at: 'what should I have for dinner', and end at 'why do TV characters always wear the same clothes'. Gamer's Mind was perhaps the most useful skill I'd ever had in both lives.
While the matrons started putting the young children to bed, I went upstairs to where the older children slept and into my corner of the room. It took a few nights of bugging the overworked ladies before they caved in and allowed me to sleep with the five-year-olds.
My reasoning for this was that there was always one matron on watch for the 0-2 year old section, and they were usually busy with putting anybody who was up to sleep and with changing diapers. The matrons generally left the older kids alone at night, and I couldn't focus on training my body while the ladies were bugging me to go to bed.
So while the ladies on shift for the building focused on putting the youngins to bed at eight, I would be up until midnight making sure I put my body in tip-top shape. While exercising till the next morning non-stop was fine and dandy, it would put on stackable debuffs until it forced you to go to sleep. At two years old, it wasn't worth it to push your body's limits and ruin it for the next few days, so I made sure to go as far as I could possibly go and then fall asleep afterwards.
Gamer's Body wasn't as broken as it was suggested to be in most fanfictions. I still needed to eat, sleep, poop, and breath. It just made doing those activities as easy as it was in a game, like pushing a button.
I hopped off of my bed, stretched my body to get prepared for the next four hours.
After a year of grinding this skill for four hours a day, my Flexibility skill was at level 95 out of 100. I was oh-so close to getting the body I had been working on for so long.
The trick to raising my skill proficiency wasn't repeating the same action over and over again, but instead it was coming up with ways to do it harder. When I first started, I did exercises to make sure I'd be able to perform a split. Then, when I was able to do that split, I would try doing an instant split. After that, I'd try performing a split in the claustrophobia inducing hallway walls, by putting both my feet at higher and higher points above my body, going beyond the normal 180 degree split.
It wasn't just splits that I did either, my spine was so bendable that it was almost unnatural, and my arms somehow became double-jointed as a result of growing my flexibility skills.
Although there were some downsides to living in Iwagakure like the distance to the plot, there was some serious upside to it. I was able to practice without having to worry about a Danzo-like figure watching over me. There was no Orochimaru here, and the Akatsuki wouldn't bother me until after the Chunin Exams. I didn't have to worry about a clan nagging me either to act a certain way. Overall, it was a great place to amass power in relative peace.
The Next Day 7/8/1779
When I woke up the next day, I went through my normal routine. I ate breakfast, used the crowded bathroom with communal showers, and allowed myself to relax.
Despite this, I could tell the mood within the town was off. The matrons were speaking in hushed tones, but in a more somber one than the one they usually reserved for speaking ill of other women. I tried asking what they were talking about, but they ignored me, annoyed with me for bothering them in the past.
But it was when I went out to town, that I noticed something was truly amiss. The town newsstand was shut down for the day, for 'repairs'. This had only happened once before, and it was when an adultery scandal emerged with one of our top Jonin, Kitsuchi who was also the son of the Tsuchikage.
The newsstand shutting down in a city with a dictator meant that something was to be hidden. It had to be ninja related, because when the whole Kitsuchi thingie happened, not too many people cared, but in this instance, the whole city was in a hush-hush mood.
"Oi." I pointed at a nearby civilian, grabbing his attention.
"Whaddya want kid?" He wasn't in the mood to talk to me, preoccupied in a conversation with some girl next to him. Probably a girlfriend or a sister, judging by the closeness.
"What happened to get everyone all hush-hush? Who died?"
It was the girl who responded, "Don't worry about it kid, it's adult stuff. Do you need me to find your mommy and daddy?"
"Oh I know where they are, the unmarked bodies section of the Iwa Cemetery!" I said with wayyy too jovial a tone for a little kid, "Now could you please tell me what the hell is happening in this place?"
It was enjoyable watching them squirm, their faces going from a hearty pink to a bed sheet white. The girl stammered, "I.. uh… didn't mean.. to, y'know, to…"
I cut her off. "I know you didn't mean any harm by it, so just please tell me why everyone is acting this way?"
"If you'll get out of our hair after, then sure." He stopped for a moment, and I nodded at the guy, seemingly a foreigner by his and the girl's accents. "Do you know the Kengo Fortress?" Another nod. "Sunagakure went through The Land of Stones(not the Land of Earth) and attacked it. Although your village still holds the fortress, Suna is essentially bringing back the war."
I blanked out for a moment. "Could you repeat that last part again?"
"The Third Great Shinobi War is continuing, kid. Now if you don't mind, we'll be passing by now."
Well… shit. Not even here three years, and the world is back to war.
AN: Well that was a doozy to write. Next update will hopefully be in a week.
I've always thought that Iwagakure was such a waste of potential in the Narutoverse, same thing with every other major village. Despite being such a good story, Naruto had tons of potential that was wasted on filler. Instead of focusing on some cruddy filler mission in the Village Hidden in the middle of my asscrack, they should've made the story more focused on the world as a whole.
There should've been an arc on the Kirigakure Civil War, or maybe more on the tension between Konoha and Iwa. A mission with the ninja from Kumo would've been sick. Kishimoto could've developed Sakura and Ino farther than just healing some fish, and Ten Ten should've had more screen time than Tonton the pig.
But alas, that was canon and what I'm writing ain't canon. I'm open to plot and character suggestions, although I might not take them.
Please let me know what I did wrong, I care more about reviews than I do favorites and follows.